3 July 2018

This may be a long post; my days have been crammed to overflowing so I’ve not had the space to write. I sense we’ve come to an end of another season, with time now to reflect and re group,  before we embark on the next one.

Both boys have finished their college years. For Lanky Dude this has had the greatest significance. First year of A levels, plus an EPQ have taken most of his time and mental energy. He will get his external results over the summer, but achieved a grade A in his internal physics exam, which will secure a good UCAS predicted grade. I’m going to write another post reflecting on this transition from homeschool to college, but suffice to say it has been a good one. He’s accomplished so much; not just academically, but emotionally, socially, practically, and spiritually. I’m so grateful to his teachers and the ethos of the college, and most of all to God for his faithfulness throughout.

Rhythm Dude also finished his year of one afternoon a week, with a distinction in his most recent assessment, and more significantly a glowing character reference which has secured him a place to do an Early College Transfer next year. I’ve prayed long and hard about this, as it may be a more spiritually challenging environment than the one his brother is in. However, that may also mean the life giving news of the gospel may be received more readily through him. He will do maths and English GCSE and carpentry. 

I’m so proud of both of them, and it’s now wonderful to have them at home and to have finished formal learning for the year.

Lanky Dude is starting to look at universities! He went round Bath a week ago with a friend which was a very positive start. He’s looking to do Integrated Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. While he was looking round, I took the other three to the American Museum which is nearby. It’s a museum which has inspired me greatly the few times we’ve visited. One of our most enjoyable homeschool projects was based on America; it’s history and geography. Our starting point was the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and as part of it we visited this museum. I was inspired by both the pioneering outlook and skills of the settlers, and the love and oneness with the land of the Native Americans.

This visit  it was fun to explore with Dancing Toes. She can be a joy to teach, and I enjoy looking at the more social side of history with her, which the boys weren’t so interested in. But the highlight for me was when Lanky Dude joined us in the afternoon, and we had a picnic cream tea (kindly given to Rhythm Dude after work experience in a local deli) and looked around the some of the garden. It was a good “mummy” moment for me, having all four of them joining in an outing, like “the old days!”.

We’ve also managed to squeeze in a birthday party for Lanky Dude, a parents UCAS information evening for me, friends to play and sleep over, making apricot jam, completing Rhythm Dude’s physics syllabus, finishing the girls’ homeschool projects and a shopping trip to ensure we would all be appropriately spruced up for my cousin’s wedding.

We’ve had a consistent run of beautiful, sunny weather. And I’ve hardly had time for the garden, or, ultimate luxury, to lie in the shade and read.   But, the holidays are upon us now, and I will intentionally try to have a slower pace and more time just to “be”.  We all need it.