Ready for Summer

I am SO READY FOR SUMMER!

We've been busy trying to get ahead with school.  We are behind for some reason.  So we are doubling up and going to finish soon.  If we survive the experience.

If you're wondering how school has been happening, here's our method.  If Emily and I are gone the kids do math, reading, writing, and sometimes grammar.  They are subjects they do largely independently.   When I get home, we do a massive catch up day or two of social studies and science.  It is not fun but we're making it work.  Music: choral camp for the big three and Jamison and Megan are taking piano lessons.  Gym: My boys think that it's scriptural to replace the word pray with wrestle. You know, pray without ceasing.   The big three are playing soccer.  I will admit art has been more of a pipe dream this year... which I will work to rectify.  Soon.  Spelling happens when I'm home.  Personally, I wouldn't bother but it's required.

My parents were here during Emily's last round.  They actually got to see her well for several days which hasn't really happened before.  Dad gave Emily coffee.  She and Kaitlyn like it. Go figure.

Mom tried to teach her "Singing in the Rain" since Emily had her own umbrella.  Naturally Kaitlyn had to get in on the act.  Mom also did a thorough cleaning of my house, organized everything within reach, talked me into putting away the unnecessary dust collectors for awhile, and washed a ton of laundry.  I had it all caught up when I left for the hospital, but it doesn't take long to grow.

I love this picture.  Emily CAN CLIMB up on the table.  She's still about six months behind developmentally when it comes to the physical but she has learned to run and jump and she's moving chairs to get where she wants to climb.  She loves to help me in the kitchen.  Putting away the silverware is HER job.  She squeals, "Mama, help!" over and over as she pulls her chair over to the drawer.
She has learned to match colors, although she really only recognizes purple right now.  She loves to do motion songs.  She moves her mouth and does the action but only says a word here or there.  She LOVES to dance, music or not.  I wouldn't say she's graceful but she's in motion.
Language development is coming along.  She's just learning to put two words together like my ball or purple coat.  In the last few weeks she's just started to say the kids' names. We have: May-May, Dadih, Kay-Kay, and I think Jamison is now Jay-Jay but, to the delight of the other kids, for one week he was "baby".  He's done a lot of verbal coaching lately.
Her Early Education people are excited that she's doing so well.  Considering how much time she has been sick, she's amazing!

Emily doubled her dose of amitriptyline on Tuesday.  Tonight she ASKED to go to bed at 7:30, an hour early.  She was very insistent that she wanted to go.  It was a little unnerving.  I had three kids asking me if she's getting sick again.  It could be but I suspect we're seeing one of the side effects of the medicine.  Another can be feeling dizzy.  I suspect she's experiencing some of this.  The paperwork mentions having your child get up slowly over a few minutes when sitting or lying down.  She's not been her normally exuberant self when she wakes up lately.  She's groggy and cranky which is unusual for her.  I kind of miss her yelling, "MOM!" and using the crib for a trampoline first thing in the morning.

She is (mostly) her happy, exuberant self during the rest of the day.    

The big kids started soccer season yesterday.  Everyone won at least one game yesterday so we had lots of smiles on the way home.   

Jamison and Megan have a coach who doesn't have his kids at practice.   He added a practice this week that wasn't part of the schedule and I'm annoyed.   Really annoyed.  Personally I'd to tell him what he can do with his extra practice.  I suspect the right example is to just take the kids to practice and shut up.  I can do it....but I won't be happy about it.   

Life feels pretty good right now.  I'm so glad we'll soon be done with school, we have a busy and fun summer planned (Ah, yes, "the best laid plans of mice and men...."), Emily's source of ill-health has been identified and is being treated (whether it works or not is another story), we have SUNSHINE, and I've worked through some bitterness.
It sounds ridiculous, even to me, but sometimes I'm angry and when I don't know the source, I can't seem to get rid of it.  I have realized that a huge source of bitterness has been not realizing that adding a fifth child to our family could cause us to be separated so much.  I've also struggled that my dreams of enjoying the first holidays with her were not as expected.  Being able to identify and express that has seemed to get rid of the bitterness.  Emotionally it feels like I am in a place of peace.  It may end soon, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Milk dud report: Kenton is busy, busy, busy in the fields.  He's planting corn and loving his new system.  If you like technology and farming, you might like it, too.  Someday I'll have to explain.