The school year has begun

To be honest, I was not looking forward to starting the school year.  Not because of teaching, but because I didn't feel refreshed from the summer and I know this year is going to be full of logistical challenges and it's my baby girl's last year (sniff, sniff) and I find homeschooling in this house very hard.  Wonder why?

This is why:

You can barely stand in the attic and I am constantly walking like a ninja through Legos to get things I need.  I've moved some subjects downstairs and the books sit in our pantry.  We sit at the table and it's nice, but when I read to the boys, they like to be up here and they build while I read.  I think it's good for their brains, but it's not good for me. I sit next to a very loud air conditioner, so I feel like I'm yelling the whole time.  I am thankful for the space, but also documenting so I'm extra thankful when I don't have to tilt my head to type on my computer at our next house.

I was nervous, but this amazing thing happened.  I got up earlier than normal and had my quiet time.  I have actually struggled with getting up early since moving here and I was surprised how easy it felt all of the sudden.  I prayed over our day and the Lord answered in a mighty way.  He gave me renewed energy, a pep in my step and my heart just overwhelmed with thankfulness.  He reminded me how much I really love homeschooling and showed me all the goodness that comes from our days.

Like this:

My boys are 12 and 14 and they still play Legos.  Their play had been stagnate over the summer, but was reignited when our school days got into swing. I love that our days allow time to do this and they have the freedom to still be kids.

Don't worry, there's still plenty of tween/teen in them.  I only got that picture because they didn't know I was taking it.  And this is what happens when I do try to get their face:

I was also reminded how amazing it is that we've been doing this for so long that we have a natural rhythm of our day and that it's pretty easy for us to get right back into.  I've learned over the years to not make a big deal out of starting school.  We ease into it and it all goes way better.  A week before I actually want to start school, I'll show them their new books.  Then I'll just have them flip through the books and talk a little about what this year's courses will look like.  Then I have them do half of a math lesson.  Then the next day finish the math lesson.  And I'll add in there starting to read a fun book together.  All that makes the first day not so jarring and overwhelming.

I've also learned that it's a good idea to start the day with a game or outside play for Colin.  And make sure he has some food in him.  Seems basic, but it's easy to just start the day with calling out orders, which quickly sours attitudes which inhibits learning.  A quick games gets the brain juices flowing and also set a good tone for the day.  Uno has always been a favorite in our house.

It also made it hard to start because we currently live in New York where everyone still had a month of summer, but we're moving to California where their school year is more normal and will end in May (instead of the end of June).  Plus, I want to do graduation stuff in May :). Plus, we're moving during this year.

I documented the beginning of the year and this is just to keep all things real.

WHY?

Why must she purse her lips and not smile like she normally does?!?!  I will never understand.

Why won't this one at least look remotely happy?  

Happy in real life?  Yes.  Point a camera at him and viola....no expression.

And this one takes the cake.  Um, why are you sitting on the dog???  What about "Let's take first day of school pictures" equalled "I know.  I'll sit on the dog and not smile at the camera."

I always show them the picture and ask them if this is how they want it to be documented and they say yes.  I'm documenting that here for when they complain about their picture collages when they graduate.

 

A recap of the summer

 My adventure of life jumped on the rapids for a bit.  

Literally.

I am SO very thankful for many things, but most of all that I listened to what God put on my heart at the beginning of the year.  I started the conversation of moving early with Ben when I felt the nudge and I also advocated for putting the house on the market early.  I remember telling him that I would much rather have a crazy summer of selling a house and finding housing across the country, than have a crazy school year and be trying to do that on top of teaching and activities and actually moving.  And Praise the Lord I had that foresight!

After our open house, we had a couple more showings.  Each time was promising but would turn out to be nothing.  We went on vacation for a week to the Adirondack mountains and I was sure that we would have showing requests while we were gone, but I was wrong.  It was, however, nice to unplug for a week and not clean a house.

When we got home, the house had been on the market for a month and it seems like the market in our area is changing.  Nothing that we were told would happen, actually happened.  No one is God, so it makes sense and I kicked myself for believing the hype.  All that to say, we lowered the price of the house, again expecting a flurry of activity.  Yet again, we were wrong.

Ben and I flew to California; he was working and I tagged along to house hunt.  That story is for another post, but it was absolutely wonderful being there with him and the Lord provided us with an open door for a house to rent!

To say I'm thankful that we are moving to a place that we both love is an understatement.  We know what it's like to not want to move where you're being forced to move, so this is truly a blessing.

Just a few days after we got home, we had 2 showings on our house.  Both couples were there for a very long time, but ultimately one couple decided that it was too loud (we're by a busy street and it drives me insane also) and one couple made an offer!  It was a very low offer, but it was an offer.

I say this humbly, but my pride took a hit.  I would love to blame all the people who told us "Your house is going to sell for a gazillion dollars the day you list it!" and "Your house is amazing, it's going to fly off the market for top dollar!" but I can't.  The truth is, I wanted the recognition that all the hard work I've poured into this house was good work and worth it.  And I wanted our house to be like all the other houses in the area and sell for a high list price.  I have to remind myself how much of a blessing it is that we have an offer and that we are able to sell our house AND we are making some money off of it so that we may be able to buy a house in California.  That's all amazing!  We had a very painful week of negotiations and people not being prompt to respond or answer.  The couple even asked to come back and look at the house again before they counter offered.  We finally settled and contracts were drawn up. 

The exact same day, we signed the contracts for a rental house in California.

While the contracts were being written for Mint house, we celebrated Alison's birthday and my sister came to visit.

We went into Brooklyn for the day and then she had some friends over for a little party.

Then, just a few days later, we were back in the city to do Times Square, eat pizza, walk through Central Park and went to the MET.

We also had another showing while she was here, but they mysteriously never showed up.

Beth actually ended up being stuck here for 2 extra days when the airline canceled her flight.  And while she was here, our air conditioner broke and leaked water into the wall.  But somehow not in the wall but in a layer of maybe plaster or a million layers of paint from all the years this house has existed.

Contracts were signed while Ben was flying back to California for a mountaineering trip.

The whole process didn't feel real; maybe because we did it in an unconventional way or maybe because we were doing it all while juggling many other things. 

While Ben was soaking up this amazingness, we started math.  And I fixed our air conditioner all by myself.  Well, thanks to YouTube.  And that, my friends, is exactly why I am so thankful that we did all the house insanity during our summer.  My brain has been consumed with scouring Zillow and cleaning the house for a certain time and finding things for us to do while we have to be out of the house and analyzing the housing market and trying to make good BIG decisions.  I knew I could not do that well and teach school well.  Something was going to have to give.  I was going to say that maybe what had to give this summer was refreshment, but honestly, the trips that were made helped my mental health tremendously.  

Mint House is under contract.

We have a house waiting for us in California.

School is in session.

Let the next adventure begin!