Homeschool Mother's Journal - Week 21

In my life this week.....

Can we say...I am tired of constantly sick kids.  Every little bug the kids keep picking up.  This has got to stop.  Caty still has some issues with a UTI, but we cannot get into a specialist until the first week in December.  She's back on antibiotics...again.  That and lots of 100% cranberry juice.   She missed school all week (ok...preschool at the regular therapy school) because of this UTI.  Any other suggestions to help out (that you know work) would be appreciated.  I just am grasping at whatever I can to help the poor little thing out.

Lydia is done with another round of antibiotics.  They cyst has shrunken enormously.  We're watching for signs of infection.  She is still complaining about pain in her arm.  The surgeon appointment is Monday for her.

I finally was able to get into an endocrinologist.  I have to have a a CT Scan of my pancreas and kidneys next week.  But he also suggested thyroid issues because he saw I had two abnormal thyroid tests over the last two years.  I had two normal and two abnormal in all the blood work done.  He said that's weird.  Don't know what to think, but if it is....a bunch of my symptoms match that diagnosis pretty well.  I hope they find something out soon.  We missed a field trip this week...again...because I woke up with a pain attack and shaking/trembling.  No explanation as to why....don't know what to do anymore.

In our homeschool this week....

We actually got lots and lots done!!!!  Lydia is starting a month long look at where are Garbage goes for Girl Scouts this month.  We are going on a field trip to Goodwill on Monday also to see how to reuse clothes and other household items.  We are still working on Colonial America with Felicity.  And she started adding with Math U See this week.  She has been rocking at Reading Eggs over the last couple weeks, and loving it.  She is so proud of herself reading some books almost completely on her own!

The boys are chucking along at telling time and adding time.  Joey has started reading about constellations and finding them on a star map that we found at the museum last week.  He is also working on Spanish.  Lydia and I are going to work on French over the next few weeks (watch for the review).  Brayden has been flying under the radar, and finishing his work or hiding thinking I will think he is doing his work.

Places we are going and persons we are seeing....

We had LEGO club this week.  And the boys had bowling.  Basketball starts in two weeks.  We missed our field trip to the Art Museum because of me.  I felt really bad, fortunately Lydia kind of forgot what we were going to be doing that day.  Joey and Lydia both had guitar lessons today.  Apparently Mommy is learning to play guitar also...to help the kids learn their chords easier.  So I cut my nails today in order to try my hand at the guitar also.  (Yeah....I have time for that too.!!!...lol)

My favorite thing this week....

Watching Joey eat a strawberry yesterday during Science Class.  He is making a massive effort to try and eat veggies and fruit.  He is our child that was convinced he was allergic to all veggies and fruit.  So he gags at the thought of eating veggies.  Last Sunday he tried hummus.  He started gagging as he lifted the chip to his mouth, but tried it anyway.  And then asked for more.  He liked it....he really liked it (sorry a bit of a tribute to Mikey).

Yesterday during science, he was trying a strawberry and was trying to pull the bugs off.  He told me the seeds were bugs.  I snickered and assured him they were not bugs.  Then he started trying to pull them off.  I asked what he was doing.  He said "We can't eat the seeds...they'll hurt us."  Another snicker from me, and then I assured him again that the strawberry was able to be eaten just as it was.  He tried it and liked it...he really liked it....lol!  Just the conversation though was hilarious!!

Things I am working on.....

I have been just trying to keep things cleaned up....I am going to post what our house really looks like during the school day.

Bear in mind....the pile of unfolded laundry was moved from the couch to the kitchen table (and it's still not folded). We have a TV/VCR combo that I drag out for library videos.  We were going to be watching an old Bill Nye video today, so it's sitting there waiting to be hooked up.

 Caty was really into the sunflower seed Montessori activity.

 Joey was building away from the LEGO Ideas Book (it was in one of his workboxes.  This is our enclosed front porch.  It serves as a play area for the kids also.

I do have a list that I am starting of things that I really need to get done this weekend.  I also need to update my review calendar.  Need to pick up the yard and pull weeds and garden vines out for the winter.  Also put away all my parents yard decorations.  Going to be a busy Saturday.

What am I reading.....

I am still reading Trini's book....haven't had much time this week to do it.


What we are cooking.....

I have been trying to stay on top of this....I actually start to cook our dinner at breakfast if I can.  Depending on the meal.  This week we had chicken patties (made with chicken breast and rice flour), potato skins, homemade chicken noodle soup, lasagna soup.  Tomorrow I'm making homemade chicken strips.  My goal has been to make too much, so we have leftovers for lunches and breakfast...etc.  We did do takeout Pizza Hut Tuesday, but not because there was not food cooked, but we had promised the boys that they could have pizza that night after bowling.  My dad also treated them to Chinese food Monday night after our doctor appointment.  He and I rode together to the doctor Monday.  The kids love Chinese food.  I ate leftover homemade breaded chicken patties...and they were tasty!

Next week, I really want some scalloped potatoes.  Joey has requested a lasagna again.  I also need to come up with an Ohio meal for our State meal.  (Lydia chose Ohio as the state next week.)  We'll might have BBQ chicken one day.  Shrimp tacos sound really good, and maybe some Spanish rice.  Still thinking about it.  Should check my e-mealz in a bit to check out the menu for next week.

Questions or comments I have.....

Do your kids fight during school?  Joey gets edgy and Lydia picks on him.  And fights explode.  Then Brayden cannot control how much he is talking about something and will drive Joey crazy, so another explosion.  Caty feels left out...so she picks a fight.  Daily this is going on.  Joey wears headphones because Lydia's humming drives him crazy.  I have him work in another area, and he yells at her even when he's in another room and he may hear her reading a book to me.  Ugghhhh!!!  I need help!

Each one of the kids have such unique (and that's the only term I can come up with) needs.  Lydia has really started displaying more tendencies as she has gotten older (which is what the boys did).  Joey's mood changes on a daily basis....ok it can change minute by minute.  He was laughing at a movie the other day, and 10 minutes later he was crying about something that happened 6 years ago that I had totally forgotten about.  And then that upset him.

Any of your moms out there with multiple kids with special needs.  I am open to any suggestions that you have heard or that have worked for you.  We are getting work done, but some days is very stressful on me. (Which isn't helping my health.)

Picture of the week.....

How do you know you are a homeschool family?!?  You are purposely rotting food scraps and candy wrappers together in your window.

Linking up with other Homeschool Moms at The Homeschool Chick!