Our new normal... For now...

So, we've finally found a routine that's pretty flexible to our crazy life.  My goal of getting up before the boys almost never happens...  But, instead of getting discouraged, we start when I'm ready!!  So most mornings Wyatt's up playing with the dogs while I'm showering.  Austin doesn't get up til I threaten his life.  We usually don't start school til 9-930.  I have FINALLY gotten over feeling guilty if we don't start right away.  If we do an actual Bible lesson (we read a chapter every morning) we run til about 130-2 (taking about 30 min off for lunch).  With no Bible we're done by 11.  Bible really does take about an extra hour!!  I really want to drop it but feel like since we bought it we should finish it.  If we do 2 a week (which we've been doing) we'll be done by Christmas.  My favorite subject is Mystery of History!!  Mostly because there's usually a fun activity for us to do.  We do that 3 times a week.  Austin's favorite subject (and Wyatt's least) is Math.  We do this everyday.  I've been also trying to do flash cards at least 2 days a week.  I'm hoping if Wyatt learns his math facts better he won't hate math so much!!  He almost always gets perfect scores, but it takes him longet than Austin and that drives him nuts.  Wyatt's favorite subject (and Austin's least) is reading.  For reading I've been letting them pick their own books.  Austin is reading The Strange Case of Origami Yoda and Wyatt is reading Darth Paper Strikes back (he already read Yoda).  I love listening to them laugh out loud while reading!!!  As soon as I'm done with my Bible stuff we're going to start Pilgrim's Progress, which I can't wait to start!!!  Wednesdays are a struggle for us because we only have til 11 for school and we have to dressed to leave the house, so we just don't get much done.  And on Thursdays Austin has drum lessons and that interrupts the day, but I feel we've got it under control!!!  Our evenings SUCK!!!  We don't one evening a week where don't have stuff, which is a bit overwhelming.  When it rains, it pours!!!  I was trying to make plans with a friend and we don't have a free day til the end of October!!  Ugh!!!  Between church stuff, cub scouts, someone's 10th birthday and a Nascar race the weekends are covered!!  But, we're never bored!!!

TGIF

Had my first meeting with the IS director at school and...  TADA!!!  I havn't broken my kids yet!!  WOOHOO!!!!!  It made for a rough day though...  We had a late start (it was too cold to get up!!) and didn't really start the day til 10, and had to leave at 1215 to get gas and get to Mt Gilead on time.  Man, I am SICK of not being home!! 
We did the science cross word puzzles I made today.  Wyatt thought it was fun and was excited he knew alot before looking at his notes.  Austin just counted the letters in the words and found the spaces that had the right amount of squares...  We fought a little with Roman Numerals during math.  Not with each other, with the dumb math.  My friend Nate explained that they're very important to know, but I'm still skeptical.  I think we'll bounce off those AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!!  Ugh.  We've been lazy with math, me just letting them do the workbooks, but starting next week we're going to do some of the extra things they say to do and I'm hoping that will help, or at the least we need to break out the flash cards for Wyatt, he really struggles with the answers and then gets VERY angry when Austin is done way before him... 
After our meeting I went to help at the Methodist Church's tailgate party.  They pretty much just needed a female present!  It was so ackward to be there with so many people I didn't know in a ministry area I'm not involved with at all.  I was very happy when there were other female adults there and I could leave.  People think I'm outgoing, but I really only do well when I can latch on to someone.  If there's noone there for me to "be" with then I just flounder uncomfortably.
Then, I rushed home to go out to eat with my hubby!!!  Only to find he had to go help cut out scout stuff for an upcoming campout :(  I had planned on my sister watching the boys, so she just ended up going with me.  Best part of the night was when we were talking to Wyatt about Christina losing her job.  He said "How can you lose it, it's by the mall"  Then we explained she was looking for something new and he suggested looking at McDonalds and she said she applied.  His response "Don't you just walk in and say I'd like a job and a side of fries???"  No buddy, not quite!!!  We went to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings (which was expensive and not as good as I was expecting).  After that we went to Staples where for revenge on Brian I bought a purple flowery thing for him to use for Scouts :)  Then I grocery shopped which for reason DRAINED THE ENERGY OUT OF ME.  Ugh.  Worst thing there was not counting the buy 10 items get $5 off right.  I was missing one, and only 29 items.  Suck.  I was too tired to care anymore.  And now I'm sitting here waiting for Brian to get home.  I'm actually getting cross eyed I'm so tired!!!  Thank God it's Friday and I can SLEEP IN !!!!!!  WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!

