Good homeschooling like good-parenting is no cake-walk. It’s hard work. If you’ve tried growing fruits, vegetables or just keeping plants alive you probably know what I mean. Incidentally, my thumbs are not green. I hope my gardening track record is no indication of my parenting and homeschooling abilities.

Today is Friday. Our week started off well-enough, but got derailed by Wednesday. Still derailed on Thursday. Today, thank you, Lord, we got back on track. I felt like talking about it today, so here goes.

Monday (& Tuesday)

On Monday we attended the McKinley Museum‘s grand opening for Fascination Station. This week was also our own grand-kick off to using  a variation of the “workbox system” in our homeschooling.  (Tuesday night the boys had their Lego League meeting.)

*** Oh, and I should mention this week was also the beginning of a new concerted effort on my part to teach my kids good habits along with a study of the Fruit of the Spirit.***

And teaching good habits and good character requires my focused attention or I will miss things.

Well, the first day or two of the week went well-enough but then Wednesday happened.

I know. We were ripe for a train wreck with all of those good intentions.

Wednesday

We spent 3 hours at the eye doctors with very little to eat that morning and NO coffee for me. This appointment was for – one kid.

The office did look busy, my son had to have a second round of those eye-dialating drops and then we had to wait to find out what our new insurance would cover as far as new glasses. Our appointment was for 8:15am and it was after 11am when he left. Way too long to be there with two little boys and NO coffee. At all. For me.

And long story short, I allowed myself to get upsold on some glasses we didn’t need. I wanted to get out of there and felt bad if I had to stop the whole deal and cancel. I thought we would just suck it up and pay. It was easier to choose this route. It would not require voiding all the done-paperwork, disappointing the frame employee. People-pleasing can still be a weakness for me.

However, I knew better and still did not have peace about my choice. I knew my husband would not agree with this choice either so I sat in the parking lot (the eye office is 2 floors up in an office building) and called the office from my cell phone and canceled the order.

Peace. One of the fruits I was teaching my boys about the day before.

We are going to go back to the office when it’s more convenient for us and pick out a pair covered by insurance.  I buy our back-up pairs of eyeglasses through Zennioptical.com because its so much more affordable there.

Then we had a nearly 2 hour gym class and I wasn’t feeling very good and my 6 year old was a little sick too.

Thursday

The boys had back-to-back dental appointments.  I was still feeling like I was coming down with something. A cold maybe. I think I had them watch a school video or two.

Friday

Today was different though. With no appointments scheduled, I knew we could focus on this homeschool-thing and get some work done and get back on the right track. It helped to that I was feeling better and I noticed my 6 year old seemed to be feeling better. I’d like to add that I had made a point over the past couple days to eat healthier,  take a vitamin and get some rest- perhaps that helped! I also didn’t push the homeschooling studies much while the 6 year old and I were not feeling very well. Some days  you just need to let it go and start fresh in the morning.

Good parenting like good homeschooling like good gardening all take work. And dedication. And perseverance. I want to include a few great verses to encourage us all.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

-John 15:5

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

-Philippians 4:13

“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”

-Lamentations 3:21-23

And Monday is the first day of a new week when we can start all over again, fresh 🙂 .

……………………………….      Free Printables     ……………………………………

Click here to download and print a free copy of the below image along with several verses on parenting (KJV). It’s just one page.

Fruit of the Spirit & Habits:  In case you’re wondering, I got my free Fruit of the Spirit printables and habit charts from Amy at Raising Arrows. Here’s the link. I am using contact paper to laminate our fruit and certain colored stars to mark specific habits the boys are working on.