Cleaning up my act

I've realized over the last week that it is time yet again to shift my thinking regarding homeschooling and just plain old parenting. Those end of winter blues sent me spiraling into the cycle of yelling to get things done, upsetting the kids so they won't do anything, yelling some more because they still didn't do it. This, my friends, does not work. Not only can I not catch flies with my vinegar, I also cannot get the puzzle pieces cleaned up off the damn floor.

Part of the problem is Dorian's refusal to nap certain unexpected days. This throws me way off because our general schedule is to go out for the morning, come home for lunch, Dorian naps, and during that time Sebastian and I have quiet alone time, reading or knitting or using the computer. Dorian has zero concept of "quiet time" so if he isn't napping, he's still throwing things, hitting people with drumsticks, spilling colored pencils on the floor, etc.

The other part of the problem is my laziness. After corralling them in public all morning, I just want to ignore the little stinkers for an hour or two and have some time for myself. But as Dorian told me the other day, "You're not a person, you're Mama." Which, for better or worse, is true. I am Mama. Mama does not get a lunch break. Or a 401(k). Or business trips to Costa Rica. Due to Sebastian's balking at any type of "school at home" schedule, we have just been doing things when we feel like it, or if we think of it, or when I'm desperate.

I think this needs to change. We need to shake up our lives a little bit. I have embarked on a new plan that I hope will help. I know that I allow myself to get so focused on the fact that Dorian isn't napping and my annoyance therewith that I'm not doing anything positive to make the time better. So here's what's going to happen:

• We are still not going to use a specific curriculum, but I did order some books from the "Core Knowledge" series to get some ideas for topics to explore. These books come with the title What Your __ Grader Needs to Know. I ordered the 1st and 2nd grade ones even though Sebastian thinks he's in 3rd grade now. Maybe he is. What do I know? If these are too easy, we'll buy 3rd grade, too. Dorian will need to do 1st grade someday and we can always use them for him. You know, next month.
• I'm going to reread sections of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk every two months or so to reinforce the positive parenting skills I have learned so I stop resorting to using the "Cranky Mommy" style that comes so naturally to me.
• I'm going to finally tackle what the kids call the "Wood Room"-- the room in our apartment with the linoleum floor that looks like wood and all the bookcases. It's time to pack up all the books relating to sex and drugs (but not the rock n roll ones). I'm going to set up that area better so we can actually find and use all the great resources we already own but are currently heaped up into piles that threaten to spill if you walk past them too fast. With all the running that happens in this house, it's a real issue.

Overall, we need to stop the end of winter, boredom induced craziness. This better work. If it doesn't, I'm not going to make it through Jeremy's April trip to Costa Rica alive.