Uncategorized — Page 7

Eight

September 14, 2012

My youngest turned eight yesterday. And he’s become such a great little kid, even if his LEGO collection will someday take over our home.

Our little family, complete, in 2005

Yeah, kid, Disney isn’t for everyone. I understand.

With Ron and Roy, your beloved potatoes

Ooooo, LEGO!

Smile! I said smile!

Up at 6:30 for new LEGO kit, of course.

Happy Birthday to my beautiful boy.

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Year 7 Homeschooling: Feeling more confident, yet less sure

September 8, 2012

It’s hard to believe that I’ve begun my seventh year homeschooling—I should be an expert by now, right?!

And, in some ways, I am. I know what type of schedule works best for us. I know that we’re good for a few hours and then—wham!—the wall has been hit. I know that I shouldn’t freak out when one child wanders off to play while I’m working with another, nor should I try to keep three kids sitting at a table for hours in front of workbooks: This just doesn’t work for us.

And, I even feel like I have picked out great curriculum choices for each child that is best-suited for the way they learn. In fact, our first week has been notable in that there were no tears, no huge dramatic scenes of “I can’t do this!“, no threats (from me) to “Do it or else!” as I scramble to think what that “else” could be.

So, yeah, great first week, right?

So why am I’m having a hard time feeling like, “This is it! We’ve found our groove!”

Maybe it’s because Belly will tell anyone who asks, “Yes, I’m definitely going to high school” (in just, gah, three short years!)

Maybe it’s because a couple of friends have opted to send their kids to school, which always shakes me up.

Maybe it’s because I worry that we’ll never quite fit into this predominantly conservative Christian community, especially as the kids get older and topics get brought up in conversation. I hope my kids don’t lose friends because they don’t share the same beliefs as so many.

And maybe it’s because the first few days of public school—the photos of kids at the bus stop, the cute stories about sweet teachers, the early days of little homework but lots of friends—make me kind of wistful for my days in school.

Let’s face it: It’s hard to swim upstream when everyone else is swimming down. And though there are definitely some shiny moments that make it clear why we’re doing this, I sometimes feel like, at some point–like it or not–the current may be too much, and I’ll find us swimming with everyone else.

But, until then, if you ask, I’ll say, “Yes, things are going great this year.” And I will mean it.

Filed Under: Fairly Odd Me, Homeschooling, Uncategorized 9 Comments

25 reasons we’ll return to Mount Desert Island

August 29, 2012

1. The views! Every! Where! You! Look! Gorgeousness everywhere.

Day’s end in Southwest Harbor

2. $40 for an annual pass to Acadia National Park gives us a good reason to go back next summer.

3. Camping at Blackwoods Campground: big wooded lots, clean(ish) bathrooms, and so quiet in the middle of the night, I could hear the ocean roaring in the distance.

Yes, our tent. Yes, we are outgrowing it.

4. Lobster so fresh at Beal’s in Southwest Harbor, it was swimming that morning.

Before and after

5. Hikes for all abilities, even a scaredy cat like me. Though I will never ever do Beehive or Precipice. Going up the metal ladders on Beech Cliffs hike was about as radical as I’m every going to get.

I climbed this high!

6. Biking on carriage roads is the bomb. It’s especially cool when your 9 year old goes whizzing by on the downhill and disappears from view for a good long time.

The blond will be FAR ahead pretty soon.

7. 2 Cats for breakfast. Orange juice is fresh-squeezed, and the food is delish.

nom, nom, nom

8. Dive-in Theater with Diver Ed Boat Cruise. Laughed so much during this two-hour tour. It was hilarious, fun, interesting, and informative. The kids were glued to every word Diver Ed and his wife, Captain Evil, had to say. Worth every last penny.

My little Sea Cucumber lover

9. Popovers at Jordan Pond House Restaurant. As good as everyone says they are. Especially if you bike to the restaurant.

10. So, so, so clean. I never wished I had a garbage bag with me to pick up the trash I found on our walks.

11. I’ll make GORP again.

You know you want some.

12. Stars over Sand Beach. Lying on a blanket on a sandy beach nestled between rocks, gazing up at the amazing Maine summer night sky, having the constellations pointed out by a park ranger. . . so very relaxing and cool. Next time, I had better see one of the shooting stars everyone else saw, though we all got to wave to the International Space Station.

13. Swimming in Echo Lake. Warm(ish) fresh water with sandy bottom felt great after a long hike. Plus, we could look up to the mountain on one side and say, “we were up there!”

Echo Lake. Too many people to test the name.

14. Maybe I’ll touch Bubble Rock next time. Or, maybe I’ll just sit way over here again.

So. High. Up. (gulp)

15. The Boobles. One local told us to look for the two Bubble mountains by looking for the two that look like breasts. From then on, we called them The Boobles.

The Boobles. Heh, get it? BOOBles?

16. No internet service for the majority of our trip meant no fighting over iPads or video games, and no staring at screens. But, when we were jonesing for some Wifi, there were options, like this retro-funky coffee shop in town.