COMMON GROUND COFFEE HOUSE #79

Three days of record highs (high 90s) are
probably ended by a quick thunderstorm with
hail that just passed through.

 

Good morning all!

This is the second to the last day of school and I have two sick kids and a wannabe. Stupid storm system that is sitting to the northwest of us and most likely won't bring us even a drop of rain, has our atmosphere unsettled enough to give Son a migraine. Poor Precious is in the midst of another allergy attack, this time affecting her chest. Bitsy just wants to be sick....

I sent them all to school anyway! Precious has finals and couldn't miss unless she was in the hospital(school hates having to makeup finals). Son and Bitsy's schools aren't really doing anything except playing. I told them they could just as easily suffer at school as at home since nothing constructive will be done anyway.

Sue and Diane, I have a question for ya'll. What do you do for physical education in your home school activities? Or is it required in your areas?

Even though this has mainly been a good year for us we are back to considering home schooling for the two oldest. Especially if Precious is diagnosed with something that will keep her out of school a lot of days. The middle school has gotten the reputation of not being willing/able to accomodate children who have to miss school, even with medical disabilities. I know two parents of chronically ill children who have already pulled their kids out, because of the attitude of the school toward abscenses. Two more I know are considering it for the same reason.

I get to meet with the schools "attendence committee" today to discuss Precious' abscenses. It should be lots of fun, as bad as they hate abscenses, they really hate the threat of homeschooling.

Ya'll pray that I'll be able to hold my temper with them. Nothing sets me off more than a bunch of condescending school teachers with the attitude that they know what is best for MY child.

 

Good Morning Cindi, I can feel that storm pressure too! PLUS the two new boys are pretty defiant and we're already having a battle of the wills! I'm so tired of being asked 'why' everytime I tell them something. 'Don't break the limbs off my butterfly bush!' 'Why?' the 5 year old asks!!!

P.E. is not required as such. ANY bike riding, playing catch, jumping rope, dance lessons, swimming, etc. is considered P.E. and is to be included in the 4.5 hours of schooling required in Ga. for 180 days a year. Alabama has NO LAWS.
http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=AL

I LOVE home schooling Nick. We're almost finished for the day since we had gotten ahead in most subjects. Nick had reading, science and history left. He's going to read his history while everyone else naps later in the day. The science was on light, shadows, optical illusions, etc. Oh and we have some math to do during nap time.

 

Sue, I am thinkin' you might be right about ol' Blackbird!

Blackbird...I've been "circlin' the airport", cause my landin' gear won't come down....LOL....Uh, control tower, I'll get back to you ASAP on that (gotta go dig everything off the top of that mower this afternoon when I have some help) and then come in for a landing! Hope my fuel holds out 'til then!

Oh, as you may have seen today...I'm not running on both engines! Maybe today's flight should have been CANCELLED!

 

Tony, I sent you an email about the termites.

Blackbird is dangerous! He reminds me of 'Home Improvement'. I can just see Tony's mower now. That thing'll be hoovering over my house by suppertime!

Would you believe it's almost 80° already? It's nice tho because of a strong breeze. 20 mph winds right from Cindi's house to mine.

The weather forecast has changed again and it looks like a clear weekend. Sounds like a good time for a yard sale! I don't THINK I have any children this Monday. (PLEASE LORD) I know I don't have the well behaved kids... LOL...

Hubby's company is having a big cookout for Memorial Day on Friday but I can't go. Too many children.

 

I haven't got the email yet, Diane, but our servers are slow today....

It's nearly 81 here...HOT and sticky. Little or no airflow here at all. Doc told Viv to make sure I used the air and kept my BP down, as well as my breathing treatments UP for my asthma. Had another attack yesterday...Haven't had this many in several years.

Viv is supposed to have this weekend off, Monday included. We were going to try to go to GA, but the doc said "NO!". Geesh, I'll be glad when I can travel again! But, I need to be here anyhow. The three preachers from the church (one of them is me) are all three going to preach 5-10 minute sermons throughout the 5th Sunday Sing this weekend. I think I preach second.

I don't think blackbird is going to get my Snapper to become "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"....I hear with his mechanical ability it may just be "BANG! BANG!"...LOL

 

Well things are going a little smoother. My 'little lady' arrived with her baby brother and the two brothers have toned it down a LOT. MacKenzie is so polite and precious. She's VERY tiny for her age. She corrected them for saying 'poo poo' and the like. Told them 'Jesus doesn't want us to talk ugly'. They had a picnic on the deck and colored some and now are back out swinging. The baby is napping. I've got his lunch ready but he's always wiped out after Sunday anyhow and with mom being in the hospital until late yesterday....

