School Choices

After summer comes school. All summer the district was pretty up and down as far as what they were going to do. Towards the end of July they announced they would do a hybrid and also offer a fully online program. Gaupo and I both felt fully online and pulling the kids out for home school were not the right options for us. I was excited for hybrid because I thought my kids would really enjoy the small classes and still be able to be home plenty. However, like a week before school started the school district announced the school year would begin with everyone online. I was super disappointed (that is actually kind of mild) and threw around ideas of sending the kids to a charter school, so they could actually go to school, but ultimately decided to just roll with it. 

August 18th was the first day of school. It was rough. Kade cried till his nose bled, Tia went to timeout a TON, and I got frustrated with Kylee and yelled and she cried. Then next day was a little better Kade still cried a lot, but his nose didn't bleed. Tia went to timeout less. I cried. I wasn't sure I could do it. It was tough balancing the help the big girls needed and what the twins needed. It just felt so overwhelming to have so much needed of me. However, Wednesday night I told Gaupo that Thursday morning before he left for work we ALL needed blessings even Abby and Kade. He gave wonderful blessings to all of us and it totally changed our home. We still have rough days. Some days I feel so emotionally exhausted that I can't do much after I get the kids to be because it just seems too hard. Some days are so great I think to myself, "Why don't we do this all year?" We have a rhythm and we get it most times, but that doesn't mean its easy, but I promise Heavenly Father is watching out for this family, these kids, this mama. I have loved the extended playtime, and flexibility. I have also enjoyed seeing what my children work on and see where they struggle and where their strengths are. It has been a fun adventure.

However, this is our last week. The school district announce on Monday that we will begin Hybrid on October 5. It will be 2 days a week unless you child has an IEP then they have the option to go 4 days and no kids go to school on Fridays. When we first heard this we were like perfect! We will just send our kids the two-days and then do what we always do. However, Tia has an IEP. However, her and Kylee love playing, so I was just going to send her 2 days, so when the school asked that's what I told them. However, as the day wore on I felt like hum maybe I should have thought more about that. Then I talked to Gaupo and was like nah, 2 days is great. However, that night I was like maybe I should pray about this. So, I said something like "Heavenly Father, we have the option to send Tia 2 days or 4 days, and we decided two days would be best. I already told the school, but if that's not what we are suppose to do then stop me if I am wrong." Well, the next day I got an email back from Tia's special ED teacher telling me, that she would probably just have her services on the days she came to school. I was kind of like "Oh, well that will be okay, she will have more time to play." However, I just could let it rest. That afternoon when Tia was on with her teacher I asked her what she thought. Then I was just still not sure, so I asked my mom. Honestly hoping she would be like "Yeah, Katey I totally think its a great idea to let her be a kid and stay home. Her and Kylee will love that time together." However, that is not how it went. Tia's teacher said her class would be small and so she would have time to help Tia, also Tia could get her services a lot more frequently and focused. My mom and I had a great discussion. We talked about Tia and the help she would get. We talked about her and Kylee and their relationship. We talked about what she might really need. Most importantly my mom said she "Katey, you know how to listen to the Spirit. The fact that you are unsettled about this might mean something. Sometimes answers that aren't what we want to hear are harder to understand. I don't know because I am not you, but you know and I know you will do what is right for Tia. It has always been hard for you to send Tia to school, but you have always done the right thing and you will do it again, whatever it is." So, with talking to those two. I really wanted to talk to Gaupo right away, but he was at work, so I decided to pray in the loft, so I could hear the twins when they got up. My big girls were downstairs playing. Well as I was praying, Gaupo comes out of our room and asks whats up. First off it totally freaked me out because I didn't think he was home. However, I talked to him some and he felt the 2 days was still plenty but we should ask Tia. He worked for a bit more and then we went on a family bike ride. While we were riding I asked Kylee, how she would feel if Tia went to school four days. At first she was like, well then I can't play with her as much, but then I explained timing like how Tia doesn't really get done with school until about 3ish anyway, so it would only be about 30 to 40 minutes she is missing her. Then Kylee also realized 2 days a week in the afternoon it would just be her and me. So, she was like yeah, I can support her in that. Then Gaupo asked Tia when we got home. At first she was like no just two, but then we said well you still have to do school and Mrs. Higgin's probably wont be available as much because she will have a class, plus you will get to go to Mrs. Fosters (her special ED teacher)  everyday. She was like "oh yeah, 4 days is good. Can I watch a show now?" I mentioned she would still have to do reading after school and she was said "Well, I might be to tired." We said, "Well, tired or not you still need to do it." "Okay, I still want 4-days. Can I have a show now?" 

