Working and home schooling

From Deb:

Sometimes this is really hard.

I mean, the girls are very independent, especially for being 5 and 7, but sometimes clients just need me in the morning and there's no two ways about it--especially for people whose projects I've been working on a lot and getting it to them late, if you know what I mean. There's only so far that they'll be perfectly understanding about my setup.

So I'm afraid I've been giving a bit more of a reduced workload for Madison and Ella this week. I haven't been pushing Ella too hard on the reading, nor Madison on handwriting, and the multiplication strategy that Laura suggested I try with Madison involves just a bit too much of my focus for me to accomplish it this week. Add to this is the stress that I'm going to be on vacation next week, and there are things that simply.must.be.accomplished for clients before I go. I've been working until 12:30 at night (another benefit of David's being gone...he's not here to distract me, and not to give me The Disapproving Look) and getting a lot done in that quiet time, but clients actually need to converse during the day.

And I'm supposed to be the epitome of home schooling working mom, or so I may be portrayed in Sue Shellenbarger's column next week. Ah well, some days are easier than others.

On the other hand, they are getting learning time in, no doubt about it. And having fun. Gotta go and do our new "Teaching American History with Folk Songs" book and CD, which I've been promising all morning as long as their other work got done. It turned out to be a good incentive!

Looks like I'm leaning toward a Robinson approach in the next few years!