Birthdays, Vacations & My Life’s Work

It’s Her Birthday!

Its a fun week around here because fall break is approaching and we are actually taking a fall break.  Since we homeschool, I don’t have to succumb to the year round schooling that is slowly taking hold of the children around here.

Public schools (and some private) are moving toward year-round education in subtle ways.  More breaks are appearing and summer is disappearing.  It’s a wierd time of 2 week fall breaks and 5 week summers.

I know that summer can be a pain for working parents.  It creates a long gap and no child care.  I totally get that.  I also know that most of America no longer needs their kids home to sow, plant, harvest and work during the summer.   Additionally, children tend to forget how to spell their names when they get a 3 month vacation from multiplication.  I agree with them all.

But, I still want my summer.  Sorry.

I, for one, am not about to do away with summer.  Summer is life.  Summer is joy.  Summer is pools, sun and gardens.  I don’t know about you, but I live for summer.  No one is going to take away my summer (or my kid’s summer) as long as I am a mommy.

So, in the beautiful world of homeschooling we are free to work our butts off while all the year-rounders take breaks all year.  Then us homeschoolers can sit on our butts from May until August.  Allelujah.

Except this year.

This year we will be working one more week into May because we are going to sit on our butts next week.

So, big fun week – vacation coming & we have a Birthday.  

It is my youngest daughter’s birthday today!

She is our rabbit mommy.  She cooks some awesome spaghetti.  She can finish an entire day’s schoolwork in 1 hour.

Annnnnnd I think she’s adorable.

She is 12 years old today.  Which is insane.  I swear I wish I could stop my kids from growing up.

I do love to see them grow into the beautiful people they are becoming.

I often tell people that my children are my life’s work.  It’s true.  I gave up my career.  I gave up my dreams.  I gave up me so I could be their mom.

I wipe away tears.  I clean runny noses.  I cook.  I clean. I do laundry.  I homeschool.  I watch Disney movies.  I snuggle, learn and laugh with these 4 people every day.   I don’t think I could have done anything more important for the past 16 years.

Happy Birthday AK!

Mommy loves you!

XO