Fall Family Photos -Thanksgiving Day

Yes, you could homeschool too!

Somehow another calendar year is almost complete!  Jake is rolling along in his firth grade year, Jamie is now a second grader, Scarlett is in her first year official year with Classical Conversations, and Jonah is right in the middle of it all!  Here is a look back at our first day of class (in our once a week co-op) back at the beginning of September.

When people learn we homeschool, I get a whole spectrum of responses.  Of course there is the standard, "Good for you!" Usually, though, they haven't taken a breath before that is followed by, "But I could NEVER do it!"  There is also the question that is so common I feel like it is more of a cliche:"What about socialization?!?" This is accompanied with a look of concern, and sometimes horror, for the children I obviously do not let out the attic (if we had one).

But lately, I am hearing more and more parents (moms especially) who generally want to know more.  I hear the hesitation in their voices as they ask, "How do you do it?" but I recognize that their real question is one they are asking themselves.  "Could I do it?" is what they really want to know.  I see the fear and doubt in their eyes, as I try to explain what homeschool looks like for us.

So here is what I want all of you, who are asking yourselves "Could I do it?" to know.  Yes, 100 percent yes!  This is what I have learned.  Homeschool moms don't have magical powers.  Patience increases as it is tested.  There is no such thing as balance.  Take it one day at a time!  Forget "school" and focus on education and a love of learning.  You don't stop being the best teacher for your child just because they turn 3...or 5...or even 10.  And you will never regret being a part of more of child's childhood.  Trust that if God wants this for you and your children, He will make it possible.  

Back to Blogging...for real this time!

I think I have started this blog about a million times in my head over the past several months.  Each "mental" blog starts out differently depending on my mood, the child I am focusing on in that minute, or memory I am anxious to record.  However in this season of life, there is little time to sit down and write the fleeting thoughts that dance around in my head.

There has been an overwhelming amount of newness in our lives lately.  We live in a new home in a new town.  We are in a new ward meeting lots of new people.  Even our business is new.  It has a new name, a new look, and by this fall a whole new identity as an actual restaurant.  Thinking back to were we started nearly four years ago, that piece alone feels almost unbelievable!  But as I am surrounded by all this newness, I am surprised at how comfortable I am with in it.  

I use to label myself as someone who hated change, as someone who didn't handle it well.  But somehow, here I am...handling it.  Maybe even handling it well...or at least not horribly.  I think it is because the most important things in my world really haven't changed at all.  Where we live is different, but the people that make it a home are still with me.  My ward may be different but the Gospel is still the same.  Honestly, I am grateful for all the change.  It feels fresh and clean.  It is a new start in a way, or at least an opportunity to reevaluate and reset.

Our three years in country feel like a crazy blur.  We had life begin and end in that home.  We created some beautiful memories and also experienced some of our greatest trials.  This move has been a gear shift, and it is just "us" once again.  I am excited for the place we are in now.  I am excited to see what the future holds, but I am also perfectly content in the moment I am in right now.  

 The kids continue to grow like weeds!  Jake will be in 5th grade next year and Jamie will be going into second.  Even though we continue to homeschool, I can still feel the change.  I came very close to tears talking a couple other moms about the end of another school year (at least for the "normal" public school kids).  We, of course, were talking about how quickly the time goes because well, it just does.  But in that moment I had such intense gratitude that the Lord prompted us to homeschool.  Because yes, it does go by heartbreaking fast (when you look back) but I have hardly missed a minute of it.  They are home with me and I am so blessed to share all of their childhoods with them.  I know I would have regretted it if I had given this precious time to anyone else.

So here are a couple of pictures of our crazy crew playing in front of our new home.  They are each other's best friends.  Scarlett is already crying about the boys attending a soccer day camp for four days next week.  She used to call them "her boys" and while she doesn't say the words out loud quite as often, I know those words are forever written on her heart.  She can't imagine her life without them...even just for a few days.  But I think she'll survive.  Anyway, i can't help but smile when i look at these pictures.  They perfectly capture the way they play together and love each other.  This is them...and this might be the greatest blessing of homeschool!

