The Rest of the Family

It may come as a shock, but we do have more going on in our lives than just Evee.

Though Evee is a HUGE part of our lives, and an incredible joy, the world doesn't completely revolve around  her. Here are some things that have been going on in our household and in my head (not sure which one is more dangerous).

My due date for this baby was Saturday. No surprise that I have gone over my due date, especially since the last two were at least 10 days late. Though I do have my mom here until the 9th, so if I could have the baby before then, it would be most helpful.  It will be a struggle to take care of two babies, but I am sure that we'll survive.
My biggest complaint is that I have been sick for the last 3-4 weeks. I have some sort of congestion and cough. I'm not sick enough to be knocked off my feet, but just enough to wear me down and cause me to not feel great or energetic. I am just grateful that Evee didn't/hasn't gotten it.
We never found out the gender for this baby. Todd absolutely hates that fact. He feels that finding out the gender is like a half-way present. In some ways I agree with him, but there is some fun in not knowing for sure and trying to prepare for either.
Todd

Todd has been working a lot, and I am trying to get accustomed to his schedule. I love that with the ER Todd is never on-call, but the constant shift of his schedule can be difficult. In the same week he can work several overnight shifts and day shifts.  No two weeks or two months are the same. I try to accommodate our family's schedule around when Todd is home and available, and this can be challenging for us all to have an ever-changing schedule.
I am so grateful for Todd. He is such a wonderful father, husband, and friend. This last week Evelyn has had two bad blow-out diapers while sitting in the exersaucer. Both times it was Todd who discovered it and cleaned it all up. It brought me so much joy to see him grab Evee and rush her to her room to clean her up. The latest one was discovered less than 10 minutes before the nurse was to show up. Todd could have easily justified leaving Evee in her mess and allowing the nurse to clean Evee up upon her arrival. I was so touched to see that Todd was not concerned about trying to "get out" of cleaning a big mess, or even trying to put on a presentation that we keep a clean household, but that he was sincerely concerned about the comfort of his little girl, regardless of how disgusting it was for him and no matter that he got his own clothes soiled in the process. I have always appreciated seeing the sacrifices Todd makes for the kids, and even for me.
Mikey

 I am so grateful for Mikey. He is incredibly helpful and obedient. He will offer to carry the diaper bag for me, or offer in other ways. He is very good at doing what is asked, as long as he doesn't forget. He is getting better at reading (something he has struggled with, his comprehension is amazing, but his reading wasn't as good as I would like). He just finished the 3rd Harry Potter book, and loved it.
Right now Mikey is very interested in plants, loves reading about them, looking at them, learning about them. I saw some bulbs at Costco and offered to buy them for Mikey. Instead he paid for them with his own money, and when I paid for the tax, mostly because I didn't want to try to figure out how much the tax was, Mikey was sincerely grateful and kept thanking me. He counted down the days until he could start planting the bulbs, and when he did plant them, he made a plan of their placement.
I don't know much about gardening, and have been known to kill many plants. A more knowledgeable woman from my congregation had Mikey over for an afternoon to work in her garden. Mikey had an incredible time and came home with a couple of plants that he has been diligent in their care.
Roger

Roger has always been a very spiritual boy. Even from a young age he demonstrated an understanding of the nature of God that always amazed me. Roger is not a perfect child, but I can usually discuss his actions and intents with him using deeper character and spiritual reasoning.
Roger is very passionate and can get angry very easily, and I can physically see the struggle he has as he tries to be in control of himself. After getting upset with something, Roger went to his room and got out his scriptures. Afterwards he brought his scriptures to me. He showed me Moroni chapter 4. He said that he was upset and decided to read his scriptures so that he wouldn't feel the bad feelings in his heart. He said that when he read:

"they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them."

that he was filled with the desire to have Christ's Spirit to be with him and wanted to do what was necessary for that to occur. 

