So my schedule is as follows right now:

Monday (library day):
Date work
Explode The Code
Singapore Math
Drawing Exercise/Animal Drawing
Reading an Animal Book


Tuesday (cooking day):
Date work
Handwriting
Math/Matching*Game
Singapore Math
"Come and Look With Me"
"Mind Benders"


Wednesday (outside/nature day):
Date work
Write letter to Teacher Jan
Reading Exercise/Explode the Code
Eco journal
Exploration day/Geography/Social Studies


Thursday (sewing day):
Date work
Explode The Code
Reading Exercise
Math/Matching Game
Singapore Math
Sewing exercise


Friday (shopping/field trip day):
Date Work
Explode the Code/Reading Exercise
Singapore Math
Drawing Exercise/Animal Drawing
Reading an Animal Book

It seems sound? Right? Well why in the heck is it taking us twice as long to get ANYTHING done right now? Cyan drags her feet... and I feel like screaming. Logan is into EVERYTHING (in the beautiful way of toddlers that just learned to climb) and even into closets that stuff is in. I get NOTHING done but school and that is usually less than I want to get done.

It seems like Cyan needs boxes to mark off when she is done as much as I do. But it also seems like there isn't a curriculum that fits us well. And with Alex being home next year... well heck. I feel as though I am just sort of signing away some of the things in my life. A clean house for one. Sanity (sometimes) for another.

Sigh. I am going to print out, in big letters, what I expect her to get done each day, and maybe just having her check it off as she does it will help. Right now, I think she feels that school is just never ending, because she just doesn't know when it will end. Does that make sense? Do you think that will help? I am dedicated to this... but I am feeling frayed and tired at the moment. There are other things I want to do aside from school...

Val

I try to get all of our schoolwork done before lunch. I used to do a few extra things and we would continue some work after lunch and it *did* feel neverending!!:lol:

I try to do ds's work in the same order every day so he knows what to expect. We do our unit study first, then math, then LA, and that's it! On afternoons that we are home, we usually do some other activites like cooking, or I read aloud, or play games, or a science experiment, but I like to think of them as just extras and if they get done great, if not, then that's okay too.

I have a really cool student planner page I can email you. It's a pdf and I change the quote each week. My son LOVES it. It's not what I'd think he'd be into, but it's working really well. He likes to check the boxes.

I have it in a 3 ringed binder. It's sectioned off and I put his math sheets for the week, science record sheets, his diary is in there and an area with copywork (he loves cursive and I found a printable pages copywork thing)

If you'd like a pdf of the student planner pm me your email address and I'll send it to y ou!

Val, do a search on old posts by me in this forum and you will find frazzled post after frazzled post when I was struggling through Bayus at Logan's age and homeschooling. I've said it to others before and I'll say it again- Motherhood is a full-time job, housework/meal planning is a full-time job, being a teacher (regardless of the number of students in your class) is a full time job. Add to that all the other things we each do individually from gardening to doula work (depending on the person) and we are all choosing to be stretched in a million directions. This season of your life will not be the same tomorrow as it is today as it was yesterday. The tactics I devised to 'do school' and parent Bayus changed regularly (hence the multiple posts) and I paniced about it all often. I have chosen to give up certain things that were important to me to do other things that I deemed more important (for our family thats homeschooling and not housework). You are not alone, we understand...keep on finding what works each day, chin up mama!

Sarah

I feel like I am going crazy at the moment. There is too much to do... too much to deal with, and too much I want to do. I am signing away my life for this at the moment. I haven't planted a THING Sarah. I went to get seeds yesterday and came home to Logan screaming and the other kids being just nuts. This thing tomorrow is threatening to send me over the edge as it seems that I was the one who didn't remember and now the very full day is on the verge of bursting.

This is the first time ever I have felt "behind"... but I am. I am behind in the stuff Cyan is "supposed" to know, and I am WAY behind in the stuff I want to be doing this time of year. The weather isn't helping. No matter what, the 2 hours of sun we get per week isn't coordinating with when I have time like ever.

Sorry... this day has just gotten worse since I talked about it this morning. I am starting to hate this house. I feel as though I can't get away from anyone... and for a while (like when it was just 4 of us) it was cute... 'love grows best in little houses' and all that... but now it is downright claustrophobic.

They both want to go to school. Why do I bother? Really?

I feel like I am going crazy at the moment. There is too much to do... too much to deal with, and too much I want to do. I am signing away my life for this at the moment. I haven't planted a THING Sarah. I went to get seeds yesterday and came home to Logan screaming and the other kids being just nuts. This thing tomorrow is threatening to send me over the edge as it seems that I was the one who didn't remember and now the very full day is on the verge of bursting.

This is the first time ever I have felt "behind"... but I am. I am behind in the stuff Cyan is "supposed" to know, and I am WAY behind in the stuff I want to be doing this time of year. The weather isn't helping. No matter what, the 2 hours of sun we get per week isn't coordinating with when I have time like ever.

