Nothing much here.

Everyone's been sick but me. Liam was diagnosed with walking pneumonia. People seem to be on the mend now though.

I had a drum "lesson" on Sunday with the lady that plays drums at our church. I played drums for short time in my early teens and I had a lot of fun. It was nice to know I could still hold a beat after 15 years of not even picking up any sticks.

Kat is taking piano lessons with the same lady and is doing pretty well with them.

We have homeschool coop on Friday's for a couple more weeks. I think it's great for the kids but I'll be glad to save the gas and drop a trip to town when it finishes.

I'm 30 weeks pregnant already. Hard to believe we'll have 4 kids in just 10 weeks :o

Louis is as usual working his butt off but I'll let him elaborate more on what's going on with him right now.

Same ol' same ol' here. I teach science at our homeschool co-op on Fridays. I agree with Sarah, I'll be glad when the semester is over! I am starting new math with my oldest--Thanks Sarah! Gonna like Math-U-See--The kids are all good. They're 8,7,4,and 1 now. Having 4 can be flustering at times, but I'm alright..

Cliff is still working for US Cellular.

Really nothing much going on here. Boring old life..

Glad MUS looks promising for you! I know it has really helped Kat.

I'm not so much freaked out by having 4 kids but that we'll have 3 kids under 4! I sounds so tiring to having a 3yo, 1.5yo and a newborn. I want to savor the baby moments but at the same time I want them grown up a bit because there is definitely freedom for a parent in that independence.

Pretty much same ol some ol here.

I'm counselling 3 days a week now and possibly going to a 4th.

Elyse has started Uni (not sure what you call it over there) She's doing a Bachelor of Laws.

Kaylie is in her final year of High School (Yr12) and doing her Uni entrance exams at the end of the year (known as TEE over here - Tertiary Entrance Examinations)

Jess is in Yr9 of High School

My ex's marriage has broken down which is having some impact on me but not too bad.

I think that about covers it for now :)

Hope:

Part of me would get gratification from the breakdown of the "affair" relationship..

What's it like to have grown up kids? I'm kinda looking forward to that. These needy years are a drag sometimes.. I think for me, especially since they are with me 24/7...

When you are counseling someone and a particularly distressing issue comes up, how do you handle it yourself and how do you know the right thing to tell that person?

Sarah:

We are barelyu started with the MUS, but she likes it already. I am thinking about trying to get my other one up to the same level so I can teach it once and not have to do separate math every day. He's good at math so I think he can probably catch up to her quickly.

3 under 4! Wow!! May God grant you patience and inner peace... My oldest two are 7 and 8 and yes, those little things they can do independently really help. My 4 year old (or rather, I) is looking forward to having arms long enough, and dexterity enough to wipe his own bottom!! That is my goal for him this year!! I will start potty training Alexandra soon and I hope she will catch on as easily as her sister did at this same age.. If I can just be careful enough to not get preg. again I will be done with diapers and that idea just thrills me!!

Which MUS level are you using with Anneliese?

WEll, I was given an older version--Its called Intermediate--so I think its equivalent to the 3rd grade Gamma....

Oh, you're using MUS Classic!

Classic Introduction corresponds to Primer
Classic Foundations corresponds to Alpha, Beta, and part of Gamma
Classic Intermediate corresponds to part of Gamma, all of Delta,
and part of Epsilon
Classic Advanced corresponds to part of Epsilon, all of Zeta, and Pre-Algebra

So it looks like you'll be set for a while!

I would have thought so too. I had waited for a long time for them to break up because somehow it felt that if they 'made it' that it would in someway justify his choice. OF course that's crazy cos because what he did was wrong no matter what but the heart is not always logical.

But now that they got married and are divorcing it really is very sad. Divorce is never good. Sometimes it might be necessary but it is not a good thing. And things are really bad for him right now. I just pray that in the midst of this he has hit his rock bottom, repents and turns his heart back to God.

It's had other implications for me but that's a whole other story.

I love watching the kids grow up and become independent. They are really very lovely young ladies. Each season has it's difficulties but this time with my kids is great. I'm so blessed with my kids. They are all walking with God and not causing me any real grief other than the standard stuff they all go through. Amazing considering what they've been through. It could have been so different.

Oops my sister just arrived so I'll come back to the last question later...

Ooohh!! Thank you sooo much!!

Right now I am just going through the reveiw lessons at the front of the book. No real work yet, just reviewing to make sure she knows what she needs to know before moving on.

Going through some parenting anxiety. Especially with an autistic teen. The other night I dreamt that Isaiah ate donuts with ketchup piled on top. Then he went and stole somebody's van and went for a joyride! He's only 14! Then another special needs parent came up to me and said that the government was starting up a program for kids with special needs and driving. I'm thinking....bumper cars?

Just made me realize that there's gonna be a lot of things that he will want to do but probably won't/can't....it's just really hard and confusing. Especially once Luke gets his driver's license and starts going out more...

Time to make contact with lots of other people who can relate and get their thoughts and ideas!

Oh my, I hadn't thought of that. I'm so sorry! This will be tough. Definitely look for more people--I'm sure a there are internet groups concerned with this very thing...

What have I been up to recently?

Hmm...basically the same old, same old.

