However, as I began to tell people that I was doing this “race” it quickly became clear that I’d signed up for more than I’d originally bargained for…  This was not a “race” but a full on obstacle course — complete with a “death drop” slide, walls to climb, and enough mud to make pigs happy for ions.  Um.  Yeah.  As a girl who isn’t super athletic and doesn’t love heights, this was starting to not sound like the best idea ever…

I’d already paid the sign-up fee and everyone else was really excited and enthusiastic, so I put on my brave face and did it.  The entire time all I could think about was “Who’s going to take care of my children all summer if I fall and break my leg?!?” but I survived — unscathed.  I even did the “Death Drop” slide — which was incredibly scary for me.  I swear my back wasn’t even touching the slide most of the way down.
Mike loved it.  I think he was annoyed as heck by me as I pretty much have the coordination of someone with two left feet and couldn’t move nearly as quickly as he could through the mud and guck — it didn’t help his cause when he told me (while we were navigating the course) about people being found dead in ponds after similar runs days later…  But he loved it — even with me tagging along as his wimpy sidekick.  As for me, I think this will be a one time thing (unless I magically lose 40 pounds and become athletic) as my children need their mom to have all of her limbs in tow.

As Laura told me the night before the run, “You’ll be glad you did it when it’s over.”  And I am.  It was fun — in a scary sort of way — and when it was over there was definitely a feeling of accomplishment.  I’ve never been that dirty in my life — and skating on mud and ruining my clothes was fun in a crazy sort of way!  It was entertaining and something to cross off my bucket list.

To prove that we are extra crazy – Mike and I hosted a party at our house that evening after the run.  I misjudged how long it would take us to complete the course so we were running in the door (covered in mud) to relieve the sitter when the party was supposed to be starting.  Luckily, Laura and Derek were already here setting up and allowed us both to shower before the rest of the crew arrived.  Granted, I looked like a drowned rat after my shower — but I guess it’s better than a muddy rat.

Our party was a success as well — we invited everyone who was at the run with us as well as many parents from the trio’s school.  We attempted to clean out our liquor supply but didn’t have much success.  I guess we’ll just have to have another party in August…

***** Thanks to Bonnie’s sister for a couple of these photos I stole from her Facebook. *****

We left Hotel Del Coronado and the drove to Legoland.  Along the path into Legoland we were met with letters and characters made out of Legos and then we pulled up to the hotel which was full-on Lego themed.  It was really pretty amazing.

We walked into the hotel to retrieve our tickets for the park.  The hotel is truly unique and perfect for our three — there were Lego brick play areas in the lobby, thousands of minifigures lined up behind the check-in counter, and everything — even the carpeting — was Lego themed.

We headed into Legoland but since it was Memorial Day the place was packed.  We waited in line 40 minutes to ride a safari ride.  Luckily, while we were in line my phone rang and our room in the hotel was ready.  We headed back to the hotel to check-in.  We had snacks in our room and then ventured back out to the aquarium section of the park.

Honestly, the aquarium was a bit of a let down.  It took us maybe 30 minutes to go through the entire place and after having been to Shedd Aquarium numerous times this place couldn’t even begin to compare.  Meh.  I definitely wouldn’t add the cost onto a ticket if I was purchasing one (we went under a package deal with the hotel).  We headed back into Legoland and waited in line for a few more rides, checked out some of the displays, and had an ice cream bar.  It wasn’t long before we decided we were done for the day.  We stopped in the gift shop on the way out — Clara and Anna chose Jelly Bellies and Bo picked a Ninjago Lego set.

We walked back over to the hotel and ate dinner at the Bricks Restaurant inside the hotel.  It’s all kid-friendly fare, but nothing to write home about.  We went back to our room to retire early — each floor of the hotel is a different theme and our room was Kingdom themed – complete with wallpaper, carpeting, and Lego figures throughout the room.  The kids had a bunk bed with a trundle and their own TV.  (Bo was on the top bunk, Anna on the bottom bunk, and Clara on the trundle.  The second night, Anna rolled off the bunk onto the trundle with Clara — and managed to stay asleep through all of it.) We tucked them into bed and let them watch a few Disney Jr. shows before they passed out.  Mike watched a bit of TV while I caught up on work.

