This has nothing to do with homeschooling

It is one of Dave's pet peeves and something he knows something about. He sent me this note and article:

This is one of the better explanations of health insurance company profits I've seen. Most would consider the trend of 3-7% annual profits reasonable, hardly "excessive." Consider these 2008 profit margins of a few companies:

Revenues ($millions) Profits ($millions) % Profit in 2008
Gannett $7,481 $1056 14.1%
WaltDisney $35,882. $4,687 13.1%
Time/Warner $46,615. $4,387 9.4%
Starbucks $9,412. $673 7.2%
Aetna $27,599. $1,831 6.6%
Wellpointe $61,134. $3,345 5.4%
Humana $25,290. $883 3.4%

(Source: Forbes 500: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2008/full_list/201_300.html)


Unfortunately, an entire industry and good people are being demonized by others for political gain. More unfortunate, the majority of Americans don't have a clue.

Please read - Insurance Companies and The Profit Myth Friday, September 18, 2009

Couples' Night Out

Don't know what to do on a couples' night out?

Try a stress reliever - a shooting range!

Happy Birthday to Dave

Dave is...
...SMART! (That's what attracted him to me in the first place -- well, his dimple helped, too.)
...42 today! Happy Birthday, Dave!
...creative and notices creativity in other people.
...well-rounded. He plays piano, designs websites, designs landscapes beautifully, plays trumpet, plays practice-chanter (he started learning the bagpipes, but then he had 5 kids and that slowed him down, some.)
...funny -- he's either making me mad by joking about something, or making me laugh or some combination of the two. He's also the life of the party and our friends always ask for him to join us in a game (even though he doesn't enjoy playing games he makes sure everyone else enjoys themselves.)
...generous (sometimes to a fault and shows the children mercy when I'm waiting for justice.)
...intuitive (I'm not saying he understands girl-nature, but he tries)
...a very hard worker.
...reliable (not a romantic-sounding quality, but a wonderful one when a girl runs out of gas on a regular basis and needs to call someone to come rescue her.)
...W*O*N*D*E*R*F*U*L!!

Bourbon Street Hideaway

Dave called me last week and asked me if I'd like to go on a date that night.

Bourbon Street Hideaway, originally uploaded by Scott Spaulding.

It was AWESOME! It was expensive. We didn't have an appetizer, but did each have a cocktail and we split a desert -- the bill ended up being around $70. It was something we almost never do. We both loved it.

It was a like a taste explosion in my mouth! I don't like fancy food and I don't particularly like spicy food -- but this was FANTASTIC! Definately out of the norm and wonderful!

Here are some REAL reviews, if you'd like to consider it further :

• Bourbon Street Hideaway is a Delicious Boon for Ivy Tech Culinary Grads
• Taste New Orleans at Hideaway
• Bourbon Street Hideaway - pics

Meme of My Guy

Fun little meme I picked up from Amy. This is all about Dave - he hardly ever gets attention.

1. He’s sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? CSI or Law & Order
2. You’re out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Bue-cheese, just like me.
3. What’s one food he doesn’t like? COOKED CARROTS!
4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? Guiness or some clear alchol that might begin with an 'S'? I think it's Russian.
5. Where did he go to high school? Snider
6. What size shoe does he wear? I have no idea. He and I have very different tastes and one year I bought him 3 sweaters for Christmas and he didn't really like any of them. I swore off buying him any clothing item after that.
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Tools? Gardening Books? Computer Programs? He's more of a purger than a collector.
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Reuben
9. What would he eat every day if he could? Spicy Raemen Noodles - and he does eat them almost every day.
10. What is his favorite cereal? He's not a breakfast guy
11. What would he never wear? Tie-Dye. He's breaking out of his straight-laced exterior. There was a time he wouldn't wear open-toed sandles or pastel...he's getting more wild in his old age.
12. What is his favorite sports team? Notre Dame
13. Who did he vote for? Everyone who is pro-life.
14. Who is his best friend? Me. Definately. (Poor Guy.)
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn’t do? He'd prefer I spent less time socializing and more time cleaning.
16. How many states has he lived in? Details, details...this is the type of thing that Dave keeps in mind and I have no clue about...Three: Illinois, Kansas, and Indiana (I think?)
17. What is his heritage? Scottish
18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? Dark chocolate. But he'd prefer a blueberry pie.
19. Did he play sports in high school? Nope - he played trumpet in the band.
20. What could he spend hours doing? Playing on the computer, and he does (except that he calls is WORKING.)
21. What’s something cool about him? Just one?

