School in December

Is that an oxymoron? Can anyone really do any serious schooling between Thanksgiving and Christmas? I find this to be a limbo period that can be difficult to focus in, especially for me. My mind is scattered among other things: three birthdays, holiday decorations and Christmas cards, family get-togethers, vacation plans, presents, and those ubiquitous ant trails that always show up at this time of year. Yes, life is too crazy for me to think about a full day of course load. So instead of killing myself with work or torturing myself with guilt, I just drop my expectations for the month. It was not a conscious decision, but it just sort of worked out this way.

The boys still work through their math and language assignments. However, I do other subjects only on an "if time permits" basis, which means, on most days they don't happen. I used to feel bad about not sticking to a schedule, I don't any more.

December is a stressful time. Why put more stress on ourselves and our children? Instead of doing lots of regular work, we take field trips, learn to paint, and get together with friends. We do community projects, write thank-you notes, and listen to audio books that Mom enjoys. This is the "Be Good to Mom" month because, everyone knows, she deserves a little break. I call it free learning, because we are still learning, just in an unstructured way.

This Friday is our last day of class before the Christmas break. I'm looking forward to a period of complete rest from any kind of schooling. However, when we're done resting, we will come back with a bang.