Big ‘Ol Update

You know how when you have so much going on, you don’t even have time to tell people what’s going on and even when you finally get time, you don’t even know where to start? Well, that’s where I am now.

So I’ll give a quick run-down to at least get up to speed and not feel like I’m ‘behind’. Bear with me.

OK, so, the praying mantis decided to move on, but not before I got some other cool pictures of it. I don’t have them loaded up yet, but I’ll try to post something later for all you praying mantis lovers out there.

After months of…um…well, really being a pain to my long-suffering husband, whining about wanting a kitten or two, I got my wish. It’s not that my hubby didn’t want any, he just wasn’t sure about the timing. In the end it all worked out pretty well and we have now added litter-mates Chase (boy) and Bailey (girl) to our menagerie. Below is a pic of them being cute – believe me, they are not always so docile, they are kittens, after all. But they haven’t been too terrible, either. I wuvs them! And the dog, he is seemingly thankful for the larger sized ‘toys’ we brought home for him. The kitties could escape him if they wanted to, so for the most part I just let them go at it since they all seem to be playing and not really fighting. The cats will probably be bigger than the dog soon enough, so we’ll see what happens at that point. So far there have been no visible injuries to any of the pets, which is more than I can say of the other family members. You can’t expect to get through kitty-dom unscathed, right?

Here they are sleeping on each other, as usual:

Chase is on the left, Bailey on the right. Aren’t they sweet??

What else? I started school with the boys last week. This is the first ‘official’ year for my youngest, so I have to file forms with the school district and all that jazz. I’m still trying to find a supervising teacher who will do portfolio evaluations, but if I can’t find one in time, it’ll be annual testing again. Even though my older son has tested well, I still don’t like that being the measure of ‘what he’s learned’. It’s so confining. I can live with it, I just don’t LIKE it.

I’ve become a coordinator for our local homeschool group. There are many coordinators and I am just one of them – not as impressive as it may at first sound, but I’m happy to do it. It’s a good way to be more involved and get to know more of the other moms. We didn’t do anything with the group last year other than be members and I want to make sure we are more active this year.

I’m still knitting up a storm. I’ve been making some baby items for Gena and my best friend Heather also just found out she is pregnant! Finally – some babies to knit for! I’m loving it. And for anybody who is on Ravelry (a site for knitters and crocheters), I’m on there under homegrownarts. Come see what I’ve been making, but shhhh…they’re secrets!

We went Thursday night to see Ray Vander Laan speak at a church about an hour away . That was very cool. We love his “That the World May Know” video series. If you get a chance to see them, do it! Visit his website, Follow the Rabbi, for LOTS of good stuff, too. I find the origins of the Bible, the context at the time it was written and how it all ties together so interesting and enlightening. I haven’t ever been much of a Bible ‘scholar’ but this has really sparked my interest to become more of one. His teaching has been part of a whole new understanding I’m gaining of the Bible and, therefore, my relationship with Christ. Awesome stuff!

I guess that’s more than enough catching up for one day. I don’t feel so behind now.