Weekly Wrap-Up: Italy Immersion Week
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It’s been Italy Immersion week at our house. The kids have been busy tying up loose ends for our homeschool group’s annual geography fair, Around the World Day. I’ve put Brianna to work painting her Leaning Tower of Pisa, creating pages on the computer for our presentation board, and pasting the pages on the board. It’s been nice to have her take such an active role in preparing for Around the World Day this year.
Monday was our homeschool group’s Mom’s Night Out, very timely since I badly needed some time to get together for relaxing and chatting with friends after a busy, stressful day.
The only day that was spent fully at home was Tuesday. We spent it like we did every other day this week: using the mornings to get the bare basics covered and the afternoons finishing up books and projects related to Italy.
Josh and Megan had their music class on Wednesday, but we didn’t have our co-op this week since Brianna had a doctor’s appointment that afternoon. We had time, after music, to run a couple of errands, then, we headed to the pediatric cardiologist downtown, where we waited forever. The wait time seemed multiplied due to the fact that I had all three kids with me and there were bored out of their minds. I have to confess that I was, too. Hangman and Mah Jong solitaire on the iPod can only entertain people for so long.
The appointment was a follow-up for the scare we had this summer and, thankfully, the doctor reported that he found nothing to be concerned about with any of the tests we had done and Brianna hasn’t had any more symptoms. The doctor is a really nice guy and if any of the folks who know me IRL need a pediatric cardiologist, let me know and I’ll give you his name. I liked him anyway, but he impressed me even more when I stepped out of my comfort zone to ask him to look at Brianna’s ear while we were there. She’d been complaining about it hurting and, from the time she was a baby, she’s never, ever complained about her ear hurting that it wasn’t infected.
I know a lot of specialists seem to get really offended when you ask them to perform a task that you should be seeing your regular doctor for, so I was a little hesitant to ask. Still, I’d already shelled out one $25 co-pay and didn’t really have the money to make it $50 this week by going to see our regular doctor. This doctor didn’t act like it bothered him at all. Brianna’s ear was infected and he wrote us a prescription and made sure that we knew all the possible side effects and what to watch out for.
On Thursday, I dropped all the kids except Brianna off with my sister so that we could go shopping for our food for Around the World Day and get some copies made. We got caught by a train across the tracks on one of the local back roads…for an hour! I can’t believe we waited that long, but it started out innocently enough. I put the car in park and worked on my grocery list, then, Brianna and I chatted awhile. I didn’t realize that nearly twenty minutes had passed. By then, though, I thought surely the train would move just any time.
Cars ahead of us kept turning around in the road to leave, but we stayed because the only other way to get where we were going was a long way around from where we were. We talked, I made a couple of phone calls and we kept inching up as cars would leave.
Finally, when it had been an hour, we decided we’d had enough. We were just past a driveway and I was going to back into it and turn around as soon as the car behind me finished turning around in it. That would have worked out well…if the poor girl hadn’t pulled into the ditch instead! And by “in the ditch,” I mean that both front wheels were in the ditch and one of the back wheels was a foot or two off the ground. She was stuck.
We finally did get the chance to pull forward and turn around when a couple more cars in front of us left. The rest of the afternoon went much the same though. I was very glad to get back home for the evening.
And, of course, today was Around the World Day, but I’m going to leave you in suspense a bit longer…because I know you’re, even now, wondering how you’ve survived so long without hearing about the wonders of Around the World Day. 😉 I’m going to post about it in a separate post, though, because it’s awesome enough to get its own post…and I’ve got lots of pictures to upload…and this one has gotten long enough to bore by now. 😉 Be looking for the ATWD post tomorrow (I hope!).
So, how was your week? Be sure to post about it and sign up with Mr. Linky. If this is your first time to join us, be sure to read the Weekly Wrap-Up guidelines.
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
I so know where you are talking about with that crazy train. I have sat in that line an really long time more than once. (which I am sure you have too)
I always enjoy reading posts like this. It’s really fun to get a glimpse into other homeschools around the blogsphere.
I know what you mean about the doctor/specialist issue. My husband has a long history of heart problems and sees his cardiologist regularly. One time we called her because he was cik (with the flu) but was also having other symptoms that were worrisome. She told us to come see her, so we did. The nurse acted like we’d committed a crime by coming there instead of going to our family doc.
Been a busy week for ya’ll!! I enjoyed reading about it.
Catherine
Oh my goodness, that train delay sounds horrific. I would have lost my patience within 15 minutes I think.
The rest of your week sounds fabulous. I can’t wait to read about Around The World Day!
Glad to hear Brianna (I love her name btw) got the all-clear from the Cardiologist.
Looking forward to reading about and seeing the photos of your Around the World Day. Sounds like a great idea.
Wow! Sounds like you had a busy week. Can’t wait to hear about around the world day.
So busy! I can’t wait to read about your All Around the World Day!
I posted a bit late, but still am enjoying reading about everyone else’s week!