Let It Go

                                                             Source: maureencracknellhandmade.blogspot.com via Gina on Pinterest

When I attended the homeschool conference this past year, I heard many good speakers and lots of good advice.

But it was a bit of an overload for this first timer.

I probably should have taken notes but with a nursing baby in tow, that just didn't happen.

Anyhow, five months later, there is one specific comment that has stuck with me from that day.

It was made by Marlene from Homeschool and More.

I can't give you an exact quote but it was something along the lines that as a homeschooling family, your home is going to be different.

The couches are going to be used a lot more, mess is going to be more frequent, your home is going to be lived in more since your kids are home all day.

Therefore, we need to view our homes differently.

They are not going to look Pinterest perfect. Ever.

Homeschooling is a lifestyle and this is part of it.

I've been mulling that over in my mind.

And trying to incorporate this simple but profound (to me) statement into my attitudes and goals for our home.

I used to be irritated by our walls being covered in art work and memory verses and chore charts.

Now I tack stuff up there proudly.

This is my children's beautiful creativity.

It may never make the cover of Martha Stewart magazine but who cares?

This is our place of learning and growing and creating.

It makes our home perfect for us.

What I am having a hard time with is letting things go.

Although I've accepted that our home may look different, I have a difficult time accepting the fact that as a homeschooling mom I can't do everything all the time.

I have this really terrible habit of focusing on what wasn't accomplished in my day rather than what was.

The living room was supposed to be dusted but it didn't happen.

It doesn't matter that I made all the beds, dressed 26 princess dolls, caught up on laundry, taught reading, math, science and Bible, nursed a baby four or five times, taught a kid to how to bake cookies, scraped playdough off the floor, and had a homemade meal on the table that evening.

Nope.

All I can think about is the dust.
And that my schedule says "dust the living room on Thursday".

I know this is ridiculous.

So I'm trying to let it go.

It's great to have a plan, a schedule for the day.

And I think I should keep striving to accomplish as much as possible in the run of a day.

But I also need to learn to let go of what didn't get done.

Instead I'm working on seeing all that I did do and take joy in that.

This all sounds so simple and small but it is so important for my well being and the peace of my family.