Another School Year Finished

This picture sums up what I feeling right now.  Slightly bedraggled, worn, clinging to my coffee cup with a death grip.  It's June 4 and I'm finally done the school year.  Every school year starts with soaring expectations and brilliant hopes to have the best year EVER!  Well, we did have a good year.  Despite it being my busiest year by FAR, I also think I was able to achieve a sense of accomplishment in regards to how I envision a successful school year should be.  We enjoyed a good number of field trips.  We saw 2 GREAT I-max's.  The kids got a lot of outside physical activity.  They really learned the value of hard work through the extra work a farm usually brings.  In addition they all did relatively well this year in their work.

Eric grew a lot.  He is growing into such a wonderful young man.  He has really learned to stop and think before speaking.  He has been much more patient and encouraging to his younger siblings.  He's always been diligent in his work, but especially this year.  I've been able to work side by side with him for many hours while sweeping the barns together and he is just a great kid to be around.

This year Lindsay really struggled with the increased work load that grade 2 brings.  She would far rather be cooking or learning how to be a little mother.  one thing I have really appreciated from Lindsay this year is her dedication to her piano.  This year she started lessons and she is really good!  Better yet, she has a real zeal for music and has excelled very quickly.  It is a real blessing to hear the notes from the piano wafting upstairs as she practices.

Paul did kindergarten this year.  but he wasn't a regular kindergarten kid.  Nope, that boy excelled.  Once he learned to read (which he pretty much undertook on his own accord) he didn't stop.  he went through the "K" reading program and half of the grade 1 program as well.  I finally asked him to stop in February.  He finds and reads his own material--literally devouring everything.  I will have to give him grade 2 readers next year along with grade 1 material.  Really, I love what he did, but I was unprepared for it.  The 2 older children had heavy schedules and I did not plan to spend an overabundance of time with Paul on his work this year.  It's kindergarten.  The fact that he did very well forced me to prepare a lot more work for him as he constantly requested.  This really stretched me thin as I had not anticipated this.  but what a worker!  Can't wait to teach him grade 1.

This was also my most exhausting school year.  One thing I did not realize as I began this year was the amount of time I would be required to spend in the barns.  Out of every 7 weeks, I was in the barn 5 full days.  That is 1 whole school week.  That adds up.  this meant taking out all other breaks during the school year in order to get done.  I always felt as if I was behind.  I was always playing 'catch up.'  I was constantly stressed.  In November I threw in the towel.  I researched schools.  I redid our budget to include Christian school fees.  I knew about class sizes, teachers, bussing schedules... everything.  I couldn't do it.  I couldn't keep up the pace.  But somewhere along the way I was reminded that this is about my children's hearts.  That's why I homeschooled.  So we kept plugging.  And yes, it was tough.  the whole year was tough.  But we pulled together as a family and grew again as a family. 

How good the Lord has been to me again this year.  Upheld again.  Strengthened again.  And again I  have grown in Christ's school.  To Him be the glory.



.