The Very Last First Day....Of Co-op!

What a day, what a year, what a decade. Today Tristan and I began our very last year of homeschool co-op. I just read my blog post about our very first day of co-op Our Very First Day Of Co-op. and have decided to  write this post in the same format, just for fun!

6:30 AM- The dogs are barking for their potty break and breakfast. I'm up already, be patient dogs!
 Let the dogs out into their yard and feed the cats. Dogs back in and they get their breakfast. I get some veggies and such for the lizards and then head out to the barn to get the day started for the chickens, ducks and rabbits.

7:00 AM- I'm glad I showered last night because my young adult daughter grabbed the shower first thing this morning! I'm also glad that I did all my prep work for the co-op class I'll be teaching ahead of time. I can read a little facebook or check my emails while I have breakfast.

7:45 AM-give Tristan a shout that he should be thinking about getting ready for co-op soon. Wake my husband since he runs errands while we're at co-op. We don't live near stores and there are a lot down near co-op. He particularly enjoys the thrift store up the road from co-op since he likes antiques and old stuff in general.

8:15 AM- I see Tristan dump out the contents of his backpack which clearly hasn't been looked at since the last day of co-op back in May! We find him a unused spare binder since last years binder is still full of old things and he puts that in his now mostly empty backpack. Tristan grabs some breakfast to bring along and we set off.

Backpack- Out with the old....is that last year's Christmas Candy??

9:30 AM- We're at co-op for our very last first day! Tristan has gifted me the opportunity to re-create the photo we took on his very first day ever of co-op. We ordered a similar outfit and he stood in the same spot. These pictures are priceless to me. Tristan is my youngest and of course it's been hard to let him grow up but he has grown up into a fantastic young person just like his brothers and sister have. I know he is anxious to be done with school and get on with grown-upping but just a little longer Tristan, a few more classes a few more credits and you are done!

September 11th 2007-1st day of 1st grade.

 

September 11th 2018- 1st day of senior year.















9:35 AM- I take all my class materials into the sanctuary where I'll be teaching. This year I'm teaching 3rd-5th graders drama class and the play we'll be producing is called Pan! A variation of Peter Pan for elementary age children. Tristan doesn't have a class this hour so he'll be one of my teen helpers along with another senior student, Brielle, who has helped me in the past. I have 27 children on my class list so having a couple energetic teens to help out is great! I met with the high school drama teacher whose class will follow mine. Making sure we're on the same page about moving things off the stage, performance dates etc.

10:00 AM- My drama students and their parents arrive. Many of the students are returning, I've had them in drama class or other classes before. Some new faces too. Some of the parents of the newest students seem so young. Some are uncertain or look confused. Some saying I have to drop off another child somewhere else or my child doesn't know where to go next. I try to be re-assuring, I've been there, I remember those feelings. Class goes wonderfully for the most part, first a short parent meeting and then I release the parents and begin to get to know my students for the year. I give out scripts and answer many, many, MANY questions from the students. Four different girls say they want to be Tinkerbell. I wants to give the children time to move about so I have them up and down a few times in seats or on the stage. We spend some time deciding what the characters Peter Pan and the Darling children might be like. One very little boy cries a bit, he doesn't want to have a turn at being Peter Pan. My teen helper reassures him and by the time we get to the next activity he is right in there as a Darling child and he does great.

10:55 AM- We took it right to the last second but I managed to finish class on time and everyone got a turn at the last activity. Tristan stays for High School Drama class and I go to catch up with parents of some of my students. Some have forgotten to pay the class fee or didn't make the parent meeting and need the information. Two students never showed up at all it turns out one family dropped out of co-op and another has a lot going on but may be there next week. I'm not irritated or upset, although I would LOVE to know all my information and it is important in respect to having the right amount of characters for the play selected (and it was selected based on how many families confirmed their child for the class) I do get it. I've been there, we've missed days and dropped co-op for a year and it's just hard some times when you have many little ones.

11:30 AM- I'm done chatting with parents and decide to sit for awhile, it is VERY LOUD in that multipurpose room. It was loud 11 years ago and it's still LOUD! I don't always do loud well. I decided to take a walk outdoors for awhile. When I returned the "big room or the gym" as it's often called, was not quite so loud with many families having left for the day after 12:00 classes. Only those with students in the older drama class are there until 1:00 when that class ends.

1:00 PM- Tristan is done with drama class and it's time to head home. Oh I got a few nice things from the "free stuff" as it was 11 years ago someone, maybe not even the same person, still brings in various breads and produce sometimes to share with the group. It's left overs from a natural foods store and a grocery store I believe. I got half a dozen blocks of organic tofu for small donation, also some maybe not quite perfect anymore produce for the chickens, ducks and rabbits. Happy perk of the co-op!

2:00 PM- We're home, I'm tired. I think Tristan had an okay last, first day. I download the photos that I took and I love them so much. I go back and read my blog post from 11 years ago. Tristan was in 1st grade and had two co-op classes. My older kids had other various classes. As I read I remember how hard it all felt and worries and insecurities that I had. It was a hard year and a learning year. The 50 states teacher that I mention Mrs. Ryan,  is a wonderful person who has had all four of my children in at least one class over the years! She's teaching High School drama this year having taken over from the long serving and beloved former drama teacher Mrs. Marquis. Oh and Colin was a handful, he really was, when second semester came along and he moved into Tall Tales class he was often under the table or escaping to the play area. Several older moms gave me great advice to let him be little and don't sweat this small stuff start worrying when it's time for high school history and such. Once he was in high school history he could sit, for an hour anyway, as Mrs. Petriel, our long time co-op friend can attest since she was his high school history teacher at co-op for a few years :-).

4:00 PM- I'm tired and wondering how I will cope when I'm subbing in the school on non-co-op days. I've worked part time while homeschooling since around 2009 but never as much as I'll soon be working. I guess it will get easier, first days are always exhausting even when you're a seasoned pro at first days, even when it's your very last first day.

The Rest of the day-  I'll get my weekly email off the the parents of my students soon. I'm definitely going to get something to eat soon. I'll see what needs to be done in the gardens and start to think about next week's class. About 7:00 I'll shut up the farm animals for the night and I expect I'll be to bed by 9:00. I'm sure that all my kids.....make that young adults, will stay up later than me.