I am Abraham...

just a WHOLE LOT LESS PATIENT.  Abraham got Isaac, I got Eva writing a paper JUST BECAUSE SHE FELT LIKE IT.
I think I win.
Seriously, if you had ANY clue what the last 3 years of our homeschool journey had entailed, you would agree.
Last year was 24 weeks of sheer grammar and writing torture for both of us.  (No, I don't only do school for 24 weeks, that is how long our writing/grammar class lasts.)   I was so exhausted by May that I just completely dropped my pack mid June and didn't TOUCH anything even remotely school related until we actually started school in late August.  (This is NOT a wise idea...especially when adding 2 more pre-school students to your school on 2 days and 3 more on the other 2 days.  And one of the 3 actually counts as an entire class of pre-schoolers with ADD on a sugar high..."*sigh* sweet Sam...)
Slight explanation...last year was our first year of Essentials, the writing class that is a part of our homeschool program.  It is highly classical, challenging and time consuming.  I cursed it every moment I could last year.  And then...
My child went up EIGHT grade levels in reading comprehension last year.  EIGHT.  The tester re-checked the results twice.
EIGHT.
That is some serious validation.
THEN.  School started again and the first week was great.
And week 2 stunk.
Week 3 made me drink a lot.
Week 4 made me want to play in traffic while drinking a lot.
Week 5 made me want to face plant in a dark chocolate factory while drinking more wine, playing in traffic and snorting caramel.
THEN.
We had our fall break.  That stunk too.
Today, on the 2nd to last day before we start back from break, my child wrote an UNASSIGNED PAPER, using ridiculously cool vocab words, who/which clauses, prepositional phrases, www.asia.because.whatever clauses, narrative language and a whole bunch of other crap that I really didn't think she understood.  Well, clearly she does!
And it was GOOD!!!  (banned word. SHUT UP OTHER ESSENTIALS MOMMIES.)

In addition to said paper, the other kids mostly did school without me yelling, several cool art projects were produced, dinner was made and I didn't wreck it, my kids are clean and hell has not frozen over.

Oh, and Eva got her cast off!
In addition, we have not been late for church in about a month.
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY FAMILY?????
I'm sure it will all fall apart first thing tomorrow, but it was great while it lasted!
Abraham, I know you got Isaac and and you were blessed with a great nation and all that jazz, but seriously?  I win.
Jesus, you rock.  Thanks for being faithful when I am such a loser.
Love,
clan mac mama

p.s. disclaimer about Essentials...anything with a 4th grader involving grammar and writing is torture.  It was one of the best decisions our family has made educationally for Eva and I wouldn't change it if you paid me.  Well, maybe if you paid me A LOT.