New Pictures Of Kids

Moving

I mentioned in my last post that we are trying to get our house on the market, so I decided to give y'all some more background info on that.

This last spring the hubs was lamenting to me that there aren't enough opportunities for us to go dancing together and in particular learn more dances.  He has had a recent interest in Latin dancing, but that is an area where both of us have little experience.  

Well as we were walking into church one Sunday in July, we noticed a poster advertising some adult salsa dancing with lessons, at another church building across town.  Of course we had to go. 

 As we arrived at our destination on the specified night, the hubs and I both felt some draw to the church building.  We did not mention this to each other however.  As the night progressed we met some other couples.  I instantly felt a connection to them, and found myself looking for some common ground, other than all of us being members of the same faith.  We were all parents, with some of our children being around the same ages, but there the similarities ended.  I found myself feeling emotionally let down by this fact.   I didn't mention any of this to the hubs at this point, but the draw to this location and to these people who live there continued to grow.

My belief is that God communicates to us through feelings, emotions, as well as thoughts and ideas.  And the feelings, thoughts, and ideas I felt that night planted a seed.  As we were driving home that night, the hubs and I started discussing this, and discovered that the other had had a similar experience.   The seed continued to grow into more of an idea.  

Shortly after this, the crime level of our neighborhood seemed to escalate.  There have been a number of break ins, and other criminal activity.  We live near a major road, and lately we seem to hear sirens all the time.  And to top it off, some developer is in the process of trying to get it approved to build a gas station on the lot next door.  We started feeling some ergency to move to a different location.  

However, we weren't completely willing to accept the idea that we should move to the area where we went salsa dancing.  Housing tends to be more expensive there, and it is farther away from where the hubs works.  But seeing as how we live pretty near his work right now, most places are farther away.  It is also farther from where our homeschool group meets.  

We considered a lot of different areas around here.  Liking each idea for a day or two, but then it would seem not quite the right choice.  We even considered the idea of moving back closer to family.  However, after about a month of switching around ideas, we were led back to our original idea.

I found a new homeschool group that has some older kids in it.  Our current homeschool group is awesome and amazing.  However, it has the down fall that all of the kids in it, other than 3 of them, are 8 and under.   Now, with homeschooling kids learn how to play with all kinds of ages, which is great.  But Cinderella misses having more friends her own age, which is why I started looking for another group, to add to our schedule.  This new group is centered a lot closer to the area where the dance was held, and as I drove to our first meetup with them, I started feeling those same kinds of feelings as the first night.

Our meetup was at a pool, and Guy ended up leaving his glasses.  So the next day we took a drive as a family to retrieve them.  The hubs was also feeling positive feelings, like we were back on track.  The house of the people who had picked up his glasses had a for lease sign in the front yard.  This got us thinking that maybe we could afford to lease instead of buying another house.  We started looking around that area on line for houses for rent.  In doing so, we came across a neighborhood that called out to both of us.  

Then one weekend we took a drive out there as a family, drove around the neighborhood, and had a picnic lunch.  It felt like we had come home.  I think even the kids felt it.  On the way back home, Guy asked us if we could move soon.  I asked him why, and he said, "because we found a place that I like."

So that is the basic explanation as to us getting ready to move.

Education

It has been quite a while since I last blogged.  Life has been hectic, and that hasn't changed.  We are getting ready to put our house on the market and move across town.  That in of it's self is an adventure.  However, I had a few minutes tonight as I am waiting for children to settle down for the night, and thought I would take a minute and write.

I spent the evening with one of my homeschooling friends, which has brought about some thoughts on my part.  As any of you who regularly read my blog know, we haven't always homeschooled.  Up until we moved to the great state of Texas, my two older children attended public school.  Their experience there was wonderful, and hard for us to leave.   We had high hopes for our new school.  However, after a mere three weeks, those hopes were dashed.  The message I got, loud and clear was "parents, are not needed in our school."  This did not jive well with me, and after a lot of prayer, I felt directed to take a path I had previously shunned.  That of homeschooling.

Homeschooling hasn't been all roses however.  Guy is a very stubborn child (hm, wonder where he got that from).  Working with him is a continuous uphill battle.  Aurora, has a lot of fears, these tend to hold her back.  Cinderella, could steer herself to the moon, if she decided she wanted too, but if you ask her to do something she finds overwhelming it is the end of the world.  Then there is Spike.  He wants to do what the older kids are doing, but really doesn't understand.  He tries however.  And Scooter, well he is your average two year old with his need for attention and play time with mom.  It is a hard balance, and one that I feel like I fail at.  

As we are getting ready to move, the hubs and I have considered the idea of putting the kids back into school.  They want to go, and in some ways I can see how it could be better for them.  However, I'm not sure I want to give up all the freedom I have found with homeschooling.  Anyway, as we face this debacle I have been pondering what I think some of the problems from today's education stem from.  And I know there are a lot of opinions out there.  Education is a hot topic.  However, I think something that can be a common problem in public education is the attitude.  

The public feel like a public education is not only a right, but a must.  When your child reaches school age, you put them in school, that is just what you do.  The school sees it as, we don't have a choice.  Our kids HAVE to go to school, and they HAVE to deal with them.  (I know I am generalizing here, and that not everyone, both on the side of the public and the schools see it this way.).   However some of these things are changing.  There are more charter schools available, and homeschooling is becoming more popular and accepted.  There is also the private school option.   

If we as parents, faced the situation looking at all the options, and addressed the schools in a way that let them know, we don't HAVE to send our children here.  You aren't our only option.  If I don't find your school acceptable, I can and will send my child(ren) elsewhere.   Over time would the attitude change?  I don't know.  I have the feeling if I walked into an elementary school, and asked to interview their 3rd grade teachers to decide if any of them were right for my child, I would be laughed out of the building.  But should I be?  I know as parents we can have skewed views on our children.  Every parent wants to believe their child is someone exceptional.  Bright and talented.  But I believe that we also know our children's weaknesses.  We know where they struggle and what kind of personalities they butt heads with.  

In reality, I think a school system that takes into consideration the opinions of the parent, and the opinions of the teachers, and the school, are the kind of schools that achieve true excellence.  And that, is what I think we should strive for.