a PENCIL was thrown at my head....and didn't miss!

Before the move I felt like I was on track maybe 3 out of 5 days of the week. 

How I wish that were true today.......

These are some of the challenges we have been facing:

I failed to bring some of our needed books & supplies.

   I thought I was doing a great job while packing at "preparing" to do homeschool while we are transient by putting all of our current books and supplies for this next few months into either a rubber-maid or marking other items clearly with purple duct tape. (sigh) Now that we have begun again I have found I don't have it all. It is in the storage unit 6 hours from here, and I have no idea which "school book/supplies box" they might be in. The big missing item is HanaRoses Math book. I knew I needed to order her a new workbook, but now I don't have the text. Luckily it is first grade math...so I  am pretty sure I can wing it.....

Too much FREEDOM.

My kiddos have gotten out of having good helpful habits. Their regular chore routine has been disrupted. We are in a new home,,,.that is not ours.....which makes it a challenge to put things away....we don't always know where they belong. I am trying to have my older kids doing a lot of kitchen duty so they will learn where the dishes belong. We have had to squash the talking back like a bug. My sweet kiddos have forgotten how to respond when told to complete a task...including school work! It's getting better....but there is still room for improvement which brings me to my next  topic:

TANTRUMS!

Yikes! I cannot believe how many tantrums I have had to listen to the last couple of days. My younger ones are feeling insecure with all the changes. So I am just trying to get some "normal" happening so they can settle down. The peak of tantrums was yesterday when a pencil was thrown at my head!

That was a first...I was speechless....and then NOT so speechless.

INTERRUPTIONS.

My Mother and Father in-law fight fires in the summers (the same thing my Hubby is now doing). They are gone for 7 days and then home for 7 days. My Sister-in-law is going to college. She has classes sporadically throughout the week.  And a family friend is getting ready to go on her mission in 2 weeks so she is living here as well. There are MANY people coming and going, not something we are used to...and we love all of them! It is a big challenge to get lessons going right away in the morning with so many trickling through for breakfast at different times. Time management is always a challenge...but I am finding it more so now. We just keep doing the best we can and try to make sure we get all of our basics covered. 

Dogs.

We have two. A 2 year old black Lab....very calm...rarely destructive...and occasionally a barker, and an 8 month old German Shepherd......very energetic....still in training....is barking at every rabbit, squirrel, deer, quail, and people at the park (this home is situated on a hill with the backyard overlooking the neighborhood park with a walking path) because he has NEVER seen them before until now. It is always hard having animals and staying at someone else's home. But we are having an especially difficult time. They already own two little dogs. One of which is very aggressive toward our dogs...causing fights. This resulted in my HanaRose thinking that she should save the little one (the one causing the fight). He was still growling and snapping as she scooped him up which then caused one of my big dogs to become protective of her and he tried to bite the little dog....but bit HanaRose on the shoulder instead. We almost had a trip to the ER. She had teeth marks all along the top of her shoulder with two puncture wounds, and a giant bruise spreading from the bottom of her shoulder blade around to her armpit and up to the top of her shoulder. NOT FUN!  She is now all healed, no infections or lasting problems. The NEW issue is that the cops have been called twice for dogs barking in the night. I am trying to keep them quiet....it's mostly the young one. We will probably end up with a ticket...there is nothing more I can do at this point. (big SIGH)

The bruise....the ugliest...but not the worse part of her injury.

Not all is lost. We are still having Happy Days!

My Hubby was able to come for a visit this past weekend! 

It was really good to see him. We all had a nice time. We went to our nephews football game and just had fun spending time together. 

I learned how to can tomatoes and make grape jelly!

Something I have looked forward to about being close to the family. We will be doing peaches this week and possibly pears. I can't wait to have our own garden next year so we can enjoy the fruits of our labor! 

Reading successes!

Both Ephraim and HanaRose are doing GREAT with their reading. Ephraim continues to improve his speed and has less fear of unknown words. HanaRose is amazing me at the rate she is learning to read. I am glad I waited until she showed me that SHE was ready and didn't push her sooner. 

Outdoor Enjoyment!

The weather in Idaho is wonderful! My Kiddos have been brown from dirt at the end of every day! We have also had lots of fun riding bikes and are excited to go down and ride the paths along the Snake River! First things first...little miss HanaRose needs to get her courage up...we took her training wheels off....

Library Days

Hooray! We found the library today! We are so happy to have that resource back!

The picture is blurry...it was taken with my phone...but I just had to get a shot of the happy readers! 

Faith Strengthening.

We are staying strong. We know that our old home will sell and we will get a new one when the time is right. The Kiddos keep saying that we will have one by Christmas....I must admit that their FAITH i s stronger than mine and I need to learn from them. It could happen. We have attended church here two Sundays now and the Kiddos all love the primary here. My little Evalynn even went to the nursery for the first time! I didn't know what to do with myself during Sunday school and Relief Society! 

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And I know that it is the guiding light of the Savior. My challenges may feel big to me in the moment...but they are really few and small. We have a wonderful family that has the means to provide a home for us during this time and it is great to have all of their help and support. No matter the location, homeschooling life is always a challenge...but a good one. I like to share more than just our Happy moments. I don't want anyone to think that we have it all figured out...because we don't. It's one day at a time and we are lead by Prayer and Faith. I tend to get a sense of  "I should be doing it better" when I read or see what other families are doing and it all sounds so fun and perfect. But the reality is that I know it isn't....because it's not that way for us. I know that every family has their challenges. What is important is that we get through them and that we do it with a Happy Heart. Not begrudging anyone for our plight and realizing what a BLESSING it is to have this special calling as a PARENT and learning  from our Kiddos everyday how to "become as a little child".

Happy Day!