Alas, Kindergarten

Launching our kindergarten year with Zombie has been a taunting process for me. The realizations of what failed and what (surprisingly) didn’t was a gravitational jerk back down to earth. With the preschool year officially behind us, I am finally ready to lay out for you all the messy truths of homeschooling a 4 year old! 

Disclaimer: I don’t and will not pretend to know it all because frankly, I don’t. But here are a few of my lessons learned from opportunities in our Preschool year.

#1 Find your Style 

Each family has their own rhythm, find yours and run with it. Ours just happens to be all over the place since we’re constantly on the road and we’re night owls. Finding your style early on and being true to yourself about what is achievable on a daily basis will save you many a headache. 

#2 Be Flexible 

YOU WILL NOT COMPLETE THE ENTIRE CURRICULUM BOOK. On a blunt note homeschool is about flexibility. You won’t finish the workbook but that doesn’t mean your child didn’t grasp the concepts. My goal for this year is for us to allow the progression of our learning to move organically. 

#3 The Pressure 

Soooo much pressure. From friends and family and strangers alike who are rooting for you to fail. Analyzing your child each time they approach you in an attempt to point out your failures as a home educator because your child can’t yet spell the word “asparagus”… after all, if she’s homeschooled she should be a genius- right? 

Don’t allow the external and internal pressures to get to your head. You are amazing. The decision you made is the right one. No one cares more about your child’s education than you. 

$3 Be Intentional 

The grocery store, the ride home from church, a visit to the barbershop (in our case). All of these are opportunities to have meaningful conversations and lessons with your child. Be intentional of your time together and you’ll be surprised at just what your child’s take away is. 

#4 Feed their Curiosity 

Never-never-never-never stop asking questions. Our kids do as we do, not as we say. So be curious, ask lots of questions and allow them to do the same. This allows a platform for loving to learn regardless of the subject, regardless of the medium. 

This year we are going minimal. Our goals are attainable and realistic. And with incorporations adopted from “Salty Tribe Co.” and "Homeschool of Belair" I really feel like we are setting ourselves up for success!

[Morning Binder: Homeschool of Bel Air]

Here’s what we’ll be doing: 

Math/Science *alternating 

Reading

Spanish/Geography

Scripture 

Piano 

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The Land of Little Beast

Envisioning Little Beast's nursery I knew I wanted it to be a black and white theme. A space looked and felt clean, was unisex and modern. 

Since our pregnancy was low-key and we really didn't have the money to buy things other than the essentials, I put my vision board to rest. But it's amazing what happens when God touches people's hearts and you allow yourself to receive a bit of help. 

6 months into my pregnancy my mom began accumulating things for his room. In the end she ended up gifting us nearly everything in this gorgeous nursery. She created a room better than I could've ever put together. Also, I have to give a special thank you to my sister for the crib and changing table. 

Blessed beyond belief, here's a peek inside the land of Little Beast.

[Foil balloon was from Target but here's a similar one on Etsy] 

[Zebra head] 

[Curtains: originally from Ikea but given to me by my little sister]

[Elephant basket: Marshalls]

[Black plastic trash bin: Yard Sale]

[Changing table: gifted by my sister] 

[Muslin Swaddle Blanket] 

[Crib: Gifted]

[Crib Sheet: Target]

[Mobile *The pom poms and black ribbon were my mom's special touch]

[Lounge chair + Cushions + Photo Frames: Yard Sale]

[Rug: Yard Sale}

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CON LOS LOBOS

If you've read my California flight experience  post then you probably already know how my trip came to be. Our trip to Point Lobos was among the highlights of my time in Monterey, California. Here's a little about how our day went... 

EIFFEL COOKIE

A quaint little French pastry shop in Monterey, what more is there to say? 

POINT LOBOS 

After indulging on sweet french pastries we took the trip up to Point Lobos foundation. The day was perfect; it was chilly, overcast and foggy. Great for eerie photos! 

This hike does NOT disappoint with unforgettable views of cliffs, mountains, soft green moss and wheat colored fields at every turn! From sea lions to snakes to field mice (baby gophers?) we ran into quite a bit of wildlife. At the beach we picked some stones and seashells souvenirs for my rock loving Zombie. 

I will admit my sister put this on the itinerary I was a little concerned with some of the reviews out there. The biggest complaint are the crowds. Whether it was due to the weather or the fact that it was back to school time; we really didn't run into too much congestion. 

We took the local transit down the park (if you easily get motion sickness I would not recommend taking the bus). If you are going to drive down I would suggest getting there early as parking's a pain. Most people parked a quarter mile down and walked to the park entrance. Otherwise bring a light sweater, your favorite hiking shoes and a snack or two. This was one park I really had a hard time leaving- and you probably will too! 

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Little Beast Takes On Shingle Creek

Our Labor Day started off with some much needed sleeping in, funfetti waffles and massive everything-in-your-fridge omelets. After which we headed to Shingle Creek for our first hike with Little Beast.

We prepared him with some Babyganics sunblock followed by deet-free insect repellent since his chunky thighs would be irresistible to mosquitoes! I have been itching to get back to the outdoors for some time now and bought a Baby Bjourn off OfferUp to get down and dirty with. Its comfort and sturdiness proved to be perfect for the sticky afternoon ahead of us.  

The trail was easy to follow with facts about the plants and the park's natural inhabitants along the way. Our favorite was the one on Poison Ivy, we spent the remainder of the trail searching out ivy plants and explaining to Zombie about the poison and its effects. 

Now, if you know anything about Florida weather then you know one minute its sunny and the next we're experiencing judgement day type storms. We managed to get out of there right as the heavy rain started to hit. Beware of the mud-if you're not careful you will slip and with a 2 month old in hand, that was just not an option. 

Here are some quick tips I would recommend for families when hitting the trails with babes. 

1. Use Insect Repellent (deet-free) 
2. Sunblock
3. Hydrate baby - I had a bottle of milk for Little Beast which worked just fine but next time I will definitely bring along  some water for him. 
4. Hat- another lesson learned. Besides looking so cute in those little boat hats its also best to have added protection from the sun. 
5. Change of clothes- wipe em down, change their diaper and put on a fresh pair of onesies and the drive home will be awfully quiet in the backseat of the car. 

I hope you all enjoyed your labor and can't wait to see how you spent the holiday! 

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