a touch of homesickness

i woke up this morning, and looked at instagram and facebook... looking for pictures of all our friends starting their big kindergarten year.  and since i am two hours behind them, they were posted by 7:00am.

i would lie if i said i wasn't a little on the homesick side this morning.

your kids are so cute.  they have grown so much.  especially ethan's little friends from preschool...

and i would be completely dishonest if i didn't tell you that i wasn't sad that my baby was getting the same kindergarten experience.  one similar to my own.  one that i understand...

squint and you can see our neighborhood.  kinda :)

but you see, things get to be different and more of an adventure for us.  we get to spend a year "on vacation" and we get to do school in our own way.  a way that will work for this year.  and if i wasn't doing homeschool, and we were starting kindergarten at the elementary school next week, i still think i would feel this way.  i just spent a good 15 minutes looking at the website for our elementary school we are zoned in.  it would not be the right fit.  i know it.  for a variety of reasons.  this is better for our family. 

its really weird to be in a temporary spot for an extended period of time.

its hard to be different.  you can't look at benchmark comparisons.  there is a deep life lesson embedded in this.  its so obvious it is comical.  this is better for us.

anyway.

do y'all have dealing with sand tips?  seriously...

on to my really good news.  still about school... we got in to our school.  the seemingly impossible situation.  WE GOT IN.  honestly, i view it as nothing short of a miracle.  an absolute miracle.  there are 8 or so kids in the class.  he wasn't close to the top for the wait list.  he was on the bottom.  spot number 8.  unless you have held your breath on a wait list, you can't truly appreciate how grim those numbers are.

i prayed for us to end up in the situation we needed to be in -- even if that meant i had my kids in school on different days.  even if that meant that throughout this year i never had a morning to myself.  maybe we were supposed to be in the charter school that i didn't want to be in.  maybe it was safer.  or happier.  or good in some way i had no idea about.  maybe the less impressive curriculum was actually fine.  maybe my faith was being tested.

i had moments of doubt.  i had moments of panic.  but i tried to stay upbeat.  we will be where we are supposed to be.  if it is my charter school of choice, there will be a way made.

after i found out it was official, i felt a weight lifted.

zoo photo op.  did you know the sd zoo is fantastic?  ;)

if i sound dramatic, i encourage you to think about not having a mental break from the care and education of your children.  my husband works long hours... i am fortunate to be at home with them.  but the mental warfare of not popping into a grocery store without the carseats, hand holding, please don't scream, please don't touch, no we cannot have xyz...  or have you ever been to the obgyn with your kids?  how about a haircut.

okay.

enough of my mellow drama.  we have a busy week ahead - last week of summer and a visit from my mother in law.

the above pictures are from legoland.  this was our second trip... yes, we are season pass holders.  sigh.  legoland is enchanting if you are under 8.  there are rides.  there are larger than life lego models.  it is crowded.  there are lines...  i mean, i do it for the kids.  its not terrible... but lets just say i would so much rather be at the zoo.  or the museum.  i am hoping that when school starts we can come on a friday and it won't be as crowded.  and i am praying that people are right when they say that once the races are over in del mar, traffic is improved.  because, man.  all i wanted to do after legoland was be teleported home.  not drive an hour in traffic.  mercy.

 

school stuff | park pics

this isn't going to turn into a homeschool blog.  so i am going to just insert photos from a day at balboa park.  which, ethan kept meshing with boba fett.  at first on accident, and then to be funny.  the child has been obsessed with star wars lately.  bal-boba fett park

if we talked at all last year, you probably noticed my twitching eye as i listed off my certain dilemmas surrounding school choices.  in the end, i felt like we would be best served to have ethan do a year of homeschool that was affiliated with a charter school that had a twice weekly learning center class.  the bonus:  charter schools are free.  the dilemma:  charter schools won't enroll you until you are actually a resident.  annnnd we just moved here.  and now we are on the waiting list.

this is where i ask you to pray for a miracle.  i'm being serious. :) like, there are 8 in a class.  in july, he was number 8 on the wait list.  ugh.

anyway, sister has a precious pre-school that begins after labor day.  and brother and i have already begun to work.  and because i can't do anything the easy way, i cherry picked my curriculum from several different publishers.

so, for the curious, this is what we are attempting to do.  i don't dare post my daily schedule.  it will be short lived this way.  once pre-school begins and the learning center starts up (i am being hopeful here) things will change.

first language lessons, level 1
writing with ease, level 1
ordinary parents guide to teaching reading
all about spelling, level 1
right start mathematics, level a
five in a row, volume 1
wordly wise, level k
story of the world, volume 1: ancient times
telling god's story, year 1
little pim spanish dvds
handwriting without tears
singapore math worksheets
explode the code worksheets

for science, we are talking about dinosaurs and then also utilizing the zoo, safari park, tide pools, the museum here, and the aquarium.  no formal program.  occasionally, there are science application in five in a row as well.

i am only posting this because some people have asked about it... i am fully aware that some people will disagree.  and some people will think i am downright insane.

it won't be the first time.

but i spent hours upon hours reading, researching, and thinking about what would serve ethan the best for his learning strengths, weaknesses and enjoyment.

do you remember the feeling you had as a new mom, or a mom to be, when you realized just how vast the baby product world is?  that there is an entire long aisle devoted to bottles and nipples.  that they are all different and special and "the best" at whatever?  well.  that is like the homeschool world.  vast.  horrifyingly complex.  chock full of opinions and passion.  different styles.  some pitted against each other like the middle east religions.  i am serious.

whoa.

anyway, if you want, i can occasionally update this space with the homeschool stuff.

because we are homeschoolers now.  i would have sworn with all my soul that those words would never be uttered by me.  and now look at us.

and don't these pictures make you want to go to balboa park?  i mean.  enchanting.  we watched the free outdoor organ concert, watched caterpillars eat and hang and emerge from their cocoons as butterflies, and hiked amongst giant palm trees.  and climbed trees with dad.  and enjoyed the koi.  i could go on and on... 


      

long time no post

i swore i would never abandon this blog... and then... this last year happened.  the past year of living in fort worth was rich, and full, and savory...  my precious friends made sure to love on me enough to make it last through this coming year.

and now we are here.

and its not a bad place to be.  and it is good for my soul to know change.  its good for me to practice dealing with change with a graceful and grateful heart.  it is good to pray for strength and courage rather than ease.

it is good to be in a beautiful place.  stay tuned.  i'm back :) like, i am already writing the next post...

and i am trying.  trying so hard to tote the big camera along.  and then hopefully, when the new iphone comes out, i will get it! so then my iphone pics will be a bit better as well...  and then i will feel like i can post more photos... you should follow me on instagram too... i have been a bit more present there...