William

One day William asked Todd to take the training wills off of his bike. Todd went out, took them off, helped William onto his bike and let him go down the driveway....and that was it. William has been riding his bike ever since. He and the neighbor boy have the same bike and they have a great time riding around together.
Todd overheard William tell his neighbor friend about Evee. William said, "She has a trach and a g-tube. She's had a rough life."
Grant

The day after William got his training wheels off, he came into the house with his bike helmet on, carrying a wrench. He went to Todd and informed him that Grant wanted his training wheels off. I was skeptical that Grant could do it, but Todd was willing to try. Shortly after Todd had gone outside, I went out to check on the progress. Apparently Todd had the same experience with Grant that he had with William. He immediately started riding. In a matter of two days, we went from having two with training wheels and two without to 4 without training wheels and none with. 
Grant continues to say hilarious things that crack me up. After Todd had made a fire in our backyard, Grant exclaimed that it was the best day in his "whole...entire....life!"
Whenever my boys says that they are bored, I reply with, "Only Boring People are Bored". This is something I had come up with to show the boys that boredom is an attitude choice and weakness of the mind. Someone had mentioned being bored, so I replied with my saying, in which Grant responded with, "Mom, stop saying that! You're freaking me out."

The boys are playing soccer again (like they do every spring and fall). Last year they were on four different teams, and all the games were one after the other (9, 10, 11, noon) at different locations. After just 2 of the games I felt exhausted and just died that I was only half way done with the day's games. Saturdays were something I did not look forward to, and I actually enjoy soccer. This year Mikey and Roger are on the same team. Their game is the same time as William's (at a different location) then followed by Grant's game. Though it means I have to miss one game each week, it is so nice not having to watch four hours of soccer. 

If we didn't have enough to worry and prepare for with a new baby on the way, we decided to get new countertops. It is something that we have been planning to do when Todd was done with his Residency, but I was willing to wait until things were calmed down.
Our kitchen sink has been leaking the last year or two, causing us to have mold buildup underneath it. Not wanting to deal with it any longer, Todd requested we get the new countertops now. He nor I understood how involved of a process it was nor the potential time it could take. Fortunately we found a company who was not only far cheaper than any other competitor, but upon finding out that I had less than a month of my pregnancy to go, was able to get our countertops installed in less than 3 weeks from start (us looking at granite slabs) to finish. We had the countertops installed 3 days before my due date.
Just before our old countertops were ripped out, I decided to get the permanent markers out and let the kids have some fun.

It was great to see their creativity. Todd said that we should have let them do it a long time ago for it was great to look at.

Here's the finished project (we still haven't chosen a backsplash yet).

PBC

You know that really obnoxious phase that babies go through? The one where they prefer their mom to anyone and everyone else? They won't even allow anyone to hold them unless it's their mother without some tears and a freak-out?
My daughter has been doing that.

And I LOVE it.

With any other baby, I found myself being slightly annoyed with the inconvenience of the baby crying if I wasn't the one holding him, but with Evee it is different. Even though physically she is more difficult to hold because of her weaker muscle tone, and physically it's more difficult with my big belly

 (it has become her little ledge to sit on), I love it for it is showing developmental progression.

There are moments I am not as appreciative for my back will ache and my abdomen will cramp, and Todd being sensitive to me will try holding Evee, but instantly she will pull the saddest face and start crying. She is quite dramatic about it, too, which makes it even harder for it to happen. When her nurses come and have to take her, she will cry as she is being carried away from me. But I do love and appreciate that she is showing preference and awareness. I just hope that she will be accepting of a younger sibling taking some time and energy away from me. But maybe I'm being too hopeful for my 2 year-old niece still throws a fit when her mom feeds her 8 month-old brother.

Evee has contributed to her own dramatic flare with different facial expressions. The one of late is an almost surprised look with her mouth opened into an "O".

She will even pull it in the tub

 She will pull this face for no reason while looking at someone. She really enjoys doing it just after taking a bite of food, which just adds to the fact that I need to work on table manners with my kids.
When she isn't tired, Evee loves to "ham" it up. She is incredibly social and seems to do some appropriate social reactions. When a non-threatening stranger talks to her, giving her compliments, Evelyn will shyly lean her head to the side and smile a bashful smile. She will give just enough smiles, facial expressions, and hand gestures to make the person feel satisfied with their interaction with Evee.

