Help! Is it naptime yet?!

I'm having flashbacks to the year Victor was approaching 2, and Lucy and I were working our way through Kindergarten. I've read so many articles on how to homeschool with toddlers running around. I've tried the suggested approaches: have special activities to pull out during 'school time', do something special with the little ones first so they're not feeling neglected, etc. Some of these ideas have worked for a short time, but the bottom line is this: my toddlers seem to want only one thing. That is, they want to do EXACTLY what the big kids are doing and nothing else. Even Victor is feeling this way to a degree. He isn't that interested in the books I have for his level. He wants to do what Lucy is doing. We're working our way through this issue day by day, but the real challenge right now is Number Three.

Yes, Felicity is at it again. We affectionately call her destructo-baby. At times, she is content to sit in her own desk and scribble on her own paper. But mostly, she wants to steal Lucy's pencil, write on Lucy's paper, and generally create mayhem wherever she goes. If she's not trying to get involved in our learning activity, she might be content to wander into the kitchen or laundry room and tear apart whatever strikes her fancy. The house is child-proofed, but now that she can climb onto the table ever-so-quietly, I can't really allow her out of my sight.

We've moved Lucy to higher ground (the island) to avoid mishaps such as this morning's incident. I was in the kitchen when I heard, "Mom, the baby just stabbed me in the eye with my pencil!!" (Er, you're 7 1/2, she's 1 1/2, how did she accost you with your pencil? Anyway, probably a case of big sister being overly generous...)

So, I'm remembering now how we made it through the school year when Victor was at this trying age. We just waited until naptime to do school stuff.

That may need to be my new strategy. Or, is it too early to start summer vacation?