Homeschooling Begins

For all of you curious at how we are doing with school, let me just tell you that we started out rough, (like anything new and challenging) but we are definitely progressing toward the more positive side of things.

Our first week was awful. 12-14 hour days trying and still not finishing the minimum. Neglecting little ones and frustrated with older ones.

But I tell you Tuesday things really turned around. But before I tell you, I just want you to know that I was crying all day Monday. I was at rock bottom. But, I remembered a story that I had heard on Sunday at church about a mother who had her family to care for plus an additional family to care for and she had to do everything, cleaning, laundry, meals, etc. (and to top it off she lived in the 1800's) Well, as the time progressed she became burdened with her trials and was very down. She went to pray and was visited by an angel who helped her. She did not know that it was an angel, but later found out that it was.

So I was reflecting upon this story so I decided to pray also. I asked Heavenly Father to help me to sustain me in my burdens so that they would become light, so that I may do all that was required of me. I opened my scriptures in the Book of Mormon and read D&C 121:7-10 which reads:

7. My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8. And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
9. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.
10. Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as thy did Job.

Then during our family scripture study I had Katie pick a story from the Friend magazine. She happened to choose a story about the prophet Joseph Smith and read how he is a true prophet of God in these latter days.

This again bore a second witness to me that God does live, He knows me personally. He sent his son here to the earth to establish his gospel and teach me what is true. I know that my prayers have been answered and that I can find those answers in the scriptures, through modern revelation, and through others, even virtual teachers.

On Monday in the early afternoon, the girls teacher called me to ask me some questions. As soon as she asked me how I was doing I began again to cry. I expressed to her my struggles and all the trouble I was having about juggling my schedule with my older kids with my younger kids. She listened to me cry and yell and really listened to me. She was an answer to my prayer, because I was able to get all that tension off my chest and she took no offense to it and was a stepping stone for me to leave all that behind and start again. She helped me change the girls schedules so that I don't have to do everything every single day. She bore my burdens and told me she would research what other moms are doing to balance school kids with non school kids. How awesome is that! A teacher who has time for me and my family.

Let me tell you this has made all the difference in the world. Yesterday, the girls had a dr. appt. so I printed out their worksheets and explained to the girls that we were taking our schooling with us. They were OK with that and so off we went. We finished at the dr.s and had one more appt to go to. Both ended taking up all of our morning. I dropped Robert off at school (where he stayed till 8am the next morning) and headed home to feed the kids. We spent another two hours-3 hours on homework and stopped at 4pm. We went to the YMCA and played. I walked for 1.5 hours and we came home and had dinner. Then took baths and went to bed. I even got to stay up and watch a movie, the one I wanted to watch! (I didn't go to bed till midnight) but that was beside the point I was not bound to my house, I was able to see the sun and daylight. I was able to enjoy me kids. I was free! This is what it is all about! Fitting school into my life--rather my life fitting into school.

I am a new person. I am elaited and ready to begin my quest....again. Renewed and afresh. All thanks be to Heavenly Father.

(By the way for any of you curious, I started school before the K-12 people gave me advice about the first 5 days....to start out slow one subject a day then add to that. I jumped in with both feet and sunk quickly....I won't be doing that again.)

Next week we get to tackle more juggling...three of the four are starting soccer, and the girls are starting girl scouts (maybe). Go Hagen's.