Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday, December 30th, was our 7th wedding anniversary. It is pretty hard to believe that Chris and I have been married that long already.

We took the kids to the Children's Museum in the city, which is terribly overstimulating and busy on a Sunday afternoon, but fun. Their favorite exhibit is ALWAYS the sandbox--how boring is that? We went to our favorite crunchy restaurant in the tres chic part of town. The girls spilt a 5-fruit smoothie and black bean and cheese quesadilla, Chris ordered a fish sandwich and an amazing Bloody Mary and I had a "Super Burrito" and Margarita (which was VERY strong and I was slipping under the table mid-meal). Not a very romantic outing all told, but the car ride home was especially quiet and we held hands.

It was a great day spent with the people I love most, especially my husband--who always makes me laugh.

Christmas Pictures

Stardust

Chris and I watched the movie Stardust last night. It was so great--Lord of the Rings meets romantic comedy. I am appalled that I had never even heard of the book before watching the film...maybe I need to peruse the adult section of the library more often!

Homeschool Decision

A better explanation of our decision is warranted.

After lengthy, difficult conversations we decided that we would like to homeschool our girls. It is not something that I ever pictured myself doing. I remember back when we were dating, Chris mentioned that he would like to homeschool his children one day. I laughed at him. No way would I be the epitome of the conservative Christian cliche--a pastor's wife with lots of homeschooled kids. But here we are!

It finally dawned on us that there is no such thing as a "perfect" school (well, maybe Peace Lutheran Academy). Claire's school was the best you can get academically, but there were so many things that we didn't like (Muslims...Hindus...militant rules and schedules...sub-par music education...Hanna Montana induced "tween" peer pressure in kindergarten...all the driving). I will not be able to provide a "perfect homeschool" environment, but that's okay. We were not okay with sub-perfection before now because we erroneously thought that perfection was possible.

The most important thing is to go forward in the forgiveness and love that only a family can provide. I am excited about all the great things that I can do with my kids and our more flexible schedule. Claire is going to be doing lots of learning along side the sibling hair-pulling and tea parties. Martin Loopers here I come!

Randomness

(1) The Jung Seed catalog arrived in the mail today. It is such a beautiful catalog...I ogled it for 30 minutes after I tucked the girls into bed. The prettiest flowers and the most beautiful vegetables ever! Every year I mentally write out an extensive botanical wish list upon receiving the Jung catalog...but I never order, as I tend to kill green things.

(2) My Everyday Food January/ February issue arrived in the mail as well. The recipes are inspiring to my menu planning lists like always, but even more exciting was an advertisement for PBS. Masterpiece Theater is presenting all six of Jane Austen's novels starting January 13th. Check it out!!! Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy!!! I could re-watch that version of Pride and Prejudice a million times and my heart would race every time during the carriage ride...

(3) I tried the No-Knead Bread recipe with 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour and it turned out great! I will gradually try adding more wheat flour and other yummies like wheat germ and millet and I will let you know the perfect recipe when I reach it.

(4) An update to wondering minds: Christopher and I are definitely leaning toward the homeschooling side of the fence. Claire's last day of Kindergarten will most likely be January 15th (which is the last day of first semester).

Wellness

The church was sent a "Wellness DVD" yesterday. It was funded in part by the Fort Wayne Seminary, Synod and Thrivent. My husband and I actually wasted our evening last night watching part of it (while eating chips). If you would like a few good laughs...check it out!

I was also sent a fundraising pack from FW. Ummm...is the money going to be used for other cool projects like the Wellness DVD ? What a waste! Certainly holistic wellness is not going to be acheived through trite DVD's.

Mannish

Sigh.

I was inundated with this ad for birth control this morning on Yahoo!. It really bothered me.

LIBERATION from being a woman! Apparently, kids and periods are a big problem and now a little daily pill is your solution to avoiding both! YEAH!

What's so bad with being a woman? Is not having periods going to be better---seems mannish to me. It can't be good for women, no matter what the drug company or the FDA says. Very unnatural.

No-Knead Bread

My friend Jesse emailed me the link for this No-Knead Bread recipe about a year ago. I tried it this weekend. It was SO easy and as delicious as it looks! TRY IT!

3 Sillies

Isabel

She mastered drinking from a straw in .5 seconds! She's getting so big!

Cookies

Pictures of the Christmas cookies that I made for this year--most of them were consumed yesterday at the open house we held for the congregation. It was a busy but enjoyable event. A lot of people showed up, which we weren't expecting because we scheduled it during a Packer game. They just turned on our TV and we hosted an impromptu Packer party as well!

Canoe Trip

The girls canoeing in the Christmas tree box. Yes, we have a fake tree. I am unfortunately allergic to the real trees--I was quite sick every Christmas until we figured it out.

