Report from the Front Line

Contrary to what may be becoming popular opinion, I am still here and all is well! Thanks to those of you who have prodded me to see why I haven't posted lately. Things have been crazier than usual around here and something had to give...the blog was it. Here is an update on our hectic but happy life.

Jay, who absolutely loves his new job, has been out of town for the past 3 weeks and is due to be gone again next week. This should not be normal in the long run, but is necessary at first as he gets to know the product, company and clients. We all miss him a lot when he is gone, but we do alright overall. However, after having him home for so long I have been in a bit of shock without him! Running the house on my own during the week coupled with my near-entry into my 3rd trimester--the slow and tired trimester, as I refer to it--has put me in bed along with the kids by 8:30 every night, leaving little time for my personal endeavors.

Virtually all of my free time has been devoted of late to my volunteer work at Sacred Heart School. I love being involved there and enjoy the people I meet through the work. This year I am treasurer of the Parent's Association and we have had several big fundraisers in a row, which has meant lots of accounting for me. I also compiled the family directory, which I just turned in yesterday (yipee!), and have been working on the annual Fall Luncheon, which is Tuesday. A lot of the things I do at the school all came to a head the same two weeks, and I have been gasping for air a bit--but I secretly love being this busy, having my fingers in so many pies.

Homeschooling is going well overall, and we just finished our first quarter. This week Joey and I met with the teacher that supervises me (we are enrolled with the California Virtual Academy, which is a public school, so I am required to meet certain standards and attendance requirements). We were both nervous ahead of time, but it went really well and we both left feeling as if we had an advocate rather than a "boss". Most days are very good, but we have the occasional challenge. This quarter we are going to work more on writing, which Joey hates but needs to improve, so I am bracing myself for more resistance. He is doing particularly well with math, and his reading has improved greatly, although he still dislikes it. Having this time with Joey is a gift for us both, and I have no regrets.

My choir is gearing up for Advent and Christmas, so there have been extra practices and some early concerts scheduled. I am grateful for this outlet in my life, as it is truly my down time.

The most fun news of the week is that after 9 months of looking at dirt out the back windows of the house, we finally have a lawn! Sod is a magical thing. One minute there is dirt, the next a beautiful green carpet. I am so grateful to have the majority of the dirt in the yard covered over, as there is already notably less dirt in the house and certainly in the pool. The yard is almost done. Just the vegetable garden and play area left to do, along with some perimeter planting in the spring. Patience, patience!

Speaking of the pool, I have to state that it was definitely a good investment. The kids are still swimming about 3 days a week (and no, it's not heated right now!). They warm up in the hot tub, which I do heat for them when they ask, and then swim a bit and get right back in the hot tub. Here is proof, a photo of the kids swimming in November. I wouldn't have believed it, but am thrilled. If you're going to build a pool, you certainly hope it will not sit unused. I am no longer worried about that here!



Fall is beautiful, and I am enjoying the cooler days and the colorful leaves. Life is good. As these crazy weeks wrap up, I hope to be more regular with the blog. Thanks for reading!