Vacation Catch-Up

This past Sunday we returned home from our week long adventure to Ohio to see Bill's family. We drove, which is always an adventure in itself. It takes us two days to drive there, especially because we like to stop at a couple of interesting places on our way so we can all get a break from the car. On the first day of our trip up to Ohio, we stopped at a state park in Tennessee to let the kids play. This was also timed with my needing to wash out Amy's blanket, which she had thrown up on shortly beforehand... We've learned not to give Amy food from McDonald's while going on a long driving trip.

On the second day of our drive we stopped at Lost River Cave in Kentucky. This was so much fun. We took a tour where we learned all about this underground river and even got to ride on a boat into the cavern. It was truly an amazing experience.

We spent the first couple of days visiting with Bill's dad and stepmom. The kids had so much fun fishing with Pa-Paw. They look forward to it every time we make this trip! We also had a visit from Sister Esther, Bill's Great-Aunt. She is amazing at making things with balloons. Oh, how the kids loved the neat things she made for them: jack-o-lanterns, fishing poles (with fish), an airplane, and little mice. She even made me a flower out of balloons. Really neat!

Halfway through the week we went to the Cincinnati Zoo with Bill's mom. This is a fantastic zoo. They have so many exhibits to look at, and the zoo itself is really beautiful. Maybe I was just enthralled by all the trees and hills, something I'm quite unfamiliar with when it comes to our local zoo.

The following day we went out to Bill's aunt and uncle's farm in Indiana. We have done this once before and what an incredible place it is! It's gorgeous on their property, the lovely white farm house and barn, set alongside a creek, which is so spectacular in the fall when the leaves are turning. And of course, the kids' favorite part of the experience, though feeding the cows and pigs is a close runner-up, was riding on the four-wheelers. Harold and Gina have three, which worked perfectly for the adults to each take one child for a ride down to the creek. At the creek, we all had fun looking at the rocks along the creek, finding many fossils in the process. We also had many encounters with cow patties and Nathan took a fall into the mud (yes, thankfully it was mud), but it was all part of the experience. We are so thankful to Harold and Gina for letting us come and visit them at their farm!

We also got to go and visit Bill's sister and her family for an afternoon. They have a large backyard that the kids enjoyed playing in. And what a view! Nathan had talked about seeing his cousins the whole drive up, so I'm glad we were able to stop by for a little while.

I'm disappointed that we missed out on seeing some of our friends during our visit. I had especially hoped to get together with Kris. We planned this trip so quickly and didn't give anyone enough notice. Hopefully we can plan better next time!

Our drive back was somewhat somber, as we knew it'd be another year before we'd get to do it again. We had so much fun on our trip and are so thankful to the many relatives who made the experience so wonderful. And in case I didn't say it enough while we were there - thank you for the delicious dinners, something you truly appreciate after two days of fast food!

We are taking it slow since returning home. I have been busy with laundry and unpacking, but we've held off on our schooling... until today that is. We are off to a slow start this morning as it is already almost 9 o'clock and none of us are even dressed yet. But we have no outside activities today and can take it as slow as we want. I think "slow" is about all I can manage today, anyway. :)

With the hundreds of pictures we took on our trip, I couldn't just pick a few to post. So I created a slideshow album with selections from all the events of our trip. Enjoy!

Quality Service a Thing of the Past?

I really don't like using my blog as a place to complain. I know, I know... The Bible tells us to do everything without complaining, and this should include blogging! But sometimes an issue comes up and I just have to talk about it somewhere... Sorry!

Tonight's Issue: What has happened to service at the grocery stores???

We just returned from a week long trip to Ohio today (an entry to come on that later), and of course, our fridge was bare. I didn't think much about it until this evening, after it was too late to go before getting the kids to bed. So, I helped with bathtime and then quickly got Amy to bed while Bill took care of the boys. Then I was off to Kroger to replenish our food supply.

It was already 9pm by the time I began my shopping, so I knew I was in for a late night. But I was determined to get as much on my list as possible to hopefully prevent a second trip later this week. I managed to finish up in less than an hour, and I had quite the basket full, including four containers of ice cream (Celeste, you're rubbing off on me!). As I approached the front of the store and the many checkout lanes, I noticed that the only lanes open were the U-Scan lanes. I stood there staring for a bit, unable to believe that not a single normal lane was open. I finally flagged down an employee and asked if the U-Scan lanes were the only open lanes. She confirmed my observation, commented on my full basket, and walked away. That was that. So, I had a grand time checking myself out. Have you ever used one of these lanes before? There is a place to put your scanned items so that the computer can keep a weight tally. Througout your order, everything has to remain on this platform. Well, when you have a whole cart full of groceries, there is no way everything is going to fit on a platform made for express shoppers. So I had to split my order into two, and each time I had to go up to the attendant station to sign my receipt. I also ran out of bags midway through checkout. By the time I got home, my ice cream had become quite mushy.

I ask you again, what has happened to quality service???

There have been many times in recent years that I have had to sack my own groceries. This used to bother me, but then I realized that my groceries were in much better condition when I returned home if I had been the one to sack them. A long time ago when I was a Kroger cashier, I remember the required training where we learned exactly how to sack groceries. Now you get home and find every plastic grocery bag is about to rip open due to the excessive amount of items crammed inside, your can of bug spray is in the same bag as your grapes, and your bread is smashed into the same bag as your canned goods. Is training no longer provided?

