A Bit of Truck Heaven

A new shopping spot close by hosted a “touch a truck” event, which basically consisted of a parking lot full of huge trucks and construction machinery.  There were some booths too…but if you had kids all you really were paying attention to were the trucks!!!  Spencer wants to be a “construction site man” when he grows up so he was in heaven.  (For local friends, he also loves loves loves  to drive through downtown Hudson and Northborough these days with all the work happening….his parents don’t share his sentiments!!)  So wonderful to see things through the eyes of a 4 year old boy!!! 

Dress-up!

The kids love to dress up.  Love it.  In fact their love of it, and their ever growing collection is inspiring a huge change in the dress-up storage and use system in our little home.  I have big plans! 

Apparently the stuffed animals like to dress up too.  I walked into their room one morning to find this.  So funny. 

An Afternoon Adventure

We went on a spontaneous afternoon adventure.  Leaving homework and reading for later we packed a snack, snatched the baby backpack and off we went.  Just down the road a bit is a trail that has been calling our name as we drive by it to and from Rebecca’s school each day.  It was just the step away we needed.  Away from a schedule, a to do list, a pile of laundry, dinner to make, homework to do, and oh so very much more.  Just my sweet ones and I on our own in the woods.  Oh it fills the soul.  Isn’t it a wonder the way stepping away actually helps you step ahead.  Sweet sweet bliss.

Out and About in Boston: The Boston Children’s Museum

Early in the summer we took a trip into Boston to visit the Boston Children’s Museum as a family.  I’ve done the museums in Boston with just the kids, and we love it.  But it is always so wonderful to be there as a whole family.  It’s lovely to be together, and it’s always an extra bonus to not be the sole person responsible for keeping the kids together, fed, bathroomed, and happily back to a car that can be found!!!  Oh it is certainly great to have Matt around in Boston! 

We’re going to stick with just pictures this time! Next time come with us…we’d love to have you!!!!

I wish you could hear how noisy noisy she was sucking away on this toe.  It was hilarious! 

Grateful

Matt is the science guy.  Not me.  But there is a science to running a family, and a specific micro sort of science to all of the little gears that run a home. 

Grocery shopping is one of those gears. And we Robinsons, have had to develop our own little science to keep food in the house without leaving mom’s sanity (and perhaps a child or two!) at the grocery store.  Lately our science has involved a uber-specific list, and Dad, on his own on the way home from work, channeling his inner Hannah!  It’s worked our great really, as he also unloads and puts away everything he buys.  Heaven! 

Yesterday however, found Spencer, Emma and I in the grocery store for a much overdue shopping trip.  We like to shop at a discount grocery store that has fabulous prices (Market Basket) but is 20 minutes away.  To make it worth it, we do one big shopping trip there a month and supplement with the local more pricey places for the produce, milk, eggs, etc. every week.  So this wasn’t just a little jaunt to the grocery store, it was serious business. 

The kids were actually really good.  Aside from Spencer dinging a car with his door in the parking lot (which we talked to the owner about and he was able to have a great experience with honesty and responsibility…yay for compassionate people!) and a bit of fussing from Emma, which was quickly abated with the gift of a whole carrot to gnaw on.  It was a lot of work, and was pretty insane, I’ll admit it, even with two very well behaved kids.  By the time we checked out we had two full carts…yup, take a minute to picture it. Two carts, two kids, one adult. 

As we pulled our carts through the last aisle the insanity (and humor) of the moment hit me.  I admit, I was on the verge of humiliation.  But then another, and much more profound emotion hit.  It was gratitude.  It struck me that there are countless mothers who cannot stand in the grocery store with two carts full of food.  Perhaps it’s the food itself that is not there, or perhaps it’s the money to purchase it.  We have had much leaner times than we enjoy at this season.  I still stick with a tight grocery budget, but one that allows for plenty of  delicious food.  Children have so many needs.  And the blessings that allow me to meet their need (their constant need) for food is one that I am truly grateful for. 

It was a welcome and beautiful thought amidst the chaos that is grocery shopping with two children in Market Basket. 

Life is a Circus

For the past couple of evenings it seems like my children’s sweet little selves have flown off and the circus has taken residence in their brains.  As a ring leader I found myself greatly lacking and poor Matt came home to a circus tent that was barely standing each evening. Today, finally, my children were back, in their whole sweet selves, and our home was as we love it.  They’re still children of course, but they were my children again! 

In honor of the circus that visited our home lately here’s a few pictures of a trip our family took to the circus earlier this summer.  It was met with mixed reviews.  I personally could barely handle the risk level of some of the stunts…motherhood will do that to you I guess!  The kids were in awe…Emma and Spencer’s faces say it all!!! 

Spencer was so so thrilled to see a zebra up close, and the kids ate up the antics and excitement of it all. 

We’ll take the circus in the tents…but never in our house again please!

A Few of the Why’s

The decision to homeschool a child, or a whole fleet of children, whichever you might have (!), is a big decision.  No one that has ever faced that decision would deny it.  For our family it was one that we faced prayerfully, as we try to face all things in life.  We always knew though, that how long we would homeschool our children was very much undecided.  We decided to take it year by year.  We were, however, very sure that we wanted to extend the pure and home centered childhood that our children could have by starting their schooling at home.  And what fun we had!!!  Seriously, it was a blast in many ways. 

Like I mentioned yesterday, we found ourselves very comfortably walking away from Rebecca’s homeschooling years at this time without much fanfare or warning really!  All of a sudden there we were.  Partly surprised that it was really happening!  But decide we did, and off went Rebecca to a “building school” as my sweet little homeschool kids call it. 

Several of you have asked for specifics about our decision.  For us it was a decision driven by two major factors.  1.  What was best for Rebecca at this time in her schooling and in her life.  And 2.  What was best for our family as a whole at this time in our adventures.  Part of my hesitancy to share specifics about our decision was out of respect for our girl.  I wouldn’t want anything that I say to shine a negative light on our sweet girl.  If you have ever met Rebecca you are aware that she has the personality of a small nation and the energy of a large one!!!  She grasps onto an idea or a new subject, or project and runs and runs with it.  That is part of what made it so fun and fulfilling to school at home with her.  It is also what made it difficult to school at home with her!  Balancing everything and maintaining peace in our home and for myself became too difficult.  Her need for a bigger adventure and the experience of learning from and with a bigger diversity of peers and teachers became clear.  Also clear was our sons need for a different dynamic during school time in order to excel in the way he deserved.  Plus there was one more little bundle of joy that needed my attention, and a husband with a great job with long hours and a long commute. There are many days when my best friend is parenting from his office in Boston via happy thoughts…!    

I am very aware that there are many families bigger than ours, and busier than hours, with multitudes of different challenges that successfully homeschool.  Personally I really can’t understand how it’s done without admitting massive personal deficiencies.  Which I refuse to accept.  Different families are different…that’s all there is.  Homeschooling is hard.  Anyone considering it should know for sure that it is all consuming, and a whole heap of hard work.  It has serious joys and huge triumphs…there is simply nothing like watching firsthand as a child learns and discovers the world by your side. 

For our family, the needs of the other children in our family, and the ultimate peace of our home, coincided with the changed needs for Rebecca’s personality and learning.  And the answer was to stop homeschooling.  There are several days as I am home with my two littles enjoying the dynamic that they create and learning together with my boy that I feel a bit guilty for so enjoying a time that one of my children is gone from home.  Yet each day, as I pick her up from school and see her face and hear of her joys and triumphs of the day I am settled again.  Different phases call for different adventures for all of us, and right now our adventures are just the right fit for all of us.