Alex Will Go to School Afterall

We are all settling in nicely. Even the cats are enjoying themselves by the looks of it. They caught themselves a nice little mouse-- good kitties. Wish I could post pictures but the hard drive on the computer is full until John can find time to free up some space. I went and enrolled the kids down at the school district office including Alex. I know, I know, I was set to begin homeschooling him but after alot of consideration and the amount of Resource Specialist help, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy he needs, I worried about being able to meet his needs at this point. Besides, I just found out that the services would not be provided locally which would make juggling our family schedule nearly impossible. I figured that if the local school had room for him on the day that I went to enroll the children then I would go ahead and enroll him in 1/2 day kindergarten. Sure enough, they had room. And with it being only 1/2 day kindergarten he will still get extra time at home. I wasn't sure how to feel about the change of events-- sad, relieved, somewhat of a failure-- instead I am choosing to feel thankful that he will get all the help he needs while still being close by with his hours in school shortened. In a few months I am going to reconsider homeschooling him on my own without a charter so that I could continue to get him services through our local school rather than driving 50 miles twice a week each way. In the long run, this will be so much better for everyone-- two hours of driving twice a week while wondering what to do with Dennis, Jonathan, and Rachel while Alex meets with his teachers would have gotten old very fast.

Tonight we visited a new church! It has been a long time since we attended a Saturday night worship service.

P.S. Here is a music video made by one boy who was adopted by a family along with many other boys. What a story this boy has! Inspiring to say the least!

Just In Case You Were Wondering...

We made it here okay. It is nearly midnight and I can't sleep-- and so I will blog a short update.

I picked up the U-Haul trucks on Tuesday and we had one of them fully loaded by that night. The next morning we loaded the other one plus our three vehicles and left our old home by 11:30 late morning. But not before I clogged our new vacuum with a wad of paper towels as I was trying to clean the bottom of the fridge. I sat down on the tile floor with my Mom and two daughters and almost had a meltdown. Thankfully my Mom got out the screw driver and went to work taking it apart. As we prepared to take off, John couldn't find the truck keys, the kids could not find the cats, and I calculated that we have at least one more truck load of stuff to get on the next trip. But aren't all moves bound to have some unforgettable bumps in the road?

Anyway, we caravaned down, stopped in Bakersfield for lunch and arrived at our new home around four o'clock. I know God was guiding us because we managed to miss all traffic related things for smooth sailing the whole trip. We all worked ourselves to death unloading the first 26 foot truck before calling it a night. This morning we unloaded the second truck and spent the rest of the day unpacking and putting together furniture.

I must say that our new home feels huge! We still get lost upstairs-- no joke-- but for our family the home could not be more perfect! The kitchen has tons of storage, my van will fit in the garage, there are way less flies than were we used to live, and the area is very quiet at night with no hint of traffic noise. We absolutely love it so far! Well... maybe except for living out in what feels like the middle of nowhere where it takes at least half an hour to run and get a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk, but I will get used to that.

I think it is safe to say that we are officially moved in! Thanks Mom, Mom, Dad, and Pastor Sam for helping make this move possible! We couldn't have done it without you!

It Feels Like the Big Day

Today is already in full swing. So much going on that I don't have time to think straight. I guess that is a good thing. Many people have offered to help-- what a huge blessing!

This is really happening. Tomorrow is the big day!

See you on the other side!

Just A Little

We just had lunch and I was putting Dennis down for a nap when he asked me how little it would be. This little I showed him with my thumb and index finger and he smiled and copied me back. I plopped on the bed next to him and excitedly told him in just two days we would be moving! I expected him to get all excited but instead he began crying really sadly. My heart broke for him until I realized that he had no clue what that really meant. "Oh Dennis, don't worry, we will all be moving together. And your shoes will come, and the doggies, and the doggy house, and our beds, and your toothbrush, and our bike, and your toys, and your cars, and all our books, and your Pull-Ups, and our tv, and everything else in this house! And we will all go in the van together and drive down as a family and two big trucks will carry all of our stuff-- okay?"

"Okay Mom, that be great!"

I kissed his cheek and reminded him to take his nap now.

