Madelyn finished 2nd grade last week. It doesn't seem possible. It was just yesterday that I sat in the cafeteria at Forest Creek Elementary School fighting back tears as the principal mockingly told us new-to-school parents we'd be okay. And the day before that was the day she was born. Right?This year has been amazing for our sweet Madelyn. We finally found a school that works for us. She goes to school four days a week for four hours a day and we teach her at home for another two hours a day on average. In fact, this year we logged more than 400 hours of at-home learning. Amazing!
Madelyn continues to shine in school. She is equally eager to tackle a tough assignment (and there have been some doozies) as she is to help out a classmate. For that, we are so very proud!
I will always remember Madelyn coming home from school after the first week and telling me that her teacher wanted her to learn to type over the weekend. My inner voice was saying, "WHAT! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! DOESN'T THAT TEACHER KNOW THAT I'M 8 MONTHS PREGNANT WITH 4 OTHERS TO TEND TO?" But I showed Madelyn some online typing tutors and bought her a typing software program and, don't you know, a week later she had it down pretty well. She knew where all the keys were and was building speed.
Another time Madelyn came home and told me she needed to learn her multiplication facts over the weekend. I thought about all the 5th graders I used to teach who still didn't know their facts but we tried it anyway. Chloe quizzed Madelyn. I quizzed Madelyn. Mark quizzed Madelyn. The computer quizzed Madelyn. And she got it! She's almost a full year ahead in math and that's saying something at her school.
What I've learned more than anything this year is that learning is a process both for Madelyn and me. We have learned so much together this year. The biggest lesson we've learned is how to talk to each other when frustration sets in or when staying focused is hard and that is priceless.
