Progress

So, today my 14-year old daughter announced, "Mom, I just finished my grammar curriculum. And I only have one lesson left in my French book. And, don't forget that I'm turning 15 on Sunday."

Wow.

Then, my 12-year old daughter said, "I just have four lessons left in math."

The subject that has been the cause of daily tears, angst, and occasional curse words.

And I looked through all of our curriculum and realized, we are almost finished! A whole school year, almost complete!

Now, for all of you lifelong teachers, this is most likely second-nature for you. Of course, after a whole year of lessons, labs, demonstrations and tests, it is of course time to wave goodbye to the past school year and begin planning for the next. But for me, the freshman homeschool mom who decided that being a music teacher qualified me to teach my own middle and high school children, this is a monumental day. After a year of high hopes that often dwindled to thoughts of, "Well, at least she is young for her age...if she ends up having to repeat a grade level, no one will even know..." this is a great day. We are actually completing some things. And while I didn't always work in the applicable field trip at the right time ("What??? We're already to the Rise of Rome and we never made it to the Ancient Egypt exhibition at the museum??) I can also see that we've actually made...dare I say it...progress.

We know a lot more about Shakespeare. And fractions. Predicate adjectives, and complex sentences. And while it might not have been on our standardized tests, we've also figured out how to transfer to the express subway train when it makes sense. And when to stay put on the local because the crowds are so bad, you might get squished to death. We know our way around Central Park. And we know a lot, LOT, more about each other.

Progress is a funny word. Defined as, "movement, development or growth," I realize that we have, indeed, made a lot of progress over this first year of homeschooling, despite all of my shortcomings as a teacher. I will never forget these days of learning, both inside our little apartment walls, and within the wide boundaries of this great, great city.

My Abby will be leaving next year, to make her way at LaGuardia Arts High School. I will miss her greatly, and admire the independent learner she has become.

My Emma will remain with me at least another year, and I am extremely happy about this. I think Piper, our puppy, would have emotional distress if both girls went away to school at once. (OK, it's me that would have the emotional distress.)

Off to plan how to get through those final four math lessons...

Here's to progress. Cheers.

Home Sweet Home

Here we are. From BBQ to Broadway, the four of us, in a 1,250 square foot apartment in the middle of Manhattan. We wake up each morning to see the Hudson River on one side and Central Park on the other. We lug bags of groceries up the elevator, almost daily. (I'm just thankful we have an elevator-we avoided apartments with the description of "walk-up.") We ride the subway or bus, we occasionally take a taxi (although Emma has declared that all taxis make her feel nauseous) and we walk. Oh, how we walk. We walk so much that if we all haven't lost 10 lbs. by Christmas, there is a definite problem. We eat at tiny little restaurants tucked away between skyscrapers. We spend way too much money on rent. I suppose you could say that we are officially New Yorkers.

I never thought I would start a blog. I love reading other blogs...I've just never felt that anything in my life was exciting enough to post for someone else to read. But this move, this complete change in how we do things, seems to demand a chronicling of sorts. We truly have begun living version 2.0.

So, the question I keep getting is this: What's it really like to LIVE in New York City? The short answer? Surprisingly, not all that different from living anywhere else. Kids learn to ride their bikes here. Teenagers hang out. Moms cook dinner, dads go to work, families LIVE here. They just do it alongside tons of other people.

For some, this is not a good thing. They feel crowded, agitated, intruded upon. For us, however, it is a wonderful thing. Seeing so many ethnicities and walks of life, hearing different languages, watching story after fascinating story walk by on the sidewalk every single day-it's exhilarating. Sure, sometimes you have to be patient crossing the street with a throng of people, or getting on a subway car that's standing room only. I have yet to discover how to store extra paper towels and toilet paper. But I am grateful beyond belief to have the experience of doing life in this wonderful city.

We have chosen to homeschool the girls. As I muddle through methods and schedules and opinions on what the "best way" to do this might be, I am daily coming to the realization that NYC is a living curriculum in itself. For example, one can cover every major subject on a walk through Central Park. Science-you can identify more types of trees and birds than I even knew existed. Geography-finding your way back to the original big rock where you left your belongings is harder than you might think. History-who came up with this most brilliant idea to have an oasis in the middle of the busiest city in the US? Math-find the area of the Great Lawn. PE-finding the area of the Great Lawn will give you plenty of exercise. Spelling-try "Jackie Onassis Reservoir." Literature-stop by and watch "Richard III" at Shakespeare in the Park. See what I mean?

Seriously, I am delighted to have the opportunity to educate my kids at home. The time we have spent together in these two short weeks of our new life has been priceless. I had no idea how scheduled and oversubscribed we had become-there was very little time left for real life to happen. So far, they have gone to a youth group picnic in the park, started an 8 week Shakespeare class, helped to cook several new recipes, walked to Ben and Jerry's with friends, volunteered to help with church VBS, figured out how to put more money on their metrocards, invited friends to swim, and those are just the high points. We've had time for the real stuff, and that is a gift.

The truth is, we could have had this gift long ago, no matter what kind of schooling we chose, no matter where we lived, no matter what our surroundings looked like. We could have said no to the schedule and yes to each other much more often. Hindsight truly is 20/20. For us, it took moving halfway across the country and paring down a bunch of stuff to come to this realization. And for that, I am grateful.