Adjusting to Freedom

You would think that the freedom of no longer being bound by the confines of the traditional school day would be thrilling to me. But you would be wrong. I spent too many years of my life setting my mental clock by the rolling of the buses, morning and afternoon, to just unplug the clock and forget about it.

This week the kids and I have been helping Andy (Daddy) out in the shop, as he gets things ready for his new woodworking school. He is putting up some beautiful redwood wainscot on the walls, which is really attractive, but a lot of work. We have jumped in to help cut the lumber down to size, round off the edges and finish it with hand-rubbed oil so it can be installed.

Tuesday, we did school first and then worked out there on the redwood all afternoon. Wednesday, we worked on it all evening, even setting up flood lights in the yard so I at my sanding station and Tano at his oiling station could keep going after dark. But this morning we really shook things up.

Andy had someone coming to work at nine o'clock in the morning and wanted him to be able to start installing right away. We didn't have all of the wood ready to go yet, though, so we got up early, had a quick breakfast, and went out there, all of us, to finish the job--or at least get enough done by the time the help arrived that he could get started. We worked until lunch time, got it all done, and then did school after that.

Those of you who are accustomed to this home education thing are still waiting for the punchline. But that was it: we worked all morning and didn't start school until after lunch. After lunch!!

I'm still adjusting, folks. Give me time.