Times, They Are A Changing

The beginning of this semester marks the last one of school-free life for my family. I cannot overstate how much I have loved not having a child in school. Our days are fairly routine, but we spend most of it playing. I do not over-schedule my children, as I know that comes soon enough. We do a few activities and have playdates quite regularly, but all of it is optional.

In August, our days no longer become optional. While I am definitely going to miss these carefree days (boy, am I going to miss them), I am also excited to embark on the next chapter of our lives: school. Fortunately, I am going to be homeschooling Caleb (and I am guessing, subsequently, Chloe), so my whole crew will still be home all day. If he were actually going to school, I cannot even tell you how much of a wreck I would be right now.

I am in the beginning stages of planning for our adventure. While I have no clue what I am getting into, I am so excited. As a child, I spent countless hours "teaching" to my imaginary classroom (or my little brother, when he was a willing participant). Though I know teaching my own children will not be all roses and ease, I am very happy to be a huge part of their educational experience. I am not sure how long I will homeschool. Shoot, it may only be one year, if I totally stink at it. I am taking it year by year, child by child.

The one thing I do know is that I am certain God has called our family to this. I do not believe it is for everyone, but I know, for certain, it is the right thing for our family, at least for now. There are many reasons I know this is the right choice for us, but the most important is following God.

(That was a much longer introduction than I anticipated.)

As I think about the fact that my children are growing up quickly (hello, Luke is almost 1 year old), I am realizing more and more how important it is to cherish every moment.

A big change as of late is that my older kids are fighting much more than they used to. They do not fight all of the time, but they have started to get on each other's nerves more than they used to. And they seem to always want the same toy.

A funny story: Chloe sings all the time. She loves to sing. In the car, when she's singing, Caleb will interrupt her, kind of mockingly, and want to sing his own song. The funny part is that my sister and I used to do the same thing! As kids, we were not allowed to sing at the same time because it would always escalate into a fight.

Caleb can write his letters now and is learning to spell (on his own ambition). He loves to learn and is constantly asking me "how do you spell...." or "what do the letters (insert random letters) spell?" I love to see his mind soak everything up. Caleb has also learned to tell jokes....and he's really funny! Brett and I are often impressed by what he comes up with.

Chloe is still our princess who lives to have fun. She makes everything a game! Everyday, she changes about 5 times and puts on make up. Her favorite eye shadow is this dark black color because its sparkly. But it makes it look like she has black eyes all the time, as she can't put it on that well. That girl is hilarious and has the absolute sweetest heart.

Luke is....oh my, the cutest baby on the planet. He is getting his 4th tooth and walks around everywhere. He's in that lovely stage where he pulls everything down on himself. And he puts everything in his mouth. Though this is my least favorite stage in a child's life, he is just so darn cute that I can't help but adore him. Luke is definitely an eater: he eats all the time. A few days ago, he ate an entire piece of pizza!!

I love being a mom. There are so many times during the day where I think to myself, "Is this really my life?" because it is just so awesome. My kids are an absolute blast. And, honestly, I wish they did not have to grow up.

I know it will be all too soon when Caleb stops noticing changes I make to the house or to myself....to which he declares, "I love what you've done. It/you looks awesome, Mom!" He seriously is the most encouraging child to be around. Everything is awesome to him. So maybe he won't stop noticing.

I know it will be all too soon when Chloe stops dancing at every opportunity....because that girl loves to dance. She always asks me to turn on music. I love how she tunes out the rest of the world and gets so into her dancing. It is even cuter when she invites me to watch her dance. So maybe she'll never stop dancing.

I know it will be all too soon when Luke is old enough to play, really play, with the older two. When he is not "Baby Pookers" but is actually a little boy. I know he won't always be the snuggling baby he is now, but maybe he'll always be a mama's boy! He already has such the cutest personality. I can't wait for it to continue to develop.

I do not know why I am so sentimental lately. I promise I am not a complete mess all the time. It's just these little kids are growing up way too fast.