Sometimes I swear that Evee understands more than she lets on. The other day while joking around, Todd said to Evee, "You haven't even lifted a finger to help this family."
Right on cue, Evee turned her head to Todd and while keeping eye contact with him, very smartly she lifted up her pointer finger in a mocking manner.
Evee likes to play peek-a-boo. She will cover her face with her bib

or with her hands, but when she does it with her hands, Todd says she does it the cheating way for she peeks through her fingers.
She will still communicate "I love you" by touching your face. There is difference between when she puts her hands out and when she stretches her hands out, asking to touch your face. this is one of my favorite things is to get a face-hug.

Evelyn is also making sounds. Not with her voice, we haven't been able to really get her to use the trach valve that would allow her vocal chords to work. But Evee will smack her lips and make kissing noises, and less frequently blow raspberries. There aren't any sounds I love to hear more than those. After visiting with Todd's Grandpa this summer, he remarked at how amazed he was that Evee was such a good baby he didn't even hear her cry. We all smiled as his wife pointed out that Evee was incapable of making the sounds of cries. When Evee cries, you can hear her breathing quicken and congestion being moved about. Her laugh sounds very similar and only after being with her for a while would you be able to distinguish between the two without looking at her face.
Evee loves her baths, finds them very relaxing.

She has gotten very strong. She can even hold her own bottle! Now, I will admit, it has to be a smaller bottle, and it was a little bit of a struggle to re-enforce her holding it herself (she is a little bit of a princess), but you wouldn't believe how proud I am and how much easier it makes my job.
Evelyn is improving on being in her exerciser.

She can be in it for an hour and still hold her head up for most of the time. Her therapists have been blown away with her progression. As much as I would like to take credit, I have to say it is a combination of Evelyn just being awesome and the efforts of her nurses. With all the needs that Evee has, and with the demands of being a mom to four other kids, and being pregnant, I am not always mindful that I am physically challenging Evee. It has been such a blessing to have for a few hours a day someone come in that focuses solely on Evee and her needs. As much as I hate the evasiveness that having nurses in my home entails, it is worth it. For one, I already have a tough enough time sleeping at night, fearful that the night nurse is going to sound the emergency alarm, there is comfort and relief to know there is someone that is consciously awake watching Evee while we sleep. I am equally appreciative for the day nurses as well. They help with Evee's progression while allowing me to focus on my other duties as a mom. I do ask the day nurses to try having Evee be around the family as much as possible when they are here, and my boys do a good job of helping distract Evee from realizing she is doing exercises.

The nurses have meshed well with my family, talking with the boys in a positive manner, or allowing them to help where they can. And my boys love Evee's nurses, at times asking, "When does Miss _____ come next?" The other day, as one of Evee's nurses was leaving, Mikey said to her, "Thank you for taking care of Evelyn." The nurse and I were both touched with the sweetness and sincerity in his comment.

With a new baby coming, along with the flu season, I have been trying to get more nursing hours for Evee. Originally Evee qualified for more hours than we get, but because of the inexperience of her case manager, there was a misunderstanding and we got fewer. At the time I was just grateful to have Evee home from the hospital that I didn't care what we got. Since then we have been assigned a new case manager and have realized our need for more hours. After almost two months of being in discussion about the need of more hours, something Evee's case manager totally supported and verified, Evee finally got approved for more hours. This is such a blessing for our family.
There is so much work and efforts that go into Evee's care and health. And though she may not contribute a whole lot physically to our home, she contributes more than I could ever have imagined. Having her in our home brings a whole new level of joy into our lives, and into the lives of those that she meets and are associated with her.

