Yes

If finally happened. We started school this afternoon. It looked something like this:

1:00 Said good-bye to Grandma

1:10-1:40 Sewed with Little Mama

1:40-2:00 Went over our new schedules and discussed, a little bit, my expectations

2:00-2:45 Math

2:45-3:00 Read from the book Do Tornadoes Really Twist?

3:00 We are done.

It is a step in the right direction . . .

Silent Sunday

Big Time

Grandma came last night. Sissy's good friend from high school is getting married today and hubby and I are invited. Grandma and a guest are invited as well, and she has decided to take Little Mama.

Little Mama is so very excited to hang out with Grandma (and us.) We bought a new dress and it sure is pretty.

The babysitter will be coming this afternoon to watch the rest of the kids. So, I know they will have big fun.

Everyone will be having a big time . . .

Gray Hair

That is what EG is giving me.

Tuesday she hit her head. I comforted her and she nestled her head in my shoulder and neck. When she stopped crying and settled down, I sat her on my knee to put her on the floor. The back of her head and her back were covered in blood. As was my shoulder and neck.

I panicked. I couldn't get a hold of daddy, so I called the doctor's office. They said, because it was head injury, to go to the ER. So, I grabbed a towel, put it on her head to stop the bleeding, got every one going in one direction and off we went.

My MIL met us at the ER to take the bigger kids. EG and I checked in, with the help of some really nice people who went out of their way to help me get the paperwork straightened out.

In true EG fashion, we had been there about 1/2 hour and she was running all around and entertaining everyone. She didn't have a shirt on because the day before she had some skin work done at the dermatologist and I had been giving her dozen or sores a chance to air out.

She looked a mess. Bloody towel, blood on her back and head, open sores all over her body. I had blood on my t-shirt and in my hair. I was shocked when they did not take us back right away. But, as hubby says, they see this stuff all the time. Plus, she was acting as normal as could be.

We sat there for 3 hours. At that point, the bleeding has stopped quite awhile ago and I just needed someone to tell me if she needed stitches. I called our doc again to see if they would see us. They referred us to Urgent Care.

We signed out of the ER and went across the street, where we were in and out in an hour. No one had actully looked at the injury for fear it would bleed again. When the nurse left, she mentioned something about staples. My stomach did flips and I thought I was going to throw up. The visual image of that was too much for me to handle at that point.

So, when the PA finally looked at it, it wasn't but a half inch long. I was shocked, because I couldn't believe something so little could produce so much blood. Anyway, the real blessing was NO STAPLES. And, obviously, no concussion. I was soooo relieved and SOOO ready to go home. It was dinner time and we had been gone since lunch.

I learned a couple of things. First, call a specific number and the Urgent Care people will tell you whether or not you need to go to Urgent Care or the ER, depending on what you tell them about the injury. Second, everyone and I mean everyone, has since told me how much the head can bleed.

If I can walk away from any emergency, with a little more information then I had going in, it can't be all bad . . .

Butterfly Summer

We have had luck this summer with caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies. For many previous springs and summers, we have had a back porch filled with chrysalises and not one of them turned into a butterfly.

This year we had only three. Which were very well taken care of (well, one escaped). Anyway, they both turned into beautiful Black Swallowtail butterflies.

Nature Girl swears she sees them in the backyard . . .

Change

Ugh. Hate change. Always have. Probably always will. But, one thing that is going to have to change, in the up coming weeks, is the time I spend on the computer.

My new "schedule" (which I have yet to use) only allows about 15-30 minutes of computer time, per day. I use the computer for communication purposes, for school purposes and for entertainment purposes.

I must be honest and say, I do spend too much time on the computer. So, having to whittle down my time doesn't really hurt my feelings too much. But, the thing that will probably be the most affected, will be my blog.

My intention for my blog, although I have varied from it quite a bit, is/was a place to keep all of our family memories. I don't scrapbook. I haven't developed a picture in two years, at least. But, I have a diary of our lives on my blog. I have also used it as a place to vent, share my feelings and express my opinions.

I think, at least for a little while, my blog will be filled with family life, homeschool, kids activities. And what is, very simply, going on every day. It is quick to write, not much to have to think through.

My posts will be short, I think. And probably not as regular. If I can't write it in 15 minutes, it isn't getting posted or it will have to be continued the next day. Or maybe there won't be a post for a day or two.

My blog is important to me. But it isn't, can't be a priority. After God, hubby, children, home and school, there just isn't enough time in the day. At least not for me. At least not right now. So, the blog is getting simplified. Hope you continue to read . . .

Night Time Routine

Night time around here looks something like this:

8:00 baths

8:30 EG goes to bed after reading Blue Hat, Green Hat. As I sing Rock a Bye Baby to her twice, she must have, in her hands, her bear, soft baby doll and book. After I sing, I lay her down. Lately, I hear her talking, usually asking for someone. Maybe she thinks they will come get her. Occasionally she fusses, but only for a minute or two. She sleeps through the night most nights. Once every 7-10 days she wakes and can't go back to sleep. The two of us get in the twin bed, she plays for an hour then falls asleep.

8:30-9:00 I read to the big kids (currently Wheel on the School) and Boop usually falls asleep on me.

9:00 We pray and then I put Boop in front room (a real bed to sleep in) and big girls in their room.

9:00-9:30 Big girls play/talk

9:30 Big girls turn light out

Lately, I have been in bed by ten. I guess I am tired . . .