Encouraging Moms Who Homeschool

 Spring has sprung & in the homeschool world, that can mean a couple of things. #1 - You've almost finished the school year. #2 - You haven't almost finished the school year, but the school year has nearly finished you ... #3 - It's graduation season. It's different process in every state, city, community & homeschool family, to be sure, but the completion of homeschooling your child throughout high school is really something of an accomplishment.  It's actually a very big deal. For the student, for sure.  Also for the homeschooling parent (who often times is primarily the mom in the family).  You may be able to participate in a group graduation (in our community all five of our children participated in a very professionally done ceremony with other local homeschoolers via a homeschool organization). Or you may do your own thing with just friends or family (which happened a lot due to COVID... isn't it interesting how so many things that were "weird

 Welcome to spring of 2021!!! Anybody else feel a bit like you've made a climb up Mount Everest and now that you're back to normal altitude you're beginning to catch your breath again? And what usually follows a catching-my-breath season is a getting-a-fresh-burst-of-energy season. That kind of sums up how I'm feeling this spring. Looking back to one year ago, I am refreshed instead of nervous; excited about the future rather than feeling pensive; remarkably well rested and hoping to continue to live at a slower-than-pre-COVID pace even as I reenter the world after the year that was 2020.  I hope you are feeling some of those same things! Now, sure, my children have all flown the coop and I'm no longer actively homeschooling (but I have spoken at several homeschool conferences and summits over the last few years, so I don't feel as if I am completely disconnected from homeschooling). But my feeling of joyfulness when winter finally gives way to spring has not le