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I'm not kidding, this lady makes MY life seem tame!! Well, OK - not really. But this is the newly-famous mom with the ebay auction for the Pokemon cards her dc snuck into the grocery cart. Check it out! BECAUSE I SAID SO And I PROMISE I'll write a real entry soon! |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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I loved the goodies in my package, thank you! The candies are yummy and really hit the spot. The note card and rubber stamp are just what I needed this week to send out a few belated notes to friends. It was really on my to-do list!! You're very sweet. Thanks for the prayers! |
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Hey y'all, anyone want to order some great candles? My cousin is a PartyLite consultant so I'm hosting a webparty for her. E-mail me for an evite and I'll send you the link to the catalogue! Thanks! - Katie |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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I've been tagged by my4sweetums and ElCloud 1. All right, here are the rules. 2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. 3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. 4. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight 5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged 1. The very first time I tried downhill skiing was on a weekend trip to Canada in college. My boyfriend took me to the top and left me there. Imagine his surprise when he later saw me coming down on a stretcher! No, I wasn't hurt - a kind ski patrol guy took pity on me and took me down to the "bunny slope" so I wouldn't be in anyone's way! It was great revenge on the soon-to-be-ex boyfriend though! He thought I got hurt and my mom was gonna KILL him! *giggle* 2. The first time my dad tried to teach me to drive a stick shift, I backed us off the road in the middle of the woods. In a VW bug. He was not a happy guy. 3. My feet have grown a size and a half since I started having babies. I'm NOT gonna talk about the rest of me! :-p 4. I was always such an voracious reader, I could never put books down! I even used to read while walking home from the bus stop. In my younger (more dense) years, I would even read while driving. Now while in the car, I only read at red lights. :oD 5. I once "risked my life" for a lousy piece of paper that read "Kentucky Fried Chicken". :-0 6. I was captain of a fantastic bowling team in my early teens. We won most competitions. We even got to travel to a different state for Regionals one year. And throw cherry tomatoes at Pat Boone! Don't ask! 7. I sing in the shower. Loudly. With much expression. My kids are young enough, they think I'm great! 8. I almost got stranded at the airport in St. Kitts at the end of our honeymoon. I thought dh had grabbed my purse which had all of our wedding gift money in it. He, of course - being the new husband, looked at me like I was insane when I asked if he had it. I had to RUN across the tarmac back to the airport, BANG on the door that is kept locked to hijackers and crazy tourists, VAULT over chairs in the waiting area, SNATCH the purse from under the seat where it had fallen then RACE back to the plane while being applauded and cheered by the locals in the terminal. Meanwhile, dh is firmly "holding up" the plane by refusing to get out of the aisle and fasten his seatbelt because they wanted to leave without me. And there ya have it. More of me than ya wanted to know! I'll add my 8 to-be-tagged buddies later. BIG storm rolling in and I have to shut down!! |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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I received your lovely package this afternoon. The soaps smell almost good enough to eat and I can't wait to use them! I needed a tuck-in-your-bag sized notepad -it's perfect! - and love the card box as well. I'm sure the kids and I will love the book! Thank you so much for thinking of me, and for your prayers. They mean so much!! My only ongoing prayer request is that our family will grow in our relationships with God and with each other. All the rest is just "small stuff" and I try not to "sweat it". :o) Thank you again - it was such a blessing to hear from you today! Blessings, Katie |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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We went to a friend's house today and learned about goats & chickens. The dc all had a BLAST feeding goats, milking the goat, finding eggs & chasing chickens. Butterfly (11yodd) helped make cheese and butter. We all got to try some on the delicious scones our hostess made, along with some yummy goat's milk. We stayed much longer than I anticipated - I hope we didn't overstay our welcome!! But it was so much fun. Here's some pics!
In other news, we are still having fun studying Peru, Africa and wars. Even though we're not "doing school"! The dc are just soaking up a ton of info on their pet topics right now. I think I'm just going to keep on with what we are doing and maybe add in some reading together from our Learning Adventures curriculum at the end of the month. The dc are all still interested continuing in American History, so it should be fun. I need to send in my NOI - I always do it around Bug's (13yods) birthday so I remember to do it. But Bunny (9yodd) needs an eval this year so I must wait for that. Our friend that does our evals just came back from a month in Peru so we need to let her get rested up first! OK, out of time. I'm missing my nap! LOL Peace, Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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My oldest dc is now 13!!! WOW! How did THAT happen?!? THIRTEEN THRILLING THOUGHTS OF BUG! 1. I just LOVE to watch him get all gooey with his baby sibs! 2. He often surprises me with a breakfast tray, a clean kitchen or a big hug! 3. He is super smart with logic/strategy games and puzzles - beats me every time! 4. He loves the outdoors 5. He is soooo black & white in his thinking! 6. He is a HUGE history buff, especially American wars 7. He is really funny with an INCREDIBILY dry sense of humor 8. He has a way with animals - from squirrels up to horses, they really respond to him! 9. He loves complex video games 10. He is an excellent writer 11. He is very good at sports 12. His favorite music is contemporary Christian rock and country - go figure! 13. He is ALMOST AS TALL AS HIS MAMA!!! I love you, Bug!!!! |
Posted in Family Life
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My in-laws got here yeaterday with the other 2 grandkids. We always look forward to their visit! You know how when company is coming, you want the house to look nice? You know how hard that is with 8 homeschooling (read: ALWAYS MAKING MESSES) dc under 13??!? Well it would have been easier IF: Kitty (2yodd) somehow found a bottle of red food coloring. This is kept in a VERY high cabinet with a latch so obviously someone else used it and left it out (I'm thikning "stage blood" for one of the dc's productions!). Hands AND mouth stained red... but she wouldn't tell me where she left it. So I'm putting the twins clothes away and Puppy (9mob) is at my feet playing... with the open food coloring bottle! UGH!! THEN as I'm cleaning up that mess, Kitty takes off her pants AND her dirty diaper and brings it to me. *sigh* One of my as-to-be-nameless dd's shoved her cousin into a wall (forehead first) during a game and gave her a mild concussion. Bug (13yods) struck out twice and his team lost. So this morning, I'm thinking we'll have a better day - right?!??! Good news: we caught the mousie last night that has been cavorting around my room. Bad news: I didn't see it before I STEPPED ON IT. In bare feet. EEWWWWWWW!! Then poor Bunny (9yodd)! She was laying on the couch this morning trying to get warm. It's VERY windy here today and still early, so it's chilly and she is my always-blue child. I laid Puppy on the changing pad to change his diaper. In front of the window. With the cool breeze blowing in... anyone know where this is going yet? My very prim & proper sweet dd got her HEAD p##d on by her baby brother!!! So how is your week going?!? -Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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Through much prayer, DH chose the symbols & activities for Bug's (13yob) "coming of age" ceremonies. They spent the weekend backpacking and mountain climbing. DH presented Bug with a pendant from Band of Brothers ( www.BandofBrothers.org ) and read the blessings to him. Since the date was unusual (07/07/07), DH chose the seventh verse of the seventh chapter of the seventh book of the NT - 1 Corinthians 7:7b But each man has his own gift from God. Now I'm starting to plan for Butterfly's (11yodd). I'm still not sure if we are waiting until 13yo, or when she starts her cycles? I know it will involve shopping for a dress, tea at her favorite place, an overnight stay somewhere special and a fancy dinner out with Daddy & Mom. We'll then present her with her pendant/ring (not sure which). I'm also planning on writing to all the ladies in her life ahead of time and having them write her a letter about becoming a young lady which I'll bind at Kinko's into a book. Any other ideas??? Bunny's (9yodd) will be similar as she is another "girly-girl". But for Bee (7yodd), I'm stumped. She's not into all that at ALL! Good thing I have more time to plan it!! Peace, Katie |
He's also getting a shadow box full of pics they took, a rock from the treeline and the card from the pendant box with the blessings on it. 
