A Week, Briefly (11/12/18)
On Saturday I started to panic at having 10 little kids at home (our babysittees were over) when temperatures were below 20. So I packed everyone up in their warmest woolies and spent the day at the zoo.
I calmed down as soon as we pulled out of the driveway, and we all had a grand time.
The best part was a call from a far away friend who thought she was asking me for a favor but really was doing me the favor of listening and asking questions that showed she cared.
I talked while the kids ran around the various zoo parks.
Such a blessing!
I spent Sunday in bed with that horrid first day of a cold that left me weak, weepy, and worn out. How thankful I am for Sir Walter Scott! He took 8 kids to church by himself (the teens were also sick at home) and managed the household for the whole day so that I could sleep and drink herbal tea and read books in bed.
I stayed sick the whole week (still have a stuffy/runny nose and mild cough), but at least I was up and functioning each day--I give Sir Walter Scott the credit.
Monday was a partial school day because of the appointment we had to go over Beowulf's Developmental/Behavioral assessment results.
I wish I had pictures of my littles bundled up to their eyeballs riding bikes in our driveway through the slushy snow.
When they tried to shovel the front lawn, we stopped them, and I did instruct the teens to call them inside after about 2 hours and give them popcorn and let them watch a documentary (something about bears), but they went right back outside after being warmed a bit and were otherwise uninhibited in their outdoor play.
On Tuesday we got Pixie's second set of ACT scores. They were higher than last time, but not as high as we expected/wanted. I began hurrying to sign her up to retake it in December, but then stopped to do some research. I examined statistics and trends and reports. Then I talked to Pixie. Together we decided to live with the score she has.
We think it is good enough.
No more fussing about the ACT . . . but now she gets to work on passing the CLEP for College Algebra.
Wednesday was a mostly at home day, but Belle did go to the farm to clean eggs and root vegetables for the weekend market, and I did have to take Ladybug to MOCSA in the late afternoon. I usually dislike the parent group meeting, but there was a different energy present at this week's meeting than there has ever been before, and I found myself engaged in the lecture and discussion.
I came home and almost unconsciously began implementing techniques that were covered in the meeting.
Which led to a disastrous Thursday.
*sigh*
Ladybug and I are living in an uneasy truce. It is not good for either of us, but neither of us can stand to reengage in the battle of forming a mother/daughter relationship.
I did.
And she fought back.
Viciously.
We had our final dance show of the semester in the afternoon, and even though Ladybug was challenging me, I took her to the show along with everyone else, not realizing that were headed for the perfect storm.
As soon as she was in costume, she struck.
We were in a public place and she was damaging public property. I had nowhere to put her, and she was in two partner dances.
I turned to our director who has kids just like Ladybug, and she offered a few solutions that I wasn't ready to accept because I needed to breathe it out.
I went outside.
Then I found another friend.
She talked me through, and I returned to Ladybug.
I offered her forgiveness and a second chance.
She struck again--worse this time.
There was nothing to do but pull her from the show and put her in the safest place I could find. Fortunately, the mom who runs our sound system had her husband with her, and they were willing to keep an eye on Ladybug while the show ran.
Ladybug's partner was introduced to Mister Man to take Ladybug's place in the opener and then to Nature Angel to take Ladybug's place in "Skip to My Lou."
Both substitutes got a crash course in how to fake their way through the dances, and the show began.
It was really fun.
Not without mistakes.
But energetic and fun.
One sweet lady cried the whole time and said, "They're so beautiful. They're all just so beautiful."
Another lady danced from her chair.
Another sang along.
What joy!
Grandma and Grandpa came to the show and then to our house afterward. Grandma paid lots of attention to Ladybug, and Ladybug loved it.
When Grandma left, she got even with me for taking her out of the show.
I'm not sure I can win . . . even when I consider God being on the side of love and families and moms who don't give up.
She's just so hard.
Friday was a busy school day. Temperatures were back to being simply crisp/cool instead of frigid, and the kids reveled in the outside.
Actually, my littles played outside every day of the week--rain, snow, shine, warm, cold--no matter what. I often see the pictures of the mothers who take their kids on hikes (I've been than mother) and revel in the out-of-doors, and I feel badly that I'm not doing that.
