My non-soapbox.

Homeschooling. 
I have read a lot about it lately.  In my need to stand up for myself I feel like maybe I should clarify a couple of things.
Now correct me if I am wrong, but I feel as though there is a great misconception out there about "public-schoolers".  I feel as though many homeschoolers are under the impression that we turn our children over to someone else out of laziness, or default-that we are turning over all educational endeavors over to someone else simply because it's expected, or it's "easier".  Maybe some people do.  But the majority of people that decide to send their kids to public school do so because they believe in it, they support it and they trust the system.  They are able to trust the people that have been trained to teach their children, they trust their intentions and they trust their judgments.  That is an awful lot of trust to put into "strangers".  But you know what? Any responsible parent doesn't do this blindly.  They are just as involved in the education of their child as a homeschooler, with the exception of perhaps choosing their curriculum and the speed at which they must excel to be ahead of all of their peers.  A responsible parent gets to know their child's teacher, they are involved in the learning process, they actively take part in what their kids are learning throughout the year.  They are partners with these educators.  We have had some not-so-great teachers over the years, but you know what? That's life.  It has taught us to be even more involved.  Sometimes you have to supplement more and sometimes it is the greatest gift you can give your child;  to respect the experience and training of others, their knowledge, their passion for teaching.  And it has to be said that some of the neatest, exquisitely wonderful people I have ever known and loved have been my kids' teachers, and my own.
Just because I send my children to public schools doesn't mean that I brush off their questions about the world around them, how things work, how, when, where, why.  Every moment is a teaching moment for a parent.   That doesn't turn off when they come home from school.
I know that a lot of these homeschoolers that share so much of what they do and why they do it are most likely doing it for a noble or good reason, I hope so.  But I don't think they realize how insulting they can be sometimes to the rest of us that are choosing public school for its good merits.  I don't think that the public school system turns out idiots, or imbeciles.  Idiots and imbeciles are more likely the product of  how they receive information, not where they get it from.  I don't want to be the sole provider of every little thing for my family.  I don't think that is how we are meant to experience this life.  We are meant to learn, stretch, grow, experience and choose.  I respect those that choose to homeshool for the right reasons (naturally those "right reasons" are a matter of perspective and opinion, I acknowledge that.)  There are a lot of very capable, wise, loving parents out there.  I respect our rights to do what we feel is best for our families. 
I just wanted to make sure that we are all clear here, right? No assumptions, no misunderstandings, no judgements being passed by anyone.
This is me backing away from my non-soapbox.
Thank you.

A little somethin more...

Dear Sadie left us yesterday.  Today was the longest day ever.  It is the first day since June 16th (the day we left for our month long vacation, two days before school even let out) that we have not been visiting someone or had a visitor.  It's almost like our first real day of summer, on our own.  I think I much prefer the company or being the company. 
But we'll find our groove.

Here is some of the other fun we crammed in with our guest.

I will not ever get tired of the beach.  As long as our sunscreen lasts, we could stay out all day long.  The kids play for literally hours, happily.  They only get grumpy when I make them come hydrate periodically.  Their favorite thing to do at the beach you ask? Why make themselves into little sugar cookies of course.  First, wet your body with ocean water.  Second, roll in the sand like a horse until nice and coated.  I am so glad that I am a grown up that doesn't have to do things like that.

The sky is unbelievable...the colors of the coast are unreal.  I often have to stop and just stare on our walk in and out.  It is incredible.  I will miss it so much.  I don't imagine sitting on the banks of the Potomac to be quite the same.  Lovely, but not the same.

We took Sadie to Six Flags. 

The day before I had a bizarre pain in the neck that was so bad I had to refrain from every ride at Six Flags...but I had fun watching Sadie convince Haley and Abby to go on every ride they were tall enough for.  I couldn't believe what she got them to go on.  What brave girls. (They were much more precarious than that cute little tea cup you see her in there.)

Mia and Hazel were just as content to get wet and run around.

Look, there I am.  I was there...someone had to push the stroller and buy snow cones for daring little girls and adventurous 15 year olds.

Wouldn't this picture be adorable if it were turned the right way? And if it were true? They are just pretending.

