A Recap!

Like many trips, time seems to disappear once you return to the “Real World”. B10 and I got home Monday afternoon (the 19th) and in a crazy fit of organization managed to unpack all our bags and begin laundry within the first hour (ug – I’m disgustingly Type-A).

We did stop and pan for rocks at Gold City, which was one of B10’s favorite parts of the whole trip. I loved, though, how he would ask me: “Mum, what’s YOUR favorite part of the whole trip? Mine is getting to be with you.”

Did I mention it breaks my heart to leave him at home and go to work?

CW has also announced (repeatedly) that he is quitting Pre-K to be homeschooled. (Great, I have a drop-out already.) We’ve explained that Brother (B10) went to Pre-K (with the same teachers, even) AND Public Kindergarten before being homeschooled, but CW does not seem to understand why we would force him to do the same. I’m not sure how we are going to handle Kindergarten next year. In a perfect world he would be assigned to the same Kindergarten Teacher B10 had and it would be a phenomenal year. Realistically, CW may only spend the first half of the year in Kindergarten and start 1st Grade on January 1st (which is about when B10 would begin 3rd Grade).

I judge their progress grade-wise by their writing ability, their reading ability, and where they are in Math (the only subject I use an outside curriculum for). B10 is pretty much on “year-round school”, so it’s not that he’s moving so much faster, it’s more he’s not getting as much vacation. (Of course, he sees it as getting to only be in school half a day!)

Overall, in retrospect, this was a great trip. B10 learned a lot – and ENJOYED it! Isn’t that what homeschooling is about? Letting kids LOVE what they are learning?

And off I go to plan our next outing (Chattanooga, TN from April 19th to April 21st).