See Me Homeschool {blog hop & link-up}

I kind of feel like I should call this "See Them Homeschool" because my homeschooled aged kids are all of the age and temperament that they can go about their day and accomplish their tasks without my direct interaction. Since I'm the last to post in this group, maybe what I'm really offering you mamas-of-all-those-little-ones is a little glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. Please know that all your hard work is doing so much good. Someday, your kids will be doing their work on their own too, taking charge of their education and really embracing it as their own challenge (that is… if that's what you want them to do). You're helping create good habits now while they are young. Our days didn't always look like this… these days are the fruit of hard work and effort along with a healthy dose of discipline and a generous amount of fun. Hang in there. It's worth it!

I took these pictures last Thursday (February 19th) which I realized, after the fact, is the busiest day online for my high school kids. They each take two online classes and three of them are on Thursday. The Professor is taking Latin and Literature. Sunshine is taking Grammar and Composition. It was also the day before BigBoy's monthly book club so I was busy preparing for that when I wasn't tending to Cupcake's needs. As you take a peek at our day, please bear in mind, my kids are:

The Professor: 17 years old, high school junior

Sunshine: 15 years old, high school freshman

Rain: 14 years old, 8th grade

BigBoy: 10 years old, 5th grade

Cupcake: 3 years old with a mind of her own

Now the purpose of this project was to provide you with a photo essay of our homeschool days. (You can read my very wordy essay in the How I Homeschool Series here.) I will try to stick to that but a caption or two might break through my wordless resolve. Sorry. And, just as an aside, I am posting pictures of my older kids with their express permission. Privacy and respect is very important to teenagers and their preferences always come first.

Most days, by the time I come out from the shower or from taking care of/snuggling with Cupcake, my big kids have already had breakfast and are hitting the showers themselves or getting in a little exercise.

She can do it all by herself!

The hardest part of my day… keeping Cupcake busy!

In the meantime…

Lunch time!

(I get Cupcake's and mine. They get their own.)

The Professor emerges from his study desk in our bedroom for a well earned lunch and some personal reading time. Husband and I stay in touch via Gmail chat almost every day. During lunch, I like to check in with him. After lunch it's back to work checking math, practicing the piano, starting a new literature book (horsing around)… even Cupcake gets a little time to work on some phonics on the big computer. {Darn it… no more talking now.}

Exploding toilet… not a typical homeschooling activity. 

The end of the day included my teens making dinner together. Home Economics, Baby! It totally made up for the regurgitating toilet that everyone swears they didn't jinx.