I hadn't posted in awhile, but I had a few pictures to share of the kids. I love capturing the moments when they're just really enjoying one another's company, I guess to remind myself that they do actually get along sometimes! It can be such a love/hate thing with siblings, and boys are especially competitive with one another, that's usually the culprit in their spats. We currently have Mychael on the waiting list for fourth grade at a local Christian school, after a lot of prayer and tears on my part. I love having them all home, but the schooling part of homeschooling doesn't always come easily to me, and I am too easily pursuaded to have fun. I have struggled with giving everyone the attention I would like to give them (especially Zach and Jordan), and I do think Mychael would enjoy the social aspects of traditional school, he's very much a people person. I don't feel like I have the community around me that I thought I would after almost 4 years of homeschooling, people don't call around for play dates with one another, it's always got to be educational, so we're going to try branching out into something else. Nathan will still homeschool, and if all goes well with Mychael we think we will homeschool each of the kids until fourth grade. Nathan's doing great playing catch up, but we basically started first grade over again in January, and I want to make sure he isn't rushed. He requires more one-on-one attention with school, and has a very creative side that I try not to discourage too much (most of his worksheets have elaborate battle scenes drawn all over them, guys with swords, etc...it would probably be maddening to a teacher other than his mother!). It has been a very difficult decision, but I feel like God has been gently nudging me, telling me to face my fears to disarm them. I told Jon that one of the reasons this has been such a hard decision is because of a bit of brainwashing that goes along with homeschooling. You read all this literature to get motivated, or you talk to others who want to encourage you to endure, only to have all of this stuff replaying in your mind making you feel like a failure for even considering traditional school. Of course, my nearest and dearest friends have all been very encouraging regarding whatever decision I make, it's usually other people that get into my head. I'm still trying to learn this lesson of not caring what other people think so much, I admire that quality a great deal in others. Whew, that one was a novel! I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start, love to all.