"Mom, Mom," he tapped my arm, "Just a little nap?"

"Yes Dennis, just a little nap."

P.S. Here is a short video of the house all finished except for the carpet.

Just a Few More Days

It is not like me not to cry. Especially now. I have felt a heavy burden on my heart watching my kids say goodbye to their friends. Hearing their stories have made me realize once more just how good we have it here. To Adam's surprise, his math class had a going away pizza party. The kids' principal went around to each of their classrooms to personally tell them goodbye. Sveta's RSP teacher bought her class donuts for breakfast and all my kids came home with either presents, letters, or phone numbers and addresses having made the promise to keep in touch. We got together with our small group, the kids had many of their friends over for the last time, and we began to seriously pack like never before.

This is really happening. And though I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes throughout the day, I am trying to stay strong. I know that we have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to, but this move has brought on an incredible sense of loss too-- one that is hard to put into words.

Have you ever heard the saying-- You don't know what you've got till its gone? Well I am feeling that right about now. How do I deal with the grief of moving away from here and balance it with the joy of our fresh, new beginning? How do I stay strong for the kids, but empathize with their own feelings of loss? They all seem very excited now that we are actually moving but I know they will miss their friends. For a few of them, I don't think the realization that we are leaving this town has sunk in yet. The anticipation of the big day has got them all bouncing off the walls-- I pray that they fall in love with their new home and make new friends just as fast as they did here. That would be wonderful.

Tuesday I pick up the moving trucks before John comes home and Wednesday we will move. What a week it is going to be! I have a feeling I won't be able to hold the tears back for much longer. Oh Lord please help me to keep it together. Why does moving have to be such a stressful and emotional time?

Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup Recipe Wannabe

This soup at Olive Garden is absolutely wonderful! I found a copycat recipe on the Internet and made a few simple changes-- and it turned out just as delicious-- at least I think so! Dennis also happens to love it too!

If I make it over again, I will probably add tortellini instead of potato gnocchi because they resembled lumps of raw dough in the soup which none of us particularly cared for.

I even made homemade bread sticks with a Parmesan, garlic butter painted across the top and cooked to a golden brown. Bridgeford dough rocks!

What to Do About Dirty Laundry

We never planned it this way. Honest. It just so happens that right now we have four 12 year olds. Hard to imagine next year when they are all thirteen year olds!

And let's not forget Sveta and Rachel who are thirteen and fourteen.

Rarely do we we get a decent picture on the first take. There are always a few caught off guard. :)

I love these girls with all my heart though they are driving me insane at the moment. I think of each of them as mature, responsible, young women so when they do childish things it drives me nuts. I realize that I have to just chill, but honestly I do not know how to do that. I think it means that I should pick my battles-- but which ones? Is it too much to expect the girls to bring up their dirty laundry each morning so I could wash it while they are at school? Or should I let it pile up or better yet make them do their own laundry? It is not possible for each one to do mini-loads of their own clothing and forget them working together to get it done if they can't even work together and take turns bringing up the laundry so what is a Mom to do?

This is the most current issue as of this morning going on and I feel that I did not handle it well. I made them bag up the dirty clothes that sat for three days even after me yelling a reminder every evening for them to bring up their dirty laundry. So now they cannot wear those clothes since they are not being washed until we move. I also told them they have to wear the same clothes again since they obviously don't mind dirty clothes sitting around.

If you were me, what would you do? I am open to suggestions because I do not feel that my way is working with them. I want to learn to be a better Mom and if I expect them to change, I need to be the example by being willing to change myself.

The Last Day

This morning was not a smooth one. Ever have one of those? I bet at least one of the neighbors heard me. Big sigh. I'll leave it at that. Today is the kids' last day except for Adam and Caleb who want their last day to be on Monday. I am sure this played a huge part this morning. I'm off to the schools to pay up on any outstanding lunch accounts and get current report cards. John will be home this afternoon and then our whole family is getting together with our small group from church for dinner. Should be fun. :)

Sunflowery Day at the Pumpkin Patch!

