Soooo... I thought rather than wait until I have the time to write anything decent, I would write when I don't have the time (or the energy) and just see what comes across from pen to page! (typewriter to page). I know it will probably be laden with blatant grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, so if you are the type who will cringe, please just stop reading now....
So a lot has happened since I last updated my blog! We discerned that we needed to move back where I grew up, we got our house ready to sell, we moved, and our house is currently under contract to sell at the end of the month! The Lord's hand was definitely in this move, and once again He shows Himself to be faithful. Not that, if things went roughly, I would doubt His presence, but the numerous blessings that have come our way cause me to once again stand in awe at all He has done for us. For example, one thing I was stressed about was finding a speech therapist for my son who has developmental apraxia (a condition where he has difficulty coordinating between his brain and his mouth and therefor, speaking). Not only were we able to get in with the best speech therapist in the county, but she is also a Eucharistic adorer and I get the feeling she prays for all these little people she helps. Another blessing: after a month and a half of no bites on our house, Brendan and I started praying the St. Joseph novena, and about half way through it we got a solid offer on our house and now it is under contract. We also feel so incredibly blessed that we have met a wonderful Catholic homeschooling family here (the Suarez family) through God's provision. I could go on, but I will say that overall, things have been very good.
Right now we are living in the house I grew up in until I was about 8. It is a farmhouse on 14 acres of land, with my parents house on the same property about 200 yards away. The house itself needs some work, as it has been unoccupied for a number of years and is an older home to begin with. Nevertheless, I didn't think I would enjoy living in the country as much as I do. I love that my kids can go outside and I don't have to worry about traffic, neighbors judging me for not standing out in the backyard with them like most of the helicopter parents with only one child (I was one once, too! ya know what I mean), etc. etc. I love that they can be outside for hours at a time and not get bored, because there are so many places to explore. We also found tons of blackberry bushes on the property, and my mom has quite a garden including blueberries bushes, tomatoes, peppers, basil, etc. so we have gotten to enjoy the fruits of the earth. Needless to say, the kids have also been doing their share of helping to weed the garden. I am glad my mom can provide this experience for them as I am not a gardener. One thing has changed for the negative since I was a kid here, and that is that now we have to worry about Lymes disease. We are constantly pulling ticks off the kids and it makes me quite upset at the misguided animal-rights people that have allowed the deer population to become so terribly overpopulated. (The deer ticks spread the Lymes) Venison, anyone?
We are also gearing up for our third year of homeschooling. I am both nervous and exited going into this year. It will be my first year having to teach two kiddos, as Charlie is an official kindergartener this year! Peter is going into second grade, which is a bit heavier workload for him then first. I will need to work hard to keep him on target with his goals for this year. Charlie is proving to be easy and delightful to teach. That is a big relief for me!! We have adapted quite a few of Charlotte Mason's educational techniques over the past few months. For those who aren't familiar, she was an English educator who advocated for short lessons, beautiful and quality literature rather than texts, narrations and dictations rather than workbooks, the careful training of habits, and afternoons free to play and imagine. We have implemented her ten household rules this past summer, and given the kids greater responsibility around the house. That has been a very good thing (although please don't be so idealistic as to think we made these changes by peaceably giving the kids a little nudge in the right direction). We also have done a lot of research on books lists and implemented much more literature into their daily diet. We eliminated all TV except on the weekends (something I didn't think I could ever do). The kids have actually been much more motivated to have me read to them, and have even cried a couple times when it was time to return new/old favorites to the library! I still haven't had any luck getting either of them to pick up books and read books without a direct school assignment to do so, but Brendan keeps telling me that some boys are just too busy to read and let them be. If I am honest, I will say it bothers me tremendously because I was such an avid reader as a kid. I attribute most of my educational success to that one habit. (Lord knows it wasn't all the studying and homework I didn't do). I am trying to learn to accept, be patient, offer but don't nag and not drive them away from being readers altogether by constant harassing. Suggestions? Overall, they are learning, character is being slowly built bit by bit, and we are growing ever closer as a family.
Life with four kids is still crazy and hectic, though full of joys that outweigh the hard things. I wonder sometimes if I will ever get to the point as a parent where all my kids brush their teeth everyday, go to bed at a reasonable time, each meals with multiple food groups, and take baths at reasonable enough intervals for me to go in public without my having to calculate who to give an emergency bath to before we leave? The thought occurs to me now and then, also, if Brendan and I will be at the point where one of us can leave for an hour or two in the evening to get some exercise or meet with friends without the other freaking out that the bedtime routine is impossible for one person. (It is). I wonder if there will be any record of Gabriel's babyhood, as I don't think we have taken pictures of a single major event due to our camera breaking two years ago and never getting a new one. All these things and more make me think maybe we should take a breather and get our acts together a bit more... But on the other hand... Maybe not?
Ah, well, that is my life... Please update me with yours! There are so many I don't see on a regular basis anymore and would love to hear from!
In Christ,
Elaine
