The First Two Weeks

Days 1-9

            A silent bell rang Monday morning during breakfast, Labor Day 2011. Eli and I sat at the table peacefully chatting about what the first week of home school would bring. I chose Labor Day purely because I wanted a Monday in the beginning of September to begin school. However, choosing Labor Day proved to be a more fitting day than the innocence of my singular desire.

            I labored in my sleep for a week prior to the first day of school. I tossed and turned and battled with Restless Leg Syndrome, which normally subsides the instant sleep takes over. I took my laborious nights up with God, going to Him in thoughtful prayer, God, please show me the days and times to accomplish everything I have taken on this week. I trust Him and I trust that peace and structure will come. I have a place in me that is unexpectedly calm, a place that would normally be in a complete frenzy. Yet, part of me still felt nervous to begin this new adventure. I found myself stretching my arm, holding an olive branch, toward anyone who felt the way I felt, or thought I felt at the time, about how daunting home schooling would be. In conversations with other adults the topic inevitably always turned to kids which lent itself to the topic of school. People asked, “Will Eli be starting school this year?” Normally expecting a quick yes or no, this question pried open a canyon of self-doubt through what began as a crevice sized question. My face would contort, squashing my mouth into itself and downward. My eyes widened showing fear and uncomfortableness. And my voice squeaked out, “Pray for me”, time and time again. The underlying cause for this ugly distortion of my face finally came to a head only after the first week of home school was said and done. I was reaching out for someone to understand what I assumed I was going to be going through, frustration, fear, pain, and fighting with my sweet four year old over respect for me not only as his mother but as his teacher too.

            Breakfast was served, eaten and cleaned up on this Labor Day, and I saw the open opportunity to begin school at that time. I had planned the whole week out a month ago. Each day is categorized into one or two subjects. Each month is thematically based on a field trip, September’s trip; The Discovery Space and Science Museum in Sacramento, CA. Armed with a white board, weekly calendar, and marbles for The 100 Days of School marble jar and my logically yet creatively planned lessons I felt ready to dive in. I shakingly began to go over the rules of our classroom with Eli when I realized I had only written in my “logically” planned lesson plan book to go over the rules, I had yet to create actual rules to follow. So, I winged it. Turned out school rules look a lot like the rules he already abides by (most of the time) as a resident of our home.

            We continued with our lessons, occasionally involving Luca, my boy who is a year and a half, handing him paper and crayons. As he toddled in and out of our kitchen classroom playing, giggling, coloring and sometimes crying I had my very own Oprah Ah Ha! Moment.

             Elijah began the first day fairly enthusiastic, at least until the workbook was opened. A brightly colored workbook he has delighted in numerous times. But today somehow he viewed it as tedious. “This is boring!” The first declaration of boredom was overlooked and only slightly annoying as it was mostly expected. No less than three, “This is boring”, comments later and my annoyance level began to give. I breathed and looked into his eyes which were full and bright, not covered and dim with sleep. His mouth was half cocked into a secrete smile he thought I could not see. Deep breath in and out,

            “Eli, I know you are not bored, I see you, I see your smile.” Downward he took his gaze and smiled wide. He pushed and I stayed strong. As much as I thought the reluctant respect would tear us and my heartfelt attempts to home school down, it did not. In fact as the first week continued on, concluded, and the second week followed suit. With two weeks and our first field trip accomplished I realized respect gained from Eli will come from strength in me and the willingness to do what God told me to do, to go forth with home school with a joyful heart and I will be provided with the rest in Christ. My scrunched face attempt to connect with that olive branch was really not an attempt to commiserate with others in my choice to home school but rather a search for connection with others. Now instead of asking people to pray for me as if the choice to home school was a wrong choice I hold my head up and proudly state, “Yes, he is in school this year. We started him early in kindergarten. I am home schooling.”