to homeschool or not?

So we are at a crossroads as to what to do next year for education for the boys. We are praying about and considering homeschooling them. It makes sense in so many ways, but to be honest, I am scared to death! I love being with my kiddos and love education. Education is something I am knowledgeable and passionate about. I want to be the biggest influencer in my children’s life and want to embrace the opportunity every day to disciple them. We have a flexible schedule in our family and as important as I think education is, I also think our family is more important. I don’t want to lose time with my kids! I have a hard time with seeing how after sending my children to school for 6-8 hours a day then homework, we have any time for God in our home or family time. We need to be together to serve together, learn together, grow together. Not to send everyone their own way at 7 in the morning.

Cade is in kindergarten at a great school this year, attending only half-days. He’s not the kid to fit in the box that schools have created. He wants to be outside exploring and learning about his environment. Learning to read takes its own form as he copies labels on our art supplies and “reads” familiar books to me. His teachers think he’ll be lost in the district next year with the type of learner he is. Me? I think they’ll change who God has made him to be. I don’t want his spirit broken or anything about his beautiful spirit changed.

So just some thoughts about where we’re at and what we’re thinking. Should we do it? That’s the big question. Curriculum choices, accountability groups, athletic involvement, socialization, etc. are all things to consider and think about. I want to follow what God is telling me as a mom I need to do. So for now we pray and discuss. Research and think.

Family Fun Night – Boxes!

Last night while I was awake with baby Harper  and Cade, I thought of this week’s Family Fun Night – Boxes. I don’t know where it came from, but it did and I decided to go with it. Originally I wanted to have a large appliance box to decorate and play in, possibly eat dinner in, but after JD and I spent hours of looking, we came up empty-handed and I needed to move on. So for Box night we ate just a normal, non-theme dinner. Then we took several boxes I had collected and pipe cleaners and tape and turned it into a robot. Pretty fun. The boys had a blast creating it and adding things to him. After that we ate dessert — Jello served in a box. Following dessert we played “Pass the Box.” Much like Hot Potato but when the music stops someone is holding a box. Inside the box are pieces of paper with challenges written on them. If the box stops with you, you need to open it and do a challenge – i.e. hop on one foot, act like a dog, wiggle your nose, sing, etc. We were laughing so hard and having a blast playing this. The boys loved it. Lastly, we played “Boxes” on the marker board. You draw a line to connect dots on a grid. Whoever draws the 4th line to the box, wins that box, and gets to write their initial in it.

It was an easy night to put together although I felt rushed heading into it because JD got home from work late. It ended up a lot of fun and very relationship building with Benjamin and Cade.

Broken Bones

So rewind back to September 5th. We were getting ready for our Friday night Family Fun Night and had decided to change plans halfway through – it involved going to a movie night at a local church. Found out the night was wrong after arriving there, ended up with two disappointed little boys. So we took them to the playground for a little play before heading home to our sleepover in the living room. We were at the park maybe 5 minutes before Cade started screaming by the playground equipment. Now, mind you, my precious 5-year-old has somewhat a flair for drama and this was no different. But immediately after seeing him, we knew he had fallen from the monkey bars and that chances were his arm was broken.

We headed to Urgent Care at 8:10pm and called my parents to meet us there to take Harper and Ben home. Enough germs lurking those places to make me OCD about it. After waiting a short bit there, we were basically told they could X-Ray, tell us it’s broken, but nothing could be done until we see an Orthopedist on Tuesday – umm…that’s 4 days. No. So with my (dramatic) 5 year old crying, “Somebody just help me please?! Why can’t I get any help??” we headed to the children’s hospital downtown, where we were cozy for the next 7 hours.

Long story short, it was broken, 6 weeks in a cast, and God is amazing. Cade has been a champ with his arm casted and out of use. He has compensated for his other hand in almost every way needed, including writing. Not much complaining or whining. I am so proud of him. I’m also sure this is probably just the beginning of broken bones!

Thankful Thursday

I was just sitting down to do my thankful Thursday post (which I’ve forgotten the past few Thursdays) and as I started, my babes started fighting with each other — so today’s may be a stretch! Ha!

1 – the baby fat rolls on Harper’s legs

2 – friends that live near & far

3 – the hint of Fall approaching in the coolness of the early morning

4 – God providing for us in this season

5 – school starting on Monday!!

