I had good intentions— I did! Four hours a day for my own scholarly study sounded like a reasonable goal for the New Year. I would study my central canon for one hour, music for another, read for another hour, and write for the last hour. The kids could study around me, and I would be on my way to becoming Liberli•ber (lī´bər) [Latin liber, a book, from the sense of bark, and this from stripping, separating. Hence liber, a book, and liber, free, are the same word. WBST.1828] 1. noun one of two population classes in ancient Greece and Rome, the other being the slave class, which had the abilities to read, write, and contract, thus being free. 2. adjective having been educated in the arts which maintain freedom, i.e. the liberal arts [Latin artes liberales].! Right?

Then reality came calling. My housework began to pile up. I found myself struggling to get up early, and yet saw the need to get up even earlier. I became desperate, and wondered if I was going to have to choose between a clean house– with regular mealtimes– or fulfilling my educational goals. Was there a way to fulfill my duties to my family, AND my duties to myself? (And don't forget those 12 people that will raise my great-grandkids! ;D — See Rachel DeMille's article, “Steel to Gold”.)

I decided to take an inventory of my assets.

1) Seven kids: I realized that I was not following through with their chores! ARGH! I was not giving them a solid Core Phase! I had read Cheri Logan's immortal words, "If you have children of school age and you're still doing the housework, YOU'VE MISSED YOUR PROMOTION!" (Emphasis mine) and had forgotten to apply them to my life. So, I was doing a disservice to my children, AND myself, by not giving them more responsibilities. A-Ha! A lightbulb clicks on!

2) Self-Discipline: Ouch. This is not something I am proud to admit, but self-discipline is something I have yet to master. I realized I was spending too much time on-line, surfing or chatting. To be honest, Charlotte Mason would have been ashamed of the "twaddle" I was was spending time on! For clarification, I was not visiting objectionable websites, or engaging in anything inappropriate. I was just killing time on things that were not enriching me or my educational goals. My husband helped me by setting up this blogging software, and I am spending my "writing" time here. I don't know if it's helping any of you out there in cyberspace, but I'm having a great time, even if writing does intimidate me. I'm stretching and growing!

3) A Wonderful Husband: My DH (dear husband) also has a thirst for knowledge, and discusses things with me each evening. I realized that we have both been learning because of our discussions. He listened, commented, and encouraged me in my study of femininity. Right now, we are delving into home business and investment studies. Last night we spent two hours playing the "Cash Flow" game. (From Robert Kiosaki, author of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad.") We will be going out this weekend to knock on doors of foreclosures.

Your list may be different from mine. But I'm sure you will realize, as I have, that we are getting more education than we might think! I found that I can reduce my formal music practice down to 1/2 an hour, because I can count my singing in the shower, and belting in the kitchen while scrubbing dishes! I can read while waiting for the dryer to finish, or during a child's dentist appointment. And I can spend my computer time writing (like I am right now!) or reading about current events.

I challenge you to really examine your life. What have you REALLY learned today? You might be surprised.