3rd Week of School

Some patterns have emerged. Best laid plans of Mice & Men I guess.

Many of our activities have fallen by the wayside:
-- Making our beds before breakfast
-- Exercising after breakfast/before school starts
-- Walking during break
-- Being done by 3 PM
-- Doing anything other than an Art project on Fridays
-- Getting chores done daily
-- Piano time is suffering too

Complaints:
It's only the beginning of our 3rd week and the teen is feeling stressed. I don't really know how to take that away from her. I schedule her to do 1 hr of each main subject Mon-Wed, 1/2 hr of each main subject on Thurs (there are other subjects too.) That's all she needs to do. But I find that she is going over her time each day because she can't stand to not finish something she has started. She feels like she doesn't know anything that way. Honestly don't know what to do. I'm thinking of doing certain subjects only on certain days so she can have longer than 1 hr to work on them. I hate to see her working on a subject so long though. And won't that make her forget stuff in between? Any advice?

The little one is doing well. Some things I fear were forgotten over the summer so we're reviewing. She's dealing with it but the math is frustrating her. All her Times Tables were forgotten or severely pushed to the back of the brain. I feel so helpless sometimes like I've forgotten how to teach them as well! UGH. Piano. What was I thinking in teaching her? So what if I took 8 years of it? That was 23 years ago! I have no clue what I'm doing and I'm frustrating her. We'll manage but I need to get some books on it or something.

Joys:
I loved it when little one and I went to the library today to return books. I sat thinking of what we should study next for history (we did 2 weeks of the history of dolls. She's still making a dollhouse and furniture but the studying part has petered out so I'm on to something else.) Anyway, she asked what we were going to study, I said 'Pioneers & Westward Movement' and she said 'YES!' with her fist pulled to her side. Like she had scored a pile of candy. lol She just loves learning.

The teen started the 2nd book of senior high Artistic Pursuits which is all about color. Her first few paintings are amazing and look like she's been painting forever. I love seeing her talent for art shine through. Makes me smile.



Goal:
I am determined to get a handle of everything this week.
-- Figure out how to help teen with stress
-- find books on teaching piano & times tables
-- make sure to have some fun w/the kids
-- get in more exercise
-- have chores finished daily
-- earlier bedtimes for all (including night owl me)