Homeschooling in Bee's Garden

January and February are statistically the hardest months homeschoolers have to face. For the most part, these months see snow, cold rain and wind, ice on driveways and roads too dangerous to drive on. Yuck! No wonder we have children climbing walls, mothers frazzled, and just plain boredom! It was just 6 weeks ago that we had a beautiful Christmas vacation. How does it go downhill so fast?

When it is dreary outside and equally boring inside, I like to mix things up a bit. For instance, have a “learn how to dance” day. How many subjects can that cover? Or, pick a country and read about it, do a craft, cook a dish, listen to music, all of which can be from free resources online.

If you have older children, bring them up to speed with what is going on in the world news and talk about how it reflects what the bible says will happen in the “last days”. Do some reading about Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, etc. What does that mean for us as Christians?

I have been “accused” by some of my friends of being an “unschooler”, a label that I have resisted, but now am beginning to embrace a bit more. I consider myself a bit more of a “relaxed” homeschooler, because I do have a curriculum that I follow; but I really enjoy breaking out from time to time and make things a little different. Change the atmosphere in the home from dreary to exciting, just by doing something a little different.

Do it! I dare you!! You might just find that the yuckies of winter might actually go away!

“Mommy, will you cuddle with me?”

Most mothers will tell you that those are their favorite words in the English language. Not me. I cringe when I hear that. Not outwardly, but it means I must do something I detest: Choose.

Dishes are piled up in the sink downstairs, the floor needs to be swept; I’m tired, worn out from being police, judge, playmate, chauffeur, doctor, you name it. I feel over done.

I really hate choosing. Because I want to get the chores done so I can snuggle on the couch with Hubby, have a sweet snack, or just read a bit before falling asleep with my clothes still on; anything, but it’s “me” time. Even doing the chores every night I get to be alone and be in the quiet. Maybe even hear the still small voice of God calling my name.

The only problem is that the still small voice tells me that Princess will be 6 next month. She’s growing up faster than I can see. Reading, writing, even doing math well above her age. While I am very very proud of what she has done, I don’t get very much time with her. She’ll be grown and gone before I know it. My time is so short, and if I don’t grab it, I’ll miss it.

These are the whispers I hear from the still small voice of God.

So I snuggled. Maybe not as long as she would have liked (she would prefer that I sleep with her all night every night), but I loved and kissed and hugged and told her I love her the yellowest. She is my sunshine and I think she is one of the cutest things in the whole world.

She went to sleep with a smile on her face; and that, my friends, is the still small voice of God, right there.

Go snuggle,
Bee

O.k. so I checked my email this morning and a very prominent homeschooling magazine sends an email to me with this in the subject: "Homeschooling is easy".

In closing, let me leave you with this wonderful cartoon by Todd Wilson that shows what a real day often looks like around here.

Have you ever based your homeschool day based on how you were feeling? That never happens to me, of course, but I’ve heard of it before….

Ok, so I do that…a lot.

When I feel good, I get in my quiet time, have a hot breakfast ready for Hubby before he goes to work in the morning, the children come downstairs singing my praises, and everything has a "Golden Grahams" quality to it.

But often, I don’t feel as great. Then I wake up. Late. Again. No quiet time, I run to get cereal in a bowl for Hubby to take to work. The kids are screaming at each other upstairs, and there is a sink of dirty dishes that hasn’t been done in two days. This gets me into a funk both physically and emotionally.

I would love to say that my emotions and health don’t affect how the house is run, how the kids do their work or how the day starts, but the old adage is too true, "if Momma’s not happy, nobody’s happy!"

So, what’s a girl to do?! I’m a stress eater, so I have always done what I do best when I don’t feel great. I eat and make myself feel even worse.

But not anymore!! I say say enough! 1st Corintinas 6:12-19 says

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both…Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

So I decided that God was right. I am so tired of being sick and tired! So, I bit he bullet, got an accountability partner, and I have lost almost 18 pounds! I have about 10 pounds more to go. Not as many as some, but for someone of my smaller frame, that’s a huge percentage!!

And you know what?! I feel better! I have more energy, and a better attitude. Do my children come downstairs singing my praises? No, but I feel better, and everone sees it. I’m not quite as angry, grumpy or selfish as I was before. I have a long way to go, and my homeschool days still get pretty crazy from time to time, but I am not going to let God’s place of residence and worship go into a state of disrepair again.

With the grace of God, my body, mind, emotions and homeschool will honor God and His Glory!

Today we are taking a sick day.

O.K. so we’re actually taking a "Mommy feels like she’s been hit by a truck" day. We have canceled all "fun" activities this week, and are hunkering down at home with hot tea, crackers and a few movies the kids can watch while Mommy lies comatose on the couch praying that nobody asks her for anything they can’t get for themselves.

I noticed with some guilt this morning that I’m not so sympathetic when my kids are sick.

"Just because you have pneumonia, doesn’t mean you can’t do long division!" feels a bit cheep at the moment. Well, to be fair, it wasn’t pneumonia, just a cold. But I bet it felt like it to her.

I know that when the kids are sick, I expect them to do a little bit of what they usually do, even if it isn’t up to the same standard. But when I’m sick all I want to do is lie in bed and to be left alone. Don’t talk to me, ask me for anything, and whatever you do DO NOT ARGUE!

When Hubby was sick last week, he came home from work, and took a nap. When I’m sick, I can’t stay home from work.There is something not right about that!

I know I am whining. I am so blessed to be at home with with my four wonderful children that I adore more than life. I wouldn’t trade my life for anything!

But can I just take a nap?