Ever since the server meltdown with the Planet, everything has been so crazy. I’ve had to try and makeup doing reviews for all the days I missed and finding the time to get caught up has not been easy. On top of that, I’ve been out and about quite a bit. I have had quite a few appointments and with the prospect of finally returning to college after the five years since my injury made me leave, I’m even busier than ever.

I feel like I haven’t really been able to sit back and relax. Sure, I’ve had time playing with the PS3 and the Wii (we got some new games to play and we’re working with new companies who want us to review their games…including Rockband. How sweet is that?), but even that has its moments where I think “I’m just doing this for work purposes”. Our one business is booming so Ash has spent all her time running packages to the post office and constantly apologizing for not being able to work on her reviews. I figure I can get caught up on mine and then go back to work on hers. As long as we’re steadily sending in our reviews the companies don’t seem to mind if they’re a little late.

I’m also trying to get Big K’s website going. I have an idea for the design, but he doesn’t really deal well in me explaining my vision. He would do better seeing it. That means I’m just waiting on him to give me a list of links he wants up on his page. I know he has the potential to rack in the dough with the website, which is one of the only reasons I’m doing it for free (that and I’m a nice brother-in-law), but it is hard trying to explain to a somewhat computer illiterate person what links are and why I need them!

CT is dragging his feet lately. Just a few more weeks of summer reading and then he begins 8th grade. The last book or so he’s been sitting around for hours until something good is happening in our house, then he tries to rush through reading because he wants to go do that ‘good thing’. I keep trying to tell him that he gets his designated computer and Leapster handheld time after he does his work, but that doesn’t seem to appease him anymore. He’s more receptive to the “once your summer reading is done you have free time until school begins”.

I feel like I’ve wasted a lot of time trying to convince him to read, but know he’ll transition better to when he has school since he had summer reading and not just a non-working summer break. What I don’t get is, once he’s reading he’s totally into the books I’ve chosen for him. It’s just getting him to start reading that is so damn hard!

Speaking of 8th Grade, I can’t believe how much we’ve spent buying his homeschool materials this year. Yes, I know I designed the curriculum. Yes, I know it costs money to buy him a high quality education, and yes I know 8th Grade and High School books cost a lot more than elementary books, but it is crazy that we won’t get out of this (when you count in supplies) without paying just under $1000.

I’ve decided to give him a curriculum that includes Algebra I (he actually did pretty good at Pre-Algebra in 7th), American History (I’ve also purchased a special book on politics, the political process and elections as a supplement – which he is excited about taking), Life Science, Language/English for 8th Grade, Health and Human Sexuality for the 8th Grade and Reading. He helped us choose books for his 8th Grade year.

The list of what he’ll be reading includes: Flowers for Algernon, Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, Where the Red Fern Grows, Anne of Avonlea, The Call of the Wild & White Fang, Dicey’s Song, The Miracle Worker, Peter Pan, The Neverending Story, Jason and the Golden Fleece, My Brother Sam Is Dead and The Princess Bride. We’ve also decided to incorporate the computer and DVDs into his curriculum. Ash wants to show him the DVDs that show the movies for all of the books he’s reading once he’s finished reading them and has taken his test. We also have a DVD from Acorn Media called The Adams Chronicles, which is a miniseries about President John Adams and the founding of America. I’m really excited about this year for CT, but I think he’s a bit apprehensive since a new year means new subjects and expectations.

Anyway, I need to go work because I’m still behind, but it is nice to kind of get some of my thoughts and plans down on paper and tell everyone what I’m up to when I don’t have a lot of time to keep this blog up to date.

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Parenting