Lots of Time for Reflection now that all our kiddos are in high school and college. Here is sweet Miko in our early days of freedom to do what we wished with our days and time.Bravewriter Book Reveal Preparations for 2022-23 Read Aloud!I put clues on back of wrapped book and let them guess title. I always buy the hardcover to add to my favorite shelf in our home that contains all the books we have read together for last 10 years. Kayah (our oldest) despised this book! Enchantment is My JAM! Teenage enchantment looks very different from the simple days of pleasing and delight, but you can never go wrong with brownies, ever.While at beach during swim meet we hit the beach stores and these little mermaids got my tears flowing…our little girls loved to play with these! I sent the pic to Quinn and he got a little teary eyed too. Lots of reflecting going on in this season. Bittersweet.I have no idea why this is a thing, but “It’s Corn!”This was door hanger at hotel to notify staff to not disturb. Big dreams indeed.Fall Mama Basket! I enjoy the season changes and create and start collecting special items FOR ME in a basket that I enjoy when the time arrives!With girls needing one on one time with me less, I am finding less resentment over meal prep, planning and cooking and enjoying it! One of our favorite easy go to’s for school day lunches – chop and prep most on Sundays and then we can toss and top with what we desire!Although grades not my measure of learning, we have done report cards since start and it is a sweet tradition the girls and I like to use as a time to reflect and celebrate!Teen Enchantment – Dollar Bins at Target $8. I bought a set for each girl and surprised them when they came home from their evening activities.Hurricane Ian Foam on Beach.Kayah’s dorm!Kayah’s dorm deskKayah cozy corner in dorm, she had to have the TREX pillow!Plants in Kayah’s dorm. Will they survive?No dorm is complete without COFFEE!! Kayah dorm coffee barKayah plants in dorm. This year she got a single. Her dorm is 100 years old and has so much character & charm. Awesome light! And, the sounds of those bells ringing on campus, swoon!Our Kayah. Sophomore UNC Chapel Hill. A meal on her dorm floor with Q and I.Kayah outside her dorm.Kayah’s RA put the sweetest notes in all the bathroom stalls. Dorm window in stairwell.Welcome Kayah 2022-23!Teens finding their ways. Kira and her super sweet boyfriend having dinner (they made!) on our deck at sunset.Kira on her way to studio! She drives now so my Uber days are winding down – I do not miss all the driving. This year I asked Kira (she is high school senior) to give me the words she wishes to embrace. I surprised her with these wooden carvings of her chosen words and put them right outside her room as a reminder of her intentions.Transcript building. Start early! Lovie still travels with us everywhere. Miko with two of her best buds at swim meet!Miko and her swim roommate showing off their bling!Chemistry Lab with Miko. One of the only times I get to partner my girls any longer in science. Miko Chemistry Lab We use K12 Private Academy for Science and few other courses.Unfortunately, due to a marking issue with pool, Miko swam right into the wall at her travel meet. She is ok, but had to stay out of water for painful week to allow proper healing.Moments like this are everything. Morning Meditation on dock.Miko and her swim friends!Miko getting ready to leave for her swim meet. I wonder what they think about much more than I used to when they were open books…New favorite cooking magazine! This issue was awesome because it provided a five day meal plan which you made a huge dinner with intentional leftovers that they then paired with other items to make awesome lunches the next day!Miko took PSAT. Not a fan of standardized tests, but for some they are a necessary means to an end. Miko is only in 10th so this was just practice and hopefully she obtained the scores necessary for entrance into the community college dual enrollment program next year. Kayah did that program and it served her well. Homeschool Mom Tip: PSAT is preliminary SAT. It is administered at high schools (not test centers) once a year in October. Usually either on a Wednesday or Saturday and takes all in all about 4 hours. Reach out to schools near you EARLY to request testing. We have had mostly excellent experiences with being allowed in. For an October test, I would reach out and make contact at the end of previous year. The PSAT only “counts” when test is taken in your Junior Year. You register through the college board. Quinn and Kira going to the YMCA Y guides dad and daughter outing. They have been an active participant in this program since 2nd grade – such special memories collected with dads, daughters and friends. These vests contain all the patches they have earned over the years. So sweet. Fall Simmer Pot: orange slices, cloves and cinnamon sticks in pot of water on low simmer. House smells like fall!The Story Us Painting/Panels I started ages ago. Third Panel up and ready for books to be written!
Homeschooling continues to evolve and offer glimpses of a finish line in the distance. With our oldest graduated and in her second year of college, our middle now a senior in high school and our youngest not far behind, I see myself more in a role of ATM, logistics coordinator, guidance counselor and much smaller hands-on participant in their actual courses of study. They have and are transitioning beautifully into independent learners who manage their lives very well most days. I find myself with more time, which also has found me in a far more reflective state on our homeschool journey lately. I hate to admit it, but it is so true, the days may be long, the years have flown by my sweet mama friends. There were seasons I felt like I was buckling under the weight of all the responsibilities I was juggling, but now, that we are on the other side, I look back in awe of what we accomplished, some sadness and longing and the peace of a job well done. It is worth it ya’ll – I pinky promise.
