Weekly Wrap-Up: The One with the Last Week of Summer Break

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A few weeks ago, that subtitle probably would have made me cry. I was so NOT ready to start school. Last year was really not so good and I was really, really burnt out by the end of the year.

When I started thinking about American history last week, I finally started getting excited. Then, I got a package in the mail from Bright Ideas Press: All-American history!

I’m looking so forward to using and reviewing this curriculum! It actually got me enthused enough about school to start planning (which I did with Jolanthe’s new planner). Now, I’m actually excited about the possibilities that the upcoming school year holds.

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random picture, so it’s not a boring, photo-less post

I said this last year, but I am committed to it this year: we’re going to do more fun things! It was so hard last year with Brianna having an outside class every Monday and Megan having one every Wednesday and trying to get in a decent amount of other schoolwork in between.

As it stands right now, no one has any outside classes during the day, so we should have plenty of time to the basics and still have some fun. If not, I’m going to try to find a better balance between the basics and fun. I think they’re equally important and a year full of basics is very boring.

I’m looking forward to the new school year. I’ve already got some fun outings and field trips tentatively scheduled in my planner. I just have to call and make the arrangements.

This week we spent some time straightening up the house and working on laundry because I hate the thought of starting school with a dirty house.

Wednesday night, Josh spent the night with a friend and Megan spent the night with Brian’s parents, so it was just Brian, Brianna and I at home. I surprised Brianna with breakfast at Waffle House Thursday morning. She loves to go there and eat hash browns, but I’m the only other one who really likes it, so we rarely go – “rarely” as in, once a year when she and Brian go to Six Flags, they stop at Waffle House and eat.

I appreciated being able to get out and spend some one-on-one time with my baby who is getting so grown-up.

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another random picture

After Megan got home Thursday, the girls and I went swimming with some friends – a really enjoyable way to spend one of our last days of summer break.

All of us – the kids and I – have been staying up late and sleeping in (well, I haven’t been sleeping in as much as they have – I have to get my workouts in before it gets too late or it doesn’t get done), trying to savor our last unscheduled week. I know I should be getting us all back in a good sleep/wake routine, but I can’t help think there’s time enough for that when we have to start doing it next week.

What about you? Do you have night owls at your house? Is it hard to get back on a routine when summer break is over?

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Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.

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12 Comments

  1. I am glad you are feeling more ready.  It is extra hard starting school when you are worn out.  We have so many out of the home appointments with our special needs kids.  I do not have a single day without interruption.  It makes it so much harder at times.  I sometimes think that my blog should be called carschooling.
    Blessings,
    Dawn

  2. I am only just starting to get excited about starting back – luckily, I've given myself a couple more weeks! I am finding the scheduling overwhelming and we had such a fun year last year that I want to make sure to continue in that vein.  Luckily, we have school supplies taken care of (see my post!)

  3. I understand the sleeping in thing.  I always joke with my dad that the reason we homeschool in because my daughter couldn't possibly get up in time for school :).  Best of luck on your new year, glad your finally excited about it!

  4. It's funny, isn't it, that so many people think our poor homeschooled kids are holed up at home all the time when the truth is, those uninterrupted days at home become such a blessing. Now, to be honest, my poor homeschooled kids *have* spent most of their summer holed up at home, but that's because their poor, burnt out mama needed some time to decompress after a crazy-busy school year.

  5. School supplies! I'm so glad you said that! I wasn't kidding when I said I was so burnt out I didn't want to think about anything school-related. We start school Monday and I haven't bought the first school supply! I mean, we've got what we need, but it's always nice to stock up when things are on sale. I'll have to do that when I go to the store today.

  6. Getting up early was always the worst part for us when my oldest was in school. My mom worries that my kids won't be able to get up when they have a job someday. They'll do it because they have to, just like I always did, just like their dad does. For now, though, I say let them enjoy following their body's natural internal clock while they can. Who knows, maybe they'll work 2nd or 3rd shift when they're grown.

  7. I'm right with you on getting the house and things in order before school starts. Alas, I still have my stacks. Sounds like you surely made the most of this week! We started back this week with just the basic morning routine and math. Easing in because, yes, it is hard! Love your sweet kitty pictures.

  8. Kris,

    I'm looking forward to starting back to school so we can sleep in a little later.  My two older children have had 6am practice at a long course pool at a college about 35 minutes from our house.  With carpooling, that has meant 4:30 am wake-up times three times a week.  We've been having an amazing summer but it's been busy beyond all belief – not only with swimming but with visits from out-of-state family and friends, and lots of special events and trips.  I'm looking forward to more boring days at home studying!  We're not starting back until the 15th or maybe the 22nd.  We have Long Course Champs and an out-of-state multi-state swim meet before then, though!  

    Samantha

  9. I'm most definitely NOT a night owl.  All the kids go to bed pretty easily by 9pm most nights, but the two girls will sleep in if you let them, while the boys are early risers like mommy.

  10. I could not agree with you more "I hate the thought of starting school with a dirty house" – its so frustrating kicking over piles to get to what I need.

  11. Thanks for the inspiration!  I'm with you on the fun incorporation:) We have a couple more weeks before we start back.  I still have more to do to get ready.  For some reason, it seems that this summer flew by.

  12. i have been to waffle house once when i visited a friend in arkansas. oh man, i would love to have some blueberry waffles right now! 

    we are all night owls in this house. the week before school starts, we work on going to bed at a decent hour but always let the kids sleep in for as long as they will. why wake them up on purpose if you don't have anywhere you have to be?

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