• He's the music and the laughter in our house.
• Without him, we wouldn't have nearly as much fun or joy.
• He'll do anything (even incurring my wrath) to make the kids laugh.
• He's also a FABULOUS father. God chose a GREAT GUY for us.

Embarassing things kids do...

Ds#4 took a picture of Dave's rear end while he was leaning over the fireplace fixing something. Dave made me promise I wouldn't post it on my blog. Here is the next picture of Dave taking the camera away from Ds#4. This is the kind of lofty events that happen at our house.

Quote of the Day

NONE of the kids did their schoolwork. I went from room to room with a screaming, fussy baby to find child after child NOT doing their school. By the time I got the other 3 kids re-started on school, I'd go to the first room to find the 1st kid NOT doing school. They didn't do their chores. They just got in trouble all day. I was a mess by the end of the day.

Dave

"How was your day?"

Jenn

"The house didn't catch on fire."

That was about as good as it got today.

Happy Husbands

The saying goes, "If Mama aint happy, aint nobody happy." That is VERY true in our house. However the same goes for Daddy. I had a mother who beat her husband up verbally at every opportunity. They are no longer married. It's just not worth it to me to have temper-tantrums - there are consequences. That thing about "the two shall become one" is soooooo true (whether we quite understand it or agree with it at times or not). So, if I hurt him, it ultimately hurts me.
Amy and I had a great conversation that she relates on her blog. While I fall far short of her goal (which I can tell you from experience that she accomplishes that goal!!), I try to be very fair when talking about my husband. My darling husband told me early in our marriage that he had a hard time finding good friends because so many men spoke so poorly of their women. He wasn't interested in being friends with a guy who had so little respect for his life's-partner. The truth is that Dave's better about it than I am. I do try very hard to be fair, but am so impressed by Amy that I have to take another look at my goals. I never wanted to put my husband down, but doesn't a great guy like Dave deserve a goal higher than a wife who tries to be "not awful."

God is good (and I'm tired)

People who have been asking how things are going -- the title of this entry pretty much sums it up.

• The baby's circumcision is healing beautifully, thank you for your prayers. God is good.
• Dave got out the Christmas decorations and said he has no expectations of me to help unless I want to. God is good.
• No sign of yeast in me or baby. God is good.
• For Dd#2's 10th B-day - Dave brought home flowers, his mom had all the girl cousins for a sleep-over, and my sister took her shopping to make this year special for her when I didn't have the energy to. God is good.
• Ds#3's First Reconciliation is comming up this week - what a beautiful passage into being one of the "big kids". God is good.

• Dd#1, who wasn't particularly excited about the baby, has been making a sincere effort to help with him and it's been paying off. Meanwhile, several of her friends have been making an effort so that she can get out and have "big girl" fun...and it's been paying off. God is good.
• My milk supply seems to be evening out. While I still have plugged ducts and sleep & I are having love/hate issues, things are "functional" (which is as much as I can expect --although I am looking forward to the day when I have more energy.) God is good.
• Dave has been as gentle and considerate and loving as he could possibly be with me. God is good.
• The girls were spontaneously invited to be picked up by friends and taken to the Geography Bee (something I've wanted them in but couldn't quite make it happen). God is good.
• Friends have been showering us with meals and other items. God is good.

The laundry...

I would like to publicly announce I no longer have clothes baskets of clean clothes sitting around our family room. My husband got sick of it quicker than I got the energy and he spent the evening folding what must have been 20 loads of laundry this week. I really like husbands like him...

