I am getting a new job. It is nothing like what I used to do, and financially, it is not going to be a big deal, but overall, I expect it to be amazing – very challenging and very rewarding! I am going to be a teacher! A teacher at Pittard Christian Academy! PCA – yep! I am going to home school the boys next year!
OK, before you go all crazy on me, let me tell you how this all happened. This past school year was difficult and full of changes and adjustments. We had a new baby in the house who was taking a huge chunk of time and attention, and that drastically changed our study routine from the previous year. We also had our house flooded at the end of February, and my babies had to live like their parents were divorced for two months. The adjustments at home were difficult.
About the end of November, Michael’s assignments started disappearing and would never turn back up. Because I wasn’t spending as much time staying on top of everything, his literally slipped under the radar until the end of February. So we spent a lot of time making up a lot of work. When I thought he was straight, a few weeks later, I would find out that he was not. This went on until the end of the year. I literally ended the school year feeling like I either needed to sit in class with him or bring him home so I knew all his assignments and if he was getting them done.
In addition, our relationship has been so strained. I feel like I had to ride him to get his work done, and we would just fight every evening from the time I picked him up till bedtime. I was worn out, and I know he was too. Then, out of the blue, I was talking to one of the mom’s on Mavrick baseball team, and she asked when we got out of school, and we started talking about school and she told me that she home schools. I don’t remember much about the conversation, but one thing she said that really hit me was, “I just decided that I was tired of sending him to school and them getting the best part of him, and I would get what was left.” OMG! That is exactly the way I felt with Michael. I knew at that very moment that was what I needed to hear. That was God encouraging me through her.
For about a week I thought and prayed and worried a little bit about bringing Michael home and sending Mav to school and how the dynamics of that would work out. Then, the day before school was out, I met with Mavrick’s teacher and the school principal. I expressed my concerns and they expressed theirs too. The bottom line is that Mavrick was struggling in phonics and math and they did not feel that he would fare well in third grade and wanted him to repeat second…but they would leave it up to us. Again, I felt like this was a sign from above that I needed to bring the kids home.
Sidebar – I was totally blown away by the turn of events with Mavrick. I had him tested for a learning disability through LISD and for them and their ciriculum, he needed a little speech therapy, but overall he scored really good – either on the upper end of average or above average in just about everything. BUT in the private school, they wanted him to repeat! Really?
So, now I am reading and studying and trying to find all the resources I can to help us home school in the fall. Another mom I spoke with told me that if I even feel the least bit led to do this to really dedicate myself to a year. If at the end of that year we decide it was not the right decision we can make a change then. And that is just what we are going to do. One year at a time. So, if you pray, please pray for us as we take on this new adventure! We are all excited for what God has planned for us!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Mav's Zoo Field Trip
Mavrick’s last field trip was to the Ft. Worth Zoo. I always love going to the Ft. Worth Zoo (not too much of a Dallas Zoo fan). Anyway, we had our group, and I got stuck with another little crazy! He is actually the brother of the crazy that was in my group on Michael’s last field trip.
It was really humid that day, and you know how bad I sweat! I was like a fountain that day. Not helping matters any, Mavrick wanted me to ride the bus with him – from Lewisville! Lord! But because I love my time with him so much, I did. We got there and the little crazy child literally bounced off the walls. He took sooo long to look at things that we didn’t get to see everything. Mav was a little pissed. I assured him that we would be back this summer and be able to see EVERYTHING.
They wanted to ride the train, and of course, Crazy boy didn’t have any money. No big, we all rode the train. Then we were walking back, trying to get to the gift shop in enough time to shop. I thought that I would get Crazy a little something since his parents had either forgotten, or just didn’t have any money to send with him…. We are walking along and he says that his mom just got one of those new small computers for her birthday… well, they obviously have the money just forgot to give him any… “ she turned 40 on her birthday.” I believe it. “How old are you?” I tell him. “That’s funny, my mom is older than you, but you LOOK OLDER THAN HER!” What! He did not just say that! Oh, yes, he went there! I looked at Mavrick and said “you know that is not appropriate to say to an adult woman, EVER, don’t you?” Mav said he did. Then I told Mav that I had felt sorry for him not having any money and was going to get him something at the gift shop, “but now that little $hit isn’t getting anything!” Mavrick loves to tell that story!
It was really humid that day, and you know how bad I sweat! I was like a fountain that day. Not helping matters any, Mavrick wanted me to ride the bus with him – from Lewisville! Lord! But because I love my time with him so much, I did. We got there and the little crazy child literally bounced off the walls. He took sooo long to look at things that we didn’t get to see everything. Mav was a little pissed. I assured him that we would be back this summer and be able to see EVERYTHING.
They wanted to ride the train, and of course, Crazy boy didn’t have any money. No big, we all rode the train. Then we were walking back, trying to get to the gift shop in enough time to shop. I thought that I would get Crazy a little something since his parents had either forgotten, or just didn’t have any money to send with him…. We are walking along and he says that his mom just got one of those new small computers for her birthday… well, they obviously have the money just forgot to give him any… “ she turned 40 on her birthday.” I believe it. “How old are you?” I tell him. “That’s funny, my mom is older than you, but you LOOK OLDER THAN HER!” What! He did not just say that! Oh, yes, he went there! I looked at Mavrick and said “you know that is not appropriate to say to an adult woman, EVER, don’t you?” Mav said he did. Then I told Mav that I had felt sorry for him not having any money and was going to get him something at the gift shop, “but now that little $hit isn’t getting anything!” Mavrick loves to tell that story!
