A Fly On My Homeschool Wall

Soccer games started. M13 is the one in white on the right. E15 is the one with the bandana on her head--right in the middle of the action. S12 is #3. The girls have a winning season so far. M13 injured her ankle 2 minutes into the second game.  Assuming it was just mildly wrenched (like the last time she hurt it--while dancing) we wrapped it, elevated it, and watched it.  Looks like she might need a doctor. And on her way home from watching a soccer game at the field across the street, A8 fell and broke her arm. They let her wear the hospital gown home from urgent care. We're waiting to hear from the orthopedic dept about when we get to take her in for a real cast and to find out how long they estimate it will be on.  She's supposed to be baptized this coming Saturday . . . so thank goodness they make waterproof casts these days! We got the news that we're officially waiting for really big news.  We're preparing for a very-likely-but-the...

Even though I know better, I am feeling the lure of beautiful curriculum packages.  I wish I could find: photo credit (If you follow the photo credit link above, you'll find a great post!) I wish I our school shelves could look like this: photo credit And I wish our days could look like this: photo credit So tidy and color coded and organized! I've been sucked into those perfect packages before. They're never perfect. They always cost too much money. And no matter how pretty they are, real life is, well, real life. Our school shelves look more like this: photo credit (And that's on a good day.  Often they're much less tidy.) It's just that this has been a hard year so far, and I wish someone could take me by the hand and lead me through the decisions and work that are ahead.  It's nearly time to end our undefined break and get organized.  I'm rather afraid of the responsibility. Those beautiful curriculum pack...

I did get in to see my doctor, and I scored 20 out of 27 on the depression screening.  This shows I'm not terribly, dangerously depressed, but as any score of 15 or higher is cause for concern we discussed medical treatment.  I accepted a prescription for Zoloft which is the anti-depressant I've taken successfully in the past for my prior experiences with PPD. I knew I wasn't okay, but I didn't realize how much of a fog I was living in until I began coming out of it.  It's only been 4 days, and the meds have not had time to reach their full effect, but already I feel less anxious and weepy.  I can think more clearly.  I have more energy.  And S12 keeps looking at me warily and saying, "You're in a really good mood, aren't you, Mom?" I am still very easily overwhelmed, and I have to fight off panic/tears every evening, but I am able to fight them off.  That's real progress. I'm essentially making all of the milk that Baby L needs, ...

After one conversation with my husband, another with my mother, and too many days of tears and self-recrimination I am admitting that I need to be screened for post-partum depression. (There, that will make me accountable for actually making an appointment to see my doctor in the week ahead.) As for the past week . . . *I read chapter 2 (Honesty) of Standing for Something with the older girls. *We continue to have morning devotionals.  For the little ones we sing a primary song and read a Book of Mormon story .  For the older ones we read and discuss a General Conference talk from the October 2014 conference. *We watched a few documentaries:     Life in Cold Blood     The Bear Family and Me (This one was really, really good--even if it was a little bit hard on hunters).     How Things Are Made (this was a re-watch as some of the kids missed it the first time) *Soccer practice continued. *Dance rehearsals went on. *We att...

I spoke to a treasured old friend about how to cope with pumping 'round the clock--she's been-there-done-that.  She had several good suggestions, one of which was, "Watch documentaries with your kids." That is what we're doing. Textbooks, workbooks, pencils, pens, and notebooks are put away because I simply cannot keep up with them.  The computer monitor (we don't have a TV) is out on display, and we're watching DVDs borrowed from the library. This week we learned about: Meerkats Lions and Cheetahs The Statue of Liberty American Founding Fathers Cultural differences in how babies are raised and how people live around the world (The movie Babies is so outstanding!  I cannot recommend it highly enough!) Komodo Dragons Polar Bears Caves Dolphins How Things are Made (roller skates, ice cream sandwiches, strobe lights, etc.) Our dinner table conversations are more interesting than they've ever been as I ask leading questions and the kids ...

I am learning, learning every day in this life I am living with a baby who doesn't nurse easily.  I have no previous experience with what works and what doesn't.  I am relying constantly on snippets of advice I am receiving from women who have been in this situation, but I am also having to learn from experience--and sometimes a bad experience is of incredible value. I had to run some errands on Friday.  I needed to visit at least 2, probably 3, different stores.  In the past taking Baby with me was a no-brainer--Baby came with Mom.  This time, though I hesitated, wondering what was best for us all. *It was only 18 degrees outside . . . but it was warm in the house. *Baby would have to spend a lot of time in a car seat . . . or at home he could be cuddled by a big sister. *I could pack all of the necessary baby gear, wrestling the diaper bag and baby into and out of the car and stores . . . or I could just dash in and out of stores quickly. *Baby ...

Baby L continues to be the focus of our family time and energy.  The good news is that he grew 1.5 lbs in one week once we began bottle feeding him.  The bad news is that in spite of every effort on our part to help him nurse he continues to be incapable of nursing adequately.  In fact, after over 30 minutes of what looked like a productive nursing session at the breastfeeding support clinic, he only ingested 4 ml of milk--that's less than a teaspoon. E14 thought he looked particularly cute in this pensive moment. I am learning to be at peace with the fact that our boy is happy when he's offered a bottle, and he's frustrated, tense and angry when he's at the breast.  My emotions seem to mirror his exactly, so bottle-feeding it is . . . Unless some well-meaning friend or family member calls me with yet another tip for how to get baby back to the breast.  Then I am filled with doubt and worry.  I am learning how to cope with 'round-the-clock pumpi...