We were up early the next day and headed back to Bricks Restaurant for their breakfast buffet (free as part of our package).  It was also meh.  Because we were staying in the hotel we were allowed into the park an hour before it officially opened so we were able to do several rides with no wait time.  The kids loved the Duplo play area and I think they would have been content there for most of the day.

Since we were ahead of the crowds we were able to cover most of the park pretty quickly.  It is definitely a neat place — and perfect for young kids.  I wouldn’t go there with older kids — I think they would be disappointed.  Most of the rides are very mild.  Our biggest frustration was being a family of 5 — it was definitely developed for families of 4 — or for there to be at least one older child.  Some of their rules and restrictions were annoying.  Highlights were the Royal Joust and Treasure Falls — but the kids enjoyed all of it!

We grabbed a quick lunch — including Granny’s Apple Fries — before heading to the water park.  We changed into our swimsuits and the kids played in the water for a few hours.  I wish I would have grabbed my camera and took a few photos there! It was also all Lego themed — with Duplo animals, bright colors, and Lego blocks that could attach to the rafts for the lazy river.  Anna went down the mini-slides at least a hundred times, Clara was content to splash around in the water, and Mike and I took turns taking Bo on the big orange slide.  He went with Mike twice and I went once.  Around 3:30 we decided we’d had enough sun so we changed clothes and headed back through the park — stopping at Duploland to play for a bit before another quick stop at the gift shop (Lego Ninjago books for Bo, bubble guns for the girls) before heading back to the hotel.

We weren’t in the room long when we decided to head out in search of dinner.  We went to In-n-Out Burger.  If you’re on the West Coast, it’s a must do.  While we were there, Mike’s brother, Peter, texted to ask if he and his wife Jenni could stop by to see us for a bit as they were beginning their drive back to San Francisco.  After we ate we headed back and threw the trio in the tub, hoping to have them clean before Uncle Peter and Aunt Jenni arrived.  After the kids played for a bit we tucked them into bed and the four of us chatted the evening away.

We woke up on Wednesday morning and ate some of the snacks that we had in our room before finishing our packing and driving to return our car and head to the airport.  We met the nicest young man (20s I’d guess) at the airport who was so sweet to the kids.  Clara especially loved him — she gave him a hug before he left to board his flight. We ate more snacks before boarding our flight back to Chicago.  We arrived home around bedtime.  After unpacking and starting laundry, we all crashed for the evening.

Overall, it was a very fun vacation.  We are already dreaming about our next trip to the San Diego area — next time we definitely want to go to the zoo, which was on our list for this trip but just didn’t happen.  The weather was gorgeous the entire time we were there — definitely a place that we will be visiting again in the future — and maybe even a retirement locale for Mike and I…  who knows.

After starting our West Coast adventures in Anaheim, we moved on to Coronado for the second leg of our trip.  Hotel Del Coronado is beautiful and full of history.  It’s definitely a locale I plan to visit again.

We had a slow start on Saturday morning once we realized Uncle Peter and Aunt Jenni’s room was next to ours and Grandpa and Grandma’s room was next to theirs — allowing us to open the doors between all the rooms and congregate together.  We had breakfast and coffee in the room before the guys headed off to check on our cabana.  We reserved a cabana by the pool for the family to use to gather throughout the day.  It was great — TVs, snacks, comfy chairs, close to the bathroom, and right by the pool.  The entire clan was there off and on throughout the day and we enjoyed alternating between the pool, cabana and beach.

Around 2:30ish we headed back up to our room to shower and dress as we did photos (ourselves, not with a professional photographer) on the beach — the best one I have of our family is above, but there should be more coming soon — we even have some of all 18 of us together, all dressed in white.  They are bound to be amusing.

