Aprons, Heels, and Yoga Pants

I’m pretty sure the last time I wrote in a journal I didn’t need reading glasses to see my writing.

As I sit by the fire in quiet solitude, sipping wine, writing in my “Follow Your Dreams” journal, the Jason Mraz iHeart station playing for inspiration…..my angelic children are in the basement watching “Jaws 3.” Excellent viewing choice before bed. Once in a while I hear a scream of terror/joy and I am jolted from my sophisticated mood and reminded I’m wearing pink Old Navy sweats and a well worn Bon Jovi sweatshirt, my wine is rather cheap, and I have yet to clean up dinner…..which by the way consisted of a frozen pizza and leftover spaghetti.

It was one of those days. I had very little sleep the night before; woke up with a stiff neck to boot, which has caused me to turn my head like Frankenstein all day long. My day was filled with phonics, spelling, listening to an early reader read a nail biting book about a dog named Biscuit, figuring out how to find the 3rd root of a number, (for some reason I haven’t needed to use this calculation EVER in my adult life), googling answers to random questions like, “How long is an anaconda?”….. I gave spelling tests for three different grade levels and encouraged my seven year old to count to 500. I told my son, as I do everyday, there will be no video games until all of his school work is done. I had a heart to heart with my 14 year old daughter, about life and how things are going. If you are a home educating mom, you understand my list can go on and on. Meals, laundry, cleaning, etc., all get squeezed in there between raising/educating the next generation. You are welcome, world.

Lately I have wondered if I am doing enough or too little. I wondered if they should go to school….am I improving their lives or ruining them? The pondering stopped as I looked at the clock and realized we had five minutes to get out the door to swimming lessons. And yes, that meant I had no time to change my lovely lounging outfit. But who am I kidding? My pink sweats are always a sign that there is no other clean laundry!

Oh my fellow, dear sweet, homeschooling moms. I am willing to bet you ARE doing enough and so am I. Your child WILL learn to read, write, and memorize his multiplication facts. How can he not when you’ve sat on the couch practicing over and over until you are forced into an afternoon nap? (flashcards and reading are absolute sleep inducers) I now have the benefit of seeing my results in two grown children. Despite my imperfections, and oh my there are many…they turned out quite beautifully! Don’t give up – you know and love your children more than anyone. You were made for this “job.”

My children recently endured some major life changes. In the past few months they’ve experienced the divorce of their parents, moving to a new community, loss of old friends, mom’s new career, and everything else that comes with divorce.

I don’t say this to brag, but to encourage others….my children are doing amazingly well, and I believe continuing to homeschool them has played a big factor in that.

I knew I didn’t want them to experience any more change. They have been through enough. In the back of my mind I have assumed since I am now a single mom, eventually they would need to go to school. After seeing their sweet spirits not broken from divorce, and realizing what a blessing it has been to always be available when they need to talk, I am not so sure sending them away all day is the best thing for them. I may have to, but it won’t be because I think homeschooling isn’t working.

I will come up against other opinions if I do decide to stay on this journey of home education, but that is nothing new. As they say…”The proof is in the pudding.” It’s hard to argue the benefits of this lifestyle.