Finally Taking A Break

I could do a cartwheel and the splits right now I am so happy. Why am I so happy, you may ask? Well,because the kids are finally on winter break from school!  It's the day we all look forward to since the beginning of the school year, the mid year vacation where kids get two to three weeks off from school for a little time to de-stress and relax.  After all the rigorous school work, exams and projects, it is a welcome break from everything scholastic. 

This year was no different even if it is.  We counted down the days to the time when we could close the computers and put away the books for a few weeks of rest and relaxation.  Even though the kids aren't physically in school due to the current situation, homeschooling has proven to be a lot, especially for me as a parent, and I needed this break just as much as the kids.

Granted, exams are far and few between with virtual learning the standard these days and the workload has lessened significantly because distance learning is something new we are all trying to figure out.  The school days are shorter since, for the most part, kids are only expected to work for a couple of hours on a few lessons.  Virtual classes are only about an hour long and homework is very simplified since it's a lot different not having a teacher in a classroom explaining the different aspects of the work. 

The ministry of education is taking into account that lots of parents still have to work and so cannot be as hands on in their kids learning at home.  So as not to stress anyone out, schools are taking a less strict approach to academics.  This also guarantees that kids don't fall behind academically once we resume traditonal schooling and kids are allowed back to class.

Even with everything being at a slower pace and less rigid, we all still really needed a vacation.  It's been a little tricky for me to figure out how to devide my time between housework, schoolwork and my motherly duties.  When I need to run errands, it cuts into the time I need to work with my 6 year old.  As a fulltime homeschooling mom, I had to learn how to really make time for the things I needed to get done throughout the day.  Ususally when the kids are in school, I have a few hours to myself to do everything, like clean the house and run errands. I could go grocery shopping or wash the car, even go get my nails done.  I have to admit that I miss those kid free days, even as much as I love having my kids home all the time. 

Like I mentioned in a previous blog post, I like homsechooling the kids.  It's a dream of mine that I've had for a while and I am glad I am able to get a taste of what its like.  But I am so very excited about this two week break.  No more schedules or schoolwork for two whole weeks. No more virtual class meetings or on line exams. It's a mother's dream!

The only downside to vacation this year is we can't go anywhere.  No family beach trip, no fun outdoor activities,  at least for now.  It's the first day of vacation for my boys (my daughter started her vacation last week), and so far we have no plans to leave the house.  I would love to plan a quick trip somewhere before we head back to class.  That would be the ideal vacation, a real getaway from the everyday.  I might even plan a fun day out based on the options we have available to us, just to add a little bit of normalcy in our lives on our short break.  But even if we stay home for the entirety of our vacation, I'll still just revel in the time we get to just relax.