what? WHAAAAT?!?!?! yes. it's fine.

Howdy, world. 

First thing's first.  I wanted to change the background of the blog. Somehow, when messing with all that, I messed some stuff up. So welcome to the new view-- I hope you like it and can navigate okay, because I'm way too exhausted to try to figure out exaaaaactly how to put it back the way it was.  It's pretty close, though, so most of you should be fine. :) 

Any of you more tech savvy people out there know much about tumblr?  I have half a mind to switch over to blogging that way, since I have this account and I'm semi-hooked on pinterest....am I speaking english?  To some of you, no.  :) That's okay too.  But I only have half a mind to switch because I don't understand how it works with the other half of my mind.  So...geniuses who read this- inform me, please.


What else, what else...oh, I know.  Two new things.  If my eyes stay open long enough to type them (and it's only 2:50 PM...but lately, I find myself getting up around 7 or 730 AM one day, but not going to bed until around 1am, which puts me already into the next day.  I need to get more sleep_....ANYWAY.

1. I start my new job Monday!   I will be teaching night classes at OCCC (and a Saturday class because I'm sort of insane).  I am really excited. The math department is so nice-- meaning the people...but the department itself/it's features are also incredibly nice!  I am super excited.  The enrollment is incredibly high and over half of their classes, especially the math classes at the level I will be teaching, are covered by adjunct professors.  We had new adjunct training this week and the VP of Academic Affairs was fantastic and letting us know how appreciated the adjunct faculty is.  Anyway, it didn't take long for me to realize I was in a very, very good place!  I have met both of my partners (we team teach the courses I am working in....goes a little something like this: each class session, we have FOUR small classes: a large group, a computer lab time, a small group, and another large group session. In large groups, lectures are given.  I will lecture sometimes -- I will have my students as well as my partner's students in there.  The times I do not lecture, my partner will.  During small group/computer, I will only have MY students, and we will work on homework and some visual applications to the day's concepts). I am totally excited.  Overwhelmed.  But excited.  Both of my partners are fantastic, and are going to be wonderful to work with.

2. I bought school supplies.  And a backpack.  And new clothes. For my 5 year old. To go to Kindergarten.  We were all geared up for it.  Or at least prepared.  But neither Brandon or I felt right about it.  Not because we think school is bad or wrong or whatever, because that's asinine.  And not because we aren't ready for S to be a big kid- although who is ready for that kind of stuff?  But that had nothing to do with it...because he's a big kid no matter where I put him.  But something just wasn't right about it. And you can't just ignore those promptings in  your spirit.  So we piddled around about whether we were just going to go ahead and send him to school, where we knew he'd learn a lot and have fun and do just fine (even though he does know all of the math and reading/writing PASS skills already)....or if we'd just keep him home, and reinforce what we learned last year, as well as throw in the social studies/science/music/PE (if you know me, you are probably laughing at that one)/health and safety type subject areas.  I'm not a procrastinator.  But it wasn't until the day before school started that we actually decided to keep Sawyer home.  Which meant, I had all my resources from LAST year, but zero for THIS year.  So...we loaded up and went to Mardel and bought what we could decide on for sure, and I ordered the rest on line. So initially we will be winging it.  More details in a bit, but let's all stop and take a knee for a second. :)  Here's what you can pray for us this year, if you want something to pray for us about other than Ridge (please, keep praying for him! He's doing fantastic!) Pray that I will remember that even though Sawyer is just like me, he is also just like his dad.  He would rather learn by being told and just sit there and read/write/reproduce something (ME) than by having fun/playing a game/etc. (BDAWG).  This sounds fabulous, because I can easily find papers to go over/help him do...but as a teacher, I want to DO activities with him, and his brain isn't geared as much that way as his daddy's is. HOWEVER.  He....knows....how.....to.....taaaaaaaaake.....hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis......sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.....tiiiiiiime.  No rushing that kid.  What should take a few minutes, takes 30 minutes.  He just isn't in a hurry.  THAT is his daddy...it'll get done when it gets done.  And I can appreciate that attitude, it is the total opposite of me.  But it makes it difficult trying to accomplish daily goals in school if you want to take forever on a short project.  And I'm a finisher. I always have too many irons in the fire. It's just how I am.  So anyway, project meet in the middle (except really I will walk farther...willingly) is underway.


I have oodles of things I want to say about this decision to homeschool, because I know what some people say (or don't) and think about people who decide to school from home.  But I will just keep it at this: this is what we-- BDawg and myself-- felt right about.  I didn't want to send my child to school just because culturally that is what we "do" when they are 5 years old.  That's a stupid reason to do something.  What started out as a "have to" in our brains because of avoiding illness (which we still would like to do) has grown into a "want to."  I'm home anyway.  My child is my responsibility.  If I were working, I wouldn't even think about this as an option- I'd send him straight to Kindergarten because that's what people do.  But I have time and freedom to sit back and think about what do we really want to do?  Do I want to commit to this? Because it IS a commitment.  I am responsible for making sure my child learns as much (and even MORE than) what he'd learn in public school (and we have FANTASTIC public schools.  please do not misconstrue what I am saying...this is a FAN of public schools here).  I have to read over the PASS skills. I have to make sure I have all the curriculum/resources/activities I need. I have to be the one to make sure my child is interacting with others (he will be- at church. at birthday parties. at regularly scheduled homeschool craft times at Chick Fil A).  Keeping him home isn't a ticket to just not have to take him to school, or to have a helper around the house.  It is a responsibility that I never knew I wanted.  And it is not easy for me.  It is a challenge.  It is going to take practice.  My laundry room is going to become my best friend for awhile-- it is where I go to breathe some big time prayers when coloring an elephant's trunk takes S as long as it would take me to prove the Theory of Relativity (ok...exaggeration...yes).  But we will get over the initial newness and have a terrific year, if I have anything to do with  it.   And I will.
So that's a teeeeeeny glimpse of our brains at work-- I'm sure I'll share more at another time.  Because you asked, and all. :)

Hope all of those who started a new school year-- teachers/students/administrators/parents of little ones who just started school-- are enjoying it so far (or I hope you DO enjoy it if you're lucky enough to still be enjoying a bit of summer break!). 

Here's to learning something new. Everyday.   And living a life abundant. Everyday.  And freedom in Christ. Everyday.  Cheers!