"your intent In going back to school"

Monday this week was the first Monday I've had in months and months without the prospect of any school hanging over my head.

It's Wednesday, and I'm already working on next year's school.

Part of this is our own fault. We start early and go late so that we can usually have a four-day school week, and everyone is on board with this. But it makes for a pretty short summer break, and when the back part of that break is going to be spend abroad you need to make sure that your school books are ordered and your school plans are submitted to the district well in advance.

So I got a total of about two whole days off from school before I was filling the Amazon cart with books, looking up information on requirements for homeschooling a high-schooler (!) and trying to find workbooks for textbooks that have apparently gone out of print since we started doing this.

The good news is that there has probably never been an easier time to be a homeschooling parent. I can't imagine doing the process of book-buying and curriculum research before the age of the internet. Not only are there more resources now, but they are considerably easier to put your hands on.

I do feel, however, a bit like Milo of Croton. I started the homeschooling process with James 10 years ago by carrying one small bull-calf up the hill. We did some handwriting, we did some reading, we called it a day it was great. 

Over the years my shoulders have grown accustomed to the weight of the growing bull (and the bull's brothers), and I've been able to accept the incremental increase in work and responsibility until I apparently am carrying three full-grown bulls uphill every day, one of which refuses to wear his glasses and will hide his schoolbooks under the sofa when he thinks I'm not looking.

(I'm not sure that this metaphor has much more life in it.)

But the point is, it's time to start another year of school. There will be yet a little bit more work to do, a bit more responsibility for all parties involved. 

And the household can hold together and stand it for one more year, right?

Right?