Straight Rows and Many First Days (HOMESCHOOLING)

It is time for school! I love a fresh sharpen pencil , clean paper and new school books.
Our boys have been homeschooled most of their lives. I say most, our oldest attended four classes at our public high school for his sophomore year and last year he took a couple of college classes at our local community college. He is also on the varsity golf team at our public high schools, this is his fourth year counting this season. Our youngest wanted to attend school , so he went to middle school , in our neighborhood for seventh and eighth grade. I gave them several choices for high school this year; a local charter school with strict guidelines and challenging curriculum, a private school that they are familiar with or back to homeschooling, I did give our oldest one the option to finish his senior year at the public school where he plays golf. Surprisingly, they chose home. We will start school in a week. I have one senior and one freshman. I had to purchase a math text book for me! It is called, “From Counting to Calculus”. I am on the third chapter and have a very long way to go in a week. I need to refresh my memory of Algebra, which is what our freshman is taking and Calculus, our senior. I had to have a tutor to get through “Cowboy Calc” when I was in college. Believe it or not, this is not my biggest challenge. My biggest challenge is undivided attention ,for four to five hours a day. I am always available to them but with my attention divided. God gave me the gift of administration, which is helpful in lots of respects and an adversity in others. I want to get all MY work done before I can help them. Well that won’t happen. The laundry, grocery shopping, bill paying etc will have to be strategically intertwined into the day. This is where I have to remind myself that school comes first. Just like I tell them, school first, school first! As a homeschool mom I can honestly say,I DON’T WANT TO DO SCHOOL FIRST! Truth be told, I DON’T WANT TO DO IT AT ALL! I have done my schooling, lots of it. I want to be done. However, these two boys are depending on me to get them graduated and into a college, even though they would never recognize this fact. A child left to his own well, God says it best. Proverbs 29:15 ...but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. So, I have no choice but to be available for them without my mind being divided. I told each of them what my rules were to be able to do their school work at home. They understood, if they didn’t agree, whole heartedly, to these few rules then they need to choose another option for their education. My rules are; Get up on your own! Be ready for school work no later than 9a.m.! That means breakfast down, teeth brushed, Facebook checked, texting sent, ready for work. No cell phones! We don’t have a house phone, everyone has a cell phone. I told them their phones will stay upstairs in their rooms. This did not go over to well because, you see, you can get away, usually, with texting in public school. They have loads of friends that will be texting them during school. So they did not like this rule at all! I agreed they could check it on break. I also told them there would be no unscheduled off days this year, they are in high school, not elementary and we have a lot of work to get done in 172 days. When school is missed for golf, fieldtrips or work (our youngest loves to work and has a steady job at a friend’s horse boarding stable) you will make your work up the very next day along with that day’s work or get ahead before you go. I don’t think my rules are to strict. Our oldest had to think about it for a couple of hours, public school or home. Our youngest is committed to doing his work at home no matter what torture he must endure. Here is the kicker! I have to go by my rules as well. I know I am the mom/teacher, I should be able to have my cell phone if needed. I can’t do that. I am also easily distracted, therefore , no phone for me either, no food network in the background, no facebook and no emails. I have to set the example that school is priority to me and should be to them as well. These are boys and they get distracted at a fly in the room, just like our beloved dog does! So I will follow my own rules. It is only about four to five hours, five days per week, I can do this! (good by Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay!). In my head, it all works so smoothly and I get all excited about our new school year. However, I know from experience, you add two teen boys to the mix and, well, not so smooth. I think I am prepared, I am prayed up, I won’t raise my voice, I won’t get frustrated, I will not run to my husband’s home office and tattle on them, I will NOT CRY! I repeat this over and over to myself and I find peace, strength and excitement while anticipating our first glorious day of school. Then it happens, the first day of school, it is over, I am emotionally drained, I have raised my voice, tattled on them, and cried! There are two young men that wish they had chosen a different school. Even though neither of them like it and know what to expect behind those brick walls, after today they forget all that and wish they had chosen it, over home. UGH! Then one day, after we get into the swing, there is harmony. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think they are going to rise up and call me blessed as in Proverbs 31:28 her children arise up, and call her blessed… . But they are grateful they chose to be home to do their work. They are grateful they got to do “Wildlife Science” in the mountains for a week, with their dad for elk/bear season, they are grateful they were able to use their skills for their annual dove hunt in Texas, they are grateful they have their MOMMA for a teacher since she also whips up a mean breakfast and lunch, they are grateful for no homework in the evenings. If we could only skip the first part! But I know it is coming, I know it ever year but nothing can prepare a mother for the first day of school with two teen boys, that don’t even want to set at the same table most days! However, I am counting on Christ to give me peace, peace that I cannot even muster up if I tried! John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. I have to have THAT peace. Not my own. I need it to get through all the first days of school, because believe me, I know there will be many first days in our 172 days of school.
May God bless our school year! I will not look back. Luke 9:62 Jesus replied, “ No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God”.
If you look back your rows will be crooked!