Wow Have We Been Busy!

Wow hard to believe how fast the last couple of weeks has flown! Took Mike a while to get the car fixed as he broke a couple of bolts and also messed up the wheel bearing. So he had my van for a few days and we got to catch up on things at home, and I even took the kids for a couple of rides on the city bus. We've tamed the laundry monster, and even washed the blankets and quilts already that we've had stored away waiting for winter.
Last night our low was 27 degrees, and we have a freeze warning and a frost warning that started yesterday and goes through Monday. We even had it trying to snow today! Just little flakes that didn't stay long on the ground, but enough to tell us that winter is on it's way.
Today Caitlin and I went to the farmer's market, and we spent about an hour just wandering around and picking up veggies for the rest of this week. We picked up cabbages, squash, sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and from the Mennonite stand we picked up strawberry cream cheese bread and spicy apple cinnamon bread. From the last stand we went to we picked up big apples that we're going to use tonight for baked apples for dessert, and small apples for the kids to snack on.
Along with the baked apples, we are having turkey tenderloin with bell peppers done in the crock pot, and baked cabbage and corn. The house smells sooooo good right now. I've been baking more the last few weeks, making up banana bread, blueberry bread and corn bread, as well as making biscuits. It helps warm up the house and also gives the kids a great treat for lunch or dinner. They've been helping me with the baking and cooking, and we count the reading that we do as part of our school day.
Nothing tastes better than something you've helped make! Tomorrow I plan to make up another big pan of corn bread, and maybe do up a pork roast if we don't go to the in-laws for dinner.
School has been going well, and Gabe has been "reading" on his own, mostly picture books and Disney books. His favorites so far are The Lion King and Pinocchio. He's had dad and I both read them to him over and over. He's also showing an interest in doing journal time with the other kids, with his favorite thing to draw being faces. He draws like a preschooler, with people being big circles of mostly head, with lines for the arms and legs coming right out of the head. It's great to see him being so interested in the books, as before he would have thrown a fit if I'd suggested that he pick up a book (much less read it!).
He's also started doing some simple chores around the house without much of a fight. He puts socks in the basket, calls the other kids for me, and takes dishes to the sink. He also has been eating better as of late, and sleeping a little better. Weird how all of a sudden things are going so well, but I'm not complaining!
That's all for now I guess, can't wait to see how dinner and dessert turn out!

Gross Pt 2

So he went back to the Dr today, expecting to get cleared to go back to work, or at least get a general idea of when he could go back. Yeah right! Work's pissed at him, because the state (Health Dept) is up their butt. HR at work is pissed at him too, and actually TOOK his name badge from him today when he went to drop off his Dr's note and get his check. He was told in no uncertain terms that it MUST be his fault that he is sick, and don't come back until they tell him to.
Doc has him off for another week at least, maybe more depending on what the results of his next "sample" are. He's to go back next Friday and leave a sample, and they'll call him with the results. Then, they'll fax the results to work, and he is to call them and find out if/when he can go back.
I told him to watch his back, since work is so t'd off about the Health Dept. being involved, and I'm sure that they're going to try and find a way to fire him. So, he took vacation pay for the next week, hopefully he goes back to work then. Or we're sunk, no work = no $$. He said he's going to start looking for a new job while he's off, and the Dr said that as long as it's not dealing with food he can work. Here's hoping that next week is better than this week has been.

On the plus side, we got cable installed today, but now I'm left trying to figure out if we'll be able to afford it in another month. If you're the praying type, I could use some prayers right now.

Been AWOL for a while!

LOL, long time no blog! Been very busy, dealing with the kids' school, and the kids themselves. We're all doing fairly well, just some minor bumps in the road of life.

Gabe has developed a real phobia about school, and school has been unwilling to change his placement. He hasn't really progressed in the last few months at school, if anything he's regressed in some areas. We made the decision a few weeks ago to pull the kids from public school and homeschool them. So far, so good. Their last day was the 18th, which was their last day before winter break (the 19th was a snow day!). We're working on phonics and numbers (and alphabet lol) for Gabe, and regular curriculum and phonics for reading for Caleb, and a regular curriculum for the other 2. Caleb is behind in reading (kinder level at 2nd grade), so I think that the extra reading and phonics will do him a world of good.
James is looking forward to learning more and catching up to the grade he should be in, or at least getting closer. His reading is coming along fine, and that is what held him back in public school.
Caitlin is doing fine, with her it's more of a behavior/attitude thing. She doesnt think it's fair that the 2 younger boys are doing different work than her. Her reading is at grade level, just a little behind (public school uses a letter system: she should be at an "H" or "I" level, but is at a "G").

Gabe is learning his letters, slowly, but learning. We have hooked on pre-k, and jumpstart pre-k and a couple other jumpstart cd roms that we are using with him. He knows his colors, shapes, and some numbers. And so far these letters: A,W,R,M,U,C,D,u,x,b,g,a! Thats major for him! The public school has been trying to teach him the alphabet for 2 1/2 yrs, and thats as farther than they've gotten.

More later, trying to get Gabe to fall asleep, it's quarter after 10 and he's still going strong!