A Quick Trip to VA

The USA is such an amazing country for a lot of reasons. One that is purely selfish is the ability to travel a wide expanse of unique countryside without ever leaving the country.

I'd go anywhere with Trent by my side.

We happen to love traveling to Virginia. Our best friends live there so that is usually our excuse to go, but Trent and I have taken vacations there multiple times just the two of us. Last year we were hoping to take the girls to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. We had studied early American History so it was a perfect field trip/vacation. Last May we went to China instead, which was much more important than a little trip to VA, plus now Ruthie got to join in the fun which happened to take place over the exact time we were in China in 2017.

We found a cozy place on VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner) about 30 minutes from Williamsburg. We really enjoy staying in places like this because they have more space for our large family and are less expensive and more comfortable than staying in a hotel (considering we would need to get two hotel rooms). As the date was approaching the home owner contacted Trent to let him know that the place we had reserved they were actually going to be selling and would we mind staying at one of their other properties. It has a private beach on the bay and a couple of kayaks, but it's an hour drive to Williamsburg. Um. Yes. Yes, we would like a private beach on the bay.

That's the bay right behind that small patch of grass!

Right before we left was a little chaotic. Abbey's ear started hurting the day before we were going to leave and I decided I'd better take her into the doctor quickly before leaving just in case she was getting an ear infection. It turned out to be swimmer's ear and the drops really helped her recover quickly. The other problem was that the air condition in the Suburban wasn't working. It hadn't really been hot here so it wasn't an issue but it was supposed to be in the upper 80s while in Virginia, plus we were going to be driving for five hours to get there, mostly highway (loud) driving.



The drive really was not bad at all. Ruthie had a couple minor issues, mainly because she was tired and wasn't falling asleep. I think if the A/C had worked it would have been nearly flawless. For five young kids to drive that long with as few complaints as we had. Well, we were just plain grateful. The girls had completely outstanding behavior every place we went. They were patient, mostly interested in the history, and just all around fun to be with. We had scarcely pulled into the driveway when they ripped through their bags to find swimsuits and ran to the water. Can't say that I blame them!

Maggie is the Queen of Finding Fun Things - here is a unique piece of driftwood

I think we all agreed that Jamestown Island was our favorite. We didn't do the "rebuilt/entertainment" Jamestown, instead opting for the (cheaper) actual historical part of the island. Walking around was really fascinating. Maggie's favorite part was chasing squirrels. The girls all loved finding tons of turtles as we walked across a bridge over a swampy part of ground. Carrie liked holding the hand of the Pocahontas statue. But truthfully, the kids were slightly horrified to learn that the first settlers had resorted to cannibalism to survive and to see an actual skeleton with knife marks on the skull. My personal favorite was just learning about who these settlers were, why they wanted to come to America, and what kind of adventurous spirit it would have taken to get them there. I also learned that people today can trace their lineage to John Rolf and Pocahontas, especially since they only had one son before she died. What a legacy!

Turtles in the swampy water was a highlight for our animal-loving girls.

After Jamestown we ate at Cookout. It was a highlight of the trip. They are known for their 40+ flavors of milkshakes. After eating we got three milkshakes (chocolate, vanilla, and peanut butter) to pass around the table. I think the kids and I agree that peanut butter was our favorite, but Trent liked vanilla.

From Cookout we went to Colonial Williamsburg. At this point we were all kind of getting tired and it was pretty hot. The tickets are very expensive for a family of our size so we opted to just do the free stuff. We walked through a replica of a colonial era plantation that was one of our favorite parts, only to learn later that you were supposed to have purchased a ticket to go through that part. Oops. There was a lot of walking and I mentioned it was pretty hot. After some complaining we got a bottle of water that seemed to perk everyone up. Ruthie fell asleep in the carrier for a little bit. We definitely didn't get quite as much out of our time there.

Anne was pleased as punch that Ruthie let her ride on her back in the carrier for part of the time.

