Doctor's office time

We have spent a whole lot of time and money at the doctor's office lately.  Yesterday, I took Brittany in with a rash on her face.  Turns out, it was poison ivy.  She got a prescription for cream for the rash and we were told to give her benadryl until it was gone.  This morning I was in with Gabby for a re-evaluation for her asthma.  She has been having major problems and they prescribed her some more, albuterol, flovent, and singulair last week along with a round of oral prednisone.  Today they gave her Omnicef for sinus and also added zyrtec to the mix.  They have referred us to an allergist and I am hoping that he can get her off some of these drugs! 

When we came home from the doctor, we had a very short day of school and then back to the specialist for Kassie's arm.  It is healing very slowly and she will need to wear her cast for AT LEAST another two weeks.  After that they will take off ther current cast, xray it and possibly put a new cast on again. 

Danijela has a well baby check up in a couple of weeks and Gabby will have to go back to the pediatrician to make sure we got her into the allergist.  This isn't even including Kassie and Bela's coughs that they have had, I was kinda waiting to see if they could get over it on their own.

These people are serious about killing those ghosts

Perfectly Planned

To take advantage of our three day weekend together, we decided to take a trip to King's Dominion together (you can see our photos in my new album on the sidebar), so we loaded up two cars, filled them up with that VERY expensive gasoline (which we found to be about 31 cents per gallon cheaper about two hours south of here), turned on our cell phones, and started out the trip.  The traffic wasn't too bad to begin with, but once we were on the road a little while, David's parent's got a little ahead of us.  We got stuck behind a student driver and then a little bit slower traffic than they did. 

About an hour into the trip, David and I witnessed a perfectly choreographed accident.  A volvo from the oncoming traffic swerved into our lane and narrowly missed hitting the car three cars in front of us.  He came so close to hitting this car that for a second we thought he had.  Then he overcompensated swerved back into his lane and all the way over into the ditch, again narrowly missing going into a pit dug by construction workers in the side of the road and plowing into a dirt bank at a high rate of speed.  He flew out of his seat (of course not wearing his seatbelt) and hit the passenger side of the windshield with his head.  I have never seen anything better timed in my life.  If someone had told me they were filming a movie, I would have believed them.  A fraction of a second more in our lane and it probably would have been his life along with the lives of the people in the other car that he would have hit.  Another foot before hitting the dirt bank and he would have been in the pit. 

As it was, he probably ended up with a slight concussion and a slap on the wrist for falling asleep at the wheel.  I hope he uses this opportunity to thank God for his narrow escape from death and stops to think that maybe this accident was perfectly planned for a reason.  I know I took a moment to contemplate how fragile life can be and how a split second can change your life.  I believe that everything happens for a reason and everything is perfectly planned.  There are no "accidents" in life.  I thank God that we are in his hands.

P.S. We did stay for the emergency services to show up.  David sat with the guy making him sit in his car until they got there.  His neck hurt and he wanted to keep him as still as possible and he had a bad headache (naturally) and was disoriented. David also checked to make sure the car wasn't leaking fuel or unsafe to sit in.

Home School Progress Report

Since I decided to adopt the three week on one week off/ year round schedule of homeschooling, I have been moving the kids right into the next year's school work as they finish off this year.  This makes more paperwork for me this time of year because not only am I trying to get all the finishing grading and transcript work done for the end of this year, but I am also getting all the lesson plans and course description work done for the beginning of their next school year.  I enjoy seeing their progress and always feel like I have accomplished a lot during the day between paperwork and home school and all the philosophical discussions along the way.

The girls are very proud to announce the finishing of these subjects for the current school year:

Kassie: Bible, Math, 1 science book, all reading books and language.  She has already started fourth grade bible and will be moving on to language and Math and reading next week.  She still needs to finish 1 science book, history, spelling, handwriting and geography (which she started late since it wasn't included in her coursework.)

Gabby: Science, Geography, and History and all her reading books.  Gabby won't start her new subjects until Brittany is ready to begin them as well since they will be doing the same work next school year.  Gabby still needs to finish Math, Language, Bible, Spelling and two book reports.

Brittany: Geography, History 1 and 2, and Bible.  She still needs to finish Math, Language, Science and Reading including three book reports.

Their course work for next year will include:

Science, Health, History, Geography, Language/Literature, Vocabulary/Spelling, and  Math, and Bible.

Funny though for the day:

Today we were discussing hygiene and staying clean, neat and shaved.  One of my older children (who I promised would remain anonymous) asked this question:

"Mommy, how do you shave your cubicle area?"

I've been tagged

My birthday was wonderful!  Thanks to all of you who left me great wishes!  It means a lot to me.  The girls serenaded me from the front porch with a boisterous rendition of "Happy Birthday to You".  They even got some of the neighbor kids to join in.  Our night out of Italian food was great too.  I ate seafood.  It means so much to know that my family loves me so much!

As a birthday present I was tagged by Sandy.  As far as I can figure out, this means that I need to answer three of these questions and then tag three of you, who in turn need to do the same thing.

