Apr. 7, 2007
Piano Practice
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I am listening to my daughter practice her piano on a bright and sunny (if unseasonably cool) Saturday morning. "Fur Elise", "Puff the Magic Dragon", "Rubber Ducky", and a special tribute to Easter weekend in the form of "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". She is getting better and better. It used to be hard to listen to the discordant and hesitant notes, now they run together smoothly and are pleasant to hear. I think this is like our homeschooling this year. At first, it was awkward, getting used to a new and extreme routine. Both of us work full time now and we have to pull together to make it all work. Two parents working forty plus hours a week, one with health problems that cause frequent illness, fatigue, and other issues plus two children with health problems and diet restrictions and continued hospital tests, specialists visits, etc., add this to homeschooling, girl scouts, gymnastics and the regular rigors of life on earth adds up to a crazy fall and winter as we struggled along to make sense of it all. It has been a hard road. I cannot lie about it. But, like piano practice, we are getting better and better at making it all happen with some sense of harmony. Looking back, I am surprised that we accomplished as much as did. We made a penguin habitat diorama, that still looks great in the living room. We read HUNDREDS of books this year so far. That is one area we excelled in. My daughter learned to sew and improved her knitting. Math, grammar, and spelling marched along, despite the illness and trials. Piano improved, gymnastics kept everyone with an outlet for the angst of it all. Family cooperation and kindness reigned, and we traveled further on the path to non-punitve, non-coercive education and family life. Grace abounded. The year begins to wind to a close. Our infamous "180" days is just about wrapped up. Will we attempt it again next year? Yes. We will. Despite everything, I think home education is still the best option for all of us. We are still learning in freedom. |
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