Welcome September!

Let me break the blog silence by saying, I'm back and welcome new followers! 

Happy New Learning  Adventures! 

I say adventures because every year is an adventure for us. Not like skydiving really, but at times almost as exhilarating and equally frighting!  That being said, we're off and running for our eleventh year of homeschooling. 

We are homeschooling our son who is 15 and a half and some old school  ideas have been popping into my head. What about a diploma? Will he have a school graduation? Will he NEED a diploma? How about those transcripts? Will I create them? Or will I want a third party helping me out? 

Yes, I have questions and lots of them. So... this morning I had a phone conference with an advisor from Oak Meadow and she helped me through my befuddled state. By the time we hung up I could breath again! She reminded me of all the reasons we started down this path in the first place. Creativity, flexibility, and following our instincts when it comes to how each of our children live and learn. 

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She assured me that many colleges don't even ask for diplomas any more. They are more interested in our home schooled children as people and what they can contribute to their learning institution and those around them. ( diploma's are an outdated idea ) That was liberating!  After we hung up I was energized and ready to tackle learning more about creating my own college transcripts for our children when the time comes. 

 So, we begin this year with a blank page. We can fill it as we see fit. 

Hmm. I guess we're still creatively homeschooling after all these years! 

If any of you have links to share along these lines... please do! 

Happy Homeschooling! 

Deb 

Creativity of a Different Kind

Do you ever feel stumped, stalled or just plain befuddled in your homeschool? We all have those times when the message is loud and clear that we need to stop, re-think our direction and if needed change course.

If you have been homeschooling for a few years or more you have probably established a natural rhythm to your days that just " feels right " for your family. That being said, we are always growing and changing. When our first child enters double digits, we wonder where the time went then, the teen years arrive at warp speed and with them growing pangs of a different sort. Their needs are changing and so is the way they want to be loved, nurtured and taught. Lets face it, teens can seem very distracted with the biological changes happening to them, not to mention the constant hunger! I'm no expert on the chemistry of a teen agers brain, but I can  sense when we need to shake things up a bit. It's not unusual for them to have brief periods of feeling unmotivated and UN- inspired. 

I liken it to the dry spell an artist has before the next creative storm hits. 

Earlier this week we got wind that the Mayflower was going to be heading back to Plymouth Harbor by way of the Cape Cod Canal. 

It was a beautiful day and I couldn't resist the idea of going out for an airing by the water! I grabbed our oldest teen and he grabbed the dog, his scooter and off we went! 

We walked, talked and he scooted along in his own thoughts for a while, always circling back to rib me about how slow I was or ask, " How much longer mom?" We laughed and joked along the way enjoying the warmth of the sun, and just being together. Unfortunately the Mayflower experienced delays coming through the canal so we didn't end up seeing it together as I had hoped. It was supposed to arrive around 2:00. We stuck it out until 3:30 then I brought him home. 

Once we were home I checked the Captains Blog and read that the Mayflower was getting close to our area so I headed back to the canal. I was determined to see it and snap a few photos. 

Her sails were down but she still looked beautiful  as she made her way home to Plymouth Harbor.

It was worth the wait! I finally got my photos but the best part was the few hours I stole with our son.

He was pretty impressed with old mom's photography efforts! I still don't know how I managed to capture him mid- air in just one shot! The airing was good for both of us.  Sometimes, boys just need to be boys.

Creative homeschooling isn't just about what you make with your hands, it's also how you creatively navigate through the dry spells. Usually, there's no need to abandon course entirely. A side trip can open up new channels for you and your child adding to the well of  homeschooling memories made to last a life time.

How do you adapt to your changing teens? I'd love to hear about it!

Happy Creative Homeschooling!
Deborah Jean