The in-betweens of a Home School

This week we have launched back into home school, having just 10 weeks left until SUMMER!  We will be planning out how many lessons of this and that we have to get done each week to be finished with all our studies so that we can rest.  But though we have opened the floodgates back into academics, I've been thinking about the real home school.  The every day happenings around here that really make up the Alley home school.  The in-betweens that are just as enriching and every bit a part of why I home school- so we can learn to love and love to learn together.

There's this:  the toddler antics.  Violet does stuff like this while we are reading or studying together.  No toddler's life would be complete without using a marker to write on furniture.

There's this scene- my oldest and my youngest, who love each other very much, holding each other and their favorite things.  A blanket and an electric guitar.

Here's another thing the toddler does while I'm teaching something to someone.

Here is what people do when I let them play in the morning and delay school to have a few minutes of peace.  Pretend with Barbies!

This is the kind of thing I find lying on my kitchen island.  It's a home school class- paper plate art.

Jimmy texts me this photo- Cash gets to take a break from school at home to get schooled at the dentist.

This is going on next to me while I'm cooking dinner- the 8 year old stands on the counter to put the dishes away.  But you know what?  She put everything away.  Didn't leave anything out for me to deal with.

And outside! We have been outside as much as possible, enjoying the wonderful weather that Spring has brought. 

Home school is not perfect.  It doesn't have everything to offer.  We can't give the same things as a traditional school.  But we certainly do like it.  I am very grateful for healthy, happy, children who love each other and discover together.

(To be fair and keep it real:  I yelled a lot on Monday, our first day back into the swing of things.  It's hard to step away from all the in between and add the "work."  But we make it through somehow.)