CAUTION...Nine-year old present

Wow, I really thought I had this homeschooling thing figured out....and then we started the 4th grade with Logan. I should have known things were going to be difficult when in early September, Logan came downstairs wrapped in a towel, pleading for forgiveness. My first thought - this is not good. Well, I was right!! He went on to tell me that as he was getting ready for his shower, he looked up at the bathrobe hooks and thought it would be fun to jump up and hang from them. Okay, so the Olympics weren't the best thing for our family to watch!! Anyway, as you might expect, the hooks DID NOT hold my spindly little 60 pound son. Instead the hooks came out of the wall and Logan came tumbling down.

The consequence....well you have to tell your Dad. The anticipation of it nearly killed him; however, I knew Daddy would be more than forgiving...I have a feeling he might have tried this same trick as a child!! As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!!

Logan's confession to his dad was full of tears and "I'm really, really sorry".

And Daddy's reaction??? "It's okay, Bud, I will see if I can fix it". And yes, he did.

My mommy words..."Son, this is why we tell you to think before you do something."

His reply, "Mom I did think. I thought it would be fun and that the hooks would hold me"

So, why am I surprised when I find him, during school time, doing back bends on the family room floor, playing ball with the dog, or making sure his sisters are playing okay. And then there are the history tests that just don't go so well, or the handwriting that is just too much, or the argument that the math answer he got is right - regardless of what the answer key says!!....All I know is I think I had too many years that were easy. I was the one that said to fellow homeschool moms, "No, Logan really doesn't have a hard time staying focused". Or to Logan "Wow, another 98% on that test!!". But, here we are in the muck of 4th grade and trying to learn how to work past those tough problems. My hopes are high that 5th grade might be easier...but until then I feel like I am stuck in the 4th grade with a nine year old that just wants to hang from the nearest bathrobe hook or play tackle football with the neighborhood kids!!

The encouraging thing is that one of my best friends fears that her 9 year old son will grow up and live in a cardboard box on the corner. My response...maybe he and Logan can share a cardboard box!!!

But with a lot of prayer, love and support we will make it through this year just like we made it through all the others. And during summer vacation, I will once again say:

I love homeschooling!!