It's hard to not love PBC - Princess Butter Cup

My Body

I fell in love with my body, again.
The last couple of years I have been content with my body, but not necessarily appreciative for it.
You see, two years ago, before I got pregnant with Evee, my body was a lot different than it is now. My body had been trained to be strong. My energy and endurance were amazing. I was able to go for a 20 mile run with out any problems or repercussions. I loved being able to perform any sort of exercise or physical challenge without being run down, and even without being sore. I have several work-out videos that I just stopped doing for they were too easy, didn't challenge me, were a waste of time.
When I was pregnant with Evee, I slowly transitioned my work-outs to be lighter and with less impact. I had to stop running when I was about 20 weeks pregnant, but I was determined to continue working out in hopes for a better delivery and recovery.
I am grateful for the perseverance I had for I know that being in as good of shape as I was had helped aid me in Evee's delivery and being able to recover with less than normal care.  Truth be told, that all kicked my butt and I would have hated to see how much more it would have set me back if I didn't have as strong of a physical foundation.
Getting back into shape after having Evee was not easy. I had to wait a couple of months before I could restart running for I had injured my back during the delivery. When I finally was able to start running I was amazed at how difficult a two mile run could suddenly be. I was slow and felt awkward, and though my lungs burned, I was grateful for that sensation.
Progress was slow, but gratefully I had an amazing running partner that was not only understanding, but pushed me along - physically and emotionally. With all the emotions, shock, over-whelmingness, acceptance, and exhaustion that came with having Evee and her medical issues, I found refuge and strength in our early morning runs. One evening when I had happened to mention to Todd that I would be running at 5 the next morning, he suggested that I not run since I had been so exhausted and over-whelmed. When he saw the look on my face he understood that my running was giving me more energy and power than it was taking away.
Todd and I had known that we were going to have another baby soon, so when it came time to increase my exercise and endurance, I decided against it. It was futile. Plus I needed the morning runs with my friend more than ever. 
When Evee was in the hospital, going for a run became my refuge. It allowed me to not only get fresh air (something hard to get in a hospital, especially in the winter) but allowed me to deal with reality, get some perspective, and of course endorphins.
When Evee got home from the hospital and we were trying to get set up with regular night nursing, I was exhausted. Todd did as much as he could do, and we would try taking turns waking up to take care of Evee, but it was difficult. Imagine having a newborn that you have to wake up to every couple of hours, but if you fail to wake up, your baby isn't just missing a meal but rather could block her breathing. During this time my exercising became more and more sporadic. I was left with a choice of either getting as much sleep as I possibly could (add in the fact that I'm pregnant and have 4 other kids to be a mother to) or getting up and exercising. In the end, I needed the sleep more.
My body has felt the repercussions of that decision. I had to stop running altogether about two months ago. I tried many times to do work-out videos, ones that I had previously put away since they were not a challenge at all, only to find that I could barely muster through 12 grueling minutes that left me breathless and definitely challenged me. And since I am pregnant, I am not willing to push my body to get stronger or more fit in the off chance that it could harm my baby.
I can't complain too much, this pregnancy has not been terrible. Or at least I have been distracted by other matters so that pregnancy has not been my chief complaint. But I am frustrated with my lack of endurance and energy. The other day William asked me to go upstairs to my room. It was in the middle of the day, there was no way I was going to huff up those stairs for no reason. When I went to bed that night I found this:

William had picked some "flowers" for me and wanted me to discover his surprise. I felt so badly that my lack of energy kept me from celebrating William's surprise with him.
I use to not have a problem with the thought of being pregnant, but I will tell you, these last three pregnancies have changed that for me. The thought of the uncomfortableness, lack of energy, and everything else involved with pregnancy, almost scares me.
Now, at 37 weeks pregnant, I have not been enjoying this stage. My ankles are swollen and my varicose veins are frightening. I am always hot. The other night I awoke to see Todd wearing a hoodie and an extra blanket on him where I was just covered by the sheet. I also dislike the waking up at night to go to the bathroom, or even just to roll onto my other side.
I have not been liking the state of my body, until today.
I had turned on the shower. Once the water was warm, I quickly undressed, preparing for a quick entrance into the shower. My bathroom has mirrors all over; therefore I try getting into the shower quickly so I don't have to see myself without any clothes. (It can be frightening, no matter how in shape you are)
But today, as I was stepping to the shower I glanced over. And I saw.
I didn't see the varicose veins, or the stretch marks. I didn't see the extra cushioning I have gained. I didn't see the exhaustion in my eyes. I didn't see the lack of endurance from my heart and lungs.
I saw the miracle that my body was working to create a life. I saw the beauty of my round shape. I was in awe that my body knew what to do, that it very naturally took shape while delivering important nutrients and signals to my developing baby.  I was chilled with the knowledge that I was able to make a sacrifice that would allow my baby to come to earth.
Though pregnancy can be difficult, I am determined to enjoy this last little bit. How much of our lives do we have the privilege of feeling a tiny person inside of us? How often to do we get to feel emotionally connected to and totally in love with someone we have never met?

