homeschooling and cabin fever: they don't play nice

It always happens this time of year. Some people call it cabin fever. Some people call it brain mush. I call it time for ice cream.

Let me explain.

Something happens towards the end of winter in Minnesota: you're tired of looking at the snow, you're tired of looking at the temps that rise so painfully slow, and you're tired of looking at each other.

When you homeschool, that's a problem. A huge problem. It's like a science experiment gone terribly wrong. There's bound to be an explosion, and you just know it's gonna be mega destructive.

A few days ago I found myself right in the middle of said experiment: Hmmschoolers who couldn't remember how to do simple math equations they've known forever, Hmmmschoolers who couldn't remember what makes a sentence a sentence, and Hmmmschoolers who thought the best way to deal with all of it was to kick. And scream. And pout.

Now, sometimes in science there's an equal but opposite reaction. Other times, the reaction is equal and exactly the same - which is what happened in our case, and was demonstrated by my screaming, stomping up the stairs, shoving a chocolatey Smore Bar in my mouth and staring out the window (with a pouty lip, no kidding) at the god forsaken snow that just. won't. melt.

Why are we even doing this?
Why isn't this working?
What did I screw up?
Why do I bother? 

Tell me you've been there. Tell me I'm not the only one.

Actually, I know I'm not. Because this conversation came up at our homeschool co-op just yesterday and almost everyone was complaining about dealing with the same thing.

When I stop for two seconds and think back, I have to admit that late winter is the same time this happened last year...and the year before...and the year before...and...you get the picture. I know this happens because I have Ice Cream Pictures to prove it.

Why ice cream, you ask?

Because we have to get out. Because we're going crazy. And because a very wise lifetime unschooler once advised me "Sometimes you just have to scrap everything and go out for ice cream."

So we do.

Ice cream makes everything better. But that doesn't mean we still aren't wishing for the snow to melt... ;)