Back At It

We are back to our normal schooling schedule here at home after taking a few days off for family time while Mikayla was home. The first part of her time at home was spent resting and getting over a nasty cold that she had picked up on choir tour. She was quite run down after the frenzied schedule that was third quarter. I wasn't surprised when she came home sick after all that was required of her in her regular academics and end of the quarter exams, plus extra rehearsals for fine arts competition, fine arts competition, ministry team every weekend, extra rehearsals for choir tour, choir tour, and basketball championship for which she was manager. AND a roommate that she got up with in the middle of the night to help take medication for a broken ankle. GOOD GRIEF!!! I would have been sick well before that, and you can begin to see reasons why I just COULD NOT continue home schooling her. She has been instructed to NOT get involved in so many things at once ever again, however. ;) Anyway.... Then, Mikayla and I spent a day shopping for spring clothes and something nice to wear at Nationals at BJU ( her choir won second in state and third in regionals. Her small ensemble won first at both the state and regional levels, as did her readers theater. Her own personal competition piece in dramatic interpretation won second in State and third in regionals. More reasons why I couldn't continue in homeschooling!) We went out to eat and just basically spoiled ourselves with a wonderful, girlie day together. Mikayla went to a musical one day that several of her 'home' friends were in, and then we all headed to Bangor to attend a wonderful orchestra concert at UMO with some more friends. I was glad that Terry had taken some time off and was there when the calls about Mr. Jenkin came in. I was so glad she was home with us during that time! She is now back at school. The first day, she found herself at the head of the English class trying to show a substitute what they had been doing before spring break. I suppose her 99% in the class made her a likely candidate for that. Then she had free hours where they couldn't cover the absence of Mr. Jenkin. Chapel yesterday was spent with the whole student body in tears. A sad, but good thing. We were glad to hear that the headmaster at the school took the time to allow the students to share and grieve together. Still pray for everyone at DCA and the family of Cliff Jenkin.
Yesterday here at home was spent trying to get some work out of Nathanael. A formidable task on a good day, but he has picked up Mikayla's cold. He got some things done, but then just had to go lay down, poor fella. Alana spent the day laying on the living room floor in tears because of back and side pain. I was a little freaked out thinking that it had to be her appendix. I ended up taking her to the hospital where they ruled out appendix problems. The visit was inconclusive, and we are waiting to hear back from the lab today. I guess there are several possibilities as to what it could be, but other then a lingering ache in the same place, she seems fine and is back to her normal schedule of schooling. Nathanael also is back to a full schedule with band this afternoon. We sure are looking forward to the end of this school year! What a relief it has been to be able to know that Mikayla has all the opportunities that she can handle that we couldn't provide for her here at home. What a joy to see the Lord working in her heart and life day by day. What a relief to know that Alana has caught up to grade level with a lot of hard work. I can't say much about eighth grade that has been good except I will be relieved when it is OVER! That sounds bad, I realize, but it has really been challenging to say the least. I know that Grade 9 HAS to be better, right? But, still, even with all the challenges this year what a relief to be able to rest in the fact that God has a plan for my son's life. He is a talented boy, with loads of smarts and a great sense of humor. Our doctor asked me the other day what my son is interested in majoring in when he goes to college. I laughed and replied that we were just trying to get him through the 8th grade right now. Then, while still laughing, I asked if a kid could major in Nintendo because other than Star Wars and legos, that is all he is interested in. I was heartened to hear, however, that his son was the same way at the same age and is now at the top of his class at Cornell University majoring in some crazy, mind boggling computer stuff that I couldn't begin to ever comprehend. Hey, we wanted a boy so we would be supported in our old age, right? haha.