President of Awesomeness

During our trip to Williamsburg this past October, I was elected the President of Awesomeness by my son. Since then, I have been impeached several times with dark looks of defiance, but I am writing this to remind myself that at one time this year I was loved by the populace.  Though public opinion polls waver in and out of my favor everyday, I admit that I love my new roll.  This high office was bestowed on me when the side of my son that is loving, thoughtful and thankful realized his gratefulness for the time, energy and money it took to plan the spectacular field trip to our country's birthplace.    While walking back to our hotel from dinner one night, he stole a special moment to tell me thank-you in this special way.  Lamenting and fearing that there may not many more moments in life that he might cherish his time with me(since I mentioned that teenage boys often like to spend more time with pears than moms), he expressed in the best way he could how he felt about our relationship.  I will treasure my title of Presidential Awesomeness forever.

A fifth grader's understanding of human reproduction

"Basically mom, all the little sperm are like soldiers going to battle and the egg is like a cannon shooting out of the fallopian tube." Through much giggling and the making of battle noises (where my son corrects me and says"gather more spit in your throat" when I lamely try to create an explosion sound) my son learns the basics of fertilization one evening at bedtime.  Right now, sex seems to be a mysterious act to him where egg is conquered by one brave and valiant sperm.  I know someday the discussions about sex will be more more intricate and emotional, so for now, the battle of the sperm and egg is a memorable bedtime story.

Priceless

Ahhhhh, the intricate workings of a ten-year-old boy.  Monday, my son woke up in a dismal mood.  He was very agitated and hard to motivate.  Everything seemed to bring him to tears.  I thought this had something to do with the "BIG TALK" he and his father had the night before.  I asked him if he was okay and he said "Yes, but I have a lot of things that I am thinking about."  I asked him if it had anything to so with the sex talk the night before.  "No, I just can't decide which sports to play next year.  Dad and I talked about that too and I am really stressed about what decision I should make."  So much for the sex talk impact.  I guess sports over sex is the reality for ten year old boys.  It is what shapes their hearts and minds.  I am grateful that I have a little more time with my baby boy.  Not much, but I will cherish these precious remaining ten-year-old moments where sports wins over sex (though I think some men never grow out of this phase).

Six weeks in

Here I am at the six week mark of homeschooling! First year Newbie! My son is exclusively home schooled save Mondays when we attend Classical Conversations (and where I also tutor grammar and writing) while my daughter attends a part time University Model school.   Most weeks have been pleasant though absolutely exhausting.  I remember feeling similar when I started my first year teaching fifth grade.  The difference was: I had no children at home and my students went home to their parents!

Homeschool is never ending.  Get up, get kids up, make breakfast, review memory work,  clean up breakfast, start son's Math, take Leah to school, put laundry in, start English, take laundry out, make lunch, read novel to children while eating (that is fun) email, start son on writing assignment, email, Latin, pick up daughter, dishes, pre-football snack, football practice, errands, dinner, clean up, get kids to bed, watch vacantly in the general direction of the T.V. screen until I fall asleep.  Do it all again....

For any of you who are thinking about homeschooling, it is not easy.  I never thought it was going to be a cake-walk but I  never imagined feeling so exhausted.  I thought we would have leisurely conversations about the origins of the universe over a cup of hot chocolate or discuss the Fall of Rome some day while enjoying the weather at the park, but so far, it takes all my energy to keep my son on task so he can get his work done before three o'clock.  The great thing is: we don't have "homework."  This was a problem last year at our private classical school.  I do like it that my son and daughter both can have a life outside of school.  Friends actually drop by from the neighborhood now.  My son can play football this year and not worry about have to do more homework after practice.  But, my free time is definitely limited.

  For now, I am peaceful about our decision and I am enjoying spending time with my son and daughter.  What a special time--they won't be little for long.  Free time will come later and I will morn the fact that I have no one to suck the life out of me any longer....