6|365

I pulled this boy from his elementary school in Wasilla, to homeschool him. I wasn't happy with the direction the school went and knew I could do better. 

And then we moved. 

Not just an across town move either. We moved back to the rest of the US. We handled it nicely and picked up where we left off amidst all the chaos and Dad going back to work. 

And then we went on vacation. 

An extended vacation. And that is what made me hold up my white flag and call uncle. I felt like I had failed him when we got home. So I had a swig of humble pie and scheduled us for a meeting with a charter school. 

I guess you could say it went well, as his sister starts tomorrow. 

First Love

Happy love day. Sassy pants has his first Valentines party at school today and I made these little gems for him last night.

Thank you Pinterest. You have edified my life once again.

What about you? Did you make anything cute for your child's first love day?

Bullies

So sassy pants told me this afternoon about the bus ride. He hasn't been very thrilled with having to ride it. It was made better today by the fact that his friend rode today. Back to the point. He told me that there was an older kid trying to take money from a little kids back pack.

Really?

This bus only takes the elementary kids home. And already there are bullies trying to steal money?  So I asked him if he did anything. If he told a grown up? I also told him that that was bullying and it isn't ok. I told him that he should stick up for the child next time and to tell a grown up. While I think it's important for him to realize that picking on other kids isn't right, I also know that there are repercussions of being the "tattle". So what do you do? I want these qualities of compassion and standing for what you believe, but I also want him safe. 

So what is a mother to do?

ohhhh school -insert exasperrated sigh-

We are officially a school going family. Insane I tell you. Here I am thinking that my days are going to be relaxed and uneventful and I will just be able to do things at my own leisurely pace. I must have been on drugs. My days now start at 7 am. Every day. Sunday night I was so paranoid that I was going to be late getting him to school that I slept like poo.  And all the excitement around here is turning my brain into mush. It's going to take a few days to catch up on all of it. So I'm jumping to the middle here since my sister did come in the night before these pictures were taken. Oh well.  So here is sassy pants hanging out "patiently" before the ride in. He's so grown up now it's crazy.

This would be an Iphone picture. I could see the nervousness in his face through all of his smiles.

And of course I had to make him sit on the rocks so I could get another one.

Can you see it? The 'baby' in him still who is really excited about school but scared to death also...

I have not been impressed with photos of me recently so this is only making it because it's the right thing to do. :/

I think he was looking off at the other kids. Oh yah...and this is his new haircut after he decided to take matters into his own hands.

That is it for tonight friends. My brain is shot. I've been calling the college, going to the college, getting up early and going to bed late. The hubs comes home on Saturday so I'm hopeful that I can use his R&R as a reprieve and get caught up on stuff. 

So is this normal? Is this my life now?

Again?

Ba dum...

ba dum....

ba dum ba dum..

ba dum bad dum....*shriek* baaaaaaaah!!!!

And there goes my plan to have a nice wave-e hair school picture. 

How's your school preparedness going?

5 1/2 months

There is joy in children. Really. I mean it. Until they turn five. Then it's time to go to school! Five is a fabulous age to start learning by way of English, and math and science...and a Teacher. One that teaches in a school and gets paid. I am no teacher. Try as I might and imagine that I can...I can't. I know that patience is a vice of mine that I am here to learn. I'm not ignorant to that. But teaching children and the patience that comes with that is a whole new ball game

.

Our son loves to learn. LOVES it. He missed the date for starting school because of his birthday and that was a complete bummer. So it gave him another whole year to stay at home with Mom, and have a miserable  fun time. The poor kid has a great imagination but even that can only take him so far until he is quite literally bouncing off the walls in boredom. And as much as I want to help him...there's no patience to be had.

 

So here we are. Roughly 5 1/2 months away from him starting kindergarten. How do I feel about this? Well, I'm thrilled. And nervous. And happy. And scared. I'm so excited for him to go and make friends and learn to read and have an outlet besides us. I'm excited to have only one child that climbs up the walls and back talks and pushes me to the very last ounce of self control. But I'm heart broken that my "baby" is growing up. It's just the start of slowly not needing Mom as much as he used to. And that makes me sad. Until I think about how many more fights and head butting that is also going to come from him going to school.And how he's going to act like he is so much smarter than me. And that makes me exhausted!

So, for the next 5 1/2 months, I'll do my best to hold onto the sweet moments and not lose my temper quite as fast as normal, because it will soon be over. And we will be at another chapter in his book. And who wouldn't want to look at this face all day:)