Diane

 

Well things were up and down all day and the 3 year old boy probably hates me but isn't used to being told what to do. He's very defiant and mom and I had a LONG talk in front of them before they left about what is and is NOT acceptable, how I expect to be shown respect and that I don't count to 10 or 20 but my 'directives' must be followed by the 3 count or it's time out. She's another one who wants ME to fix her kids. Good news is, she paid for the whole week in advance.

I cannot begin to tell you how tired I am and the whole week is going to be even more kids. One baby who has CP will come on Wed. and will be here from 9 til 2:30 so mom can go with Dad to Six Flags. On Friday night, another baby while mommie graduates from high school. Ty has gone to Ala. so I won't have him til Tuesday week WITH PAY tho. He's easy to care for.

Diane

 

Morning all:

56 degrees and a full, clear moon here! It's lighting up the whole field. There are some small patches of fog, but all looks great here!

Last night as Vivian and I were driving up the driveway coming home from Vision meeting at the church for VBS, we saw all of the firefly's in the fields! Looked like little twinkling stars in the sky, but fallen to earth....breath-taking.

Was a very busy day for me yesterday. Lots of things happening in the church, our family on both sides, and in our lives in general. But, we know God doesn't just allow good or bad...both are a fact of life. The good things are blessings, but, even the bad could be considered thus. Just depends on ones perspective, drive and determination to follow God through it all and stay the course. He never said it would be easy.

Our pastor and his wife got sick shortly after they got to the meeting last night and had to leave. We arrived shortly after they left. Vivian was having some stomach problems this morning, but still went to work. She said if they "kicked up" that she would take a partial vacation day and come home.

Sue, sounds like you were VERY busy yesterday! God's blessings on you and yours, and everyone here. Have a blessed day!

T

 

Cloudy and damp here - very dreary.

Trying to settle my desk in preparation for being out for a week. It's as bad as packing for a trip - you don't want to forget anything.

 

Hi folks,
When you miss a few days, it can take a bit of reading to catch up!

A riding mower has been converted in to Chitty Chitty, Bang Bang!
More daycare kids, fishing derby, and termites!

We're having the plumbing redone. Too bad we can't do it ourselves, $$$!!!!!!!!
I can hear them banging around under the house and occasionally get a whiff of some less-than-pleasant odour . . .

Hubby is going to actually be off for 3 days, and we want to go somewhere that is not here!

 

It's already afternoon here and just saying hello!

The two boys went right back to sleep and I let them sleep til 9:00 and then made scrambled eggs. They both made some yuk sounds and some remarks about Coco Puffs but the children had eaten a WHOLE box in one sitting yesterday. Do you KNOW how much that stuff costs??? Even in the bags of generic, it's not cheap! So, eggs it was.

We got their sofa bed closed up and had a lesson on dishes go into the sink and chairs get pushed in, please. Nick did his school work and we took him for a haircut and dropped off the moms check at the bank. Now we have lunch cooking and then Max to pick up.

The boys are out back and they want to play sword fighting with sticks. I don't allow that and got an earful of what they can do at their house. The little one said, 'Mama said we can fight at OUR house but not at YOUR house'. He still won't come to me when called unless I count in a firm voice. I think he's used to coming close for a swat, etc. When he comes to me, I squat down and say 'We don't hit our friends or brothers, please. Okay?' He'll catch on. Nick calls me Super Nanny and thinks she spied on me to learn her tricks.

Tomorrow is the baby with Cerebral Palsy. I have him from 9 til about 2:30. His physical therapist will come here about 1 - 2 ish to do his PT. He's a one time 'job'.

Diane

 

Hey ya'll!

I've had two exhausting days in a row and thank the Lord that school is over. Dealing with the school isn't quite done, but at least I don't have to get the kids up in the morning till I'm ready to get them up.

Yesterday was my meeting with the "attendence committee". I kept my temper there but have been burning since. Precious is in big trouble! She fooled around in math class and didn't do the makeup work and has an unacceptable but passing grade, right here at the end of the year. That problem won't be repeated again.(it's tough when Mom and Dad both get hold of a kid!)

