I’ve been a little MIA over the last few weeks. Not only have we had a number of projects going on in ministry here, but our kids have been on summer break. You know– that period of time where kids start asking for the next meal’s menu four minutes after they’ve put their dishes in the sink.
Now going into this, I knew that both my kids and me would have homework from school.
But I didn’t know-know.
When my kiddo came home and officially began summer vacation, I actually gawked at the amount of paperwork and checklists and this-that-and-the-other’s that came home.
Trepidation— that’s a good word for what I felt!
I felt great trepidation when I laid eyes on the piles emerging from my daughter’s bookbag.
Silly me. I had my own projects I wanted to get done- family and personal.
I gave my kid the next day off to “celebrate” summer vacation. But really, it was because I had no idea where to start! I needed a few hours of tv to entertain them while I tried to figure out what all we were supposed to do. As I kept going through it multiple times, I kept finding more things that weren’t on some lists but that still needed to be done. What in the world?
Among the assignments for our 5 week break-from-school (but not really) are:
- a 48 page math and language workbook
- reading aloud practice and math drills (12 times)
- keeping a morning glory plant alive and doing a few drawings/notations of its progress
- a “summer challenge” of 15 items that have to be done twice each– mostly things like hanging your own laundry to dry, clean the shower-room, do the dishes
- more worksheets
- read 3 books (granted, it’s first grade, so books aren’t very long)
- 2 Journal Entries
- A craft project I’m still contemplating
For my own part, I need to keep track of various random things, fill in paperwork, record their waking/sleeping times (for both my preschooler and my first-grader) and their daily temperature readings.
Still, in the midst of it all, it’s good to have my kids home and spend time with them. They laugh and giggle so much about silly things… and they appreciate the little fun things. For example, every night at 7:45 there are fireworks that go off at an amusement part a few miles off. If we climb to the 3rd floor of our complex, they can watch them from the stairs. That, and playing Uno, or getting some ice cream… these are great moments to make count, even if it’s simple.
I’m sure that’s on a checklist somewhere. If not, it ought to be!
Ninja Mom 