An end of the year update

And just like that, is it December!?!  I had dreams of a big fall family shoot, but life just kept getting in the way.  So with Arthur's help and a little football, we did a quick photo shoot in the back yard.

I felt a little rushed and I didn't get quite as many pictures of all four kids looking in the same direction and smiling at the same time as I would have liked.  But let's be real, I could have probably taken 200 more pictures and I still wouldn't have anymore eyes looking at the camera, right?

Although, it really doesn't matter which direction these sweet faces are looking, they are still my favorite!

This year has been full of change and new experiences for our family.  The "big boys" or "brothers", as Scarlett now calls them, have been playing for the Tennessee Soccer Club out of Nashville.  It has been a big commitment, but I have seen so much growth and hard work from both of them.  The part that took the most adjustment for me was getting use to the boys being gone a couple of evenings a week.  It has forced me to except that they are moving into a new phase of their childhood.  Over the years they will spend more and more time out of our home doing actives and being with their peers.

Honestly, I don't think my momma heart could handle it if we weren't homeschooling.  For now, they are still "mine" during the days, so I am okay with them being away for a couple of evenings a week.  However, it has been a good reminder for me to make good use of the time we have together because it is precious and it won't last forever.  They are amazing people, and I am grateful the Lord called me to homeschool our children when Jake was just little.  I could never have imagined the blessing it would be.  I will never regret that my children spent their school years at home.

In additions to soccer, we have jumped back into a Classical Conversation community this year.  As much as putting one more thing into our week overwhelmed me, I knew it was what we needed to do.  I am grateful I did not ignore those promptings because this community has been an answer to so many prayers!  The Lord has never left me alone in our homeschool journey.  Every
time I feel like I don't know the next step, someone or something is placed in my path to make it possible for me to continue.  When I step back and reflect our experience, I can say without a doubt, that would never have gotten to this place without my Savior.  My favorite part of the CC curriculum is that everything is connected and everything is connected to Him, because it really is.

With Jake being in upper elementary school, he and I need direction on what to do next so he can continue to be challenged and develop in his eduction.  The Essentials program has been amazing for his writing development and for his understanding of grammar and language.  I am blown away by how much we learn in just two hours once a week.  I am asking myself constantly, "What the heck did I learn in school because I didn't learn any of this!"  The first few weeks overwhelmed Jake (and me) a bit, but he is sticking with it, and I can see things coming together for him.  This was the answer to helping Jake bring his writing skills up to match his voracious reading.

Classical Conversations has also been exactly what James needs too.  When I tutored the 4/5 year olds 3 years ago, Jamie was a able to join my class even though he was only 3 when we started.  Back then, he refused to do the weekly presentations.  Getting up and speaking in front of people has always made him uncomfortable.  He has never even given a primary talk, although he now does violin concerts without complaint.  This year he is like a different kid.  His teacher had to push him a little on the first week, but now, he is comfortable and confident when it is his turn each week.  I actually think he looks forward to it.  Two weeks ago, he even offered to give another boy's talk for him in primary because the boy had a sore throat.  It is so amazing to see your children overcome something that was once such a challenge.  I hope he can remember that hard things don't stay hard when you keep practicing and pushing yourself.

Then there is my Scarlett girl...  With only a few more weeks until her forth birthday, I find myself reflecting oh her growth often.  There is a wildness in this one, a fire that burns deep with in her soul. She can be so challenging because she feels intensely.  You see it when she paints.  At three, she already paints with drama.  Bright, dark, and bold colors fill the paper with interesting textures and unique brush strokes.  I can't help but watch her as she works, feeling like I am getting a glimpse into her soul, all the while wondering how she decides what her next move will be.  But I don't know if she really decides, I think it may just be a feeling.  But even with all her drama and her artistic nature, she also craves order and structure.  She decided she was ready for "school" before I was quite ready to add her into the mix.  So after a couple months of dragging my feet, her school drawers are now filled with kindergarten workbooks and she is happily working her way through them.  I thought we would do another year of more hands on montisorri jobs, but she really wanted something more "traditional".  So now she is writing her letters and numbers, learning to solve basic addition problems, and I think it is time to pull out our Hooked on Phonics.  She is incredibly bright and while she wouldn't start kindergarten until the fall of 2019 it is obvious she is ready now.  But I am being careful not too push and to let her take the lead in her learning.  Watch out world, because when this girl sets her mind to something there is no stopping her!

