Back At It!

My posts have lagged behind a bit this week and for that I apologize. We started back to homeschooling Monday and it has been soooo busy! Now that FlowerChild is in 2nd grade and LadyBug is in Kindergarten we have had to readjust our learning time to accomodate the material and learning styles. I haven't ordered the new curriculum I want just yet. I am waiting on The FisherMan to have time to look it over. To be perfectly honest he has zero interest in it and has total trust in my decisions in this area. But still I trust his judgement also. He knows me so well and can sometimes notice things that I might not. I want to use Heart of Dakota but I keep wavering on Math curriculum. Singapore? Horizons? Saxon? I lean towards a combination of Rod and Staff and Horizons. There is so much to choose from out there! For now I have enough I can use until I make a firm decision in the coming weeks.

It has been an up and down day. Poor FlowerChild had a rough time this morning and let her feelings get the best of her. It was one of those times that felt awful at the time but is a little humorous once you get on the other side of it. She was mad, sad, frustrated...everything at once because she couldn't accomplish something automatically. When she reacted to this in an unacceptable way and I reprimanded her she became especially upset and exclaimed, "Why do you get to make all the rules, huh? Why can't kids make the rules? Oh, yes because YOU"RE the mama, sure! Why can't we tell you grownups what to do?"

Sigh.

Now you'll be proud to know that I behaved as a grownup, took her behavior seriously and explained everything to her in a no-nonsense way. Then we moved on from there with no more backtalk.

But can I just tell you what I was thinking? Hee, hee inside I wanted to answer her by saying,"You can't tell me what to do 'cause you're not the boss of me!"

But I didn't.

When she apologized for her outburst she told me she was tired. She said, "I just didn't get enough sleep last night. I just feel SO emotional today!"

Another reason you should be proud of me. I kept a straight face! She can be such a prissy little cutie at times! You gotta love her!

Then this evening we met up with The GuitarMan and a bunch of his friends. We had the best time! We talked and laughed. I can't remember the last time we laughed like that! He wanted us to see his dorm room. It's going to work out really well. Then we headed over to the gazebo at the center of campus. Of course, the guitars came along and the music broke out. We had such a good time.

If you have teenagers or younger children for that matter and maybe you are going through a rough patch, take heart! They are going to grow up very quickly. Do everything you can to protect your relationship with them. Do everything in love. I do not mean to overlook bad behavior because the Bible tells us that to do so is NOT love. I mean that when you correct them you need to always explain the "why" behind it. They need to know that your reasoning is for their benefit (spiritual, emotional, or physical) or your love for them or both! It is all going to be worth it when they are grown and you not only still love them, you like them. What a privilege and a blessing to spend time with your grown child and their circle of friends and actually enjoy yourself! It can really happen! Have faith...God chose to bless you with that child. Do all you can to have the relationship remain a blessing!