We met for photos around 4 and then we signed the kids up for the kid’s club at the hotel.  Hotel Del had an amazing kid’s club with activities throughout the day.  Saturday evening the theme was Superheros and the trio brought back masks and capes they decorated themselves.  They also had dinner there — while the grown-ups walked down the street to Costa Azul for dinner.  Mike and I both had fish tacos!

We picked the kids up from the kid’s club and tucked them into bed before we headed back out with the rest of the family (minus Jim and Sherri who stayed with the trio) for s’mores on the beach.  All of us gathered around the fire pit with the perfect view of the ocean and the picturesque hotel.  It’s the kind of thing dreams are made of…  And I’m not ashamed to say I managed to inhale 4 s’mores as well.  After our s’mores on the beach Mike and I took a short walk on the beach before heading back up to our room full of sleeping children.

Sunday, we went to brunch with Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Peter, and Aunt Jenni at the Sheerwater restaurant at the hotel.  It was delicious — and filling!  So much so that we skipped lunch — the trio and I chose to have ice cream instead of real food.  It isn’t really vacation if you don’t have ice cream for lunch one day, is it?  We spent another day alternating between the pool and the beach.  The trio loved playing with all of the cousins in the pool and Uncle Peter went to the beach to build a sand castle with us in the afternoon.   Anna was done by that point and ended up taking a nap in my arms on the beach.  She so rarely lets me hold her these days, it was really nice to cuddle her while watching the waves.

We showered and dressed for dinner again and then dropped the trio at the kid’s club for their carnival night.  We had a delicious dinner at Brigantine.   I highly recommend the crab and lobster cobb and the shrimp and crab fondue! By this point, everyone was feeling relaxed and happy.  I’m sure the other patrons were very annoyed with our crowd — especially when we gave Uncle Dan a roaring round of applause when he showed up late! After dinner we went to retrieve the trio and they were painted like clowns and had “learned” to juggle.  They had the best time at the kid’s club — they are still talking about it!

We headed to Uncle Tom and Aunt Cindy’s room (fabulous ocean view!) and we all gathered on their large balcony for a game of Malarky.   Should it scare me that I joined a family that prides itself in developing the best liars? The trio started to get restless so we headed back to our room (after scrubbing off clown paint) and tucked ourselves into bed.

The next morning, we started packing as soon as our eyes popped open and then met everyone at Sheerwater for breakfast for one last hurrah! before many of us headed separate ways -  Mike, Bo, Clara, Anna, and I headed off on our own to Carlsbad.  Destination: Legoland!

Next up: Vacay Part III: Legoland – Carlsbad, CA

This month we:

- Jen and I kept our weekly walk and breakfast date (Delaney’s) to catch up on all of our adventures. We won’t be able to do this again until the kids are back in school in the fall. 

- Construction continued on our remodeling project with drywall installation, painting, trim work, and pantry shelves.  It’s looking pretty amazing!

- Laura and I attempted to meet with the kids at the park but ran into several snafus.  We ended up with a very brief playdate in our driveway!

- Laura and Cara distracted me from work several mornings.  We tried to walk one morning but Cara wasn’t a big fan.  We also met at McDonald’s for breakfast and one morning even made it to Kohl’s and Delaney’s.  Luckily, Cara tolerates me pretty well.

- We spent a lot of time cleaning up from the disaster that was our renovation project — and just straightening and trying to keep the crazy from overtaking everything.

- Abby watched the trio while Mike and I went to Skoog’s Steakhouse for Lonii’s going away party.  We also went to the paint store and grocery shopping.  Our dates are exciting like that.

- Jim and Sherri came down to see our new projects and have dinner.  We had hamburgers on the grill.

- My trio went to play at Harrison and Luke’s house.  They had a great time and Mike and I were able to fold laundry in an empty house for two entire hours.  Amazing.

