It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon...

Oh, wait.

It's been a BUSY week at Granny's House. It was our first week of school, other than a few early math lessons before vacation. Our online classes don't start until after Labor Day, and drama doesn't start until next week, so I can't say we're going full throttle...but we got enough going to get a feel for what our year might be like. We are doing a new curriculum this year (Tapestry of Grace) with all four of our remaining students and the rhythms will be different than what we're used to. But I've found over the past 21 years of home schooling that every year is different, even if the academic components remain the same.

One year there's a nursing baby, next year there's a long illness, the year after that one leaves for college and so we're reduced by one driver, the following year we make a major move and leave our co-op.

Some years we have a brand new student that requires a lot of one-on-one time...other years we have two students who would rather eat Brussels sprouts than find a common denominator.

One year the Papa is teaching at Notre Dame and has more time off than he's ever had...the next year he's whisked away to the Gulf War and we're on our own.

It's not all a function of which history program we choose or which math levels we're doing. There will be dozens of variables every year, and as I've said many times, life is a series of trading one set of problems (and joys) for another. So it is with homeschooling....and ever will be. When the last set of challenges disappears, it will be because I look up and see that last cap and gown.

Of course, as I was sitting tonight hunting for maps on the internet and making up vocabulary quizzes, I admitted to myself that I'll probably come home from that commencement ceremony and call one of you up and ask, "What maps do you still need to find for next year? Need any help?"

Once a homeschool junkie, always addicted.

So...we're off and running in year 22 here at Granny's House.

Where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children (and grandchildren) are above average...