I'm a Blogging Slacker These Days

I keep thinking of little things I want to blog about and never do, then I feel behind and don't want to take the time to catch up.

In a nutshell, this is what we have been doing:

Jon:
He's stressed, and I told him this morning to try to relax. He laughed. He reminded me that he is dealing with Holy Week plans, breaking ground for a church addition, an upcoming vacation to plan, taxes to finish and pay (and we always have tons of money sitting around for a vacation and taxes in the same month), an upcoming conference--all in the next few weeks. Plus he still has to carry laundry baskets for me and do some of the cooking and cleaning around here. His stress level will not be lowering anytime this month.

Melani:
I was pleased to survive my first hike on Saturday. I even snuck down to the bottom of the crater and back up while everyone was eating lunch because I didn't want everyone to tell me not to do it. I was then really tired on Sunday. I've been finalizing, along with Jon, the itinerary for our DC trip and researching all the places we want to visit so we know when everything opens and how much everything will cost. I've also been looking into homeschool plans. There are so many books that I need to buy, but I'm not sure when I'll be able to buy any of them. I'm mostly recovered from my surgery, but I do still hurt or get tired now and then. I look forward to going back to the doctor in another week. I'm really hoping to be allowed to lift things over 8 pounds, push a vacuum cleaner again, and I want to be able to do other types of exercise besides walking. It's not like I ever loved doing push-ups or sit ups or stretching, but I've been aching to do them since they are forbidden. I don't really know that I'll be allowed to do any of that after next week (I've seen websites that say I have several more months before I'll be allowed to do anything like that), but I'm hopeful. I've also started a bit of self-education in the past week or so. I'm trying to study a bit of Latin on my own, since Brishen is so far ahead of me. I picked up an adult book at COAS and am doing just a bit on my own several nights a week.

Brishen:
It's his last week of 4th grade. He's finishing up his Latin book. He already finished his two writing books. I always feel that I owe it to him to let him move up a grade toward the beginning of April each year. He works hard and does lots of advanced work. I won't let him skip grades, so I feel that getting to move up months before others is something he can enjoy. We'll be back at IHOP on Monday morning for our traditional celebratory breakfast for the start of a new grade. 5th grade is a big change when it comes to classical homeschooling, though, as it is the start of the second stage of the Trivium. He will start studying formal logic and add Spanish on top of his Latin studies. I can't believe he's already there! He was supposed to be working on the rough draft for a paper on the Civil War today, but he wouldn't stop coming to tell me more and more about Robert E. Lee, so I decided to let him write the whole paper on him instead. I just cannot fathom how his head holds in so many varied facts.

Basia:
It's been a big week for her, too. She is finally confident enough in her reading of her very easy readers that she will read them to people besides me. She is making strides. Her handwriting is also getting so much nicer. I am so excited to start kindergarten with her. I am trying really hard to just enjoy these last few months and not rush ahead because once we go there, we have 13 long years of schooling ahead. She is taking interest in things that I really thought were above her. We read an archaeology book yesterday, and she wanted me to read it again today. She also asked if we could go to Egypt so she could dig for bones. I already have another child who has wanted to be an Egyptologist for years. I just love the little academic person that is starting to emerge a bit. Don't worry. She is still spending most of her life outside digging holes and making plans for lots of big crazy projects. It was a bit scary this week when I was asked by a parent who is a former real gymnast if we have any plans to take Basia to a "real" gym, meaning moving somewhere where she could get major instruction. She's getting me info about a camp in Pennsylvania that is taught by Olympians and big time coaches. Seriously? My head hurts even imagining the price tag or what having a real gymnast would do to our lives. For the time being we'll stick with our laid-back neighborhood gym. When she turns six we can think about putting her in competitive gymnastics and see if she actually wants anything to do with it. So far she doesn't show a whole lot of drive, but I don't know if that is just her or if it the lack of motivated coaches. We shall see.