Thursday, September 26, 2013

Beginnings of Homeschool!

One of the exciting adventures we are embarking on, this Fall, is the beginnings of Homeschool!

Dan and i came to the easy agreement that we wanted to Homeschool our children. I feel as if i began the process of teaching Isaiah's little spongy brain the moment he was born. As for technicalities, now that he is 4, he has started Preschool like many of his other peers. So far the transition is unfolding very seamlessly for Isaiah.

A couple years ago i started becoming familiar with a group of Homeschool families in our area. Since then it has grown increasingly! This year we joined the Homeschool Cooperative that meets once a week for classes as well as the Soccer team. It is absolutely perfect for us.

There have been a lot of changes going on this past year for our family and i was unsure how Isaiah would handle yet another unknown. I did my best at explaining to him what to expect.
We got him a backpack and he picked out a lunch box. He was ready to go! ..... but the first morning of, i realized...i wasn't. I was a complete bundle of nerves. I hadn't slept a wink, my heart was beating out of my chest and i felt sick to my stomach. I stopped to get gas on the way, as well as to pray and gather myself. I didn't want Isaiah to pick up on my anxiety, and i think i did a pretty good job at hiding it from him. I realized that my biggest fear was that he would feel the same ways that i did when i was his age.
I want him to be confident, not hindered.
Fearless, not afraid.
Strong, not intimidated.
Bold, not ashamed.
To know that even if he is in a room full of strangers, that he has his friend, Jesus, by his side.

It was pouring rain that first morning. All my fears were washed away as we ran from our car into the school building. I stepped inside in complete peace!

          All the families gathered in one room and we each took turns introducing ourselves.
(Side note, Isaiah has come into the habit of putting his hand up by his face whenever he is feeling insecure or embarrassed, and so i expected to see that when it came to his turn for introduction.)
Instead, he stood up, with his hands by his sides, clearly and loudly shared his name, age, and when asked about his favorite experience of summer, he said "Kipper the Cat". I was SO proud!
         Later, during recess, he was playing on the playground and some of the older boys were very rigorously jumping across the "moving bridge". This in turn was making the younger kids scared and hold on for their dear little lives. Isaiah gently and confidently spoke up to one of the older boys and said "Hey, can you stop doing that, your making them scared" (pointing at a boy) "Look at his face, your making him sad." The boy replied that it was just his brother. I then pipped up, "Well than if he is your brother you really need to stop and help him out."
         Isaiah is learning to "Love his neighbors as himself" and i wanted to shout "Way to go!" but....
I have learned that one of the many roles of motherhood is trying to contain your external cheering section at times that it wouldn't be the most appropriate. Isaiah and i share a little "wink and thumbs up" combo system for those moments.

         The best part of these weekly Homeschool gatherings is the pure joy all over Isaiah's face on our way home. He absolutely loves it and has had a blast so far. This week i was helping out in the nursery and was tending to Ezra. Isaiah went to class alone. Every time i would peek in on him, he just seemed so happy. Afterwards, when were getting ready to leave, one of the fellow moms said that Isaiah was the best listener in the whole class, and had done great.

         To say that it is going well is an understatement. I am seeing him completely blossom and soak it all up. What an answer to my prayers. God is blessing him so much through this change and i absolutely love that i get to witness it all.

Here are a few pictures from his first day....
A mouth full of Almonds.


Blurry, but i loved his little confident walk!



Monday, September 23, 2013

A Home Inside.

The boys just crashed after a busy day and i have a few moments to myself. I have been dying to write in my blog the last couple weeks or months, but we, as a family, are coming off of a very busy Summer and headed into the Fall with a full schedule. Pretty much all of my hobbies have been put in the back seat since Ezra's birth.

Anyways, Speaking of putting things in our back seat... We Are Moving!
I never thought the day would come, but in a few short weeks we will be saying goodbye to our first house of 6 years.
So many emotions have been running through my heart as i have slowly packed up boxes of all. our. stuff.

This house held our first home.

My husband bought this fixer-upper 6 years ago this past July, and spent endless hours preparing it for his Bride. As a Wedding gift to me, he finished our bedroom first. Red, hard wood floors and candles...you get the picture. He wouldn't let me see it until we returned from our Honeymoon. Lets just say, I was pleasantly surprised.

We spent the first week back home....remodeling our kitchen. ;-)
We spent the first year of our marriage learning how to be Husband and Wife in our house. (and failing over and over again).
We spent the second year watching my belly grow as God was knitting our baby in my womb. Later that year I gave birth to Isaiah Paul in our living room.
We spent the third year learning all about parenthood. The long nights, endless nursing sessions, exhausted bickering, and indescribable joy filled our house.
We spent the fourth year celebrating yet another child entering our house. I also gave birth to Ezra Jude in our living room.
We spent the fifth year learning to parent 2 boys. Practicing patience. Watching our oldest grow and our youngest fit in.
We spent our sixth year full of endless questions, exciting changes, lessons learned.

It has been a full 6 years for us.... full of love, joy, heartache, anxiety, peace, forgiveness, messiness, hard work, confusion, laughter, disappointment, impatience.....oh, i could go on forever.
Simply put, these walls have been a house for us. They have not been a home. Our home lies within 4 beating hearts that are all intimately intertwined by the grace of God.

I am in love with our home, and i am taking it with us. Which is why i know i wont find it very hard to say goodbye to our house.