We’re on week
four of school and the boys still haven’t adjusted back to the daily routine
yet. Yes, daily school work commenced in
the summertime, the last week in July. The boys had reached their typical end of
summer fightyelltattle routine which in the past would make me sooooooooo ready
for public school to start. Remember that Staples commercial with the dad joyously
riding a shopping cart, buying school supplies while “It’s the Most Wonderful
Time of the Year” was playing? Yeah, that was me. Until last August. When my
baby went to kindergarten. Um……..what?
No little boy
around? What is this? I have had at least one little hand to hold while speed
walking into Target or smudged face smiling at me from the back seat for……ever it seemed like. Small had gone to
preschool, but that was just a half-day… barely time to do anything before
picking him up at noon. Now the house, my life, would be empty for EIGHT
HOURS? I know, this should have been a “Ceeeeelebrate
Good Times, Come on!” moment, but it wasn’t. I had more time to work at my
part-time jobs as church secretary and adjunct instructor for a Jr. college,
more time to go to the gym (which I did, and nothing shrank. Boo.), more time
for kid-free lunches, shopping with friends… all of the things society says
should have made me heave a huge sigh of THANK YOU and cry FREEDOM. It didn’t. I
didn’t. I just felt lonely, and that something in what should have been the
ideal life, was off. As the weeks progressed, and Large was begging asking
to be homeschooled with Medium soon joining in, the thought slowly built. Why
should we all be unhappy? Homeschooling is a legal option. Not that it is
needed or required, but I do have a teaching certificate. I could do this! We
homeschooled January to mid-May, taking the rest of the summer off, until the
end of July. It was great. We all loved it. Then I made them start school when
everyone else was still out for summer break. Hey! It was too hot around here to
do anything else. To the previously public schooled kid, this is WRONG. They’re
doing their work, but with much more nagging reminding from me and eye
rolling-outside escaping-any excuse not to do school finding from them. Gah!
Schools in our
area started last week. Large is feeling
a little pull back towards public school, mainly because as months pass, he’s
losing connections with once close friends. I try to keep up with them, but
busy lives make it difficult to work out. This too makes me sad, but I’m hoping
now that public schools have started, and everyone is on normal routines,
finding Friday nights to go to football games together or have friends over
will be easier. We’ve also joined a local homeschool co-op, where new connections
can be made. Large has forgotten all the reasons why he wanted to be
homeschooled, like having no time to hang with his friends at lunch, and just
remembers all the good things, like hanging with friends at lunch. (Yes, I see
the logic.) It’s similar to when a teenage
relationship ends. After a little while, the memories of the ex’s eyes or
great smile overpower the way they chewed with their mouth open and laughed
like a donkey. Those things are still true, just not as strong when they aren’t
right up in your grill all the time.
Now, if I could just think of a way to
remind him what a Jr. High boys’ restroom visit is like….Oh wait. That’s my
hallway bathroom already. Think of coating the floor lightly in hairspray, then
misting it with pee, adding in a few bobby pins, bb’s, and legos. Voila. I’ll
leave you with that image of what last Friday’s cleaning session was like, for
me. Did I mention I’m really really glad the kids are homeschooled?
