Shifting Gears & My Homeschool To Do List

The past several weeks have been marathon canning weeks.  I've done at least one project every day except for a few days when we ducked away from it all for some much needed R & R.  I even did nectarines on a Sunday (I've already asked for forgiveness).  While I've been bent over cutting boards, large pots and my even larger canner, my mind has been wandering toward school which starts for us again in less than two weeks.  I long for it.  Could it be because I can't wait to sit down?!  Quite possibly.

I also miss my kids.  While many parents spend summers enjoying their children and maybe even shed a tear when they send them back to school, I look forward to school because it is then that I get to know my kids all over again.  Oh, they're with me all summer, but I am often occupied.  Lengthy read aloud sessions are just not possible when peaches are threatening to spoil and the fridge is packed to the gills with ripe tomatoes.  It's helped that Jamey has been home for this five week block- they've gotten plenty attention, but I say this every year- I miss my kids during the summer.  I miss snuggling to read on the couch.  I miss seeing their eyes light up when they understand something they thought was going to be difficult.  I love seeing their handwriting and drawings.  I miss giving them my undivided attention.

There is only one problem with all this.  Transition.  It's hard from me to transition from work work work in the kitchen kitchen kitchen to sitting sitting sitting at a table table table.  To shut out what's left in the garden and on my canning to do list until the evenings and weekends is a challenge.  I think I'm ready for it.  Yep, I am.  Probably.  Too bad- either way, I've got to do it.

All summer, I've been getting ready for the new school year in tiny little spurts.  Organizing the school bookshelf one evening, putting together a notebook here, looking over the teacher's book here, planning our school calendar during this free 10 minutes and counting out lessons during that 10 minutes.  With all my spurts of effort, there is still some work to be done.  Here's what I have left...

1)  Move large homeschool pictures to the stairwell to make room for a new large bulletin board and map.

2) Make math lesson notes.  Saxon's teacher books are behemoth.  Way too big to actually work with, so I make notes on notebook paper and work from those.  I file them away for a future year's use so I won't have to do this every year for every child.

3) Review Sadie's curriculum.  It's what Sam used, but with all the excitement over Sam's new curriculum, I haven't looked over Sadie's much yet.

4) Clean out and reorganize their school baskets.

5) Move the foosball table out (boo) and move the school table back in.

6) Sign up for homeschool PE.

7) Update my meal list so I can start planning menus again. 

It will all come together.

This year will be interesting.  Miriam is learning to walk, but isn't super confident with it yet, so she still prefers to be chauffeured around the house by a finger.  She sometimes takes two naps, sometimes one.  Sadie will need more one on one time than last year.  It will be tough, but like with anything, if it's important enough to you, you will make it happen.  Soon, I'll post pictures of our schoolroom and share our curriculum choices for the year.

Whatever school looks like for your family, I hope you have the most wonderful last days of summer and smooth and happy transitions into the fall.

Great Links About Homeschooling

Famous Homeschoolers
Pros and Cons to Homeschooling
Answers to the questions, "How do you have enough patience?" and "What about socialization?"
Free e-book on getting started  homeschooling. Pin It