So here we are at the end of May. Memorial Day weekend is just ahead. I’m using this week to tie up lots of loose ends. Do you ever have those weeks? I like weeks like this when I decide that it’s time to close a whole bunch of mental tabs. So I’m finishing off all kinds of partially completed projects for home, business, homeschool, etc. None of them may be especially exciting or picture-worthy, but I think it’s that way with a lot of the activities of life. They need to be done, we want to do them, and so they get done.
I’m trying to decide how much time to take off from our homeschooling during the summer. (I’ve written about our approach in Living by the Seasons and Homeschooling in the Summer.) Like most people, this school year was impacted at times by national events. It was minimal compared to what most dealt with, but we certainly felt dragged down and slowed down at times by events surrounding us in our state, in particular (Michigan). We still have learning things to do and I also don’t think taking a lot of time off will be beneficial for either of us (as much as I’d honestly like to do no homeschooling until September). So this week we’re doing kind of the minimum and I’m thinking through what to do about June, July, and August.
I’ve been reading information about planning high school courses and starting to think through some possibilities for the next four years. I’m honestly always kind of taken aback when registration deadlines for online classes and such are in February and March for the following school year. We just don’t function that way or plan out life that far in advance when it comes to homeschooling. I think that’s because we had to follow some unconventional paths from early on so we aren’t wired to be planning for August and September in February and March. In some ways it doesn’t matter. At least for next year, any online classes we would do would be self-paced and recorded. We may opt for an online class at some point, but I don’t think they play to Caroline’s strengths at all so I’m guessing live online classes won’t be a big part of her high school experience.
David and I have both been thinking about what we want to do with our lives in the last part of our “professional” life. He will probably work at least until he is 70 so he has about 12 more years of work ahead of him. Because he works in graphic design and website design, it involves a great deal of adapting and learning all the time. He’s great at teaching himself whatever he wants to learn so he’s been contemplating what kind of work he would most like to do in the coming years. He loves maps and has done many map projects for clients. Now he is teaching himself other digital map making skills so he can expand his client base to include a greater variety of maps.
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesian 5:15-20 (NIV)
Do you want to hear something weird? Ever since I deleted my printables shop on the platform-that-shall-not-be-named, I’ve been dreaming a lot at night. Vivid dreams. Different kinds of dreams than I usually experience. Why is that? I haven’t figured that out. Is anyone really in tune with dreaming from a Christian perspective? I can’t come up with any other aspect of my life that has changed in this timeframe. It seems to be clearly connected with that decision and event. I haven’t had any sense that there was a specific meaning to any of the dreams either as I can sometimes discern with other dreams whether it is my own or someone else’s. But clearly something is going on.
David and I have been diligently working for months on updating all of the products in my shop. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s so exciting! LOL! It’s a lot of work, but worth it. You can see what has been recently update in Recently Updated Products.
Gab TV had a major update over the weekend so I am finally ready to put my videos on there. Part of the reason I am working so diligently this week to finish projects is so I can hopefully get back to podcasting and video-making. My Gab TV channel: Sallie Borrink.
That’s it for tonight. What is going on in your home? I hope you’ll leave a comment and share.
Artist: “The Blue Cup” by Joseph DeCamp
Romans 12:9-21
Sallie, do you follow Cheryl at her “Thinking About Home” blog? If not, I think she would be a great inspiration to you as she homeschooled her last daughter (who was significantly younger than her other children and almost considered an “only child” at that point) in a manner reminiscent of your style. I wish I had stuck to my guns and homeschooled my youngest daughter, but she was lonely and I sent her to private school. I regret that decision. Now as your daughter heads into high school you might glean some great ideas from how Cheryl did homeschooling with one high schooler. That mother/daughter bond is so precious.
Hi Amy,
Yes, I do follow “Thinking About Home” blog. I haven’t dug into Cheryl’s archives to see what she has about homeschooling, but thank you for suggesting that. Our need has to do with dyscalculia so it’s a very specific situation we’re dealing with. There isn’t much of anything out there about it. What is available is all for younger students.
Sallie
I put up a coat rack in our basement “cloakroom” and hung up all the kids’ coats and snow pants, because I have nowhere else to put them. So they are out of the way and ready for next winter now!
I also finally had my free time and energy and tall ladder come together so I could scrub out the upper cabinets in the kitchen and get the rest of the kitchen stuff unpacked. It all fit! Our previous kitchen had lots of cabinets, but not many upper cabinets, and we didn’t use a lot of the lower cabinet space because of little children getting into things. This kitchen has very few lower cabinets, but a lot more upper cabinet space–much of it hard to reach even with a step stool.
Hello Sallie, I’m new to your website and enjoying it immensely! I’m starting to look into homeschool options for my only son and appreciate all the wonderful information you provide. I recently read a book by Matthew Walker called “Why We Sleep” and he talks about the way our brains process information using dreams. It was a very informative and interesting book that I’ve enjoyed, you might as well!
Hi Eva,
Thank you for the book suggestion. I always love to hear about a new book! LOL!
Sallie
I’ve discovered as my kids have gotten older that I really have to be more and more organized so I don’t doublebook things, and so I get it put together in time.