Life has slowed down significantly since the play ended.
Ahhhh...
I am finally starting to heal, thanks to the rest I'm getting. My ear infections are slowly going away, and I'm almost able to talk like a normal person! (almost...)
"On the other hand," (I just can't help quoting Tevye here!) I'm feeling a bit like a lazy slug.
There's lots of housework to be done, but I'm going to do it little bit by little bit. It's marvelous to NOT be in a hurry!
Yesterday, I was really feeling "the-show-is-over-depression." I wasn't really thinking about the show, I was just feeling like a failure. My kids missed "Mormon Prom" on Saturday night due to the show, my Morganne will not be graduating from Seminary due to my choice to not send them last year (Home Study does not count, in our case), and my normally happy time on Pinterest just resulted in making me feel that I could never measure up.
So I pulled myself together and sat down to read some good stuff and make some lists of "what next." ("Large Family Logistics," "A Leadership Education" and "Love of Learning".)
Funny how little things like that can bring much relief!
Washing, drying, and folding a few loads of laundry helped, too. (I can almost see a dent in the laundry room!)
I'm making plans for our homeschool this summer, and thinking about paint colors and all the sewing projects I can now enjoy.
I really should MOP first, though...
:-)
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I hope your ear infections pass quickly. I get those frequently and they are not fun! Enjoy the rest of the week :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Emily! :-)
ReplyDeleteSo many little things came to mind as I read your post so please forgive my jumping frmo topic to topic!
ReplyDelete- I love the slow and steady approach to laundry and housework. My family does too. When I get in a hurry and feel we must finish it all right this moment they generally have a grouchy mommy.
- Summer homeschool plans? Do share! I cannot remember if you school year round or if you do special studies in the summer.
- Seminary question - is there are reason you chose not to send them last year to do it at home instead? Just curious. I did 3 years of home study because I was too far from Seminary to get to school in time, then my 4th year I was able to drive so they moved the seminary extra early so I could get to school. I enjoyed both versions but really have considered home study for a few of my children down the road.
- Yay for reading good books! I'm working my way through many, including three by the DeMilles on TJEd.
Have a wonderful day!
Hi Tristan! I love your questions. :)
ReplyDelete1- I appreciate this perspective, because it helps me not feel guilty for fixing all the house neglect right NOW. I'm looking forward to "slow and steady!"
2- We live in Arizona, and so summer is simply waaay too hot to send the kids outside. So in our family, we do most of our intense schooling and study during the HOT summer months. (The hot days last from mid-May until Halloween. I'm not joking!) You've inspired me to do another post on what we'll be studying this summer! LOL! So stay tuned! :-D
3- Seminary. *sigh* We have had a mixed bag with seminary. We live in a "release time" area, so we are supposed to attend public school seminary if we want our kids to get credit. This has been a real trial for me. I really don't like being tied down to the public school schedule!
For my daughter's first year of seminary, we got special permission for her to attend an early morning seminary class that had been created in our stake for some kids who were attending a charter school without a seminary. There were only 10 students in the class, which I loved, and the early morning schedule was a wonderful fit for our family's schedule.
For her second year, (my son's first) we were living in another state and found a private school that was meant as a homeschool supplement. They held seminary ONCE a week, and it only cost us $50 each to enroll our kids. It was WONDERFUL!
So last year, we moved back to Arizona and the school district we moved to (and still live in) has the most confusing, restrictive schedule I've ever seen! One hour classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, a two hour class on Wednesdays, no class on Thursdays, and one hour again on Friday. But the school will also randomly change this all the time, without warning!
I struggled and struggled with trying to find a way to get this to fit with our family culture and schedule, but just ended up frustrated. After asking the Lord what to do, He told me that I should just go ahead and do Home study. (This was also my third child's first year in seminary.) So I did.
When I finally decided to enroll the kids in the high school seminary this year, the seminary teacher made it sound like the kids could still get credit for last year, but I guess he was wrong. *sigh*
So, it's not really a big deal, because my daughter has no plans to leave home and attend college yet (She has Asperger's and is not as mature as her 18 years might indicate.), and she's not really interested in any Church schools. Her seminary teacher told her she could make it up by taking a D&C Institute class, so I'm looking into that for this summer. I may enroll the boys, too, so that they can graduate from seminary when it's their turn. :-p
Long story, huh? LOL!
Great questions, Tristan! :)
Rachel, I understand how you feel about seminary. We are in release time area, and they don't give credit for home study (although my son has already been through all the college textbooks for all four standard works). I am not going to worry about it, as I definitely felt it was not a good idea to send him to high school for seminary. They also have a strange schedule here that would have interfered greatly with our family life.
