Finally coming up for air now that the first week of schooling is behind us! Nothing like going from 0 to 60 from slovenly summer to hard-core lessons...... Dealing with 1st trimester tiredness all summer necessitated that the kids spent an inordinate amount of time in the afternoons playing computer games while Mommy and Simona napped. The kids grew so fond (ok, addicted) to these afternoons that it would be barely 10 AM when I would hear the first comments of, "When is Simona going to bed?" or , my favorite, " Mom, you look tired..." Grrrrr.
As luck and good timing would have it, I am beginning to emerge from the coma and enter into the land of the living (aka, 2nd trimester) as the school year begins. It is still REALLY hard. Having a hard time organizing five children with lessons, cycling them on the computer and on mom-teacher time. I feel like I need to be 3 places at once. Hoping this week starts to fall into a bit more of a schedule. And hoping that I can possibly deal with the fact that it looks like a giant bomb went off in the living room. And kitchen. And the entire 2nd floor.
As luck and good timing would have it, I am beginning to emerge from the coma and enter into the land of the living (aka, 2nd trimester) as the school year begins. It is still REALLY hard. Having a hard time organizing five children with lessons, cycling them on the computer and on mom-teacher time. I feel like I need to be 3 places at once. Hoping this week starts to fall into a bit more of a schedule. And hoping that I can possibly deal with the fact that it looks like a giant bomb went off in the living room. And kitchen. And the entire 2nd floor.
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| Jo reviews place value for re-grouping! Gabe makes a mess in background! |
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| Matt and Theo turned Gabe's mess into flags of many nations. It was their own idea! Creativity is back, baby! |
One positive that I noticed is that with the lack of computer time and with the incentive of avoiding lessons, the kids have been super creative. Their imaginative play has increased a hundred-fold--group games of battling, robots, zombies, WalMart, dragons, etc. keep them occupied and content when not completing lessons. It is so good to see that they remember how to play something other than MineCraft or WebKinz!
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| Nate constructed these weapons solely from computer paper and Scotch tape. All kids had a blast shooting each other. Just realized this is not very PC....praising God we are removed from the dangers of school-time violence, and boys can just be boys. |
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| Think playdough on the deck would be less messy than inside? Guess again! Power-washing is in Daddy's future..... |
So here is to a new school year for all of us filled with learning and fun, as our kids begin to appreciate the value of free time and the structure of lessons.
Easy Rule #5223: Although summer we will miss you, we welcome the possibilities of fall!
Ditto on the insanity, being pulled in a trillion directions, house destroyed by toddlers, and the numbers of paper/tape weapons. I think we should buy stock in a tape company. Be strong, Em!
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