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i think the original reason we started homeschooling was we felt like we could
give the boys a solid start/foundation and send them into the world of public school with that.
we hadn't intended to do the schooling thing at home the whole time.

but as things went along, more reasons came up to continue.

i would watch sweet little noah squirm in the chair with amazement.
he couldn't sit still no matter what. it truly amazed me.
he wasn't being 'bad' - sitting still just wasn't something he could do.

he would listen and pay attention, just at the same time he'd be under the chair,
hanging over the chair, or doin' spins in the chair. he was a born multi-tasker!
i would look at him and think there's no way he could sit still in school.
and the thought of forcing him just didn't work for me.

and the way he had to move all the time fascinated me. it didn't seem like a wrong thing...
it seemed like part of who he was.

so as we went along, different reasons to continue kept us going.

i remember my main goal was to get them to love to read. i felt like that was the key,
and if they had that, they could teach themselves anything.

i was thinking of the reading part. which really kept my hands full.
the part about knowing you can teach yourself anything wasn't even in my head...
i just figured they went together. i grew up with a dad who always handed you a book
to find your answer to your question.

over the years, they have stunned me with how deeply they have the 'you can teach yourself
anything' inside of them. in fact, they are the ones who keep trying to tell me that.
i don't have it anywhere like they do. and i watch now at all they do and think how i had
no idea - absolutely none - what we truly were teaching them.

i thought it was reading and math and writing.

nah....it was that they could learn anything they wanted to. and i can't take too much credit
for that as i didn't even know we were doing it! but i can delight in it!

and last nite was one of those moments i did delight.

noah had watched a ted talk about learning something new or doing something new each month
for 30 days. he was inspired by it, and spread the idea around. i heard him talking to zakk
about it.

the enthusiasm they had for it was the coolest thing.
later that nite, josh came in talking about it. everyone was trying to decide what it was
they were going to do.

in all honesty? i think i would have watched, thought it a cool idea, and prolly forgotten
about it....but with all the enthusiasm here i said 'i'm in!'....i've got two things i can't
decide between, but know i have as many months as i want (well, you know, if i'm healthy and all)......so i'm in!

i wanted to share the talk here so that maybe everyone can be in!

my sons remind me that we have so much potential inside of us!
let's tap into it!