Life is WAY too busy!

As you can tell by my non-posting, I am completely swamped! As you know if you read my blog last week, Anna was sick. John woke up last Saturday with a fever and vomiting on Saturday. He was supposed to be in a soccer tournament for the holiday weekend, but instead we hung around the house. I didn't even get to go to church on Sunday, which is the first time in a long time that I stayed home with sick children. Praise God that my children are normally healthy enough that we have a vibrant church life! At least the sickness stopped with those two and didn't keep spreading through the family.

We thought we would get Monday off and rest a bit, get some housework and yardwork done. But, no.........Jared called us bright and early about 7:30 am, that the paramedics were at his house and they were taking Jake to the emergency room because he was having seizures with vomiting. Thank God we have teenagers that we can leave our younger children with. Steve and I hurriedly got dressed and went to the hospital. Jake was admitted for several days and a series of tests were run. They're coming up with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Just a few months ago, Jake was healthy, strong, working full days and physically active. Now, he gets tired just doing the simplest of tasks. He's home now and coming up with a plan for the future. He may work in the office at our family business instead of out in the field. We're working through it together.

We started school Tuesday. It's been stressful trying to manuever through a new curriculum. We had a system with our old ways, and now we're trying a different approach with My Father's World, Singapore Math and Saxon Math. I'm teaching Joel (6 3/4) and John (8 1/2) reading and math together. Joel insists he's in 2nd grade and John is in 3rd, but really only doing as well as Joel. John is the CEO of the family and is too busy networking with various workers that are here (we just put in a patio) or finding activities that require someone being in charge. He can't spend his time tediously working through reading and math.

This year I have a 12th grader, 11th grader, 7th grader, 5th grader, 3rd and 2nd graders and two babies. Math and reading, that's the most important. Stay focused, get through those and anything else we finish is a bonus at this point.

Wednesday we started Awana. I'm the Cubbie Director of four wonderful little 3 & 4 year olds. Absolutely delightful little girls and a boy. Little ones just delight in the simplest of things. I love it! I really wasn't prepared for Cubbies with just getting the girls home two weeks ago. It's been so long I was very rusty. We can only get better though! Steve is in T&T, but with only three boys clubbers and two of them being ours, he may head home early on Wed. and put the babies to bed. James and John are in T&T and Joel is in Sparks. When asked of the group if they knew what Council time was, Joel responded, "It's when you get bored." Alrighty then........He's a little too much like his mother and tells you what he REALLY thinks.

Thursday we had our first day of Class Day with our Homeschool ISP. I'm working in the nursery because of my new little ones. It worked out perfectly. After lunch I was able to lay them in the cribs for naps. I was also privileged to hold Carrie and Giovanna, two little sweeties from our church. Carrie and Anna were battling over toys at one point. I can tell we're going to have our hands full with sweet little Anna. She definitely has a mind of her own. In the nursery I fellowshipped with old friends. All the mothers that worked had at least seven children and all of us had at least a junior in high school or older. Met some new women who I look forward to getting to know. I have to face the fact that I am one of the "older" homeschooling moms. No longer a newbie I'm faced with questions and requests for advice. I still feel, after eighteen years of homeschooling, that I'm muddling through. Since each child is different so is each school year! Hopefully I'll be of encouragement to someone and steer them in the right direction if I can't answer their questions.

Yesterday, Steve & I took Adah to our family pediatrician. She had three immunizations, a TB test, and a blood drawing for various tests. She also had a little urine bag placed on her for some tests. I also got to do the job that any mother would love, I had to collect her stool in the morning, place it in a sterile container, then scoop it into the two test vials for parasite testing. YUCK! Hopefully we'll find that no critters are living in her little body. I detest thinking that next Thursday I have to do the same thing with Anna. I may just bring a clothespin to stick on my nose while I'm hiding in the bathroom at Kaiser scooping poop into vials.

Adah has gained a whole pound while she's been home with us! She's now up to a whopping 14.2lbs!!!! She's on a eat when she wants to eat diet. She's off the chart, meaning she's not even close to being on it, for weight. She's the size of a 4 1/2 month old in weight. Her length is the size of a 6 1/2 month old and her head circumference is the size of a 9 1/2 month old. She's definitely malnourished. Dr. Cella said that her leg muscles probably haven't been able to grow and strengthen because of the malnutrition. Hopefully as she gets bigger, she'll get stronger.

She's such a joy. I love her goofy little smile. She' flourishing. She's warming up to the men in her life. She likes boys that's no problem, but she wasn't around men much.

We met Jared & Jake at Olive Garden after our dr. visit. Adah went to Jared and he was so happy! Last week she wanted nothing to do with him. It's strange to think that at one time we were only going to have the two oldest boys. Do you know how bored I would be right now if I didn't have eight kids at home? I shudder to think!

We also received a Welcome Home packet from our Homestudy Agency: Adoption Options. They sent us a pound of See's candies and some info on attachment and bonding. We're bonding with both girls so well, and they're bonding with us. The boys just adore them and completely overwhelm them with love. They're constantly fighting over who gets to hold Adah. They make bottles for me, get the girls up in the morning, play with them, even change diapers!!!!

Today is a full day of soccer. We have four games with the first one starting at 8am.

Sunday we have two games with the first one starting at 8am, church and Steve gets to go to the Charger game. Sunday night I'm going to a baby shower at church. I bought the new mommy a Bumbo seat. That's my new generic shower gift. They're spendy and probably something that a new mommy wouldn't buy, but so very useful. I love mine! My sil found a tray that goes with it and bought it for me.

I'll check in when I can, but just know that I'm completely overwhelmed and overworked, but I wouldn't have it any other way.