Monday, May 30, 2011

That Time of Year

It's that time of year.  The weather is getting warmer, we have been working in the same books, doing the same thing (routine, it's useful, right?), and the homeschool convention is right around the corner.  It's a restless time of year for me.   My mind begins to wander to what we will do next year.  I try not to take it for granted that we will be doing the same thing each year.  The boys change and grow, as do I.  I try to make sure that we do what will work for all of us.  The first thing I do is seek the Lord.  He has never failed me yet in guiding me to what works well for us.  I also check out what others are doing, how it works for them, and how they work it out in their family.  Maybe it will work for us, too.   The thing is, there is soooo much stuff out there.  And much of it is good stuff.  I have been homeschooling for how long? and I still get overwhelmed sometimes.  I just don't want to miss anything.  I don't want there to be gaps in the boys' learning.  But you know what?  The best piece of advice regarding gaps in instruction I received is from Jessica Hulcy.  She is the co-creator of KONOS curriculum-more good stuff.  She was at our homeschool convention one year, probably the second one we went to.  She told everyone, "Write this down."  She waited for everyone to get a pen or pencil.  When we were all ready she said, "There will be gaps.  You can't avoid it.  But you know what?  The public school will have gaps, too."  That was such a relief.  And I cling to it.  When I get that "Oh my gosh what if I'm missing something" feeling.  I remember that.  And I am able to function again.  And then I get on with the business of figuring out what we are going to do and try to stick to it without becoming overwhelmed with curriculum and online classes and co-ops and online freebies and...

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