When I look at the list that sent me into such discouragement just a little over a week ago, and what we have managed to get accomplished in that week I am amazed! So many of these things that looked really complicated, ok let's be real - WERE REALLY complicated - are done. Our document folder is looking pretty good. Our Hague required classes are done. We are still working on a required class for WACAP that is a doozy. It claims 4 hours of credit, but is going to take so much more time than that to complete it. There are 20+ homework assignments, videos to watch, activities to complete, yeah it won't be finished in the next day or two.
We worked like crazy and made so much progress, but alas, I don't feel ready for the fire safety inspection today. There are still a few things that need to be accomplished, so we won't be calling for it until tomorrow or Wednesday.
Want to hear a funny story about what happens when one gets busy and preoccupied? My big project over the weekend was to clean and reorganize the basement. I have a work out room down there, and noticed that one of the big physio balls had kitty hair on it. I decided the ball would benefit from a shower. So, I hauled it up two flights of stairs, turned the water on hot, then went back to the basement with the intention of going back to retrieve the ball in a few minutes. You see it coming, don't you? Several HOURS later, Ethan asked me, "How long as the ball been in the shower?" Oh boy. It is clean, anyway.
Today I really must turn my attention to a different paper chase. We are scheduled for our first ever homeschool portfolio review on Wednesday. In Indiana these were not required. In Ohio, you must file papers stating what you plan to accomplish, do it, then file papers proving you accomplished what you said you'd do. I feel like we had a decent school year, but keeping a paper trail of these things is not one of my strong points. Today I will be going back over the lesson plans from last year, documenting, printing reports and maybe some photos from field trips. My friends here tell me it isn't really that big of a deal. They usually know what they are talking about, so I'm not freaking out too badly. It just needs to be done.
When the portfolio is put together it is time to write up the plan for the next school year. How can it be that school starts again in just a few weeks? (And how can Tikvah possibly be going into the fifth grade??) I know what we are doing, and have all but one of the books, so filing with the state shouldn't be as time consuming this time as it was last year.
So today, I'll be working on government papers for Tikvah until Ethan gets home from work. Then its back to what should probably be called the "Monster Class" to go along with that "Monster Document" we turned in a few weeks ago.
Several of you have asked how you can pray for us. Here are our most pressing needs right now:
1. God's grace to keep it all in perspective.
2. Physicals for Ethan and Ruth. This is complicated for Ethan because the physician's signature needs to be notarized for the China form. We would prefer to not have to do the (no notary required) county check up at an Urgent Care (any docs out there who do FAST check up appointments?) and then turn around and have to do it all over again in Indiana for the China papers. Our family physician there will work with us to document the way we need it. BUT, we need the county check up done THIS WEEK, so we can't wait for our appointments in Indiana which aren't until the end of the month. We'll do it twice if we have to, but it takes a lot of extra time and funds to do the checkups twice.
3. Ethan's birth certificate to be sent quickly from the Dept. of State in Washington, D.C. They tell me it usually takes several months. We have a little girl growing up in an orphanage and don't have several months to wait on it! God can make it happen, I know He can!
Thanks, friends!
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