Back To School Eve

Tomorrow is the big day when three of our little ones will head to preschool and our homeschool will start again.  Today was Meet the Teachers day, so we're set.  We even finished our first homework for the year, so that's a good start.

Of course, leave it to me to be conflicted.  I've been homeschooling for so long that I love the life of a homeschool family.  There are parts of the school world that are tough for me to fully embrace.  Quite honestly, I would rather all my kids stay home, but that will not happen this year.  The jury is out as far as whether or not we will keep all the kids home once our foster care days are over, but this year will be a good test.  We could fall in love with it and keep a couple kids there for the foreseeable future, or this could be our final year of having kids in a brick and mortar school.

I want to do my best to see the good of school this year.  I want to enjoy the fun parts and become a part of the school community.  I didn't make much of an effort last year.  Truthfully, it's tough.  I can't volunteer in the classrooms because I have kids in three separate classrooms and five more kids at home.  I can't take my kids to all the birthday parties or I would go broke and never have a free Saturday.  They had sign-up sheets for helping with parties, and I couldn't sign up because I would have to know the dates and talk to care providers to see if I can get coverage, etc., etc., etc.  See, it's easy to talk myself out of true involvement.  I have to work on that.

Today I helped the kids get excited about meeting their new teachers.  I came home and filled out a bazillion pieces of paperwork.  I loaded their backpacks.  I set out their little uniforms.  The excitement for school at this time of year is pretty strong, and I felt sucked into its joy.  The morning rush begins again tomorrow.  We are ready!