Apples for Apples

Really great activities here if you are studying apples or reading the book Johnny Appleseed.   We are going to probably start this book in the next few weeks.
Johnny Appleseed Activities - Apple SmilesHow To Homeschool My Child

The Goods and the Bads

So we have really had a flip-flop of days here!  We started the week off horribly yesterday , everyone tired, lots of work to do and no one wanting to do it. Everyone was talking to ME at one time, including the baby screaming and by 11am mommy was absolutely exhausted!  As many of you probably know, once mommy gets exhausted then things seem to keep getting worse. Is that the same for you?  Mommy started yelling much more than she should and we almost lost the joy in it all.  But we pushed through and finally finished our day at 3:30 (with breaks all throughout the day).  I was an emotional wreck by the end of the night and not worth being around. Honestly though, we did have fun (played bird-watching card game, made a lapbook etc) but we could have had much more joy.
Now move forward to today, a complete 180!  I started my day in the word AND I took the time to pray for the day.  Even with my 1 year old and 7 year old beside me, I still made sure I took the time out to pray. My prayer was simple, "Lord thank you for another day and please use the Holy Spirit in me to get me through this day joyfully."  And so far today has been very joyful.  We have enjoyed learning.  We went outside and read our History and we enjoyed God's creation.  We are now (at 1:15pm) finished with our "normal" school work and have the rest of the day to enjoy each other. 
So what I am really saying here is some encouragement homeschoolers.  You may have the worst homeschool day ever and go to bed feeling guilty about how you behaved that day and feeling like a failure BUT remember there is still tomorrow!  His grace is made new every day and I am so thankful for that. Thankful for this new day to start over. Did I still get angry at one point today, well yes I did, that is real!  But all in all we were happy and joyful and enjoyed learning. 
Keep pressing on homeschool moms and dads, each day is NEW.  And dont forget to start your day in prayer.

What works for you when you are having a rough HS day?  Do you take time out to regroup? If so what do you do in that time?  Or are you like me and behave the wrong way and try and just get the day/school over with?  I really wish now that I had taken some time out to regroup.

Let's be real......

Welcome to my newest blogging adventure!  My first and main blog, Simplify Your Family, has been around for more than two years and I believe it has been a blessing to me and many others.  Now my family is in a new season of our life, the big H word, Homeschooling.  Before I started this new adventure, while I was still pondering it and praying about it (and honestly telling God NO for a couple years), I came across some really great blogs about homeschooling.  Some of those blogs and websites were wonderful and really encouraged and motivated me, while others just made me feel like I wasn't doing enough or gave me the vision that homeschooling was going to be perfect, beautiful and just like the pictures in magazines.  But you know what, that is not homeschooling in any way!  Yes we have a wonderful beautiful days, but from the outside they probably don't look so beautiful.  We also have our rough, emotional, stressful, don't-think-I-can-take-it-anymore days and that is the reason I have created this blog.  To be real, honest, down to earth with you all about homeschooling.  Hopefully we can all laugh, cry, love and support each other through this idea of being real.  Because in the end that is what we all need right?  We need to see each other through every moment of life, not just the good ones and not just the bad either.  So I pray this blog can be a nice balance of both and bring us together and grow our homeschools that much stronger.

So, homeschool mommas, how was your school day today?  Be honest, transparent and real and I promise to be the same with you :)