I have a new one. Words with Friends. If you have an iPhone, Blackberry, or any other kind of phone that is capable, go to your App Store right this minute and download the *free* version. Then join me in a friendly game of Scrabble. Search for my user name...Erin012...and challenge me! Your chances of winning are fairly good, as I stink at this game. But its only my first day! I think my problem is that I'm too impatient...and I don't like to think about things for too long. Whatever. I still have fun!
My good friend Halston turned me on to this game today. Actually-if I'm going to be totally truthful-she took my phone from me (during a nursing home visitation with our church), downloaded the app, and even chose my user name for me. Some might say she's a tiny bit controlling...but that's an issue for a whole different post. :) Kidding! I love her! Chris and I have had a game going with her since around noon today. Part of the beauty of Words with Friends is that it's self-paced. Players can take thier turns when they have a spare minute, or they can wait hours in between turns if they're stumped. One can even play while driving, but I don't recommend it. Ahem.
So, today after I had been engaged (off and on, of course!) in an intense game of Scrabble for about 5 hours when the family and I arrived at Shaun's karate class. When we walked inside and made our way past the reception desk to our seats, I overheard the receptionist, Michelle, saying something to the tune of "...Words with Friends. Its free! Its so addictive!" Needless to say, I jumped right into that conversation and picked up 2 more user names to challenge, so I can play until my heart is content.
So. Get the app. And challenge me!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Why I won't be named "Mother of the Year" anytime soon.
We did something bad, Chris and I. Well. Not really bad, I guess. Stupid may be a better word. Definitely not smart. Or I guess it depends on who you ask. Some people may consider it bad.
We had promised to take the boys to the movies on Friday evening. Shrek, of course. They'd been looking forward to it all week. Chris picked up some movie passes from work, and we made our plans. Friday also happened to be our friend Ronnie's birthday. So we invited him along. We had planned to eat dinner at Chilli's and then go to the 8:30 movie.
Everything went according to our plans until it was dessert time. I had taken the boys to the restroom thinking we were ready to head to the theater. When we returned to the table, the (big) boys had ordered dessert. Okay, I thought. Whatever. We all shared some of the white chocolate cake and ice cream. And it was delicious!
We made it to the theater just in time. Chris went up to the window to trade our passes in for tickets and received the blow....turns out the movie passes were not valid on 3D movies. And the 8:30 show of Shrek was, in fact, 3D. The last showing of the regular Shrek had started playing 45 minutes before we arrived. So there we were.
We found ourselves in the midst of a dilemma. The only other kid-appropriate movie showing that night was "Marmaduke". Even if we had wanted to see that, (which we didn't--not only does it look utterly ridiculous to me, we will be taking the kids to see this movie at church camp this week) it was a new release. And the passes we had were discount passes, which means that we could only see movies that had been in theaters for two weeks. Sigh.
We tried to explain to the kids. I tried to talk them into coming back the very next day to see Shrek. They weren't having it. Shaun was on the verge of tears and Jordan was on the verge of a tantrum. That's when my Hubs had his bright idea. He proposed to take the children to see Robin Hood. Of course he blurted out this idea before he discussed it with me. And of course the kids agreed wholeheartedly. After all, they just wanted to see a movie. They really didn't care which one.
For the record, I tried to reason with Chris. I told him that the kids were tired. The movie didn't start until 9:45, and they'd never last that long. I told him that we knew nothing about this movie and, since it was rated PG-13, it probably wasn't appropriate for Shaun to see, let alone Jordan. I tried to remind him of the time my mother had taken my sister and I to see Titanic, also rated PG-13, and about how shocked and mortified we all were when we discovered that there was nudity in the movie.
But no. He wouldn't listen. His argument? And I quote, "You wouldn't have a problem with it if I wanted to see Eclipse". Um. Well, yes I would. Its true that my kids have seen some PG-13 movies. But- only movies that we've seen first. I tried to bring up this little detail, but he didn't want to hear it. So off we went. Me, my 32 year old husband, our 29 year old friend, and our children, ages 10 and 4. Into a PG-13 movie about warriors and thieves that began at 9:45.
