As I emerge from the morning sickness and begin to feel well again, I thought I'd share some insights I've gleaned from the 4 times I have done this since I began homeschooling.

First off, give yourself a break.  Morning sickness is not for the wimpy.  It takes a lot of energy to lay on a couch and try to convince yourself you will survive.  In fact, it takes a lot of energy just to make it to the couch in the first place (unless of course, you spent the night there).  So, give yourself permission to take a break from all things.  Make meals as simple as possible, enlist someone to help you w/ laundry and dishes...better yet, use paper plates, cups, etc.  Get your husband to shop for you and keep the refrigerator stocked w/ easy snacks for you and the children.  Don't be afraid to ask for help.  You can be superwoman some other time.

As for homeschooling, consider my entry on Homeschooling Year Round.  You can catch up later.  That is one of the many beauties of homeschooling ~ flexibility.  Is there really a need for you to stress right now about what is not getting done?  Think about the larger picture.  Will it really matter that you did not do 3 months worth of math with your 3rd grader when you can make up those 3 months somewhere else?  Older children can keep up with many of their studies on their own and with very little direction.  So, really, the short amount time you are sick (I know it feels like an eternity when you are in the midst of it), will even itself out in the long run.  It will be okay.  I promise.

One thing I really struggle with when I am down with morning sickness is the Bad Mother Syndrome.  I am convinced that my children are the most unruly, my house the most messy, my world the most chaotic, and I am very, very afraid I will never, ever feel "normal" again.  It is during these times that it is most crucial that you ask for the Lord's guidance.  Sometimes, these feelings are a good "jumping-off" point for us to truly analyze our shortcomings and those we see within our families, but we also must be aware that Satan will use these times when we are already down and out to knock us down further and convince us we are no good at this Christianity thing or this homeschooling thing.  He will put questions into our heads like, "Wouldn't they all be better off if I just sent them to public school?"  So, even in the midst of your illness, you must ask the Lord for discernment.  Ask Him to show you TRUTH and give you the ability to PERSEVERE.

And finally, when you do come up for air and realize the morning sickness is beginning to subside, REJOICE!  Then, take a moment to look around you and do the next thing.  What one thing that did slip while you were "away" should be re-established right away?  Do you need to take some time to get the discipline of the children back under control?  Is your husband begging  you to clean the house and have all the laundry done up?  Is everyone hungry for some "real food?"  For us, it was the discipline.  But, as a bit of encouragement, I will tell you it only took a few days to remedy this.  They were immediately aware that mama was back.  So, do not dispair...what fell apart while the couch held you hostage will not take all that long to rectify with a little bit of consistancy.

So, as a final note, let me just say that as someone who has survived morning sickness many times and considered herself a homeschooling mom through the majority of those times, I empathize completely with your plight.  It is a very difficult place to be.  I hope you find some encouragement from my words.  And a great big cyber-hug from me to you!