It's not just about academics! The extras...

It's that time of the year again, where I look at the schedule and wonder if I've overdone it. Only to be convinced by the kid, one more time, that we should add yet one more activity. 'Tis the life of a mom of a very extroverted only child!

I always find it amazing when people that know us worry about socialization and whether or not the kid has enough contact with children. They clearly either don't pay attention to the severe lack of "home" in our homeschooling, or aren't paying my gas bill! This year will be no exception, in fact, it may just blow last year out of the water. Between starting the new job (where the kid will often go to work with me) and his wide range of interests, I'd be better off in a little motorhome where we could just haul our home around with us!

In addition to his core academics, the kid has four hours a week of fencing lessons in a town 20 minutes away each direction. He has his regular elective classes at our charter school, which include musical theater, guitar and Spanish, as well as Math Olympiad and Lego Robotics and of course, Minecraft Club. He's recently begged for improvisational comedy classes, which are on the weekend. Add in his fencing tournaments that are always out of town and our local homeschooling group activities and that motorhome is sounding even better. Did I mention that he's also asking to raise a guide dog puppy? The motorhome needs a little potty spot that is mobile as well.

When I look at the list above, I think I must be completely insane. I've seen him at home this summer when there's little required and I've realized all the activity makes him buzz with happiness. It's not about avoiding boredom, or parental pushing, or even about keeping him out of my hair. He likes to be a "do-er" not a "think-er". He craves that constant motion from activity to activity and it drives him to be more productive and happier in the long run. I'm coming to terms with the idea that this is our reality until he can drive himself. Yet another reason we are a two-Prius family!

We are quite lucky to be able to homeschool because if you tacked on middle school homework and projects, he'd never be able to do even half of it. I'm still not sure how I am going to do it all, but at least I know that my son will be a happy, well-rounded and creative guy who isn't afraid to try new experiences.

Now, off to make a list of crockpot recipes so we can eat something over the next year!

So what's the plan?

Nothing is ever boring in the land of academic homeschooling and this year is no different. Just when it seemed that we had hit our stride, entering our third year and the dreaded middle school age with a sense of calm, I threw a giant wrinkle into the plan. As the new principal of our K-8 charter homeschooling program and still planning on homeschooling the kid, the 13-14 school year will be a roller coaster ride for sure. We think we've figured out a plan, but like all well laid plans, who knows if they'll actually come together!

In homeschooling, I get a lot of questions about what curriculum we're using or how he does his work. I wrote about what curriculum we were going to use, back in May and much of that is staying the same. I am pretty impressed that our May curriculum plan is actually holding up! I've laid out lesson plans loosely through the end of September, with some flexibility to adjust to our new routine factored into the weeks. 

The kid has chosen his electives with some serious coaxing from me. Since I'll be working, he needed to pick classes that fit not only his interests, but my work schedule. He's settled on beginning guitar, Spanish lit and film, musical theater dance an online class from the lovely Headmistress Athena at Athena's Academy, drama and Minecraft Club. He'll continue fencing lessons twice weekly and also Math Olympiad twice a month.

You'll notice none of that actually includes our regular core academics. In our three hours of morning quiet time before I need to be at work, we'll be covering our usual math, science, history, language arts, grammar and writing. I'm enthusiastically diving in to the Bravewriter lifestyle and have blocked special time for poetry tea that will be uninterrupted each week.  We'll put aside everything in November for NaNoWriMo and again in February for the school Science Fair. If I thought it would work long-term, we'd simply do one subject a month and go as fast or deep as we wanted. That doesn't work so well for math, unfortunately!

The good news is that the kid has become more self-sufficient over the past year and likely will be able to finish his work on his own. 

At least, that is the plan... and you know what they say about plans...