Homeschool meeting

I learned a lot tonight. I also had a lot of fun. I just love our homeschooling support group meetings. So, I need to talk to Emily about the "No" answer. Then before I say "No" to her I prep her and talk about how I'm going to say "no" and she has various choices that will lead to consequences, etc. Then say "No". I love it!!! It will prepare her for disappointment. I've also learned about consequences for misbehavior. I'm going to sit the kids down and have a nice chat. We're revamping discipline around here.

Here's a cute picture for the day.

Recovering

I'm all better today. I just need to get myself hydrated and nourished. I still have dizziness issues. I cancelled piano lessons so that I could have time to clean house.

During Sacrament meeting Sunday, Emily handed me her tooth! Wonder what she was doing... Fortunately, all three girls slept in Monday morning so the tooth fairy managed to remember to come.

Gastroenteritis

Is just awful. I am so dehydrated. My stomach has been hurting bad since this morning. I'm a frequent visitor to the bathroom. This better be the last of it. Aaron has just begun to get it. Stay away from the Curry home.

Middle of the night

So, now I am up in the middle of the night with a stomach pain. It has lessened much from when I went to bed, but still present. Yesterday was the sick day. I hope I recover soon. This illness comes with stomach cramps.

Our happy news is that the swamp cooler was fixed with a replacement belt. I never knew a swamp cooler was supposed to be quiet! Sunday we got a thunder storm with showers. It was great. The weather cooled for the first time in months.

My complaints of the day

1. Ben's infection isn't any better.
2. Karen threw up a bunch last night and I didn't know it until morning. (She slept on the basement couch.)
3. The forecast is 100 degrees.
4. The swamp cooler is broken.
5. We have to go to Grantsville for viola lessons and go to the park during.
6. I'm on meds that make me dizzier than usual.

Why does it all have to happen in one day?

Getting old or too many kids

In the past year I have been to the doctor more times than I have in the 10 years prior. (Not counting pregnancy stuff.) This time I have a UTI. Not fun. Ben has his third staph infection since April. I asked my doctor for advice. He told me to wash him from head to toe with antibacterial soap, stuff neosporin up his nose, and scrub his nails with a toothbrush with neosporin on it. Then clean his toys. I'll do that and boil his diapers again.

Happy pioneer day! The children's parade is this evening. Caitlyn is already dressed up in her pioneer dress and bonnet. (I had to get the DUP lady to go down to the museum so I could buy it.) Eric and Emily are planning to ride their bikes. I'm supposed to make Caitlyn's helmet boyish. Eric's is lost and they must have a helmet to ride in the parade.

The left-out scooter

I measured my seat and the nautilus. It should fit 3 in a row in the van. (I am not moving the radian from its perfect position.) Now if I can only get the money... New car seats are so exciting!

Emily and Eric traded scooters. (I think) Emily left Eric's scooter (the one that was originally his) at the corner (2 1/5 houses down) for a day or maybe more since she can't remember riding it yesterday. I didn't hear of this till we were pulling into the driveway this afternoon. I sent Emily out to see if it hadn't been stolen. It has. Eric claims he never wants to ride a scooter again now that he has a bike. I have issues with losing stuff. It is losing money to me. My parents bought it though. It was Eric's Christmas gift. Emily is not allowed to ride her scooter(or the one that used to be hers) for a week and after that has to ask Eric's permission to ride it because it is now his even though he doesn't want it. He may change his mind when the bike becomes old or broken.

A piano student didn't show up today. I wonder what happened. It does bother me when I sit around expecting someone and they don't show.

I got a babysitter and went to the dentist. No cavities. Yay!!!

I got an email today about a homeschooling meeting on classical math teaching. I was all set to go when Aaron called to say there are major problems going on with the distribution center. He won't be home in time and I haven't the time to arrange a babysitter. Maybe next month.

False alarm

Not pregnant. That is a relief and yet bothers me because I thought it was perfect timing.

Yesterday I took the three little ones to walmart to get Ben's medication for his infected finger. We had to wait, so we went to the car seat section. They finally got the Nautilus on display. (I have emailed them twice and talked to an employee.) I sat Eric in the seat and he loved it- even with the harness. It looks similar to the Turbobooster and has a cup holder and a cubby in the other arm rest. His radian doesn't have that stuff and it also does not covert to a booster seat. It is very much a car seat. So, now I'm trying to figure out how to come up with the money to buy a Nautilus to make Eric happy with his car seat. I'm also going to make him earn it by keeping his jammies dry. Or maybe by telling the truth. Of course, I still have to get the money somehow.

The latest car seat craziness

This is the new car seat I want.

http://www.multimac.co.uk/multimac.html





I can turn my 3 seater bench into a four seater. The harness is built to fit 80 pound 12 year olds. My kids will be 12 year old sized somewhere around age 14. It is supposed to be out in the US by the end of the year. I totally want one. My 8 passenger van could be a 10 passenger. I could have my big kids harnessed too. (They have headrests, just not in the picture.)

Driving myself crazy

I am searching for the perfect family vehicle. So far, haven't come up with one. I want a 10 seater small van. As in smaller than a full sized van, but a little larger than a minivan. Minivans are too small and I hope to not need a 12 passenger van. Actually a 12 passenger van would be okay if any of them had headrests on the bench seats. I am so frustrated that there are only two options of big vans: the ford/chevy/gmc (all the same) and the sprinter which is gigantic. I'd go with the ford one if they could throw in some headrests. I'm looking at minivans that seat (or can seat) 8. So far I've ousted the odyssey (again) for lack of space. The sienna is still in the running. Now I've added the ford freestar. Our aerostar is looking better the more I search for something else. It would be frugal.

In other news, Caitlyn started viola lessons today. She did well. The viola is of high quality. (Bought used for $175.) There is a park nearby where the kids had a lot of fun. They are excited for more viola lessons.

In case you wondered.

I'm probably pregnant.

Stressing over activities again

I wish I could sign the kids up for everything they were interested in, but I just don't have the money! We bought Caitlyn a viola. I signed her up with the only viola teacher in the county. She only charges a little more than I do per lesson, but since she lives in the city she also charges a monthly gas fee which tacks on even more cost. Caitlyn can't take dance too. My plan was to do viola lessons for a year, then join school orchestra with no lesson and do dance another year. Dh says school orchestra is not enough. I took lessons during my school years. He didn't until his later high school years. He would know and Caitlyn has inherited his musical abilities. We'll get to that next summer though. Emily is really upset and mad that I did not buy her a violin. I had considered it, but the violin currently for sale appears to be rather cheap. Really, the deciding factor was Emily's lack of devotion to music and her frustration that results in throwing things. I thought she'd be happy with dance, but she really wants to play violin. I wish these girls didn't have to try to be the same when they most certainly are not. I've made a deal with Emily. She gets a sticker on the chart for every day she practices music (piano, viola, recorder, whatever) and an x over it if she throws something. If she does make it, she won't get to do dance either. Violin teachers are expensive too. I wish piano teachers weren't so numerous. We're a dime a dozen. At least Aaron's got a clarinet student too. I have pictures I will upload some day. We will be going on a little vacation Thursday through Saturday. I wish we could stay home for Tooele's Independence day celebration. Logan area doesn't seem to have much and the parade is at noon. It is too hot that time of day.

Yesterday I took Ben to the eye doctor. He has prescribed glasses to protect his one good eye. After much discussion with the vision teacher we've decided to start with sunglasses.