Sickness, Surgery, and Homeschool.

Monday was our first official day of homeschooling. Unfortunatley, it did not go according to plan. I had everything ready. After hours of looking online and talking with other moms who homeschool, I finally decided on and ordered curriculum. I spent several days transforming a bedroom into our classroom. I was ecstatic when my father-in-law brought us three school desk that had been Jeremy's and his two brothers when they were kids.

I filled out the necessary paperwork at the Board of Education, and Friday I picked Owen up from his last day at Wayland. I had to fight back tears when his classmates swarmed his desk to help him clean out the mess of bent papers and books that had no doubt been accumulating since August. It was the first time I had really doubted my decision. Seeing all of his friends hug him and tell him how much they would miss him. Hearing a couple of them whisper to him, "Tell your Mom you want to stay".

As we walked down the hall to leave, I could sense there was something weighing heavily on Owen, and it wasn't just the backpack that we had just stuffed full. I asked him if he felt sad. His reply, "Yeah, I'm a little sad. I'll miss my friends, but I'm more excited than anything." The doubt faded, and I was at peace again.

I couldn't wait for Monday morning! I was like a kid awaiting the arrival of Christmas! Then Sunday night happened. The storms kept me up til 1 am. I had finally drifted off, when I heard Ava. She was at the top of the stairs screaming for her Daddy. Jeremy went up to get her. He took her to use the bathroom, and then brought her to me, and explained that she cried and said it hurt when she tried to go. The rest of the night, I was up every 30 minutes to an hour taking her to the bathroom, refilling her sippy cup with cranberry juice, and googling home remedies for urinary tract infections. I wanted to cry because I knew how miserable she was, and because I knew I would be trading in my morning lesson plans for a trip to the pediatricians office.

We dropped Jameson off at preschool at 8:30 and headed to Owensboro. We were done by 10:40, including getting her antibiotic filled and stopping to get gas. We rushed home, ate lunch, and finally got started on school at noon.

We completed our daily lessons in math, reading, spelling, geography, and health, and finished our school day by 2:30! My friends who homeschool had mentioned how much shorter the school days would be compared to public school, but I was still shocked! Pleasantly shocked!

Yesterday, Jameson was scheduled for surgery to have his adenoids removed, so we didn't even get started on school until 4:00. I'm one of these people that love to be on a schedule. I need structure and a "to do" list to survive, but it's great to know that homeschooling is flexible and when unexpected things come up, it's not a big deal. Owen doesn't have to miss school, we simply reschedule for a better time.

So far, even with the challenges that came with our first couple of days, I am absolutely loving teaching my son! I find so much joy in watching him learn and figure things out, and I'm learning quite a bit in the process too!