More summer fun

We were able to go to the Omaha zoo again last week. They were having a member appreciation day which included free train rides. Since I never pay for that kind of thing, we totally had to go! Another bonus is that I now have a relative working at the zoo (score!). He was kind enough to give us more free tickets so we could take the kids on the carousel (another thing we never pay for). So, it was a pretty special trip!

I love that we can spend hours there and not see everything. We always look forward to returning. It was also a bonus to have my sis-in-law and her daughter meet us at the zoo! (It was great to hang out with you two!)
Other news is that Evan finished up a great baseball season. Dana was an assistant coach and even filled in as coach on the last game of the season (which ended up being one of their best games, I am told).

I also got to take Evan to his last practice earlier that week. It has been a tradition that on the last day of practice, the parents play a game against the boys. Unfortunately for Evan, Dana wasn't feeling well, so I got to represent the parent portion of our family that evening. I don't know how long it has been since I have swung a baseball bat! It felt so weird! We totally lost to the boys, but I was so excited that I got to first base twice! Never further than that, but I am proud nonetheless! This time of year, summer is coming to a close for many. While many parents are getting excited at the prospect of sending their kids back to school, I am getting excited over the new curriculum and schedule my kids and I will follow as we continue our journey in homeschooling!

I recently had to sit down and really plan everything out in order to fill out the state required paperwork. In so doing, I was able to take time to reflect on each child and what things would be best for them to learn about this next school year. It is an exciting process. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it until two years ago when I sent my kids to public school and didn't have to do it.

It is a lot of work, but then again, seven kids is a lot of work whether you homeschool or not. For now, I try to enjoy this time with them--knowing it will pass quickly!