I hit a lull because I’m deciding what direction to take with future posts. More hair-pulling parenting moments? Photography tips that apply to any camera? Lighting and DSLR camera settings? Sewing and crafts? Homeschooling?

At times like these, I tend to make lists, brainstorming and prioritizing my ideas.

I can whittle away lots of time brainstorming and prioritizing. And organizing.

This time, though, it didn’t take much mulling to know where I should be focusing my time.

My priorities are God, husband, and kids. I think I’m keeping up ok in the first two areas, but not with my kids. When a responsibility of mine becomes an annoyance, it’s a sure sign that I’m not investing enough in it, or that I need to find a vastly different approach.

Or, sometimes, I just need to go back to an approach that has worked before, which is what I’ll do in this case.

Last March I developed an elaborate homeschool plan to train my three year olds to be brain surgeons. We were well on track – they were just learning how to separate folds of the brain – when life happened, the schedule fell to pieces, and there was no catching up.

I’m going to try the exact same schedule this year. The old schedule was very well planned, and the kids were enjoying it. (And really… neurosurgery is better tackled with another year of life under their belts anyway.)

I still want to keep up with learning about photography, though. I’ve debated whether to post the intricate details of my camera’s buttons and dials. And I’ve decided… I’m gonna go for it! Just not on Wednesdays. I’ll post camera stuff at random, and I’ll keep it in a separate spot so people can skip it or read it, whichever floats their boats. Separating the sections actually will allow me to continue learning, and more in depth.

My oldest daughter is my cohort in the crime of over-organizing (not always equated with staying organized). Yesterday she helped me get some new things set up.

I bought four wire bins at Target to hold each kid’s books, workbooks and other supplies. The baby won’t use his yet, but I’ve been at this parenting business just long enough to know that I may as well buy one for every kid. Time flies!

Each kid picked a piece of decorative paper, and we attached them with brads.

I had planned to have them write their names with a chic set of letter stickers, but my daughter had another idea when I wasn’t watching:

Parenting opportunity… Whose project is this, anyway?!

I’m leaving her choice of stickers. She’ll know whose bin it is.

I like these tags better than the masking tape I used last year on their larger school supply tubs.

The unattractive masking tape did serve its purpose – except when the kids decided to pull everything out by themselves. Maybe I should have let them label the boxes with their own stickers!

Learning to label stuff is a good thing.

People ask whether I’m going to homeschool, and I don’t know. I do know that with my twins at age almost-four, if we don’t do planned “school,” they make it up themselves. They simply can’t be stopped from learning, no matter what I do! 😉 Sometimes their version of learning involves scissors and hair. Things work out better if I guide them a little.

So… this post officially begins a “trial” year of homeschooling.

If we can keep up with the schedule this year, we may try a second year. If not, we’ll look into other school options. For now, we’re starting our school years in April, because that’s when the twins have their birthdays.

I’m excited about several future posts about what we’re tackling with school, maybe with a few fascinating facts thrown in about what I’m learning, too. And hopefully mixed in with parenting moments… which I will photograph… and possibly a couple crafts…

By the way, I’m not actually trying to teach my kids to be brain surgeons.

My motive for focusing on school at this age has much more to do with the heart than the brain. I want good relationships with my kids, and we feel close when we’re working on learning together.

Thanks for reading such a long post, thanks for hanging around while I figure some of these things out, and thanks for keeping me company again in the snow dusted mountains.