Homeschool/Public School

Today was Matt's first day at school :) He went all day long and loved it. I don't know how people who educate some of their kids at home and send some to "real" school, do it. I no longer have an end to my school day... it just goes on and on. In the past, we have been able to end our school day by about 2 in the afternoon. With the addition of four kids to the laundry, meals, and housework, I am having trouble getting school done at all. Then the kids come home from public school and we need to stop everything and have a half an hour reading time immediately (both of them need a bigger person with them to do that) or it will not get done. This is not too bad, as everyone else here LOVES to read... I love to read, too, but being that I am really only listening to a 6 year old try to do it, it is just another thing added to my day. Then snack time.
After that it is homework for the public school kids... this leads right into suppertime (being made by Josh tonight... thanks, Josh). After that clean up of dishes and people and time to get ready for bed.
Add to that the little "stuff" like combating old Santa Claus (kids are not to mention Jesus as the reason for Christmas, but we are suppose to let them tell our kids that Santa is real? "He is Mom! His wife was at school today!"). And yesterday I get a note home that they will be skating on Friday... this is of course an assumption the we actually have skates, which we don't (we don't skate, though some have tried it most are not interested, we cross country ski). So I have to go out and buy skates (and I just LOVE shopping SO much!), spending $35 on an item that will probably be used once as I am not going to haul just one kid to the skating rink and I am NOT buy 12 pairs of skates so the rest can go (how crabby is that?). In addition, on Melissa's paper it says she needs to start her Penguin reports tonight... she, of course, has no idea what this means. Also the note says, "PARENTS... Be Sure To Read Polar Bear Note!" What Polar Bear Note?? She thinks maybe that one is coming home on Friday. And of course before bed we need to get our backpacks ready with boots, tennis (if we are wearing our spiffier shoes TO school) snow pants, mittens, hat, today's homework ("What homework?"), books if it is library day, etc. etc. Plus, I just remembered about Bag Day (bring something in a bag that people can try and guess what it is... good skills for deductive reasoning I guess?).
Man, sending your kids to school is a ton of work.