Thankful Thursdays

Sometimes I think we get so caught up in the day to day monotony of our lives that we forget to be thankful for all that we've been given.  I know I am very guilty of this.  We, as homeschoolers, have been given one of the greatest gifts of all...time. 

Take a minute and think about what your life might look like if your children were gone to school all day.   I know some days that very thought can be very appealing!  But seriously, imagine your day.  Having spent the better part of two public school years with my daughter, I'm well aware of just what it entails.  Here's a sampling from an average day in my former life.  Keep in mind this was kindergarten and first grade.  It gets worse as they get older!


7:00 - Wake up seriously grumpy children and drag them to the kitchen for breakfast.

7:15 - Prepare and eat said breakfast.

7:30 - Brush teeth and hair and get dressed.

7:45 - Hop in the car for the short ride to school.

7:50 - Sit in car line waiting to drop off my child.  Watch with some apprehension as my precious little girl walks off into the great unknown of the elementary school.  Hope and pray she goes right to her classroom and doesn't wander off on her way there.

7:55 - Arrive back home for the bulk of the day to do housework, run my business, and take care of her two younger brothers that are thankfully still with me.  Some days I go back to school to eat lunch with my daughter and to help out in her classroom.  This allows me to spend more time with her even while she's at school.

3:00 - Watch with anticipation as the big yellow school bus comes up our street to bring her safely home to me.  She's tired from her day, but hands me her daily journal so I can see any notes her teacher has for me.  This also lists what homework she has to complete tonight.  Most days I get notes about bad behavior during the day.  My daughter is gifted and has ADD.  Not the best combination for classroom behavior.  I get her a quick snack, and allow her to unwind a bit before we move on to tackling the homework (usually math and spelling) that we have to complete before tomorrow.

4:00 - We sit at the kitchen table to do homework.

5:00 - Free time to play while I start getting dinner ready.

6:00 - Dinner time.

6:30 - Get ready to go to scouts/soccer practice.  You can insert whatever works here.

7:00 - Practice time.

8:00 - Head home to get ready for another day tomorrow.

8:30 - Take bath/shower, brush teeth and put on PJ's.  Bedtime prayers, hugs and kisses.

8:45 - I'm trying to figure out what she'll wear to school tomorrow and lay it out for her.  Possibly pack her lunch or get her lunch money ready, and sign her journal to show that I've seen it.  Get everything ready to go for the next day.

10:00 Finally go to bed myself.

Now does this sound like a fun day?  Not to me!  Our homeschool days are spent together, not apart.  We wake up naturally whenever our internal clocks get us up.  We have breakfast together, we talk, we laugh, and we spend our day learning together, not apart.  My children's closest playmates are each other.  I am blessed to witness every "light bulb" moment as it happens.  I have the joy and honor of being the one that helped them achieve that moment.  I get to watch them grow, mature, and learn each and every day of our lives.  Sure, we do lots of outside activities...some days more than I would care to, but we still spend HUGE amounts of time together.  Am I saying my kids don't misbehave?  No!  Am I saying that there aren't days when I wouldn't love to spend some alone time?  No!  Am I saying I think my life is perfect?  No!  However, I am saying that I am truly, 100% thankful for the gift God has given me in my three children.  I am thankful for the time I get to spend with them each day.  I am so very thankful that my husband works hard to provide for us as a family so that we have these days.  Because, as we all know, this time will be gone in the blink of an eye.

So today, when your children are driving you crazy, think about what life might be like if they weren't there.  Think about life as a public school family.  I really think you'll find that this is the better way.  Today, I take a moment to say thank you to God for allowing me this opportunity.

So tell me...what are you thankful for?