How do I make homeschooling a priority when my real life parenting keeps getting in the way?

I don't mean my blog.

I mean my REAL life parenting.

Each day I wake with the intentions to have a fantastic lesson learned homeschool day. I plan to get the kids up early (well - earlier than yesterday) and get right on task. That we will work quietly and diligently accomplishing all that we should by noon. Then we shall take a lunch break where I fix us something yummy, perhaps have a break outside to enjoy the weather, then return to work on extra things like compositions and math challenges.

I can assure you it NEVER happens that way - no matter how hard I try. After 8 years of homeschooling if there is anything I've learned it is that I am not in control of the day's events and you have to be flexible and learn to roll with the punches.

This morning as I was pondering my day, struggling to get moving - realizing that my stomach was feeling quite queasy - the idea crossed my mind that perhaps we would not school this morning. Perhaps I would return to bed until my stomach felt better after I took the older 2 to high school. Then I thought about yesterday -

and how badly my head hurt with all of the weather changes and how I could barely muster the patience to teach the surface area of a rectangular prism or the area of irregular polygons. I thought about yesterday and how finally at 12:15 I told the kids I just needed to stop. Which then made me think about the day before yesterday.

The day before yesterday was Monday and it was 88 degrees. That's right 88. So we schooled - well not really focused like we should have because - did you hear me? I said it was 88 degrees outside. We needed to go outside and soak up some Vitamin D - it was a matter of our health. But that's okay - because we got a lot accomplished on Friday, right?

Let's see. Friday... Nope! Son #3 was sick with a sore throat, congestion and fever. I told him he didn't have to do school work - he could just be sick that day.

So let's go back to Thursday.... Ok - we definitely must have done - well, er, Thursday - no - because the kids were at my mother's after spending the night Wednesday night because my husband was away and they wanted a sleepover with their grandmother. Does it count that she is the art teacher and she did 2 art lessons with them - while they were there Wednesday and Thursday? Hmm.

So let's back it up to last Tuesday...we actually did 2 full lesson days of school and several days of math - since the topics were similar we rolled them all into one. Awesome! I am feeling good about last Tuesday.

The week before? Uhh. The older two kids were out of school for 7 days on Spring Break. Therefore we had Spring Break from homeschooling. It is nearly impossible to try to school when Call of Duty is echoing from the basement and the teens are asking to be driven to the mall, to the skate park, to a friends house - after all it is their Spring Break.

The week before? Hee Hee. That was the week that Son #1 had the mumps and I was pretty much at the doctor or the hospital or the lab every day. So yea - we did the school work everyday - but not really in the greatest atmosphere.

Okay - maybe I shouldn't look back anymore. After all it is the past and there is nothing I can do to change it. So let's look forward...

Good. Next week. Next week family is coming to town for Easter and THEIR Spring Break. Don't get me wrong - I am very excited to see everyone - I just know that I have a list of things to do before Easter.

Perhaps next week is too big a thought to undertake right now.

Let's just think about tomorrow. Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is Thursday. Oh that's right. I made my yearly GYN appointment for that morning a few weeks ago when I got this silly idea to take care of myself. The yearly appointment that I haven't actually had time for in 3 years. Do I cancel it and go for a 4th year? Who really needs a pap smear or breast check anyhow?

Perhaps it's better to just continue the way that I have been living - in my two hour increments - accomplishing all that I can in those time allotments. At the end of the day I find that I did more than I thought I would but still am hopeful that tomorrow will produce more.

Meanwhile, my kids rock. Son #3 and Daughter work very well independently. I am convinced they will be wonderful college students because they have done so much for themselves. Well - at least that is what I tell myself to lift the guilt every once in a while....

...better chew some Tums and get ready to work.