A month ago, I had grandiose plans about how well we had been doing with school through the entire fall season. As a result, I gave us all a much needed break and my kids only did half days for the first part of December. We took two solid weeks off for Christmas, with the set-in-stone plan to start up again full force on January 2, 2007.
Well, here we are and its New Year's Eve. One of my daughters has been sick since last week with a nasty cold/cough. I caught it three days ago, and now my husband and son seem to be getting it. We had relatives here for a belated Christmas visit this weekend, and tomorrow is our wedding anniversary, not to mention, a big football day in our house!
In order to methodically begin school again on the 2nd, I need to spend a couple of hours revising our schedule, since we botched it a bit in early December. I also need to take down all the Christmas decorations and clean the house. Getting over this cold would be nice, too; oh, and my husband and I are planning to go out to dinner tomorrow night to celebrate our anniversary. Hmmm - decisions, decisions. Will I REALLY do all that in the next 24 hours?
I think not.
Instead, I'm going to go get the meat ready for our traditional New Year's Eve Fondue tonight, and then I might catch a quick nap, so I can actually stay up until midnight. Tomorrow, I'm going to enjoy the day and plan to take that work day on Tuesday - with my kids' help - and only IF I'm feeling better. We might start school on Wednesday, if I'm ready, but I've found that starting school when I'm only half ready and my heart's not in it, is much worse than waiting a few more days.
Either way, my kids will learn something... that breaks can be ok, that work days are important, that moms are imperfect (to say the least) and that the best laid plans often must be put aside. That's the beauty of homeschooling - they learn no matter what I do. :)
Happy New Year!
Copyright © 2006 - Paulla Estes
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Giving
This year, as usual, our kids all put aside some of their allowance and birthday gift money to use on Christmas gifts for family and friends. But when shopping time came, my 12-year-old daughter, Molly, had high hopes for the gifts for everyone on her list; they weren't expensive for me, but way out of her price range. I decided to give her a bit of extra money to spend at Christmas.
When we went shopping last week, Molly knew exactly what she wanted to buy, but when we arrived at the stores, she discovered even more of a price discrepancy than I had imagined. Since we were short on time and she had such a giving spirit, I helped her out even more with the money, and though it troubled her that I kept giving her money, she was elated about the gifts she was buying. She even bought two things for her dad.
Ironically, Molly has also been knitting scarves for several of her friends. She's spent every waking moment over the last several weeks with the knitting needles clicking away. Yesterday, the 23rd, she finished the last one. Then this morning, at 5:30, I awakened to hear the familiar clicking in her bedroom across the hall, and I could see that her light was on.
Like one of Santa's helpers, she was in bed, furiously knitting yet another new scarf. When I walked into her room, she had a look of serious concentration on her face and informed me that she had somehow forgotten one of her friends and simply had to finish this scarf before the Christmas Eve service at church tonight. I told her that if she didn't, she could give her friend an IOU card, but she wasn't content with that, and asked if we could stop by a store after church this morning. The thought of going shopping on Christmas Eve is not something I relish, but I do want to encourage her giving spirit.
I've found that although I've felt rushed, tired, and a bit frustrated by the whole Christmas season this year, my daughter simply wants to give. She even told me that she wished she had $500.00 just to spend on gifts for her friends and family.
Once again, I'm learning from my kids.
Copyright © 2006 - Paulla Estes
When we went shopping last week, Molly knew exactly what she wanted to buy, but when we arrived at the stores, she discovered even more of a price discrepancy than I had imagined. Since we were short on time and she had such a giving spirit, I helped her out even more with the money, and though it troubled her that I kept giving her money, she was elated about the gifts she was buying. She even bought two things for her dad.
Ironically, Molly has also been knitting scarves for several of her friends. She's spent every waking moment over the last several weeks with the knitting needles clicking away. Yesterday, the 23rd, she finished the last one. Then this morning, at 5:30, I awakened to hear the familiar clicking in her bedroom across the hall, and I could see that her light was on.