Normal Life

I lost my voice late last night. I had some wicked sore throat come on pretty suddenly, yesterday. It hurts to rasp any sounds/whispers out at the kids. Even the little ones have been having to sound out words I write down for them.

Ds#4 was sooo excited when I wrote down "shoes" and he read it as "shows".

"Mama said we could watch shows on TV!!"

he ran screaming through the house. I had to grab a kid who could read so they could fix the screaming, excited, frenzy that was occuring with the younger ones.

Dave was shocked that I cancelled hosting a Bunco night & wasn't going at all tonight. He knows I have to feel pretty bad before I cancel a night out with friends.

The Tylenol is helping quite a bit with the pain. My throat just burns & is scratchy & hurts if I try & rasp any talking out. It's so funny not being able to swallow saliva without a lot of effort -- but I can eat anything and it feels good on my throat!

I am soo thankful that my progesterone levels are working for me. I ran out of cream during the weekend (poor planning on my part) and so I had to take one of the older progesterone (the stuff I hated) that I had left. I tore a large hole in the top of it and tried to dump out 1/3 of the powder. I was up much of the night and felt like I had too much caffine (although I'd had none). The cream has been helping me sooo much.

I had to pick up more cream this morning as soon as they opened. Dave told me to stop at Auto Zone and get my battery checked. I printed out my request on a piece of paper. The guy kept yelling at me -- I guess he thought I was hard of hearing. He wasn't supposed to change batteries on my kind of car -- too involved (he had to take part of engine off of it???) He must've felt sorry for me because he spend almost 40 minutes changing my battery. This morning I spent over $200 on car stuff, gas, progesterone & Subway for lunch (I was pooped.)

A local Catholic bookstore e-mailed me that most of my $1,000 of books were in. (I tried sooo hard to find them used, but so many Catholic books just aren't available used.) I'm sure they're clogging up his storage space. He said he'd be in contact this week about my picking them up. After the car repairs, we don't have $1,000 for books.....just all normal life.

A Trifle of a problem

I'm helping with a baby shower today. Last night, Dd#2 made a trifle for the party. She was sooo proud of it. We put it in a beautiful glass bowl and in the fridge. She spent the night at homeschool friend's house after the poetry recital last night.

She'll be soooo disappointed when she comes home to find that her Daddy ate half of it in the middle of the night......

Trifle
*Bake a chocolate cake. Don't ice it. Let it cool.
*Cut it up in small squares (1"ish).
*Make up 2 pkgs of pudding (we used chocolate).
*Layer half of the cake squares in the bottom of a glass bowl with half the pudding and 1/2 small tub of whipped cream. Then do another layer of the same using up the whipped cream. *Sprinkle with chopped candy (we used frozen penut butter cup, but the recipe called for Heath. You could also chop up cookie (choc. chip or oreo...).

PUT A SIGN ON IT IN THE FRIDGE SO IT DOESN'T GET EATEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! (Awesome the next day, too!)

Consipiracy Theory

Icons - Not the cultural kind - the little pictures on my computer that I click on. Ds#4 started it. Last year when he was 3, one Saturday morning while Dave slept in, Ds#4 came to me snickering to himself (holding his hand to his mouth while his head bobbed up in down in delight) telling me that he changed Daddy into a frog.
"You what?"
"I changed Daddy into a FROG!" (huge laughter)
I honestly didn't know what he was talking about. He showed me.
Since we have XP (that we don't like), Dave has a different log-in for his side of the computer than I do. Our sweet little boy was becoming quite computer literate.

Sooooo... when Dave got up that morning, we all pointed and laughed at him walking into the room telling him he was changed into a frog. Ds#4 got great delight from this. Dave asked him to show how it was done - he didn't believe a 3 year old could be a hacker. Dave learned a new way to change icons that morning.

all this is background

...shhh....they're sending me subliminal messages. through my
icons. last week, my internet explorer icon said "daddy day".
yesterday someone tapped into my computer and it says "igf". they're
trying to tell me something...

