Tuesday, September 15, 2009

I need to get the hang of Tuesdays

because today was NOT good.
First off I have to say a public thank you to Matthew. He did not drive me crazy today. He was helpful. Thank you.
Olivia and Andrew however....
Olivia has been doing well at getting her schoolwork done this year- she often gets up early, when Brian leaves for work, and starts working then. Unless there is some kind of essay writing involved, which has led to me highlighting those things on her weekly lesson plan sheets. She got most of her work done early ( good) but it seems she got bored while I was in the shower and she was at the table with Andrew. ( She did not HAVE to be at the table with Andrew).
Who, I must say, has done his schoolwork in a timely manner ONCE this year. Not that he can't do it, he doesn't want to.
And when I came out of the shower ( still in my bathrobe, mind) there were wads of wet paper all over. I didn't ask, just made them clean it all up and took away Doctor Who and game time.
I was all the more stressed because we had to get our for homeschool dance- both are in ballet and jazz, ( though Olivia wants to drop ballet and Andrew wants to drop jazz- I am making them tough it out at least until costume deposits are due, and hopefully they will not want to drop anything at that point). Andrew has tap tonight. So Tuesdays are pretty busy. I did not get any subjects I had to teach in today. Since I also don't on the two Weds I teach MOPS, I am stressing about that. There is just so much that needs to get done! I may have to start getting up earlier, by about an hour, on Tuesdays.
So I have already had chocolate twice, two walks, once alone and once with kids, and I am still feeling very stressed. I have told the younger two if they come in I am giving them more schoolwork- really, this is not the way you're supposed to feel when you choose to homeschool our kids, but I really need them to be not in my face right now. I know later I will be grateful once we get our weeks in order, and things are working.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Blame it on the menstrual (men, you've been warned)

It's the next to the last day of our first week of school, and I have been pretty bitchy. The first two days went off without a hitch, so no good reason. Except- my period came, about a week before I was expecting it. Great. I can hope this weirdness is the beginning of the end, but most of the lady friends I have talked to have said that means I have about a decade to go. Remind me why I don;t get surgery again? Yes, it's the whole surgery aspect of surgery.
This has made dealing with Andrew today even more difficult. Not that it has been, in any way, easy. He has been in a mood, an "I don't want to do my work so I will will pretend I can't" mood. This would make me want to scream at the best times of the month. Of course he's well fed and hydrated-except that he keeps spilling water on his work. It's two and he's still doing math and Latin and I still have to do Grammar with him. I have gotten in less than 1/2 a row on the shawl I REALLY wanted to work on, and we haven't even had a walk yet. As you can imagine, no game time.
On the good hand though- a dear friend got the miracle of keeping her wonderful house. So many people have been praying hoping, meditating, candle lighting-and this miracle happened. Thank you.
Oh, and yeah? Tonight, orientation for new confirmation students. Already. Really.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

It's that time of year

when homeschooling parents start asking each other, "What are you doing this year?" Since I went to the trouble of typing it all up, I figured I would share it here.

All:
History- Story of the World Book 4, Modern History
Calvert WA State History
Swim America lessons
Art History: 100 Master Pieces to Color
Theory: Paint Now!
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing
Sc ience- a combination of Delta Science and Starfleet Academy Sciences courses.
Matthew and Olivia combined:
Ecce Romani Book 1 ( we did through chapter 13 last year, picking up at 14)
Koine Elementary Greek Year 2
Logic Lift Off
Ethics- three sides to every story
Matthew (7th Grade)
Saxon Math 8/7
Steck-Vaughn Core Skills Language Arts 6
Rules of the Game: Language Arts through discovery
Olivia (5th Grade)
Serls Intermediate Language Lessons Year Three
Calvert Math
Words on the Vine
Homeschool Ballet and Jazz
Handbell choir
Andrew (2nd grade)
Minimus Secundus
My 1st 100 Words in Greek
Spelling Workout
1st Language Lessons for The Well Trained Mind, Year Two
Handwriting Without Tears
Lollipop Logic
Homeschool Ballet and Jazz;Tap
We have memberships to the Pacific Science Center and Point Defiance Zoo, and take advantage of free days at the Tacoma Art Museum, Seattle Asian Art Museum, WA State History Museum, Experience Music Project/ Sci-fi Museum, and pretty much anyplace else we can.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

This is Sept 1st?

It's raining. Andrew is thrilled, as it allows him to watch Gamera the Brave.
Less than a week until we start school, and as the alternative freeganizing type I am, this involves not shopping at Old Nave or Walmart but sorting through handmedowns, making pleas for free dance shoes, waiting for my Amazon and Rainbow Resource boxes to arrive,and dying Olivia's bob black. I am trying to finish the sweater I am making for myself (Tempting, by Jenna Adorno, from Knitty; hopefully in time for my birthday.
We are painting Olivia's room for what Brian says is the last time. I am sure there are couples that find committing acts of home improvement to be a warm fuzzy bonding experience, but that isn't the case here. Let me just say this: the redo was supposed to be Olivia's birthday present, and her birthday is in February. We didn't even pull out the paint during the heat wave last month. Today should be the last day we have to paint, or we may need marriage counseling.