Whoopy once, whoopy twice, whoopy chicken soup with rice!

I am passing out the chicken soup today! One of my littles has a nasty cold, and I do not want it coursing through the family right before Thanksgiving visitors arrive. Admittedly, the lunch menu was chicken ramen, because it was all I had. But, I am working on something better for dinner! Maybe we'll dig out Chicken Soup with Rice, too!

Anyway, having one in bed (self-imposed) today actually enabled the rest of us to accomplish so much in school! I have been struggling lately with how long it takes for us to accomplish a day of schoolwork. A plan that should take two to three hours is easily taking five or six, because of the interruptions, mostly from the baby. And, one of the reasons I love the idea of homeschooling is avoiding wasting my children's childhoods and giving them regular time to play outside and inside imaginatively for long periods of time.

But, we are not getting that these days if I want to get school "done." Is that acceptable to me? I am still trying to decide. Some days we plow through and do all the work. Some days I give up and send them off to play. Both are probably good, in balance, right? This season in life will pass, and someday we will be able to finish school before lunch as Charlotte Mason recommends (and I believe is preferable).

For now, though, only on sick days will we get it all done. Of course, that actually means that only half of my students (I only have two) did any work at all today. So, we did not really get it call done, and that realization makes the day seem not quite as successful in hindsight. (although I should add that I mostly kept the large volume of work enjoyable, which is an accomplishment in itself!)

My point in sharing this with you, however, is to ask you - How long does it take you to get schoolwork done at each grade level and how much time do your children get to "just play" each day? I certainly want the proper balance, rather than all or nothing, and I would prefer that balance NOT include sick days!

Did I mention that to plow through the work and cope with the cold meant that I still have not showered? LOL! My beloved husband will be home in an hour or two, so it is definitely time to get clean!


Grace & Peace,
Antonina