Checking In

I feel like it has been forever since I last wrote.  I don't think I've ever taken this long of a "vacation" from blogging.  Just shows how busy life is right now.  First off, I went to Germany the day after Labor day for my  grandmother's 90th birthday.  Just I went.  Not the kids.  That was fabulous.  I had never been away from them for more than a weekend and had never gone completely alone - always had the youngest with me the two times I've gone.  I'd forgotten how peaceful and easy traveling without kids was. I also LOVED being back in Germany and seeing so many of my family and friends again.  I had managed to forget how much I missed being there and I cried on the way home.   I definitely don't want to wait 5 years between visits again. So that trip was wonderful!  Although I really missed the kids.

Then I came back and immediately soccer, gymnastics, preschool (for Bella), and home school (for Benjamin) started.  That, in addition to church responsibilities and everything else in my life, threw me right into the thick of everything and I really hit a wall for a while.  Things felt incredibly overwhelming at first and I did quite a bit of crying that first week back home.  Probably also due to jet lag too, I guess.  In any case, I'm feeling a bit better now.  We're in the groove of life and things are going well.  Bella is loving school as I knew she would.  Home school has its ups and downs, but I know I'm doing the right thing.  Every day we do reading, spelling, writing, math, science, and music (piano).  We also do field trips that incorporate history/geography/art/etc.  It's been a lot of work preparing lessons, but I have really enjoyed teaching him these fun things. We do a lot of games and activities and experiments and I try to keep worksheets and book work to a minimum. Benjamin really enjoys it, but he's very lazy and hates to be pushed out of his comfort zone so it can be quite a battle some days. Every day we have at least one battle of wills in which he tries to get me to give up and let him goof off and forget about school work. I just always have to remember to stay focused, remain very calm and patient, focus on praise over criticism, and set realistic expectations.  Once he settles in and realizes he's not getting out of it and does what I ask, we do very well.  He always ends up saying how much fun we have, but of course, what kid wouldn't rather spend the whole day playing and relaxing?  I just hope these little battles lessen over time.

Other than that, not much else is going on - just lots of kids stuff...oh, and the primary program. I'm primary president, so that's been keeping me occupied too.  But I love fall and the cooler weather and the changing colors.  So beautiful here this time of year.  We've been visiting apple orchards and Greenfield Village, going on bike rides, and my mom came for a few days as well.  It's been so fun enjoying the return of the season.

 Bike ride on Hines Drive with half-way stop at the playground.

Plymouth Orchards w/Bella's preschool.

We brought our lunches and stayed after to enjoy more time outdoors.

Three Cedars Farm with my mom.  The obligatory hay-stack jumping photo.  I've taken one here every year.  I noticed the stacks were much, much shorter this year.  Maybe it was deemed a safety hazard   Still fun to jump on, though.

Hayride around the farm and pumpkin patch.  So fun to have Mimi with us!

We also spent a day at the Henry Ford museum.  Here's Benjamin running a "driving the model T" simulation.  Those cars were complicated to drive!  It was a fun way to learn.

The kids LOVED pretending to drive this huge train.  They were turning cranks and pulling levers all over the place.  I worried they'd rip something right off.

We spent nearly an hour in the simulated airplane.  It is in three parts, with each part representing commercial airplanes of a different era.  We took turns being pilot, stewardess, and passenger.  They later called this part their favorite of the day.  My favorite part was sitting on the Rosa Parks bus and the fact that we were there at 1pm on a Thursday so we practically had the museum to ourselves!  Yay for home school!  :)