Welcome to Autumn!

Must be Monday

Last night #3 saved our bacon. Mr Wonderful was moping that “We never spend time together as a family”. At #3’s suggestion (I hadn’t even remembered we own a set) we played Cranium. What a blast! #1 (artsy) and #2 (wordy) were paired together (along with Mr Wonderful) and learned to appreciate each other’s strengths a bit more. #3 and I laughed so hard we bumped heads- but just a little- and won. Thanks, #3- next time I’ll make popcorn, too!

Today we have to go back to the hospital for #2. The enterologist’s office is next door. (We have to go back again for the neurologist next Monday.)(No, they wouldn’t schedule the appointments on the same day. I’m chalking it up to “stimulating the economy”.)
I’m very, very much looking forward to taking a side trip back up to ICU to say “Thanks again” to the staff there, and to letting the kids play in the ground-floor playplace, walk the garden, browse the library, and visit the chapel. (This hospital is almost as fun as Disneyland!) Wish I had an alarm clock on my watch, though- I’d hate to miss the appointment for the fun!

I do already have the alarm clock at home set for midnight- we’re going to go out on the back porch and watch the Leonid meteor shower. Supposed to be the best one this century. Are you going to catch it?

Tuesday is a 7:30 doctor appointment for #2- I’ll probably leave #1 and #3 to sleep at home- and Mom’s Night Out at the coffeeshop on the square. Night driving has become an issue for my old eyes, so I’m glad we live only 3 miles away. I actually have an excuse to be on Facebook Tuesday night- I catch up with a young lady for Bible talk at 10.

Wednesday-Thursday is the usual whirlwind of AWANA and teaching. We’re covering Edgar Allen Poe in AmLit, and I recommend you read “Fall of the House of Usher” if you haven’t already. That is one spooky guy!
In AmLit, we not only have weekly short readings but assignments of greater depth that span several weeks. We’re about to cover Uncle Tom’s Cabin (yes, I’ll have tissues in my purse). In a nice piece of irony, my English classes are beginning To Sir, With Love. Wonder what I’ll learn about the history of racial prejudice in English-speaking societies?

Friday we (5) are supposed to go to Home Group at the M Boys’ House (7). So are the AWANA leaders (3), the Newlyweds (2), the JV Leaders (4), the M Boys’ cousins (4), the ChimneySweeps (4). Since our church only has 3 home groups, and the other 2 aren’t able to easily accomodate families with young kids, we’ve invited the Minnesotans (6) and the New Family at Church (4?). Am I the only person who can do the math here? 39 people in one family’s living room for “Bible study”? Do you realize 39 people would be considered a mid-size Protestant church in modern Europe??
I am begging God to let me take everyone aged 8-15 to another part of the house (there’s a finished basement) for an age-appropriate study of our own. Last time, they all snuck off at various points in the discussion, anyway…. but the Bible study leader says the kiddos “get something from the discussion each time, so they should stay with the adults”. Mr Wonderful and I are ready to leave the Home Group. I’m tired of pretending it’s fellowship when it’s really social networking for everyone in our family. Yep, I’m that picky about spiritual things.

I’ll be on the blog and Facebook, no matter how busy the week gets- unless we lose power! See ya later!

1, 2, 3, Awww!

#1 is not feeling well this morning. I’m not, either, so we’re staying home.

It’s ok- #1 has always enjoyed planning parties. Today she’s starting with a big Pity Party.

Altogether now: 1, 2, 3…

Bittersweet

I’m so old now I wear reading glasses on top of my contact lenses. I have the glasses on a “granny chain” around my neck, so I can pull the glasses off as I walk around the house.
If I wear them while walking, I get a little sea-sick. If I put them down before I start walking, I invariably need them whereever I stop.

Anyway, this morning I was making Oatmeal Bars for Monday’s breakfast, and had my glasses around my neck. Thought I knew the recipe, donchaknow.

All the ingredients went in, in the proper amounts, and were mixed thoroughly. It was only when I was putting away the containers that I realized I had mistaken the bottle of Kahlua for the vanilla….