Like one of Santa's helpers, she was in bed, furiously knitting yet another new scarf. When I walked into her room, she had a look of serious concentration on her face and informed me that she had somehow forgotten one of her friends and simply had to finish this scarf before the Christmas Eve service at church tonight. I told her that if she didn't, she could give her friend an IOU card, but she wasn't content with that, and asked if we could stop by a store after church this morning. The thought of going shopping on Christmas Eve is not something I relish, but I do want to encourage her giving spirit.
I've found that although I've felt rushed, tired, and a bit frustrated by the whole Christmas season this year, my daughter simply wants to give. She even told me that she wished she had $500.00 just to spend on gifts for her friends and family.
Once again, I'm learning from my kids.
Copyright © 2006 - Paulla Estes
Monday, December 18, 2006
Perspectives
Each year I find that our school plans go along quite well until about the time we switch back from Daylight Savings Time. For some reason, the sudden onset of dark afternoons and cold weather just sort of slow me down. In September and October, I'm energized and excited about homeschooling. By the first week in November, I feel burnt out and need a break. Perhaps that's why the public schools take frequent breaks throughout the year? Sometimes we do just that, or we'll cut back and only do half days through Christmas.
This year, in spite of the slow-down, we pressed on through November and kept our schooling at full-force. We'd planned to take off an entire week for Thanksgiving, and I did not want to get behind. For me, there's nothing worse than getting behind. In spite of the rigorous schedule and difficult course load for my 7th and 8th grade daughters, we kept up full days until the day before we were to leave on our vacation. It was then that I realized the burn out.
I was exhausted, nothing was ready for our trip, and my oldest daughter was suffering from recurrent headaches - and I had basically been pretending they weren't there. In a mad rush, we packed for our trip, minimally cleaned the house, and headed for the grandparents' house, four hours away. We spent the first couple of days away just recovering. Thankfully, we didn't have to do much socializing or cooking until three days into our trip. But I also realized that Thanksgiving is when we often swap Christmas gifts with our family that we won't be seeing again before Christmas; this year, I'd completely forgotten that Christmas was just around the corner. How had this happened?
When we returned from our Thanksgiving break, I'd had time to ponder just how far behind I was - not in schooling, but in the rest of my life. The house needed some serious cleaning, we needed to start Christmas shopping, and of course there was decorating, getting the tree, baking, doing Christmas cards, planning get-togethers, and there was also my daughter's birthday to celebrate. Last on my over-loaded Christmas list was the happy family time and relaxation. And I'm ashamed to say that the real meaning of Christmas had escaped me altogether.
How had THAT happened?
So, a few days after returning from Thanksgiving, I awakened early in the morning to get started on all the millions of things I had to do. I threw in a load of laundry, started to take out things for the evening meal, and I scrambled to organize the books and school lists for the next couple of weeks before our Christmas break. I also made lists of all the places I needed to go, which would take a miracle what with school being so rigorous this year. It was only 6:30 in the morning and I had been up for about 45 minutes when I simply fell apart. I sat down on the sofa and cried, wanting to just run away from this whole Christmas thing. I had lists all around me, as well as my daily planning calendar, and they all seemed to have evil grins as they barked their so-called necessities at me.
It was then, in that early morning moment, with no one else yet awake, that I was quietly reminded about the real meaning of Christmas. I felt the gentle comfort that only God can give as I sat there and cried hopelessly. I shoved all my lists and paperwork aside and picked up my Bible, which I had scarcely opened in the last few weeks. I don't even remember what I read that morning, but it didn't matter - my focus was turned back toward God and suddenly my perspective was changed. I asked God what could be eliminated from my crazy plans so that I might focus on the birth of Christ this season, and just as importantly, encourage my children to have that focus.
