I have always loved pink

this monday, I remembered the day I got these fine snoopy boots. they came from the sears catalogue. seemed they came right to our door, on 18 simcoe street. not sure if that is accurate or not, but it seemed a dream to me. I am maybe all of three in this picture and totally precocious. It was hot out. steamy, even. but I insisted on putting on the boots. my mom told me my feet would get all sweaty but I didn't care. I had waited an eternity for these things and I was gonna show the world that life was now complete.

my feet did get sweaty, but who cares when you have boots like these on?

so here it is, perfect honesty

I am beginning to suspect, with all honesty, that I am actually the only one in my family that likes homeschooling. Seriously. My boys don't get along a lot of the time and chose to fight, argue, whine and fuss a lot.

They don't happily adhere to the schedule we have, they don't happily do chores when asked and they seldom, if ever, volunteer on their own. They would prefer to just "home" and drop the "school" all together. I am not sure if It is just me and what I am doing incorrectly, (because none of us are perfect despite our best intentions) but I certainly don't read about this on any other homeschool blog, nor do I hear about it in my homeschool circles. The other families that I know actually like being at home to do their work and actually like playing with each other and regularly tell their families that they love them, do spontaneous acts of service or kindness for family members and hug or kiss family members, too.

Today, my boys have the pleasure? of writing their C.A.T. tests so we can have something to let our new school know where they are at academically. I have absolutely no worries here, except I wonder that this homeschool adventure has not been at all what I thought and dreamed it would have been. Maybe our not homeschooling two years coming up will be just what they needed. I just hope I don't take it too personally if they prefer it and actually end up loving something for what seems like the first time in forever. hmmm.

I used to blog with abandon

but now it seems I am happy to just be keeping my head above water, and soon that water will turn mighty salty. Lately we have been finishing up subjects as our school year comes to an end and the new one looms in the near future, August 6. Our Study of the Swiss Family Robinson means so much more as we, ourselves, are heading to "New Guinea" just like they did (only I pray we don't become stranded. I am not as patient as Mrs. Robinson). I do believe the boys are enjoying what I wrote, there is just so much to distract us that it lessons are feeling more tedious than pleasurable these days. We are on an official countdown now so that we end well June 6.

HIGH Day is officially done for us now for two years. Now we move our thoughts to ponder life in a tropical classroom, with 11 other students, sharing, debating and sitting much longer than we are used to. It will be strange to not homeschool and yet, by all accounts I have been given, things will seem very familiar indeed. The principal has communicated to me that the subjects I am in charge of are to be taught "according to my personal teaching style". How great is that? I simply cannot wait to infuse my homeschool charm on these unsuspecting students. I am also thrilled to be using Sonlight for the first time in my life. I get to teach Social Studies, Bible and English while Neal gets to teach Art. Amazing.

I often find myself wondering how I will adjust to the relative quiet there, and the subsequent influx of noise upon our return. Two long, short years. I already have three journals ready to go; a gift from an artist friend.

Oh, I love the things that summer brings ... and I know it is just around the corner. Bestsister has already discovered how immature I truly am so this book cover will come as no surprise to her. I own and treasure this book (along with Winter and A Fish Out of Water) as it is one of only a select number of things I chose to keep from my childhood. Lately, I have been pondering how amazing the memories of my own children are going to be. Just think how fascinated others will be, way down the road, when they speak with my two grown children only to discover they were, gasp, both homeschooled AND missionary kids in their lifetime.

I dreamt of being homeschooled before I ever knew what it was. I remember vividly the time I had mumps. No one ever gets the mumps, but I had it ... on both sides. I wasn't allowed to go to school until I had completely healed. I felt FINE. Glorious, in fact. I remember my mom being the best teacher a girl could ever hope for. She even had me go into the garage and do skipping (where I think she timed me) for gym class. I didn't know what you called it but I could have cared less if I never went back to "real school". It happened again the year I had mono. I almost failed that year in high school, but my mom was there all along, coaching me and helping me through. Then there was the summer leading up to my entering first year University. The school called to notify me that I was, actually, short one O.A.C. and needed to make it up. I don't remember how we found the online art course, but I do know I was too frazzled and neurotic to do all the assignments, so my mom drew a coffee mug and a set of spoons to help me out. I don't recall her score, but together we finished fine and I graduated with a degree after all. I find it interesting to note that all my best memories involve summer. The only exception I can come up with is my wedding. Interesting things just seem to wait until the weather warms.

All this to say that I love the things that summer brings, namely, our adventure to PNG. I cannot wait to hear, down the road, that my boys loved their time of endless summer and if they had it all to do over again, they would (and then some)