We got back from our mini vacation last night and we all struggled to get up this morning. Even Brady was late for work. My friend stopped by to bring back Frodo, we had an oven repair guy coming sometime between 8 and noon, and I was frantically trying to get the kids going.
"It's cold!!" "I'm tired" "Theres nothing I want for breakfast," were a few complaints being yelled around the house this morning, while I tried to get breakfast done, and chores accomplished. I sat in the living room, visiting with my friend, yelling at the children to get busy and finish their chores or there would be no pumpkin patch this afternoon. She asked me if I've considered just sending them to school- "this looks like a lot of work." I laughed and said, "Na." But in my heart I was thinking "YES, YES, YES!!!!"
After she left and the repair guy finished with his estimate, I pulled the kids into the living room and told them if they don't get this figured out they are all going back to school!!!! And I meant it. I laid down the law, laid out a new updated schedule of our day, and ordered them all to start school. Then I went to my computer, and found Tammys blog. WOW, did I need that today!!! You not them. Inspire not require. What am I doing? Time to pull the book back out and get busy inspiring. I think part of my frustration comes from the fact that we are meeting with our ES and supposed to turn in a few samples of what we have done this month.
What does she mean? We haven't done anything this month. We have no math pages, book reports or science projects. But this isn't true. I just need to look deeper. Tyler has read 2 books, Katrina is studying Hamlet in her Shakespeare class and Carter has started an ant farm. This needs to be part of my "You not them." I can take pictures of these things, take notes and make copies. They dont need to do anything different. (except maybe their chores a little quicker with a lot less complaining.)
They are learning, even if its not through textbooks and worksheets.
So today is a new day, time to "Inspire not require."
"It's cold!!" "I'm tired" "Theres nothing I want for breakfast," were a few complaints being yelled around the house this morning, while I tried to get breakfast done, and chores accomplished. I sat in the living room, visiting with my friend, yelling at the children to get busy and finish their chores or there would be no pumpkin patch this afternoon. She asked me if I've considered just sending them to school- "this looks like a lot of work." I laughed and said, "Na." But in my heart I was thinking "YES, YES, YES!!!!"
After she left and the repair guy finished with his estimate, I pulled the kids into the living room and told them if they don't get this figured out they are all going back to school!!!! And I meant it. I laid down the law, laid out a new updated schedule of our day, and ordered them all to start school. Then I went to my computer, and found Tammys blog. WOW, did I need that today!!! You not them. Inspire not require. What am I doing? Time to pull the book back out and get busy inspiring. I think part of my frustration comes from the fact that we are meeting with our ES and supposed to turn in a few samples of what we have done this month.
What does she mean? We haven't done anything this month. We have no math pages, book reports or science projects. But this isn't true. I just need to look deeper. Tyler has read 2 books, Katrina is studying Hamlet in her Shakespeare class and Carter has started an ant farm. This needs to be part of my "You not them." I can take pictures of these things, take notes and make copies. They dont need to do anything different. (except maybe their chores a little quicker with a lot less complaining.)
They are learning, even if its not through textbooks and worksheets.
So today is a new day, time to "Inspire not require."