Bottom line is I ended up emailing the school back changing our plan from just 2-days to 4 days for Tia. I actually feel fine about it. I am not looking forward to sending her 4 days, but it just feels like what we should do for her. So, we have one more week of online learning, then begins a new chapter of this school year. I am sure with will have a few bumps, ups, and downs, but more and more I find that is what makes life a big adventure. Its riding the ride. Feeling the lows, so the high is better. Working hard uphill and enjoying the downhill. Then to do it over and over again. I love it. I love my family. I get the best friends in the whole world right in my house. This time is so weird and beautiful all at the same time. I know Heavenly Father is watching out for me. He knows my children and is watching out for them. I am so glad he doesn't give up on me. I can be hard of hearing, but I really want to listen and when we want to do what is right He will bless us. Like one brother in our ward said, "Having the gospel doesn't mean that things wont be bad, rough, or hard. However, it does mean that it will be better. Everything is better with the gospel." I believe that is true. I know my family and life is so much better with the gospel. We aren't perfect, but we are way better off because of it.

Because I need to add photos, but don't have any for this story.

Tia on bottom, Kylee on Top trying to get the horse to go to the ground.

Kylee did her own haird.

The back

Its hard to get action shots, but Kylee is in soccer.

Abby, Tia, Kade, and Kylee.

I Am Way Behind On A Bunch Of Stuff

With the kids home all the time and Gaupo not working one night a week, I am failing at keeping this blog up. I miss it. I miss being about to write about our life and the experiences we are having. I miss being able to share them with my Grandpa to whom I usually print off and mail this to. I feel little guilty that I don't have any great record of what has happened around here, but it is what it is. 

We had a great summer. We went to both Idaho and Arizona. Idaho was fun and I spent my first night away from my big girls in probably like 3 years and I couldn't help but wonder if they were okay and what they were doing. It really surprised me to be that kind of parent. However, more and more I am realizing that things like that don't make me a bad parent, they are just who I am. I can be a good parent and still worry when my kids do big kid things. Still it was kind of silly because they were just spending the night with their cousins in their new camper trailer. They had a great time and told me all about it. Another fun thing we did in Idaho was spend the night at the pond. It was such a fun time. I will definitely be bringing more padding to sleep on next time, but other than that it was so fun to be in the peace and quiet. It was fun to be just us, but know family was just down the dirt road. We put the twins down and played a couple rounds of UNO with the big girls before we sent them to bed and watched part of a downloaded movie just the two of us. Then we woke up the following morning and did some fishing. It was a fun little getaway that I hope we get to do again. 

Kade meeting the cows.

Grandma and Grandpa added a new sandbox and we played in it a lot. (Grandma and Jackson, Abby, Blaine, Kylee, and Tia.)

This boy and his dogs. He loves them! Kade and Rip.

Kylee and Tia just playing and playing.

Abby, Kade, Gaupo, Kylee, and Tia our for a four-wheeler ride.

James, Tia, and Blaine in the pond overflow.

Gaupo trying to fish with both Abby and Kade.

Kylee and Tia.

Gaupo and Kylee with their fish.

There was an afternoon Brady Reunion and we stayed after for a wiener roast. Kitt, Gaupo and Kade, Abby, Oma and Papa.

