*SIGHS* OF RELIEF

I know that I have been slack on writing the last few weeks, but when I get stressed this seems to be the first thing to go. I have had a lot of panic and stress moments, or so it seems. First we had to write a curriculum for the driving school. The guidelines were vague, or just downright confusing. If we called the ministry of transportation to try to clarify what they wanted, they left me more confused than when I called. After a lot of writing and editing, we had something we could live with (but we didn't like). It would at least allow us to operate in April when the rules change. We sent it in with the understanding that it would take 4-6 weeks approve. This meant the we should hear about it at the beginning of January. We didn't hear about it in January. With plans for a baptism in play, I tried to push it to the back of my mind. We had a meeting with CAA to see if we might be interested in using their curriculum. They had not even been approved yet, so the decision to call the MTO was made. I was informed that they had not even seen ours yet, it was still in the pile. We knew it was not up to the level that we wanted it to be, but didn't know where to start editing it. That, mixed with the uncertainty of what happens in April if we haven't heard from them, had me right flustered.

With planning the baptism, we had to wait until the day before to get a baptismal interview. (the Branch President has a strange work schedule). It did not occur to us until after we returned home form the interview that we did not know who was presiding at the baptism. I began calling branch presidency members to see who it would be, only to learn that the ball had been dropped. The BP was working,and both of his counsellors (father and son)were going on holidays. I was told I might just have to rebook to the next weekend. After informing them that that was not an option, with grandparents already here and aunty J. already on the plane, a scramble was on to sort this out. In the end, it was decided that the second counsellor in the Elder's Quorum would both conduct and preside. It still felt a bit crazy and disorganized, but we did it. (YAAAAAY!)

After sadly returning family to the airport to go home, we shifted focus to income taxes. I had to ensure that paper work was in order, not sure if I had even entered things into the books correctly. That has been a fiasco that I think we have finally found a way around, and then we found out that the date for our new curriculum was pushed back to September. Small Sighs all along, but I still did not know how to fix the curriculum we did not like. We received an email about an opportunity to learn about an approved curriculum, that is available for us to purchase. This was exciting, but with undertones of stress, as we had a ministry audit to ensure compliance on Friday. We were fine, but I had to make sure all the paperwork was in order.

This weekend we spent with family in Kitchener, as we had decided to attend this information session in Scarborough. I was going into this thinking and hoping it was an answer to prayer. Dear hubby went into this thinking he would buy theirs, and use it to fix ours, making it our own. After hearing what they have to say, we realized that it is what we have been looking for, and more. It would not benefit us in any way to make it fit ours, as they are calling it a "Living Curriculum". This means that as changes are made by the gov't, and in technologies, they will send us updates and how to use them. These will be sent via email, therefore making them free to receive. The cost would then only be incurred if we "chose" to print it off the email. (the choice would be ours.) The cost is only $5 per student, as opposed to the $50 per student that CAA wanted. It is such a relief to me to know that we are able to switch to a new approved curriculum that meets all our needs, and they will provide us with all the technical, and learning support we need. We have decided to switch to this new curriculum in June. This allows our old students to make up any classes they are missing, prior to the change. I can now start to look back at the pictures and moments of fun over the last few weeks, and start to put the memories together. I will be putting pics up next time.