This Week at Our House # 7 Stressful and Valentine's

Heart shaped pizza made by Rachel

Heart shaped chocolate chip pancakes with strawberries, bananas, and pink whipped cream

Without a good reason, this week was stressful. School was long and slow and hard. Sam wanted more attention and Gideon had a hard time falling asleep at night. I had long days teaching the kids and doing the chores and long nights trying to get a screaming baby to sleep. After several of the days this week, Kate exclaimed, "That was a hard day. I don't know why it was so stressful." That is exactly how I felt. The week was long and hard and stressful and I am not sure why.

I actually got everything on my todo list for the week done. I never write lists, but I always have a list

in my mind about what needs to happen. Unlike most mothers and women, I keep my list simple. For the week my list included calling a plumber for some needed repairs, cutting the boys hair, and getting one bedroom painted. We did it all. Of course, I don't list my usual chores. Since we have them everyday and every week, I never forget them.

School, while things went slowly on a couple of the days, went well. Josh did not cry and complain and he completed his work early. Instead of me waiting for Josh to finish his work, Josh waited for me to finish up with the other kids to get to him.

Joseph is back to writing a story. He even did chores to earn time for the computer and instead of using that time to play games, he wrote on his story.
Arwen's reading is excellent now. She's really gotten it. I have her read the Book of Mormon to me each day and she rarely needs help with any of the words.  She is also on her first chapter book, Little House in the Big Woods.When she wants to read it, rather than me forcing her to read it, she likes it a lot and asks many questions about what is happening and what the little log cabin is like and if wolves and bears would really eat people. That makes Arwen among our early readers at just 6 and a half.

Adam got up early to get his work done every day and he remembered his computer programming

that he is supposed to be doing independently.

Rachel did better with her math this week. I am having her keep track of the percentage she gets right on her home work each day. I think that is helping her to try harder to get her problems right.

Anya had no troubles with school and getting her work done, but she does everything with Joseph and Joseph was slow to wake up, slow to finish his work, goofed off during work, and held Anya back from getting things done early all week. I think that was frustrating for Anya, but she is so easy going, she never said anything about it.

On Tuesday night, Susan said her mouth hurt and seemed genuinely distressed. She had been asking to watch tv for hours and we weren't sure if her pain was more of a ploy to get the tv on. Well, finally, John decided to allow to her watch something with him in my bed along with all the other kids. He wasn't doing that for more than a few minutes before Susan began to puke. It was a huge mess. In 21 years of parenting, I have managed to avoid a kid puking in my bed until now. Oh, I was not happy. But Johnny, Kate, Adam, and John all helped to clean up the mess, while Anya and Rachel helped to get kids in bed, and care for Gideon. I was grateful for the help.

Sam does not like me holding Gideon. I try to get up early with Sam and read scriptures with him

before Gideon wakes up. Sometimes Gideon stays asleep and sometimes he does not.That gives Sam some of his old cuddling time with me. In church today, Kate held Gideon, so I could have Sam on my lap. We are trying to help him feel better, but his distress is real. Sam has always been my cuddliest baby and it has been hard for him to make room for another.

Gideon has been unhappy, particularly late at night. I think we could call it colic, but I would like to know what is causing him distress. Sometimes it seems like he simply has a hard time falling to sleep, but other nights it seems like there is something else going on. I hope we can get it figured out and get our happy baby back.

Johnny, Kate, Adam, John, and I all painted the bedroom. We primed and painted and did it all in one day. With so many helpers it went fast. Johnny is actually quite good at it now and good at getting a nice even coat. Kate does a lot of the brush work.

I got Ruth's plane ticket info and her release letter from the mission home this week. I had heard from Ruth that her mission president had her write a letter to the area authority seventy about extending a month, and he told her he would inform the 70 that he was low on trainers. But we are guessing that her extension did not go through and are planning on having her home in just over two weeks from now.

That's about all for the week. We have a lot going on with home repairs and taking care of a newborn and homeschooling. I want to start my garden this week and the kids ducklings should be shipped. I think the next week will continue to be busy and a little stressful. Oh, and it was Valentine's Day and celebrated with heart-shaped food that Rachel, Joseph, and Kate made.

More Pictures

Kate's homemade fish and chips

sink bath

painting a room

finished painting

keeping kids calm while painting a room