Breaking the Rules

Last Thursday I decided that the kids deserved a little break from their usual schedules.  I have always been such a stickler for schedules and routines.  Since Riley was a baby I felt that if I ever got him off his schedule, then it disrupted his whole life or something...structure, structure, structure...that was my motto.  I have been consumed with worry over how to make this a "productive" summer, how to stay on a schedule, how to make sure there is structure and routine to our days, but I have started to realize that "routine" is a bit boring and unproductive.  So, I broke out of the routine, I broke the rules...I let the kids "skip" school last week!  It started off with letting them catch up on some much needed rest, they both slept past 8:30, and when they panicked that they were late for school I surprised them with "Nah, you have a substitute today...ME!"  Now, that brings me to the home school issue.  I have of course always been indifferent to homeschooling and like many just said "nope, not for us, not structured, not routine and definitely not normal..." however after the research I have just completed for my final paper in English, I began to change my mind.  If normal and routine means that my kids are bored and not learning enough...notice I did NOT say they weren't learning anything at all, just not enough...then maybe, just maybe it would be OK to break the rules and play around with the idea of learning at home.  We stayed in our PJ's and had a yummy breakfast of home made multi grain blueberry muffins

After breakfast, the kids actually asked if they could do some math.  They have been working on the samples from a program called Teaching Textbooks and they LOVE it...even Emma, who in all her frustration, will not take a break until she figures out how to solve a problem!  Riley just completed the 5th grade math section and Em is working on her 3rd grade lessons.  I wanted to give it a shot before ordering anything and I'm pretty sure Tyler and I are both sold on the awesome-ness of it!!  After math was over, I let them chose another educational game to play from the school's website and I got in a quick workout.  In the middle of the morning I received a call from the office at the kid's school, now let me back up and point out another example of my extreme routine issues...Emma has had PERFECT attendance for 2 years in a row, and Riley has only missed one or two days of school this year!  So, I never called to report their absences, I didn't even really remember that I was supposed to.  Here's the part where I'm going to rant a little...the school called to check on where the kids were, I scrambled to come up with something, "um, they have...dentist appointments..."(not too far from the truth, they do, but I think that they are NEXT week)  I then got "BOTH of them have appointments?  Are they scheduled together?  Are they coming to school at all today?  Do you have written excuses?  Can you have them faxed to the office?"  This, after my children NEVER miss school...I felt so put on the spot and guilty.  Then that guilt turned to anger, I realize that the school needs attendance money, but to make me, the parent, feel guilty because I didn't send them back to school or to school for basically the first time EVER?  So once again, I broke the rules, and sent...nothing.  I wasn't going to make up excuses or lies...even though it was hard for me, a friend of mine convinced me that it was OK, I didn't have to and that the world would not stop if my kids had one unexcused absence! 
So our day went on, we finally got dressed and went to McDonald's for lunch

 And then to the library, which to my shame(I have a NOOK), I had forgotten how wonderful the actual library with REAL books and card catalogs, is.  The kids picked an animal and researched and found 3 books each to check out on their choice.  Riley had a moment of disappointment when a really cool book on monitor lizards that he had found, mysteriously disappeared when he went to search for another book.  I then followed a mom and her kids around the library, convinced that her rotten son MUST have taken it from Riley, however I never got up the nerve to dig through her cart of a hundred books when she wasn't looking.  After the library it actually started to look rather ominous outside, could it possibly be RAIN?  We rushed to the grocery store to get a few things and I had to drag them out of the car away from their new stories....

After we returned home, I put up the groceries and told them they could have some free time to play or do whatever.  It was amazingly peaceful with the sound of thunder and rain outside and silence inside.  No fighting, no TV, no video games...

And then there was Emma...who finally couldn't contain herself any longer and needed some berries to go along with her whipped cream...

Swimteam practice was canceled so we continued to come up with fun things to do and learn about.  We decided on a chemistry experiment on gases and made a mess with baking soda and vinegar.

Overall, I would have to say that it was a very good day.  There wasn't one fight, and I mean it!  Not even one!  The kids went to bed happy and relaxed.  There was no rush to get homework finished before dinner, practice, playing...whatever.  And the biggest lesson was learned by me.  I think I finally realized that normal isn't always what you might think it is.  And routines and rules are definitely made to be broken.  All of this time that I have spent worrying and stressing over what I will do to keep the kids busy this summer and really it's days like last Thursday that they will remember and love the most.  So, although I can not homeschool next fall (maybe), I CAN make sure that they are more than prepared for 3rd and 4th grade this summer.  I am going to start thinking outside of the box...and now that I'm out, I'm fairly certain I'm never getting back in!