Almost Ready, Ready or Not

Today has been totally lazy, although there is much to do.  We have our “official” start of school on tomorrow, and I have all the excitement and trepidation of a new year.   I think my energy level has been reflective of the weather outside—dreary and wet.    Given that our electric bill was a whopping $400 on last month, I’ve been trying to conserve by using the oven once with as much packed in as I can rather than lighting it each time the children want to bake, each time I cook a meal, etc.   Blueberries have been on sale for the last few weeks here, so we started with blueberry muffins and turkey sausage, and a blueberry cobbler for dessert this evening.

 The last few weeks have been a blur.   My superhero and the oldest arrived safely from their missions trip to Belize on last Saturday evening, with bites from mosquitos, biting flies, rashes, and all.   For a while, the house had this outrageous buzz: everyone wanted to tell everyone else about what transpired “while you were gone.”   I think our two missionaries were just happy to be indoors with all the comforts of home.   I’ll post separately about their trip, as I couldn’t get my daughter to post to her blog about her week.   As an aside, she gave up her blog, which bothered me more than it bothered her.   However, she did it in the name of managing her time better, and I have to learn to back off and let her learn certain life skills her way.   Blogging can take up a tremendous amount of time if you’re not careful, especially if you’re still mastering typing skills.   Anyway, everyone is all settled in now, except I notice that the two missionaries are constantly cold—I think their bodies made an adjustment to having no air conditioning, even if their minds struggled with it.

Last Wednesday through Sunday was the first conference of Heart of the Matter, hosted entirely online.    This was such a treat, and I believe Heart of the Matter is so cutting edge with this technology.   No parking fiascos or ridiculous gas tank prices in traveling, no outrageous hotel fees under the guise of a “homeschool package,” no rules and regulations about how to, when to, and no need to find activities for the children.   Just a computer and a listening ear, so I could attend even while going about my day.    I have so much information to collect and store somewhere, and to marinate upon for years to come.    I was to speak on Sunday afternoon and struggled with my initial time slot due to technical problems on my end.    I was so very disappointed that I couldn’t speak, and then, at the last minute, a window opened for me.  Another speaker couldn’t show (and I certainly don’t wish her harm), but the Lord had laid on my heart something that I really wanted to share and that I hope ministered to the ladies.  I had a ball, and I can’t wait to do it again.   I’m also praying for extra cash so that I can pay for someone else to go who could benefit from such an opportunity.

Well, I’d better get up from here.   Thank God I’d cooked dinner on yesterday (spaghetti) in case this storm turned out to be more than the weatherman expected.   There’s still salad to prepare, notes to my “big kid” students, clothes to fold and put away, and I still need to review—again—for tomorrow.   My 5-year-old was so excited about her birthday and being a kindergartner until she wanted to start school right away.  So three weeks ago, in spite of all my planning and preparation, we started K-5, with me fumbling each day.   Spontaneity is definitely not my strength.   So I’m going to take a deep breath and review what I thought we would do.   The beauty of school at that age is that you look competent even when you’re feeling totally inept.   I think I’m also still deciding, a few weeks into it, whether Bob Jones was a good decision for us.   Most of all, I want to pray and get up early enough to spend a little quiet time with the Lord.   During the conference, Kendra Fletcher of Preschoolers and Peace  spoke on finding quiet time with the Lord, something that I know is missing on a consistent basis in our homeschooling day.   I tend to say prayers as I’m getting cleaned up, getting breakfast together, etc., and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m looking for a new level.   I’m believing God for new wine in this place; dare I show up to our homeschool table with an old wineskin.

UPDATED on 8/6:

I wanted to post this on yesterday but couldn’t get my camera, my post, and the USB cord to link the camera to the computer in one place at one time.   Our first school day was good, not great.   We were all a bit sleepy, including me, though I did get up early enough for prayer.   I think the biggest delight for all the kids is that this guy is now back inside after years of becoming an outside dog.   When the youngest was small, we feared any potential injuries to either, so he had to move.   Now he’s relocated, and even the oldest, who’d like to pretend she doesn’t care, will ask about him if he’s not immediately visible.

  I could have probably included more details in those pep rallies I held a couple of weeks ago—less ‘you can lead the horse to water, but…’ and more ‘this is the book for this subject, here’s what we’ll do here, and this is how…,’ especially with the oldest.   We’ve made some significant changes to books, approach, etc., as she takes on more college-prep skills.   Yet, God is faithful and all is well.   As if that weren’t enough, it’s finally NFL season again!!! YAAAAAYY!!