Like Father - Like Son

Dave brought home a garbage disposal to install, ours quit working 2 weeks ago and that side of the sink quit working with it, so we've been down to a one-sided sink. I heard from the other room..."Could you hand me the screwdriver with the big point like this?" I peeked in. It was so cute.

Forsythia

Boy, do I like these. My neighbor has them in her yard and they look so pretty in spring. I admire them every year, so look what she sent over!! Jesus is so good to me to give me such sweet friends.

Since today is April Fool's Day as well as Palm Sunday, we did a Palm-Sunday lesson this morning before chuch. The boys watched a cartoon version of the Passion which prepared them to be very aware and involved in the (long - they were so good) passion reading of the gospel at church.

We came home so I could nap. Then we went out for a Sunday drive, found a covered bridge, Dave took the kids for a little walk around it -- and we all tried to trick each other with April Fool's jokes in the car. Dave was the best at it!

April Fool's Day

As a kid and a single person and a newly married person, I always liked April Fool's Day. Now that I'm a mom with kids that are aware enough to participate, I'm not sure I like it so much. They haven't done anything big. Mostly their tricks are focused on their friends - or their Dad (lucky fella). I have a slight desire to play an April Fool's joke on them -- I've always like the day. But do I really want to open myself to the retaliation of minds that don't know when to quit....hmmmm. I can't decide.

Haircut

Dave has cut all the kids' hair since we've had kids. He's recently been asking me to take the girls' to have it cut (he doesn't like the criticism once he's done - they can be merciless). When I'm pregnant & sick, he often cuts my hair, too. He doesn't prefer to cut mine, but I can force him into it. As he gets out his hair cutting kit that he asked for his birthday several years ago from Value City we always refer to him as Daviid (du-veed) the Hair Specialist.
Ds#3 does not like his hair long. It's curly and it just looks wild and uncared for when it's long. This picture was taken after soaking his head in water, dousing it with gel and combing it though. The picture above really doesn't show you how silly he looks with long hair. Recently, Daviid hasn't been able to take the time to cut anyone's hair since he's been working evenings and weekends and working from home. It's just a busy time for him, and I know his heart would rather be with us, so we make the best of it. He's the one who's making the larger sacrifice. But Ds#3 REALLY needed a haircut.


After working 9 hours on Saturday, Dave came home to a boy begging for a haircut before church the next day. Dave took him to Wal-mart (I had some groceries to pick up) to get his first professional cut. I said I'd like it short, but I didn't want anything too rough looking. Dave took both boys and had them look through the books to pick out a cut. Even though it's more attitude than I thought I wanted, he's just sooo cute! Dave was a little embarrased to admit to the lady that he's always cut the boys' hair. She gave him an excellent compliment, though and said that he'd been doing a terrific job.

