A New Semester ... and Waiting Out the Storm ...

I have come to accept that the first few days (or maybe even longer) of a new semester of homeschooling is going to be rough. After a period of time being wild and free, the kids just don’t like being reined in and attention spans are not what they once were. I have learned to just stick it out and things will get better!

Once upon a time I wrote a blog post about homeschooling with preschoolers in tow. Everything I said in this post is true, IF your preschoooler is not one year old!!!! Last fall I was in a state of despair. Sophia’s favorite thing to do while I did school with her big sister was to make as big of a mess as possible (scattering mulch from the potted plants, smearing toothpaste, dumping all the clothes from the drawers, applying eyeliner to herself … you name it, she did it). She also interrupted constantly.

I asked advice from a homeschooling mom with ten kids who goes to our church. She said, “You have to realize that this will not last forever.” At the time, this was not the 10-step-plan that I was looking for. But, now that a few months have gone by, I realize how true this statement is. Things are infinitely better now. Sophia plays quietly. When I check on her, she is playing with things like dolls and books and not trying to open a packet of razor blades. Imagine that! Life is good.

Actually, all of motherhood seems like that. When one phase is hard, I have realized that, if I just hold on to the reins and try to stay on the bronco, things will eventually get better. Sometimes there are things you can do to make life easier immediately. Sometimes you just have to wait it out. Sophia finally learned how to communicate better and she became a lot more content. Now the homeschooling is going more smoothly. Whew! What is the next challenge, I wonder?

Here are the girls, playing "school" during Christmas break:

 

Sophia is constantly being dressed up for the occasion. She is a good sport!

 

Sophia and Clara have become best buds!

 

Meredith and Clara both memorized the books of the Old and New Testaments last semester and earned bibles. Of course they picked out the most glittery, girly bibles they could find. :)

 

Over Christmas break we decided to do some serious home organization. Our main problem areas were the girls' crafts and our ever-expanding homeschooling materials. God bless IKEA!! We are very happy with the new organizational system. And there is room to grow!