It was on that day, in early December, that I cancelled all school other than reading and math. I eliminated a few other so-called necessities from my lists and I felt lighter than I'd felt in a long time. Since then, in the past couple of weeks, my daughters and I have had fun baking, doing Christmas crafts, listening to Christmas music, and shopping leisurely. We have stayed up late watching Christmas movies, and we've had time to talk, laugh, and ponder the true meaning of Christmas.
After more than ten years of homeschooling, one would think I'd have learned such lessons, but I am reminded this year that I will never stop learning. I'm just thankful that God showed me these lessons before, rather than after, the fact. Now, a week from Christmas, our house is cozy, calm, and happy. There will be plenty of time for academics in January - for now, the schooling is about the love of Christ and keeping the proper perspective.
Copyright © 2006 - Paulla Estes
This year, in spite of the slow-down, we pressed on through November and kept our schooling at full-force. We'd planned to take off an entire week for Thanksgiving, and I did not want to get behind. For me, there's nothing worse than getting behind. In spite of the rigorous schedule and difficult course load for my 7th and 8th grade daughters, we kept up full days until the day before we were to leave on our vacation. It was then that I realized the burn out.
I was exhausted, nothing was ready for our trip, and my oldest daughter was suffering from recurrent headaches - and I had basically been pretending they weren't there. In a mad rush, we packed for our trip, minimally cleaned the house, and headed for the grandparents' house, four hours away. We spent the first couple of days away just recovering. Thankfully, we didn't have to do much socializing or cooking until three days into our trip. But I also realized that Thanksgiving is when we often swap Christmas gifts with our family that we won't be seeing again before Christmas; this year, I'd completely forgotten that Christmas was just around the corner. How had this happened?
When we returned from our Thanksgiving break, I'd had time to ponder just how far behind I was - not in schooling, but in the rest of my life. The house needed some serious cleaning, we needed to start Christmas shopping, and of course there was decorating, getting the tree, baking, doing Christmas cards, planning get-togethers, and there was also my daughter's birthday to celebrate. Last on my over-loaded Christmas list was the happy family time and relaxation. And I'm ashamed to say that the real meaning of Christmas had escaped me altogether.
How had THAT happened?
So, a few days after returning from Thanksgiving, I awakened early in the morning to get started on all the millions of things I had to do. I threw in a load of laundry, started to take out things for the evening meal, and I scrambled to organize the books and school lists for the next couple of weeks before our Christmas break. I also made lists of all the places I needed to go, which would take a miracle what with school being so rigorous this year. It was only 6:30 in the morning and I had been up for about 45 minutes when I simply fell apart. I sat down on the sofa and cried, wanting to just run away from this whole Christmas thing. I had lists all around me, as well as my daily planning calendar, and they all seemed to have evil grins as they barked their so-called necessities at me.
It was then, in that early morning moment, with no one else yet awake, that I was quietly reminded about the real meaning of Christmas. I felt the gentle comfort that only God can give as I sat there and cried hopelessly. I shoved all my lists and paperwork aside and picked up my Bible, which I had scarcely opened in the last few weeks. I don't even remember what I read that morning, but it didn't matter - my focus was turned back toward God and suddenly my perspective was changed. I asked God what could be eliminated from my crazy plans so that I might focus on the birth of Christ this season, and just as importantly, encourage my children to have that focus.
It was on that day, in early December, that I cancelled all school other than reading and math. I eliminated a few other so-called necessities from my lists and I felt lighter than I'd felt in a long time. Since then, in the past couple of weeks, my daughters and I have had fun baking, doing Christmas crafts, listening to Christmas music, and shopping leisurely. We have stayed up late watching Christmas movies, and we've had time to talk, laugh, and ponder the true meaning of Christmas.
After more than ten years of homeschooling, one would think I'd have learned such lessons, but I am reminded this year that I will never stop learning. I'm just thankful that God showed me these lessons before, rather than after, the fact. Now, a week from Christmas, our house is cozy, calm, and happy. There will be plenty of time for academics in January - for now, the schooling is about the love of Christ and keeping the proper perspective.
Copyright © 2006 - Paulla Estes
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