Some Days Are Like That, Even in Australia . . . .

There are a lot of fantastic children's books that I didn't discover until I was grown up (well, high school isn't exactly grown up).  When our little high school class would have rough days our teacher would read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.  Somewhere during the silliness of the book we forgot about our bad day and felt a kindred spirit with poor Alexander and his very bad day.  Yes, it was still a bad day, but it had gotten a little more bearable.

In the book, everything that can go wrong does go wrong and poor little Alexander longs to escape far, far away to Australia.  His mother has to remind him that some days are like that, even in Australia.  

This week was full of those kind of days.  In addition to our normal craziness this week, we've added a tremendous lack of sleep for a few of us, twelve dentist appointments, and a lot of rough school days.  Some of the bad days were my fault.  Some were out of our control.  

I've found that the best way to have a good school day is largely dependent on my level of preparedness.  Preparation for us encompasses a lot.  I don't like mess.  I have a difficult time focusing on our lesson plans if the classroom is cluttered or if I know there are dishes piled up.  I know it's silly, but being on top of the housework is a way for me to prepare for school.  

Having our lesson plans set out for the week are just a portion of having our school day well prepared.  I also need to have transitions ready, our flashcards set out, and a few other things planned for each day.  I need to have our music planned out for Bible time, materials set out for each activity, and a clear goal in mind for each day.  It is so easy to get upset with the kids when our school day goes bad, but more often than not, the fault is mine.  When I fail to plan for our school day I set them up for failure.  

When we have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days it's easy to wish for somewhere far, far away.  When days are bad it's easy to forget God's goodness to us.  We tend to only see the bad, but God's Word tells us that,  "His mercies are new every morning."  Some days need an extra dose of mercy.  I'm so thankful I worship a God who is full of mercy.