Yikes

Part 'yikes', part excitement! We're starting back to school on Tuesday, and I am ready....I think! We school year-round to allow more flexibility in our schedule, but we do take the month of June off. It's just the right amount of time to give us all a mental break from bookwork and schedules, and allow us to feel rejuvenated and ready to begin again. It's also a great time to fit in VBS and swimming lessons. And I am so grateful to the Lord that my entire morning sickness time has been while we have been on break. I don't think I could've managed much school at all, at least cheerfully (!), during this time. I am feeling almost back to normal, though still more tired than usual and have some nausea in the evenings. (My morning sickness is usually evening sickness.)

Once we begin Classical Conversations again in August, I'll have to revamp our schedule, but I think I have it nailed down for the rest of the summer. If anyone's interested in seeing it, I can post it another time. If not, I'll save myself some typing. Leave a comment if you'd like to see it.

Here are a few of my resolutions as we begin a 'new' school year.

• Now that I have 5 children schooling, I am going to have to be a better time manager! This means, for me, getting up early enough to have my quiet time with the Lord and have myself dressed and ready before the kids. I am more able to greet kids with a smile in the morning if I have had sufficient time to wake up myself before I see them.
  
• Also on the subject of time management, I have found I must shower at night. This may seem like a silly thing to prioritize, but if I don't take care of this in the evening I will likely 1. cut into our school schedule and much time is wasted while I'm unavailable, or 2. not get a shower at all. I'm guessing that Kevin likes it when I'm out of pajamas and fresh when he gets home. :)
• I've worked into the schedule to give the littles my time and attention first. This is actually quite challenging because I often feel pressure to work with the older ones because their work load/work difficulty is greater. I do not want to neglect my babies, though, and I'm going to work hard to not allow this time to get squeezed out, as often happens.
  

Diving back into homeschooling makes me realize that I need the Lord's help to accomplish this momentous task! It is such a joy to be able to teach my children at home, but if you're a homeschooler you know it's also a huge job that comes with huge responsibility. My prayer is that this year I will grow in the grace of the Lord, and show my children the love and patience and care that Christ shows me.