6 – a husband who sees past my faults

7 – a deal on chicken I got this week

8 – Harper’s bright smile

9 – the friendship between brothers

10 – the beach being close enough to visit (tomorrow!)

My baby grown up!

So in 12 days, my baby, my firstborn, Cade starts kindergarten. I can hardly believe it! He would be starting tomorrow with our school district if we had him in it, so that’s why it’s on my mind tonight. He will be attending a half-day kindergarten at McGregor Presbyterian. I’ve gotten a lot of questions regarding why we did half-dy vs. whole-day from friends & family. Mostly because I don’t feel he’s ready to be gone all day yet. He still naps, he was only in 3 day preschool last year, with his mom as the director, and we had considered homeschooling this year.  As well as we are excited about the Christian teaching and spritiual foundation he’ll be receiving from his teachers. I would love for my babes to stay close to me & soak up the time with them. We thought this would be a happy medium between homeschooling and public school.

Where has time flow though? It seems as if I was just holding him yesterday, not Harper – and now he’s starting school. Wow!

5 years old

1 day old

Ouch!

I get this daily parenting tip in my e-mail that is called “ScreamFree Daily” by Hal Runkel. They are short parenting blurbs that set the course of my day in regards to my attitude in parenting & disciplining. I love them! You can go to ScreamFree Parenting to sign up for yours. Today’s was a great thought that I got a lot out of and wanted to share with you!

“The teacher you need is the person you’re living with.” -Byron Katie, US author & philosopher

Want the secret to figuring out where your weaknesses lie?Pay close attention to your children. They will bring you exactly the challenge that you need in order to grown into a better adult. It’s like your own personalized grown up makeover kit.

It’s true – think about the most frustrating aspect of dealing with your child right now. What drives you nuts? What gets your goat? That’s the very arena where you need to grow. There is something in that interaction between the two of you that needs to change. And chances are, changing your part in that pattern is going to stretch you like never before. Our loved ones can teach us everything we need to know about ourselves if we’ll allow our problems with them to act as our solutions.

Life with Babe

I don’t think I could have asked for a more sweeter, beautiful baby. Of course I am highly biased, but I think Harper is just the best thing! A few things I want to remember from this moment in her life:

- she rolled over today, from back to front, many times

- she loves to coo & smile at you. More than sleeping even, then she screams because she gets overtired

- her little fingers love grasping her blanket or my shirt

- she’s always moving, kicking her legs, waving her arms, eating her hands

- the way her brothers still run to her when she wakes in the morning

Thankful Thursday

I think I will get back into Thankful Thursdays again. They remind me of all the blessings I have in my life!

1. My best friend from high school, Christina that came to visit from Atlanta with her two precious girls, and spent the night with us last night & brought & cooked us dinner.

2. the beach not being too far away

3. the great day with Cade & Benjamin

4. seeing Cade totally enamored by his little sister

5. my sweet baby girl’s precious smile anytime I talk to her

6. flip flops

7. God’s provisions & grace

8. a husband who works hard for our family

9. fresh blueberries

10. coffee dates with friends

Harper, 8 weeks

Figured it was time to put some pictures of the princess up on here. So here goes! These are from our beach trip this past weekend.

Sometimes you just need to…

take a trip!

Last week was a very rough week in our house. The boys were at odds with each other and us. The meds Harper was taking for her reflux were being ineffective, she was miserable. And nothing was getting done. I woke on Saturday just needing to be in Charleston, at the beach. Better yet, since we don’t currently have Sunday obligations and we didn’t want to have a stressful trip to the beach, let’s stay overnight! It was a pain to pack, JD was trying to finish some work before heading out of town & the kids were being impatient, but we did it and were off to my happy place!

Let me tell you – this weekend was so much needed. We needed time as a family to play, have fun, & enjoy each other. The boys needed to be busy doing something where they heard more “yeses” than “nos.” I needed to be reminded of God’s beauty in creation. We spent time at the beach, eating, laughing, going to church at Seacoast, a great church, and visiting with old friends.

We came back wishing our time there had been longer and we are sunburned, but we made memories, reconnected with our children, and reminded ourselves of how blessed and rich we are – in both friendships and life.

Sometimes you just need to forget the what ifs and be spontaneous and go with it!