Cutest 2nd grader in the world! (Posted 09/03/2008)

Originally Posted 9/3/08
One of the many reason I love homeschooling....she is just so darn cute when she's working!! :)

In 2006, I started homeschooling. I had no idea what I was doing. The picture above is of my youngest child, age 7, homeschooling 2nd grade in her little desk by the fireplace (Which incidentally, I still have that desk. My dad refurbished it and I haven't had the heart to part with it.). I nicknamed her "Duchess" for my blog in an effort to protect my children's privacy. "Duchess" is now 16 1/2 and entering into her *Junior* year of homeschool. She is 95% unschooled, unlike my 2 older kids (who are now 21 and 19) who were schooled according to their learning type and how they needed to be schooled. Duchess is the kind of person who likes to be the author of her own days. She likes to go with the flow. She likes to learn what she wants to learn, when she wants to learn it....much like all of humanity once they enter post-college adulthood. This year she wants to work as a lifeguard, teach swimming lessons to little kids, and learn to cook. I want her to learn how to manage her finances so when she enters the world, she will be able to function debt-free in a debt-full world. 

Homeschooling is quickly coming to an end for us as a family and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Last year Duchess and I wanted to travel around Oregon and visit all the state parks. We got derailed by various personal issues in our lives. Upon talking to her about picking up where we left off this school year, she wasn't too excited about it. She has her own ideas about her life and how she wants to spend her days. I sorta burst into tears during a moment of weakness - I'm so ashamed - and she felt like it was her fault I was so sad. It isn't. And I told her as much. I am sad that the little kid years are over and that they went by so quickly. I'm sad that we didn't make more of an effort to travel when we could last year. I'm sad that a HUGE part of my life (homeschooling) is coming to an end and soon I will have no chickies in my nest. It's a huge adjustment for me.