One Grad

One day I was telling my beloved on the telephone that I just couldn't take my little blondie to kindergarten registration, then the next day, she is done.

A graduate.

How is that even possible?

No, it wasn't easy.
And, no...I didn't do it perfect.

But, we struggled through it together. Through the exhausting recording schedule of Bob Jones' satellite program, to hours of collecting just the right manipulatives for the 'school closet'. We endured the frustration of Switched On Schoolhouse computer courses until we finally gave up. Somewhere I found the courage to put together my own curriculum mix. Yes, she was the guinea pig for it all.

But it wasn't all drudgery. Homeschoolers have this special bonus of deciding which days are school days and which are, well...not. (Shhhhh! don't tell!) So many times, especially days when the sun was making an appearance, we would forsake the books and pile into the vehicle to see how many parks we could check out in one day. Or load up with clues and our backpacks for a day of letterboxing. Sometimes, we would simply take a day to decompress by going to the beach. Yeah, it's those days that I love homeschooling.

There was another side benefit for us, as well. We began attending synagogue when Morgan (my blondie) was 8 years old. We soon realized that we were so fortunate to have the freedom of time so we could take special festival sabbaths (off) without the hassle of answering to a school authority or schedule. What a blessing! Besides, we usually worked a good portion of the time the public school students were on a break of some sort. The weather here in the PNW doesn't truly get nice until the end of July, so that's when we would call it a 'year'. On rainy days, however, out would come the books to get a jump on the boredom that looms on those grey and drippy, summer days.

Honestly, most homeschoolers I've talked to live in fear that their kids are not 'learning enough' - constantly comparing themselves to the traditional classroom. I was right there with them, right up until I started putting Morgan's transcript together. Then the light dawned! Wow! She really has had a well-rounded education. I'm sure it could have been better - absolutely. But, I think she is prepared and confident to tackle anything she desires to do. Far more than I was at her age, that's for sure!

So, here we are. How in the world do I describe that feeling of having finished K-12 of homeschooling for my oldest?

Thankful.
That's all.

Two more to go.

Congratulations, Dolly!

Watch out, world!