Back to School

It’s our first week back to school after quite a break.  The garden took over, our time.  While many people consider gardening hands on learning, and I would as well, it’s easier to speak about back to the traditional subjects as back to school.  This week was a return to our daily routine, and a return to the books and writing side of school.

I have done a lot of planning this year on entertaining the little girls during school.  It really hasn’t been as hard as I imagined it would be.  They’re happy to play when we’re reading.  I made some batches of play dough.  They scatter popsicle sticks.  They tear, cut, and color paper that is left behind from the bigger kids.  It’s all been working out.

The kids started the first day of school around the dining room table, but since then they have scattered. David likes to work on the porch, and Silje likes to work in whatever room other people are in and then complain about the noise.  Only Elias has stayed at the table still.

Actually, our week has been interrupted so many times, and the “new schedule” has been thrown off so often that I wonder if we shall ever, ever have a normal week.  Perhaps not.  All of our activities from choir to speech class to piano lessons, etc. all begin next week.

People say sometimes what a peaceful place we have out here, or how peaceful my blog is.  Honestly, this blog is often the only peaceful part of my life.  My children are so loud.  We’re always running.  There’s always a million things to do at home, and a good portion never gets done.  Yes, our scenery is lovely, and I have to make myself go on these walks and distract myself from the chaos with all of the beauty that surrounds us.

I hope, though, that this blog is a peaceful rest for you as it is for me.  I don’t mean to put on pretense.  This first week of school is always a struggle for me, most especially when it falls in line with when the public school starts.  I need to remind myself to not go on Facebook next year during the back to school season.  I read all of these comments of moms who drop their kids off, and go out to coffee together.  I see the excited looks on the kids’ faces in all the pictures posted.  I look around at my loud children, without my friends around, and say “I did this to myself.  Why am I doing this?”

This season is ripe for spiritual attacks on homeschool moms who are doing what they’re doing, not because it’s always so gosh-darn-fun, but because we feel called.  It’s a choice we believe in.  I feel so judged, when I’m not.  I feel like such a failure, when I’m not.  I feel like I’m left out, when I’m not.  I wonder why I’m doing this, when I know why I’m doing this.  Sigh.  ‘Tis the season.

I texted a dear friend of mine last night and went out to eat with her last minute.  It’s just what I needed. God has given me such a kindred spirit friend at just the right moment.  I think she needed to get out as much as I did.  Knut had been gone for nearly every lunch and every supper and every bedtime so far this week.  No, it’s not harvest.  He’s just been busy.  So I felt bad that he was finally home last night and I high tailed it out of there and said, “Have fun with the kids!”  Oh well.  They survived.

Actually, the time that I’ve spent with the kids has been a blast.  They’re really loving school this year.  We’re doing a lot more science and art.  We’re studying koine Greek together as an elective, and playing silly games.  I even got a Greek workbook myself, and doing it alongside them.  Knut put up a big whiteboard in the basement, and we’re starting to leave “secret code” messages that only Silje, David and I understand.  It’s so fun.  The biggest hard part is the lack of a break.  I wish there were more of them.  There are some breaks planned into this next week.  I need to catch my breath from time to time, from this wonderfully peaceful life.  🙂