It's cold outside

In the 30s here this morning. It's like winter! Bundle up and snuggle up!

The Great School Debate

Long before Jay and I had children, we discussed/debated/argued about what we would do for school. We both grew up attending public schools (although there weren't really other options in either of our hometowns). I taught in a private school and enjoyed a lot of the advantages that had to offer though. I also feel more of the need to shelter and protect and keep them close, while Jay is more open to worldly exposure and failures so that we can teach and guide them through that while they are still home with us. I think both sides of this argument have very legitimate concerns and issues and we both kept arguing for our side for years. 

Catherine attended a private church-based preschool and we did keep her there for kindergarten. After exploring many options for "big school" and lots of prayer, we felt like God was confirming that we should enroll her in our public school. She is adjusting well. It was a little overwhelming to go from a small preschool to a large school of 800+ students. And this is a new experience for our family, so we're figuring it out as we go. I think Catherine gets frustrated if we don't know how certain things work at school because a lot of kids in her class have older siblings there and already know the routine. But she's our oldest and gets to be our guinea pig :) By the time James and Elizabeth get there, we'll have this all figured out!

One thing that has been helpful is the Learning Community classroom. There is a 1st-5th grade group of classes that can move the students for math and reading based on the skill level. They evaluate this for different units and at different times of the year based on teacher observation and testing. Catherine is currently in the 2nd grade reading class and that has brought an extra challenge for her that is encouraging. Her first grade teacher is also fantastic and allows the children a lot of flexibility and opportunities for learning based on their individual styles and personalities.

The sweet child's least favorite subject is P.E. She is her mama's child. She cries most Weds nights and Thurs mornings because she is terrified her PE teacher will give her a test and she might not be able to catch the ball or something. It's her greatest area of weakness at school. Hey, you can't be good at everything, right?

I still have moments (or days) when I want to keep her home, shelter her more. It's hard for me every time I drop her off to watch her walk into school. That's our little girl, and she seems vulnerable to walk into that big building by herself. But I have to be careful not to project my fears and insecurities onto her. To keep her here would ultimately be because of my needs, not necessarily what is best for her. I it's a little step of letting go and trusting God. She is his daughter more than mine and I have to trust that He knows what is best for her. I'm also trusting in Jay's leadership in this area and I respect his decisions and wisdom immensely. 

Here are a few cute pics from the school carnival. It was about a month ago but I forgot to post them.

Her anticipation of the carnival night was intense. About like waiting for Christmas morning.

It's exciting to watch her grow up and learn new things. We are very proud of Catherine!

One less

One less baby tooth
She's growing up so fast
That's both good exciting and a little sad
Is it normal to feel nostalgic about every single tooth??

Voting

This is the first year any of our children have really been aware about elections and the voting process. They asked some pretty good questions about how it all works and were excited to pick who they would vote for. Catherine said she would vote for Obama because "even though he hasn't done a good job we should give him a second chance". Will said he would vote for Romney because "we need somebody different and they need to take turns with who is in charge". I think that pretty much sums it all up.

I won't get into much about political views on here. It's not my cup of tea. I will say that our elected leaders usually represent and follow the views of the culture; the leaders don't make decisions that change the culture's morals or values (usually). I think America's values are changing and that's more and more obvious. People don't feel the need to be good moralists and we have an ever increasing selfish society. I think that is being reflected in our elections. That's all I'm going to say about that.

We spent our Election Day by going to Camp Cothran and playing. Our big kids played outside in the freezing cold and we kept babies and little ones inside. Then we all enjoyed some hot chocolate and fresh baked bread. Thanks Jill!

It's finally time

It's finally time to start potty training Anna. We've been working on "potty awareness" for a while--you know, discussing the issue, and how big girls use the potty, and whatnot. Anna is so stubborn though that I haven't wanted to push the issue because I know she'll refuse to do it. (We are just now slowly coming out of her 6 month refusal to say please and thank you!!)

A week or so ago Anna decided that she wanted to sit on the potty and wear pull ups. So we are letting her try it on her own initiative. She has had a few successes, which she rewarded herself for with stickers on her face this morning. I think if I don't push the issue that she may potty train herself. Wouldn't that be nice??

Don't be scared

Don't be scared, but we have a few dinosaurs living in our kitchen!

Trick or treat

We had lots of fun trick or treating last night. Our neighborhood is pretty quiet so we always go trick or treating with some of our best friends. We eat pizza and fruit in the driveway and then do some serious trick or treating.

This year Catherine wore a fancy purple dress and fur coat. I'm not sure if she was a princess or just wanted to be fancy. Will was a pirate (who didn't want to have his picture taken). Anna wore a princess dress to her school Halloween party and was a pink (warm) poodle last night. The babies both wore Halloween onesies and pumpkin hats my mom made. It was so cold though that I bundled them up in warm little snow suits. They were all so cute!

We hope you enjoyed lots of treats, and not tricks!