Well, we are halfway through week 9 of our school year. Baby #5 is due any week now. I think it's a good time to look at my previous goals and see if I need to adjust anything.
When I open my really cool Homeschool Planner from Homeschool Creations ( I think the link on the sidebar still works??). Where we are and where we are supposed to be are lined up- mostly. P has two books to read for History (finish Three Ships Come Sailing and Pocohontas-he's been enjoying reading more these days), C actually needs to catch up on art and poetry (won't be a big deal- she's great at these), and S is actually ahead in a lot. So, for someone who is organizationally challenged and dropped the ball on way too many schooldays last year, this is a BIG DEAL. It is very comforting to have an answer (other than silence) for my hubby when he asks about the school day.
The school day itself still takes far.too.long to finish.
1) P has shown that a desk in his room with a stack of drawers (like workboxes) and a "to do" list just doesn't work. He gets randomly distracted -- like he spent 45 minutes "looking" for a pencil (it was under his desk) when I went to check in on him. So, I have him sit at the kitchen table with me and we trudge through it together. Is this normal for a boy turning nine this next Wednesday? I wonder if this is a clue that we need to look deeper. I had really hoped by now that at least half of his work could be done on his own. He cannot even work on his work while I whisper instructions to a sibling sitting far from him!
2) S always wants to do her school work right.now. and three weeks worth of it. She's in kindergarten, for Pete's sake! I am so grateful for her enthusiasm. I wish I had more school-like activities for her that are self-directed, and don't need me. Then she'll feel she's getting her time, and will be happy doing her normal day's allotment with me.
3) C is doing great in 2nd grade. She gets through her work, and usually works her best-- she cannot stand it if she misses even one problem on her math speed drills, which is encouraging, because I can tell she will always strive to be the best she can. She has been getting lazy in cursive penmanship, and I have had to have her redo it for awhile, but she's back on track (and excellent at writing).
B (toddler now) is also wanting to be a part of school, and do her "kool" everyday. For some time, she would happily draw away on the large whiteboard (on our wall) or the lap board, and "race" it, too. Then, she got into the habit of trying to do her sisters' books, which has given us a challenge to figure out what's under the marker on their lessons. I have activity books for her, but they don't seem good enough. Sometimes I'll let her have her siblings' pre-filled worksheets (after I've graded them) and she seems okay with that. My belly is so huge right now, that I just cannot fit her on my lap.
I am currently so exhausted every moment of every day that I think I'm going to set aside our school work early. I scheduled to do 10-11 weeks before the baby, but my fatigue combined with the time it takes to get through the day is too much. I will maybe still do a couple subjects a day with each of them, just to keep a sense of order and responsibility. I do have a lot of pre-baby things I need to focus on, and so I need to trim down other obligations to get these things crossed off my list. I just hope the savages don't turn the house upside down in the meantime!
All in all, I am happy and grateful that we are where we are. I hope and pray I can pick things up again after the baby comes.
