Well as usual living in Minnesota can give you a lovely change in weather quickly. Yesterday we had 70-80 degree weather and today its maybe 50 degrees, cloudy with a nasty COLD wind. Thankfully I got all the bedding washed and dried yesterday.

Today I'm just going to veg as I have the next 2 days to clean house while the boys will be at work. I need to sit down and read through some Ambleside stuff I printed off and my Charlotte Mason companion book I got. TO get figured out where to start with some stuff.

So I guess I'll just catch up on some DVR'd stuff to get them off the machine, we've got stuff piling up. Just been too busy to catch up. So I'm taking advantage of today's weather to just relax.

Today is such a beautiful day here in north central Minnesota. Its got some wind but not the kind that would make it cold. Its around 70 degrees and overall *hot* outside for us. I know many would say that 70 degrees isn't *hot* LOL. But remember this is minnesota we are in.

Since its such a nice day out I choose today to wash our bedding, this way I get to hang it on the line and it dries quicker then an average day without the breeze. So my house smells like the lovely Gain laundry soap and fabric softner. Not saying they will smell exactly like that when they are brought back in but they will be a nice fresh line dried smell at least. I don't always buy Gain, in the past I've went with cheap stuff or made my own. But I just wanted to splurge this time and smell Gain once again!

This is my first line hanging of the year, I'm sure they could have been hung out sooner just seemed liek they would have taken forever at that time. So here I sit waiting on the next comforter to get finished with all the windows open along with a t-shirt and shorts on! Got to love that. CJ even had to put shorts and a t-shirt on, after he said he was warm!

I also have to sweep and mop the floors along with getting the dishes finished up for the day. And figure out what to make for supper. I had initally wanted chili, but in this kind of weather that doesn't really fit. Maybe we'll just have grilled cheese and fries for supper, its quick and easy besides the fact that it doesn't heat up the house much.

Hoping to get in a walk with hubby later today, unless he's too busy, maybe this evening. We've wanted to start walking each evening when he gets home from work, but all this week he's had stuff going on along with Monday was an icky day weather wise, and he had been to a funeral for our neighbors 16 yr old grandson. ANd I had to have a meeting with the family I took graduation photos for, to get the photo invitations rounded out, which I will work on this weekend when its just me at home, then I can get them ordered and have a small amount of spending money. Which will probably just go towards some other books I need to order for our Ambleside Online. Even though I'd love to order more RAM for my computer so it might be somewhat faster.

Well here I sit at the computer yet again, at least this time I'm not researching. Hoping to head to the tv in a few minutes. My floors are swept and mopped so it smells nice and clean in here.

CJ and I went for a walk earlier today so I'll have to get around to any photos that turned out. Some things I wanted were tough to get photos of because as usual when I decide to do that the wind's blowing, so anything small I wanted to photograph wasn't sitting still...lol.

We saw a couple of ducks, a couple of deer and a track of a bird we assume. Will have to ask hubby if he knows what its a track of. CJ also went with my dad to get some round bales. And the next couple of weeks around here are probably going to drive me batty. My mom will be going to work, she works seasonally just down the road from the farm here. But it seems like every time mom works then my father is calling me for anything and everything or coming over. Kind of a downside to living so close. So I'm assuming CJ and I will have a lot of interruptions in our school day yet again!

Overall it was a nice day. And I wished I could have stopped at Curves today. I've missed each day so far, but its tough when I can't take my son in their with me and have no place to leave him to hang out for that 45 minutes I"m in there. I know I'll be in there on Sat. as each Sat I make sure to make it in there. Hoping to either go tomorrow afternoon or Friday afternoon so I can at least get 2 days in this week.

Its getting tougher to keep motivation when its so nice outside. We are not getting as much as I'd like to get done. Right now CJ is outside enjoying the weather with his bow and arrows. But we will be going for a nature walk later along with reading more of Stuart Little and finish the Leif Ericson book. This week is just overall slow and minor in stuff.

I think I'll be glad when the Homeschooling classes are finished then monday afternoons I won't have anyplace to go unless I'm going to Curves maybe it will start my week off better to NOT be leaving the house.

I know this week I did want to focus more on the reading aspect and that's what we are doing. To slowly add in living books I guess they are called, then get the math and other stuff added in as well. I just have those moments of failing. But I really do know my son needs work in the reading aspect, so he feels more self confident in his ability to read and comprehend.

I guess I need to remember that homeschooling gives you those options where you might not need to do all subjects in one day everyday. Even though I do feel like we are doing more when that happens.

This morning on our quick trip to town we got to see some wild turkey's, there were at least 4 of them but they went into the woods quickly. We also got to see 2 deer. I'm hoping our nature walk gets us to see some more wildlife. Most likely it will just be birds....LOL.

I'm telling you this little bugger is really getting on my last nerve. Hoping to actually catch it before it does anymore damage to my phone wires.

