Happy September 30th! Can you believe it is October? I am just amazed at how fast life is going these days.
So happy you stopped back by for the final part of this series. If you missed the first 2, check them out here:
A Homeschooling Vacation - Part 1 - The Planning
A Homeschooling Vacation - Part 2 - The Learning
And THIS last post is ALL about the reflection!
And with scenery like this...I had lots of time to reflect!
I don't want to share to many of my personal reflections, but I do want to share 3 of my most impactful ones.
#1 Reflection as their Teacher
Learning CAN happen anyway and everywhere! You just have to be willing to listen to the small things that are said and teach from how THEY are seeing their world at that VERY moment in time. Truly listen and observe their play.
And I am guilty of coming back home...getting back into the same routines. And then I remember the freedom my kids felt while learning about:
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| When you really slow down and look at sticks...they DO make letters in the alphabet! |
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| When you cook Jiffy Pop on a campfire, it's probably going to end up half burned. But you eat it anyway because it was fun to do. |
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| That fish are pretty interesting creatures. But not really the smartest! |
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| That even the smallest boy can pick up the BIGGEST rocks just to see how BIG the splash is. |
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| When your kids have lots of playground equipment to play on and all they want is to touch and feel the gravel. |
So what do I plan to do with this reflection! Listen now, talk less and guide them more!
#2 Reflection as The Wife
Time ALONE with your husband is pretty awesome! If you take internet service, laptops, cell phones and work and just add a cold night in Colorado under an unbelievable starry sky - you are going to get the same feeling that you had when you first met him. Every night, Jer and I made a promise that we would sit, wrapped up in a Coleman sleeping bag, and just talk! No typing, no texting - just good ole fashion talking. We would talk about our future and our dreams. We would talk and laugh about how silly the boys were that day. Every night we would wondering how many galaxies there really are out "there".
So what am I planning to do? Talk to him more! I am trying to set a goal to unplug when he is home during the evening. And we are planning to do the same, on weekend nights, just us...talking under the Texas stars (on our back porch covered in baseballs and nerf guns)
And I don't have any pictures of this - and that's ok because it's a great memory!
#3 The Mom Reflection
Kids grow up fast so let's try to S-L-O-W down our lives so we don't miss it! Every year, I come back sad. I come home to another wonderful vacation with my family all done and over. I think it's impossible for the next year to top this year. But each year just keeps getting better. But why? Is it because I've learned to slow down and appreciate the moments? Maybe. Or is the thought that next year, I won't have a pack n play set up anymore but we will be on to BIG adventures with out a baby. I don't know. But I do know that if homeschooling has taught me one thing, it's taught me to SLOW DOWN! Homeschooling has taught me to listen to my children and let THEM led the way. They have taught me so much...
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| This guy taught me that HE can accomplish ANYTHING! Even if it involves BIG things. (Tears are building up! Sniff...sniff...) |
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| This guy teaches me that life is BIG to him right now and I'm so happy to get to experience it everyday. |
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| And this lil astronaut will some day experience that life will have it's UPS and DOWNS... but we are a family and we will experience it all together. |
So what do I plan to do as a Mom? Slow down...stop and play...everyday!
Cause remember, "there's A LOT to learn when you are little" and what a great gift to learn it all over again with your own children.
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