Insert Post Title Here...

Holy crap... has it really been that long?  Yea... lots of changes since my last post.  For one, we had another baby!  Yep... February of this year, another girl... the Punk.  Sounds like a weird nickname for a baby girl, but it suits her.  She's as mellow as mellow can be... seriously, such an easy baby.  Just cut too teeth and didn't peep about it at all.  I keep telling people if I had her first, I would have had a dozen right after her!  A few introductory pictures...





...and her most recent shot...



Proof that she's not all sunshine and giggles?

While pregnancy and parenting is less taxing physically in your early twenties... there is definite something to be said about having babies when you're in your mid thirties.  Lots of things done differently... cloth diapers, attempted baby wearing, less anxiety...  Anyway... she's awesome but what parent doesn't say that about their kids.  Speaking of the other two...



Yes it's an old picture... I plan on doing new ones soon... really... I'll get to it eventually...

We're homeschooling them both now.  The Nerd is in 8th grade (third year home), thriving, excelling, and generally doing well.  He's eagerly awaiting high school... we've found a nice local charter school that is perfect for him.  More on that later?  The Little Bird is in 2nd grade and homeschooling is proving to be an adjustment for her (this is her first year home) and me as well.  Where the Nerd is über independent and self propeled... she is not.  She is the very opposite of my firstborn... whom happens to be a lot like me.  Not that I'm criticizing her... there are days when I'm genuinely envious and wish I could be more like her.

Homeschooling her is forcing me outside of my comfort zone... making me think outside the box... and be a hell of a lot more organized (I clean off my desk at least twice a week!)!  All of these are good things... for everyone involved.  After a month we've fallen into a good rhythm... waking around 8am, having breakfast, sometimes getting dressed (sometimes not), sitting down for our dailies... journal entry, spelling, math, and reading... then we just kind of pick and choose from our weekly lesson plan what we want to tackle next (usually after lunch)... Social Studies, Science, more Math or Reading.  Some days are just dailies and then errands and afternoon activities (karate, music, and dance for her; karate, soccer, and band for him). I feel she should get the opportunity to decompress and unschool for a bit (We aren't really unschooling... I know that works for a lot of homeschooling families, but I don't think I'm capable of that... it would hurt.. a lot).  The very first thing I noticed about her work habits was the never ending need to rush... assignments done a warp speed, pictures quickly scribbled, papers carelessly hacked apart with scissors... it was maddening!  So I pulled back a bit... slowed down... did less... and it's working.  =)  More attention is being paid, care being taken, time being spent.  Less is getting done, but that's quite alright.

As October approaches and I compile our curriculum (I outline and adjust it on a monthly basis... goals are nice to keep me on track, but if we get sidetracked, distracted, behind, stuck, lost on a deserted island... it's nice to be able to set new goals every month... it's essentially a clean slate, no?) I'm feeling pretty good about it all.  Wondering what compelled me to start blogging again... maybe it's a way to not only vent a bit (venting doesn't have to be negative/bad, right?), but a way to help keep track of it all... keep it in perspective?  At any rate... we'll see if I stick with it.  Writing has never been a favorite activity of mine.. and knitting time (definitely a fave... if not life saving) isn't exactly abundant as of late either.