I didn't mean to drop the big ol' home schooling bombshell and then vanish back into the safety of cyberspace, but I suppose that may be how it seems. It's just that we have been so busy lately. (I'm sure you can relate!)
We started our home schooling adventure last Thursday, and after three days I can say that no one has died, bled, or thrown up. Including me. I am actually enjoying the extra time and focused attention with the kids...so far. I fully anticipate days when at least one of us may cry, but I am thankful for the three day, tear-free roll we are on. There are some definite challenges and a learning curve that at times feels slightly like a roller coaster. It is a challenge to know exactly where Alina is academically in some areas, and managing three kids at three different grade levels feels a little chaotic to me at times. I know some of this will get easier with time. I am really happy so far with our curriculum and with the kids' efforts. It is definitely a huge change for all of us, but we are in unchartered territory and it is a bit of a scary adventure. But at least we are all in it together.
Today we took the day off from home school and after a dentist appointment we headed to the community pool to swim with our good friends. We love the town pool, and today it was extra great because most all of the other families were off school shopping, and there were maybe 15 of us in the whole place. We were only planning to stay until early afternoon, but we ended up getting home at 4 PM! It is just too hard to walk away from a huge, empty pool on a hot day!
Everyone is doing well overall. I am still amazed at how well Alina is adjusting to being a Kimmel. Mark and I often have to remind ourselves that she has only been here three months because it feels like she has always been a part of our family. We are planning to go get our pictures as a family of five done soon - I can't wait! There are lots of layers to adoption and adjustments for everyone, but I can honestly say that each day is a blessing. As another wise older-child-adoption-mom says, all days are good, some days are better.
As a random tidbit, Mark and I watched a great movie the other night called The Fighter. It was up for several Academy Awards, and although I wasn't too thrilled about another "man" movie, I had to admit at the end that it was a fantastic movie. The language is...uh...strong (Jersey strong), so not for children's ears. But the acting was amazing and it is a true story. Loved it.
There is always a lot on my mind these days. I would love to sit down and really blog my heart out some time, but for now...this is what's up.
We started our home schooling adventure last Thursday, and after three days I can say that no one has died, bled, or thrown up. Including me. I am actually enjoying the extra time and focused attention with the kids...so far. I fully anticipate days when at least one of us may cry, but I am thankful for the three day, tear-free roll we are on. There are some definite challenges and a learning curve that at times feels slightly like a roller coaster. It is a challenge to know exactly where Alina is academically in some areas, and managing three kids at three different grade levels feels a little chaotic to me at times. I know some of this will get easier with time. I am really happy so far with our curriculum and with the kids' efforts. It is definitely a huge change for all of us, but we are in unchartered territory and it is a bit of a scary adventure. But at least we are all in it together.
Today we took the day off from home school and after a dentist appointment we headed to the community pool to swim with our good friends. We love the town pool, and today it was extra great because most all of the other families were off school shopping, and there were maybe 15 of us in the whole place. We were only planning to stay until early afternoon, but we ended up getting home at 4 PM! It is just too hard to walk away from a huge, empty pool on a hot day!
Everyone is doing well overall. I am still amazed at how well Alina is adjusting to being a Kimmel. Mark and I often have to remind ourselves that she has only been here three months because it feels like she has always been a part of our family. We are planning to go get our pictures as a family of five done soon - I can't wait! There are lots of layers to adoption and adjustments for everyone, but I can honestly say that each day is a blessing. As another wise older-child-adoption-mom says, all days are good, some days are better.
As a random tidbit, Mark and I watched a great movie the other night called The Fighter. It was up for several Academy Awards, and although I wasn't too thrilled about another "man" movie, I had to admit at the end that it was a fantastic movie. The language is...uh...strong (Jersey strong), so not for children's ears. But the acting was amazing and it is a true story. Loved it.
There is always a lot on my mind these days. I would love to sit down and really blog my heart out some time, but for now...this is what's up.
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You knew me as Joy Reed.