What a perfect day to go to the pumpkin patch. Being so busy and all I almost didn't take Dennis but I knew how much he wanted to ride the school bus. All he could talk about was the bus. We ride that bus. I go big bus like everybody. Where is the bus? That bus? Hold my hand on the bus-- kay? It was so cute.

So I guess you can say the pumpkin patch was the icing on the cake. It would have been fine with Dennis to just drive around for a little while and then get dropped back off at school. LOL-- but like I said, the pumpkin patch was an added bonus.

Dennis wanted me to take lots of pictures of him and I wanted to take lots of pictures so there was no fussing about me asking him to say Cheese!

The sunflowers were so beautiful!

I am not sure if you could see, but bees were busy buzzing around the flowers.

The children were allowed to pick out a medium sized pumpkin. It was hard for Dennis to choose. He wanted one with a handle and one that he could carry. All I wanted was for him to choose a white one. Finally it came down to me telling him to pick between two.

He was going to pick the orange one but it was too heavy so he chose the white one! At least I took a picture of him holding the orange one. :)

Right before we headed back to school I saw this inching its way across the grass. What a fuzzy, little caterpillar.

I enjoyed all the colors of fall so much that I think we might try and plant our own pumpkins next year!

Leave your Shoes at the Door Please

It looks like the construction is almost done! Yeah! You can see the progress here. Now we are just waiting for painting, the stair rail, and the carpet! John has also been busy putting together shoe bins for our entry way. We are hoping to become a "no shoes in the house" family and we needed a place for all the kids to store them near the front door when they first walk in.

Now I am off to the pumpkin patch with my little pumpkin!

Let's Talk About the Boys

I am so proud of my boys--- and yet I am certain that I do not show it enough to them. I feel like I am stuck in the everyday rut of taking care of business that I am forgetting to stop and enjoy the little things. This can quickly suck the joy out of your life-- believe me I know. And so I am going to try and reclaim some of that joy today.

This little boy is such a joy. Many times I fail to see it though. He has taught me so much and in the process I have become resistant to the changes. Go back to the beginning. When I first met him I only saw his smile and felt the burden to make sure he was taken care of no matter what. I didn't realize all the challenges of raising him until he was home. Now that he is my son and I have gotten to know him-- really know him-- those challenges are even greater than I first thought. He not only has physical challenges but I also think that he is cognitively delayed. This has been hard for me to accept because it has changed things significantly.

I realize that I have so much more to learn. I see that I lack the compassion that my son deserves. I know that I constantly expect so much of him that I may be robbing him of his fun childhood. Now granted I am stretching things-- but this sits so heavy on my heart that I cannot take it lightly. Like I said-- I have so much to learn.

And that is why I am resistant to the change. Learning new things is hard. Change is hard. I proudly thought that adopting Alex showed that I had more than enough compassion-- and God has humbly reminded me that I still have so far to go. And that is hard for me.

Thankfully I feel God is looking out for me and is always one step ahead of the game. He sees where I fall short and he opens doors that I need to trust and just walk through. Homeschooling is the door I am talking about. Though I was so hesitant before-- I am so ready to begin this new journey with my son. I am so ready for him to get out of all day kindergarten and replace the time with playing with Dennis. I am so ready for him to stop the rat race of keeping up with his peers and begin excelling at his own pace. I am ready to be a part of his triumphs and allow God to work in my life through my son.

Oh sweet Alex, I want to be the mother to you that you deserve-- just be patient-- please.


Paul is my newest son. He too has taught me so much. I was nervous when we agreed to adopt him because he was after all, an almost ten year old boy. I assumed so much about him-- and again I was so terribly wrong. I pictured a hardened, rough boy and instead I got a boy with a sweet and gentle spirit. He is very much a follower, he is incredibly artistic, and he loves to wear shirts with big elephants on them. He does hit when another child has wronged him, but he is not aggressive by nature. He struggles with schoolwork, but he is smart enough to use his bracelets on his wrists to do his addition problems. Things are coming very slow with him and I realize that I just have to say-- that is okay. Because it is. It is okay that he is not at grade level. It is okay that it takes him longer to do his homework than the other kids. It is okay that his pace of learning is slower than other kids his age. It is okay. He has just been home nearly four months and he is adjusting beautifully. I have to remind myself that that is more important than schoolwork right now. See-- I have so much to remember, so much to learn-- I am still a work in progress myself.


