God knows what He's doing, even if we don't.

Many times lately I've been SO baby hungry.  Seems like EVERYONE is pregnant, just had a baby or is trying.  Every time with out fail I get this feeling.  It says," Not yet, but soon".  I can't tell you how long this has been going on.  Over a year now probably.  Now that I know part of the reason is because of starting up homeschooling with the boys.  I feel that God knew it would be just one too much, too much for me to change our way of EVERYTHING with a little one around or being pregnant.  For now, it will stay my 3 until I get an okay from Him.  It's still hard to wait but now I know the reason why and it makes it a lot easier.  Not to mention I know God felt what I was feeling, He is my Father.  I know I didn't make it easy wishing and being upset by the fact I had to wait, when He had so much bigger plans for me AND my kids.  It wasn't a no never, it was just wait.  It will come soon enough.  In reality I was a little kid throwing a fit in the store for one piece of candy when I had a surprise birthday party at home waiting for me.  He knows what He's doing.  Some times we just need to listen.  Even if it's not what we want to hear because he has something bigger and exactly what we need right around the corner.

Telling the family.

Then there comes the time to tell the parents you are pulling their grandchildren from public school.  My parents are pretty much anti-home school.  Mostly due to the fact that almost everyone we have know haven't been the best example of home schooling.  Of course, I'm sure that is not the norm for home schooling!  The best response I got was if you can do it, it could be great.  Umm..yeah.  Thanks.  The response I was really surprised by, my wonderful SILs and my MIL.  All three are EXCITED and helpful about it all.  I was really shocked that they were 100% behind me and I didn't even have to explain it to them at all.  First and for most, this is for my kids, they need this and

   Sunday went really well!  The kids wanted to read, read, read.  Then they wanted to do a sedimentary rock class as well.  Way to sneak some science in there, right?!  LOL.  I have about half their curriculum as well.  Which I'm really excited about.  Who knew you could buy most of it used for pretty cheap, and that Amazon carries some of it?!  Very exciting.  I love that my kids want to learn like they do and that they LOVE books and reading.  One of them was really upset that they didn't get to do a science experiment day before yesterday.  We had to squeeze that in yesterday and someone else went to bed crying because they wanted a math game.  Yes I know they were stalling and we will play it today.  :D  All in all, they WANT to learn.  They LOVE it.  I'm really proud of my little smarties.  He he.we will do whatever we need for them to get the best education and a safe place to learn. 

Practice home school day!

Today was the first day "practice" teaching my whole lessons to the little two.  It was great!  They loved it.  We got up and drove C to school, then came home to play with play dough for art time.  Then we went on and did our addition math game with the froggies.  A hit again for BOTH of them!  We had to do it a few times of course.  Then we did patterns with legos.  Which after a bit ended up being the huge TOWER of pattern legos.  It was taller than N!  Then it was lunch time already.  The most exciting part of the day for me was when N started adding with carrots and then subtracting with them too.  I love that I've taught him something already and he's working on it by himself and it's a game and FUN.  I don't remember school being a ton of fun, even thought I did/do love to learn.  Yesterday was a huge break through with reading that book.  It's really taught me how to work with N.  He was able to do his reading lesson, so much so that I snuck two in and he didn't end notice.  :D  Off to Costco after that for eggs and milk, not such a great time but they were selling BOB books.  (BOB books are a good resource to help your children learn to read.)  I was ecstatic.  LOL.  So we came home and read about 5 or 6 of them and now it's nap time.  I know I'm taking longer to get things done than a normal home schooling Mom and I'm sure it's because I don't really know how to condense the lessons yet or make them faster.  But they love it how it's going and I'm sure that we'll be reading more books tonight as well.  They just LOVE books.  Honestly if that would be all I could teach them, I'd be happy with just that.  I'm so grateful for this opportunity to teach my kids in such a fun and exciting way.  I'll be praying God gives me the strength to keep it interesting for them and teach them everything they need to learn.  Who knew you could have your kid learn addition with hopping up and down?!  We did that a little bit today too.  So long as everything seems like a game, N will do it and want to do more.  Thank goodness for the library and people who are in similar situations to mine and that they can WRITE!  LOL.  I KNOW I can't.  But this is a journal of our journey, and it's something I know I'll look back on later and be grateful that I did it.  I'm pooped!  Time to go read more books and learn better how to teach my children. 

