Our journey so far...

So it's been about 3 weeks since we pulled James from school.  I have to admit that the transition has been much easier than I expected.  My biggest concern wasn't his cooperation or interest but how I would balance the schedule with the addition of the new responsibilities.  Surprisingly enough, our schedule has created the perfect time frame for his lessons and such.  Cailin attends a daily preschool program that allows us to have a solid 2 hour block each day.  It's during that time that we focus on the daily tasks.  Right now that seems to be Math, Grammar/English, Spelling, and Reading Comprehension.  I think the last one falls under the Language Arts heading for the public school system right now.  Beyond those subjects we alternate Science and History throughout the week.  Right now our materials are varied.  We are working from a few text books but I have also found an amazing amount of resources, for free, on the internet.  Side note, I suggested a couple of them to a friend whose daughter is having trouble in Math, she shared them with the teacher who then poo-pooed them for not fitting with current standards.  My opinion on that is that it's a shame because I've seen the benefit they've had for James and if you can find something that helps, use it.  It seems like a contradiction in goals, Common Core focuses on teaching different methods so any child can learn but when you find a method outside of the Common Core, it's unaccepted.  Anyway...

It has been such a relief for us to see James returning to his personality of a few years ago.  The anxiety that was becoming such a forefront issue has diminished greatly and that has been the biggest blessing of all.  Of course, he's 11 and we still have the typical issues.  You can't be in front of an electronic device during every waking hour is at the top of that list.  Dirty clothes and clean clothes can not be stored in the same spot and the spot that either goes is most definitely not the foot of your bed is a close second.  He will be a pro at laundry in no time because the solution to that has been to assume everything is dirty and I refuse to be any more behind on the the laundry.

I figure I'll continue posting what we're doing as we go along, especially since Cailin has begun working with us in the afternoons on different things as well.  I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before Logan is at the table with us. 

Cue Tim Hawkins...

As of 12:45 this afternoon our family officially became a homeschooling family.  There were so many factors to consider as we made this decision.  I'm sure many of you are thinking to yourselves that I've said this before and for the last 3 years, James has still been in school so why is now different?  Now is different because not only have I turned in the paperwork, this is something that James wants too. 

James is an extremely bright kid but sadly he inherited the same quirks that plague his father and I.  Prior to having our kids, we talked about homeschooling and for whatever reason it never came to be.  James enjoyed preschool, he liked school in general.  It was when we saw the struggle it was for him to fit in with his peers behavior wise in Kindergarten, that we knew we were going to be faced with a fight.  Now, I'm going to be brutally honest here and state my opinion and that is simply this, a teacher is everything and that random choice of where your child is placed year to year sets the tone and pace.  If you are blessed with a teacher that can see beyond your child's behaviors to the personality, heart, and intelligence then you're in luck and the year will be golden.  Sadly, not all years are blessed and I have had days that it took every ounce of my being not to verbally shred a teacher for not doing their job.  Sadder still is that there will come a time that your child recognizes this too and when it happens your heart will break.  James is not a troubled child, he doesn't misbehave but he does fidget, hum, daydream, and get lost in his own mind. 

Now, please recognize that I'm not bashing the teaching profession and I admittedly walked away from that path.  I realize that our teachers are spread thin, underpaid, and overwhelmed.  It's not right but as a mother, it's also not right to watch my child suffer.  I have to do something and at this point, we feel we've exhausted our options.  James is excited, he's still learning what will be expected of him and I find it funny he is just amazed that there is no homework.  There is no staying up until 10 o'clock because you can't determine how many cookies were eaten on day 8 or you aren't sure what to do with the assignment because you were pulled from class to finish a state test.


I'm sure this will prove to be a challenge for us but I believe it will be for the best and not just for James and I but Cailin and Logan also.  Yes, I'm sure it will affect Brian.  Naturally he's in charge of the "Tech Ed" department here at what we are now referring to as the Page Institute of Higher Learning. 

St. Paddy's Surprise!

Since things never seem to work out the way we plan, we shouldn't be too surprised but we are. 

Considering that I can't even figure out how to flip the picture the right direction it should also come as no surprise that I read the test wrong.  Initially I called Brian in to see the faint line that goes horizontal because it was pretty faint.  After saying that he saw it too we happily went about our morning.  An hour passed before he came back to me and said I had read it wrong.  Now, for those of you that are aware of our 9 year trek to get the 2 kids we have, you also know of the morning that I did a happy dance for 10 minutes only to hear "oh wait" because he had misread the EPT.  From then on out, I only bought First Response but he bought this box so there you have it. 