Jonathan is at an age where Alex and Dennis are a little too young to play with socially and his older brothers are a little too mature for him. I see this dilemma and it makes my heart feel the pangs of childhood growing up. I love Jonny and his goofy attempts to fit in but it often results in Jonny either upsetting the little boys for being too rough or doing inappropriate things to try and impress his older brothers.

Take this tote bag. Jonny began drawing on his tote bag this morning and soon his brothers were drawing on theirs. Andrew's robot was getting more attention and so Jonathan quickly thought to add a penis to his robot-- which in turn-- got alot of attention. Seemed like a good idea to a seven year old.

It was brought to my attention as the kids were walking out to the bus and when Jonny quietly admitted that it was indeed a penis that he drew on his robot, I didn't feel it was appropriate for me to come down too hard. I simply asked him if he wanted to carry around this tote for everyone to see and I told him that I thought it should be thrown away. He said he never planned to use the tote bag and so problem solved.

Still, I wonder what kind of Mom I am if my seven year old son is drawing robots with extra body parts. One would think he would know better. I wonder if the sons of other good Moms ever draw extra body parts on their robots.

P.S. The move is being moved out to Wednesday. So Wednesday is the big day. I hope.

A Roundhouse Kick

John called me first thing this morning to tell me that not only might the stair rail not be done but that there is a chance that the carpet will not arrive in time to install before this Saturday. This would in turn delay the clean up which our woman contractor knows is very important to me-- ultimately pushing out the completion date into next week.

To say we are bummed would be an understatement. The kids are pretty disappointed too. Big sigh. I knew that this could happen but we all felt pretty confident that everything would get done by Friday and so we planned for the move to be this weekend.

Now we are thinking of pushing it out until next weekend. For so many reasons this is a good idea but for just as many reasons it is not.

I'm trying not to focus too much on it because it is what it is. In the grand scheme of things what difference does one more week make? This is definitely an opportunity for me to practice trusting God's perfect timing.

On a side note, I was joking around with Adam and Caleb and one of them said or did something that made me think of one of my all time favorite lines from the movie Napoleon Dynamite.

"Do you think anyone wants a round house kick to the face while I am wearing these bad boys?"

I love it!

This little boy is named Owen. When I first saw his picture, my heart was touched. My daughter Sveta who has said on numerous occasions that she doesn't want to have kids, fell head over heels in love. "O Mom, he is so nice. I want him. Please let us adopt him. If you don't I will when I grow up."

Oh, how I wish it was that easy. For so many reasons none of which have to do with his medical condition, we cannot adopt Owen, and so I will advocate for him. Honestly, when I first found out about him a few months back, I did not think he would live for very long and so I didn't want to push finding a family only to find out that he had passed away.

Well, this little guy definitely is a fighter and so very deserving of a family. Here is an updated picture of him.

This picture touches my heart even more--- I just want to pick him up and love on him and make him smile.

Please, please, please consider adopting this precious seventeen month old little boy. To find out more visit Reece's Rainbow.

Did You Know That...

those online promotion discount codes really work. I just got 10% off at Hayneedle.com and managed to find a $5 off coupon for Sears?

even when I make a grocery list I still manage to forget something?

I took a full year of piano with my son William and I pretty much forgot everything I learned?

I have fond memories of playing Oregon Trail in grade school and wonder if my kids would like it too?

we listened to the first 40 minutes of Jonathan Park's Adventure series?

I had made the decision to stop buying paper plates about a week ago and ended up buying two packs at the store today so that I could pack up our dinnerware?

Anastasia combed my hair and rubbed both my feet-- just out of the blue?

Dennis has learned the phrase, "You are the meanest Mom ever."?

it was me who tracked in dog poop on the tile today and Dennis who spotted it out and pointed, "What is that Mom?"

Caleb is sneaking a spoonful of ice cream as I type this?

