Hmmm. What are my “check points”? I used that word rather loosely the other day in a post and got caught on it.
One of my check points is, “Am I getting too uptight over noise?”
Here’s my reality. I was blessed with two rather noisy, typical boys. Unfortunately for them, their mother (me) was raised in a two-girl house and quiet.
As a result of this reality, I have had to learn when to back off. When to let go of teaching (not necessarily of assignments but teaching new concepts or grading papers). And crawl into bed or do housework or something else equally mundane. When to walk over to the phone for a son to speak to their father about their behavior because I’m too wrapped up around an axle, so to speak. When to banish a child to their room for a lengthy time-out (or me to my room). When to say, “Movie day!” and be grateful that I have something reasonably educational to throw into the VHS or DVD player. When to decide that today would be a great day to just read history—not do a timeline or analysis or anything earth shattering—just to read it and then put it away. When to be grateful for my children’s interest in learning so they grab a book or magazine or something to study a little more about whatever subject is at hand. When to buy that workbook at Barnes and Noble for a change of pace (that in my more serious moments would snub.)
Today has been a mixed day with some of all the above. My boys were very sick the other day, so much that one of them got out of bed for breakfast and went back shortly after. That was the one that never stops. The other one sat or napped in the “big chair” all day until I sent him to bed mid-afternoon. After finding an herbal combination at the health food store that had been recommended to me, I started handing it out like candy. It was a very quiet day. Normally that would have been welcome, but not when I was so concerned. That night, I did cranial sacral therapy on both boys, and my husband did it again on one later that night. So with a vaporizer going full blast with oregano filling the room with steam, we closed the door and went prayerfully to bed. The next morning, my son who had been the sickest woke me with music in his voice. My heart filled with relief immediately!
Since then, the boys are ramping up on their energy levels, and I’m sick. Head cold—just enough to make me want to not move. They all got their language arts, math, and reading assignments done and we sat and read a little more about Caesar Augustus. Maybe we’ll go back and make a timeline . . . next week. I have gotten the laundry done (changed all the sheets so the kids have clean ones tonight) and folded! Woot! That feels good. I have my cold water load on the line, and I’m not eager to go bring them in. My ears are clogged, my sinuses are clogged, and cold air really stinks on them. We are having chili tonight though, and I loaded it with chili powder. Hopefully that will help unclog me!
My husband came home for lunch and fed the kids while I did the housework. But I feel guilty—we haven’t done anything in science for awhile. I’m reminding myself to give myself time. There is tomorrow for preparing lessons, grading papers, cleaning where company won’t see. So maybe that’s my lesson for me today. Relax and allow my kids to do what they will, trusting that they won’t do anything wrong. So far they haven’t. Right now they’re looking for the Ancient World Activity Guide. Kids will learn even if I want nothing to do with it! One of my sons just pulled out his Faith in God booklet and is working on the next requirement.
It just doesn’t get better than this to see that my kids have learned to learn. This is “fulfillment” to me today.
