Like Topsy we grow....*

And, like that, our "schoolroom" has increased its size by half. Evan will spend his last day as a public schooler on Friday. We will honor the spring break that was scheduled by the school district, and officially restart first, fourth and preschool on Monday, April 13.

Evan is ecstatic. He yearns for his daddy, and I am positive that his emotional needs are not being met without seeing Pat. ESPECIALLY since the rest of us get to see him every day.

So! My family takes on a new direction! It is exciting and a bit daunting, but nothing that we try today is something that cannot be changed, if we decide that this isn't the right lifestyle, after all.

I feel liberated, honestly. When I pulled Justin out, I was TERRIFIED, but with Evan I am confident that there isn't ONE WAY to learn: there are many. We do not have to believe that a traditional school is the only way our children will thrive. I know that Patrick is a bit unsettled with the prospect of his children having a different childhood experience than we both did. But there will be experiences that they will have that we will be jealous of. This I am sure of.

The best thing about homeschooling, as I told Evan the other day? He will be the smartest kid in my first grade!

"I'm the only kid in your first grade, Mommy!"

Exactly. No one for him to compare himself to. He is far too concerned with how much smarter the other kids are in his class. He has placed himself as "average" or "not REALLY smart" simply because he didn't learn to read as quickly as everyone else, and doesn't guess all of the answers correctly. I see huge benefits for his confidence in his own intelligence, if everything goes according to my plans. (muwaaaahaaaahaaaaa!! I sound evil, don't I?)

That said, he DOES have school TODAY. And Corinne has ballet and Justin has some homeschooling buddies coming over to design their own coats of arms from the middle ages. Speaking of which, just WAIT till you see the castle he and I made! Complete with drawbridge, machicolations (it's a new word for our household), and a turret. Verrrrry cool!

*Anyone know which favorite book of mine I quote?