Posted in Family Life
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Bear (4yob) had his first dental appt today. FIVE cavities - UGH!! Thankfully they are small, but still - he's one of my GOOD brushers!!! But here's the deal - because of his age, they want to do it at the hospital under general anesthesia. WHAT?!?!? I don't THINK so. Nope. So then they tell me that they would POSSIBLY do it at the office but they would papoose him. Ah, no. He's done that for IV's at the hospital a couple of times and is TERRIFIED of being restrained! Oh, but they don't want to traumatize him about going to the dentist. Yeah, so take hime to the hospital, get an IV, fall asleep, wake up not knowing what's going on and with a sore mouth and THAT'S a better option?!??!? I don't THINK so! I called and made an appt with another dentist. We've had trouble with this other office before anyway. It took 3 appts to see 6 dc because they won't schedule more than 3 at a time in case we have to cancel. *rolleyes* I had called to get cleaning appts and thought that's what we were going to. Nope - exams. And no one even TALKED to me about the older dc and their teeth!! So then we had to schedule separate appts for each dc, one for cleaning and one later in the week for fillings. OK, I am NOT spending my summer at the dentist!! The new office is seeing them all at the same time for cleanings. But I feel like Loser Mom - 16 cavitites in 4 dc!! How come it's the ones who use toothpaste and brush well that have the holes in their teeth? Is there any truth to that "fluoride CAUSES cavities" statement??!?! OK, rant done!! Now I just need to confront those office girls and get the x-rays before we go to the new place... Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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I guess I'm a bit self-centered and like to hear myself talk, er... write! I really miss blogging. So here are some updates on us, and I'm going to try to get back to some semblance of regularity! Puppy (8mob) has 3 upper teeth and pulls up on anything that holds still long enough! It's funny, just lately people have been commenting, "Oh, he must be the laid-back one". Well for the first few weeks he was. Then he was VERY high needs for a few months. Now he is my more contemplative one, Mr. Serious. His smile lights up the room - but he's very selective with how he doles them out! He is, however, very high energy - constantly moving. Lamb (8mob) is Mr. Roly-Poly! He is everywhere and very oral - EVERYTHING goes into his as-yet-toothless mouth! His new thing is to suck on his bottom lip when he smiles, which pooches out his chunky cheeks and is SOOO adorable. He refuses to put weight on his legs, though with his weight who can blame him?? He is an eating machine and LOVES his mushy food! (Puppy is on toddler-type stuff, won't "do" mushy). Kitty (2yog) is expanding her vocabulary a bit now but still spends most of her time screeching. We love her anyway. She is VERY cuddly and VERY strong willed. Bear (4yob) is still keeping us in stitches. He's learning to put letters together to make words and is amazed at himself! Bee (7yog) LOVES "doing school" and the new Five in a Row Fold-n-Learns!! Her current interest is bunnies (of all things!). I never thought I'd see the day that my Clifford-loving-turned-Spiderman-infatuated tomboy liked something soft and quiet! She recently had her face painted and chose a red rose instead of a superhero! The times, they are a-changin' folks. Bunny (9yog) is delving into a self-directed study of Africa. We've listened to music (and made some online with a digital thumb piano!), made recipes, studied animals, made costumes... It's been fun! Butterfly (11yog) is immensely interested in Peru since we have a friend teaching English there for a month so we are starting a study of Peru and making a lapbook. She is also tagging along on her sister's Africa studies and puttering in her garden. She planned most of our family camping trip to earn her Keepers pin for camping. She has started attending some youth group activities and is surprised to find she likes them! My Aspie girl was a bit volatile for awhile but has settled down some and the cycle begins anew. Bug (13yob) is, as always, studying war. Revolutionary and Civil are still at the forefront though he's playing an ancient civilizations computer battle game and reading a bio of Patton. He has some big things coming up this month. Dad has planned some rite of passage activities - like mountain climbing! - and he'll be getting his own debit card. He's playing baseball again this year but has been pretty dry at bat so is discouraged. He got the game ball one night though for his team contribution and for playing through even though he wanted to quit! As a family, we're taking the month of July off formal study to concentrate on cleaning, decluttering, enjoying family time, pursuing individual interests and gearing up for another school year. We're working through a BIble study on cheerfulness and finishing up Contenders & Keepers requirements for our August pinning ceremony. We took a camping trip last week to the mountains and saw God's AMAZING wildlife! We have company coming next week so I'm sure we'll be doing some fun touristy activities. OK, I need to run. Lots to do!! Abiding in His love, Katie |
Posted in Twin Talk
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* I remember looking at Mark with a goofy grin on my face when we got home. Finally, after only having them one at a time in the hospital - FINALLY they were both in the same room. Their very own room. It started to sink in a bit - we have TWINS!!! * Lamb was the more difficult to care for at first. He had a very weak suck so it took 10-15 minutes of hard work just to get my milk down. By then he was so tired, he barely nursed! I figured out if I put Puppy on first and waited a bit until my letdown, then switched babies, everyone was much happier! * Lamb would fall asleep most easily propped in an upright position against the left side of my or Mark's chest. Guess he liked hearing our heartbeat. Puppy liked to be rocked to sleep. Mark got up with us a LOT in those first few weeks. We had a great routine going... but I can't remember it now! LOL * By 2 weeks old, it was getting hard to tell them apart! I only messed up once that I know of though. It was the middle of the night and I was talking to one as if he was the other twin. Mark hard a really hard time telling them apart. My mom only got it wrong once. All the dc had varying levels of difficulty. Funny since we knew they are fraternal and not identical. * One night, Mark was trying like anything to get one of the babies to sleep. He couldn't figure out why Puppy was so fussy. He rocked, and rocked, and rocked him. Finally, I got up and said, "Honey, that's Lamb not Puppy!" He sat down with him in the recliner, propped him on his chest and the baby was instantly asleep! * By 4-5 weeks, there was now a marked difference in their appearence. Lamb, the little one at birth (5lbs) was now filling out and looked chunkier than his little-big twin (6lb 1oz at birth). At 6.5 weeks old, they weighed the same (9lbs 8oz) but since Puppy was 2" longer they looked a LOT different! * Puppy had a RAGING case of baby acne. None of my others did. * Their first "tub" bath was in the kitchen sink, simultaneously - one in each side. It was TOO cute - though they both hated it! * I loved, loved, LOVED tandem nursing them! It was amazing. I found it impossible to keep them both asleep in the transition to crib though, so I very rarely tandem anymore (written at 8mos old). * Puppy has this really cute way of raising his eyebrows when he's interested in something. Makes him look scholarly and quizzical! It started in the hospital, so he's always done it (less & less now at 8mos) * Lamb enjoyed his nightly 2oz bottle. He also loved his binky. I wasn't going to do either, but I hoped it would help them sleep. Puppy never liked either one much, though HE was the one that got a binky first (in NICU). We dropped the bottles at about 7-8 wks, since it never helped much and I think they were/are allergic to dairy (I refuse to do soy). The binkies didn't last much longer. L found his fingers and P only wants me. * Puppy... got colic. Life got put on hold!! |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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Closing indefinitely as in: not permanently, but not sure when I'll be back. Ummm... severely sleep deprived, barely functioning, overwhelmed, spiritual funk... Just no time or energy to blog right now. I'm thinking I'll get back to it sooner than I expected though; I miss it. |
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indefinitely |
Posted in Family Life
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Well, dh's job paid him on time last week (first time in 2 mos) and he's seeing a chiro for his back so things are looking up for him. We tried a small group meeting on Friday from our new church and he really had a good time. (Odd for him - he's shy and not terribly social, so connecting with other Godly men is HUGE!)
