uncombining update and new baby advice needed

[MelInKansas]

Congrats on the baby on the way!!!

I think you've already thought through well where your kids need to be. I understand your desire to move your son on through Bigger full-speed but you also seem to know that you will need some grace and flexibility. Also, I want to encourage you, once you are several weeks into Bigger it doesn't take the 2.5-3 hours. At least it doesn't for me. Of course I am a "streamline" person so I may not do everything as thoroughly as I should. My daughter can do her cursive workbook, spelling (on the days she just copies the words or the sentences), and for the notebooking or vocabulary if I get her started she will finish on her own. Sometimes she does math independently too, but I definitely check on that before I let her go ahead.

Schooling is easier with a newborn around than a toddler, but you have to give yourself lots of grace. I froze a lot of easy-prep meals before my DD was born in January. Housework didn't really get done all that well. I tried to lower my expectations. Yes there is a place I would have liked to be in my guides by now, and we are not there. But we are learning and growing and the kids are doing well. I will take it. (we kept going in the summer to try to make more progress and even that is not going at the speed I would like.... too much summer fun to be had).

Good for you for training your DD in home ec type stuff. Just make her your assistant in all areas. Baby care included. My oldest, that was part of her responsibility right before and after DD was born too. We had finished a guide in November and I did not want to start a new one with Christmas coming and baby coming so soon after. So she did math, reading, writing (just a journal I had her keep), and home ec, lots of it. She has become a sweet little servant. Sometimes she comes and asks me "Mom, what can I do to help you right now?" Melts my heart.

[queenireneof3]

Thank you, Melissa!

I appreciate the advice and encouragement. I keep re-reading through this thread to glean from everyone (and I'm sure I will do it again when I get stuck or overwhelmed)! I appreciate the reality check that we may not move through as quickly as my ideal. We also had grand summer plans to keep moving through school but so much life has happened this summer, we've barely touched any schoolwork. Looking forward to our fresh start in August!

I will plan to cook some freezer meals and re-simplify our lunch menus...hoping my daughter could be a good lunch helper. She already is, I just need to make sure everything planned is at her level of helping!

Just got my initial school schedule on the chalkboard and it finally looks doable (iow, we won't be doing school all day!) Looks like potentially we'll be done by or before 2:30.

Thank you!