My joy

I have been away from this space for a bit.  The Browns have been busy busy busy, as always.  We made two big decisions recently.

We purchased this…

And this…

The jury is still out on both.  Hoping the truck is not a lemon.  Hoping my Sonlight curriculum is not a tedious chore that will suck the love of learning right out of my kids.

Okay, a little harsh.  I think that I am just feeling intimidated by an entire year of work in front of me.  Most of the books are simply read alouds, which is something we do tons of already, just for fun.  I am not loving the Saxon math.  As I look into Singapore math, I think that it might be a better fit for Silas.  I may send the Saxon back for Singapore.

I am glad that I have given myself the summer to really go thru everything & grow comfortable with it.  If I follow the teacher’s guide, it is presented as a four-day week, about 2 hours each day.  I know that is not too much for Silas, if he is engaged.  That is key.  While we have been doing ‘school’ for some time, this fall will mark a shift to more structure & I hope that it is a smooth transition for us.  Silas runs hot or cold & I do not want to dampen the absolute passion for learning that he has!  I worry over this stuff a lot…

A lot.  Those who know me know that I look for things to worry about.  And this homeschool stuff is high on my list.  I just want to do a good job.  I must keep reminding myself…its just kindergarten!!  Heck, I didn’t even go to kindergarten & look at me now!  Um, yea.  Anyhow, if your eyes begin to glaze over with my endless homeschool pondering, feel free to just skip ahead at any time.  Or turn me off.  A luxury my dear husband does not have!

As for our new truck, the kids love it!

Paul is not so sure about it.  It seems the dealer was less than honest about the truck’s history, & we are trying to get the truth sorted out now.  Can you believe that we came across a shady used car salesman??  How curious! (heavy snark)

I hope that it all works out, because I am beyond thrilled to have my minivan back!!  (The twenty-something version of Kaye would surely be snickering at that last sentence, how lame)  I would like to say here that I suffered our one-car experiment with grace.  But that would not be true.  I complained the entire time.  It was especially difficult this past month, as the farmers’ market started up.  But, we muddled thru.

Our busy days are not truly the reason I have failed to write here.  Honestly, I have been in a slump, a funk, feeling blue.  You see, there is this day that comes around each year, just to remind me of my mortality.  I know, I know, it’s just another day, age is just a number, older & wiser, yada yada.  I do not love my birthday.  I try to ignore it every year, but it kinda always gets under my skin.  I don’t know why I hate my birthday, just like I don’t know why I hate elevators & lavender & jazz.  I just do.  Whatever.  My birthday is over now (good) & I am finding my joy again.

There is much joy in our goings on:

Our farmers’ market at Douglas Loop has been a wonderful success!  Between the market & keeping our stores stocked, Paul has been crazy busy making soap & trying to keep up.  A good problem to have, no doubt.

My daughters will soon turn four years old, & I am attempting to make birthday dresses for them.  We finished up our swim class & next month is a day camp at the Louisville Nature Center.  Silas went last year, but this will be a first for the girls!  Such big girls now.

Dustin is wrapping up his junior year & I’m proud to see him working so hard at both school & fencing.  His fencing club was involved in a promotional event for the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.  Dustin made quite the handsome pirate!

Keeping busy with my joy.

~K