And yes I got up this morning nice and early, put my dogs, start a load of laundry and make my way to the computer to check stuff before getting more stuff going and waiting on CJ to get outta bed. Sure enough no dial tone on my computer again. I was like "You've GOT to be kidding me." Last night I had attatched the phone jack to the wall, covering up the hole that goes outside with as much of the wires covered as possible. So there I am crouched down in the corner yet again, with the flashlight, screwdriver and knife for cutting the coating on the very tiny wires. Which by the way you only need TWO wires to hook up....lol.

Rehooked things up just in case, and still nothing.. Next thing I do is take the phone jack off the wall and pull on the wire to see just how much I have left to tug on. And sure enough there's a spot about an inch long that was chewed on. Obviously it got into the wall and chewed because I did not see this spot yesterday.  Which of course ends up being another issue because we can't even figure out how the critters are getting into the house. Underneath is sealed up pretty well and my husband has been under there to put steel wool in any holes he found. So yipee!

CJ and I made a trip to town this morning to get another phone jack and phone wire becuase I wasn't sure if the phone wire that I have coming into the house was in great condition anyway. But I did manage to get it all working without  the new stuff, just had to restart the computer and suddenly dial tone was there, for the computer anyway. I had it for the phone I put on the jack to double check.

So here I am again online with a lovely story of the revenge of the mouse. Can't say that tomorrow morning will be easy to get online or if I'll have to work for it yet again!

Or at least that's what my husband is thinking. We have this lovely mouse in the house, somewhere. I've seen it a couple times but never the same place to put a mouse trap down to try and catch the little bugger.

So this morning I get up, take care of things around the house and the pets. Come to the computer to check email and stuff only to find that there was no dial tone to dial it. Ok no big deal, it happens sometimes that the phone cord isn't all the way in to my power strip on the side of the desk. So I push them down and try again, still nothing. So I'm thinking alright did that dang mouse chew through my telephone cord again like last time(more on that in a few) so I start checking it along the wall thinking, well it can't really be as I have it up off the floor so its harder to get to to gnaw on it. Get to the phone jack towards the corner of the living room(the cord is the long way around to the phone jack due to another incident....lol) I push the cord into the phone jack thinking that's it. Come back and try again. Still nothing

I'm thinking great, what now? Phone company issues or whatnot. I get to the corner again and my husband is like what are you doing. I told him I had no dial tone for the computer to connect.

He's like "well yesterday morning I heard the mouse just chewing away in that corner on something." 

I'm said, "Oh great it better not have chewed through the phone wire to the phone jack." And I start to pull my bookshelf that's sitting at an angle in the corner where the phone cord to the jack comes into the house. Shined the flashlight behind before pulling it all the way out, and just was irked. Told my husband he had to move, so he sits up in the recliner and that's it. I'm like "No honey you need to pull the chair forward because I need to get behind here."

While I am getting back there my husband proceeds to tell me how he got tired of hearing the chewing so he taps on the bookshelf in the corner and all he hears is the mouse scurring around the room, running into things all the while there's my husband who couldn't move fast enough to try and catch it. Ever seen a 31 year old man in the wee hours of the morning chasing a mouse? Me neither but wish I had...

So yes if you haven't guessed it yet, my phone line coming into the house from the phone box on the side was gnawed almost apart, barely hanging on.

So what does my husband say? "That mouse doesn't want you on the computer."

I'm like "funny, honey."

He laughs and says, "Well that's got to be it, that the same one he's gnawed on before."

I looked at him and said, "Yeah I remember.,"

So there I was this morning cutting the wire and hooking up the phone jack again just to get back online. Hubby said he was going to fix it for me but was too busy today doing something else.

So about an earlier incident mouse related. Last fall/winter I had gotten up and had the same issue no dial tone. I call the internet provider to find out if they had any issues on their end and nothing. So this guy tries to help me and ended up thinking my modem had gone on my computer. So then I'm calling around to find another one. Find out Best Buy has one they hold for me, so we decide to head out and I happened to check one thing in the corner of the schoolroom where the phone cord was through the wall to make it easier. Sure enough the cord is gnawed through enough to have no good connection. I managed to fix it,  temporarily. Let's just say 100 mile round trip, new modem & new phone cord later. I had to go buy yet ANOTHER phone cord because I guess my brand new phone cord was just too tasty to that little bugger and it gnawed through that one the next day.

Which is why when I went to buy another phone cord I bought 2 to have an extra so I didn't have to make another trip to the local store. Then when I hooked up the new one I chose to run it alone my living room to the hallway to the schoolroom wall about halfway up from the floor to make it harder to gnaw on...lol.

Then this AM I get the rude awakening of the little bugger gnawing on the one coming in the house. So yeah my husband got a kick out of a mouse enjoying my phone lines just way too much and not wanting me to be online for some reason. 

