Big Changes

First, let me say that things are going oh so much better! I was pretty stressed out for a while, but things have settled back down. As I was reading to each of my children tonight and tucking them each into bed, I almost had to pinch myself because I felt so lucky! My children are amazing and I am so blessed to be their mom!



Now, onto the big changes occurring in our household. We've decided that we are going to start homeschooling Collin.....starting next week! This has been in the works for years now. I've known for a while that Collin doesn't do well in a large classroom. His grades and behavior at school are frustrating. He does so great at home though! He used to struggle at daycare centers as well, but did wonderfully in a home daycare and at home with me. I regret that I went back to work after Collin came home from Guatemala and I think I may always regret leaving him in public school for as long as I did. He just has different needs than your average child.



I've been researching homeschooling lately and I'm so excited by what I've learned. There are so many curriculum to choose from and so many different options from unschooling to virtual public school. There are also many supports groups available who get together to allow our children to socialize with other homeschoolers (even one that is just multi-cultural). Collin will also continue to play soccer and baseball and will probably start drama classes next year. He'll also still attend religious education and summer bible school, so there should be no shortage of interaction with his peers.



I am so excited to be a part of his learning again! It is so fun to watch your children learn so much in their preschool years. Dylan and Alana are working on counting, alphabet, colors, and shapes. When Collin comes home from school I always ask him what he learned and get almost no response. Now I'll know what he has learned and can support him 24/7! I'm sure there will be many struggles as well though. I've heard that the first year is the hardest and I have the feeling that will be very true for us. I'm sure that in the end this will pay off though. My mommy instincts tell me that this is the best possible situation for our family. I pray they are right!

Here are some recent pictures that I haven't gotten around to posting.

Alana and Dylan at the local farmstead before it closed for the winter.


Collin at his school costume parade and party on Halloween.



A quick family picture we had our neighbor take for our 6-month post placement report. Can you believe it will be 6 months that Alana has been home on December 7th! Where has the time gone!