What does your school room look like? I picture students working quietly in an organized school room, but that does not seem to fall together for me most days. I have two students in a quiet place, but the other three I set up around the dining room table. Give them work to do and deal with all the complaints: " I dont want to do this!", " She took my pencil." "thats too much work!". When I have a morning like that I wonder if they are learning enough, but I'm grateful for tests that show they are getting it!! I have to remind myself why I homeschool. Their character and well being is far more important then a clean house and a quiet classroom :D

Guilt

I think every mom has a load of guilt that they carry. Guilt that their home isn't clean enough, organized enough or decorated as well as it should be. Guilt that they dont do enough for their kids, spend enough time with them or school them enough. I can sit around and beat myself up about what I don't do well and let it steal my joy or I can accept I can always improve and spend everyday enjoying the wonderful family I have been blessed with.

To Write

Writing has been an outlet, a way to process thought and beliefs. A way to look deeper into my heart and mind and express the truth, even if its only the way I see it. It helps me to be honest without fear of others, fear of reactions and debate.

What holds me back from writing are all the rules, correct grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. But the advice I have been given by an award winning author is not to let rules hold you back from writing.

Writing is an expression an art, let it flow with out restraint. Allow the soul to be free.

but from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and the things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice for the Lord your God is a merciful God, He will not foresake you nor distroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. Deut 4:29-31

feeling alone and tired this verse was an encouragement this morning.
Mom's normally spend so much time alone. We have our kids and our work but little else.
I'm finding this constant alone time very depressing.

It's hard to try school when you feel depressed.
The kid you are trying to work with responds to how you are communicating and they become very hard to work with. This morning my seven year old just refused to work saying he couldn't do what I asked of him.
I had overwhelming feelings that he wasn't accomplishing what he needed to in school and he was behind. Which made doing school next to impossible.

My husband asked me what the opposite of shame was. Just thinking my words might be causing my son to feel despair and shame changed our time together. I was able to relax a little.
He needs a lot of calm encouragement and he can do excellent work, but its not always easy to do.

Going to try Blog about life in the madness of Home schooling 4 grades and watching 2babies all at once. I have to admitt there are times when I look at my six doing their different things and I wonder how we are going to accomplish anything. But every day is an accomplishment. We always get most of our school work done, and done well. And we keep the house livable.