The Wedding Meme

1. Where/How did you meet? At a Catholic church that held Mass for Campus Ministries. I had just gotten dumped from a year long boyfriend I thought I wanted to marry and was looking for a fresh start and new friends (I always lost my old friends in a break-up).
2. How long have you known each other? 17 years
3. How long after you met did you start dating? 3 years. We were good friends while he had a steady girlfriend and then was engaged to her. She and I started as friends, but I ended up drifting away from her as she got engaged. I had no designs on Dave, but they just didn't seem to "belong" together. REALLY! I then started dating her ex-boyfriend and discussing marriage. All 4 of us broke up within several months of each other and Dave and I started getting together to "comfort" our friend (each other) who was in pain from a bad break-up.
4. How long did you date before you were engaged? Unofficially, 3 weeks. Officially 4 months (we were very good friends in the 3 years before we started dating and had worked through a lot of deeper issues being good friens).
5. How long was your engagement? 9 months. Our priest told us we had to wait the Church's mandatory 6 months, which we thought would physically deform us to wait that long before we could consumate our relationship. The priest was firm. Then we couldn't get married during "tax season" because of Dave's work.
6. How long have you been married? I don't keep track of those things..let me see 1995 - 2007 - 12 years?
7. What is your anniversary? April 30, 1995
8. How many people came to your wedding reception? 200
9. What kind of cake did you serve? White with buttercream frosting. I taste-tested cakes all around town during our engagement because I was raised to understand that wedding cake is one of the best tasting cakes, but you have to be sure the baker is doing it for more than just good looks. I made all the decorations for the tables and Dave blew up the balloons I wanted the hall decorated with.
10. Where was your wedding? The same church we met at.
11. What did you serve for your meal? My mom made all the food in her kitchen and brought it to the reception - meat trays with ham & roast beef, cheese tray & condiments for cold meat sandwhiches. She had relish trays, fresh chicken salad, jello salad, pasta salad, potato salad, cucumber sandwiches, and I think I made her make my favorite kind of cookie - mexican wedding rings. It was her gift to us and she gave us the money she had left-over. It was a wonderful gift!
12. How many people were in your wedding party? 3 groomsmen, 3 bridesmaids, and 2 flower girls. Many of our friends were Eucharistic Ministers, etc during the ceremony. At our first meeting with the priest to prepare for marriage he handed us the liturgy planning guide and told us not to bother to look through it until closer to the wedding. We sat down and spent all evening that first night planning the liturgy of the wedding. It was so fun! Dave & I each read the reading that had been special to us as a single person. Dave read Habakuk (Write down the vision clearly on the tablets...If the vision delays, wait for it for it shall surely come.) and I read Hosea (I espouse you to me in love and fidelity.)
13. Are you still friends with them all? My sister & s-i-l & Dave's brothers. We don't see my maid of honor or one of Dave's groomsmen, much.
14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? We laughed and giggled through the whole thing.
15. Most special moment of your wedding day? My sister forcing herself at 16 to get her hair done, put on make-up & put on a satin dress when she had the flu and a fever with chills. She didn't show it at all until she asked to leave the reception early because she wasn't feeling well.
16. Any funny moments? The wedding coordinator that was required by the church pushed me down the isle. I was waiting for a particular bar of the song I had chosen, but she wanted me down that isle. I tripped when she pushed me and caught myself by running - so I ran the whole way to Dave. It wasn't exactly the Sound of Music wedding march I envisioned, but definately more my style. Then at the reception, Dave's 3 cousins who were 4 & 5 took handfuls of cake to taste it before we got a chance to cut it.
17. Any big disasters? I was determined not to view anything that happened as a disaster. It was going to be a wonderful day no matter what happened. I had planned as well as possible and everything else was going to just be a good story, someday.
18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? We could either afford a wedding or a honeymoon and we chose the wedding. We went to a state park and stayed at the inn. It was boring, so we went to another state park. We shopped & talked & went sight-seeing.
19. How long were you gone? 1 week
20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change? I'd have chosen the dresses I wanted rather than choosing the color my mom suggested and I would have chosen something not so trendy (read dated, now). I'd have asked my friend Melanie to be my maid of honor. I'd have spent more money on the photographer. I may have allowed my dad to walk me down the isle. At the time I felt like I still needed to protect myself. Now that I've been loved for the last 12 years, I see God as my protector more.
21. What side of the bed do you sleep on? Left in this house. Dave has this thing about getting to sleep near the door... I don't understand it, but whatever.
22. What size is your bed? King
23. Greatest strength as a couple? Joint sense of priorities and common ideas of disciplining children. We work as good team by maintaining our own "jobs".
24. Greatest challenge as a couple? Not getting so caught up in the "work" & efficiency of life that we forget to meet the other person's emotional needs.
25. Who literally pays the bills? Dave
26. What is your song? He thinks we have lots - I don't associate one with us.
27. What did you dance your first dance to? Barry Manilow - We made it through the rain? Dave would remember better than I would. He's got a more romantic memory than I do.
28. Describe your wedding dress: A princess neckline and simple lines with little beading and no cutwork. Some lace and beading on the bodice. A long dress with a train and bustle. It was on sale.
29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? artificial (they were cheaper) white roses. The little girls carried daisies.
30. Are your wedding bands engraved? Nope. They were on sale (are you seeing a theme, here?)
31. How old were you when you got married? 26

I got a SHMILY today!

