I met moms that also have children with gifts like Buddy's, and some of their struggles make mine look like a cakewalk. From them, I have gathered a lengthy list of books that should encourage me, especially on those impossible days. And seeing curriculum up close and in person helped me to recognize a few directions that may or may not work for us or that might fit in nicely when everyone is a little older.
Sandman heard from dads, and he's gushed to me about how everything has clicked for him now. Please don't get me wrong...Sandman was more into homeschooling a few years ago than I was! I have never questioned his support, and for the most part, he gives me opinions when I ask for them and trusts me completely. But he's seeing homeschool as more than just me teaching the boys how to read and write. And in all of those "light bulb" moments, we grow closer in what we want for our family...or rather what God wants for our family.
We've been challenged, again, to list our reasons for homeschooling, and like I mentioned in that other post, I'm sort of glad we didn't do that a few years ago because this list will absolutely look different now. I'll get around to it someday, but Sandman and I are STILL talking about what we heard over the weekend, and processing those sound bites is taking up some time.
In one of Sandman's meetings (we split up when we could in order to attend more sessions,) the speaker spoke of choosing the hard things, and he pulled no punches. Choosing to homeschool means choosing the harder option in many cases. And I'm not looking to debate this issue, but I know that I am constantly question my judgment and feeling horribly inadequate, and I don't think I'd feel that way if someone else was responsible for the boys' education. It's a weight I carry, and I have to give it back to God daily. It's my mountain. It is steep and uncharted and exhausting, but the payoff is worth the effort, because He remains by my side throughout the ascent. And He will be there with me at the top of the mountain as we praise him and thank him for helping us along.
Here are a few pictures from our long weekend in Albuquerque. The conference was 2 days long, and we stayed an extra two days. We enjoy Albuquerque, and I'm beginning to love the mountains...even if these are sort of small.
This is the "mountain" I climbed. No, it's not huge and treacherous, but the last time I tried to climb it with Sandman two years ago, I chickened out. The 60 mph gusts of wind weren't helping that time, but the wind wasn't an issue this trip, and I made it!
The boys are on one of the volcanoes in the this one. I did chicken out here, but I'd been battling an allergy fog and let the guys climb this alone.
We have a yearly pass to the Albuquerque Biopark which includes the Zoo, Aquarium, and Botanic Gardens. We've visited the Zoo and aquarium a number of times, but we were impressed with the Gardens. Very kid-friendly...Buddy was in LOVE with the giant model train exhibit!
Nugget spent much of the day "camera-ing" the sights with this clip-on sunscreen attached to his junior park ranger hat.
He's "filming" minnows above and the model trains below.
Fun feeding the ducks
This baby giraffe is TWO DAYS old!!! So precious! We asked God to help the zoo staff to take care of her- sounds like she's being rejected by her mama, so she must be raised by hand. Can't imagine that being easy when the newborn is 6 feet tall.
Baby Rhino named Chopper! What a little tank!
Our local zoo has roaming peacocks like these, but this fella was incredibly friendly with Buddy.
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