My So-Called Homeschool

Real life has such a way of getting in the way of the internet, doesn’t it?  I have meant to blog so many times and then just didn’t take the time to do it.  In my defense, if I have a choice between blogging and napping, at this point, naps win out every time!

I mentioned a possibly life-changing trip to Florida in my last post.  Well, life is NOT changing.  At least not to Florida.  Squid had a worship ministry possibility in the Tampa area, but it didn’t work out.  To be honest, we are both a bit relieved.  If God had called us to sell our house in the worst Michigan economy in history and move to Florida a month after the birth of our 4th child, we would have done it.  But I’m a little glad He didn’t.  We both have been involved with music and theatre auditions enough to know the difference between not being good at something and not being the right person for the job.  Squid is quite confident that it was the latter — and in ministry especially you don’t want to be in an job if you are not the man for the job.  Now, though, we’re a bit adrift and trying to figure out WHAT God has in store for us.

Homework is still stinking!  It is a bit better, time-wise, but still a struggle.  I just feel like the girls get NO time to play.  Saturdays they get some time, but then there’s the chores they didn’t do all week because of homework.   Squid has noticed, though, that the work is actually a little easy for them.  They know the facts, it just takes a long time for them to write the answers out because we haven’t done a lot of desk work at home.  So . . . he is actually thinking about bringing them home!  Homework is just busywork if they’re not learning anything new.  I’m going to have to take a more organized approach for this to work, though, and this whole school thing has really helped me see their strengths and weaknesses to work on.  I’m not promising them anything yet — Pink Pixie begs me every single day to quit school and come home — but we’ll see how the rest of the semester goes.

Speaking of homework and school, we had a marathon homework session this past Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon because the girls left Monday morning with Nana and Papa for DISNEYWORLD!!!  You’d think I would have had more time to blog this week, but we decided to do some decorating while they’re gone.  I think I’ve mentioned elsewhere on this blog that we own a 2-bedroom 1086 sf bungalow.  Technically it’s a 3-bedroom since the bungalow is finished.  Squid and I have taken it because we have a king-sized bed and it just doesn’t fit well with other furniture in the smaller bedrooms.  But with Fiona on the way we have been tossing around the idea of turning the upstairs into the Girls Dormitory.  This week has turned into a bit of Trading Spaces around here.  We painted their room for us, and today started painting the upstairs pink for them.  Unfortunately, I did NOT check the paint chip before ordering paint as the website suggests and we have ended up with Pepto Bismol pink as the accent wall color.  It was supposed to be more of a rosy color.  I’m going to have to do some texturing, glazing, sponging, or something, because Squid just came downstairs after observing my cutting-in and said it looks like someone threw up Pepto Bismol on the wall.  Not exactly Blush and Bashful.  The girls will love it anyway, it was panelling — not the really cool knotty pine that 1940’s bungalows are known for, but cheapo crappy panelling.  So today was  Kilz and cutting in the hot pink and tomorrow will be rolling the Pepto and doing the lighter pink.  Then it’s move all the furniture that is currently residing in my dining room BACK into the rooms it belongs in.  I may not be back on for a couple of days.  But I promise it won’t be two more weeks.

OH, on the baby front:  Things are great.  She’s moving a lot, I have to go for non-stress tests TWICE A WEEK because of my ‘advanced maternal age’.  Really.  I have no other problems, my blood pressure is fine, my blood sugar is fine, I have no problems at all.  Good thing the office is only 5 minutes away.  It’s actually kind of nice, I snooze in an easy chair with my feet up and click this little clicker when Fiona kicks.  Peaceful!

Well, see ya after the painting’s done.  I’ll post pictures!