It's that time of year again.  The time of year that strikes fear straight into my heart.   The time of year that leaves me questioning my abilities.  The time of year where excitement, promise, fear and indecisiveness all roll up into one big ball in my stomach. 

It's time to choose curriculum for each child for the next school year. 

Being that I'm going into my 8th year of homeschooling, one would think I had it all figured out.  One would be wrong. 

VERY wrong.

 Every year around this time, I face the same dilemma.  What science should I get?  Is this History going to work for us?  How important is spelling anyway (isn't that what they make spell check for).  Must I really buy Cursive instruction?  The only thing I write out anymore are those long forms I am required to fill out at the Doctor's office, and they demand that I print.

The pressure I put on myself  is intense.
 
For the last five years, my friend and I have stumbled walked down this road together.  We would peruse various catalogs,   browse through websites, read message boards and reviews of any curricula that looked interesting.  The last couple of years we've even went to a huge homeschooling exhibit hall full of different curriculum vendors.  Even when she had figured out what she needed for her children, she would be stuck processing out all of my choices with me (not a task for the fainthearted).  I'm extremely slightly indecisive.  It's also her job to keep me from buying things I'll never use, but somehow think I need.

 It's so hard to choose when you enter a hall like the this one.
 

 

These fairs can actually be helpful, but for those of us who are helplessly a little indecisive, they can be quite overwhelming.  Thankfully I have a friend to hold my hand go with me (my poor poor friend). 

She's a good friend.

I'm convinced that there are as many curriculum choices as there are stars in the sky.  Every last one says they are THE best.   I mean  if you should choose a different curriculum other than theirs, your children may not  learn, they will they will not grow into responsible adults, their brains will liquefy and be rendered useless.  Choosing each year proves to be an exhausting task. 

There are some aspects about it that aren't so bad.  I enjoy seeing what new things have come out since last year.  I do  enjoy choosing the books that the children and I will read together.

And once I decide, I feel excited to order and get our things so I can start looking through it all.  When the order comes, I get almost giddy.  I love the smell of new books.  Those are good parts. 

But I'm not there yet. 

Not even close.

I'm still in spastic-whirlwind-what am I doing-mode.

At the end of the day though,  I'm grateful that I have the option to choose the curriculum to match my children's learning styles, activities that interest them, and stories that we can all learn with together.

In the end, it's worth it. 

I bet the things I choose this year will make my children run down the stairs each morning begging me to begin school right away.  I may even have to force them to play some of the time.  They will be so into our schooling day. 

Yea, I'm a bit delusional.

Realistically, I'm hoping  that there will be less days that end this way

Prayers are much appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

*cartoons are from Todd Wilson-Familyman Ministries.