Getting Back (Trying Anyway...)

It's been quite a long time since I've last blogged. I'm full of excuses always. I started this blog three years ago in an attempt to document our homeschooling journey. Isabelle at age 5 was starting kindergarten, and Melina was a delightful toddler. Then a surprise pregnancy halfway through that school year, a new baby at the start of 1st grade, and now here I am with a 3rd grader and a pre-K-er with an almost 2-year-old toddler in the mix.

I originally planned to start our new school year the day after Labor Day, but both older girls were excited about their new curriculum and wished to start this week, so we began yesterday. Since they were eager I figured I'd best grab that enthusiasm before it went away.

Wow, I'm exhausted. Two days of doing school while chasing a toddler (and Melina too for that matter), and I'm wondering how I'm going to make it through this year. But it will get better, we'll get our routine down (the TV wasn't turned on once I'm proud to say). Today was the first day of CHER (Christian Home Educators of Ridgecrest) homeschool classes. Isabelle is taking Orderliness of Science and Hebrew, and Melina is taking Art. They'll continue in these weekly classes until end of November and then resume again end of January.

Melina got upset with me this morning when I asked her to change the dress she was wearing (her favorite sundress, a size too big, and falling off the shoulders). This prompted her to not want to attend her art class, so she hung out with me in Isabelle's classes (I was Mom's helper--glad to have that over with, now I can drop Isabelle off the rest of the semester and pick her up at 2). I'm Mom's helper in Melina's art class next week, so I know she'll attend then, and then hopefully she'll be willing to go to class so we can get our money's worth.

After class, the afternoon really didn't get much better with Melina, lots of yelling and screaming (we've really been working on trying to get her to use her words instead of scream or yell), lots of kicking Michaela, just not easy to get along with, very disagreeable, bath did not go well, finally she was asleep after 7:30. I think it's the age-FOUR. I remember doing a lot of praying for Isabelle when she was 4--I really struggled with that age, now here we go again. Yay, 4-year-olds!!! Ugh!! Although I'm sure when I'm dealing with a 13-year-old or a 16-year-old, or whatever teen year, I'll be thinking that age 4 was nothing! :)

This past weekend we just got back from a 10-day camping trip in Mammoth with our new trailer. So much room compared to our old small Cabana, but I loved that trailer. It was our first one, and we have lots of memories of camping in it. Our Weekend Warrior is great too, especially lots of sleeping room--gotta love that!

Okay, this blog post was just some random thoughts to get down in hopes that I'll start documenting our journey again (I hesitate to say "writing" because I really struggle with writing--I never know what to say and I feel I don't express myself well at all).

Here's to a new school year!! I try to always tell myself to find the joy in it all!