Deep breaths....

Well, after being on the fence for a few weeks, it appears that Evan WILL be staying in homeschool this year. I had just gotten used to the idea of him returning to public school when he changed his mind and convinced me to let us try homeschooling for 1 more year.

And now? Now I'm.... undecided. I know that it will be 1000% more difficult with Evan here. He isn't as willing to go with the routine that works for me, Justin and Corinne. He and I don't always click quite as easily when it comes to discipline and schoolwork. We'll see... I am planning on writing up some "contracts" for the entire family to sign. Something along the lines of "I promise to work hard, to ask questions without whining, and to treat homeschooling like REAL school in that the work must get accomplished." The parent contracts will have words such as "I promise to remain patient. I promise to not focus on the negatives of homeschooling but to support myself and my WIFE (Pat's contract) in this important endeavor..." yadda yadda...

We need to commit to this. Either we're in or we're out. The goals for the year must be known and posted on the wall. What do we all want to accomplish this year? Where would we like to be at come May, 2010? How can our entire family benefit from homeschooling? How can our entire family contribute to our goals?

Taking a few deep breaths. Gearing up for the heavy stuff. I have started reorganizing the office/school space and hope to have a BRILLIANT first month. We WILL have fun! We WILL learn and discover! And we WILL do this without horrendous arguments or emotional breakdowns (me...).

Deep breaths....