We stopped at Little Caesar's for their $5 hot and ready pizzas. Unfortunately there weren't any ready (see what I did there) so we sat in a hot (haha- I did it again) car while Trent waited for awhile. That cheap pizza was pretty delicious, though.

The kids obviously loved playing in the bay. I had never stayed at the bay or really been to the bay that I can recall. You can walk out really far from the shore and not be in water deeper than your waist. It was so peaceful and really great for young kids since there are no waves. Our girls are all animal lovers so were thrilled to find over 127 sea snails, a live horseshoe crab, a fish in a shell, and Maggie picked up a live crab when she was far from the shore. She was so excited but it pinched her. She didn't want to let it go because it was such a great find, but it also kept pinching.

Taking a moment to relax

Saturday we went did the Yorktown Battlefield tour. We started off in the museum and watched a short video (we also did this at Jamestown). What was most memorable to the girls was not the fact that they had George Washington's actual tent but that the actor said a bad word in the movie. We got the $5 CD that tells you the history as you drive through the various important locations. Trent and I were really interested. The little girls could care less. The older girls really just wanted to go back and play in the bay. We would have liked to go inside Moore house and the kids were actually very interested to do this; unfortunately it was closed that day.

The kids getting a little too into the acting out of the battle.

Moore house 

After a light lunch while we drove (apples, crackers, string cheese, etc.) we headed back to our rental property. Ruth wanted to join the big girls in the bay but she just couldn't hang. I ended up taking her inside where she took a very long, much needed three-hour nap. The fun in the bay ended when Anne tripped and got a 3-inch gash on her upper thigh. The owners had warned of very sharp shells that can cut your feet and recommended water shoes (which the kids refused to wear). Thankfully injuries and blood don't make me queasy. We debated taking her to an urgent care for stitches, and decided instead I'd just run out to the pharmacy for some butterfly bandages and ointment. I patched her up just fine. *Note: I did take her to the doctor Monday when we got home. He said she could have used stitches if I had taken her in right away but it was starting to heal and my bandages did a good enough job.*

Horseshoe Crab! The screened in porch was lovely for eating outside.

We had originally planned to eat at a sit-down restaurant Saturday night. However, we enjoyed Cookout so much that we decided to go there again to one closer to the house. We all loved the food and ended our meal with three different flavors of milkshake (banana-fudge, strawberry cheesecake, and oreo).

Round 2 at Cookout

Sunday was Mother's Day and it ended up being overcast at chilly. The flies were really biting down at the water so it ended up being a good day to leave. No one was overly upset in the way they would have been if it was sunny.

Good-bye, Mobjack Bay!

The drive back home was uneventful. We made only one quick stop to use the bathroom. The kids were so good.

Beyond blessed that these five gals call me "mama"

We are already thinking of where we could go next May. Our current thoughts are Georgia or Massachusetts.

Happy 100 Days of School

Sometimes I feel bad about homeschooling my girls because they miss out on some of the things that were my favorite parts of going to a “brick & mortar” school. One of those things is friends outside our family, and the second is all the fun days that happen at school. 

It has become tradition to do a big celebration on our 100th day of school. I stay up late the night before preparing all sorts of crafts, games, and often a big sign. It also happens to be Groundhog Day which is a more random “holiday” but one that I remember always enjoying as a kid. 

Last night I prepped a special crown for each girl in their favorite color with “Anne (insert child’s name)  is 100 Days smarter”. One craft that we have done every year is stringing 100 fruit loops onto a necklace that they can wear all morning and nibble from. It cracks me up that even Anne, at 10, still finds joy in the fruit loop necklace. 

Under their crown was a beautiful big packet of activities, coloring pages, all related to either 100 days of school  or Groundhog Day. 

This year’s sign included the Groundhog, a red door with Ni Hao (hello in Mandarin), and wishes of warmer days with the apple trees and a happy sun. Also, I did draw this but I was looking at a picture. My girls felt like that was cheating. 

Stringing Tootie Fruities (which we bought at BBs for 50 cents). The cereal was literally the only thing I purchased for this celebration. We had all the other materials on hand already; your celebration doesn’t have to cost a lot to be fun!

