Thank you for your prayers and a quick update

God is good! He bought me a little time to figure out how to handle this "first-meeting-with-the-bio-dad-in-28-years" thing! I finally talked to him for a few minutes and found out that he is not allowed to leave the premises of the half-way house except to look for employment. And since he will be moving to Athens to stay with my half-sister for a while, they don't really expect him to find a job around here. Also, through some freakish error (yes, I know it was you, God!), my name did not get put on his visitors list so I can't go visit him either. He was upset about the mistake but obviously, I'm not. I tried to be sympathetic and said, well, a few more weeks is not that long but I'm glad. I really really need to pray some more about this and get my emotions under control. I must admit, I am more freaked out by this than I ever expected to be.

Sometime last week in my Journey devotional, I read an article titled "Be Bitter or Be Blessed". It totally defines how I think I feel. Forgiveness isn't about the person who wronged us, it's about us. We can't be filled with things of God if we are already filled with a bunch of other junk. And I KNOW how blessed I am. I am SO NOT carrying all that around with me anymore and haven't in a long time. But it's just still a little weird, ya know? LOL I guess it's like meeting someone you've chatted with online with for years and never actually thought you'd see face to face. That's the closest I can come to explaining it. I'm a little curious, naturally, a little nervous, etc. But mostly ambivolent (did I spell that right?) and I feel like I should feel something more. Just a whole lotta weirdness goin' on.

And also, thank you, Lord, I've been too busy to focus on it right now anyway. So much to do right now!

We had a great time in Atlanta. We were late getting there because I made a wrong turn (me! Miss Great-sense-of-direction, usually) and it took me forever to figure out how to get turned around on the toll road! But they held our reservation for us and we were seated quickly. They had little booster chairs and menus for the dolls even! And we got to take our cookie cutter napkin rings home. Haven't used them yet but we will!

We all got something different so we could taste everyone's food. The food was pretty good and I'm glad we did that just so we can say we did it but we're not likely to do it again. For what we paid, we could have eaten a lot better elsewhere. I think next time, we'll just have a milkshake or something.

Kayti used her birthday money and bought Ruthie. Ruthie is Kit's friend and the Kit movie just came out at the theatres. Kit is Kayti's absolute favorite American Girl doll and she's been eagerly awaiting the release of both the doll and the movie for several months now. We still have not been to see the movie yet. Hopefully, we'll get around to it sometime this week.








I think my mom enjoyed the store as much as the girls and I do. I know she got a kick out of the old stove and washing machine, having watched her own mother cook and wash on them many times. I know Maw Maw would love those dolls and books, too.



After we were done with the American Girl store, I redeemed myself and my sense of direction by finding our way to the Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville! (go me, go me, go me, who's ya daddy?) We let Dylan spend a few hours there while we walked around the rest of the mall, though we redneck girls enjoy the Bass Pro Shops a little, too!

I've been working hard trying to get ahead for the Fall. Everyone always tells me I take on too much and I usually laugh it off because I can't imagine sitting around doing NOTHING all the time. Not that anyone else does that but I would if I didn't find fun, constructive things to do with myself. But I may have actually bit off a HUGE bite this time. I know I can handle it but I know now more than ever, I MUST stay organized. So far, so good. I have the entire first semester of lesson plans for both Discovery & Music and Movement for FBCA, almost all the lesson plans for Home Ec, the first three weeks of lesson plans for Brooke, and the syllabus completed for American Girls (still working on the lesson plans for that one, though)

I am really excited about my new job with FBCA (First Baptist Christian Academy) doing Discovery and Music & Movement and about the classes I'm teaching for the co-op. Speaking of American Girls, I am teaching one class devoted solely to Kaya, the Indian girl. We'll be reading her books and studying the Nez Perce tribe for 14 weeks this Fall! The children's librarian at the Trussville Library found out I was doing this and she's asked me to come and be her guest speaker when their American Girls Club does Kaya in the Spring. I'm also teaching a Music & Movement for preschoolers for the Co-op and helping another teacher out with the Home Ec class. I think that one has kept me the most busy because we decided to write our own curriculum instead of buying one and there is SO MUCH to cover in Home Ec. We want to touch on cooking, cleaning, laundry, child care, sewing, crafts & decorating, personal finance, being organized, maintaining a godly home, hostessing, etc. and we could literally spend all 14 weeks on just ONE of those! And maybe we will, next semester.

I am excited for Kayti and her CORE classes and I'm so glad she is excited, too. We've started reading Treasure Island, her summer reading assignment together as a family.

I absolutely LOVE homeschooling and I so wish I'd begun doing it sooner! We got the girls' SAT scores back and they did great! I was a little nervous only because I was afraid that if they did not do good, Jeff would want me to send them back to school or something (he's still in that public school mindset) and I am SO not doing that. As long as God keeps working out a way for me to do this, I'm going to keep doing it. But I had nothing to be nervous about. Brooke scored a little behind in Math, but I knew she would. She really struggles with Math but that's okay. She'll get there and she's not SO far behind that it's anything I need to worry about. I expected Kayti to be behind in Math as well but she tested exactly on grade level. Brooke scored around 7th grade in Social Studies (do ya think her teacher mom might be a history buff? lol) and exactly on grade level in everything else. Everything else of Kayti's was either on grade level of above except for "listening skills". I was kind of surprised at that and thought 'she must have just had a bad day' or something when she took that test but since the results came back, I have noticed it more. So I'm glad it was brought to my attention and we're definitely working on that this summer.

I'm not sure if I already posted this or not but Brooke made the Dance team at Shalita's! She is thrilled and extra thrilled that her bff Hannah made it, too. I don't think one would have liked being without the other.

Pep Squad is a go, too, and we're having our first meeting this Saturday.

We're still enjoying our Tuesday pool parties at Mrs. Donna's (thank you, Donna so much for doing these!) I tell everyone about my Tuesdays. That's a day where the kids get to all play together and they don't bug us to death "watch me, mommy" all day (not that I mind that now and again but not every 5 minutes) and we moms get to sit and talk and laugh. We have such a good time. Mom time is very important, too, ya know!

Arts & Crafts is still moving right along. The girls learned to sew this week, each of them making a simple top/dress. This week is supposed to be string art but I'm not sure we'll have the supplies ready so we may do mosaic instead and put string art off a bit.

I did get all the invites mailed out for Mia's bridal shower which is this weekend (still blows my mind she is getting married--I just changed her diaper yesterday!) and last night we went to Nett's to get all the wedding invites addressed and ready. That reminds me, I need to get started on her gift. It will in no way shape or form be ready by this weekend. Hopefully soon, though. Right now I'm concentrating on getting the shower done. I've never hosted one before so I want to make sure I dot all my i's and cross all my t's so to speak.

I think that's about all the excitement in my life for now. Hope that's enough!