And of course, now you are expected to unload your own basket, which I remember being quite difficult when I was almost 9 months pregnant!

Again, I know I shouldn't be complaining to all of you about this. But I am just so disappointed by the lack of service that seems to be more and more common in our stores these days. Am I selfish in my desire for the old way of doing things, back when store employees were actually quite helpful?

I guess I want to return to the "full-service" grocery store as opposed to the new do-it-yourself version.

Thanks for letting me complain. I'm done. :)

Pretend Play

One of my favorite things about being home with the kids all day is listening to them while they play. This afternoon they were pretending... As I listened in, I was able to determine that Alex was pretending to be Cheryl (my sister-in-law) and Nathan was pretending to be Bill (my husband). Alex asked me if I liked his "dress" and Nathan created suspender looking straps for his attire (no, Bill does not wear suspenders). They were too funny. When they informed me they were going to work, I asked Alex where he worked and he said PBS. Then I asked Nathan where he worked and he promptly replied IDEA (not sure if that is how he'd spell it, but it's the best I can do). When I asked him where IDEA is, he astutely replied, "It's where I work." I just love the way their little minds think!

Introduction to Chopsticks

Today we read A Pair of Red Clogs and just like the other books we've read so far as part of our Five in a Row curriculum, we all enjoyed it immensely. It is such a sweet story about honesty, and a wonderful introduction to some Japanese culture. So today for lunch we sat in the den and ate at the coffee table. That in itself is nothing extraordinary - we do that all of the time! But this time, we sat on pillows and we ate steamed white rice with chopsticks. It was so fun to watch the boys attempt to get the rice between the two chopsticks and carefully direct them into their mouths. Alex did fairly well, even though he used two hands. It takes a lot of practice to master the one-handed method! Nathan finally reverted to his trusty fork to enable bigger bites. But Alex never gave up. He ate and ate, even if he was getting only a couple grains of rice at a time. We had so much fun with this, that when dinner time rolled around, we pulled out the chopsticks once again. It was quite the multicultural meal as we ate our spaghetti with our chopsticks!

Like The Title Picture?

Bill doesn't. So it will change soon, if anything because I want to change the whole look to be more seasonal. But I personally like this picture because it truly captures my kids. When you go to take their picture, that's what they do! Granted, I did have a couple others where Amy was making her gigantic silly smile. But I like this one... Speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil. Yes, that picture exemplifies my three precious little monkeys - my family zoo!

Guys and Girls Day Out

Today my little family zoo split up and went our separate ways.

Bill has always had a fascination with rocks and fossils and the like. So when the Houston Gem & Mineral Society sponsors a rock, gem, mineral, and fossil show, you can bet my husband is going. And what wonderful father wouldn't take along his two sons, one of whom (Nathan) definitely shares his interest in rocks. So off they went early this morning and what a blast they had using hammers and screwdrivers to break out plastic dinosaurs embedded in a concrete type material (the "dinosaur dig"), playing games to win miscellaneous rocks, and shopping the many tables of generously priced rock and mineral specimens.






After the exciting time at the rock show, the guys finished out the fun outing with a trip to McDonald's followed by a haircut (how exciting is that?! ;) ).

Meanwhile... Amy and I spent the day going to the library and shopping. When lunch time had arrived and Amy, in her sweet, soft voice informed me, "I ungry", we headed to Starbucks where I got to enjoy a pumpkin-spiced latte (SOOO good) and Amy got to sip an ice water and eat cranberry bread, sliced cheese and fruit. A girl's day can't get any better!

Learning Incentive?

Not too long ago I mentioned in a post about Alex wanting to incorporate superheroes into our lessons. He had found a way by making his own story book combining The Story about Ping and one of his favorite superheroes, Batman. But it made me realize that I needed to find a way to use Alex's interest in superheroes to encourage him in our lessons. So I did a little research online... I came across a book called Superhero ABC. It only took a few days to consider, and then I ordered it. The book arrived yesterday and I must say, it was a hit! With any luck, it will help Alex to recognize his letters better. And if anything, I realize I found a book that Alex will no doubt enjoy - even if it's just looking at the pictures!

*** Some of the pictures are a tad gross, however. Just a warning for anyone who might consider ordering this for their own superhero fan! ***

No School Today

I'm happy to report that Amy did better last night. She had a low grade fever all day and took an hour or so long nap yesterday afternoon. Of course, that meant that she was wide awake until sometime between 10 and 10:30 (not sure when because I fell asleep, too). She was a little restless during the night, but no crying. Of course, yesterday afternoon I discovered that Alex was running fever, too. So today we will be watching way too much television and resting.

