Ok I Admit It...

This whole homeschool thing is definitely harder now the baby has turned up. In fact, I admit that life would be a little, no a lot easier if Theo were going to public school. But then, he wouldn't be getting the education he should be. So I guess it's my sanity for his benefit. On the plus side I can at least choose to scale things down when I feel the need. For example, as I had a particularly rough night last night,  I decided to let him choose math or outside time. He chose the latter and both kids have been playing happily outside all morning while I sip ginger tea and try to get the baby to nap for a decent length of time.

Our week has not been without progress either. We got through the usual stuff of course and having finished several projects last week we have renewed our interest in geography, helped by the birthday gift of a proper globe. Work on plant science is coming up, though I have very few ambitions with regard to our actual garden. We had visitors on Monday and a playdate on Wednesday plus a trip to the library. And as Eustace's baptism is coming up, we talked about what godparents are. I have also finally enrolled Theo in swimming lessons which he will start at the end of the month. The future holds more activities and lessons outside our home and more regular visits to the library as well as more playtime I think. I would like to get them doing more chores and coming along for fewer errands. Georgie's desperate need for more interaction is leading us to consider sending her to preschool in the fall. The trick, besides finding the right school and paying for it, is making it work without cutting into Theo's school time. As I don't drive, commuting takes up a serious portion of our daily activity.

At the moment, the biggest challenge apart from how to discipline the kids effectively with a baby (who won't let me put him down) in my arms, is figuring out how to get housework and school prep done. Not to mention this blog and all my daily recording of our activity. I'm writing this post on my phone with the baby in the carrier while I pace about the house so he won't wake up.

Eustace won't sleep if I put him down, so that he gets progressively more miserable throughout the day unless I wear him in the carrier. Well there's only so much one can do with a baby strapped to one's chest. Housework sort of gets done but admin not so much. And my evenings are spent taking hour long walks round my living room if I don't want the child to scream. If by any chance I do get a break in the evening, the last thing I want to do is spend my uncertain hours of peace blogging or recording our school activities.

So it's been one day at a time round here and I won't apologise for occasionally being a lazy mom and giving up on the school routine. After all that's exactly why I chose to homeschool. So I could blow off work whenever I felt like it and at the moment the sanity offered me by being able to do my dishes in peace while the kids play outside is a way bigger priority than schoolwork. I am comforted by the fact that were Theo at public school this morning, Georgie almost certainly would not be outside letting me have a few moments' peace.