Homeschool has (began, begun) . . . pick one

Yeah, you got the jist of it?

We've been in the throes of school for a week now, and ooooohhh, the joys.  I mean, why not?  How awesome is it to rise from your pillowtop mattress at, oh, I don't know, 8:30?   You then make your way down the stairs to your gourmet breakfast of A) Captain Crunch B) Pop Tarts C) whatever crumbs Daisee has left in her wake of bobble-headedness.  Once you inhale your meal and manage to clear your windpipe of your food remnants, you then simply walk to school.  Not another building.  Just kinda . . . uh, down the hall.  Not to mention (sshh . . .), you're still in your (wait for it, wait for it . . . )PAJAMAS!  Its the good life.  I've just gotta say it . . . the GOOD LIFE.

The boys are doing fabulous.  They've already gotten into the swing of things, and the adjustment time has been nothing like it was last year.  According to them, last year was going to be a big party.  I'm sayin', a hang-the-balloons-and-live-like-Pippi-Longstocking kind of party.  It took some pretty serious talks and steam blowin' to make them realize that this was for real.   This time, though, its been a go for them from day one.  They've been reasonably serious about their work, and I'm nothing but proud of them.

Co-op started this past Friday.  I don't know what in the world it is about co-op, but that is their life-ring in the big sea of homeschool.  They absolutely love it.  Ryan jumps in his classes feet first and is great about participating with discussions and all that jazz, which is something I thought I'd never live to see him do.  It's just hard to get him to talk in a setting that has more than, oh, himself and a wall.  I mean, not really, but unless its just him and his buddies shootin' the bull, it ain't happenin'.  Gavin, too.  Those of you that really know him know how what a hard adjustment it was for him to start kindergarten a few years ago.  He would never DREAM of talking to someone he didn't know.  Nowadays, though, he's just like a little social butterfly. 

Ryan is all into the Civil Air Patrol cadet program.  He got one of his uniforms last week.  It's a battle dress uniform, and it makes him look like he's about to head off overseas somewhere.  I'm talkin' combat boots and all . . .the sho' nuff real things.  ASK ME what that does to a mama's heart . . . to see her twelve-year-old wearing that get-up.  Not to mention that he actually WANTS a career in the military.  A Navy pilot, to be exact.  I'm proud of him and all, but, sheesh . . . do I NEED to say more? Honestly, though, the CAP program seems like such a perfect fit for him.  It teaches self-discipline, respect for authority, a little bit of survival training . . . a whole spectrum of beneficial information.  I'm tickled that he's so excited about it.

We're not really sure, right now, about what Gavin's 'extra-curricular' is gonna be.  He wants to try and play Upward basketball this winter, so we'll definitely encourage that.  Right now, he just lives for co-op . . . and for church.  The boy loves some church, and he LOVES his Jesus. Just ask him. He'll tell you, and THAT, my friends, also makes for ONE. HAPPY. MAMA.  When we went to camp, his little goal he set was to tell our whole neighborhood about Jesus.  Tissue, anyone?

Sweet Daisee . . . she'll be starting Dayschool next week, and she'll have a lovely time.  I think she's gonna blow some people away with her ever-expanding little vocabulary she's got goin' on.  My favorite phrase?  The 'thank you, you're welcome' in the same little sentence.  Oh, so precious.

That's it.  Stay tuned for more adventures, 'cause they will ABSOLUTELY arrive.  Just wait and see.

Love,