Prayers for a Good Day

Prayers would be appreciated today. Amy has been showing some cold symptoms over the past few days, though I thought it might just be the weather or perhaps a result of more frequent crying episodes. But then last night she was sniffling so much I went ahead and gave her some cold medicine. She was very pleasant while we read books and happy when we turned off the light to go to bed, though perhaps a tad hyper. Bill told me to go on downstairs and he'd continue to stay with Amy until she fell asleep. Normally, I wouldn't accept this offer as it hardly seems fair (Amy sometimes doesn't go to sleep for a good 45 minutes to an hour). But I did have more laundry to tend to and lesson plans to make. So I went on down. Amy did finally fall asleep at about 9:30, but less than an hour later she woke again... and that was basically the end of our night. We spent the rest of the evening walking Amy around and trying to get her to stop crying. She complained that her mouth hurt and she complained that she was hungry and that she wanted to go downstairs. It was really odd and nothing we'd ever experienced with her before. Stating she's hungry is a habit of hers, though we did take her downstairs to find her something to eat. In the end, however, that didn't appear to be what she wanted because our efforts just upset her more. Bill was able to get her to fall asleep if he walked her around, but she'd wake each time he'd try to put her down in the bed. I was having a really hard time, too, because I'd taken some Benodryl for my own cold-like symptoms and felt too tired to function as the night progressed. She did eventually stay asleep sometime after midnight, but she woke many other times througout the night and would cry for awhile.

This morning she woke up happy and is currently eating her breakfast. I don't know exactly what was going on last night, but I felt so helpless. It was horrible knowing that something was making her that upset, but I had no way of knowing what it was or how to treat it. Of course, I am so tired this morning that I plan to keep homeschooling short and sweet and we'll take our time doing it! I was thankful when Alex's speech therapist called this morning and canceled our morning session - no doubt a blessing under the circumstances. Now we can stay in today and rest!

Please pray for Amy - that she is over whatever she was experiencing last night and that she has a calm day of rest and a good night's sleep tonight. And please pray for me that I will not become overwhelmed by the tasks of the day and that I will be able to maintain a peaceful home despite being sleep deprived.

Afternoon with Daddy

Bill loves to collect. He collects old cameras, coins, rocks, stamps, arrow heads, hiking equipment, backpacks.... okay, maybe I'm being just a tad sarcastic with a couple of those, but he does love to collect! And on Saturday, he and Celeste's husband Brian (and their son Jacob) went to a stamp show. Bill said he saw many children there who were enjoying picking out free stamps and he thought he might like to share his love for stamp collecting with his own kids. So Sunday after church and lunch, he bravely took all three kids back to the stamp show. I must say, they really did have fun. I don't think Amy got all that into it, but Nathan and Alex each collected quite a lot of neat stamps, and they even each won a door prize! I think Bill is just excited that they showed some interest in one of his hobbies. Of course, Nathan is already collecting rocks everywhere he goes... and he has a love for coins (money), too. I think that one is going to be just like his daddy!

And did I mention that when they got home from the stamp show, Bill took all three outside to play until dinnertime??? They had such a great time with their dad and I was able to finally tend to my own collection: laundry.

Dodging the Bullet

I am so thankful that despite the original forecast for Tropical Storm Humberto to come barreling in right over top of us, it decided to make landfall a little east of us, just enough to put us on the good side of the storm. I was expecting pouring down rain all night and we were planning to make a pallet on our bedroom floor for children who we knew would want to sleep there. But alas, it is quiet outside and everyone is peacefully sleeping in their own beds. I think it's about time I, too, call it a night...

Is it Week Three Already?

This morning Alex informed me that the way we are doing things is "driving him crazy". Where'd he get that phrase? Oh, yeah... Hmm... So anyway, he rambled off some explanation that made me realize he just doesn't like sitting at the table to do his book work. So I suggested we spread a blanket in the den and do our work in there. That worked well, although I do need to make a few changes to account for certain siblings who tend to distract a particular student. But at least he was more willing to do his workbook lessons. I also pulled out the big dry erase board and that worked great when discussing how to correctly write his letters. He loved writing on it! We also read our story on our blanket, and I do think Alex paid more attention in this setup. Nathan and Amy were a bit more energetic, but thankfully, they all love the story for this week, Lentil, and listened fairly well as we read. We may keep the blanket thing for this week and just see how it goes.



We also started our music appreciation today and had our first "Tea Party". This was definitely my favorite part of our day. I let the kids drink coffee (actually milk with a little coffee) while we ate cinnamon scones and listened to classical music. We were supposed to listen to music specifically by Beethoven. The library book I read to them called The Heroic Symphony was supposed to have an accompanying CD. But when I went to get the CD from the book, I found it to be missing. Oh, well. We still enjoyed the book and everyone enjoyed the cookies. Nathan especially enjoyed the coffee - he downed it in no time and was asking for more. Alex, however, decided he did not like coffee. I think next week, he'll be asking for milk. And notice... I actually let them use my breakable dishes! I'm still not brave enough to use the good China, but they seemed happy enough with my Pfaltzgraff. :)

Welcome Home!

All this week Alex has been a little off, and I've thought it most likely because of all the medicine I have been giving him for his cold-like symptoms. And though I'm sure that was part of it, there is no doubt in my mind that a big part of his solemn mood was because he missed his daddy, who has been out of town all week. My proof is the complete change in Alex's demeanor since coming home from co-op this afternoon and finding Daddy already home. All three kids were so excited to see their daddy, but I've noticed the biggest excitement from Alex. And of course, Daddy made it even better by spending the whole afternoon with his kiddos, and letting his very tired wife have an afternoon to run errands with NO tagalongs! Then HE cooked dinner (grilled the burgers) and HE gave them their baths. He built a fire out on the deck and let them make smores. And now - the big finale - he is in the den with all three kids in sleeping bags under an indoor tent. I've been told to go up ALONE for a quiet shower and perhaps a little tv time, or whatever I choose to do with my time. I am so fortunte to have such a thoughtful husband! And he's done all this in full knowledge that tomorrow morning he will be watching all of them once again while I go to a used book sale with Celeste. Again - what a lucky woman I am!!! Thank you, Sweetheart - you are the BEST!!!!

