Dec 2-8

Wondering  what happened to November?  Yeah, me too.

We have a few activities that are winding down for the holidays.  Gymnastics is finished for the term.  14yo put in almost 20 hours of service participating in a puppet show right after Thanksgiving.  We were spending 40 minutes driving her to and from the church building where it was held.  I'm glad she did it.  I am glad it is over.

This weekend the choir 17yo sings in will have two performances then she will be finished for the year too.  We will be seeing most of her doctor's over the next 4-5 days.  Assuming we won't need to see any of them any time soon, we should have at least a month's break from doctor's appointments.

The 14yo and 17yo are keeping quite busy with their TJEd co-op classes.  We are forever trying to find the time to study biology and they seem to daily have their noses in books for their leadership and American History classes.

10yo on the other hand had a lot of down time during November.  I was spending so much time going to the dentist (broken tooth and then a crown), doctor (inguinal hernia), and chauffeuring sisters that it was easy to let her education move to the back burner.  We have actually done school this week for which I am thankful.  It's hard to face up to how much time we lost, but all we can do is move forward.

For my birthday back in the spring my family gave me a few Amazon gift cards.  I found a great deal ($30) on a set of eight Magic School Bus DVDs.  Only a homeschool mom would spend her birthday money on educational materials, right?  10yo and I are enjoying watching them together.

I'll have surgery for the inguinal hernia in January.  I am nervous!  I have a feeling we'll get quite a bit of homeschool done with me stuck in the bed for a bit.

October 21-27

Fail.  That is the word for this week in terms of productivity.  I accomplished almost nada.

Have you ever had one of those dreams where you were trying to run but you actually didn't go anywhere?  That was my week.

We did do one itty bitty thing this week that was fun.  The girls poured old food flavoring extracts into a metal mixing bowl and set the liquid on fire.  Due to the shape of the bowl and the wind, the flames kept dancing in a circle.  That was cool!

This next week has to be better.

October 7 - 13

The dentist told me a few years ago that I had a cracked tooth and that it would eventually break.  Well, this was the week.  Last Saturday a small corner broke off and then Monday a larger piece fell out.  Thankfully I wasn't in pain.  Wednesday morning I went to the dentist.  From what I can tell, he ground off a big portion of the half of tooth that was still there.  I now have a temporary aluminum crown and will have a new gold crown in about a week.  Thank goodness for dentists and modern dentistry!

Before I went to the dentist Wednesday morning I had the "privilege" of attending early morning seminary on behalf of my 17yo.  My husband attended class for our 14yo.  I usually wait for my girls in the parking lot while they attend seminary, but this gave me an idea of what my girls experience.  I got to hear about the goals the teachers have for the senior class, and the parents got to share what we would like to see our kids get out of seminary.

My big focus this week has been helping 14yo read through her Biology text and come up with ways to study the information so it will stick.  I'm totally enjoying it, but this is a big change for 14yo.  There is so much new vocabulary.  Learning how to pronounce the words is a feat and then she has to learn what the words mean.  It is going to be a challenge.

September 30 - October 06

The highlight of the week - a tour of the Yamasa soy sauce factory.

 Yamasa Corporation USA 

Now to reality...

Phew!  I'm still trying to find the balance between school, family responsibilities (meals, laundry, chauffeuring), and getting enough sleep.  Hence, I am sleep deprived.  I don't know how other families do it.  I personally have never been able to do as much as other mothers.

Here's an example of one day:
5:45am - alarm went off
6:25am - left for early morning seminary
8am - home, school with 14yo
11am (approx.) - school with 10yo
shower
cooked supper
2:20pm - drove to town for orthodontist appointment (17yo)
went to the grocery store
3:30pm - home, ate a taco
4pm - left for gymnastics (14yo)
continued to homeschool 10yo in the car
10yo got to play for 10 minutes at a park
6pm - picked up 14yo from gymnastics, drove to church
sat in the parking lot doing more homeschool
7pm - 14yo went in to church youth activities and 10yo stayed with dad while he waited for the teens
7:30pm - home, gathered my science supplies and cleaned the microscope case
10pm - collapsed into bed

The next day was even crazier.  The teens started attending a co-op and some of us toured the Yamasa soy sauce factory.

