Just In Case...

...I've fooled you into thinking that every day as a homeschooling parent is filled with idyllic settings and perfect behavior, let me tell you right now that it's definitely NOT. It's definitely real, it's definitely hard, and it's definitely just like the rest of life. Bumps, trials, tribulations, and challenges abound - in many more forms than before.

Along with the challenges and trying times, come the days where we accomplish sweet victory over some daunting bit of academia. A perfect example was Wednesday of this week. Oddly enough, though they are in 2nd and 4th grade, Kole and Riley both were studying fractions in mathematics. We had worked on several cooking projects before with lengthy discussions about fractions, but I don't think it really clicked with Kole until Wednesday.

He was having difficulty understanding what the problems were even asking him to do, so we pulled out our brand new set of Expo markers and set our sights on conquering the fractious little boogers in his math book. Heavily armed with lots of determination, we attacked viciously. And after just a few rounds of drawing shapes, dividing them into the appropriate number of sections, shading this part or that and determining what the respective values of the shaded versus the unshaded parts were, he got it! He really got it!

It was one of those things that happens unexpectedly and makes me realize that what I'm doing really is worth it. I'm putting this on digital "paper" so to speak, to remind myself that we have had some positive things happen this week. Yesterday was one of those days that made me forget. Now I remember, so thanks for listening. You're such a good friend!