Woodpecker in the morning...

As I was loading the car this morning, I heard a funny banging noise. We had a monster hailstorm last week and many homes are getting new roofs, so I thought maybe that was it. It was about 8 in the morning, a good time for them to start. But I noticed the pattern was very fast! I began to suspect..... a woodpecker. So I ventured that way down the street, and finally found him, high in a tree but very small. I watched him for a minute and then went inside to get my camera. You guessed it, by the time I got back-------he was gone :( But it was a fun way to start my day. Sorry I can't share pictures with you.

College

So, I haven't shared with the blogosphere that my parenting has moved to a whole new arena. I am now the parent of a college student. We are talking transitional college, here, but real enough for the both of us. B is taking dual credit classes at the local community college. For their last two years, students in our district can take up to 6 hours free each semester and earn both high school and college credit for those hours. She is taking Spanish I and an English Composition class. This has been a great experience for her to have some other outlet besides mom and be in a college atmosphere before heading off to a big university. She has classes on Monday and Wednesday afternoon so it fits in with the rest of the schedule and she is only 5 minutes away, still in the neighborhood. It doesn't get more convenient than that. We'll be sending dsB on for some summer classes as well. They can both get a few basics under their belt now, saving both time and money when the real time comes.

Saturdays

One of the things I like about Saturdays is that no two are alike. Each week brings new adventures and trials to deal with. Yesterday was no exception. I got up early to go shopping with B... we had coffee, hit Michael's and Target, then refilled her constantly thirsty printer cartridge. Along the way, I noticed the brake light was staying on more... it had been flickering, but I was planning to go on Monday. I changed my mind and thought I'd just take care of it. But first, I had promised W to get new shoes and jeans at Sears. That kid just keeps shooting up. We found three pairs of jeans to fit his tall, lean body and a pair of light-up shoes (whoever invented those is a genius and a millionaire). Then I dropped him off and grabbed a book to head to Brake Check.

6 weeks ago, I got a new master cylinder, and it was under warranty so I knew they would check it out for me. I've been a regular there for about a year. See this post for my sordid brake history. After almost an hour, they finally found that the new (rebuilt) master cylinder was leaking so they had to get a new one in to install. So, 3 hrs later I headed home.

My Dad was coming for dinner and I had promised the kids cupcakes. So I set them up with a mix, a tub of frosting, and a HUGE stockpile of gel icing and sprinkles. My Dad brought a friend with him, an old childhood friendship that is rekindled, and she had a good time decorating the cupcakes with the kids. We had taco salad for dinner, including homemade pico de gallo.

Throughout the afternoon, my beau was once again taking care of me, this time in a major construction project. Last week the toilet upstairs overflowed and led us to discover that major water damage over a long period of time has led to a rotten floor in the second floor bathroom. The floor is now cut out, linoleum ripped up all over the place, and a gaping hole where the toilet should be. He is helping to replace the floor and then we'll get to decide what kind of new tile to get. I'm leaning towards inexpensive peel-and-stick flooring we can do ourselves. We will probably extend it out into the girls' room. Their carpet is YUCKY!!

So finally, when the dust settled and the cupcakes were mostly a memory, I kissed my kids off to bed and snuggled up on the couch with my beau. That was a perfect ending to a crazy Saturday.

Teaching math

Here I am teaching math most days again... it seems that is the focus of our time at home. They all take writing where I teach, so that is covered. We do history via literature and read alouds so that is easy. Science is only formal in jr high and above and that is all with me in my classes. That leaves math. I have sent one on to the teacher where I teach since he is doing preCalculus. Next year he'll be taking Physics and Calculus. Way more time than I have to prepare and review to teach :) B has completed her high school math requirements, much to her JOY! That leaves 3 for me to teach. H is doing PreAlgebra, and we are using Saxon for the first time. She finished the Singapore Math elementary series, which was excellent preparation, but a very different format. Singapore Math focuses on one topic at a time, requiring mastery before moving on (at least that's how I use it). But Saxon is a hodge podge of everything in one lesson, using the spiral approach of constant review. I'm not crazy about it honestly. It doesn't feel like she is doing enough to really master the new concepts. And since we haven't used Saxon before, there are few things that Singapore didn't teach ( like prime numbers, least common multiple, etc.) I feel like there is lots of teach time and not much practice. We are having to back up and teach some things we had not covered. It's not enough to make me leave Singapore Math, which I love. And we will use Jacob's Algebra after this, which I also love... BUT we have got to get through this book. It will take a long time but we're not in a hurry, and it will be good to cover all the bases thoroughly before moving on.

