The sound of Z. I loved a little pre-reading/phonics sound song when my kids were little. It was good for them to hear the sounds of the letters and associate words that started with those sounds. When thinking back to the song, I was interested to see if it is still available. It is, and is even online on youtube. There is the classic version and even an updated version with newer words/pictures and even “hidden” letters within the pictures. It is all done very well. I do wish however that all of the sounds were done very concisely.

What I mean is this, when teaching children the proper sounds, we have to be careful to say the sound without the added “uh” sound that can often precede or follow the proper sound. I like how carefully the singer made the “f” sound and not the “ef” sound in the new version of the song. I noticed however that the n, m, and v all had the extra sound (en, um, vuh.) I am sure it is hard to sing all the way through that song and not lose some of the concise sounds. But I do know too that it is important to precisely state each sound, from aaa to zzz.

The new school year started today. It is my daughter’s first day of public school. High school. I can’t say that I am particularly happy about it, but we let it be her choice. She will be gone all day for classes and volleyball. On the flip side of that, my son has decided after three years to return to homeschooling for his senior year of high school! He is taking outside classes three days a week, one day at a homeschool co-op and two days at a community college. The other two days will be for classes at home and homework. He is also planning on playing basketball.

Our year ahead looks rather crazy indeed!

Which is what I feel living in a house of teens! They have to be places early. And they want to stay up late. And they want to be a part of every activity! It is enough to wear a parent out! At least when they were little, they went to bed at 8pm. But I know that soon enough the kids will be gone and I can catch up on all my rest. I may even be wishing I was a little more eXhausted then!

Which is what I am wondering what is ahead for our family. We have been through some family stresses, my daughter enrolled in public school, is going to play volleyball for the school and also made a club team, my son UNenrolled from public school and is going to homeschool-including dual credit courses at a community college, I have to help with a homeschool group on Mondays for him to be involved, he is going to play basketball….

whew, what next?

Which seems to be the only constants in life. Why are people the way they are? Why do they do the things they do? How have certain situations come about? The answers could vary from any one person to the next. While variety may be the spice of life, I am finding the variables to be confusing when looking for answers to things that just may not be able to be answered…

This is how I described my husband this week. He is handling some situations at work in a manner that is unique in today’s society. He is a good people person and wants to make sure that he is always a man of integrity handling things the right way. This I think makes him unique. I know that he has handled past situations in such a manner. It has left him with friends in both parties who have ended up going separate ways. I find that very unique in today’s society.

Which is what it takes to heal from surgery. I have to keep reminding myself of this. And reminding myself that if I had gone to another doctor, I would still be on crutches. So I’ve got to take my time and go slowly to make sure I heal properly. I just wish time didn’t go by so slowly!

I saw on tv that stone massage is becoming popular. Many people even like to find their own stones. The minerals in the stones found in oceans are considered therapeutic. The types of stones used differ from person to person and for each body part. The best ones for the abdominal area are large, flat, weighty stones. Some even look for a variety of stone colors for their massage.

I am ready to heal! Following my foot surgery I am still limping around. But I am ready to heal. I start my physical therapy tomorrow and hope it is not too painful! I also ordered a tissue rejuvenating product to help speed up the healing process. I hope I am ready when it comes to doing the hard things to regain my stregth!

Which is what I often feel like doing in this job of parenting. I know it’s impossible to do. But the feelings sure come often during the teen years. Here’s to hoping that if I never quit, things will turn out all right in the end.