Liam's journey to independence...YIKES!

Why did I choose to Homeschool? I get this question all the time, as if I could answer it in one easy sentence. I never know what to say. Sometimes I'll feel the need to clarify that I have nothing against the public school system. Olentangy schools are great...right? Other times I will simply say "It was a hard decision that we didn't come to easily." That's the truth. One thing I know for sure, is that I can NOT answer this question in a two minute chat standing in the grocery aisle. You better have a pot of coffee brewing and sit back and relax.


One of my concerns with our decision is making sure other moms know that I don't feel superior for homeschooling. Most days I feel like I am nuts for doing this. All I know is that this feels right for me. I would get a pit in my stomach every morning as I watched Liam ride away on the bus. On the first day of 2nd grade he left and I didn't even know what his teacher looked liked! I was sending him to strangers and that didn't feel good to me.


I could be damaging my children beyond repair, I don't know. But this is our journey, you all must make yours.


With that said, I am updating this blog to document a new beginning. This week, Liam will start online school at Connections Academy.


I am really struggling with this because he is essentially enrolled in a public school. Isn't this what I was trying to avoid? I thought I wanted the freedom to study at our own pace, be it fast or slow, and dive into topics that interest us. I don't want to be tied down to a curriculum that mandates what we are studying. I don't like standardized tests. I don't like having my hands tied!!! So why am I doing this?

Over Christmas break I got a call from a different online school letting us know that they still had room for enrollment. I don't remember giving this school my phone number! How did they know to call me? How did they know I was considering this option? Hmmmm......I took it as a sign. We'll give this a try.

I think I will be able to balance our desire to "go with the flow" and still meet the requirements of the school. I watch other families that use online schools and they seem to be relaxed and not on a specific schedule. This will be good for Liam as well. It comes as no surprise that he sometimes "resists" my instruction and help. What does Mom know anyway? Right? Just don't say that to Gramps, Liam, or he will regret those 5 years of Engineering school he paid for!!

So we will give this a try for the remainder of the school year and then reevaluate again for the Fall. I may want to throw in the towel after a few weeks but I am committed to this for Liam. He seems excited and eager to get started, although I still think he is mostly excited about the computer he's getting. Hey..whatever works.

Quinn - Why I love thee!!

Last but certainly not least...Quinn. The best "oops" that has ever happened in my life.


Quinn happens to be my early riser. I think he gets that from his Nana! At times, his early mornings can be quite annoying. It's hard to muster up a cheery attitude on only a few hours of sleep. (I happen to be a night owl.) But yesterday, as I was sitting on the couch with him, listening to him ramble on about scorpions, snakes and surviving in the desert, I realized I should look forwad to these mornings with him. I get an extra-special glimpse into his little mind when it's just the two of us snuggled on the couch at 7 am.



Quinn is very expressive with his eyes. It's adorable. Not sure where he picked it up. He now knows when he's doing it and sometimes exaggerates them even more. I love this picture in the tree. It shows a bit of those beautiful, expressive eyes.

When Quinn is happy......oh, the things that boy can do. He can light up a room. When Quinn is grumpy.....look out. He can bring the house down!

He's managing to stay "babyish" longer than the other boys and I'm not sure who to blame. It could be just his personality. It could be that he is truly my baby and I'm not ready to let it go. I'm just not sure. But one for thing for certain, I am not stressing over it. That's the upside of being the youngest. Your parents have relaxed a ton since that first child!

So what do I love about Quinn? I love how Quinn says "dorn" instead of door. I love how Quinn can't pronounce his "L's" and says 'Niam' instead of Liam. I love how he'll just pop up with some random trivia and amaze us all with his knowledge. I love that he can play by himself and pretend his toys are all sorts of things. I love how he draws these miniscule pictures and them cuts them out for presents. I love how he names all his toys. His baby duck will be "baby duck." His kitten will be "kitty," and so on and so on. I've learned to not mess with his naming system. I love his Lego creations. I love his hugs. I don't love that he hates kisses. I have to smother him with them after he's gone to sleep. I love that he likes to watch things like "Survivorman." I love the creative way he will describe things with his limited vocabulary. I love the little wart on his toe. I love the smell of his hair. I love seeing him with his baby cousin Sammy. Quinn just loves that little guy. I love Quinn's smile and his big brown eyes. I love love love this incredible boy.

Simon - Why I love thee!

Now on to my 2nd born. What can I say about Simon? He simply lights up a room whenever he enters. If you know Simon, you know what I mean. This little guy beats to his own drum. He sings to his own song. He dances his own little dance. He's this tiny little bundle of energy that you just want to grab on to and hold forever. But he's too squirmy for that. No time for cuddlling, this boy is on the move.



He's got these great little freckles on his eyelids that I want to kiss everytime I see them. Most people comment on his cute freckles when they first meet him, but he's starting to get
embarrased about them. I wish he could love them like the rest of us do.


And you can't talk about Simon without discussing his unique style of dressing. We call him the "monochromatic kid" because he likes all his clothes to be in the same color family. It doesn't matter if the pants are dark green and the shirt is neon green....they match in his mind. The other day he wore green camo pants and a green Hawaiin shirt. He always asks if he looks nice and I always say 'yes.' Well....I say 'yes' most of the time.

I love that Simon's heels never touch the ground. I love the strong little calf muscles he has because those heels never touch the ground! I love how he likes the finer things in life; a fuzzy blanket, a nice shirt, fine China. I love that he can play well with kids younger and kids older. He seems to fit in everywhere he goes. I love how skinny he looks in his PJ's. I love how concerned he can be for others. I love his spirit, his energy, his excitement for life. I love how he normally just goes with the flow. I love to hear him sing songs. I love watching him play sports.