- I finished up the spring semester for one of my online classes — including meeting with some students at the school.  The looks I received when I was actually dressed professionally to drop the kids off at school were pretty amusing!  Apparently Holy Family is used to my uniform of fleece and yoga pants.

- The trio had their last gymnastics class of the year.  I think I’m going to have them take the summer off and start up again in the fall.  Summer will be crazy enough!

- Our family ended up at Laura’s for an impromptu weeknight dinner.  Delicious as always but it ended with Cade running into a tree.

- I went for a walk/run with Bonnie.

- A group of preschool mom’s met up at Lou’s for drinks on a Friday night.  We solved all of the world’s problems.  Before we met up, Laura and I went to Red Lobster for dinner and made a quick trip to Wal-Mart and Kohls.

- Bo marched in the T-ball parade and had his first game of the season.  Jim and Sherri came down to watch and have lunch with us.  Jim and Mike also worked to play “musical lights” as we moved lights around in all of the bedrooms.

- Mike and I took turns mowing our monster grass that is growing at record speeds.

- We went to Brookfield Zoo with the Kilmartin’s for Mother’s Day.  We picked up GenHoe carryout on the way home for dinner.

- Mike and I met at Wendy’s for a quick lunch before going to explore flooring options — again.

- Bo, Clara and Anna went to aftercare on Mondays this month and had fun.  They are going to miss it (and school) a lot this summer.

- Bo had a few other t-ball games and pictures.

- Jen, Matt, Olivia, and Riley came over for dinner and to enjoy our new deck that Matt built.

- Laura came over one evening after bedtime so we could “work”. Check out Laura’s blog – www.mommylovestotravel.com!  It’s still a work in progress but so far, so good!

- Laura and I took the kids to Lehigh park to play — I attempted to give mine a bath in the sprinkler when we arrived home.  Sprinkler + bubbles = bath — right?

- Mike worked overtime — during the week and on Saturdays.

- Mike and Derek went to the driving range on a Saturday afternoon.

- Laura and I made a mad dash to Bloomington on a Saturday evening.  We had dinner at Chili’s and went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond, SAMS, Target, and Gordmans in record time.

- We had the trio Baptized.  Finally.  We celebrated with the Kilmartins all day!

- The trio played in the splash pool.

- I made gifts for the trio to give to their teachers for the end of preschool.  Movie and popcorn themed.

- The trio celebrated the end of the school year with a program.  Bo will be in Kindergarten next year!

- We went on vacation on the West Coast.  Anaheim, Coronado, and Carlsbad!

- We flew home and jumped right back into working on things around the house — still in the midst of our remodel/addition, preparing for our big garage sale in June, and just general upkeep.

- Mike made a mad dash home to watch the kids during a conference call — I had the time wrong.  What a way to jump right back into reality.

- Abby came over and took the trio out for a walk.

- The trio started their summer adventures at Sue’s house.  They are going MWF from 10-4 so I can work.

- We had the Kilmartin’s over for a cookout.  It’s officially summer break!

We’ve been up to a lot this year in January, February, March, and April too!

This trips’ claim to fame included that we were traveling with Mike’s family.  In Anaheim we met up with Mike’s extended family — there were 18 of us total, including several of Mike’s aunts, uncles, cousins, and brother.   We spent Wednesday afternoon at the waterpark at the hotel — it was the perfect size for the trio and several of the family members joined them in the water while others sat on the sidelines and snacked.  We ordered pizza for dinner that night and tucked the kids into bed around 7 (and I worked…) — their usual bedtime, but not adjusted for Pacific time.

We were up bright and early on Thursday morning and ate a quick breakfast in the room before heading to Disney’s California Adventure for the day.  The rest of the family is older (our trio are the only “littles”) so they all took off on their own adventures and the five of us explored Cars Land and the rest of the park.  We were in the park from 9 to 3:30 and the trio did very well.  They enjoyed the rides and Bo especially thought Cars Land was pretty amazing.  Mike stood in line for the Radiator Springs Racers fast passes as soon as we entered the park.  The girls weren’t big enough so we were able to go on it back to back with Bo.  He was a bit scared of the dark parts of the ride, but overall, thought it was pretty neat.