We did an interactive game that I really loved. I found a lot of material on the website TeachersPayTeachers.com :: but the ones I used were actually free downloads. The activity the girls are doing in the picture is “Hold a silly face for 100 seconds”. There were tons of very similar ideas that their partner would initial beside once they completed it: such as 100 jumping jacks, stand on one foot for 100 seconds, see how far you get in 100 steps, hold completely still for 100 seconds, etc. 

After being wild they settled down to a writing activity. They had to draw a picture of themselves at 100 years old and fill in the blanks about their 100th birthday party celebration. The girls definitely went the silly route and treated it like a mad lib, but they had a great time. Words are fun! 

They really didn’t want to take a picture in front of the sign but I asked them to. When they were not eager to smile I was literally acting like Stuart (from Mad TV like 100 years ago) saying, “look what I can do! I’m a gazelle, leaping through fields! I just want you to love me and smile!!” Sometimes when I’m weird the girls just roll their eyes, but thankfully they thought it was funny today. But Ruthie was most interested in her cereal necklace. Haha!

It was a really, really great morning. The girls had finished their tiny bit of Friday homework by 10:00 so we spent the rest of the morning and after lunch on the fun stuff. To top off the day, I gave them a break from studying World War 2 and told them to snuggle up and watch a movie together after I put Ruthie down for her nap. 

If you want to find activities for your 100th day of school I would recommend the previously mentioned site: TeachersPayTeachers as well as simply typing into Google, 100 Days of school. No need to reinvent the wheel, the ideas are out there waiting for you. It’s totally up to you how simple or elaborate you want to make the day! Have fun and give yourself a pat on the back! Just 80 more days to go until summer vacation! 

5 Ways to be A Joyful Mama At the Grocery Store

Friends. I don't know about you all, but it seems every other article that pops up on my news feed have titles like:  5 things you're doing wrong, 10 ways you are failing, and 700 ways to get offended at the grocery store.

I'm a pretty big believer of the words and things that go into our mind play out in our actions. It's part of the reason I'm so particular about the movies my children watch, the books they read, and the company they keep.

Yet as Mamas (and Dads) do we do the same thing for ourselves? I know I don't always use the same standard for myself. So I'm going to lay this out there for you all. Stop getting offended at the grocery store. I'm using grocery store since that's the situation in which most mamas find themselves at the end of their rope. I actually don't personally go to the grocery store since I've married the best man ever and he enjoys the grocery shopping. BUT, I do take all five of my daughters pretty much everywhere else: doctor appointments, clothes shopping, greenhouses, soccer practice, the dentist, running at the rail trail, eye exams, etc. These five little tips will help you to get through "small talk" encounters with little old ladies, people who may seem a little nosy, and cashiers, and have joy in your heart when you walk out the door.

Before Ruthie came home, I had all four girls with me at an Amish greenhouse on my road. The young Amish cashier looked at me, looked at the girls, and said, "Are they all yours?" Guys. If you aren't familiar with the Amish community, the average Amish family has 7 children. I only had four. That one was a shocker!

Just today, as I was running errands, I had a young man (!) stop me in the parking lot of TJ Maxx by shouting, "Excuse me!" (he was still in his car) "Are they all yours?? FIVE girls!"

The most common comments I get are, "Are they all yours?", "All girls?!", "Your poor husband", "Just wait until they're teenagers".

And friends. I don't freak out at them. I don't roll my eyes. I don't get offended. Instead, I do these few things.

1. Smile. It's really not a hard thing to do. Treat people with a friendly face and with kindness, the exact same way you want to be treated. A smile goes a long way.

National Taco Day! Smile!

2. Listen. I've noticed that if I stop for even just 30 seconds, most of the time they have a reason for talking to me. The man today wanted me to encourage his young wife that having a big family is great. When he saw me out with all the girls happily walking through the parking lot, he felt he had to say something. An 80-something woman loitered about me last winter just to tell me that she was one of seven girls, and seeing my little family brought back so many cherished childhood memories. Also today at the eye doctor a woman told me she loved watching us because she had four daughters. It's not hard to give people 30 seconds or a minute of your time. Just remember that you may be on their end some day, remembering the joys and trials of taking your kids out to run errands.