Summer Time
I have found that I am one of those mom’s who is looking for an educational experience (and fun) in everything. While this can be good, it is also somewhat annoying. Anyway, as I looked at the calendar for this summer, I didn’t want the boys to spend 24/7 in the house playing video games, eating chips and getting fat. As fun as that sounds! So, we have made somewhat of a schedule of fun things to do and little field trips to go on. My sister is more of a planner than I am, but we have worked together to come up with a lot of fun and educational things to do with the kids this summer.
We have on our calendar to go to Allen to swim with Christy and the kids every Thursday. So far we have done well, but Christy and the kids have only been able to join us one out of three times. Major still doesn’t like the water, so I haven’t been swimming yet. He is real good about sitting in the shade and playing with toys, rolling the ball, taking a nap, etc. It has just worked out that the day before we go, it always rains, so the water is so cold that I don’t even want to get in, and I know that he would FREAK!
Today, we are at the skating rink for a few hours. We also decided to do one fun outing each week, as time allows. Last week we went to Frisco’s Fire Safety Town for a tour, and may go back later in the summer for a program or two. We went to Mr. Gattis Town too, which was a lot of fun, kind of like Chuck E. Cheese. Tomorrow, we are loading up all five of the kids and going to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glenrose. Then we are going to the farm to spend the night. I know my boys will find the dinosaur stuff interesting, and hopefully Bella will too. The babies are just along for the ride!
Next week they have VBS at our church, and they might go to VBS with the neighbors in the evenings as well. We probably won’t do much more than that. Maybe something Friday? Then the following week Mark and I are taking Michael and Mavrick to a Rough Rider’s baseball game. The next day we are taking all the kids to the Ft. Worth Stock Yards and hoping to be there in time to see the daily cattle drive! We have Hawaiian Falls, another VBS, a trip to Austin, and possibly the Mesquite Rodeo or Six Flags planned in July. Haven’t got to August yet. At some point they are going with my mom and dad for a “Staycation” in Ft. Worth.
Yea! I love summer time!
We have on our calendar to go to Allen to swim with Christy and the kids every Thursday. So far we have done well, but Christy and the kids have only been able to join us one out of three times. Major still doesn’t like the water, so I haven’t been swimming yet. He is real good about sitting in the shade and playing with toys, rolling the ball, taking a nap, etc. It has just worked out that the day before we go, it always rains, so the water is so cold that I don’t even want to get in, and I know that he would FREAK!
Today, we are at the skating rink for a few hours. We also decided to do one fun outing each week, as time allows. Last week we went to Frisco’s Fire Safety Town for a tour, and may go back later in the summer for a program or two. We went to Mr. Gattis Town too, which was a lot of fun, kind of like Chuck E. Cheese. Tomorrow, we are loading up all five of the kids and going to Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glenrose. Then we are going to the farm to spend the night. I know my boys will find the dinosaur stuff interesting, and hopefully Bella will too. The babies are just along for the ride!
Next week they have VBS at our church, and they might go to VBS with the neighbors in the evenings as well. We probably won’t do much more than that. Maybe something Friday? Then the following week Mark and I are taking Michael and Mavrick to a Rough Rider’s baseball game. The next day we are taking all the kids to the Ft. Worth Stock Yards and hoping to be there in time to see the daily cattle drive! We have Hawaiian Falls, another VBS, a trip to Austin, and possibly the Mesquite Rodeo or Six Flags planned in July. Haven’t got to August yet. At some point they are going with my mom and dad for a “Staycation” in Ft. Worth.
Yea! I love summer time!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
On the move
Last week I spent the day upstairs with the boys upstairs cleaning the game room. It pretty much stays a tragic mess. The worst part of it is that there are so many little pieces of “stuff” that I am really afraid for Major to go in there. You have no idea how small Lego pieces have gotten! So, I had had all I could take and it was clean up day. It took several hours, and I still don’t feel like the job is complete. It will take several more clean up days to sort through all the mess. But we were able to collect enough stuff to help with a garage sale for this weekend.
One really good thing that came out of the day, besides a clean room, was that Major had a blast walking around up there. He has started walking a little each day, but is still at the stage where it is easier and much faster to drop back to his knees and crawl. He has been crawling for several months and is VERY fast. He has definitely crawled more than Michael and Mavrick ever did… possibly put together! They were both walking by their first birthdays too. I guess that just goes to show, yet again, all kids are different.
We did get all the Legos picked up, and the boys are doing a better job keeping the room adequately clean. So Major is spending a bit more time up there. Yesterday, he figured out how much fun it was to crawl up the stairs. Everyday something knew!
One really good thing that came out of the day, besides a clean room, was that Major had a blast walking around up there. He has started walking a little each day, but is still at the stage where it is easier and much faster to drop back to his knees and crawl. He has been crawling for several months and is VERY fast. He has definitely crawled more than Michael and Mavrick ever did… possibly put together! They were both walking by their first birthdays too. I guess that just goes to show, yet again, all kids are different.
We did get all the Legos picked up, and the boys are doing a better job keeping the room adequately clean. So Major is spending a bit more time up there. Yesterday, he figured out how much fun it was to crawl up the stairs. Everyday something knew!
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