New Season (in more ways than one ...)

On March 20, I woke up to discover that Meredith had risen early and decorated the house for spring. She, unbeknownst to me, had known that March 20 was the first "official" day of spring. She also knew where some spring-ish decorations were in the basement. Wha-lah! Spring has arrived. I love her enthusiasm.

 

Yesterday was our last homeschool class of the year. We will still continue plugging away for a few months, but now our Thursday mornings will be free to focus on other pursuits. I am always sad to see classes end because I enjoy the fellowship and the educational enrichment. But it will be nice to have more free time!

Yesterday was particularly somber because it is the last day our current group will meet. Leadership is changing and several families are moving on. The new group will, no doubt, be awesome. But I have loved the flavor of the group we have now.

One thing I have learned about mothering: Nothing stays the same for long. The best thing I can learn to do is be adaptable.

There was also celebration in the air. These kids have worked hard all year. They have studied various disciplines and have memorized massive amounts of material. What seemed impossible at the beginning of the year was accomplished, thanks to their young, fresh minds. Kids' ability to memorize is amazing!

In order to make our last day of classes more special, we decided to make patriotic sugar cookies. These were in the shape of the United States and they were iced with red, white, and blue icing. This year we have studied United States history and geography. The kids have memorized all 50 states and capitols and various geographical features, as well as historical statements, and they have memorized the names of all 44 of our presidents. So, we thought these were appropriate!

Notice the blue icing on Meredith's teeth. Ha! We caught you Mer!

 

And I simply had to include this picture of Clara. She and Meredith discovered this wig in a forgotten box in our basement. She wore it all day, proclaiming that she is Ariel. And it matches her new bathing suit to boot! (Can you tell she has a Little Mermaid obsession right now?)