What’s going on around here?

I am really tired and weak right now!  Six more weeks until baby’s due!  I was sick earlier in the week last week and haven’t gotten back into exercising.  Some days I can barely stand for a few minutes before I’m so exhausted I have to sit down.  Today is one of those days.

We had swim lessons this morning for 5 of my 6 kids.  It’s the first time I’ve signed them up for outdoor lessons.  Now, I understand the downside–the last two days were canceled due to bad weather.  But there is definitely an upside.  My 9 yo was in the diving pool, which is all 12 feet.  He learned how to dive today (sort of), and even tried diving off the diving board!  But my 3 yo, who was in lessons for the first time wouldn’t get in the pool!  He cried the whole time.  Oh, well.  He’s the first of 5 kids to do that.  I guess that’s pretty good odds.  We’ll try again tomorrow.

Afterwords, we went to the library to sign up for the reading program.  I like the program at our library.  There isn’t a set number of books that have to be read.  We just have to go into the library every week for 5-6 weeks, and they’ll get a free book as a prize.  We’re also doing the Barnes and Noble reading program, and will get a free book for that, too.

I’ve been doing a pretty good job with following the FlyLady baby steps.  I’m up to step 11, which is to add an inspirational page to my control journal.  I put together a notebook binder and filled it with a bunch of organizational pages that I’ve downloaded through the years and have been just sitting in my computer.  (Some of the pages were from the SchoolHouse Planner.  See a sample of it here.)  There are pages for planning unit studies, goals for each of the kids, books read (for them and for me), meal planning, housekeeping chores, etc.  I’ve made a section in there for FlyLady, too, so I can learn the routines and make them habit in my life.  My kitchen sink is still shining (or at least it is every night after the kids are all in bed!).  I’ve been taking care of  “hot spots” and decluttering for a few minutes at a time.

Monday night we had a mom’s meeting for the new co-op we’ll be a part of in the fall.   It looks like a really neat group of ladies!  We’ll be doing Jeannie Fulbright’s Exploring Creation With Human Anatomy and Physiology book.  We actually do all the reading at home, and then the kids will do experiments, activities, review games, and putting paper models together from The Body Book (by Scholastic) at the co-op every other Friday.  They will also have an hour of P.E. time.  I’m going to teach music and movement to the preschoolers.  I’m so glad I’ll be able to do it because it will be the first time in about 10 years that I won’t be teaching it from my home!  I’ve even let go of my website.  So, it will be wonderful that my 2 yo and 4 yo will be able to be in music class!

A funny thing happened that night.  I had to leave earlier than I normally do when I have an evening committment, so my husband was going to have to put all six kids to bed.  (Usually, I put the baby to bed.)  But I told him that our 6 yo daughter knew how to do it and could actually do everything (change her, put on pj’s, brush teeth, read, and sing/rock her) except actually lift her up into the crib.  When I got home, he said she did it ALL, even lifting and putting her in the crib!  However, my baby girl didn’t like that too much and started crying.  So, my husband picked her up and sang a couple more songs.  She was happy to sleep after that!

I’ve been having fun making plans for our next year of homeschool.  I’ve been getting all the curriculum we need, and even some extra desks!  Sales for school supplies will start in a few weeks, so we’ll start stocking up on all that!

Last week we started our summer homeschool moms book club.  We’re reading a book called She’s Gonna Blow by Julie Barnhill.  I think it will help all of us get more control of those angry moments we all get.

Now, to see if I have enough energy to start dinner.  We’re having Curry Chicken and rice tonight!
“