Up For Air

Most of the laundry is done.
Most of the dishes are done.
Most of my mind is gone.

The Great Mommy Chauffer years have officially begun. #1 has to be at church Saturday afternoon to make spaghetti sauce and brownies- the Youth are hosting a Spaghetti Lunch Sunday to promote their Summer Missions Trip to Wyoming. #1 will finish at 4.

#3 has to be at his AWANA leader’s house (with Mr Wonderful) for a cook-out Saturday evening at 5. They should be home around 8.

Sunday is: 9 am Sunday School, 10:30 service, noon Spaghetti Lunch, Mr Wonderful off to a gig 5 pm.

#2 has an appointment with an enterologist Monday afternoon- I have no idea where his office is. (I suppose I’ll be calling the office Monday morning to get directions…) Her digestion is not back 100%, so it’s good we’re seeing him.

She has an appointment with a physical therapist Tuesday at 8 am. Nope, don’t know where that one is, either. She’s still walking with a touch of a limp, so it’s good we’re seeing him/her.

So here’s the plan: Tie up loose ends with the kids’ homeschooling tomorrow. They need to finish the Science chapter on Bats. #1 is in the middle of a page in Italics. They all have a few spelling words to quiz.

Starting next week, and until Thanksgiving passes, the only schoolwork will be math. We won’t count those days, but we will at least work on the times tables on the computer. (Only #2 knows hers well.) Chores will stay- especially since we have company the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving.

That leaves me exactly 1/2 brain to straighten out my Co-op classes, all of whom received the bad news today about their exam grades. Cutting back on homeschool leaves me a free hand to cook, which I haven’t been motivated to do in 3 days. (Stop rolling your eyes, Rootie! The menfolk have survived worse things than sandwiches and chips!)

Give me 6 hours solid sleep, and I’ll probably develop half a heart, too.

Survey Says…

We were sent 2 surveys in the mail today: What did we think of the life-flight that #2 took to S. R. Hospital and What did we think of the PICU stay?
It was very satisfying to recount the professional, kind, considerate episodes and name specific personnel. (I hope they all get raises!)
And I hope that one rude, ignorant witch of a nurse was only having a bad day. (I can’t even remember her name, thankfully.)
My only recommendation for improvement: that family not have to walk through the Sleep Room (where visitors can crash on fold-out beds) to get to the public bathrooms in PICU. Nope, there are no facilities for family/visitors in the patient rooms. I hope all those people I woke up with a flush will forgive me! (So embarassing!)

Americans: We like to give our opinions.

English

I have 8 English students in my morning class, 11 in the afternoon class, and 6 Am Lit students. 3 of them missed last week’s exam- with excuses from parents, so no biggie. The average grade for the other 22 was a 70.

There were students who scored 95, 85 and 84.

If ALL of the students had scored 70 or below, I would know it was me, that I hadn’t made something clear or put random material on the exam.

It’s not me. I ask Every Week “Are there any questions? Do you guys understand this material?” Very few questions. I volunteer to look over and help with homework exercises that are not the “required” exercises Every Week. About 4 students turn in their homework for me to check.

Every Time I give an exam, I begin announcing it 4 classes before. “You guys know you have an exam on this date. You should start studying you vocab this week. You should study your Lit questions next week.” One student told me he had taken that advice (he got the 95.)

The class before the exam, I hand out Study Pages. NOTHING is on the exam that is not on the study pages. Nothing new is on the study pages- it’s all material we’ve been covering for weeks. We go over the study pages in class before the exam. Then the students get another entire week (we meet once a week) to study, contact me about questions, call for help.

The classes are 1 1/2 hours long, and the exams are 3 pages. No student stayed longer than an hour to take the exam. It’s not that there isn’t enough time for them to finish. In fact, only a handful of students left anything blank.