But really my kids are outside even more than the kids who go on hikes with their mothers. I'm not there to take pictures, but they are outside digging in the sand, climbing trees, shoveling snow, raking leaves, building forts, rolling old tires (!), feeding the chickens, sitting in the tree house, and generally making the most of every day and every weather.
Even though I don't have lovely photographic evidence (because I'm inside doing school with teens or making meals or sewing dance costumes) doesn't change the fact that my kids are richly blessed with a full outdoor life.
I write that to remind myself.
Pixie and I worked for a couple of hours on her college application essay after she got back from filling out a TB questionnaire to release her registration hold at the community college; Super Star and I worked on math; Nature Angel reveled in an art assignment; the preschoolers made a car craft for letter C; the teens and I are just about half way through The Grapes of Wrath; Brother finished Shiller Language Arts book 3; Mister Man started a new chapter in Latin; Little Princess memorized a new set of Chinese vocabulary words (colors); Ladybug worked on initial consonant blends.
We held 6 Morning Meetings; 5 Symposiums; 4 Academies; and lots of reading, discussing, and dancing this week.
With Thankgiving coming next week, I'm planning on skipping most of the formal school--perhaps enough to keep us emotionally on track--but there will be lots of real life learning.
I calmed down as soon as we pulled out of the driveway, and we all had a grand time.
 |
| It was Polar Bear Day, so there were free crafts and games. |
 |
| Slime. I let them play with it at the zoo . . . but we threw it away before getting in the van and going home! |
The best part was a call from a far away friend who thought she was asking me for a favor but really was doing me the favor of listening and asking questions that showed she cared.
I talked while the kids ran around the various zoo parks.
Such a blessing!
I spent Sunday in bed with that horrid first day of a cold that left me weak, weepy, and worn out. How thankful I am for Sir Walter Scott! He took 8 kids to church by himself (the teens were also sick at home) and managed the household for the whole day so that I could sleep and drink herbal tea and read books in bed.
I stayed sick the whole week (still have a stuffy/runny nose and mild cough), but at least I was up and functioning each day--I give Sir Walter Scott the credit.
Monday was a partial school day because of the appointment we had to go over Beowulf's Developmental/Behavioral assessment results.
I wish I had pictures of my littles bundled up to their eyeballs riding bikes in our driveway through the slushy snow.
When they tried to shovel the front lawn, we stopped them, and I did instruct the teens to call them inside after about 2 hours and give them popcorn and let them watch a documentary (something about bears), but they went right back outside after being warmed a bit and were otherwise uninhibited in their outdoor play.
On Tuesday we got Pixie's second set of ACT scores. They were higher than last time, but not as high as we expected/wanted. I began hurrying to sign her up to retake it in December, but then stopped to do some research. I examined statistics and trends and reports. Then I talked to Pixie. Together we decided to live with the score she has.
We think it is good enough.
No more fussing about the ACT . . . but now she gets to work on passing the CLEP for College Algebra.
 |
| C is for cat |
Wednesday was a mostly at home day, but Belle did go to the farm to clean eggs and root vegetables for the weekend market, and I did have to take Ladybug to MOCSA in the late afternoon. I usually dislike the parent group meeting, but there was a different energy present at this week's meeting than there has ever been before, and I found myself engaged in the lecture and discussion.
I came home and almost unconsciously began implementing techniques that were covered in the meeting.
Which led to a disastrous Thursday.
*sigh*
Ladybug and I are living in an uneasy truce. It is not good for either of us, but neither of us can stand to reengage in the battle of forming a mother/daughter relationship.
I did.
And she fought back.
Viciously.
We had our final dance show of the semester in the afternoon, and even though Ladybug was challenging me, I took her to the show along with everyone else, not realizing that were headed for the perfect storm.
As soon as she was in costume, she struck.
We were in a public place and she was damaging public property. I had nowhere to put her, and she was in two partner dances.
I turned to our director who has kids just like Ladybug, and she offered a few solutions that I wasn't ready to accept because I needed to breathe it out.