And then our Jonah Bear!  He just lights up our lives and none of us could imagine our family with out him.  He is usually mellow but he has a goofy side that reminds us very much of Jamie at this age.  Out of all our babies, Jonah is by far the best about car rides, but he has a limit and when he hits that point there is no about of snacks or Elmo that can quiet his frustrated cries.  This can lead to some very long car rides back to our house in the middle of the country.  (Did I mention that this usually mellow boy also has a stubborn streak?)  This boy is obsessed with balls, especially soccer balls, and he constantly wants to play pass with his Daddy.  I am reminded so much of Jacob at his age because I swear they both learned to walk just so they could kick a soccer ball easier.  His timing and coordination is amazing for someone so young.  We tease the older boys that Jonah is far better at getting his daily touches in (well, he really is).  He has impressed quite a few soccer dads with his skills while we hang out on the side lines of Jake and Jamie's soccer games and he may have left several toddlers in tears after running up and dribbling their balls away. 😬 As for us, we are as obsessed with him as he is with soccer! You are growing up too fast, but we are enjoying every minute.  

Mother's Day Violin Recital...Scarlett's 1st Debut

My Scarlett girl had an exciting first this past May.  She played in her very first violin recital.  While I am not sure if she will have a life time love for the violin, I am certain this girl has fallen in love with being in front of an audience!

I honestly had no idea what Scarlett would do when her turn finally came.  She has watched her brothers do this her entire life, and I knew she had practiced her piece countless times (bows and all).  But she is three...and she is Scarlett.  Those two factors equal a perfect storm of unpredictability.  She is confident, but she needs to feel in control.  She is adventurous and is usually willing to try new things, but it has to be on her terms.  I knew her performance of The Ant Song would be perfect or it would be a complete disaster.  That is my girl, there is never an in-between.  Luckily, the stars were aligned in our favor that afternoon and Scarlett was heartbreakly adorable!  I was told, more than once, that she stole the show.  I can't say I disagree.

Scarlett playing The Ant Song

Jake also did an awesome job!  Our week had been a little crazy with my dad in town, but mostly due to Jamie's fall from a tree and breaking both of his arms.  As a result, Jake didn't get very much practice in during the days leading up to to the recital.  But he has become such a pro at this.  I don't know if he even gets nervous anymore.  He has been working on Suzuki Book 2 this year and it is so fun to have our home filled with real classical pieces when he practices.  His progress has been slow and steady these last 5 years, and I am grateful for the lessons in hard work and perserverence violin has been for him (or should I say us).  I am grateful we didn't give up when the months and months of Twinkle seemed like they would never end.  He now does all his practices on his own.  He has taken complete ownership over this piece of his education and I it makes me so proud, but more importantly, I can tell it makes him proud.

Jake playing Bourree by Handel

I would love to rave about Jamie's performance because I know he would have been great!  But something about double arm casts makes holding a violin a little tricky (aka impossible).  He had worked so hard and he was so ready!  He picks up new songs quickly (it helps that he knew them all long before he ever had to play them), but the public performance part of the puzzle took him a couple of years to warm up to.  However, over this last year, I have seen James's confidence grow.  He has found is own voice and now speaks up for himself in public/social situations.  I know it isn't always comfortable for him, but I see him push himself and I think it gets a little easier each time.  It is amazing to see your children master something that you know has been a challenge for them.  So while I didn't get to see Jamie play at the Mother's Day recital, I am so grateful for the role violin has had in helping him do hard things, and I am so proud of him!

