Time Deprived

Tonight the main thing my brain is stuck on is this: Why can’t there be more hours in the day?

I want to do it all. Every single thing. I want to wake up early and stay up late. I want to read my Bible before the day hits me in the face. I want to homeschool, have a neat and tidy house, and maintain a blog successfully–all at once. I want to stop and smell the roses. What roses? I keep forgetting to notice…

JD woke me up twice last night, for no obvious reason, so I was April-on-the-verge-of-total-melt-down today.

Tomorrow’s Friday, ya’ll! So at least there’s that!

I read this blog post about “Lazy Homeschooling”. I was like “Whaaa?” It was a very well written article where the author proclaimed that her children can teach themselves, and she is free to write and enjoy life. I guess I’m living in an alternate universe from the one that she is enjoying. My children have to be watched constantly. Caleb needs to be taught how to read. Daniel is ALWAYS in my lap, and if he’s not, then he is in another room locking the door, which by the way, can only be unlocked from the inside of the room.

Do you know how many bobby pins I’ve gone through this week, thanks to Dan’s new hobby?

If I leave the older two at their desks for very long, I return to some sort of Karate Kid reenactment, not kids spontaneously building a model of the solar system.

So I can’t help it. I NEED the schedule. They need the rules and the behavior chart. I NEED the curriculums. Maybe when I’m more experienced I will be able to chill more. Man, I hope so.

I always said I would never never ever want to be a mom with four kids + a full time job. Sorry, working moms, but that looks way too stressful to me. I want to live to be old. I’m not one of these that thrives on the work stress. Now I’m a teacher. I’m up late grading papers, blogging, and making lesson plans, rocking babies, and promising Caleb that there is no such thing as MothMan.

Moth Man? Let me just say: Do not borrow the book United Tweets of America from the library, where your kids will spot Moth Man on the West Virginia page. Then you might, very stupidly, agree to find out what a Moth Man is, then let your boys watch a History Channel special on him….

I am paying for this mistake. I don’t know if Caleb will ever be able to go to sleep tonight.

I’ve been reading in Proverbs this week. I’m still doing the read through the Bible in a year thing. I’m a bit concerned. This is September, and Proverbs does not appear to be but halfway through……oh well. We’ll call my plan the read your Bible through in a year and a half plan.

“But those who plan what is good find love and faithfulness.” Proverbs 14:22

“All hard work brings a profit.” Proverbs 14:23

“Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.” Proverbs 14:4 Thank you for that one, http://fullmanger.wordpress.com/2014/08/22/lets-get-started/

“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” Proverbs 13:25

Lord, help me to be kind, and please grant me rest. 🙂 I hope you all get some rest too!!!

aprilmomoffour

April is an upbeat, Christian, blog-obsessed, military wife, and home schooling mom of four little boys. She writes about education, travel, and humorous adventures in parenting. Follow along if you’d like a little bit of encouragement and a whole lot of crazy.

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View Comments

theoldfellowgoesrunning says:

2014-09-07 at 3:58 am

Have never heard of Moth Man, and now I am all curious. :) (maybe it's not found up here in Canada). April, thank you for sharing with all honesty and in such a refreshing way. You have such a beautiful family. You are a tremendous Mom. Blessings!
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-07 at 2:59 pm
  
  Thank you so much for your kind words. My theory on moth man: aggressive large owl. And I think the videos of him hopping across buildings are a hoax. It's a fun story. Check it out. .. But for kids it turned out to be rather scary. .. oops!
catchingcrawfish says:

2014-09-07 at 12:20 am

Oh my goodness. I love this!! Yes, there certainly are NOT enough hours in the day. I'm with you on the karate kid reenactment and not the solar system model creators. I'm trying to home per-school our middle boy this year, and it has been SO hard for these very reasons. And I'm only working with one, not four. I love the honesty, because this is so much what I can relate to, and I think most moms out there too. Thanks for giving us a bit of humor and a reminder that not all days will be perfect. And I will now avoid moth man, for my sanity and my kids'! Thanks for the heads up!
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-07 at 1:39 am
  
  First, thank you so much for your kindness! ! Pre schoolers are adorable. ... But not always the best at listening, eh? Oh the moth man. Shudder!
Wendy Macdonald says:

2014-09-06 at 12:57 pm

April, I love your honesty and wonderful sense of humor. I'm impressed that you're trying to read through the Bible in a year. Even before I had children I could never finish the reading plan...then one day I read about a Christian author I admired who used the post-it method and I've been using it ever since. I just keep a post-it in both the New Testament and the Old. I move them to wherever I left off. No guilt--no pressure. Some days I read lots & some days (weekends) I read nothing.

