Preparing again

I haven't blogged since August.  I just didn't have much to say, I guess.  Yet, I find myself here once again. 

The newest update is another move.  We move from Kodiak, AK to Port Angeles, WA this May!  I am thrilled.  I love moving to new places. 

A family member wondered at my planning, telling me yesterday, "Well, you have like 3 months, right?"  Umm.  Yes, ONLY three months.  There is a lot to accomplish in those three months.  It is very nice that I am not moving pregnant.  But, once again, we are moving with a toddler.  I got pregnant in Virginia with my 2nd, and moved to Florida to have him.  Then we moved to Michigan when he was a toddler.  We left for Alaska pregnant, and now are leaving for Washington with a toddler.  Its never dull! 

We are having ups and downs with schooling.  My son is doing awesome with Math.   We both love "Math U See".  He is learning, retaining and progressing through it.  Writing is improving immensely.  It gets better every week.  Not only can I now read my son's writing, he is starting to get involved with Creative Writing - and not always view it as punishment.  We started a new Reading curriculum - the Scaredy Cat Reading System, and its great.  His reading is improving, as is his spelling.  Those are the ups!  Some days are tough, because he is still quite the perfectionist.  He does not like making errors and he is so very hard on himself. 

The downs - well, my 10 year old daughter does not like school.  It is a challenge to teach her currently.  She dreads working with me, sitting near me, and any instruction I need to give her.  She becomes mouthy, negative and difficult.  Its very hard not to lose my temper and shout.  It is a work in progress.  I honestly feel very lonely her on the island with these issues.  Overseas screening weeded out the families with kids on the autism spectrum.  Kids like my girl just aren't here.  And, add to that - most kids on the spectrum are boys.  Autism in girls presents differently.  You would likely not think my daughter is on the autism spectrum.  But, I don't really want to blog about that- I never really do. 

My daughter is doing very well in Saxon Math, and we are nearly finished with 3rd grade.  Whew!  Only one year behind!  And we began Reading level 3 with McRuffy Reading and Phonics.  I am kind of annoyed at the language components.  She is now being challenged to learn and write poetry for the first time, and to do a research paper.  It is so very difficult to teach her these skills, and frankly she isn't prepared to move forward in this area.  It is a big gap which we must bridge, and an important one.  Her spelling is excellent.  It was an area of weakness for a very long time, but now its improving.  Handwriting is so sloppy, yet she has learned to type, and she is a good with the computer.  She began writing in a journal daily, and her writing is fun to read.  The truth is, she is a 4th grader in name only, but really as we end 4th grade this May - its as though she is just finishing her 3rd grade year. 

I messed up on her grade when enrolling her into the district homeschooling program.  She will take a standardized test aimed for 4th grade, and not 3rd.  This isn't fair to her.  It will be her first testing experience ever, and the material may be too difficult.  But, we take the report with us.  No one will judge her on it (or me).  But, I feel sad that she will be tested at a higher level than her school work.  Perhaps she will rise to the occasion? 

Socially, some good things are happening.  Yes, and we are about to move.  Doesn't life always work that way?  My son plays with the neighbor boy every weekend, and his friend is so nice.  The whole family is wonderful!  My daughter has struggled all year to make friends.  The girls we've met on base want nothing to do with her.  She has reached out, and has been rejected.  But, in town, at AWANA kid's club, we have become friends with a family of 10.  They have 8 kids, and their 9 year old is so sweet.  She and her brother (my son's age) have come over for playdates and it is wonderful!  This is truly a blessing from God!  Even my youngest, plays the two of the kids from this family in nursery (I work nursery during AWANA) and they are his little friends!  This has all been an answer to prayer.  We really struggled when our best friends moved a year ago.  They moved to Miami. 

I am caught up in the move and family vacation, and it is hard to keep giving it all to God.  But, I do, over and over and over again.  We will have over a month to travel to our new home in Port Angeles, and we are planning a lovely trip.  Perhaps, that will be another blog entry?