Monday Musings

Hello! I am here. My head is feeling much better today. Still constant tinninitis (SP?), but the pain is much less now,although sometimes it still feels like my head will explode. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes! It is tough to be sick, but y'all made it better with your caring, you really did. I still don't know anything, have an appt. with a rhumatologist the second week of March, and will be setting up an appt for an MRI this week. I'd feel better if all the pain were gone, but I am getting used to functioning through it.

The Papa Dude is home today. It was a nice weekend- he did almost all the parenting while I rested, folded laundry (it's all done!!), and decluttered. Today, while the kids were studying, he and I chopped and hauled a bunch of firewood, and got it all stacked in the basement by the stove. It was fun to actually be physical for the first time in several weeks! Then he and I went to the friendly fruitstand- yes, we needed produce, but our major errand there was to ask the owners, P & M, if they would consider being mentors for the Boy, letting him hang out there a couple of hours a week, and help out a bit, sweep floors, prep produce, etc. He really is in a tough place emotionally right now, and one thing we think would help him is to be around other safe adults who have rules, rituals, and routines, and are of good character, so he can see it is not just his ol' parents who keep insisting that character is important. We gave them our number, I hope they call back and say yes. I think a mentor would be very good for the boy.

There are no middle school classes for the Boy this week, no food bank (the family with whom we share the route has taken it over for a while, till I am feeling better) , just the dentist appts. we had this morning. Looks like the Boy needs to go see an orthodontist asap, sigh. At least our dental insurance is better than our medical insurance is.

So what shall we do this week? School work, and lots of it! The last few weeks, the Boy was focusing on ACT prep, the Girl on Bartok and Beethoven, and me on hiding in bed with the pillow over my head, so we have some work to do. Last week, we took formally off, though I had them do memory work and music practice. This week we add in latin, math, grammar, writing (I am just going to use the Hake writing lessons for now, as the Boy really needs to be able to write an essay.), and some history reading. We also have a ton of grading to do this week. I need to do some studying myself, to figure out the whole writing curricula dilema I seem to be in, sigh. Also have my own latin, and rhetoric study to get back into. As long as my brain can handle it, I wll try to do some studying each day.

I am planning to go to my mom's twice this week, as I have missed the last two weeks due to the hurting brain thang, so am hoping that the thought of playing with their cousins tomorrow afternoon will make them scurry to get their work done tomorrow morning. A mama can dream, now, can't she?

I didn't get a whole heck of a lot of decluttering done this weekend, but what I did get done was mostly in our bedroom. I brought up another bookcase from the basement (after clearing it of almost all of my picture books. This was very emotionally tough for me to do!), and put it near my side of the bed. There are also now two sitting areas complete with table and chairs as well as the desk in our room, so that if I need to rest while the kids are schooling, they can do some of it in our room, in separate areas. They are not quite ready to be completely on their own for schoolwork, so this will allow me to be with them while I rest, and I hope will result in more reading aloud during the day.

Well, that is all for now. I have to go pay desperately late bills today. Once I accomplish that feat, I will probably lie down for a bit, between correcting math tests, and listening to poem recitations.

Thanks again for the well wishes, y'all are the best imaginary friends a girl could ask for!
LB