Co-op classes:
17yo - TJYC (Thomas Jefferson Youth Certification) and Biology
14yo - Key to Liberty and Biology

September 23-29

We added Wednesday afternoon gymnastics for 14yo this week.  It was kind of crazy.  I had to have supper cooked by 3:30pm.  No easy feat for me when it comes to my procrastinating disorganized self.

Friday we took the day off from school to go camping at the coast.  Let me say that I don't care much for camping or the coast.  Just being honest.  Camping means being cold and smelling like campfire smoke.  And camping at the coast adds in wet, foggy, and windy.  BUT, this time was different.  It has been very dry here and it was SUNNY!

We camped at Nehalem Beach.  We witnessed elk grazing on the dunes.  My husband used a magnet to pick up iron ore out of the sand.  10yo decided to body surf the dunes bringing home lots of sand in her clothes.  The second beach, Indian Beach, we visited was more typical of the rocky Pacific Northwest coastline.  The actual beach was small and surrounded by rocky cliffs.  17yo enjoyed rock collecting.  14yo was able to find an intact sand dollar and a few jellyfish.  10yo enjoyed dancing in the waves.

September 16-22

Another full week of early morning seminary.  I was dying by the end of the week.

14yo has already passed off eleven scripture mastery verses.

17yo finished knitting her first vest.  It fits her nicely.

Both girls are blessing us more and more with their cooking skills.  17yo recently made eggplant parmesan and coconut/chocolate/almond extract cupcakes.  14yo made rolls and snicker doodles. 

The highlight of school this week was a field trip to Cascadia Cave to view petroglyphs made by the Kalapuya Indians.  It was an all day event with an enthusiastic tour guide/archaeologist.  Our girls were the youngest participants. "The cave is an 8,000 year old American Indian petroglyph site considered to have the largest concentration of rock engravings in western Oregon."

After the hike, we received some exciting news...our son-in-law passed the bar!

Today was a tough day for me.  My parents permanently moved out of our duplex.  They have spent their summers here for six years. I can't imagine summers without them.

Life with teenagers will be back in full swing by next week.
17yo - choir
14yo - gymnastics
both - early morning seminary and weekly co-op

Homeschool goes better when...

My efforts to homeschool actually go better when public school and the local private school are back in session.  There aren't any friends to play with so 10yo attends to her school work rather than thinking about what she is missing out on.  Add in our return to early morning seminary this week also and life felt comfortably routine.

Okay, so .... it didn't last long.  Lol!  I had a meltdown Friday morning when we returned from seminary.  The kitchen counters and dining room table were so loaded with junk that it made me want to cry.  I was so mad about living in a pig sty that I decided dejunking should trump academics.   I know it isn't the way to handle a very REAL problem (level 2 hoarders?), but at the time it was an emotional emergency.  Today I decided (again!) that doing a little dejunking each day will be better than losing an entire day of school.

Saturday the family attended a Renaissance Faire.  This is the 3rd(?) year my 17yo has attended with her best friend.  In the past she has worn one of her friend's dresses but this time she made her own.  I'm so proud of her!  My mother mentored her through the pattern fitting, cutting, and sewing process but she tried to let my daughter do the work. 

Back to the Faire.  There were a lot of vendors and my husband commented that he couldn't believe he had paid money to enter the faire just so he could spend more money ;)  Overall, it was enjoyable and I think it will make our history studies more meaningful.  People watching and jousting were probably our top activities though we enjoyed the music and crafting also.

Planner Love

I can't plan worth beans.  I have these vague goals rolling around in my head, but I can NOT seem to get specific plans on paper.  It works out in a "do the next thing" kind of way.  We do stuff for school and then I record what we did in an academic Monthly/Weekly planner.  The problem?   Things fall through the cracks if I don't have a to-do list in front of me.  Whole subjects have been forgotten for weeks at a time.

This school year I am trying something new with my ten year old.  It is so simple and yet it works!  It is like a combination to-do list and log book.   Here is a short YouTube video demonstration for My Student Logbook. 

You can find more information by checking the My Student Logbook Facebook page.  There are pictures of the different covers, etc.  Be sure and click on the "about" page for details and ordering information.

~ A Happy Customer

Writing

Writing is a mystery to me.  I mean, really, how do you teach writing?  As a high school and then community college student the instructors wanted me to turn in an outline first.  I couldn't do it.  I would write my paper and then make an outline from what I had written.  There is so much to the writing process.  It isn't merely getting your ideas on paper.  You have to worry about grammar and spelling too.  I would sit there with a blank screen (or piece of paper) in front of me paralyzed.  I couldn't even start.

