Spinning Wheels

The past 10 days or so have been rough.  The holiday weekend, Rich on vacation, a total upset of routine, has gotten me all out of whack.  I have been doing fall cleaning on top of everything else, canning, baking, lessons, so that I just feel like I am not getting anywhere.  But the kids are still amazing.  We read books today, they helped me dust, and they worked with me in the garden.  We played in the sandbox, and made words.  I just feel like we have been playing repeats every day.  Tomorrow we have a playdate with Mason.  He is between CJ and Eliza's ages, and we used to see him every week.  He is being watched by his aunt, who also has a new baby!  The kids are very excited, and we talked about how babies are different from toddlers.  They seem to understand that Baby Jack will not be able to play with them.  We also start weekly playgroup at a local elementary school on Friday.  We went often last school year, and the kids love the interaction.  There is always a craft available, lots of different toys, puzzles, and other developmentally appropriate activities.  Plus it is a great way for me to talk to other moms who have children the same age as mine.  We are all looking forward to play time this week.  Now if I can just get the cleaning done, and get myself more organized then this homeschooling adventure will be back on track.  This happens a lot when Rich has vacation, actually.  It is difficult to have the same kind of pace when he is home.  We focus on spending time together, even during the kids' nap times, when I would normally be planning lessons, and catching up on work.  C'est la vie!  Tomorrow is another day, and tomorrow we will have some social education, and in the afternoon we are going to play some alphabet games, and read.  We may also do a fun drawing project, if they are not too tired.  More on that later.  I am going to make a book this weekend that has all the words CJ knows, or can sound out.  I am also going to make one on pink paper for Eliza (her favorite color) so she can follow along when CJ and I read together.  Thank you for tuning in, I promise that starting next week this will be back to education!