About Us - A Quick Introduction

Are you good at remembering names and faces? I have to admit I am not. I can recognize a face but remembering the name that goes with that face is hard. In case you're like me, I wanted this post available to refer to when you're wondering just which person I'm talking about.  Here is the quick introduction to my family!

Tristan - That's me!  Growing up I wanted a couple of things as an adult. I wanted to be a teacher or a veterinarian, and to have 10 children. Two out of three's not bad, right? I've been teaching my children for over 13 years now and I'm really close to that 10 children plan, though we pretty much leave that up to God so who knows if we'll hit 10 kids or not. I'm happy either way. As for being a vet, I have discovered that there is a job I want far more than that. I want to be a children's librarian when I grow up... err, when my children grow up. I love books and reading, like chocolate, and hate heights and deep water. I'm also a natural born organizer, planner, and bossy, opinionated girl. I'm also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, aka. Mormon.  I love it! God is awesome and I'm forever grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ.

Jason - That would be my husband, the dreamer and laid back half of this marriage. He balances me out and I balance him too. He's a hardworking man who is currently working full time while going to college too. It's been a crazy first year of that! In his free time he's a wonderful dad and a huge supporter of this homeschool adventure.

Makayla - The oldest of our children, she's 15 and a sophomore. How did we get to 10th grade already? Makayla is a generally level headed, responsible young woman. She loves animals, is raising hermit crabs, an outdoor cat, two bearded dragons, and a ball python. Her second loves are writing, reading, and drawing. Yes, it's a three-way tie. She's good at all three and cycles through spending all her free time on one or another of the group.

Joseph - My oldest son, he's 11 and in 6th grade. He'll be 12 this fall. Joseph is a sensitive soul, quieter than some of his siblings, and the builder. He's enthusiastic about Legos and Minecraft, is interested in architecture, and likes to read or listen to audio books. He is a Boy Scout and enjoyed Cub Scouting, earning his Arrow of Light. He's super diligent, doing his work right in a row so he can be free for the rest of his day.

Emma - My youngest daughter, she's 10 and in 5th grade, turning 11 this winter. Emma is my determined, crafty child. She's a 'my way or the highway' kind of girl, which has been interesting to teach. She enjoys crafting, reading, and drawing.  Emma is also a keeper - she collects things like stuffed animals and drawings, and is thoughtful in her gift giving, often creating things by hand for those she loves. She generally does the same work Joseph does, and always has. One of the benefits of having children 13 months apart.

Daniel - Second son and first of the six boys right in a row crew, he's 8 turning 9 this fall and in 3rd grade. Daniel is my too smart for his own good child. He came up to me one day at age 3.5 and read to me from a chapter book. I had taught him exactly zero phonics lessons. Since then I've just been working to keep up with him. He's my perfectionist child, which poses a problem if something doesn't come easily to him. He would rather not try at all if he isn't going to do it well from the get go. He has a logical, scientific, fact-oriented mind. He thinks faster than his mouth can filter so he has a gift for humor and sarcasm. He's hilariously funny!

Oliver - Oliver is my shy, not-in-a-hurry 7 year old 2nd grader. He's snuggly and quiet, happy to learn when I call for him and happy to go play when we're through. Oliver is learning to read right now and getting more fluent every week. He likes to play with his next youngest brother sometimes, as the planner/decider of what they will do, but is also content to be the follower with his older brothers or sisters in charge.

Caleb - He is my 5 turning 6 year old Kindergartener. He is an interesting mix of sweet little boy and sneaky child. You never know exactly which Caleb you're going to get. If he's sweet then you're in for snuggling up with a book, invitations to draw with him or use playdoh.  If he's sneaky he's quietly doing things he's pretty sure you would say no to if he asked - so he doesn't ask first!  On the learning front he's not been terribly interested until this summer so he is currently learning what each letter of the alphabet says. He in interested in animals.

Mason - This boy is my 'special needs' son, who really is a typical 4.5 year old who just happens to have a lot of medical needs and some physical disabilities. If you're interested in learning more about the medical end check out the blog Mason's Spina Bifida Journal. Personality-wise Mason is independent, determined, and a little bit shy of new people. He likes things to be predictable or explained so he knows what to expect. He loves playdoh, Legos, and Minecraft. He has loved our daily read aloud time for as long as I can remember, always asking for one more chapter or one more picture book.

Samuel - He is my 3 year old tornado, unpredictable, a bit ornery, and on his own timeline. In many ways I suspect he's as bright as Daniel, but he's also not about to be rushed. He knows the alphabet and what each letter says (which I didn't teach him), follows multistep directions easily, but at the same time he doesn't speak using consonants. Speech therapy is on the horizon when they get an opening, though we're working on it at home in the mean time. He loves to play with Legos, has recently decided playdoh is fun, likes puzzles, and takes his stuffed animals seriously, carrying several at once and searching for specific ones when they are missing.

Tobias - This sweet boy is 9 months old. He's been the most laid back baby I've had, though he's also taken his own road to milestones. For example he decided that climbing a flight of stairs and standing up with furniture was more important than learning to sit up. So he did things a bit out of order.  However, he's easygoing and generally happy. He loves his family and chewing on anything he can get his hands on.