Now the Graduations Are Done

 

Everyone but Pixie--and she watched the live stream.
That's Grandma in the front--Grandpa was in California taking care of a rental property.

The graduation was long and lovely.  

Six musical or dance numbers and three speeches.

The presentation of 36 graduates individually with slide shows and personal bios read aloud as parents presented the diplomas.

Tributes to military family members.

Tributes to the graduation coordination committee.

Tributes to two "graduating mothers" who were presenting diplomas to their youngest children after having homeschooled 40 years and 25 years respectively.

It made me do some math . . . by the time I graduate Baymax and Lola, I will have homeschooled for 30 years.

Pretty cool.

We had about a bajillion photos taken, but we're waiting for the photographer to edit and release them, so they will have to be posted sometime in the future.

In the meantime, Nature Angel had her last day of homeschool on Thursday of this week.

We were going to try to finish the whole text properly with notes and exams and all of the things, but Nature Angel's schedule will change as of Monday morning, so we finished one lesson, then flipped through the final chapters talking generally about any subjects unfamiliar to my students.  

Little Princess has several subjects left to complete, and those will be independently finished.

Nature Angel is really and truly done.

If I hadn't had several personal moments with God, showing me clearly that Nature Angel is a young adult, ready for whatever lies ahead, I'd be struggling.  As it is, I have little moments of tightness in my chest that take my breath away when I think about how her childhood is over.

Then I see how beautiful she is inside and out, and I smile to think of how much good she is going to do now and every day in the future.

The week was so full!

Sir Walter Scott took this picture of the bonfire and boys at the campout. 
I laughingly said it reminds me of something from Lord of the Flies.

We had dentist appointments, orthodontic appointments, a park day, church activities, a primary presidency meeting, school, chores, running/walking, behavioral struggles, behavioral triumphs, errands, graduation rehearsal, a father/son campout, a youth devotional for the girls, two more graduation parties, and I don't remember what all else because I've already adjusted our dry-erase calendar for the 5 weeks to come.

Kids breaking into spontaneous clogging at one graduation party

The kids and I finished reading Over There! Stories of World War I, The Black Arrow, and The Wind in the Willows.  We started Down Cut Shin Creek, and we have a couple of books on hold at the library that we will start ASAP.  

Of the youngest 6 kids, Ladybug and Brother are still doing daily math lessons, and Lola and Baymax are working their way through cursive workbooks.  Mister Man is doing daily Duolingo practice in Swahili.  I'll keep reading whenever there aren't camps or activities scheduled, otherwise we're done with school.

(Morning Meeting is non-negotiable--that happens year-round.)

I've started researching and organizing next year's school plans.

We're starting to make small, daily harvests of strawberries, peas, and lettuce.

I harvested all of the spinach at once (a very small harvest, true) because it was threatening to bolt.

I'm a month overdue in putting in a summer garden, but it's more possible now that graduation is done.

I think my summer has begun.

***Edit***

Look what just arrived in my inbox!

These are from the CAP awards ceremony in April.

Little Princess with Grandpa

Little Princess with Mom and Dad