Thursday, September 11, 2008

Well, I did it...

I put my two weeks notice in at work yesterday. While the decision to homeschool was an easy one, actually carrying that letter to my Captain was a little difficult. I know I'm doing the right thing, but there's a lot that I will miss. I'll miss everybody I work with, and all of the victims I've met over the last 5 years. I'll also miss that feeling of accomplishment I feel when I am able to help a woman make her exit from an abusive relationship. There are a lot of things I'm proud of that I was able to accomplish while at TAPD. But I think there are other accomplishments to also be made while at home with my son (and 2 year old toddler!)

The excitement is growing within Trey and he can't wait to get started. We have set high goals for ourselves over the next several months, and we're eager to get started! One thing that we are eager to begin is the transition of our garage into our home school classroom. I have lots of plans and I will post pictures throughout our transition phase. If anyone has any photos of their classrooms, please feel free to share them! Send me a message, and I'll link you to my page so others can see as well! :)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Lazy Day

I love my children! They actually let me sleep in this morning!!! Somehow they always know when Mom needs a little extra snooze time! I lost track of time and stayed up waaaaaay too late last night. I knew I was in trouble because my precious 2 year old usually rises with the sun. So imagine how delighted I was (followed by shear panic), when I looked over to see the clock read 9:15am! The older two (7 &8 years old) had fixed cereal for themselves and their little sister. They even put away their dishes! I was very impressed.

This sense of pride in my sweet, independent children was followed by immense guilt. Who was I to sleep in while my poor children had to fend for themselves??? I immediately began apologizing as if I were late for a major event in their lives. They looked at me as if I had lost my mind, and said quite simply, "Huh?" Evidently, it's not a major crime against humanity for a tired mom of 4 to sleep in occasionally. Go figure!!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Busy as an Angelbug!

Hi everyone! My name is Amy Smith, and I am the Owner/Designer at angelbugbaby.com. I specialize in Custom, Made to Order Gift Baskets, Diaper Cakes, Baby Gifts, Unique Gifts for all occassions! All of my creations are made in a smoke free/pet free environment, and are guaranteed to make you the envy of all other party-goers!! Check out angelbugbaby.com for more information!

My Story....I am the proud mom of 4 beautiful kiddos...Tracy, Trey, Addison, and Lindsay. They range in age from 14 to 2, and they are the light of my world! My husband and I recently made the decision for me to quit my job as the Domestic Violence Case Coordinator at our local police department to homeschool our son, Trey. My last day will be the 26th of September, and while I love my job and it is very rewarding, our decision was a "no-brainer".

Trey was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in Kindergarten. He was medicated until he was referred to a Pediatric Cardiologist this summer for "extra beats in his heart rhythm". From that day on, he has been unmedicated. There's a long story here, but the (public) Math and Engineering School he attends (and earned an A average in last year), does not offer any services to children with disabilities. They will eventually send him back to his home campus for services; and Trey interprets that as a punishment. Afterall, he's just as intelligent as the other children that attend the school...and has proven it. Somehow this school has found a loophole in the federal Section 504 laws and the IDEA act. Since I don't understand it myself, I have not attempted to explain it to my son. Trey actually came up with the idea to home school. He asked me to do it, and considering all of our options carefully, we made the decision to give it a try. When I asked him to consider the negative aspects, like not having that many friends, he said, "Mom, I don't have any friends NOW." That statement sealed the deal, and I was determined to do everything in my power to save my sweet boy's spirit from being broken.

I have an incredible support system in my husband. I know that it's going to be a challenge to switch from 2 incomes to just 1, but he hasn't complained at all so far!!! This is very new for both of us...so I welcome any ideas, budget advice, recipes for large families, etc!!