We are settling into Little Rock.  It seems a little easier since we moved so recently.  We know what to do, or more importantly, what not to do.  The kids were so isolated when we first moved to Memphis, so I started trying to get them into homeschool groups before we even moved this time around.  They are going to enrichment classes (art, music, creative writing, etc.) one day a week at a place called the Homeschool Academy.  They are also taking P.E. classes at Arkansas Baptist through a satellite group.  Elizabeth seems satisfied with the number of new friends she’s made, so I’m happy with the arrangement.

The only thing we haven’t been able to jump-start is finding a church.  Looking for a church is a long and tedious process– I’ll never enjoy being a visitor.  We’ve visited five churches in the West Little Rock area so far, and I think we have one more to try tomorrow.  We definitely have a “type.”  Lannie (in particular) prefers a modern worship style, and a well-organized children’s program is important to me.  I also like a great missions outreach (local and international).  At this point, one church is definitely our favorite.  The only problem? It’s not a Baptist church.  This is really only a problem for the daughter of a Baptist preacher (who now works for a Baptist seminary).

One thing that has really suprised me since we’ve moved here is how easy it has been to re-connect with old friends from high school and college.  Facebook makes it so effortless!  I’ve messaged with friends and set up get-togethers without even having a phone number.  I’ve actually been out to eat with three friends in just a couple of weeks.  That has done so much to keep me from feeling lonely.

I’ll try to do better about keeping up with my blog.  The kids have said some really funny things in the past month.  Hopefully, I can remember what they said!

“Hey, Dude.”

“I’m not a dude.  If I’m a dude, where’s my mustache?”

“Not all dudes have mustaches.”

“Okay, but all dudes have hair.”

“Some dudes don’t have very much hair.”

“Okay, all dudes have hair somewhere.“

We have also really enjoyed his science and history curriculums that we picked out together.  Both of them are so hands-on.  He was so proud of the lapbook that he finished on Thursday for astronomy.  It was an accumulation of everything he learned about the sun, the moon, the earth, Mercury, and Venus– the first half of his book.  It was like a massive nine weeks’ test, but with a creative and kinetic element.  We both loved it!

I was hesitant about continuing with homeschooling this year, but I am so glad that we did.  We would have missed out on a lot if we had decided not to do it.  My only regret is that Elizabeth is not joining us, but I know the one-on-one time will be good for our relationship, especially as he gets into the preteen years.  Hopefully, Elizabeth and I will get the chance to do something similar for a year or two.  I think she would flourish under the one-on-one instruction (without competition from Caleb).

She had a great first week at school, but unfortunately, we received a call last Friday from the assistant principal saying that the school did not have enough second graders, so Elizabeth’s teacher was going to be moved to third grade. This meant that Elizabeth would be moved to a different teacher after the first week of school.

Elizabeth’s first teacher had been a 25 year veteran, who had spent 12 years teaching second grade at that school. I was shocked that they moved her. Elizabeth’s new teacher is a man who has been teaching for 2 years. Big difference!

She had a rough first few days, but she seems to be doing better. She told me the second day that there were a lot of new rules, and she was having trouble keeping up with them all. By yesterday, though, she told me she was able to relax a little and have fun. So, things are looking up!

Caleb is having a great start to his year. He is tackling a lot of difficult subjects this year–particularly Latin, which he wanted to take–and I am pushing him in math and language arts. He’s not happy with me this week, because I am making him read Alice in Wonderland, and he is struggling through it. Once he finishes this book, I think his attitude will improve!

Caleb is also taking some new classes in Germantown this year. Their homeschool group has weekly classes, so he is taking Creative Writing, geography, and karate. I’m involved in a Bible study during his classes. He loves the classes, and I love the weekly interaction with other adults.

I feel bad that Ellie’s school year is not going as well as Caleb’s. I could be made to feel guilty about it, I guess, but I also think it was her decision to go back to public school. She is adjusting, and I think she will be fine by Labor Day.

Caleb is usually a pretty independent kid, so we were not too worried about him, but I guess he has become a little more dependent on us this year because of being home with me most of the time.