We were about fifteen minutes early walking into the theater. When we were all inside, I thought previews were already playing. I turned around and whispered, "Is this right? Are we in the right theater?" To which a woman behind us, after catching a glimpse of Jordan, retorted "I don't know. This is Robin Hood". It turns out the previews weren't playing at all, it was just the "First Look" they play before the previews. So we all settled into our seats in the back row.
We had barely sat down when Jordan asked for a drink. And Ronnie wanted popcorn. So off they went. Chris soon followed, saying that he wanted some popcorn for himself. They came back in one piece, Jordan clutching a drink that was almost as big as his whole body. He sat back and began to sip. The real previews began. When the "Eclipse" trailer played, Jordan turned to me and said "Oh, mom! Its Twilight!" Which resulted in holier-than-thou-look-number-2 from the same lady who had walked in behind us. I tried to ignore it.
Half-way through the trailers, I heard a big SPLASH. Of course. Jordan's huge drink. All in the floor. Chris left to get a refill. Jordan saw him leave and jumped up, running after him. I ran after Jordan, in case Chris had already gotten outside the theater door. We got another drink and when we came back to our seats, Ronnie was laughing. Hard. I wasn't sure why until I saw the theater employee on our aisle, setting up a cone around the mess Jordan had made. We all sat down on each side of the cone and the movie began.
In all honesty, it was a great movie! Just totally inapropriate for the children to see! Lots of violence. And let's not forget the scene in which Prince John and his French girlfriend were in the bed, making tons of noise, until John's mother walked in to give him a "talking to". And then John proceeds to stand up butt-naked in front of his mother. Ew. Yeah, Chris was getting some evil looks from me.
Aside from that...it wasn't that bad. Jordan actually feel asleep halfway though. And we didn't get anymore "looks". And, after we made it back home, Chris actually admitted that we probably shouldn't have taken the kids to a movie like that before we had seen it for ourselves. Um, yes. Haven't we heard that before?
The next morning, we had a meeting at church. Since we were all out unitl almost 1 a.m., we were tired. A friend asked me why I was yawning, and I told her we were out late at a movie. She asked me what we saw, and the whole story came out. There was a pause of semi-awkward silence and then she hit me with, "What? Didn't you know there was that R-rated movie playing that they both wanted to see?" Followed by laughter. The funny kind of laughter, but mixed in with the I-can't-believe-you-really-took-your-kids-to-see-that-movie kind of laughter.
So there you have it. Why I won't be named "Mother of the Year" anytime soon.
We had promised to take the boys to the movies on Friday evening. Shrek, of course. They'd been looking forward to it all week. Chris picked up some movie passes from work, and we made our plans. Friday also happened to be our friend Ronnie's birthday. So we invited him along. We had planned to eat dinner at Chilli's and then go to the 8:30 movie.
Everything went according to our plans until it was dessert time. I had taken the boys to the restroom thinking we were ready to head to the theater. When we returned to the table, the (big) boys had ordered dessert. Okay, I thought. Whatever. We all shared some of the white chocolate cake and ice cream. And it was delicious!
We made it to the theater just in time. Chris went up to the window to trade our passes in for tickets and received the blow....turns out the movie passes were not valid on 3D movies. And the 8:30 show of Shrek was, in fact, 3D. The last showing of the regular Shrek had started playing 45 minutes before we arrived. So there we were.
We found ourselves in the midst of a dilemma. The only other kid-appropriate movie showing that night was "Marmaduke". Even if we had wanted to see that, (which we didn't--not only does it look utterly ridiculous to me, we will be taking the kids to see this movie at church camp this week) it was a new release. And the passes we had were discount passes, which means that we could only see movies that had been in theaters for two weeks. Sigh.
We tried to explain to the kids. I tried to talk them into coming back the very next day to see Shrek. They weren't having it. Shaun was on the verge of tears and Jordan was on the verge of a tantrum. That's when my Hubs had his bright idea. He proposed to take the children to see Robin Hood. Of course he blurted out this idea before he discussed it with me. And of course the kids agreed wholeheartedly. After all, they just wanted to see a movie. They really didn't care which one.