Tea time with the loveliest girls around.

3. Take a deep breath. When I was a waitress at the Olive Garden people would often say the same thing to me throughout a 10 hour shift. "Just grate the whole block of cheese on there! Ha-Ha-Ha!" (when asked if they want grated Parmesan cheese on their salad.) They had no way of knowing that they are the 10th table who has told me that same thing today, and it isn't that funny anymore. Having a big family these days is a bit of a curiosity, even in good ole Lancaster County, and even more so because we have all girls. So when you're at your fourth stop on errand running day, and you don't really feel like having the same conversation again, take a deep breath, and repeat step number one.

Sisters going to church

4. Make a Joke. To be honest, I very rarely have people say things that I think are rude and I often wonder where people live who write of the harsh things strangers say to them. The "are they all yours" comment I've been getting since I had three kids. Sometimes families built through adoption take offense to this comment. I don't. I just answer the question with a smile, and "Yes! They're all mine!" On occasion I have people ask if we are going to "keep trying" for a boy. That's kind of an awkward question on a lot of levels, but again, it's just a conversation. I usually answer that question with, "We really, really love having all girls. They are a lot of fun!" And leave it at that. I really believe that the best way to handle strangers is with kindness. You'll likely never see them again, and it isn't really worth getting all worked up over. You give a stranger power over you and your emotions when you take offense.

5. Smile. Again. Because not only are you responding to strangers, your children are watching you. They are watching the way you respond to strangers and they are learning from you. So if you are snippy with strangers, they will learn that's the way to respond when people ask questions. If you treat others with kindness, they will learn to do the same. And even if I've reached the end of my patience and I have a cheeky two-year-old who WILL walk through the parking lot and she DOESN'T need anyone to hold her hand, and a three-year-old who wants to be carried even though my hands are full of bags, and a 7, 8, and 9 year old who are trailing like ducklings and I really just want to buckle everyone up and crank up the radio and drive, if you yell, "Excuse me! Are they all yours?" You can bet that I'll stop, smile, and say, "Yep! All mine!"

All Mine!

Hess Homeschool: Part 1: 5 Reasons Why We Homeschool

As we prepare to enter our fifth year as a homeschooling family, I wanted to share publicly some of the reasons we homeschool. Over the years I have had several friends ask why we homeschool, what an average day looks like, and what curriculum we use.

This shall be part one of my homeschool series: 5 Reasons Why We Homeschool

The two years before our oldest daughter was ready for Kindergarten were years full of conversation regarding schooling. We continually vacillated between public school, private school, and home school. Like most people, Trent and I drew from our personal experiences to help aid in our decision making. I went to public school K-6, then Christian school 7-12, then public university. Trent was in Christian school K-12 and public university.

After looking into the cost of Christian schools and knowing we already had three children (at that time) close together and hoped for more, we quickly ruled out the feasibility of affording Christian school.

I'm a list-person so I wrote list after list of pros and cons of public school versus home school. I wracked my brain of all the negative things about public school, and all the positive things about it. I didn't have many friends that I knew of that had been home schooled and, to be frank, had a negative impression of what home school kids were like (you know, weird.). I also didn't have a single mom-friend (at that time) who home schooled her children, which was extremely intimidating.

In the end, Anne made the decision rather easy for us. She started reading a year before she was old enough to enter Kindergarten. By the following year she was reading at a 6th grade level. I couldn't see sending her to Kindergarten because I was sure she would be bored. Anne has been blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) with a very similar personality to my own. Knowing how we react to boredom (getting into trouble) home school quickly won the debate. We decided to take it a year at a time, not knowing how it would go and what it would look like.

If I'm totally honest with myself, Anne's reading level was a cop-out. It was easier for me to explain that Anne is a gifted reader so we decided to home school than to tell people my deeper opinions on it. And many of these opinions and ideas were shaped by the experience gained from living the home school life.

