Well friends, it has been a long time since I wrote.
I did finish school (an none too soon). It wasn't just my sanity that was on the line either.
Has anyone ever mentioned to you that full time school with small children can be hard on a marriage? Well, if not, let me inform you. This was tough. This was harder on my dear husband than I had realized. In fact, over the past year, I offered to just quit and let it go a couple of times. ~Finishing school was not worth loosing our marriage. Yes, I was scared several times. But I'm pretty sure we are OK now. How be it, I won't be looking for full time employment any time soon.
The kids are happier too. One of Daniel's teachers said that about the time I finished, he blossomed in class. (on a side note, that was a fun class. it was all about inventions and they made a couple cool ones.) I am calmer, they are calmer.
I slept and didn't wake up till I wanted to. Sometimes I didn't even get up tell 6:30 or 7:00. I still like to wake up and study my scriptures before the kids wake up. I am doing more of that too. - This I love. I started to exercise again. I am not one who loves to exercise, but I also don't like being out of breath after going upstairs. I watched all sorts of British costume dramas. I LOVE Lark Rise to Candleford.
All 4 seasons are on YouTube by the way. I highly recommend it. I also watched Call the Midwife, Cranford, Our Mutual Friend, Bleak House, and several Jane Austins. I'm sure there were some more in there, but that is probably more than I should admit to.
We were able to go back to Arizona and see family again. It was fabulous. We borrowed a trailer, which made the trip so much more cost effective since we no longer fit in one hotel room anymore (6 person per room limit). It was so good to see friends and family again. The week we got back was Cub Scout Day Camp and Pioneer Trek for Steven. I never went on trek: it hadn't spread from Utah up to Washington when I was in the youth programs. But it must really be something. Steven came back with the biggest smile on his face as he told me all the awful things that happened and how hard it was. And he wasn't the only one with that attitude.
I am doing all sorts of planning for home school this year. Steven is going to studying the Civil War through WWI (we probably won't get to WWII to present until next year.) So I am doing some reading to prepare for that. I just read Booker T Washington's autobiography
Up from Slavery. I am SO IMPRESSED with the man. I love the way he thinks and lives his life. Truly a man to look up to. I have a new hero.
Isaac will stay in the elementary school this year. They are making an exception for him so that he can stay there another year before sending him to the middle school. I'm glad, it will give him a little more time to grow up and develop.
I am trying something new for Daniel and Rebecca this year and I am very excited. I am constantly amazed at how I am lead to the right thing at the right time. Two days after I finished student teaching, I found a new home school curriculum/program. Two days after... yet I should have come across it earlier. It had been mentioned on several blogs and websites I frequent, yet I somehow missed it. I missed it until I was ready to spend the time and energy to study/implement it. Another tender mercy: Just one more piece of evidence that I am on the right track. I had learned about The Principle Approach several years ago, liked it, and wished there was an LDS version. The published version was graded, in that every grade was separate and I know that I cannot teach all subjects separately for each of the children and keep my sanity. I need to combine as much as possible. I couldn't spare the time to put into figuring it out for myself so I let it go. The curriculum I found is called the
Family School and it is the Principle Approach, LDS based, and combines subjects for the children. I was thrilled. I do not know that I will stick with it forever, but the methods it uses (the essence of the principle approach) I will likely keep. And using the scripted curriculum will help me absorb how it all works.
In other news:
Jonny is being affected by the military cutbacks and is being furloughed one day every week for 3ish months-essentially a 20% pay cut. Not so fun. especially after spending what money we had on a vacation. (ok, we really didn't have it:, we are still paying it off and this is going to make that take longer.)
I have a new nephew, another will be here in another month. YAY!!
And my youngest sister will be married at the end of the month. HAPPY, HAPPY!
All in all, life is still busy. But the Lord promised me a break, and this is a lovely one- I am enjoying it very much.