Moving and Parenting Challenges

The days are going by fast. We are counting the days down until we move. Six more counting today. It's not because we can't wait to get out of dodge, but more because living apart is taking its toll. It has only been about two months since John began his new job down south but it feels like so much longer. The main thing though, is that we have made it through and now there are only six more days before we spend our last night here in this old home.

We feel fairly confident that the construction will be done on Friday-- if not we will have to make do. The texturing is done and painting and carpentry work is set to begin. The one thing we may be waiting on down to the last minute is the stair rail. If it doesn't come we will just have to figure something out because we can't put off moving another day. We reserved two big U-Haul trucks, and have been blessed with friends and family who are willing to help us move this weekend-- so like I said-- we are coming no matter what!

We have gotten together with friends for food and fellowship and will do that three more times this week. Last minute cups of coffee, birthday parties, and barbecues are nice distractions from the business of moving. We went to church here for the last time yesterday and we were blessed in prayer from the whole congregation. Since Adam has been involved nearly three Sundays a month for the last two years in the worship band they gave him a gift of thanks-- something that I know will stick with Adam forever. He didn't expect it since he got so much out of participating in the worship band-- but to be recognized for his faithfulness in ministry I know cemented his calling to get involved in our new church too. Thanks to everyone who played a key part in that.

Parenting has been challenging these last few weeks as we battle worldly influences. You don't know how many times I have felt like letting everything go for the sake of peace and harmony-- but I stuck it out. God never promised everything would be peaceful and easy. When John went to the store yesterday with at least ten of the kids-- that crazy guy-- I sat down with my one daughter and had a good heart to heart. So much needed to be said-- we had gotten to the point where almost anything either of us did felt as if it was to purposefully get under the skin of the other. I told her that even though a huge part of me wanted to let many things slide for the sake of avoiding confrontation-- like her attitude towards retaining things she has learned in school, her preoccupation with her looks and clothing, her knack at being lovey-dovey when she wants something from me when a second later she can push me away with her words when she doesn't want what I have to offer... the list could go on but my focus was to get her to understand that I am her mother and that even though it looks like I have the easier job of the two of us-- I struggle just as much as her if not more.

I gave the example of us moving. I went through the list of all the reasons why I felt this move was already hard on her and she looked surprised that I could possibly understand. I reminded her that she was only thinking of herself and look how hard it was on her. Now I told her to pretend to be me. Not only am I dealing with my own feelings about moving but I am dealing with hers, and hers, and hers, and his, and his....

I asked her if she would prefer to switch roles with me. She got the point. Or at least I think she did.

We talked some more and eventually got to a point where both of us let our guards down. No more fighting misunderstandings. No more walls of defense up. I want us to focus on getting closer-- not growing further apart. I want to see her continue to blossom, not wither. I want to see her inner beauty radiate around her as we both work on fruits of the spirit like gentleness, patience, self-control, and peace. The point in all of this is that she is my daughter and I am her mother. Plain and simple. We do not get more do-overs. God has brought us together as a family and what we make of it is our own choosing. And I told her that even though I may fail her miserably at times-- I still choose love. I still choose family. I still choose her.

I gently reminded her that I thought she was responsible and mature enough to get that.

She appreciated that.

Almost Finished

The home construction is moving right along. It is right on schedule to be finished next Friday. Everything has been sheet rocked and I think taping went on today. I am very excited to see the progress.

Like Dandelion Dust

John heard about this movie on one of his drives down to work. He was so interested that he called me and invited me out on a date. Crazy me declined. In the midst of our busy lives I had decided that time for the two of us just wasn't that important. Thankfully, two weeks later he convinced me that we should go and see it-- so with a cozy blanket in hand we caught an evening showing of Like Dandelion Dust.

The movie was awesome. We both cried-- we both felt for each sets of parents-- we both were not sure how it would turn out. Did I say the movie was awesome? Some years ago, I heard Karen Kingsbury speak at our old church. I was moved by her adoption story of her sons. I am pretty sure she planted a seed-- what do you think?

Anyway, here is the trailer.

Celebrating For the First Time

Last night we celebrated Anastasia's birthday. Mom, Mom, and Matt also happen to have October birthdays too so it was one big celebration!