I am in love with my body again. And not because I can run a race or defeat a challenge. But rather because it can bring one of my greatest joys to earth.

Beautiful Girl

We had an appointment with the neurosurgeon last week. Ya, that wasn't stressful at all.
Evee does have Chiari Malformation, which is when the tonsils of your brain are pushing out of your skull and into your brain-stem. There is a surgery to help relieve the pressure, but it can be quite invasive as it involves brain surgery and removal of some bone parts. The good thing is that for now, only one of Evee's tonsils (you have a left side and a right side) is herniating out so the pressure build up isn't too much. This is relieving for I am due to have another baby in a month and pushing a surgery in before then could be quite stressful. The thing is that at some point Evee will need surgery for it and until then we monitor her with MRI's and watching for signs or symptoms. This can be difficult for the symptoms are things that she already has, unrelated, or could get. For example, one sign is trouble breathing-really?
We also found out that her MRI also shows that she has a tethered cord. This is less serious, and the surgery would be a lot less invasive. But we are holding off on surgery for now for the surgeon doesn't feel that it is severe enough, and we'll just monitor it as well. Signs of a tethered cord? Delayed walking and constipation. Yep, two things Evee already has because of her low muscle tone. That's one thing I love about Evee, she doesn't play by the book. She likes to baffle doctors and pull out her own stops.
While we were waiting for Evee to be brought back to her appointment, a woman came up to Evee. She had heard that there was another macrocephalic baby with a trach and peg (not sure how she knew about the peg). She went on to tell us that her 14 month old had those three things as well. She then invited us to come meet her daughter back in her exam room.
When she opened the door we found her husband sitting next to a stroller with an infant seat in it. I was taken back with the appearance of her daughter. I guess I was expecting her to look similar to Evee, but they didn't look a thing alike.
Todd and I spent several minutes talking to this couple with, and about, their baby girl. This couple had four other children as well and talked about how much their children adored their baby. We talked about our appreciation for night nurses. There were so many things that we all understood and could relate to. The father mentioned that he had only heard his daughter's voice for a split second when she born. He wishes he could hear her cry still and how he had never thought he would want to hear a baby cry. Yes, I understood.

Seeing this little girl did have me thinking. I do wonder how people that don't know Evee, or don't love her-yet, see her. I am aware that she doesn't look like other babies, but to me she is Evee, and incredibly cute. But I know she has a distinctive look. This last week while visiting a friend who's son is at Rainbows, both nurses that came in knew and remembered Evee. I like to think it's because she is so wonderfully memorable because she is so sweet combined with the fact that she was there so long. But, I could be wrong.

In May we had gotten Evee's ears pierced. Originally, I was going to have my daughters wait until they were baptized (8 years old) to get their ears pierced, but Evee is different. I justified by saying that at 8 she may not let me clean her ears or she may rip them out. But in all honesty, I just thought they would look super cute and add to the Princess that Evee is.

When I got them done, a close friend said to me, "I get why you had them done."  She wasn't talking about any of my reasons above, but a different reason, one which I hadn't realized and yet, I think there was some truth to her comment.
I have never been much of a girly girl, and in all honesty, I put in minimal effort to look good. With Evee I am very attentive to how she looks. I like to put her in beautiful dresses, put a bow or flower on her head, and adorn her wrist with a dainty bracelet. It can be because after having four boys I finally have a girl to dress up. Or it also can have something to do with the fact that subconsciously I am desiring people to see my baby girl as just that, a baby girl. I'm not sure of it myself, but I do know that I have a desire for people to accept her.