I love how Simon will eat ANYTHING!! He loves pickles, sushi, eggs, celery, peppers, edamame, hot Buffalo wings....and he would probably love if I put all those things together. I love how he dives off the high dive at the Powell Pool. He starts at the back of the board and just starts running. He looks the Road Runner when he's finally air born with his feet still running.

Plain and simple, this kid is great. I love him more than this blog could ever express.

Liam--Why I love thee!

It is not big news that our children drive us nuts most of the time, and that some children do it more than others. So as we wrap up the holiday season, I feel it is important to reflect on what I love about them, what makes them unique, what brings out the best in them....because it isn't always me!! I need to sift through all the daily trials and tense moments of this household and find those precious things I adore about my children. So here it goes, I'll start with my eldest.



If you know my family at all, you know that Liam is my biggest challenge so far. He has humbled me as a parent so many times. When I first had children, I thought you could discipline anything out of a child. I read that "Dare to Discipline" book when Liam was just a toddler and assumed I had it all figured out. WRONG!!! Children will be who they will be. His personality has nothing to do with my discipline or lack of it. As challenging as Liam's stubborness can be, I love him for it. Someday that will help him stick to his guns during a job interview, or a debate with a professor or, scary as it sounds, a marriage proposal. (I hope my husband reads this!!!) Liam is Slagle through and through when it comes to his stubborness. I need to keep reminding myself that this is a good thing!

I love Liam for his goofy behaviour, although inappropriate at times. I love that he loves babies. I love watching him with his cousin Sammy. I love that he loves pets. I love his crazy cartoons that he draws. I love ALL his poetry, although inappropriate at times! I love that he still finds time to thank adults for things. I love that one little mole on his cheek. I love it when he genuinely gets the giggles. I love his sarcasm, also inappropriate at times. I love that he still likes to cuddle with me at night. I love that he wants to sit with me during movies. I love his curious nature. I love how he dives into new topics that interest him even if it drives me crazy at times. I love that people think he looks like his dad. I love how he enjoys calling family members to check in on them. I love that he likes to cook. I love how he uses big vocabulary words he reads in books. I love that he can make fun of himself.

And I love his goofy faces!! The list could go on and on. I simply love this boy.

100 Books in a Month...Not a problem

So we did it!! Just under the wire too. Our goal was to have it accomplished by Christmas. We read our last 5 books on the drive from Columbus to Toledo, Christmas Eve. Phew!

I thought about typing up the list of books so y'all could see what we tackled, but that just seems like too much work for this lazy holiday season. I will, however, go on record to say that they are all different books. We did not repeat any and mark them down twice, thrice, etc. Out of all this, I found some new series that keep me entertained as well as the kids. The Epposomundas books are fun. Simon loved my southern accent as I described the "great, big, hairy, Louisanana snappin' turtle." I also really liked the Dear Mrs. Larue books by Mark Teague but the boys didn't care for them. They were filled with wonderful sarcasm and witty humor that will keep the adult reader chuckling.


With every accomplishment there should be a reward, right? The kids are very anxious for their reward...a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. But if we want Mom's sanity to remain intact, we need to wait till all the "schoolies" go back to school so that we can have Chuck E. Cheese all to ourselves.

Look out Martha, here comes Jen!!

Martha Stewart has nothing on me! Adorable Quinn and I made some adorable play dough and put it in these adorable little buckets and passed them out to all the adorable little children in the neighborhood.


Isn't this just ADORABLE??!!!

History in the Kitchen...sort of.

We have moved past the Revolutionary War (how much of that can you really cram down a 10 year old's brain) and taken a giant leap to Lewis and Clark. I was hoping this would be more interesting to a boy. There's adventure, fighting, white water rafting, Indian encounters, etc. etc. etc.
We started out with a very cool video from National Geographic that was a reenactment of Lewis and Clark's journey. Not sure what Liam thought of it, but I loved it! As a mom I kept picturing myself traveling the country side with an infant, just like Sacajawea. Really, women today couldn't do it. We would have a gigantic diaper bag filled with butt cream, diapers, assorted plastic toys and teething rings. And we would be concerned about where we could plug in the butt wipe warmer. Sacajawea travelled though rain, snow, ice, treacherous mountain climbs, dangerous river crossings....all with a baby!!! She is my new hero.

Liam also read a book titled The Captain's Dog by Roland Smith. This was a book written through the eyes of Lewis' dog, Seaman (snicker snicker). I think he secretly liked the book but would never admit it. Instead he debated that he shouldn't be forced to read books he wasn't interested in. This is when I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. This boy has a very rude awakening when he gets into high school. I had flashbacks of The Grapes of Wrath in 11th grade. What torture!

On to the fun stuff. Liam and I read a list of possible items Lewis and Clark would have taken on their journey. They didn't pack much food but instead focused on taking things to document their progress. They took plenty of paper, journals, maps, etc. They did, however, try and pack some dried fruits. They knew it would be very helpful since fresh fruit would be hard to find.
I'm not sure what brand of dehydrator they used. I bet they had one of those big Excalibur types with 9 trays. They were so lucky. All I have is my small, 4 tray dehydrator. We are really roughing it around here.


Here's the glop we made by simply cooking down some apples (actually a LOT of apples) and then running them through my handy dandy fruit strainer on my stand mixer. That device is the bomb!

I must say that I don't think I will EVER do this again. Not only did we use a lot of apples, but it had to dry for quite some time. AND...This is all I managed to wrap up for future consumption before the kids gobbled it all up. I am now convinced we would have starved if we were on that Corps of Discovery team. And I would still be looking for a massage therapist after carrying that darn baby over a mountain.