How's It Going?

Well, for most homeschoolers the halfway point in our year has come and gone. So...how's it going? It's exciting when you first start the year. New books, new plans, new hopes!! The kids are excited and you are raring to get started. But as the year goes on, sometimes we get tired. The children start complaining, "Do I really need to do math, Mom?" and some of our wonderful plans get thrown to the side.

It's important not to get burnt out...especially if you are just starting out on your homeschool journey!! Even though I've been technically been homeschooling for three and a half years (starting with preschool for the oldest), I still have a LOOOOOONG way to go before I'm done.

I like to look at my bookshelves sometimes. They are filled with books I swore I'd incorporate into the kids' curriculum, books full of projects I promised myself I'd do with the kids, and books full of promises on how to make my life easier. But there they sit...on the shelf! As a matter of fact, many of them have already been packed away.

I don't feel bad, however. Our core curriculum gets done on a daily basis and I still find time to do fun projects with the kids. Maybe I won't use ALL the extra books, but I have used some of them. And whenever I'm in a rut, I look to all these wonderful books to fill me with new ideas, hopes, and energy. I still order books. I still print out endless project and craft ideas. I still bookmark links to great blogs. It's all good!!

I'll admit that I may not always be on top of my game. I'm not ahead, like I hoped I would be. But perhaps starting the year with a new baby, a hospitalization, and other out-of-the-ordinary events slowed us down a bit. The important thing is that I'm OK with that now. The kids are still learning and having fun.

At the end of the day, I think..."Did I do my best today? Did I offer myself up to God?" If I can honestly answer "yes" to those questions, then I feel alright. If not (and there are many days that I answer "no") I'm happy to know that tomorrow is a new day.

For now, I'm off to make my children's lives better in any way I can. Love of God, family, and their education are my top priorities. There are sacrifices we all make to provide these things for our kids...and all the stress and hardships are worth it!!