Back to School

I could say it was with mixed emotions that I sent my children off to school today, but that would be a lie. Truth be told, we are all very happy about going back to public school. I feel it will be a good change for the whole family. Jacob is so enthused and more than ready for Kindergarten. I feel he has a good foundation from what he learned at home (he can tell time and is reading fluently,) but there is simply no replacement for the socialization, stimulation, creativity and downright F-U-N that Kindergarten has to offer. I could not compete with that at home, and I am happy knowing that he will have all of it. As for Ashlee, she returned to school the same confident, bubbly, enthusiastic social butterfly that she was 2 1/2 years ago when I took her out of school. She already came home on the first day with the phone numbers of 2 new friends she had made in her class. She will be kept very busy this year with dance, piano, and for the first time cross country, which will begin in 2 weeks. She is a natural born runner, and we are very excited to have found a team for her. I am grateful for the time I had to homeschool. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to spend that quality time with my kids and create those memories together that I know will be cherished. I love the philosophy of homeschool, and would highly endorse it for anyone who chooses to go that route. It truly is quality education, and one of the best gifts I feel you can give to your children- sharing your time and talents with them. I will miss those leisurely mornings of making waffles together and sitting down on the couch to read a history book or the Little House series (one of our favorites.) I will miss being able to take my kids up to Apple Hill during the middle of the week for caramel apples and berry picking, or to Tahoe to watch the salmon spawn. But at the same time, I am grateful for having the option of putting my children in a public school. I now look forward to the quality time I have to spend with Noah and Kaitlyn, to slow down and enjoy my pregnancy, and come March to not have to nurse the baby at the kitchen table while going over a math lesson and dolling out snacks to an anxious toddler. I don't know where the ebb and flow of the next tide will take us, but for now, this is a nice current and I think we'll float in it for a while.