If you’ve been following the blog, you already know that Mr. N and I decided to homeschool the girls beginning last July. This post looks back on our first year of homeschooling and the memories we made along the way.
I snapped most photos with my phone, so they aren’t professional quality, but they capture moments we want to keep forever.
Our homeschool year was a balance of table-based lessons, outdoor play, frequent field trips, and the start of music lessons. For the most part it was enjoyable and the girls truly loved it. The hardest part was the day-to-day work of teaching; I handled most of the instruction while Mr. N led craft activities and hands-on projects.
One memorable field trip was seeing “Peppa Pig” at the Mall of America. Peppa is a beloved character among young children, and the girls were delighted.
We also attended a family retreat in January. While not strictly a homeschooling activity, it offered learning opportunities and new experiences for the girls. A few snapshots from the retreat center:
We made a point of getting out as often as possible. The children’s museum became a regular destination, offering hands-on exhibits and activities that fit perfectly with our learning goals.
Art was a constant in our home. The girls drew countless pictures—if I’d kept every single one, I’d need a truck to store them. Many of their drawings included me with messages like “I love you Mom.” In early February they surprised me with a Valentine’s Day craft: a paper crown and heart that I still treasure.
We enrolled the older girls in music lessons. Salma, my middle child, found piano challenging at first and seemed a bit young, so we paused her lessons for a year and plan to try again later. Neriah, on the other hand, has been dedicated to guitar lessons for many months and absolutely loves practicing and performing.
Cooking together became one of our favorite activities. The girls enjoy being in the kitchen, measuring, mixing, and learning about ingredients and recipes. Those shared cooking sessions were both educational and full of laughter.
We also did plenty of shopping—sometimes for supplies, sometimes for inspiration, and sometimes just for fun.
We wrapped up our homeschool year in July with a day trip to Como Town and Como Zoo in Minnesota. While we took lots of video at the zoo and don’t have many photos to share here, we captured several moments at Como Town that show how much fun the day was.
Overall, I am incredibly grateful for the chance to teach my children. The bond we’ve built during this year of homeschooling is precious and something I value above all. We took a short break in July and restarted our lessons on August 1st—last week—and the girls were excited to get back to learning. Thank God for an amazing first year; we’re looking forward to an even better one ahead.