I feel very angry with these students. I feel insulted. Because I have been insulted- the grades make it quite obvious that they aren’t paying attention to all the things I’m saying to try to help them. But I need to get over feeling insulted, and remember that last part- I am trying to help these students.

It really scares me to see the same attitude in my own kids: I don’t want to do the work, so I’m going to rebel, very quietly, and just not learn.

I read a book recently, Unchristian, that mentions that this generation is the most protected- bike helmets, seatbelt laws, airbags- ever. And they take the biggest chances. Sigh. There are behaviors for which there are no “do-over”. That is what I really need to help them learn.

Ramble

I wonder why WordPress doesn’t allow me to check “remember me” as I enter my username and password? It’s frustrating, especially since it HAS remembered me for the past 4 months at least.

Today we must homeschool. I would like to get out to the post office and mail pecans to my mom. She and her sisters make Christmas cookies with the pecans. When I send the pecans, I get a share of the cookies- it’s a good exchange, believe you me!

I may need to visit 2 post offices, which sounds like typical JerseyChick weirdness. After #2’s accident, we got a PO Box and a change-of-address form. We’ve been getting a couple of pieces of mail at the PO Box. However, we’re missing several things: the Netflix video, and a box from Aunt Joyce among the most important.

Besides getting a PO Box, Mr Wonderful also asked the Postmaster if the mailboxes in our neighborhood could be moved to the same side of the street as the houses they serve. Postmaster agreed, and our mailbox has been laying in our yard awaiting a post-hole-digger. The PO Box is at the branch closest to our house. The Main Branch may be holding some mail until we put the mailbox back in an upright position.

I may have to simper and grovel a bit with the Postmaster, but “The Four Feathers” is worth it, even if it was filmed in the 1930’s.

There is homework to grade and classes to prepare, linens to clean and carpets to vacuum, meals to cook and items to fix around the house. Mr Wonderful will be supervising detention tomorrow until at least 1 pm, so I’m on my own, and I’m tired. (Yes, I know I’m whining.)

#2 is finally sleeping past 6 a.m. I’m thankful for that. The occupational therapist would like to see her develop more hand and finger strength over the next month. I’d like to see her energy and strength come back, too, but not so much that I want her to be awake before I am.

I see I’m struggling with selfishness and not winning this morning.

Morning!

The best way to start the morning, in my humble opinion, is with a cup of Ethiopian coffee (thanks, Elle!) and a hot organic waffle.

Suddenly, we have a physical therapy appointment for #2 tomorrow. So, one student is meeting with me this morning, the school principal is picking up materials for the tests ALL my other classes will be taking tomorrow, and I’m looking at Mapquest for an hour’s drive each way.

Why is it, with Thursday being the ONLY day of the week I have to be somewhere (teaching), Thursday is also the ONLY day the PT is open?
(whine)

If I were already on my 2nd cup of coffee, I’ll bet I would just be thankful that we have a PT so close, and dear friends willing to cover my other bases.

If I were a more gracious person, now that I think of it, it wouldn’t take a cup of coffee to be thankful. I’d just be thankful. I think I’ll go try that.

What are you trying today?

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Rootie came to visit. She’s an awesome friend. I cried when she left, although I understand that it was the right time for her to get back to her own family.

Things seem almost normal here, in a getting-over-a-minor-problem sort of way.

#2 is doing better physically- she hasn’t even had pain meds since she’s been home. Her last scrapes are looking better each day.

She definitely needed ‘Mom Time’ this morning, though- emotionally, she’s still in the middle of grasping that she was hit by a truck.

I’m tired of adventures. Job interviews in Puerto Rico, an 18-wheeler pulling the electricity out of our house for a week, my dad dying in the spare bedroom. Now #2 hit by a truck. Just over it, peeps.

Tomorrow los kiddos and I are heading to the post office. Must buy stamps, mail a used book sold on amazon.com, check the box. Then home to 6 hours of Pride & Prejudice and grading English papers. #1 and #3 will clean their rooms. No more excitement than that, thankyouverymuch.

May you have a placid, uneventful day, too.