We’ve almost wrapped up our second week of homeschool, and wow… what a ride already.
I knew this would be a big growth process for all of us, but living it has been a whole different story. It feels a little like standing on the start line of an expedition race — you know this is where you want to be, you’ve done everything you can to prepare, but there are still so many unknowns ahead. All those little voices in your head are vying for your attention and whispering, “What are we even doing here?!”, and “just breathe” and “Don’t blow up”.
But then the countdown starts, the race begins, and there’s nothing left but to move forward the best way you and your team know how.
After those first chaotic, up and down 24 hours, the nerves, the mind and the body settle into it’s new life. One foot in front of the other becomes the rhythm. You learn to stay present, to focus on the next checkpoint, to take things as they come. There are navigation errors, bonks, and low moments — but there are also the highs, the laughter, the beautiful vistas and the quiet sense of accomplishment that comes when you realize you’re all working together toward a common goal.
Right now, our family feels like a full-blown adventure racing team. Sure, we’ve done plenty of family adventure races, but this is different, like we just went pro. The terrain looks different, but the work, the emotions, the growth? It’s all the same.
Jason and I have naturally taken the role of navigators and team captains. Max and Revel are our fast, wild, curious and strong teammates — giving input along the way (sometimes more than we want!), learning the ropes, and slowly climbing the ranks toward navigating and logistical planning themselves. We’re guiding them for now, but they’re shaping the journey too.
Homeschool so far has been exactly what we hoped for and completely different than what we expected — all at once.
The first week felt like getting the maps for a giant 800-kilometer race. We were overwhelmed and excited by the sheer scope of what was ahead. By week two, we realized: “oh yeah, this isn’t a sprint. It’s the longest expedition race we might ever do in our lives.” So we’ve started to re-calibrate — one checkpoint, one lesson, one “aha” moment at a time. The joy of seeing our kids’ eyes light up when something clicks? That’s been worth everything already.
And then there’s the freedom. Starting the day slowly with a nature walk or a cozy couch reading session — those moments tell my whole body, This is right. This is why we’re doing this.
I know homeschooling isn’t for everyone. It takes sacrifices not everyone wants or is able to make, and I fully respect that. But for us, even with the messy middle — the trial and error, the ups and downs, the constant re-calibration — it’s giving us time, connection, and joy we wouldn’t trade for anything.
By the end of our second week, I can already see small shifts. The kids are settling into this new normal. I’m learning to let go of perfectionism and lean more into curiosity. Together, we’re figuring out when we work best, how to pivot when things go sideways, and how to celebrate the small wins along the way.
So yes — it’s exciting, overwhelming, joyful, and stressful all at once. But it also feels like the start of something beautiful.
Week Two Gear Favorites:
Because if you know me, no adventure — whether it’s 500 kilometers or the first weeks of homeschool — is complete without the right gear! So, here are a few things that have made this life transition a bit more fun and easeful:
- Hootie Hoo Shorts + Pants – This new-to-me company has completely won me over. Their pieces are so comfortable for kids. Max has the Kids Seeker Tech Jogger pants and the Kids Georgie Sun Tee— they’re perfect for those days when we transition from lessons at the table to outdoor playtime to a spontaneous nature walk. And bonus: their sizing is spot on, so far all of their pieces have fit Max perfectly.
- Little Renegades Mindful Kids – These have been on my shelf for an embarrassing amount of time now, but hey, we are loving them now! Most mornings before our morning walk and after our meditation Revel picks out 5 cards and we do them. It’s the simplest and cutest thing. They include movement, breath and a little activity. We do them in the house and then we talk about them as we walk. It’s a beautiful way to start our day together.
- Lucia Eyes Kids Bailey Glasses – Blue light–blocking glasses seem to get either a glowing review or a total eye-roll. For us, they’ve been a fun win. While our kids don’t get a ton of screen time, they’re on the computer a bit more now that we’ve transitioned out of Forest School—and they both love the idea of wearing glasses (even though they don’t need prescription ones yet). These blue blockers scratch that itch, protect their eyes, and have even become part of our family movie night routine.
- Waking Up App – I have been using this app for a couple of weeks now and have been loving it. It has all of the different types of meditations including series, lessons and more. Recently I’ve been incorporating the kids series into our day. Revel does it first thing most mornings, and Max does it sometime during his school day when we have our mindfulness lesson. And sometimes, we all do it together before bed.
- Movement Vault App– This is another app I have been using for a while now, but it has become really important these last few weeks as I ease into being a full time homeschool mom! I do a daily video every morning before or after my workout and it leaves me and my body feeling good and ready for whatever the day brings. As someone who use to do a ton of yoga and then transitioned to being a professional athlete, this has been super helpful because it combines physical therapy with active stretching and breath. I can’t say enough good about it!
- Two baskets full of books and fidget toys: Two baskets, one full of magazines, poetry and books, and another full of fidget toys. This has been a staple forever at our house and now that we are full time homeschooling, it has been huge for our break times during the day. Or sometimes we even spend an hour reading and talking. I cycle through fresh books and magazines every so often.
- A few new outdoor games and/or equipment: Our boys love games, and so to start off our year we got them the ENO TrailFlyer outdoor game which is basically corn hole with out the big boards. We use it as a good break activity that gets us outside and moving and we also sometimes use it as a fun learning game that incorporates reading and math. We also got them a new Banwood Scooter and a Banwood Skateboard. We use these for fun lesson breaks, if we see that they are getting tired, frustrated or needing to move, we just say “outside loop time!” and out they go or sometimes all of us go for a much needed neighborhood loop.
As far as curriculum goes, I can’t say to much about that yet, as we are still very much new to everything and we do a lot of child led lessons – but in a few months I’ll be sure to put something out there on what we have been using and what we think about it.
It’s the little things like this that make the daily transitions smoother — and frankly, make me feel a little more put together as we roll through this wild homeschool adventure.