I just don't "bounce" like I used to!

Two Thursdays ago Marty asked "Can we go for a walk?". Simple enough request, right? We set off for the little park that's in front of our neighborhood. The kids love it because it's open and has plenty of space for riding bikes and scooters, I love it because it's contained and I can watch both of them. It was a nice day, not too hot and low humidity (just how I like summer days). We got to the park but had to cross the road that leads into Portsmouth Naval Hospital, it was in the afternoon so there were a lot of people leaving for the day. I made both kids get off their rides to walk them across - safety first! We got across but Marty was having trouble getting his bike over the curb. Now, if you're a Mom you know I wasn't just walking carefree to the park. No, I had the bottle of water (in case they got too hot), my keys, cell phone (for emergencies), Louisa's scooter (because she's still needs help) and Louisa's hand (because she still needs help!). As I was stepping up on the curb I reached down with my left hand (bottle water, keys and cell phone were in this hand) to grab Marty's tire when Louisa's scooter spun around and whacked me in my right shin. This caused me to trip and do the best somersault I have done in my 40s (Louisa later told me "Mom, you did a great flip!").

When you're a kid and you fall the first thing you do is look to see how much blood there is. When you fall as an adult the first thing you do is look to see how many people saw you! Lucky for me it was only a shift change at the hospital, the 4 Marines at the guard shack have seen worse I'm sure!

Not 10 minutes prior to my fall, Marty had taken a tumble on his bike and landed in almost the exact same way. He jumped up, wiped his hands and said "I'm ok!" - not a scratch, bump or bruise - and kept going. I was not so lucky. Marty asked me later "how come parents get hurt so easily when they fall?" My response "I just don't bounce like I used to".

Hopefully I'll be able to stop wearing the wrist brace this week :-)

Kathy

Why I'm homeschooling

I know I've posted about the disappointment Matt and I have felt in the private school our children have been attending and the fact that our public school is not an option for us. I've met resistance from family, teachers and friends about the decision to homeschool next year (and possible every year) and I too have had my doubts. Why am I homeschooling? Well the current situation might have pushed me in that direction but now that I've done my research and talked to current and former homeschoolers I'm confident in my choice to take this on. I know this for sure, my family is my world and my job as a Mother is to raise my kids to be the best adults they can be. Homeschool is not for everyone and you need to be 100% on board to accomplish this goal.

My two friends (that will be homeschooling with me next year) and I went to The Home Educators Association of Virginia's conference this past Thursday and while I was listening to one of the speakers this thought hit me - If your child is having trouble in school you get them a tutor so they can catch up. Why does the tutor work so well? Because it's one on one teaching/learning and it moves at the child's pace - Homeschooling is like your child having his own personal tutor for 12 years, how can that be a bad thing?

We are excited that we get to handpick all the non-skill subjects. Growing up in Virginia all of my History classes consisted of the American Revolution or the Civil War. I didn't learn any world history until I went to college! Marty asked to learn about Ancient Greece and Rome. For Science class I got him a book about Genes and DNA and a book about inventors, when he saw the books Friday morning he got so excited he started reading them right there on the spot!

In the past 17 years Matt and I have had our ups and downs but one thing my husband has always been is my champion. He always respects my decisions and never tells me that I'm wrong. He doesn't always agree with me but he ALWAYS supports me, something I wish I could get from other people. This weekend he told me he knew I would do a good job and could see that I was getting excited about starting and then he told me he was proud of me. I know that crazy man loves me but knowing that he is proud of me and will be there for me makes this entire journey that much sweeter.

Last year after both of my kids were in school full time I wrote this post. I felt this way for a month and then I just got used to them being gone for most of the day. Now I get the best of both worlds. I love my kids and hope that homeschool will not only teach them a great deal but will bring us closer as a family.

http://eykamphaus.blogspot.com/2010/09/new-chapter.html

p.s. Summer vacation has been going well and we're looking forward to a vacation in Florida in July!

Summer's here!

First order of business? Figure it all out... I'll let you know how it goes!

Kathy