Our Newest Adventure

Typically as summer vacation comes to an end, I go into a state of depression.  It usually only lasts until the pumpkin spice candles come out and lift my spirits.  I embrace the freedom for a little bit, but eventually I find myself counting down the days til breaks and Saturdays and summer again.  Right now, I should be gathering uniforms, buying school supplies, writing school fee checks, prepping lunches, and attending open houses, but this year I am not.  This year will be different.  For a while now, I have had a very strong desire to homeschool.  After lots of prayer, discussion with the kids, and developing pros and cons lists, we have decided to go for it.  Some people will not understand this, especially since I have pulled them out of a magnet school to do so.  (The horror!)  However, we feel that this is what is best for our family and the season we are in, and that is all that matters.  The older I get, the more I see, and the more I learn, the less I care what people think.

Our new adventure will begin on Thursday.  I couldn't be more nervous, but I also couldn't be more excited.  I am not real sure what I am getting into, and have been slightly overwhelmed beginning the whole process, but I do have a degree in education, so I'm thinking I should be able to figure this thing out.  Besides, my kids are already above their grade level, so I'm hoping that even if I fall flat on my face and totally suck at it the first time around, they'll still be good. Our intention is to try it for a year, see how it goes, and then reassess the situation.

Now brother? He will go to school, because well, I just can't.  He needs the structure and therapies, and let's be honest...I need the break.  I love him with all of my heart, but the boy wears me out.  He goes 90 to nothing 100 percent of the time.  (I mean, have you seen my #DestructiveDeacon posts on IG?) Plus, you can ask him, "Are you excited about starting school?" and he says, "Yeah" with a huge grin on his face. "Cited!"

My kids insisted that they needed "class pets".  So, because we are suckers, allow me to introduce you to Buddy the bird and Rosie the hamster...

Our track record with pets has not been the best, so we will see how this goes.  So far, so good, but it has only been a day.  Hopefully neither of these will pee in my purse.  (Side note: The way Deacon says "Rosie" makes me want to keep her forever.)

Certain obligations and the adoption have kept us from taking a vacation this summer, so I have lived vicariously through all of your beach pictures.  Thanks for those.  Our time is coming though.  We are taking a Griswold family vacation to Florida in December, and I get to enjoy the ocean without having all the sand in all the places and worrying about sharks.  So, I'm pretty excited about that.  Our break may have been pretty low-key this year, but it's still been a good one.

Now I'm looking forward to our newest venture and the next season.  Literally.  Now, that I know my big kids aren't going back to school, I can officially say I am over summer.  I am not a fan of 103 degrees and would really like to have sweatshirt weather back asap.  Plus, I want to be able to enjoy being outside again.  I'll come back soon to let you know how this whole home school thing is going and to update you on the craziness of the adoption.  Til then, God Bless.