Suddenly, Public School Ain't Looking So Bad

It seems like just a few days ago, I was blogging about what a great time I was having homeschooling my six year old. I really did like it... at the beginning. The thing I feared the most about homeschooling seems to have come to fruition: My kid drives me CRAZY!

I love Andrew. Of course! But to be honest, his personality is one that I find difficult to deal with every single day... all day. He is very argumentative... not with everyone but he sure is with Matt and me. He gets easily distracted (as do I). This is even worse when his little brother is playing and talking in the same room. He is very deliberate and slow-moving. It takes him so long to finish his work! He's super smart and this seems to make him over-think everything he is doing. I, on the other hand, do everything quickly and it's hard for me to be patient when people move at the speed of snail!

These are all issues I can deal with as Andrew's Mommy. As a mommy/teacher, however, it has become very trying. What I mean is, there is a very blurry line between my role as "Mommy" and my job as Andrew's academic "Teacher". Most days, I feel like I am on Andrew's case all the time. There is never a time when I am just his Mom or just his Teacher. These lines are easier to draw when they are separate roles.

My life feels chaotic some days, lonely and isolated other days, and always like I'm spreading myself too thin between both boys while trying to educate Andrew. I like to keep my life as simple and stress-free as possible but I always seem to be putting myself into situations that give me the opposite results. I guess I'm just a risk-taker. But I can't help but wonder if I should take less risks when it comes to my kids.

So, what am I going to do? With my husband's support, I am looking into our options for putting Andrew into a more traditional classroom setting. I would love to put Andrew back into the private school he attended kindergarten. But private school is so dang expensive! Our neighborhood public school isn't bad, based on what I've heard... but it's also not great, based on what I've heard. Since I taught in public school prior to becoming a mom, I am very cautious about any public school I may choose to enroll my own children in.

I have an appointment to take a tour of our public school and to sit in on some of the first grade classes tomorrow. The staff at the school seems very accommodating and friendly. I got the impression they would love to have my son at their school. This is a very encouraging start.

I really hope to find a school that is balanced in terms of demographics, doesn't spend all its education time preparing for standardized tests, and doesn't have the ESL issues so many of our schools have. If I'm not satisfied in these areas... well, then we have some more thinking to do.

So, I'd appreciate your prayers that we'll make the right decision. And that Andrew won't be devastated to find out he won't be homeschooled anymore. He loves it... I just wish I did!

I'll keep you all posted!

Yay! My blog is loved!

Melissa listed my blog as one of the five blogs she loves. How cool is that?!

So, this is how this works:

1. Name 5 things you love.
2. Pass the award on to 5 blogs you love.
3. Link back to the giver's blog, and tell how fabulous they are.

Five things I love

1. Staying up late and sleeping in.
2. Brownie edges and corners (not too gooey but just a tiny bit crunchier and chewier than the brownies at the center of the pan).
3. Nature & being outdoors... especially the mountains.
4. When my boys are clean and smell good (right after they get out of the tub... doesn't last long).
5. When my husband and our boys wrestle and play together.

Five Blogs I Love (in no particular order)

Melissa's
Promises to Keep, Miles to Go, Wonderful is Our Journey
I found Melissa on MySpace after I "friended" her brother, Jeff. I started to read Melissa's comments and blogs and found out she is super funny. So I begged her to be my friend. Melissa's blogs make me laugh and I appreciate her honest, down-to-earth manner of writing. I like how she finds the humor in things around her... and can laugh at herself. Very cool!

Sarah's
Can We Get More Napkins, Please?
I know Sarah from church. Although she is much younger than me, she has lots of kids. And she's never afraid to let her imperfections show. Sarah's blogs make me feel like it's OK to have bad days, to feel like throwing in the mommy towel, or to break down and cry if I have to. Don't get me wrong, Sarah is a GREAT mom and that is what makes her blogs so inspiring and encouraging. If a wise young mommy like Sarah can laugh at the bad days as much as she can rejoice in the good days, I can too!

Beckie's
The Grainger Family
Beckie is a special lady. I've known her for a while through my little brother but only really got to know her via MySpace. Especially since she moved to Colorado. I love reading Beckie's blogs because it so awesome to see how much she has grown spiritually since I first met her! Her move to Colorado wasn't an easy transition at first and I know she struggled to find a good church home so I love reading that she has found a church and is making lots of good friends. Beckie is a loving mom who blesses others by sharing her fears, hopes, and joys of mommihood.

Leah's
Blonde at Home
I know Leah from church. Her husband plays guitar with my husband. When I first met Leah, I thought she was this quiet, serious, sweet churchy girl. Well, she's still sweet but not as quiet, serious, and churchy as I initially thought. I relate to Leah. Her blogs crack me up... especially her blog titled "Eau de ______". Leah is witty and writes very well. Fun stuff!

My Little Brother's (Andrew)
Life on the Mountain
My little brother is one of my favorite people. He just moved up to Palomar Mountain to take a position as the teacher for Light & Life's K-8 one room school house. My sister-in-law is about 12 months pregnant with their second boy. There seems to always be some crazy thing going on in their lives. I have to give my sister-in-law lots of credit... I would have gone insane long ago if I were married to someone like my brother! His blogs are about life, family, teaching, the oddities of living in the mountains, and of course hunting & fishing.

Fourth Picture in the Fourth Folder

I stole another idea from my friend Melissa... it's pretty cool. Take the fourth picture from the fourth folder in your computer. Post it. What is it?

Here's my fourth photo from my fourth album:

This is a picture from Andrew's 6th birthday party. We had the party at the Roynon Museum of Paleontology (amazing place!). I love this picture because of the look on Andrew's face. He loves rocks & fossils and he looks like a kid in a candy store in this picture.