So I can't currently find the cord to hook my camera up to the computer (not that I've looked too hard), so you all will have to do without pictures for a little longer. Here are the updates:
1. Charles is back. He came back toward the end of last month and the plan is that he will stay here with me until we all move.
2. James has a new job. He is working at Chase bank, and enjoying it quite a bit so far.
3. Jaqueline and Maya went home to their dad for their 90-day trial home visit on July 31. They seem to be doing well so far. I saw them yesterday for the first time since they left. Jaqueline wanted to do almost nothing but sit in my lap, but I think Maya was mad at me for abandoning her so she ignored me most of the time. Sad. We've been doing well since they left - it's been much quieter around here- but we mostly just try not to think about it too much. They both had their birthdays this month, so they were both 2 at the same time for about half a month.
4. Baby Charity is doing well. She is 5 months old and now weighs almost 13 pounds - small, but healthy. Her dad seems to be doing well, and should he continue to do well, she will probably be transitioning to him in October or November, which means that...
5. We're probably going to still be here until November. At least, that is the current understanding. If I am still here and it snows, I may have to pull all of my hair out!
6. We homeschool, and this year decided to try doing K12, which can be (and is, in our case) public school from home. We are trying it for Emma, who is in 4th grade. We have been at it for almost 2 weeks now. It was a lot to figure out at first, but we are finally getting it down. It was tough the first week, but I think that now that Emma and I have started figuring it out, we are enjoying it more. It is more intense than we have done in the past, but I think that is okay.
7. Charles is not doing K12. We are still on low intensity for him since we are mostly focusing on getting Emma started, but once we get her going a little more, I will focus on him more. He just turned 5 in June. He is getting better at recognizing letters and numbers, saying letter sounds, building things, doing puzzles, drawing shapes, tying knots, and spelling his name. He is also getting better at trying to not get frustrated so easily when things are difficult for him.
8. Emma took private swimming lessons this summer, and has gone from being a dog-paddler to a real swimmer. She loves to swim.
9. We also chopped Emma's hair. It is just above her shoulders in an a-line. She likes having it short.
Those are the main updates I can think of right now. I'll try to get around to posting pictures in the not-too-far future.