Check out the fun in pictures:

I Hungry

These are Amy's favorite words. There was a time when she'd say them and really mean it. But now... Well, I'm pretty sure she says them more out of habit. These are the words of choice first thing in the morning (which might be a more truthful occurence), directly after breakfast, several times througout the morning, before lunch, right after lunch, all afternoon, before dinner, just after dinner and then - my favorite - just as we climb into bed each night. I promise I really do feed her!!!

Has it been Two Weeks Already?

I can't believe we've been homeschooling for almost two weeks now. Today was a very busy day - we finished all of our lessons, attended speech therapy and art class, I did two loads of laundry, mopped and vacuumed the downstairs, and picked up all of the toys and various papers that have been cluttering our living space (have I ever shared with you just how much Alex likes to draw and cut out???). Last night we had Mission Friends and everyone got to bed a little late as a result. And of course, that means more fussing and fighting among siblings througout the day. But I think some of that is really just their needing time to adjust. Each week, our schedule changes as new activities start up and we continue to figure out how best to work our school schedule. I'll be glad when it all settles down into routine.

After two weeks - even though we are certainly busy all of the time - I can honestly say I love it! I don't have everything exactly as I want it just yet, however. I think our current schedule is working just fine and we are getting through all of our lessons, but I definitely want to make it more fun if I can. I have read a lot from other blogger friends about the Charlotte Mason method discussed in Elizabeth Foss' book Real Learning... I have not read this book yet, but have heard such great things and feel the methods described in the book would benefit any homeschooling family. I'm going to read it first chance I get (can I borrow it, Celeste? :) ). I've seen wonderful examples set by friends and can't wait to see how we might be able to implement some of the ideas into our own daily routine!

The Story about Ping... and Batman

Alex often asks if we are going to do superheroes in our homeschooling. Sadly, I tell him no, we won't be talking about superheroes as part of our lessons, but that he can play superheroes after we finish. Of course, if you are clever enough, there is always a way...

This morning, we read The Story about Ping for the second time; the kids all like this book. As part of our art study, we drew pictures yesterday similar to the pictures in the book and they had fun with that. Today, after we had finished, Alex decided to make his own book... It took four illustrations to tell the story of Batman Saves Ping. You may have difficulty making out the story from the pictures, but basically, Ping is in the water, there's fire, and Batman puts out the fire with water and saves Ping. Alex's version of the story is of course filled with many more exciting details than that and is no doubt an interesting spin off the classic story. :)

This one confuses me a bit... There are two batmen - one is half batman and half spiderman...

Here Batman has changed into his "water suit"...


Batman is throwing water down onto the fire to rescue Ping...


Batman has saved the day...

Not a Game for Little Ones

My poor boys... They want to play this game and so does Amy. The only problem is, Amy is way too young to understand the object of the game. In her opinion, the marbles are hers. She has no problem putting them into everyone's slot before the game begins. But once the balls are released and those hippos start chomping, Amy starts screaming. She frantically makes a grab - with her hands - for every marble she sees, all the while screaming as though the world is coming to an end. After a few attempts at it, we finally gave up and I told the boys this will just have to be a game we play when someone is available to distract Amy. We put the game up at least 10 minutes ago... She's still screaming...

The Movie that Beats Even Chocolate Chip Pancakes

As you may know from my previous posts, on Friday Family Fun Nights we always sit in our den and eat dinner at our coffee table while watching a video... Sometimes we watch a short children's video, sometimes we attempt a fun Disney movie, we've even watched episodes of Andy Griffith. No matter what we watch, if we're eating chocolate chip pancakes, our kids are more focused on their pancakes than what is on television. Bill and I are always amazed by how many fairly large pancakes such young children can stuff into their small tummies. Tonight, however, we chose a movie that had them so mesmerized, it literally took the entire movie for Alex and Nathan to finish 2 pancakes (Amy did manage her 4 pancakes quite easily, though). For the first time with our kids, we watched The Wizard of Oz. What a classic! I love this movie and have been anxious to watch it with my kids. I've always been afraid that it would scare them, especially the scenes with the wicked witch and the flying monkeys. We took a chance tonight and let them watch it and they so enjoyed it! Nathan was a little afraid at times and would sit close to me or Bill, but his eyes did not leave the screen. Alex was especially excited by the talking scarecrow, tinman and lion; it was so cute to see him get into the movie. I have a feeling this is going to be a requested movie from now on!

Homeschooling Update

We've almost made it through our first week of homeschool. We've had a few challenges... Today, I woke up with a slight fever and was not feeling well. Alex was still coughing and sniffling a tad, so I gave him some Benodryl, as I had done yesterday... This is not a good combination for schooling. On both days I noticed the medicine had left Alex somewhat out of it, tired, and uninterested when we'd try to do our lessons. And of course, I too felt tired and not very enthusiastic. But we still managed to get through all of our book work and still did our "math" lesson yesterday after reading our book for Five in a Row. Bill made a Geo-Board so the kids could make shapes using colorful rubberbands. They have had so much fun with this! And they did actually make shapes with it, even though in the following pictures Alex was just having fun making lines (or a guitar, as I was later told)...





