This and That

I am always amazed as to how busy life can get.  We have launched into our school year, and have joined a homeschool community called Classical Conversations.  We meet every Tuesday.  I decided in an effort to really learn the material and teach my kids in the process, that I would take on the role of tutor.  This is a technically teaching, but we can't call ourselves teachers. On Tuesdays, I have eight children, not my own, and we learn the new material for each week.  By the end of the year we will have learned a timeline with more than 288 events, science facts, latin, some English, and math.  This is in addition to what all we are doing at home.  On one hand, it is overwhelming, especially having parents sitting in and watching me teach, but I, myself, am learning a lot too.  So even though it stresses me out some, I am thankful for this opportunity.

This year, I am also trying to get a handle on what possible learning disabilities my youngest might have.  It appears there is evidence of a slight case of dyslexia or some other type of learning glitch, but with focused work, even in this last week, I am encouraged about the process we have made.  Little things have made a huge difference. For instance, we took two index cards and I laminated them in the same pouch leaving a space between the cards.  This clear strip or space allows only the sentence she is reading to show between the index cards, while the cards are covering the sentences she has already read and the ones she has yet to read. It helps with her tracking and keeping her place while reading.  Such a little thing, but it has been marvelous!

We have also started the school year with new rules, thanks to my sister-in-law inspiring me. No television during the school week.  Sunday night to Friday evening we are a television-free household.  Technically, my husband and I can watch an hour each day if we so choose, BUT we rarely get to that. So it has been pretty quiet.  We have also banned video games.  I know you are thinking we are horribly mean parents, but, when it is all said and done, the children rarely have time to miss those things. Weekends are a different story, they are allowed video games as well on the weekends, but my hope is as the family learns to entertain themselves in other ways, the weekends won't be completely overrun with technology either.

Outside of our house there have been other things occurring in life.  My handicapped aunt started chemotherapy this past week, and my grandma's house, has achieved a sale pending status.   I am praying my aunt doesn't get horribly sick from the chemo, though we do expect her to lose her hair.  Additionally, she is being tested to determine if she was genetically predisposed for this type of cancer. I guess that information is helpful to the rest of us females in this family, but I am really hoping this was a "fluke" and not genetics. As for my grandma's house being sold, I am relieved for my parents' sake.  It has been a long road to get to this point.  However, I am sad too.  As long as I have been around, that place has always been my grandparent's house.  I am torn between walking through it one more time and never going back over.  I am afraid I will turn into a blubbering mess.

This past weekend, my hubby and I spent our night away.  It was so relaxing!  The dinner we had at our inn, was quite possibly one of the best meals I have eaten in my entire life.  Slow roasted prime rib, asparagus cooked to perfection, and a five cheese macaroni with a crusted top, that was heavenly!  We enjoyed a complimentary bottle of wine as well. I felt rejuvenated by the time we returned home, and my eldest survived with only a moderate case of homesickness, which in my opinion was a success. Now that I know we can all do it, my husband and I might need to get away a little more often than once every 10 years.

All in all, I am feeling mostly content.  I would like to hover in this spot of contentment for awhile though.  I am not in any rush to move on to the next thing right now.