I hate the feeling of wanting change but not really knowing how to get it. Actually I think we almost always know how to get change it just seems like a difficult climb. I know that I can balance my home, homeschooling, my school, and somewhat of a life, but I am struggling to come up with a plan. Sometimes it just feels like it would take too much energy to come up with one. Is it too early for Spring fever? I think I have become lazy in so many ways, even mentally. When I get overwhelmed I tend to shut down and that is what is happening. I plan to use this weekend to get the house and laundry under control and then come up with a (flexible) schedule for the rest. I know being in control will make me feel much better.
What a weekend! While we had fun, I can honestly say it was not one of those you come out of feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. We celebrated my niece's birthday, the big girls went to a sleepover and the little girls had one, started the Truth Project with our small group, went to church, and I did significant amounts of reading for my new class. It makes me tired just thinking about it all! Here's to another week and another weekend very soon!
Boo is always saying things that make us laugh. This morning Buster was being obnoxiously loud in the bathroom and I told him several times to quiet down. Several of the other kids were still sleeping and I told him he was going to wake people up being so loud. Finally Boo went in and said, "Do you know how close we live to the hospital? You are going to wake up every newborn baby!" It cracked me up and Buster quieted down....double bonus!
It seems the time to go to W@lmart is 5 am. I went this morning at that time, as I refused to go another day without the staples that make life so much simpler. I was the only one in the store that wasn't stocking a shelf. No line at the check out, no crowded aisles, no screaming kids. The only downfall was my complete and utter exhaustion, which is why I don't think I will make a habit of such shopping trips.
Lucky for me, I have the best kids ever and after I got home and got everything put away I got to go back to bed for two whole hours! They never even knew I was gone.
Being it was the very first back after a long vacation, I would say we had a pretty good day. We didn't get up early, but in our defense some of us are still recovering from the flu and others we up all night with a cranky toddler who just could not be pleased. That being said, we finished our whole days worth of work. We weren't done until 3, which is really late for us, but we got done and that's what matters. I am always amazed at how much the kids retain after a vacation. I think it gives them time to process what we have learned. Midge is doing amazing with her reading and so is Boo. Chiggie and Tea both picked right up in math with no problems too. It feels good to have the first day down. Tomorrow should be interesting since I am going grocery shopping at 5 am...Hurry up Friday!
Today ended the beauty that was our super extended Christmas Vacation. The same vacation that I looked forward to for 10 weeks plus. The same vacation that ended in nearly two weeks of acute illness. Sigh. To be honest I am feeling a bit blue about the whole thing. Just wishing for a little more time off, which I know would just in turn lead to wishing for just a little more time off. All good things must come to an end, but I think a new good thing may be just about to begin. It will take a few days, but we will get back into the swing of a steady routine, and who knows, we just might like it. If not, the countdown to summer vacation begins!
One of the things that really annoys me about New Year's is the concept that the simple progression from one day to another can somehow change your life. I put way too much hope in the idea that this year would be so much better instead of just realizing that things can change on a dime and the year really has little to do with it. That being said, today has been awful. Rotten, terrible, and any other adjective you might be able to think up.
Midge's ear went from bad to worse and by 9:40 am I had her in the doc's office with a ruptured ear drum. Two hours later, after standing in line for EVER, I had her prescription in hand. She has slept all day and her fever has hovered around 105. As if that isn't enough, the truck we are borrowing broke down, Buster started running a fever, and Chiggie's ipod that she bought with her very own money was dropped and the screen is now cracked. Come on tomorrow!
I must have spoken too soon because today we back slid. As I type, Midge is miserable on the couch with an earache. She is running a low grade fever, but it's hard to tell if her ear is infected or just congested. I gave her some de-congestant tonight and I really hope she feels better tomorrow. If not, we will head to the doctor to have it checked out. Buster also wasn't feeling well. Nap time was a nightmare, he too ran a low grade fever, and he is complaing of tongue pain. I think it's his throat that hurts, but it is really hard to get a good look. The older girls are feeling great and I am starting to feel sorry for them as I am sure they are getting cabin fever. I am really praying this eases up as we move into the weekend when getting a doctor's appointment is that much more difficult.
It may not be a new school year, but it is a new year so I am using that to my advantage to do some planning and make some changes. Last night I went through the kids work boxes and cleaned out all of the trash and organized their folders and notebooks. It was fun to see how much we really have accomplished so far this year. Some of our school goals for the new year are:
We survived yet another day with this horrible flu. At this point Midge has it the worst, but I really think she will turn a corner tomorrow. It wasn't a wonderful way to ring in the New Year, but I am hoping we are getting it over with early so we can have a healthy winter from here on out. We spent most of the day watching movies. Our favorite was the Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Day's. The kids have really enjoyed these books and even I think the movies are hilarious.
It makes me kind of nervous that our vacation from school (mine and theirs) is quickly coming to a close. I need to do some planning for them to make things easier when I start back up on the 14th. It shouldn't be too terrible since I will only be taking one class at a time, but I like to be prepared. One of the things I want to re-establish this new year is a better routine. We tend to start out really well and then get more and more lax until eventually what started out organized feels a lot more like chaos. I know I can do it, it is just going to take self discipline.
