Visions of grandeur and homeschool reality

I'm a night owl. I get a burst of energy at night similar to a hamster. 

Now that I think about it, maybe that's why I liked having hamsters so much as a kid. 

Anyway, what I also have, are visions of grandeur. Big plans. Confidence in success. All mostly at night! I go to sleep with my mind racing with all the wonderful ideas of things that will get done. I'll wake up with the birds and get Monnie and Nece started on their schoolwork pronto, and when they finish after an hour of committed work (yes, my unrealistic expectations do include them too), we'll start on all the creative and extra-curricular work! 

What really happens is that I wake up at 8 AM tired and drowsy from falling asleep at around 2 AM. I'm not a morning person, so I doze back off and get up at around 9. By this time, the girls are already doing their schoolwork-more or less-in between talking and arguing intermittently. I realize I have to run some grown-up errands, and so I head out with instructions for them to really concentrate and finish (because I'm still kinda excited about last nights plans.) I start looking for my shoes, and it takes 30 minutes, because I can never find my shoes...And when I find them in Monnie's room I'm very upset at the wasted time. In dire need of the coffee that I'd planned to pick up while I'm out, and the "hungry Elisabeth" attitude I fuss at my younger sister who has the annoying habit of looking at me blankly when I'm instructing her. I leave the house grouchy, turning on Christian radio in the car hoping some Jesus time is all I need. 

I feel better when I get back home an hour later, but the girls are still doing their schoolwork with minimal progress! They're requesting to listen to audio books while they work (like I ever say yes,) and slouching in their chairs. Someone help me! I'm quickly losing my creative drive already! So I let them know I'm not in the mood to wait forever, and sit down to post a blog, because sometimes the best idea is to change your plan if it's not working. 

What shall we do today? Nece is learning about reflected lights and lenses and things in her science so I was planning on some flat lays. It may take a little longer, but I sure hope we get to it!

Sowing Seeds

A little over a week ago, my mom and I took some egg cartons and began to fill them with dirt. Several packets of vegetable seeds had just arrived in the mail, so I was excited to plant them. I am not known for my ability to keep plants alive, but I'm great at growing seeds. This year we're planning to have all kinds of veggies and have even been allowed to plant at a friend's house! I read each instruction carefully before sprinkling them into the dirt, covering them, and soaking their new homes with water from a spray bottle. These moments are the ones I love with my mom, because playing in the dirt is her thing; that I enjoy it too a this stage is what makes it special. I think every girl secretly wants to share her mom's hobbies.

A few days ago I noticed tiny plants nudging their way out of the dirt, specks of green were just barely discernible at the surface. At this point you couldn't really tell what they were, but by the next morning they were actually little plants. The squash were the biggest, and I watched their container and encouraged their speedy growth with elation. My mom's seeds didn't fare so well. She thinks that the seeds were old, or not stored correctly. Her disappointment only lasted momentarily, because she will find more seeds, and plant them and try again.                         

It's the same way with children. I was discussing schoolwork with a friend yesterday who isn't home-schooling her daughter, she mused that she needed the deadlines that the school set to stay on track. I told her that the online school we used for the last two semesters wasn't for us right now. When she expressed regret, I told her it was okay; I'm coming to the realization that everyone is different and much of parenting or teaching in my case, is about figuring out what works. We sow seeds into the minds of children, and expect that the correct "plant" will grow out of it. When the seeds don't grow, hope is not lost! It could be the wrong seeds, the wrong soil, not enough water, the wrong season, or any number of factors. We change things and try again. If we are in tune with the needs of these little minds that we are responsible for, it will turn out okay in the end. On a personal note, the girls did enjoy their online schooling for the most part (two subjects for each, read about that HERE) it took too much time away from other things I want them to accomplish. I also feel that much of my angst during the school year is from when we take some alternate learning time, and then they get behind online. Anyway, I'm signing up again for nature pal exchange, and my little nephew will be learning about planting seeds--so nature studies are fully covered lol. To close, here is a picture of my squash taken tonight.

Lizzi