Celebrating Accomplishments and Planning Ahead

Our goal each year is to complete our standardized tests during the week before Memorial Day, so after Memorial Day we can slip into our relaxed summer school schedule and feel like the last school year is behind us and we’re working ahead on the next year (not finishing the last).  We focus on learning together in the summer so the kids worked extra hard to finish their individual subjects: the biggest goals for each were Teaching Textbooks 5 for my daughter and Funnix reading instruction for my son.  I was proud of their focus so when my son said we should have a party I said, “Of course!”

That evening we held an impromptu party to celebrate.  I blew up the one lone balloon I could find, my daughter used strips of tissue paper to make things festive, and they both made posters.  I don’t know if you can see clearly in the photo, but my son’s says “I love reading.”  Does anything else warm a homeschool mom’s heart more than that?  For dessert I whipped up brownies-a-la-mode.

I realized a side benefit to agreeing to the party–they excitedly cleaned up the house so it would look nice for the party.  I think I see frequent “parties” in my future!

Other Homeschool Happenings This Week

We’ve been working on a Civil War Unit Study that I am trying to wrap up before testing week.  I’m trying to make the type-A list maker in me relax if we don’t and allow it to flow over into summer.  There is just too much to learn and discuss!

We were visited by two new-to-us birds this week.  We adore our backyard birds, who are really more like friends.  I’ll need to make new field guide cards like I posted about in our backyard birds nature study post.  I can’t tell you the excitement when we meet a new “friend.”  Everything stops and we grab field guides, cameras and binoculars.

First was a red-winged blackbird.  We’ve already learned his call because he keeps sitting on the tree right behind our deck and singing away!  I read that the males return from migration first and sing  to defend their territory, so perhaps that was his goal.

I am curious if we continue to see him because according to my book they nest near shallow water and other than a couple small wet areas in our neighborhood we aren’t really near water.  My boy liked the fact that this bird likes to show off his bright wing bars (called epaulets) because it reminded him of generals.

Our next friend was the white-throated sparrow.  I was fascinated by the two different color variations, white-striped and tan-striped, which I initially thought were two different species.  The field guide says white-striped adults tend to mate with tan-striped adults but scientists don’t know why.  Isn’t that fascinating?  I love showing my kids how there are still things to be discovered and understood in the world!

Things I’m Working On

Planning!  I love it but wish it was all I could do for a few weeks.  Once I start dreaming and scheming about next year it’s hard to focus on anything else.  I’m narrowing down the major subjects, have papers scattered about me at all times with notes, ideas and figures.

One of my biggest struggles with planning is to plan a reasonable amount.  I am never short on ideas and I am intrigued by nearly all subjects, so I tend to over-plan and then feel “behind” when we can’t get it all done.  That isn’t just in homeschool but tends to happen in my life in general.

My goal is to simplify so we’re focused on the subjects and learning methods that leave us entirely enriched but also happy and relaxed.  Can I plan more reasonably now, with two years of experience?  Do any of you struggle with over-planning?

Thank you to the wonderful hostesses with fun link-ups on Fridays. Be sure to join the fun and see what other homeschoolers are up to!