Hang in there...It gets better. Promise.

This past Tuesday evening was the monthly teachers meeting for the homeschool ISP I am a member of.  I did not want to go.  I hate being out past 7:30 now a days.  I would much rather be at home in my jammies chillin with the homeboys (The kiddos and my hubby ;-) But the Lord kept encouraging me to go, so go I did.  I am glad I did.  The meeting began with a planning session for next year.  We were lead by one of our school administrators, a veteran homeschooling mom of two.  She shared some of her wisdom from her homeschooling years and then some of the others moms shared their two bits.  Afterwards we broke up into our"small" groups to turn in our paperwork and such.  Approx. half of the group I am in this year consists of new to homeschooling moms, and around 90% of them are not sure they want to homeschool next year.  My heart breaks for them.  It breaks because I remember the hell of my first year, the turmoil of my second year, the getting the hang of it third year, and the joy of my fourth year.  The stark reality of homeschooling can be overwhelming that first year, especially if you are pulling your kids out of a traditional school setting.  Homeschooling is not glamourous.  There are no pedicures while the kiddos are at school.  House cleaning gets done in short burst throughout the day...if at all.  Hobbies?  Hobbies happen after the lesson plans get written, papers get graded, read alouds get read, laundry gets done, and then only if I am able to stay awake.  I no longer get to spend an hour picking out my clothes for the day, doing my hair and makeup, and then picking out just the right accessories.  Most days happen in a blur, while I may be clean and groomed I don't fit the world's image.  But I am blessed.  I am like Mary, Martha's sister who sat listening at Christ's feet while Mary was all about cleaning the house for guests.  Christ said to Martha of Mary, "She has choosen the better part."  So I have, and so I hope these other moms will too.  The blessings are there and my fear/sadness is that these moms will never get to see that because they are giving up too soon.  So I will pray.