Kindergarten- COMPLETE!

I realized something today reading over my "learning standards" list. Emma is done with EVERYTHING on the list! This kid is DONE with kindergarten work!

WooooHooooo!

She will have to take the standardized test and I turn the results into the school district before next school year. I will most likely have her take the test in May.

I have to say that our first official year of homeschooling has been many things:

HARD

time consuming

FUN

disorganized

messy

rewarding

gratifying

and did I mention HARD?

I'm not going to lie. Sometimes it's a drag to have 3 kids with you ALL the time. Seriously. I want to run a half marathon in 1 month and I have so little time to train for the darn thing. Mike's schedule is SO erratic and then this week he is off to Tampa 'til Monday. (for work....but still). Sometimes I want to just CLEAN all day or oh-my-gosh make less than 14 meals a day. There are days I'm SO sick of hearing the kids argue that I just want to run out the door and find the closest yellow school bus and throw them on it and not care what happens to them until 3 p.m.

AND, never mind having a clean, organized and orderly house. (insert hysterical laughter here). I've told Mike many times I can only do 2 jobs in a day. Pick any 2 and I can accomplish them in addition to the daily grind of cooking, and caring for our kiddies. I can either: cook a nice dinner, do laundry, clean something (meaning more than just tidy up), school children, work outside (we're currently getting a garden ready to plant), or run errands. Only two of those things can happen every day. Since four days a week "school children" falls into a number one slot and on Tuesdays we are out of the house until about 1 p.m. I am not left with many other time slots to be an amazingly organized, project completing wife. (Now think about when I said I wanted to run a half marathon again.....and laugh really really hard, or cry which is what I do sometimes).

BUT

We did it. I am 100% confident my little lady is filled with the knowledge of any kindergarten student. She actually probably knows more about some subjects than I do since any moment she is still she is reading a book. (ah, to be six!)

I needed a little "you're accomplishing something" lift today so I was happy to read that Emma has completed every task on her kindergarten to do list!

All of my momentary complaints and temporary "problems" homeschooling brings I am happy to have Emma home with me and have been able to helped her learn this year. I consider it a blessing I am capable and able to school her at home. I believe in what we're doing. I believe it is right for our family. And, I believe that despite my weaknesses we will continue to succeed. I love when people are brave enough to ask my "why do you homeschool?" I have about 50 reasons, and depending on who you are I will give you a couple. BUT, today my answer is because my kid is ready to move on to first grade work in March and we are seamlessly moving on.

First Grade- here we come!

Now, I have to go order a new math book!