Is Anyone Out There?

I read once that come October and March teachers have a lull and go thru a bout of "is it over yet."

Knowing this has helped me in years past.  Somehow knowing that I'm not the only one secretly wishing for the school free days of summer made it a little more tolerable and allowed me to muscle through.

This October however, I'm struggling.

I am an individual who desires community.  I desire relationship, someone to relate to. 

I feel isolated, different.  Jared and I haven't ever been big into enrolling the kids in different sports.  There's not a lot we do outside of church and being home largely do to the fact we're homebodies and stay pretty busy just keeping things afloat.  The idea of adding extracurricular activities stresses me out at the sheer thought.

We aren't currently a part of a co-op largely due to the fact I'm not familiar with any in our area. 

Years ago when Jared first approached me about homeschooling my sweet friend Jane D offered me a book entitled So You're Thinking about Homeschooling by Lisa Welchel.  It's an entire book about how different homeschool looks to each family.  How one schools is largely driven by the primary teacher's personality.  I was encouraged to know there isn't necessarily a "wrong" way to school my kids.

I wasn't a traditional student.  My teachers often told my mother that I didn't "fit inside the box."  That was their way of saying I talked too much.  My homeschool is also very non-traditional.  We use a curriculum (Abeka) and we do school M-F.  That's pretty normal, but we scatter about the house.  Each kid has a file box with his school work.  They work at their own pace and I just make sure they do all they're supposed to for the day and grade their work. 

I'm rambling, what is the purpose of this blog? 

Encouragement.  I need it, desire it, long for it. 

I need to know that just because I homeschool and you don't that we can still be friends. 

I need you to know that I don't think you're wrong for public schooling and in months like these I contemplate it myself.

I need to know that there are other homeschool mothers out there that struggle like I am struggling. 

Is there anyone out there?
 

Spring Break!

3 more days and then we are taking a week off.

No work, no school.

Just me and my babies home doing a whole lotta Spring stuff...

Like this:

And a touch of this:

I'm sure there's no way to get a round a little of this:

or this:

Especially when you have a family like this:

But, have no worries, there will be lots of this:

and last, but definitely not least, tons of this:

Happy Spring Break everyone!

Anything and Everything!

-Post number 900!  That's something, isn't it?

-I was given a gift from my spouse.  He has a wonderful tradition, when he performs a wedding ceremony he gifts any payment he receives to me to spend how I please (can't be spent on bills).  When he performs a funeral he uses any payment towards books and writes the family's name in the cover.  I purchased a ring to wear in place of my wedding ring due to the allergy issues I've been having.  I'll post pics if it ever arrives (this sentence deserves a blog all it's own, long story).   

-This weekend is the men's retreat at MLCC!  I am going to prepare the meals for the men.  We've already purchased a ton of pork butt and I'm going to rub them down and start cooking them this evening.  Dinner tomorrow night will be pulled pork, home made buns, potato salad, and whatever else I can think of!  YUMM

-I'm still pop free.  I only have 6 days left of my 30.  I am going to go back to drinking pop.  There are just some foods that taste better with soda.  My goal through all of this is to gain control and practice moderation.  My days of 52oz buckets is a thing of the past.  This has been good for me.  I've recognized just how much control I was allowing a beverage over my life.  Ridiculous!

-I'm not planning on going into a lot of detail, but... I have started taking a probiotic.  I have a lifetime of GI issues that I've seen several docs about and been through a barrage of tests only to be told they don't know why.  I go through spells of being miserable about once a month and it lasts for more than a week.  Since I've started taking the probiotic all my issues have been slowly fading away.  The only reason I blog this is to inform.  If anyone else out there has GI issues, you know how consuming and miserable it can be.  Try a probiotic, the pills have a much higher concentration of live bacteria than the yogurts that are out there.  I am currently taking Sustenex but when I finish it I'm going to try the Pearls.  I'm so thankful!  I just thought I'd share.

-My boys are finishing up lesson 50!  The weeks fly by.  Elijah is learning by leaps and bounds.  He really seems to have the same kind of intellect his Daddy has.  He captures things so quickly and permanently.  There are some things that he's picked up on much quicker than either of his older brothers did.  It's really fun to see how unique each of them are.  They each have very different strengths.  Brennan LOVES science and history.  Tanner LOVES reading and math.  Elijah also LOVES reading and math.  1st grade is still pretty basic so Eli's interests will be more obvious next year.

-I only worked on Monday this week.  Monday was such an awful day I've really enjoyed not working since.  With the men's retreat this weekend I didn't ask for more hours.  I've had 4 days in a row to wake up with my family and feed them breakfast while enjoying a cup of coffee.  That was something I used to take for granted, not anymore!