AWOL

Yes, I realize that I have been AWOL from this blog for some time. I have stopped in a time or two to update, but basically haven't been keeping things interesting around here.

Since returning from Chicago, I have been really busy and tired. Sometime vacations will do that to you. I have been keeping up with other blogs but somehow I feel like I am in a slump and can't seem to muster the mental creativity to sit down and put words to paper; or computer screen, as it were. I have photo's from the trip to Seattle and to Chicago that I haven't even downloaded onto the computer, much less edited. I just feel blaaaa....

For those of you who know that feeling well, I don't need to explain. But for those of you who are always energetic and full of creative fire, well... all I can say is I envy you.

I am somehow feeling a bit lost, somewhere between vacation and real life. Trying to muster up the energy to put your nose to the grindstone again but not wanting to at all. When kids are in public school or even private schools, all you have to do is buy the necessary items and get them there on time. But when you homeschool, it is all on you. You have to do everything; you are the parent, the teachers, the principal, the school board and the superientendent. And nothing works if you don't make it work. You design it, run it and carry the weight of all of it on your shoulders. That can be somewhat daunting at times.

Last year we tried something called unschooling. It is a relaxed approach to educating a child. Based on the idea that children learn naturally and without being told to learn. I love the concept, I believe in the concept. And I was perfectly happy with the experience. However, my daughter, who is 13 and in the thoes of puberty, felt that she was strange because she wasn't doing "school" like her peers. Part of the problem is due to the fact she has no homeschool peers. I know, that is my fault, but that is another story. All of her friends and peers attend "regular school" and being the insecure, pubesent that my daughter is at the moment, she felt like she was weird, or strange because she doesn't do "regular school". So this year we are going to try to do "regular school". I plan to get her enrolled into a program that offers study skill training since she has never really done "traditional school". I think it will help her confidence and her ability to organize and keep up with her studies.

Noah who will turn three on Saturday, well we have two more years before he has to worry about being school age. So we are doing unschooling with him and just calling it fun!

Lauren is working on her photography business. She has a couple of weddings coming up, and three senior portraits to do between now and October. She is getting more work and hoping that things will take off. I hope that it works out for her. I think if you find the thing that you love, and work at it, you will succeed, even if you don't get riches and fame, if you are happy with what you are doing, then that is success. However, I am not an idot, I realize that you need money to live, and now days, lots of money...so I am still encouraging her to go to college and get a degree. She says she is...in the spring. But she said that before and didn't. I know that she is smart and can succeed at whatever she tries, if she wants it bad enough. So I don't worry so much anymore about it.

Well, this post took a life of its own, and once again, I was rambling. At some point I will post more photo's of Seattle and Chicago and talk more about them. For now I just want to hold the memories close and try to pretend that I am still on vacation, even if it is just for another day or two.

Today I have to go find a Thomas the Train cake pan to make Noah's birthday cake. Time files, I can't believe my baby will be 3! The last four years have been bitter sweet, since moving to Arkansas, there have been many losses in my life, struggles, pain, tears, dry spells where I felt the trials would never end, but in the midst of it all, this beautiful gift from God-My little Noah!
I read that the name Noah means comforter, I would agree. He has been a source of comfort and joy for me. God knew what I would face over the last four years, and he knew I needed something extra special to get me through, so he blessed me with Noah! Thank you Lord for your blessings and your grace and mercy in my life.