Caleb also is a bit of a “loner,” which means it can be difficult to fit in with the group when he is in a large group. He does well one-one-one with friends, but large groups are intimidating for him. This “loner” mentality meant he broke away from the pack to participate in a class that he liked during free time (the tech track, which taught him how to run sound and lights– his dad was so proud). He also spent a lot of time reading while the other boys in his cabin were busy planning pranks on the girls.

I should point out here that unbeknownst to me, this church group has a penchant for pulling pranks on each other (and the rest of the campers). If I had known that beforehand, there is no way I would have let him go to this camp with that group. My own youth group in high school was notorious for prank-pulling and general obnoxiousness at Siloam Springs before my dad laid down the law as their pastor, so I know a thing or two about being the uncomfortable odd-man-out in the middle of a fun-loving group.

Caleb spilled his guts about what all happened to him at camp before we pulled into the drive-way when we went to pick him up from the church on Thursday. His cabin mates filled his shoes with toothpaste (see above– he didn’t clean them out or wear them all week), spread mashed potatoes in his hair while he was sleeping, stole $20 from his bag, and called him “gay” when he wanted to take his tech class. One of the boys gave him a daily spanking for reading during free time.

I was appalled! Knowing, however, that 9 and 10-year-old boys will be boys, I was more appalled at the response of the male counselors in Caleb’s group. They told him “Prank pulling is just part of camp” and “Get over it.” That’s it. No tips on how to handle the other boys, no reprimand for the other boys, nothing.

Lannie and I cleaned out Caleb’s tennis shoes (between the two of us, it took about 2 hours and 2 washer/dryer cycles), and discussed whether or not to complain. We decided it wouldn’t really matter. This group has a deep-set mentality about pranks, and they’re not likely to change their minds by listening to us. Even though I think responsible adults should be protective of kids who don’t like to participate in this kind of thing, I can safely say that these aren’t responsible adults. We just decided to visit some other churches (we haven’t joined this one yet), and move on.

Lannie did mention that he thought my “mother hen” response was a little typical of a helicopter parent– you know, the kind that hovers over her children in case something bad happens. What do you think? Did I over-react? Would you have reacted the same way? What should I have done differently, and how can I give Caleb appropriate defense mechanisms so this doesn’t happen again?

Elizabeth, on the other hand, cried at least two or three times a week about how much she hated homeschooling. If she had decided to enjoy it, I think we could have had a good time, but she was determined to hate it for the entire semester. Her main beef (besides having me for a teacher) was that it was so hard for her to make new friends here when she didn’t go to school with them. She was also closed and withdrawn whenever we went on an outing with other homeschooling kids, so I think she was determined not to make any friends there.

She and I visited the public school she will attend, and we both felt good about it. The school is K-5, which will be different for her (she is used to PreK-1 only), but the principals were nice, and we liked the facilities. She will also attend school with other kids in our neighborhood, which I think will help her sense of “belonging.” She has continuted to call Perritt (in Arkadelphia) “her school,” which hasn’t really helped the transition process for her.

Caleb is thrilled that he will be homeschooling again, and the fact that it will be WITHOUT his sister is just gravy. He loves all of the zoo classes and Pink Palace Science Museum classes that we do throughout the year, and he’s already made a few good friends who homeschool in our area. He wants to sign up for a bowling league and a swim team with other homeschoolers as well.

I’ve taken some flack from both sides of the aisle for straddling the fence on this issue. Some other homeschooling moms (and my parents) think I’m not committed enough to homeschooling. Others, including a public school teacher in my Sunday school class, think I’m doing them a disservice by homeschooling at all. I think the decision that we’ve made will probably irritate people on both sides of this issue, but after much prayer I’ve decided it doesn’t matter as long as my kids are happy.

Elizabeth: I have to write a sentence about what my mom does. What does mom do? Is she a teacher?
Caleb: No, she’s a homewrecker.
Me: Do you mean homemaker?
Caleb: Yeah. Or you could say housemaid.

Close enough.