And…we’re off! Off to tackle another exciting homeschool year. My son is a junior in high school this year. My daughter is a freshman in high school. That means 11th grade and 9th grade, respectively, for those not used to the US terminology.

I think I am ready for a new school year and yes, this really is the way I dress to homeschool my children (jk).

We had a wonderful summer break. I worked hard in my soap business and helped my husband with his, too. The kids stayed busy with summer camps, developing skills and hobbies, and playing with the cats. We have two inside cats and one outside cat. Never a dull moment.

Having fun with my new props

They could have read more books, but at this point I have learned to just let it go. It is what it is. They will learn at their own pace in their own way. And one day they will look at me and say, “I wish you had made me read more as a teenager.” Ha!

They did not care to take back-to-school pictures this year, so I had fun with retrieving some pictures of them from 2018… On the other hand, my daughter had a lot of fun taking pictures of me today with my jumbo pencil and eraser.

Claire and I in 2018, at the Governor’s Mansion in Nashville, meeting Governor and First Lady Haslam

Written goals

There is so much excitement in the air in the beginning of a school year. I get really excited about setting goals. Personally, I am an advocate for writing goals down and reviewing them daily. Don’t just stick them in a drawer.

Preston made this astronaut costume for himself back in 2018

Did you know that just writing goals down gives you a 43% better chance to reach your goals? But you must also pull them out and look at them daily. Take three minutes to absorb them and maybe even copy them down again. Experts in personal productivity recommend this. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Right now, I have seven goals for the next 12 months and I write them down every morning. It is part of my morning routine, my personal time with God and with myself. More on that in a future blog post.

For now, I wish everybody a wonderful new school year, many successes, learning opportunities, friends, and challenges. To our growth!