I wish I could say that this wasn't real.  Hazel has a little biting fetish...she only has an appetite for Mia though, lucky girl.  If Mia says "Hazey, don't bite me..." then Hazel opens her mouth and leans in really close to her arm or leg, or stomach (whatever is closest) and just stays there until I threaten to bite her back.

Part IV

So Part IV starts the first night when I made Sadie help me refinish Haley's bed.  I just haven't taken the finished picture yet, but I assure you, it is lovely.
Then we watched some movies.  Sadie asked that I help catch her up on all the "old timey movies", you know, like My Best Friend's Wedding.  So after we clarified that 90's pop culture isn't really what I would call "old timey", we preceeded...and then I reflected on how I am exactly twice her age.  That was fun.
But we have been enjoying the classics of the late 80's and 90's.  It's almost like I am experiencing them for the first time.
Sadie makes everything fun.

We did the aquarium and Nolan tried to communicate with the Beluga's.  I'm not sure they caught his drift.

Then we went to our local minor league baseball game where Haley got to sing the National Anthem with her school group.  It was so fun.  It reminds me of all the reasons that I love the small town.  Smaller stadium, smaller crowds, cheaper food.  It was all good.  We even got a wicked fireworks show at the end.  Just right.  AND we won just to sweeten the experience.  Go Tigers! formerly known as the Defenders.

We commenced the 2010 Connecticut Ice Cream Tour.  I should have t-shirts made.  It has been fun, and probably nice and fattening.  But what's summer without a little (or a lot of) ice cream?  We'll let you know at the end of the summer, which place ranked at the top.

Then Sadie posed in front of the waterfall.

We rode the steam train.  So fun.  I am sad that I haven't taken more guests to do this.  It was so pleasant and just fun (minus the part where Hazel decided that she was so tired she couldn't pleasantly coexist with anyone in a 6 foot radius of herself.)

Sadie got her first pedicure.  The place was awesome.  It's a good thing I haven't discovered it before now, or we would be very, very poor.  It was her reward for coming all the way to Connecticut and folding my laundry, cleaning my house, painting furniture and babysitting my kids.  Then we went shopping at the mall where I felt both very old and very young all in the same hour.

In the past 48 hours, our military transfer orders have changed 3 times.  My stress level has peaked and plummeted so many times I have lost all ability to accomplish simple tasks like brushing my teeth and feeding my kids.  My communication with Clark has been so sporatic through this ordeal it was beginning to feel like the "Who's on First" bit.  But it is all resolved now, we have our orders and all is well...I just owe one heaping plate of baked goods to our dear detailer.  The official word is: Washington, D.C. at the end of September.
So naturally the two year old decided this was the perfect time to potty train.  It is such that I cannot refuse her...and believe me, I have tried.  I have been refusing her prompts for months now because I am not ready to potty train her.  Forget the traveling, having a guest, leaving the house everyday, getting the house ready to move very shortly...the timing is, not ideal.  But she will not be stopped.  In fact, I have very little to complain about.  She is all but training herself.  We'll see how that goes.

Aha! This summer is far from over....we will continue with Part IV until our dear Sadie departs us.  Part V involves me fleeing the country and Part VI may or may not highlight a very important homecoming.  Stay tuned, we are just getting started.

Part III

Part III of the big trip concluded our stay in Texas.  So really it could be Part IIc, but we'll just go with III because lower case letters in the wrong places make me uncomfortable.  It commenced with sliding down the stairs on an air mattress.  It was all fun and games until my knee made contact with dear Izzy's front tooth.  Don't worry, she only cried for a minute until I reminded her how tough she was when her head took out Haley's front tooth a few years ago.  Then all was well again.

There were a lot of little people to feed lots of times a day...but this particular meal was quite pleasant.  Nutella on croissants with fresh berries and cream...who am I kidding? All the meals were delicious.  I am horribly sad to be back at my own house where I have to cook again AND do dishes.  Megan, Mike spoils you, you know that, right?

My girls are also finding it quite disappointing to have no one but each other this week.  It may take us some time.  We sure miss all those cousins.  It hurts to leave them.  Hurts.

Sassy Sadie here is modeling her fabulous headband that she made during our headband making part of the trip.  I would fix her red eyes but I'm lazy, remember? Plus, amidst the whole vampire craze we'll just go with it.  I mean, the last time I checked it was hip to be a blood sucking monster.

