Revelations from our first year of homeschooling:
my kids CAN sleep past 8 am (and it is awesome)
there is no sub list for when I'm sick
math is not meaningful or fun, it is just math
I hate math
asking a 6th grader to find the verb in a sentence is like asking him to find a very tiny needle in a very large haystack
our $3 inflatable globe (aka, the redneck globe) has served us well
I love History
our area has the greatest group of homeschool families
if we did all of the social/educational opportunities for homeschoolers, we would never be home
field trips (and there were several) wear me out
how to navigate the DART rail system effectively (4 trips into Dallas this year)
Barnes and Noble gives home educators 20 percent off education resources
our public library has great free resources
I still can't get our books back on time
We survived our first year with some major victories --Joe learned how to read and write, Alex is getting better at spelling, and according to outsiders, Brendan has "come out of his shell". We have discovered formal Grammar is difficult and are taking a different route for next year. Found a wonderful math curriculum that teaches the lessons with a calm, knowledgeable voice that never sounds frustrated. Purchased for grades 5 and 7. Looking forward to our Summer Break and starting a new school year in August!
It's been 5, maybe 6 weeks since she's been gone yet the sadness (and yes sometimes tears) still hits. She was a part of our family for almost 14 years and to have her suddenly gone is just....weird. She came into our lives when we were somewhat newly-weds living in a tiny apartment in a new city. She was there when we welcomed our firstborn into our family, moved into our first house, brought home two more babies and eventually another dog. 
Our sweet Sammy Sue. After years of wanting a dog, Bryan came upon a basket of puppies and picked her out of the lot. Other than the usual puppy antics she was easy to train and quickly learned to appreciate afternoon naps curled up next to me. She wasn't super fond of kids, but she tolerated the boys and even let them dress her in various hats, blankets as capes, bunny ears and even Mr. Potato Head glasses and hat. When set in her ways as a 10 year old, she showed the new dog who was boss, even though he eventually outweighed her by 50 pounds. She loved to go to my parents' cabin and sit on the porch, especially if my mom was sharing her toast. She was allowed on the furniture and if you were in her spot she would stare at you until you moved. She managed to be in every family picture taken, even if was just her head or tail. She was always right next to me at night and right next to me when I cooked. Most importantly, she was always happy to see me when I came home or just came in the room. She was a good dog.