I'm feeling better tonight and overall we had a good day. Alex went to his speech therapy this morning, and I think it went well. However, I do worry that he was a tad confused when he saw the familiar faces of some of his former preschool classmates. I could tell he was glad to see them, but at the same time he was a little disoriented by the encounter. Hopefully it will get better with future appointments. Then this afternoon Alex had his first art lesson, taught in the home of a very sweet woman who is teaching them about various artists and their use of color. And despite my van being side-swiped by the mom of a fellow "artist", it was a wonderful experience!

The only thing I was disappointed in today was that we did not get to do the "science" lesson for our Five in a Row book. Since the book we are reading takes place during a big thunderstorm, we were going to put together an emergency survival kit should we ever be hit with a terrible storm. We were also going to read some great educational books that discuss thunder and lightning and clouds and have a discussion about what happens in a thunderstorm. But by the time we did our book work, went to his speech appointment, had lunch, and then went to his art class, we were all a little worn out and I could tell no more "work" was going to get accomplished. For those who are unfamiliar with how Five in a Row works, you read the same book 5 days in a row (though we are actually doing it only 4 days) and each day you study a different aspect of the book. They really encourage you to read the book each day. I was worried, however, that my boys were getting tired of hearing this particular story, what with it being almost entirely a conversation between two characters and somewhat lengthy. And so today, since everyone was pretty exhausted (especially me), I thought we'd simply read some fun books on clouds (de Paola's The Cloud Book and Troiano's It's Your Cloud), no discussion. Well, to my surprise as we sat down to read the other books, I was greeted with disappointment. Both boys informed me that they wanted to read Storm in the Night. I was so excited by their enthusiasm to hear it for the fourth time in a row. And even Nathan can remember the name of the book AND the author of the book. I'm amazed by what they remember from reading it each day and the things they've learned by the repetition of reading the same book everyday. They've even shown a big interest in the other Five in a Row books we'll be reading. I had been worried how my kids would do with Five in a Row because they've never been big on books... Obviously I had nothing to worry about. What a great program!

Day 2 In the Works

Today - day 2 of our kindergarten homeschool - has been much easier; It's been a little more chaotic, but more enjoyable for all. We started out slowly because we had initially planned to go up to the church for a few hours this morning so I could help in preparations for Fall Mission Friends, our preschool program that teaches children about missionaries. But the cold that we have all shared since Amy came down with it at the homeschool conference made me rethink our plans. Amy and Nathan are mostly coughing at this point, but this morning Alex was runny-nosed and complaining of a sore throat. I decided not to share that with all the other kids in the church childcare. So we had a leisure morning watching Scooby Doo and playing until about 10:30, at which time we did only 4 total pages of workbook exercises and then followed up with some flash cards. We took another play break and had lunch. Then a little while ago I set up the counting bears into groups ranging from 1 to 10 bears. Then I gave Alex numbered index cards and he went around and matched the index cards to the correct number of bears (thanks for the idea, Celeste!). He had a great time doing this and only got two swapped - and it was only a counting error, not a number identification error. And then I had him group them by size, and he had fun with that, too. I was so proud of him! Nathan and Amy had fun playing with the bears, as well, and now they are all in the other room pretending and making bear families. In just a few minutes, we will read our FIAR story again and do our languauge arts lesson. Then I promised to play a game.

I think today is a better representation of how I want our homeschool day to go. I don't want it to be rigidly structured and packed with workbook exercises. Yesterday, Alex told me he thought homeschooling was going to be fun, but it wasn't. And when his daddy came home and asked him what he learned, he said, "Nothing." He did remember that we read a story about a storm... It was disappointing to see that kind of response after our first day of homeschooling. But it was also a sign to me that I needed to make some changes. Today, though not a typical day with it starting out in illness, still focused more on having fun while learning. Alex amazed me as we went through the number flash cards and he identified all of them correctly.

Thank you, Celeste. Our evening of coffee and homeschool discussion was inspiring and so uplifting. You are a dear friend and I am forever grateful for your friendship and support. Let's keep those encouraging coffee nights coming! :)

Another First

Not only is this the first official day of homeschool, but it also marks the first time Amy used the potty!!! Yes, this morning she woke up with her diaper dry, the norm now for quite some time, actually. So I asked her if she'd like to go use the potty. She said yes, and after only a minute of sitting there, she successfully went. I was so proud of her! I guess I need to go buy her some pull ups so she can use it when she wants to (she does ask from time to time). Good job, Amy!!!

One Down, Many More to Go!

But that just means all the more fun! I do have to say that today was a learning experience... mostly for me! I thought we would focus on a couple of workbooks for review: Step Ahead's Numbers 1 to 10 and Alphabet Skills. I planned out the numbers book for only a week, thinking we could easily get through the 32 page book since it was mostly review. Then we'd spend 2 weeks on the alphabet book because it was a bit longer, though we'd still do about 6 to 8 pages a day as review. But I realized today that it takes WAY too long to do that many pages because it really isn't just review. It's been awhile since preschool, and I don't think Alex really ever had his numbers and letters completely down pat. In fact, I'd say we still have quite a bit of work to do.

