We’ve been struggling over the last several months trying to make a decision about whether or not to send Sam to a new school next year. We’ve finally made a decision to put him in a Chinese Immersion program next year. THere are a ton of details we have gone over and over and the one thing I can’t seem to reconcile is that I will have two children at two different schools. While this may not seem like a big deal, it’s been a challenge in the last little while to have to explain to Luke again and again why HE doesn’t get to learn Chinese, and why Sam doesn’t get to be with him next year at school. I’ve been stressing out and kind of emotional thinking about these two not being able to be together in school until high school. I still don’t know if it’s the right thing, but strangely, it feels more right than keeping Sam in our current elementary school.

I’m only writing about this now because I have been thinking about it SO MUCH. I’ve been making pros and cons lists. I’ve been praying about it. I’ve been getting lots of the kid’s input. (We’ve told Luke if he wanted to switch schools and come over to the new school with Sam, that would be fine...it’s still a consideration, but not likely to happen). I’ve been talking to anyone who will listen and solicited advice. But as we were having family night a couple of weeks ago,  the thought struck me, “You know what? We can do hard things. They’ll get through it.” As I thought about it, I started to I change directions. Instead of putting all of my effort into finding a solution that made everyone happy and comfortable (which I realize now, is an impossibility), I felt a need to just help them deal with the challenges that will inevitably rise next year being at different schools. We talked about their fears and anxiety about the upcoming school year and that while we don’t like that they’re going to be separated next year, we really believe this is the best thing to do. For all of us and especially Luke and Sam, this will be a good opportunity for them to show their strength. It will be hard.

But we can do hard things.

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Other goings on:

Seth said his first word(s):

“Uh-oh.”

He is getting funnier every day. He loves to yelp and screech and goes absolutely balistic when one of his brothers comes into the room.

I can’t believe he’s turning one in a couple of weeks. It feels like yesterday we brought him home