Ah, December! I am probably the ONLY member of my family that loves the months that end in "ber" (September, October....you get the idea). My husband and son are "summer boys". They both share the same birthday in July, their love of warm weather and anything related to summer. They get their party on when the sun is hot.
Me? Not so much. Don't get me wrong, I like summer. However, it's not "my favorite"! (Buddy the Elf, anyone?) Fall months + the month of December = Happy Me. I lived in the Hudson Valley until I was eleven years old and I recall those "ber" months always putting on a good show! Gorgeous foliage, apples, cool weather made me love the fall! Over two years ago, we moved back to the Hudson Valley and it's still glorious. Fall, Thanksgiving, Christmas.....December wraps up my favorite time of year.
I remember last December, however, being particularly stressful. We were in the thralls of a most heinous school year with the primary focus of trying to get used to those "new standards". You know, "CC" (The Standard That Must Not Be Named). Modules. Units. Spending a day or two on a lesson and then quickly moving right along. Three Hours of Homework. Yikes! I still shudder when I think about how miserable my son was...and ultimately, how miserable we all were! Last December, we were pretty burnt out.
This December is a whole new story. We're actually enjoying this Christmas Season with our friends and family. We can still be a little stressed, but not to the point that it is dominating our lives. We're still busy and working very hard, but we're working at a pace that's good for our son.We're finishing up our second quarter and taking a nice Christmas Break. He actually likes the math chapters we're doing right now! He is also finishing up a fun-filled unit on Ancient Rome and he is knee-deep in gladiators, battles and Pompeii. He has also discovered some amazing websites that are introducing him to computer graphics and design. Finally, we've had a blast in our co-op group! During the past couple of months in co-op, he has been taking woodwork, music, gym, cooking and sewing classes (and making new friends in the co-op). I've been having fun co-teaching art and music for "the littles". Our son has described this past fall, with regards to homeschool and co-op, as busy and interesting. The only words that I remember him using to describe last fall were explicative words. Ouch.
Thanks to God, new doors have been opened for us this year! We're living in a bigger, brighter apartment. We're now in the "waiting phase" of adopting our second child. We've been able to travel more often to see family and friends. Finally, we've regained a whole new appreciation for learning as a homeschool family. We're a family that loves to learn together....because learning never stops! ("Mom! Would you stop saying that already???")
Last, but certainly not least, we're a family that's grown in our faith. We can savor December We know that our God is a God of miracles! Christmas is a season of miracles and we've had our share of them. Our family is blessed beyond measure. I can't say that enough. We are so thankful to be homeschoolers and to live the lives we have...even when things are really tough. This Christmas, we know that the best gift we could ever have is God's love, which came to us through His Son. We are truly able to focus on that miracle, which is the reason for this wondrous season.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Christmas Blessings to you!
