To my Children,
We are well into Autumn by now, in fact I can see winter just on the horizon. Over the years I’ve noticed the Virgina Creeper is the first to turn a brilliant crimson. Letting us know the cusp of fall is upon us. It’s bright red hues, as they creep up our Oaks, always bring a sense of excitement for the shedding of summer’s green glory. Even more so this year, as I anxiously wait for 2020 to come to a close.
The changing of a season is always a transitional time for our family. This year is no exception. As I watch the trees shed their leaves from our kitchen sink, I can’t help but feel I am doing the same thing. Shedding emotions and summer routines as we begin a school year at home.
I never imagined our little family would be on this path. I never dreamed we would gather around our table and dive into some of the conversations we’ve had over the past 11 weeks. I confess, the first few weeks were an intense process of decompressing from brick and mortar. There were a few tears and quite a bit of doubt from all of us. I quickly learned that teaching from home is MUCH different than brick and mortar building or a distance learning plan. I was constantly fighting the deeply ingrained concepts I learned in college while getting my special education degree. It took me a moment to realize those concepts were ideal for a classroom setting, but they don’t quite translate into a homeschool setting. It wasn’t until I shed those concepts and worksheets and expectations that I took the leap of faith to fill our home with conversations from books. To my surprise, everyone has flourished...including me.
So here we are, learning accompanied with a sense of wonder and excitement has poured into our home and your hearts. We are devouring books on The American Revolution, the Boston Tea Party, and Paul Revere. American history has come alive, as we explore our ancestry and those in our family tree who fought in King Phillips war, the American Revolution, and the war of 1812. I’ve never felt such a sense of accomplishment as a mother as I did when you were diving into a book about the founding of the California missions and you immediately made the connection that the American Revolution had just started. Or the time you discovered a giant redheaded centipede climbing along our bricks, and you just about jumped up and down exclaiming that you had discovered an invertebrate. We are learning about fractions as we bake pumpkin bread, visiting Art Museums as we study the Hudson River School Artists and Native American Art.
I couldn’t be more excited for you all. I am proud of what we have accomplished here in our home. There is a new found confidence in you that I have never seen. There is a new found confidence in ME. I didn’t know I was capable of homeschooling you while still being able to function at the end of the day. I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t absolutely terrified at the beginning of this process. The thought of being in charge of your education, teaching you to read, and keeping you on reading and math levels was daunting and terrifying. What if I mess up? What if I don’t do a good job? I have discovered quite the contrary. We aren’t greeted with a sense of urgency during weekday breakfast or dinner routines anymore. It’s a different pace, slow and steady. This journey is much more relaxed and fulfilling than I ever imagined, and we are right where we need to be.
As the last of the trees shed their leaves on our little hill, I can’t help but feel we have been doing the same. Shedding what we have been told this process is supposed to look like and really and truly embracing the learning process--wherever it takes us. As winter inches closer, the trees bare and life dormant, another season will surely bring on it’s own set of challenges, but I can’t wait to see how we blossom in the spring.
Love,
Mom
Welcome to Artifact Motherhood. This is a collaboration of artists from around the world who have come together to share our stories of the joys and struggles of our journey. Through our writings and visual records, we want to create memories that are more than photographs with dates written on the back. These are the artifacts we are leaving behind for our children and for generations to come. Up next is the amazingly talented Diana Hagues click here to follow the link.