A Driver's Permit and a Call for Calgon....

My head is spinning.  And if I never have to drive another child somewhere, it'll be too soon.

There.  That's my little morning rant.  

This week has been nuts.  Last weekend was the big state homeschooling conference, which was wonderful, as always (as close to Heaven as I can get!).  Then we jumped right into this week. My husband just looks at me and says, "You know, you could have said 'no' more this week.  You keep saying 'yes', and that's why it's crazy'".  Well, yes, dear, I suppose you are right. (He always is)  But it's too late now.

Monday I loaded up 9 of the kiddos, drove to 'town', dropped 4 off at our favorite vacation Bible school, ran into the bank, took Joey to work, ran into 2 grocery stores, and went and spent some time with Miss Joan at the nursing home until I had to pick up my guys from VBS.  Spent 20 minutes trying to find them in the church, check them out, and walk ever-so-slowly out to the car, tripping over them and listening to their chatter about the morning.

We then drove 40 minutes up to the DMV to see about getting Sammy's permit.

We walked into the very crowded room, took our number, and sat down.  Some on chairs, some on the floor.  Yes, it was that crowded.  Apparently, summer Mondays are their busiest days.  Uh Huh.

After an hour and a half (no, that is not a typo) of trying to keep the little ones quiet and happy, Sammy got to take his test. But only after Michael tripped hard and fell hard (think, 'bald head hitting cement floor') and cried hard.  And yes, the entire room full of people turned and stared. And little Mikey ended up with a pretty nice goose-egg.

One more hour (seriously) and we got to leave.  Sammy did get his permit!  But two and a half hours of the above-mentioned, and you can imagine that some of us were winding down pretty fast.

Sammy had met his friend JB at the DMV, and after they each passed, they went out to lunch to celebrate.

I took the younger ones to ice cream, because they were so very good at the DMV.  And I paid 19 whole dollars for seven little soft serve cones.  Cones that are only 88c from the same store in another city.  But they're not 88c in this city.  So, as my kiddos sat happily slurping up their treats, and I waited to pay, I noticed that price of these cones on the menu.  And I asked the girl serving us about it.  No 88c cones?  Castle Rock has 88c cones.  Try as I might, I lost that fight. And even though I was very nice to her because really, it wasn't her fault, I leaned forward as she gave me the total, and said, "OUCH".  With a smile, of course.

HOORAY!  Our third driver!

Hot, tired baby with a goose-egg.  The ice cream almost didn't cheer him up.

After ice cream, we picked up Sam, ran to another store, went home and made a salad for a birthday dinner at our Pastor's home.  Got home that night at 10 and dropped.

The rest of the week has been spent in the car.  Taking boys to work so I can have the car.  Picking up boys from work.  Practicing driving with Sam.  Driving to VBS. Picking up from VBS. Meeting a friend for coffee. And a thousand trips to different stores to get food and paper plates and balloons and such for possibly over 100 people.  No I am not kidding.  Joey is having a few friends over Sunday for his graduation reception.  HaHa. And when your son is moving out of state, well, you might just accidentally invite your whole state to see him off.

So today, before I go pick up Sammy and Tommy from work, I will be scrubbing my kitchen and painting my bathroom and laying mulch and baking dozens of cookies.

But guess what?  Today as also our 21st wedding anniversary.  So I get to go out and relax with my hubby for dinner.  And we are NOT going to talk about the kids!

A Little Break

I started the middle kids on a geography unit study, almost two years ago.  it was only supposed to take one school year.  But, enter an unexpected move and renovation, and you turn one year into two.

And despite all the setbacks and the new busyness with three boys working at three different jobs, I was bound and determined to finish the study.  Even if it meant cutting out some literature and pushing fast-forward.

Last week we finished!!

I put together a three-page test for the kiddos, and  had more fun watching them think quietly (ahh and sigh...thinking quietly is a wonderful thing in our home!), than I did doling out the prizes.

Junk Food from Mexico, Sweden, Japan, China, and the U.S.!

Collages and Swimming Pools

 

Don't collages just take you back to your grade school days?  I used to love making them.  As we wind up our school year (SUPER BIG YAY!), I wanted to do  a few fun things.
We transitioned from world geography to US geography with a collage "About Me".
We wrote the scripture about being fearfully and wonderfully made and then pasted carefully chosen magazine cut-outs(Oh! Remember the bottles of Elmer's white paste and the rubber cement?).
The kids loved them. 