How do you teach writing to your students when it feels mysterious and is viewed as a possible form of torture?  You don't.  You let Andrew Pudewa into your home via DVDs and allow him to show your children that they CAN write and that it doesn't have to be painful.  He has given us (teacher and student) the courage to take that first step, because that is what most reluctant writers need ... a gentle nudge.  Okay, so some of us need a shove.  Once you start you realize that can do this thing called writing.

Do I expect my kids to become world class authors?  No, we need help getting started.  We'll worry about perfection on down the road.

What we are using: Student Writing Intensive Level B from the Institute for Excellence in Writing.

Back in the saddle...again

Luckily for me I am blessed with a 14yo who is self motivated.  She has been setting school goals  (and accomplishing them) for most of the summer. 10yo and I on the other hand needed a break.  I tried to keep going but summer surrounded us.  She has roamed the neighborhood with friends and gone on field trips with the community summer park program.  It has been nice to relax after pushing ourselves to prepare for her first standardized testing experience.

The local schools will begin September 5th which is only a week-and-a-half away.  It is time for us to wake up a little earlier and ease into school with some daily lessons.  Time to be back in the saddle.

I have many things I want to accomplish with the girls this year.  In the simplest terms:

• 17yo - continue to gain confidence.  This kid has blossomed in the past year and it has been a blessing to witness.  She is a self-motivated unschooler who knits, cooks, sings with a choir, attends early morning seminary, watches teaching company lectures, and savors Daniel Schwabauer's writing programs (One Year Adventure Novel and Other Worlds).
• 14yo wants to focus on writing.  We have lots of other plans for her which will mostly be based on the Core Knowledge Sequence:  Content and Skill Guidelines for Kindergarten - Grade 8.
• 10 yo - consistency...period.

How do you spell relief?

She did it!  After seven months of preparation, 10yo took her first standardized test this morning.  The tester was kind enough to call me this afternoon and give me my daughter's scores.  She is solidly in the middle.  In other words, she scored exactly at the end of third grade.  She needed to score at or above the 15th percentile. 

A two year reprieve has been granted. ; )

Goodbye to another book

Even though 10yo has been sick today, she was able to finish another book.  : )

Rod & Staff

Bible Nurture Reader Series

Grade 2 readers

Plug - The Book Samaritan

I would like to put in a plug for The Book Samaritan.  Here's a previous blog post and here is an article explaining how their ministry works.

Simply:

• you box up your curriculum that you no longer need
• ship it to The Book Samaritan ministry
• they redistribute the curriculum to homeschoolers in need.

I happily sent a box to them today.  It was a milestone for me as the contents of the box were many of the items I used to teach my youngest to read.   Happy day!

Free at last!

Programs and classes are winding down for the summer and I'm feeling FREE!

My teens attended a Shakespeare Conquest class during the school year.  The last six weeks were spent preparing to perform "Much Ado About Nothing."  In April they were practicing two days/six hours a week and in May that increased to three days/nine hours a week.  I felt like we were living in the car.  The last performance was May 21st.

On to the next biggie.  Since January 16yo has been attending weekly practices for the local children's choir.  She performs with the high school age singers.  Their big end-of-the-year concert was yesterday. No more practices until autumn.

And THE biggie?  This is the last week of early morning seminary (public school schedule 6:45-7:45am).  I've been the driver for three school years.  In May I was about to lose my mind, so Dad offered to drive the first half of the week.  He has continued to do so which has been a huge relief for me.

: )  : )  : )

Reality

I have visions of grandeur.  I want my kids to love Latin and the classics.  And then, there is reality.  14yo has expressed a desire to focus on English (writing, grammar, spelling, etc.) this summer.  While math is non-negotiable I have reluctantly agreed to drop Latin, French, and Christian Studies.  I am seriously sad to let go of my dream - Latin.  I was so enjoying our discussions during Christian Studies, so I am disappointed about that one too. 

