Sonlight, Law Breaking, and Brain Damage

I think I need a little catch up post about what is going on around here!

First, we've decided to switch to Sonlight for our homeschool curriculum. We've used Seton for 3 years now, and like it just fine, but Sonlight appeals to us because it is very "literature" rich - basically all the teaching is literature based. In a house full of book nuts, this is a good thing. :) We plan to still use Seton for religion and English though [I like the way the Catholic faith is incorporated in all their English materials].

I initially had to get over my extreme distress at how *expensive* Sonlight is - almost $1500 for the 3 children I am schooling this year. [And two of my children are sharing a curriculum - the 6yo and 5yo]. I decided to dig into savings to buy it, which stresses me out, but we had to buy next year's curriculum one way or the other.

Our books and everything came in the mail this past week, and it was extremely exciting! The kids saw all the books and went NUTS! I am very excited about starting - the kids are too. We've decided to start June 1 for next year since I'll be having Gamma Ray sometime in the early fall most likely and we'll lose time then.

I was a little frustrated with the teacher materials with Sonlight though. They make it sound like it comes with "easy to use" lesson plans and you can just open up the plans and teach - not so at all [Seton IS like that though]. The plans are very confusing and I had to spend an hour just collating them according to the instructions Sonlight sent - and then I find that Sonlight says in the introduction to their plans that I can expect to spend 10-20 hours [per curriculum! So 20-40 hours for me!] just figuring out HOW to teach Sonlight.... I wish I'd known that ahead of time. For the price they charge, I would have liked for them to at least put the teaching manual together for me in the correct order... but we are still excited none-the-less!

Recently I got a speeding ticket for the first time in what... 7? years or so. Long time. I do try to actually obey traffic laws [hey, I'm a rebel, what can I say?! LOL! Our Church does actually call us to obey lawful laws however, and speed limits are lawful requirements as far as I can tell].

Anyway, we were coming back from my parent's house and I had all 5 kids with me. We were on a 4 lane highway that happens to have a speed limit of 40-45, which I do usually obey, but I wasn't paying enough attention that day - like WAY not enough attention because I was going 65! [My brain had switched to "4 lane highway = interstate w/ speed limit of 65-70" mode and I just *really* didn't realize what I was doing].

So, a VERY polite police officer pulled me over and he was SO nice. I got a speeding ticket but he was extremely kind and only charged me with going 55 mph [65mph would have lost my license and could have landed me in jail with the new stricter laws!]. The officer said he "appreciated my honesty" because I readily admitted I was going that fast and I apologized several times. I guess he doesn't hear people tell the truth very often, and he was very nice to knock the charge down for me!

So, as all this is going on, my children are *freaking out*!!! They were completely scandalized! Their MOTHER was a law breaking criminal! I was berated continually by my children - HOW could I do such a thing?!! An actual police officer had to pull me over because I was BREAKING THE LAW!!! I told them that I HAD broken the law, that I was very sorry, that it was wrong for me to do that, not only because it isn't legal but also because it isn't safe, and that I should have been paying more attention.

Now they watch me & my speedometer like a hawk - apparently you have to be really careful about watching over her when you have a "Law Breakin' Mama"!

One last funny story to share. When our Sonlight Curriculum got here, we all sat in the living room floor and I took a pair of scissors out and I opened the boxes [think "excitement of Christmas" here LOL!]. I had the scissors in my lap once I had the boxes open and we were looking at each individual book.

Now, I still have brain damage from my eclamptic seizure with my last baby. It is MUCH better, but I still pretty frequently switch words without realizing it and my kids are pretty used to this now.

The 3yo grabbed the scissors and I said "NO! Don't touch those baby, they can burn you". [Now, of course I MEANT they can cut you, but that's just how my brain works these days].

My 5yo starts laughing and says "Mama, you are so silly! Scissors can't burn you! They CUT you!"

And my 6yo son turns to her and says, in a scandalized voice, "Monkey3! You shouldn't make fun of Mama! You KNOW she has brain damage!!"

ROFL!

Otherwise, this will be a strange week for me.

My son went yesterday to spend 5 days with his friend who lives out of state. It will be the longest time he's ever been away from home. Monkey3 [his inseparable sister - we call them the "wonder twins" because they are SO close and always together] is in an absolute depression over him being gone. Its really quite sad! But I know he will have a blast and I think it is a GREAT opportunity for him.

My oldest is spending two nights this week with my parents - which means we will ONLY have 3 kids for 2 nights this week! How bizarre!

And, just in random news, the "Baby Monkey" [the now Toddler Monkey!] is walking all over the place like crazy - she finally decided a couple of weeks ago [at the ripe old age of 16 months] that she would start walking every where after 6 months of crawling like greased lightening from place to place! She is SO cute toddling around - she's so tiny it looks like she should be too little to walk!

Hope you guys are all having a great holiday weekend - and THANKS to all you military folks who fought and are fighting for our freedoms this day. To read something really amazing that I TOTALLY agree with, check out the Totus Tuus Family blog: To Be Grateful For This Memorial Day.

God bless you!