Something to Clear Up....

When we saw our home before we purchased it the previous owners had already moved out. We saw it completely empty and assumed the obvious nature of the rooms. There were two spaces that bothered me. On the open concept main floor there is a looooong living room. On one side it is open to the island and bar, the other end is a half wall separating the entry way and the other end has a window. It was difficult to organize our living room furniture in but I thought we made it work. The other problem area was the dinette, the open area of the kitchen for the dining table. It is not a huge area so the table took up the whole space and blocked the patio door to the deck.

When our house was for sale our agent asked if there was any way we could stage the living/dining area with a table to define area's more clearly...huh? Living room/DINING room? We have a dining room???? I couldn't imagine the space that way after using the long room only as a living room. We bought a small table for the dinette this weekend and moved the dining set into the "dining area" sure enough the whole space made sense...finally! After four years of living in our house, we found our dining room! (Yes. We feel dumb.)

Mini Kung Fu Master

Jacob LOVES Daddy's kung fu weapons. Whenever he sees Jon's bag he toddles over as fast as he can to get his fat little hands on them. I am sure in 5 short years he will be already well rehearsed before he gets his white belt!

Play

At three and a half Ben's play has evolved from banging blocks and throwing balls around to intricate scenes and story lines. He will immerse himself in a forest village for the morning, pause for a picnic lunch with his monkey and rabbit and then fight fires (notice the high heeled foot peddles on his fire engine...)build a car wash from a kitchen chair and fly to the moon in his cardboard rocket ship and bucket helmet for the afternoon.
I am in awe of that little boy with the great big imagination. Truly he has inspired me... and yes, that is a hint of an announcement...

Not a Surprise...

It is not a surprise that Jacob's favorite activity when he is not eating, is to be pretending to do so...while he awaits the sympathy of someone who believes he is as starving as he pretends to be and feeds him his 16th meal of the morning.

Facepaint!

Oh the Joys of face paint... we learned the hard way that if you let your three year old monster sleep with it on his face because he acted like washing it off at the end of the day was near torture it won't come off for 2 more full days...

Home's Cool

Why we have decided to home school our children...

1-leisurely mornings.
2-Plenty of park play.
3-Individualized education plans .
4-lots of time to develop personal interests, goals and hobbies.
5-Opportunity through cub scouts, primary, home school groups, clubs and lessons for positive socialization and to build friendships.
6-Lots of time available to spend on religious studies and character building.
7-Freed time for service work.
8- Museums.
9-Snow days...in May...
10-Warm lunches.
11-Vacations and overnight trips during the week!
12-More time as a family
13-Unit studies that end with parties, or trips (space center?! France?! The Beech?!...)
14-We can know how our children are growing, developing and how to help them specifically in whatever areas they need a boost in.
15- Lots of active time for busy boys
16-There are no nuts at our "school".
17- There are no bad grades, only extra time to learn in.
18- Puzzles...
19- Science experiments...
20-Building projects...
21-Daddy days...
22-Lounge around in our pajamas and make cookies days...
23- Books...
24- Books...
25-...Books...
26- Did I mention the books I can't wait to read with them???
27- Opportunities for Mommy and Daddy to learn about new things along side our children.
28-Because Daddy can do Math and Mommy can do English...
29-We will get to know our children on a deeper level as we watch them develop daily into the men we are so proud to know they will be.
30- Because I am blessed to be able to stay at home and be a full time Mother.
31- And I have the desire to educate them in the way that would be best for each child uniquely.
32- Because Daddy is so smart and can teach them so much.
33- They can spend the largest part of their day with someone who loves them, delights in them, cares for them, protects them, hugs them, kisses them, talks with them, hears them, adores them, wants so much for them, will do whatever it takes for them.
34-because that will matter to them...
35- In their self esteem, their self confidence and their self worth.
36- They will have more chances to succeed.
37- And opportunities to work harder.
38- They can listen to the music they want to.
39- Study in the way that best suits them.
40- learn about things that interest them NOW.
41- They can come back to something if the time isn't right now.
42- I won't "fail" them.
43- They will have the highest of expectations on them.
44- Every opportunity in front of them.
45- And the tools they need to get there.
46- More time to PLAY.
47- They can be free to be themselves.
48- They can learn to manage their day
49- And be responsible for what they accomplish in it.
50- They can save the tougher lessons of life for later
51- When they can stand firm in who they are
52- And be unwavering when faced with difficult choices.
53- They can develop a closer relationship as Brothers.
54a- Because we know home schooled children who are extroverted, leaders, intelligent and fit in just fine wherever they go.
+
54b-We know kids that attend public school who are a little unusual, don't make friends easily and are difficult to relate to.
=
55- So we are confident that it is not educating children at home that makes them "weird and unsocial".
56- Jon and I have attended public and private formal schooling for a combined total of 34 years. I think we might know a thing or two about a thing or two that we could pass on.
57- Because after being educated at home for one and three years, respectively we have two amazing, bright, funny, polite, respectful children who love to learn, soak up knowledge and are doing wonderfully. Right here.
58- So we don't want to fix what isn't broken.
59- We want to do this because it is right for us.
60- Because we understand and agree that it isn't right for many other families
61- And not a choice that everyone can or wants to make for their children.
62- Because lots of people think we are crazy
63- and we agree.
64- But more than anything we are excited!

So there! Now our plans have been revealed (this isn't new, we talked about this on our honeymoon...before any babies...but have just grown more certain as the years have gone by and the babies are here!). Maybe one day the principal will find two wide eyes little boys sitting outside his office with a Mother who has only left a trail of smoke behind her as she floored it to the day spa and then to the padded room, in that order. But for now, for this year, this feels really right.
I wanted to announce this in a sense because this space is going to fill up quickly with our adventures and come September my "8" loyal followers may wonder "hey shouldn't that kid be in school?!" Well...now you know, don't call the truancy officer just yet but registration day came and went at the old kindergarten...I did not join all the other teary eyed Moms but I did join 2 home school groups locally and was amazed at the amount of families who are doing the same...I also went and looked at curriculum. That stuff is addictive! I can't decide what to use yet... I am torn between...20. Hmmmm I wonder if Jon will agree to get a laminator...and a photocopier..and a Cricut...

Buds

Ben and Jacob are playing better and better each day. It makes me so happy to see them loving one another so much. Granted it usually ends with Jacob in tears because Ben just wants to wrestle with him sooooo badly.

I have a feeling one of these days our little marathon eater (I think he is up to,what? 17 meals a day now?) is going to trump him in size and Ben is going to wish he did not teach him the joy of lunging yourself on top of someone half your size...