My health problems seem better, but I'm struggling with wanting to lose weight though I've lost 6 lbs since the middle of April. I'm also struggling in my spiritual life (so what else is new?) Bug(12.5yods) is struggling, but not as much as we as parents think, I think. Just eldest-boy-of-the-family-teen-hormonal stuff, YK? I see the tender, sweet man in there just waiting to come out - but it's often obscured by the firey temper & impatience he comes by naturally. I think he's enjoying youth group, but he doesn't participate much if at all. He was very gracious when I totally messed up and was too late to register him for baseball this season. Butterfly just turned 11 and is starting to "develop".  I am NOT ready for Asperger's + raging hormones!! She is REALLY enjoying our new church and becomming quite the young lady. She told me yesterday that "eight is enough" and we shouldn't have anymore because it's too much work. I am incredibly sad.  Bunny is 9 now and very moody. She has a new best friend - a boy - and was talking yesterday about his "marriagability".  She was very level headed and not moon-y at all though so it was a fun discussion.Bee(7yod) & Bear(4yods) are just happy little campers, especially Bear - our resident funnyman! Kitty(2yodd) is talking more & more but still difficult for outsiders to understand. She is sunshine & thundercloud all mixed together! Lamb(7mods) is a bit over 17 lbs, rolling all over & trying to marine crawl!! He sucks his fingers constantly and is Mr. Laid-back, though just lately he's having an uncharecteristic fussy streak. It's either the solids or teething.  Puppy(7mods) is about 15 lbs and very active. Loves to sit up by himself or stand in the exersaucer. Mostly, he loves to be held and the older dc think he's a pain.  He does not sleep much and so we're trying sleep training starting this weekend - I NEED more than 2hrs of broken sleep a night!!We have 7 wks of school left and as usual at this time of year, I realize how incredibly behind my dc are and I'm wondering if I'm doing them a great disservice. I will NOT send them to our local ps though - Butterfly & Bunny did a talent show there last month and the dc & parents are just... scary.
So there it is - our family in a rather large nutshell!
Peace to you,
Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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Happy Birthday to my two oldest girlies!!!!
Eleven Elemental Etceteras 1. She LOVES to serve others! 2. Tea parties are her passion. 3. Dress-up and play acting are favorite passtimes! 4. She writes beautiful poetry. 5. She loves Jesus and tries to please. 6. She has a soft spot for the elderly and loves to make & take things to our widowed neighbor and go shopping with my not-so-healthy mom 7. She is amazingly creative! 8. She's a great help with the babies. 9. She could spend the day making mudpies. 10. She's learning to be a great little homemaker! 11. She growing more mature, overcoming lifelong obstacles and REALLY blossoming and coming out of her shell! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUTTERFLY!!
Nine Nifty Nuggets 1. Her middle name should be "Giggles"! 2. She loves animals. 3. She is extremely bright. 4. She can run FAST! 5. She is our most outgoing child and makes friends EVERYWHERE! 6. She is a voracious reader. 7. She LOVES music! 8. She is good - exceptional at everything she's tried. 9. She LOVES learning about Jesus! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUNNY!! |
Posted in Blogger Friend School
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This week's assignment is to go out and take a stroll, searching for God's handiwork - signs of His love & power. I just LOVE Spring! Today is foggy & cold, but here is a poem I wrote a few years ago and a picture my ds took.
The Promise Gentle breezes caress the blooms and carry their fragrance on the balmy air Days are lengthening, glowing rays of sunlight subtly conquering the power of darkness As winter loosens its grip on the world, The earth comes alive again After a season of waiting, its almost as if the trees themselves are laughing with joy The mountains seem to soften under a fresh blanket of new growth In the mellow light of spring's pregnant wonder, the peaks seem less imposing, smaller somehow As the fruit of nature's womb awakens, it seems all the earth pays homage to the Great Artist, the Master Creator, the Fountain of Love from which all life springs forth The flowers applaud in a crescendo of color The trees bow with gentle majesty before the King of the Universe Everything that has life looks to the Lord and in humble beauty, gives thanks for the promise of spring. © 2002
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Posted in Secret Sisters
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I had such a wonderful experience with the last session, I'm doing it again. It was fun blessing another hs mom, and fun being blessed in return. Tamara at Training Hearts is the coordinator. Come on, sign up! Katie |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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That's what this post is about. Sometimes I think that's what this blog is about. *sigh* I've been reading through past entries and wondering about the direction the blog has taken. What is my purpose here? Where am I going? Am I sharing anything helpful? I'm a bit ashamed about the lack of any mention of the Lord in my posts over the past year or so. He is all I am - shouldn't that be clearer in my posts? My Reason for all I do - so why the lack of recognition? But right now I have a baby on my lap, a rolly baby next to me on my bed - blocked in with pillows, a chatty toddler dropping ceramic animal figurines on my hardwood floor and soupbeans about to boil over in a pot on the stove. Think I have time for a meaty post about anything, much less the most important Person in all of life??!? Maybe it's a season. Maybe my priorities are off. Maybe my focus is fuzzy. Maybe it's not about me. Anyone know where I'm going with this? Input please? Wow, and this started off as just a catch-you-up-on-our-little-lives post. Go figure! Peace, Katie I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power od God for the salvation of everyone who believes. ROMANS 1:16 |
Posted in Family Life
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We've got a couple of birthdays to celebrate this weekend, so I've been busy making cakes! What do you think?
Happy Birthday, Girls!!
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Posted in Family Life
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2 Teriffic Traits 1. She loves to cuddle me & rub my hair 2. She RUNS to the door and squeals with a huge smile when Daddy comes home! |
Posted in Twin Talk
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There are SOOOOOOOO many things I didn't want to forget, and yet it's impossible to remember it all YK? *Hearing them both cry - such a small sound, but so reassuring! The nurse knew I wanted to see them right away so he held them each up briefly around the side of the curtain. I was amazed at how alike they seemed. *Mark told me in recovery that Puppy was in NICU. I couldn't believe it! He was FINE when he left the OR! He had Apgars of 8 & 9!! How could he be in NICU - the one thing I feared the most?!?! It took awhile for it to sink in, and the tears flowed a bit. I blame most of the confusion on the anesthesia. *Seeing Puppy in NICU as they were wheeling me to my room. He looked so small, so vulnerable with all those tubes & wires! I couldn't even see his face because of the breathing equipment! And he was breathing sooo fast. I remember stroking his leg, asking the nurse questions, and having her chide me for touching him. "Preemies can't handle being touched!" And I was thinking, "Preemie? I know that about preemies, but what preemie? He's only four days early for crying out loud!" Made me feel incapable of taking care of my own baby. *Seeing Lamb in my room - so tiny and sweet!! He was my smallest baby (4# 15.8oz, compared to my largest at 9# 5oz!!) and I was amazed at how perfect he was. *I don't remember nursing Lamb the first time, though I know he did great. It was later that we had some trouble - he was NOT the least bit interested. It was hard to wake him up, and he couldn't coordinate his sucking. The lactation nurse showed me how to REALLY rub his shoulder to keep him awake to nurse, to stroke his cheek and push on his chin to encourage sucking. We had to learn to cup feed in the hospital, but never did it at home. I do remember sitting in the nursery rocker with us both undressed, blanket thrown over for privacy, hoping that the skin-to-skin contact would stimulate him to nurse. He was so tiny & warm! *Holding Puppy in NICU for the first time, 26 hours after he was born. Shocked that they would "let" me hold him, STUNNED that they wanted me to try and nurse him. So thankful that he latched on right away and nursed for 20 minutes! Gave me my confidence back and I became more assertive in his care. *Walking into the nursery and always being torn - do I go left to NICU/Special Care and see Puppy first? Or take a right into the regular nursery to cuddle & feed Lamb? It was all one big open room (NICU was glassed in), so I could see both and try to guage who needed me more, but it was still hard to have them separated. *Having one quick moment of panic when I went into the nursery on Wednesday morning and saw Puppy's bassinet empty! He'd been moved to Special Care - yeayy! Then being thrilled on Thursday night when I stood watching them detatch all the wires & probes and I got to take him back to my room for the first time. *Nursing them both at the same time for the first time Thursday night! The nurses were amazed that I could do it so naturally the first time. Guess nursing 6 previous babies helped even though I'd never tandem nursed before, huh? I hated to give one back after finally getting them together, but now Lamb couldn't stay with me - he needed to be under the bili lights for 24hrs. My "Blue Light Special"! :o) I'll end here and start a "Part 2" next week - Memories of the first days at home! |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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lovemy4babies has given me the Thinking Blogger Award!! I'm honored!! Here are the rules, followed by my five picks (only 5!?!!? This is tough!!)
