Off and Running

It seems life just keeps on keepin' on! I know it is a saying, but it does....and the older I get, the faster life gets. I want to slow it down a little, savor the moments. But contrary to what I have always thought, and probably always lived (to an extent), I like the routine of school. And we are getting there....little by little. The kids are getting up better each morning...mostly. Heck, I think it is ME that is lagging behind in that area. While I DO get up every morning, I sure don't have the get up and go that I have had in previous years! Hmmmm......

But it is nice to have a purpose and a routine. It won't be long and our weekends will be FULL to the brim too. In fact, we just went over our schedule for this week. I should add a pic.....it is a color coded MESS! SOOOOO many things going on - such is the time of our lives. We are trying to simplify, but HOW????

I never got around to posting about the beginning of school. It seemed to sneak up on us and rear it's head out of the blue - probably due to ALL the traveling we did this summer, never much down time. Anyhow, here they are ready for school on day #1. Spencer is a senior (how can THAT be?), Kelsey a sophomore, and Cody is in 8th grade.

Jordan didn't get me a FIRST day of school pic, but he did send me day #2 and #3. He made me PROMISE not to post them even though he knew the were 'Facebook good.' hahaha  This isn't REALLY social media, so I'll post them here for posterity and our family journals.

Although I do love a bit of the routine that school brings, there are parts I do NOT like. The homework for one. I don't like how it transforms my kids into monsters who do not want to do anything and put it off and make all the excuses in the world. But then again, my kids don't have a lot of time for homework so that exacerbates things exponentially!

My good friend wrote a letter to homework a few years ago. I read it today and it brought out a LOT of feelings inside me. Here is the letter...and then my thoughts.

Dear Homework,

I hate you.  There, I said it.  In fact, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! 

I hate how you follow my kids home from school every day.  I hate how you stay way too long and suck the fun out of everything.  I hate how you make my kids feel guilty when they want to spend time with anyone (or anything) else while you’re still here.  I will admit that there have been times I have felt your meaningful contribution to our lives.  Sadly, those times are rare.  Mostly, I just hate you and the black cloud that hangs over my house when you are around.

When you tell my kids they have to read, then they get no enjoyment out of reading.  When you tell them to do math, they complain because they already did math at school.  When you tell them to write, they disappear and try to hide from you and say their tummy hurts and sneak outside because they’d much rather run and play.  But when they come in, you’re still here!  You never take the hint.  I’ve tried to help them get rid of you.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down right next to them to try to help them meet your daily demands.  I’ve colored their maps for social studies. (Since when is Social Studies an art class?)  I’ve helped them brainstorm for papers even when they tell me, “That’s not how my teacher does it!”  If it’s always supposed to be how the teacher does it, then I say let them do it at school where the teacher is!  Actually, I say that even if it’s not always supposed to be how the teacher does it.  So there.

The teacher has my kids for over 7 hours a day.  You know what?  I think that’s enough.  If you always follow them home, when do I get them?  With you here, meal times are always stressful.  With you here, bedtime gets later and later.  Sometimes you even have the nerve to still be here when they wake up in the morning!  When do my kids get to be kids?  When do they get to read for pleasure?  When do they get to be excited about what interests them without having to write a report about it?  An amazing thing happens when you leave them alone:  My kids are curious.  They use their imaginations.  They read and play together and laugh and sing and joke together.  But when you’re here, they fight and cry and yell.  You are a bully.

I hate you.

Sincerely,

The Mom

.....I need to post this EVERYWHERE...I feel the EXACT same way...ALL the time. I hate the dread homework brings. While I do see the contribution to discipline it can bring, and the contribution to knowledge, I think the near damning attributes FAR OUTWEIGH any inkling of a positive. Practice is good, yes, but there has got to be a better way! 

I do love the routine that school can bring to our house, but it seems also to be at such an expense, such a high price to pay when school and all the extracurricular activities weigh in for time from my kids' lives. Sports, and AP classes, and church, and seminary, and and and....ALL great things, but....this is our struggle. Kelsey JUST had to make a decision today (I gave her a week to pray about it and make a decision what to give up or I would make the decision for her). I have been a poor example of over committing myself, of being able to do everything to the point of hurting myself, my stress, my mental health, my physical health, everything. So I put my foot down....as much as I hated to do so.

Wow, I guess I had a lot to say on the topic of homework and being too busy! ...

Well, there's that.....but.....

Thankfully, I am getting my classes going. I really LOVE to teach...I love my classes....I love my students....I LOVE being with them. And this semester I am trying out new things. Well, kind of anyhow. Nothing too extravagant since in Sept 2019 I go up for Tenure and Promotion and need to take ALL my time this semester on THAT. I have MOST of it done, but really want to have a couple more publications at least submitted so I can HOPEFULLY get ONE....I would LIKE one more that is MY work, not me getting on another's work. I have 2 publications like that....which is all I need, so I am done "so to speak," but I am trying for ONE more for safe keeping.

But the teaching part is the best part to me. One of my past students, a nontraditional student, brought me a cookie...she had it made so pretty. She is a great student that has become a great friend too. She just graduated and is going on to get a Masters of Social Work. she gave us all cookies with the UCA logo and our names on them to thank us for the part we played in her journey!! Another of my past students just had her baby. She was in my class when she found out she was pregnant. Oh this little baby....what a cute little bundle!!! And she brought her in for me to hold. I was in heaven!!! I think I am going to handle being a grandma just fine!!!

I did a fun activity with my Mental Health Class as we talked about Strengths. I had them get into groups. They had 5 minutes to plan how to build the tallest tower just using paper and tape. Then they had 10 minutes to build the tower. We debriefed about our strengths, how we saw them used or not. It was a fun activity. I enjoy having THESE type of activities to teach in class!!! This first one I was a little worried about...they seemed to have a plan but it was going SLOW. Methodically and intentionally they worked, and after a very strong base, they actually had THE tallest tower. I was pretty impressed with the 2nd one...they were a pretty competitive group, yet they had NO real plan. They just went and were actually the tallest tower up until the last moments.

Today in Sacrament Meeting we sang Redeemer of Israel for our opening hymn. I'm not sure why, but we rarely sing the verses NOT in the stanzas (is that what they are called?) I read this 5th verse and the 3rd line really stood out to me "Thy soul-cheering comfort impart." What a great adjective....one with great feeling. It isn't just 'comfort' but a comfort that cheers the soul. THAT is the comfort of the Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ! That is the comfort I seek.