For the record, I tried to reason with Chris. I told him that the kids were tired. The movie didn't start until 9:45, and they'd never last that long. I told him that we knew nothing about this movie and, since it was rated PG-13, it probably wasn't appropriate for Shaun to see, let alone Jordan. I tried to remind him of the time my mother had taken my sister and I to see Titanic, also rated PG-13, and about how shocked and mortified we all were when we discovered that there was nudity in the movie.
But no. He wouldn't listen. His argument? And I quote, "You wouldn't have a problem with it if I wanted to see Eclipse". Um. Well, yes I would. Its true that my kids have seen some PG-13 movies. But- only movies that we've seen first. I tried to bring up this little detail, but he didn't want to hear it. So off we went. Me, my 32 year old husband, our 29 year old friend, and our children, ages 10 and 4. Into a PG-13 movie about warriors and thieves that began at 9:45.
We were about fifteen minutes early walking into the theater. When we were all inside, I thought previews were already playing. I turned around and whispered, "Is this right? Are we in the right theater?" To which a woman behind us, after catching a glimpse of Jordan, retorted "I don't know. This is Robin Hood". It turns out the previews weren't playing at all, it was just the "First Look" they play before the previews. So we all settled into our seats in the back row.
We had barely sat down when Jordan asked for a drink. And Ronnie wanted popcorn. So off they went. Chris soon followed, saying that he wanted some popcorn for himself. They came back in one piece, Jordan clutching a drink that was almost as big as his whole body. He sat back and began to sip. The real previews began. When the "Eclipse" trailer played, Jordan turned to me and said "Oh, mom! Its Twilight!" Which resulted in holier-than-thou-look-number-2 from the same lady who had walked in behind us. I tried to ignore it.
Half-way through the trailers, I heard a big SPLASH. Of course. Jordan's huge drink. All in the floor. Chris left to get a refill. Jordan saw him leave and jumped up, running after him. I ran after Jordan, in case Chris had already gotten outside the theater door. We got another drink and when we came back to our seats, Ronnie was laughing. Hard. I wasn't sure why until I saw the theater employee on our aisle, setting up a cone around the mess Jordan had made. We all sat down on each side of the cone and the movie began.
In all honesty, it was a great movie! Just totally inapropriate for the children to see! Lots of violence. And let's not forget the scene in which Prince John and his French girlfriend were in the bed, making tons of noise, until John's mother walked in to give him a "talking to". And then John proceeds to stand up butt-naked in front of his mother. Ew. Yeah, Chris was getting some evil looks from me.
Aside from that...it wasn't that bad. Jordan actually feel asleep halfway though. And we didn't get anymore "looks". And, after we made it back home, Chris actually admitted that we probably shouldn't have taken the kids to a movie like that before we had seen it for ourselves. Um, yes. Haven't we heard that before?
The next morning, we had a meeting at church. Since we were all out unitl almost 1 a.m., we were tired. A friend asked me why I was yawning, and I told her we were out late at a movie. She asked me what we saw, and the whole story came out. There was a pause of semi-awkward silence and then she hit me with, "What? Didn't you know there was that R-rated movie playing that they both wanted to see?" Followed by laughter. The funny kind of laughter, but mixed in with the I-can't-believe-you-really-took-your-kids-to-see-that-movie kind of laughter.
So there you have it. Why I won't be named "Mother of the Year" anytime soon.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Out of the Mouths of Moms
"Do you need to use the restroom? Are you sure? Well, you need to stop touching your private parts. If you feel like you must touch it, please go to your room and close the door."
"Yes, you must wash your hands. Because you just used the toilet. If you want to go back to our table and eat, you must wash your hands. Because your hands are dirty. Because you put them on the toilet, and toilets are dirty. Because other people have had their bottoms on it. Just wash your hands!"
"Please don't hold the puppy by her neck. Because you could hurt her. I know she won't stay in your lap. Probably because you've squeezed her too hard and she's afraid of you. "
"Okay, that is SO inappropriate. We do NOT fart that way in public. And if you do, you certainly don't need to announce it to everyone. I don't care if Dad thinks its funny- its rude!"
