Relaxed mode

After six weeks of little schoolwork, no schoolwork and abandoned schedules due to Tevye's surgery, pregnancy, assorted viruses and Easter break, I have finally decided that we need to officially move into relaxed, unscheduled mode for the little that remains of this school year. I have been slow to accept this because I like structure and I am reluctant to let go of it. For me having a plan and a check list of schoolwork for each day is a comfort rather than a tyranny. My schedule is a rubbery one that bends and twists to accommodate us, but without it I tend to fall apart and drift. But even with a flexible schedule there is a limit to how far it can bend before it becomes so contorted as to be useless. So there we are. The schedule is bent not just out of shape but to breaking point. Time for a relaxed mode that will allow me to go with the flow of high energy days (hmmm, maybe not! - let's say some energy days), no energy days, good weather days, bad weather days, days with or without the car, days with or without a voice, and all the other variables that are making a normal routine impossible.

Even with relaxed mode, I have to have a plan of some sort or we will simply vegetate. Here it is (in no particular order) ...

* Angel and Star to work on individual history projects. Angel has started one on the Titanic, with this Ebook from Hands of a Child as a starting point. Star is going to do one on food(!), bouncing off from the Food and Eating section of Usborne's Living Long Ago.
* Continue the study of China we have just started for geography, with various read alouds
* Finish reading The Young Life of St.Maria Faustina and continue with Bible stories from the Golden Bible.
* Art and craft projects, including some of the lovely Marian crafts from Cottage Blessings. (I'm inspired! We may only manage one or two, but even that is better than nothing!)
* Hands on science with crystal growing and magnetism kits.
* Daily (or at least most-daily) copywork or dictation.
* Some daily independent reading while I nap.
* Temporarily abandon the stressful battle to work through a maths curriculum with Angel. Star - who likes maths - can work on hers as and when it takes her fancy.
* Drop foreign languages for the time being (Latin for Angel, French for both)
* Plant some flowers.
* Knit and scrapbook. The girls can join me if they want.
* Get out for walks as often as possible.
* Play board and card games (preferably at least some educational ones)
* Watch movies (again, preferably with at least some educational benefit!)

I will pick ideas from this list and do as much or as little as works. And will definitely not stress about what doesn't get done!