Homeschooling Our Three Hilarious Kids

 * Quick note about yesterday's post: *

Turned out after a quick trip to the clinic that Wyatt has a double ear infection. That explains his crabbiness as well as his sleeplessness.  We have started an amoxicillan regimen, and I'm hoping he'll be back to my night-sleeping, smile-wearing baby boy again soon!

Now onto the meat of this post:

homeschooling, hilarity & the insanity of having three sons.

School

The twins can read. They know 33 words at present, and are reading mini "stories". (ie Sam is mad. This cat is sick.)  They are delighted with this new ability and tell anyone they can all about it.  They talk all the time about how we are going to take the HUGE reading book home for summer so they can read to Nanny & Aunt Julie & Cousin Ferris. They are so excited!

Watching them learn to read, sounding out each word, painfully slow & focused as can be, is so inspiring.  Ssss Aaaa d.  Saaaad. Saaad. Sad! It says sad!  It's so wonderful and rewarding.

While the twins have been working on reading, Wyatt has memorized the days of the week and the months of the year.  Next I'd like to start counting by 2's & 5's with the three of them.

All three boys love read aloud.  During school we stick to non-fiction.  I love hearing them spout off information and facts that we've learned recently when they're playing or talking to their friends.

Funnies

Last night when I was tucking the kids in bed, I was snuggling with Logan. This is the time of day when he has a million things to talk about. He was playing with my wedding ring and I told him that Josh and I had been married for ten years, and he said, "Ten years!?! That's a long time!" And I told him that his cousin Isaac was just a tiny baby, smaller than Wyatt, at our wedding. He asked if Isaac was cute, as cute as Milo, and I told him yes. That Isaac was soo cute.  He thought about that for a second and said, "Everybody's cute right when they hatch."

A few weeks ago at bedtime the twins and I had this fun conversation:

Logan: Do you have to get married when you get big?

Me: No. If you want to get married, you can, or if you want to stay single, not married, you can.

Logan: Well, why do you have to die at the same time?

Me: What do you mean?

Logan: If you're married you die together. How come?

Me: Sometimes you die together, but mostly people die alone.

Logan: I think I won't get married.  If there's a girl-

Jack interrupted: Just walk away, Logan.  She'll keep asking, "You wanna fall in love? You wanna fall in love? You wanna fall in love? You wanna fall in love? You wanna fall in love?" That many times.

We've been reading lots of Halloween books and there is one book where they go over what each Halloween character says for goodnight (ie witches, werewolves, ghosts) and when we got to the page with the Egyptians in their sarcophagus beds Wyatt asked, "Is that the Mommy?" But then he got a funny look and studied my face until I said, "No, it's not the mommy, it a mummy."

Wednesday night during prayer Wyatt was thankful for:

1. Veggie Tales

2. A delicious breakfast (Josh does breakfast... but I'm pretty sure all they had was Froot Loops)

3. For Daddy not have school today. (We call Josh's teaching job "work" and his college class "school", and Tuesdays Josh is gone until after bedtime for "school" which just breaks Wyatt's daddy-loving heart.  It was so tender that he was grateful Josh was home that night.)

The other day when I was changing Wyatt's diaper he told me,
"When I get little I will wear underwear."

Something that's not funny is Wyatt's new nightmare phase. It started in September. I would occasionally hear him cry out at night, and sometimes he would cry for me and I would go comfort him.  Recently the dreams have become more specific, and he's able to talk to me about them.  The other night he kept telling me there were bats everywhere.  And he has become obsessed with monsters.  He'll say to me, "Not monsters in here. Monsters not real." And I tell him that's right.

I feel terrible that he is scared, and I know his exposure is coming from the books we read, but all of our books are kid-friendly Halloween books with nothing actually scary in them. After the monsters became a thing, I started telling him that monsters are just silly & spooky, but not at all scary. He loves the word spooky, so it has taken away some of the fear.  We've gone about four nights without a nightmare.  So he's getting there.

I Have 3 Kids

I have found (aside from sleeplessness) that I am struggling a bit lately with parenting three little boys.  

One on one, I am great. Two on one, I am great... but when I have all three of them needing a something from me at the same time, I struggle.  Likewise, if two of them are trying to play cooperatively, I can cope.  The fights are minimal & the sharing is feasible.  But you put the three of them together in a room with one set of toys, and World War Three will start.

Along with my {attempt at} peaceful parenting, I have spent a lot of time looking at the parts of my day when I am most likely to lose it. And yesterday I had an epiphany. Every time I have broken my vow to not yell, it's been when the three of them are engaged in an activity together.  All common sense leaves the building, the noise level sky rockets,  and I lose my grip on sanity.

I am so happy to have figured this out. I am using the knowledge to my advantage-- having the twins take turns pairing off with Wyatt, while the other older brother helps me in the kitchen or laundry room.  Or, when I want all three of them to do something together, I just make sure I am not distracted doing dishes or something so that I am available to break up fights & assist in problem solving.

It feels so good to have this figured out.

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So there you have it. 

The highs (school! laughter!) 

and the lows (nightmares! brothers fighting!) 

of parenting & homeschooling three boys.

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