School Schedule Begins Tomorrow....Really?

I'm not entirely certain where the summer went. I have a few sneaking suspicions but no conclusive data. Tomorrow we begin school schedule and next Monday we start school. I always need a week to acclimate everyone to getting out of bed at 6:30 and getting chores and instrument practice accomplished by 9. Quiet time is 1-3pm--sometimes I creep around quietly after 3 hoping no one will notice and come out of their rooms, the quietness is so nice. :-) It means going to bed early, which clearly I'm not accomplishing tonight.

This week I finish ordering a few last minute school supplies like a full size skeleton and our science curriculum. I'm returning to the once every other month cooking method after three years off. Have dusted off my old notes and menu calendars, compiled a new latest and greatest 60 day plan and have garnered non-aluminum disposable baking pans to finish off the project. We shall use my two small freezers to maximum capacity.

The new chore rotation is up and running, and Caroline has voluntarily decided she will man the dishes dutifully, with Jonathan deciding the pastures in the laundry room are decidedly greener. So as to save myself some stress, I cleared off some shelf space and moved the melamine camp dishes out of the pop-up camper and into the kitchen for use Monday thru Friday. This way I won't have broken dishes as Caroline gets the hang of things. Today at lunch Gabriel saw the camp dishes on the table and said," Oooh, they're so beautiful." And Oliver said,"Does this mean we are leaving to go camping?"

We are getting settled into our new church very nicely. God is so good. I was convinced that I'd be spending months unhappily visiting one church after another, especially after the regular diet of soul food served weekly by our dear Pastor Bright. Of course, God provided. The church we are attending is really a wonderful fit. The children love their Sunday school classes, and Jonathan and I are getting plugged into the music ministry. The church is full of homeschooling mothers and there is a once a week Classical School that meets at the church. The pastor has an excellent sense of humor and enough scars and callousness that he seems quite battle hardened for spiritual warfare--though perhaps it should be better stated battle softened as we become more tender to the piercing Spirit as we struggle through sin and challenges.

This morning's sermon seemed especially appropriate as we all get into disciplined, structured, industrious mode: Heb. 12:4-29 was the text, though we made it only to verse 14. "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.....For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

To all you mommies out there taking a deep breath and getting ready to take on a new school year full of challenges, we are more than conquerors! :-) May you always sleep deeply, may your irritating children make you laugh often, and may you never run out of butter when company comes to visit.

~Jenny