Who knew?

Several times this week, I heard myself telling someone that I love homeschooling.  If you’ve been reading this blog since we began last September, you’re probably surprised to hear this.

Not as surprised as I am to say it.  Six weeks ago, I wrote that I actually like homeschooling.  Now I’m here to say that I love it.

Someone asked me last night what has changed to bring about this wholesale turnaround.  I had a hard time answering because I don’t really know.  I know we’ve changed a lot of things.  I gave up our rigid schedule.  I run the kids until there is little time or energy left to drive me crazy.  I have nearly given up on our extensive list of objectives for the year.  I mean, really, are they going to miss out on their dream job if they can’t identify all of the instruments in Peter and the Wolf?  I can’t do it, and I’m a decent person.

I wonder if the reason I like homeschooling so much lately is because we do so little homeschool.  I know this statement sends fear down the spines of the grandparents, but we are all so much happier.  That counts for something, right?

Someone told me in September that families who have been programmed to do the traditional school thing often need to de-school for a year before they get started. Maybe this is our de-schooling year.  Whatever it is, it’s been great.

Tonight at work, one of the teenagers came into my office and said, “Tara, you need to come here.”

She brought me to the window to see that both boys were dancing on top of my car.  I laughed, and I think she was surprised.  I had just chewed the boys out for being unkind a few minutes earlier, and the teen had remarked that she liked my strict discipline.  So I could tell she didn’t understand why I now laughed.

When I left the office to head home, I asked the boys why they were on top of the car. Ezra answered, “I just needed to shake my booty, Mom.”

And I believed him.  So I’m just going to have to trust that they will learn enough to do whatever God has them on this Earth to do.  Because I don’t ever want to go back to spending all of my time wondering how to get through the day with these awful kids and missing out on loving the funny, quirky, messed up, gifted, awful kids I have.

I couldn’t say before this year that I loved spending long stretches of time with my kids.  I can now.  My kids have a mother who enjoys being with them.  Whatever else they might miss because of staying home, they will know that their mommy likes being with them.

Who even knew that this was possible?