And now they are gracing the fun little space above my school room windows!

Saturday we had to get out of the house for Bitlings.
One more trip to the indoor pool before summer begins!

Ellie is always the first to want to go home...And besides, 'swimming isn't really anything but jumping in the water and filling your nose with water!'.
Well, then.

How to Plant a Garden (in my family)

First, you go out to the old, weedy, grassy garden plot that came with the piece of land you just bought last year.  You take a look around and try to look like you know what you are doing. Then you admit to yourself that you know very little about preparing, planting, and tending a nice garden in a dry state, and you're not even sure you want to try this one. Then you tell yourself that if you don't start now, you'll never get what you want. And besides, it's good for the children.

 Next, you grab all the shovels, hoes, pick-axes, trowels, and garbage bags you have.  Then you find the cutest kids you know and bribe them with Popsicles and get to work.

Field Day!

When our older boys were small, we found about a really great program for home schoolers.  PE Plus is taught by a wonderfully warm and Godly man.  The children learn not only sports and games, but also Bible stories, character building stories, and good sportsmanship.  

We took about a five year break from PE, as our older ones got busier with conflicting things, but this year Thomas and younger got to sign up for the spring semester.  They enjoyed it, and looked very forward to the annual Field Day, where PE Plus classes from around the area compete and win ribbons.  They 'had a blast, oh my goodness!', as Sarah said.  Hannah and Thomas were helpers, and Emma, Nate, Sarah, and Ellie participated.  Okay, Ellie kind of participated.  She was fighting a cold and is quite introverted by nature, so when she saw me toward the end of the day, she opted out of her team's activities, and clung quite tightly to her familiar Mama.

And with the exception of a five-minute snowstorm (yes, it's true), it was a beautiful day, full of great physical exercise and fellowship with old friends from our community.

We Have Five Teenagers in Our Home

Our fifth-born, Thomas, turned 13 last month.  He is a joy to be around.  He is innovative, over-the-top helpful, kind, sensitive, and a fast learner.  His love for God and His Word is growing and that is exciting.

Having a houseful of teenagers young adults is crazy.  Not only are we needing an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of them all (and the cars!!) these days, but watching them and walking with them as they change day by day is quite a whirlwind sometimes.  If one isn't going through early adolescent drama, another is figuring out the working man's world, or discovering just how true the Bible is, or how strong their character is.  The world now has a pull on them I never thought possible. Some situations cause me to sit back and seriously hold my breath.  Will they find the right path?  Do they know what to do?  What if they really blow it? Do they even care? Letting go while watching from the sidelines can be joyous, and terrifying too.
But I will say this - that in the middle of it all, my kids impress me many times. They are trying to wait for that serious relationship instead of dating around. They are jumping in to harder things more as they get older.   I often hear them apologizing to others whom they've hurt.  They are caring more about their own Bible studies. They pray through circumstances and know God hears them.  They say 'I love you' through the house.  They are thankful for their family and faith. Uh, most days, thankful for the family...
So, even though they are very truly eating us out of house and home, and the laundry piles are most certainly part of the Rockies by now, I find my older ones just wonderful. Terrifying...Over-dramatic...Sometimes worldly...Potentially grumpy...But wonderful.

When Your Math Lesson is HARD

As a homeschool Mom, I have come to really value the efforts my children put forth themselves.  I like helping my children, but to see them start to own something -a chore, a good character trait, a new job, a HARD MATH lesson...it's just the best.

My Emma is one of the hardest working people I know.  When she cleans, she puts Cinderella to shame.  She is extremely literal and seriously crosses all of her t's and dots all of her i's. Sometimes she has some learning struggles, and hits a wall.  This particular section in her math book has not been her favorite.  The last few lessons she has given me a mix of the deer-in-the-headlights look, and teary-eyes.  But she doesn't give up.  Ever. And that makes me very proud of her.  I tell her, 'I'd take one child who struggles but is diligent and serious-minded anyday over a hundred half-hearted ones who get things easily but don't give it their best.'  She smiles and says, 'Thanks, Mom'.  And she keeps working on that horrible math lesson.