The rules: Should you choose to participate, please make sure you pass this list of rules to the blogs you are tagging. I thought it would be appropriate to include them with the meme. 1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think, The whole concept is truly interesting since this one blog site ( http://www.thethinkingblog.com/2007/02/thinking-blogger-awards_11.html ) that started the whole thing - its all just an experiment! You can link to this person's original 5 tags from that site above and follow the trail! Here are my 5 nominations: Lisa at The Preacher's Wife makes me think about my walk with the Lord and she's usually great for a laugh as well! Right now she's hosting a fabulous Bible study. OreoSouza ALWAYS makes me think. Even when I'd rather feel sorry for myself. But she's a good friend that way. {{{HUGS}}} Michelle at Loving & Learning has a gift for words. My new friend Shera at A Frog in My Soup is worth a look! And I always love what Amanda Bennett has to say in her newsletters, etc at her Unit Studies blog. There ya have it! There are a bunch of others, but I tried to find bloggers that had not already been awarded. Peace, Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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I've not fallen off the face of the planet in case you were wondering. We've been very sick here for the month of April - well, not all of us. Butterfly (11yog), Bunny (9yog) & Lamb (6motwinb) escaped unscathed while dh & I had only mild cases. Let me just state for the record: When "They" tell you NOT to eat raw cookie dough - LISTEN!!! I'll try to resume regular blogging soon, but I'm still up to m'eyeballs in nasty diapers & extra laundry (sorry for the TMI!) MuckFoot, my friend - I have not forgotten to send your prize. One of my impulsive-just-can't-control-myself dc ate it and I need to go out and get a replacement!!! And I'm praying for you. Here are pics of the 6mo Twinkies!! Lamb is almost 17lbs now and Puppy is 15!!
Peace to you, Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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Scene 1 MOM: What's that on your eye, Bunny? Bunny (9yog): Well at first I thought it was... Well what happened was that Bee (7yog) asked me what was on my eye, so I tried to rub it off but then she said it was still there so I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror and couldn't tell what it was so then I wiped at it with my finger but it didn't go away. THEN I wiped at it with water on my finger and that made it sting so I figured it was an owie but I have no idea how it got there! Scene 2 MOM: What's that on your face, Bug - a scratch? Bug (13yob): Uh-unh-uhn (Translated - "I don't know") Peace, Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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At a message board I frequent, the questions were posed: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 And what would each of them need now to get to that place? I haven't gotten to Part 3 yet, but thought I'd post the others. This was a WONDERFUL exercise in looking at ONLY the positive in my dc. I'd love to read yours if you try it!! Just drop me a comment... Bug (almost 13) - quiet; loner; deep thinker; loves the outdoors; big dreamer; great imagination; passionate about following the rules; very black & white; dry sense of humor; athletic; good with animals; can beat ANYONE at strategy games; love language is quality time; great with his brothers Bee (7) - intense; passionate; fiercely loyal; energetic; compassionate; focused; grateful; loves Jesus Bear(4) - loving; expressive; VERY funny; compliments well and often - unsolicited!; articulate; smooth talker - always looking for a compromise |
Posted in Holiday Happenins
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Well, it was a pretty tame (lame?) day here on the first. Butterfly & Bunny switched the sugar in the bowl to salt for Daddy's coffee. Good thing I warned him first, but he played it up good! ;o) Lunch was homemade nachos - the tortillas had sugar instead of salt. The "salsa" was a strawberry sauce, the "sour cream" was vanilla yogurt and the "cheese" was orange-dyed coconut!! Dinner was PB& J "sandwiches" - cookie dough baked to look like bread with PB&J on it. YUM! And Family Fun's Fake Fries. We need some fresh ideas!! Kim at Life in a Shoe has a Mr. Linky going on to get ideas. I tried to comment, but I can't get the comment box to pop up (which means I can't READ the ideas either!) GAH! I'm off to surf the blogs in her Mr. Linky, hoping for some fun fool fuel for next year! Peace, Katie |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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We're wrapping up the second semester of ANWOA (Learning Adventures, Year2) this week, then taking a week off before tackling the American Revolution unit. Since Easter is this weekend, we're saving our Taste of the Colonies celebration for next Sunday (since we're making a TON of food, we invited company!). Here's the menu: APPS: Garden Veggie Soup (NJ) & Pretzels (PA) MAIN: Chicken Pilau (SC), Fried Sweet Potatoes (NC) & Hushpuppies (GA) DESSERT: Apple Pandowdy (NH) & Colonial Jumbal Cookies (CT) We broke this up since we didn't want to make TOO much food all at once. It's HARD with the twinkies to make more than a quick fix meal - as I knew it would be. So back in Sept when we finished our first semester and our study of five of the colonies, we had THIS menu: APP: Maryland Crabcakes (MD), NE Clam Chowder (NH) & Maple Syrup Popcorn (all, in honor of Native Americans) MAIN: Virginia Ham (VA), Boston Baked Beans & Pilgrim Bread (MA) DESSERT: Cranberry-Nut Pudding (MA), Blueberry Slump & Coffee Milkshakes (RI) We DID study all thirteen of the original colonies, but two of them have breakfast recipes in the curriculum. The first reader to correctly name the two I didn't mention in these menus wins a prize! :o) All of the recipes for the DELICIOUS foods are part of the Learning Adventures curricu-YUM. We LOVE this program! Second only to Five in a Row as my favorite curriculum (and we've tried a BUNCH!) I would recommend them BOTH to anyone interested in comprehensive unit studies. We are also in full swing with our FIAR studies. Last week, Bee (7yog) rowed A New Coat for Anna. We dyed old socks - pink (cranberries), purple (blueberries) & tan (tea)! She also had fun weaving placemats for our Easter dinner. This week is Mrs. Katz and Tush for Passover, then next will be Babar since we are studying Haydn and peanuts (Georgia) with the big dc and it fits so nicely. Bear (4yob) had a blast with Jesse Bear. We ate Teddy Grahams, I gave him a Moody Bear Puzzle, we had a "Jesse Lunch" and acted out Jesse's day. Next week, it'll be The Red Carpet (to tie in with Bee's story of important people coming to town). He's going to have a blast rolling out the red gift wrap I got on clearance for our Sunday company! OK, go to skeedaddle. Too much time on here and my 8 cuties toss stuff bombs all over the house! Peace, Katie
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Posted in Family Life
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Check out my son's new blog/store! I'm a proud mama. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/CONaturePhotography/ - Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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Bug (12yob) has been taking taking pics of a neighborhood squirrel for a couple of years now. He spent MONTHS getting the little beastie to trust him enough to get close-up photos. A few months ago, Chipper (said rodent) started waiting out on the ledge outside the LR window for his pb sandwich. OK, works for me. Close up nature study! But today, that little critter came IN THE HOUSE and scampered around my LIVING ROOM!!!!! Bad squirrel!! Bad, BAD squirrel!!! The three non-napping girlies just stood and screamed. Which woke up the sleeping twinkies, who started to scream. My Chief Squirrel Tamer? He was in the downstairs shower and missed the whole thing! I FINALLY managed to get the dd's wo all stop screaming. Two took babies to a closed room and one propped open the front door. After leaving lovely little pellet deposits all over the LR rug, Chipper finally shot out the door. Never a dull moment, KWIM?