The good news is that I am confident in that people accept and love her, and if someone doesn't feel that way towards her, they just have to spend a few minutes with her.  My experience as of yet has been quite positive. At my church she's almost like the congregation's mascot, whenever I am out and about I have many people stop me to admire the Princess. Most of the time Evee responds beautifully with people. She will turn her head in and give a bashful smile, which makes her even more cute and endearing.

Before I had Evee, I claimed that I didn't want a girl for why would I want to create my own competition? That has definitely been the case. I use to be the adored one, the one that everyone in the house sought after, I was the Princess. Now I play second fiddle to Evelyn...and I totally support it. One afternoon Todd was giving Evee his usual attention as I pretended to be offended. He turned to me and said, "I'm sorry Loni, but I think she's more beautiful for she has a sweeter spirit". I agreed with him. Then after thinking for a minute Todd came back with, "No, I don't think it's necessarily a sweeter spirit, but that the veil [that separates us (and our memories) from God] is thinner on Evelyn; therefore, it is easier to see her spirit more clearly." 

I am aware that Evelyn looks different, but I am not able to say how or why for I see her as her. She is beautiful and it is hard to not just love her. I am so grateful to those that have fallen in love with Evee as well. I appreciate other people seeing and accepting my baby girl as just that, a wonderful, special, beautiful baby girl.

Back to School

I was playing "Hang Man" with Grant. Because I am super-creative, I was having him guess the word CAT.
He got the C and A, but struggled getting the letter T. Since he was getting frustrated, I suggested he sound it out and then determine the last letter.
Well, he guessed "cap", "cab" and "can".
It was one of those moments that I questioned the IQ of my child. How could he NOT guess "cat"? Isn't that everyone's first guess?
Since then, I have changed my approach, I actually like that his first guess was not the typical "cat". This is because he does what a lot of homeschooler's do, think out of the box.

That's right, this is a homeschooling post, but homeschooling is such a big part of our lives, why shouldn't I post more about it? Also, with this being"Back to School" time, I felt it was only appropriate. I wanted to share a little bit about how we got into homeschooling and my thoughts on it, and even some drawbacks.
I would say that the Lord led me to homeschool. Homeschooling was not something I had planned on. I had always respected it, but never thought that I would do it. Honestly I didn't think I could do it for I am not "that" good of a mom.
The spring that Mikey was turning 5, I was having anxiety about what to do for his schooling. I had been doing Joy School (a co-op preschool that is done in the home) with some gals at church and I really enjoyed it. I found that the weeks I taught, I was more connective with my boys (Mikey and Roger both did it with the group). When I taught, we discussed what we learned and even emotionally I felt more connected with my boys, versus when someone else taught I felt that I would socialize with the other moms when I picked the boys up, but as far as connecting with my boys or even discussing what they had learned, I just asked how was school while in the car and that was it.
 Mikey was terribly shy and introverted, would not connect very easily with people, would not look at anyone in the eyes. With all of this, plus the fact that he had a later birthday in the school year, I was concerned that Mikey was not emotionally ready to start school. I had considered homeschool but Todd was very against it and not even willing to discuss it. Grant was about 9 months old and to be honest, I had my hands full and really did not push the issue.
I had a magazine that was a more "natural parenting' magazine. My mom had gotten me a subscription to it because of my choice to homebirth Grant. One day Todd approached me and told me that he was willing to talk about homeschooling. He had read an article about homeschooling in one of the magazines and really liked what it had to say. We discussed it and after much debate and prayer, we decided that we would do a trial year with homeschooling. We would do it for a year and if we liked it, we would continue with it, if not, we would have Mikey start Kindergarten the following year, allowing him to mature a little more and to be one of the older kids in class versus the younger.
We had decided to homeschool, but I was unsure of the "how". We went to a convention, which was really helpful, and I talked to some homeschooling parents that I had respected. Altogether, it just sort of evolved on it's own. I found that I do not like the "schooling at home" approach, which is pretty much that the child's learning looks and feels like it does at school, just at home. I do like the freedom and child-directed learning of "unschooling", but feel that it can be a little too lax without any structure. I do like the  "classical education", as far as learning from the classics, but find it can be too rigorous, and I like the Charolette Mason approach with doing a more structured morning with a more free afternoon. I sort of do an eclectic style and approach.

