Our last one...

It hit home the last couple of days. We have only one child left to homeschool.  Our youngest is 15, and will be my only 'student' now..   After 15 years of homeschooling, we are in the final stretch.

She is starting 10th grade this fall, so we have three years left..

Time has gone by so quickly.  I remember when we first began this journey..

Our now 25 year old was barely 10.  His last year of public school, he had a nightmare teacher, spent most of the time learning to take the "Taks" test, and was generally very unhappy.  Pulling him out was the best move we ever made...  

We started that year, with him, a newborn, and a 2 year old..  We had challenges, trying to get lessons across, while occupying the most gregarious 2 year old in the world, and keeping an infant happy... But we made it through.. and through 14 years after that..

My children are all so different..  My son hated Saxon math with a passion.. his next youngest sister LOVED it.  My youngest daughter is quite ADD, so we take different approaches to learning, most of her early school, has been very relaxed, to the point of almost unschooling. Now she is in high school, we have to make sure she is prepared for her future..  No matter if it's college, straight to the job market, or even as a wife and mother..  

My recently graduated daughter is heading to full time college in a few weeks.. She is our "brainiac".. breezed through high school, to graduate a year early. Going off to a 2 year college this year, (she is just barely 17) and then off to a 4 year university the next.. Then on to medical school, to fulfill her dreams of being a surgeon.  She didn't need a lot of planning, one on one teaching, she is like a sponge, soaks up everything.. She was our earliest reader, quickest to take on math problems, very VERY logically minded..  

And so different from our youngest.

My "baby" is very creative, imaginative, talented, strong willed, sure of herself, and her dreams.  She wants to be an author.. She is an amazing artist, the talent she shows just blows me away. She is very musically talented, and can recreate anything she sees on paper, or hears in song.   She hates math.  She hates textbooks, worksheets, and "busywork".. Tell her something is "timed" is not a good thing..   But giving her a list, a schedule, and keeping her on top of things we manage quite well..    She does not suffer from her ADD, she thrives with it.. it's a family joke, she gets so easily sidetracked...  And it's ok :)   She is so self assured, and strong, she is proud of who she is, and what she accomplishes.. And in that I think we have done pretty well.

But three more years... that's all I have left..  And for the first time, I just have ONE student! Brother still lives at home, but works full time, Sister will be in college full time... so it will be my baby and me. I am so looking forward to time learning together..  I was putting together stuff for her Biology course the last couple of days, I am so excited to do this with her. I actually want her to do dissections, she doesn't want to, but we will do them with her dad..  it will be a family event :)  And Math, although it's a challenge for her, and she really dislikes it, we are going to do a consumer math program..  so even if she decides college is not for her, she will be prepared to deal with it in life.  And we are going to add in geometry as well..  because it's something she needs to learn.

Homemaking is going to be a big one for her.. She is not very comfortable in the kitchen.. (unlike her sister) So my goal is to make her feel accomplished at being a homemaker, as well as teaching her the basics she HAS to learn.

It will be a good year this year...  I am going to enjoy it to the fullest...  my time as a homeschool mom is growing short, and I want to make it end on as good a note as it began..