The Holidays seem like a blur now. So many guests, so many presents, so much busyness. This weekend we capped things off with our youngest having her 5th birthday. There are no more toddlers or preschoolers here! While I always miss the days of the "littles" I so much cherish big conversations and the deeper communication that comes with older kids.
My husband has been on vacation for 2 weeks during the holidays. Which was lovely but not our normal routine. I believe he was ready to return to work and his responsibilities there. The homemaker knows how things can pile up when we are away. The two of us did get a much welcomed date last night. Probably the first in a year! We went to see the Hobbit (we are huge Lord of The Rings fans). The best part was the movie was three hours long! That is three hours of sitting next to my husband uninterrupted with no one sharing the popcorn but us! Now that we live 5 minutes from my parents we should be able to get these dates more often. This also gives the much needed grandparent time the kids need. I feel the grands house should be like a second home where a child can enter and feel a sense of belonging and safety from the world.
Speaking of older kids the "three amigos" are visiting their father for 3 weeks this month.The kids continued school for much of the holidays so they could take this break without me having to send school with them When they leave for more then a weekend I always seem to go through a slight depression or sense of being a little lost, losing my bearings. I know they are in excellent hands and loved and cared for immensely so it is not for their sake that I feel this way. One does not realize how true it is that our children our parts of our hearts walking around on the outside.
I am taking my time to read Large Family Logistics by Kim Brennanmen. I'm not to far in this book and already finding a wealth of information. This book can be ordered at visionforum.com
I'm finding the kids need clear direction and while we were able to "get away with it" when the kids were in public school, we cannot do so now. The kids are struggling with what to do with their down time. They instantly go to video games and the computer when I am not working with them on school. Of course this is not what we want for them so I am working on a list of "to-do" ideas. The electronics will be off limits until the afternoon after all chores are done. The exception will be school related times and select videos from the library that pertain to what we are learning.
So while the kids are away this mouse will not play but will be schooling herself. So if anyone in blog land has suggestions let me know. I've said this before and I will say it again, homeschooling is like I am getting to know my kids for the first time. To more deeply understand who they are as people. I am seeing what they struggle with and what makes them light up. I thought I knew this before but I am shocked to see what I was missing.
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