The Homeschool Mother's Journal

 

In my life this week… This week was a blur. Stress does that.

In our homeschool this week…We had a rather chaotic week. The teacher was a little crazy. Or a lot crazy. It was not my finest hour, nor my finest week. My kids were troopers in spite of the little bit of crazy mama that was ever present. The good news is that if crazy mama sticks around (I'm praying she gets a grip very, very soon), school is out until next year. :) I love saying that. It makes me smile.

I am inspired by…Christmas lights. They're beautiful, aren't they? They make me pause and ponder the fact that the whole country is lighting up their lawns to honor the king of kings. They may not realize they're honoring Him, but Christmas wouldn't exist without Him, and so the lights shine for Jesus.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…Tomorrow, we're hanging with some great friends for the afternoon, and then we're taking the kids to the Roscoe Tree Lighting in the evening. Sunday, we'll head to church followed by a family day at home!!! Can't wait for that!

My favorite thing this week was…The books we've been reading. This week, we read a picture book version of Little Women that includes the chapter of the novel in which the March girls celebrate Christmas. My kids loved it! We also read from A Little House Christmas, which includes chapters from the whole Little House series all about how the Ingalls family celebrated each Christmas. Laura is a favorite of ours. We love reading about her. Also on our reading agenda this week was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. We were supposed to finish it today, but I decided that we could watch Frosty Returns instead. Yep. I sure did. Then it was one thing after another, and, even though the kids are super excited to hear the end of the book, we didn't get it accomplished today. We'll read it over the weekend. If you haven't read it, it is well worth it!

What’s working/not working for us…We didn't have much fun this week during our school day. I've been so extremely stressed-out, and it took all I had to get the academics accomplished. This method does not work in the long-run. Fun needs to show up, especially at Christmas. Thankfully, we have 2 full weeks to craft, enjoy Christmas specials, read great stories and enjoy each other and some down time (and a 3rd week to enjoy after Christmas too!).

Things I’m working on…getting through each day without falling completely apart.

I’m reading…To the kids. A lot. For myself? Not so much. Maybe next week when we're on break.

I’m cooking…Last night we had smothered chicken (chicken marinated in soy sauce and dry mustard then smothered with green pepper, onion, mushrooms and cheese), and a fantastic couscous pilaf. Tonight we ate a casserole made with ground beef, onion, creamed corn, mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. Tomorrow, I'm not cooking. We're having venison tenderloin with friends. We'll see how the children like that.

I’m grateful for…Eric.I couldn't get through without him.

I’m praying for…A situation that is not our fault that is having a drastic effect on our lives. Please pray for God's protection on our lives and for His provision as well. He knows all the details and He knows all our needs. Pray that I remember that. Sometimes, it feels like I'm pressing through the darkness, trying my hardest to get through the muck to no avail. And by sometimes, I mean often. Too often.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… "Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time." Oswald Chambers

Click on the graphic at the beginning of this post to see what other homeschooling moms are writing in their journals.