I want to snuggle and kiss each and every one of them.  Even the one in pink on the couch giving me the evil eye.

We swam again.  My newest sister in law and her family were generous enough to offer us their pool at our leisure.  It was lovely.  Could these babies be any bigger babies at the pool?  There is a beautiful, real live pool five feet in front of them.

Oh babies.

Megan and I, in our crazy Moms-that-love-their-kids-and-want-to-cry-at-the-thought-of-cousins-not-being-together moment dressed them up and took them out for pictures.  It was hot.  I was allowed to say "it's hot" or "it's humid" once a day while we were there.  Cause it was, yo.  Sweet things.

So we rewarded ourselves more than once with a delicious Cuco dinner, AFTER the children were in bed so as to fully enjoy it in all its glory and splendor.  THAT my friends, is a beef and cheese stuffed deep fried avocado...I know, I feel faint just talking about it.  Divinity.

And then we had to up and leave one day, very early.  So early that all the kids passed out on our second leg.  Boy was I grateful.  Hazel has a new trick that she only pulls out in church and airplanes.  It involves loud, staccato screams of discontent.  It's charming.  Although more favorite than that was when the flight attendant came by and so curtly informed me that Hazel needed to be in a seatbelt.  I said "she's two." She said, "you have to" so I said "I'll do my best" and she said, in her very best authoritative witch voice "there will be no exceptions" and walked away.  I took great delight in her walking back down the isle and stopping in front of the crying, screaming two year old being held down by my arm while she tried to make faces at her and get her to smile.  Hazel just kept on crying.  I felt vindicated.  "You tell her Hazel".  It's the little things that really count, you know?

Oh there is so much more, though I am rapidly catching up to the present. 
Stay tuned for Part IV where I kidnap my sister in law and make her come back to Connecticut with us.

*I fully support children of all ages being restrained in an array of circumstances.  I just mostly don't care for rude flight attendants.

**My actual, real favorite part of our flight was when the nicer, more gentle soul of a flight attendant got on the PA during taxi and take off and whispered things like "you are sleepy...you want to pull the shades down and take a nap...you do not like peanuts....you are not thirsty....it's flight attendant appreciation day"....cause that was way funnier.

Part II:b

While in Houston staying with that most delightful group, I took a little side trip over to Austin for another meet-up with my besties from high school.  These gals have been really really good friends for like 17 years now...tell me that doesn't sound like a long time, I dare you.  We met in Natalie's neck of the woods, Dallas area, about 3 years ago, then they both flew all the way across the country to Connecticut 2 years ago, and it was finally time to end the (rather large) triangle with a stay in Austin with Kristen.  I love these girls.  It is amazing and fun to be with them.  We don't even get to talk nearly as often as we would like, but we are able to pick right back up where we left off...sometimes that takes until 2am, but we get darn close to catching up.  Plus, it is really fun and unique and kind of weird that our kids (minus 2 of Nat's this time) get to play together, and they like each other...while we sit around and talk about weird grown up things like flooring and ovens.
One of the mornings that we were there, I enthralled the children with tales of Kristen's days on the drill team...and then made her dance for them.

Kristen, who is a very talented photographer, had two of her photographer friends take pictures of the three of us to commemorate the special occasion.  We were together and it happened to be dear Kristen's birthday.  I don't have any of those pictures yet but I will definitely share when I do.

And we had a Texas sized donut.  Yes, that fed all of us.

One or two (or three or more) of us took the opportunity to be bitten by fire ants.  A southern specialty.  Little boogers.

We went swimming and Hazel nearly drowned...honestly, the scariest and most horrifying unforgettable image I've ever had in my head.  That will not be happening again, ever.

Swimming in Texas is awesome because 1)the water is so warm you just walk right in and 2)it's so hot outside that you don't get chilled when getting out of the pool.

Kristen took us to a yummy "build your own yogurt" shop...I made her stand casually in front of that wall so I could take her picture...you see, not only did she take those photos but it was her idea that she casually suggested to the shop owner.

