after the first weeks

I have such admiration for the homeschooling parents who are also working in other capacities. If you ask me, I will say that writing and photography are among the dozen things that really fuel me (along with sleep, exercise, journaling, etc.), yet I truly struggle to carve out regular time to do them in a meaningful way. I used to. Several years ago, my former blog was reasonably well read and perhaps I could have turned my blogging into a money earning venture as a number of my friends have done. I felt like I was writing more about the life I thought I was living than actually living it, so I let the door close on opportunities I had at the time. While I don't regret the choices I made then, I admire those who are able to combine this work, live, and teach lifestyle into a sustainable experience.

That is a babbly introduction to say I haven't even managed to get photos and a post together to share the adventures of our recent weeks, especially since I posted about our rough start to the lesson year!

Since that post, life has brought unexpected detours. Here in Northern California, we experienced some of the most devastating wildfires due to drought that the state has seen. My mother in law was affected by the fires, which had her evacuated in the early morning hours from the apartment she had recently moved into. She is safe and well, but it has made the last several weeks much different than we expected. There is so much to learn everyday, whether or not you set out to learn it.

 We are slowly getting back into a rhythm and mixed in with the overwhelming extras have been some amazing and anticipated experiences.

Our American Girl Kid Club has continued to meet regularly and we all find it enjoyable and grounding in different ways. We are learning and doing a lot (hands on) with history as a result of the group and I was able to tie it into local history we were doing through our charter school, which culminated in an overnight living history experience that I also got to participate in. Brown Mouse also took a mythology class, dovetailing nicely with myths we have been reading here at home and Lala Bug got to take a class learning more about and experience community.

Math is happening very consistently (although also somewhat resistantly) as a result of a weekly math class for Lala Bug, and for Brown Mouse, we are using Beast Academy (he likes) and the Key To workbooks (he dislikes). We still also play math quite a lot through games, picture books, and Math Geek Mama resources.

Science has been in the form of weekly nature study, which has been such a positive balm and bond for us. We have our weekly favorite spot, but we have deviated a few times, to explore other things of interest, like a seasonal pond study and a blooming Corpse flower.

Writing and language arts comes out of all of the above, although I am thinking to focus more specifically on spelling with both kiddos and have both doing copy work passages, as well.

While we have slipped from our weekly art lessons, we know they are there waiting for us to pick back up, which I have faith we will do as it gets colder out and when our weekends are freed from soccer games and the needs of getting Grannie resettled.

This seemed like a good time to catch up on autumn season of learning, because whoosh! just like that, the winter holidays are coming! Learn well!