About School

Some of you have asked what we are doing for school this year. This past week, we made our final decision. After much discussion with each other, the school principal, and some of the teachers, today 6/7ths of our children are going to school. I'm still torn -- and not because I'm unhappy with the kid's school. Their teachers are excellent, I love the friends they have there, and I really like the school environment. It's simply a really great school!

My reason for being torn really boils down to selfishness. Yep! I call it selfishness. I like my kids. I like to have them home with me. I like teaching them. They're good learners. (I know the oldest four are good learners anyway). I like choosing our curriculum. I like having our afternoons free to pursue other interests. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

So why school then? Well it's as simple as retaining some sanity. We suddenly gained three more children in our home. Although they aren't babies, some of their behaviour is infantile -- or at best, somewhere in those early toddler years. In a way it's like having triplets. Although they are adjusting well, I'm sometimes not so sure about myself. I've lost some (okay, a lot) of the freedom that I was beginning to enjoy. However, that's been doable. What hasn't been so easy is that there is rarely a moment's peace here. I'm craving the silence. So much so these days, that when there is some silence, I do nothing, but stare off into space. I need to feel that I have time to unwind, time to just be again. I want to enjoy the silence without just zoning out or worse, feeling snappy when I'm interrupted yet again.

Someone else questioned whether sending them to school is such a good thing considering that we still need to work on the bonding phase. I'm not too concerned about our two youngest. They don't like to be out of my sight and check in regularly. It's only with Bella that I have my concerns. She is still so free with hellos and hugs. At the same time, she is very good at home about connecting with us. We'll see as time goes by and her English comprehension continues to increase. She seems to respect and appreciate us discussing things with her, so I'm sure she will begin to comprehend that not everyone wants or should even receive attention from her. Fun stuff! Interesting stuff! You never fully comprehend these ages and stages until you have adopted.

So as it stands, our six oldest children are in school again this year. Bright Eyes will be two/three days a week. Peanut will be home -- I get to homeschool her :o)! Bub is looking forward to another year of high school. However, I am prepared to bring any one of them home if the need arises -- well, except Bub. There better not be any reason that I have to bring him home!!

Anyways, I was going to post those typical first day of school photos, but they all turned out horrible (really photographers can take bad photos too!! Or maybe it's just I'm not too proud to admit that I do take bad photos on occasion), so you're just going to have to have a pictureless post. Maybe tomorrow I'll have photos for you.

Wishing you all some peaceful moments this week!