Today is the beginning of a new ‘phase’ for me. I am not sure what to call it. It is kind of an interesting one in that it is the “Last child went to kindergarten for the first time today Day”, but for me this has new and significant meaning since I have homeschooled all and/or part of our seven kids since Baylee went off to kindergarten in 1995. So I have had someone home with me since she was born in 1990. I have loved having the kids home. I have loved homeschooling them. I think that David and I have done a great job homeschooling them. There is not one reason for not homeschooling them other than following what we believe is God’s path for them…and right now that includes them being where they are. That may change, but for now sending them to public school is good too. So if any of you want to ask homeschool/public school questions…all I can say is, “Pray, be united as a family, follow what is best for YOUR family, and don’t let the opinions of every distant relation and supermarket employee make the decision for you.” That is the best thing I can tell you on that. I have been truly blessed with seven great kids. I also have invested a lot of myself in them and that is what it takes to raise kids, no matter where they go to school. So, I know that having them all in school does not mean that I will lay around eating bon bons all the time (but Tami, I will sometimes!)
And I do know that I will probably spend some time mourning that I don’t have a little one or ones home with me…the kleenexes are ready. However, I have YEARS of projects that I have stored away, both in my shelves and in my mind, that I am looking forward to pulling out and either finishing or getting rid of. That excites me! I have places to go…like all those “breakable” stores that I avoid with multiple kids in tow…so I plan on taking a few of those in. I tried to volunteer in Ron’s classroom and his teacher (wise woman) told me not to rush things, but to spend some time, like the next year, deciding what I wanted to be when I grow up! So for all of you who are also somewhere on this journey, rejoice! Embrace your baby, your teenager or your mom…life is good.
It is especially good because I got to eat a whole Margherita California Kitchen Pizza by myself today!
