The Pieces To Our Puzzle

I view our family as a puzzle. Each piece seemingly similar, but intricately unique with their differences. Disregard one piece, and we are incomplete. We are a free~thinking atheist family, raising our children with respect, teaching them a life of empathy, responsibility, and self accountability. We vow to never stop questioning, explore all that life has to offer, to become as self sustaining as possible, find the joy in everything we do, and nurture the love of learning that our children have naturally, allowing them (and us) to fully enjoy their childhood!

My husband, Robert, is the piece that holds us all together. Owner and operator of his window cleaning business,www.aglassactlv.com (plug!), he works to support us all. To afford the simple luxuries that I often think we take for granted, to allow me to be the SAHM and homeschooler that I wish to be, and supply the aforementioned bottomless pit of wine bottles. Oh how I love him so. He's an avid road & mountain biker, gun enthusiast, and racquetball extraordinaire! Oh so hot when all geared up on his Suzuki 250RM, or wearing his cap backwards like he did in high school, or annihilating targets with his Glock... gimme a minute... ok, I'm back :) 
He's strong when I am weak, patient when I tap out... He balances me out in every way!

Me? I'm a typical housewife & mother. Tattooed, pierced, wine drinking, zombie obsessed, boot camp fitness lovin', concealed 9mm semi-auto carrying (ya know, for zombies), homeschooling mama. Hoping to add 'prepper' to my repertoire in the near future. WSHTF, ya gotta be ready! I love photography, however no where near any type of professional status. My Galaxy S5 Active's camera is my best friend, and my children hate with a passion how I've always got it in their face trying to capture every bit of oxygen they take in. As a self proclaimed Pintrest-oholic, I'm constantly attempting to create Pinterest disasters, often spending more $ on upcycling an item rather than just buying the damn thing brand new! At least I try... but never learn my lesson... lol. After joining a local boot camp fitness program (www.rawfitnesslv.com) and losing 20 lbs, I've become an advocate of healthy clean eating and exercise. I have a strong passion when it comes to homeschooling my kids, our atheist views, and generally breaking the mold in every way :)

Robbie and I met in high school (Green Valley HS class of 2001), both of us bowling on the varsity team. Yeah, I said bowling, what?! It's a sport people! He was my BFF before anything else, already proving, years ahead of time, that he would stick by me thru thick and thin. No better marriage material than that! We were married on October 12, 2012 on a sandy beach in Miami. People questioned why we would leave Vegas, an obvious wedding capital, to tie the knot on the opposite side of the country. We wanted something exotic, toes in the sand, a kiss while standing in the waves, ruining my gorgeous bohemian gown *sigh*... before hopping on a cruise ship to the Bahamas. It was perfect.
Humor is a major foundation of our marriage, as is the freedom to follow our mutual and independent dreams with each other's support. That is what unschooling has become for me, and I couldn't do it without him :)

Now for our mini-pieces! Our shape shifting pieces that change by the day, the hour, sometimes the minute... sometimes seeming as though they belong to a whole different puzzle on an entirely different planet! We are a blended work of art. I brought 2 kiddos to the table, he brought 1, and soon we had one together. Before we knew it, a family of 6... a modern day Brady Bunch!

Our eldest daughter, Ayla, recently turned 10. A tomboy in every way, tall & slender, a gorgeous fiery red headed, emerald eyed Irish spitfire! Artistic like no tomorrow, loves gymnastics, obsessed with Katy Perry (what young preteen girl isn't?!), kick ass on her Honda 70 dirt bike, and one of the newest members of the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League. Funny and sarcastic (a little too sarcastic for her own good at times), she loves to entertain and be in the spotlight. A lover of animals, she just doesn't understand why we won't allow her to adopt every living creature we come by. Aside from opening up her own personal animal shelter/zoo in her room, her dream is to be a mermaid. A mermaid. Imaginative should be in her description! A girl after my own heart, she was truly meant to break the mold, she continues to make me so proud to call her my baby girl!

Next in line, is our only son, Aiden who is 8, turning 9 in April. Not only is he a middle child, but also the only boy, tortured with having 3 sisters. Poor guy. This kid is a genius. No, really, smart as hell! Photographic memory, a never ending source of trivia and knowledge, a math wiz, video game guru, and Minecraft junkie! Literal and to the point, honest, and 'matter of factly'. This handsome young man reminds me on an almost daily basis just how strong I can be! I can't imagine (although I try) what it is like to be in his head most days, what the world looks like through his eyes and I proudly admire his strength. Supporting him, guiding him, and I'll admit sometimes just living with him, is a roller coaster ride... a roller coaster on steroids. Aiden has high functioning Autism. Asperger's Syndrome to be exact. His daily struggles of perception, social awkwardness, and emotional instability is one of the MAIN reasons we threw in the towel with the public school system to begin homeschooling. Public school is not a world meant for kids like Aiden to succeed it. Frankly, with everything I have learned since choosing to explore homeschooling, I don't believe public school is a world for ANY child to thrive, but that's just my humble opinion. My goal is to create a learning environment that will allow him to feel comfortable being him, learning the way his brain is wired to. His siblings will one day thank him!

Rowan is our middle daughter, about to turn 6. A polar opposite of her older sister, she is our cautious & careful girly-girl. She loves anything pink & pretty, princesses, and ponies. Bright blonde hair and equally bright blue eyes, she's an observer, examines and premeditates any situation rather than diving right in. For the most part she is relaxed and quiet, but a magnet for technology. She will burn up the iPad or computer if left alone long enough, and able to give her brother a run for his money in Minecraft. She may be younger, but not to be outdone, she stacks up to her older siblings for sure. Rowan has recently moved to Denver, where she is a kindergartner in  public school. However, that will not stop her from enjoying a life learning experience when with us :)

Last, but certainly not least, our 3 year old daughter, Paige. Oh, mommy got lucky with this one... born on October 29, there are many a bloody zombie themed birthday parties in her future! :) I'm so proud of this little beauty. She shares Rowan's blonde and baby blues, models after Aiden's hot temper, and takes after Ayla's daredevilish nature! She's a perfect mix of the 3! So intelligent, quick, and advanced for her age, Paige absolutely keeps us on our toes! She has no fear, an insatiable curiosity, and seems down right psychotic at times... She'll be a blast at parties when she's older! Idolizing her older sister's racing, she will be next in a dragster, together making the next Force sisters for sure! A mini-Minecraft expert, she loves to watch her brother crack out for hours, building houses and fighting zombie pigmen on the Xbox 360.  She's the very definition of being the baby of the family. A tad bit spoiled and demanding, but very independent as she tries her best to keep up with the big kids. Paige was my wake up for wanting to change my parenting style, to be a better mom, that there were more positive methods that would make us all happier.  Not that my other kids mattered any less, but I was not a SAHM with them. Paige taught me that I could do better, to be more worthy of them all. They owe her :)

So that is our masterpiece in a nutshell, my inspirations for pursuing a more natural unschooling life. Free to choose our own adventures, carve our own paths down the roads less traveled, enjoying life together without killing the natural love for learning. That is the greatest gift we can give to them! :)