Just wanting to document today

Today has been a L work at his own pace kind of a day. 

I usually like to be done school when we can but today, I knew if I tried to rush, it could turn our day for the worse. 

We had nothing else we needed to do, no where we needed to go.

I woke up with a migraine and a kink in my neck.

I was not pushing him to work faster than he can.

We were finishing up the day with making gliders.

We finished the experiment and when school was done, L looks at his little sister and says, "Let's take this experiment outside!"

He helped her get bundled up for the outside.

I watched as he lovingly did up her zipper on her jacket and helped her find her mittens.

I can hear them outside now.

I knew I would enjoy homeschooling.

I really love it!

I love the bond I have been able to develop with my son.

I love watching him learn.

I love seeing him be kinder, sweeter, less stressed.

I LOVE the no homework!!!

I love him.

How is it?

How is it that I have been a mom for just over 12 years and I feel more in love with my children today than I did the day they were born?

I remember the feeling so distinctly when they were born, a love so strong that it overcame me with emotion.

I remember thinking just after each of them were born, "There is no way I could love my child more than I do at this exact moment."

Apparently for me, that is not true.

I love them so much deeper now than I ever thought I could.

And for that, I am grateful.

Life long learning

I had a feeling in July that school(for my kids) for the 2013-2014 school year would be hard. I really wanted M to repeat kindergarten. Mr. M did not. She was the absolute youngest child enrolled in kindergarten last year and it showed. Sometimes it was quite painful to watch. I had talked to her teacher back in May and she recommended her repeating a year. Mr. M and I never really did come to an agreement that she would repeat, I just really felt so strong that she should. I enrolled her in kindergarten and have never been so happy to make a choice to hold her back. Oh the changes! She is CONFIDENT! She KNOWS her stuff! Before it was watching the little fish in the ocean doing all she could to try and swim with the big fishes and never catch up to them. When I looked at it long term, I didn't want that for her for life. I didn't want her to feel like she was never good enough. Like no matter how hard she tried she would never be able to accomplish the same schoolwork as the other kids. I kept thinking "If it was this painful now, what would it be like when she is a teenager?" I could see some really horrible experiences flash before my eyes and I just wanted SO much more for her! I love watch her come home and talk about school and what she did in such a confident way! LOVE IT!

B is in grade 5 this year. What a brilliant little man he is! He is always running behind because he has his nose in a book. Always! I love how much he loves to learn. His teacher is absolutely phenomenal! She taught L grade 5 and I was really hoping that she would teach B. The way she teaches is in such a way that he learns and sucks the info up like a sponge. B is my natural born sportsman. I have never before in my life seen a child who focuses so much on sports! I love it because it is him, it is who he is. He is in Karate again this year. I LOVE watching him in his sport. He has this level of concentration that I don't see elsewhere. He changed his musical kata this year and got to design some of it himself. It is a great kata! He did wonderful at his fall tournament.

L is in grade 7 this year. L is being homeschooled this year! That is by far the biggest change in my life this year. I didn't have much notice with his decision to homeschool so I felt like I was just swimming for the first few weeks. Now I don't feel so much like I am swimming. I am really loving it and learning more than I did when I was in grade 7! I was way more interested in other things than school. What I love the absolute most is the time I get to spend with him. It does a moms heart good to spend this much time with her 12 year old! He is by FAR the happiest I have EVER seen. I really wish I could describe it but maybe it is just something I need to feel inside myself to know that this is the right decision. I have been so blessed with a few friends who are brilliant at homeschooling and have helped me so much along the way.

Life is such a blessing. I just needed to remind myself that life will throw challenges at us but we always have beautiful moments that remind us how important the choices we make are.