Just about ready to surface

I'm down to crossing things off from a to-do list one page long, which is a significant improvement over my three page list of a week ago. I have lesson plans (exceedingly detailed, open-and-go, I don't have to think lesson plans) completed not only for our learning at home but for the three year long classes I am teaching at our co-op. I realize that when it comes to writing things such as blog posts, I'm more than happy to bang out something and hit publish, rarely even rereading it. As you probably already figured out by the amount of typos that are left behind. (My children let me know about them, never fear.) But lesson plans? It takes me three drafts. The first to just get my thoughts organized, the second to flesh out those thoughts, and then the third to polish them up, clarify things to myself, and add in anything I've forgotten. That means over the past month, I have written five different curricula three separate times. No wonder I feel as though I haven't had much of a break this summer. I admit looking back on it all, it was probably overly ambitious. I'm almost looking forward to starting school because it seems as though it is going to be relaxing. 

This week I'm getting ready for horse classes which start this weekend. I also have one curriculum to write for that because I'm teaching a Mom and Tot class for the first time. But it is only four hours total, so that shouldn't take too long. (I'm afraid that sounds like famous last words, though.) I could take it week by week, but I'd really rather not. 

So that's my story and why I haven't been around here very much. 

In other news, I got to talk to both D. and TM on Sunday which was a great treat. They are both doing well. TM is now in the specialized training portion of his time and it seems to be going better than basic. He is very much looking forward to coming home, though. D. has made friends, is sorting out his schedule, and found a job... at the university library. His classes began today, but I haven't heard how those went. I thought I'd share a photo TM sent of him after his graduation from basic training. 


It's a great picture, huh? 

The house seems quieter and emptier without those two boys (I suppose I should call them young men now) home.

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