School begins

Well, we began a little school this past week (our year-round schedules allows us to take several weeks off druing the year, as well as the months of June and December). Yikes! I worked hard to stick the schedule I had made for Aimee, and she loved it, even all the detailed little rules we had worked out, but it was hard on everyone else - as well as on my house! It didn't help that Chase hardly slept the first day, preferring instead to watch all the interesting activity that was new to him. Ryan was another big issue. I scheduled time before we began to play with him, hoping that he would be at least appeased during the times I needed to work with the older two, but still, as soon as I began any kind of instruction, he began to loudly demand attention. Because our new math books hadn't arrived yet, we played store for math first, and I thought he might have fun playing along, but no...and by our next subject, which was history, and Aimee's favorite, he was melting down. As I was reading the chapter for the day, standing up bouncing Chase in the sling, Ryan was really unhappy and practically screaming, growing louder each time I suggested he read or play. I was also losing Drew's attention, and he was getting loud (albeit more happily) and was becoming disruptive. So I was already faced with the dilemma I had all last year - should I stop, suggest Aimee do something else or finish what she can on her own while I redirect my attention to the boys; or should I stick to the schedule and just try to get through history by reading more loudly over the din, tending to the boys and putting the pieces of the house back together later? If I do the former, the route I think I chose most often last year, I risk an almost certain meltdown from Aimee within the hour, because she finds abrubt change overwhelming. No, I won't let her just get away with behaving badly, but I may end up spending a good portion of my day dealing with it. If I choose the latter, the destruction in the house may be overwhelmingly widespread and I have a miserable two-year-old who feels he needs all the more attention from me - in short, I am faced with a huge task by lunchtime and am very thinly spread. And actually in this case, things get so loud and out of order that Aimee may have a hard time concentrating on anything, anyway, so I find myself trying to achieve a delicate balance - keep things moving, but see that everyone gets just enough of what they need at any given time so that things are also not too loud and distracting. Yes, yes, yes, I know all the special activities homeschool moms are supposed to give preschool children, and every once in awhile I actually think it might be a good idea to let Ryan play with water in the kitchen sink or completely empty out the contents of the math manipulatives box all over the living room floor...!!!!! Anyway, on the day in question, after history we took a break to clean up and have lunch, and as I looked around and thought about everything, I had a teary meltdown myself. Not good for the first day! :-) I cleaned everything up and got everyone settled down, but it all fell apart again in the afternoon and Dave came home to a wreck! The next day began with renewed hopes and did indeed start better, but in the middle of math the realtor called and wanted to show the house after lunch. I looked around, looked at the clock, took a deep breath and said yes - then we cleaned for three hours!
So I don't know how it's all going to work, but I'm gearing up for next week and reminding myself today to give thanks in all things. I've also been stricken with the terrible thought that I've been living in such a vacuum this past year that I've almost forgotten to be looking out for anyone else. I need to work harder at getting things to my neighbors, most of whom are older and could use a visit now and then (maybe just with one child at a time, though!).