wrapping up the school year

I have to remember that change is hard for me.  Every spring and fall especially.  I suppose in the spring I'm trying to wrap up school. I'm tired, stressed out and can't wait to sleep in!  There's never a lack of activities I'm involved with, but surely they'll be less going on in just a few short weeks.

I teach a class on Tuesdays, you might say a small cooperative with my two boys and a friend.  Actually, I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking with it and seeing it almost to the end.  We've tackled physical science and history while getting time with friends.  I've learned a lot about myself and about history and science which is a bonus in my book.  But, I decided that I'm going to finish by the end of the month.  I want my Tuesdays back.

On Fridays, we attend another co-op for A's Latin which I have to contribute my time.  On two other days, A spends the day with other teens learning biology, writing and history.

My ceramics class every Wednesday is almost finished.  It's been a challenge on many levels.  But, I love what the kids create and it brings me great joy to watch them as they wrap up their glazed pieces.  The experience has actually pushed me to start my own home based business with ceramics.  More on that another time.

I just have a lot on my plate right now.  Everything is worthwhile and enrich our homeschooling experience, but I'll be so glad when I can finish up some of it.

Meanwhile, I'd like to show you what the kids have been making!

Happy spring to you!! ♥

play with clay

I just taught the 4th week of ceramics at our home school co-op.  This time the ages are 3rd grade and up.  I can't even tell you how much I receive back from the kids as I help them learn about hand-building with clay.  The energy in the classroom is so positive, and well...creative.  It's palpable.

I want to chronicle their creations as we go!

play

I thought these blocks were never going to be played with again.  They had been collecting dust for a few years and I really thought I would put them in the garage, otherwise known as the toy graveyard.  It seems like these days my boys would rather play on the computer than do anything else and I had really reached my breaking point the other day.  They were fighting and I just yelled, "play with the blocks dangit!!!"  (or something like that)  And they did.  My blood pressure lowered a bit and I realized how beautiful it is to have a mess in the family room.

Honestly, I miss the days when my kids just played with toys.  I feel nostalgic about those days when I had an ever present little one on my hip and the house was a disaster zone most of the time.

My kids, at the moment, are playing flashlight hide-n-seek with dad.  My heart is really happy.

lazy summer

These lazy summer days.  Yesterday I had some things to do and I totally blew them off in exchange for staying close to home.  We did a little laundry, a trip to the farmer's market and a stop by the post office to send Amelia a care package (a duffel bag, gluten free lemon bars, toothpaste and a card).  But mainly, we did much of nothing. I'm not much for packing my schedule full of activities because we do enough of that during the school year.

Summer = LAZY

Not that my summer has been uneventful.  Amelia has been away at summer school for 5 excruciating weeks.  The boys and I have been sprinkling our days with fun activities while she's been gone.

Months ago when summer was just a page on my calender, we applied for a two night summer camp for Solomon.  That happened last weekend and I envisioned that page on my calender in my mind and checked it off of our summer plans. I'm now looking forward to Amelia coming home in 12 days.

We still have plenty of summer left and I'm happy about that.  I need that recharge time in the summer to think and plan for the school year coming up.

on our way to Solomon's summer camp

I hope you're summer has been fun!

gone to tahoe

I'm so excited and nervous to be going away on my own, without my kids for a few days! 

See you when I get back!

 

These we took a few weeks ago while walking on Evans Creek.

life is messy but colorful

I've collected a bag of things I've wanted to tie dye for a year.  It's been in the garage and then moved to the laundry room and finally to the kitchen in an attempt to jump start this project already!  This whole tie dying thing is messy.  I let my kitchen table be the tie station for about a week before I got up the nerve to start mixing the dyes.

My hands are still blue and pink and my fingernails remind me of those plague disclosing tablets you get from the dentist.  You can see the outline of my fingernails in deep red which shows all my hangnails and cuticles that need attending. I think the next thing on my to-do list is a manicure!

But, the end result is pretty beautiful and colorful which is the whole point.  My kids have hidden under their stained and worn play clothes a rainbow of colors that make me happy.  I definitely think they're better than plain tighty whities.

I found these linen napkins on sale and decided that I needed some color in my kitchen too.

Now, even the most simplest of meals will be special.

a day of learning at the river

This river is the heart of my town and I think that is why we like to go there.  The other day when we decided to get out of the house, this particular place is where they wanted to go.  "You know mom, the place by the river with the bridge?"  The spring and fall are the perfect time of year to try all the places close to home because it's not so hot outside.  Although it was pretty hot there that day, we hustled to the water where all the shade was.

I think best parts of homeschooling is the freedom we have.  We're not restricted to our home and we can get out in nature any time we need a change of scenery.  The kids are just so happy to be out and about on an adventure and we don't know exactly what we'll be learning but moments always present themselves.  Like for instance, we found this garter snake by the water.  It didn't move away, I think because it must have just eaten something.  We just watched each other for several minutes before it got scared and moved on.  We came home and identified it and learned about what it eats and it's habitat.
 

Another topic that came up during our walk was the seasons.  Being outdoors gives my kids all kinds of opportunities to ask questions.  We've been to this particular place in the winter when the river is frozen over and we've come here in the fall when the leaves are turning a rainbow of colors.

My boys, I love them so much (and my girl too).  This picture I took of Eli to show how he dresses himself.  Not really how he dresses but how proud I am of him for his independence. His shirt is inside out and his pants are backward but he couldn't care less. And really, I couldn't either.  I'm not one of those fussy moms who has to have my kids looking perfect all the time.  I'm lucky most days if I can get them dressed before breakfast.  And some days I just aim for lunch.  Another benefit of homeschooling is that we don't have to rush out the door in the morning.  The earliest we have commitments is about 10am and that's just fine with me.

Do you love clouds?  I love clouds. Once, when my son was getting treatments with an osteopathic doctor, she was helping him with strategies to deal with stress.  Having a learning delay can be very stressful and while I was talking with her after the appointment, she told me a strategy she told him to let go of stress.  She said that whenever he felt overwhelmed to take a deep breath and blow his worries to the clouds.  "They will take all of your fears and anxiety," she told him.  I thought about that when I saw these clouds.
 

We are savoring these last weeks of spring, enjoying the birth of our vegetable garden and looking forward to summer when we will have to head up to the mountains to escape the heat. I'm exhaling big time right now.  Life is good.