We just finished our first week of the new school year. It went okay; our company left Monday morning and we saw them off pretty early, then had a long, leisurely first-day-of-school breakfast (Krispy Creme donuts; I didn't have any), so schooling got off to a late morning start and we were all tired from getting up too early. Not the best way to start off the new school year. Since we'd had company, I hadn't taken care of all the details for the school year - I had slowly gotten our schedules done and stacked the books we'd need and ordered or printed the ones we didn't have. But I forgot to divide and print our Plutarch and Shakespeare, so we couldn't start on that. We managed to fit teatime in on Tuesday, although it was an after-dinner tea because Miss Moana's nap made an afternoon tea impossible. Then we were gone Wednesday, so much of school was fit around the little bit of time we were home. Yesterday we spent out all day with music lessons field-trip kind of stuff, so none of school got done. We spent today catching up. We're mostly caught up, but the week has felt pretty unorganized, and I don't like to be so disorganized so early in the year when we're trying to establish a routine. Still, life has to take precedence over schooling, and the things that interfered with school were mostly educational.
I had the same tightness and aching in my lungs this week that I had a few weeks ago, so I saw the doctor today. She immediately started planning EKG's and heart tests, but I reminded her that she had seen me for this a few years ago and confirmed that I had an inflamed bronchial tube, so there was no need to get excited that I was having a heart attack. But my medical records say that I have "mitral valve prolapse," and chest pain can be attributed to that, so she did an EKG anyway. I'm also getting an inhaler like people with asthma use. Next time I get the chest pain, I'm supposed to try it to determine whether the pain is respiratory by trying the inhaler. If it doesn't help, then I guess they determine that it's related to the mitral valve prolapse. I'm certain that it's respiratory. But the mitral valve prolapse does help explain why I can't stand up for very long when I'm pregnant. I can't even stand up long enough to do dishes without getting light-headed, and it's become routine that when I'm pregnant, I carry a little chair with me when we go shopping because I can't stand in the aisles very long without feeling woozy. I thought it was low pressure, but apparently not.
The diet's been iffy for the past couple of weeks - I read Robert Young's Ph Diet and I'm contemplating incorporating some of his suggestions (less fruit, and the addition of a few low sugar, low grain things). Psychologically, it's given me an excuse to eat Soy Chikin Nuggets. I'm eating less produce and more potatoes, beans and salsa. Maybe I'll do better next week. But - now that I've tasted bottled salsa as a dressing for a green salad that includes avocado, I may never go back to a totally raw diet again.
And now some really exciting news - we're getting 24 feet of new bookshelves!! Mr. B is putting a 7' foot shelf above the opening between the family/dining room on both sides of the opening, and two 5' shelves on the wall behind the couch.
This is what one side of the opening looks like with the shelf above the doorway; the shelf will be stained to match the wall. It looks even better than I had envisioned; it looks like it belongs there. It will hold seven (7) feet of books, and there's an identical one on the other side of the door! Note Miss Moana on the floor watching her daily dose of "Honkey Donkey" (Don Quixote), with one sock on and one sock off. Also note copy of This Country of Ours on the bookshelf. It just arrived today! After years of using the etext, I finally decided to purchase the "real" book.
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