I've been posting on leaftoleaf.blogspot.com about our homeschooling experiences more than I've been posting over here, but I still want to update what is going on with family.
Jared has recently started a new job. He is working with the Leavitt Group as an Internet Developer. I know you're all thinking he must have got the job because he is such great friends with the Leavitts, but they actually didn't know anything about it until after he was hired. Jared has been friends with guys in their IT department and would occasionally stop by to talk programming with them. A while ago they asked him to bring in a resume and at the time Jared didn't even want the job. Then they offered to use him on a consultant basis because he knows Java Script really well and not a lot of programmers do. Now he is working 3/4 time so he can get benefits. He is really loving it there. There is a lot less stress and no late night deadlines. He enjoys working with a group on projects and being able to be done with work by 2 pm. He is still working on old projects, but is finding people to take some of that load off.
I have become almost obsessed with homeschooling. It has become one of those good, better, best issues for me. I could spend all my time coming up with fun projects and ways to teach the kids, but I have to be careful not to let it take over completely. I've also learned that teaching Kendi one on one is the most fun and easiest way for her to learn so that simplifies a lot of lesson planning for me.
I know I haven't posted finished pictures of the house. The house doesn't really feel finished to me yet. We haven't ever spent much money on furniture or home decor because I've never lived in a place I wanted to decorate until now. I think I'll get more serious about furnishings during the winter when we're stuck inside more.
Kendi is blossoming right before our eyes. I love seeing the efforts of homeschool pay off. She has become more responsible and thoughtful and caring about things around her instead of just herself. Just today, she could tell I was tired after reading a bunch of books to her so she made lunch for her and Aydri all by herself. I love the way she does things to. She is so creative. Everything is decorated to the hilt. I have no problem letting her take an extra 30 minutes on her writing lessons because she wants to be creative with it. I use math and sometimes reading lessons to have her work on concentration, but I don't limit her to just one way of doing something. You can read more about our teaching style on the homeschool blog.
Aydri is in a funny stage right now. Everything she does and says is hilarious. She especially loves to tell jokes. She has quite the imagination and will play barbies and dollies by herself for hours. I'm surprised by how much homeschool she can do with us. I love having more than on kid to teach and spending quality time with both of them. Aydri loves to watch football. When the guys get loud, instead of crying like Kendi who is sensitive to loudness, she joins in and cheers too. It's cute. She watches all the BYU games with her daddy.
We are all doing very well right now and just wish time would slow down so we could spend more time in this fun stage of life we are in.
