On homeschooling...
We are almost 2 months into the school year and things are going pretty well. The kids are going to LA three days a week this year - two for core enrichment + Fun Fridays. I'm really liking the new curriculum (Sonlight) we're using at home this year although we only have two days a week at home so we're not really able to stay on it's "schedule". But I had planned all along to stretch it over two years so no biggie. I think the kids are doing well and are happy. Sam and I have had a few fights about his cooperation, but I think we've gotten those sorted out. Overall, we've had some really great days of learning that make me feel successful and enthused.
On running...
Running has all but disappeared from my life at this point. I mean, I still think about it all the time and I'm still trying to get back into a gym routine but so far life has really just prevented that and it frustrates me. I feel pulled in mulitiple directions this year, more so than before, even though the kids are at school an extra day. It seems something keeps popping up on the days they're at school and I end up skipping my workouts. It's not like I haven't been going at all, but it definitely has not been consistently 3x a week like I'd hoped. And I'm such a fair-weather runner that now that it's gotten colder and wetter, I find it hard to run outside. I know I need to just buck up and do it. I'll work on that.
On kids...
It's amazing to me that they are already 10 & 7. I sometimes feel like there are whole years that I've missed or forgotten. Sam is doing really good. He's enjoying school and still just loves his teacher, Mr. N. He is bonding with his friends more and feeling more confident. Zoe just continues to bloom. Her teacher says she is so friendly and sweet in the classroom, a great student and super bright. Both kids are doing soccer this fall which is fun, if not a bit cold to spectate at times. Sam fluctuates between not trying much and standing around on the field, to occasionally really putting his nose to the grindstone and TRYING. It simultaneously broke my heart and made me so proud this weekend when the last half of the game, Sam really kicked into gear. Our team was up like 6-0 so the coach shuffled the boys around in the positions, putting the usual forwards and goal-scorers back on defense and moving the defensemen up, giving them a chance to score. Sam really started TRYING to score, something that has eluded him so far, and he had a great pass to a teammate who scored, and then THREE shots on goals that the goalie got lucky and stopped. I was a mess on the sidelines, nearly in tears, screaming and yelling for him. Then, when the ref blew the whistle ending the game, Sam put his hands over his face and kind of started to cry. I went out to him to make sure he was ok, and I could tell he was just SO disappointed that he didn't get a goal. He was trying SO hard, really trying, and he STILL didn't get a goal. It just about killed me to see him so disappointed, but I repeatedly told him how proud I was of him, how well he had done and that I KNEW if he kept doing that, that he would get a goal. I was so proud of his effort and determination but it killed me that, this time, it didn't pay off for him.
On work...
I'm still working and lately it feels like just too much. Josh & I both agree that I really need to be home more evenings so we're trying to get it figured out so I can cut my hours back. I've told my boss that I want to cut back to a .5 so we'll see if we can make it happen. I don't think she was very happy to hear it, but oh well. Josh is miserable at his job and is looking and applying elsewhere almost daily. Fortunately he's had quite a bit of electrical work on the side to give him some satisfaction and extra money. I've always wanted to be home more but lately it just feel more urgent that I do so. Like, I'm missing out and things are going down the tube while I'm gone. I know that sounds rather melodramatic, but as the kids are getting older, I just feel like it's more important for me to be around more. Yes, I'm home with them during the days, but the evenings are the time we need. There's no expectations, no schoolwork, no chores...just time to be together...and that's what I'm missing out by being at work. I just keep praying that a better job will come along for Josh, where he feels more satisfied and where we can afford for me to be home more. Also, that I can get it figured out at work to cut back.
Another development on the school/work front is that I got drafted into teaching a Friday class at the kids' school. Due to some teacher changes over the summer, it messed up the Friday class schedule and there were 8 boys who ended up without a first period class. So the office gals and the principal decided that I would be the perfect one to do it and asked it I would take it on. I'd kind of been thinking about doing a couple Friday classes next semester because there just weren't many options for boys around Sam's age and I had some good ideas, so I just got started sooner than I'd anticipated. This time, we're just calling the class "Boys Will Be Boys" and I'm doing whatever I think boys would be interested in. That was going along fine for a few weeks until last Thursday, I got cornered again and asked to take on two more periods. The 2nd period class is all my same boys, so I just keep them for two hours instead of one, but the other class was a Biology class for 7th-9th graders. Ack! Friday classes are just fun, hands-on, low-key things so it really isn't as bad as it sounds. I'm going to just have to come up with some fun experiments and videos and such to keep them occupied for an hour. They were happy to see me take over the class, even though they don't know anything about me, because the science teacher that was teaching it didn't really "get" Friday classes. He was lecturing above their heads and giving them homework, which is SO not what Friday classes are about. So they were relieved to see him gone. Hopefully I can be a bit more fun, yet teach them a little bit at the same time. And hey, I'm getting paid $30/hour for each class. Granted I'm a little tired on Fridays after working Thursday nights, but I can think of worse ways to make $90. And hopefully before next semester, I can get my work schedule at the hospital adjusted and it won't be so bad. I have to confess, that if I can plan ahead and figure out what I'm doing by Wednesdays, it really isn't a big deal. I'm kind of having fun with it and the kids don't care that I roll in there with a ball cap on and coffee in hand.
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Life is still crazy and some days I can't believe all that I pack into it, but hopefully we'll get some things rearranged and everything will settle down. There are so many things I want to do and accomplish and yet I just keep running out of hours in the day.