Last weekend I helped run the Easter Egg Hunt at my church for the children through 5th grade

I'm not directing VBS this year, as I had the past two years

Our small group is studying "Grace-based Parenting"

I've been reading Kurt and Brenda Warner's book First Things First

I finished watching season 2 of Chuck on DVD

Lexi has gotten 100%s on her first two spelling tests (they didn't start spelling tests until the second semester)

Lexi and Emily have been enjoying the Wii that my parents gave us for Christmas

I had a biopsy done on the scaly patches on my forehead and under my eyes. The results were inconclusive but they are not cancerous. Likely it is an alergic reaction to something. I've switched contact solutions and that seems to have helped, but the patches aren't completely gone and they are itchy sometimes.

We are seriously considering moving to central Virginia this summer. My company has an office there and I have gotten the general go ahead from my supervisor to switch if we decide to do that. We'd be closer to both sets of grandparents if we make the move. Basically, we're going to do it, we just have to figure out all of the details.

Finally getting back to your final question String.

That's a really good question and one I'm not sure I have a good answer for.
How do I handle it myself? That really varies. I try to listen well, I mean really well. Not just to the words but to the heart of the person. Sometimes their story affects me more than others and if so, I try to use it to facilitate the process.

As for what to tell them. Gosh there are sooo many answers to that question. My job is not to tell them what to do but help them figure out what they want to to do. Sometimes I need to help them with tools and resources to help them achieve what they want. Sometimes I just need to listen and help them reflect on their own situation. I rely on the Holy Spirit to lead me. God knows them fully and knows exactly what they need. I trust him to lead me and try to follow that.
I also have professional supervision from someone who's been at this a lot longer than me and they offer guidance and options I may not think of.

Don't think I've given a great answer but it's a basic start.

So how's it going on the homeschooling front? Are you managing to maintain a grip on your sanity?

Should one lose ones sanity merely because they homeschool?

Hmmmmmmmm?

:P

:P yourself

That's not what I meant at all :wall:

I was thinking more of the fact of String having so many littlies to look after and school at the same time. I imagine it must be pretty full on for Sarah and Honey too.

I'm sure that sometimes being able to drop my kids at school and have some time to myself helped keep insanity at bay. Mind you, you'll probably come right back and question the status of my sanity so I'll just get in first and say...

:P :P

uh.... whose Sara?

an your one of em psycho doc's now... of course your sanity is in question... I jes thought.. ya know... we don't talk bout such thins LOL

I believe Sarah's your wife and I really think you should have learnt how to spell her name by now.

That's all I have to say.....

:tease:

I deliberately didn't quote you... cause I figured sooner er later as a wimmin folk you'd double back an make it out like it's someone else's fault... I'm used to it, I'm married to Sarah lol

Shouldn't you be a like work er sumthin??

aaww poor Louise :cheeky:

And yep, I've been at work all day. Now it's 11:15pm and I need to get to bed.

Goodnight zzzzzzzzzzz

SARA would be the initials of my youngest... Seraphym Aurora Rhiannon Asplund thought I doubt highly that anyone was referring to that little demon monkey...

uh... who... is ... this... uh.. Raspy... character... anyone any of you know??? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm??? :P

sounds familiar...

We are headed down to the Charlottesville area next weekend to check things out.

how exciting! let us know what you find and if you decide to move....

We're all set to go to Disney World in February! :eyebrows:

The move went well. We're all set up here in Thomas Jefferson's backyard.

Nice!! Glad you made it well and in one piece!

Thought I'd pop in and say Hi :wave:

I've had a change of one of my jobs here.

I was working 2 days a week at a genereal counselling centre hlf hour north from me. I worked 10 -6pm 1 shift and 1 - 9pm the other.

And then 1 day a week at a church counselling centre. That was 11 - 7:30pm plus 2 lots of evening work that went through till 9:30pm running a course called DivorceCare.

I still do that job one day a week and will be starting DivorceCare again next week if we get the numbers.

But I changed the other job and I now work 3 days a week with the Salvation Army in their drug and alcohol rehab as an assessment counsellor. It's very different work and I"m enjoying it. I do individual counselling and group work.
It's in their first few weeks in rehab. The hours are 8:30 - 4:30 which is much better with the kids and the team I'm working with are great.

So that's the latest in my world :)

How about yours?

Well, since my husband's job is ending in a few months, we've decided to speed up the moving process and move as quickly as possible. We're starting to pack, get repairs done, etc...

Where are you moving to?

Not quite sure yet, but not too far from here. We are going to look at a place that is about a half hour drive from both our parents and 20 minutes from our church.. But we probably won't actually get moved for a couple months..

So String are you looking at moving to a different kind of accommodation?

Is it a money saving exercise or are you moving or other reasons?

We have several reasons:

1. Our house is too small. 6 people in 2 bedrooms and one bathroom is pretty tight..

2. In order to be able to get a decent loan and approval, you have to have good work history etc... and since we know my husband's job is ending in March we figure we better move now while his job is still intact.

3. Cliff wants to get land that we can make productive--grow many of our own veggies, he wants to try raising sheep, etc...

Is this going to be his new profession?

.
.
no...strings......(hehe)

No, but he would like to grow it over the years..

Wow sounds great String :)

I imagine the prospect of having more space in the house must be pretty exciting!

Hope it happens for you really soon

:bounce: