A new beginning

I am going to keep this blog as a way to record my efforts with OAMC (Once A Month Cooking) and all variations thereof, my school work with my children and memories of all of their activities.

I have 5 children. My oldest two are 16 and 15 and are sophomores at two different high schools. We are Catholic and as such we have raised all of our children (thus far obviously) in Catholic schools.

Our eldest child has learning disabilities in every subject (mostly with retention and recall) and Sensory Integration Dysfunction. As a result, we opted to hold him back in the 5th grade. Prior to our doing so, the Great State of Ohio changed the rules for proficiency tests and children with learning disabilities. There was no longer a "free pass" for these children. Consequently with T reading at a 3rd grade reading level at the end of 5th grade, sending him on to take a 6th grade reading test was setting him up for failure- hence both children in the same grade.

Last year, our second child, had a horrible time fitting in at the Catholic High School. His grades plummeted, his attitude started to stink and we were constantly fighting with this child. I could not take it any longer and so we discussed with him moving him into the public school. I am actually looking forward to it. He is in a college readiness program which will have him earning college credits in high school and he is going to have many more music opportunities for him to persue. He is very musically oriented.

And so, I will be sitting in bleachers both Friday and Saturday nights. The Catholic school and the public school in our hometown share a football stadium and the Catholic school plays games on Saturday nights when the public school also has a home game the same weekend.

#3 will be starting 5th grade (it's such a hard year!), #4 will be in first grade and #5 will be starting pre-school. So I look forward to incorporating my own lessons into their school lessons. I am going back to NO TV on school nights and family reading. (I use the abridged classics for children and we all take turns reading chapters). I am also going to supplement their work with lessons I create.

I am reading up on old fashioned cooking and studying recipes from "The Farmer's Wife"- a magazine that was in print from 1863 through the 1930's. I am trying to get away from processed food and to learn to cook more things from scratch. I will be posting these things here.

I have a lot to do before school starts. I am hoping my health cooperates. I was recently diagnosed with gastroparesis (Paralyzed stomach) and ulcers. I also have scar tissue (or adhesions) that are a source of constant chronic pain and keep me down a lot of days in the month. I am seeking pain management training and help for that. I am also learning what I can and cannot eat (sadly mostly veggies!) with the GP. I am sure I will be whining about my health issues quite a bit on here... so I apologize for that! :)