As the world turns.
Hola folks!
Once again, time has passed much too quickly and I don't know where it all went. I also can't think of much to write about...which is silly because a lot has been happening. I just can't get my brain to organize it enough to put it into coherent sentences. Life in Kathyville has been something like...
Homeschool is going alright. The kids are unenthusiastic, which shouldn't surprise me, but makes me irritated when I'm not doing it for me...I'm doing it for them, and I spend more time prepping lessons than they have to spend doing them. Audrey usually gets down to business and has learned that finishing a lesson takes less time that whining and THEN finishing the lesson. So I'm willing to keep trying for her sake. But, I think Jake will be going back to regular school soon. He seems to feel like Homeschool means "schoolbreak" and gives me all kinds of grief if he has to put forth much effort. Maybe he'd be more motivated if 25 other kids are expected to do the same thing. I don't know...I'm at a loss to know how to handle him. At the very least, I want to have the district do an evaluation for ADD. His teacher last year mentioned it, and now that I've been the one with him every day, I can see where she was coming from. I swear he could be sitting in a small empty room with nothing but a pencil and he'd find a way to get distracted. It's definitely beyond unwillingness. He simply CANNOT focus.
Sara got student of the month for February in her Junior High. They choose one boy and one girl from each grade per month. So, out of 400 or so 7th grade girls, she's one of 9 who will receive that honor this year. I'm quite proud of her. She never has to be told what to do...just quietly does what she's supposed to and then some. She's a very good kid.
Benjamin has finally cracked the code of creating words out of letters. He's not beyond three letter words, and you can hardly hold him still long enough to look at one, but when he pays attention he knows how to sound it out. With Kindergarten still several months away, I'm sure he'll be more than ready academically. What I'm doing about the asperger's and the diabetes remains to be seen. I had planned to just go to school with him...to volunteer in the library or other classes, just to be on hand when he has a major meltdown, or his blood sugar drops. With the other kids in homeschool I'm not sure how to make that happen anymore. I'm open to any suggestions on this issue.
Oh, and speaking of diabetes...Ben's A1c was down today. Not by a lot, but down is the right direction. I have developed such a phobia of clinic visits that I postponed this one twice. I forgot that this new doctor is MUCH nicer and actually makes me feel like I'm doing things right. It's such a thankless job. I'll grasp any positive response I can get.
Things at Shawn's company are finally starting to pick up. It's been a great place to work, but they've been struggling a little financially. They just landed a VERY nice account which ought to bring them to the forefront of their particular industry. I wish I could be more detailed than that, but discretion is called for. I'm just grateful that he's feeling satisfied with what he does. He's definitely a big contributor to the success of his company as a whole, and they're very aware of it, and make their thanks known. It's always nice to get credit when credit is due. He's a hard worker. I couldn't be prouder of the man...both as a husband and a provider, he's always been an A+.
One bit of melancholy in our lives lately...Shawn's father died of cancer. We've known for a year that this was a bad cancer, with low chances of survival. By two months ago we knew it had spread to his bones and there was no chance of a cure, or even prolonging things much. A week and a half ago, Shawn's mom called and said if Shawn wanted to see him again, he needed to come now. We had seen Chuck over Christmas, and Shawn couldn't leave work last week, so we didn't go up. When Shawn talked to his mom Friday night he seemed to be doing a bit better, so I was pretty surprised when Shawn's brother-in-law called yesterday to say that he had passed away that morning. I suppose even when it's expected, it's unexpected.
I wish I felt more. I keep thinking that having Shawn lose his father ought to have us all reeling from the loss. But I guess Shawn and his dad were never close. Certainly they haven't been in the time we've been married, and Shawn's folks live eight hours away, so we haven't seen a lot of them. Neither Shawn nor his dad are terribly emotional people. They never talked much. Chuck was a difficult person to know, at least for me. He was gruff and always seemed grumpy. But then I look at Shawn who, to anyone who doesn't know him, might seem to be grumpy and a little gruff as well. And yet he's cheerful and affectionate underneath. Maybe Chuck just had trouble letting anything show. He did have many good qualities. He was smart, and worked hard. He was good at building things. He was always willing to help out with home improvement stuff if asked. He was a water marshal and a volunteer fireman, working every summer putting out wildfires well into his 70's. I don't know of another man his age who had his stamina or his strength. I'm grateful to him for accepting me as a daughter-in-law, and never questioning the idea that my kids from my first marriage were his grandkids too. I think, despite his hardness, Chuck tried the best he could. I feel terrible that he had to die the way he did. And I feel sadness for Shawn's mother who, I sure, will miss him greatly. I wish I knew what to say to her.
Shawn and I are going up to be with his mom for a couple of days. We're leaving Salt Lake tomorrow around noon, staying the night somewhere in Idaho, and arriving in Montana by mid-afternoon on Saturday. Then we'll come back home by Tuesday night. Our kids are staying here with my parents who very kindly offered to stay at our house so I wouldn't have to farm the kids out to my friends. I guess there will be a graveside service on Monday. Chuck wasn't religious at all, and apparently didn't want a funeral. I have to give him kudos for that. I don't do funerals. Hopefully we'll be heading back up there in August with the kids for a camping trip. I suppose that depends a lot on what his mom is going to do now. She's spent the last year just taking care of Chuck. I bet it seems odd not to have to do that anymore. I hope her days won't seem too empty. I think I need to be better about making an effort to get to know her. I think she's more like my husband that I've realized.
Anyway, that's us in a nutshell. I guess I thought of stuff to post about after all. I'm so long winded. Maybe I just missed posting.