At least the younger two are doing math I don't have to work as hard to teach. W loves his 2nd grade book, and did fractions and geometry today. Poor little R is doing 5th grade fractions, too and it's no fun!! But we shall persevere ...

Cooking for a crowd

So, last weekend we went on our annual Church Retreat at a beautiful campsite on the Frio River. We have been going for 13 yrs now and it is the highlight of the kids' year. A few years ago, I began working in the kitchen and that has now grown into being in charge of the food. I am seeing a wonderful man from church whose ministry is food. He has a BBQ business on the side of his day job and has been key in the food ministry at church for several years now. This was his 3rd yr to be totally in charge of the retreat kitchen and my first year to do it by his side. Wow! It is a lot of work to plan, shop, and prepare meals for 300 people for a whole weekend. I am so exhausted, but in a good way. All last week we planned and shopped. Almost $2000 in food and supplies over 4 trips and an order to Sysco.

Then from early Friday morning until late Sunday evening, we transported all the food in a Uhaul and chopped, sliced, baked, and stirred up food. Here are some highlights:

20 dozen cookies
400 cinnamon rolls
50 pounds of roasted potato wedges
75 pounds of brisket
260 strawberry shortcakes from 35 # of strawberries
3 gallons of whipped cream
160 hot dogs
120 taco salads from 40 # of graound beef
400 biscuits
9 HUGE pans of breakfast casserole
gallons and gallons and gallons of coffee!!!

But there were smiling faces so happy to be fed good food. And I got to work in the kitchen with some pretty terrific people.

Can't wait until next year :)

Facebook

Okay, I have succombed. I resisted getting a Facebook for lots of reasons. First, I could barely manage my computer time already, not doing anything on this blog, which I thought was close enough. Didn't really care about the "teeny bopper" image I had in my head of what Facebook was all about. I admit it I was wrong, but I couldn't imagine how I could need that.

Being as how this is Spring Break and I was puttering, I wanted to look at other people's pictures there. Alas, you can only do that if you have your own! So I thought I'll just get a little one so I can lurk. Well, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have reconnected with several people I haven't seen in ages, and wondered where they were. Put old pictures there to share with family. All kinds of action!

I will have to slow this down come tomorrow as I go off to our annual Church Retreat, where we have a great time... This year I am helping with the food for 290+ people. So far we have shopped Sam's twice and HEB once. Today we have to go back to HEB, get dry ice, get a Uhaul, and who knows what else! Be glad to just get there :)

Later.........

Spring Break

Here it is Spring Break 2009. I'm not packing up to go to the beach... or skiing... or even the zoo. Been there, done that one year, never again. NOpe, this year, we are truly taking it easy. This morning I had coffee with a good friend to catch up and my kids slept in very late. THey took a walk and are playing outside. I went to the store to get a few things, mostly coupon items. And now... I'm going to take a nap! Glorious naps!!! I so seldom have the freedom and when I do, I often can't get to sleep. But I'll give it a valiant try. Also, this morning a guy came to repair my garage door opener. It's so inconvenient when it doesn't work, and yet we take it for granted when it does. I'm up and running with that, though.

So.... boring? yes :) and proud of it!!!!

Changes and Acceptance

So, this blog has been lying here for months, with nothing added... after a very long and successful run (for me at least, don't know what others think). But I feel the need to add a post here and maybe change the direction of this blog. When I began it, I was a married mother of 5, homeschooling and working. Now, I am a single mom, still homeschooling and working. There's not much time for blogging, and lots of emotional blocks about it. You see, I'm not proud to be a single mom. For me personally, this is where I need to be and I know I'm in the right place. But it's not easy being single as a homeschool mom. My world is all about family, the family I thought I had, but didn't really. All the years I spent WISHING my family was like others, my marriage was like those I saw around me. I put on a good show. I tried to pretend like it was all okay. But I was dying inside. Once I finally got on the other side of...........divorce......... I am able to begin the healing. And to see that I was going to be okay. No regrets, no looking back.

So if I continue this blog, it will be about the joys and struggles of my life as a single mom, trying to balance all that goes along with that. And I'll start with Spring Break...