A bit overwhelmed...

My son has dyslexia.  I have started a new Reading/Brain Therapy program with him, but it's very different and I still feel as if I have only the vague outline of what I'm doing.

Hannah got braces today and is so sore and there is nothing I can do to make it better.

Seth has a cold and fell asleep on the couch after smearing yogurt all over himself.

I have a mild cold and allergies and 487 things to do before I go to bed tonight.

If I 'do school' between 9am and 3pm (which I do), I have to squeeze in all the other stuff before or after.  Like workouts, showers, laundry, the orthodontist, nagging kids to do their chores, phone calls to the AC repair place, grocery shopping, and Seth needs new shoes.

I know that 10 years from now it will all be worth it.  But right now, 10 years seems so far away...

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real

This has been a topsy-turvy week. Not a bad week, just every day is some different, random, sort of thing that makes me wonder What The Heck Is Going On?!?!  We have ALL had colds - all 8 of us, in some form or other. But we're on the upswing now, and all is well.

Pretty -

Isn't she pretty?

Hannah will turn 14 next month, and I just can't figure out how that happened so quickly.

Happy - I just ordered Dianne Craft's Reading Program.  I'm so happy and relieved to have an actual lesson plan-style program.  I desperately hope it works.

Funny - We got Josiah a coaster bike - no pedals.  But he stands up and just walks it around.  I'm telling myself that he'll eventually figure it out.  Right?

Real - Nathan has been having trouble reading for a loooooong time.  I put him through a pretty intensive phonics based program last year, and we saw much improvement, but the problem is still there.  I finally got every book on Dyslexia that my library system had, and have completely overwhelmed myself.  I'm convinced Nathan has dyslexia.  But how to teach to this learning ability? How to learn enough myself, and learn the right things, to be able to teach? Without wasting time on stuff that doesn't work?   Back to the Happy line - this Reading Program includes Brain Therapy Integration, and I just pray 'Lord Jesus, please let it work'. 

I've been learning a lot on left-brain learning, right-brain learning, phonemic awareness, the importance of crossing-the-midline, etc.  It's a bit like trying to drink out of a fire hose.  This is going to take awhile to absorb. 

Tuesday

Tuesday was a day.  The kind of day when you stand there, dumbfounded, at all the things that went wrong in a mere 12 hours.  Let me highlight 2 things that exemplified my Tuesday.


A particular child was NOT doing what they were supposed to be doing, and so was goofing off.  Said child accidentally broke something that I loved.  I may have let an ugly word escape my mouth, and realized that I had to leave the room.

It took me longer than expected to calm down, but I managed.  Same child was responsible for making lunch - quesadillas.  I got them started, everything appeared to be going well.  I went to the back of the house to put laundry in the dryer - two minutes, tops. As I pushed the button to turn the dryer on, that child runs past me with a kitchen garbage bag ON FIRE!!!  Okay, it was a small fire, but still.

We got the bag outside, stomped on it a few times, poured some water on it.  It was fine.  The house was fine, no one was burned.

Apparently, child found a left over smoke bomb from July 4.  Child decided that 6 months was very old, and wondered if the wick would even light.  So, they tested the wick.  Yup, it lit just fine.  Child freaked out and threw smoke bomb in the trash can.  Which was full of paper.

Child was appropriately apologetic, beat themselves up for awhile, and life went on.

Don't you envy me?

Some Random Stuff...

Sethy is sick this week with a pretty nasty cold.  Which makes everything around here more difficult, but snuggling a sick, sleepy baby is a lovely thing.  Trying not to think about all the people who will be sick later in the week...

Boiled eggs, toast and apple slices for breakfast. Quesadillas for lunch.  No clue for dinner - something with chicken.

Pretty:  My purple sweater is coming along.  Have divided for sleeves and making progress.  The pattern has 10 phases, the sleeves are phases 8 and 9!  I truly think the hard parts are over...

Happy:  Spent 45 minutes or so in the backyard raking leaves and straightening the pathway stones.  The children all helped.  It looks so much nicer, and being outside and moving about made everyone so much less cranky in the afternoon.  Need to be purposeful about going outside every day...

Funny:  I asked Josiah what he wanted for his birthday.  He said he wants to drive a real car. One where the wheels go all the way around. (?)  I said "Me too!  I want to drive a fast one!"  Josiah replied "No, you are too old."

Real:  Starting to think (already!) about curriculum needs for the next school year. Started to freak out a bit, wondering how I would remember all this in July when I need to start ordering things.  So I made a 'brain dump' page in my notebook labeled School Prep. I add things to it for each grade level when they occur to me, and I feel better.

Well, it's 7:21am, and I'm late starting my day.  Have a good week!

New Years Goals

I think this will be a year of head-down-just-keep-going for me.  I have a few goals for the year, but nothing spectacular.

I want to be more purposeful in my prayer life.  I will start keeping a prayer journal.  I think this will be good so I can go back and see where the Lord has answered prayer.

I will start a blessings jar.  Every time a good thing happens, I want to write it down and place it in the jar.  Next Christmas, we'll read them out loud and see what the Lord has done.  Count your blessings, name them one by one...

Would like to lose 5 more pounds.  This is gonna be iffy.  I have zero self control and I like to eat.  I work out regularly, but apparently not enough to make a difference in my weight.



I've been struggling with burnout the last couple months.  I'm already pretty organized, and I purge 'stuff' regularly.  This homeschooling journey is way harder than I expected. I know it's the best for the children, and I know this is His will for us.  But it's way hard and I'm tired.  I don't know what to do other than just keep going, try to look for beauty, and don't whine too much.

What a homeschool mom wants for Christmas...

Here a few things that would just be dreamy...

1.  A date night.  Somewhere Fancy, without kids.  And not making any of the arrangements myself.

2. Chocolate.  The expensive kind.  You know, those Caramel and Sea Salt ones that cost like...$4 each?  That I would never buy myself...

3. A Day Off.  For just one day, someone else can make the meals, clean up, change diapers, do laundry, AND NOT ASK ME WHERE ANYTHING IS...

4. A gift card to one of the following:  Staples, a yarn store, WalMart, Jo Ann's, Target, any local yarn store, any used book store.

5. Two hours once a week for school planning, meal planning, goal setting, etc.

6.  ONE DAY when Every. Single. Child. says "Yes, Mama!" with a smile when I ask them to do something.  And then they DO IT!!  I know.  It's a lovely dream...

7. For people to buy my children experiences instead of stuff that clutters up my house.  Things like Little Passports (Google it.  It's a real thing.), trips to the zoo or theatre, horse-back riding, etc.  Except books.  Books are great.

Christmas Gifts for $5 or less

Here is a note to myself (and you) so I can get Christmas spending waaaaay down this year:

colored pencils
crayons
coloring books
paint with water books
Chapstick
note cards
food - make granola, banana bread, etc
eggs
favorite candies
TicTacs (stocking stuffer hit in my house!)
Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars for boys
used books in persons favorite genre
craft supplies (who can't use more yarn?!)
card games


I will update this post as more things occur to me...