Feeling the Heat (AKA August)

[pickandgrin]

It's here again--August.

In case you are feeling the heat about getting back into the swing, just know that you are not alone. When you are weary, remember the rest of us. When I am weary, I remember you. New beginnings are wonderful, and they are wonderfully hard work. What a blessing to pour out our lives in such wonderful work and to share in that labor together!

Oremus:

Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous;
teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing I am doing Your will.
Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

[enbateau]

We are a few weeks in, and I always forget how exhausted I feel getting "back to work." The Lord is merciful in how he created us to get more efficient at our tasks and handle the rigors of this incredible job we undertake.

Here are my recent-start takeaways, as they are fresh:

1. Expect a little loss from your break, especially with memory work from one grade to the next. It's okay to remind your first grader that there are 26 letters (not 25) and that Abraham Lincoln is the 16th president, not second.

2. Timed tests are a wonderful tool for teaching meekness and patience. It can be humbling for a mathy kid to miss 1 + 1 when rushing or excited to get a faster time. I love seeing my child find his balance between speed and accuracy!

3. Better to have a good night's sleep than a special breakfast involving lots of clean-up that might delay a running start (if you don't have a second set of hands).

4. Stock the fridge with yogurt cups/tubes, nuts in snack bags, cut veggies, pre-washed fruit that doesn't need cutting, and skip the frenzy of prep during snack break.

5. August is a great time to take a nature walk before nature packs up and takes its winter nap. We're seeing acorns sprout from oak trees, new birds around rivers and shores, butterflies, bumblebees, and pollinators galore. The wildflowers are so beautiful if you can find a ditch or field! Take close-up pictures with your phone and scroll through them again when you go through MP nature sciences in the twiggy, barren months.

6. Be a stickler about routine in the beginning. Try it as-written first, then allow yourself the grace to flex as the year and situation instruct.

7. Don't forget to give thanks to God for however your day turned out. Gratitude deepens our devotion to and reliance upon the Lord. That closing prayer often gets ignored, but a spontaneous prayer of thanksgiving for His goodness works the same.

[ShaunaN]

Thank you for the encouragement! My one IRL friend who uses MP is putting her children in public school this year. I didn’t anticipate how much not having someone to talk with about school prep would affect my motivation.

Some more tips:

1. Use paper plates for lunch 😁 No, really. Less cleanup during a busy school day is so helpful.
2. A slow cooker is your friend for having a plan for dinner and actually getting it made.
3. We do a mid-week start the first week to give us 8 days to get through the first week of work. This allows for some of that extra back to school fun stuff and gives me grace while I work out the kinks in our schedule.
4. Take a first day of school picture! You’ll be glad you did later, especially when you’re questioning why in the world you’re doing this crazy homeschool thing.

[sunflower21]

pickandgrin , enbateau , ShaunaN

Ladies, thank you for your words of encouragement 🌻

[Katie19]

I agree, thank you!! This is what I needed to hear! I love all the tips.

pickandgrin , enbateau , ShaunaN

Ladies, thank you for your words of encouragement 🌻

[Anita]

Thanks for this ❤️

Just doing a drive-by to say:
I am an introvert. As such, having people “on me” during the school year 24/7 is probably the most draining part of the process. The “non-stop” of it all can get excruciating if I let it.

Best (unsolicited) advice? Take time for yourselves, Mamas! Make exercise, crafting or quiet time (even if it’s just to run errands or take a drive by yourself) a DAILY priority. School to live, don’t live to school (or something like that 😄).

[pickandgrin]

Anita That's a good word. Surprisingly enough, my summer online Latin classes with Magistra Strickland have been exactly this for me. I didn't notice it for a while but now I see that the necessary focus and investment is a great chance for me to step away from the immediate. What an unexpected blessing!