Homeschool Open House

Homeschool Open House. On a day I was hardly home.

But the kids do okay without me. No one is indispensable. Not even me!

Chores, workout, morning prayers, laundry....We went to nine o'clock Mass. I dropped the younger three kids at home ( all teens now, the youngest is thirteen..).. with a little chat about morning activities. Some folding for their junk mail delivery work; some Kumon maths; Alexander working on an essay for his Italian Open University course; Thomas and Anthony to read the next section in their religion books (Fr. Laux series )~ and writing about their reading for me. Because I asked. Nicely. Pretty please. I want to know about their reading and writing is good for university study, you know...Quiet down that inner unschooling voice!

Should we play computer games before or after folding? asked Thomas.
It's up to you, I said. Ask Alexander, cos he has a deadline for that uni essay.

So, no objections from anyone re morning activities. And I went off to do some volunteer work at the parish office.

Home at lunch time, got out leftovers for lunch, we prayed, I checked in on the kids' morning. No time for lunch for me - hey, I didn't have breakfast either! I made some Kumon phone calls, suggested some reading or games or DVDs for the kids for the afternoon, then I went to a friend's house. To be a listening ear. On that irritable male syndrome.

And she fed me, too!

As the day grew cold and wet, I mentally reviewed activities...Came home, read religion reports, did some money stuff on the internet, talked to a Kumon staff member on the phone and found I will be doing MC work at presentations on Saturday so printed off material, to the post office we all trekked, to pick up a parcel and send a fax..onto junk mail delivery. In the rain. We wore our hoodies!

Home, laundry, kids reading and gaming, Alexander still at work on that essay, Thomas reading through his parcel of stuff for Open Uni ( Chinese language - Mandarin!). I mopped the floors and tidied. Dh came home - been away these last few days for work..One son came home from college today..a friend arrived to take two sons to the movies. Another son ventured home...Spent time with dh, we ordered Chinese takeaway simply because dh was home and happy - yay! - ( and, hey, Thomas is studying Chinese, right, so it all fits in with homeschooling!).

Our friend stayed for dinner, Jonathon went to a photoshoot for his band ( Bright Young Things) and we talked..kids a bit too loud and noisy..and disagreeing with dh..and a little side discussion on actions that are morally good/evil/indifferent...and on our years spent reading aloud as a family..and on study and pushing oneself..that getting out of one's comfort zone thing.

I cleaned up while everyone went to bed..did the last online Kumon follow up..made a To Do List for Thursday and trailed upstairs, tired, forgetting prayers ( oh no) and my personal reading ( sad).

P.S. Our family is featured in the book, above, a day from 1999..very different from today..but just as little formal work..and just as busy...some things change and some things don't!