Ruling From the Bottom Up

Being a homeschool mom is not easy, but about 90% of the time I genuinely love it.  In fact, this has been one of my favorite homeschool weeks ever, because we began using lessons from a new curriculum about which I am completely jazzed!  (More on that another time.)  But, whenever we try something new, we have to iron out a few "bumps" before we really hit a rhythm.  This week has been no exception.

Meet "The Supreme Bump":

Oh, I know he looks cute and innocent, but he is trouble in a 2' 10" package!  Running a homeschool with this guy around is like a tail wagging a dog.  He totally rules the family from the bottom up!  And I say that with all of my deepest love and affection, because no matter how much trouble he causes, I am still head over heels in love with this cutie pie!

Take yesterday, for instance.  I kept the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs, so that when we were homeschooling, Trey could come in and out of the school room but couldn't get up the stairs where I couldn't hear what he was up to.  Well, yesterday, after he left the room and it was a little too quiet for me, I went looking for him.  I found him up the stairs.  Yes, that's right!  He had discovered how to climb OVER the baby gate.  Ugh!  I guess I've really lost it now.  Control, that is!

So now, I suppose he is free to roam the house when I am busy in a lesson with the other kiddos.  This is not good news.  He trotted off for a little while yesterday, but presently returned.  With a digital camera in his hand.  Don't even ask me how he managed to find and reach that thing.  He proudly showed me his discovery, and happily plopped down on the couch next to me to examine its every detail (and possibly destroy it).  I have to be honest here: I was so glad that he was within my sight and happily occupied, that in spite of the danger to the camera, I just let him play with it.  I didn't really think he'd be able to figure out how to turn it on, anyway.

But, pretty soon the flash and the zoom were in operation, and our new School Photographer had taken over the lesson with his antics.  Here is some of his handiwork:

His thumb is on the upper left, my leg on the upper right, and there are his chubby legs and feet pointing toward a busily working Avery and Coco.

Between Trey's thumb and legs, you can see that Avery has discovered that his picture is being taken!

Now everyone is completely distracted by the self-appointed School Photographer. :)

I love this one.  One chubby thumb on the left; one chubby little foot on the right; and everybody laughing at the little boy taking pictures of his toes.

Is anyone getting any work done?

Did I mention that this gave me fits of giggles, too?  It can't be helped.  This little monster terrorizing our house, who has to push every button on every electronic object he sees (it's amazing to notice how many of those there are, by the way, when you are constantly trying to keep them out of someone's reach), who shouts nonsense at us to get what he wants, who drags us by the hand to get us to go where he wants us to go, who climbs up on and over everything in his way (including his siblings), who creates epic messes wherever he goes--he keeps us all giggling, smiling, and filled with love every day.  That lovable, kissable, adorable, squishable, huggable, darling little monster rules from the bottom up.  And we wouldn't want it any other way!