This is us on one of those very late nights that made me feel really really really not so young the next morning. Don't ask why I am awkwardly grabbing Kristen's thigh, because I don't know.

And then we took 8 kids to Target because we needed to buy a plunger.  We were detained for a short while so they could all play appropriately with 'said' plungers before making our selection.

Flat Daddy sat in a cactus because it's Texas, why not?

We took advantage of Kris' talents because that's what we do, and it's what she does.  It really works out nicely for us all.  This is Natalie's adorable not so new baby girl.  We like her a lot.  Her name is Mia.  Big Mia thought that was pretty awesome.

And here are some of the shots that Kris took of me and the girls.  She was trying out a new setup that I thought worked quite nicely...especially because you can't see the buckets of sweat under our clothing, or the bangs plastered with sweat to my forehead.  Texas is hot people.  So humid, you kind of feel like you are either swimming or suffocating.  But the people are so awesome, and the sky is so huge you can't even believe it...and they have Bluebell ice cream.  So that's why so many people live there.

Oh, how sweet, you thought I was finished talking about my trip.
No sir.  Part III coming shortly.  And there is even a Part IV and V too, but that hasn't happened just yet.

The Big Trip: Part II

Here we go.

We were in Utah to visit my wonderfully fun and entertaining and loving family AND attending the wedding of a brother in law from a family that is equally wonderful fun and entertaining.  AND to sweeten the deal, MY family knows my HUSBAND'S family and we are all one big happy family.  Lucky lucky.

Flat Daddy came to all the festivities.  He was in all the family pictures and greatly loved on, by everyone.

Look at this gorgeous little family.  What a beautiful day.  So sweet.  So happy.  So wonderful.

We blew bubbles...or rather, Hazel blew bubbles and I laughed at her.

These sweet girls.  So sweet.

Didn't I mention I was lucky? Look at these women that are so beautiful and they ALL like each other...from left to right, sister in law Megan, sister Sarah, me duh, sister Carrie, sister in law Sadie, sister in law Sho, sister in law Alexa.  Where is Amy? She was somewhere.

We even enjoyed doggy dear Fiona while at Carrie and Todd's.  Unfortunately, she is somewhat unphotogenic.  Adorable, even when barfing up a chocolate puddle following her binge on a five pound bag of chocolate chips and flour.

Sunday dinner at Amy's...lovely is an understatement.  I love these people.  We had a delicious meal complete with cherries straight from the tree.

A visit with my beautiful and amazing grandparents.  I cannot say enough about these people.  They are amazing and wonderful and I love them to death...and my Grandma has the most gorgeous skin you've ever seen.  Thanks for the cookies Grandpa.

Love them.

I am mourning the fact that I have a shocking LACK of pictures of my dear siblings in Utah, because last week we left Utah and headed down to the muggy south.  This is the part of the trip where I sit on my in law's bed and watch TV most nights, crave and eat Los Cucos until I want to split open and dream about moving here and opening up a Blue Bell ice cream stand--where are the Blue Bell ice cream stands, I ask you?

Here, is also where there is an excessive amount of amazing rain, and little girl cousins coming out our ears.  I love them so.

We are staying with my dear Megan in law, there are nine children, NINE children...only one of them is a boy.  It's a good thing is so stinkin adorable, he gets by.

On the night of the wedding reception here in Texas we started "beauty parlor" four hours before "go time".  Megan and I learned our lesson at the last wedding reception when we ran out of time to get our own selves ready.  So I started early and spent two hours doing little girl hair.  Aren't they beautiful?  I especially love Jenny's affection for Hazel.

The cousins have played amazingly well.  We haven't had to break up hardly any disagreements.  They just pair off, play play play, and when they get tired of one another, they just switch cousins.

Really, could there be more beautiful girls?

And then we had Sunday dinner here with ALL the cousins and I sat and loved every one of them.  And then felt extremely disappointed that I hadn't thought to do this in Utah with those lovelies.

Yes, cute people.  Yes.

I just love the love.  I love that I love to be here.  I love that no matter where I visit, be it Utah or Texas, I feel like I am coming home because of the people waiting for us.

Thank you everyone for playing with us and loving us and feeding us leftover Los Cucos for breakfast.

Stay tuned:

Big Trip, Part III coming when I feel like it.