sweet moments and challenges in the first weeks

Sweet moments:

• seeing my son collect a towering pile of at least 20 books at the library - he could barely carry them all He said "I need this many books because I read like a whole book a day, Mom!"
• cooking together - he has chosen, on his own, to cook Tandoori chicken, a raspberry glace pie, and some others 
• snuggling up on the couch to read history ("The Story of the World" by Susan Wise Bauer) and hearing pleas to "keep reading Mom!"
• being able to volunteer at Aunt Molly's school, helping two new French students (he used his French, helped others, and helped Aunt Molly too)
• being able to allow him to play outside in the afternoons with all the neighborhood boys, never worrying about homework or a "to do list"
• hearing him share with his little brother and sister and Dad all the interesting things he had learned during the day (even days when I felt like we didn't do much of anything)
• never (or more accurately, rarely) having to wake him up 
• seeing him enjoy time with his 6 year old brother each morning

Challenges:

• having workers in and out of our house the first week of school - repairing ceiling and wall damage from a burst pipe in the basement
• getting sick the second week of school and fighting it off for 2 weeks
• trying to squeeze in errands
• trying to squeeze in exercise - I used to go to our health club mid-morning, now I'm trying to get up and exercise around 5:30/6:00, but we all know that doesn't always happen
• realizing that my perfect "school schedule" I had worked so hard on during the month of August needed to be thrown out the window
• feeling frustrated that we don't actually "do school" as much as I wish we would
• feeling like I am not spending enough time with my other two kids
• feeling like a frumpy mommy - lots of days staying in PJ's until noon, not taking a shower, never putting on nice clothes

Oh, the joys!  and oh the challenges!  yes, it is beautiful but not always easy-breezy!
Knowing how nervous I was to start, I now see that it is all a blessing, and most of all I am grateful to my husband for allowing and encouraging me to try homeschooling.  He works his butt off; and I am thrilled to be able to pour my heart into our home, children, and now their education....Thanks, love.