Homeschool Survival 101 for the Inept

After singing the homeschooling blues and seriously contemplating something dire for all involved I went back to what I know about the basics. I tried praying about it(you know, that thing Christians are supposed to do that's roughly the equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest on your knees through 105 degree heat covered with fire ants--just kidding!) or facing jail time for the consequences of giving in to violence.

Wow! God really came through...AGAIN! Why, oh why, do I forget something so basic? I prayed anyway. I just didn't include the thing that was currently at the Mt. Everest top of my irritation list. The last few days have gone better. My kids (and I) are temporarily safe from maternal violence.
I've also discovered that the biggest source of my homeschooling troubles is math programs and Jamison's spelling. J's spelling is still worth the aggravation, I think. But math! How hard is it to come up with a math program that covers the basics and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I think math facts are important and kids should have instant recall of them. That means drilling! At least it does for Jamison. He doesn't need to fritter away time every day on all these fillers. The program that I liked best for him is difficult to find in stock! What's up with that? I think I've reached the point where attending a (GULP! Deep breath....) curriculum fair is helpful. (But I draw the line at owning a goat or nursing a baby. Cows give us enough milk and bottle feeding rocks!)

Megan and Davis like to fight, I mean, play Memory. I think they each picked up some desperation techniques from Grandpa Bender. :P


Davis with his new lego tractor and wagon.


Megan found an Ariel costume(Isn't it lovely?) in a stash of hand-me-downs. The dress-up parade continues at our house.

Things to cheer about:

• I put away the Christmas stuff finally. Only two more weeks of discovering odds-n-ends that I missed and we will be finished. :P

• I put the newly varnished doors back on an ice box that was given to me.

• I talked to multiple people about things regarding our remodeling project and made some decisions.

• I gave my repaired living room walls the bottom coat of paint. (More on that later)

Things are looking up.