Mud Magnet

Three days.

Twelve outfits.

Five baths.

So much fun!

Adam is all boy and he LOVES to play in the mud!

I've stopped fighting it for now.

But I am praying for a drought.

Socialization

One of the main arguments many people give against homeschooling is about socialization. As Jon and I have thought, discussed, studied, prayed and discerned about our decision to homeschool, the socialization factor has been significant. Yes, we do want our children to be functioning, social, upstanding members of society. Yes, we want them to learn to behave appropriately, courteously, and morally. We feel that for our family those things will best be taught at home, through the Church, in the community, through sports programs and classes, and through various activities with other homeschool families rather than in a traditional classroom setting. Obviously this is not true for every family and we do not judge or look down on families who choose traditional schooling. There are definitely pros and cons to each different educational model. Interestingly, some homeschool families cite socialization as a primary reason FOR homeschooling. I could discuss that at length with anyone who is interested, but I'll refrain from pontificating here.

There is no way I could homeschool our boys if that meant sitting at home with them all day every day. Yes, there will be much time sitting in our little school room reading, writing, counting, and studying. But, fortunately, there are SO MANY wonderful opportunities for us to be with other families for learning, praying, playing, and celebrating. We are so blessed to be part of an awesome group of Catholic homeschooling families.

Today our group had an end-of-the-year picnic. We met at a local park and shared a pot-luck lunch. Each family got up and talked about the accomplishments their children have made during this academic year and the children received a small treat. Then one of the dads (who is an elementary school gym teacher) led the children in field games while the moms had a chance to visit with one another. It was a wonderful afternoon!

We tried to get a group shot of all the children, but it was quite a challenge! Notice Adam and his friend Ryan way over to the right, in their own world. (Ray is on the far left.)



We tried to squeeze even more children into the picture and get a better group shot. By the time that happened, check out where Adam and Ryan were..... REALLY in their own little world, where they pretended to be pigs and roll in the ONE puddle of mud that was in the whole park!



And here are some of the greatest moms I've ever met! (This group was much easier to photograph, although many of the moms boycotted the picture, not wanting to be photographed at the end of a long day at the park I guess.)



Thank you, God, for the awesome gift of friends with whom we walk on our journey to you! May we build one another up, sharing our love for you with one another and with all whom we meet each day. May we model for one another, for our children, and for others what true Christian community is meant to be. May we recognize you at work among us, binding our hearts together and empowering us to grow in virtue and zeal. Amen.

Tale of Two Boys

Same picture.
Same directions: "Color it in as nicely as you can."
Very different results, not so much in skill level as in style.
Ray colored each item in carefully.

Adam turned his into a story.

There are wires holding up the kite and laser beams and hot lava coming out of the sun and strings connecting the fish and the birds.

Adam is very into his imaginative world, including role playing and story telling and picture drawing. It's fascinating to hear what he comes up with each day.

It is so interesting to see how different they are. Thank you God for these two amazing unique boys. Help me celebrate and nurture their individuality. Help me recognize your beauty and glory in and through each of them and their distinct points of view. Amen.

Bye Bye Preschool... Hello Summer!

Today we had our last official day of homeschool preschool for this school year. Really what that means is that we won't have weekly themes and we won't gather for circle time and work time at the table during the summer. We will continue to read a lot and count and do projects, especially some science experiments.

We did make a big deal today, though, of it being Ray's last day of preschool. He is proud to tell everyone that he is now a Kindergarten student!

Here's a shot of the boys doing one of our first lessons last Fall. They were so proud of these alphabet palm trees. They are still hanging on their bedroom doors.

Today Ray and I looked through all of the written work and art work and projects that I have saved from this year of preschool. He was very proud of himself and surprised at how much work he did and how significantly he improved his coloring and drawing and writing skills. I was impressed too!

Here's the writing page he did today:Here's a picture that he drew of himself today:
Compare that to one that he drew in the Fall:
This is the project Ray picked out from his stack of work and asked me to put on the blog:
It's a good choice! We're moving through the seasons, learning together. The days can be long and tedious, but it's so awesome to see them learn and develop. I am so happy to be on this homeschool journey with them. I'm already busy planning for our next school year.

Summer Reading Program

One of the greatest resources we have here in Central Ohio is our fantastic library system. The Columbus Metropolitan Library has been named top libary in the country numerous times in recent years. We visit the library, attend library porgrams, and of course check out lots of books regularly. I know I couldn't homeschool without the help of the library.

I also have very fond memories of going to the library often as a child. My mother always took us because my dad said he had already read all of the books in the library. We always brought home his "favorites" - like Amelia Bedelia - so he could read them to us over and over again. I am so happy that my boys love the library the way I always have. Ever since they were very small we have made weekly trips to the library.

