Sarah's growing so quickly, right now -- physically, yes, but also emotionally, intellectually... She is so kind and thoughtful, speaks so clearly about her thoughts and feelings... I feel as if I'm scrambling to catch up, to be ready to be the mom she needs for this next phase of her life...

She and Joe are doing lots of math adventures, and playtesting a new card game Joe's been designing for them. She and I are doing lots of reading and collaging, and the three of us are playing loads of board games, enjoying all her Christmas gifts together.

For this month, she's asked to do spy class with the co-op, to do more math and science together, and to do drawing, sewing, and clothes designing. I want to fix up our map wall -- take down the pinniped map which we don't use at all, and replace it with more useful local and world maps -- and make it to the library more often. We're also getting a new homeschooling journal/scrapbook to start keeping better records at home. All Sarah's recent growth makes me want to do a better job of reassuring myself that I'm offering her as much as I can -- I want to make sure she has the opportunity to enjoy all the stuff Joe and I loved about school without any of the stress or nonsense or coercion.