Staying the course when I'm tempted to bail ;-)

I always want to jump ship (the homeschool ship, that is) when I see an

Instagram/Facebook/blog post that highlights the joys of SCHOOL (like brick-and-mortar school). I see the kids clumped together with their backpacks and smiling faces (and a slew of colorful posters decorating the walls behind them), and I think “my kids are MISSING this!” We’ve gotta enroll them in REAL SCHOOL right away!!!

But then I’ll see a different Instagram/Facebook/blog post that’s celebrating the JOY of homeschooling, and I’ll relax. I’ll see pictures of the kids curled up on the couch (often in their jammies with cups of cocoa - yep, all kinds of cheesiness, but in the sweetest possible way) reading a book with their brothers and sisters - OR, I'll see pictures of kids relaxing with a book OUTSIDE (yep, it really is glorious to read beneath the shelter of a cottonwood tree), and I’ll CHILL.

Because, really, my kids have been blessed with the best of BOTH worlds (and we are so grateful for the unique opportunities here!). The boys attend a fantastic "school" for homeschoolers every Thursday (called Olive Tree), so they know what it's like to carry backpacks, change classes, and learn from different teachers. They also get to dissect frogs and sheep hearts at Olive Tree, and they get to launch eggs from the balcony (to see if their homemade "cages" will protect the eggs from breaking), and they get to deliver presentations to their classmates... basically they get to enjoy all the "fun" school stuff without workbooks/homework - YAY! The boys also have class parties, crazy hat days, field day, and the sweetest end-of-year school program - DOUBLE YAY!

So, the next time I'm tempted to "jump ship," I know it'll take a whopping two seconds to remember that I'm SO GRATEFUL for the opportunity to homeschool. Time with my kids is precious. The ability to study the world as we’re immersed in the world (e.g., study fish while we’re wading through a river, study trees on a hike through the forest, learn about WWII from veterans at the senior center, etc.) is such a wonderful blessing.

(Photos above and below: science/nature lessons with sweet friends. The boys learn SO MUCH MORE about insects, flowers, and trees when they can actually TOUCH THEM. Walk among them. Smell them. And even sketch them in their nature journals. Teaching little ones is WAY EASIER and WAY MORE FUN than I thought it would be!)

As much as I love homeschooling, the truth is that EITHER option (traditional school or homeschool) would be GREAT. (I can easily rattle off a dozen benefits of traditional classrooms!) So, whatever path we choose for our kiddos, there will always be pluses and minuses, right? That’s life! We simply try to choose the best possible path for our kiddos, given our particular circumstances.

And, for our family, right now, we believe that homeschool is the best option for our kids (and the pediatrician wholeheartedly agrees!). Our boys need the ability to SLEEP, y’all. And 6 AM alarms just aren’t healthy for their immune systems. They also need *reasonable* protection from germs; we don’t want to bubble-wrap them, but it’s a fact that one simple cold can keep our kids down for WEEKS (or even months!) as underlying lyme/babesia/bartonella bugs are given an opportunity to resurface (most tick-borne diseases aren’t “cured” - they’re just kept in check by a robust immune system, and all it takes is one cold or flu to send everything south again).

Obviously less time in a traditional school setting will result in fewer colds/flus/other viruses and, therefore, more time enjoying childhood. So, YAY, major reason to HOMESCHOOL! But I’m not gonna lie: I still think about “normal school” every now and then. And I always hope and pray that we’re doing the “right” thing for our kids. (Randy, on the other hand, wholeheartedly believes that homeschool is best for the boys, and he never, ever gives it a second thought. Oh, to have his confidence!) Thankfully, every time the doubts creep into my head, I feel like God gently taps me on the shoulder and encourages me (yet again!) to TRUST HIM. He’s got this. The boys will be FINE. Have FAITH, girl!

I’ve gotta remember to LOOK UP and MOVE FORWARD, and seize every possible opportunity to share with my boys the love of Christ. Because, really, the most important thing to teach my boys is to love the world as Jesus does. To be kind. To work hard. To be generous. To be wise. To be humble. To LOVE BIG. And to have some fun along the way! ;-) Those “heart lessons” can be taught in school, at home, in church, on a farm, or anywhere else that people gather to truly RAISE UP young men of character. My prayer is that God will allow me to see the world as He sees it (even just the teeniest, tiniest bit) and to focus on the important stuff. Love God. Love people. Use your talents/gifts to help others. It’s that simple. Whether our boys continue down the path of homeschooling or join a traditional school someday, I hope we'll always remember to teach our kids what matters most!