Today is a very slow start. Things get all off track when my husband has a day off middle of the week. And today is his day off. We slept in and CJ is finishing up his chores he had to do. Then we'll read 2 more chapters in Stuart Little, he can then answer questions from yesterdays reading, give me a narration for today's reading. Then we'll read a book we got from the library for History and we can talk about it do some narration and then I'll just send him outside because the days just all over the place. We might go for a walk too depending on timing and if hubby wants to make a run into town. If he does that then I can stop at Curves for a workout.

Kind of a short and sweet post. But I have another one I need to type up as they are thoughts that are somewhat seperate and I might ramble on...lol

Not that our days are all that exciting, I mean we live in the boonies and generally everything around here is pretty laid back and non exciting...lol. But some days will have more then we need. The joy sof a family farm.

Well this AM Cj got up outta bed and actually MADE his bed! This is huge, I think the fact that I washed bedding up and made his bed, being sure along the wall and end was tucked in, in hopes his blankets would stay put. Generally he's got blankets all over the place. Two of his blankets I made a few years ago, fleece type ones. And they could have been a bit longer or wider either one. On his twin bed they are a tad shorter or not as wide. But they work and he's loved them ever since. Uses those more then anything else. It was just a nice thing to see his effort after all my hard work!

Well things are interesting around here because we are trying to get CJ's behavior under control, not that its horrible, but he's hyper and focus is tough at times. Of course he's been on several ADHD meds and lets just say they either don't work at all, made his behaviors worse(like MORE anger) or worked for a short bit then stopped.

His Dr currently has him on this *oh so special* med that I swear the Dr must have stock in because he won't shush about it, raving about how great it is for all these things. Like anxiety, ADHD etc. Its suppose to be a high blood pressure med, called Guanfacine. That's all that CJ's on and lets just say it doesn't do anything for him really. He's pretty much the same hyper boy while taking it. So we decided to try a product a family friend sells. I figured it can't hurt anything to give it a go. I'm just tired of a Dr that doesn't really listen and seems to think I know nothing as a parent(guess because I'm don't have a PhD or any of that fancy stuff he does. Finding a new one is tough, the area we live in there are very few if any at all for kids.

So anyway we are giving this product a try, CJ is currently drinking 1 shake a day. Today was his 4th day, course there's no miracle change yet. It could take a bit of time. The lady I had talked to mentioned that her son took about 9 weeks in total before it really started working. So there's hope. Since the Guanfacine isn't really a drug like the ADHD ones stopping taking it is easier then any others where you'd have to cut back on some.

All in all it was a good day, even with my son being hyper and driving me batty. But for 2 hours he was with other kids at PE and Art class so that was a nice thing.

We started reading Stuart Little CJ didn't do too bad some words I thought he would have trouble with he didn't and others I didn't expect he did. Its always a plesant surprise when that happens at least for larger words you think your child might not know.

I haven't been here in awhile and well now its just me rambling. I'm at the point of feeling like i'm drowning and getting NOTHING done. And just have the overall feeling of failing my son in what my job is to be. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing stuff throughout the summer. Its just all so tough because I know dang well he's behind where his peers wouild be. THen again since I'm still trying to get a handle on the stuff that he didn't get learned in the public school system. I just have many days of feeling like a failure, along with all the personal stuff I've been dealing with. Its really just getting tough. Especially when you should be rounding out your year or that's what you've done in the past around this time of the year.

Sigh all I can do is pray he won't be harmed too much if he ever has to attend public school again!

I'm so far behind in updating. I was doing so well with posting daily, then it just went away. I was planning on posting earlier today, but my DH ended up with the day off, so we then went on our way to seek out a *new to us* 4x4. Didn't find any in our price range, or if it was we didn't want it. Not to be picky but sheesh.

We did find a great Jeep Grand Cherokee, course it got sold on Saturday and for a GREAT price only $900. Had fairly low miles, was a '95 and only needed good tires on it. Otherwise a great vehicle. I swear we have bad timing.....lol.

So I'm hoping that vehicle that's to be mine is found soon. I'd love a Jeep Cherokee, but if that doesn't happen I won't be too sad. They are out there just generally higher then we want to pay. We don't want payments forever, I mean 2-3 yrs is about all we want to go on a vehicle. And we'd love just a year if we find that ONE out there lower then we've put our price range.

Not much has been going on here. We've been trying to get a good groove in HSing, course today was a bust, it was a lovely dreary, rainy day. Just a dark day. You know the kind? Where it seems much later in the day then it actually was.

I'll be getting my giveaway together, I wanted to have it up today, but again DH put a kink in that....lol. So I hope tomorrow I can have my stuff situated for my first giveaway. I really hope many try a chance at it. It would be great to see a bunch of people stop by. If it doesn't that's alright too, I'll still enjoy giving away an item. I have some other stuff in mind for future giveaways. Just will get things all straightened out first.