Preschool

 I can't believe it's almost here... How? It's nearly August...Granted, we schooled until the third week of June but, where did that time go? I know, I know....times flies, especially when you're having fun... but seriously. 

My Big is getting to start his seventh grade year. Overall, how time has flown. When he came into my life he was an angel-faced 8 year old. How is he an angel-faced junior-higher now? 

My little is just about to turn four, so he's just beginning to get acquainted with letters, and such. Last year he was in a preschool three days a week. He loved it, and is looking forward to returning. 

Last year, I was a mixed-bag of feelings toward him being in a preschool. It made things some much easier with My Big, because we had four and half hours of unadulterated time for our lessons. What I struggled most with was the feeling of abandoning my Little. Feeling like I had pawned him off on someone else. Knowing that wasn't the truth of it, that it was a lie straight from the ol' liar himself- we finished out the school year without a hitch. Of course there were days that he didn't want to go to school- who doesn't have those days? Of course there were days it would have been so much easier to spend it with him curled up on the couch, playing hookie and watching Bluey on a never-ending loop. Who wouldn't want to stay in their jammies watching an iconic blue dog? (Have you seen the meme about how every generation has one to learn from?)

I am grateful for his time in the preschool. It has given me time, and will continue to give me time to prepare for his own homeschool journey. And quite honestly, take a few classes of my own. (Cue twirly eyeballs).

Now if only I could get a handle on a regular housecleaning schedule, then I would be the "do-it-all" mom. But everyone needs to own up to a weakness or three; and one of mine is that I just can't seem to find the time to keep house well. It is certainly a work in progress. And a progress that I have to intentionally be gracious with myself about. 

I remember seeing a sign once that said, "Good moms have sticky floors, but happy kids." And I will say that for the longest time, I totally disagreed with that. I knew moms who had happy kids and clean floors. I thought it was easy. But I wasn't a parent at the time. 

It's so simple to set these expectations for ourselves, especially when we actually have the time to finish projects or remember when the last time the nightstand was dusted. There's only so much that a mom can remember at one particular time. An image some to mind of those plate twirlers, I suppose they're jugglers. You know the ones, they have the spinning plates up on this skinny little pole; and they are running from pole to pole, pushing the plate along on its axis. This can only be kept up for so long. A plate with tip a little too far one way; slow down and you won't make it in time; or the pole just doesn't stay upright for whatever unknown reason or just gravity prevails. We parents, homeschool or not, are these jugglers. We all have these gravity defying plates & poles in the air, and it's just a matter of time before we drop something. And when we do, we pick up the pieces, and try again. Bringing out a new plate, of course.

Anyway, this is not at all the topic I had originally set out to post this time, but it fells good to put this down in black and white, to get it off my chest. Sometimes those struggles, make us feel so alone. 

We are never alone though.