school's out...

SCHOOL IS OUT...DONE...FINISHED!!!

These very happy kids worked over and above, cramming their last 3 weeks of Sonlight into 1, thereby wrapping up their school year on schedule. The fire is the traditional burning of all the math papers, writing assignments, and consumables that we gather during our school year. Nathan especially finds GREAT joy in burning his papers. I have to watch very carefully that necessary items like math books and writing binders don't find their way to the fire pit.

It is a sad year in some ways. It was my last year to teach Lewis and Clark to an elementary student. No more beginner reading lessons. No more beginning writing lessons. As I packed away the books last Friday and put out the ones for next year, I grasped the concept that the next time I get to read some of the read alouds will be to Kaylee, Lord willing. Nathan will be either near or in High School at that time. Wow!

 I am always amazed at the amount of leaning that takes place between the disciplining, illnesses, family emergencies, grandparent surgeries, and all those real life experiences that God puts in our path to sanctify us. When we start each year I think, 'This year we will stay on track! This year we won't play catch up! This year we will...' Then life happens. God works and lays out His plan for our year and we just keep marching ahead, dropping some plans that aren't possible or adding material/work for a character issue. Then every year, whether busy or not, that learning happens. Sometimes it is so slow I don't see it until the end of the year and other times it is so fast that I'm leaping just to stay that necessary 10 minutes ahead of them.

God causes the growth and I just manage the details while using amazing quantities of sticky notes.

 So thank you God for your faithfulness!!

(and thank you to the amazing moms/teachers and kids in our co-op this year. You were the light of my week!!)