Wednesday's Epiphany

I think I have had MORE epiphanies since changing my blog name from Epiphany Springs, LOL. I wonder if that means something? I think something about stepping out, and changing, has opened up space for a little growth.

But that is not the epiphany.

I've been struggling lately (lately??) getting going in the morning. Even if I don't feel *tired*, I feel totally unmotivated to do school, and very much prefer the housework that I am letting slide those days I start school early. We get up early enough (between 6 and 7), so it's not that we're getting a late start... even the girls feel it, the urge to do gentle, non-thinking things in the morning: laundry, dishes, playing with each other, crafts (but not directed by me), audiobooks, etc.

Today I came right out and asked Maggie (9, and my most regimented, by the book child) whether she liked doing school work in the morning or afternoon better. "Afternoon!" she said emphatically. I was a bit surprised! I knew *I* preferred the afternoon, when I had gotten some "lazy me time" out of my system, and I definitely knew my oldest likes afternoons and evenings for thinking - she's a night owl. Actually, she would prefer to NEVER pick up her schoolbooks ;-) but when forced greatly prefers the afternoon.

I have been trying to make schedule after schedule (or routine after routine, more specifically), wondering why when I put school in the morning did I always break that within a few days...leading to many feelings of failure on my part.

So the epiphany is that I don't HAVE to do school in the morning! I know that sounds silly that I'm so surprised by it, but it *mentally* makes sense to me that we need to do school *first* in order to get it out of the way for freedom the rest of the day. You know, the whole "work first, play later!" thing. But if that doesn't WORK for any of us, who am I trying to kid?

As long as we *can* accomplish our work in the afternoon hours only, and as long as I am consistent in doing that, and not letting the whole day get away from me because I did not start early, it shouldn't matter WHEN we do school. Afternoon schooling is probably even easier than morning schooling since the almost 2yo and 4yo go down for naps/quiet time.

I think I'm going to write out a new routine, with housework and play in the morning, and schooling/thinking in the afternoon, and see if that isn't easier to stick to.