So Who's Been Spying On Us?

Recently a friend mentioned that television show, "The Middle." At first, I thought she was talking about "Malcolm in the Middle," which I've never seen, but have heard of before. Anyway, what she said about the show piqued my interest, so I caught a few episodes here and there online, and oh my goodness, it was way too familiar. I found myself laughing hysterically more than a few times, and more often than not, it's because I've experienced the same or similar situations in my own life. For those of you out there who have watched the show, you'll realize that there's nothing to be proud of here. Appliances breaking down, sink and tub backing up (ON EACH OTHER)...um, yeah, bathing and washing dishes have to be done with care. Our fridge often refuses to stay shut, so I have to get creative with ways to keep the door from opening. Thankfully, as a homeschooling family, we're never short on items (namely wheeled containers full of supplies) to stick in front of the door. We seldom use our kitchen table for its intended purpose, and it's not because we don't want to, we just can't all fit around it. The last time we tried to have everyone eat at the table, my husband sat on his guitar amp, wedged into a corner between the sink and the air conditioner, and whenever someone had to get up, we all had to get up to move the table, and allow the person out, via chair-stepping no less. Classy.

So yes, there was a lot with which to identify.

Hahaha, and now I just had a flashback to when I was a kid. We'd freak out whenever someone would walk into the bathroom when one of us was showering. And no, we weren't allowed to lock the door. We had one bathroom, none of this 1-1/2 bath business, so we had to remain accommodating, even while showering. Anyway, it always followed that the person showering, would beg the person visiting the john, to please not flush for fear of being scalded to death. It's even a sniglet--thermalophobia! That's actually the only "The Middle"ish type of situation I remember from childhood. Things sort of went downhill since then!

Anyway, as sobering as it was for me to see just how tragically comic such living arrangements and family situations can be, it kind of cheered me up a bit. If anything, I tell myself that living this way builds character. And as for me, either I'll achieve nirvana via the perpetual trying of my patience until I've lost all my worldliness (the little that's left of it), or I'll have an aneurysm at 40.

If this school year has a theme, it’s color coding...

Ever since my kids started homeschooling, or rather, ever since I started schooling more than one child, I have taken to color coding. E was always pink, S was purple, and F was blue. Up until yesterday, the color coding was mainly done in my record keeping. Each kid’s schedules were highlighted in their individual colors. For a while, I did all of my record keeping in just one planner. That was messy, albeit colorful. I briefly tried out a record-keeping software program which didn’t have a color coding option. I’m old school anyway, and preferred writing everything out by hand. So one planner, turned into three, but at least I could color code in them. And yes, that’s an awful lot of writing, and I’m sure that that may seem tedious to many. For me, it’s soothing.

This year, after many many MANY episodes of “this-is-mine-no-this-is-mine,” I decided to color code just about everything—schedules and all school supplies. What couldn’t be purchased in color is initialed. What couldn’t be initialed stays with me. I’m like the keeper of the keys. I’ve debated making my personal stash of supplies available to the kids in a lending library sort of way. Okay, I haven’t really planned on this, but writing it all out makes me wish I’d actually follow through with this idea. After years of homeschooling in a cramped apartment where everything seems to go missing, I’ll hold fast to any idea that gives me a semblance of order.

As usual, each year comes with a whole bunch of new expectations, attempted improvements, and a dose of anticipation. This time it will come with an added bit of color.

3-2-1 Oh Scrap...

Holy moly, am I touchy this week! That, and highly irritable.

To the kids:

No, high pitched screaming, even in jest, does not constitute singing.

For some reason, as delusional as it makes me sound, I thought that the choruses of, "Mom he/she keeps bothering me!" would have died down by now. Instead, it's reached a crescendo. What's up with that? For Pete's sake, you're 16, 13, and 12.

And um, how is it even possible that it's more difficult keeping the apartment tidy now, than when you guys were toddlers?

Something's gotta give.

It's like the stars have aligned to make this week unbearably exasperating. And the summer, as in "summer break" is nearly over, too. And that really stinks.

Maybe we've had way too much unscheduled time this summer, and I think that the exhaustion and dis-ease I've been feeling in the past several weeks has made me less diligent at keeping everyone accountable for things. Actually, I'm sure that these are definitely factors. I'd toss them out for extra obligatory outdoor time (read: Mommy alone time), but wonder if that would be construed as a reward. Yes, yes it would. I'm tempted to channel Mr. Bennet.

"...you are never to stir out of doors till you can prove that you have spent ten minutes of every day in a rational manner."

Sigh.

But that would only work with two of them. My middle child has decided that she "doesn't like the sun." I'd have to come up with something else for her. Dishes. Dishes would be perfect.

So yeah, our summer break is soon coming to an end, and frankly, I'm not really looking forward to it. Despite all of the minor annoyances above, I have really enjoyed the summer...as in the heat, the sun exposure, the Summer Olympics(!), everything. Ever since I haven't had any asthma symptoms to speak of, I have been able to not only tolerate, but greatly enjoy, the hot, even muggy weather. That's a first for me. And frankly, I'm already dreading the fall and winter. I think I'll have to get one of those light therapy lamps to tide me over till next summer.

I promise to come back soon to write about our homeschool plans for this coming year with my rising 11th, 8th, and 7th grade students. Should be a crazy busy year.