Peace, Katie |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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Everything in life, really, depends on the correct motivation. Bug (12.5b) detests spelling lessons. We have the usual whining/complaining/tantruming almost every day - even though it is "not allowed" and he receives some form of punishment each time. This is NOT helping him learn! Today I had one of those hit-the-jackpot ideas. From now on, every time he spells a word correctly, I do one push-up for each letter in the word. For each incorrect spelling, he does one push-up per incorrect letter. He studies harder, I get my exercise! He learns spelling, it helps me to remember to keep the number of words managable for him. Win-win! What win-win tips for homeschooling the rough spots have YOU come up with? Peace, Katie |
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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5 MONTHS OLD
See more Wordless Wednesday |
Posted in Family Life
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On Sunday, dh said, "Let's GO somewhere!!" See, we've all been battling colds off & on (mostly ON) for 3 wks and we're all SICK of being SICK!! We jumped at the chance, but didn't have a plan. Thus was born our new pasttime - Family Adventure Trips. It only took us 20 minutes to get ready - snacks & water in the van, coats packed in the back, diaper bag checked and loaded, a few toys/games for each dc and two movies picked out. We were off! We headed north on a back country highway. We counted cows, horses, llamas, sheep, goats, hawks & prairie dogs. After about 30-40 minutes, the dc asked for a movie & snacks. We drove about 70-75 miles and came to a museum we had planned to visit later in the spring. However, dh was too tired (from fighting the cold) to walk around so we turned and headed home. We stopped at a GREAT playground we had seen on the way up so the dc could run around & play. We lucked out - an ice cream truck pulled up and I happened to have enough cash so everyone could have one! That NEVER happens! What a fun blessing.
When we got close to home, we stopped for supper at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not necessary for our good time, but a special treat for dh (he LOVES to go out to eat and we rarely go). We had a FANTASTIC time and plan to do it every 4-6 wks. Here is what we learned from this trip/plan to do next time: *Snacks & water a must *Movies a must (not ALL ages can just "enjoy the ride") *We WON'T tell the dc until it's time to get ready to leave - the surprise was the best part! *We'll travel different roads each time *Having a destination in mind is fine, but the journey IS the adventure and we may stop anywhere! *Carry a bit of cash for unexpected surprises *THIS DOES NOT NEED TO BE EXPENSIVE!! PB&J is a fine supper on the way home! *Don't ruin it by going too often LOVING our new family tradition! -Katie |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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HSKubes is having a contest (ends tonight)! The phrase "When it comes to school, there's no place like home!" - why is that true? *Well, first off - it's OK to have a "Jammie Day!" *You can be yourself - crazy, zany, off-the-wall, learn to jumping jacks, quirky, ADHD/AS/G&T - it doesn't matter because you have the potential to be fully yourself and still be successful! *Dad can teach life lessons and call it school! *Mom can bake cookies with you, teach you to braid your sister's hair, show you how to change a messy diaper - and it's "school"! *Relationships within the family are not fractured & splintered by everyone running off in different directions every morning. Relational difficulties have to be dealt with - and everyone comes out a winner! *You can take time off as needed for more important things - birth of a baby, helping the community in times of crisis, taking care of an ailing relative *GOD is IN our school, baby!! We learn about Him, talk about Him, worship Him - and our lives are not compartmentalized OK, I'm rambling. We LOVE homeschooling!! Check out her site, even if it's too late for the contest. Worth a look! |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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She won the haiku contest over at Rainbows From Heaven!! She is estatic. Being one of my Aspie children that thinks she can't do ANYTHING well, this is a big boost for her. Go on over and check out the other winners! Many thanks to Connie for sponsoring the contest! Peace, Katie |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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Wow, what a package!! I got a package yesterday from my SS absolutely STUFFED with fun gifts! Wrapped, even!! It was awesome! Dear Secret Sister, the book was perfect, the game looks like fun, the shells made me tear up, the soaps smell delicious, the scrapping supplies are terrific, the crafts are a blast - I remember lanyards from day camp at the park!, the spring-y notepad is brightening up my fridge and your wonderful, encouraging note was JUST what I needed yesterday!!! Thank you, THANK YOU for such an incredible box of goodies!! Peace and prayers, Katie |
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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FAVORITE SLEEP SPOT Go to Wordless Wednesdays for more great pics! |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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We are studying journalism & newspapers for ANWOA. Today's topic is birth announcements, but ours are boring! ("A b/g was born to name & name"). I remember the ones in our paper growing up had a lot more info. Is anyone that has a paper with a smaller-town feel to it willing to send me a copy? You could cut out the birth announcements, send that whole section OR send the whole paper if you'd like! I'd reimburse shipping OR send you a copy of OUR paper if you send the whole thing. Anyone game? It'd be fun to have a few, even. Thanks! Also, Sandi over at Always a work in progress is working on a project and could use your help. She compiling a list of dinner conversation started to use with her family. Good stuff! Peace, Katie |
Posted in Family Life
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FOUR FANTASTIC FACTS! 1. He is the FUNNIEST child I ever met! Seriously, this boy keeps us in stitches! 2. He absolutely ADORES "my tins" - his baby brothers 3. He is our first "miracle baby" - with dh's health, Bear should not have been conceived (medically speaking - I think ALL babies are miracles, but... well, you know!) 4. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he thoughtfully replied, "A human!" I LOVE YOU, CUDDLE BEAR!!!
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Posted in Growing in the Lord
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In the Great Computer Crash of the Summer '06, I lost most of the book I had written. BUT - I found some hard copy notes! I'll be sharing some poems and devotions in the coming weeks - trying not to duplicate the ones I've already posted. Here's a newer poem without a devotion (yet!). Faith on a Tightrope Confusion swirls around me as I attempt to learn this dance - Just to follow in Your footsteps with the faith of a little child - Seems such a simple thing But the world rushes in and tries to carry me away And I get caught up in the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge sake And didn't You say, "Be wise as serpents"? It's a fine line to walk and a long road to travel Now I'm up on the high wire Walking a tightrope I can't even see The view of the path set before me blocked by the burden of my own misconceptions It seems You call me back on track "Deny yourself and follow me" So I give in...give up...give away Knowing that nothing is important enough to take me from Your side Yet, "whatever you ask for, you will recieve" I hear time and time again But now I've lost the desire, the confidence to dream - Is this all there is for me? It's a fine line to walk and a long road to travel Now I'm up on the high wire Walking a tightrope I can't even see The view of the path set before me blocked by the burden of my own expectations I am not worthy of Your love, How could I ever be? Yet You came to earth to die for me, while I was yet a sinner And I was worth Your blood My vision seems much clearer now Though the line I walk still narrow But I am no longer afraid to fall For You are beside me to guide me, All around me to catch me And within me to save me It's a fine line to walk and a long road to travel But I’m finally on my way. © 2005 |
Posted in Family Life
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Welcome to the party!! Yes, it's blog party time over at 5 Minutes for Mom and all over the blogsphere! You can win great prizes if you participate, and it's FUN, too! Since you've stopped by, beware - our dc LOVE to be read to and will all clamor to sit near you and listen to a story. Once they get over their initial shyness that is. Oh, and you may need to sit on the big couch - there are EIGHT of the little darlin's! Then I'm sure they will show you all of their favorite things - photos they've taken (some are quite good!), comic strips they've designed (ditto) - maybe you'll even get roped into a game of Rodeo-opoly or Hi-Ho Cherrio (depending on the child). See that plaque on the wall? Here, I'll read it for you: "Please excuse the noise and mess - our kids are making happy memories!" That about sums it up - there may be a pile of construction paper on the table, a stack of picture books on the floor, some glitter and glue stuck to the counter and a sinkful of dishes from the colonial meal we just made. Like I always say, if you came to see us you're welcome anytime - if you came to see the house, make an appointment!! Do you like the party decorations? They'll stay up until the first week in May, with minor color scheme changes. It's "Birthday Season" at our house - 6 out of 10 b-days (plus 4 of the 6 grandparents) celebrate in just over 3.5 months' time! Today happens to be orange & green (eeewww) as Sunday's party will be a combined Basketball/Army party. Whoops, 'scuse me while I go change a diaper or two (or three)! Make yourself at home - have some cupcakes & tea from our Dr. Seuss tea party! Take some time to look around my cyberhome here - I'll leave the light on for ya!