There is another type of reality that goes with homeschool.  Your child isn't always going to be working at the average grade level.  The older girls (14 and 16) were involved in a co-op this year.  It was only a few hours each week, but it ended up cutting our school down to four days a week.  Play rehearsals started in earnest in April (two days/week) and then became very time consuming in May (three days/week).  A few hours a week seems like a small sacrifice, but it ended up being much more time consuming than that.  We went from being "behind" to being really behind in our textbooks.  14yo feels so behind that she has asked that we start over from the beginning of her math textbook (Math 7) and grammar (English 5).  I dislike backing up so far, but  this really needs to be about mastery instead of box checking.  The textbook may be titled grade 5 but if that is where she feels she needs to be, so be it.  I want her to know math and grammar rather than merely having visited them.

Rod & Staff Math 2 - Done!

Lesson #170 today.  We are FINALLY done!

The Play's the Thing

My two teens have been taking a Shakespeare Conquest class since last fall.  The class ended this past week with two performances of  "Much Ado About Nothing."  For two months our lives became progressively crazier by the week. 14yo and I dropped all academics. I was able to continue doing the basics with 10yo daughter since standardized testing is around the corner.

Rod & Staff Math 2

No, I didn't drop it entirely.  I felt she still needed daily work with her addition math facts, so after a few days I added R&S Math 2 back into our daily lineup.  I look through the worksheets and "x" out anything that would be redundant since she is also doing R&S Math 3 every day.  She seems happy to be doing the worksheets again since they are "easy."  And, she likes that I'm not assigning all of the problems.

In a couple of weeks we'll be starting the last workbook for R&S 2.  I think I did the right thing by continuing with level two however I will be happy when we are working in only one math book.

It's a keeper!

Today my 13yo and I finished reading K12's The Human Odyssey Vol. 1.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to start volume 2!  This is one textbook I plan to keep. 

Done!

Yes!  I'm so happy. : )

For years I have saved textbooks for my youngest.  And let me tell you, Rod & Staff student books and teacher manuals take up a lot of space.  I have longingly looked at the shelf space taken up by the Rod & Staff books and dreamed of the day I could put other things there.  It is a few years later than I had expected, but we are finally to the point we can bless someone else with a few of our R&S textbooks.

Going, going, gone...

Bible Nurture and Reader Series 1

Doing the right thing?

In December I went into panic mode.  Since then 9yo and I have been slaving away trying to prepare her for standardized testing this summer.  We've been doing two levels of math (Rod & Staff Math 2 and 3).  Math 2 focuses on learning the addition facts. DD didn't know them, so that is where we started. When I introduced multiplication to her I decided to add in Math 3 for exposure. 

Two math levels with lots of review has almost been too much.  I began to question my decision.  Why do two math levels when  Rod & Staff is known for review?  Wouldn't it be more efficient to focus on Math 3 and use addition flash cards every day?

I'm sorta shaking in my boots here.  I can't believe I'm even considering this when she is so far behind in math and the test is looming.  I may regret this decision but I'm going to drop Math 2.  If I see she still needs help with the addition math facts, I'll have her do parts of Math 2.

I hope I'm doing the right thing.

Surprise! It's the little things...

Step 1 of All About Spelling level 1 is to learn all the letter sounds.  Seems easy enough, right?  E has two sounds.  A, I, and U have three.  O has four.  And then there is Y.  It has a consonant sound and three vowel sounds.  We took our time and worked on learning the sounds rather than jumping ahead like I wanted to.

Recently I decided 9yo was ready to move to the next step.  It seemed to be a breeze.  Step two - check.  Step three - check.  Step four.  I scheduled one day.  Um, several days later and we're still on the same step and probably will be for another week.  It seemed so simple.  Say the sound(s) of a letter and have the child write that letter.  She had problems with letters like c (two sounds /k/ and /s/) and k (one sound /k/).  When I said /k/ and /s/ she got confused and wanted to write a K rather than a C.  It's the little things that catch you by surprise.

But, this is good.  It's good to know that this is a struggle.  And, it's good to take the time to master it before we move on.  Once she masters this she will be able to move forward with more skill and confidence.

Using what's already on the shelf

Due to having my head stuck in the sand, I recently realized that there isn't any money for new homeschool books.   We have plenty of books here it's just that I can't buy the new ones I want to currently use.  I've spent the morning trying to figure out how to make use of what we already own.  It has left my brain feeling "blenderized."   I finally had to ask myself what my basic goals are. 