You sound like an awesome mom. Do what works for you and have as much fun as you can. In my first couple of years of H.S. I overworked--but then I found a rhythm that worked for us--you will too.

What is your favorite 'teaching' thing to do? Ours was/is reading novels together.

Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-06 at 3:51 pm
  
  That's a great idea! It was no fun reading straight through some of the old testament with none of the new in there. Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm a better mom some days than others. Is home schooling patience training or what! ?
vonhonnauldt says:

2014-09-06 at 9:57 am

I feel like a weed in a rose garden commenting here, but just wanted to stop and thank you for the follow. You are indeed a very busy mom - and there's nothing more important in this world than being a mother. God's best to you and yours.
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-06 at 3:47 pm
  
  A weed? Funny but no way. I followed your blog for the wonderful Christian writing. Thank you so much for sharing encouragement from Gods word.
  - vonhonnauldt says:
    
    2014-09-06 at 11:36 pm
    
    You're welcome. Your visits are an encouragement to me.
marlajgale says:

2014-09-05 at 3:36 pm

You have such a great sense of humor! I find myself laughing to myself as I'm reading all the time! You are doing fabulous! And can I just say that the woman whose kids teach themselves all day is so rare?! I was homeschooled and all my siblings for a long time... And it was a lot more like how you describe things!!
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-05 at 3:43 pm
  
  Thank you thank you thank you! 1st I'm a sucker for compliments. Thank you. Also it's reassuring to hear this from someone who has more experience in the home school world. This is all new territory for me!
kerihanson says:

2014-09-05 at 9:51 am

I'm so glad for this blog. Because you are real! And because I keep seeing Pinteresting moms showing only the amazing houses, clean children, craft projects, fit & made up selves. Meanwhile, I feel like I'm doing all I can to shower every couple days & throw dinners in the crockpot. You are doing it all though--teaching, mothering, praying, and blogging! And you aren't alone in being tired-if it's any help :)
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-05 at 10:01 am
  
  Thank you so much keri!! I notice that too, and I'm always wondering what planet they live on! This is a job! I know most of them just want to defend that home schooling can be done well and show us regular people how to do it , but geesh. Having neighbors that read the blog certainly keeps me real because I think, "oh they know the truth. .." ha!
i have no greater joy says:

2014-09-05 at 9:31 am

I can totally relate to the karate reenactment! :) My boys are "working" to become more like ants! Focus is hard to learn! I keep reminding myself of 1 Thess 5:24… HE who called you is faithful! HE will surely do it! :)
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-05 at 11:05 am
  
  Boys boys boys! That is an encouraging verse. Thank you.
Jen@JENerallyInformed says:

2014-09-05 at 8:44 am

Oh my gosh the moth man is terrifying!! That story scared the crud out of me when I watched it. I did the same thing with Big Foot and my 6 year old. She wouldn't sleep alone for a week after hearing about him and watching a little special on him.
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-05 at 11:05 am
  
  Ha! So glad I'm not the only one!
godmadeknown says:

2014-09-05 at 2:25 am

Ha! I can totally relate to all of this! The sleepless nights, the thirst for order, we even have a copy of that book with MothMan! God gave those boys you for a mom for a reason. You are EXACTLY what they need for these all too fleeting and formative years of their life. What they don't need is too much time sitting in a desk conforming to someone else's idea of what an education should be. Start trusting your God-given instincts when it comes to catering to their unique boy-ness. You are the perfect one for the job of making them into men.
- storiesofourboys says:
  
  2014-09-05 at 11:07 am
  
  I'm so glad you can relate! That helps, oddly enough. And thank you so much for the words of encouragement!