In Which I Update

We survived the holidays! Which I'm pretty sure deserves a cookie. It wasn't stressful, as much as just full. We didn't have one weekend where we weren't running to someone's house for a dinner or a party. The kids, of course, made out like bandits, especially for kids that come from a family that doesn't do Christmas gifts. Every year I say I'm going to get them in the habit of sending out thank you cards. Still haven't gotten that going.


We take off school in December, so the beginning of the year is like our August as far as school. Because that's the longest break we take from school, I always start Kid back with one of those comprehensive grade workbooks that you can pick up from Walmart for about $7. It reviews without spending too much time on anything, and allows her to still do most of her work on her own. As it's the second week of the new year, she's still not getting it done too much before bedtime, but give us two more weeks, and she'll be done by lunch time again.

Also, since it's election year, we're revisiting the lessons we did four years ago on election year, updating the information, learning about candidates and propositions. I want her to have a passion for having a voice when she's old enough to vote.

I was starting to potty train Rex, but I've decided to put it off a few more months since I just found out that we're moving again the end of February. I'd hate to put in all that effort just for her to relapse from being in a new place. She still goes and sits on the potty, but I don't put her in her Lego Star Wars or Yo Gabba Gabba underroos any more. She's also communicating so much. It always amazes me when she pulls out a short sentence or calls someone on being silly.

We don't really do New Year's Resolutions (geez, from reading our lives, you'd think we don't do holidays at all. well, we don't), but we do make to-do lists four times a year, of things that we want to change or accomplish before the next 3 month mark. I tend to add things to my list for the next checkpoint, as well, but then again, I'm the most slacker overachiever ever.

Kid's to-do list -
1. grow out my hair
2. be able to do schoolwork before lunch
3. join a sport or club
4. make something every day

Kid's long-term to-do list -
1. don't cut or straighten her hair
2. go to art camp this summer
3. teach Rex to swim

My to-do list -
1. don't straighten my hair
2. make something every day
3. purge a grocery bag a day

My long-term to-do list -
1. potty train Rex
2. get a car
3. don't cut or straighten my hair for a year (aka, learn to love the curls)
4. find another homeschool support group

Our lives have become routine but full. We've found a calm center in our sometimes turbulent world. And it's nice.