Since it took so long to get through the workbook exercises, Alex was already tired (we struggled through those last couple of workbook pages!) and as a result, our Five in a Row lesson didn't go as well as it should have. I think the kids enjoyed the book. We read Storm in the Night by Mary Stolz. It was the attempt at discussing the book that we had difficulty with. Alex kept asking if we were going to do a project (which is what, thanks to a misunderstanding back when we did a little at-home preschool lessons, he thinks homeschool is all about). We did finally move on to drawing storm pictures with chalk onto black construction paper. Everyone had fun doing this - and making quite the chalky mess in the kitchen!

Of course, even though we are done with our lessons, Alex is back at drawing and cutting out, his favorite thing to do. We'll have lunch here in a little bit and then we'll play a game. And I might try to do some flash cards later on to help Alex with his numbers and letters. I would also like to read them a story from the Bible, something I had originally thought we would do as part of our Five in a Row lesson, but again, I've learned that too much is too much. We may need to break after we finish the lesson using our FIAR book and then have a related Bible lesson later in the day.

I'm thankful that homeschooling is so forgiving. I feel like with each day, it will get better and better and once we get our schedule to work for us, then we'll really be able to enjoy the whole experience. It's just hammering out the structure of our daily lessons that might take a little time. But we'll get there!





On a side note, I am proud of our nifty map for our FIAR geography lessons. There are numbered labels for each of the stories we will be reading. The kids then attach them to the map to show where the story takes place. The book recommends you attach the provided story disks, but our map is not large enough, so I just used the story disks as a key for our number labels. We have a "Land of Make Believe" spot on the map for stories taking place in made up places. I think the kids will have fun with this little introduction to geography... Just as long as I can keep Amy from running off with all our number labels!

Today's The Day!

Here we are! The kids are not up yet and all is quiet except for the sound of my typing and the dryer working hard in the background. But soon things will get hopping. There will be children to be dressed and fed and finally - schooled!!! I can't believe we start today. I've been planning for it all summer and now that it's here - I'm not so sure I'm ready! But our lesson is planned and our workbooks are at the ready. I think there will always be that feeling that I should have prepared more. But I do think we're ready. I think Alex will be excited to start this morning and I can't wait to see how it all goes. I pray to God for patience above all things, but also for the ability to keep on track while still keeping it FUN for everybody! I've had many doubts about my ability to teach Alex this year - today I'm ready to prove that I can do it! Wish me luck (and a prayer or two wouldn't hurt :) )!

THSC Conference

Celeste asked me to post my experience with the THSC homeschool conference. I could keep it short and sweet and just say incredible! But I can't ever keep anything short, so here are all the details. Yes, my crazy family followed those nutty people from across the street all the way to the conference. :) And it was a good thing we were following because my family is notorious for getting lost - at least when I'm navigating. And after dropping us off, poor Bill had to rely on Brian's leadership because I left him with no information whatsoever; I hadn't printed off maps, information on the hotel, or even anything about the conference to leave him with. Talk about unprepared! But the guys found where to park our vans and then did a superb job entertaining the kids while Celeste and I heard a wonderful talk and enjoyed shopping the many vendors at the conference. The whole day was so much fun and the kids, who I think were really worn out, gave me no trouble whatsoever when bedtime came. I will say that there was a bit of disappointment that Celeste did not mention in her post. Amy woke up sick on Saturday morning and our two families had to go their separate ways without getting to enjoy another day together at the conference. The kids were a little confused when we told them that we would have to leave the door to our adjoining hotel rooms closed and even more disappointed when we told them we would not be spending the day with our friends. But Bill and I were still able to salvage more shopping (each going separately while the other stayed in the room with the kiddos) before leaving the conference all-together. I also got to run into that before mentioned bookstore and we had a nice lunch before heading back home. Even with Amy getting sick, it was still such a fun trip and I cannot wait to do it again next year!!!

Here are some of the great items we purchased at the conference: I completed my collection of the Little House books, found Madeline for our Five in a Row work this year, bought several Look Inside Machine and science factory books, picked up a fun Usborne puzzle book and a new game and I bought a few miscellaneous items from the Miller Pads and Paper vendor. There may even be a few more items but I can't recall right now! Homeschool shopping is so much fun!!!

What Music Energizes You?

We will be starting our kindergarten lessons next week. I'm both excited and scared out of my mind. But I think it will go well and after a summer of dreading this moment, I think I'm actually looking forward to it. One of the things I'm considering doing to get us started in the morning is a quick little exercise session. You know... simple little exercises like jumping jacks and toe touches - that stuff we did when we were young. Did I just say that? I meant younger. :) I only want to do about 10 minutes or so of it, just to wake us up and get us going. So... Here's where I need your help. We need some fun music to motivate us. We have the Hi-5 CD that no doubt will be fun to use. But since we'll be doing this daily for the duration of our homeschooling (unless none of us like it or we tire of it), I want a little variation. Any suggestions?!?

More on Greyfriars Bobby - An Unlikely Discovery

Okay - I promise to post on more interesting topics soon, but...

