Happy New Year!

Are you one of those people who loves a new year? I am…

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Fresh bullet journal, a few goals, and taking down the Christmas stuff.
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But getting back to school routines sounded hard this year. Last week, I started mentally gearing up. I know we’re ready for some structure, but the weather & post-holiday chaos made laying around in pajamas sound more fun than mustering up the oomph to get back to routine.

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Nonetheless, I want to start off 2023 schooling with joy. And God's Word gently reminded me rejoicing is a decision.

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When the beginning of the school year came back in September, we were naturally excited. Brand new books & school supplies, a couple hours of school work, then outside into the late summer/ early autumn sun! We'd occasionally read on the back porch with a blanket, watching the vibrant, changing leaves.

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There’s so much magic in the fall.

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Come January, the vibes are very different here in the midwest...

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Cold and dark in the morning, cold and dark in the evening, broken pencils with no erasers, and half filled math books.

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So this January, I decided to attempt recreating an ounce of the excitement of September. And it worked! There were even a couple oohs and aahs... It took a tiny bit more effort than just opening the books and getting back to the grind, but since Mom sets the tone for the homeschooling day, I decided to choose joy & channel all the cozy winter schooling vibes I could muster.

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• Hot breakfast at the table together.
• Roaring fire.
• New coloring books - the kids often color while I read aloud.
• New wintery morning lists - the kids do the same 5 things every weekday before or after breakfast.
• New chore assignments - in our house, everyone does the same cleaning chore 5 days a week for about 6 months. Then we switch. There are a couple deeper cleaning jobs on Friday mornings. It’s the only chore system that’s ever worked for me.
• A stack of new read aloud books for this term.
• A handful of new art supplies to share - gobs of markers & brand new, freshly sharpened Ticonderoga pencils. (Always & forever Ticonderoga. Am I right?)

A tiny bit of intentionality & joy went a long way. Our day wasn't perfect. In fact, 27 seconds into our cozy hot breakfast, someone spilled an entire class of milk all over the table. 🤣🤦‍♀️ #WinSomeLoseSome

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But, it was still a fresh start. And sometimes just getting started is the hardest part! Now, we're back at it and ready to go for next week.

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Sharpen some pencils, say a prayer, and dive back in! You got this. (And if not, Jesus' power is made perfect in your weakness. He's got this.)

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What is something you do to make getting back to school after the holidays more enjoyable!? I'd love for you to hit reply & let me know. I read every email.

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xo,

Renee
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p.s. I made a blank version of my winter themed checklists in case you want to steal them!

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