Sometimes You Just Need a Little Homeschool

 A couple of weeks ago, I woke up at 2:00am to the sound I dread hearing.  Puking.  It was sweet Luke.  And it was rough.  After Joe and I cleaned everything up, we got him back to bed and I got on the school's website letting them know that Luke would not be coming to school that day.  Later that morning, I got the other kids off to school, and when I came back, Luke was up and eating and chatty and feeling great.  No clue what got into our guy, but he was now energized and ready to do something big...

Like dust off my sewing machine and make something incredible.  He had been wanting me to teach him how to sew for a long time.  My sewing skills include 7th grade sewing class and that's about it.  Our final grade was determined by how the article of clothing we made, fit us.  As I headed into the dressing room to put on the flowered skirt I had spent months making, I stopped dead in my tracks when I realized in horror, that I never measured the waist.  Yep, that about sums up my sewing life.  Tutu (my Dad's mom) was a professional seamstress; my mom, on the other hand, got a "D" in Home Ec, so I figured I was somewhere closer to my mom's end of the scale!   As I slipped the skirt on, I prayed as hard as I could, and sucked in so much, that my ribs were popping out.  Somehow I managed to fasten the clasp before passing out, and I passed the class ;)

I do have to say, that a few of the skills, as rudimentary as they were, stuck with me.  And so, I began to dust off my machine and I taught both of us how to thread a machine and instructed Luke on how to create his first project.  A little pillow for his stuffed animals.  

He was on cloud 9 and couldn't wait to bring it to class to show his teacher what he did on his "day off."

Well, guess who got word of our little "scheme?"  Suddenly Jake didn't feel so good the following day ;) And you know what?  If not going to school means we get a little needed together time, then I'm all for it.  The homeschool mom is cemented in me.  I can't shake her and have no desire to.  He made a stellar Star Wars pillow that his teacher loved so much, she said she pay him to make a few more.  Before I knew it, Jake had a plan to start a business making all different sizes and colors of pillows.  Then he decided it'd be cool to make little monsters to give to kids in the hospital...I thought it was a brilliant plan.  And I think I'm going to hold him to it.  Maybe I'll need to just leave my machine out so he can actually remember it!   

When Luke got home, the boys decided they wanted to make a volcano together.

The paper mache felt a little gross, but in the end, they came out with a nice looking volcano, and even learned a thing or two! 

I absolutely love days like these.  Too involved in being creative to turn on a screen.  We have plenty of days when I'm asked incessantly if a device can be used...to the point of insanity...thankfully these past couple were not such days.  And they made my heart happy.  Love my boys.  Love my kids.  I really wish I could have a happy medium of homeschooling and school.  Maybe my answer is right in front of me..."Sick Days."  Hahahaha ;)