Nuthouse-How May I Help You?

Do you know what time it is? The sun has not even peaked over the Mesa!









So yesterday was the first day of school. I thought that the days and nights and days and nights of utter insanity would be a thing to relegate to the back of the closet ready and waiting to be pulled out again next June. Most mothers are in glorious bliss reveling in the knowledge that their houses will stay relatively clean. The sounds of muddy little feet going pitter patter across their freshly mopped floor will be strangely silent. The fridge door, the outside door,the bedroom door, the cupboard door and the bathroom door will now only get their turns at being slammed in the wee hours of the morning and the late hours of the afternoon. "Not me" and "he did it" will have to find somewhere else to play. 11pm scripture and prayer will have to reschedule their flights for 8am and 8pm. Lights will mysteriously stay off and the TV will have to accept that it's power to turn brains into mush will just have to wait. All of this comes with the yearly return of the pods of massive yellow rockets tearing through my neighborhood-at least 6 of them a day. The site of backpacks and lunch boxes littering my counters and ahhh, the ever pervasive scent of "Eu de boy" lingering in my hallways, and wafting in from the bedrooms. So why am I not in glorious bliss you may wonder. Well, let me tell you. The shackles of the summer have fallen away for most mommies but the shackles of high school and homeschooling have taken their place here. Cody has decided to take 9 classes-yes count them 9 classes instead of the 8 he could and all but 3 are honors classes. He joined the Encore choir and the teacher has to move between the high school and the middle school and so has decided that Encore will be at the unearthly hour of 6am. Never mind that seminary pushed their start time back to 6:15 and even Chamber Orchestra only starts at 6:10. Poor Cody! (Poor mommy too!) Yesterday we were all dragging by the end of the day. I had dinner made by 4:55 and home evening was promptly at 7:00pm shortly followed by scripture, prayer and bedtime. I almost wanted to cry when at 9:30pm when I SHOULD have crashed headfirst into dream land I could not go to sleep. I think it was almost 11 before I was officially asleep. The alarm started screaming at 5:15 and I begrudgingly rolled off the bed and onto the floor to plead for some energy. A huge blessing though when(Cody) had to be there at 6 and the friend said that he did not care and that he would come earlier even though he did not have to be there until 6:10. Mykle Lee you are an angel! I was extremely angry with the teacher of Encore for having to be different than every one else-still am a little miffed but less so now because Cody has a ride at least for now. Caleb started his last year and Cayden started his first year at Grant M Bowler Elementary. I was pretty nervous about Cayden because he has been at a different school for the last 3 years but his teacher this year is awesome and he is doing very good. Mommy just has to cut the apron stings even though it is hard. Caleb and Cayden had a great first day even though the a/c was not working AGAIN in Caleb's classroom (metal sweatbox). Yesterday they actually went outside to sit in the shade because it was cooler outside than inside. Has anyone been in Logandale at the end of August? I think it was 106 yesterday. Today they went inside to the resource room and the cafeteria because it got so hot in the afternoon. Poor kids! I have not been thrilled about the things that have transpired in the last few weeks since we decided to postpone the move to Texas but it will all work out and I am waiting patiently (insert eyeball rolling). Don has the job in Texas and actually left Sunday night for meetings on Monday. He will have to be gone more because of the large area that he covers and because it is farther away but at least when he is home- he is home, except for the occasional golf outing with his boss. Ahhh Vegas in the winter where the grass is green. Connor was supposed to go the middle school but as many parents will attest that is not such a good thing. Especially for Connor who has challenges. We decided to homeschool him this year to help him with his diabetes, and helping him get caught up hopefully. I homeschooled Cody in 7th grade and we (me and the mouse in my pocket) are giving this a try with Connor. Anyone who knows my children will ackowledge the vast ocean of difference between them. Cody can learn just with books and movies. Connor needs to be doing something. There in lies the problem. There are numerous online schools and DVD programs available, of which worked just fine for Cody but Connor needs more to keep his attention. So now my childhood dream (nightmare?) of becoming a teacher is a reality although I don't have to have a degree for this one. I really wanted to become a teacher all my life until I had kids. I really admire moms who can teach other's kids all day and then come home and not strangle their own. I think I would be on the evening news the first day of school. So we (me and the mouse in my pocket) are creating our own curriculum for Connor. My inate sense of scheduling and lists and organization may have to be filed away for future use which really is going to be hard for me. Do they have a pill for OCD and perfectitis? This week we are just trying to see what will work. I am hunting on the internet, in bookstores, the library and picking people's brains -not to mention doing alot of praying to make this work. Don's mother, and his sister have willingly volunteered to help me. Dena is going to help him with science and Dottie is going to work with him on history and geography. Dottie's neighbor Joan who has homeschooled lots of her kids and is amazing will tutor Connor in math 2 days a week and a fabulous piano teacher who does not take may kids will teach him piano. I feel much better this afternoon partly because I took a nap and partly because Connor went to tutoring and science to day so I was able to start on my now-that-the- kids-are-back-in-school list and actually check some things off. Don is in Dallas until tomorrow. My new mantra is "whatever"-and I must find the book on the Power of Postive Thinking or else find a good therapist. Any suggestions, condolences, well wishes, good vibes, e-hugs, and monetary donations can be sent to my PO Box. This will be a good expericene.This will be a good experience! THIS WILL BE A GOOD EXPERIENCE!!!!! Do Bon-Bons freeze well?
(The mouse in my pocket refers to the fact that when I say we it should mean me and Don but since he is unavailable for consultation-we is me and the mouse in my pocket. Sort of an inside joke if you don't get it)