We stopped for lunch at Flo’s V-8 Cafe before heading over to the other side for more rides and the Ferris Wheel.  Our last stop of the day was the Disney Junior Live performance.  We went at Hollywood Studio’s in the Fall but the characters have changed — it’s now Sophia, Doc, Jake, and Mickey.  A dream come true for my trio.  They loved it!  They danced and sang through the entire show.  We walked them back to the hotel so they could play in the Waterpark with Grandma and Grandpa and Mike and I went back into the park for a couple of hours.  We only rode two rides — Soarin’ and the Grizzly Rapids before meeting up with Mike’s parents and the trio for dinner at Mimi’s Cafe.

The next morning we were up early again and packed and ate a quick breakfast before walking over to Disneyland.  Mike’s parents went into the park with us (the rest of the family went to Burbank to see a taping of The Tonight Show) and we spent most of our time in Tomorrowland and Fantasyland.  The kiddos loved the rides and we did everything that was age and height appropriate for them.  Highlights were the teacups, circus train, and Bo and I went by ourselves on Snow White’s Scary Adventure.  This was the day that the parks were open for 24 hours so around lunchtime it started to become very busy and the lines were long.  We bowed out not long after lunch — after a quick stop to Adventureland for some Dole Whip, of course.

This was my first time at Disneyland.  In comparing the California Disney Parks to those at Disney World in Florida, I would say that the California Parks are easier to access and navigate.  The rides are closer together — and there are only two parks with all of the highlights from Disney World.  We stayed offsite and were able to walk right into the park — even onsite at Disney World requires buses/monorail/transportation to get from place to place.  Disneyland feels a bit less “magical” but overall I think I prefer Disneyland because of it’s ease and overall lower cost since staying onsite doesn’t feel mandatory.  I’m sure I’ll be back to both places in the coming years…

We walked back to our hotel and drove to Hotel Del Coronado.  The traffic was ridiculous and I felt awful by the time we arrived (stop and go traffic and my stomach do not agree) — around 5ish.  We walked down the street for dinner at an Italian place before baths and bedtime for all of us.

Next up — Vacay Part II: Hotel Del Coronado – Coronado, CA

I recorded the program and Anna was basically a squirrel during the entire event.  She decided to “feel shy” even though she’s anything but shy and ended up sitting on her chair, on the floor, and eventually hiding behind Bo and Clara.  I was less than amused, but oh well.  I’ll torture her with the video later in life.

Bo and Clara did a good job throughout — minus a few nose picks and butt scratches.

After the preschool performed,  Ms. Vicki gave out “awards” to all of the students with a sweet story about each student.  This was bittersweet as Ms. Vicki will be teaching 7th Grade next year.  Luckily, I know the new preschool teacher and I think she will be great — but I’m still sad to see Ms. Vicki move up.  She’s been Bo’s teacher for two full years and Clara and Anna’s for a full year.  We all love her!

Ms. Vicki started the program with Anna and Clara’s awards.  There are several siblings in the class — including our neighbors — but we were the only set of three.  She was quick to state that overall it went really well and it did.  She handled it all really well and my three enjoyed having a year of school together.  I’ll even admit to being a bit sad that Bo won’t be with the girls again next year.

Anna’s story was about her fascination with hand washing.  At the beginning of the year, Anna would wash her hands and use practically the entire bottle of soap — so Ms. Vicki bought her a bottle of Minnie Mouse hand soap.

Clara received a purple glow-stick and Ms. Vicki commented on how she lights up a room with her beautiful smile.  This is definitely true and Clara ate up the praise.  She’s told everyone she can find about her glow-stick and shows off her beautiful smile.

Bo had to wait until Ms. Vicki reached the “pre-kinders” and was very impatient!  Ms. Vicki talked about Bo’s wish for Rock-n-Roll hair and how excited he was the first day I let him go to school with Rock-n-Roll hair like his friend Trajan.  (Spiked).  She gave him a bottle of hair gel.

