off to a great start

we have survived our first few months of homeschooling.  the fears i had at the beginning of the school year are gone and we have settled into our routine and are enjoying this new adventure.  one thing i have learned quickly is that  consistency and planning go a long way in having a successful school day.  i worried about not "feeling" up to doing school each day or feeling "burnt" out by wednesday.  however, the opposite is true.  i feel a great sense of responsibility to make sure my kids are learning everything they can(so they don't end up dumb, of course) that it overrides my desire to be lazy and irresponsible with our time.  we keep plenty busy and since we love hands on learning(what kid doesn't, right?) we try to take advantage of those experiences as well.  for instance, we have started a nature journal that i like to take with us on hikes/nature walks.  fall is my favorite time for hiking and being outside.  the colors, the smells and the cool crisp air are so inviting.  as part of our science curriculum this year, we are studying a unit on plants, trees and leaves.   so we took advantage of the beautiful weather the other day and spent one morning outside exploring some local trails.  we gathered leaves along the way to examine and add to our nature journal. of course i had to insist on some photos.  to include in our journal, right??

 these are my favorite teaching/learning moments with my kids.
another fear of mine was that we would grow tired of each other, but i have found that while we do have hard moments, overall i love being with my kids.  i have realized that our time together is short and valuable.  i don't want to look back and regret lost time.
soon they will be gone and i will only have memories.
hopefully enjoying these special times together will be the memories they will cherish as well!!!