A Saturday Lull

Clark is fishing with Grandpa.  Bethany, Elinor and Faith are off playing at a friend's house.  Cannon is puttering around the house.  George is sleeping.

Let us take a moment to savor this moment of silence.  I will celebrate by writing a leisurely post this afternoon.  Usually I post at night when I'm rushing to get to bed at a decent hour.   But now I can meander through my thoughts.

We don't get too many moments of silence in this house.  This house is constantly teeming with life and I love it and am so grateful.  I wonder how many times I hear "Mom?" on any given day?  It seems that from Clark down to George and everyone in between someone is always in need of Mom for something.  I am needed and I am loved.  I'm pretty sure that I will always be loved, but there will come a time when I am not needed quite so much.  My people are growing up.  It is actually happening.  I think that because we still have so many little ones it takes away some of the shock that the older kids are becoming so much more independent. 

We started school three weeks ago and I have always had some back-to-school envy about this time of year.   The neighbor kids and their new school clothes and backpacks and new teachers and classmates.  The moms celebrating their re-found freedom as they send their kids off to school.  The weight of home schooling has felt especially heavy around the end of August. I know that for school to start at our house it will require a great deal of effort and discipline on my part.  I have to emotionally prepare myself for the complaints that are sure to come from children about what they are required to do. 

But not this year!  Hooray!   

Back-to-school has been a marvelously smooth transition for everyone involved.  The kids are happy to be back to their schedule--as am I .  Clark and Bethany are both taking so much responsibility for their school work, jobs, practicing, and outside activities.  I am ecstatic!  I know there are ebbs and flows to family life and home school, but I really am thrilled with how they are getting themselves up in the morning and getting to work without me asking them at all.  Football practice every night of the week has consumed a lot of Clark's energy that might otherwise be used in resistance!!

Elinor and Faith are at the stages that need a lot of my time for their school work.  Elinor is the master of escape.  She'll never fight with me.  She'll never cry or complain or argue.  She'll just disappear.  "Elinor?  Elinor?  Where are you? Come here!"
She'll obediently come right back, but if you turn your back she is gone again.  I've been through variations of this stage with Clark and Bethany and I think 10 is the magic age for home school, when they finally learn that there is no escape.

Clark's tactic was rage.  "If I get mad enough then Mom won't make me do it".

Bethany's was sadness.  "If I cry and am sad then Mom will feel sorry for me and won't make me do it."

They underestimated me.   They didn't realize that I will not forget what they need to do. I am unmoved by tears.  I am not afraid of them.   I will find them (I know where they live).  And I will not quit until they get it done.  We are in the training phase with Elinor right now.  But she is particularly clever with her stealthy, peaceful tactics.  In addition, she is perfectly able to move quickly when she wants to, but you have never seen a child dawdle like Elinor can.  She is our Pokey Little Puppy.

I find myself excited for this school year.  We are learning together and still have plenty of time for playing together.  Three cheers for back-to school!