On my bathroom mirror this morning was this.

I was considering yelling at the kids when Dave asked me if I saw the SHMILY he left me.

What's a SHMILY? See How Much I Love You

He had put all the kids to bed, which he does almost everynight (because I'm not a very nice person to them by that time of night.) But he had been particularly sweet and cuddled with them a long time - and they had needed it. Then he left me my love note - soap on the mirror in a SHMILY.

We asked him where he got it (it didn't occur to us at he'd thought it up himself.) He said Todd Wilson.

Todd Wilson, http://www.familymanweb.com, came to speak at our homeschool group and he was a RIOT!! I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. He was FANTASTIC! He has a ministry which directly encourages homeschool dads. He has a few cartoon books...some great ideas...he's just a great guy with a great mission. Since Dave is my main encourager and go-to-guy, I appreciate someone out there encouraging my husband! Dave subscribes to Todd Wilson's e-magazine - I guess my SHMILY was part of that. Yesterday was a particularly rought day ...I needed it.

Daily Drugery er Details

WOW! After writing down everything I did today, even though the house is still a mess and nothing seems done, I’m impressed with myself! I did A LOT! (This is pretty boring reading so feel free to skip this entry)

Morning-
7:30 Wake up (I stay up till 11pm or midnight and have a hard time dragging myself out of bed in the morning).
7:32 Wake up kids (for the 2nd time that morning, Dave just did it about 15 minutes ago when he left for work).Get dressed
7:35 Make bed, check kids’ progress, remind of morning chores
7:40 Make breakfast with kids who are ready
7:50 Kids start eating
8:00 Bible story while kids finish breakfast
8:20 Boys do workbooks, Oral Latin drill with girls while clearing dishes
8:30 Dd#2 goes in timeout for playing around and talking back instead of doing Latin with us.
8:35 Dd#1 Math, Mama assembles items from lessons for tomorrow’s Book Club Co-op
8:45 Mama organizes library books that need to be returned
8:50 Answer 2 kids’ questions about their schoolwork.
8:55 Crosscheck library books with overdue list online (I have several that are overdue…)
9:10 Break up argument with boys. Need to lay my hands on 7 books for the library – they’re lost in the house.
Help Ds#3 with school. Reprimand Dd#1 for playing with dog instead of doing school and give her a small scrubbing job as a consequence.
Get Dd#2 out of timeout. Call her 4 times as she won’t come. As she’s headed downstairs she says in a superior tone that she was busy sewing. Send her back in timeout for 10 minutes for her tone of voice. She yells and stomps upstairs. Tell her to go in timeout in Mama’s room so she won’t be tempted to play. She says OK, but doesn’t go. Give her an additional 2 minutes for lack of compliance. She complains – give her an additional 2 minutes.
9:20 Check on Ds#3, put in a load of laundry
9:25 Discuss timeout with Dd#2, send her back upstairs so she can compose her indignation.
9:30 Grade Dd#1 math paper.
9:35 Check e-mail
9:50 Talk with Dd#2 who storm out in frustration that I won’t let her argue with me and justify that she’s right. I explained, but she didn’t want to listen. I accepted her less than penitent apology and gave her a chore to do before she starts school (something physical helps abate her frustration more than something mental). She growls and stomps off. I sent her back in timeout for 10 minutes. She screams at me. Now it’s 15 minutes in timeout. She yells that I’m unfair. Now it’s 20. She went upstairs.
9:55 Help Ds#3, give Ds#4 a consequence for catching him writing on his desk and the school table with markers. Ds#4 isn’t allowed to touch a marker until his birthday in the spring when he’s 5. (I’m not kidding.) Give Dd#1 her math paper and discuss it. Give her additional math practice and remind her put away school books she left out in the other room.
10:00 Make coffee, play math game with Ds#4, help Ds#3 with school and remind him to pick up his puzzle from yesterday.
10:15 Just as the timer went off, I heard Dd#2 playing piano in timeout. Put her in time out on the steps where I can watch her for refusing to be obedient in timeout (the rule is you do NOTHING in timeout).
Get cup of coffee (my first food of the day), assign boys a math game to play with each other.

