Back at it (school, that is)
After almost three weeks of school, I'm finally getting around to talking about our back to school time for the 2017-2018 year.
(Also, I nearly gasped typing the numbers "2018" for the first time; that year represents us being married for A DECADE!)
This was a big year in our house, because THREE of our children are now in school. Yes, Noah is in Grade 3, which sounds so decidedly grown up, I could faint, Isaiah is in Grade 1, and teeny little Anna began Junior Kindergarten.
The first day was not without Big Emotions, but not from the youngest who was being dropped off for the first time ever at school. Oh no. It was from our oldest. He had been away for the Labour Day long weekend on pilgrimage with Patrick, a 100km pilgrimage to be exact, and hadn't gotten home until 11pm the night before.
I knew the night before that he would be exhausted the next morning and that would be a tricky start to third grade, and I was not wrong. What I hadn't considered, though, was that his tiredness would affect everyone else, too.
There were no cute photos of each child in the driveway, perhaps holding a Pinterest-worthy chalkboard sign of their upcoming grade. Nope. Just mom barking orders at sluggish and/or tearful kids and shuffling them out the door.
(Thankfully, Anna's first day was delayed several days anyway, so she didn't have to start on a sour foot like the boys did.)
They were in decidedly better moods come 3pm when I picked them up, so I got one measly picture of them then, on the way home from school. It's not an especially framable picture, either, as the kids aren't even looking at the camera.
Anna didn't start until several days later, and I was a ball of nerves about taking her. She's not even four yet! I have always made vaguely snide remarks about Ontario's all-day JK for FOUR YEAR OLDS and now I was eating crow and sending my own child off there.
But.
I know that if we lived anywhere else, I would be happy to send to her to a part-time preschool. And that's all we're doing. She goes four mornings a week, and is loving it and doing so well. I notice when she comes home that she is a bit tired, but in a cozy snuggly way, so we read a lot together and it's quite pleasant. I could tell from how much she liked play groups and so on that she thrived on outside activities and stimulation, and that she would benefit from the more structured environment of school.
I have no attachment to keeping her there if it seems like she's unhappy or would be better off home with me every day. Like I said, she's not even quite four, so very young to be at actual "school." I am grateful that because I am a stay-at-home mom, I have no need for her to be there.
But...
I was amazed that her only tears about school were when I came to pick her up! She knew the other kids were staying the whole day and couldn't cope with the injustice of being expected to be home with just me and Elijah. She has since adjusted to the schedule, though, and seems very happy and excited to see me. I'm also impressed that the teaching she's receiving has finally lit a spark in her to learn a little from me at home, too. She has always been resistant to learning her letters until now. I know I must give her teachers credit for igniting her interest with their lovely, playful approach.
As for the boys, well, Isaiah's teacher is a wonderful woman; she radiates love for children and I am delighted to have him under her care. She is also very devout AND good at what she does. She knows just how to encourage the slower-to-read types (of which I have already had two). He comes home tired every day from the workload, but in good spirits. He is amazing me and Patrick by willingly reading before and after school every day. Practice makes perfect, and he's well on his way!
Noah seems to be doing well, too. He came home beaming to tell me that his teacher told the class that he's dead-set against children owning iPhones and other devices. It's nice that what Noah hears his parents ramble on about at home is being reinforced at school!
So far the transition has gone well for all of them. Our home feels uniquely peaceful right now. I am in an odd position right now, as for the first time in years, I am home with just one child for the mornings. Furthermore, he still takes a morning nap, meaning... silence.
People. It's so quiet in my home. Without being too much of triumphalist, this is a balm to my soul.
I found myself thinking last week, perhaps I should sign up to help out at the kids' school! Or maybe I need to find some big project -- outside of the home -- to tackle. Then I found my prayer journal, and saw that several months ago I was scrawling desperate, anguished prayers to God about how overwhelmed I felt, how burnt out I was, and could He please fulfill His promise to bring me rest? Now He has dropped a morning of relative peace and refreshment into my lap four days a week. How ungrateful to His provisions to try and fill in those gaps!
I recall having a thought strike me while at Nazareth family camp this summer, that at our Final Judgement, we will be called to give an account of our time. Usually this notion gives me pause for how I waste time with my laziness. Yet at Nazareth, I felt this prompting that reminded me, the opposite is true. One can squander time by being excessively busy, by not allowing margin, by striving towards unrealistic goals that only feed one's pride and not one's charity to God and neighbour.
I need to use the free time (note I avoid calling it... groan... "me-time") in a way that best serves my family and helps me recalibrate my tenuous mental health. So far, it's going very well.
I am using the time to chip away at small tasks around the house. To exercise when the baby sleeps. To pray with my favourite prayer book. To read some adorable Sandra Boynton books to an even more adorable baby.
And then, when I go to pick up Anna, I am excited to see her and have the pleasing feeling of having missed her. Likewise for my boys later on in the day. Meanwhile, they have the joy of seeing a happy and rested mommy, and our home reflects reflects that peace.
(Also, I nearly gasped typing the numbers "2018" for the first time; that year represents us being married for A DECADE!)
This was a big year in our house, because THREE of our children are now in school. Yes, Noah is in Grade 3, which sounds so decidedly grown up, I could faint, Isaiah is in Grade 1, and teeny little Anna began Junior Kindergarten.
