Real Life Lessons

 The last couple weeks have been crazy! Not only in our family but in Colorado as well.

Colorado is literally burning down and freezing at the same time! I never thought that could happen. Welcome to September 2020!

That is ash falling from the sky.

Free snow day. Great excuse to not have to stay in any routine!

My mother passed away on September 1st,  and I had to leave town immediately to help with the funeral arrangements. Can I just tell you what a Rockstar Sofi was during my absence? I was such a worried momma about how Sofi was going to cope while I was away. For a child that doesn't deal well with change, this was a BIG change. But she stayed here and managed just fine. I am sure thankful for all those who jumped in to help. 

Speaking of helping, Robby stayed a few times at the house so that when Robb left for work, he could be here with Sofi. He was super excited to text me what Sofi had cooked him for breakfast.

French Toast; bacon; eggs. 

This is real life. Learning to cook and then being able to cook when needed. I am pretty proud of her. The older kids just Door Dash food to the house. Which I have to admit is also real life.

So with me being gone, school looked a bit different, and last week was a big transition as we had to get back into routine. 

One of the biggest jobs for me as a homeschool parent, is to encourage a love of learning for my children. For that to happen when they are young, I have to come up with activities that will tap into their learning style. So even though these lessons were done with Kelbre 5 years ago, they are going to look very different. 

So for our history lesson we were studying The Lost Colony Of Roanoke (a favorite for Kelbre and I). This had to be presented in a fun way because Sofi wouldn't learn by just reading.

SO.... .we had an ESCAPE ROOM!

"AFTER ESTABLISHING THE COLONY OF ROANOKE, CAPTAIN JOHN WHITE HAD TO RETURN TO ENGLAND TO GET MORE SUPPLIES. UNFORTUNATELY WHILE HE WAS THERE, WAR BROKE OUT AND HIS RETURN TO THE COLONY WAS DELAYED. 

WHEN HE FINALLY RETURNED, THE COLONY WAS ABANDONED. ALL HE FOUND WAS THE WORD "CROATOAN" CARVED ON A POST. THIS LED HIM TO BELIEVE THE NATIVE AMERICANS HAD TAKEN HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS HOSTAGE.

BEFORE HE LEFT, A TREASURE CHEST OF GOLD HAD BEEN BURRIED IN THE WOODS. IF HE COULD OBTAIN THE TREASURE, HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE IT TO FREE HIS PEOPLE. BUT, HE CAN'T REMEMBER THE COORDINATES. 

FIND THE FOUR DIGIT COORDINATE THAT WILL LEAD JOHN WHITE TO THE TREASURE."

Living room or island in the Atlantic? Use your imagination.

I probably should have decorated the living room to look like a forest or something. 

I am just not that creative.

The other players have arrived. They didn't prove very useful. They were mostly there for company.

Which is usually my role when I go to escape rooms

4 Clues and 4 "puzzle solvers" were hidden around the room. As Sofi would find each clue and the key to solving the puzzle, she would stop and figure them out. Each clue told more parts of the story. Each puzzle was different so she had to figure out how to solve them first.

She did it! Not a bad time at all!

When she was done, we had fun reading about all the new information that has developed in 2020 regarding the Colony. She really wanted to know what happened! If only we were close enough to visit the Outer Banks.

Now time for some individual work for mom to get things done. I am not a huge fan of workbooks, but it allows her to work independently.

During our grammar time this week, Sofi seemed to have an obsession. Can you spot it? 😀

She takes after her father. Bacon is the magic word in our house. Anytime we play a game and bacon can be used, it is the winner.

So life is real, life is hard, and life is chaotic. That is why we learn to take deep breaths and adapt. I got called into work (not ideal when you are trying to homeschool) but was so happy a neighbor girl was able to come spend time with Sofi. They had fun cooking together. Sofi is already really excited about Halloween.

Of course our week was filled with so much more... spelling, handwriting, bible study, lots of math, reading The Secret  Garden, vocab, science, swimming, music... it seems life each day just passes by. 

As much a I like routine, I really appreciate the small moments when I can see my kids are learning to live life. Learning to solve problems. Learning to adapt, to feel confident in themselves. Sometimes that comes through challenges. Sometimes that comes when we least expect it.