Reality Check

So I think the cold/flu has finally stopped kicking us in the teeth.  I am finally able to get through a whole day without coughing up a lung, or crying from being so tired and sore.  My neck still hurts, as I reinjured it in a coughing and sneezing fit, if you believe it.  The kids are finally able to spend most of a day without collapsing on the couch with a blanket.  These past few weeks really pointed out to me that I am not SuperWoman, and I can't do everything.  The uberclean house has become a disaster.  Meals were not well planned.  We watched way too much TV.  I just couldn't keep up with my normal pace.  We are all better, so back on track, but it it tough.  I want to get right back into it.  Unfortunately it is difficult to get right back into our routine completely so we are not starting a new letter number or shape this week.  We are spending a few days practicing tracing, reviewing letters and sounds, and just going over everything we have done so far.  Mostly because I have been unable to get together a weeks worth of schoolwork while feeling like I am going to pass out.  This week I will get everything back together, but in the meantime we are using all of our audio books, coloring books, and workbooks that people have given us.  We are reviewing all the colors, as we have finished them.  We are working on mixing colors, and what primary and secondary colors are.  We are spending a lot of time talking about all the animals we have studied, comparing and contrasting them, and seeing what we remember.  We even matched them up to their habitats on a world map!  I have letting the kids use the learning centers I made every day, since it is something they can do while I do dishes or fold laundry.  We sing a lot of songs, and listen to lots of music, read lots of books together, and we have been cooking together.  When we went to playgroup last week, the kids noticed a picture of the food pyramid, and they recognized it.  They were able to tell me all the food groups, and what foods belong to the groups.  I was so proud of all of them.  When I think about what the kids know, and what they say and do I am overwhelmed with joy and pride, and it really reinforces to me why I am doing what I am doing.  Some days I really think I made a bad choice, and I feel like a truck hit me, but then Eliza will tell me, "You know Mommy, my teddy bear is quite unlike a real bear."  And she will explain why!  CJ will sing the entire album of Here Comes Science and take the information and find real life examples of how he has learned from it.  The best thing though, is when they climb onto the couch with me while I am working and tell me how happy they are.  That is worth any bit of frustration or annoyance, worth any amount of work.  They are smart and happy, and I am so lucky to be able to be home with them.  Now that the weather is finally starting to normalize, and hopefully we won't be bombarded with a gigantic snow storm every few days, I am going to start planning some field trips.  I want to visit the Eric Carle Museum, the Dr. Seuss Museum, the Roger Williams Park Zoo again, Old Sturbridge Village, and several other places.  I want to get the kids outside and hiking this spring, as I miss it tons. 

On a completely unrelated note, we made quinoa and whole wheat spinach pasta last night, from scratch.  It was awesome!  I was so excited to try it, and everyone LOVED it!  Tonight is vegetarian night, and we are making white bean gratin, bruschetta, and leftover golden beets.  So looking forward to it!