We hung out at home until our reservations. Marie Callender's is one of the few places that lets us phone ahead which makes it an ideal place for our size party. Since we all took four cars and some of the kids rode with other family members, we didn't get an immediate head count in the van. As I was slowly driving away, I looked in the rear view mirror to make sure everyone was there and that is when I saw Caleb chasing after us. I backed up to the house as three more kids climbed into the van. Embarrassed and angry at myself for letting this happen I tried to see the funny side of it. Ha ha--- maybe in a few years. At least we never left the cul-de-sac.
Needless to say we were the last of the party to get to the restaurant. Not a big deal.
Once we were all there we began ordering. Many of the kids got the all-you-can-eat salad bar. Paul got the Thanksgiving dinner only to find out he didn't like stuffing or their mashed potatoes. Adam of course got the pot pie!

Anastasia had fun making her salad!

After we took a picture with the birthday girl, we made our rounds and took pictures with everyone else.

Rachel and Cousin Jenn

The staff at the restaurant sang Happy Birthday with us!

Anastasia was so overwhelmed-- either that or she wanted to relish this moment forever that she forgot to blow out her candles. We had to playfully remind her.

It was such a pleasure watching Anastasia open her gifts. She gave each one lots of thought and couldn't stop smiling.

She got a little bit of everything-- lip gloss, money, bubbles, barbies, stickers, crafts, bracelets, a doll, and a MP3 player.

A few years ago, a blogger friend named Carla sent us this adorable doll because she thought it looked like Dennis. It was so special that I put it away and recently found it in the midst of packing. I knew without a doubt that it was time for this lovely doll to be held and played with. And it felt right giving it to Anastasia who I know will take care of it.

Later in the evening, Rachel's big doll was gotten out for Sveta. Remember how I shared about Anastasia and Sveta's special bond. Well, it is even closer now that they both have beautiful babies to play with.

Adam loaded up lots of songs to Anastasia's MP3 player so that she could listen to it right away. She was so happy to get it because it was the number one thing she asked for-- with Barbie's next on her list. Anastasia may be 12 but she is very much going to be our little girl for a long time-- and John and I are so okay with that.

What a great picture with Cousin Matt and Jenn!

They Got Talent!

Kids are so full of life! They can passionately sing and dance their little hearts out-- and make you smile even when you don't feel like it.

In this video montage you can get a quick glimpse at each of the kids' personalities. Dennis is so passionate about his singing but his sore mouth makes it difficult. Anastasia is quite the dancer and singer as she rocks out to Justin Bieber. Paul is very serious, William gets caught bugging on tape, Sveta slaps her turkey baster, Alex shows off his newest head flipping dance moves, and Anna sings word for word her favorite song. This video makes me smile.

On the Up and Up

Andrew made this map of California. It is 3-D. For the mountain, he watched his teacher mix flour, salt, and water.

Last night, he was trying to convince a younger sibling that it probably tasted like a cookie worth nibbling on. Yuck!
*******************
I am happy to report that finally-- Dennis is on the up and up. After sleeping for four hours in the afternoon yesterday, he wolfed down three bowls of mac and cheese for dinner. At that point I believed he was getting better but I wanted to see how he slept through the night. He did-- and his gums hardly bled when I brushed his teeth this morning! After a full week of one of the worst sicknesses I have seen, Dennis looks like he will recover. Just in time too because now William is running a fever.

Dennis enjoys doing anything school related. Cutting with scissors, coloring, drawing, you name it-- Dennis loves to do it! And the fact that he has the energy is further evidence that he is on the road to recovery!

Alex is making alot of progress too. Just a week ago, he could not make an S even after tracing fifty S's in a row. He just did not have the confidence or the ability. This week, not only can he make an S but he can write the sentence-- I see a cat and copy it on the line below. Sure the spacing is off and his letters are not in the lines but the fact that he can even copy the sentence is just amazing to me! He has also picked up markers on his own to draw me a picture-- something he had to be coaxed into doing before.

The best thing is that he is getting his homework done much quicker now so he can go out and have some fun in the backyard! I think that homeschooling will give him much more time to play with Dennis.