"Jordan...give me the knife. Bring it back to me right now. Right this minute! I know Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fight with knives, but you're not a turtle. Where did you find that, anyway. I said bring it to me right now! "
"Please do not use my cellphone to take pictures of your brother's bottom. That's not what cell phones are for. If you do that again, I won't let you play games on my phone anymore."
Things My Children Have Said Lately
"Look at that man. He has a peg-leg!"- Shaun
"I am going to my class tonight. And I'm not gonna hit any of my friends."- Jordan
"Okay, so where's the dead man?"- Shaun
"I just don't want you to be my mom anymore because I'm mad at you because you tell me what to do and you're mean to me so I don't want you to be my mom anymore."- Jordan
"Not my spelling. Please not my spelling. It stinks. Its so boring. Anything but my spelling."- Shaun
"I drew on my armpit, too. Not just my body. See?"- Jordan
"Can you PLEASE tell Jordan to stop beating me with this stick?"- Shaun
"Did God make me black?" No. "I think He did." Nope. He made you white. "Did He make me red?" Nope. "I think He did make me red. See?" And he points to his nipples. - Jordan
"When I did the dance moves, I got out of breath. So I took a break during the worship song." Shaun
"Can I just kiss you on the glasses?"- Jordan
"I am going to my class tonight. And I'm not gonna hit any of my friends."- Jordan
"Okay, so where's the dead man?"- Shaun
"I just don't want you to be my mom anymore because I'm mad at you because you tell me what to do and you're mean to me so I don't want you to be my mom anymore."- Jordan
"Not my spelling. Please not my spelling. It stinks. Its so boring. Anything but my spelling."- Shaun
"I drew on my armpit, too. Not just my body. See?"- Jordan
"Can you PLEASE tell Jordan to stop beating me with this stick?"- Shaun
"Did God make me black?" No. "I think He did." Nope. He made you white. "Did He make me red?" Nope. "I think He did make me red. See?" And he points to his nipples. - Jordan
"When I did the dance moves, I got out of breath. So I took a break during the worship song." Shaun
"Can I just kiss you on the glasses?"- Jordan
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Peppy
I've been sick for the past few days. Wheezy, asthma-like symptoms. It stinks. Yesterday, my wheeze was so terrible I could hardly get a breath.
Now, I know this is bad. Real bad. But, ever since the pollen came out in April, I've been sneaking puffs of Shaun's Albuterol inhaler. The one he used back when HE had asthma, over a year ago. Its not like I was really stealing his medicine. His symptoms have long since disappeared, and he hasn't had to use his inhaler in over a year. I took my first puff on Easter Sunday. Oh, the relief! I could breathe! So I kept on puffing, as often as I needed. Until all of the Albuterol was gone. GONE! By this time, the worst of pollen season was behind me, so I thought I'd be okay. And I was, for a few weeks. But Sunday night, I was up all night long. Unable to breathe. Coughing. Hardly able to talk without using my "tourrettes" voice- as my sister calls it.
A few days earlier, while cleaning out our medicine drawer, I came across some of Jordan's old Albuterol packs. The kind that's used in a nebulizer. Sometime in the middle of Sunday night, I remembered those packets and thought that I could really benefit from a breathing treatment. Jordan hasn't had to have a breathing treatment in over a year, and its a good thing...because I couldn't find our nebulizer for the life of me. I turned the house upside down at 2:00 in the morning while searching for that crazy thing. Nothing. I still have no idea where it is.
As soon as the sun came up....or around 9:00....I called my sister and informed her that I was sending the Hubs over to her house to borrow her children's nebulizer. Of course, she agreed to loan it to me, and Chris returned home to me carrying the cutest little penguin-shaped nebulizer you've ever seen. Seriously. Its shaped like a penguin. I've named him Peppy and am honored to call him my new friend. And, just let me tell you...What a difference a breathing treatment makes! I could breathe again! I could talk. I could SLEEP! I gave myself breathing treatments ever four hours, like clockwork. I even carted Peppy along on a visit Vogel State Park for a Memorial Day picnic. Yes, I've been attached to that penguin-shaped nebulizer for the past two days.
And I'm feeling better. Still coughing a little, but no wheezing. As long as I keep doing the treatments. But, I realize that I cannot continue to use all of my children's medicine. And so, I think a trip to the doctor is in order.
