We started school last week, and I've just been wrapped up in trying to find our new groove. It's a big jump, bringing Kain into our homeschool, plus adding some preschool stuff for Jack. I really, really don't know how moms with more kids than we have do it, but I guess it's just like anything else, you do it a little at a time. Every school year I get our schedule tweaked just right and think, "Well, I don't know what we'll do next year, I can't possibly add another thing into the day, and Maria will need more school time, Jack will need more too..." etc., but it always works out! Anyway, I have a WHOLE HALF HOUR on my schedule dedicated just to writing! Woohoo! Quite a luxury and don't know if it'll stick, but I'm looking forward to it.
An update...
Entropy nominated me for a "nice blogger" award, which was so sweet! She likes my honest view of homeschooling, which is great, cuz that's what I really try to do here. There's a lot of "I'm the most organized, on the ball mom in the world with perfectly perfect kids" blogs out there. Some of them I really actually like to read, because they do inspire me. And some just get on my nerves. But in any case, this is not one of those, no sir. This is us, in real life. We have moments of enlightenment and peace and love and I look around and think, "What did I do to deserve such a fantastic family?" And there are moments of "I'm sorry, why exactly did I think spending *more* time with these people was a good idea? Ya'll make 12 hour shifts as a floor nurse look like a cush job."
I'll nominate back one of the nicest people I know in the "online" world, Kelly over at the monkey house. Never have I known such a sweet-hearted, faith-filled in a real and honest way person. She is going through really tough times right now, and I just wish she lived closer so I could give her a big hug, send her to go take a nap, and love on her sweet kids.
The kids had their first day of co-op yesterday. I have a big love/hate relationship with the co-op. It's wonderful, it provides many things for the kids that I would have a really hard time producing myself, from exposure to different classes that I don't teach (woodworking, ceramics, spanish, knitting, to name a few things we have taken advantage of) to providing a "school-y" experience of having yearbooks, class pictures, pajama day, sitting in a lunchroom with friends, giving an excuse to pick out backpacks and lunch boxes, etc. The kids love, love, love co-op day. But it is a *long* day. It starts with loading up and out the door at 8:30am, a totally uncivilized hour for homeschoolers to be out and about...I mean, we get out that early to go to daily mass, but that's just a jog down the road for 30 minutes...this is getting ready to leave for the *day*. And we stay gone until after 4pm. This means packing lots of food, the things the kids need to have for their classes, the things I need to have for my class, planning to get essential around the house things done before we leave or after we come back...reminds me of the days that Maria was in school and I had a "real job"! The morning is pleasant enough. Maria and Kain attend their classes (morning classes are academic in nature) while Jack and I go to the library, run errands, go to the park, and just generally hang out together. I don't get much one on one time with Jack, and it's a very nice time. I need to be back at the co-op at 1, and I teach three hours of preschool classes with Jack in tow. It is *tiring*. I can't believe people actually teach preschool for a living. On purpose. Don't get me wrong, I love preschoolers, that's why I picked that age group...they are absolutely enchanting, fun little people. But they are a handful! And after three hours of herding them through structured activity, I am wiped out. By the end of the day, Jack is also tired and cranky from his missed nap and the long day. We are done at 3:30, and head back home with boxes and bags of stuff in the trunk to unload and sort through when we get there. I rustle around to get everyone fed, then Maria has, for the next 8 weeks at least, cheerleading practice from 6-7. Then I'm finally home for the day, throw everyone into bed, and praise God that I get to stay at home and homeschool and don't have to run around like this every day!
In other news, Maria contracted a horrifying case of poison ivy. All over her face. Ew. It was gruesome. We think one of the cats brought it in. This cat, in particular, was suspected...
She roams outside through the rainforest that grows between our garage and the neighbors fence, as evidenced by the burs that are constantly in her fur. So, I got to give her a bath. Good times. Maria, while most of her face healed well, developed impetigo in the areas around her nose and upper lip. Ew. Ew. Ew. So, we spent Monday at the pediatrician's office getting antibiotics for that. She is already doing much better and has just a small ooky area left around her nostrils. It is wonderful to see her sweet face re-emerge. I tried to get her to let me take before and after pictures, but it was a no go.
As far as school goes, we have plugged on in spite of visits to grandparents, doctors visits, co-op craziness, etc., because this is life. I learned a long time ago that if you wait for crazy-free days to get school done, you will only be on week 6 in your syllabus when Christmas arrives. So, some days we have gotten everything nicely done. Some days I've gotten things partly done. And some days I've said, "just go do some cursive and read something, I'm bathing the cat over here!!!"
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