Family Update May 2021
As I eat my Poke bowl and realize how quickly this month has flown by, I'm very much aware that others would not share my enthusiasm. However, as I and my family have better things to do than whine and bellyache every time something does not go our way, I suppose my enthusiasm is a matter of my perception. I'm not one of those bright side, silver lining people. On the contrary, I find myself to be quite the realist (thus my straightforward way of speaking my mind). Worrying changes nothing. Anxiety changes nothing. Whining and bellyaching changes nothing. You know Whom changes things? God. That's it. Short answer. Full stop. Period. You're welcome.
It amazes me, that even typing the above statements are a gut punch to myself, and hopefully equally as awakening as for those who read this. Sit back with a glass of wine in the stillness, and read your Bible a bit. If you don't find comfort in your Bible, check yourself. A NECESSARY, deeper evaluation needs to be done, and quick.
The month of January was full of activity for us. We celebrated the second birthday of a sweet girl the first weekend. We then began our school lessons again. Then we had to take a week off to prep for some of our family to visit with us. And then we were off three days following that while they were here with us. And to recoup, of course. We had ten people in our house for roughly four days. That was a blast! Adult conversation while the older cousins handled the man cubs anyone??? YES!
Our visitors were Paul's aunt and uncle, and their daughters. David was glued to the eldest daughter. She was amazing keeping him entertained. It was so nice to sit and watch someone else handle him for a few days. Ha! Isaac took to the younger daughter. They have a love for cooking. They teamed up and made us a delicious chocolate cake one evening. I learned she likes Harry Potter and video games as well. They all got along wonderfully. Ethan and Nolan kinda had to swap between both of the girls throughout the week. Everyone had plenty of play time. The girls slept well each night too.
Paul and I learned to play Five Crowns. That was a fun game! It's a combination of poker, blackjack, go fish/crazy 8s, and gin rummy. I won't try to explain the game. It was quite simple, but it's easy to learn while playing versus someone giving the instructions without cards in hand.
I was introduced to some new wine by our aunt. Gooooood stuff. Someone to drink wine with throughout the visit was a change of pace. Paul isn't much for wine. So I generally drink the wine alone while he sips on whatever he's in the mood for.
It snowed nearly every day they were here. Nothing significant, but it was enough to get everyone excited to frolic in it. And of course, there was plenty of snow on the ground when they arrived. No shortage of snow here!
The man cubs were heartbroken when they had to leave. The girls wrote the boys a letter and left it on the dining room table for them. Isaac had written back before I had gotten out of bed that morning. I believe it's safe to say everyone had a wonderful time. And we are all very much looking forward to the next visit.
We were one week shy of finishing the Man Cubs' Botany book come Christmas. We finished the last of the workbook pages around the middle of January! We are waiting on one of our last projects to begin growing (the Venus Fly Traps), and then we can officially be finished with the record keeping however. The elder man cubs were ecstatic to know that they would be starting Anatomy and Physiology as soon as Botany was finished. Initially we were gonna do Chemistry, but they're very interested in their immune systems currently. So they've decided they would rather learn Anatomy and Physiology instead of Chemistry right now.
Isaac and Nolan began learning Latin at the beginning of January. So far, they've enjoyed it. We do the lessons twice a week. The lessons are quite short, but learning the basics don't require much elaboration. I've found it to be quite simple myself, since I have to learn this with them.
Ethan is continuing with his lessons and listening in on anything the elder man cubs are doing. Most of the time he wants to participate, but he antagonizes his brothers and their work doesn't get accomplished, or he gets bored with whatever they're doing that does not interest him. Today was different. He waited patiently for his turn (for once).
And David...He's all over and into everything. He likes to tell his brothers to "Shutup" and "Go to your room!" Yeeeeeeah, we gotta reel in that rudeness there. lol He is feisty, to say the least. There's not a shy or timid bone in that boy's body!
I've been working on a product list for my Etsy shop for quite some time. There is little time for me to prepare things to sell in general, due to the nature in which they are created. I find it frustrating not being able to bust out numerous items and products on a whim anymore. I'm currently working on branding designs as well. Business cards, ingredient lists, 'Don't Be Stupid" stickers, pretty tissue paper. Hahahah
As of April, much of the product labels and branding are finished. I've received many of the items in the mail recently, so they are ready to slap on some containers when the goodies get finished. There are several herbal recipes I've been tweaking lately as well. I'm happy to say many of my recipes have panned out wonderfully. Biiiiiiiig announcement coming soon!
Last, but certainly not least, our property projects list has become more extensive than expected. We are more than capable of accomplishing all of it on our own, But money money money!!! The money is always the problem when it's time to make repairs. Thankfully, although the list is extensive, we have yet to find anything that is absolutely over the top. We are in an old house after all. And we have discovered the previous owners didn't do everything correctly. I'm sure we will make mistakes as well. But given that Paul is finding things that I did not when we checked out the house, he's becoming overwhelmed with the thought of making repairs and upgrades. We are in a much better position here than we were in California, however. That, in itself, is truly a burden lifted from our shoulders. Things are still tough, but we're finding our rhythm. It won't be long until we are in heat of summer, filling our walls with spray insulation. Hahahah long story there. And cutting an entrance to our attic (that doesn't exist).
We're well. We're gettin r dun around here. It's been a fast paced month full of projects, new lessons, and family visits. What a beautiful mess we're in!