These past few weeks have had lots of ups and downs, but that is nothing new or different for our lives. We had a mostly good trip to WV. There were a couple of days that I thought we would have to bug out early and head for home, but then Mary settled in and the week ended up on a positive note. It was so great to be able to spend time with Mark and see the ministry in action there. We visited an old historic fort and homestead while we were there. On the way home we stopped at a nice place to walk around which overlooks the longest arch bridge in the world.
This week the kids attended a VBS at a local church (which also happens to be where their school is located). They had a blast. Mary was too old to be a VBS-er but she was a helper in the craft room. Noah was able to make a few new friends with kids he will be in school with this coming fall.
In between all the packing, unpacking, VBSing, etc., our school work has really taken a backseat. While the breaks from it have been nice, it has also reinforced to me the need for it. After taking the 2 weeks off for our trip to WV, the first few days back were filled with lots of weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. The information "lost" during that break was astounding. The struggle to get back into it made me wobble between being ready to give the whole thing up completely, and knowing that if it was this bad after just two weeks, how much information would be lost if it was the whole summer. I have to admit that I am losing momentum. The kids are winning the fight. I am weary and tired of fighting the battle that seems only to hold on to existing territory. We are not making any "progress". Mary is no closer to knowing her multiplication tables, and Noah's handwriting is still atrocious. Part of me just wants to say forget it. Maybe if I saw even a little glimmer of improvement I would be more motivated to continue the fight. But for tonight, I am tired!
