winter homeschooling

Maybe you've noticed that my regular school postings have dropped off. Going to be honest here, this winter uhh, trimester? has been a bit of a drag.

It's not that we didn't read awesome books or do some really great projects, or learn some cool stuff, it's just that it was not that exciting to write about. I started a few posts and it was like blah blah blah, workbook, reading, math, sorting, reading, library, homeschool playgroup, reading, painting, reading, reading, reading. Reading took the place of our extended outside time.

Seriously, we read a 300 page book in 4 days. My voice was hoarse. Thank goodness for chapter books because if I had had to read 300 pages of picture books I would be off in the loony bin. I have a limit of about 5 a day. Laithe was surprisingly good with it. As long as I let him sit by the heater.

Looking back I could, in theory, see the past 3 months as a sort of a cozy time. I think there's not been enough space between now and then though. Right now it's still like, please please please don't let it snow anymore and please please please let me make it to our spring break!

Please!

It would be fair to say that I was unprepared for homeschooling in the winter. And it's not like we didn't go outdoors. We did, almost every day, but it's not the same as the lingering outside time of sumer, or even fall, or, hopefully, spring. It's a hurried, let's walk fast so we can keep warm or, ok you guys go out and the longer you stay outside the more likely it is I'll make hot chocolate. Ready? Go!

The past month though was the toughest because of the roofing project. They started it the week of the 18th of February and completed it 5 weeks later. There were a total of 4 workable days in that entire span. Including weekends. They worked 2 Sundays! And I wouldn't let the kids play in areas where their materials or tools were. So, we were kind of stuck. And for much of that we were down to one car - between snow drifts and a brake issue my car was just kind of done. Add that to the fact that we were needing to be mindful of our pennies because we were getting a new roof and it just made for a very long couple of months.

Long.

Saturday was so nice out that we spent almost the entire day outside - until the wind got too cold (bringing with it a few inches of snow). It was like the perfect taste of what's to come. But we've got awhile I think as it's not been too much above freezing since then. The weatherman says that this is the coldest March since 1965.

I can see that we're on the downward spiral though (maybe in more ways than one). That I've only got the remainder of this week and then next until all 4 of us have 2 weeks off and we can come back renewed and refocused.

But, oh the boundaries are being tested. And my fuse does get short. On the other hand Guthrie has had some big breakthroughs with reading and some of the things she struggled with at the beginning of the year are no longer even a small issue.

One of the goals I had for this year was making sure that Guthrie could easily transition into a classroom if need be this fall. I mean what if this year had just been a disaster? Or if we really could not live on one income? Thankfully that is not the case and so I care a little bit less now, but I'm pretty confident that she would be fine, which makes me happy for her.  I don't necessarily know why. Maybe it's just great to watch your child have successes and struggle to do something she really wants to.

So, onward! Towards spring and many an outdoor lesson!

Until then though, I got my seeds in the mail today. Tomorrow my hands will be in the soil, even if it is just potting soil in my dining room.