What I have to say next is in no way a reflection on the decisions of other families. All of us moms are just trying to do the best we can, attempting to make the best choices for our children, and our families.  I do not believe that homeschooling is the best choice for all families, but it is the best choice for my family at this time.

Five Reasons Why We Homeschool (in no particular order)

1. Flexibility: I have found that we can have as fluid or as rigid a class schedule as I desire. We often start school in August while most kids are still on vacation, to take our family vacation during times when the beaches are empty and rentals are cheaper. My girls can enjoy playing in the snow all morning, then still get their lessons done in the afternoon. We can sleep in as late as we need or want to in the mornings. This past school year the girls took a very short Christmas holiday because we knew we were going to be heading to China and wanted the school year to be finished before we left. Our family trips often count as field trip school days. I am not a morning person so I am thankful not to have to rush around getting papers signed, lunches made, backpacks prepared, trying to remember when gym day is for several little people, etc. I believe our home is a very peaceful (albeit messy) place to be.

2. Close Relationships: Looking back to the few people I know who were home schooled for some portion of their schooling, this may have been one of the things I found "weird". I saw pre-teens who had very close relationships with their parents and siblings. If this is a side effect of homeschool, I definitely see this as a positive thing. My daughters feel very comfortable coming to Trent or me with their problems. While the girls don't get along every moment of every day, at the end of the day, they are still friends. I often remind the girls that, while it's great for them to have friends who aren't their sisters, those friendships often come and go. Sisters are forever. I wish that I would have had closer friendships with my own sisters growing up. Homeschooling often allows us to feel a bit of the simplicity and closeness you garner when reading the Little House books. While Trent doesn't play a fiddle (yet) he sure tells great bedtime stories and is a fantastic Mad Dog and Tickle Man. 

3. Inter-Age Comfort: I don't have a good title for this one. Basically my girls are comfortable with all ages. Schools are so "grade focused" that it unwittingly pits older/stronger kids against smaller/weaker ones. Whether or not a child is ever bullied in a school (I was not), there was always a bit of fear toward the upper grades. Right now the girls are 9, 8, almost 7, 3, and 2. They are just as happy to play with each other as they are visiting our neighbors daily who are 84, 68, 65, and 8. They can have meaningful conversations with people of all ages (or happily bounce a baby on their knee). I know when I was 9 years old there wasn't much chance of me wanting to have a conversation with a friend's parent. Yet our girls will happily interact with adults as easily as they do with children. (Also, this may make them seem weird.)

4. Love of Learning: I really wanted my girls to love learning and be life long learners. I see many parents complain and vent about the amount of testing their children have to go through. It saddens me to see very young children with such heavy burdens of stress due to their (elementary!) education. My girls are well-read in a wide range of subjects. I find that I am learning right along with them. Admittedly there are some subjects (cough, cough, Science) that are not personal favorites, but this in no way hinders their Science Education. This past school year (when Anne and Abbey were doing 3rd grade) they took on the majority of their own science education. It was so beautiful to watch them not only take on the responsibility, but to do so independently and with consistency. I'll have a whole post dedicated to my curriculum choice at a later date. *Their love of books may make them seem weird.*

5. Influence: While some may disagree or not like this one; I have found it to be one of the most important reasons why we home school. I want to be the major influence in my child's life; not their peers, not their teachers, not the things they hear on the bus, not the misinformation they gather in school. Me. I feel personally convicted to provide my children with a solid foundation of what we believe and why before sending them out on their own for 8-9 hours a day. Granted, this means my children get to see me fail. Every. Day. It means sometimes I lose my patience and raise my voice. But it also means I get to show them what repentance looks like. It means I get to show them, first hand, how to restore a relationship that was hurt by careless words. It means they get to help me to be a better mom, a better person. Together, we get to explore how Jesus lived. We get to see how He is still active in the world, and in our home. They have deep, first hand knowledge of what it means to love people who are different from us. They have the opportunity to build the character traits of godly women who may someday be godly wives and mothers and home makers and whatever else they choose. I want them to have faith in their roots, and not be swayed by every passing trend. This also means that I am the one who explains about their bodies, how babies are made, why we do or don't wear certain clothing, why we wear deodorant, that it's rude to burp and fart at the table (with sometimes little success). But again, I'm so glad that I'm the one giving them accurate information that aligns with our spiritual beliefs.