Goals:

• Be able to write.
• Strong foundation in reading and math
• Core Knowledge
• Basic foundation in Latin (wishful thinking!)

Since they know how to read, it boils down to math and writing plus whatever else I can get to stick in their brains.  Not very exciting but that's the way it has to be at the moment.

All Over the Place

On The Well-Trained Mind message boards, a favorite activity is to discuss curriculum plans for the upcoming school year.  I know it is only February but homeschooling moms are already posting their plans.  The threads are usually by grade level (example: "Who has started planning for 4th grade?").  I rarely add to those threads because my kids are all over the place.  I don't have a fourth grader.  I have a 9yo who is technically registered as a third grader but who works at a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade level depending on the subject.  If you had asked me last year this time I would have said that she was probably on a K-1st grade level.  I'm thrilled with the progress she is making, however I doubt we'll ever have all of our subjects on the same grade level.

I've blogged about flash cards before: "How We Do Flashcards"

Today I am adding to our Rod & Staff Math 7 flash cards.  It's tedious.  They aren't very neat.  However, I have found that my 13yo does better when she has the constant review.  Here is an example:

Rules of divisibility:
2 - ends with 0,2,4,6,8
3 - add the digits, divisible by 3?
4 - last two digits 00 or even, divisible by 4?
5 - ends with 0 or 5
6 - even? yes, add digits, divisible by 3?
9 - add the digits, divisible by 9?
10 - ends with 0

So far I have flash cards for things like: place value, rounding, how to read and write Roman Numerals, estimation, mental multiplication and division shortcuts, casting out nines, how to find an average, etc.  I have many more chapters to go, but I know it will be worth it in the long run. 

Memory Notebooks

Making memory notebooks for 9yo and 13yo.  I have tried using three prong folders in the past, but adding papers isn't as easy as a notebook.  We have papers floating all around and then kids "forget" to work on memorization since they can't locate their papers.

For now we have:

13yo
Latin vocabulary (Lively Latin)
Poetry (IEW)
The Living Christ
US States
Canadian Provinces
Divisibility Rules


9yo
Multiplication tables
Poetry (IEW)
US States

More to come...

Quotes

I struggle.  I struggle with the decision to follow through every day.  I am lazy.  I procrastinate. 

But, I know it isn't right.  So, I keep trying to be a better homeschooling mom.

Recently there was a thread about academic rigor in homeschooling (or the lack of it in homeschooling circles).  Honestly, we will never be there, but I came across some quotes that I hope will continue to inspire me to keep trying for our best.

"Here's a challenge: This year, refuse to lower your expectations. Instead, raise them. And then exceed them. Enough of the whining and complaining and self-indulgence. Teach, **** it. Lead. Coach. Motivate. Inspire. Give your students the best that you have to offer every. single. day. Remember: The goal is a lifetime of excellence, not a day or two here and there. A lifetime. Begin, then, with raised expectations -- of yourself and of your students. " (Mental Multivitamin)

"If I am reading you correctly, though, I know exactly what is the type of person you have in mind, I know them IRL. Run away from those in big leaps. Talk about these issues with people who will lift you higher rather than drag you down. Keep your children, in their formative years, as away from those attitudes as you would keep them away from morally very questionable choices. Surround them with people and ideas who will lift them higher, to the maximum extent of your possibility. Do not cultivate mediocrity. It will grow all around you, but you do not have to cultivate it in your little corner of the world where you live with your family." (Ester Maria)

Pushing through

School with the 9yo:

Today I didn't want to do science.  We did science.
Today I didn't want to do spelling.  We did spelling.
Today I didn't want to do writing.  We did writing.

Some days are like that.  You have to push through and do it.

Yay! and Boo!

Yay! (or however you spell it)
Today I taught my 9yo to borrow from the tens' place and it went much better than I had hoped for.  Does she understand what she was doing? I have no idea.  I used coins (dimes and pennies) to demonstrate the first few problems.  She quickly picked up the procedure but we'll have to wait to see if she actually understands what she is doing.

And now for the Boo!
I can't buy anymore homeschool books for a long while.  Sigh. 
Here's the story.  I bought some books from the Core Knowledge Foundation and immediately felt guilty ($$). I didn't really need them.  I wanted them.  This led to looking into the state of our finances.  I have had my head in the sand for a long time.  It was a shock to see how much we overspent in the past year.  We haven't been living within our means.  It made me ill because I knew that part of this is my tendency to justify purchases.
When Wednesday's package arrives it will be the last big hurrah.

