We’re homeschooling again this year! I know that plenty of family and friends are like “why?” – Here’s the standard parent answer: Because we said so.

I am a little behind in organizing.  The bookshelves need to be emptied from last year, and the new books put up.  Thank goodness the workspace from last year worked out well – I don’t have to rework that.

Baby Girl at the computer. Yes, that is her flash drive clipped to her belt. #raisinggeeks

I have big plans for this year, as we all do.  Last year was good, but hopefully this year will be even better! Here are the top 5 things that I wish I had done my first year of homeschooling.

5.  I wish we had traveled more. We got to do our fair share of outings, but not nearly as much as I would have liked to do.  If this is your first time homeschooling, especially if you have older kids, plan some trips – not just field trips.  Think about taking the train or the bus to an interesting place that can be spun into school work – historical sites are a nice option.  This past school year, we did Williamsburg, VA which is full of history, but also has Busch Gardens so you can have a little fun too.  Roller coasters… isn’t that physics?

Baby Girl driving a boat in Hilton Head, SC.  We both learned a lot about wildlife in the bay, conservation, and dolphins that day.

4.  I wish I had added a language. You have so many options when homeschooling, that adding a language should definitely be one of them.  I think I’ll try an after school Spanish program this year, or maybe Rosetta Stone.  They have some great online choices.

3. I wish I had taken the kids to more museums. Living in DC, it is just a shame that we didn’t visit more museums.  If this is your first year, don’t forget the museums.  It is a welcome break – the guide does the teaching, and the kids get out. That’s a win-win I think.  Don’t forget about the less obvious museums, like doll museums, train museums, and history museums from other cultures.

Took this picture on a trip to the zoo. I will say that was one of the best educational trips ever.  They learned more about animals than I could ever teach them.  We went with the intention of drawing the animals for art class.

2. I wish I had gotten super creative with PE. I didn’t do a whole lot with PE because baby girl was in dance, and the boys played soccer – DC requirement… met.  There were days that we did Tae Bo tapes (oh yeah, we have the VCR tapes), and the Michael Jackson Experience on the Wii, but there’s so much more out there to try.  We did ice skating once, with near disastrous results (baby girl got a skate blade to the eye area – near miss – still makes me nauseous to think about it), and Pump It Up, which was way more athletic than I thought it would be.  Of course we hit the park a few times, but hopefully this year I will come up with more interesting activities.

Right before she got kicked in the face… With an ice skate… Right near her eye. Anyone know where I can get three plastic bubbles to put my kids in? Send me an email.

Yep, the park.  Some days, PE was at the park – no shame in that.  Look at them! They are having a ball…

1. I wish I had added more cooking, art, home economics, and creative writing. Those are the things that they wouldn’t get to do a lot of in a brick and mortar school, so I wish I had taken advantage of the time I had to do that.  Simple things like making the grocery list, working on the food budget, meal planning, sewing, writing stories straight from their imagination, and writing plays that they stage, act out, create props for, and film.

So this year, things will be different.  No regrets for last year though.  First year, I think we did pretty well.  One non-reader became a reader, one math hater advanced 2 grade levels, and one little reader finally did something other than read!

Yep, homeschool has snow days too.  Hot chocolate is always in order.

Whether you are homeschooling or not, join me, and jump into this school year with both feet – full of optimism and energy.  You’ll need it! Sign up for the newsletter so that you can come with us on our adventures in homeschooling this year – planning to go through this wish list, and then some!

What do you wish you did differently with your kids last year?  What will you change for the 2012-2013 school year?