Even before homeschooling, each summer I would work hard on getting organized and doing any painting etc. I would be well prepared way in advance by shopping early for school supplies, clothes, shoes, backpacks and all that.
This year hasn't been that way at all. For one, the summer has literally flown by. There has been a lot of fun and good things going on, and I really just wanted to enjoy summer and not be thinking about school too much. And two, we changed our school plans early in the summer, and went from an extremely tight budget, to shifting funds for homeschool and other things. And three, I got sick for two weeks and it really really took a toll on me and the house!
So now, here we are in August, only a few weeks before school has started. I have purchased the majority of our curriculum, done a little bit of cleaning out and organizing, but now we have two birthdays coming up. I am NOT going overboard like I did before, but there are several homemade gifts in the works, plus a homemade cake to make. Though it's simple, I can't tear the kitchen apart and clean it good :)
PLUS, it is HOT!!! No way can we clean out our shed and have the yard sale now! That will wait until at the very least September when it only gets in the 90s, ha ha. Last night I was feeling so overwhelmed. It was a struggle to get the girls in bed at 9:30!!! The living room and kitchen were somewhat cluttered, bedrooms the same, the bathroom littered with wet towels and swimsuits like always, the trash overflowing, the laundry way backed up, the cupboards getting empty because I didn't make it to the grocery store yet, my knitting and sewing projects sitting out looking messy, my plants on the porch looking thirsty and me- very wore out.
But, instead of all those things, I had picked my mom up from the car place while her car was being worked on, gone to a doctor appointment for myself, ran some errands and picked up lunch for everyone, looked through the homeschool books that arrived, and then took her to my grandmother's and visited there for an hour. By the time I got home, I was hot, tired, feeling crampy and bloated (sorry TMI) and just done. I changed into comfier clothes, took some pain meds, got a glass of tea, and parked it in the recliner until 6pm!! Right when my husband gets home. But he is so easy going, he just jumped right in and helped me cook a great, simple and delicious dinner. By then I was feeling better and able to at least clean up the kitchen, while the girls went for a swim.
All that to say, I know that it's not how things are on the outside that is most important. I would prefer for things to be clean and neat and orderly, and I do my best to get there, but ultimately it's the unseen things that are eternal. Serving and spend quality time with grandmas and great-grandmas is much more priceless than getting all the laundry done. Indulging a craving for farm fresh peaches and stopping to buy 5lbs of them is important too, even if it adds to the errands and stops I needed to make.
I bought a homeschooling/life planner from Confessions of a Homeschooler the other day for $5. In it she has this page comparing a 'Super Mom' vs. a Mom Abiding in the Vine-Jesus. It really spoke to me and I put it as the first page of in my homeschooling notebook to remind me of what I'm doing and Who is my Help.
I put this in the front of my homeschool notebook to keep me focused on the right thing-God! I struggle to remind myself of what the greater purpose is, it's so easy to get sidetracked on many things- the constant messes, meals, laundry, cleaning up, going to classes and church, and now we are undertaking lots of home improvements as we get ready to sell this house. Thanks so much Erica for this awesome reminder!
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