I went outside.
Then I found another friend.
She talked me through, and I returned to Ladybug.
I offered her forgiveness and a second chance.
She struck again--worse this time.
There was nothing to do but pull her from the show and put her in the safest place I could find. Fortunately, the mom who runs our sound system had her husband with her, and they were willing to keep an eye on Ladybug while the show ran.
Ladybug's partner was introduced to Mister Man to take Ladybug's place in the opener and then to Nature Angel to take Ladybug's place in "Skip to My Lou."
Both substitutes got a crash course in how to fake their way through the dances, and the show began.
It was really fun.
Not without mistakes.
But energetic and fun.
 |
| Pixie was cracking up because this "you're-crazy-but-I'll-put-up-with-you-face" is quite typical of this student. |
 |
| It was so fun to see Belle really rock singing this solo! |
One sweet lady cried the whole time and said, "They're so beautiful. They're all just so beautiful."
Another lady danced from her chair.
Another sang along.
What joy!
Grandma and Grandpa came to the show and then to our house afterward. Grandma paid lots of attention to Ladybug, and Ladybug loved it.
When Grandma left, she got even with me for taking her out of the show.
I'm not sure I can win . . . even when I consider God being on the side of love and families and moms who don't give up.
She's just so hard.
 | |
| Mister Man finished another science booklet. |
Friday was a busy school day. Temperatures were back to being simply crisp/cool instead of frigid, and the kids reveled in the outside.
Actually, my littles played outside every day of the week--rain, snow, shine, warm, cold--no matter what. I often see the pictures of the mothers who take their kids on hikes (I've been than mother) and revel in the out-of-doors, and I feel badly that I'm not doing that.
But really my kids are outside even more than the kids who go on hikes with their mothers. I'm not there to take pictures, but they are outside digging in the sand, climbing trees, shoveling snow, raking leaves, building forts, rolling old tires (!), feeding the chickens, sitting in the tree house, and generally making the most of every day and every weather.
Even though I don't have lovely photographic evidence (because I'm inside doing school with teens or making meals or sewing dance costumes) doesn't change the fact that my kids are richly blessed with a full outdoor life.
I write that to remind myself.
Pixie and I worked for a couple of hours on her college application essay after she got back from filling out a TB questionnaire to release her registration hold at the community college; Super Star and I worked on math; Nature Angel reveled in an art assignment; the preschoolers made a car craft for letter C; the teens and I are just about half way through The Grapes of Wrath; Brother finished Shiller Language Arts book 3; Mister Man started a new chapter in Latin; Little Princess memorized a new set of Chinese vocabulary words (colors); Ladybug worked on initial consonant blends.
We held 6 Morning Meetings; 5 Symposiums; 4 Academies; and lots of reading, discussing, and dancing this week.
With Thankgiving coming next week, I'm planning on skipping most of the formal school--perhaps enough to keep us emotionally on track--but there will be lots of real life learning.
Hikes are fine and good, but just digging around in the dirt and sand and playing with siblings is probably the best!
ReplyDeleteWe are only doing the minimum of school next week too. I so get how hard it is with Ladybug. She is really ramping it up sabotaging in public. My heart and prayers are with you. Love the outdoor play. It is so good for them.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Dawn
So funny about your comment about going on hikes. It was so cold here on Wednesday, we actually saw snow flurries and had to put heat lamps on the animals. Friday was beautiful though, in the 60's and I thought I should really load the children up and go to a local trail we have wanted to hike. But I did not really want to go anywhere and I was feeling guilty about that but they played outdoors at the house and had a grand time. I decided to not feel guilty.
ReplyDeleteNick's ACT scores were improved, except for math which stayed the same. He will probably take it again in February but I told him he needs to work on the prep book so he can improve his score. If he is going to go to community college it is fine but if he is going somewhere else he needs a higher score to help get a scholarship and he doesn't know if he will want to or not so we will see.
I am so very sorry for the difficulties you had this week with Ladybug. I am praying for you! It sounds as though the show was great. We are off school next week for Thanksgiving break. I am happy about a break but things are always odd when we are not in our school routine. Have a great week!