I wonder if she'll give me a nebulizer of my very own? And if I can request a penguin-shaped one? I've grown really attached to Peppy over the past two days. I'm not really sure that any old nebulizer could ever take his place.
Now, I know this is bad. Real bad. But, ever since the pollen came out in April, I've been sneaking puffs of Shaun's Albuterol inhaler. The one he used back when HE had asthma, over a year ago. Its not like I was really stealing his medicine. His symptoms have long since disappeared, and he hasn't had to use his inhaler in over a year. I took my first puff on Easter Sunday. Oh, the relief! I could breathe! So I kept on puffing, as often as I needed. Until all of the Albuterol was gone. GONE! By this time, the worst of pollen season was behind me, so I thought I'd be okay. And I was, for a few weeks. But Sunday night, I was up all night long. Unable to breathe. Coughing. Hardly able to talk without using my "tourrettes" voice- as my sister calls it.
A few days earlier, while cleaning out our medicine drawer, I came across some of Jordan's old Albuterol packs. The kind that's used in a nebulizer. Sometime in the middle of Sunday night, I remembered those packets and thought that I could really benefit from a breathing treatment. Jordan hasn't had to have a breathing treatment in over a year, and its a good thing...because I couldn't find our nebulizer for the life of me. I turned the house upside down at 2:00 in the morning while searching for that crazy thing. Nothing. I still have no idea where it is.
As soon as the sun came up....or around 9:00....I called my sister and informed her that I was sending the Hubs over to her house to borrow her children's nebulizer. Of course, she agreed to loan it to me, and Chris returned home to me carrying the cutest little penguin-shaped nebulizer you've ever seen. Seriously. Its shaped like a penguin. I've named him Peppy and am honored to call him my new friend. And, just let me tell you...What a difference a breathing treatment makes! I could breathe again! I could talk. I could SLEEP! I gave myself breathing treatments ever four hours, like clockwork. I even carted Peppy along on a visit Vogel State Park for a Memorial Day picnic. Yes, I've been attached to that penguin-shaped nebulizer for the past two days.
And I'm feeling better. Still coughing a little, but no wheezing. As long as I keep doing the treatments. But, I realize that I cannot continue to use all of my children's medicine. And so, I think a trip to the doctor is in order.
I wonder if she'll give me a nebulizer of my very own? And if I can request a penguin-shaped one? I've grown really attached to Peppy over the past two days. I'm not really sure that any old nebulizer could ever take his place.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Date Night
The Hubs and I had a date tonight. And we invited our good friend Ronnie along. The three of us ate (at Red Lobster), shopped (at Payless, Ross, and Marshall's) and saw a movie (Nightmare On Elm Street). Here are some other things we did:
* Made great friends with our waitress. Rina- you're the bomb! The most fabulous waitress I've ever had. I even invited her to go to the movies with us! But, she couldn't come along, as she was working. :(
* Made fun of an elderly lady in the restaurant because she resembled the old lady from the movie "Legion". (I actually did NOT partake in this particular activity, as I have never seen this movie before)
* Became known as the "fun table".
* Discussed that ridiculous oil spill in the ocean.
* Made merciless fun of each other.
* Bought two much-needed new pairs of shoes. (Me)
* Bought an outfit. (Ronnie)
* Burped and passed gas. (The boys. Not me. Really!)
* Got all over each others nerves.
* Witnessed a whole group of middle-schoolers get busted by the usher for sneaking into an R-rated movie.
* Laughed. And laughed some more!
* Ran into some good friends in the movie theater.
* Locked the other two outside of the car in the pouring rain. (Chris)
* Listened to the soundtracts for "Twilight" and "New Moon".
* Visited with my parents and attempted to repair the DVD player in their camper.
All in all, a very good night.
* Made great friends with our waitress. Rina- you're the bomb! The most fabulous waitress I've ever had. I even invited her to go to the movies with us! But, she couldn't come along, as she was working. :(
* Made fun of an elderly lady in the restaurant because she resembled the old lady from the movie "Legion". (I actually did NOT partake in this particular activity, as I have never seen this movie before)
* Became known as the "fun table".