Today the library kicked off its annual summer reading program, which gives people of all ages prizes for meeting reading goals. We decided to head to the main library downtown to take part in their kick-off party. It was a great experience!

We signed up for the reading program, listened to fun music in the lobby, met Curious George, made an ice cream cone craft, checked out lots of great books, enjoyed a trail mix snack, decorated dinosaur banks, played a bean bag game, went on a little scavenger hunt, and watched a juggler. And we didn't even get to half of the activities! It was such a fun family event.

We plan to participate not only in the reading program, but also in many of the fun story times and activities being offered this summer! Let's hear it for the library!

Contentedness

I've been pondering a quote by Sally Clarkson (from Seasons of a Mother's Heart). It refers specifically to homeschooling, but I think that you could fill in any number of things (like "marriage" or "your job" or "parenting") and get the same conclusion.

Here's the quote: "The only way to make it in this homeschooling life is to reach for God instead of for happiness... Contentedness will not come from being more organized, sleeping longer, being a better wife, keeping a nicer home, using higher-quality materials, taking more time for yourself, or whatever it is you think might help. Contentedness is learned by accepting life each day as God gives it to you, and adjusting your expectations to life's limitations."

At first this quote didn't set well with me. I am an optimist and a perfectionist. I want to get things perfectly planned. I want to celebrate every occasion, complete every task, have things neat and orderly, bring to fruition every crazy idea (of which I have many). With these drives always churning in me, contentedness does not come easily.

This quote doesn't sit well with me because it challenges me. I don't want to adjust my expectations to life's limitations. I want things to work out as I plan and envision them, the way they "should be." I am learning that there is great opportunity for growth in holiness and grace and virtue every time I face life's expectations. Adjusting my expectations doesn't necessarily mean changing them. It means recognizing God's presence and plans and conforming my own plans and will to his.

I'm sure I have missed many glimpses of beauty, moments of amazement, and opportunities to learn and love by not accepting each day as God gives me.... but rather focusing fully on my own agendas. Again, this is something I am learning from my children... being present in the moment, exploring the world around me, sometimes letting go of the task or schedule at hand to experience something different that God has in store.

I do love the first sentence of the quote. I wholeheartedly believe that we must reach for God rather than happiness. We are surrounded by so many temptations and pressures to pursue "happiness." Most of them are really veiled temptations to selfishness. The key is... when you reach for God you do get happiness.... real, true, lasting happiness.... in this life as well as in the next. And reaching for God does not always/only have to do with spending lots of time doing "religious activities." It's reaching for what's true and good and pure and loving and joyful....

And so I keep extending my hand in faith to God who meets me at every crossroads, helps me take each next step. I do have doubts. I do have grand ideas and plans and agendas. But I am growing in contentedness as I place my trust in Him. Interestingly, as Jon and I have taken this "leap" into homeschooling our boys, I do feel a contentedness that I haven't felt in so long (if ever). I get nervous and worried and busy with plans, but I feel a deep contentedness knowing that we are doing what we feel is best for our boys to help them grow in wisdom, knowledge, virtue, and faith. I know that it will be difficult and sacrifices will be involved. I know that Jon and I will learn as much as we teach the boys (or more). I know that God is with us every step of the way. I feel a deep peace and contentedness for which I give thanks to God every day.

P.S. In addition to reaching for God, I also often reach for chocolate! ;) The Dove chocolate wrapper that I opened tonight had this quote inside: "It's OK to not do it all." OK God (and mom)... I hear you! Don't let anyone ever tell you God can't speak through chocolate!

Summer Fun!

Summer is definitely here in Central Ohio! It was 90 degrees by noon today!

We had a great day yesterday. After doing some yard work in the morning, we headed to opening day at the pool. One of the best features of our home is that we are three doors down from our community pool. It is so easy to just walk down and jump in! The boys love the water and are really swimming well for their ages.

In the evening we hosted a cookout for some of our friends. There were four families total.... eight parents and eight children. We had such a nice time hanging out and eating and playing in the yard. One of the families a foam rocket launcher as a birthday gift for Adam. It provided awesome entertainment!I think this is the most kids we've ever had in the sandbox!

We love having friends who are "at the same spot" in life, raising children, growing in faith together. I kept thinking, "This is what it's all about! This is what I want for our family." In addition to being really nice people, our guests were quite distinguished....

We had a birthday guy! Happy birthday Chris!
We had a newly-to-be-published author, our resident philosopher. Congrats Mike!

And my gorgeous Goddaughter, Lucy.... with her parents!

Happy Memorial Day weekend!