Still Writing... and writing... and writing....

I can't believe November is half over! It has totally flown by so far for me.

The NaNoWriMo Challenge is going very well for me. I am loving the good excuse to ignore as much of the housework as I can to write. Just kidding... maybe. :P I have hit and gone a little beyond the 25K mark. My story has been read by my resident literary critic (Elizabeth), and by Dale and Esther. They all give it a thumbs up so far. Elizabeth gave me a few suggestions that were helpful, and added a little depth to the plot.

Meanwhile, we are plugging along with school. I have been working on Quarterly reports, and if I have never said it before, I'll say it now officially:

I HATE PAPERWORK.

I'd rather be writing.
I'd rather be knitting.
I'd rather be sewing.
I'd rather be biking.
I'd rather be having a tooth pulled.

Paperwork and I don't get along. And for some reason, this year, this quarter, has been the worst ever. Despite my efforts to organize everything at the beginning of the year, the book keeping, so to speak, has been terrible. I made up and printed Semester Schedules for everyone to have in their binders. It says what days we do what subjects. I have weekly logs for them. They fill in what they did that day, and their grades, every day, so that when it is time to do the Quarterly reports, it shouldn't be any more than finding averages and filling in the spots in my end of the paperwork.

Right?

Nope.

One child didn't take one test this quarter, because... I don't know why. His correcting partner never even mentioned it to him. One child took a Bible test two weeks into the start of the year, totally bombed it. We allow retesting. This child, after 8 weeks, still hasn't taken the retest because they are "studying". There were other sundry details that slipped through the cracks and has left me totally frustrated to the point where I just might consider putting them all in public school.

Okay, maybe not.

But clearly my nicely organized logs and schedule weren't paid any attention to, and now I'm paying the price with tears, high blood pressure, and hissy fits at every turn.

Not too pleasant.

That has been my week so far.

Oh, and to top it off, after working out yesterday at the gym, I think I pulled a muscle in my hip flexor, and am limping a bit. It hurts to be sitting too long. Everything I've read points to that injury. I know I didn't stretch last night. Bad girl! My fault. I was chatting with Elizabeth, and just plain forgot, which is strange because usually I am very religious about stretching, especially after jogging. From what I have read, I can still exercise, just modified, and for pity's sake, stretch, woman!

The weather has turned rainy and it is beginning to get cooler, so we are appreciating our woodstove. I always forget how much it warms everything up, and have been trying to retrain myself not to cook us all out. That effort has been met with little success, if you could see the windows that are opened a bit here and there throughout the house.

So, my whining is over, and I'm going back to those awful, nassy, terrible, should-be-shredded-and-boiled-in-hot-oil quarterly reports. Ugh.

Please, if you drop by unannounced, be kind enough not to count the pencils sticking out of the wall.