Brrrr! And angst.

It's cold outside!  Today was one of those days I was glad we weren't loading up and going to school at 7am, but it was also one of those tempting days to snuggle down and not do much work.  We resisted, though and had a full day.

Zoe is preparing to read a book to the younger kids at her school, and today, we picked her book: The Lion and the Mouse.

Then, we read this book.  It was perfect since we actually have several inches of snow still in our backyard!  Except for the part that goes, "What makes it snow? We do not know!" Cringe.  But otherwise fun, considering we just built a snowgirl.

And, in more perfect timing...a snow sensory bin!  I planned this thinking we would talk about places that it usually snows in winter - who knew that would be Texas!  This bin was fun and cheap to make from the after Christmas sales.    Lucy played with it while Zoe and I did math work.

We did some grouping, addition and subtraction, and patterning with these cute winter ducks (and learned about skiing and snowboarding and want to go visit Aunt Emmy in Aspen!)

I found a book with a sticker group for each letter of the alphabet.  

Lucy made an I page while Zoe and I did a logic problem together.

Then, we went to dance, got a haircut, and went to our first art class!  Our new homeschool friends are hosting it and a teacher comes each week.  This week, we learned about Donatello and bas-relief.  Zoe made a horse and Lucy made...you guessed it, a giraffe.

And now the angst.  I'm feeling conflicted about homeschool these days.  A big part of me enjoys this more relaxed schedule and lifestyle and feels good about where we are with Zoe, both confidence-wise and academically.  But another part of me feels like we are not being systematic - reading, writing, and math are all more hodge-podge than they should be, especially if we are looking at being ready for a 1st grade class next year, which I'm not sure if we are.

In any case, one day, I want to relax and follow her lead because she's 5 and struggles and I'm doing this to allow her to go at her own pace.   The next day, I want to order 10 academically rigorous programs and do a lesson in each every single day.  I'm still owning my identity as a homeschooler and finding my fit within the range of smart people who do this.  I see the value in every approach and strategy and have my own ideas as well.  I'll continue to struggle with it and hopefully we will find our way to a place that works.  This whole thing started out as a "year off" before we started public school kindergarten, but I feel it growing into something more.  It's good and I love it more than I imagined, but it's full of responsibility too.