I always have mixed emotions about the first day of school now.  I miss the kids when they aren’t home, but sometimes I can get more done when I am home alone. I just miss their smiles, laughter, and antics!

My two children are in some classes taught by another teacher who homeschooled her children many years ago.  She has been teaching other homeschooled children U. S. History, English, Advanced English (for high school kids), and Latin for over twenty years!!  She has also taught French from time to time.

I love Charlotte.  She is a gracious, loving woman.  I asked her this morning if she is planning to retire any time soon, (she said “NO”, thank God!). Then I jokingly told her she can’t until my daughter finishes her Advanced English class!  It is a three year class, and this is her first year.  She is in tenth grade.  My son already finished it, and this is his last year with Charlotte.  He is taking the last year of U. S. History and the second year of Latin.  Anyway, Charlotte says she is never going to retire.  This is one reason I love her! 

It was a blessing finding out about her five years ago.  This will be our children’s fifth year with her.  My daughter was only in sixth grade when she began the first English class so she was the youngest one in there, but she did it!  My son moved up the next year since he was going into high school.  He loves Charlotte’s classes.  He doesn’t want this to be his last year.  He says he wants to just go there next year and hang out.  He wants to get a job and move out next summer.   He doesn’t want to go to college right out of high school which is fine with me.  His dad is not too crazy about that idea, though.  That’s a year away, though, so we have time to be thinking on it.

So now I have twelve hours a week to myself.  I usually drop them off in the morning and pick them up in the afternoons, but on Tuesdays, the Latin class is only two hours long, so I stay in town and run errands or schedule appointments for that time.  So it all works out.  However, this year I think I will only come home on Mondays (she is closer to us than town), and I will stay in town on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

This year I have my laptop I can take with me now to keep up with my social networking and my writing projects.  So my art may take a little longer to get done since I can’t take my huge paintings with me!  Well, I could, but I don’t think it’s wise.  I will always have a sketch book with me, though.

The hardest part for me will be getting up earlier on those days so I can exercise, etc. before we go.  That way, it is out of the way.  I tend to be a night owl, because I like to stay up and read.  So I’ll either be getting less sleep or having to go to bed earlier so I don’t burn out.

I have several writing projects going at the moment, I still need to finish my sea turtle paintings, and my husband and I are leading the worship music at our church two Sundays a month now.  I haven’t been this busy in years, but it feels great. 

Have a great day, and give someone you love a big hug.      🙂