First Day of School 2014-2015 OR How it Really Went

Here they are!  The first day of school pictures.

Felicity- The unruly and disruptive pre-schooler

Veronica- The ever-so-eager-for-it-to-be-her-turn Kindergartner

Aidan- The didn't-believe-me-when-I-said-I'd-use-the-ridiculous-picture 7th Grader

Emma- The growing-up-before-my-very-eyes 6th Grader

Gianna- The I-hope-I-get-this-right-what-will-happen-if-I'm-wrong, uh, 3/4 Grader

Marciana- The I-can't-believe-they-let-me-play-with-this-getting-into-everything toddler

My Station.  Please note the spreadsheet on the top.  It reads "Class Schedule-Sacred Heart Homeschool-2014".  It was drafted *after* the first day of school.

A bonus picture of the baby who is not feeling well.  I'm gonna say it's teeth, but either way, I promise I'm not just letting her take swigs of the Tylenol or actually eat (for long) the beads.

We did it!  We started school yesterday.  I wish I had a picture of my perfect classroom, and my perfect lesson plans, along with my perfect smiling face.  Let's be real here.  That doesn't exist.  Ask me how I know.  I'm a little ashamed to say that the night before school I was found whimpering to my husband about how hard this was going to be.  Did he realize I have 4 school-aged kids and two littles who find delight in making everything absolutely impossible?  

Was I setting myself up for failure?  Perhaps.  

The first day went as I expected.  Not as planned.  It was as hard as I thought it was going to be.  The night before was a mostly sleepless one, I wasn't really sure what subject I should start with and I hadn't gotten a chance to make any of those "busy boxes" that were going to make teaching with little ones around a dream.  I was frustrated and I was weary.  I sent out a couple of texts to two mommas who know me and know just what I was going through.  I got encouragement back along with a phone call from my husband saying we could talk about ways to make things easier (that didn't include locking children in closets) when we got the kids to bed that night.  

So we continued today.  I had a great "plan" and things didn't really go as planned, but that was okay.  We kept moving along.  We'll do it again tomorrow, and the day after that.  I might even make it a couple of weeks before I sneak out of the house and try to flag down the school bus as it flies past my house in the early morning light.  

I do believe that, for us, this is what we're called to do.  Our family is meant to remain a unit and learn together and go about our days in our home.  Knowing that, I know that God will give me the graces to keep going.  That doesn't mean that it will look perfect, but it will mean that it will be beautiful!

*I've never done "grades" for my kids.  We've always just done whatever comes "next".  But, after years and years of that approach the kids are enrolled in a program that requires you to pick a grade.  Everyone, but Emma, are in his/her "age-appropriate" (whatever that means) grade for the year.