Our Fluid World

I don't like change...and yet I thrive on it. I am a typical human being. There have been monumental changes in our house, and yet they are not that great in the scheme of things...one child is in school and I have reduced my work schedule, but that is enough to completely turn my world upside down. In school? How did that happen? Abandon my fantastic job, why?

Alienor, our very middle of the middle child, 9 1/2, wanted to "try" school for a year. It may have something to do with her best friend going to school for a year last year, it may be another need being fulfilled. In any case, we agreed (one of us more reluctantly than the other), and she is having a great time in 4th grade. I do not like that she is in public school. I do not like the changes in our daily routine, the influences of "normal" culture forming her everyday environment (we were set to finish up the Old Testament and study Norse mythology this year.) I do not like the silent lunches or the separation of different grades on the playground ("no communication with the younger children") and worst of all, I miss her all day.

On the up side, school starts at 7:50, which gives us a magnificent opportunity of starting out our day at an indecently early hour with a nice walk to school.  We leave at 7:20 am, stroller, puppy on leash, and a whole string of munchkins of all sizes. It must look a bit strange to see a mother arriving with 7 children, (2 neighbor girls walk with us) and leaving with 4, but the ones returning home think it's kind of cool.

More positive things; Alienor has begun the viola after two years of piano and penny whistle, and she is thriving thus far in the classroom. Her answer to; "how was school today?" is invariably; "awesome!"

Despite my meticulously planned out schedule, organization of what to do when at each moment of the day, the truth is: it is not true homeschooling when you are 4 or 7 and your mama is away at work. The older two are quite capable of working independently, all day if necessary. It is not bad either, to give them some real responsibility in matters of child care and feeding themselves, but not 2 or 3 days a week. They were expressing some resentment of the time I was away and of the sibling rivalry that ensued, and we all missed our regular routine. As of September 1st, we are back on schedule, with one day per week of work, and daddy is home on that day. I am so happy to be back home, back in a predictable routine, with everyone here, or almost.