It is only the end of September and I am already weary of school.

But it isn’t school’s fault.  My health hasn’t been its best and it's hard keeping up when you’re feeling achy and tired.  We had a pretty good first two weeks. Then the achiness and fatigue began to set in again.  It is so hard to stay focused and keep the kids focused when you’re distracted by flu-like aches and brain fatigue. 

Thank goodness for my Mom.  My Mom is coming over twice a week to help with E-.  I just write out her work and my Mom goes through it all with her.  That has allowed me more time with the twins.  But somehow time has gotten away from me these past two weeks anyway. 

This past weekend I went on a Ladies’ Retreat with my church.  The speaker’s theme was “What’s in your jar?” a take-off of the “What’s in your wallet?” commercial.  I would like to think my jar is full of the fruits of the spirit… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control.  Unfortunately, as my jar has been bumped a few times I’ve noticed impatience and irritability spilling out of it!  Ugh!

I stayed home from Wednesday evening fellowship tonight.  I just feel too tired to make small talk and for those who know me well and who would want to really know how I am doing, well, I just don’t feel like talking about how I feel.  Its just more of the same thing.

I think this Saturday I want to spend some time re-adjusting the lesson schedule.  I also have to work on preparing the September summaries to send to my umbrella school.  And I want to spend some time drinking water from the well that has living water.  I need to spend time in the Word so I don’t keep feeling weary from doing good.   

My husband has often said that we need more “school rules”.  I finally decided to write down the “rules” we already had and add a few more.  When my fibromyalgia is bad, there needs to be some sort of guidelines to help keep the kids (especially the teens) moving forward on their school work.  The trick will be enforcing them!  Hopefully with my husband helping we’ll manage it. 

Here are the old and new rules:

Da Rules for High School!  (School Rules, that is)

1.    School hours are 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.

2.    Breakfast needs to be done by 8:15 am.

3.    School ends when your work is done!

4.    No showers or baths during the school day.

5.    You get 1 hour to have lunch and a short break. Breakfast and lunch dishes are to be taken care of during this time period.

6.    There is NO X-Box, TV, Movies, computer games, phone calls, CDs, Internet, or radio during the school hours.

7.    If you are caught breaking rule number 6, or goofing off in some way, you will be fined $1.00.

8.    You will be given a daily schedule.  You are to do your subjects as they are assigned.  Undone work when time is up is to be done as homework that same day, on your own time. 

9.    You will be given an assignment sheet each week.

10.    YOU are responsible for keeping track of your assignment sheet and doing your daily work.

11.    If you don’t understand an assignment, YOU are responsible for asking your teacher to explain it to you.

12.    All written work should have your name, date, course and assignment written on the top left hand corner.

13.    If, for some reason, you are not given an assignment sheet, you are to take responsibility and work on the NEXT lesson.

14.    Keep your work in your notebooks until your teacher asks you to hand it to her.  DO NOT leave them lying in the printer or the table or stuffed inside of books.

Elementary School Rules

1. School hours are 9:30 am - 2:30 pm.
2. Breakfast needs to be done by 9:15 am.
3. School ends when your work is done!
4. No showers or baths during the school day.
5. You get 1 hour to have lunch and a short break. Breakfast and lunch dishes are to be taken care of during this time period.
6. There is NO X-Box, TV, Movies, Unapproved computer games, phone calls, Internet, or radio during the school hours.
7. If you are caught breaking rule number 6, or goofing off in some way, you will be fined $.25.
8. When your teacher cannot work with you, you should find something school related to do:  Leap Pad Learning system, puzzles, art, listen to a book on tape, etc.
9. Subjects you can try to do on your own:  copy work, Readywriter, Explode the Code, Rainbow Rock on the computer and practice reading books you’ve already read.
10. If you have done all the work that you can do on your own, and your teacher still cannot work with you, or once your work is done you may play any of the following computer games:  Rainbow Rock, Zoombinis, Cluefinders (as long as you don’t need help), Read, Write and Type, any reading/phonics type computer game.

Maybe with more enforced structure and clearer expectations my kids and I can continue to move forward in school even when I’m at my worst.  And even when I feel weary, I won’t give up on doing good. 

Posted by kleo30

Ahhh, I'm 3 weeks down and already weary of school....for the same reasons you are. I often stay home from church for the same reasons you did! I'd really like people to talk to me about something other than how I feel, kwim?

Hmm...I was going to comment on something else you posted and now I can't remember........oh well....it'll come to me at 3 am lol.

I'm excited for you starting the guai protocol. I'm anxious to see how you do. I'm still not decided about doing it. I've been praying and I just don't have peace right now. So I'm waiting.....

Oh, I remember. I think that is great that your mom is helping you. My MIL has offered to come over and do some heavy cleaning for me since I never get to that. I feel so funny telling her I'd like her to clean my windows, blinds and curtains or scrub the kitchen cabinets, walls and refrigerator. Doug told me she'll be hurt if I don't let her, so I'm going to have to give her a call. She really is such a blessing, but I do have a horrible time taking help when offered. I'm not sure why.

OK...have a blessed night~Kelly

Posted by Anonymous

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Posted by Kg

I am sorry you are feeling weary. I understand, because so am I! Not with school per se, just that I am behind in all my planning and such and all the daily interruptions are making it worse.

I love your rules! I'll have to make some of our own, I think my kids need some guidelines.