Mondays

Why do Mondays always have to act like Mondays? I dread them and try to make them different, but they always struggle along and the fight occurs. The kids have only had 2 days off of school with the weekend, but they act like this "school thing" is something new and the fight all day long. Argh! Arguments over what we are doing are just not valid. From the day we began home=schooling, almost 2 years ago I have had sheets that state EXACTLY what to do. They are in English and this is their first language. Hum...
I am exhausted by this point, but have 3 more voice/piano lessons, a fast dinner due to Caleb coming back from swim (Praise the Lord for Angela taking him and bringing him home from swim on Mondays) and then we're off to LAPS (orchestra) until 8:00 and IF I feel like it, a home-schooling meeting (more of a Mother's Night Out). It is a wild day and then we get up and do it again. Okay, so Tuesdays are much better. Easier schedule and less to do, especially now that soccer is over ! I love soccer, but I'm glad when it's over. It is also the day to make sure preparations are in place for ELO. This is a mixed blessing. Some days I am thrilled and then many days I just feel like I am failing. I am overwhelmed and yet it's only 9 weeks and we only have one more. I just want the kids to learn something and have fun and I feel like I've missed that on all accounts. I will remember this and sign up for "helper" next time. I only have a 15 minute break between each class and last time the kids went in and started using the mics. This didn't go over well with the staff. Now I will just have to NOT take a break and I will feel like I am back teaching school and not going to the bathroom or anything until the day ends. Somehow this is not what I planned. I really like the kids and the moms that help are very supportive, but this all comes back to me doing too much! Once I started home-schooling the amount of time I mentally have to do "other" things is far less than ever. I resigned from Junior League and from Children's Church and yet I still have more things on my plate than I can handle. I am hoping that each year it will get easier or I will gain confidence in my abilities to home-school. I have tracked where we are in our studies and we are actually on target and I thought we wouldn't be. Caleb's math will never be on target, but we started mid year and so he starts a new year mid stream. Fortunately he is in Math a year ahead so I don't have to worry about being behind, but the control freak in me wants to have him finish at the SCHOOL year end (that would mean summer school and doubling up.... not gonna do it). The kids are playing quietly outside.. could be dangerous. My next student is here. He is a joy! I love it when he comes!