Why School?

Last year was one of our best homeschooling years. I found a curriculum, Catholic Heritage Curricula, that provided a framework that I could work from for our entire schooling experience, and which relieved a lot of stress on my part. We made good progress throughout the year, and actually finished up nearly all of our planned lessons for the year. The kids seemed to like the school work, or at least they didn't hate it and didn't complain too much. So, considering how well things have gone, why are the children enrolled in school for the first time ever for the fall?

A major part of the reason is described in this blog post by Simcha Fischer. I have been trying to fit us into the "outfit" of a "homeschooling family" for several years, simply because I liked the idea, even if it did not necessarily work for us. My husband and I had previously made a commitment to homeschool, even before we had children, and due to this commitment I kept trying to walk in the homeschooling outfit, even when I was inclined to consider school from the time my oldest was first school age. If I found the perfect curriculum fit, then it would work, wouldn't it? I tried a different curriculum, different approach, different organizational method each year, and I managed to muddle through but not to thrive.

I don't know that the "school outfit" will be a better fit for our family, but I'm willing to try it on. I know well where homeschooling doesn't fit us, but I think trying out schooling may relieve pressure on me and help our family thrive, or at the very least it will make me appreciate homeschooling as I become more aware of all the negatives of school!

The End of the Year

The boys finished up their school year at the end of May (yes, this post is late!). This was a momentous occasion, because it is not only the end of this school year, it is also the end of this phase of our schooling adventure. Next year the children will be going to Catholic school.

Some pics of our celebration:

Pauly and his end of year completion certificate.

Roger is a little bit happy about finishing second grade.

The cake!

Fish!

Bob has started fishing again recently, since he has a bit of time before his classes start again, and he's been bringing the kids along, here and there. Pauly was the first to catch a fish, while on our camping trip.

Roger caught the next fish, while he and Bob were fishing one afternoon.

And today Bob took Rosie fishing, since she needs more one on one attention to learn what to do, and she caught THREE fish! They threw one back, but here are two of them.

Done with Kindergarten

Last Friday, Rosie finished up all her Kindergarten level work, and we celebrated with a certificate and cake.

State Cake

Pauly has spent the last 9 weeks more or less studying his home state of Kansas. On Friday, we made a cake in the shape of Kansas to celebrate.

Bob and Pauly making the plan. 

 The cake after being cut and iced.

 Pauly adding the major rivers.

Pauly and the finished cake.

Blogging

I've been meaning to blog regularly. I was planning an update on our homeschool year, what we thought of the materials, adjustments that we were making, new things we were doing. It hasn't happened. I've been planning on updating about the baby, what new things he was doing, my evolving thoughts on on the feeding/medication decision, and always plenty of pictures. It hasn't happened. So I'm posting this to let all my faithful readers (all three or four of you!) know that I'm being lax.

That Elusive Smile

Julian, at almost six weeks, is at that age when it is just about impossible to actually obtain photographic evidence of smiley interactions. He was being smiley and cute, so I grabbed the camera and propped him up for a better shot, but this is all I got.

I caught a hint of a smile in the last pic, but he smiles more than that, I promise!