So, let's review, we decided that yes we wanted a third kid, planned when we would start but were shocked that it actually worked like it's supposed to.  Also surprising was finding out this morning that my doctor no longer does the ob part of the ob/gyn.  I have to pick another doctor but I don't know who or where.  I can stay in this particular practice but I'm unfamiliar with a number of the doctors and would genuinely like some recommendations.  All of these things have been pushing me towards telling sooner than I planned but the saddest one of all (not even counting that I don't think I can keep my own secret) is that since the weather has turned warmer, I've had to pull out the seasonal clothes.  In doing so I remembered that I needed to lose about 5 pounds to get into them and 10 pounds if I wanted to get in them comfortably.  There's a pretty good chance I'll be in maternity clothes in the next few weeks.  There's also the unavoidable issue of the nausea that makes me do things like sleep on the couch for 35 weeks, throw toasters off the deck and gag when my husband tries to hug me. 

I'll save the issue of trying to sell one house and build another before November for another time...

Crazy Hair

This week is Spirit Week at James' school.  Yesterday was a team day of sorts, we of course forgot.  We also forgot our lunch box and had to go back to the house, wearing his Ravens' jersey was the least of our worries.  Today is a crazy hair day and the boy insisted that we spike his hair which is now long and heavy so it doesn't want to spike.  I even used the industrial strength hair gel.  No luck.  We also have purple hairspray that I picked up back in October for those moments that we need to up the love for the Ravens.  I think it's safe to say that he qualifies for crazy hair.

I'm not sure what that face is.  It might be "look at me, I'm cool" and since we're so far from cool in this family, we do it with sarcasm and that is the end result. 

He also wanted to get his new shirt in the picture.  We just did the Safari Overnight at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philly.  Lots of fun but it wore us OUT.  I'll share the pics and details from that at a later time.  I also just realized that I might need to reel it in on my "buy it big" behavior.  Judging from this pic, he's going to wear that shirt into middle school. 

Daddy-Daughter Date Night

Tonight was Brian's turn to go out with Cailin for a Daddy-Daughter Date Night sponsored by the Chick-Fil-A in Elkton.  This is probably our favorite place to eat.  It actually blurs the line between fast food and "real" restaurant for us.  Last year they had a Mother-Son Date Knight that James and I went to.  It had a nice little castle theme going on which was cute (I also took their leftover decorations for a Scouting event and never used them, whoops).

I'm waiting as patiently as I can for their roaming photographer to upload her pictures from the evening but I do have one that Brian snapped on his cell phone.  I hope that Cailin is able to remember this night or even a few in the near future, with or without the pictures.  I don't even remember how old I was at the time but I do have a nice memory of getting to ride with my dad in one of the trucks he worked on.  It was a big deal, making sure I was cleaned up, dressed nice and had a white headband in to hold back the mop of hair.  Remembering that those things were important to me, I made sure to do them tonight for Cailin.  Just like me, she's Daddy's girl. 

Such language...

Thanks to driving a minivan and having to go all over creation to accomplish anything, I like to plan out my days to either stay home and close by or get it all done in one shot.  I hit the Pee Wee Playtime with Cailin this morning, as usual she had a great time.  Afterward, I needed to pay our property taxes so I headed to Elkton with the intent of getting Chick-Fil-A for lunch.  A few things to make note of regarding this decision.

1)  It was lunch time.  The place is hopping to begin with.  Add in lunch time and I'm beyond thankful for the Mom's Valet service they provide.
2)  We just came from Pee Wee Playtime which is open to the public and while I don't like to judge other parents, I do like to make note of the way they parent.  
3)  Related to the above is that some of the women from PWP were also at Chick-Fil-A and I don't know how but the children had multiplied and I really couldn't handle the play area at its current head count.
4)  My kid is a runner and when you have your hands full is the best time for her to run.

I had gone to the trash can closest to the door because my plan was to drop the trash, hit the bathroom, get a refill of tea, and go.  What happened instead was me hitting the trashing, grumbling under my breath because she instead ran back to the play area.  She's little and can't read so she was pushing on the door instead of pulling.  I walked back to get her, reminding her that we were leaving.  How does my delicate flower react to these events? 

DAMN IT

Whether or not I agreed with the sentiment or was possibly thinking it to myself during the chain of events is no matter.  She said it, clearly and in context, again.  Awesome.

I don't want to make a big deal out of it because she'll eat that up but I don't want to let her get away with it.  As we walked I told her that we don't use such language, it's not nice.  I don't think she cares and I'm pretty sure that one of the older gentlemen having lunch heard her, me and was laughing.  See above regarding how she'll eat up the attention.

For those family members reading this, I already know what you're thinking and you can stop laughing at me.  

At least she's honest...

Cailin:  I go potty.

Daddy:  Is this some trick to get your jammies off to get into something else?

Cailin:  YES!

We're fighting to keep her clothes on and to keep her out of the tub.  Usually it's one or the other but sometimes both.  I'm just amazed that a child who can barely go 10 feet without falling can strip in under 3 seconds.