A place to be real about a life of chaos, with eight beautiful children, homeschooling, special needs, adoption, sanity or the lack thereof.........a rubber hits the road sort of journey that I thankfully do NOT walk alone!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

PEACEFUL???








Those that know me .... I mean really know me......know that kind of having an indication of what I'm doing and when and for how long and with who and why is important. It's sort of the glue that keeps my day all "stuck" together. The eggs that make the flour stick and a whole host of other analogies.

K......so visualize if you will, me at my desk with a line up of 3 children while explaining the need for focus and concentration to my nine year old as he daydreams instead of completing his math. Songbird is explaining how the math quiz instructs to show her work but she knows the answer without does she really have to, Cat Lover is pitching a fit and I mean "PITCHING A FIT" because it's not fair she has to write out her mistakes on dictation ten times because she didn't study and that should explain the errors, Karate Kid is still intent on planning his next carpentry project instead of math, Princess and Squirtman are muscling each other in and out of line since they were both "there first" and Skishee is screaming he wants a snack from the next room using his best guttural raging voice!!........ I break up all fights, settle everyone down and think I'm back on "schedule" when..........."Mom, Skishee peed his pants and Princess walked through it and didn't have the sense to stop walking so it's all through the dining room."

Oh good grief! Is this what homeschooling is supposed to look like? Somehow all those "other" women with lots of children don't look frazzled and have very rare if any moments of inadequacy and feelings of failure!

My decision at this point is to remove myself and get a cup of coffee......Upon reflexion and some sanity time (locked in the bathroom! with my coffee) I realize that this is exactly what homeschooling looks like in my home....at least in that moment on this given day. You see, what I know is that the joy of having my kids home aside from the obvious educational benefits includes the everyday challenges and how I must exemplify grace and forgiveness and problem solving. Sometimes "dealing" with life and what it gives you is really difficult and those skills are equally important. So I count to twenty forwards and backwards at the same time..take a deep breath .... and set an example of what the proper heart attitude needs to be as I tackle life head on.

Please don't envision a perfect world here at Franklin Academy cause there are days that oh my goodness we are the poster children for total and utter chaos.

But I will persevere because that's what I am called to do. I will not be given more than I can handle and if so......I'll be provided a way out , even if that means alone time in the bathroom.

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