Anastasia and Sveta are both in the sixth grade. The two of them are very close and have alot in common. They love to listen to music and play with our animals. Had you asked me three months ago I would've said that the two of them would be the least likely to mesh, but I was wrong. What a special bond the two of them have. Anastasia is excelling in school so quickly that I can see her helping Sveta with her homework very soon!

As soon as we move, I will begin homeschooling Alex, Jonathan, and Rachel. For Alex the teacher and I chose the following curriculum. Sing, Spell, Read and Write which I will modify to his level, Handwriting Without Tears, Explode the Code for phonics, and either Math U See or MCP Math. For Jonathan, most of his work will be at the second grade level and will consist of Houghton-Mifflin Reading, Wordly Wise for spelling and vocabulary, a writing journal, Explode the Code, Saxon Math, Volume 4 of The Story of the World, and Maps, Globes, and Graphs. Hopefully he will get an art kit too. As for Rachel, her curriculum will meet her exactly where she is and teach her from there. I am so excited about this! We are not sure if she will be using Teaching Textbooks, Math U See, or Saxon Math. There are remedial workbooks that focus on concepts like fractions, decimals, and measurements which will help her to catch up to where she should be. She will be doing spelling, vocabulary, and writing enrichment. She will do Story of the World with Jonathan in addition to AGS science. It sounds like alot to begin with but I wanted to make sure we had more than enough while we get used to homeschooling. Not everything will be done everyday and not everything will be a good fit for each child. If at the end of the semester we find out that something is not working for them, we can make adjustments for the next semester.

Dare I say-- I am getting excited.

The Road to Homeschool part 3

Well I just got back from faxing over the last of the documents needed to enroll Rachel, Jonathan, and Alex into the homeschool charter. I feel like a weight has been lifted-- its done-- I am really doing this. The teacher and I just got off the phone--- curriculum is picked out! I am very excited to get started--- I hope my kids enjoy it too. At this point I am not sure what kinds of extra services will be provided to Alex like with speech therapy and occupational therapy. I feel like there might be a trade off--- more individualized learning at his pace in his preferred setting with less "special services".

I wonder what that will look like?

A Home Update

The home construction is moving along quite nicely. The contractor estimates the job will be done October 22. That would be wonderful. Until then, John will continue to share the progress through short videos.

Day 4 construction

Day 4 outside

They Had SO Much Fun!

Yesterday we went to the fair! I was hesitant to title this post what I did as to not exaggerate but my awesome son Adam who is sitting next to me said it was the truth-- he did have so much fun! I had bought these shirts on clearance some time ago when we were planning on going somewhere else but never went. So I dug them out for this outing-- and the colors couldn't be more appropriate for fall-- we looked like a group of pumpkins! LOL. Especially me who wore green and orange! We may have looked a little strange to some but Paul and Anastasia especially got a kick out of it because us wearing the same shirts represented us as a whole family and they were part of it!

We looked at cows, sheep, and goats- many about to have babies.

We explored the fair and its many exhibits.

There was a free area that the kids could play around in.

After lunch, we headed over to the carnival games and rides.

Everyone had fun riding the different attractions. John and I were able to share the story about our first date which was to this fair exactly 17 years ago. When John went on my favorite ride "the Zipper" with me and got sick and I didn't even care, John said that is when he began ring shopping. :)

Considering how sick Anastasia got on the plane ride home, I wasn't sure if she would ever enjoy carnival rides. I was wrong! She enjoyed herself!

Paul, Jonny, and Andrew enjoyed this ride not once, but twice!

But once was more than enough for me.

Adam and Julia rode this upside down coaster!

Just look at the pictures--- Dennis did not enjoy any of the rides.

He was adamant about going on this car ride but after three rounds he wanted off! You can see in the background how much fun Sveta had though! So did Paul!

The highlight of the day for me was watching the reactions of my kids on the flying swings.

As I looked at them overhead I kept praying, "Please don't let Paul get sick. Please don't let Paul get sick." Don't worry, he didn't.

Isn't this a great shot that John got of William, Sveta, and Anastasia?

It was nice being all together-- all 16 of us. As the kids get older and busier it is hard to go somewhere all together.