I cannot believe it is already October! 2013 has been a good one for our family, with a few twists and turns along the way, but overall we can see the blessings all around us.
My kids are now at three different schools. Fortunately, the baby (as we still call her) only goes twice a week. She is at a local pre-school that she loves. She excitedly wakes up and announces, "I go to school!" I pick her up after her nap and she tells me, "Daddy take me to school." In the past week, her daily "report" has changed from "Quiet" to "Talkative". My baby tends to study things first before diving right in. I am hoping that trait follows her into adulthood. She adores her daddy and stays near him when he gets home, but will quickly tell him, "I Mama's girl." She actually received a 9-week report card this week! It was very revealing to us as far as her social skills. She knows her shapes, colors, and most of her letters, but the report card indicated that she knows her first name, but not her last name. So I tried talking to her about her last name. She was adamant. Her name is Elizabeth. Period. She is so much fun. I could not have even imagined how good and kind her brother and sister are to her. (Favorite toy? Babies!)
Sarah started middle school this week, and boy did we get off to a rocky start! They hit the ground running, and you had better not miss a thing. She was asking to be homeschooled by the second week of school. Sarah had hours of homework every night. I did not want to be a "helicopter mama" but I wasn't sure how much my child could take. (She was going in early, doing homework during Advisory, and not wasting time when she got home.) I quickly discovered that one (well-intentioned) teacher was causing the most grief, and it was a grade-wide problem. That seems to have been resolved. I checked Family Access today and discovered that my precious daughter who wanted to drop out of school seven weeks ago, made the A-Honor roll. (Teachers may enter more grades this weekend and grades are not finalized for a few days, but it looks promising.) My thoughtful, precious girl! I am so proud of her and so happy for her! (New instrument? Flute!)
Brett is my only elementary school child- the place with which I am most familiar. He is in Scouts and soccer. He did NOT make all-A's, but he only missed it by a couple of points. Brett is never completely sure if his spelling test is this week or next week. While Sarah studies on Thursday for a Tuesday test, Brett isn't even sure there is a test. He is the kid who has such potential and you want to shake him and tell him to be driven. But he cares after the fact. When we praised Sarah for her grades, he got upset. I explained that his grades were very good as well, and that he should be proud. Not to be a "we're all winners" mom, I did (kindly) explain that perhaps if he had studied a wee bit more, he might have pulled the high B's up. I can't get too mad at him though. I was him! I just wasn't as insanely curious about things as he is. But he is funny- oh my goodness, he makes us laugh! And I am so proud of how sweet he is to his baby sister, who is NOT always so nice to him. (Favorite pastime? Minecraft!)
My husband turned 50 this year and I turned 40. This whole "older and wiser" thing is a big fat lie. I am not wiser. I say the wrong words, I forget things, and I have aches and pains, but I am still here. I am trying to be a Christian example for my family and loved ones, but repeatedly kick myself for my sins and mistakes, while taking great pleasure in my forgiveness through Christ. I am grateful for friends who see past my flaws and hang out with me despite them. :)
I am teaching again two days a week! I have been blessed with the opportunity to homeschool/ tutor a child, and it has been wonderful! She is the sweetest girl and it is definitely different to teach one-on-one. I am in LOVE with the Shurley English curriculum. This Third Grader is learning English rules/ writing in a way that makes the most sense to me by far. I am hoping to take this fabulous information and utilize it in a classroom setting when I go back to teaching in public schools. (Luckily, Elizabeth is my youngest and when she starts kindergarten, I can take her with me so if I cannot get hired in our neighborhood school, we will have other school options.)
Both of the older kids went to church camp this year. They loved it and Brett had memorized half of 2 John. He was determined to memorize the whole thing, but his studying had slowly tapered off. This week, a man who worked closely with Brett at camp sent him the most encouraging post card! It truly brought tears to my eyes and it clearly touched my son. It was so nice to see that someone thought about and cared for our son's spiritual well-being! (It also encouraged me to send notes much more often.)
My parents are here for my younger brother's "couples" shower for his upcoming wedding! What a joyous time for Greg and Kristina and we are so happy for them! I love it when my folks are here. My husband and kids do, too. The shower is in the very church building where my mother was baptized before I was born. The older I get, the more sentimental I get about "tidbits" of history.
Busy months ahead and prayers for some wonderful friends. A couple of babies due, a couple of friends who need a little baby dust their way, and some friends who have lost loved ones...life just keeps going. God is good.
