A Fresh Start

   
     We folded up our school house last year on 23 November.  It was the final day of school forever for my older son! and No 2 and I were well and truly ready for the break.  We had blisteringly hot days here over December and January, which meant I spent a lot of time in the air conditioning.  This limited what chores were done but the reading opportunities were great .  I spent a very relaxing, fun filled week at the coast with my older daughter and her four cherubs coming back home with the intention of starting school immediately after Australia Day (26 January).

My older son (second left) his cousin and mate (centre) and friend
on Homeschool Graduation Night.

     Ah...the best laid plans! On the night of 25 January, a Sunday, I had a heart attack!  Needless too say this put a spanner in our well laid plans.  I spent five days in the CCU here in Rockhampton and then flew to Royal Brisbane hospital for an angiogram.  Alas, as previous angios have shown, there is nothing that can be done for my very blocked veins and arteries other than medications to relieve the symptoms. The good news being that the three by passes that were done ten years ago are clear and working well.  God is good.  Though somewhat disappointed I was not shattered as this was the same outcome as previous tests had shown.

Grandad and Mumma enjoy Saturday night tea,
usually my boys,  my older daughter and the fab four.

     That week my two eldest grandsons started Grade One!  Third little man began Prep and the twins started a couple of days a week at Kindy.  Somehow those years have just flown by. And so it is that I am back in the class room with just my youngest beginning Year 11. He's had a late start, today being the first back to normal routine, but we've begun as we intend to continue.  So it is with renewed energy and "vision"  that I launch into my twenty third year of Home Schooling.  ( Anyone who actually knows me or has read my blog before will remember that I have very little energy and not so great vision so I jest)

   Today, I am pondering the character traits which I need to work on.  Primarily my own,  love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. 

     As my son begins a unit on Peace and Conflict, problem solving and mediation are  topics which are coming up naturally. I am loving this season of life with grown up children, where discussions are fruitful for our spiritual growth. 

Back yard cricket.  I has to be extremely hot to stop my guys from
getting a game going.

     Ooops, it's such a long while since I have blogged that I am rather rusty with the finer points of placement etc but I will do my best to improve on that.