I Can See It From Here

We could have finished school this week. Could have. #2 has 12 more English lessons and to finish The Yearling. #3 just has to finish up his math and handwriting books. That's it. We're within spitting distance of Summer vacation, and they won't just do the work.

I told #2 this morning, "If you would just do your English from now until you're done, then you could finish today and have no more grammar until September. If you read your literature book for two hours straight, then you would be completely finished and I could stop yelling at you."

I said to #3, "You have 15 problems on a math page for 11 more pages. They are all speed drills, so the problems are all the same just mixed around. Just do the same thing over and over for an hour and you'll be done and then you can have all day free for playing and inventing and making costumes." He's spent the last hour and a half on the same page.

Don't these boys get how close their mother is to having her head explode? If they happens, they will be the ones who have to clean up the mess...doesn't this occur to them?

JUST DO THE WORK!!!!!!! AAAARRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

Thanks, I needed that moment.

It has become obvious to me that boys' brains and girls' brains are complete opposites of each other. When my daughters spot the finish line, they hurry up to finish that much faster. My boys see the light at the end of the tunnel, shrug to themselves and decide that there's no real reason to rush since the end is in sight.

It's killing me slowly. I want to do other things besides sit in the basement next to them as they move at a snail's pace. If I get up for any reason they disappear, and then I have to go and wrestle them back downstairs and back on task.

Welcome to homeschooling hell.

This is the week of the year when I seriously consider putting them in school for next year. It's the week when I wish I wasn't pregnant because I could sure use a drink. The week when I think I need my head examined for thinking this was a good idea in the first place. The week when I scream, yell and threaten them across the finish line because otherwise they're the boys who would take a detour and stand in the fields picking dandelions and spinning around. This is the week when God teaches me patience.

I hate it when He does that. Why can't the lesson be for my boys? Why can't he teach them to self-motivate and give them a desire to work hard rather than day-dream? I know, I know, that's my job. Being a grown up is no fun.



P.S. If you are one of those annoying moms who keeps asking me what curricula we are using for next year and want to show me your color-coded lesson plans that you already have prepared for the Fall......I love you.....but walk away...walk away now!