While there are certainly more reasons and more stories I could share, I think these five pretty well sum up what I love about homeschooling.

I welcome your questions! I had lots of questions before I got started so I am happy to share what I have learned to help others on their way or to sate a curious mind.

Third Grade : Refelections and Moving Forward

Just the other night, while searching under my bed for a long lost journal (which I did not find), I came across a bag of pictures. This one was near the top. The first day of third grade. I don't know how I got that picture, or if my mom came to school with me that day. It would be unusual as I rode the bus to school, but nothing that year was normal. Maybe the teacher took it and gave it to my mom. I don't know.

First day of third grade, Conestoga Elementary.

The summer before I started third grade a classmate and friend was killed by a drunk driver. At the time I had said she was my best friend. Looking back, I wonder how many other classmates felt the same way. I do know that we were very close. As I looked at the above photograph I had a flash flood of memories start to sweep me away.

So many little things about Kristine came back to me in that moment. She wasn't in the photograph but her presence was there. Before she died she had gotten a pony tail holder stuck in her hair. Instead of waiting for her mom to untangle it, she got a pair of scissors and cut it out, along with a nice chunk of the back of her hair. In the weeks before she died she gave me two cards while we were at the pool together. I distinctly remember sitting at the edge of the 12 feet. It was an adult swim. She ran over to her towel and back to me with the cards. We sat together, feet dangling in the water. One was a birthday card. This was odd as my birthday is in January. She said she had forgotten my birthday and wanted me to have this card. The second was a card asking if I wanted to get together to make a present for our third grade teacher. We never got the chance. I made one without her and gave it to the teacher, from both of us.

I remember being upset with Kristine the night she died. Our community pool was having a midnight swim. It was the highlight of the summer for us kids. We made our plans to meet there. She never showed up. I couldn't believe my friend would stand me up like that.

The next morning at church, a man from our congregation stood up and asked for prayer. He was an EMT, on the scene of an accident the night before where a 7-year-old girl was killed. She was an only child. He didn't know the first name, but the last name was Trimble. At my age I didn't pay close attention to much during church. I remember my head shooting up at the sound of that name and looking at my mom. With tears in my eyes I silently begged her to reassure me this couldn't be my friend. There is no way MY friend could be dead.

After church my parents drove to Turkey Hill. My dad went inside for a newspaper. He came out, and handed it to my mom. I don't know if I said anything or just stared. Kristine's second grade school photograph was on the front page of the local section. I couldn't believe it. I refused to believe it. We drove home. I have vague memories of my mom convincing me that she believed Kristine had the choice to stay in a broken body on earth or be whole in heaven. I was mad at her. In my selfishness I wanted her here.

Kristine had died two tenths of a mile from her home, and half a mile from the pool. She was wearing her swimsuit under her dress, she was on her way to the pool, to see me for the midnight swim.

After she died her mom came over to my house. She gave me Kristine's bike. I didn't want it. I didn't want to ride her bike. I wanted Kristine to ride her own bike. Her mom wanted me to have it. I imagine it was too hard to see it and know Kristine wouldn't ride it again. I rode that bike until long after I had outgrown it. Outgrowing it would be moving forward, without Kristine.

This year Anne and Abbey start third grade. They are the age that Kristine and I were, 8 and 7, our last summer together as friends. Thinking of how precious my own daughters are to me, I can't even begin to fathom losing one of them in an accident. If I'm not careful I believe the devil could use this memory to fill my heart with fear and worry.

