School 2013-2014, Part 2

So if you didn't already know, we are homeschooling again, in spite of the fact that last year's school experience was what I'd call an epic failure.  It was a perfect storm with a newborn, a sleep deprived mama and a daddy deployed, but I own the choices I made too.  I am praying this year is a complete 180!

I have struggled, knowing firmly that homeschooling is what God is calling our family to do.  Honestly, it's really hard most days and selfishly, I'd rather not do it.  I already have a full-time job as wife and mommy.  Putting on a teacher hat is daunting, often frustrating and leaves me even more exhausted.  Taking full responsibility for our children's education is humbling and seems to invite criticism more than encouragement.

Faithful to combat my frustrations, God gave me the following delights this week:

• We have battled viruses and stomach bugs for the past 3 weeks and were the boys in traditional school, they would have had to miss more than a week already, but they didn't miss much school because they're always home! 
• My boys get to be boys.  They get to play rough, take breaks when needed and spend hours building legos together.  THIS ARTICLE was a thought-provoking read which affirmed me recently. I think the author missed some much deeper implications in her assessment, but still, a good encouragement to me when I am hollering at my boys to bring it down a notch.  I should delight in their freedom to play Narnia and wield their wrapping paper tubes swords around the house.
• I humbly get to pour into their spirits when bizarre opportunities arise.  Like when discussions about cheese..."How can you tell what cheese is fake or real?"...can turn be turned into conversations about God.  You have to know what is real, first, if you want to be able to identify the fake.  I get to train their hearts.  All day long.  It's exhausting an awesome privilege.  

More school details to come...