And the beat goes on....

"Drums keep pounding rhythm to the brain."

If we keep drilling it's going to stick, right?  The focus for 9yo is the three R's.

Here's a typical day:
Put frogs on the refrigerator - addition math facts to 10
Put bees on their clover - addition math facts 11-18
R&S Math 2 - four worksheets while Mom works with older sister.  Currently on lesson 84.  Mastering math fact - 13, it's parts are 9 and 4.
Math flashcards - addition and multiplication (1s, 2s, 10s, 11s, adding 3's, 5's, and 7's)
R&S Math 3 with Mom - work ALL problems on a chalkboard.  Currently on lesson 23.  Mostly review of grade 2.

R&S English 2 - one lesson done orally.  Learning about proper nouns.
Grammar Minutes worksheet (test prep)

R&S Bible Nurture and Reader Series 1 Unit 4 - review words from previous lessons and  read one story.  Currently reading about Abraham.
Daily Reading Comprehension worksheet (test prep)

All About Spelling - focusing on learning all the vowel sounds.  "O" is quite tricky with four sounds.  The CD is a big help.

Writing with Ease 1 (WWE) - week 4

Nancy Larson Science 1 - we are usually fried by the time we reach science and it is a nice way to end the day.  Much more fun than drill!


13yo:
Having her do school with mom first is working out much better for everyone.  She still isn't thrilled but at least she isn't frustrated either.

Latin - re-watching Lively Latin 1 videos and filling in the first test.  She knows this information well. :)

R&S Math 7 - Rod & Staff schedules one lesson per day (170 total).  We've always done one lesson per day.  If 13yo is catching on easily, I have her do even or odd numbered problems with the new material and all review problems.  Math has never been her strength and she is starting to bog down.  I've decided to spread her lessons over two days.  She will do odd problems one day and even the next.  There is no rush as I can't see her moving to Algebra any time soon.  She needs to master basic math.

English/Writing - We are re-reading the lessons in R&S English 5 that she has completed.  She is writing down the basic information from each lesson to make a personal grammar notebook.
She has started Writing With Skill 1 (WWS).  We are only in the beginning stages, so I don't know if we'll need to back up to WWE or not.

Christian Studies 1 (Memoria Press) - We read the Golden Children's Bible then we move on to the same story in the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.  We read additional scripture that we have available to us as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I read the notes to her from the teacher's manual and we discuss the differences in doctrine.  We are having some great discussions!  I believe this is laying a strong foundation for her New Testament studies next school year (early morning seminary).

Loop subjects:
K12s The Human Odyssey - starting on the Vikings.

Core Knowledge K Teacher Handbook - We are reading from this for American History, Art, and Science with the purpose of filling gaps.  It is background information for the teacher so we are definitely learning more than kindergarten level information.

Tears = Change/Solution

I can only do one thing at a time.  Obviously this causes problems when you homeschool more than one  child.

A few days ago, 13yo was having a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."  After a hug and a few tears, I figured out that she was frustrated due to waiting on mom all day.

Solution.  13yo now gets to do school first while 9yo does her math worksheets.  We finally feel productive.

School tomorrow? Be afraid!

Right after Christmas I was recovering from a bug that sent me into coughing fits when another bug hit.  And then there was this other thing that happened at the same time (ladies, ya know what I mean).  I didn't feel terrible but I was definitely sick.  The next day I felt "flat."  This is a type of depression that hits me occasionally.  It wasn't as bad this time as it has been in the past, so I was just waiting it out.  It usually passes within 24 hours.  The next day I woke up with a stiff neck and spent half the day in bed with a heating pad.  I still didn't think of myself as being that sick, but today?  I realized the weak wobbily feeling I had been ignoring was real.  I couldn't stand in one place without swaying.  My thigh muscles feel weak and my brain doesn't seem to be functioning as well.  I can't think.  I'm not exhausted.  There just isn't any energy. 

Sitting here in bed recovering from going grocery shopping and the thought hit me that we will be doing a full school schedule tomorrow.  Goodness, gracious me!  I do not know how I'm going to pull this off tomorrow in addition to driving 16yo to early morning seminary.