On the home(school) front

We started school this week! Yes, on Labor Day. That's okay...they hadn't been doing any laboring from which to take a break, and Mark had to work anyway. Let the school year begin! They, as you can see from our 1st day picture, are quite excited!

I'm more excited about this year than I have been for the past two years of homeschooling. I think part of it (and if I were a superstitious person, I might want to knock on wood saying this, but I'm not so I won't) is knowing that we won't have to pack up and
move in the middle of the school year. When Andrew was in kindergarten, we had just moved in early September, and then moved again in December. And then we moved again in January of his 1st grade year. This year, Lord willing, we're not moving anywhere!
So it's partly that, and the fact that I feel more organized and prepared than ever. With April being here for two weeks this summer (I know, I haven't blogged it yet-that was July, folks), we talked a lot about school and training kids and keeping up with a homeschooling family. And then she shared all of their organization schedules and charts, and by gum, my family doesn't stand a chance. We're going to keep to a schedule this year! And it's going fantastically, though my tongue is firmly planted in cheek, since it's been all of two days.

















But here's the irony of it all. Our first day of school is humming along smoothly. The kids are all outside for "recess" while I make lunch, as I can see their play area out the kitchen windows. Just two minutes before calling them to come in, Anna falls and screams. I run out barefoot, Andrew's saying over and over that she's bleeding. And bleeding she was. She had hit a rock in the driveway just so, a patch of rocks that are shale-like sharp.

I scoop her up to get ice on it, instruct Andrew to put all their apple slices off their plates and into a baggie to take with us, direct Jacob to the van, and off to the ER we went. (Side note: This is the exact reason why Mark is very reticent to sell his car, which hasn't sold yet, btw). With as much blood as there was, I simply could not tell how deep the cut was. Andrew sat next to her to hold ice on for at least a few minutes, but that's all she would tolerate.
















Mark met us at the hospital, and thankfully our friend Lynne from church was on duty! Sure enough, it needed stitches, as they weren't sure they could use Dermobond so close to her eye. Upon checking, they decided it would be okay to use it. Mark held her leaning back against him while they worked. She cried and cried as they were cleaning the wound...and I just leaned over and whispered in her ear a short prayer to Jesus that he would help her cooperate so that her owie would get better. And she stopped crying. And sat there calmly while they held her long eyelashes up out of the way, never moving while they applied two layers of the glue. What a trooper, and how real is our God? Very, very real, my friends.




















Yes, just make a schedule and see what happens! Seriously though, when we got home, I knew exactly what had been missed and what was most important to juggle. And when it came down to it, after getting a bit done when we got home,we only missed Science (well, that and me folding laundry, but hey) and I think a trip to the ER is a pretty good science field trip, don't you?

This is Anna today...quite the shiner. She's complained quite a bit about her owie 'urts, but overall is doing well.
















Speaking of schedules, it says I'm supposed to be in bed at ten, so all for now...