My trio was thrilled by these small remembrances and will probably be talking about what Ms. Vicki said for years to come.  The best teachers make each child feel special and Ms. Vicki was definitely a master at doing so.

The preschoolers all had a picnic in the gym afterwards and we attempted to take some photos with Ms. Vicki and her very large class.  There is no doubt that we’ve been very blessed to have Ms. Vicki as the trio’s teacher and I hope she’s still teaching 7th grade in 7 and 8 years, respectively.  I took my trio to the park across the street after their picnic and it did not end well.  After being hyped up all morning (and extra hyped because we were leaving for vacation that evening) we ended a fun morning on a sour note.  We found our way home so they could rest while I finished packing and we prepared to start our summer with a vacation to the West Coast.  During that time, they also flooded the toilet.  Needless to say, I was very ready to leave the Midwest for few days… I hope to share some of our West Coast adventures next week.

On Sunday, May 19, 2013, Bo, Clara, and Anna were baptized at Holy Family Church in Oglesby.  This was another decision that was a difficult one for Mike and I — similar to our choice to send the kid’s to Catholic School.  I feel that the kids will benefit from going through the traditions of the church with their classes.  When they are grown, they can decide if they want to be Catholic or not — but I see no harm in exposing them and allowing them to participate.

Within the Catholic church, most baptisms are for tiny babies so my three are “old” to be baptized.  In some churches, I know they prefer to baptize adults.  Overall, the kids did great — Bo was a bit scared of the water but Clara and Anna both giggled while Father was pouring the water on their heads.

While I feel that being able to go through the Catholic sacraments with their class and being Catholics will be beneficial for the trio at school, I’m also very grateful for a way to link our family with the Kilmartins.  We have been very blessed to be such good friends with their family and I’m indebted to them for agreeing to be my trio’s Godparents.  I joked in the card I gave them on Sunday that maybe we can call our kids “Godcousins”.  In the readings that Father did during the baptism Laura and Derek had to agree to help us to raise our children in the church — little did he know that they are already doing so.  I would never have been brave enough to call Father to schedule the baptism in the first place if Laura hadn’t talked me off the ledge. 

After church and the baptismal ceremony, we all ate lunch at Olive Garden and then had a family playdate at our house — the kid’s rode bikes, played in a bucket of water, and ran around like crazy little people.  Mike and Derek sat in lawn chairs in the front yard while Laura and I pondered my packing list.

It was a beautiful, sunny day.  I only wish I would have taken more photos!  As you can tell, some of them weren’t the best — but I did find myself laughing while I was going through them this morning.  It’s pretty much impossible to get a good photo of all of our kids together.

On Mother’s Day, we adventured to Brookfield Zoo with the Kilmartin’s.  We left early and stopped at McDonald’s to eat and play in the play area on the way, arriving at the zoo just minutes after it opened for the day.

Our six kids can serve as their own little zoo — but they all really enjoy spending time together.  The highlight of the day was watching the dolphin show.  We saw many of the animals but didn’t see nearly all of the zoo — it’s a big place!

In the picture at the top, Cara is teaching Anna how to call to the turtles.    And the picture at the bottom is my monkey Anna — Mike did her face paint himself.

This is Bo’s second season playing T-ball and this year he is on the red team, State Farm.  He has been asking about T-ball since February so he’s thrilled that the season has started.  His skills and knowledge of the game have definitely increased since last year, but I don’t think we have a future baseball star on our hands.  But who knows I guess, if it’s something he really wants to do I’m sure he can do it.

Clara and Anna were both really good.  They enjoyed watching the parade and all of the “big kids” and even sat in their own little folding chairs and watched the game.  They are definitely easier to control than they were last year!  Granted, I distracted them with snacks, but hey, they were sitting for nearly an hour.