Peace to you, Katie
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Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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I decided that the best way to so this would be to give each child one hour to do whatever they wanted. Bug (12.5yob) & I made oatmeal bread, made a comic strip online and played War (cards). Butterfly (11yog) & I made cupcakes & a cake for my mom's b-day tea tomorrow, made an angel craft for my mom & read from our back issues of The Girlhood Home Companion. Bunny (9yog) & I played 2 rounds of Thin Ice and one of Rummikub (board games) Bee (7yog) wanted to cook so we made potato farls (her FIAR recipe for this week). We also played a couple of rounds of an addition learning board game. Bear (4yob) had me read to him and do some fun activities from his B4FIAR and we played Thin Ice. He's also helping me make Pocket Pizzas for supper. Kitty (2yog) is sick today (still fighting a cold) so we just read & cuddled. Lamb & Puppy (4.5mo twins) take a lot of my time normally, but I made sure to sing, play and recite Scripture with them today. I wish I could say it was a great day, but it wasn't. When it wasn't their turn the dc were terrible to each other. SIGH Since we school year round I WAS going to make this our new schedule for Fridays, but not if it's going ot be THIS stressful! Oh, well. If I know kids & human nature, they'll only remember the good stuff and we DID make warm fuzzy memories today! Peace, Katie |
Posted in Blogger Friend School
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"Today marks a special day to honor a fellow homeschool mom that left her earthly body last year to be with our Heavenly Father. She is greatly missed but left a wonderful imprint upon the hearts of those she touched, with her spirit to encourage others in the "heart" of homeschooling. Our assignment this week, is to blog from your "heart" the details behind your choice to homeschool. Please take a look at THIS POST "In Honor of Missey Gray" and if you feel led, join us in taking a day off of the traditional book/schedule and "PLAY" with your children." I guess our reasons for homeschooling are pure selfishness. Now anyone who homeschools realizes what an oxymoron that is. I mean, we rarely get time for ourselves, careers are put on hold indefinitely and a lot of "things" are given up when in a one-income household. Certainly not the picture of selfishness! But I just can't stand the thought of giving the "Best" of my childrens' time to complete strangers. I want to be the one who teaches them to read! I want to be the one that sees the spark in their eyes when they master a new concept and they find out how smart they are! I want to share their triumphs and help them through their struggles! YES there are compelling Scriptural reasons why we homeschool. YES there is overwhelming evidence of the academic superiority of the tutoring model vs. the traditional homeschool setting. YES I believe in sheltering my children from the world until they can better handle its ugliness. YES keeping them home fosters better family relationships and is also the ideal choice for my special needs children. All of these are valid reasons why we choose to homeschool. But the bottom line for me is purely selfish. I love my dc and want to spend time with them! So I'm getting myself off this computer now and sharing the joyful news with my brood that today is a holiday. We will play games & color & bake & laugh & love & live together today. Thank God for homeschooling. Happy Heartschooling Day. Peace to you, Katie |
Posted in Twin Talk
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But the twinkies are getting bigger!! Lamb was just under 5lbs at birth and 18.5". He's now - at 4.5 mos - a whopping 14 lbs 13oz and 24 INCHES!! Puppy was 6lbs 1oz and 18" (not accurate length) at birth. He's 13 lbs 14oz and 24.5"!  |
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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By Bug (12yo) |
Posted in Family Life
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Bee's Sensational Seven 1. She loves to cook with me 2. Her favorite color is red 3. She scored 18 points in her second basketball game! 4. She gives the BEST hugs 5. She is fierce & intense - and God will use that some day 6. She loves to help with her little siblings 7. She is the craziest, wackiest, sweetest, most compassionate girl I know! |
Posted in Blogger Friend School
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This week's assignment is to post our dc's (and OUR) artwork. So here we go, with apologies to dial-up users!) Bug (12.5yob) is NOT my most artistic (though he cartoons fairly well) but he has a great talent for photography:
Butterfly (11yog) is very crafty and creative - but I couldn't find anything recent of hers that photographed well. This week's WW sunset photo was hers though. Bunny (9yog) likes to draw animals:
Bee (7yog) has no time for art - she is constantly in motion! Bear (4yob) won a Champion ribbon and a Kid's Watercolor Champ award at the county fair 2 years ago. Here's his latest:
And here are my FIAR assignments I did with the dc a few years back:
from The Story About Ping There ya have it - not a very artsy family! :o) For info on Blogger Friend School go HERE. While you're there, vote in her history curriculum poll (lower right) |
TURTLE
TORNADO
from Wild Horses of Sweetbriar
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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See other Wordless Entries HERE |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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For school today, the oldest 3 had to write news articles based on a favorite story. I thought they were great! Here they are: By Bug (12yob):
Man Swallowed by Whale: Lives to tell tale Jonah, a man of God, was swallowed by a whale last Saturday at Rescue workers searched the area for three days and nights to no avail. Their efforts were not hampered by the weather as the storm ceased suddenly. No explanation was made by the local weather crews. See Whale Tale, page A8. Whale Tale (continued from A1) Four days after rescue workers gave up hope of finding the man, Jonah was sighted on shore by the returning crew of the Mitsubishi. After being questioned by authorities, Jonah confirmed the incredible story. He had just returned from By Butterfly(10yog): Groundhog a Scardy-Cat Winter Continues Don’t put away those shovels yet, it looks like we’re in for some more snow. Last February 2, Mr. Groundhog came out of his hole in the bank of the ditch in
By Bunny (8yog)
Awakened by Love’s First Kiss Sleeping Beauty was awakened from a hundred year long nap by Prince Charming’s kiss this past Sunday morning, |
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5 Minutes for Mom is hosting the ULTIMATE BLOG PARTY! Win prizes! Meet new friends! Mingle, show off, "cook up" something to share... you can even be a bit of a wallflower if that's your style. You only have to post once to be eligible for prizes. Check it out! Ultimate Blog Party info or click on the button to the right. See you at the party! Katie |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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getting to know all about me! My dear Secret Sister asked to know more about me. Lessee here... I love chocolate, especially with caramel. Or nuts. Or BOTH! Actually, I like plain nuts and plain caramel, too. Or nuts & caramel together! *giggle* I am a romantic - I love old movies, classical music & happy endings. And candles. And chocolate. Oh! I said that already, didn't I? I grew up on the East Coast. I REALLY miss the ocean. The colors, the sound, the smell, the sand... OK, sand - not so much. I hardly ever went in the summer though. I LOVE the beach in fall & winter. I am a very fast, voracious reader. I love historical fiction & biographies! I love to curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. Or decaf coffee. And chocolate! LOL I love to cook. And scrapbook. And play with my dc. I love the outdoors, especially the woods. I love stargazing. I am very shy, I dislike change and growing older has never bothered me. I've never really liked my name and I've always wished I was Irish! I am very uncomfortable talking about myself and I don't like this post - too many "I"s in it! :o) Peace, Katie |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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4rHischild at Rainbows from Heaven is having a haiku (Japanese poetry) contest! Details are HERE. All ages welcome! Mine: WINTER MORNING Frosted windowpane Lacy print makes me shiver Now I need cocoa!
SNOW by Butterfly age 10 The snow fell last night Look at those trees - how sparkly! Takes my breath away
SNOW by Butterfly age 10 Snow is falling fast Will it ever stop snowing? I hope it doesn't!
SNOW by Butterfly age 10 The snow is falling it comes faster and faster Watch it fall on ME!
