So when a couple gets married and starts a life together they have to find a new normal. When a couple has a baby they have to find another new normal. There are some things in life that happen that cause a family to have to find a new normal.
Almost three weeks ago Jay had a heart attack. Add to that the fact that I was still stumbling through the first trimester of our fifth pregnancy and well here we are needing a new normal.
Pre-pregnancy we had a set school routine and I was doing a decent job keeping on top of housework and cooking dinner every night. First trimester I was barely managing a school routine and thanking God daily that Kayd does most of his work independently and then we check it together. I also couldn't stand the idea of food so making dinner - well any meal really - was excruciating to me. Going grocery shopping was one of the hardest things to do the first 13 weeks. So much food. So much nausea.
Pre-heart attack I did my best to cook healthy meals but now I feel like there's so much more pressure to make sure their super healthy.
I am very happy to say that I am coming into less food aversion - though raw ground meat isn't something that I am currently able to make myself touch or even look at, and I'm finding more energy - though a daily nap still definitely appeals. And I wish I could say that I'm super excited to be getting back into a hopping hands on school routine but the truth is the sun has been out the past two days and even though the temps haven't quite reached 50 yet all I want to do is call "SUMMER BREAK!". Ahh if only.
One good thing that came out of Jay's heart attack is that my grandma's mind has apparently been changed about our homeschooling. I wasn't sure I'd ever see the day but my great aunt watched the kids two of the days that Jay and I were out of town at the hospital and she bragged to my grandma about how smart and polite they are. And I am so pleased that all of the kids did very well, all in all we were both gone from them for four whole days and four nights. Once they saw that Daddy was ok on Sunday they thought that the rest of the time we were gone was one grand adventure, spending the day with this person and the night with that one. It had been previously posited to me that my children wouldn't be able to be independent because they've been too sheltered never having gone to public school but I say with pride that my children all did well, they had never met my great aunt before the first morning that she watched them and my sister reported that they went right in without any hesitation. I figure that my children knew that they could trust that we'd be home when we could be and that we love them enough to only let people who would be good to them care for them in our absence.
Ahh well, we'll find our new normal soon I think of course once we get used to that this fifth little baby will join our family and we will once again be looking for a new normal. Now that I think of it, it seems like life is one long adventure of constantly trying to find our new normal.
I do hope to blog more again in my whole new normal of life. I also hope to blog with some pictures of fun stuff with the kids and home projects. Oh and sewing projects. I have a few up my sleeve that I'm hoping to start working on next week.
The unexpected trials in life can break us or strengthen us. I'm sorry about your difficult times. This has been a difficult year for our family, too, with some deaths and illnesses. My mother-in-law was very fragile for some months and we often spent our days at my sister's-in-law home as I would help her. The same thing happened with us that you mentioned. My husband's family got to see my children as they worked independently, were self sufficient, helpful and polite. They were especially impressed with my youngest who would put on her earphones and do her schoolwork on Time4Learning without any fuss...and she'd giggle her way through the animated lessons. My husband's family now has a better understanding and appreciation for homeschooling. :)
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