Anne, age 8, first day of 3rd grade

Looking back, third grade for me was certainly not a normal year. That year my mom threw a surprise party for me. I didn't understand at the time why she did it. With a large family we didn't have birthday parties with friends every year. We had them on "special occasion" years - 5, 10, 13, and 16. But that year I turned 9. I got a surprise party at Willow Valley's indoor pool, which was a really big deal for our family. Maybe my mom was thinking her own, "what ifs".

Abbey, age 7, first day of 3rd grade

I don't think about Kristine every day anymore. But I do think of her. I used to visit her grave on a regular basis all through high school. I saw her grandmother there once and she remembered me. I wore a butterfly on my wedding dress for Kristine, for the wedding she would never get to have. And I tell my girls about her. If I could tell Kristine's mom or any mom who has lost a beloved child it would be this : I haven't forgotten her. I think of her. I remember the funny things she did. I wish she were still here. I loved her, too.

Maggie, age 5 (6 next week), first day of pre-1st.

Caroline - 2 1/2 years old - keeping busy this school year!

 And now we move forward.

This article is now 8 years old, but it tells more about Kristine and her family along with Kristine's beautiful picture. Lives Forever Changed

We hope all our friends and family have a great 2016-2017 school year. We pray that you all stay safe and make good choices.

xoxo,
Mama Hess

Paul Revere's Ride and the end of Second Grade and Kindergarten

May 20th we said goodbye to Second grade and Kindergarten, at least for a couple of years.

Anne and Abbey will both move up to third grade in the fall. It seems hard to believe that we have finished our third year of home schooling and look forward eagerly to the start of the fourth year.

Maggie will be doing what I lovingly call Pre-First. I know this grade doesn't actually exist in our country anymore, but if you are my age you will remember many children leaving Kindergarten and heading to pre-first instead of first grade. We have chosen to do this for Maggie for numerous reasons. I'd love to share my thought process with you all. First, Maggie turned five a week after school started last fall. She has a late summer birthday and was technically *by one day* premature (born at 36 weeks and 6 days). So she is young for her grade and quite small as well. Second, while we saw tremendous growth throughout the year, it was a hard battle. Maggie has learned to read, but she continues to sound out nearly every word, every time. She really really has to work hard to accomplish what comes easily to others. We want her to love learning and love school. I can guarantee she will not enjoy school if we push her to first grade next year. Third, I want to take this in between year to try some different techniques with Maggie - especially more music. I really believe that if we give her another year to grow and mature it will be extremely beneficial for her in the long run.

Here's a short video from the end of the school year of Maggie reciting "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer. Isn't she so adorable?

A few months ago I was introduced to the Eric Metaxas Show. I listen to his podcasts at night while I'm painting. On April 18 he gave the challenge to memorize Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Although I was familiar with the poem it was not one I had memorized myself. At that point we had five weeks left of school. I decided it would be just the thing to push the girls through the end of the year.

Here is Anne's recitation.

Abbey was also able to memorize the full poem. She was a little nervous while I was recording. When I wasn't recording she was doing a great job of adding inflection to the words, but she was more concerned about getting the words right to focus on her inflection. Also, Abbey just turned seven on April 18. The fact that she was able to memorize this (with a couple minor mistakes) was astounding to me.

We are giving three cheers for summer vacation!
Hip, hip, hooray!  
     Hip, hip, hooray!  
          Hip, hip, hooray!

{UN} Inhibitited

I'm not really much of a crier. I used to be, back when I was a tween and teen. I think I cried buckets at age 12. Thankfully those emotions settled significantly by the time I got married at 20.

Yesterday I was scrolling through Instagram hashtags, and I'm not exactly sure how I stumbled on it, but I came across a personal IG of a home school mom. She was sharing about her daughter who just turned 13 and how she has maintained so much of her innocence by being home schooled.

Friends, if you knew me, really knew me, back in high school I'm sure you find it extremely bizarre the way I am talking now. But I want to attempt to convey something that was so beautiful to me that it brought me to tears, like actual tears flowing from my eyeballs. At dinner last evening as I was explaining it to Trent I had to stop talking because I was sure I would start crying and not be able to stop.