 I believe that a children learn very differently than just how the schools teach. Children learn a lot from free-time, from playing, from working. Kids, if there isn't an ever-present option of watching tv or playing video games, are usually quite productive and wanting to learn more about the world around them.

I do feel that kids do need structure, and we have our daily "schedule", which isn't too intense but gives the kids some order in their day. I know this sounds weird, give kids their freedom and give them structure, but I believe they need both (plus I feel there is danger in the extremes, it is moderation where perfection lies).

Free time involved these creations that they came up with

I ensure that the kids are learning the important and basic things: reading, writing, math, and then I give them more freedom of what they learn as far as everything else (like history, etc). I do think that reading (or being read to) is one of the best ways to learn. We can learn about history, science, reasoning skills, social skills, etc. by reading out of some good books and literature. So I try to read to them as much as possible, we always have a book we are reading, like we just finished The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. And of course we read the scriptures.

I also think that kids can learn a lot from doing work and chores. They learn to help and there can be a lot of good thinking that occurs while working. Also, I think learning how to function in a family is hugely beneficial. It helps to squelch the idea that they are all-important, and see that others are important as well.
The truth is children (and we) are always learning. For some reason the world thinks that at the magical age of 5, children are ready to start learning, yet they have progressed from a new born baby that did nothing but sleep, eat, and cry, into a kid that can run, jump, talk, and have ideas. And for the most part, the "teachers" were the parents - yes, learning can occur without having the most celebrated professionals. Learning doesn't always look like the learning that we picture going on in schools.

The boys' house made from recyclables

So we started homeschooling through, what I feel, the Lord's direction. Everyone that homeschools has a main purpose or reason that they homeschool. Some do it to protect their children (the more religious people- I agree that I like that I am able to protect my kids from the filth that they are exposed to at school, but I don't necessarily agree with this being a main motive for homeschooling for I do not feel that the schools systems are that corrupt and good Christians can still go though schooling and remain Christians), some do it because they disagree with the teaching style that schools have, some do it out of wanting to have their own schedule (which I will admit is wonderful), some do it because they want to be with their kids, etc. I agree with a lot of the "perks" that homeschooling allows that I just mentioned, but for us our motivating reason behind doing homeschooling is that our purpose is character development, focusing on our children to learn to become better people, to become more like Christ, plus I enjoy teaching them, I enjoy seeing their eyes light up when they figure something out.

There have been so many incredible benefits of homeschooling, and the more I have done it the more I have become more aware of them. The freedom that it allows my family is amazing, we are not subject to someone else's schedule or beliefs. The kids are more sheltered, sheltered from bad language, immoral behaviors, and even what's cool and not and that entire social hierarchy that is believed to be so important at the time. Some view the children being sheltered as a bad thing, but then we must realize that Christ's ministry didn't start until he was 30, so why do we think our children must begin it at age 5.

