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It's been pretty busy around here the last couple of days. It's not bothering me a whole bunch like it used to though, now that I have some energy. It's kind of wierd. I knew I was tired before, but just not HOW tired until now. I feel totally different. I've been going all over the place for the last couple of weeks...bike rides, parks, swimming pool, workouts at home, gardening, festivals, farmers markets, VBS...and I've actually been dealing with it all without a massive physical breakdown where I need to sleep ALL the time, every day, like I used to. I am happy. It's awesome to feel 'normal' again!! Our dryer pooped out on us last week and I ended up doing laundry at the laundry mat with my twin sis late at night. lol!! It's quieter during that time...and like us, you run into cute lil black kittens with their mom in the laundry mat (the doors are kept propped open 24 hours during the summer months)!! So adorable but completely feral and wouldn't let us touch them or even get close enough to. Anywhooo...my dad came to my place and looked at my dryer (again..as it stopped on us last year too..lol!). He found that this time it wasn't in the wall wiring but with the dryer wiring this time. There was a faulty ground wire, which he replaced. Works like a charm now! Thanks dad! (he doesn't read this...but I'll say it anyways!) My girls have been attending VBS this week...both in the mornings and evenings. The morning one is the church where we attend Awanas and homeschool co-op. We weren't sure we'd have the gas to go this week, as it's 25 minutes away from us. But we're managing...so far. The VBS the girls attend in the evenings this week is here in our own town, about 5 minutes (or less) away from where we live. My parents go there (off and on) and invited the girls to go at the last minute yesterday (like 30minutes before it started). Their younger cousin is also attending for the week. That VBS is much smaller, but they like it. The theme is 'Son Rock Camp'...the whole camping experience theme, which I like. lol! It's a Word of Life VBS. Overall...I like the one at the larger church. I've listened in on both VBS's activities/messages and I really like the morning one so much more. It's theme is 'Son Harvest' with the whole farm/harvesting look. It's really cool what they've done with it and ALL the kids seem to enjoy it much more. Plus, this one starts at age 3 thru kids entering 7th grade. I plan on taking my 4 yr old niece since she isn't old enough to attend the WOL VBS in the evenings. I'm just hoping our gas holds out so we can go the rest of the week!! While at VBS today, I read thru the manual for our math program..Math On The Level. All year, I've been giving the girls workbook pages, ALEKS (free 2 months trial), free online sites and their Timez Attack CDs. They all seem to do a good enough job, but I know there are serious gaps in their math learning this way. Plus, though we have used a lot of different math methods, we just haven't done a lot of math in general. Soooo...with our tax money, I bought next year's curriculum along with a new more comprehensive math curriculum( I believe). It starts at pre-k and goes thru pre-algebra (though looking thru the pre-algebra section, it covers a LOT of material that I covered in Algebra and Geometry in hs...which is awesome!). It's a terrific price for how many years' work you get out of it. The math goes at their own pace (fast or slow...whatever they need), and shows very clearly where all gaps in learning are. It can be used in unit studies as well! I can teach all of my girls the same math concepts, just at their level if I want also! And they only do 5 review problems a day (not counting all the ones you may need to do with/for them while teaching a 'new' concept). AND...as if it didn't already have enough...it has built in record-keeping! Pretty nifty!! I'm am such a terrible record-keeper (just ask Kim Wolf...she knows how bad I am at it!) that this is great news for me. I can use all the help I can get. And since we have been so behind in our math the last two years...this curriculum fits us great and will allow me to fill in all those gaps I've created in their math learning. I'm excited to start it. It has given me hope that I haven't totally screwed up my kids' math learning. lol!! My girls have also been doing Growing With Grammar and are LOVING it!! My older two do their lessons by themselves in this and come to me when they have questions. They like that...independent study. I must admit, I like that too. It's one less thing I have to do. And they love it so much they ask to do more than one lesson!! lol!! Any curriculum that can do that, I'm all for it! lol! My eight yr old also loves using it and she still can't read a whole lot...just very basic sentences. But I usually do this with her and she is doing surprisingly good in it. I am definitely sticking with this, since she was essentially being left out of the grammar lessons (due to her lack of reading) in our unit study, even though it covered the same topics. She would listen to the grammar lesson but wouldn't be able to practice it to solidify what she was learning. We have had torrential downpour of rain tonight...so I'm hoping it stops tomorrow. I think they still have rain in the forecast though. Bummer. But I'm hoping it goes away soon so I can get back outside riding bikes with the girls in our neighborhood and with my sis down the bike path from our town to the next. It was a killer ride but oh so gorgeous! One of the bikes I brought has practically no resistance and is terrific for a liesurely ride down the path. I did that one the way to the next town...totally loved it. However, the other bike has umpteen gears and a ton of resistence on any of them. lol! My sis got a HUGE workout on the way there. We switched up on the way back to our town and I about killed myself. It was NOT hot out or anything...very breezy in fact. But I was so tired that I felt like I was gonna faint even after chugging my water bottle like there was no tomorrow. lol! Both my sis and I were whipped when we got back to her place. It was a total of 10 miles. Ugh. Our legs were all wobbly when we got to her place and we both fell asleep on the couches for over an hour...or was it two? lol! Anywhoooo...I wasn't sore the next day so that's good news. But I'm just itchin' to get back at it again and try to do the ride better this time...work up my stamina. Plus, I just want to enjoy that beautiful scenery again! Awesome! My three elder girls go to church camp soon! The older two go in about a week and a half. They are counting down the days, literally. lol! They LOVED it there last year. I am so happy they enjoyed it so much and that they are able to go again this year. My third daughter won't be going til mid-July. She is excited but kinda nervous since this will be her first time. I know she will love it as much as her sisters and will make lots of new friends. And yes, I'm actually entrusting them again with my other digital camera (2yrs old) to take with them for pics/video...whichever they choose. They will have a blast! I love summer!!
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