First, let me just preface this by saying that home school is NOT for everyone. PLEASE do not take what I am going to say as a personal judgement against your decision for whatever schooling you have chosen for your children. I know so many people love the schools they are a part of, and I celebrate that with you! So please do not take my words in the wrong way. Instead, celebrate with me. All of us parents are just doing the best we can with what we have been given. Thanks! :)

As a middle and high schooler I had limited experience with kids who were home schooled. In general, I thought they were weird. I don't know where I got this idea but regardless, it was there. I had this preconceived notion that home school = weird. I didn't want weird; I wanted to fit in. However, when you are trying so hard to fit in with everybody else, you lose so much of who YOU are. I was constantly comparing myself to other girls, modeling my speech, hair, clothes, athletic ability, test scores, etc. against everyone else. If someone I thought was "cool" was taking photography, then I tried it, too. And here's the clincher, even if I had NO interest in the subject I would do it just to try to keep up and fit in with everyone else. It was exhausting. And it was not fun. Some of my worst grades in school came from taking classes I had zero interest in but signed up because "everyone else was doing it". Cliche, but true.

This week I have been slammed with several unexpected gifts of homeschooling. I'd love to share some of them with you!

1. Limited stress :: there is so much stress associated with school these days. I was talking with my former Kindergarten teacher a couple of weeks ago. She still teaches "Kindergarten" but what they now call Kindergarten is what used to be first grade. There is so much pressure to push kids forward into levels of thinking that they are NOT all ready for. When I was in Kindergarten, some children were not ready to move on to first grade, so they would go to this awesome thing called "Pre-First". I will be sharing more about this in a future blog post.... But with homeschooling, while I hold my children to high standards, they are not subjected to a lot of tests. My girls LOVE to learn, and I love to learn along side of them.

Abbey enjoying a game at the library.

2. Mornings :: I'm not a morning person. I don't have the worries of missing the bus. {Which I had loads of experience with all my life.} If one child needs to sleep a little later in the morning, I let her sleep. While I do try to stick to a schedule because I think it's good for the kids to have consistency, I do not hold to an exact time. Generally we like to start school at 9ish. However, today it was closer to 10.

This morning, when we all needed just a few more minutes in bed.

3. Children :: my children get to be children. They get to color and draw while I teach school. This helps them to be in their seats the whole time I need them to be. They get to go outside, run, and play. If they experienced a challenging math lesson they can take 10 minutes to clear their head by swinging outside or riding their bikes. It's wonderful.

Pretend sleeping in the bath.

4. Vacation :: we don't have to ask permission to take our children on vacation. We went to the beach after Labor day last year, the house rental was cheaper and the beaches were deserted. It was the best vacation we have ever had. Also, Trent and I went away to celebrate our 10th anniversary and we were able to leave the kids with his parents and, while I gave them some assignments to do while we were gone, I wasn't worried that they were getting behind and Trent's parents didn't have to worry about getting them to and from school.

The girls helping make dinner.

5. {UN} Inhibited :: my girls have the chance to be themselves. They are subject to little to no peer pressure. They are not bullied or teased {except occasionally by each other }. They have the opportunity to have their lives built firmly on the Truth of God's word. To me, this has been the best thing. My hope is that they are building such a firm foundation that when the time comes for them to go out into the world that they will not be swayed by peer pressure; that they will be so confident in who they are as children of God that it won't matter to them if others consider them to be a little "weird". I'm concerned that sometimes, as Christians, we look SO MUCH like the world that we are no longer distinguishable. I want to shine the bright hope that Jesus has to offer to our dark world. So, if when my girls are 13 and they still hardly wear shoes and they run in the woods and climb trees, then I will give God the praise for their freedom to be themselves. The freedom to not conform to the world or what the world expects a 13-year-old girl to be like. The freedom to express themselves through whatever THEY enjoy, not what they want others to think they enjoy.

Dance party craziness.

Don't get me wrong, there are definitely challenges that go along with this day-to-day job of home schooling. For me, for right now, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.