Doing the Next Thing

The Balm of Gilead for me today.... A lovely 3.5mi jog on this trail was the perfect way to reset my mood and my energy level after a busy week. School is in full swing, and we are all still adapting to the new lifestyle. Part homeschool / part classical dayschool ... all making me feel a little bit like I'm perpetually in fast forward . But blessings abound: A(6yo) and M(11yo) are thriving at their new school - a fact that is evident each afternoon at carpool when they hop in the car chatting away, eyes bright and hearts merry. We've had our struggles - A somtimes is a bit teary in the mornings for drop-off; and M is adapting to a rigorous workload and nightly homework. These are very light afflictions, however, when compared to the joy and blessing of having them in such a godly, like-minded school! (gotta love the dead plant in the background. sign o' the times.)

I write like Dan Brown I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software . Analyze your writing!

As I've hinted before , my homeschool journey is taking a new turn. Lord-willing, if all the details (like financial assistance!) continue to work out, M (11) and A (5) will be attending a classical Christian school next year. The Big Boys will attend the same tutorial they did last year: in class one full day, working from home on the other days. And little miss K (4) will be home with me full-time. I'm not kidding myself into thinking this will be an easy year - I know better. It will be a time of transition for us all: getting out the door on time, doing homework, making lunches ... a different kind of stress. But my burden will be lifted, and that's huge. I've been stretched so thin these last couple of years, juggling so many ages & stages, managing our home, and being a helper to a hubby busy running his own business. There are cracks. Big ones. Stuff is falling through. I'm looking forward to knowing, for all four of my students, that education wi...

This is VBS week for us. I'm spending my time with a cute bunch of 2- and 3-year-olds. It's a different pace than I'm used to at VBS, a more physically demanding class, but what a blessing! I'm enjoying it so far. My Mom is here cooking and cleaning for us this week, and I'm so thankful for her servant's heart and cheerfulness. I took little miss KL (4) out in the jog stroller for a short run this afternoon, to work out the kinks and burn off some of my Mom's yummy cooking! It was a sweaty run, and the hills were hard in the 5 o'clock sun with a toddler. But it felt goooood to be back out there. GOTTA find time to run more often! Got in 2.5 miles in just under 30 min. Not a great time, but did I mention that it was hot? And that I was pushing a stroller? Uphill?

Helpful thought for this frustrated perfectionist: If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly. -- G. K. Chesterton

Little Miss K just turned 4. Here's a collection of her funny chatter: "Be kind, one and another, peacemakers, and your parents." her answer when I asked her "what does the Bible say about how you should treat your brother?" "When I cry, Jesus cries. And when i don't cry, he doesn't cry, too." "Mommy, if you put my jammies in the washing macleaner, the will get aaaaall clean!" "Mommy! Mommy! My balloon -- it went all the way up to the... sk... sk... sss... the roof!" trying so hard to remember the word "ceiling" in her excitement. Now go visit Not Before 7 for more Tiny Talk Tuesday!

The boys' tutorial ended this week, and I can't even TELL you what a relief it is to have our last assignment sheets for Veritas behind us! Mind you, it's a wonderful program, and their Daddy and I have been very pleased with what they've learned, with the amazing teachers, and with the great group of kids they've made friends with. It's just that it's a lot of work - for them and for me - and we're glad to be able to put it behind us. I say almost finished, because everyone still has math to work on over the summer, and the boys need to finish their science curricula for the year. But we're taking the rest of this week off (except for summer reading) and enjoying being free. Daddy offered to take the kids out last night and let me have some 'alone time' at the house. But I really wanted - no, needed - a run, so we all went to the park together. We grabbed $5 pizzas and had a goofy dinner together, then he watched them on the playground whi...