We have a very light summer school program (book work each day is about 30 minutes - max) and a great music and art program.  A huge difference from hours and hours of sitting at the kitchen table!!!!

We still have a few spelling lessons.  Rissy has 3 lessons and the other girls have one and will be done this week.

                           *******************************************************************************

Our backyard pool was opened yesterday.

The girls and the neighbor girls had a fine time running between houses and finally settling in our backyard patio area!  We do NOT have a pretty backyard, nor do we have a BIG backyard.

We will have to remind the girls about putting dirty and grassy feet in the water.  It's already cloudy, despite the chlorine in the water!  Time for some pool rules!!!

                  ******************************************************************************************
 

We had a nice Sunday dinner.  I put a pork roast in the oven while we were at church.  I set the temperature low (300°) and it turned out nice and moist.  I'm still experimenting with foods I can cook in the oven, while we are at church.  When we arrived home, I mixed a can of whole cranberry sauce, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of orange juice, then poured it over the pork roast to cook, while I finished the vegetables.  Fortunately, we had enough fried rice left over from Saturday's dinner, and it only needed to be microwave!

Since we eat a bit late on Sundays, I don't cook an evening meal.  The girls ate popcorn and fruit for a snack around 7pm.

                           *************************************************************************************

I've been reading a great book over the weekend.  (see note at top of post)  It's the details about the sinking of the Andrea Doria ship in 1956.   I could barely put it down, yesterday.  I have a  bit more to read today and I'll be finished.

                          ***************************************************************************************

Yesterday afternoon, Jesse and I talked about his mom and her medical condition.  She is in a nursing home to rehabilitate her, which basically means getting her to walk again.  She has a motorized wheelchair and uses it all day, every day, and it has weakened her. 

Jesse and the girls went to see her on Saturday and Jesse said she looked really defeated and sad.  We've offered our home to her, many times, but she has wanted to maintain her independence, as long as possible.  If she is unable to leave the nursing home, she may be more willing to move in with us.  We aren't sure how to approach her about it.  Maybe time will determine the outcome.  It sure would be a lot easier if she agreed to move in with us when balancing a choice between us and the nursing home.  It would give her some "say" in the matter.

                          ******************************************************************************************

I'd be lying if I didn't tell you I'm loving not having anything to do, today. 

I only have to take a bath, read, and enjoy the day. 

Doesn't that sound wonderful??!!! 

I just can't hang out in the backyard - that's the children's visiting area, which I saw this morning when I saw the group of chairs drawn into a circle!!!!

Be Blessed  ~

Yesterday was another busy day.  We even canceled the girls therapy appointment in the afternoon.  I figured that would give us LOTS of extra time to do all we had to do. 

It didn't!

The first thing we did was go to my physical therapy session.  Oh my!  The exercises are becoming harder and, this morning,  I feel like I've been hit by a mack truck!  I was shaking when I left there and felt my muscles tightening up as the afternoon wore on.  The therapist always puts ice on me after I exercise - I feel like I could use some right now!
.

      
                                      (Since he wants to be with me every second I'm awake,
                                           I moved his kibble bowl to my bathroom counter,
                                           so we  can visit while I get ready in the morning!)
 

One of the exercises involves a hula hoop.  They have taken that stretchy fabric (it almost looks like balloon fabric) and tied a cross inside the hula hoop, tied ONTO the hula hoop.  I think those are the exercises that got to my shoulders and upper arms.  You hold on to the center of the cross, and bounce the hula hoop in and out.  Sounds simple - right?  It's not!

She had me do more new things with my legs (for my lower back) and they felt wobbly or kind of shaky all afternoon.  Today, they just plain feel stiff!

After therapy, we ran to Wal-Mart to buy an Ace bandage for Stephanie's foot.  She has injured it and it's pretty swollen.  I gave her an ice pack and Ace bandage, and the girls and I visited for a little while (our old sofa & love seat look better in her place than they did in ours!), until I said we HAD to leave and grab some lunch.

We went to Chili's and Rissy and I split an "Old Timer" cheeseburger and fries; and Luci & Annamarie ordered from the children's menu.  We had a great waiter and I tipped him generously.  We hurried through lunch and were in and out of Chili's in less than an hour (because we had such a good waiter).  Our next stop was grocery shopping at Wal-Mart.

We drove to the Wal-Mart closer to our house, because Jesse says the prices are cheaper.  Our goal was to be out of there by 4pm.  Well, we rolled out of the check out line at 4:04pm - not bad, at all!

