When covid first started, the world was in disarray. Life was scary. It was overwhelming and unpredictable and scary. We were scared of the government; we were scared of the virus; we were scared of each other. We were nervous about the future. We were depressed about the current state of affairs. It was a really hard time. I wanted to try to take back a little bit of control of my life, so I decided to homeschool. It was a terrifying leap to make, but one of the best decisions I could have made. Through the ugliness of covid came the beauty of homeschool. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we picked ourselves up and created something so beautiful. Homeschooling was exhausting. It was hard. But oh was it magical. While the outside world was filled with chaos and doom, inside our home was filled with love and hope. We explored, we meditated, we learned, and we had fun. This year was honestly one of my favorite years. At the time I doubted myself and worried I wasn't doing enough. However, once all the boys went back to school, they scored so high on their tests. In fact, Blake, who I homeschooled for two years, ended up being almost an entire grade level ahead. Kids truly soar in academic environments where their needs can be personally catered to. Yet, while academics are important, the beauty of homeschool was being able to develop a love of learning in a safe environment. We got to skip lessons if we wanted. We got to play when needed. Blake was able to jump on the trampoline while leaning his math facts, and ride around on his hover board while doing spelling tests. We experimented, we laughed, we cried a little, but what an amazing experience it was. I loved being able to go on fun adventures all the time. We went to the pool, zoo, farms, homeschool camp, and museums. We went hiking, had picnics, explored frozen waterfalls, raised chickens, grew butterflies, had an ant farm, grew bacteria on cultures, created art, and did A LOT of science. We embraced every holiday, and incorporated the seasons into our desk decor and lesson plans. We baked seasonal creations (like Norwegian Christmas cookies) and listened to fun music. The boys enjoyed earning money for our school store, and were able to save up and "buy" some really fun prizes at the end. Wesley entered a science competition at the end of the year through the charter school. Out of everyone in the school, he answered the most right answers and won an iPad! I also love that their bond grew during this time. We really were not able to see or play with a lot of friends at this time, but they always had each other! I cannot emphasize enough how much I loved homeschooling. At the end of the year I gave each boy a choice for the next school year - Wesley decided to go to a STEM charter, Chase wanted to go back to our local elementary school, and Blake wanted to keep homeschooling. I love that there are so many school options in this area to fit the needs of each child. More on that later!
At the end of the year Blake spent the rest of his school money on a giant cat and some building blocks. Wesley bought a Rubik's cube set. Look how real our school money looked!
Ant Farm!
Highlights of our homeschool year! ------>
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