I have an idea of what I'd like life to look like around here.  But it's like a vapor, hovering just overhead.  I can't quite grasp it and find the vapor slipping through my fingers, leaving my hands empty and disappointed.

I didn't have the surgery last week after all.  I'm in the middle of changing insurance and doctors, so they wanted additional testing completed.  As it is, I've been rescheduled for next Thursday, the 20th.  I'm frustrated with the health issues and the associated expenses.  Self-employment, while it offers great freedom, makes it difficult to manage the day to day issues that weren't so difficult with an employer.  Seems a shame, huh? It often seems like we're swimming upstream, and not really gaining ground.

So sorry for the melancholy.  It's just been a week where everyone seems to be standing with their hands out wanting more money. 

When I count my blessings, first of course comes an awesome God who allows me to come into His presence.  He knows me and my failings, yet loves me anyway.  High on the list after that comes my husband and kids.  Hubby's first Bib'e study with his former Foundations class went well.  Hubby is very even-keeled, usually extremely patient, and rarely over emotional about anything.  But you can see his heart when he's leading or participating in a Bible study.  This is his passion.

As for the kids, the reading assessment provided by dh's niece indicated C is reading about a year ahead of her age/grade, while K is reading at least a year ahead.  These particular tests, however, also tested his writing ability as it should correlate to his reading.  No surprise to me, but his writing skills are very low.  He doesn't enjoy it and I haven't emphasized it yet.  However, our plan, even before the assessment were to hit this area pretty hard next year.  (Correlating to third grade)  I'm considering using Writing Strands.  If you've used this program and have any comments either way, please let me know.

We're winding down with school.  In theory, we have 13 days left on the calendar, so we should be able to finish up at the very end of May.  But I have a couple of things that I want to finish this year, so we may have to go a few days beyond.  For K, I want to finish his Saxon Math book.  We only have about 17 more lessons.  I've gotten him the DIVE CD for next year with the hopes that he can watch the teacher on the cd, then do the work himself, a bit more independently than we've been this year.  I'm also trying to finish up our current Horizons phonics book.  We have about 20 lessons left in that, so we're doubling up from time to time.  We don't do all the exercises, just those that I think we need to.  We're also reading a condensed version of The Little Princess with it and I don't want to stop the program until we get to the end of the story!  And finally, we have about 9 more lessons in the 2nd grade level of First Language Lessons, and I do want to finish that before we stop for the year.

As for C, nothing that I'm really feeling pressed to finish, though we are on track to possibly finish MUS Alpha level with her in the next couple of weeks.

The fun things have been put on hold recently, but I hope to be able to get back to them soon.  A lapbook on the book of Numbers, and some Gardening Unit Study activities.

For the summer, I hope to continue math a couple of times a week, and do lots of reading.  Perhaps some emphasis on missionaries, keyboarding practice for K, swimming during the month of July, and whatever else catches our eyes.  I'd like to spend some concentrated time on Spanish too. But I plan to take the month of June off from most "school" activities just to breathe, clean out and regroup.  I'm looking forward to a month of not feeling guilty about what we're not getting done in school!

We were able to go to a local amusement park yesterday with some other homeschoolers.  It was fun and a nice year-end treat for the kids. 

DH is in Baltimore overnight for a meeting, trying to convince a certain committee to use our training services.  If you think to, please pray that he will find favor among the decision makers.

Thanks for reading while I vent.  Hopefully the next post will be much more uplifting!