Beside food for our house, the girls wanted to buy little gifts for Stephanie's birthday and we also took time to buy her birthday cards and their dad cards for Father's Day.  I also bought a large exercise ball.  I have been using the physical therapy ball only when I go for therapy.  Maybe if I do those exercises twice a day, I won't continue to feel shaky and have muscle aches.

I was VERY aware of my fatigue as I walked to the car.  Fortunately, I had a handicapped spot (first in line) right by the door!  I couldn't unload the groceries and made the girls do it.  I didn't even wheel the cart back, I asked Annamarie to do that.

Thinking we were on the downhill side of our day, I cringed when I realized I had prescriptions to pick up at the drug store.  Of course, there was a wait in the drive though line; but, at least there was a drive through and I didn't have to get our of the car and stand in line.

We got home around 4:30pm and making pork chops for dinner was unthinkable.  Totally impossible!

After the girls put most of the groceries away, we had to finish up school  (history and Bible).  Today will be our last day - Total Wootness!!!! 

I quickly decided I absolutely could NOT be upright any longer, and laid down on our bed with little Chirper to keep me company.

Dinner turned into "Egg McMuffins" - English muffin, fried egg, Canadian bacon, and a slice of American cheese.

I had better scoot, so we can finish up school  I'm so excited about getting out of the same ol', everyday books!  We'll take next week off (and just play, LOL!   ) and then they can do the summer school stuff, which is REALLY brief (30 minutes each day).  

Be Blessed  ~

The truth is: we are doing fine. 

We've just been very busy.

                
                                                                      Jesse's Aunt Tay.

AND, to give you a taste of the activity around here, my morning started off with our burglar alarm going off.  Annamarie and Luci got this idea . . .  

After assuring the alarm company that the triggering of the alarm was an accident, I got a cup of coffee and sat at my desk and began to file papers and balance the check book. 

I was beginning to relax and 

*THAT* is when I heard the elevated voice levels shouting, "Oh, no!  Moooooooooooooooom, you better come here fast!"

Luci had spilled more than half a bottle of Welch's Grape Juice (the purple kind) all over the floor, missing the den's carpet by 1/2 inch or so!  Rissy had just finished mopping the floor with PineSol and had a taste of what it is like to clean, just to have someone come behind you and mess up what you did!

It truly was a mess and *I* grabbed towels we use for rags and absorbed what I could.  Then, I used the sponge mop to get the rest of the juice up.

Next, a passing through of PineSol while Rissy used 409 on the kitchen table.

After that, a hot water rinse because our tile streaks, if we don't rinse off the PineSol.

I haven't even started school and I haven't eaten anything for breakfast.

         
                                                                     Jesse's Uncle Daniel

We went to dinner with the visitors on Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, we invited them here for dinner.  Nothing fancy, in fact I put the china and silver away and used everyday dishes.  Jesse cooked burgers & hotdogs outside, and we had baked beans, leftover potato salad, and a tray of assorted pickles and olives.  I had made a cake for Sunday dinner (Iwhich we hadn't touched on Sunday) and Jesse pulled out a triple berry coffee cake from the freezer.

         
                                                 Uncle Bill, Aunt Dots, and Aunt Valerie

I got to know one of Jesse's aunts better.  I've barely met her - just said "hello" in passing.  She was nice and we were happy when she asked to go to church with us, Sunday morning.  I think she is a few years younger than me, but since Jesse calls her Aunt Maggie, I do too.

        
                                                                         Jesse's Aunt Maggie

I'm doing my best to finish school up this week.  Yesterday, the housekeeper came (finally!) and Luci threw one of her temper tantrums.  I sent her to her room for the rest of the day and assured our housekeeper that I hadn't laid a hand on her.  She was L.O.U.D. and sounded horrid!

Usually, I end school quickly, so Luci doesn't miss Bible, science,  history, or health.  But, yesterday, I kept going.  I'm so  ready to be finished with this year's books!  I'm considering holding Annamarie back in Math.  She is having so many problems.  I'll work with her in a little book this summer, but if she still has problems, I will order the same book she used this year, from A Beka, and have her repeat it.

           
                                        The back of Jesse, Aunt Maggie, Aunt Tay, and Uncle Daniel

I just grabbed some toast and as I sit here typing, I realize my feet are sticky.

I wonder if could be grape juice????? 

Be Blessed  ~