* Discussed that ridiculous oil spill in the ocean.
* Made merciless fun of each other.
* Bought two much-needed new pairs of shoes. (Me)
* Bought an outfit. (Ronnie)
* Burped and passed gas. (The boys. Not me. Really!)
* Got all over each others nerves.
* Witnessed a whole group of middle-schoolers get busted by the usher for sneaking into an R-rated movie.
* Laughed. And laughed some more!
* Ran into some good friends in the movie theater.
* Locked the other two outside of the car in the pouring rain. (Chris)
* Listened to the soundtracts for "Twilight" and "New Moon".
* Visited with my parents and attempted to repair the DVD player in their camper.
All in all, a very good night.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
And we made it!
So, school's out for the summer. Or, at least public school is out for the summer. We Smith's, however, will be having class pretty much all summer...with a few breaks thrown in. This is due to us being behind, since we took several weeks off during the year that weren't exactly on the County's calendar. When we began our homeschooling "journey" last August, we planned on making our own schedule and schooling year round. Some of the perks of the perks of homeschooling! I broke the news to Shaun a few weeks ago, and he handled it pretty well.
Even though we haven't technically finished out our school year, I still have a sense of accomplishment. Our first year of homeschooling is behind us. We made! And everyone is still relatively in one piece! When Chris and I first decided to homeschool, I sought the advice of several "seasoned" homeschooling mothers I know. More than one of them told me to not panic when things didn't go as planned, and that the first year is just practice. I can totally see that now! I have learned a LOT this year. About what works for us. And about what doesn't. I can look back now with no reservations and say that homeschooling is definitely the best option- for Shaun.
Jordan, on the other hand- I'm not so sure about. I'm not sure if I can "tame his will" and teach him everything a pre-k student needs to know while teaching Shaun everything a fourth grader needs to know at the same time. I've tried some different things this year. Different ways of attempting to educate two children who are 6 years apart, and therefore on two totally different levels. I feel as if I've made tremendous progress with Shaun, but that Jordan kind of "fell through the cracks", for lack of a better expression.
I realize that this is not that big of a deal...so far. After all, he'll only be in pre-k next year, so its not like he's missed a lot. But, pre-k (as well and kindergarten) is a pretty big deal. There's a lot of foundational learning going on. And I'm just not sure I can do it. Jordan's will is part of the problem. I'm grateful that he's strong-willed...he'll need it to survive in this world! But, I'm afraid that the will, along with everything else will be too much. He needs some structure right now. I suspect that after he's in "real school" for a year it will be much easier to teach him at home. I've agonized over this. I felt so guilty for even considering sending him to preschool next year. As if I would be letting him down or favoring one child over the other. So, I called my "go-to" girl. My friend Wendy. Who I always go to whenever I need homeschooling advice. Told her my concerns, sure that she would reassure me that I could do it and that homeschooling was the best choice for every child. What she DID tell me was...exactly what I had figured out myself! That it might be best to put Jordan in a pre-k...just to give him some structure. What a relief!
So that's where we are. Chris and I both think this is the best thing for our family. The only issue now is deciding where to send him. Georgia Pre-K isn't really an option for us. For one thing, since we've waited so long to enroll, all of the classrooms are full. For another, I just don't feel comfortable sending my child to the schools near our house. I've got a "gut-feeling" about one, and a not too good feeling about another.... Money is an issue. Things are tight right now. I would love to send Jordan to Shaun's old preschool. I spoke with the director today, and they have some openings. We can afford it on paper, but I'm afraid to cut things so closely. So I've called around to a few other churches in the area, trying to find a cheaper deal.
I'm strangely calm about all this. I'm just waiting for now. Waiting on God to tell us what's right for our family. Its frustrating. I've never been described as a patient person!
With all of that said...We made it! We made it through our first year, and I've learned a lot! I've learned that my children are pretty amazing. I've loved getting to know them again. I've learned that my children are individuals, and that what works for one doesn't necessarily have to work for the other. I've learned to ask for help. I've learned that I can do more things on my own than I thought. I've learned to come out of my shell. And I've made so many friends. I've learned that you don't have to know someone for a long time to become "kindred spirits" and "sister's in Christ". I've learned that mid-day conversations with my sister are sanity-savers!