I'll add some from the dc later! Give it a try! Peace, Katie
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Posted in Secret Sisters
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OK, picture me dancing around in my new bee-u-tiful knit scarf from my Secret Sister!! It's green & blue, and fuzzy & sooo warm. We had to go out tonight for b-ball games and it's COLD out there, but I was warm! It even matches the blue on my coat! AND I got candles (including 2 of my favorite scents, Hazelnut Coffee & Key Lime! Uh... I don't burn them together though. Ick!) AND I got tea (I love ginger, how'd you know??) and a pretty teacup card. So now that we're home from a disasterous night of basketball (Bug's team got creamed and he's not taking it well, while Bunny's nose got creamed by a b-ball but she's OK), I'm going to put the twinkies to bed and have a cuppa. THANK YOU SECRET SISTER!! Your warm & fuzzy themed package gave me warm fuzzies! :o) Peace to you, Katie |
Posted in Blogger Friend School
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This week's BFS Assignment is to visit the blogs of three "classmates" and let them know you are praying for them. I found two ladies that could use prayer for various things, and one that was an answer to prayer for ME! Christa at Learning Together As We Go is battling lupus, and is a firefighter's wife. She has some other prayer requests listed as well. Mama Bear at Mama and the Three Bears is having open heart surgery this week! The other friend I found is Tammy at Hutcheson Happenings. She is posting devotions from Prescription for Healing which had some things I needed to hear tonight. It's amazing how God leads. The second part of the assignment is to list 3 ways to sho love to a neighbor or friend. 1. We LOVE to surprise the neighbors with homemade treats - cookies, muffins, bread 2. We also send one of the dc over to shovel on a snowy morning! 3. Our favorite though is to throw a tea party for someone who is special to us. We go all out - themed decorations, lots of goodies, classical music, dressy clothes... Most of the items I get at the $$ store, or I buy on clearance after a holiday. We have done snowflakes, Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day, flowers, gardens, music, honeybees, back-to-school, fall, Brazilian, Christmas, snowmen, harvest... It is a bit of work, but the guests always remark on how blessed and special they feel. It is something we pray for - that they would feel loved! I'll expand on this more in a future post. Right now, I'm wasting twin sleepin' time! :o) Peace, Katie |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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I so enjoyed the link to the movie you sent. It blessed my socks off!! I truly felt the love of God and a deep peace. Thank you. Blessings back to you!! Katie |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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You know how you keep thinking it's going to get better so you don't say anything? It isn't getting any better. I hate to even list all this, it sounds whiny. But maybe someone has some advice! I've been in almost constant pain for 4 wks. My body is falling apart!! Peace to you, Katie |
"Because of the multiple pg", my gums, which have always been borderline, have tipped the scales past gingivitis and now I need to have my teeth scaled. $732 for them, lots of pain for me!Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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GIGGLE FEST Check out the Official Wordless Wednesday HQ |
Posted in Family Life
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We got a lot accomplished this week. Not so much of a To Do List nature, but more relational - and sometimes both! The week started with a Super Bowl/birthday party. Every year, we have Nana & Grandpa over for his birthday - which happens to coincide with the big game. It's a great excuse for a party - and LOTS of great food & fun! I had that Teddy Bear Picnic with Kitty (2yog). cuddled on the Twinkies a lot, especially Lamb (4mob) who is not as demanding as his bro Puppy (4mob) and therefore doesn't get held as often. I also did LOTW with all three of them. I LOVE the gentle, rich quality of this curriculum! The focus is just on exposing them to high quality music & lit while spending time together, enjoying each other and playing. At this level, the repitition of activities is key and you do most of the same things for 1-2 wks. Makes it more than OK if you miss a day (or 2, or 3...) Bee (7yog) and I got 4 days of FIAR done - Mike Mulligan! She is my tomboy and loves trucks. She really enjoyed this book and reminded me to "do Mike" with her! Bunny (9yog) read it to her one day since I was busy at the time. Good bonding time for them as well. Bear (4yob) got to make cookies with me and we 'Rowed Good Night Moon this week. Butterfly (11yog) made me a tea tray one afternoon when I was feeling overwhelmed. She is such a love! Easily my most "difficult" child, but by far the most empathetic and sweet. I didn't get a lot of time with Bug (12.5yob) or Bunny, but I'll focus on them this week. We did cuddle a lot on Friday though since I declared it a movie day. I wanted to watch the 6 Kids By the Dozen and life with the Duggar shows my dad had taped from TLC for me. The dc really enjoyed these and it was good for them to see that there ARE a lot of families out there like ours! Parents who stress teamwork, enforce discipline, homeschool, sacrifice; dc that share rooms, do the same chores they do, homeschool... We also went as a family to watch Bee & Bug play their first basketball games. They did really well! One team one, the other lost but both dc had fun. Poor Bee was terrified at first, but she did get the ball a few times and made nice passes. Bug made 2 rebounds and scored 1/3 of his team's points! Then we had Granma & Grampa over for dinner last night. They did really well spreading themselves out among the dc, mostly by taking turns playing card games. Butterfly felt a bit left out but it's her own doing. She didn't get a turn b/c she was very introverted last night and by the time she was ready to interact, they had to go home. Today, Dh has taken Bug & Bee skiing. It's Bee's first time and she is VERY excited! Off to comfort/change/feed a fuss-pot! Peace, Katie |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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Whoops! Yes, I saw the colorful threads and we were very intrigued, trying to all guess what it might be from! Can't WAIT, thank you! Don't worry about the multiple verse posting - seems like God may have a point to make for me, hmmm? *giggle* You are a great Secret Sister! I can tell that encouraging is your gifting!! Your notes & letters are so uplifting and refreshing. I pray you have a blessed week!! Peace to you, Katie |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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Thank you for the BEAUTIFUL card today! Your cousin is very talented - my dc were impressed! It IS hard not to let too much information "leak out" into the notes, isn't it? I'm having a terrible time not mentioning a couple of specific things to MY SS! :o) And we put your blessing right in the blessing vase! Along with the one that tells how thankful I am that this intense jaw pain that sent me to the dentist and ER last week is NOT a dental problem (though we don't know what it is) The guess is that I'm clenching my teeth and have damaged a nerve. OW! And the slip that went in this week that tells how thankful I am that what seems to be an abdominal hernia is healing on it's own. OW!! AND the slip that praises the Lord for NOT allowing baby Lamb (4mo) to get hurt when I totally wrenched my ankle today on the way out the door and fell on the cement steps! OWWWW!!! Baby was in his car seat and fully protected, ankle was not and may be broken. But dh is in WYOMING and I can't go in until he gets back. Whoops got to run. Company!
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Posted in Blogger Friend School
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What do you serve for snacks? We are pretty boring here. We rise VERY early (5:30-6:30 depending on the child) so we have 2 snacktimes, 9:30 & 2:30. Morning snack must be fruit and we usually have apples, bananas, oranges, canned peaches and canned pineapple to choose from. Sometimes, if breakfast was light, we pair that with a carb - pb toast, graham crackers, muffin... Afternoon snack is usually a carb with protein - cheese & crackers, pb on graham crackers, etc. See, boring, huh? Help us out of the rut. See other BFS entries by scrolling downto the bottom of the page and using the web ring! |
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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I AM the Diaper Queen!!
