Reflection on our first year.

So it's the first day of summer break and I feel so relaxed.  I've got a lot done around the house and I'm feeling good.  I had mixed feelings about the end of the year.  I really enjoyed our learning time but I was looking forward to having less to do each day.  So I'm plan on making a list of what was good and what was hard.

Good

1. We took 4 extra weeks to travel this year.  I really liked that.  I especially liked traveling with Mike for work. I'd like to do more of that.
2. Caiden was a lot less stressed learning in the home environment.  He was much happier this year. BIG win.
3. Turns out Caiden likes to read. 
4. I love not rushing out the door or packing lunches.
5. I loved Fridays, staying in our pjs and letting the boys have screen time.
6. I liked Thursday mornings.
7. I liked that we finished things.  We finished all his curriculum and every worksheet.  It would have been easy to say well close enough but we stuck to our guns and Caiden learned alot and improved in so many areas.
8. I liked taking christmas break off.  
9. I liked taking spring break off.
10. I liked running at the YMCA with Caiden.
11. I loved how the kids loved our weekly science experiments.
12. Mondays yeah Mondays!
13. Camp Roger!
14. Awana!
15. I loved that we didn't have to rush Caiden out the door each morning
16. I loved that if we had a big day or stayed out late the night before we could take an easy day at school.
17. I loved all the extra time Caiden got to spend with Westin.
18. I loved doing story time with Westin.
19. Minecraft writing assignments.
20. Maddy learned to play the violin.
21. Homeschool buck system!
22. Science Tuesdays
23. Spending time with friends
24. Field trips.
25. Blogging.  This gave me a chance to reflect on our homeschool.
26. Making Caidens year book.

Hard

1. I hated how messy the house got. - Fix for next year: cleaning up needs to be apart of our school day. I always felt bad making Maddy clean up after she'd been gone all day but now it can be part of our routine.
2. Although vacations were good, so very good, they take a lot of work to prep and a lot of work when we get home.  I haven't figured out how to fix that yet.
3. Thursday mornings were good but Thursday afternoons were awful.
4. I would get stressed out if we started to get behind. Sometimes I felt like worksheets ruled my life.
5. I felt like there was so much to do all the time. fix for next year- Mike puts the big kids to bed on weeknights I take weekends.
6. Westin jumping on us, getting into our school.
7. I gain 10 pounds.
8. Wednesday pack lunch, pack school work, round up library materials.
9. The kids need to lay out their clothes
10. Caiden needs to learn to swim
11. Both kids need to learn to tie their shoes.
12. Some times I will feel like just get the school done so we can do other things. I need to have an attitude change on that school is the focus.