Coming Down To The Wire

We are coming down to the wire. The end of the year for school.

Yesterday, Jacob and I spent a lot of time together. A Saturday. We went out for coffee, did some errands, worked on some things here, and talked about school.

So, when you ask your grandson if he wants to leave and he says, “no, I am okay talking,” it is easy to feel like you won the lottery.

Next year is around the corner.

We went over some of the past weeks of schooling. We started to talk about potential classes for next year. That also included what it might look like to make some money this year. (He will be 15 this month and permitted to drive! It is hard to wrap my brain around the fact that this is the child that came into my home 15 years ago.)

What a week of school, though. Recently, we had broken down the week into one subject per day. It seems to make it easier for both of us and allows the thinking to progress, rather than one hour per class each day. This way if he gets tied up in a class or wants to invest in some writing, he does not feel under the gun.

A short interview with Jacob about school.

And I think we are finding the groove. And knowing what we are doing a little more (After 10 weeks!) allows us to take breaks to do errands and such. Jacob likes to go for walks and take pictures. Everybody needs recess! Add in his bike is here and all tuned up, and it is pretty cool. (Thanks, Andy’s!)

I like seeing him smile or feeling proud of his progress. (He sends his mom screenshots of grades.) I am grateful for the confidence he is developing, seemingly day by day. He is more motivated to get things done. (Not a-l-l the time! ?) He is diligent about meeting weekly with his teachers, whether it be to go over work he does not understand or to better his understanding of what he is doing. (That piece is huge!) He likes his teachers, and that makes it much easier. (Just this week, he reached out to a school “guidance” counselor he had a few years ago and told her how well he was doing.)

I sometimes get asked about the “social aspect.” I give him the opportunity to do things with some of the friends he has here. He can do as much as he wants. I have been challenged by some that I am “depriving” him of the social aspect. When Jacob was in public school, one of his classes had 2 students that created lots of drama. He struggled to learn. Add in the daily bullying and “craziness” that occurred and let me just say, it was not healthy. Let us call it what it is. Abusive. And if anyone knows me, I do not use that word often or lightly. And for the most part, none of us would allow this in other areas of a child’s life.

For Jacob, his mom and siblings, and Tina and I, this has not been without some sacrifice. His mom lives 45 minutes away, which means she does not get to see him each day. It is tough for both. In the beginning, this was a big “risk versus reward” conversation. A tough one. We all decided to move forward with schooling.

The end result? An investment in the next generation.

And here we are. Coming down to the wire. Getting ready for his sophomore year.

Who would have thought?

(I would love to hear your homeschool stories!)

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