And thanks to Tio Lui we even got a family picture out of it!  Unfortuently, I didn't get a picture of Granpda Dave, Aunt Robyn, and Tio Lui.  We always appreciate the family love and support our kids get from our family at events like these

Happy Birthday to YOU, Jonah Bear!

We celebrated our Jonah Bear's first birthday at the beginning of this month.  His birthday was on a Thursday, but we waited until Sunday to have our little family party.  It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since he was first placed in my arms.  It is hard to not to get emotional that the tiny baby chapter is already over, even though I know how much fun we are going to have with him as he grows.

I will never forget how content and calm Jonah was to begin his journey here on earth.  I actually tried to hand him back to the nurse 3 times because he just wouldn't cry.  I remember telling him, "You've got to cry!"  With him being 2 weeks early, I was terrified that we were going to repeat the scary start we had with James.  But the nurse would just reach down, give him a little rub, and Jonah would give one little cry and then fall back asleep in the crook of my arm.  This happened 3 times.  All the while I just held my breath, praying he would keep crying, and waiting for the nurse to get tense and scoop him up.  Time seemed to stand still.  I knew I just had a few more seconds with him before everyone else realized that something was wrong.  Then, just before full blown panic set in, I heard the nurse tell the respiratory techs, who were standing the door way, that everything was great and they could go.  It was then that I let myself relax and finally take in the perfection of our new (and apparently very mellow) little addition.

We spent the rest of that day and night (and pretty much the next 3 month), just snuggling.  There is nothing more magical that the feel, the smell, the innocence of a brand new baby.  How do you describe meeting someone you already knew.  It is like, "Oh yeah, it is you!  We've been waiting for you!"  And a year later, those original thoughts haven't changed, this boy is a gift from heaven and he was always meant to be a part of our family.

Arthur and I were not the only ones who couldn't wait to snuggle our new baby boy.  Jacob, James, and Scarlett couldn't wait either.  Finally, after months and months of watching my belly grow, it was time to meet Jonah.  They had all fallen in love with him before he was even born, and they were so eager to welcome him into their ranks.  I was worried that Scarlett would be jealous, but she never was.  While she would get frustrated with me at times, she never once took it out on her new little brother.  She has always been an awesome big sister.  And the big boys...well, no one could ask for better big brothers.  They even make me a little jealous that I didn't have one or two.

Jonah has brought so much joy into our family.  While he is our most mellow baby, he definitely doesn't lack in personality!

His favorite things include Daddy, soccer balls, climbing to the top of the stairs, dropping things on the floor (usually proceeded with an Oo Oh), and playing with his siblings.  He just learned to color on paper, and the boys were thrilled when he started pushing the cars around on the floor the other day.  He loves to sing, and he can't help but dance when music starts playing.  Jonah understands pretty much everything we say, and he loves to talk (even if we can't understand 95% of it).  His English vocabulary includes works like "tat tu" (he is very polite when he gets what he wants), chic-in, Jac-up, lots of "yay"s.

I don't know if Jonah will be our last baby, but even if there is one more, I do know that I am on the tail end of the baby phase of my life.  And anyone who knows me, knows that breaks my heart a little to admit, but Jonah really has been a baby that makes my mommy dreams come true.  So I am just trying to soak it all in.  

Jonah Michael, you are a sweet boy!  Like your big brother James, you have a warmth and light about you.  You have been blessed with a smart mind and a strong, healthy, coordinated body.  We anticipate that you will tower over all of us before we know it.  I know you are here to do great things.  It is an honor to be your Mommy.  I love being the person who can calm your cries, nurse you to sleep, and make you belly laugh just by kissing your neck.  While, I know it will not always be so easy to make your world right, I promise my love for you will be a constant in your life.  My love for you is unconditional and "as long as I am living my baby you'll be!"  

Happy 1st Birthday Jonah Bear!!