Homeschool - a Good Choice (tonight)

OK, so when we decided to homeschool our children I stepped in trepidatiously. That is putting it way mildly, I was really more incredulous-dumbfounded-uncertain-terrified. I held all the same stereotypes of homeschooling families as the majority of the world. Our kids would be socially inept, unkempt, and ignorant of higher math and science if I did this, right? And besides, how would I, the least-suited teacher alive manage this task?

Nonetheless, too many people whom I deeply respect had made the decision. and gosh, I love to read and I love our extraordinary faith, so surely that would percolate through my disorganization and daily lack of patience, right? We are living in Europe, so it frees up travel days. We can drop in on Daddy at the Army Dining Hall on a day when he has worked 60+ hours and we just need him. So we jumped in.

I would say it has been about two legit years, maybe 1.5, and recently I have seen moments of why we do this. It is 2300 at night, but I am forcing myself to record this for posterity so that I can revisit the post in a weaker moment when I am exhausted and the house needs cleaning again.

If you are now hanging in here to read of my children's impressive academic accolades, reorient, because those are not the reasons that touch my heart. What does -- all three children were in my bed this morning, and there was no rush to get any of them out and dressed and anywhere. Our world was on hold while we snuzzled each other. My 3-year-old-son grabbed a dustpan and came over matter-of-factly after I had swept up a pile under the table. The one true student, is well accustomed to doing math worksheets and Biblical drawings with a 16-month-old sharing her chair and she knows she might have to look for the gel pen she needs on the floor. The 3-year-old boy genuflects when he enters a pew at Daily Mass. We can go to playgrounds on the hour before school lets out - the sun is high and we have the run of the world. Anyone else there is most likely homeschooled and we know them. I put schoolwork on hold for three days straight while an impassioned six year old embarked on her first research project without any prompting whatsoever. There were library holds, internet research and drawing that all went into her laborious efforts to produce a guinea pig care and handling book. We sing and dance Hokey Pokey several mornings a week in order to reiterate right and left and both boys come running from wherever they are in the apartment when they hear its opening bars. Warm breakfasts. Making homemade peanut butter as a part of her math curriculum. Phenomenal chapter books. Meeting kindred spirit home school moms. Getting unexpected love notes from my pupil on work she knows I am going to correct. Watching her write letters to people without being forced to (after two years of forcing her). It is great right now.

Boys have not begun yet, but we are truly rolling with Numero Uno and I am oh-so grateful to all the supporters out there.

Laying on a Little Piece of Daddy

Army Dad has been traveling a lot over the past five months. Therefore, the Army duffel bag is never really 100% unpacked. Our youngest has decided to make the most of it, and lounges on the bag like his personal baby body pillow.

In her dreams

100% her own doing.

Daddy gone for the week

not the same around here.

Blood Oranges

These lovely delicacies always emerge in the middle of winter at European grocery stores. We first ate them in Spain and then last year in Rome. They are always inexpensive and organically grown (two attributes that do not usually go hand in hand) so we love eating them while they are in season. The color of each segment varies wildly from its neighbors, from a light see-through orange to a thick crimson.

These blood oranges enchant me. And I love that they are popular in the countries of Catholicism. Countries whose ancient cathedrals favor the bloody, suffering Jesus to the sterile empty crosses of the Martin Luther churches here in Germany.

Wow, she got all that from a piece of fruit? Pretty out there.

The Beginning of our Oompa Band?

Or maybe "Oompa Loompa?"    

Move Over Steve Jobs

I thought I was so savvy when I made the rule that the only food items to which children could help themselves were those from the fruit bowl. Good gracious, these Apple Brothers are going to eat us out of house and home. This shot is 100% unposed-come-around-the-corner-and-find-it-material.