Month 31 - Recap

You've been quite the Momma's boy this month. And I'm complaining about this 0% - I'll gladly take all the extra snuggles, extra kisses, and extra time reading to you before bedtime. But with this Momma's Boy Thing going on, it's meant more tears when I drop you off at Sunday School ("I miss you when you at big chuh'ch"), an inability to go anywhere (even the playroom) without me coming along, and a face-crumpling sadness when you're in your crib for bedtime. When Daddy puts you in your crib, you poke out your bottom lip and say "I miss Mommy. *big sigh*" (Though on the flip side, when I put you in your crib, you say "I miss Daddy"). You're pretty bummed out at night in your crib. We come into your room no fewer than three times at night to calm you down and reassure you that we're not going anywhere and we're not doing anything fun in the living room without you. You're rarely convinced (and for good reason - Daddy and I bust out the ice cream and chocolate after you and Natalie go to bed.)

You've graduated from calling Natalie "Na-nee" to "Na-nee-wee". It's precious. Know what's NOT precious? That you have YET to graduate from screaming like a crazy person when bath time rolls around. All I have to do is SAY the word 'bath' and you immediately start panicking, whining, and crying. You've also graduated from liking the water coming out of the hose to being deathly afraid of the water coming out of the hose. You'll come around eventually, right?

You like to pretend to go to work. Like, right now, you're walking around the house with the UNO Moo barn announcing to the empty living room that you're going to work ('woke'). And that you're going to 'pway wiff my fwends'. If getting a job means that you can make for being a total mooch for the past two-and-a-half years, then I'm all for it. I bet the salary for someone rolling UNO Moo animals across the floor is pretty sweet.

You and Natalie have been quite the bickering duo this month. She wants you to play a certain way; you don't like that way. She only wants you to chase her; you only want her to chase you. She wants to play Barbies; you want to play trucks. She draws a lot; you walk on her drawings a lot. I'm trying to explain that you two don't necessarily have to play the same thing, that playing NEAR each other is fine, too. Neither of you thinks that idea is acceptable. Know what I say to that? Hmph.

This hasn't been the easiest month. It seems like everybody's nerves are shot and the insufferable humidity certainly isn't helping our dispositions (or hair). Nobody ever said this parenting gig was easy, but I'm quite sure this rough month won't cause you to end up on a therapist's chair when you're older. This is where God's grace fills in the (many) missing pieces I have in my quest to have a more gentle (and less yell-y and easily annoyed) disposition. I'm on a mission to continually point you (and myself) to Him, because, duh, He's way better than I am.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Headlines for June 9, 2014

• Married Couple Guns Down Three, Including Two Las Vegas Police Officers
• Tracy Morgan Improving, But Still In Critical Condition After Weekend Car Crash
• FBI Awaiting Confirmation of Hezbollah Leader's Death
• Down and Out: Cantor to Resign as House Majority Leader
• What, Me Fat? Most Americans Don't Think So, Poll Finds

May 2014 - Recap

My sweet girl,
So Daddy and I have officially decided that I'll homeschool you this fall. (In case you're wondering, my 2013 self is having a heart attack right now.) I never EVER thought I'd be a homeschool mom. I never thought I had the patience, knowledge, or ability to do it. But I've been slowly feeling God telling me I need to do it - at least TRY it. I can't attribute it to anything or anyone other than God because me? I've been giddy for the past few years every time I see a school bus because IT WAS ALMOST YOUR TURN AND I COULDN'T WAAAAAAIT!

I also didn't want to do it because homeschool kids are WEIRD, right? And they have no SOCIAL life, right? And homeschool moms are always PATIENT and always SMART and always LOVE being around their kids ALL DAY with NO BREAKS, right? I'm not sure where these notions came from, but I'm embarrassed at how strong my opinions were on something I knew very little (if not nothing) about.

Kids in general are just weird. They're weird in public school, weird in private school, weird in homeschool. Some grow out of their weirdness, some (like your mother) have to embrace it well into adulthood. And I've discovered that socialization won't be an issue with you. There are enough play groups, homeschool classes, and activities that it'll probably be more "We can't do it all" as opposed to "What is there to do?". Patience is not my strong point, I'm only moderately intelligent, and honestly, the thought of being around children 24/7 makes me a little nervous. And then grace swoops in. His grace will fill in missing pieces in my patience puzzle ... His grace will take over when I'm trying to teach something that's over my head (though I think I can handle kindergarten without too much trouble ... hopefully) ... and His grace will give me the ability to extend grace to my children when we're all getting on each other's nerves.

Once I accepted the challenge, I began to realize how neat this opportunity really is. Of course, I'm completely overwhelmed at the sheer volume of options there are and have driven myself crazy trying to figure out how to do it, but I'm excited. I'm really, really excited. Daddy and I have both agreed that we'll take this year by year and evaluate where we stand. You may go to public school sometime in the future; you might be a homeschool high school graduate. Who knows? Well, I know one person Who knows ...

I like the idea of getting to teach you. I'm not a teacher by any means, but I figure I know you better than anyone and that alone makes me at least a little equipped to teach you effectively. I know what makes you tick, I know what infuriates you. I know what you're passionate about, I know what you need to focus on. I know how important it is to start our day off right, so we'll do a Bible study before we do anything else. I know that during the day, for every hour or so doing something that's NOT art, you need a half-hour or so to draw or color. It relaxes you, it centers you, it refreshes you. I know that you get frustrated if you can't do something exactly right the first time, and I'll factor that into teaching you new concepts. I know that you like hands-on activities, so I'll be sure to have a lot of those ready for you. I know you're a visual learner, so math will be full of blocks, shapes, and other manipulatives. I know I'm the least interested in history, but I refuse to pass that opinion on to you. I know that you like to know what's going on, so I'll be sure to let you know the day's plan while we eat breakfast. I know that you like being told specific steps to follow, and that creativity doesn't always come easy for you, so I'll work on encouraging your creative side. I know that you like cuddles, so if in the middle of a lesson, you're in clear need, we'll stop the lesson and cuddle on the couch. We'll do what works for US.

I want you to love learning. I want you to be excited about the world. I want you to be passionate. I want you to be selfless. But more than anything, I want you to follow God's path for your life. Whether it's a doctor, lawyer, artist, singer, missionary, homeschooling momma, chef, or anything in between, I want you to know the satisfaction that comes from being in line with His will. The satisfaction with the decision to homeschool you has been immense. I'm excited to spend this time with you. I'm excited to teach you new things. I'm excited to watch the light bulb go off when you figure out a hard problem. I'm excited to learn right along side you. I'm excited about doing school in our jammies.

Hugs and smooches,
Mommy & Daddy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Headlines for June 1, 2014:

• 2 Kids Injured as Colorado Bounce House Blows Away
• 'Taliban Dream Team': Who are the 5 prisoners traded for Bergdahl's freedom?
• New U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Swears Oath on an E-Reader
• Ann B. Davis, Housekeeper Alice on 'The Brady Bunch,' Dies at 88
• Measles Cases in U.S. Spike to Highest Level in 20 Years