I'm still angry at the school however. Our system is attempting to enforce an attendence policy that is not supported by the State Board of ED. The state board says that excused absences can't be held against the child for grade advancement. The city school is trying to tell me that she has missed so many days(all excused but one) that they thier policy is to hold them back or require summer school in spite of the fact that she is passing all her classes. Not that she is failing mind you, just that she has missed to many days. They don't seem to have an answer for just how they can require something the state clearly doesn't. So we'll see. I'm not the only parent going through this, we may have to all get together and visit the superintendent. Oh, and this policy is only enforced in the middle and high school, the elementary school policy is exactly in line with the state policy.

Then with all this going on Precious had been coughing badly for a few days and I had been mainly ignoring it thinking it was just her allergies. When it got so bad that she was coughing till she gagged every other breath I took her to the doc. She had mycoplasma, which is a cause of pneumonia. We seem to be lucky that she didn't have actual pneumonia. So she is down for the count on her first day of summer vacation.

I'm sure tomorrow will be another battle with the school day. They were supposed to call me with the "decision" of the attendence committee about how they were going to handle Precious' absences, but I haven't had a call yet. Of course they had a pretty good clue that I wasn't happey with them so it may just be that I get a note on her report card.

We'll see....

Hey Diane, how bout I take your babies and you come argue with the school system for me?

 

Well tomorrow threatens to be a horrible day so do remember me! The 3 day a week mom has a doctor's appointment for CAT scan and more so she needs to bring the children, ages 3 and 1, at 8 a.m. The two brothers, ages 5 and 3, are coming at 6:15 a.m. The baby with Cerebral Palsy, age 1 but delayed, is coming at 9 a.m. His Physical Therapist is coming from 1:00 - 2:00, and I have to pick up Max, age almost 6, at 2:45. Nick's home schooling is really winding down but still has to be done!

Jon will be home but sleeping since he works 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. and is working overtime this week with NO days off.

I was in bed last night at 8:30. I've been ready for bed since about 5:30. Jim JUST walked in but I had made 15 Bean Soup and Rice in my slow cooker so Nick and I ate when the last child left and I just kept it hot for Jim. There's plenty left for feeding all those kids lunch tomorrow too. I cannot TELL you how tired I am from all this work! I'm not even sure Jim has pants for work tomorrow either.

I DO thank the Lord that I'm able to earn good money out of my home. I'm just too tired to care right now.

Diane

Galatians 6:9 So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up.

 

I think dealing with recalcitrant children is easier than dealing with recalcitrant school officials!

Hopefully if I fight this battle I'll do some other kids in our position some good. I have Son who'll have to go through this school in another year, I guess I'd rather do battle now and be done with.

 

Morning all:

It's a cool 42 here and patchy fog! This has been a really strange week for us. Found out by email that Viv's sister is having surgery on her colon on Thursday morning. Everyone else knew last week. Viv's always out of the loop on things in her family because she will tell them like it is. They just don't take care of themselves and she tells them so.

I haven't slept much this week. We haven't gotten to bed before 10pm any night this week, and I've been awake by 12 midnight almost every night. I might doze off and on between then and 2am and then go back to bed by 7am and back up at 8am when Viv calls from work. Doc wants to put me on some sleeping pills, but I hate the after affects of those things. I told him I was going to start listening to some CCM and Bach/Beethoven to try and put me to sleep. Right now am listening to "Point of Grace" I Choose You. Might listen to Avalon in a bit.

Still, Praise the Lord. Another day to wake up, serve Him and be a witness to others!

God bless and have a great day!

T

 

Morning all. I've been up since 6:00 and so far things are going pretty smoothly. Everyone has arrived on time or a few mins. late. I had just finished feeding Brayden, MacKenzie, Christian and Joshua when Brennan arrived but his mother had brought diced fruits, baby cereal (air puffed), yogurt, granola bars, cheese and his lunch is also packed. He hadn't done anything but picked at food earlier so I gave him some breakfast at the table while Nick is doing school work. Brennan liked that. He naps right after breakfast and Brayden usually does also but Brayden is watching Veggie Tales and playing while Brennan naps in my bedroom.

It's only 63° so far so the three little ones are in the rec room making electronic bugs from some Google Eyed kits we have. Forgot the brand name. I've got Finding Nemo on down there too.

Nick is studying Ruby Lasers in Science this morning and has to make a color wheel. He finished his reading book for the year. We still have some fun pages for the summer (Vacation Pak, it's called). I printed off his 5th grade spelling words and 5th grade vocabulary words last night to give him a head start. We've been finished with spelling for a couple of weeks.

Diane