Just As I Am

Rainy day. Again. The great thing about the Pacific Northwest is that it gets a little hot and toasty for a while, then a rainy day comes along to clear the allergens. Every time I am tempted to move away from the rain and cold, I go visit the Midwest. Full of bugs, spiders, snakes, muggy heat, sticky skin. Then I am grateful for my mild west coast weather :) It has been decent weather lately. My skin and body need the heat. I don't know if its my hormones, olive skin or what, but I feel healthy and overall better when the sun is out.

We heard that there is one more week until our building permit is fully approved! Totally putting my limited trust in the County right now. Here's hoping for this timeline to be correct so we can break ground before July!!

Yesterday Mike and I were able to venture out sans kids to look at flooring, countertops, lighting and appliances. It was glorious. I learned a lot about what to get, not get. What's the best value, what's cheap. And we've narrowed down our choices. My choices right now are SO much different than what I wanted at the beginning of this journey. 13 years ago, I had no idea about the construction world and today I have learned so much from Mike's line of work, coupled with having to dive in being our own general contractors. Excitement is an understatement of what I feel planning out details, keeping my eyes out for home sales on these things. The more specific, the better.

Earlier this week, I was able to get the kids registered for their new school classes in the new district. It will be fun to do this half-home school/half classroom learning thing. They call it "alternative learning". I'm hoping it will help with the inconsistency that often happens with home school. My love/hate relationship with homeschool is that I LOVE choosing what my kids learn, I know them best. But I HATE when they don't want to do their work because I now become "slavedriver" and have to whip them into shape when I already do enough of that in every other aspect of their lives. Face it, school work is work and no matter how attractive you paint it, their are days and weeks where there is just no motivation for my kids. And my tendency is just to take a break because there are some battles you don't fight. Hoping this gives my oldest some friends her age, accountability and exciting learning environment. Can get a little doldrums when you're the only student on the roll call! I can tell my second girl is needing more of a social and organized schooling schedule, which I can't provide becauseu we'll have much going on with the build, plus coralling the toddler. My youngest girls NEEDS this so much because she's so hyperactive. Needs some structure under another teacher's guidance for a while. I feel like she and I have made huge headway together, but
one doesn't always need to be around your family for their to be a healthy learning environment. Sometimes it creates a thankfulness in them for what they receive at home.

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I had to pause and come back. My youngest girl just threw up. Fun. Now all I can do is hold onto a small glimmer of hope it doesn't spread to anyone else. Which will not happen. *sigh*