Sentimental Journey

I am by nature a sentimental person, but two times of year I get more teary and sentimental than usual.  The beginning of a new school year, and the end of the school year.  They are mile markers in my children's lives, marking out how much they've grown and changed. 

The little kindergartener who started out this year so anxious to read is now an emerging reader who also likes to write quite a bit as well.  It has been such a joyous journey to watch his teacher (a first year teacher) work with him on both academic and social issues.  She has brought out the best in him, challenged him, and nurtured his growth in so many areas.  Corey told me that June 9th would definitely be his "worst day ever" because he is going to be done with kindergarten and he will miss Miss Smith.  (I think he has a little crush!)  I will miss her, too.  She has been a great influence on my little son.

My second grader is going to be turning 9 in just a few days.  He started out the year being homeschooled, but around December we decided it was in his best interest to have him return to public school.  God blessed him with a very kind experienced teacher who was just perfect for Travis.  It has been a challenging year for Travis in some ways, but when I see the growth and the maturity, I know it has been worth it to go through the tough times.

My only school kid to stay homeschooled this year was Jeremy, age 11.  I know that homeschool was nothing fancy this year.  But we are mighty happy with ourselves for finishing up a whole year here at home.  He will be going to middle school next year, and I will really miss him.  I know that God is going ahead of him to prepare the way.  When you put your child in God's hands, you can be assured that he is in the best possible place.  Jeremy was (and still is) such a blessing to me this year in so many ways, always willing to help with whatever I asked him to do.  He did his assignments without complaint and he did them well.  I have enjoyed this year with him.

My big girl, Brianna, also started out this school year at home.  At about the midway point, she went back to public school also.  Not that we really meant to do this in the middle of the year.  But this is the way that things worked out.  I can look back with regrets, or I can look back and be thankful for all that we learned.  I choose to be thankful.  Brianna made the transition back to middle school without any difficulties whatsoever.  I give her so much credit for all the hard work she puts in.  She is a high achiever.  God made her this way.  She strives for straight A's and always tries to do her best.  I have really come to admire and appreciate her drive!

Then there is our little Kaylee.   It is hard to believe that she started out this (school) year as a just turned 2 year old!  Looking back at pictures, she seems so small.  She is talking so much more now, nearly potty trained, and her mantra is "I do it myself!"  The kids say she goes to "baby" school.  I guess she really does.  She has learned to sing the ABC song, has memorized books to "read" to us, helps us tell time (it's perpetually 8:40 to her), and makes us laugh at her funny antics.  What a joy she is to our family.

Today as I watched the 2 younger boys at their school's Memorial Day program, I couldn't help but tear up.  They are growing up so nicely, making their mama so proud.  Life just keeps rolling along.  I try not to think too hard about the fact that it is all going so fast.  Only 7 more days until school is out for the summer.  I look forward to spending more time with these awesome kids!

Routines

It’s pouring down rain this morning. Got the 2 little boys off to school in a timely manner without too much chaos. I had a late night, hence a late start this morning. I’m working on doing better on that end. But the days are just long sometimes, I can’t change that.

I am trying to make the morning routine better for all of us. Checklists work, for awhile. But then everyone becomes bored of them. I guess I have to try to change up the routine once in awhile. It takes so long to get them into a routine, I hate to lose that.

It takes me so long to get into a routine. There’s this whole process I have to go through, it seems.
1. First I have to realize that there’s a problem caused by a lack of structure or routine. That could take me anywhere from days to weeks to months. Hopefully only days or weeks.
2. Then I have to “chill”. You know, just decompress a bit, shake off the old routine, or shake myself out of the no routine, as it were!
3. Then I have to go through a stage of doing nothing to the point where it aggravates me that I am doing nothing about the lack of structure.
4. After that I spend a period of time analyzing the situation and the basic rhythms that I see.
5. Then of course, I make a list or a chart of some sort. This could take days as I play around with perfecting the chart on the computer. 
6. Implement the routine and any incentives.
7. Perfect the routine until all is peaceful and Momma is happy again. For awhile. Until those involved become bored, or the school year ends, or the summer ends, or the kids grow up, or whatever.

Then get into bad routine again, which is no routine. Become aggravated again. Repeat process when necessary. See I have a routine for getting into a routine. Now isn’t that clever?