Camian Academy

Ani was born on the exact middle day of the month of February. February only has a middle day every four years. I’ve always thought it was neat that she was born on that uncommon middle day. This year February had a middle day again. And today is the last day. It’s amazing how fast this year has already gone. It’s 1/6 over already! Before we know it our fourth little one will be here.

I think we’ll name the baby Adrian Lloyd. It could change, but for now that’s what we’ve decided on. My dad says that will be a strange name for a girl since he insists the ultrasound tech was wrong and it is a girl, not a boy.

Lloyd is my father’s first name. He has never gone by that name. It was also my grandfather’s original first name. He hated it. When he entered the Army during World War II he flipped his names around since he knew they’d call him by his first name and he did not want to be called Lloyd. My father was born while my grandfather was away fighting so my grandmother named him after her husband and her father. When Granddaddy came home when my dad was 10 months old he was not thrilled that she had chosen to given him his first name. Of course my grandmother called my grandfather Lloyd so she had gone right to calling my father by his middle name.

But I like the name Lloyd. It’s the name of two very important and well respected men in my life. I wouldn’t want to call my child by that name. I think Granddaddy wouldn’t just roll over in his grave, he’d haunt for it. My dad doesn’t care for the name either. But, like Harold (a name I really don’t like) being Fritz’s second middle name to honor my father-in-law, I think Lloyd is just right for this boy’s middle name.

A few days ago we finally got around to watching President Hinckley’s funeral. We DVR’d it at the beginning of the month and had watched bits here and there. At the very end by the graveside a bagpiper played a couple songs. Fritz looked at the TV rather perplexed and then covered his ears.

I have been taking pictures of the three kids each month. This is not an easy feat. Invariably someone is not smiling or has their eyes closed or has a weird expression on their face. It took about 30 pictures to get this one:

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s okay if they aren’t all looking at the camera at once. It makes the photo more realistic anyway. I’ve started to see the kids in the pictures as the individuals that they are rather than the grouping of three brushed and polished children.

But if it’s this hard to get a picture of the three of them, heaven help me once we add the fourth!

It is a very strange feeling to have a baby inside you kicking. This little guy tends to stick to kicking around my belly button level. While the feeling is strange, it is nice, too. It’s a little reminder that I’m helping to grow someone from the next generation.

For Ani’s birthday and baptism we gave her her first set of scriptures. She chose a blue quad (I made sure we got her a thumb indexed one) and a bright pink canvas case with CTR embroidered on it. We had the store imprint Ani’s name on the front of her scriptures. Of course her middle name along with her first and last names was too long so we had to go with Anastasia S. Duk.

Ani loves to read the scriptures. She has read various childrens’ versions of the Bible and has had the Illustrated Book of Mormon read to her and is almost done reading the Illustrated Book of Mormon to herself. She was very excited to get her first set of scriptures so she could start highlighting verses that impress her. She immediately highlighted 1 Nephi 1:1. She said the first bit (I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents) was important to her.

In our church we read and study the scriptures in Sunday School (and Seminary for the high schoolers and primary for the older kids) on a four year rotation. Old Testament - New Testament - Book of Mormon - Doctrine and Covenants/Church History. This year we are reading the Book of Mormon. Ani is very excited to be able to to read her scriptures along with everyone else now.

Many mornings when Jamie heads down the stairs to leave for work Fritz follows him. Fritz knows he needs shoes on to leave the house so he’ll try to get his own shoes on, but since he can’t do that on his own he’ll give up and put on someone else’s bigger shoes. Then he points to the door and waves in my general direction and says “Bye” clearly letting us know he’s going with Daddy!

It’s a common thing for homeschooling moms to get a little down in February. Some question whether homeschooling is right for them or not. Others decide to change their curriculum for the next year. Others just feel off for some reason.

Every year so far in February I have decided to make changes in our curriculum, many major. I’ve said over the last year that it would be interesting to see how I felt about Sonlight come February.

Well, it’s February and I still love it! The last school day I did with the kids was day 154 out of 180 of Core C. I can’t wait to get started on Core 1 in a few weeks. The kids love Sonlight, too.

So, no doldrums for me this year. I haven’t even gotten down about homeschooling at all. I think part of that is because I’ve been so focused on looking forward to Ani’s 8th birthday and baptism and then my trip to Utah. It didn’t really leave an opening for the February Doldrums to take root.