Routine

I love routine, schedules, knowing what to expect and my children do well when all is as usual and running according to a predictable routine. As we prepare to move, again, we are at a point of transition where attempting to cling to our routine has become futile. I suppose it's nice that this closely coincides with the end of the school year, when summer is beckoning and threatening the establishment anyhow. We are split between two homes- the current where laundry and other necessities loom and require my attention constantly -and the near future where my husband is most of the time, and play and preparation and anticipation and time as a family have already moved in. We are riding out this school year doing the bare minimum of the provided materials. My focus is completely on getting the barn ready and then getting moved and (hopefully) settled. The materials and curriculum for fall sit in boxes. I long to have a place to spread all of it out and muse over it and eventually plan and prepare and chart my own course for my dear kindergartener and second grader. I hope to be settled and have a place to do just that by mid summer. And although I don't actually believe in stopping learning for arbitrary breaks, this summer, I will attempt no "schooling" til September. I must focus first on the barn, the move, and making it through the remainder of this school year; and only after we are settled in the barn with lots of shelves will I next focus on charting the course; and finally in September, we will embark. I drive myself crazy trying to jump ahead while living out of boxes, it is a short drive with our regular routine completely out the window. I write this to tell myself it is all okay; Planning can wait til August, routines get messed with when one moves or summer invades, and it's all okay! Pressure off! I want my eyes on the prize of fall. In fall we will establish new routines, set lofty goals, have a fresh beginning with new resolutions. We will be settled and have the time and space to tackle these. We will not only be back on track, but be on new and surer tracks. We will thrive. 

--- and here are some encouraging statistics I saw this week that I want to save for a rainy, need encouragement kind of day--- http://www.collegeathome.com/homeschool-domination/. (Not so fond of tile/subtitle, but the numbers are so good and echo true in my experience working with a vast array of homeschoolers.)