We are unpacked and settled in, right? Technically. But now we have to get ourselves into a routine, and that is proving difficult this time. Laundry, bread, clean the bathroom, find the pile of paperwork with the bill that's due this week... You, know that kind of stuff. I have also managed to lose the envelope with Nathan's toll money. He runs out today, so I guess that'll be my goal this morning.

The kids put the train table together this morning. We left the screws in Manchester with Lil'Nathan's tool box and didn't get it until this weekend. (Now we are officially out of NH, cleaned and done. My Mothering Magazine didn't arrive in time, so now I guess it will be lost in the black hole called the USPS. Sigh.) Also this weekend we were able to get our plants (YAY!) and a friend of ours gave Nathan her son's unloved bike. (It is loved now.) That gave Mary Nathan's "old" bike, which she spent a good portion of yesterday trying to learn how to ride. She wants to paint it pink.

We are still vacillating about school. I can talk myself either way, but neither for long enough to commit. I've put it to Lil'Nathan to think and pray about what he wants and what will be best for him. He likes all the reading he can do with homeschool, but Mary and Joseph are driving him crazy. He likes being with other kids, but doesn't want to work at school and then have to come home and do more homework. So, at least I'm not the only one struggling with the decision. Just when I think I'll go for it and put him back in public school, I see a group of kids that horrifies me. Or someone with kids in public school will tell me, "Don't do it, whatever you do. Keep them in homeschool." And just when I feel ready to commit to homeschool for another year, Nathan and I battle about what he feels is stupid and he's not going to do it. (He does, but not without a temper tantrum.) Or I hear that little voice inside tell me that this year was easy b/c he did it all himself and I can't move him along b/c I just don't have the motivation or energy--I'm too lazy to homeschool right. And then what if we have another baby? There don't seem to be any groups nearby and would I really drive the distance to meet one? I haven't before.

So, we go back and forth.

In other news, we are trying to night wean Joseph. He can nurse first thing in the morning and for his nap and bedtime, but no in-betweens and not during the night. (I have to keep moving a lot during the day and thank goodness for crackers and cheese!) I told Nathan this would not be easy. I don't know if he fully believed me. On Sat we went to bed 2:30 and at 3 am Joseph came into our room (we moved him to the kid's room when we moved) looking for a "snack". I said no and held firm. I would snuggle with him, I would rock him, I would give him a drink, but there would be no "snack." He screamed until 4:30. Then he slept for about 15 mins and screamed again until nearly 6. The others were up at 7. Sunday night he slept through the night (only the second time in his whole life, by the way). Monday he was up at 1 am in search of his "snack" but taken back to bed. He only screamed for 30 mins this time, but let me snuggle him and fell asleep until 5:30. We'll see how things go, but I'm tired of being tired and tired of all night "nurse-a-thons," so I'm serious about it.

Mary is having a melt-down now b/c she doesn't like "long" shirts. I told her she can't wear anything that turns into a middriff. Her "long" shirts hit her hip, but she thinks they make her look like a boy b/c they cover her pockets.

Is it a Monday?