Year Round Homeschool

We have always followed, more or less, a traditional school year.  We take a break from our typical academics from Thanksgiving until New Year, though we do Advent studies.  We then plough through two terms from January until the beginning of June with only Holy Week off.  It's a long, hard stretch.

Now that I no longer work at the hospital, I now teach 3 more classes that I didn't before, for a total of 5, and 3 of them are online.  My time is consumed correcting assessments and assignments, and blogging has taken it on the chin.  At least I don't have to try to get to work in the midst of a bizzard; and I am no longer scheduled for nights, weekends, holidays, or summers!

The dilemma is that I am trying to cram in homeschooling during the same time that my demands are greatest teaching.  I've thought about year-round homeschooling for awhile but I didn't really know how to approach it.  If I didn't school in the winter would the boys be just running aroung the house bored anyway making it impossible for me to work?  Then it just so happened (that you, Lord) that a very brief discussion occurred on one of the Yahoo groups about this very subject.  Some people, I guess, school for 3 weeks and take one off while others school for 6 weeks and take 2 off.  I've decided to try the latter.  Those two weeks will be enough for me to get caught up and a little ahead in my teaching, as well as to plan the next section of homeschool, and maybe even to blog a little! It give my boys just enough time to relax before getting bored.

My biggest concern is if we will have the will and the discipline to sit down to school during those glorious summer days.  While math will run year round, our Religion and Language Arts are not a full 36 weeks, we can stop Rosetta Stone Italian in the summer, and we won't have co-op so Friday is always free.  I am dreaming of a relaxed and joyful time of learning.  I'll let you know what happens when reality sets in...