I've been letting the girls decompress and learn how to get along again for the last few months since bringing them back home from the charter school, which has been quite the adventure. We've managed to do some schoolwork with them in math regularly and sporadically in grammar, science, and history until last week. Last Monday I had decided to give them that week off for "spring break" so no lesson material at all for them, then we were going to pick up again this past Monday. Of course, on Thursday last week the dog almost died, so we began the 8 day journey to struggle to figure out what was wrong and heal her before I gave up yesterday when the money ran out and the credit line we got for it was maxed out. The vet decided not to charge us at all for yesterday's testing and meds, and even is covering her cremation and return of ashes for free because she feels so badly for missing the obstruction. The kids are doing pretty good considering, and already asking when we can get a new dog. Of course, it helps that they don't know the whole story and probably won't know it for many years.
Which brings me to where I am right now. I'm in a funk over having to tell the vet to euthanize Tinkerbell. I know it was the right choice and I feel no guilt over the decision, only peace, but I still managed to work myself into a funk over it nonetheless. Even buying new homeschool supplies and working on lesson planning for us to get into things again Monday isn't helping me get out of that funk (I'm a weirdo, I enjoy planning things out and making lists and scheduling, coming up with projects, and creating the sample pages for the girls' binder that we're going to be doing with our 50 states study).
Since today is payday for us, I am able to make purchases for supplies we need. I bought the State by State: Lapbook Any State! Curriculum from Hands of a Child on sale (if you look under the freebies and specials tab they have a code for 25% off good 4/4 through 4/7, I got this eBook for $6 instead of $8 today). I printed off the schedule and activities instructions already and looked through each one, marking off the ones I don't want at all (4 activities) and then marking the ones we'll definitely be using for every state (10 activities) and the ones that I may or may not use on a state by state basis (11 activities). Tomorrow I plan to buy binders, cardstock, and printer paper (I'm thinking I want colored paper and cardstock so I'll likely just order those online if Scott is ok with that and use what I have here and locally purchased 2" binders). I also hope tomorrow to go to the library and pay off my fines that I never got around to dealing with, and get some books to use so that I can introduce the kids to our nation as a whole for the first part of our US binders. Stay tuned next week for pictures and details on how that goes for us. :) I need to search for some free templates to use for the "Our Nation" part that can't be covered by what I have here already on my computer.
Tomorrow Scott is picking up our new sofa and loveseat too. We had to cancel the purchase of the sectional and ottoman that we'd originally chosen, and instead did a sofa and loveseat that is quite lovely for about 1/3 the price. Later we may buy the matching sectional, as having a bigger family does call for more seating than a typical family has (especially when we have friends over to visit!). After we get the furniture here, we are going to start saving up for a Diono Radian RXT for Preston so that he can rear face until 45lbs for maximum protection of his spine while it continues to harden (this happens with typical children around the age of 2-3 years) and decrease the risk of sustaining a serious injury if we are in a crash (notice I said IF here). I just can't decide if I wish to get the red or the blue, I really love the red but I have a feeling Scott would like the blue better since it is for his SON. The girls have pink boosters, and he needs a new seat for my van (the Radian he's in now expires in 2 1/2 years so it will go in Scott's car so I have the option of taking it sometimes instead of the van without moving his VERY HEAVY seat around). I know that the seat we've chosen is expensive, but it is going to be the best option with his height and weight to ensure we can get him rear facing as close to age 3 as possible. Plus I know how to install the seat without any problems in my van and Scott's car, I've timed it and can do it in under 45 seconds with LATCH or a seat belt. This is truly one of the few areas we refuse to scrimp and compromise, our children's safety is that important to us.
Wow that was a lot of random stuff, wasn't it? Whew, it feels good to get it all out of my head where I can look at it and focus on one thing at a time this next few days. Now I think I can print off those template pieces that I'm going to use for every state so that I can build an example set of pages for my own reference with our 50 states study. Having too many things in my brain just causes me to shut down and not function.
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