Mid-fall update

We're just over a quarter of the way through the school year.  Homeschooling is a mix of joy, frustration, fun, exasperation, wonder, a whole lot of noise, and sanctification (I hope).  One of the million reasons I'm thankful we homeschool is how clearly I get to see my sin!  And glory in Jesus' grace.

(And sure, I have this grateful, teachable attitude every moment of every day.  Especially when multiple children are crying at once and I can't locate one of my students and Caleb just found out how to turn on the garbage disposal.)

The house is all closed in now, though, at the moment, lacking doors and windows.


We're involved in an endless series of decisions:  What kind of front door?  What kind of back door?  What color cabinets?  How many stairs above and below the landing?  What color floor?  What sort of roofline?  Which way should these doors open?


Each decision is perfectly simple though.  For example, for the master tub, all we need to know is that the total height of the wall is 97 inches, less 13 inches for the window header, less 48 inches for the window, leaves 36 inches to the bottom of the window.  A typical vanity is 31 to 32 inches high with a 4- or 5-inch backsplash, which adds up to 36 inches, and that's the amount left to the bottom of the window, besides a 2 1/2-inch trim.


So clearly, we need a 72-inch bathtub.


Simple.

Our house under construction in the background

I had what was supposed to be my last chiropractor appointment last week.  Of the four original strength tests, I've now passed three.  Which is good!


I still miserably failed the fourth.  Which is bad.

He upped the intensity of my exercises again and made an appointment in eight weeks.


The doctor seemed pleased and upbeat, but it was somewhat discouraging for me.  On this test I failed, the average woman can hold the pose for 149 seconds.


I held for 22.

He tried to cheer me up by pointing out that I tripled my last score of 7 seconds.


Anyhow, he thinks I can still improve, which is what we'll assess in eight weeks.  I do think my back is better than it has been for a long while--and dramatically better than when I first went to him.

Thankfully, we haven't had any major illnesses yet this fall.  Caleb came down two days ago with terribly-gunky-disgusting-globby-gook-coming-out-of-the-eye-itis.  The pediatrician mercifully prescribed medicine over the phone without making me come in.  The downside is that we have to put drops in an unwilling toddler's eyes.


Two drops in each eye.


Three times a day.


For five days.


Let the reader think to him or herself what this experience is probably like.


We did manage to get out and vote on Tuesday.  One child was disappointed that we went to the fire station and didn't see any fire trucks, and another child was disappointed that we didn't get to "boat."


But bless those poll workers, they gave us all stickers.

Yay for civic duty!