If I could be a scientist . . .
If I could be a farmer . . .
If I could be a musician . . .
If I could be a doctor . . .
If I could be a painter . . .
If I could be a gardener . . .
If I could be a missionary . . .
If I could be a chef . . .
If I could be an architect . . .
If I could be a linguist . . .
If I could be a psychologist . . .
If I could be a librarian . . .
If I could be an athlete . . .
If I could be a lawyer . . .
If I could be an inn-keeper . .
If I could be a professor . . .
If I could be a writer . . .
If I could be a llama-rider . . .
If I could be a bonnie pirate . . .
If I could be an astronaut . . .
If I could be a world famous blogger . . .
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world . . .
If I could be married to any current famous political figure . . .

If I could be a doctor, I would fly all over the U.S. looking for children who otherwise wouldn't get the medical service they needed.  I would try and make sure that all mothers knew how to get proper nutrition and medical care during their pregnancies, and I would spend my life as a pediatrician teaching parents to truly ENJOY their children.

If I could be a librarian I would read every book.  I would scan the world's bookstores for books of value and educational worth to add to the library's collection.  I would read to hundreds of children every day and I would encourage parents to do the same.

If I could be a writer I would touch people's hearts with my words.  I would paint beautiful pictures in black on a blank white page.  I would be able to make people laugh and make people cry and to touch every range of emotion.  Some people would get lost in my words, other people would find themselves. 

Okay now I have to tag three of you, so I am tagging my cousin Amber from Amberbamberboo, Catherine from This Mom's Wonderland, and my dear friend Judith from Rasita.  You're it!

31

Today I am 31.  I have a few more wrinkles than last year, a few extra pounds, and probably a few grey hairs that weren't there (I wouldn't know since I dye it).

This past year has been wonderful for me.  I have now been blogging for 1 year and 1 month.  Time has flown by for us.  Our last year in England was wonderful and I will never forget it.  In the past year there have been a lot of changes in our lives.  Starting homeschool with all of the kids, getting out of the Army, looking for a new job, moving back to the US after our five years in England, and starting completely over.  However much I miss England, I could not be happier.  The past year has taught me so many lessons, the most important being, as long as we have the ones we love with us, and healthy, all material things are worthless.   I have learned patience, faith, the power of prayer, and many other lessons along the way. 

I look forward to the next year, watching the kids grow and learn, learning about our new community, spending more time with our extended family, and getting more involved with this community.  Life is such a beautiful ride.  Each and every day is a new adventure that you wake up to find.  Everything is a learning and growing experience.  I thank God for each and every birthday and the year that comes before it, for all the things I have learned, and for an opportunity to begin another year of learning and growing.  (Cause I still have lots more to do)

From Danijela's Two Year Old Brain

No matter how hard you try, you can't shave your legs with a toothbrush.

One whole roll of toilet paper will not flush down, but it's fun to try. 

Kool-aid doesn't make a good floor cleaner. 

Grandpa is the most fun, but Grandma is the most cuddly!

Daddy will give me whatever I want when Mommy isn't looking!

If you cry long enough you won't have to take a nap, somebody will pick you up and you WILL get your way (at least I hope so!)

Dandelions are the best flowers!

When you are two, no matter what you do, you are always in the way, even when you are trying to help.

When you are two you have the whole world ahead of you to discover!

Why doesn't everybody know that the world revolves around me? I know it!

What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine, if I don't want it, and you take it, I will scream!

I want my "Go Baby" and I want it now, in the middle of the night, first thing in the morning and all through the day! (A yogurt that we buy her called "Yo Baby")

If you are fixing your nails, your hair, or your makeup, you better do mine too.

I am the princess and I am beautiful and you better tell me so, now!

I want to cuddle your arm, your hair, or your toes.  Don't judge me, you would do it too if you could.

Swinging and sliding are the best fun!

If you keep your eyes on the skies you can never go wrong!

Animals make really great best friends

My Mommy and Daddy love everything about me!  My soft silky hair, my smooth cheeks, my long eyelashes.  My Mommy loves watching me sleep, listening to the sound of my soft breaths.  She loves to cuddle with me all the time.  My Daddy likes to wrestle.

He also likes to cuddle!

Broken arm day

Kassie got her hard cast put on this morning.  She picked blue and now she can't wait to go around the neighborhood and have everyone sign it.

Everyone showed their sympathy and Gabby even told Kassie that she would be left handed as long as Kassie had to.  I'm sure that won't last too long.

Danijela broke her arm too.  Look how sad she is! 

We had to put a splint on her arm, then she wanted us all to sign her bare arm.

In the doctor's office, Gabby was wearing the splint.  She thought it would be hilarious if I was walking around with two kids with broken arms.  (I left the other three with the neighbors.) I wouldn't let her leave that way. 

Kassie broke her wrist

For those of you who haven't known me for too long, you won't know that Kassie broke her arm four years ago at the Nelson Inn in England.  Last night she did it again.  The kids were wrestling out in the yard and soon I heard the front door slam and Kassie crying, "I think I broke it again!"

