My husband and I got away for a couple of days to celebrate our 24th anniversary this week. We love to hike, so we escaped to a wonderful Bed & Breakfast on one of the Finger Lakes here in upstate NY. Across the road from the B&B was the entrance to an awesome gorge which was just ablaze with color.

People tend to make more of someone's 25th anniversary than they do the 24th. But for us, it's a milestone ... because this year we also survived the launching of our first homeschool graduate. Anyone who doesn't believe homeschooling puts some strain on a marriage isn't dealing in reality. While parenting in and of itself can be brutal on a relationship, tossing homeschooling into the mix brings its own unique stressors. While we both are extremely proud of the first one we've launched, we are also acutely aware that any success is entirely due to God's grace and His daily provision of wisdom.

So if you're new to homeschooling, or just considering the option, do be realistic enough to recognize the stresses and strains it will put on your marriage. Then establish some relationship "builders" to help shore up the foundation and strengthen the ties. Perhaps you'll set a goal to have a date night every other week or once a month. Maybe a night away can be scheduled a couple times a year. For the short-term, consider a 2-hour break for mom or dad (whomever carries the bulk of the teaching load) once a week. Even an uninterrupted time for devotions or a chapter from a favorite book each day goes a long way toward maintaining sanity and a good attitude. Whatever you choose, just making the effort demonstrates to both parties that your relationship is worth the effort. And let me assure you, it is well worth the effort!

~Judy

Well ... almost a month later I'm finally back to blog again! A rather nasty case of the flu which morphed into strep throat knocked me off my feet for longer than I liked. Why is it that I can't bounce back as quickly as my kids do?

So you might be wondering how homeschooling is affected when the main teacher (aka mom) is sick in bed. While some creative souls may use it as a learning opportunity (picture a field trip to the doctor, kids lining up to peer down mom's throat, book reports on the history of modern medicine) I'm just not of that caliber. I want people to serve me cold milkshakes or warm soup, cover me with a warm blanket and rub my feet. And then leave me alone! I suspect reality is somewhere in the middle.

I do find that whenever I'm out of commission, we see both the best and worst come out in our family. I'm always surprised by, and incredibly grateful for, how caring and available my kids and husband are. I'm also very aware of just how little dirt and clutter bothers everyone in this family but me! So yes, mom's illness definitely becomes a learning experience for all of us. I especially learn patience and a dependence on God like no other experience can generate. My kids get to put to use those cooking and cleaning skills we've worked on all year long. And I suspect my husband is reminded how much he appreciates going "off" to work somewhere!

And you know ... homeschooling goes on. Even mom's sickness is a time for education. Not of the academic kind necessarily, but definitely in practical life skills. It's also an opportunity to see just how well kids can work and learn independently. So when life "happens" ... even if it means that mom is side-lined for a bit, don't despair that your chldren will fall behind. See it as an opportunity for a different kind of "school".

~Judy