This stay at HOME, HOMEschooling mom is NEVER HOME!!

What a week, and it's only Thursday!!  We were completely over scheduled this week (all good stuff) :(  Monday was our only day to be home all day!!  YUCK!!  This was our week...

Sun- Church, soccer pics, small group (clean house for small group :D)
Mon- School, soccer game
Tues- School, my Bible Study, scouts
Weds- School, Wyatt's drs appt, school, GCS, church
Thurs- School, drum lesson, school, get together to do scout stuff (cancelled it!!!!!)
Fri- School, monthly meeting with GCS director, go help at Methodist church Tailgate party
Sat- Pictures, soccer practice, Sonfest

I'm EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!  The boys are OK, though a little extra wired today...  Ugh.  Next week is worse!!  They have specialist appts at Children's on Weds in the morning, so no school that day and we're going the Farm Science Review on Thurs, so no school then either!!  Holy Kamoley!!!  I thought homeschooling families went weeks without leaving their houses...  Boy was I wrong!!  Misconception smashed to pieces!!  We're learning how to manage it though :)  Today we did some work, went to drum lessons, had lunch and playtime then they were AOK with finishing up.  Hope they still this flexible!!  And I'd still rather be this busy then BORED OUT OF MY MIND!!!!! 
On a different note, the boys had their first classes at Gilead Christian yesterday.  Wyatt LOVED it (no surprise) and Austin didn't care for it at all (no surprise).  I'm praying Austin will make some friends and look forward to it, but he was crying yesterday "why can't we homeschool like the Hoam's and never leave the house!!!"  Sigh...  I'm also not completely sold on the program.  We'll definitely finish out the year (because we're paying for it) but I'm already not looking forward to having to go EVERY Wednesday...  It'll be easier when they both like it.  The free time was nice, but I get free time at home in the afternoons when we actually stay home!!!

Here's a picture of them going into school :)

HS Fail

So, today was our first day of failure.  I'm trying to remember that if they'd gone to school they would have done much less!!  The boys both had dentist appointments at 10, so we only did Bible, culture and spelling before we left.  Then, since we were right by Brian's grandma, we stopped and visited with her for about an hour.  After lunch we did math and Pen Time (their handwriting) and they read and wrote in their journals.  Then I spent 2 hours on the phone :(  FAIL.  We were supposed to do Geography and Science.  Tomorrow is going to take 11 hours now.  If they were in school they would have missed all morning, not gotten to visit Bri's gma and maybe had gym and reading in the afternoon, so we did more at home, but the phone tied me up and we didn't do stuff :(  Lesson learned- we really don't do well in the afternoons!!!!

Our first week :)

Well, we made it through our first week and learned a lot :)  I learned that I LOVE getting up before the boys and being ready to go before waking them up and that we can't have lazy mornings and start late because then the boys are too easily destracted.  Wednesday night we went to the fair and Jill and I were so excited that Austin was actually riding rides (thanks Nana)!!!  Well, midnight that night he puked ALL OVER his room.  Like projectile....  Gross.  So we didn't start school til 1030 the next day and made it a light day.  Took FOREVER to get through the 4 things we had because they WOULD NOT focus.  So now we know :)  We do better at 830 :) 
I also want to know if mumbling is genetic.  Austi n mumbles just like Brian does!!  We read aloud a chapter of the Bible every morning and I constantly say "speak up, Buddy", which he does for about 2 sentances.  He is such a mini Brian.
I also learned that Wyatt is a little slower than Austin at math.  Which causes tears.  Everyday.  Fun.

So, at the end of August Wyatt has 73 hours and Austin has 57.  (Wyatt has more because of soccer, but Austin will catch up because of scouts).  We have to get to 900.  I think we need more field trips...