in the middle of a cloud, i call your name

so another major life change is occurring...we are HOMESCHOOLING again.  yikes!

we didn't send sharkey back to first grade after Christmas break.  (i know a lot of my friends are going to be like, whaaa?!  since i was at the school today.  but sky is still going there, so we will be around quite a bit.)

this is actually something pants and i have been thinking about since october, and there are several reasons why.  the main one being sharkey's nightmare behavior ever since he started the school year.  he's a 'young' age 6, emotionally speaking, leaving us with a constantly overwhelmed child who was surviving, but not thriving.

i know in my heart this is the best thing for him, especially since when he's home with me, he's like a whole different kid.  and honestly, it's not about the academics.  he is already so advanced for his age in that department (mommy brag, sorry!) and so self-motivated in general.

for example...during winter break, he saw the back door was broken and took it upon himself to get tools from the garage and fix it; a few days ago he randomly wanted to grow his own crystals, so we have that ongoing project in our windowsill right now; he loves to write down complex math problems and solve them 'for fun'. (nerd alert!  just kidding.)  he also reads like a champ, and is probably a better speller than his 11yr old brother. 

so yeah...i have absolutely no worries about his little brain being stimulated.  that's just the kind of kid he is, constantly wanting to learn and do cool stuff. 

everyone knows i homeschooled sky years ago, but i got so focused on the projects/work that i kind of forgot why we were homeschooling in the first place.  i also had a VERY rambunctious 2yr old at the time, and a husband who worked l-o-n-g hours.  i basically burned myself out.  so back to school sky went, and honestly, i have regretted it ever since.  (thankfully, sky is currently doing very well in his last year of elementary, and wants to finish at the school). 

i think the real problem was that i was a lot younger and not really confident in myself as being capable to homeschool.  now?  i'm probably overconfident, lol.  i have learned sooo much about parenting/relationships/learning in the last few years.  and i also very much DON'T care what anyone else thinks anymore, since this is my kid and i'm the one who knows what's best for him.  my mindset is so different now.  in the words of martha stewart:  it's a good thing.

i mean, who wouldn't want to hang out all day with this little guy?