SchoolWork

Progress reports came home ealier this week. We were not very happy. Emanuel (our star pupil!) got a D! A D! Brandon also got a D. Even smart little Jackson got a C in something (okay, it was an 85,but still a C)
I tell you, it's a tempting thing to homeschool all of them...but thats another story too. Our homeschooler, Drew is having his own troubles...mostly owing to his refusal to pay attention, take notes and apply himself. He does very well on his lessons and assignments but then when it gets to the testing portion, he bombs out. When Albert and I go back through his tests/quizzes, we can see where he apparently just flew throught he test and put whatever answer first came to his mind. Now he must complete all quizzes and tests IN FRONT of one of us.
Emanuel's issues are just lack of motovation. He's had excellent grades his whole life. Now, socialization seems to be more important. And Brandon...he just hates school.
So, every night since then, we've been overrun with school assignments. I find it a bit ridiculous that we have to sit on top of the older kids this way about their schoolwork but its either this or bad grades.
You can imagine the chaos that ensures between the hours of 4:00 and bedtime. With four children in school that have homework to be helped with, and checked and another group of chidlren that are babies/toddler...well...it's just crazy. Add to that dinner being cooked and served, chores to do and showers to take, clothes to lay out for the next day...babies needing their bedtime routine (and ours is pretty short...diapers, PJ's, huggs/kisses, prayers, bed), Albert and I are both feeling the stress.
It takes both of us to get through the boys schoolwork. There is no way around that. It is not a one person job. There is no way one person could handle it. Not with the rest of the needs that come along in our family. Not with a three month old that needs nursed every three hours and held a good deal of time between then.
So Albert and I alternate playing "homework warden". One of us also usually volunteers for the task of getting something together for dinner while the other plays the part of the baby wrangler...trying to keep all toddlers/babies downstairs, and not destroying their brothers' schoolwork that is usually quite vulnerably left out on the kitchen tables. The boys do thier homework admist the sound of crying babies, screaming toddlers, dinner bubbling over on the stove, the phone ringing off the hook and neighborhood kids constantly dinging the doorbell. But this is the life we have. There is no "quiet spot for homework". That place doesn't exist in our home. The best we can do is turn off the TV. This is our life. This is our family and the kids will just have to learn to survive and function amidst it.
The boys aren't liking the new re-prioritizing of life in our house. The can't go outside on school nights (yes, back to that rule again) The can't talk on their phones on school nights. They aren't very happy but homework is getting done correctly again! Less time for blogging for me, obviously. Thus I'm up early getting my computer fix in for the day now....coffee is on, babies are still down. But there is laundry to catch up on, a floor to vacuum and Brice to tend to....