Akin Academy

It is just nuts that we are about to finish up our first year of homeschooling all four kids! This has been such a hard year trying to figure out our style, our game plan, what works for each kid (week to week, or month to month), what works for me.... It's ever evolving, but I think we're finally seeing the light at the end of this first year tunnel.

Sophia has moved from pre-K to K-4, help me Jesus! Elijah, my Kindergartener, has completed K-4 and moved into K-5, excited about all his books and his new found ability to read. Mason lacks a couple more weeks to finish up the first grade, but is so excited about me buying his second grade books next month. And Timothy...second grade is almost a wrap, so look out third grade!!!

I never would have figured this to be my life, but I wouldn't change a thing! Homeschooling has been the perfect choice for our family, trying as it can sometimes be.

I'm sure there will be a learning curve with every new school year as the kids mature and work gets more difficult, but I'm ready to move into the 17-18 school year with the things we've learned.

Her first attempt to write her whole name all by herself. Love the concentration!

Family

Momma's visit: My mom, Onka, as the kids call her (short for Oklahoma Gram) (that's what you get when your oldest makes the names smack in the middle of his intense speech therapy years!) came for a visit over Mother's Day weekend so she could be here to celebrate Gram, her mom, for her 92nd birthday. It was fun for us to celebrate Mother's Day together as well!
Gram's birthday: Bless her sweetness, at 92 the fact that we made catfish was about all the celebration she could handle! We ate, had a glass of wine, and a piece of cake, then she went back downstairs to her basement so she could light her fireplace and warm back up. She got flowers all weekend long...Iris', Lilly's, Daisy's, hanging baskets for outside her sliding glass door...she said those were the best birthday and Mother's Day gifts she could have received because they were so beautiful. This year with Gram has had its difficult moments...illnesses, falls, wounds....but she is doing better now than she has in a long time, and we are all grateful for each day we have with her.
Toothless: Mason lost his second tooth! I have been so shocked by how brave both of my big boys have been with each pulled tooth.
Bookends: Timothy made this color book for Sophia to help her learn her colors. She loved it, he wanted to read it to her, I got to sit back and watch him be the teacher.... #winning!
Grubbies: This is just the kind of thing that the kids love, that makes me nuts! It was 30 minutes before nap/quiet time and these three headed out to play with only one request... just don't get dirty before nap. That's it....run, play, ride bikes, play ball....just don't get dirty. And this is how they looked 25 minutes later when I called them in. The next 10 minutes they stripped down to skivvies, got the water hose treatment and sat in the sun to dry before the little ones were put to bed for nap, and the oldest, crashed with a book. I couldn't decide whether to scream or laugh, so I just stared in awe that anyone could take one simple request and go so far in the opposite direction in just 25 minutes. My oh my....farm kids.
Woo-Zoo: Seriously, is this not the cutest thing you have EVER seen!?! This is the woo zoo Scott built Sophia for her stuffed animals, aka woo's. It's not the first time I've seen her in it, but it was the first time I almost couldn't find her the morning she slept so much longer than her brothers that I actually began to worry about her!

Mother's Day

I've read Mother's Day posts from other adoptive moms, or moms who struggled through loss of pregnancies or infertility, or even loss of a child. I don't have any better, or really, different words to express what all this day means to me. But, I know I will never forget the bitter ache of this day for eight years prior to 2010, but how, on that day, that year, I had gone from 0-2 in only 9 months, celebrating my first Mother's Day with my 20 month old and 3 month old foster sons, and remembering that it was the best day. Six months later I found out I was pregnant, in 2012 I celebrated this day with my three boys, and since 2014, have celebrated with my four little loves. This day, to me, is really all about God's answer to my prayers being far greater than I ever could have hoped for.

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend is a somber reminder for us of all the friends Scott lost during his time of service. He was deployed to war three times, walked away from a helicopter crash he probably shouldn't have and made it through flights that others weren't so lucky to land. It's a reminder to always be thankful for the life and freedoms we have, but also not to waste what we've been given. This life is a gift. We spent the weekend making cookies, playing baseball, eating ice cream, feeding ducks, visiting with friends and just being together. It was glorious! I hope you spent time remembering what is important, and holding tight to the ones you love.

Baseball

This has been such a fun year for the boys! Especially the big boys who have finally started having a little success at the plate. We are thankful to their coaches who take time to positively invest in each player.