Happy *Fried*- Day

Two thumbs up for the weekend!! For us, the weekend technically starts on a Friday. Thursday is our last day of "in-house" school and early Friday morning, we pack up our big white van (and our neighbor) and head down some country roads to attend our weekly co-op. A whole day of fellowshipping with other home schooled families. Classes the kids take, and the parents teach, worship time, good food... you get the picture.

For some moms, (me) Its what keeps us sane . Knowing that on Friday, we can get together with other moms who are also on the verge of going insane, and re-charge... re-fuel and re-focus. Its awesome! Every week, I walk away amazed at how BLESSED I am to be surrounded by such awesome, like-minded families...

And as wonderful as a day it is, The day is also PURE EXHAUSTING!!! I mean seriously, collapsing on the couch, pajamas on at 4 pm kinda day.

I know, I know, before you start shouting WIMP... lets remember something. We chose homeschooling for the complete opposite . Home education, at our pace. Relaxed environment and pure flexibility. While the rest of the world is running like a scared chicken... we aren't.

Except for Fried-days.

So every Friday for us ( and lets remember 9 of us...) is kinda like how it feels to return to your crazy schedule after a long vacation...

week after week after week.... Kinda like Groundhogs day ( the movie)

I LOVE that movie...

So thats why I gloriously call it my FRIED-day. And I wouldn't change it for the world.

So, what do we do? A bunch of things...What do we teach? Everything...

Too much to explain everything in one post. But I will tell you what I do.

Every week is slightly different. Yesterday, I spent the morning rocking this guy. Which kinda worked out good for me... but not for the other helpers in the nursery who found me completely useless because I was rocking him.

It seems like there was an influx of baby boys last year. Us moms were poppin them out like crazy... it reminded me of the story of Noahs Ark... When Genesis says the waters came from above and below and all over... thats how it was with our co-op babies. They came from everywhere... current members, new members, foster families, adoptions... and before long, we had enough coo-ing to fill an ark!!!

And just when I had enough screaming little ones for one day, my replacement came... and I happily tossed handed my sweet boy over and ran down to my favorite class of the day...

My teen girls bible study class...

This is my second semester teaching the girls and I just love it. I love them. I love to be able to get them to think, pick their brain and challenge them. I insist on honesty and participation in the class and want to hear what they really think verses what they think I want to hear... and some of them are at the age where its important to know why they believe what they do... and not just believe it because its what they were raised on. This is the age they begin to spread their wings and I l just love it. Speaking just a little piece into their lives is a privilege.... Im not after friendships with them... I'm after mentorship.

 

Anyway, after that class, I help out in cooking and then off to lunch.

 

I have a love/hate relationship with lunch hour.

 

Just imagine 5 kids under 9. Hungry.Hyper.Excited.

 

Times 1000 other kids feeling the same way. In the same room. WITH their parents trying to shove food at them like birds in a nest. Then throw about 60 teenagers in the room running amuck and bugging the parents as well.

 

It makes me understand why animals eat their young

Ok, thats mean. Im just kidding...maybe...

But usually, by the last 10 minutes of lunch, most of the kids have either run to the gym to play or are outside running rapid and that's when I herd over to the other moms for some adult time.

By the time lunch is over, I'm over the day and have to motivate myself for the last class... and all I'm gonna say about that is 6 tweens, a crochet hook and blank faces. 'Nough said.

Then clean-up and rounding 8+ (whoever comes home with us that day. Friday's kid total equaled 9) kids back in the big white van and we head home...

but not without a stop at the grocery store or other stores for errands.

Dinner is casual and quick. This past friday, I helped another mom with her daughters 13th surprise party, so once dinner was swallowed, back in the van I went for party drop off/sleepover.

Needless to say, I collapsed in bed exhausted. House was left a mess and I didn't give a flying hoot. I'll leave you a picture of how I shamelessly left my kitchen before turning in for the night.

And the dishwasher may have been full too... and possibly the counters.

But it was Fried-day. Co-op day... the day I LOVE with all of my heart...with the people I love... teaching what I love.

I think that is worth a few dirty , crusty dishes... don't you?

Xoxo,

GiGi