It felt so weird yesterday morning when I realized I didn’t have to plan our homeschooling week out and I also didn’t have to get ready to argue with Little Miss about lesson time.

It felt weird and also freeing. I literally did a bit of a dance in my kitchen while warming up my tea as it hit me that I can take it easy most days for another two months.

Speaking of taking it easy, I want to take it easy even during homeschooling next year, especially after talking to my evaluator and realizing homeschooling doesn’t have to be as strict as I have been making it.

“You realize you only have to teach these subjects at some point during grades kindergarten to sixth right? You don’t even have to teach every subject every year, let alone every day.”

I’m paraphrasing that by the way. That’s not an exact quote.

I will be teaching the core subjects every year, of course, but as she pointed out to me – most public schools in my state are focused on reading and math and a small amount of science or history before sixth grade. Apparently, I am an overachiever because I have been teaching math, reading, science and history every day, every year since kindergarten with Little Miss and she is going into third grade this year.

I’ve now been told that, yes, I should teach those subjects throughout the year but I can break it up however I’d like. I can take a month and only focus on English or Math or I can mix things up and teach science a couple of times a week.

The reason I would most likely offer math, especially, every day, is that is a subject where concepts need to build upon one another and be consistent to be sure it is in the brain. It’s more of a subject where practice is very important.

The Boy is another story.

I have to make sure he takes certain courses before he graduates, whether those classes are taught every day or not. I’m also the one who determines if he graduates. Both me and my evaluator, to be more specific. And, well, if we really get technical, the school district does have to sign off on what I submit to them as well, but it’s unusual for them not to approve what a state-certified evaluator signs off on.

I need credits in certain subjects for The Boy from 9^th to 12^th grade. It’s four credits in English and three in Math, Science, and Social Studies, as well as two years of arts and humanities.

Those credits can be met by either about 120 hours of learning and studying time on the subject (including activities and independent reading) or they can be at least 80 percent completion of a textbook.

He will be attending a trade school for high school students in the fall and part of what he learns there will most likely count toward those credits as well.

The Boy will need two more credits in English and Science. He only needs one more in math and history/social studies. I told him this means that his senior year will mainly be attending the trade school and arts and music. I’d say he liked the sound of that but he’s a teenager, so I mainly just received a grunt in response.

I am hoping to incorporate more art and music into schoolwork for both the kids next year. I really enjoyed being able to focus on artists, composers, and musical instruments throughout much of May with Little Miss.

I hope to be able to incorporate at least a semester of music lessons for The Boy in addition to planned art classes.

I have a feeling I’ll be hammering out all those details in the next two and a half months, even when I am supposed to be taking a break from it all.

In end of the year news, Little Miss and I read 34 books together with two of them being read on her own. The Boy and I read two together. It was one of those years where there were a lot of other things focused on. They were both good, deep reads, though: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Fellowship of the Ring.

When we start school up again – either in the middle of August or the beginning of September, it will be our sixth year of homeschooling. It’s insane to even think it has been that long. What a ride it has been. We’ve definitely had trials, tears, and some doubts, but in the end it has been one of the best decisions we ever made.

The Boy and Little Miss have had more time to explore their interests and also to spend time with their aging grandparents and avoid some of the more stressful situations that can develop at public school.

If we had to do it again, we definitely would.