last week was rough

Last week things were rough on the Campbell homeschool front. Rough. Meltdowns from both mom and kids seemed to be the norm. Things were taking longer. Emotions were high. I was feeling overwhelmed and less than capable of doing/being all that I felt was required of me.

When Friday afternoon arrived, I think we all breathed a collective sigh. In an effort to remind myself that we do experience a lot of beauty in homeschooling, I sat down to my computer and began looking at recent pictures taken during ‘school hours’.  In the midst of the difficult days, it is good to remind myself there is SO MUCH good happening too.

Early morning donut delivery to friends on their last day of fall semester. Science with frozen eggs.

Keep in mind, I can’t take pictures when I am actively teaching or engaged in challenging subjects with the kids. They need me to be completely present with them in those times.  Those are also the loudest and messiest times. Most of these were also taken after the mess of books and supplies had been picked up by kids already finished.

These pictures make our school days seem so calm and pretty. The reality is I can only pick up my camera when things are calm & quiet. So, this is about 10% of what our school time looks like, but it is still enough to remind me that even after a really hard week, I’m grateful we have the opportunity to learn together.

It is Monday and I am rooting for a much better week than last week. I know I’m really the one that sets the tone for our school days. It begins with me. Deep breath and a grateful smile coming at you kids.