Thanks

Thank you so much everybody for your responses, opinions, and advice. Summer, thank you for your thoughts about homeschooling and your support and tips for things to try. Thank you Kassie for your encouragement! Jen, your friendship has been a treasure. Thank you for reminding me to listen to my own inspiration. Julie! I had no idea you were here! Thank you so much for commenting and for reminding me that I can influence my children for good, regardless of what I decide. My goodness, I miss you too. Mandy. Thank you for being an inspiration of faith and endurance. And for expressing your belief in my ability to do what's best. Thank you also for putting me in touch with your friend, Jenn. What a source of wisdom she turned out to be. Emily. I love you. Asking me what the Lord said is not trite or condescending, it was wisdom, and love, and I felt that love! Thank you also, so much, for reminding me that there is no such thing as perfection in education (or anywhere else). I really really needed that. Kristiana, thank you so much for understanding the "I can't take this anymore- feeling." Thank you for sharing your struggles with me too, and reminding me that motherhood is just hard, no matter what. Your life and blog have been and continue to be an inspiration to me. Wendy, thanks for being able to compare the homeschool lifestyle with the public school one and telling me what you've found to be the pro's and con's for you and your kids. Your kids are great! Lindsay. I love you and love that I can always count on you to "get down to brass tacks" and tell me how it really is. I appreciate your honesty, and am grateful for it. I'm grateful for your offers of help. Thanks also for your example of keeping a wonderful, orderly home.
We've decided to put the kids in public school. Friday afternoon, I went into the office (James works from home a lot of the time) and asked James for his final opinion. I already knew in my heart what my decision was, though I didn't want to do it. He told me he had been feeling like they needed to go to school. I went immediately to the local elementary school to register them, but no one was at the office. I decided to wander around and get a feel for things. I ran into the two third grade teachers and started talking to them. I knew right away by the feeling of peace that I felt that my kids' education, and my values would be safe there. I left with a feeling of calm and peace and weightlessness that I haven't felt for a long time. My fellow homeschoolers: know that I tried everything that you said! We took breaks, we changed up the routine, we tried to do more of the fun stuff, just stick to the basics...nothing brought us peace or joy as a family. We've been floating along unhappily for far too long. I already feel a million times lighter. It was such a burden to feel undecided and unresolved. We told the kids, and I could see immediately a change, a relief is the best way to describe it. We picked out backpacks...they're thrilled. We know that this is the right decision for our family. We knew when we started to homeschool, that at the time that was also the right decision. I do think there is a reason that we felt the need to homeschool. It may have something to do with the boundary school where we used to live? We just moved in October, so the kids will be attending a different school from the old boundary public school in our old neighborhood. The reason may not be apparent, but I know there was one. Thanks again everyone for your advice and love!
Kristy

Help

The Marathon Dorando Pietri Finishes First But is Disqualified Because He was Helped at the Finish.

Well here we go. The post we've all been waiting for. I'm in need of advice and help. I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to throw in the homeschooling towel. I have so many conflicting thoughts and emotions swirling around in my brain, it's hard to know how to organize them and let you know what it is that I'm really thinking. This year (from last January until now) has been the most difficult for homeschooling, without question. Why has it been so difficult? Hmmm. I don't know, I just know that life isn't working as well as it used to. We are doing the bare minimum in school and we're not even enjoying that. I have to argue with Keller to get schoolwork done every day. The fighting drives me crazy. Housework is not getting done. At all. I don't even have time to eat as evidenced by the fact that I've started a new diet (not really a diet) and you're supposed to eat three meals and two snacks a day. I can barely manage to eat lunch. I'm running from the moment I wake until the moment I sleep and accomplishing nothing. What I want to know is this:
If I quit homeschooling, and put Keller and Ella in public school, will my life get better? Or will it still be as chaotic and out of control? I appeal to EVERYONE who is reading this blog, whether you've commented before or not, whether I know you or not. Whether you homeschool or not. Will I suddenly have large amounts of time in which to iron for crying out loud, or to exercise, or hang pictures on my dang walls, for the love of all that is Holy? Will my children be happier? They need more playtime with friends and as a homeschooling mom, that's one more thing that it's on you to provide, because it's not automatically provided by sending them off to school, and I haven't been providing it in the amount that they need BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO EAT, LET ALONE HAUL FOUR KIDS TO A HOMESCHOOL EVENT. But. And I cannot overstate this. I don't want to quit, just to find that it is no better on the other side!!! Please! If you are reading this, weigh in with your words!!!
I've just come to a place where I'm not sure it's in me to keep going, as much as I would love to. For those of you who know my kids: Does it seem that homeschooling is serving my kids? I'm not looking for compliments, I'm looking for the truth. Do they seem better off for having been homeschooled, worse off, or neither? I started off on the homeschooling path so committed to the idea of a traditional, classical education for my kids. The kind that doesn't exist anymore unless you homeschool. I'd be kissing that goodbye for my kids. That makes me sadder than you can imagine. But sanity is sanity. And a happy home is worth more than a classical education.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not yelling my lungs out every day or anything...it's just that there is an absence of joy that used to be there for all of us. We used to love learning together, and now I've come to resent having to to it at all. Why?
Will life be as crazy or even crazier if I send them to school? What with homework after school and all...will I ever even SEE my kids anymore? I don't want to send them to public school and then just have us all live out our separate lives, disconnected and uninterested in each other. I'm so divided, and I just can't live like this any longer. I either need a miracle in our homeschool lives, or I need to feel fantastic about sending them to public school. Please, PLEASE comment and give me some help.

Cookie Time

Anyone interested in some Girl Scout Cookies? Ella is selling them for her Daisy Girl Scout troop. They are $3.50 a box. They have a yummy new flavor this year Dulce de Leche, as well as the old favorites (Thin Mints, Samoas, Do-Si-Do's). If you're in, send me an email at littlekristy2@juno.com with your name, address, phone number, what kind of cookies, and how many of each kind. They will be delivered around the first week in March, which is when we would pick up the money also. Here is a description of all the types of cookies (sorry this is such a boring post, I promise I'll do an interesting one soon):

Lemon Chalet Cremes: The height of lemon flavor. Uniquely designed to feature Our Chalet, this delicious vanilla sandwich has a hint of cinnamon-ginger spice and a refreshing zesty lemon creme filling.

Trefoils: Light and delicious! Delicate-tasting shortbread that is simple and satisfying.

Do-Si-Dos: Peanutty Excitement! Crisp and crunchy oatmeal cookies with creamy peanut butter filling. No artificial color or flavor.

Samoas: Chewy and rich! Tender vanilla cookies, covered with caramel, rolled in toasted coconut, and striped with a rich, chocolaty coating.

Dulce de Leche: Inspired by the classic confections of Latin America, these sweet, indulgent cookies are rich with milk caramel chips and stripes.

Sugar Free Chocolate Chip: All of the taste, none of the sugar. A classic favorite with real chocolate chips-now sugar free.

Tagalongs: Wildly popular! Tasty cookies topped with creamy peanut butter and covered with a luscious chocolaty coating.

Thin Mints: Extra thin, extra minty! A thin wafer covered with a smooth chocolaty coating. Made with natural peppermint.

All cookies 0 Trans Fat. They make great gifts and freeze well...
Sorry for the shameless cookie promotion post...