rabdom thoughts for march 7th...

Can i just say that I am very thankful for you my blog community of friends. Last night i was telling Matt how it's easy for me to give up coffee (over 4 weeks now coffee free) and gluten (i think I've been off gluten for the past 6 months... though i forget when i quit!) and other things.. but i told him how it would be hard for me to give up blogging because i find encouragement and challenge in it. It also keeps me connected in times when it's hard to connect. Things are getting much easier with the boys, but in all honesty, i don't often have a lot of luxury to talk to adults! I am blessed by a small book club that i have formed with a few good friends, but that really is my only main "no kid time" interaction face to face. It's funny though because the book that we are going through now is a homeschooling book, but none the less, great fellowship.

I'm sitting on the floor in front of the bathroom while the two older boys take a bath, and Matt and Elijah nap on the couch. Though it's not very quiet (for Joshua is very loud), it is a nice quiet time.

Today i had an IEP (individual education plan for children who have special needs in the public school system) meeting with Daniel's special needs teachers. It went well and we are going to be increasing Daniel's therapy time from 2 hours a week to 6 hours a week. (3 days a week, 2 hour time frames). I'm excited for him because i know he loves it there now and he enjoys the challenge. Though he is a little OCD.. he likes to try things until he gets them right. He will be able to be in this special program until next year, and then he will be kindergarten age, in which i will be homeschooling him full time. Though I do home school him right now.. him being just 4 years old is still so young that i don't consider him school age yet. During the meeting his teachers (which use to be Joshua's special needs teachers) asked me if i would be sending Joshua to kindergarten next year. I told them that he would be home schooled, but i was looking for an activity that he could do that would allow for him to have some social interaction. I always feel like i have to prove that i can teach my children and give them a good education... i wonder if i will ever get over that. I think i slowly am...

I think the public school teachers would think I'm crazy if I told them that I focus more on the children's character and their heart then on academics. Though academics are VERY important, and we do work on them... they are at such a young and tender age that instilling in them a love for others and a strength of character is more important then knowledge at this point. Knowledge will come later... words and numbers don't mean anything unless they have a purpose.

Speaking of homeschooling.. here is one of my favorite websites with interesting articles on homeschooling.