Reflections on the Upcoming School Year

Here we begin, again.  This is my seventh home school year!  I wish that meant that I know exactly what I'm doing, but it doesn't.  I've written about my home school blues before.  They come and go, but they can attack me pretty hard in the fall.  At the beginning of each year, I always feel overwhelmed.  It's a big responsibility.  I'm not only responsible for their health and well-being but also their education, which ties so much to the type of life they'll have in the future.  If I sit and think about it too long, I can let the "Am I good enough?" emotions consume.  What I have learned over the years is that much of home schooling, like so many other things in life, is simply putting one foot in front of the other.  We don't have to make college decisions today.  Today we have this one lesson to do, this particular character trait to work on, this one piano song to master.  That helps me a bit, because I can so easily lose sight of the bigger picture.  

Public and private schools have started, and I didn't look at all those back-to-school Facebook pics and Instagrams with (too much) jealousy this year.  I know, for this year, that continuing to do what we're doing makes the most sense for our family.  I have moments when I am torn; so many sweet families at other schools that we could join.  But all of our boys are happy doing what we're doing.  So, I'm taking a "don't fix what ain't broke" stance.  We're starting Classical Conversations this year, which our whole family will attend on Fridays (minus Chris).  I hope that adding this will fill in some gaps in our curriculum and give the boys a little something different than just us at our school table.

I've learned this year what every old lady has told me in the grocery store since Graham was a baby.  These years are SO short.  And I want to soak up every hour with them.  I love these days.  The days are not perfect, they're not always pretty, but they are ours.  And as much as I sometimes want to march them all to the elementary school down the street, I'm confident of the Giver of these days.  That He will give me what I need to do what's before me.

Here's to another year, guys!