We took her to the emergency room at about 8:30pm.  They took several xrays and then splinted it.  It was a clean break so they won't cast it until the swelling goes down, which will probably be Monday. 

Kassie is such a little trooper.  By the time we got her to the emergency room, she was giggling with her Daddy, in fact I actually debated taking her in because she was giggling so much.  I told her, "It doesn't look good when you go in with a broken arm and you are laughing.  You have to pretend like it hurts."  And she told me, "It does hurt!"  After they put the splint on, she actually tried to punch David (jokingly  of course) with her broken arm. 

After we got home at 10:30, I fed her some dinner and some ice cream and she went straight to bed at about 11:30.  I missed ER of course, but I am glad she is okay. 

I didn't get much sleep at all.  I went to bed at midnight, then Gabby woke up about 2.  She couldn't sleep.  I tucked her in on the couch downstairs and she laid there till 3:30 when Dani woke up.  Dani came to bed with me and at some point Gabby dozed off, but Dani was awake tossing and turning till about 6:30 when David's alarm went off.  Dani dozed off again and so did I, but I had to get up early to call the Orthopedist, to get Kassie her Monday appointment.  Needless to say, I am very tired today!

Springtime

I took this picture with my new Canon Digital Rebel.  I got the camera for an early birthday present. 

The tree is in my neighbor's front yard.   I'm not sure how many babies there are, but I think there are three.

30,000

Wow I just noticed that the counter on my site just hit 30,000.  That was a big surprise.  Thanks to all of you who visit on a regular basis, I will try to make it more interesting for you again!

Nothing to write about

I haven't posted much lately, I guess my heart just isn't in it.  Not too much going on here really.  I am still trying to get everything organized for next year's schooling and also still finishing up this year.  The girls have chosen the subjects they are to do through the summer.  I make them do Math and Vocabulary and they each got to pick one.  Brittany picked history, Gabby picked Science and Kassie picked Bible.  She loves to learn about God and I am just thrilled.  The girls and David got me a new robe and nightgown for Mother's Day and we had a wonderful day!!  My birthday is coming up and I am finally getting that new digital camera that I have been wanting.  Maybe that will motivate me to post more. 

Summer is at hand and the weather has turned wonderful.  80 degrees today.  The kids have been playing on the slip n slide with all the neighbors and it wears them out so they are sleeping better at night.  Hopefully we will be taking some little trips this sumemr that I can write about.

British in our neighborhood

It's very ironic that we moved all this way from England and just down the street, three doors down, are some people right from where we lived in England.  They are from Skipton we came from Harrogate.  The two are about 10 miles away from each other. 

The girls have made really good friends with their two little boys and at any given time after school you can find them all running around the neighborhood playing cops and robbers or some other wild game.  There is plenty of safe playing area in this neighborhood.  It is fairly quiet and a lot of the kids are the same age as my girls. 

This morning Fionna (the British lady down the street) sent me some wonderful Yorkshire tea to quench my craving.  I have been homesick for my morning teas with the ladies for a long time now.  I have made a few friends here, but not like what I had in England.  Time will solve that problem.

I have spent many days organizing my curriculum for next school term.  I finally got it all ordered and a lot of it is here now.  I have to make a portfolio for each of the kids to present to the school board to prove that I will teach them just as much as they would learn in public school.  I find this extremely amusing since all of the girls are ahead of where they would be if they were in public school.  The Standards of Learning for Virginia are good, but they don't compare to what the curriculum offers.  Bela is speeding her way through first grade.  She will be 6 and starting 2nd.  I am amazed at her little mind and what it can absorb.

Brittany and Gabby will be doing 7th grade together next year.  It was a judgement call on my part.  Gabby is a year younger, but is testing at about the same level.  I am just letting them go at their own pace.  I feel like that is one of the good things about homeschooling them.  Kassie will start 4th grade next fall, but has already gotten a head start on some of the curriculum.  I found out that according to Virginia law she may have to take Virginia history along with her American history.  I will check into that, but I know she can handle doing both.

The weather is supposed to look a little warmer this weekend and we are invited to a barbecue at the neighbor's house, so we will keep our fingers crossed that we can get out our slip n slide for all the neighbor kids.  The lady who is hosting the party is also British and she is from Leeds which is about 20 minutes from where we lived.  Life is funny!

progress

Alot has happened since I last wrote, I am keeping busy most of the time now.  We have found a place to live and will be settled very soon now.  The girls are winding up this year of school, just a few weeks left now and we are getting ready to do achievement tests.  I feel like the girls have made wonderful progress this year and I am excited about stepping out on my own next year and not using the umbrella program that we used last year. 

This morning I had a funny conversation with the girls:

Me: Brittany that shirt is way too small.  You are just too big.

Gabby: Yeah and your butt is big too!

Brittany: Well you have a big head!

Gabby: Your mouth is too big!

Brittany:  More for me to insult you with.

By the way they were just joking about all that.  They really love each other and never fight at all!