Summer vacation?

I'm hearing mention of summer vacation all over the place, and while for the first time in a LONG time, we don't really have any pressing deadlines (and believe me, I do feel lost without them!), we don't have any plans either. For the first time ever, we're finding ourselves trying to figure out what to DO with the summer! Of course, we know that it may well be figured out for us, with Pete starting a new job, Jon coming home on R&R in late summer rather than late fall, and the possibility of Pete starting his overseas travel with his new job...but for right now, there's nothing--except a huge void on the calendar! Weird...

I'm kidding myself if I am even beginning to think that I will have the summer "off". It does not happen. Even now, I'm doing mental checklisting of things I need to accomplish before we officially start school--starting with getting out the calendar and actually planning our next school year! In years past, we've always started the week after Labor Day and ended within a couple of weeks of Memorial Day, but this year, I don't really have much reason to wait that long. It doesn't truly feel as if we need that big a "break".

For now, I'm doing a little summer "school" for me--I'm reading some new (and some not-so-new, but new to me) books on home education, familiarizing myself with elementary school curriculum again, and switching gears from algebra and chemistry back down to phonics and basic math facts. I'm determined to enjoy this more the second time around; with Jon and Kelsey, we began homeschooling more out of necessity than anything else, and I was doing just way too much flying by the seat of my pants to truly "enjoy" it. This time....well, this time I'm ready. I'm prepared. And I'm ready to have FUN with this! Ooh--I even bought a butterfly bungalow and I need to decide when to mail off the certificate for our caterpillars....I think our butterflies will be a summer project, rather than waiting till we study insects later on in the school year. I guess it's time to get that butterfly bush picked out and planted, huh?

My mind is a bit scattered right now, and for that reason, I'm glad I've got the summer to get myself organized and focused. I'm just thinking in too many different directions all at once. I had way too much "hit" me at the same time, and my thought process is frazzled. Jobs, renovations, graduation, gardening, teaching reading, world history, transcript preparation, Afghanistan, potential weddings, rebellion issues, and oh, how the list goes on...not to mention I've been studying pretty hefty issues in my own personal Bible study time. Simplification? I NEED IT!

So...how did YOUR May go?

'Cause mine was a bit of a blur. I know, I know....I started blogging about serious stuff, caught some people's attention, then disappeared off the map. Sorry. It's been one of THOSE months. You'll have to 'scuse me and my blatant disregard for the internet as of late. I would like to say I've been out in the backyard, camped out on a comfy quilt with hubby, watching the girls play....

But alas, I have not. If my mind wasn't already sidetracked with what has turned out to be a roller-coaster of emotions with my son and his fiancee (or is she? I'm not sure anymore), I had a graduation to prepare for, and that was no small undertaking. The biggest time-taker-upper was a scrapbook I made for her to have on display at the homeschool group's graduation reception following the ceremony, and I'll tell you...that scrapbook was EXHAUSTING! It's a good thing I'm not one of the types who gets all mushy and teary-eyed over old pictures of my kids, because I'd never have gotten it done! Thankfully, Kelsey actually enjoyed the scrapbook (even if she does still say that scrapbooking is silly), and all of our new friends and "family" got a good glimpse at all the years leading up to our move here--including pictures that they could compare all of the girls with, and the general consensus is that each of the little girls looks somehow "just like Kelsey" in their own way, yet they all look completely unique. God is truly an artist when it comes to creating biological "art"!

At any rate, we now have another high school graduate...and possibly another future in-law (??); regardless, this mom is tired. Emotionally, physically, and mentally. I just don't want to think for a while, if that's okay with everybody. After the last week, my brain needs some time off. Especially since we spent a week semi-worrying (and praying VERY hard) because the company Pete has been working for since February did NOT get their contract renewed and his job will be disappearing on June 1st......and yesterday, God came through with a HUGE answer to prayer when a much LARGER company with a much more important Defense contract (not to mention....the contract is long-standing and renewed!) contacted him and offered him a job doing exactly what he'd hoped to be doing when he retired from the Army! God truly does provide! But my brain....it's fried.

I hope y'all will excuse me whilst I do a little bit of brain renewing. I need to read and reboot. I'm SOOOO glad I've gotten next school year "covered" already so all I have to do over the summer is get to know the materials that already fill our schoolroom! Yay for preplanning!

Oh yeah....here's our newest homeschooled grad, Kelsey!

Definition of "tired":

"Tired" is when you hop in the tub at 11pm on a Saturday night after everyone else has gone to bed because you just realized you haven't shaved your legs in WAY too long and you don't really want to look like Sasquatch in a skirt at church the following morning...........

.........and not finding out until 9:30pm SUNDAY night that you somehow managed to forget one whole leg!