This is a month of sunshine and sunflowers, lakes, and fun – and here in the deep south, it’s also time for back to school. School here begins this first day of August or the second week depending upon your program. We are beginning on August 19th this year for our 15 year old sophomore (he can be over six feet tall, but he’s still my baby!) – our last child in school! Our other two homeschooled students graduated and are living their lives.
This is my birthday month, which I am very excited about! These are the other things we are celebrating in this beautiful month:
August 6th- The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ
August 8th- My Birthday!
August 10- School starts!
August 15- The Dormition of St. Mary
August 28 – our oldest child will be 24! Doesn’t seem possible!
Ideas for Celebration:
- Making a beautiful triptych to celebrate the life of St. Mary. There are many wonderful ideas regarding this on the Internet.
- We have about another month or two of tubing, swimming and water park availability to us, so we hope to take advantage as we have only been to lake for our youngest to sail and haven’t really done a lot of swimming!
- Camping – it can be super hot here, but I am already making camping in the fall a priority.
- Gazing at the stars
- Walking in the mornings
- Working out. I have had good success doing a mixture of hot yoga, Zumba, and weightlifting.
- Making delicious meals!
The Domestic Life:
This a great time to take stock of needs for fall/winter in clothing, shoes, outside gear, school supplies, art supplies. When our children were little, this was the time I always looked at our woolen clothing. Yes, even down here in the South it can get cold to be outside in the fall and winter, and I am a big believer is preserving bodily warmth for babies and small children.
I also think this a great time to go back to manners. Children are often in an expansive place with summer weather and may need some help in remembering school behavior, work ethics and manners! I like opening the first day of school with an introduction to how the space works for homeschooling, expectations and rules in homeschooling and the like.
Getting back into a rhythm that supports school is also a huge help with that. It provides that balance between rest and quiet and expansive doing for children. Rhythm is a key word for this month and the structure of the rhythm of school for homeschooling does us all good!
Meal planning gets us through because I am too busy to have to spend a lot of time every day planning. So, I like to plan 2-4 weeks of meals and shop. You can also start stocking up on things for fall and winter!
Homeschooling:
We are jumping into tenth grade (for my third time!) I am really looking forward to this. We are doing some classes through a homeschool hybrid for high school and will do some of our own blocks and courses. Our son has cybersecurity things and Sea Scouts along with the farm and volunteering to keep him busy. I love the quote from The Waldorf Family Handbook that says that the goal of high school is to prepare them as “free independent individualities and to orient them realistically to the world outside of school.” I have always taken that as the mantra for high school! Be prepared for life.
This is the year we really start preparing for college admissions as well, so preparing for the PSAT and ACT, looking at possibilities for where to attend, what credits we need, transcripts. It’s easier to do it now and not be behind when it comes time to pull everything together when it is time to apply.
Self-Care and Rhythm:
My biggest priorities right now in addition to homeschooling and working outside the home are my workouts, medical appointments and self care.
I want to hear how August is shaping up for you! How is school looking? I have been very busy doing homeschool consulting this month! If anyone needs help with homeschool planning or planning for family life, please email me at admin@theparentingpassageway. My rates for a half hour phone call are super reasonable and I have helped lots of moms this month! Please let me know if I can help you!
Lots of love and many blessings,
Carrie
The Parenting Passageway 
Hi Carrie, I did a search for life of St. Mary triptych crafts but didn’t see much. Would you mind sharing the links that you know about?
Hi Leah!
I am sorry this is so late for responding to you. I believe I took images out of a book of stained glass and drew my inspiration from that. However, I honestly cannot remember what book it was as I am sure it was a library book at the time! The way we did triptychs typically was to cut a rounded three panel outline from cardstock with the middle of each panel covered with transparency paper and then used torn tissue paper in the middle with clear glue to put all the pieces in – then you could put a tiny flower bud vase in front of it, a candle, etc. I think we also made one one year that had the torn tissue paper on both sides and an image of Mary in the middle. I hope that helps!
Sincerely, Carrie
Thank you, sounds lovely!
Happy Birthday, Carrie!
I also have a tenth grader I have prepared my homeschool year for. She is also my youngest. She will be the only one home, but with ballet and acting outside the home, she will have enough opportunities to be with other teens. I always find it important to prepare them for a possible fields of interest during high school. This last child loves the stage!
Thank you Eva!
I hope you and your tenth grader have an amazing year! Hard to believe you are almost done homeschooling after so many years.
What a wonderful journey!
Warmly,
Carrie
I will be almost sixty when I am done; time to retire from this journey.