Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Homeschool Hop




Hello, Dear Readers! For those of you who are still hanging around here, even through a serious decline in postage activity, Thank You. I wouldn't blame you if you just gave up and moved on to better (or at least more frequent) reads. But I'm so glad that you are still reading...you are, aren't you? Hellooo?? Anybody out there?

You guys get ready for some whining, 'cause I feel like dishing it out tonight. I know, I know. Proverbs 31 women do NOT whine. They suck it up and grit their teeth and *SMILE* and use all these little frustrations as opportunities to build character. Well, I am human after all. I'll build character tomorrow. Right now I feel like whining.

When I wrote that blog a year ago, about Going Beyond Myself in the area of homeschooling, I, uh... I really didn't have any idea just how much it was going to stretch me. I mean, this homeschooling thing is a RIDE. I'm not saying that I regret it or that my husband and I made a wrong decision concerning home education. I'm just saying that as much as I thought I was prepared, I had NO IDEA. You Moms who homeschool 5 and 6 kids and keep your house clean and have supper on the table when The Man comes home every evening and never let your laundry pile up and keep your baseboard dusted and exercise an hour every morning and write an award wining blog and conduct the church Christmas Play and my goodness, PASTOR a church and never break a sweat through it all....HOW? Please tell me.

Our school days are beginning to find their flow, but for the first 2 - 3 weeks, I fell into bed exhausted every night, my husband was lucky to get a baked potato for supper  (don't worry, I threw in some toppings and called it "loaded") and the laundry spilled out of the laundry room door...the part that even made it in there in the first place. I may or may not have bathed before I fell into bed.

Talk about redeeming the time, I just thought I stayed busy before but NOW I don't even sit down at the computer until 3 or so every day. I hop on and check my email and hop off.  I am a hoppin' MACHINE. Chunky girls like me get wore out from hoppin'. Quick.  And that's just the physical exhaustion part. I am mentally zapped by 2:00 every day. I used to get all kinds of stuff done while the kids had afternoon quiet time, but now we all collectively pass out for about an hour.


Please, someone, tell me it gets easier....although I can see that it is getting somewhat easier each week, I need to hear that this is all normal and I am not headed for impending failure as a homeschooler. Any words of encouragement?



5 comments:

T. Holt said...

I'm feeling your pain! This is my first year homeschooling 3 and while I enjoy it for the most part, it is one of the most exhausting things I've ever tried to do.

And I am NOT keeping up with laundry or controlling the dust build-up at all. Even making it to the grocery is a challenge right now, let alone preparing fancy meals. At this point we're just surviving and I hope I'll be able to get in the swing of it all soon. So know you're not alone, my homeschooling friend!

Amber said...

Just like anything to do with kids it has it's ups and downs! But don't give up...the rewards of homeschooling are great! Just wait till one of the kiddo's say Thank You for teaching me to read Mommy! Kind of like their first steps..not something you want to miss =) As for chores I have a cleaning/laundry schedule and that helps me not get to behind...but there are just somedays that the chores don't get done and that's ok too. They'll be there tomorrow! Many blessings on your school year!

MameyJane said...

It's so good to read these sympathetic comments :). I feel better already. And Tanya, I've been wondering how I'm going to make it to the grocery store...we've been eating out of the freezer for about two weeks now!

Anonymous said...

You are a hoot. Wished I can say it gets easier. I can say that you find a flow and little bby little add things back in. I say Bare Bone Basics in the home and outside areas. It will all come together.

By the way I remeber my first year of homeschooling and my second, and my third.....and I feel like this every first part of my school year. It is an overwhelming job, and it is rewarding at the same time. But I often would get flustered wandering how in the world all these other women do all they post and say.....?

Anonymous said...

By the way my once use to be always clean based boards, beautiful menu plans, and ceilings fans....I don't even know what that is. LOL!