Pencils, Pigskins and Puke

We have made it through our first week of home schooling with few bruises. I am hoping week two gets easier and I find a way to be more organized. Nothing like schooling your children at home to show you just how unorganized you really are! Adam is still happy with his choice to stay at home for school and Avery is still pissy about my choice to keep him home. With one week under our belts I wonder if, at any point, Avery will stop grumbling or I will get tired of the grumbles and send him back to Riviera. We'll see which happens first.

I am happy with the way the K12 curriculum is set up and with the flexibility CAVA offers. We have been able to skim over lessons that are more review than anything else and work a bit longer on lessons that the boys just aren't quite "getting". The only complaint I have gotten from Adam is that in "regular" school, once time is up for a subject, you're done. I don't teach that way at home. I explained to him that while getting to walk away from something you don't understand may seem like a blessing at the time, but if you don't get it and you move on what happens the next day? Or on test day? At least by us working a little longer and a little harder on the alien lesson we make sure there is actual comprehension. I'm sure that all made sense to him on some level but he still likes the idea of walking away!

I know most people's impression of home schooling is that the child who is being home schooled lacks the social interaction they need. Avery has not had a weekend without being at his best buddy's house. I do plan on getting him together with a few of his other friends when we get more settled. Adam's good friend lives across the street so he gets to see him regularly. And now, after thinking I was off the hook, I have been convinced that Adam should play football. He played last year and loved it... why, I do not know. But then, I am not an 11 year old boy. When it came time to sign up we went through the motions not knowing what the future held. Life took it's surprising twist shortly after sign-ups. We thought we were going to be moved out of Kelseyville before the season ended. Once we found out that we would indeed be here through the end of the season, I still did not think the boys would play. There are a great deal of variables that we are still dealing with. All of the unknowns are mind-boggling. I get myself all worked up thinking of all the possible scenarios... what if the house sells? what if the house does not sell? what if something changes and we leave sooner? what if something changes and we don't leave at all? what if? what if? what if?

Dustin wanted to go to the first football game of the season in Fort Bragg last Saturday. Avery's best friend Grady is playing for the first time. We decided to head up to the foggy coast and cheer on Grady and our team. The trip became quite an ordeal. Taluelah gets carsick. We know this but it still surprises us so much that we don't plan well at all for it happening. I realized shortly after we left that I had not packed a change of clothes for our girl if she did have an accident of some sort or decided that the winding road made her sick to her stomach. As we whizzed past the changing trees over the almost Autumn sun dappled road poor Adam was stuck on spew patrol with a brown paper bag. He let down his guard as Taluelah appeared to be falling asleep. She took that opportunity to blow some serious chunks. I pulled over, we used a towel and all of the baby wipes that Dustin had packed to clean her up, found a discarded sweatshirt in the back of the Jeep to cover her up, and continued along the road... one curve after another. I heard Taluelah's moan and knew that the remaining contents of her stomach was on it's way up and out. Dustin turned around to help her and in doing so ended up with vomit all over his arm. A trip that was supposed to be about football and the coast ended up being overwhelming and expensive due to the purchase of new clothing for Taluelah and her dad. I did learn my lesson. NEVER will I travel anywhere without a change of clothes for my daughter. Maybe I'll pack a change for Dustin too. The fog was so dense I never did get to see the ocean.

When we finally made it to the game, Adam pointed out that he could have played football after all. I told him I understood but it just didn't work out this year. He proceeded to tell me that football was the last sport he would be able to play with his friends in Kelseyville. I really didn't have words at that moment... but I did understand. The move is going to be a huge transition for my boys. This is the only community they remember really being a part of. Adam was okay not going to middle school but he misses and will miss not being a part of a team with the friends he has made over the course of 4 years. Middle school was the unknown. Football he knows. I took a deep breath... said goodbye to my tuesday through thursdays, goodbye to saturday nights, hello to late night dinners and cold cold bleachers and put the word out that Adam wanted to play.

Part of living in such a small town is that you get to know people and they get to know you. There are many great people here we are going to miss. Adam is going to have 3 wonderful football coaches, coaches that want him to play and are helping to make it happen. Even though football is not my sport of choice, I am glad that Adam has the support of friends and coaches that do choose it. I am glad too that Adam is getting to play a sport with his friends here one last time. Adam started his conditioning tonight, took pictures with the team, and found out he gets to keep his number.

Avery is not playing. He was supposed to earn it before we ever knew we were moving and he did not. Hopefully this will be a lesson well learned. Avery is a very social creature. He will get the chance to see his friends and will probably end up on the sidelines hanging out with the team during the games again this year. If ever I had any worries about the boys missing out on social interaction, football will take care of them... at least until November.