The Underbelly

Homeschooling is great! It's magical. What a privilege and constant joy it is to answer every little question thoroughly, to watch their minds grow and to guide them towards good choices and healthy ways of walking through life...

...blah blah blah.

Sure, I feel that way most times, but yesterday was a different story. As we began our second grocery store run before 10am (school had already been crunched in by this time, too!) and a little old lady remarked "oh aren't they adorable!?", I had to hold myself back from sending them off with their new grandma. Forever.

I needed more iron supplements (currently taking iron 4x a week AND eating red meat, daily!) and had a prenatal appointment at 10:30am. Oh, and we had an empty fridge. Hence the mad dash. To their credit, the boys did pretty well. Actually, I'll give the credit to my sweet midwife who is so calm and has an ease about her that would make even the crabbiest of pregnant ladies feel comfortable.

When you're having a bad day sans kids, you get a super sugary drink from Starbucks. You pick up a magazine and waste time reading about organizing your home (which you know you'll never actually do). You might even call a friend for an uplifting conversation. BUT, when you're having a bad day with tiny students who LIVE WITH YOU, there is no escape. You have to keep going because if teacher freaks out, all hell will break even MORE loose than it already had!

So, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, right? Thankfully, the weather is still wonderful here and we're taking advantage of it! Walks and bike rides, playgrounds and trips to Trader Joe's are all things we do to get out of each other's way on a crabby day.

I just LOVE watching Elijah ride up to the bike rack at TJ's and nestle his little wheels between the grown up bikes. Such a city kid.

Of course, we must balance that out with some good ole corn shuckin', lest he forget his Tennessee roots!

By the end of the evening, I was in tears, probably due to the rewiring of my hormonal make up. I think the boys are wearing me out, but I see a glimmer of hope. They are noticing a decline in mama's patience and strength and they're throwing me a bone. Only 8 more weeks of homeschooling and then a nice loooooooong break to visit with family, adjust to baby girl, and eat ice cream in bed for breakfast. Ahhh, vacation is just around the corner!