I've been doing the things that make me happy!

I took some time off this year, from the things that probably should have been on the front burners, to catch up with things I needed, or simply wanted to do. I let my blog go dormant for a few months, and I took several weeks off from school. I even quit cooking altogether for a while. 

And what did I do instead? 

I planted flowers. Lots of flowers, in baskets and pots and in flower beds that had been neglected so long I had to practically dig them up and start from scratch. 

I borrowed my mom's power washer and I washed all the things! If you haven't tried power washing, you should. It's addictive. I think, especially so for we mom types, whose work never stays done for long. It's so unlike laundry mountain, which just piles right back up the minute you get it knocked down. You can actually see the results of your efforts, and they are dramatic and beautiful, and last long enough for you to appreciate for a while.

I helped my dad and my son rebuild my deck, adding new railing and staining the freshly power washed boards that turned out to be a lovely light color, and not dark gray after all. 

The kids and I dug a hole, and not just any hole, but a huge rectangular crater in a rock-infested slope, 18 feet wide and deep enough to create a nice level space for the above ground pool we intend to enjoy all summer long.

And I took a lot of time to go to the gym with my friend, to eat better foods and get in better shape than I have been in the past several years.

Don't be afraid to let things slide

I probably lost readers during my hiatus, and I know I missed out on opportunities to speak. I was so late in putting together this year's Unplanner, I don't know if I will end up selling a single copy by the time it hits Amazon later this week. And do you know what? I don't even care.

I don't care that we "fell behind" and will be doing school through most of the summer, either, because I had so much fun through the spring. Besides, we're all pretty relaxed now that we're back to a somewhat normal class schedule, and after school, we can go jump in the pool!

Everything I did these last six months makes me happy. I'm loving my clean driveway and my fresh and welcoming deck. The flowers I worked so hard on lift my spirits every time I see a new bloom. And floating in my little backyard oasis, looking up into the trees takes me away from it all. I didn't know my life needed these things, but I'm sure glad I took some time off to make them happen.

Do something for you

There are 52 weeks in a year; not all of them have to be dedicated to school and housework. Homeschooling is a marathon, not a sprint to the finish. I think we need to take time for ourselves along the way, even weeks at a time if that's what we need. 

Please remember, the years you spend homeschooling amount to a huge chunk of your life, and you deserve to spend at least part of that time doing things that don't involve detergent or textbooks. 

You don't have to go dig in the dirt like I did, but do something that will make you happy, and that will have lasting results that you can savor over the weeks and months to come. You'll be glad you did.

The most important things your middle schooler needs to know

This month, my post, 6 Important Things Your Middle Schooler Needs to Know was featured on Year Round Homeschooling by Misty Leask. I was excited to help her kick off a month of insightful posts aimed at families who are homeschooling middle school kids.

There are so many lessons for middle schoolers to learn, and during this month-long series parents will receive a wealth of knowledge from many homeschool bloggers. You may find advice to help with teaching math, or science, or foreign languages. You may learn more about strengthening your child's faith.

But as I thought about what I would choose to share, I kept coming back to the realization that middle schoolers are at perhaps the most vulnerable age, in the middle of some of their toughest growing-up years, and what they need, more than anything, is connection; to know without a doubt that they are loved.

Hop over to Year Round Homeschooling to read my post, and read more about how you can shore up your middle school kids and give them the strong emotional foundation they will need as they move oh so rapidly toward adulthood.

The responsibilities of the homeschooled student

Over the years, I have had more heart-to-heart conversations with my kids than I can count, and many of those have been about our roles as homeschoolers. So many of us tend to focus on our own responsibilities, as educators, and largely forget to teach our kids about their own responsibilities, as students.

Don't fall into that trap!

When our kids grow up, they will face expectations both in their family life and in the workplace. We have to train them to accept their responsibilities as students with diligence and grace, to treat others - including us - with respect, and to focus on their goals.

In essence, a homeschooled student's responsibilities come down to five points, illustrated in this infographic. If they can successfully manage these five skills, they'll be better equipped to learn any subject and take on any adventures that life sends their way.