Ta Da

I am so pleased with how the buffet turned out. I wanted to put it in the dining room, but it didn't look right. So, for the meantime, it's new home is a corner in the living room.

School? What To Do?

My husband went to the principal's office on Tuesday, pressed and dressed in his nicest black clerical and dress coat (complete with academic scarf from Cambridge---looking very handsome) and intimidated the principal into making an exception to the rule for our family. I am 99% sure that Lily (and Isabel and future hypothetical children) will be allowed to attend the school without 4K. That's great news--though the gender inequality does irk me.

Meanwhile, I think I have talked with or received emails from everyone I care about and received their opinion on the matter. Thank you. I have really appreciated hearing what you think.

So, instead of being forced to make a decision between homeschooling and the school Claire now attends, we are sitting on a fence, feeling pulled in both directions.

Principal's Office

I met with the principal this morning. I was pessimistic going into the meeting (I tried really hard not to cry) and my fears were affirmed when she wasn't going to budge on the 4 year old kindergarten rule. Lily will have to attend 4-year-old kindergarten next year if I want her to attend the school in the future. Sending Lily would mean my 4-year-old at school (away from me) 5 half-days a week in a rule-laden, academic environment. It would also entail a 3 hour driving commitment each day to and from school (Isabel would be strapped in the car for at least 2 hours).

I can understand, 4K parents want confirmation that their children will be able to attend the school. But at the same time, we were not aware that 4K is required (anywhere). She told me that the students were coming into the kindergarten program unprepared, and she felt that it was very important to have 4K before 5K. Give me a break! Claire knew her alphabet, many phonetic sounds, how to read simple words, how to count to 100, and simple addition facts before kindergarten. I think that she did just fine without 4K. If I wanted to be a booger and take this to a higher authority...I think that I would have a completely legitimate case. There was NO mention of this rule before Friday (I checked, and re-checked all the admission literature I have).

My first instinct is to say "Screw you and your preppy academy!" and pull Claire out and home-school, but I know that's not the right reaction. This is a very important, emotional decision. A decision that will have lasting consequences for our family and the education of our daughters. So, Chris and I have to make this tough choice again.

Here we go again...

November wasn't too bad. Claire had a number of half-days and a number of full-days off of school. We saw her a lot. She was home and rested and well-behaved. I felt good knowing that she was home...all my babies, cuddled and snuggled on the couch reading books.

In December, there are NO half-days and NO full-days off of school until the winter break. I am feeling the holiday stress, and my perceptive children are too. Claire is tired. She keeps asking "Is it a full-day or half-day today?" Understandably so, she works and plays very hard at school. I think that full-days, five days a week is too much for a 5 year old. She needs to come home, play with her sister and take naps. I miss her too. I am still struggling with the school versus home-school decision, and circumstances like this tip the scales in the other direction.

A letter was sent home in Claire's backpack yesterday. Apparently, if we choose not to send Lily to 4-year-old Kindergarten next year, she will lose priority placement at the school (which we thought was guaranteed because her sister attends), and basically all hopes of attending this public charter school in the future (because we are out of district--priority goes to in-district children).

AAGGHHH!

I thought that we had an education plan for the girls. Chris and I will talk everything over this weekend and I will set up a meeting with the principal on Monday. Hopefully, maybe, she will grant our family an exception to this rule. I really hope so. I'll keep you posted.

Nap Time

Both Lily and Isabel took a nap today---simultaneously! (This rarely happens.)

I would never have imagined the amount of housework I accomplished in an hour and a half. Maybe I will encourage this sort of sleepy behaviour more often.

Who Done It?

A child. In the kitchen. Gastronomical weapon of choice? Measuring spoons.

People Baby

Lily is a fantastic storyteller. Yesterday she told me a detailed story about a "secret monster" (with a pink butt and orange feet) that lives in our house and likes to eat belly-buttons--so watch out! She can talk to me all day long (she often does) without much pause for breath. If I zone out for even a minute, she yells "MOM! Are you listening?"

As a baby, Lily often got the "fussy baby" label. She needed to be right next to me (or another warm, friendly body) or she would cry very loudly...until she was picked up. I have read a few parenting books (clarification--chapters of parenting books) lately which has caused me to think that she wasn't a bad baby at all--just a people person, in baby form. She loves to talk and be around other people and HATES being alone. Crying was how she got what she needed--to be with someone.

Isabel is much the same way. She is in the Baby Bjorn carrier or the backpack strapped to my body most of the day. She cries if she has to ride in her car-seat without Claire or Lily to keep her company. I wonder what sort of magical stories she will tell me with three-year-old enthusiasm.