A bunch of random nonsense (warning, a little gross for the senstive types)

I don't think this will even be organized enough to call it "7 Quick Takes" -- you've been warned. :)

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My lack of blogging lately has less to do with that sinking depressive feeling (not that it's gone, mind you) and more to do with business. I've been crocheting a pretty afgan (the pretty hexagonal one that Jennifer shared...sorry I can't find the link). I'm about half done and quite proud of myself - I never get this far with larger projects. I apparently just knit/crochet to keep myself busy, not produce anything! Anyway, I have yet to figure out how to type and crochet at the same time, so I've been watching Lost reruns while crocheting instead.

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In between crocheting bouts and LOST episodes I've been caring for my sick family. We had one with a stomach virus (possibly two), three with bad colds, and again this morning someone went down with a stomach thing. Please pray for her, she is my tiny 7yo and has no weight to spare. Blessedly, I just looked in on her and she seemed a bit perkier. Thank you God. I'm blogging right now as an outlet-type-sanity-measure-thingy. :)

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How I know switching my 10yo back to Seton was a good thing? Several spontaneous outbursts of "Oh Cool!" from her while reading her workbooks and a sharing of something she learned in her history book during dinner. Both very unlike her.

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Now that I've got her settled I'm panicking about my dyslexic/etc 12yo. We're reaching the middle school/early high school years here folks. AAHAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! I'm constantly second guessing myself, wondering just how many "accomodations" I should give her for school work... I mean, I don't want her to just "get away with" using a calculator or being read to or transcribed for, I want her to work hard! I don't know where the real line is for her between "laziness" (and yes there is some) and real disability. I wish I knew what successful dyslexics in high school and college were allowed to do to help them -- my google searches are bring up nothing helpful. I want to hear real stories, as in, "I'm a doctor now and my mom wrote all my papers in college!" LOL

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Then there's the whole unschooling thing. I tried that briefly again with aforementioned 12yo and she panicked at the lack of structure. But then she hates structure when I do it. We discussed making a list of things she can choose from, and working for a set # of hours each day. I think that might work. Now I just have to come up with the lists!

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I'm hoping that eating large quantities of chocolate chips will keep me from catching the stomach virus my 7yo has.

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We were supposed to go see another house this weekend - a 5br short sale. Affordable, big enough, close enough to work but still in the "country," a stream and weeping willow in back yard. Realtor called a few hours before our scheduled time to say that someone just put in an offer and it was under contract. I will say it was nice to have some free time that busy afternoon instead of trekking around looking at houses.

We are also not so sure we *should* move anymore, at least to something more expensive - a relative is having severe money problems and we could help them a lot if they would let us. But that means we stay put, which might just kill me. :-P On the other hand, this house hunting isn't doing me any good mentally either, right???

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Uh oh, my 2yo isn't looking too good. I was hoping the younger set (i.e. the kids that can't make it into the bathroom or handy-dandy bowl on time) would avoid this stomach thing. Only white foods for him from now on! ;-)

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I'm hoping that the Easter season will be easier than this Lent has been. I can almost handle this suffering if I know it is a Lenten thing and will END in a few weeks!


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Here's a funny from the past: A few years ago we were eating lentil soup at the beginning of Lent and trying to have a discussion on what we would give up/sacrifice...which led my 12yo to continually accidentally say "Lentil Resolutions" instead of Lenten.

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Guess I need to go get the 2yo away from his sisters on the computer and put him down for a nap. I'm going to hit post, or I *know* I will come back and delete this whole thing. But I need the vent, and need the connection that knowing my friends are out there reading and praying, so here I go...