ReplyDeleteI love housework. Is that crazy? Maybe it's because I am not talented in other areas, but you know, sometimes that "lazy slug" feeling is your body saying it needs a break from things. Growing a human is very demanding on our physical bodies, more than we acknowledge.
I always write when my body says slow down. That way I feel like I'm doing something, but it's still giving my body a break. And sometimes, I write lists of all the housework/homeschool/amazingness that I am *GOING* to do...which may or may not be accomplished physically, but at least it's spiritually created! :)
Love you, and glad to know that I am not the only one who has struggled with seminary. You can't believe how much of a relief it was to me to see that...
Also, I have a daughter with Asperger's and understand that, too. It's nice to know I am not alone!
Our best year of seminary was by far the year we were attending a charter school and they had early morning seminary...with less the 20 kids, it was a special learning time for them. I have tried to get them i the early morning seminary classes at the high school, but since we have release time, those early morning classes are reserved for the officers. Early morning seminary was such a blessing to me in another state because I had to make the efferot to be there....here it is often just a free period to sleep or eat or skip.....sad.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for your ear infections...have you tried hydrogen peroxide (3% solution It saves us around here!! Just fill up your ear with the peroxide, amd the let it sit. If it is infected it will really start to bubble and fiz...and of course tickle and drive you a little nuts, as it "eats" the virus. I started having an ear ache when a nasty virus was going around ad after doing that a couple of times, it wasn't a problem. WE have done it on the baby when she gets a a little fussy and pulling er ears...it seems to clear it up!! I guess they used to do it back in the day...and somehow it has been forgotten!!!
Love you! Take it easy and enjoy these next few "quiet months!"
Thanks, Misty and ReNee. I love hearing your experiences, too. Makes me feel less alone!
ReplyDeleteMisty, we DEFINITELY need to talk. One of these days! :)
ReNee, THANK YOU for the Hydrogen Pyroxide suggestion! I have been using essential oils like crazy, but the recovery has been slow. I will try your remedy right away!
Hugs,
Rachel
All of the seminary comments have been very interesting. We have to start that this coming school year and I have no idea how it will work out. Plus, we have to go to the school that is 15 to 20 minute drive away. I am not looking forward to working out the details with that. But I know, my daughter is excited to go to seminary.
ReplyDeleteP.S. to Misty: You like to clean?! I need to take lessons from you.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love the idea that I AM doing "spiritual creation!" I will remember that!!! :)
Diane, best wishes to you and your daughter! I know the Lord will bless us if we do His will. I'm glad your daughter is so excited. My kids had a good experience this year-- interestingly enough, one lesson they learned is how Babylonian some kids are, even in Seminary. *sigh* At least their teacher has been great. He really loves the homeschooled students! (There are 3 of my kids and 2 other other homeschoolers in his first class of the day. He can't say enough good about them!)
PRAY, right?
Hugs,
Rachel
We tried to do home study Seminary too, but were told Marlayna would not be able to attend BYU if she did not go to early morning Seminary. They, the Branch President and Stake President, were refusing to sign the Ecclesiastical Endorsement forms for her to have concurrent enrollment at BYU-Idaho if we did not send her to early morning Seminary, which was the ONLY option. The year before they had a home-study option where they met once a week with a teacher. Marlayna LOVED it that year! Then, after we started the year, they allowed two other boys "special permission" to do home-study with their father...but they would not allow me to do that with my children. I was told a big fat "no".
ReplyDeleteI felt very FORCED into the only option they gave us. Somehow, I just don't see how this fits into the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When did "the church" become tyrannical about Seminary? I wonder if it is one of those cultural things of the church rather than Gospel centered. I'm not trying to blame the church as a whole, just wondering if this is a human nature issue were there is a lack of understanding by some of the leaders.
We now have a few more options...early morning and release time. I send my kids to the same release time hour all the other home schooled kids go to at 12:20pm. It does conflict with the flow of the day. The class is small, but they are enjoying it. They are happy to not do early morning anymore and they love their teacher here.
Celeste, I know in our stake, they have been very concerned at the dropping numbers of seminary students, as public schooled students are more interested in taking other classes. They had a special meeting here to explain to the parents that the kids absolutely needed to be enrolled in seminary.
ReplyDeleteI understand that, but, homeschooling is not the same, and I feel like the option to homeschool seminary is not too much to ask.
However, when the priesthood leadership goes to meetings and hear about the great need to raise seminary attendance, that's what they hear. And, most of them are ignorant of what a homeschool day is like, and don't understand, therefore, all they would think is "This lady is trying to get out of something, and it's going to mess up our numbers." Not in a bad way, necessarily--that's just their mentality sometimes.
Of course, that's just my opinion. Which could totally be wrong. :)