And We're Off!

I told myself a month ago when I blogged our first "we're homeschooling" announcement that I was going to write honestly about homeschooling.

In the weeks and months leading up to our decision I would scour homeschooling blogs trying to get an honest feel for what their lives were like (knowing blogs are a very small sliver of the story of someone's life). I emailed everyone I know who homeschools to find out more about what I might be getting into. My b.f.f. homeschools, but she also loves babies (I kind of don't love babies - does that make me awful?), nursing (threw a party when I was done), noise & constant activity (I swear she thrives off of both.  I prefer endless silence),  and, well, a lot of things I don't.  So despite a long list of reasons I had for wanting to homeschool, I wondered if maybe it wasn't for me.  I need parenting breaks and quiet and...breaks.  I wondered "Is everyone who homeschools extroverted or are people just not writing about how horribly tiring and awful it is?!"

All that to say, if it is horrible and awful, I will TRY to be as forthright as possible about the realities of day to day life.

However!  All that to say...

We are three (yes, only three) days in and I am loooving it.  Loving it.  For sure up there in favorite days of parenting.

It's probably the honeymoon phase.  I ran around with Christmas glee getting all set up, hanging signs and organizing books.  I have been reveling in checking off our little schedule and daily plans as we go along. I'm loving our routine, the intentional nature of our days, and sharing moments of learning together. Monday C goes to a program from 8am till 3pm and I am actually disappointed to have to wait until Tuesday to get back to our routine.  I am realistic enough to know that we might not love this forever, but excited enough about it now to want to post our delightful three days thus far...

And it begins!

"1st" pancakes to celebrate the first day!

School work begins with our gratitude tree.  So glad to return to it!
This was impossible to incorporate on school morning last year.

A slight teacher fail to try to have my non writer write this many words on the first day.
But who can stand to not have such a darling memory keeper?
And "Something I really like: MOM" ?!?!  I promise I did not prompt him!!!

This little penguin gives me 25 minutes of silence every afternoon
while the boys read/look at books on their beds. 

A delightful pile of books to call Science?!  What's not to love??

The very end of my day my husband shocked me by bringing home these
(complete with the Hulk in the background)