What a difference a few hours makes. In a few hours, you can watch a movie, do a workout, bake bread, or watch your kids destroy your house. Truth be told…it doesn’t take hours for that last one, it can happen in a matter of seconds.

I didn’t have a plan for homeschooling today. I figured we would finish what we didn’t do yesterday and add some art. Big mistake. Granted, I had a ‘virtual meeting’ this morning so I had to plan around that. The meeting was supposed to be 15 minutes. No one actually expected it to be that short and no one was wrong. Lots of interesting things in the works for us teachers. Uncharted territory is the buzz phrase of the week. We’re going where we have never been before so…let’s micromanage! Just kidding…?

Before I knew it, lunchtime had reared it’s hungry head. Jam sandwiches with carrots. Yes, my lo-carb diet is still missing in my life, like many things. Eating outside makes everything more healthy though, right? I feel like I read that somewhere…

Without a solid or even semi-solid plan for the day, what ensued was something close to chaos. Sure, we went outside a few times and rode bikes, made mazes with chalk, threw potting soil all over the sidewalk, swung from the tree, played in the water, and talked to our neighbors (at a comfortable, 6-foot distance),  but when we went inside…that’s when all heckums broke loose.

If professional comedians could figure out what is so funny with little ones, they would be set. Apparently, everything was funny today. So funny, that no one could eat or follow any directions without bursting into laughter. I wasn’t sure why things were so funny and felt a little like I did when all my cousins hung out at the family reunion and only included me by calling me “Charlie”…which scarred me for life. Instead of going into the corner to pout and whine about being picked on, I was the bigger person and threatened everyone with an early bedtime and no snacks tomorrow if they didn’t cut it out.

I can’t say I’m proud of today. I was not prepared and it showed. If I am ever unprepared at real school, I usually have a crappy day as well. There is something to be said for having a plan and not just wandering willy-nilly into a classroom or a house full of kids. It’s the difference between being the predator and the prey. At least with a plan, I have that sense of control I talked about yesterday. Gotta get that back, even if the plan is to scrape all the jam off the fire-pit with toothbrushes.

Gotta make the punishment fit the crime….I mean,….real world learning! That’s the ticket!

Cause I said so.

Photo credit: http://www.gcn.com