Our Week in Pictures

Wow ~ it was a whirlwind week!

Where We Went ~ We attended Lego Club, church, Chimes Choir, Dance, multiple appointments, co-op classes and round one of educational testing for Dean (he still has a few more assessments in round two ~ gifted/talented, ADHD and learning disabilities).

The students made a Lego quilt in Lego Club.

Chimes ~ their first concert is this Sunday.

Anne is stretching during break time at co-op.

School ~ The kids managed to log 25 hours of school this week, including dance and co-op classes. They made great progress on language arts and history. We never made it to our literature studies this week, but that is okay. We are very busy with several review items. There is some cool stuff coming up soon. I think we will be done with school in about three weeks!

Goldilocks Update ~ Goldilocks had extensive psychological testing this week. I think that the psychologist seemed good and really caring. I hope the results will help us uncover if there is anything else we can do to help Goldilocks. Dear Husband and I took her on an outing this week. I think she enjoyed herself. 

I have a picture of her with this statue as a toddler. It is hard to believe she is 15. 

Observations and Confessions ~ This is the time of year when I really start formulating my thoughts for the next school year. I am in the observation stage of planning. The kids have grown so much this year. One major thing I have recently realized is that my two remaining homeschool students are not academics and are not going to become so. Neither one of them particularly loves book learning as I did as a child. I loved, LOVED learning. I went to school all day and came home and played school some more and I am still totally in love with education. However, my kids are not. Sure, they like learning and are smart kids, but they don't live and breathe books like I do. They both test high on end of year tests, but even our very fun, tailored to their way of learning school is something they look forward to completing so that they can have time for their own passions. Anne is an athlete first and a theater rat second. She loves to stretch a little further and push her body a little bit harder. Her spare time is spent creating new films and exercising (always exercising). Dean's loves are theater, comedy, music and art. He loves to play his guitar, perform on stage and watch sunsets. He loves color and beauty. Of course, he also loves video games (sigh).

So next year, I hope to embrace who they are and stop trying to turn them into bookworms. I don't think this means a radical change to the way we homeschool but more a change in my attitude. I do think we may streamline a few subjects such as history so we move faster. We tend to move at a snail pace with history because the teacher goes down a million rabbit trails (ahem). I want to, need to, accept who they are. Their high school years are right around the corner and this is their education, their future, their adult lives we are working toward. They are awesome kids with awesome passions and for that I am grateful.

Blessings, Dawn