Mothering-in a nutshell...

You wake up.  You mother.  You get really tired.  You press on.  And you sleep.  Repeat.

That is the way it has felt lately.  Lots of mothering been going on here this week.

Oh, but what a good repetitive boring wonderful heartbreaking joy-building thing it is!

School with James has been hard this week.  He can be quite stubborn and it is all fixated on his reading right now.  Listen, if any of you asked advice about teaching your child to read-I would be your woman.

 I would say, "Put the phonics books away, send him outside, read TO him lots of books he is interested in, don't worry.  Pick up the books when he is 7 or 8 and then he will soar."

And that is exactly what I did with one of my sons.  And it worked.  Perfectly.

But this child.  Oh my goodness. He wants to KNOW how to read, he just doesn't want to take the time to LEARN how to read.  And he is very clever.  And he knows how to get to my mind and heart-strings.  I am having to pull out the tough momma card with him in school and it is exhausting.  Yesterday his eyes wouldn't work and his fingers were too tired to hold the pencil and oh, the tears started to flow.  After a little applied discipline it was amazing how those eyes woke up and he wasn't so tired anymore.

We are going to try something new starting today.  His school time has always been after lunch.  I would take care of all the big kid's school in the morning and then do school with him after lunch.  He had the morning to play outside or spend time with Granny.  Well, now I am changing it to his school first and he can't play until he gets his school done. We'll see how it goes. 

And if that doesn't work I will try something else.  And then something else

That's what being a momma is all about-loving them enough to keep on trying something else.  And to keep on doing the same ole same ole each day in and out.  Because when your little one brings you wild flowers or draws you that special picture or gives you a wet sloppy  kiss it is worth it.  Every mom knows this-we just need to keep telling each other that.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend-it going to be a cold one here.  I predict lots of snuggles, reading, and time on the couch with my electric throw. :)