December 13

Eli's early-morning naps are really wreaking havoc with our schedule. For example, he was ready for his nap at 8:30 today. 

We had to leave for church at 8:30. 

I took one for the team and stayed home with Eli - again. I don't like missing church, but if Eli totally misses his nap, the whole day is a bust. While he slept, I made and ordered our Christmas cards. They should be in the mail before Christmas, which counts for something, even if they don't arrive at their final destinations in time for Christmas.

And somehow, I didn't manage to take a single picture of Eli. Chris and the big kids did church and Costco, they came home for lunch and naps, and while the little three napped, Chris and Caleb did the grocery shopping for me. 

I know. I'm totally spoiled.

Then I took Caleb and Daisy back up to church for the dress rehearsal of their Christmas program. My friend Jen (hi, Jen!) and I grabbed coffee and chatted homeschooling and education while the kids rehearsed. Jen is an exceptionally experienced, capable, competent, and creative elementary school teacher, and as a loyal blog reader, she was quite concerned when I started talking home schooling. I appreciated that she took time to sit down and talk through things with me; it reminded me how many great things are happening in education these days, and that there are lots of benefits to sending kids to public schools. And yet, for us, in this moment, it seems like the home school thing is right. It may just be for a semester, or it may be for longer, but I'm thankful to have friends rallying behind me, even as they worry about my sanity.

It all gets real tomorrow, when I meet with Caleb's teacher. I'll chat with her, and sometime next week I will draft and deliver an official de-enrollment letter. (Note to self: figure out who that letter goes to. The principal? The superintendent? Someone at central office?) Caleb has just a week and a half left in his class, and after a Christmas break, we will begin home schooling. Crazy. (Note to self: determine if it is "homeschooling" or "home schooling". Anyone know?)

As I ran out the door to take the kids to rehearsal, I asked Chris to snap a few pictures of Eli. I returned to find this on his phone:

Better than nothing, I suppose?

Also, I found this video that he took yesterday while I was at the ACT. I love watching Caleb and Eli interact with each other! In fact, it's one of the things I most look forward to about homeschooling. I feel like Caleb misses out on so much while he's at school all day; I realize that important learning is happening there, but I also feel that children learn most from their relationships with their siblings. I'm excited that Caleb will have more time at home to foster his relationship with his brother.