Winding Down

It's always hard to stay motivated to keep going with school around this time of year, especially when we've finished what we planned to do with history and vocabulary two weeks ago, and my 4th grader is in the 6th grade grammar book and halfway through the 5th grade math book. You start thinking, "Yeah, smart enough!"

What makes it more difficult is that we leave next Tuesday for a 3 1/2 week trip to the States to attend a wedding and search for housing in Orlando. I've learned to keep my expectations for getting through anything while traveling low. Thank God for libraries.

The week after we get back I am coaching a week-long leadership development time so the kids are on their own. That takes us almost to June. So once again that elusive "36 week school year" will not happen. And that's OK.

On the Edge

I wonder if there are other homeschool moms who send their kids to their rooms to work on things independently, just to have a moment's peace. If not, well, they can pray for me, cause I've done that more than once in the last couple days. This week is a busy one - between Ethan's birthday, co-op, doing errands that take me into town (into town is kind of a big deal here), hosting a mom's time and a DVD/discussion group, I don't have much time to breathe (although I did still manage to find time - while walking on the treadmill this morning - to watch part of one more episode of Downton Abbey. A girl's gotta have her some British period drama).

As is usually the case, when I am feeling the strain, the kids do too. It seems like I can't leave the room for a minute or they bicker with each other until it ends in tears. Last night for family night we were going to make and decorate Ethan's dragon cake together. I envisioned a joyful time of us laughing, maybe even taking some fun pictures. Instead, I frosted the cake while the kids sat on separate couches in the living room and Erik tried to get them to stop talking long enough for him to dole out consequences. Oy.

And yet, I still find myself wanting to do this homeschooling thing. I must be crazy.