Vitamins

The last several weeks I have been increasingly irritable and tired. I haven't been sick, just tired and cranky. At first I thought it was vacation hangover from my trip to Florida. Then I blamed it on my increased work hours for the Annual Valentines Dinner. After that, I just blamed February and its lack of sunshine. Now it's March, and the sun is shining for at least a while almost every day, but it's Lent and I have a lot going on at church.

I'm working on the Nutrition class for my certification, and the very first thing I learned that it is possible to write non-fiction in the manner of Tolkien. I read The Hobbit a few years ago and only finished it because of pure stubbornness. The movies are enthralling, but I have no patience when an author is so detailed that he goes on and on about the hair on the hobbit's feet. That's how my text book is. The first chapter was about 40 pages on water. I'm now on chapter five, the Vitamin Chapter, having endured 100+ pages on water, carbs, protein (and amino acids) and fat. Somewhere around page 120, I started reading about the B vitamins. I only got through the first three before my train of thought derailed (I was studying at work during a bridal shower where about a dozen kids were in attendance, but that's another story) and I gave up. Interesting tidbit, though--vitamin B deficiency is characterized by fatigue, irritability, and inability to concentrate.

Coincidence? I'll let you know.

New Apothecary

Sort of. I've been trying recipes and remedies I've been learning in my classes, and I was starting to be over-run with herbs and supplies. I've been looking for a hutch to put on top of the sideboard that's been in Eric's family for decades but had not had any luck finding what I wanted in my price range. I decided a couple of days ago to make due with decorative wooden shelves mounted on the wall above the sideboard. They wouldn't provide storage for everything, but I could at least put my jars of herbs up and they'd be half-way decorative.

In my travels today I stopped at an antique store in the next town north. I didn't see what I wanted, but I got to talking with the owner, and she steered me to a closed book case they'd just gotten in. It wasn't even priced. When she looked it up, it was well within range. I took measurements and came home to talk it over with Eric. Long story short, we went back and got it.



I'm not crazy about the wicker on the doors, but it looks better than I thought it would. I'm going to live with it for a while before I decide what, if anything, to do.


Inside there is more than enough storage space, and the shelves are adjustable so I can add more later if necessary. Also, if I decide I don't like the doors, I can take them off and change the contents. I'd put decorative serving pieces and such on the shelves, and store the empty jars, pots and pans, and the lovely plastic container inside the sideboard.








This is what I have to work with so far, and I'm only on the second course...

Hereditary Procrastination

Today is Back To The Grind day. We're all so happy!

Yesterday morning, I was minding my own business, cruising the 'net and drinking coffee, when I realized I had math to check. It's one of my 'really must do better' things; if I don't do it right away I put it off. When I got up to go do it, Alex asked if he could use the computer. I didn't think too much about it when I said yes; I figured he was looking up guitar tabs to print.

Nope. He was doing homework. The last day of Christmas break.

Of course, Eric was mystified. Eric always did homework first thing when he got home, whether he was going to school the next day or in two weeks. It was always finished neatly and packed in his backpack, ready to go out the door. I did my homework when I got home, too, but I usually saved the subjects I hated for last. I had a snack and talked to my friends on the phone first, just to decompress, relax a little, strictly for concentration purposes.

When Eric called Alex on it, Alex just shrugged his shoulders and said, "It's not that much, and at least I'm doing it in the morning. I could wait until after dinner." (I really did try not to laugh!)

Procrastination wasn't a trait my kids were supposed to inherit from me. I guess the chromosome must be strong, though. When I was a kid, my grandparents had a plaque hanging over the kitchen sink; it was round and black, with yellow letters that said, "Round Tuit"--as in, "I'll do it when I get a round tuit." It was a family joke. The funny thing is, I don't remember them putting off a lot of stuff. The house was always maintained and neat, we always ate right on schedule, they gardened and cut the grass. True, the attic and basement needed to be mucked out for years and didn't get done until Grandpa died and Grandma decided to move into town. Maybe it was Grandpa who needed the Round Tuit; all I know for sure was that he always had time to hang out with us kids, and his lap was available whenever we wanted it.

Eric didn't know about this stuff when he married me. I don't know that I was really aware of it myself, but I'm sure he's kicking himself today. He'll read this and realize that his only son is a 4th generation procrastinator, and that there's really no hope. He got my procrastination chromosome and Eric's hair and eyes, and there isn't much to be done about it. That banging you hear will be his head on his desk. Sorry, honey, I still love you.

Cookin' with gas

I haven't said much about school lately. We're still doing it. Actually, this is probably the best year we've had. I took a hard look at what she's going to need to live through her Freshman year, set some hard goals, and it looks like we might surpass at least one: The Dreaded Math.

Vicky hates math. She's always had a hard time getting it. I'd get light bulb moments with everything else (I can tell how well she's gotten something by the volume of the "Oooohhh!"), but they have been few and far between with math. Then I found MathUSee. I wish I'd started her with it.

I ordered easy stuff to start with last fall because even though she'd already had most of it, I knew she was missing some things. Gaps will set her up for failure in Algebra, and she already hates math enough. I told her what I was doing and why, and she agreed. The books have 30 lessons each, and each lesson has six practice sheets, half of which focus on the new concept, and half which are cumulative. We blew through the first book in two months. The second should take us about two months, but we're taking time off for Christmas so it really will be about ten weeks. I've already got Pre-Algebra ready and waiting, and now we're talking about getting the Algebra book and going through the summer.

I must say how proud I am of the work she's doing. Her confidence grows a little every day and I'm finally starting to think she's going to be ready for high school. Maybe her Freshman year won't be as ugly as Alex's was.

Homeschooling moms, take heart. The ugly days get fewer and further between. We still have plenty of them. We still have a lot of work to do, but for the first time ever, I'm looking forward to IOWA testing.