Back to School

We started back to school yesterday. It was one of the worst days ever. I’d planned to go back two weeks ago, but when the day came, I couldn’t do it. We took two more weeks off and jumped in. It was one of the hardest days. Ever. We started late. Children disobeyed. We reached the highest discipline rate ever for one day. We couldn’t find notebooks to suit us. The color folder one child wanted was not available. I only wanted three subjects done before lunch: Math, Spelling, and English. We got them done, but do you know how many subjects that is for me to teach and/or help with? Times four students, is 12. I spent the day in my pj’s. It’s the first day ever I cooked supper in my pj’s.

This morning, the kids got up early. They finished as early as they could. Liberty was done by 11am.

Elliot did her best to provide distraction and comic relief. She rolled over for the first time in the midst of it all – first to her belly, then to her back. There was great cheering.

These brothers bear a strong resemblance to one another. Throw them in matching shirts and it’s uncanny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Charlotte took advantage of Momma and older siblings not watching to try my patience in every arena. Oh my.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eden buckled down and knocked out her morning’s work in short order.

Ruby suffers from extreme distraction, squirreliness (so not a word!) and silliness. She makes up songs to whatever she’s reading, doing, or hearing. Rabbit trails abound. I all but sit on her to get her to focus.

Then, she reads the directions, is all proud of her work, and hands in something like this. “You mean I have to find those numbers in the chart?!” Yes. Yes I do. But that was nice, my dear. Next year, we’re starting school on a Friday. We’re spending Friday morning getting books out, labeling names on notebooks and books, getting them all lined up, filling crayon boxes with new crayons, sharpening pencils, and then putting it all away again. Spending the first hour of the first day of school doing these things is for the birds. I know this firsthand. Yesterday, I was questioning my ability to homeschool.

Today, we’ve fallen back into last year’s routine, there were no tears. and I got dressed… before I left my bedroom. Live and learn. We’ve already managed to boil a chicken carcass dry in a failed attempt at chicken broth this morning, discussed again the value and dangers of high heat, and scrubbed a stock pot with oven cleaner. This is the first such burning – in a row. Same dear child. We’ll get there. I hope. One dear child saw the carcass going into the pot and said what a yummy smelling house we were going to have today. About two hours later, it was anything but yummy smelling. Burned dry, anyone? Ugh. Supper = Plan B.