Christmas Break for the Homeschooling Mama

'Twas the day after Christmas and all through the abode
Lay gift wrap and boxes -- it was quite a load.
New toys were scattered all over the place,
The children had smiles glued on each face.
Their dreams had come true -- there were Legos galore,
And new toys and games now covered the floor.
But despite all this mess and confusion and clutter,
Mom isn't moaning, not even a mutter.
In fact, she is smiling and singing a song!
Why?  Christmas break lasts another week long!

Christmas is Coming...

Winter is gently spreading its soft white blanket over our town.  The forecast says it will only be a sheet, but I'm hoping for a big, thick, heavy comforter's worth!  Then again, I don't have to drive anywhere in it.

Christmas break is almost here -- five more school days!  I do enjoy teaching my kids -- really, I do! -- but we're all so looking forward to this break.  We'll have completed 19 weeks of school in 20 weeks once break arrives, which explains our eagerness!

But do y'all know what else this means?  It means Grandpa and Grandma haven't been visiting (giving us an excuse to take days off) in far too long.  Tsk, tsk.

It also means we'll only have 16 required weeks of school left in the new year!  Wah-hoo!  

The snow is still dancing merrily down and we're at "sheet" depth... with no sign yet of stopping.  Yea!  It may be a white Christmas yet.

Book Joy

Because I'm stretching two years of history/geography/literature curriculum over three school years, I had the joy of ordering another year's supply of books this week, right in the middle of a school year -- and they arrived today!  Yea!

I feel a little silly expressing how extremely giddy I was opening up the cardboard flaps, inhaling deeply of the newly printed paper smell, caressing the glossy covers and reading the back of almost every one of the 40-plus books.  It was the highlight of my day.

Many of the titles are ones I'll read aloud to the boys, but there are plenty they'll read on their own, and as I perused them, I kept thinking, "I hope this is one I get to read, too!"  Some familiar titles were "Caddie Woodlawn," "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry," "Gone Away Lake," "Old Yeller" and "Freedom Train: Harriet Tubman."

Some of the intriguing titles and covers I'm looking forward to are "The Great Turkey Walk," "Miracles on Maple Hill," "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs," "Thimble Summer" and "Sing Down the Moon."  Don't those sound riveting?

I admit, I am one to get carried away by the title or cover of a book.  I know, never judge a book... but titles are like a glimpse through an old house's blinds -- not enough to show you anything clearly, but plenty to set your imagination roaming.  I remember playing the card game Authors as a kid, and being enchanted by titles like "The House of Seven Gables," "The Song of Hiawatha," "The Last of the Mohicans" and "Kidnapped."  

I got around to reading very few of those classic tales, but thanks to the "mandatory" reading that goes with homeschooling, I'm logging lots of fabulous titles anyway!  And who knows but that some of those other titles might not show up in another fabulous box of books in the future.