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Posted in Growing in the Lord
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My last entry, I mean. It seems, after reading all my blog feeds from my favorite online people this morning, that I simply have a case of... February. Yup, midwinter blues! So the Lord & I are gonna go into a huddle and sort this out. And I'm going to BE STILL (oh, sooooo hard for a person who's brain never goes into neutral) and find out what HE deems important in my schedule. I always get a little shiver of fear when I do this, because I know that God is going to shake things up around here and that means leaving my omfort zone. But you know, it's like that tingle that's more delicious excitement than fear. The Lord is on MY side - woohoo! Disclaimer: I'm offering apologies for any dangling, random thoughts in the past 2 posts. My brain works WAY faster than my fingers and sometimes I make leaps in thought that seem disjointed. Peace, Katie |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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I need more of me. A clone or something! An extra set of arms?? Eyes in the back of my head? The ability to function on 3 hours sleep a night? OK, no. What I really need is LESS of me. And more of Christ in me, and the Spirit of the Living God in me directing my steps, setting my priorities, showing me what is of eternal significance. 'Cuz I can't do it all. But I want to! I want to do Learning Adventures again with the 3 bigs! I want to keep up the fun stuff we're doing for the basics, though. I want to do FIAR consistently with Bee. I want to do B4FIAR consistently with Bear. I want to do Letter of the Week with Kitty, Lamb & Puppy. I want to update the baby books, catch up on the scrapbooking, write letters to our sponsored dc, reply to my 1st grade teacher's Christmas card, make the great looking Valentine's chocolate pops in the kit my aunt sent, pamper my dh (who is leaving on a business trip this week), get together with friends, have more company... I want to play catch with Bug, have a tea party with Butterfly, fix Bunny's hair, climb a tree with Bee, read all the books Bear wants to hear, have a teddy bear picnic with Kitty, and cuddle on Lamb & Puppy all day long! I WANT A SELF-CLEANING HOUSE!! OK, so some of these things are mutually exclusive. There are manymanymany more things I could put on my "I want" list. But the question IS: What does God want me to do? Hmmmm... Got to close for now.Having electrical problems! |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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Thank you so much for my package! The scrapbooking book is just GORGEOUS and I can't wait to try some of the recipes in the cookbook for family night!! What a wonder, thoughtful gift! BLESSINGS!! Katie |
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I love receiving your encouraging comments and Scriptures! Praying you have a blessed day today! |
Posted in Blogger Friend School
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Show and Tell Time!!! Post a picture of "something" or "someone" and tell us about it. This can be as creative as you would like. Do you bake... decorate, buy something new??? You are in the spotlight and get to "show off" something special, fun, new or a treasure.
Bug (12.5yo) and Bear (almost 4) are Best Buds! They share a room, have a secret handshake & do almost everything together. Bug prayed for years to have a brother, and the Lord was faithful to answer in His time (there are 3 girls & 9 years between them). I just love this pic - it shows my "big boys" at their best! Peace, Katie |
Posted in Wordless Wednesday
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TOWING IN THE SNOW
Check out others at Wordless Wednesday HQ |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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That's what's going on here for school! We attempted to continue with our schedule with Gramma here - per her request - but it never really works that way. The dc are too distracted by having her here to stay on the routine. Doesn't bother me, but she really wanted to see how we get 'er done! :o) It's 5:40 AM and dh & Butterfly (10) are dropping her off at the airport. We are all sad to see her go, but for my autistic dc it will be good to have life back to as-normal-as-it-gets. So today, it's back to R, R, & R with all the biggun's and Mike Mulligan with Bee (6) & Bear (3) for FIAR. Unfortunately, the twinkies haven't been sleeping well so neither have I. Plus I have a terrible toothache, but the dentist can't find anything wrong (maybe I'm grinding/clenching my teeth at night?) so I'm NOT feeling very motivated to get back to it. Good thing I don't have to rely on "feeling power", huh? Good thing I'm a relaxed homeschooler - I won't feel guilty if we take a few days to cycle back into it! I took advantage of my MIL helping with the dc and read two GREAT fiction novels this past week. The Beach House Series by Sally John (2 books so far) was a wonderful treat!! It overflows with God's grace in the lives of His children. Now I'm reading Grace Works by Dudley Hall. I'm thinking God has a theme going for me here. I struggle with understanding His love and grace. I'm praying for new insights! Whoops - got to go. Puppy (3mo) needs attention! Peace, Katie |
Posted in Secret Sisters
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Hello unknown friend! Just dropping a reply - which I should have done sooner - to let you know that I LOVE getting your messages/verses. They brighten my day. :o) Peace, Katie (who had a pretty good birthday weekend! Yeay!) |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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How's that for a title? Guess I'm just not feeling very creative. I'm drained. My MIL is here for a week. Normally, this is not a problem but my autistic dc are WIGGING OUT this time and the stress level is ENORMOUS!! *sigh* At least sweet dh is off work now for the rest of her visit and can help with these crazy dc. MarlaMom asked some questions, so here's some answers! My birthday is Saturday. This is part of the stress problem. My autistic dd wants everything to be "perfect" for my birthday and usually ends up ruining everything with her horrible attitude and acting out. I love birthdays, can you tell? Last year, I didn't even tell the dc it was coming and I forbade everyone else from mentioning it. It was one of the least stressful I've had since dd was 2. Here's a Valentine's idea for the dc to help out with: Sweet dh loves to go out to dinner, but it is usually cost prohibitive. One of our best, inexpensive Valentine's "dates" was right here at home.
The dc & I spent the day decorating the house to look like a restaurant. They made menus and a marquee (our whiteboard) and we used doilies and cut-out construction paper hearts hung on the walls with sticky-tac. Then, right before Daddy came home, they dressed in their church clothes and aprons. The "chief cook", "head waiter" and "maitre d'" (ds11) slung a dish rag over his arm and greeted Daddy at the door. He led him to our room, where we had set up the card table with the fancy glassware, homemade tissue paper flowers, nicely folded napkins, the menus, etc. Soft romantic music was playing in the background & a cinnamon/apple/orange peel mixture was simmering on the stove.
As a team, the dc (ds11, dd9, dd7 and a couple more "little helpers") made and served a wonderful dinner of salad, pasta & garlic bread with a store bought chocolate cake for dessert. Dh & I got to relax (mostly) while waited on hand & foot! It was wonderfully romantic and a lot of fun. Dh is requesting dinner at "Chez Family" again this year!
I know this wasn't really the kind of thing you were looking for - I'll see what else I can dig up after MIL goes home!
I have one other Fruit of the Spirit post (Peace) but - sadly - all of the others got lost in the Great Computer Crash of 2006. I DO plan to rewrite the whole series, but it may take awhile.
Lastly, we DO use curriculum for History/Science/LA/Social Studies etc but right now I'm just winging the basics with ideas we come up with. The dc are LOVING Math Playground games for math, as well as others we've come up with. Spelling is best done in chocolate pudding, and cursive is learned on the white board. Read alouds have historical info, but don't tell them it's school. *wink* All the dc are daily playing "Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego?" - counts as geography, history, research skills (using the encyclopedia to look stuff up), phys ed (running up & down the stairs - frequently - to ask Mom q's), map skills, LA (every crook's name is a pun)...
I love homeschooling!
Peace,
Katie |
Posted in Homeschool Hijinks
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Kendra over at Preschoolers and Peace wrote an EXCELLENT entry, and said it all very well. Check out the other posts at her blog and be blessed! What Non-Homeschoolers May Not Know
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Posted in Secret Sisters
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I got my first card from my Secret Sister, and it was beautiful! Your handwriting is beautiful, too. Want to come teach my dc? :o) I've got warm fuzzies now. Thank you, Friend! BTW - I'm originally from MA. :D Peace to you, Katie |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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I had the oldies station on yesterday. I was hoping to hear some GOOD tunes, you know? From the 50's & 60's, right? They played "Shout" by Tears For Fears!!!! WHAT?!?!? That came out in the 80's!!! THAT'S not an oldie!!!! I was in high school when that came out!! Then it hit me. That means I'm OLD! NOT a good thing to have happen just days before your birthday. I'm only 36-almost-37 fer cryin' out loud! How can a childhood song be on the OLDIES station??? BTW, this is all tongue-in-cheek. I have never minded getting older or having birthdays. Ever. Really. MUCH thanks to my SS for leaving a comment today! I DID get to do something for me tonight (and that's rare). I got a couple of books in the mail today from a friend (yes, Krista, they arrived!) and I'm reading a so far WONDERFUL piece of fiction - The Beach House by Sally John. Peace, Katie |
Posted in RambleRambleRamble
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LOL Hurray for hansmom over at School at Home With Calvert! She found the question in the previous entry and was the first one to answer. I left you a comment, Kathy. Just e-mail me with your addy and I'll send you your gift! BTW, if anyone else is reading my blog (giggle) go on over and check hers out! And - more contests to follow. Just because it's fun. :o) Peace, Katie |