Finished!

I am officially finished!

Finished with the school year.The necessary papers and reports have been submitted to the School Board.

Year end reports. Intent to Home School report. Request for reimbursement, $400 per year per child.

I have even sent in my plans for Grade 2!! I feel a huge relief that these things are done.

Now I can plan the next year at my leisure, the day to day I mean. Scheduling, when to start, the meat and potatoes of each day, each week. This will be less stressful and much more fun to do.

Last year I started out just planning a few weeks at a time and often found myself on Sunday evening, planning the next week of school. Now I have a pretty good idea how Athena works best and how long she is able to concentrate at a time so I plan to map out three full months of lesson plans during this summer break. It may sound ambitious but I think having this much planning done ahead of time will make the year flow more smoothly.

And...

I am finished with my yard.

We just put up our canopy this past weekend and I LOVE it. We bought a new one, more sturdy, to stand up to the prairie winds. If there is one thing I don't like it is baking myself in the sun. This canopy has a complete screen enclosure (read: wasp free dining) as well as privacy panels to block out sun on each side.

 I also set up this area with some rocking chairs. It gets morning shade and evening sun.

 This is Athena's play area. She has an outdoor kitchen play centre, swings and her own little sitting hammock there between the birch and the spruce trees.

 This is my favorite little bird. He is so cute and pudgy and I smile every time I see him.

 I have roses everywhere. All old-fashioned and all pink. Every last one.

 In fact, every annual I planted this year was pink, except for the stocks which are purple and white.

And this is the hammock that Athena pretends is her pirate ship. It is in the far corner

by the woodpile. I stacked all that wood by myself you know.

And back on the fence is the cavity nesting box she built in her young naturalist program.

We have a little male wren who built a lovely nest in it.

He sings his heart out all day long, trying to attract a mate.

And so, I am finished my yard and ready for the summer to begin.

I will only make one more visit to the greenhouse to get

a few shade loving annuals to brighten up the space

under the canopy.

Only one more trip.

Promise.