My life is so completely different now than what you will read below. I found this in some saved computer files – I gave this talk a few years ago to a group. I still have most of the curriculum I taught from and some I bought to use in the future. I guess I haven’t let go completely. What a wonderful blessing it was to be able to be home and teach my children for ten years!!!
“A Day in the Life of a Haggard Home School Mom”
I woke up to the typical buzz of the alarm clock. WOW! Those last 2 hours of sleep felt like 2 seconds. My youngest daughter woke me in the middle of the night because she had a bad dream. I think to myself that she should be grateful, because that means she slept enough to have a dream.
Coffee. I need coffee. I make my way to the kitchen to brew this wonderful concoction. The label says 100% Columbian. We learned that Columbia, South America is known for its superior quality of coffee but Brazil produces the most. My son is studying South American World History. I found out I love history when I began teaching it to my children. I wish I had known this in high school.
Oooh, the coffee’s ready. Sugar…..creamer…..yes, it’s the perfect color. That is so good. Now I start breakfast and while it’s cooking I get to sit alone drinking my coffee, meditating…this is nice but usually short-lived. My youngest, the one who got to dream last night, stumbles into the living room.
My oldest daughter, who is in high school, is up straightening her hair. By the time I take her to school she looks beautiful, but I look……well, the opposite of that. I’m only half way out of my PJs. I put jeans on but am still wearing the T-shirt I slept in. That’s a good teacher’s uniform. Unless we’re taking a field trip, of course. Then I make myself presentable. My son made a revealing comment one day. I had caught a glimpse of myself in the hallway mirror and said, “I look terrible”. My son replied, “No you don’t, mom, you look regular.”
When I return home from taking my high schooler to school it is a slow go before I start teaching the other two. I remind them of their chores and when they finish those they’re calling me to the dining room table (that is our classroom) ready to start. “WAIT A MINUTE! I shout, “Let me put this load of laundry in the wash.”
To the dining room table now. Brady, my 3rd grader is learning about homophones.
B-L-U-E is the color of the sky on a sunny day. B-L-E-W is what the wind did all day yesterday. Now, I must switch to my 7th graders science lesson. He is learning about global winds.
It is lunch time already? Didn’t I just clean the mess from breakfast? I snack on some crackers and the kids don’t seem to mind sandwiches. We clean the lunch dishes then its back to school for a little longer. Afternoons are normally filled with art or Latin or geography. We finish school and we clean the rest of the house. I check my e-mail. I try to think of something different to make for dinner. Ooh, maybe an exotic meal I saw the Barefoot Contessa create last week.
It’s time to pick up my oldest from school. When we get home she needs help with an English project. Afterward, I go for my afternoon walk while the kids play games or watch TV. They used to go with me but now they prefer to do other things. It’s okay, this is the only time I get to listen to my kind of music which is an eclectic assortment of 80s rock, old & new country, worship music and even some current pop tunes that my kids like. Once home from my walk it is time to start dinner. I don’t have any exotic ingredients in my pantry so I opt for an old standby…..spaghetti. RAGU isn’t exotic but it’s good and it satisfies the entire family. I clean up the kitchen again, check my email again. Then it’s time to take my daughter to her game. Once home the kids get their showers and get ready for bed.
I try to do some reading once the kids are asleep but my eyes won’t stay open. So, I give in to my sleepiness, turn off the light and lay my head down on my pillow. As I drift off to sleep I look forward to another day with my beautiful family. And that is a day in the life of a tired, but happy home school mom.
mariegriffith.me 