Art Museum

Disadvantages to homeschooling:
Well, one that a lot of other people see right away is there is no break for me as a mom. I agree. Sometimes it would be nice to have my kids go away for several hours, and I know a lot of moms cannot wait for school to start this time of year. But I have not known differently. When you have a baby, it's a lot of work and you feel overwhelmed, but with time and experience you get use to it, it becomes your normal. I have never had my kids go away from me consistently for several hours at a time to where I get use to the freedom and miss it when I don't have it. I also appreciate this for I do not have the "dreaded 3 o'clock hour" when chaos returns to your home (I just have it all the time:)
Another disadvantage that other people see about homeschooling is the "socialization". I will agree that homeschoolers are less aware of what is socially acceptable, but there are some socially acceptable behaviors I do not agree with and some not socially acceptable behaviors I do agree with. We try to teach our boys the socially acceptable behaviors and etiquette. I do believe that good manners helps everyone in every situation and good social skills can make a big difference in a person's life.  But if you are to tell me that putting a group of 20 7-year-olds with only one adult is what socialization is, I don't want it. My kids haven't learned that there's an age pecking order (that you are only equal to those in your grade, inferior to those above your grade and superior to those below your grade), and may they never.
 I feel that for the most part, kids pick up social skills from their parents. Experience and personalities do affect their social skills, but they learn a majority of how to be social from watching and experiencing life with their parents. Plus, if schools were the great equalizers of socialization, why are there so many weird kids in school?

Learning about canals and lock systems

One difficult thing with homeschooling is the fact that you are doing something different. Because of this, you can feel lonely at times. No one ever questions a person's decision to send their kids to school, but to decide to homeschool can bring out all sorts of critics.  You have to try to not care about what other people think for there are those that are very against it and are just waiting and wanting you to fail. There are also many that are supportive, and even those that are supportive but silent, but for some reason the objectors seem louder in your head. It can be hard and lonely to take that road, especially when you feel like you're the only one doing it. But it is becoming more and more popular to homeschool and there are a lot of opportunities to meet other homeschoolers.
For me, one of the hardest things and biggest disadvantage of homeschooling is the weight of it all is on me (at least that's how it feels). With the school system you have a good idea of the outcome. You know what to expect, and it's someone else's responsibility to make sure your kid learns. With homeschooling it's the opposite. I have never taught someone from beginning to end, I don't know if I'm doing enough or doing too much, and when it all comes down to it, I have no one to blame if the outcome is not what I wanted or expected. It is a lot of responsiblitity in that regards, no matter what type of teaching style is chosen. I have found that the only way to combat this is to rely on the Lord.
The flexible schedule with homeschooling is nice, but it can also be difficult. I hear a lot of moms at this time of year mentioning how eager they are to have the structue that school provides. It can be difficult to ensure enough structure in a homeschooling home, especially if you tend to be a type A personality that happens to be very easy-going. Then add in the fact that your husband has a very, very sporadic schedule, and no two weeks are alike, it can be very frustrating. But then again, because we homeschool the kids are able to see Todd a lot more than they otherwise would have been able. Todd works half of the weekends, but will usually have one day off each week, so that day becomes our family's "Saturday". 
One of the biggest drawbacks to homeschooling has got to be making lunch for everyone every day. I love to cook, but lunch is different. I will admit that I would be one of those moms that would be sending my kids with money to buy lunch at school. It's tough enough to come up with some variety for dinner each day, so lunch is out of the question. I do the same 3-4 things and add in left-overs when I can.
Truth is, homeschooling is just like sending your kid to school. There are good days, there are bad days. There are days you are amazed with your kids progression, there are days that you wonder if your kids will ever learn anything. There are days when I wonder how nice it would be to send my kids to the school that is down the block. There are days I long for some alone time or at least personal space. There are days I couldn't imagine anything better and I relish my kids sitting so close to me when I read to them. Just like sending your kids to school, in homeschooling there are pros and cons to whatever your choice. You're dealing with kids, so it's not always going to be easy.
I know that homeschooling was the road we were supposed to take. I know that for me, the Lord knows me well enough that He knew that it was something that fits me and my personality very well. I even dare say that He knew that it was the better choice for my children. There have been many instances where I have felt incredible gratitude for what homeschooling has allowed for my children. Homeschooling can be hard, it can be intimidating, but I have felt the Lord's hand in it. I have found that He has placed people in my life (and my children's lives) at a time that I or one my kids needed them. I have found inspirations come to me on what to teach or how to teach, inspirations that did not come from me. And I have always received an answer about homeschooling when I have asked the Lord, no matter how small or insignificant my question or concern.
Homeschooling is not perfect. It's not terribly difficult, but it's not always easy. But it has been such an incredible blessing in our life.