Arizona was also very fun. My dad drove us down to Arizona. He had driven Kitt and Matthew's moving truck out here and then from here he drove us down to Arizona. I actually drove maybe about 2 of the 14 hours, so I am getting a little better at the drive (wink). We made really good time and the kids did excellent. It was so fun to be with all the family in Arizona. It was too short of a vacation again, but it was still really fun. I love when we all get together and can let the kids play and we can visit. Its always a little crazy to be together, but totally worth it. I love visiting. I love watching the kids play. I loved playing games on Saturday night. Even Gaupo played with us for a game. This year was different too in the fact Gaupo flew down to get us. I know it was a little hard on him, but he is getting better at flying. However, it was really nice to be all together again before getting home. I definately need to take better care of him and focus on him better when we first get together again, but I still loved that he came to get us. Our Arizona vacation consisted of a lot of swimming, playing with cousins, and swimming. It was really fun and totally worth the drive. 

We got to go to Jay's blessing before we left for Arizona. Kylee, Tia, Me, Jay, and Kitt.

Rocket Launching with Papa. Kylee, Tia, Kade, Ross, Levi.

Playdough fun. Levi, Tia, Kylee and Ross.

Abby on the swings at Joe's Park.

Kade at Joe's Park.

Levi and Tia on tractors.

Once we got home, we got ready for school and just enjoyed the last of summer. We went to Kitt's house and went swimming and then she came for a visit to see our new house for the first time. It is so great having them close. To finish off summer, I wanted to do one last fun water thing with the kids, but the pool needs reservations, and the river is to scary for me to do by myself, so I went to the reservoir. We had a great time. The kids got to play in the sand and water. They had a blast and it was the perfect warm sunny day to do.

Playing at the reservoir. Kylee, Kade, Abby, Tia.

Tia

Kade

Abby

To celebrate our week of school we went to Matthew's cabin. It is kind of a lot of work with the kids and to only go for one-day, but it was so nice to go paddle around the lake, take walks along the trails, throw endless amounts of rocks into the water, roast some marshmellows, and play games. It was fun. Gaupo and I are still learning a lot about how to support each other in these away from home adventures, but we are getting better each time. 

Out for a walk. Kade, Matthew and Jay, Kylee, and Gaupo.

Abby insisting on picking up rocks.

Kade in the dirt.

Me, Abby, Kade, and Gaupo going on the lake.

Kylee on the lake.

Matthew, Tia, and Kitt.

Mallow roasting. Kitt, Tia, Gaupo and Kylee.

Now we are in the throws of school. We were supposed to do a hybrid schedule, but that got cancelled until at least October and it is all online. It is a little crazy with all the schedules and school work but we are getting there. The first week was really bad. The first day Kade cried so hard his nose bled, I yelled at Kylee and she cried, and Tia went to time-out like 5 or more times. The next day Kade still cried, but not hard enough to make his nose bleed, Tia only went to time-out a couple of times, and I cried. The next day we made great effort to have priesthood blessings before school and work and it has made all the difference in the world. Life is still not perfect. I am exhaust physically and emotionally by the end of the day. I am so grateful for my children's teachers and that they don't judge when my kids tells them "I need help, but I don't want my mom." Yep, that is a direct quote. We have ups and downs, but I do love having my kids home. I love being part of the their learning. I love that there is NO HOMEWORK!! I love that we still have time to have fun.

Kylee first day.

Tia first day.

Sisters

Picking corn. Kylee, Tia, Abby, Kade, and Gaupo.

We went corn picking and this is us and our haul.

We are getting involved in a few more things. Kylee is doing soccer although she has to play with a mask on and has social distancing during water/breather breaks and is only allowed one spectator at her games. Tia is going to start swimming lessons which I have to be in the water with her because the instructor must stay 6ft away. Times are crazy, but these crazy times are changing me into a better mom, wife, and person. They do bring out some of my really bad points to, but that is part of change. I am so grateful for the gospel and the foresight and revelation of the prophet. I know Heavenly Father is watching over me.

I know this was like a super fast run-down but hopefully I can stop feeling like I am behind and move on with the present. We will see. Life is crazy and sometimes I don't get to write about it all, but I love it. I love the good, get frustrated with the bad, and hope for and try to find all the good that is around me.