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One Week of Summer Vacation.....

.......left and then it's back to the little room in the basement. 
 Back to the books. The DVD players.
 The scrambling to GET DOWN to the school room cuz It's Getting Late and we don't want to be doing school till 6 pm.
  And coming upstairs at noon and wondering what to make for lunch that's fast. 
 And it's time to figure out a story time book.
  And the yard and garden are just fabulous and I can't.
  I just can't make my heart move down to that little school room. 
 It feels like a crime for us to be getting back to the books already!  And it is early.
  But we have some vacation days planned in the very near future and we're still smarting over having to go too deeply into May to finish school.
  So that's why we're kicking in early. 
 AND harvest always comes along and we want some days to enjoy some of those events too.  So here we go.  

This year I have a first grader, a third grader, and an eighth grader.  And a two year old girl.  
I'm praying and reading for ideas how to juggle it all?  
The first grader is not officially in first grade.  But I am seriously sick of telling him how to spell the things he wants to write.  So I think I'll teach him how to read.  Until his understanding is full for a time.  And then we'll take some breaks.  But he's anxious to start and I'm anxious to see what he can take in and go with.
The third grader is ready to fly now.  This summer he took to reading and earned a dollar per book.  So now I need to take time to help him with details and getting his multiplications down good.  He'd much rather listen to his class dvd lessons and just not do the written work.  I need ideas how to make it interesting for him.  He loves loves loves competition.  And we all know there isn't much competition  in our little home school room.  So I'm thinking.  And wishing for ideas.  Hopefully he can start piano this year too.  He loves music and singing and the piano gives him something to sort those jitters in his mind.  I'm not sure how it works but when he touches those piano keys the restlessness goes out of him and all his buzzing turns into a good thing.  I can't wait to see where he'll go with this.  And then hopefully we can morph into a curriculum that will feed his science interests.  I'm pretty excited about pushing him toward his abilities.  Just not sure how and I feel so lost and incapable. 
And the eighth grader.  He's in over my head.  But he brings so many new and interesting things to our class room and home.  This year he takes pre algebra.  I can't say enough about his Math teacher.  He's always struggled with numbers and Math and I don't know how she did it but that instructor is AMAZING.  I thank God for her.  If there is any of my kids I worried over the most it's this one.  Academically I mean.  He's been the brunt of all our experiments and parent learning.  But Abeka DVD has come through for us in him.  His knowledge of history is wonderful for all of us right now because of elections coming up and other world events.  His knowledge in science has given him a view of God and creation that is solid. And he hates hates hates writing.  But his grasp of english concepts makes me smile.  He's better at all of that than he thinks he is.  I'm hoping to get him to see that and gain more confidence in his writing abilities this year.  Gulp.  Pray for me! But he's thriving with classroom setting and I am happy.  

My biggest hurdle with home schooling has always been schedule.  I've been watching how it all plays out and I think I'm concluding that my days are for school time and my afternoon and evenings are for my daily chores.  I know very well that other home school moms manage their time better than that but for me it just doesn't happen.  I rather like my learning hours with the kids and I get frustrated with trying to home make and school both.  And it's super frustrating for all of us when we get to the end of the day and the laundry is stacked on the table and the dishes are two days behind.  And I hate it too.  So that is my battle. At the end of this last school year I gave up all together and we just plain left the school room and worked at the table so I could do daily work and look over their shoulders at the same time.  But it's not ideal.  Papers get shuffled everywhere and grading gets put off.  And interruptions abound.  And there is something wonderful with having a spot to learn and having formal hours and real school feel.  That is my nostalgic kicking in.   And it's the school teacher in me. 

And I know the greatest thing I need to do to prepare for my school year and to make it through the school year is to pray.  Pray for the hearts of my kids.  Pray for their learning, that they could learn and enjoy and grow.  Pray for me to have wisdom and divine eighth grade smarts. :)  And Pray for me to figure out how to juggle wearing all the different hats.  My kids get sick of my voice and I do too.  Some days all I want is to be a mom.  Not a teacher. Not a micro manager.  Not a bumbling housewife, but an energetic thorough one. Most days I can look at the big picture and know God has it.  Some days I wonder what I'm doing.  

So for any home school mom lurkers reading..... help me out with ideas and a note?  Thanks! 

Comments

Jenny said…
You are doing a good job, Amy! I enjoyed your thoughts. I think about the flowers and gardens and sunshine and wonder too how it can already be school time.
July 30, 2016 1:36 PM
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