Course, the cold & snow seemed to drag on & on, but in reality, it's mid-April already!
This time last year, on this very day, we were on a cruise ... our whole family on our 1st cruise.
We visited New Orleans for a few days & then sailed away to Mexico.
We had such fun & made many memories we'll treasure always.
When we came home, it was straight into the last minute details preparing for Garrett & Gunnar's
graduation from high school & their celebration open house.
It's hard to believe one whole year has passed by.
Amazing.
This brings me to the whole point with this blog post:
I just wrote out our final lessons for this school year!
Riley & I have schooled all by ourselves this year.
We knew it would be an adjustment, just the two of us minus the twin brothers ...
but we have managed just fine ... plenty of one-on-one time & I loved it.
It's hard for this homeschooling momma to believe that my last boy is almost finished
with his sophomore year!
Sigh.
Riley has done a great job this year.
He's a very independent worker, hardly ever asking for help.
I'm most proud of his work this year in Algebra.
Some just have a knack for it.
He does ... I don't.
Works well for the teacher ;)
Here's what he's spent his year learning:
{I always intend to make a post like this at the beginning of the year, but usually don't get around to it}
We switched from ACE English this year to Rod & Staff.
Riley had been in ACE English since the beginning & had done well with it.
Garrett & Gunnar had used R & S for several years.
{ACE is repetitive learning & it provided a great foundation for Riley & his style of learning,
however, we were ready to move on ... he's really enjoyed the change.}
We've done Apologia Physical Science this year & it's been fun ...lots of experiments.
First semester, Riley did Personal Help for Boys.
We loved this book.
It teaches character traits geared toward boys.
Second semester, we started Balancing the Sword by Allan Wolfe.
It's a super Bible curriculum ... very thorough.
He'll get about 1/3 of the way through this book before the end of the school year.
We'll pick up again in the fall {& we also have Book 2}.
Since we began homeschooling, we've used Total Language Plus for Language Arts/Reading.
Rifles for Watie is what we are currently doing.
It's a great story set during Civil War times.
Much of Riley's History this year has been right along these lines.
{I built my own History this year, using a variety of resources.}
First semester, we did The Call of the Wild.
I read the book aloud for the two of us, rather than assigning Riley to read it.
I found out many years ago that this works best for us.
As for his daily reading, he has assigned Bible reading & pleasure reading from an approved book
of his choice.
Another standard here is Math-U-See.
We've used it from the start.
In addition to these subjects, Riley has worked on & off with his dad & brothers on various job sites
& is becoming quite skilled in the tile trade.
He also spends much time in the gym & loves to jog, skateboard, & play basketball.
These will count as credit hours in Industrial Arts & Physical Education.
I don't blog often about our wonderful homeschooling adventures, but if I had a penny for every time
I've shared, emailed, talked, advised on the subject, I'd be a wealthy woman.
It's something I believe in with my whole heart & I'm a huge advocate for it.
I never in a million years thought I'd be a homeschool mom, but I can say, hands down,
it's the most rewarding thing I have ever, ever done.
Not only that, it's one of the best gifts we've ever given our children.
God has been my daily help & sustainer.
You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Deuteronomy 11:9
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