Monday, January 30, 2012

It seemed like measureable success.


































Whew!  What a day.
Quite a good day if I say so myself, but I'm just wondering how it's 10:30 at night already!
I'm in the throes of revamping the school-day agenda.  We don't use a scheduled curriculum,
so I usually focus on several subjects for a portion of time (weeks/months) and then
transition to some others.  We do Bible reading together and our three R's every day, but may
work on social studies or the sciences by turns. 

It so happens that family life is ever-changing.  It is dynamic.  It is seasonal.
There are seasons in which I get more sleep; there are seasons I muddle through morning sickness.
There are seasons where I plan and make all the meals; and seasons where one of my children/students
take over breakfast prep and little brother feeding so I can feed the baby.  Or shower.
Sometimes there are even seasons when I shower and get dressed before noon! 

Life requires some flexibility.  If we can't roll with the punches, we teach our children something
untrue:  that we are for the system
I want them to understand that the system is there for us.   
Our schedule, our lists, our lessons, and chapters are serving us and we use them to benefit our
quest for knowledge, for skill, and most importantly for the shaping of good character.
I find there are a lot of character lessons to be learned in the flexible moments we experience!                                                              
So today I tweak.  Again.  Still.  What is working?  Sometimes what is not working is a longer list...
or feels like it... or I need to look harder - maybe in another corner where success is hiding modestly
under the cloak of a victorious heart lesson.
Maybe even my heart.
Hopefully.

What bliss is the day that runs like clockwork!  Your people are dressed before reading commences,
 you actually ate something yourself before that time.  And fed the baby (never mind the shower - that
can come later).  Your people remembered their chores, and even remembered to wipe little brother's
sticky hands before setting him on the loose! 
The day when you planned ahead enough.  When your dinner was already simmering on the stove at
noon, and the ones who were doing personal homework were (wonder of wonders) not distracting
each other!  The little ones were even playing sweetly.

Why isn't this the day your nosy neighbors drops by.  Or your mother-in-law.  Why?!!  This is that
"perfect" day for showing everyone you . can . do it!

Ahhhh me.

Remind me to savor it, because I'm going to need a strong dose of recollection when tomorrow comes.
One thing pretty dependable is that days like that don't come two in a row.
But opportunity for my character to be stretched?...
...is probably just around the corner. ;-)

5 comments:

Jess said...

Good to hear! Well done. Treasure the days that work and live in that moment :)

Photo Momma said...

True! Those days do not come 2 in a row! But what a blessing when we do experience such a blissful day :)

Brenda said...

You always amaze me. Great job.
I don't know if you use a crock pot but putting dinner on in the morning and having it ready all by itself was always a blessing for me when I had a house full. Just an idea. If you have wild game meat, it is awesome slow cooked with soup, seasonings and veggies.
Enjoy this time because it will be a memory tomorrow.
hugggss,
Brenda

Sally said...

Your mother-in-law has seen lots of those days that go well (in spite of the odds against them when you have so many little ones), and understands the days that don't go that way. In fact, she is amazed at all that one very special daughter-in-love accomplishes on a regular basis! Heart-fulls of love...your own m-i-l.

Momma Bug said...

Well... I wasn't thinking of MY mother-in-law specifically. She's of the Race that knows Joseph and happens to be some of my best and favorite cheering section!
I also know you've seen a large number of those OTHER days yet you still love me :-)
Top that!

Thanks mom-in-love :-)