Monday, September 30, 2013

why nothing gets done

I was planning to do chumash with 9 yo while the baby was taking a nap. So I waited to start till the baby fell asleep. Once he was asleep and we were in the middle, I saw 3 yo looking real sleepy in the chair. I asked her whether she would like to go lie down, but she refused.

I was hoping that we will finish chumash quickly enough for me to take a little nap (baby has been waking up at 5:30), but it took longer, so just as we were completing it, I heard the baby wake up. As I was going to pick him up, I saw that 3 yo did manage to fall asleep in the chair.

I nursed the baby, saying that I will try to transfer 3 yo to her bed afterwards. If she is not soundly asleep, that will not work. But she transferred, only hugged me sleepily and murmured something.

We were supposed to go to the library, since some books are non-renewable and are due today. I wanted to go while the baby was freshly awake, so we would have time to browse. Now I am waiting for 3 yo to wake up, She has been also waking up at 5:30. By the time she wakes up, it will be time for her brother to nap, so I will have a choice: take them all in whichever state they are in, or wait some more.

Meanwhile I am supposed to throw a lasagna together. I was going to do it after the library, but I am not sure now that there will be time for that. As I am putting it together ( no-boil sheet noodles, canned marinara, ten minutes tops), I hear the baby who was sitting starting to kvetch. Do I pick him up? Try to talk to him and finish the lasagna?

The boys are on Nintendo, deep in their own world. At least we finished all the schoolwork that I planned for today, but now I feel a twinge of guilt that they are spending so much time staring at a screen instead of being out and about.

All of you homeschoolers, who have perfectly planned and choreographed days: how does it work?

2 comments:

  1. the baby/toddler napping combo is very tough. even the baby alone napping is tough. i still sometimes look around and have a moment of stress and realize i'm waiting for the (phantom) baby to wake up and start crying and need me and i have to stop everything!
    i don't think i would be brave enough to try a 10 min dinner that needs 1+ hr cooking time AND a library day when books are due! i'm always amazed at how much you accomplish! i still vividly remember having hands full of meatballs when the baby needed to nurse. what was i thinking??

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  2. They do it by not having babies and toddlers, or having additional help. When my 2 and 4 year old where infant and toddler, the year felt that it would never end. I contemplated putting the toddler in school just to get some sanity. I stopped reading about all the wonderful activities happening for my older kids since I knew we could never manage it.

    But like all difficult stages, this too shall pass. It feels never-ending, but it does. I'm just know beginning to venture out to programs more than a 20 minute drive from the house. A year of taking it slow won't harm anyone.

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