June????

I really have slacked with this blog.  It was intended to be a place to record our lives, our children's moments during their growing up years, and even our journey homeschooling.  Alas, it's become yet another thing to check off my never-ending list.  I'm don't feel badly about it at all, I'm just sayin':)
So, where are we?  We are on break from school for the month of June, to resume in July.  Unfortunately, Jack has not completed his math curriculum for 3rd grade, so he's still plugging away at that.  Multiplication really sent his brain into a tailspin.  Many tears were shed.  Some blood may have also been shed.  Not mine.  That's all I'm sayin' about that.
He is a truly wonderful boy though.  He loves his family fiercely - it's amazing.  He is very sensitive, an emotion that can quickly get out of his control and become mere drama or manipulation.  We're working on that.  It's been hard for that woodsman to stay out of the tick/snake/whatever else is yucky woods right now.  He's been forbidden to go beyond our yard since the critters are closing in on us.  Thank goodness we have a the cats to keep the snakes at bay, nevermind the many cups of cat food I place on the perimeter of our yard each night to entice more to join our kitty army. I kid.  Or do I?  I really hate snakes.  Yes I said hate, the outlawed word in our house, because daggumit, hate is the only word that correctly defines my feelings toward those evil serpents.  Nuff said.
Ella-Kathryn finished her gymnastics class but due to a horrible case of  sassiness, has not been allowed to renroll.  She was given ample opportunity to turn that frown upside down, but did not and even added an eyeroll upon hearing that her failed attempts to have some self-control over her facial expressions resulted in her losing her gymnastics priveledge.  We really are the meanest parents ever!  Ha!  Thankfully, we've seen some progress over the past week - she can be so stinking dear and loving.  But I do fear that there is a hormonal teenager lurking beneath the surface.  We'll keep on a prayin'!
Will, oh Will.  Where do I begin.  His tantrums have subsided significantly, yeah for us, but his ambivalence towards Ryan hasn't changed.  In one moment he is so dearly showing Ryan how to do something or sharing something with him and the in the next he's pinching the living snot out of him (nod to Tim Hawkins with the living snot.)  Bedtime is much improved, and while most nights he does still wake up at least once, if he manages to climb in bed with us, I can usually put him back in his own bed without protest.  He is the most verbally grateful child I know, repeatedly thanking us for the most mundane of things (a scoop of sherbert) to the biggest (Jeff returning his cash to him, long forgotten by Jeff, borrowed back in the fall to pay for a camp site when we were caught off-guard  not being able to pay by debit card).  He thanked daddy for 8 days straight "for giving me back my cash!"  He also promply asked to be taken to "wal-Mark" to buy his very own tackle box.  After which he then thanked be for days on end for "taking me to wal-mark to buy my tackle box!"  He makes me laugh EVERY day - no lie.  Mostly it's his turn of phrase, or rather butchering of phrase or words - i.e. 'target' for 'poptart.'  I deserve mommy of the year for my ability to decipher Will-ese:)
Then there's Ryan.  Our little linebacker:)  He worked his way through this third ear infection only to have 4 teeth coming through.  AT THE SAME TIME!!!  Poor kid - cannot catch a break.  He still loves music and we are proud to announce that the first song he ever sung is Katy Perry's "Firework" (or at least I think that's what it's called.) 

So enjoy that and maybe I can finish this post tomorrow...