Follow-Ups

A friend paid me a compliment the other day that has kept me thinking and wondering, and judging myself, my writing and especially my blog. She compared my blog to a book she is reading which consists of multiple unrelated, though interesting and thought-provoking, essays. And so I ask myself, can anyone follow my posts? Are my thoughts so random and unrelated? Can you keep up with my life? Are you left with questions and wondering what happened next? I admit some of you drive me mad when you mention the dilemma of what to fix for refreshment for bookclub and then never reveal what you ended up making. I will often check to find out how a child is faring who has been ill, or wait patiently for a friend who has announced she is pregnant to truly dish how she is feeling... and looking. So you see I am a two-faced blogger.

So for the sake of not driving myself, or anyone else mad… I propose a question and answer blog. I will run a few follow-ups and then allow you to ask any question you want (though I may or may not answer… as I’m the queen here!)

*My back is still horrendous, though improving day by day and the pain is duller thanks to my son’s prednisone that found its way into my body. I still can’t lift my baby or bend over, though I did manage to sweep my floor tonight (it’s been left amuck since Saturday). Thanks to some wonderful friends and an incredible husband, I survived 2 days straight on the couch (oh the memories). And thankfully the Lord has answered my prayer for my baby to be extra tired and he is taking two naps again! I can’t believe how much a back can affect your life. Incredible. I will be so grateful when this is over… and it will be, right?!

*Baby’s head has healed up nicely, though it is a lovely shade of pink now and seems to get more comments now than it did when it was a nasty owie. I think he just needs another summer coat to even it out. We’ll see. (Ooops, there I go again, leaving you with more things to wonder about.)

(And yes, he's eating food off the floor at a church halloween party. Gross.)

*Positive reinforcement has worked wonders and the food that ends up on the floor from baby is usually accompanied with a worried look, as it tends to be accidental. He is also doing more signs now, so that is nice for communication. He loves to “clean up” and sing the song and do the sign. He sounds more like “eeengg guck” though, and it makes me laugh! On another note, that I may not have mentioned about baby, he sings himself to sleep. Usually you can make out the tune “I am a child of God.” I love it.

*Mr. T missed his fever last month and is looking good for this month too (knock on wood). We’ve been struggling a bit with some of Little E’s behavior, and have been discussing and praying about whether homeschooling Mr. T has affected him. While the solution to that problem isn’t quite apparent, I have felt very strongly that keeping Mr. T home has kept him healthy, and for that we are extremely grateful. Plus we’re having fun learning together.

*As for homeschooling, many of you have questioned what curriculum or method I am using. Really it is just a smorgasbord of such. I consulted with friends, read a few books and then bought some that I felt would be interesting and fun for us. Some I love, others are okay, but really, it’s just kindergarten and I’m not too worried. I have goals for what I expect him to have learned and what level I want him at for next year, but we’re not too rigid. My weekly “plans” that I created have run out and this week it was by the seat of my pants and we still did okay. It’s definitely a lot more work and I have to be willing to let other things slide (which is hard for me), but it’s enjoyable too. He’s a fun, sweet kid and that makes it exciting, and I hope one day he remembers that his Mom taught him to read.

*Miss J has continued to make lists and plans galore. She is currently organizing a talent show, manhandling a few organized playdates, and creating Christmas creations for cousins. Not to mention spending hours each week at gymnastics - with which she has a love hate relationship....I know, that's a whole other post though. We're all excited for the next two half-school-days!

*I swear I never used to have these sorts of problems. Last thing to go through my wash: a tube of lipstick. Totally my fault. And totally didn't come out with any of the suggestions I found in my homemaking stain books or online. Frown.

Any questions?