Having never even heard of the story of Greyfriars Bobby, I thought it too funny that after finding the Walt Disney video about it and following up with a post (see below) to share with others about the wonderful movie, I happen upon this book by British author Richard Brassey last weekend. What's especially interesting is that I found it on the other side of town at a small used bookstore that Bill and I mistook for a Half-Price Books. We were looking for a place to eat lunch after attending a homeschool conference when we thought we spotted our favorite chain of bookstores across the highway. We had quite the difficult time getting to it - lots of turning around after missing the exit or ending up in the wrong shopping strip. But we finally made it there only to find it was not a Half-Price afterall. Bill almost drove away and I insisted that we check it out anyway. Not minutes into my searching of the Children's Picture Book section did I spot that Greyfriars Bobby book, and the sticker on the back tells me that it was originally bought at a souvenir shop in Scotland. What a coincidence that I should come across it. It's not really what I would call a great children's book... I wouldn't even call it a good children's book, though perhaps a fun read. It actually mentions the book written by American author Eleanor Atkinson and the Disney movie that was based on it - very negatively. But even so, it does shed some light on the true story and I'm still proud to have found it as an interesting addition to our collection.

What a Gem!

Growing up, my family would often rent Disney movies for us to all watch together. I loved everything I ever saw and was somewhat disappointed when it seemed we'd finally viewed all of the Disney movies from our local video store. Of course, over time I've realized they only carried a small portion of the many Disney movies made. And here I thought I'd seen them all!

Today I found one at our local library that I'd never seen. I checked it out thinking it would be good for the whole family to watch together on our family fun night. Well, shortly into the film Bill and I both noticed that it was not holding our children's attention, possibly because the strong Scottish accents were hard to decipher, and the seriousness of the movie wasn't enough to keep them captivated. So we opted for the Winnie-the-Pooh DVD I'd checked out instead, and it received a much better response. But once all were in bed, Bill and I popped that little Disney classic back in the player and were mesmerized by this truly lovely, make-you-cry story. It's based on a true story and if ever I get to Edinburgh, Scotland (hey, it could happen), I will absolutely have to check out this beautiful monument to this amazing dog. If you haven't seen Disney's Greyfriars Bobby, you really need to!

Maybe He Should Do It

I think most parents can agree that one of the things we look least forward to in raising our children is the potty-training. I'm referring to the challenge of it, not the actual fruits of our labors - certainly no longer changing diapers is a blessing.

This morning, Nathan and Alex were creating with paper and crayons. Alex was making more books, and Nathan... Nathan made a potty for Amy. Yes, that is not a typo. Using scissors and paper, he made her a potty seat. And this afternoon, he was explaining to her how to use it. I did have to step in and stop him from actually helping her pull her pants down so she could try it out. But hey - maybe I should just let him teach her. Is 21 months old too young to learn? When it comes to Amy, I'm starting to think it's not. But maybe a 3-1/2 year old who still has the occasional accident isn't the right person to do the teaching...

Enjoyment is...

experiencing hugs and squeals of delight when you answer yes to your children's after dinner request for dessert (popsicles or ice cream, their choice).

listening to your oldest son's animated description of the "book" he made all about Batman.

swapping baby girl's bedtime routine for boys' routine with husband and getting to hear the Batman story one more time before kissing those sweet, energetic boys good night.

almost suffocating from the close, tight hugs delivered by one very awake little girl, who is up way past her bedtime.

taking a quiet, hot shower while dear husband continues in his attempt to get baby girl to fall asleep.

having damp head of hair caressed after rejoining husband and one very awake little girl in bed(note to self: baby girl gives a great head massage).

relaxing in a finally quiet house at almost 11pm and thinking about my day with those precious little blessings, each dreaming happily upstairs.

Enjoyment is what I receive everyday when I take the time to experience God's love through Alex, Nathan and Amy.

Growing Up So Fast

A recent exchange with Amy...

Me: Amy, please come down off the stairs. Mommy doesn't want you playing on them.

Amy: Why?!?

A Difficult Book to Read

No, not literally. But it is hard to see the words when one 21 month old girl keeps putting her head in front of you so she can kiss the characters and "hug" each of them. Now that's taking the title of the book literally! And this really is the only book she does that to...

So I must read it every night, as her sweet display is too precious for words.

Boys and Their Imagination

Alex: (dressed in pirate attire) I am a pirate!
Nathan: Where is my daddy?!?
Alex: Your daddy is dead!
Nathan: No he's not. YOU are my daddy!

If they'd seen Return of the Jedi, they would know that this is not exactly how it is supposed to happen...

Speaking of Spiders...

I'm finding them everywhere!!!

Actually, I'll take this kind over the real ones any day!

Alex's creepy crawly in it's web

Nathan's many long-legged friends in his web

The two creators with their spider creations

How Clean is Your Spider?

He's dead, but clean.

Yesterday, while starting a washer load of rag towels (those I use for cleaning purposes), I noticed just as I'd tossed a couple towels into the washer, something dark move within the towels. I quickly looked into the washer and caught a glimpse of a large spider attempting to climb up the side of the washer, only to slowly fall back into the water. I tried to get him out, but was unsuccessful. So, he got washed along with my towels. I ran a second rinse in the hope that I could rinse him away and never have to see him again. But my fear of spiders, even dead ones, caused me to leave this load of towels in the wash overnight. Today, after overcoming an inner struggle, I bravely went through the washer of towels, one towel at a time, slowly checking every inch of each towel, until finally I found his remains at the bottom of the washer and was able to dispose of him properly. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Sometimes laundry can be terrifying, but this experience took it to a whole new level!

