Life is about to get.... real.

So hubs and I decided that common core was not in the best interest of our 4th grade daughter.  The schools know that students are struggling with the new methods. I was told that they are trying different things and watching for feedback as to how students handle it and making changes as needed. Sorry, good luck with your experimentation. We are removing our daughter from the experiment. She has some learning to do.

Many people ask why. Why are we taking our daughter out of school? Because, we feel she would do better in the home school environment. Actually, we feel she would do better outside of the public school, common core environment, and private school is out of the range of our budget. I, myself, was schooled at home. I went to public school thru 4th grade and went from 5th grade thru high school at home.

Let me lay it out. Here is how I look at it. I took excellent care of myself while growing this precious gift from God. I gave birth to her at home (in a kiddie pool, in my bedroom). I breastfed her into toddlerhood. She has been attending church since she was born. And then I handed her over to the public school system to continue the nurturing that I started??? It doesn't seem natural.

We have always said that we will use the public school system as long as it was a good fit. Meaning: if the kids are doing well, if the environment was healthy, if they were learning what they needed to learn, etc... My boys are doing well. The high schooler has his core learning out of the way and knows how to figure things out. The 1st grader is just starting his learning career, so any method they teach him is "normal" for him. For my girl, they started to teach her one method and then over the past couple of years have changed that to the common core teaching multiple methods. It is this in-betweener age that is suffering the most with common core. Her teacher knows it. The principal and superintendent know it. But the state has accepted common core, so we are stuck with it until they see that it is not necessarily the right way.  So, it is no longer a good fit for our girl.

We are excited to continue our girl's learning at home. I have set up our schooling corner.  There is SO MUCH available online available to the school at home crowd. Not to mention the real life learning she will get opportunity to do... crocheting, sewing, baking, cooking, laundry, making out a weekly menu, price matching, grocery budgeting... the list goes on and on.

Still Real Life...

So I am still living real life, but my reality is different than it was 4 years ago. I now have a 5th year college senior. I have a 15 year old getting ready to start drivers ed in a couple months. I have a blossoming 9 year old little girl. And my sweet baby boy is a fireball 6 year old in first grade. I am a work at home mom that has the house to myself (if you don't count the adorable cocker spaniel keeping me company) 3-4 days a week when all the children are at school and the breadwinner is out... well, winning bread(?)

Some may wonder why, since all the kids are in school all day long, do I not go get a job. Well, because I don't have time for a job! No one else is gonna do my laundry, dishes, lawn mowing, floor sweeping, bill paying, and meal preparation. My children are even old enough to be home by themselves for short bursts of time. But, the joy that they and I share when they get off the bus and I greet them at the door with an after school snack, is something that is short lived. Meaning, in 12 short years, I don't get to do that anymore.  In less time than that, they won't greet me at the door with a happy grin, they will all eventually turn into teenagers. And we all know that teenagers lose their ability to smile at the drop of a hat.  So, while they still like me (part of the time anyway), I will be here for them. And I am here for my dearest hubby, who works very hard at providing a paycheck with which to pay those bills and buy those after school snacks. Someday, maybe I will enter the workforce again. But not today. Today I have littles to welcome home and dinner to prepare for my family.

Meanwhile, I try and fill in the gaps with selling my handcrafted crochet creations. Or peddle my amazing home baked pies and other goodies. Or occasionally sell items that have been outgrown, but somehow still have some usefulness left in them. I will also sometimes barter items or services with other people that my find themselves a little shy on the cash side of things. But we get by. And God provides.


And... Life. Goes. On... Real life.

Here's Real Life...

"It happens before you know it... the handprints  get higher and higher, then suddenly - they disappear."




You conceive, you patiently wait nine months (give or take), you get up at 2am to feed and diaper change, you kiss their boo boo's, you bake cookies for their class, you give advice, you scold,  you teach, you hug, you kiss, you transport to numerous sporting events, you are there when they are let down, when their hearts get broken, when their car is broken, when they just need a shoulder to cry on, and eventually, all too soon, they are grown and gone. I dropped my oldest baby off at college on Saturday and leaving him there was the hardest thing to do.  He is 7 1/2 years older than our next one, so he has become a friend.  He was our "right hand" man. He is BUBBA to our other three, which translates to hero, friend, playmate, comforter... He is SO missed right now. But that is part of life. You have babies and before you are ready those babies grow up to be men and women and you really hope that you have taught them all they need to know. But even if you feel like you weren't finished with them, God is never finished with them and will continue to shape and grow them long after they leave your nest. We will adjust to life around here without our Bubba, and in the same way he has to get used to living without his 5 other family members, and with a roommate and 6 other suite-mates. He adjusts well to change, he always has, that, among many other things is a Gift that he has been given from his Creator. So until next time... I will be trying to cut down my crying for him to only once a day or less. I will be training my younger children to do the things that he usually did. And... I. will. survive. With God's help.