Love this infographic? Please feel free to share or embed it straight from Visual.ly!

Taking a practice run at the PSAT

Did you know students can take the PSAT for practice, without it counting against them, as long as they take it before their junior year? That's what my twins are doing, and frankly, I'm a little jealous.

Knowing that students often raise their scores on the SAT and the ACT when they take it more than once, I can't believe more of them don't take advantage of the opportunity to take a practice run at the PSAT in their sophomore or even freshman years of high school. But they probably don't know that they can, or they think that it will count against them.

Getting to know the elements of the periodic table

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Are you raising a child who tends to personify everything? I was one of those kids. I remember with almost embarrassing clarity one boring afternoon in my preteen years when I determined the gender of the numbers 0 - 9. For whatever reason, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 0 were boys, and 1, 4, 6, and 9 were girls.

I'd like to say with authority that there is strong scientific evidence that associates this sort of behavior with creative genius, but that would require scouring psychological journals. Speaking simply from experience though, I can say that my own tendency to personify things helped me to learn, especially when it came to science.

I assigned personalities to everything from different species of animals to various types of bacteria and even the elements of the periodic table in my mind. I think that's why I was so excited to find a complete set of the Basher Science books at a secondhand store a few years ago.

One of the Basher books is called The Periodic Table: Elements with Style, and it allows readers to meet and get to know the personified elements, complete with characteristics you would expect based on how they appear and react in nature. Sodium, for instance, gets along with everyone but is really high strung, sulfur is a prankster dressed sweetly in yellow, and iron is "at the center of everything."

Imagine my excitement when I realized, after recommending the book to our local co-op class, that there is a newer version, with more elements, each with its own descriptive page! It's titled, The Complete Periodic Table: More Elements with Style.

If you have a child who is interested in learning more about chemistry, you need to check out this book, currently on sale for 45 percent off the list price, but I don't know how long that will last.

Associating human characteristics with inanimate objects really has been a good way for me to learn and retain information over time. I believe the Basher Science books about the periodic table can help cement this information in your child's long term memory, too!
   

Spark a positive change in the world

For all the negative imagery we see on the news and in social media, I really don't believe the world is falling apart. I don't believe we're on the brink of a race war, or that most men are out to victimize women, or much of anything the media might have us believe about our fellow human beings for the sake of ratings. I believe that at the heart of it, there is more that unites people than divides them, and if we could all just try to treat each other the way we'd want our kids, or our grandmothers to be treated, the world would be a much better place. 

But it's hard to get away from those constant messages of division and hate. 

Homeschoolers can live somewhat sheltered lives, it's true. Their circle of interaction is typically smaller than the hundreds of peers other kids pass in the halls of a public school And in many families, their exposure to social media is more closely monitored. We can choose to minimize their exposure to the constant stream of negativity, and instead emphasize the good in the world.

That's why I think homeschoolers, in particular, have a tremendous opportunity to change the world. All it takes is a little spark.

One of the lessons I am working hard to teach my kids is kindness. I've noticed that they go out of their way to hold doors for others. They offer to carry things for people, or pick up dropped objects. These little things may seem ordinary, and used to be thought of as just good manners, but consideration for others is a learned behavior. 

I've been working to teach my kids, both through discussion and example, what a difference a kind word can make. Yesterday, while my mom and I were sitting in a waiting room at the cancer treatment center, I noticed the elderly black man with the furrowed brow sitting across from me. He had taken three or four deep breaths in a row, letting each one out in a slow sigh. I didn't know if he was worried or just uncomfortable. Then I noticed his shoes.

Chance to win a $1500 giveaway at the Teach Them Diligently Launch Party

Hey, friends! Don't miss the 2018 Launch Party for the Teach Them Diligently homeschool conventions. Your friendly neighborhood Unplanned Homeschooler is an affiliate this year, and maybe more. Can't say yet. I don't even have the scoop for sure, but I am really excited! And wow, there will be more than $3500 in prizes, including a couple from me and lots more from other fabulous folks who you might know even better!

One lucky winner is even going to win a $1500 family getaway! It could be YOU. But not if you don't come to the party. So click one of the images or this link here and come on!