I hope you're all well!
Once again, time has passed much too quickly and I don't know where it all went. I also can't think of much to write about...which is silly because a lot has been happening. I just can't get my brain to organize it enough to put it into coherent sentences. Life in Kathyville has been something like...
Homeschool is going alright. The kids are unenthusiastic, which shouldn't surprise me, but makes me irritated when I'm not doing it for me...I'm doing it for them, and I spend more time prepping lessons than they have to spend doing them. Audrey usually gets down to business and has learned that finishing a lesson takes less time that whining and THEN finishing the lesson. So I'm willing to keep trying for her sake. But, I think Jake will be going back to regular school soon. He seems to feel like Homeschool means "schoolbreak" and gives me all kinds of grief if he has to put forth much effort. Maybe he'd be more motivated if 25 other kids are expected to do the same thing. I don't know...I'm at a loss to know how to handle him. At the very least, I want to have the district do an evaluation for ADD. His teacher last year mentioned it, and now that I've been the one with him every day, I can see where she was coming from. I swear he could be sitting in a small empty room with nothing but a pencil and he'd find a way to get distracted. It's definitely beyond unwillingness. He simply CANNOT focus.
Sara got student of the month for February in her Junior High. They choose one boy and one girl from each grade per month. So, out of 400 or so 7th grade girls, she's one of 9 who will receive that honor this year. I'm quite proud of her. She never has to be told what to do...just quietly does what she's supposed to and then some. She's a very good kid.
Benjamin has finally cracked the code of creating words out of letters. He's not beyond three letter words, and you can hardly hold him still long enough to look at one, but when he pays attention he knows how to sound it out. With Kindergarten still several months away, I'm sure he'll be more than ready academically. What I'm doing about the asperger's and the diabetes remains to be seen. I had planned to just go to school with him...to volunteer in the library or other classes, just to be on hand when he has a major meltdown, or his blood sugar drops. With the other kids in homeschool I'm not sure how to make that happen anymore. I'm open to any suggestions on this issue.
Oh, and speaking of diabetes...Ben's A1c was down today. Not by a lot, but down is the right direction. I have developed such a phobia of clinic visits that I postponed this one twice. I forgot that this new doctor is MUCH nicer and actually makes me feel like I'm doing things right. It's such a thankless job. I'll grasp any positive response I can get.
Things at Shawn's company are finally starting to pick up. It's been a great place to work, but they've been struggling a little financially. They just landed a VERY nice account which ought to bring them to the forefront of their particular industry. I wish I could be more detailed than that, but discretion is called for. I'm just grateful that he's feeling satisfied with what he does. He's definitely a big contributor to the success of his company as a whole, and they're very aware of it, and make their thanks known. It's always nice to get credit when credit is due. He's a hard worker. I couldn't be prouder of the man...both as a husband and a provider, he's always been an A+.
One bit of melancholy in our lives lately...Shawn's father died of cancer. We've known for a year that this was a bad cancer, with low chances of survival. By two months ago we knew it had spread to his bones and there was no chance of a cure, or even prolonging things much. A week and a half ago, Shawn's mom called and said if Shawn wanted to see him again, he needed to come now. We had seen Chuck over Christmas, and Shawn couldn't leave work last week, so we didn't go up. When Shawn talked to his mom Friday night he seemed to be doing a bit better, so I was pretty surprised when Shawn's brother-in-law called yesterday to say that he had passed away that morning. I suppose even when it's expected, it's unexpected.
I wish I felt more. I keep thinking that having Shawn lose his father ought to have us all reeling from the loss. But I guess Shawn and his dad were never close. Certainly they haven't been in the time we've been married, and Shawn's folks live eight hours away, so we haven't seen a lot of them. Neither Shawn nor his dad are terribly emotional people. They never talked much. Chuck was a difficult person to know, at least for me. He was gruff and always seemed grumpy. But then I look at Shawn who, to anyone who doesn't know him, might seem to be grumpy and a little gruff as well. And yet he's cheerful and affectionate underneath. Maybe Chuck just had trouble letting anything show. He did have many good qualities. He was smart, and worked hard. He was good at building things. He was always willing to help out with home improvement stuff if asked. He was a water marshal and a volunteer fireman, working every summer putting out wildfires well into his 70's. I don't know of another man his age who had his stamina or his strength. I'm grateful to him for accepting me as a daughter-in-law, and never questioning the idea that my kids from my first marriage were his grandkids too. I think, despite his hardness, Chuck tried the best he could. I feel terrible that he had to die the way he did. And I feel sadness for Shawn's mother who, I sure, will miss him greatly. I wish I knew what to say to her.
Shawn and I are going up to be with his mom for a couple of days. We're leaving Salt Lake tomorrow around noon, staying the night somewhere in Idaho, and arriving in Montana by mid-afternoon on Saturday. Then we'll come back home by Tuesday night. Our kids are staying here with my parents who very kindly offered to stay at our house so I wouldn't have to farm the kids out to my friends. I guess there will be a graveside service on Monday. Chuck wasn't religious at all, and apparently didn't want a funeral. I have to give him kudos for that. I don't do funerals. Hopefully we'll be heading back up there in August with the kids for a camping trip. I suppose that depends a lot on what his mom is going to do now. She's spent the last year just taking care of Chuck. I bet it seems odd not to have to do that anymore. I hope her days won't seem too empty. I think I need to be better about making an effort to get to know her. I think she's more like my husband that I've realized.
Anyway, that's us in a nutshell. I guess I thought of stuff to post about after all. I'm so long winded. Maybe I just missed posting.
I hope you're all well!