Wabi Sabi

~~I just ate the last of the chocolate and I feel a sense of dire panic setting in. 


~~I'm changing the children's blog names back to the ones from the first Penderwicks book.   Why? Who knows, lol. So they are now:  Rosalind (hereafter known as Rose) (14), Skye (12), Jane (9), Batty (6), and Jeffrey (4).   "Batty"...I know, I know, but really-- like the girl in the book, it suits her, in a sweet, energetic, wild, wonderful kind of way. And she likes it.


~~We've decided to use Tapestry of Grace next year for all the children for history, literature, and somewhat for religion (with tweaking since it's a Protestant curriculum and we are Catholic). There is an overwhelming learning curve right now, but I think once I get some mental space to read through everything, it will be just perfect for us.  I needed something to hold my hand with the high school years especially in history and literature, I wanted everyone learning the same thing, and I wanted something heavily book/literature based, discussion oriented, with lit and history corresponding to each other ... kind of like Sonlight (which I loved) on steriods. (including the price, lol)   

I have this funny feeling I'm being watched...

~~ This weather is so beautiful we are taking our typical long spring break. We haven't stopped doing school completely, but getting fresh air and exercise trumps book work until it gets hot out. Which it does quickly enough!

Creation of little huts took up many an hour last week.

~~I open the windows every morning just to listen to the birds chirping (joy!), even if it freezes everyone at the breakfast table. 


~~ We visited a new-to-us supermarket after a long morning travelling to the chiropractor. It's the kind of market that needs a treasure map to navigate.  The kids were remarkably good, and afterwards I was loading the groceries into the trunk while they were busy in the car making this:

...they are the best.

~~ Prayers appreciated for Jeffrey - he goes back to the rheumatologist soon. His swelling is mostly down but he still flares and has pain in one knee, elbow, and wrist, to the point where it can wake him in tears at night.  There's a possibility that the doctor will just up his naprosyn one more time as he is not at the absolute upper level of it for his weight (editing to add: I was wrong, he IS taking the most he can), but there is a good chance that they will add a drug.  My guess (due to past conversations with the doc) is Methotrexate,  a chemo drug, which can come with chemo drug side effects - nausea, hair loss, mouth sores, etc. :(   I'm praying a(nother) novena for his healing, to St. Joseph, his patron.  19th time's the charm, right??  (UPDATE BELOW)


~~ Sweet time: The children  all sitting around me listening to The Penderwicks on audiobook, one of our favorites.  I really think the audio version makes the book in this case.

~~Listening to Circe Institute audios while weeding. Yes, I'm that freak that brings her laptop outside to weed. And I was deliriously happy - hands in the dirt, kids running behind me, and people pontificating about educating in the true, good, and beautiful in my ear.  


~~ I apologize for how my verb tenses are jumping around - I am writing this over days and days, and go from talking about the present to thinking about the past or future. I used to know how to write, really! I had college professors tell me I should be an English major.   Stop snickering, it's true, lol.


~~ Now that I've admitted I'm writing this a little at a time, I'll tell you we are back from the doctor.  Dh went with me this time because I pulled a muscle in my back yesterday (prayers appreciated for that too - having TWO parents who can't lift Jeffrey or do any number of other household things is so crazy it's almost funny. Almost). Anyway, back to the doctor's visit.  I'm glad dh was there, because the doctor relayed a lot of information that I would not have passed on to my husband in a sufficient manner for his engineeringness :).   We found out that one of Jeffrey's legs is an inch longer than the other now because the inflammation is "feeding" the growth plate too much.  The doc also gave us the choice of going on Methotrexate like I mentioned above, or trying a 2 month course or prednisone and then going back on the naprosyn.  Dr. G presented these as both very equal and viable options, so we went with the prednisone this time.   No exact reason why, other than we feel that we'll know quickly if it's working, and can always try the methotrexate if it's not.


~~ I'm seeing now that all this about Jeffrey probably deserves it's own post, but I don't care. ;-)

My sound track for this post.

~~I just found a few ants in our kitchen, so I did my usual totally-overreact-and-clean-everything-in-the-kitchen.  Which was no fun with a pulled muscle. But it's clean!!  No less than three children came in to the kitchen, saw me with the steam mop or wiping down counters and said, "What are you doing, Mom?"    LOL, it was so unrecognizable to them.  "Ummmm...I'm cleaning."   :)

~~ My children's favorite cereal is Life, except we get the knock off store brand called Simple Living.  We call it "Life-like" and it leads to all sorts of funny statements.  As does the children asking for "Life."   "Haven't I already given you life?" I say.

~~ It's strange how I can write all the above about Jeffrey as if it is someone else's child.  I *know* I have built high walls around myself to protect me from all my kids' issues, because if I *really* sat down and let myself think about it - that my sweet boy has rheumatoid arthritis, that he may have one short leg the rest of his life, that he's going on steroids and then may need a chemo drug and even THAT might not do any good -- on top of all the other things like my other kids' issues, St. DH, and the little "normal" things like the fact that my kids are all sick and two keep wheezing and one has a 102.something fever?  I would just start crying and never stop. So I just wall myself up, and pile up more bricks and mortar when I feel a few tears seeping out.

~~ And then I do really "nice" things like totally mock a relative of mine when he gets hyper about his son's cold and little fever.  :-P   I didn't do it to his face, just to my dh. I know that's no better.

~~ I tried to wrap up this post with a happier note, but I realized it was something I already typed up above!  So I'll just leave you with my love, my thanks for reading, and my prayers for all of you.