When Life Interrupts Our Homeschooling

Here it is, 2:00 am, and I am awake, after only 2-3 hours of sleep, working on this blog post. Hopefully I will be able to go back to sleep after a bit. (sigh)

This morning I want to talk about when life interrupts our schedule/routine...and I don't just mean the little things that pop up, I'm talking major interruption. This school year we have had at least a couple of those.

Our school year began in August, but not at the beginning of the month, which is my usual preference, because Botanist Boy spent a few weeks in Texas at my brother's. While he was there, he helped with Vacation Bible School, which was a wonderful experience for him.

Then we had a family reunion in Texas, to celebrate my mom's 80th birthday. My brother found a vacation rental unit for us all to share for a week. On my mom's birthday, both my brothers, their families, my kids and I, along with my parents were all together. It was the first time we'd all been together in several years.

After the boys and I got back home, we got started in to our school year right away. We had a pretty good routine going, and I was pleased with what we were accomplishing. Then the end of September, I received a phone call from my mom. My dad had been taken to the hospital by ambulance. I was first told the diagnosis was peritonitis, but then later it was corrected to pancreatitis.

The boys and I packed up, prepared to stay about a month. Little did we know...

My dad was in that hospital for 17 days. After being there 2 weeks, he asked for hospice. He began refusing to eat or take his meds (he has diabetes; he was refusing even insulin). So he was transferred to the hospice facility. My brothers with my younger brother's daughter, my husband and my oldest son, were called to come down.

My dad's extremely swollen hand

That was a long, emotionally draining week. We basically said our good byes, even while trying to tell my dad not to go. The night before my brothers were planning to head back home, my younger brother asked my dad one more time, if this was what he really wanted, or if he wanted to go to the hospital instead.

My dad finally consented to the hospital. This time he was taken to one in Gainesville. That was October 16. He began making improvements. Then on November 5, my dad was transferred to the rehab center.

Mom and Dad holding hands

What about "school" during this time? Well, we kept up with school the first week we were in Florida. I'd get schoolwork done with the boys, then take my mom to see my dad in the afternoon. Then it got to be too much, emotionally, to try to keep up with the schoolwork, too. The week my dad was in hospice, that was our only focus.

The distance to the first hospital, and hospice, was quite a drive. But then traveling to Gainesville each day...Let's just say, I put a lot of miles on my van during the 2 1/2 months we were in Florida! My poor van even had to spend some time in the shop, while I was there.

The boys and I returned home to Mississippi mid-November. Yeah, by now we were looking at Thanksgiving being near, then Christmas. We never fully got back in to "our groove."

My birthday (January 5) found us visiting another hospital: this time to see my mother-in-law. The distance was much closer than to my folks'! The boys and I saw my mother-in-law just briefly when we first arrived. After that, we felt it important to let the "blood relatives" have priority.

In the waiting area

A little over a month later, we were attending her funeral.

The day my mother-in-law fell asleep in Jesus, Botanist Boy got his braces off. In that respect, it was a happy day.

We had also been planning another trip to Florida, for another extended stay (about 6 weeks), with plans to leave a day or two after the orthodontist appointment. Of course, plans changed, and our trip to Florida was delayed. We were able to drive over on February 18, finally.

My brother has purchased a house around the corner from my folks'. True it is sparsely furnished at this time, but it's better than trying to cram in to the RV with Jen! (snicker) And we took our schoolwork with us. We knew this visit would be more relaxed, less stressful...enjoyable.

Yes, we did actually get some schoolwork done, nearly every day. (grin) We assisted Grandma and Grandpa when they needed it. Tears came to my eyes, when I saw my dad out doing yard work with the kids, even if he was mostly supervising them.

We even were able to spend time with our best friends. And got better acquainted with the young man Jen had been dating. We also went to Cracker Days at Rainbow Springs State Park, the Civil War Reenactment in Williston, Cedar Key, and Homosassa Springs State Park. (I'll talk more about these in another post)

The beauty of homeschooling is the fact that we can "take school with us" when we need to.

Be sure to come back tomorrow, when I'll share a bit about our living history experiences, otherwise known as "field trips."

Discover real life in other homeschools with the Schoolhouse Review Crew bloggers! Join the blog hop to read more!


Be sure to visit these other Crew members' blogs today
Treasuring Life's Blessings
Double O Farms
Simple Living Mama
Fried Clams and Sweet Tea
This Sweet Life
A Net In Time
Counting Pinecones
Some Call It Natural
Kingdom Academy Homeschool
Debbie's Homeschool Corner

By the way, it is now 4:30 am...I think I might try going back to bed now... (sigh)

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