Sorry... this day has just gotten worse since I talked about it this morning. I am starting to hate this house. I feel as though I can't get away from anyone... and for a while (like when it was just 4 of us) it was cute... 'love grows best in little houses' and all that... but now it is downright claustrophobic.

They both want to go to school. Why do I bother? Really?


I am so sorry that you are feeling this way. I know it is so hard. We are actually thinking about private school next year depending on where we are. We will see. I am still planning for next year, trying to finish up this year and planning to evaluate this summer.

I agree that maybe having something that Cyan can check off would help her. My sil used a dry erase board to print off the days work and then her ds erased it as he finished. He needed to see the visual to stay on track.

Val I'm so sorry you are overwhelmed. I'm sending you a big hug, and telling
you Cyan will get to college regardless. Enjoy your children and give yourself a break. To be the devil's advocate, forget the lists and the check off planners, and just go to the park and ride bikes, watch videos, and eat fun food for a couple of days. I think you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself.
anni

I feel like I am going crazy at the moment. There is too much to do... too much to deal with, and too much I want to do. I am signing away my life for this at the moment. I haven't planted a THING Sarah. I went to get seeds yesterday and came home to Logan screaming and the other kids being just nuts. This thing tomorrow is threatening to send me over the edge as it seems that I was the one who didn't remember and now the very full day is on the verge of bursting.

This is the first time ever I have felt "behind"... but I am. I am behind in the stuff Cyan is "supposed" to know, and I am WAY behind in the stuff I want to be doing this time of year. The weather isn't helping. No matter what, the 2 hours of sun we get per week isn't coordinating with when I have time like ever.

Sorry... this day has just gotten worse since I talked about it this morning. I am starting to hate this house. I feel as though I can't get away from anyone... and for a while (like when it was just 4 of us) it was cute... 'love grows best in little houses' and all that... but now it is downright claustrophobic.

They both want to go to school. Why do I bother? Really?

First off: cleansing breath. :big hug:

It's so easy to feel overwhelmed when we have so many plates spinning in the air. If I think ahead too far; that's it. I get worried about what I'm not doing. Not to mention my house: I can not, for the life of me get control of it. We are living in it, all day, every day. It gets messy.

If you crave order and peace in your life, perhaps, this homeschooling path isn't one for you. However, if you can come to some sort of middle ground, you'll be fine!

I do agree that maybe you're putting too much pressure on yourself. Doing all of this w/a toddler is sooo difficult. Believe me, I understand. I'm on my 2nd todder run through while homeschooling. Our day stretches on and on, too. I could have written just about every one of your words. We save the intense one on one (Math) for nap time if necessary. The rest of it, I just fit in around our schedule. I'm trying to condense it so I don't have it hanging over my head all day. So far, I haven't been successful, but that may be due to having the toddler. Another thing I'm working on is delegation: I'm trying to find ways for him to learn w/out needing me for everything. He loves the computer and I think that this is an avenue that I'll expand upon for his learning needs in the future. This week, I've found several great learning tools for specific areas, such as spelling and math. Are you on Diane Flynn Keith's email list? It's fabulous.

I would suggest that you lower your standards for Cyan's "learning" and your home. Gardening may have to take a back seat, too. Cyan is young. She doesn't have to follow a strict learning schedule, IMHO. A lot of it will come naturally just by being around you...you're so energetic and your enthusiasm for life is contagious. :)

I've given up a lot of personal goals relating to crafting, gardening, homekeeping. It's all worth it so far. :)

I agree w/everything Sarah wrote. You can do it! Give yourself time to figure this thing out. We're here to support you. Give me a call! :sadhug:

I am doing much better now. Thanks Amy. Things calmed down and I even was able to get some time with my baby, which I have been sorely missing this time around. I put that in my blogs. lol...

I have let the laundry go. Someday, I may be able to weed out the clothes down to a level I can keep up with, but I don't have time for that either. LOL! So for now, a permanent pile of laundry in my room is what I am dealing with, and it gets 'done' every couple weeks. And whatever. No one goes in our room.... I am asleep in there at night, and Don is asleep in there during the day. So it won't get noticed. The rest of the house, I have down to an hour here and there and it is pretty neat.

Our house has gotten to the point where it is so multifunctional, I am not sure it won't crash down around our ears by the time we move. We may have just used this house up.

ONe thing I am planning on doing: I have a meeting with the finanacial aid person from YMCA in our area. I want to talk with her about our situation and see if I can get our 'signing fee' waved and then get a small discount on our membership fee. Then we will be able to sign up for classes, go in for swimming (which Cyan sorely misses) and visit friends, etc there... there is even a drop off 'teen' night on saturdays from 7pm to 10pm which might be great for Alex next year considering he won't be in school. So that will be next week. :) And we will see what happens from there.

Val