While at the orthodontist with my son, I was browsing the December 2022 Northern Virginia Magazine. An article about college admissions caught my eye. I appreciated the theme of the article: consider many options for college and don’t be discouraged if you get rejected. This quote was one I really agreed with: The pressure-packed college admissions process can take away from the joys of high school if students and their parents or guardians get wrapped up in being accepted at a handful of extremely selective schools.

While reviewing a list of Spanish reflexive verbs this morning, my teenage son was curious to learn more about one verb: deshacerse. This verb means “undo” and “get rid of.” We flipped open the “501 Spanish Verbs” to review the conjugation and look at some examples. We were both surprised by the final example: el deshechizo: breaking off a magic spell “Why would they have a word for something that doesn’t even exist?

We recently took an extended trip to México’s Yucatán Peninsula. Here are some of the things that surprised and delighted us.

1. Abundance of Churches The cities we visited were vestiges of Spanish colonization. Each had a main cathedral with a plaza. But there were lots of Catholic churches in each city. We had an Airbnb directly across from the San Roman Cathedral in Campeche. With their doors open during the worship services, we could easily hear the prayers and singing.

One contribution my husband makes to our homeschool is a “personal finance” book group. We read a book individually and discuss it as a group. I appreciate his efforts to instill financial literacy in our children. One of his selections I recently enjoyed was “The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel. Not only are Morgan Housel’s ideas good for financial concepts, they also really apply to homeschooling as well!

I’ve met a wide variety of homeschoolers from really relaxed to super structured. Though I definitely fall on the “structured” side of the spectrum, I am not nearly as structured as some. One friend told me she fills up her car every Thursday. “Why would I wait until the car is nearly empty of gas?” She anticipated the need and planned ahead each week. I was astonished. I realized I could do the same.

We have a recipe we enjoy for a dessert that uses Mascarpone. Originally, the recipe was for Tiramisu, but I made some modifications. First of all, we don’t drink coffee, so I eliminated that. We added some orange zest and freshly squeezed orange juice instead. We also don’t use sugar, so we had a substitute. Nor do we eat white flour, so in place of the lady fingers we made a light almond flour cake.

During the holiday season, gift-giving is a big focus for parents. Like you, I search for gifts that communicate my love. Ultimately, one of the gifts I am most proud to have given my children is actually a consistent experience: ninety minutes of daily free time. Without exception, whether weekday, weekend or holiday, this is part of our family routine. Each child has ninety minutes to themselves, in a room alone, completely free of my expectations.

I love live concerts. I love beautiful designs. For these two reasons, I love our holiday tradition of going to the United States Air Force Christmas Concert and then heading over to the Botanic Gardens. The Air Force concert is full of school children and also many homeschooling families. I appreciate the chance to enjoy laughing and singing along with a large group of happy people. I love seeing our homeschooling friends.

If you are considering pulling your child out from Public School and plan to begin homeschooling your 7th grader for the first time this January, here is my advice to you! Expect Challenges No matter how excited you are today, there will come a day when you want to quit. Homeschooling is optional, after all. Decide before you start which day you will reevaluate your commitment. Maybe you will wait until Saturday, or perhaps you can wait six weeks.

Perhaps the biggest difference between homeschooling and more mainstream forms of education is the quantity of time as a resource. I recently came across this quote and it resonated with me, especially in the context of homeschooling: Someone who experiences time as a scarce commodity…is creating a completely different personal reality from someone who perceives that he has all the time in the world. —Deepak Chopra The opportunity to choose my speed (plus the opportunity to choose my focus) is what keeps me homeschooling.