More Getting Ready

After paying a bunch of fines at the Weber County Library, I officially decided I was only using the Davis System.  I can't afford to use the Weber.  That decided, I ordered a bazillion books a few days ago.  Timothy is going to pick them up for me on Monday.  Then I can kick getting ready into high gear!

Although I am painfully slow in the "achieve something" department these days, I do feel quite good about a few to-dos being checked off my list.  The hardest job I finished was going through all the hand-me-down clothes and making every child try on all their clothes.  During the process I kept a scribbler handy to write down each child's needs going into the fall season.  At the end I felt all teary because of the tender mercies of the Lord.  We need almost nothing for the kids compared to what I thought we would need.  There were clothes in the hand-me-down boxes that I don't even remember obtaining but they fit the kids who need them.  It was miraculous.

We told the kids they were getting a new house and new sister for Christmas, but I had some creative present ideas come to me and today at DI I found one of the things I needed for only $6.00.  We're giving the kids dress-up clothes and I got most of them free, including a Matrix looking black coat for Cowen, but I needed something cool for Eli.  In the women's section I found a black leather coat that is perfect.  I expected it to be at least $25 and did an internal happy dance when I saw the sticker!  DI, thank you!!  No, my children have no idea what Matrix is.  Neither do I, but I think my kids will instantly think "spy" when they see the coats, so we're building on that concept.

The day after sorting clothes, I spent six hours (without chocolate!!!!!!!!!) organizing my bedroom/office.  It was brutal and I hated every minute of it but it had to be done and it looks so much better now!  I'm ready to stock my bookshelf with this year's library books and homeschool helps.

Yesterday we went through the kids' homeschool boxes (they no longer have cubbies so we improvised).  We made new cover sheets for their binders with the correct grade (I have a sixth grader this year--how did that happen????) and subjects being studied.  Then I built interest in chemistry and the Renaissance/early modern subjects by having the kids pick pictures about those topics to put on their cover sheets.  We go through this process every year and the kids love it.  We even made Harriet a a binder this year so she wouldn't feel left out.  After looking at the cool images that come up when you search for "chemistry" the children have been deciding what things they are going to learn to make during the coming year.  They feel pretty confident they can make a light-saber or two.  Hmm.

Although there is much left to be done, I feel like progress has been made.  Now my pears just need to be ready to bottle on Monday so I can thoroughly enjoy my two day break with my hubby that I'm taking.  We wanted to fit in a day or two away before the new baby arrived so when my SIL offered to watch the kids we jumped on it.  Two days without kids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't wait.

Until then . . . I keep feeling my pears (I have three boxes) and praying that they ripen enough for me to bottle before the get-away.

How are your preparations coming along?