What if...

Let's start simple. I am thankful for the weekend, and Saturday mornings in particular.



This week as I picked up a few groceries (key word - few, it's amazing how much less I need with the kids in Florida - I'm guessing my mom has realized quite the opposite about her own grocery bill!)...I grabbed can of cinnamon rolls with morning just like this in mind. Yesterday, each time I opened the refrigerator, that little Pillsbury Dough Boy gave me a smile and wave, and I could just hear his little hoohoo!

An unhurried Saturday morning, with a warm, gooey cinnamon roll and a hot cup of coffee with my favorite people in the world is heaven on earth. This particular Saturday, "people" is reduced to "person" but if I'm going to spend the morning with anyone, he's certainly my top pick. To top is off - today is our first day of sunshine in what feels like 40 days and 40 nights of rain, so the sun peeking through the blinds, as we sip our coffee and talk about the day ahead is icing. Icing on a warm, gooey cinnamon roll.

I've been struggling with consistent blogging for awhile now. But you already knew that, didn't you? The kids are in Florida right now, we created a new holiday break in the school calendar, something like "you never need a good reason to visit the grandparents" fall break. You might think that with no kids around, no "students" to teach, that I'd have all the time in the world to blog - I may have thought the same thing - but we were both wrong.

Regardless, I am here to force my own hand into blogging by saying that over the next few days, maybe even the remaining weeks of November, I am going to fill my blog with thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for. All of us. You, too. Be it watching several families I love struggle through difficult times, or our church's amazing series on joy, or just opening my eyes to the things around me, I am sincerely full of gratitude and I'd be negligent not to share it, especially as the holiday season approaches.

So check back soon for installment one of a thankful heart's thankful blog.

We have two more Halloween outings, and I'm afraid the costumes will never look as clean and intact as they did on outing #1, so here are some pics. I snapped these pics as we were headed out the door for a lunchtime party, but then we found out it had been moved to 4, so we've actually gone through the costume process twice already. Then once more tonight. And once again tomorrow night. We are squeezing every ounce out of the 19.99 spent on each costume this year!

I was recently reminded (thanks Judy!) that I'm a little behind in putting up pictures. I don't know where to begin because it's been so long since I've posted any pics, but before Halloween gets here and I have a whole new batch, I thought it best I at least get a few pictures up. These are from last weekend's trip to the mountains (beautiful by the way, we saw the fall leaves and snow, all in on one car ride!). We visited the Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk and returned home with two new pets, Thunder and Lightning, who survived in our household for about 2 days - may they rest in peace.

I taught the kids how to play "Hangman" last week on our whiteboard and we have been having the best time with that game. Sometimes, I'm intentional and select words that help the kids practice what we're working on, like words ending in "ck" or the silent "e," but most of the time, we just play for fun. Tonight we got David in on the action, which is a big deal because he's not much of a game player. But once he had that Expo marker in his hand, he was hooked...and as it turns out, he's a Hangman hog. He didn't want to take turns, he kept coming up with "just one more really good one."

Luke, gotta love him, has used "I Love Mom" over and over. There are only so many times I can pretend I don't know what it says!

Last month was Four Corners, this month, Hangman. We are bringing back old-school games with a vengeance - too bad we don't have enough family members to play Heads Up Seven Up!

The other night when we asked the kids if they had any problems they'd like us to pray about, they both said "school." I guess it's time for a little self-eval? I didn't realize they were having any prayer-worthy problems. Yikes. Actually, Luke specifically mentioned math, and I had noticed math doesn't come as easy to him as it does Lil. To be honest, the girls in the house kick butt with math, the boys not so much...so at least Luke has a father who can sympathize. Lately he's really been struggling with counting by twos. He memorized "2,4,6,8,10" in kindergarten, but seems to fall apart come 12. After realizing that he's bothered enough to want to discuss the math issue with Jesus, I decided I better get on the ball. I guess I really only have one authority when it comes to my day in, day out teaching performance - and it sounds like Luke is about to file a complaint to Him!

On another topic completely, our shoes are driving me bananas lately. Fall crept in quietly, and because some days are still flip-flop warm, but other days are damp and chilly, we've ended up with a shoe basket that's bursting at the weave with every pair of shoes the kids own. I pass by it thirty times a day and think "I gotta go through that basket" but find myself saying it again on bypass #31. All that to say, as I was thinking through the counting by twos issue, and my need to sort shoes, and I think I've decided we'll have a little twos and shoes fun by rounding up all the shoes we can find - I'll seize the opportunity to sort through shoes while giving Luke extra practice counting by twos. Or at least that's my intention - I guess we'll see!



One more thing that's been on my mind - I am so happy to trade my bad weather blues for blue skies! I really struggled to drag myself out of bed on the rainy, gray mornings that started our week (one more "pro" in the homeschool column - not having to get the kids out the door in the rain!). This morning I was greeted by beautiful blue skies and the park is calling our name.

Rainy Monday morning. Not the best way to start a week, but not the worst either - especially when you can stay in pjs all morning.

I had a speck of something stuck inside my eyelid for SEVEN hours Friday. Seven miserable hours. David removed it for me within minutes of arriving home. Eye love you, meye hero! :)

I *heart* fall! Spiced Apple or Harvest Pumpkin may be the fragrances of fall for some, but for me, bacon and onion sauteing a pan for a big pot of potato soup is my fall favorite - if only Glade would make that plug-in!

We took our first field trip last Wednesday - and we loaded that Explorer up just like an ol' yellow bus! I'll try to get some pics up this week.

We skipped school last Thursday, for no good reason. Being teacher and principal of the school has it's advantages.

Very relaxing weekend around here - until 5:30 p.m. yesterday when David and I became responsible for 13 children, ages 8 and under. Whew. Once again, David is my hero! He can hold a baby on one hip, while pushing a toddler in a swing, like it's his job - and I guess last night it was!

How 'bout them BULLS!?!

It may be that because we're homeschooling I have more time to notice, or maybe they've reached an age where their senses of humor are more developed...either way, my kids have been cracking me up lately. Just when I thought I couldn't love 'em anymore - they turn out to be really funny! And not just in the typical "kids are funny" untimely gas passing, tripping over themselves, silly kind of way. They're witty, they've got a great handle on language, and they find clever ways to bring out humor in the most mundane situation. I love to laugh, so I sincerely wouldn't be any happier if we'd just discovered a hidden musical or athletic gifting. If they're this funny now, I can only imagine the laughs we'll have as they learn more about the world around them and further develop their comedic skills. There are so many things I plan to teach them, but "real" funny has to come from within, ya know? So I am one happy mom, 'cause my kids are funny!

Stealing this post idea.

Unwinding after a long day.

Wishing it wasn't too late for coffee.

Forgiving my children for the milkshake incident at Chick-Fil-A.

Researching art projects for my classes.

Laughing at this video.

Thawing a roast for dinner tomorrow - we've had sandwiches 2 nights in a row.

Looking forward to our first field trip next week.

Praying for my husband.

Going to bed and hopefully...

Sleeping in tomorrow!

I've been on the go-go-go lately (another story for another day!) and while out and about, I've been asked more times than I can count, How's homeschooling? I don't mind being asked at all, in fact, I'm genuinely touched at how many people are inquiring about our transition, rooting us on, and offering encouragement. But the fact that I've been asked this question so many times in the past week got me to thinking...maybe some of you on the other side of this blog that haven't had a chance to ask are wondering the same.

Homeschooling is great. We certainly don't have it down to a perfect science and every day looks a little different, but it's working for us. Some days, as we gather our materials and sit around the dining room table, we're like a Norman Rockwell painting...other days we're so dysfunctional that even Fox wouldn't air our reality show. But that's life, right? Homeschooling has proven to be a piece of our life puzzle that fits into place beautifully. Even if the puzzle is far from complete, this piece fits perfectly in it's place. It fits our personalities and lifestyle so well, and Lily and Luke being so close in age is an undeniable benefit -it's as if they were literally born for homeschooling. This was a "big picture" solution for us, not a quick fix for any one particular problem, but a lifestyle change that we hoped would bring widespread balance - and so far, it's working.

Obviously, there is a lot this post doesn't include - so many things we haven't figured out about our life as a homeschool family. But all those things would make this a very long answer to a short question, so for now, I'll just stick with: We love homeschooling!