St. Andrew’s Home School

From year to year I never feel ready, knowing how much more we could do without overdoing if I just felt that a bit more organized. I worry for not doing enough and of doing too much. I worry about making sure they are challenged enough, but not pushing too hard. I worry much less about pushing too hard when they are here at home, because homeschooling, in general, leans towards allowing them to grow and learn at a more natural, independent pace anyway.

Then there is the added stresser of my Oil and Water Pressure Cooker always on the verge of steaming with a bit too much pressure. Left to themselves, playing alone, with no other they are fantastic! When they play together there must always be someone with them, that is when the Pressure must be watched without fault or failure. These two, oh. my. goodness. They can not stand to be without the other, but they can not be left alone together either. When Mog and Goro were this age they were great together. They could play together, while there were plenty of messes, they were still fine being together. But CowBoy and Princerella left together for even a mere five minutes creates such havoc that I worry constantly about which one is going to kill the other first. Having them in the room with me is not even enough. It’s actually doing something with them that must take place. These are the two that are going to put me in my early grave. I can have them coloring at the table while the others do work, but that is not enough. Someone must be coloring with them or talking directly to them. It is very draining.

If there is only one of them then it is no big deal. I can put her or him at the table to color or do puzzles or anything really and all is well. Peace. Quiet. For the child it is constant missing of the other one. Princerella is always asking where CowBoy is and CowBoy is always asking where Princerella is. They can not stand being without the other, but they can not stand being together either. There is snatching of toys, punching, hitting, screaming, crying, chasing, running, and so much more. It is the most incredible thing I have ever witnessed with a seemingly love-hate relationship between siblings: snatch, punch, hit, scream, cry, hug, smile, play, snatch, punch, hit, scream, cry, hug, smile, play, rinse, repeat - all. day. long.

All that to say while we are starting tomorrow, it will be slow. I wanted to wait until the day after Labor Day, but with two in school I decided to start school mostly on the same schedule they will have. The second grader, Birdie, started a half day on Friday and a full, normal day of school tomorrow. Princerella, kindergarten, will start her first official day of school this coming Thursday. With Princerella and CowBoy both here at the house this week I am fully prepared for the insanity that will most definitely ensue while I am teaching the other two. Well, I doubt I am fully prepared; with these two I just never know. But I am as prepared mentally as I can be.

On a similar note, this may be a very challenging year for us with Princerella. Not with Princerella directly, but with the school. We were told at her IEP meeting at the end of last year that she would have an Inclusion Teacher with her during all lesson and writing times. I learned Friday at her “meet the teacher” day that none has been schedule and that the teacher didn’t even know she would need one, much less that we have been promised one. This is a major problem. At some point tomorrow we have got to try to straighten this all out. I will most likely have to rely on Rev. Mr. Know Tea to handle some of this, because when it comes to my Princerella I have some very strong emotions that I can not seem to get off my sleeve. I do fine until I get angry, then I don’t blow up or yell like a mama bear would, I just boil underneath until the tears begin to flow and I come across as one of those crazy out of hand mothers that they just pat on the back and send her on her way. And THAT makes me really angry and then I tend to lose it. Without an Inclusion Teacher, Princerella will not reach her full potential for this year. Without an Inclusion Teacher her kindergarten teacher is going to get very frustrated with the situation as well. Princerella is going to need a great deal of assistance one on one with writing and other fine motor skills. I am very concerned about how the teacher will handle her frustration and will she take it out on my child.

I can say, right now, that if I had the money, I would pull her immediately and enroll her in the Montessori school because that would be so much better geared to her needs and challenges.

So, slow and steady wins the race.

What are your biggest challenges starting off this year?