Neglect -- And What About Summer?

Well, it really has been quite a while since I posted, hasn't it? I'm sure my poor blog (and anyone who actually reads it) must be feeling terribly neglected. There's been so much going on, and yet everything feels so unsettled, that I haven't really been able to identify a coherent subject about which to write. So, I guess I'll have to settle for a few updates.

First of all, in the continuing saga of RobotBoy, I have to admit that we've had only very limited success in finding an approach to scheduling and managing his days. The card system worked reasonably well for a while, but eventually deteriorated into the same kinds of tensions we were having with the previous systems. And I began to resent all the time and effort I was expending over the weekend to parse out and set up assignments that ended up not getting done. So, we're back to the basics of having me just give him his assignments orally and one at a time.

The good news is that he did finish his online math class, and came through with flying colors. In fact, his instructors have recommended that he skip the next class in the sequence. We have put in a request for the third year class and have asked that he be allowed to begin at the earliest available start date in June, so that he doesn't go stale. Of course, that will have him finishing the next class around the end of the first semester of next year, but I guess we'll figure out the next step then.

Meanwhile, Moonheart is closing in on completing her virtual school Chemistry course. She hopes to finish this week and is absolutely joyous about seeing the light at the end of this especially long and winding and frequently uphill tunnel! She should also be wrapping up much of her home-based work within the next couple of weeks.

At this point, it looks like we'll have about three weeks at the end of our semester when both of them will be more or less done with their core assignments. So, we're thinking of using that time to do a bunch of the hands-on things that keep getting pushed aside during these busy days. I hope we'll be able to do at least a couple of chemistry set experiments and one more involved art project each of those weeks, while in between the kids tie up any remaining curriculum loose ends. I'm hoping, too, to watch at least a few of the educational DVDs that have been sitting around the top of our TV shelf in their pretty red Netflix envelopes for the last few weeks. It should be a fun way to finish out the year.

And we have the usual year-ending events--choir concerts and dance recitals and their assorted rehearsals--to break up our days.

Both kids are looking forward to their summer activities, too. And I'm looking forward to a break from teaching.

Moonheart is happily anticipating her first excursion to sleep-away camp. She's going with some friends from our church, so I'm sure they'll all have a grand time. She'll be gone for two weeks in June, and I get the honor of driving her the 9 hours each way. Then, at the end of the summer she's planning to participate in a week-long theatre day camp. In between, she'll be finishing up the virtual Spanish class she started late in the year.

RobotBoy is very excited to do his second "juinior intensive" at his ballet school. It's three weeks of half days, four hours of dance each day. He had a great time last summer and has been looking forward to returning all this year. As far as he's concerned, the only thing wrong with this camp is that it doesn't last all summer. There is no such thing as "enough dance" for this kiddo. His other big event for the summer will likely be a mini-road trip with me. He'll be in the middle of his dance camp when I make the first drive to deposit his big sister at camp, but we're planning to make a little mother and son adventure out of the second drive. We're already busy looking at fun things to see and do between here and the camp and are planning to take at least three or four days to ramble up there to collect her.

And, of course, the lease on our current rental is ending and we will be moving (locally) sometime before the end of June. So, it's shaping up to be a full summer.

I do intend to get my planning for next year done, nonetheless. At this point, I know there will be at least some changes. This year has proven to me that RobotBoy needs to do things differently, and I'm working with him to figure out what's working and what to change. There is also the possibility in the wind of changes for Moonheart, although we're not quite sure yet what those will be. We should have a better idea of what to expect within the next couple of weeks. Until her plans are firm, though, I'm holding off on putting much time and effort into thinking about next year.

So, that's where we are and a bit about where we're going in the immediate future. I'll be much happier once I can see a bit farther ahead.