I've learned that I really, really, really need to get on a schedule and stick to it. I've learned that I need to "Facebook" less. I've learned that I need to spend "break time" with the boys and do fun, non-school things instead of using their breaks for my "alone time" all of the time. I've learned that I need to get organized and clean up as I go. I've learned that getting up and starting my day without praying is setting myself up for disaster.
I've learned that one of the most rewarding experiences in the world comes from watching my son "get" something that I taught him!
We've learned a lot! No regrets.
Even though we haven't technically finished out our school year, I still have a sense of accomplishment. Our first year of homeschooling is behind us. We made! And everyone is still relatively in one piece! When Chris and I first decided to homeschool, I sought the advice of several "seasoned" homeschooling mothers I know. More than one of them told me to not panic when things didn't go as planned, and that the first year is just practice. I can totally see that now! I have learned a LOT this year. About what works for us. And about what doesn't. I can look back now with no reservations and say that homeschooling is definitely the best option- for Shaun.
Jordan, on the other hand- I'm not so sure about. I'm not sure if I can "tame his will" and teach him everything a pre-k student needs to know while teaching Shaun everything a fourth grader needs to know at the same time. I've tried some different things this year. Different ways of attempting to educate two children who are 6 years apart, and therefore on two totally different levels. I feel as if I've made tremendous progress with Shaun, but that Jordan kind of "fell through the cracks", for lack of a better expression.
I realize that this is not that big of a deal...so far. After all, he'll only be in pre-k next year, so its not like he's missed a lot. But, pre-k (as well and kindergarten) is a pretty big deal. There's a lot of foundational learning going on. And I'm just not sure I can do it. Jordan's will is part of the problem. I'm grateful that he's strong-willed...he'll need it to survive in this world! But, I'm afraid that the will, along with everything else will be too much. He needs some structure right now. I suspect that after he's in "real school" for a year it will be much easier to teach him at home. I've agonized over this. I felt so guilty for even considering sending him to preschool next year. As if I would be letting him down or favoring one child over the other. So, I called my "go-to" girl. My friend Wendy. Who I always go to whenever I need homeschooling advice. Told her my concerns, sure that she would reassure me that I could do it and that homeschooling was the best choice for every child. What she DID tell me was...exactly what I had figured out myself! That it might be best to put Jordan in a pre-k...just to give him some structure. What a relief!
So that's where we are. Chris and I both think this is the best thing for our family. The only issue now is deciding where to send him. Georgia Pre-K isn't really an option for us. For one thing, since we've waited so long to enroll, all of the classrooms are full. For another, I just don't feel comfortable sending my child to the schools near our house. I've got a "gut-feeling" about one, and a not too good feeling about another.... Money is an issue. Things are tight right now. I would love to send Jordan to Shaun's old preschool. I spoke with the director today, and they have some openings. We can afford it on paper, but I'm afraid to cut things so closely. So I've called around to a few other churches in the area, trying to find a cheaper deal.
I'm strangely calm about all this. I'm just waiting for now. Waiting on God to tell us what's right for our family. Its frustrating. I've never been described as a patient person!
With all of that said...We made it! We made it through our first year, and I've learned a lot! I've learned that my children are pretty amazing. I've loved getting to know them again. I've learned that my children are individuals, and that what works for one doesn't necessarily have to work for the other. I've learned to ask for help. I've learned that I can do more things on my own than I thought. I've learned to come out of my shell. And I've made so many friends. I've learned that you don't have to know someone for a long time to become "kindred spirits" and "sister's in Christ". I've learned that mid-day conversations with my sister are sanity-savers!
I've learned that I really, really, really need to get on a schedule and stick to it. I've learned that I need to "Facebook" less. I've learned that I need to spend "break time" with the boys and do fun, non-school things instead of using their breaks for my "alone time" all of the time. I've learned that I need to get organized and clean up as I go. I've learned that getting up and starting my day without praying is setting myself up for disaster.
I've learned that one of the most rewarding experiences in the world comes from watching my son "get" something that I taught him!
We've learned a lot! No regrets.
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