Beauty Model

Our kids are growing up.  Sweet Pea is now 14, if you can believe such a thing.  Next year, she will be starting The High School.  I am not sure how this has happened.  Just like I am not sure how it has been over two months since I blogged.  I used to try to limit my blogging to only 5 posts a week.

But I digress.  As I was saying, our kids are growing up.  Sweet Pea is 14 and very much enjoys sports.  I think she would like to play every sport, if we let her.  But we can’t let her.  Daisy Mae will soon be 13.  She was asked to the school dance by a B-O-Y, which David wasn’t quite ready for in the least.  Daisy Mae turned into quite the basketball player this year, scoring many a point each game.  Handsome Dude is nearly 10.

TEN!

And he can plow the driveway with the 4-wheeler.  THE 4-WHEELER, of all things.  He has giant feet and wears a size 8.  He is still sporting his spaceman glasses, and no, they still haven’t broken.  Little Dude is 8 years old, and still up to his usual antics.  If I had a nickel for every day he lay naked, scantily clad with a towel, in front of the fire instead of getting dressed, I would be a rich gal.  He has taken a turn towards responsibility and started to be a bit more independent with his homework and Awana work . . . but promptly clothing his naked body after a shower in the early morning hours?  Nay.

Handsome Dude is starting to find his “voice” in our little family unit.  One day , HD, DM, and SP were all supposed to load the woodbox.  This can be quite the chore when you have millions of inches of snow and 10 degree weather.  HD and DM were politely discussing with each other when they would be ready to go and asked SP when she might be ready to help them load the woodbox.

SP:  No, I won’t help.

HD:  YES YOU WILL.

SP:  No.  I have a better plan.   You and DM can load the woodbox, and then as soon as you are finished, I will vacuum the floor and clean up the woodchips.

HD:  NO WAY!  We aren’t going to do the hard work in the freezing cold while you lay in here by the warm fire like SOME BEAUTY MODEL.

It was my favorite moment thus far of 2017.

The girls are entering a fun phase of drama and sass and makeup.  I AM NOT READY FOR THIS.  SEND HELP.

Life is exhausting.  I teeter back and forth about whether it would be easier to homeschool.  We have a 45 minute commute each way, and this has been one harsh winter.  It is very hard on this old gal to have to drive that long on icy roads, only to arrive at school and try to teach a SPIRITED class of first graders.  But I think our kids would hate to be homeschooled at this point and enjoy their friends and sports too much.  So . . .  .  tired . . . . am . . . . I.

My classroom is a tough group.  I have decided to CHOOSE JOY every day, even when . . . . 1)  One of my low students is taking pictures on his iPad and being generally naughty, instead of doing his Reading Eggs account intervention.

2)  During a lice outbreak (itchy, itchy!)

3)  When I have multiple time outs (REFOCUS!) a day

4)  When I run out of refocus slips mid-day

5)  When the math lesson I planned out that was sure to innovate and inspire ends up in a disaster with math manipulatives being used as toys.

6)  When no matter how bad things seem, the kids always want hugs and tell me they love me.

Thank goodness for Berenstain Bears books!  Earlier this year. they were all about Mo Willems (and still are!).  But now they have discovered, and loved Berenstain Bears books!  No matter how challenging of a day, we can always find joy in a good read aloud.

I am hoping it won’t be two months before I can write again!  I will try to remember the humorous things in life and come back here and jot them down.

Happy Tuesday!