Every year since Aidan began four years ago, I worry about what the year will hold. Did they get a good teacher, will they learn enough, did we make the right decision about the school to send them to are just a few worries that run through my mind.

I am constantly reminding myself that God is faithful despite all the circumstances in our lives. I do not have to be the perfect parent, they do not have to have the perfect teacher, etc. God is faithful despite our unfaithfulness.

Even as I pray for God to change my heart and trust in him my worry creeps in. My prayer for this school year is to rest in God and his faithfulness to me and to my children.

Wednesday was full of preparations for the next day. We helped my mom shop and cook for the big dinner. I love being at my parent’s house because for some reason my two oldest children bicker less and play more. They love the backyard and playing in the playroom upstairs. It frees me up to enjoy my family and help my mom out.

My mom’s birthday is on the 19th so we had a family celebration on Wednesday as well. My sister and I made dinner and Mom opened gifts. My brother Daniel came from Jackson and evening was really fun. I must add that Laura made a wonderful angel food cake (with perfect icing). Later that evening the rest of the family arrived.

We had a relaxing day on Thursday. We decided that it did not matter when we ate so we took our time cooking. We decided to grill the Turkey on my dad’s Big Green Egg. It was so moist and yummy. We then went to see my Grandmother at the nursing home, ate dinner, and relaxed the rest of the evening.

My brother Daniel has a game called “Guitar Hero” for the Nintendo Wii. I never played but some of my other family members became obsessed with the game. I will not mention any names but my youngest sibling may need to see someone about her addiction. They played it off and on all Thanksgiving day.

‘Black Friday Laura’ was determined to get up early and hit the stores so she, my mom, and I rolled out of bed at 4:30 and were at the mall by 5:00. I did not buy much but the thrill of the hunt was fun. We then came back to the house and picked everyone up and went to our favorite store, Hudson’s Treasure Hunt. They had a huge toy store stock in and we were able to complete all of our Christmas present shopping for the kids. Yeah!!

Saturday we got up and made hard candy. This has been a family tradition since I can remember. This was the first year that Aidan was able to participate. It was fun to see him get into the process.

We returned home on Sunday packed to the brim. Bobby and Laura rode home with us so we had a cozy ride. I am very glad that we made the decision to spend Thanksgiving with my family. There was a part of me that wanted to stay home but the time with family was something to be very thankful for.

Yesterday at Mother’s Day Out it was Dr. Seuss Day. Each child was encouraged to bring his favorite book and dress as a character from the book. Isabel’s current favorite book is “This is my Dance.” It is a book we received at Kindermusik when Aidan was just a baby. We affectionately refer to it as “the Boom Pa-Pa Book.” After each page you are suppose to repeat a chorus of Boom Pa-Pas.

As we looked through the book she decided that she wanted to be the blue bear. Since I am not as gifted as my mother when it comes to making costumes, I decided that she would wear blue clothes and I would fashion some ears. With my little knowledge of a needle and thread I was able to make some round blue ears that I attached to a headband. Overall I was pleased with the results and Isabel was happy.

Last Friday several of the moms in our neighborhood got together for a Thanksgiving celebration. As you can tell by the pictures we dressed as Pilgrims and Indians. One of the moms told the story of the first Thanksgiving celebration and we enjoyed a feast. It was a great way to get me thinking about the upcoming holiday.

Over the past several years Scott and I have really tried to focus the kids attention (and ours) about why we celebrate Thanksgiving. Too often we treat it as a stepping stone to Christmas but it is a great way to remind our children and ourselves to be thankful for all the blessings that God has given us. We have used the book Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember by Barbara Rainey during dinner devotions to help remind us about why we celebrate this holiday. The book gives a historical account of the Pilgrim’s journey to the new world, highlighting their dependence on God. There is also a CD with instrumental hymns.

Other than that things are going well in the Kennedy household. Aidan is continuing to love school and was Student of the Month this month. I never thought I would be one of the parents that bragged about their child’s achievement but I am very proud of him. Isabel is as busy as ever and is a constant whirl of activity. Ethan turned one a couple of weeks ago and is about to walk. All in all we have a ton to be thankful for.

