Back to the grind...

I have pictures to post of our Christmas holiday and New Years, but that will have to come later when I can get to downloading them.

As for today, it has been a good day. In fact, it has been a very good day. After homeschooling the first semester I have had time to sit back and analyze my feelings and opinion on the matter throughout the Holidays. One thing is for sure is that I still feel like homeschool has been the best decision we have made for our kids. I can look back and with no regrets say, "it has been for the better" for our family. I have seen my Thomas open up, smile, and become more confident in himself. William gets giddy when it's time for school and can't get enough of it. Lydia walks around all day asking when it is her turn to homeschool when in reality I have sat down with her more than once that day to school her already.

Seeing that this is so new for us I am still trying to figure it all out. I have decided to make some adjustments to our daily routine. I have decided to add an extra hour in the morning. One of my biggest complaints to myself is that their is too much free time in the day. It's nice to be done by noon, but the last thing I want it my kids sitting around bored asking to watch TV or play video games. I have wanted more music time and religion some how incorporated. Since I am homoeschooling I have the privilege of adding religion into the daily lessons. So now our extra hour has and will continue to consist of morning prayer, scripture study (with the New Testament Stories that Grandma Jones gave Thomas for his Baptism), and music time. Today (after we discussed the date and time) Thomas gave the prayer. I then read to them about the Plan of Salvation and looked at pictures as we had discussions. All this time William thought that because we were all brothers and sisters in Heaven that we would all have to die on the cross just like our brother Jesus did. WOW, was he relived when I told him that his Savior already gave his life for him so he wouldn't have to do the same. That learning moment was seriously priceless! The look of relief on his face was beautiful. After that we had music time and I had planned to work on some simple children songs, but the boys wanted to sing while I played the organ. Thomas had a great idea to get the primary song book out and play/sing primary songs that had to do with the plan of salvation. We sang about six songs and before you knew it the extra hour that I had wanted had been filled with not only fun educational times, but also the spirit was filled in our home. This is one area that at bed time I hurry and rush them to sleep so I can have "my time" and then I lay their feeling guilty thinking why don't I use more time during my day or night to teach them about our Heavenly Father, Jesus, and the Gospel. I felt today that this new schedule will fill that void and need for them to learn about God from us as their parents, not just in primary. Thomas said (after the new hour this morning), "Can we just learn about Jesus and not do school today?"

One last thing I feel needs to be adjusted is Social. This in no way over shadows the importance of education, but it is almost just as important in my eyes. The only way to accomplish this is to put them in public settings, more play groups, and social activities. One good thing about this is that I as their Mom get to choose which children influence my children. This was a HUGE reason for my decision to homeschool. I wasn't ready for the world to come down on them so early, meaning that I wasn't ready for my children to be influenced with naughty language, naughty topics, and naughty behavior. Not that my kids in ANY way where or are perfect because I know how they can be... I just felt that I was loosing them so quickly as they were away from me eight out of the twelve hours they were awake. Times have changed and they aren't the same as they were when we were little. Yes, we all went through learning and being exposed to negative things, but I think we were older and more mature to handle the world. I have been able to re-install what is accepted and not in our home. My Goal: If I can hold onto that innocence a little longer and build up their confidence in themselves maybe life will be easier for them later on than succumbing to what the world thinks they should learn socially and behave like...at such a young age.

So how do I go about that topic of social again? Well, I refuse to pay and put them in TOO many extra activities, but I am trying to get them some more social time outside of the house. I already have in the works swim and piano lessons. We have done four scheduled play dates for the boys during the holidays and I hope to keep that going and make it a regular thing. I am signing them up for some arts and crafts through the Parks and Rec center here in the county and baseball starts come spring. Also, we go skiing with two other families every weekend so they can interact their. Personally, I think for now that will be enough.

To sum up these past few months of homeschool it has been extremely rewarding on both parts. It's like they say, "It's harder them I could have ever imagined and more fun than I could have ever expected". Nothing makes a parent glow more than to see their children learn something new for the first time and it all make sense. I love that I know my children well enough to gear them in their interest and hobbies. I know their strengths and weakness' so I can concentrate more on what areas need more attention. I love that learning truly never stops at home. Whether it be educational, behavior, or religion we as parents have the opportunity to teach them non stop. At times it can be overwhelming but at the end of the day I can go to sleep feeling like I have done enough.

I know that most people don't agree with this decision for me to homeschool my children (as it is not the "norm") and some people think that I am doing them a dis-service in many areas, sheltering them too much and not giving them enough of the world, but as one school teacher recently said to me, "To each is their own". I couldn't agree more. Mark and I have made this decision to see if it benefits our children and if it works for our family. We are taking it year by year. So far I have never woken up and said to myself, "What have you done?". Surprisingly enough my children get along better, house is absolutely crazier, and all is well.

Regrets? None.