Feb. 1-Feb. 11: Mama Out of Commission

 February has been eventful in a not so fun way. On February 2nd I broke my right foot. There is never a good time for a mom to be out of commission, is there? The break is pretty bad, the fifth metatarsal broke in a 'jones fracture'. This kind of break doesn't heal well, due to poor blood flow in the area. My doctor said I have to be completely non-weight bearing for at least 5 weeks, and possible up to 3 months. Even then, it may not heal. If it doesn't, I will need surgery to put a screw in. The placement of my break would put the screw in a place that would cause pain to walk for the rest of my life. Yuck! So I'm being super good at following the doctor's orders about staying off my foot, and we will check it by x-ray every 2 weeks. 

As you can imagine, this makes daily life complicated. Friends let us borrow a wheelchair they have, so I'm able to get around the main floor of our home somewhat. The kids have all had to pitch in and help with nearly everything. They are doing really well, and so grateful that chore have always been a regular part of their day. They are running the house pretty well. Our church families have been bringing us dinner each evening, which is a blessing! My husband is gone from 3:30am-6pm most work days, then heads to bed at 8pm so he can get up again for work. 

The hardest part is the afternoon medical care for Mason, which I still have to do because none of the kids can do it, and bedtime, when I'm crawling around upstairs between bedrooms getting the little two kids to sleep. They won't go to sleep for a sibling. Oh well, it's great to be wanted, right? We're doing it, and we're finding a routine that is working. 

The one constant has been homeschooling, and I'm so grateful for that part of our day feeling normal. I can sit at the table in the wheelchair and teach just fine. I think a few of the kids were a little bummed to realize that - ha! However, the routine is good for everyone.

Yesterday the kids decided we needed to do our art project early this week. We pulled out the salad spinner and did spin art with paint dripped onto construction paper hearts. Our table is now covered in pretty hearts. We are still doing Beginning Chemistry. This week we've been studying the clues to a chemical reaction, which was a perfect time to make elephant toothpaste. In history today we reached the Battle of the Alamo. The kids had never studied this before, so it was fascinating and sad to learn about. Next we'll move into stagecoaches and the Pony Express. 

I think that's enough of an update for now!