Recipes, Cooking Tips and More!

Celeste, Michele and I have jumped on the band wagon and have started a food blog called Mixing Bowls and Measuring Spoons. We will post some of our favorite recipes here, along with any cooking tips and advice we might like to share. Come check it out!

Finished

Today I finished the last Harry Potter book. Don't worry - I won't post any spoilers! I read all night Friday night, as much as I could fit in with the garage sale on Saturday, Saturday night until 11:30pm, Sunday morning for an hour before church, for the hour long drive to my brother's house after church, and then, and this is what I'm most ashamed of, during lunch and while "watching" the kids, as the rest of my family socialized. Thankfully, by the time we'd reached my brother's house, where we'd gone to celebrate my dad's birthday, I had only a small amount left to read before completing the book. By that point, there was no way I could stop myself from reading it through to the end. So I finished it quickly and was able to spend the rest of the day making up for my rudeness to my family. Thankfully, my brother and sister-in-law are also big Harry Potter fans and are also currently reading the book... they were extremely understanding. The rest of my family just laughed at me. ;)

I've described the book only as "different" to my disappointed husband, who wants more explanation, though at the same time expects me to not give anything away. :) So, to all of you who are still waiting to read this final book, I say to you - it is different in some aspects (can't say why), but great. Typical J.K. Rowling book. I don't think you will be disappointed!

I was also asked my opinion of the Order of the Phoenix movie - awesome. In my humble opinion, it was the best so far!

Just Anxious, or Slightly Fanatical?

That's the question one has to ask as they sit at their computer typing away at 11:30 at night, having sent their husband to the nearest Walmart to purchase the final Harry Potter book, available at the stroke of midnight. And of course, I'll have my coffee brewed by the time he gets home so I can sit up all night, enjoying the quiet as I read. I'm really not a fanatic. But I really do love the Harry Potter books. I'm not going to defend my love for these books here, though please don't think I haven't considered the points brought up by many Christians who are against these fantasy books. There are some good arguments against them, no doubt, but none I can fully agree with. I enjoy the books as the fantasy books that they are. And I know I will enjoy every minute of this last book - assuming I can stay awake all night to read it... and I'm willing to bet I can!

The Show WILL Go On

We have had the rainiest summer ever. It's amazing to look back on summers not that long ago, when we had to go outside and water our lawn by hand at specified times of the day due to the drought and feared water shortage. And even with the hours spent outside watering, the grass and flowers still died. And yet this summer, we can barely find a dry day to mow the lengthy, flourishing green grass. Not that I will complain. It beats standing out in the heat with a water hose any day! But at the same time, it does tend to put a damper on summer activities.

That's what almost happened yesterday. Bill was going to leave work early and go by the bank on his way home to meet me in the kids. Then we'd take them to my parents and he and I would go watch the latest Harry Potter movie. What we didn't expect was difficulties caused by the rain. First, Bill was stuck at the bank for awhile due to a power outage that occurred as they were sending his drivers license back through the drive through tube thing (for lack of a better description). Then when he finally went to leave the bank, he found all the roads were flooding. He had to continuously back track and take different paths in his attempt to get home. He finally braved the high waters as he drove behind another SUV, keeping a sharp eye on the leading SUV's tailpipe to ensure safe passage through the water. Thankfully, he did make it home and we weren't off schedule by too much. But we were a little worried about the drive to my parents as we had to go back through this same flooded area. Thankfully, the rain had let up and the water had drained by the time we passed through. And Bill and I made it to our movie on time. I say on time. Bill is still laughing at me because I insisted that we get there early (only 45 minutes!) because I just knew there would be a huge crowd and I did not want to get stuck on the front row, destined for a neckache the remainder of the day. But when we got there, on time according to our (okay, my) plans, we were the first ones there. But Bill can't argue - we got the best seats in the house! :)

The rain was also a potential problem for our later plans. We were afraid continued rain would cause more flooding and make it hard, if not impossible, for us to get to the circus. Again, God is gracious, and the way was clear. We had so much fun. My brother's kids had been before and loved it. This was my kids first time to attend the circus. They enjoyed it, though I'd say Amy enjoyed it the most. She watched attentatively the entire time, which was quite a long time. Nathan and Alex were tired, however, and at the intermission halfway through the show, Alex began complaining that he wanted to go home. I think he thought it was over at the break, and he was so tired at this point he really was ready to go home and climb into his cozy bed. But a couple acts into the second half, particularly when the motorcycles were zooming around amazingly in the spherical cage, he perked up a little and watched without complaint. And of course, thanks to an overly gracious Granny, they each came home with a souvenir. Alex and Nathan had new swords to add to their collection (can you ever have enough?) and Amy had her little light up ballerina thing - no idea exactly what it is - that plays music... very loudly. Let's just say you could hear "Music Box Dancer" over the trumpeting sounds of the circus performers and screaming audience. You can imagine how loud it is in our home, without the added noise. Wonder how long those batteries will last...

Circus Events...




Alex with cousin Caden and their new swords...


Alex and Nathan enjoying the greatest aspect of the circus - eating...



What you get when you ask the kids to smile for the camera...