Today started off EARLY, and by early I mean before 6am.  So I got everyone up and showered, we drove C to school.  He LOVES when we drive him.  It makes his day just that much easier not having to worry about one more thing. 
   After that.....the day went down hill...FAST!  I had some errands to run and only 2 kids.  Piece of cake right?!   HA HA.  Joke was on me.  Apparently it was run away from Mom day, in the parking lot or the store.  Thankfully it was a fast trip.  4 stores in about an hour. 

   Unfortunately N decided that he wasn't done being insane for the day and I really thought I'd blow a gasket.  Then...E decided to cut her hair while I was disciplining N.  That was about all I could take and once I started crying so did everyone else.  Then the best thing that happened all day happened.  It's a magical thing I call NAP TIME!  :D
    With everyone napping safely, I went to my room.  I'm sure everyone has those days.  Thankfully they are few and far between for me.  I know God has a lot more to do in people's daily lives than anyone ever thinks.  Because a few days ago I found a book on line and asked for it at the library.  It was waiting for me in my room.  It has EXACTLY what I needed to hear in it at that right moment to help me with my crazy boy and know how to deal with him.  (I never believed in ADHD until I had two boys with it.  The second one is a lot worse than the first and again God knows what he's doing, sending me one and having me decide to home school right before the second went in! ) The book was called how to get your child off the refrigerator and into learning I think.  Amazing for someone like me!  She  said how some kids don't realise WHERE they are, what they are doing, and that you have to find the right "key" to help them learn. 
     After he got up from his nap Daddy took him to the gym.  I thought about what she said while I did some pre-K with E and the new hair cut.  She is amazing, very patient and lets me cuddle with her and just read to her.  Girls are amazing.  I decided N would play a math game that I found today and he LOVED it.  He was adding with out it feeling like a lesson and asked if we could play it first thing the next morning too!  It's amazing.  The day may have started horribly but it ended with me understanding where to go with teaching N and how to make the days work better for us.  I'm sure I'll have more of those days, but hopefully with out the melt down before the answers come in.

This is a journey.

   I remember going to school and how much I LOVED learning, but then again how mean other kids were to me.  Those two things are so intertwined in my head, I can't remember my favorite teachers with out those kids on the playground popping up in my head.  Now, here I am with a kid who is almost 7 and going through the same thing.
   But it's not quiet the same thing.  He has ADHD and is SO SWEET. He has this amazing personality that just makes you love him.  Which is why I don't understand.  School is already sometimes hard for him and then pile the bullying on top.  Even with the best teacher and some great friends, I have no clue how he gets up in the morning wanting to go!  I think the straw was last week, he came home with gum in his hair from a kid who is always picking on him AND the school told me they'd tell me in July if he'd get ANY extra help in school.  Mind you, we've been trying all year to get them to help with him as school since I can't be in there with him.  SO....
     Now we're on to the next thing, and why we're onto this road, the less traveled.  We will be going into home school.  Is it an easy answer for us.  No, not by a long shot.  It came with prayer and trusting that God gave me a wonderfully amazing and loving little boy, who I want to STAY that way.  I don't want him to be me, I want him to be BETTER.  Stay who he is and not have to build up walls to keep himself safe.  He will be able to stay true to who he is and be able to get the education he deserves.  That is what I want for him.
    At first I was excited thinking of all the things we could do.  Field trips once a month, Spanish at home, cooking lessons, waking up a bit later.  ;)  All these things really appealed to me.  We actually already started the Spanish and he's asking for more "extra" work everyday, even thought school hasn't ended yet.  Then I kept looking and got overwhelmed.  There's so much to do!  Paper to file and send off, and tests at the end of the year, figuring out where to buy or get a curriculum for EACH subject.  There are tons of places to look.  Some is better than others and some costs a lot more than I thought possible.  It was a lot.  Over the last week I've read more on home schooling than I ever knew existed.  I'm just grateful that there is this much information out there to help people.  Now we're a little more settled at least for him, then onto finding my almost 5 year old's for kindergarten.  Thankfully I have the almost 3 year old's already.  :D  Everyone wants what's best for their children, and this is what's best for mine. 
     Hopefully it will make all the difference. 

Our road...

My whole life I knew I wanted kids, that I wanted to do the best for them and that I'd love them.  This is my road with my kids and more of a journal than anything.  It's mostly a reminder for me, for when they are older of our road that we have traveled on together.