About nine weeks ago Aidan began Kindergarten at the local elementary school (Chattanooga Valley Elementary). On Friday we will be finishing the first nine weeks and Aidan is doing great. He absolutely loves school. Since his sleep patterns are similar to that of his father’s he was very unsure the first several weeks about getting up so early. We have since adjusted his bedtime and the mornings are much more pleasant. He is very excited about learning to read. About a month ago he made the connection that the more sight words he learns the more words he can read in books. So he has been very motivated to learn his sight words. It also helps that he and another student are leading the class in the number of sight words they know. Who says competition is not a good thing? After all the worry about where to send him to school he is doing great and it is yet another opportunity for me to learn to trust in God and not myself.

Isabel is doing well and is going to Mother’s Day Out two days a week. The first several weeks she cried hysterically every time we dropped her off but she has calmed down and likes going now. The first several weeks of Aidan being in school were an adjustment not only for her but me as well. I never knew one child could talk so much in a day. Those first few weeks I am not sure she even took a breath. She definitely misses having a play mate and about every day at 12:00 she starts asking when Aidan is going to come home.

It is hard to believe that in seventeen days Ethan will be a year old. He is crawling everywhere and has started standing. He takes a few steps holding on to furniture but hopefully we are still several months away from walking. So far he has been our easiest child but I am sure that will change. He actually cut his last two teeth and we did not know until we saw them.

Scott started a new job with CIGNA this summer and is really enjoying it. He turned 36 last week and for several more days I can say he is two years older than me.

I am staying busy with three kids, volunteering at Aidan’s school, activities at the church, and trying to keep our house in some kind of order.

That is a quick update. Hopefully we will be better at posting and I promise pictures soon.

Currently we are considering three options (if you talk to Scott maybe four).

Private

Our first option is a local Christian school. I think it is an excellent school and Aidan would receive a solid education with a Christian world view. Although we think this option is great, we do not know if it is the right decision for our family. We have two additional children that are not that far behind and are unsure about the financial commitment it would take to send all three. If we decide against sending him there now, we will revisit this option as he approaches middle school.

Tutorial

The second option is a tutorial program at a local church. You register as a homeschooling student, but you attend class from 9:00 to 12:00 for four days a weeks. This option is appealing to us for several reasons. First, my preference is for half day kindergarten. I think that a full day is a little long for five year olds. Second, the curriculum is individualized to meet the needs of each student. They set high goals for each child, but they are based on what they are capable of doing. Third, the school focuses on the basics — reading, writing and math. I think that this foundation is critical. We really like this option, but it would require a lot of driving as well as some true homeschooling (that kind of scares me).

Public

Our third option is the local elementary school. Several weeks ago we toured the school and met with the principal. I have to admit that I felt a lot better after the meeting. The school’s test scores were much higher than I expected. The principal also seemed to take great pride in the school and cared about the students and their education. The downside is that it is still a public school (and that comes with some baggage). Although, it is only elementary school. Plus, if we sent him there we would be very involved.

Homeschooling

If Scott had his way we would also be looking at straight homeschooling. I have to say: this option really scares me! I love teaching, but the thought of teaching someone to read is mortifying. Aidan is pretty bright, but if he can not read then he will not be able to learn much. I also do not know how one homeschools with two little ones under foot.

Decisions

With Scott being gone so much over the past three weeks the discussion has been put on hold, but it will resume next week. Hopefully we will reach a decision soon, because I am ready for the saga to be over!

For anyone that does not know, Scott has been away on business the past two weeks. He left again yesterday for the last week of travel. My hope is that he never travels again. That might be a little unrealistic but I can always dream. I have a great appreciation for single parents and am very thankful for Scott and all the help he gives me through out the week. The kids and I are hanging in there and anxiously awaiting Grandma’s arrival this evening. My mom will be with us the rest of the week and that will be a great help.

The kids are all doing well. Aidan is playing baseball and is almost done with preschool. He is greatly looking forward to being in kindergarten next year. We are still debating as to where he will attend but that is another blog entry entirely. Isabel is a great joy and challenge. Scott and I have decided that the terrible two’s are nothing compared to the threes. She has such a wonderful spirit about her but she is giving me a run for my money. Ethan is growing like a weed. He is six months old and we have been blessed with a very laid back baby.

I guess that is my first entry and who knows, maybe there will be more to come?