THIS BLOG WAS BORN WHILE WE AWAITED THE ARRIVAL OF OUR BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL. IT HAS GROWN INTO A COLLECTION OF FAMILY MEMOIRS...

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Thursday, January 08, 2009

A Few Thoughts on the New Year

#1. I'm just now finishing up the last of my Christmas cards. You know the ones...that you set aside because the Stephenson's have moved since last year. And you have to call Aunt Maggie to get the address for Gramma's new...facility. Oh and oops...you thought this would be the year that you would stop exchanging cards with Dave's college girlfriend, but, alas, she sent you one....and, well, fair's fair. And what is the Jones' address from Guatemala?? Have to email them...and wait for a response. Oh and don't forget the new neighbor in Montana...good to keep up those relationships. Don't you have that pile?? But, honestly...January 8th? That's a little late...even for me.

#2. My single resolution this year is to limit the amount of C.R.A.P. coming into my home.

(and lower my stress level)

(and become an expert in Dave's love language)

But back to the C.R.A.P. There's just too much!!!! Too much stuff!!!!!!! And clothes!!!!!!! And toys!!!!!!!And papers!!!! And receipts!!!! Who needs 'em?? My little, hundred year old house is busting at the seams. Time to purge.

#3. School started again on Monday, and, since then, I've been hearing this statement far too often,

"I hate school."

And, in all honesty, I couldn't agree more.

Cole has had 3 hours of homework on 3 out of the last 4 nights. As I type this (at 9PM) he still has an hour of studying to do for a social studies test tomorrow. Honestly, they have my kids all day. Give them their after school hours (few as they may be) for playing, and being with family, eating dinner, and (heaven forbid) playing a sport! And chores?? Forget about it!

I'm rather irritated.

I don't know why I don't home school. Yes, I do. Because, I'm a chicken. I'm scared that I won't give my kids a quality education. I'm scared they'll miss out on...I don't know what. I'm scared that they'll drive me insane, and I'll pull all my hair out.

Emerson came home from school today, cried for an hour because he didn't want to do homework, and then confessed that one of his good friends had told him he "sucked at basketball" during lunch recess. Why I oughta....home school. Hmmm....

Evie woke up yesterday, cried for 20 minutes because she didn't want to go to school and finally got dressed when I told her she'd have to stay in bed all day if she stayed home. An empty threat is just no way to send your freshly-turned-6-year-old out into the world to take on the day.

Here's my plan: Take the kids out of school for three weeks and high-tail it to Mexico. (It was actually a pre-existing plan, but it's working to my advantage in this moment). We'll home school the kids while we're there (an independent study contract through the district) and maybe I just won't put them back in school when we get home in February. Or maybe we'll just stay in Mexico. I like it. Good to have a plan.

I don't mean to sound so jaded at the start of this fine year, but when my kiddos aren't happy, well, I get cranky.

4 comments:

Carol said...

Oh Heather! I totally connected with your blog! Both of my kids are going through that right now. I have always vowed that I would NEVER home school and honestly, this is the first year that I'd even wished I could.
Katie got pneumonia in November and missed ALOT of school and in high school, we are on a semester system - which means only 4 classes per day and she missed alot when she was off. She worked hard and almost caught up. I guarded her like a hawk at Christmas. Made her go to bed early and not alot of plans (although my mom and David's dad were both in the hospital during Christmas as a result of a collapsed lung and a stroke, respectively - so we did end up running a bit with a nice dose of stress added).

Katie went back to school this week and is sick already again! She is quite sick and we are going to take her back to Toronto to the Sick Kids Hospital tomorrow to see what's going on. I knew that her immune system would be low with the pneumonia - but 3 weeks later!?!?! She's already had 4 rounds of antibiotics and I'd prefer not to have another one - but exams are starting next week at school!? AHHHH Don't know what to do.

My son, Jake, has had alot of anxiety about school this year. It started again when he started back to school last Monday. And the teacher, once again, listed everything coming due right away. This overwhelms him and puts him into despair! We had a written project/oral presentation thing due today. He did the first copy and then I edited it and re=typed it for him. I don't even care. I'm so sick of the work, I"m now helping him to make our home life easier!

I just want to crawl into a hole and cover myself! It's been an awful few months.

I have to call the school today and find out what we can do about Katie's unfinished work before the exams. I'm hoping she'll be well enough to do exams on the 19th! Then she has a few days off. Brutal!

So... we may join you in Mexico and you can teach my kidlets too!

Anonymous said...

I hate school too! Takes my babies away from me!!! Keep us informed. Really? Mexico?

Anonymous said...

Ooops forgot to put my name. Me, Tina, left the above comment.

math jedi said...

I got your Christmas card today... looks good! Thanks :)