Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter!

Wow. This is been a record for me... four months without posting anything!!! I'm blaming that on me going to school full-time this semester. for those of you who may not have known, I kind of jumped into school this semester (full-time; 5 classes), majoring in nursing (thinking in a 2 1/2 years I'd get a good-paying full-time job). The grass always seems greener on the other side, doesn't it? Until you get there and realize it may not be as green as you thought it was :)

Anyhow, I'd have to say, I love learning. I love my biology classes, especially. I love being in a learning environment (although it's strange being back in school after a 5 year break... I feel like the old lady in all my classes!). I really think I'd love being a nurse. Now that I'm experiencing being away so much, though (I've also kept my two PT jobs, teaching private lessons twice a week and teaching a music appreciation class at Delgado community college) I'm realizing how much I miss my children! Sometimes it's nice to get away, but this is too much, I think! Veronica still cries 99% of the time when I leave (for work or school). Every day she asks me "are you going today?" If I dare say yes, she immediately goes into panic mode and breaks down. Poor Josephine and Maureen I know must be tired of me telling them "no, I can't do that today (be it a craft/game or other) I have homework/studying to do." Julian does OK when I'm gone, although it's been hard to continue breastfeeding (complete with mastitis and antibiotic treatment). I'm still primarily breastfeeding, but he does get one bottle of formula per day... he seems to be fussier with Michael when I'm gone.

Not to mention the state of my house. I don't even want to go there! I've learned to accept a certain level of mess, especially when you have four kids, but this is too much. Michael is busier than normal the past few months, too. He had a new class to teach this semester, which means he has to learn the material (art history), make powerpoint slides and review it enough times to feel confident to teach it. That takes HOURS, just in case you've never created a class before and didn't know!!! Not to mention all the papers that need grading...

Michael was offered a temporary full-time job at delgado starting this fall - yay!!!! First great news for us in a while! This job offer really made me (and Michael) decide to change my motivation in going to school. His salary will definitely be a help to get us on the path to being stable, although we will have to continue to live frugally. I'm OK with that. I'm alright with shopping at second-hand stores (I actually enjoy finding great clothes/other that look brand new or are brand new for half or more than half off!), using coupons, buying generic brands, telling my kids "no" you can't have that! First on our list of things to buy: a new vehicle!!! We'll see...
Anyhow, I'm going to postpone school once this semester is over. I'm not completely closing the door on going to school... who knows. Maybe one day I'll need to go back, if things don't work out with Michael's job. Hopefully that won't be the case, but I've learned to expect the unexpected!
I am not really the one in control here :)

We've also made the decision to go back to homeschooling. We've thought long and hard about it. Michael and I have talked about the pros and cons of homeschooling and public schools. I could write forever about the pros and cons of each and our reasons why we're going back to homeschooling... but I won't bore you with that! Let's just say, I think it's best for our family. MY number one reason is because I want to raise my children as deep in the Catholic faith as I can, and live our daily lives in our domestic Church, and teach them in little ways what their true purpose is. We have a lot of work to do, a lot of bad habits to break (my own bad habits, too) a lot of positive character building to do; but I'm more motivated than I ever was. There is a website Marie found and has shared with me... once school is over and I have a little extra time over the summer, I will be visiting it frequently to get some ideas to help us in our homeschooling journey. I have already begun a "to do" list to help get organized for the fall, complete with chore charts, rules, good and bad behavior charts, rewards for good behavior, consequences for bad behavior, daily school schedule, ect...

The website is: http://wildflowersandmarbles.blogspot.com/2010/06/refreshing-learning-spaces.html

I LOVE her classroom space - I plan on making a "classroom" in our house, too; one room completely dedicated to homeschooling, with no TV, no toys, etc.,

Well, I think I've gone on long enough. I'm sure I have some pictures to share, but i haven't looked at the pics on our memory card in months. I'll try to get to them sometime this week (while I have Easter break).