I know it’ll be hard for y’all to imagine- but our morning today was ROTTEN.
The kids woke up squabbling. I had a sinus headache. Schoolwork was waiting. The kitchen countertops were mysteriously sticky and somehow a toilet was clogged.
And it kept building.
Like a slow boil, everything began to rumble. Voices got louder. Whining was almost unending. My coffee got cold as my temper flared. By the time breakfast was over I was maxed out FOR THE DAY and it was only 7:43am.
Sick of putting out 57 different fires, I did what any sane homeschool Mom would do:
I LOCKED US IN MY ROOM.
I gathered up pencils and workbooks and readers.
Blankets and pillows and fresh coffee.
Spelling books. Phonics pages. Perler beads.
I threw all of it, along with my three homeschool hoodlums and our dog into my room. AND I SHUT THE DOOR. I sat down and exhaled. Then questioned my sanity as I set out to get everyone stated on SOME SORT of home education.
(Can we talk for a minute about the weight of schooling three elementary kiddos? There is almost ZERO work they can complete independently because they’re all still pretty young. They are all dealing with long division and subtraction with regrouping and phonics and adding dimes and nickels AND EVERYONE NEEDS HELP WITH ALL THE THINGS ALL THE TIMES. I’m borderline overwhelmed like 97% of my day. Which is why I pray so much and drink a lot of coffee.I digress.)
I FINALLY got everyone started and the dust settled. I drank some coffee and did some spelling lessons. Then some grammar. Then some phonics. Blankets were spread and pillow piles were climbed. Perler bead patterns were made.
IT GOT BETTER.
Turns out, when I was close to snapping- instead of pushing my kids apart and separating them from each other WHAT WE NEEDED WAS TO BE TOGETHER. Locked down like a jailhouse in one room with nothing but Number 2 pencils for company. Desperate times called for desperate measures, you know?
I reckon God does the same thing for me. When I’m moody and tired and cranky and depressed I don’t need distance from Him I NEED A HUG. I need Him near me most when I’m my most unlovable. When I’m prickly and testy and wanting to pick fights THAT IS WHEN I NEED TO LOCK MYSELF IN A ROOM WITH HIM. Man, my crew really does get it honestly, don’t they??
It might now work for me every time, but today, lockdown was the thing we needed.
BLESS OUR HEARTS.
The kids woke up squabbling. I had a sinus headache. Schoolwork was waiting. The kitchen countertops were mysteriously sticky and somehow a toilet was clogged.
And it kept building.
Like a slow boil, everything began to rumble. Voices got louder. Whining was almost unending. My coffee got cold as my temper flared. By the time breakfast was over I was maxed out FOR THE DAY and it was only 7:43am.
Sick of putting out 57 different fires, I did what any sane homeschool Mom would do:
I LOCKED US IN MY ROOM.
I gathered up pencils and workbooks and readers.
Blankets and pillows and fresh coffee.
Spelling books. Phonics pages. Perler beads.
I threw all of it, along with my three homeschool hoodlums and our dog into my room. AND I SHUT THE DOOR. I sat down and exhaled. Then questioned my sanity as I set out to get everyone stated on SOME SORT of home education.
(Can we talk for a minute about the weight of schooling three elementary kiddos? There is almost ZERO work they can complete independently because they’re all still pretty young. They are all dealing with long division and subtraction with regrouping and phonics and adding dimes and nickels AND EVERYONE NEEDS HELP WITH ALL THE THINGS ALL THE TIMES. I’m borderline overwhelmed like 97% of my day. Which is why I pray so much and drink a lot of coffee.I digress.)
I FINALLY got everyone started and the dust settled. I drank some coffee and did some spelling lessons. Then some grammar. Then some phonics. Blankets were spread and pillow piles were climbed. Perler bead patterns were made.
IT GOT BETTER.
(It’s like a Hallmark movie. Almost. But not really, bless it.)
Turns out, when I was close to snapping- instead of pushing my kids apart and separating them from each other WHAT WE NEEDED WAS TO BE TOGETHER. Locked down like a jailhouse in one room with nothing but Number 2 pencils for company. Desperate times called for desperate measures, you know?
I reckon God does the same thing for me. When I’m moody and tired and cranky and depressed I don’t need distance from Him I NEED A HUG. I need Him near me most when I’m my most unlovable. When I’m prickly and testy and wanting to pick fights THAT IS WHEN I NEED TO LOCK MYSELF IN A ROOM WITH HIM. Man, my crew really does get it honestly, don’t they??
It might now work for me every time, but today, lockdown was the thing we needed.
BLESS OUR HEARTS.
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