Diary of an Afterschooling mom

I have decided that I needed a way to express my success, frustration, excitement, failure and all other emotions that come with our new adventure. So this will be my first of I am sure many entries into my DIARY OF AN AFTERSCHOOLING MOM.

Dear Diary,
This is my first week of Afterschooling with my children. I can't believe how much we have learned already. Not only academically but we have learned so much about each other our emotions, talents, desires, ambitions for learning and for a lack of a better word our STAMINA. I really think for my own benefit I will begin with my (our) success. Afterschooling has brought our family together in a way we have never experienced. We are shut in a room for an hour focusing on one thing only and that is each other. Since daddy is home in time for Afterschooling it is ALL of us!! Homework is less chaotic, chores get done, the kids get more positive attention and I have slept so much better this week (no guilt). Time to get a little more specific.... Spencer loves art and crafts and he is loving Afterschooling, Matthew is sharing the things he learns with his teacher and his class, Kendal has been play cooking more (daddy loves her cooking), and this is REALLY hard to believe but after just 4 days Maggie is reading. YEAH FOR US!!!
I wish that was it, it is PERFECT! Of course that would not be speaking the truth. There have definitely been frustration and points of feeling like this isn't working it is going to fail. Part of our program is playing right after school, taking a good break. Well, all of the other kids in the neighborhood do homework first which puts us on an opposite schedule. That is a big bummer for mostly Matthew and he does not hide emotions. Speaking of emotions, Kendal is a bit fussy during Afterschooling and that has posed a few problems. And yesterday Matthew had quite a bit of homework and Piano lessons which did not leave much time for our activities we had planned. I am also having trouble getting the math enhancement in, I need to make it more fun. Because I am good at voicing my frustration and very bad at hiding it my GREAT husband asked me for more specific things he can do. So he is going to start helping with the more in depth lesson plans that include Science experiments, Internet research and multiple day data entry. I am so thankful that he gets to be and wants to be a part of this.
Overall I have to say the success definitely out ways the frustrations and I am so excited to continue this ADVENTURE with my FAMILY.