So much for plans

lol. I'm not sure why I tried to implement something new on what was essentially the last day of the school week. Totally bombed. Ah well!

Monday, I've got to put my foot down. We have a park day scheduled, so I can't say something like--no play time this afternoon if your work isn't done. I'll have to have a meeting with them Monday morning. "It's so important to work hard this week if everybody wants to be done by the end of next week. What can we set up today to make sure the work that needs to be finished is finished?" The 12yo (well, he'll be the 13yo on Monday) has 3 basic requirements: read, write and math. He's got a lot of math to cover. I've already talked to him about next year's math and he likes the idea of having the TLE, which is lessons on the computer. I think that'd be really good. Make him a little more independent! They read out everything to you, so he just has to sit and pay attention. And do the work on the side, but that's not a problem. Actually, the problem is he doesn't care. He doesn't want to do math, he sees no point in doing math, he'd rather just be playing.

I'm so aware of how our homeschooling next year has to be focused on better time management with the two oldest. And something else, but I don't know what that something else is. Something that will make sure the 12yo works and not succeed in finding ways of not getting the work done. He was so proud of his work this one day and said he wanted that every day and has not done work like that since.

You know what it is: it's a real lack of routine and guidance. I've said this before and it's important for me to remember this, that the best homeschooling time we've had, not only educationally but just in general, was when we had our morning meetings. When everybody had a certain amount of time at the kitchen table together. I wonder if it's too late to get that back? Might be worth trying. The summer weather is definitely making school seem less inviting, but even just working on a routine is better than giving up!

And I also know I have to spend more time praying. I've fallen out of the habit yet again. Things seem to fall in place and get so clear when I pray consistently. The kids are often even more agreeable to working. THEY'LL initiate things. They'll be eager to get stuff done. I don't know why that happens--it's not actually what I'm praying for--but whatever it is that I'm praying for seems have that as a 'side effect'. I can do everything I normally would in the morning and the kids are just different. Ideally, I would be like Brother Lawrence, as in the book "The Practice of the Presence of God", and everything would be approached prayerfully, keeping God in mind. But I find that so hard to do with a multitude of distractions around me all the time!

Timer beeping. Time for me to get off and finish up some cleaning. And maybe do a bit of reading.