Conferences

At 1:57pm today I finished compiling work samples for our parent/teacher conference tomorrow morning. This is probably the single-most stressful part of home schooling for me, on the whole, aside from my inability to focus on one day at a time and becoming nearly hysterical once a week at the prospect of how many more lessons and days and pages and conferences we have until the end of the school year. Even so, the preparation to be judged on my efficiency as an educator to all of these kids takes me for a ride. A highly emotional ride. Takes us for a highly emotional ride. But I'm ready. We have everything in the folders signed and stamped and labelled and corrected and perfectly ordered to present to our teacher tomorrow, who will generously lavish the children with praise and be visibly astounded at their progress no matter what notes she jots in that top secret notebook she's always scribbling in.

In all actuality, the kids have made huge strides this quarter in their educational endeavors, and I am actually looking forward to having Tre and Jasmine read for her and Micah and Kennedy display their writing skills. Even in the past week of cramming to get ready, they have learned some valuable fundamental skills that otherwise have slipped through the cracks of my teaching. It will be interesting to see what she has to say, even though she is almost always positive. Strangely I appreciate a tangible critique because it gives me a new level to shoot for in the next quarter, feeding directly into my inclinations to be over-achieve.

While all of this throws every emotion into the mix, it will be a HUGE relief to be done with the conference and receive report cards for the first time since Kennedy went to Kindergarten many moons ago. I'm already planning our celebration. With Chuck E Cheese close by, of course that's my favorite place to party, especially since I just got coupons and they expire in two weeks. But then, we haven't made a trip to the Donut Hut for over a month either, and they are always thrilled at the prospect of donuts. On the other hand, with gallons of water streaming out of the sky for the last week and a half, they haven't seen much grass and there is an awesome park with a duck pond we could visit with a picnic, which would be healthier and cheaper and all around better for them. I don't really care what we do as long as it's a celebration of our diligence and achievements and it's not here in these four walls.

If I get this excited at the end of the quarter, I'm not sure how it'll be at the end of the year when every last assignment is completed and turned in. We may have to have a graduation ceremony. Who's game for it? Let me set the stage for you; lovely sunny central coast California, a houseful of entertainment, afternoon drives through the mountains and to the beach, home-cooked meals for the duration of your stay... and a graduation ceremony the likes of which you have never seen! And you can hold the new baby to your heart's content. So how many reservations would you like? First caller gets the bed, everyone else on the floor. But we'll take you. We'll take all of you.