First Monday & Homeschooling

As I sit to write this blog tonight, I am certain that I can feel every muscle in my back.  What a full couple of weeks we have had.  I am so grateful to get to own a business that gives me so much pleasure.  I am bone tired, but I love every minute of it.  Honestly, we have been putting in 12 hour days but it doesn’t feel like work.  And, I get to work with my husband every day!  This may not seem like a perk to some of you, but it thrills my soul.

Of course, when you are working this hard not everything can have your full attention.  I have been worrying over the fact that the kids are only getting the basics done in their homeschooling.  For us this means Bible, English, and Math for the younger two and that plus science for the older two.   Just a five minute conversation with my brilliant sister who teaches advanced biology and anatomy in high school can have me second guessing myself in a heartbeat. My baby sister is an equally brilliant and dedicated teacher as well, but given that she teaches second grade talking with her boosts my confidence in myself that I am more than capable.  Considering that I haven’t had a second grader in two years- I should probably be embarrassed by that statement but I am not, you take encouragement wherever you can get it.  I should also note that all of us inherited and learned our teaching inclinations from our mother- who is a most fabulous second grade teacher.

But then what homeschooling mother hasn’t felt inadequate, even if they weren’t running their own business that required a lot of extra time for two weeks out of every month.  Every mom has had to deal with stress over the “gaps” in their children’s education.  Even if a mother has a masters degree in biology and can teach science until your head explodes- she will worry over her ability to teach art or English.  For those who think diagramming sentences is great fun, they worry over their ability to teach higher level math. Regardless of where the education occurs, there will be gaps- even in public school.

 I have been going over the schedule and looking at all that needs to be done trying to figure out when to work in home economics, botany for Sierra and Jonathan, along with art and some fun stuff.  Then it dawned on me, three of the four children have made at least one meal for our family this week, each person has done some laundry, and all have contributed to compiling grocery lists- if that is not home economics,  I don’t know what is.  Then there is the botany.  Well, Sierra and Jonathan have worked in the nursery for large blocks of time over the past two weeks.  We have divided, potted, collected seeds and propagated plants, on second thought I believe botany is covered.

Life is our classroom.  Not only will our children leave home with a sound education in the basics, they will leave with practical skills that will make them money should they need it.  Factor in the exposure they get at First Monday and you might even call it a liberal education!

Sierra tending to some of the nursery stock

Jonathan & Sierra painting signs for the nursery.