Bo has pictures and his second game this evening.  Clara, Anna, and I will be staying home as I don’t think the game will be over until nearly 8 — later than the trio’s bedtime, especially on a school night.  I think it will be a fun season and Bo is enjoying it — which is all that really matters!

If you would have asked me three years ago if my kids would be going to a Catholic school my answer would have been a resounding no.  When we bought our house, we specifically asked the realtor about the public school systems in our area and pay outlandish taxes to boot. So what’s changed?  What’s swayed my opinion? Why is this the choice we’ve made for our children?

Well, there are lots of reasons — but the main one is the people.  I truly believe that kids can thrive in nearly any academic environment if their parents are involved and active participants in their lives – not helicopter parents, mind you — but aware and involved.  I believe true knowledge ultimately rests on the child — as long as they have an environment and a desire to learn…

When I started Bo at Catholic preschool I truly never thought that we’d continue their education there (even the preschool decision was a difficult one for me and has been re-evaluated several times)– and then I became more invested in the school. I soon realized that practically every other house on our block has a child that will be in one of my kids’ classes at the Catholic school.  Talk about a build-in friend group.  Over the last two and a half years, many of their parents have become my friends as well and one of my best friends also decided to send her kids to Catholic school next year.  It’s a community.   And more importantly, it’s a community I want my kids to be a part of.

I’ve also realized how comfortable I feel sending my children there — I feel like they are known, they are safe, and that if there are issues, someone will listen.  I’ve been beyond satisfied with their preschool experience — and all three of my trio LOVE school.  They already act like they rule the school and you can tell that they feel completely at ease there.  They go to aftercare usually one day a week and they love interacting with the “big” kids and they are all friendly and nice to them.  My kids are overly social — they will talk to anyone — and to see them run in and chat up the principal, grab a hug from a 3rd grader, and how comfortable they feel, makes me feel comfortable as well.

It seems crazy to say — but religion was a big issue in our decision.  I was raised Catholic.  Mike was raised nothing and maybe a 10th Methodist.  I joined the church last year but we aren’t currently practicing any religion.  We have decided to have the kids baptized and allow them to participate in the Catholic traditions through the school — but we also plan to be clear at home about our personal beliefs.  They can believe whatever they would like — if they end up being staunch Catholics, well, that’s okay.  If they end up being something else, that’s okay too.  As long as they are good people, I don’t think it really matters.  I don’t see the harm in exposing them to religion and allowing them to learn about the Catholic faith – if nothing else it will provide them with an interesting historical background.  But I won’t force them to believe it either.  I grew up in it and there are still many things I don’t believe.  If I was a staunch Catholic I wouldn’t even have these kids to make this decision as the religion is opposed to IVF.  I’m obviously not.  For me, IVF is one of the things I am most thankful for!

I think part of the decision also stems from my personal experience.  I attended Catholic school until 5th grade — my mom was a principal and a teacher at my schools during that time period.  To me, Catholic school feels very natural and comfortable.  I think I would be a totally different person if I would have gone through 8th grade… so maybe this decision will change with time.  I’m not sure.  Who’s to say what the next 10 years will hold? Looking at the last 10, life has taken some unexpected paths — but we’ve still ended up right where we need to be.

And sure, there are other issues with private school — writing the check(s) every month already makes me have heart palpitations.  I worry about the other places that money could be going. I’m worried about the girls being in the same class together though 8th grade.  I’m concerned about friendships and the drama that can result from small class sizes.  I’m worried about really confusing them regarding religion.  But at the end of the day, all worries aside, I think this is the right choice for our kids, right now.

Bo’s uniforms are hanging in the closet already and next year he’ll wear his little red polo and khaki pants.  I can’t say for certain that he’ll be there through the 8th grade — but I hope he will.  I hope that this ends up being the best decision for all three of our kids and that it helps them to not only receive a quality education but also to form lasting friendships and establish a community that makes them feel safe and protected.  And in 5 years (or 20 years) when they question me about the decision, I’ll refer them to this post.