Seasons of Life

Tending my beloved garden, I am often reminded of the brevity of life and how closely the seasons of the garden mirror life itself. The mere anticipation of life -- standing on the edge of spring -- is probably the most exciting aspect of both life and gardening. Awaiting the bursting forth of every beautiful and sweet blossom in its time is the gift of youth. Then, after the procession of spring's buttery yellows, soft pinks and blues, the hotter colors of summer will arrive. In what seems like a day, summer's intense heat will switch on and weed after weed will leap forth to contend with the gardener himself for the life of the flowers. In my mind, summer equals the middle years, filled with intense responsibility and seemingly endless work. But the gardener must not give up! Finally, with the approach of autumn, it seems only prudent to lay down the hoe. The weeds will soon lay down their fight, too. Autumn is a time for the gardener to reap the fruits of a long summer's labor. Collected seeds, jars of preserves, or dried flowers might be among the display of prizes. Similarly, in life, the old man has a season to enjoy the benefits of his summer labor and reflect on the choices made in the spring of his life.

Seasons of a Home Education

With my second son entering 12th grade in 2008, it has appealed to me of late that a home education is also much like the garden seasons. I remember my almost-giddy excitement at the thought of home educating my children. The field was mine to plant what I wanted, and our state homeschool convention offered -- like a seed catalog offers seeds -- a literal multitude of choices in curriculum and teaching tools. My children were so young, it seemed like our homeschol would last forever. Alas, it wasn't long until summer set in. Weeds of frustration and discontent began to grow in the form of sometimes-stubborn children, learning disabilities, wrong curriculum choices, and me wanting -- just once -- to have a completely clean house again. There were a few destructive storms that came along dressed as illness and financial and insurance woes. Honestly, though, there was also great joy in the hard work of planting and tending. Suddenly, in what felt like the blink of an eye, autumn appeared on the horizon. It's nearly time to lay down the hoe. With a bit of anxiety I wonder what will be the fruits of my labor with this one child. He's well versed in the cares of life. He knows of joy and sacrifice, but can he read and write well, does he know history, and is his transcript is order?

Finishing up

As I head into this last school year with my second son, and as I look forward with excitement to yet another North Carolina homeschool conference, I want to remember some things that I've learned.

• Whether a book is free or whether it cost a thousand dollars, it's worth nothing if it's not used.
• Simplicity is -- and always has been -- beautiful. It's also more easily employed.
• A little every day is worth more than an hour every so often.
• Children will usually produce what you expect of them, and often they'll exceed your expectations. So, with kindness and respect, expect great things.
• It's never too late to cover something that didn't get covered.
• A little time each week spent record-keeping goes a long way when it's time to produce a transcript.

The autumn sun is beginning to cast shadows on this second child's home education. My second son has a sweet nature and an obedience that will take him far in life. As far as academics, I'm glad to have at least a little more time to dig my heels in and fight the weeds. With bittersweet anticipation, I wonder what seeds and fruit and flowers will line our shelves when we're done.

A Mother's Journal

Livin N Writin About It

Make custom thank you cards.

School for boys and girls - Queen Ethelburga’s College.

Five In A Row ~ The "Heart" of our Homeschool:

NEW!!

New Book Review: The Raging Quiet by Sherryl Jordan

Info from a recent co-op: Medicine in the 1700s

Beautiful Old Coloring Pages

Quotations

"A rich child often sits in a poor mother's lap."
Danish proverb

"I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand."
Chinese proverb

A Parting Thought:
"Education is what's left over when you subtract what you've forgotten from what you've learned."