Getting schooled.

I have to admit, homeschooling sounds like a TON of work. It makes me so glad they're not born entering high school. I just signed up with our local homeschool support group, and I'm starting to get very excited. Seeing Claire get past the 8 week mark makes me feel like homeschooling could be one of those things I could manage again. I'm pretty sure that when we're actually doing this school thing, our "summer" vacation will be whenever the next baby arrives.

At this point I've thought very little about the mechanics of curriculum and the like. We have lots and lots of time. We're mostly just thinking it all over right now. We don't plan on doing a whole lot for another year and a half or so. . Lots and lots and lots of reading aloud, simple math and critical thinking. We'll do that. Just growing and the things they're learning in their everyday life are sufficient at this point. Right now Lucy's obsessed with "ingredients." She asks me constantly, "What ingredients are in...a phone? A car? A muffin? A person?" Kills me. Her mind is just absorbing everything right now. She wows me about 5 times a day at this point.

There are about 20 thousand reasons we want to homeschool, but I realized today that my number one reason for wanting to educate them at home is because I can't bear to part with their minds. Andrew and I (along with a loving God) created these tiny people out of deep love, and seeing their little heads turning things over, learning every day, experimenting, growing, these things drive our family and our marriage. When Lucy has these tiny epiphanies, all I can think is, "Wow. She came from nothing and is growing into such a dynamic, huge person." I just can't imagine missing all of those moments throughout the day. How can I let her give all of those amazing thoughts to a person (people) who has no idea what's made her who she is? These girls are truly a miracle, and their real worth is so valued here, with Andrew and I. Something in me tells me that by being educated by the people who so admire their growth, our girls will grow up really knowing that their minds and souls are something of great, unreplicated worth.

Blows my mind.