The first day was not without Big Emotions, but not from the youngest who was being dropped off for the first time ever at school. Oh no. It was from our oldest. He had been away for the Labour Day long weekend on pilgrimage with Patrick, a 100km pilgrimage to be exact, and hadn't gotten home until 11pm the night before.
I knew the night before that he would be exhausted the next morning and that would be a tricky start to third grade, and I was not wrong. What I hadn't considered, though, was that his tiredness would affect everyone else, too.
There were no cute photos of each child in the driveway, perhaps holding a Pinterest-worthy chalkboard sign of their upcoming grade. Nope. Just mom barking orders at sluggish and/or tearful kids and shuffling them out the door.
(Thankfully, Anna's first day was delayed several days anyway, so she didn't have to start on a sour foot like the boys did.)
They were in decidedly better moods come 3pm when I picked them up, so I got one measly picture of them then, on the way home from school. It's not an especially framable picture, either, as the kids aren't even looking at the camera.
Anna didn't start until several days later, and I was a ball of nerves about taking her. She's not even four yet! I have always made vaguely snide remarks about Ontario's all-day JK for FOUR YEAR OLDS and now I was eating crow and sending my own child off there.
But.
I know that if we lived anywhere else, I would be happy to send to her to a part-time preschool. And that's all we're doing. She goes four mornings a week, and is loving it and doing so well. I notice when she comes home that she is a bit tired, but in a cozy snuggly way, so we read a lot together and it's quite pleasant. I could tell from how much she liked play groups and so on that she thrived on outside activities and stimulation, and that she would benefit from the more structured environment of school.
I have no attachment to keeping her there if it seems like she's unhappy or would be better off home with me every day. Like I said, she's not even quite four, so very young to be at actual "school." I am grateful that because I am a stay-at-home mom, I have no need for her to be there.
But...
I was amazed that her only tears about school were when I came to pick her up! She knew the other kids were staying the whole day and couldn't cope with the injustice of being expected to be home with just me and Elijah. She has since adjusted to the schedule, though, and seems very happy and excited to see me. I'm also impressed that the teaching she's receiving has finally lit a spark in her to learn a little from me at home, too. She has always been resistant to learning her letters until now. I know I must give her teachers credit for igniting her interest with their lovely, playful approach.
As for the boys, well, Isaiah's teacher is a wonderful woman; she radiates love for children and I am delighted to have him under her care. She is also very devout AND good at what she does. She knows just how to encourage the slower-to-read types (of which I have already had two). He comes home tired every day from the workload, but in good spirits. He is amazing me and Patrick by willingly reading before and after school every day. Practice makes perfect, and he's well on his way!
Noah seems to be doing well, too. He came home beaming to tell me that his teacher told the class that he's dead-set against children owning iPhones and other devices. It's nice that what Noah hears his parents ramble on about at home is being reinforced at school!
So far the transition has gone well for all of them. Our home feels uniquely peaceful right now. I am in an odd position right now, as for the first time in years, I am home with just one child for the mornings. Furthermore, he still takes a morning nap, meaning... silence.
People. It's so quiet in my home. Without being too much of triumphalist, this is a balm to my soul.
Blurry shot by Patrick, but it makes me so happy.
Look at my sweet babies!
I found myself thinking last week, perhaps I should sign up to help out at the kids' school! Or maybe I need to find some big project -- outside of the home -- to tackle. Then I found my prayer journal, and saw that several months ago I was scrawling desperate, anguished prayers to God about how overwhelmed I felt, how burnt out I was, and could He please fulfill His promise to bring me rest? Now He has dropped a morning of relative peace and refreshment into my lap four days a week. How ungrateful to His provisions to try and fill in those gaps!
I recall having a thought strike me while at Nazareth family camp this summer, that at our Final Judgement, we will be called to give an account of our time. Usually this notion gives me pause for how I waste time with my laziness. Yet at Nazareth, I felt this prompting that reminded me, the opposite is true. One can squander time by being excessively busy, by not allowing margin, by striving towards unrealistic goals that only feed one's pride and not one's charity to God and neighbour.
I need to use the free time (note I avoid calling it... groan... "me-time") in a way that best serves my family and helps me recalibrate my tenuous mental health. So far, it's going very well.
I am using the time to chip away at small tasks around the house. To exercise when the baby sleeps. To pray with my favourite prayer book. To read some adorable Sandra Boynton books to an even more adorable baby.
And then, when I go to pick up Anna, I am excited to see her and have the pleasing feeling of having missed her. Likewise for my boys later on in the day. Meanwhile, they have the joy of seeing a happy and rested mommy, and our home reflects reflects that peace.
"You mustn't wish for another life. You mustn't want to be somebody else.
What you must do is this:
'Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks.'
I am not all the way capable of so much, but those are the right instructions."
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
I love the reminder about peace and rest being a good use of time! It’s so easy to overvalue productivity.
ReplyDeleteAlso Anna is pretty darling in that little pink coat :)
ReplyDeleteYes to overvaluing productivity... a very modern problem. In university I coined the phrase "emotionally productive" so I still refer to a day where I got little done on paper but met the kids' emotional needs (or mine! Or Patrick's!) as "emotionally productive." It helps me not to feel lazy when I frame it that way.
ReplyDelete