Check on Dd#1, get math sheets for boys
10:30 Break up a disagreement with boys, put in a load of laundry.
Dd#2 is sweet and sorrowful – morning chores for her.
Assign Ds#4 a math sheet, read with Ds#3
10:55 Get Ds#3 started on math sheet, check Ds#4. Find TV controller for Dd#1’s math review.
11:00 Check boys’ math. Assign boys’ writing.
Re-explain helping verbs for the 5th time this year to Dd#2, assign a language memory song to the tune of “This Old Man” - Dd#2 “I’m NOT singing a BARNEY song!”
11:30 Boys’ lunch. Mama gets a 45 minute phone call to explain decisions for next year’s co-op.
12:00 Girls’ lunch, boys’ playtime
12:20 Mama eats for the 1st time today.

RECAP – Kids are done with :

Dd#1
History Text reading & research
Math
Bible Story & Bible reading on own
Poetry memorization

Dd#2
Empty Dishwasher
Memorize Helping Verbs
Bible Story

Ds#3
Handwriting & Language worksheet
Math game & worksheet
Bible Story
Reading out loud

Ds#4
Handwriting
Math game & worksheet
Bible Story

12:30 Load of laundry, read Book for co-op tomorrow (nothing like procrastination to motivate a mom) Have Dd#1 fold laundry while she listens.
12:50 Boys continue to play. With girls – Latin drills, poetry reading, memorize Stations of the Cross.
1:45 Have kids finish clearing table from lunch. Get Dd#2 started on Language worksheet (more helping verbs) and Dd#1 started on defining words from her history novel literature guide.
Make tea.
2:10 Pour a cup of tea. Read to younger 3 kids from history text (SOTW).
2:30 Piano teacher comes. Dd#2 works with piano teacher, Dd#1 continues to define, Mama does a narration with Ds#3. Ds#4 pretends to do a narration with Mama.

Grade Dd#2’s language paper and all 3 younger kids’ math papers.

Encourage Ds#3 to gather up trash and take it out. Ds#4 helps with the trash.
3:00 Dd#1 piano lesson, Dd#2 math test, Mama keeps track of how many people e-mail to sign up for the upcoming field trip I just set up.
3:15 Read to Ds#3 from Treasure Box books, and then a children’s book on the functions of the brain.
3:40 Ds#3 gets his first piano lesson.
3:45 Discuss with piano teacher Dd#2’s lack of progress and pay for lessons.
4:00 Print Ds#3’s history narration and maintain kids’ history folders in preparation for the Ancient Greece lapbooks they will make.
4:15 Print up Dd#2’s piano checklist as dictated from piano teacher to get her to slow down instead of rushing through her practices.
Reprimand Ds#3 for coloring a wooden box meant for school supplies.
Put on a Leap Phonics DVD for boys – Storybook Factory
4:45 Do a load of laundry, set Ds#3’s wet shoes on the dryer to dry.
5:00 Give books to Kerri who stopped by to look at last year’s science books.
5:20 Get girls out the door for a dinner date with their grandma.
5:30 Write up Dd#1’s spelling words on flash cards for review.
5:35 Kiss Dave when he comes home and chat with him about the day.
- spend 45 minutes typing up my list of what I did today!!
6:45 Eat left-overs for dinner that Dave heated up.

That was 4 loads of laundry - about half still need folded. I still haven't found the overdue 7 library books. Oh, I can hardly wait for Dave to put the kids to bed and I get some quiet and time to do what I want (read overdue library books before I have to return them).