Homeschooling a Houseful

7:41 PM, Apr. 11, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 1 comments .. Link

What a wonderful couple of days I have had. I didn't have to leave the house and that always keeps me feeling peaceful. School was accomplish in a timely manner by all the children giving them free time in the afternoon. The children were able to spend some time outside today. A favorite backyard activity is golfing. Most of the children have their own sets of golf clubs and we figure this summer we may actually take lessons and learn how to play. We have spent time at the driving range and the putting green, but we need to graduate to the real golf course. James found mud today and he loved it. Once I had seen him, I thought I might as well leave him for awhile. The house was so quiet and I was enjoying it. Then in for a 4 boy shower before dinner. Why is it that we love the smell of the fresh air outside, but when it comes in on a boy, it just doesn't smell that good??

3 of the children are at Bible study and I am getting things packed up for tomorrow. Wednesday is Home Link co-op day and the children are looking forward to it. It has been a couple long weeks (last week was spring break) and Jonathan has been asking everyday, when we go Deer Park? His eyes always light up when I can say tomorrow.

James is learning how to count while he hangs out at the table during school time. 123 he can quickly say. He is just soo cute. 2 year olds...you gotta luv em .

Jacob who is 4 is really getting the hang of school. Just in the last couple weeks I have seen a "readiness" in him. He is recognizing all the numbers and can count objects by just looking at them and not finger counting them. Yeah, it doesn't take much to impress this mom.

Well, I really should get myself busy. I need to do tomorrow's

tonight..at least one load of it. If I don't I find Thursday to be a bit more stressful than I like it to be.

Have a blessed day,
Liz

7:31 PM, Apr. 7, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 0 comments .. Link

What a fun day today. The boys did great with their schoolwork. We did some alphabet, some counting, some penmanship and some "what doesn't belong here." Then they were eager to go outside and I was just wishing they wouldn't find the mud. Joshua fell, got muddy and scratched the side of his face really good. Just barely missed his eye. Seems these days I am constantly putting boys into the shower. They shower before lunch, they shower before dinner and they shower again before bed. They are like little magnets and the dirt just clings to them. Actually the dirt itself wouldn't be so bad, but it is bud therefore lots of showers.

The older children and I are just sitting down to watch Chronicles of Narnia. The children went to see it in the theatre with their dad. I haven't seen it. Notice that I am not watching with full attention because I am blogging. I have avery difficult time jsut sitting and watching a movie. I find I must have something to do. Bad I know, but I would be thinking of the things that needed to get done anyway, so I might as well be productive. I need to upload photos from March and get them ordered so I can scrapbook them. I need to type up a new menu for the fridge. We use a two week menu and periodically I make changes to it, not very often. It has been a few months and I am ready to make some changes. I need to organize some scrapbooking files so I will be ready to scrapbook with friends tomorrow night. I saved all these tasks for tonight because I knew I would be watching a movie with the children.

Well, now that I have reminded myself of my todo list I best get to it.

Blessings to you all,
Liz

Normal

7:57 PM, Apr. 4, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 2 comments .. Link

Life has been quite normal the last few days. Up in the morning, breakfast, chores, school, lunch, chores, quiet time, dinner, chores, hang out time as a family. Nothing too incredibly exciting. Hilarie is 3 months old, how does the time go so fast. She is chewing on her fists and drooling. She smiles quickly at all her siblings. It is such a treasure to see the older children love her so.

James who is 2 is talking better and better. He is talking in complete sentences and of course the way a 2 year old says things is just so cute. He asked last night if he could race cars on the computer. The cuteness of how he said just doesn't come through in print. Tonight at dinner Dan asked for a piece of french bread and I , sitting at the other end of the table, tossed it to him and James without missing a beat picked up his piece of bread and tossed it to me. The children haven't learned the skill of laughing without the offending child knowing that you are laughing. So, since everyone thought it was funny he proceeded to throw bread, carrots, meat etc.

Well, that is all for today. Hope all reading have a blessed day and remember to be a blessing to those around you.

Liz

9:09 PM, Mar. 27, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 0 comments .. Link

Today was another nice day here. The children were able to spend time outside...what a blessing.

Over the weekend we got to spend time with new friends. What a treasure a good friend is and I thank the Lord for bringing Darryl and Durenda into our lives. They have 8 children and our children had such a wonderful time playing with theirs. It was difficult to pull Heide and Haylee away and Sunday Haylee asked me about every hour when we get to go back. I think my boys were a little rambunctious, I feel very self-conscience about my children's behavior. We didn't get home until about 11. It has been years since we have had our children out that late and I paid for it on Sunday.

I was up until 1 with Hilarie and then she awoke again at 5 am. So, when she went down for her morning nap...so did I. We slept for almost 3 hours. The children, well they were a little tired and a lot cranky. We made it though the day and today the effects seemed to be all gone.

Today school went very well. Heide helped out in the backyard with the little boys and got some spring cleaning done. In the last month we have gotten all new living room furniture and we blessed with a new-to-us dining room table. The result of this is that in our backyard is a complete set of living room furniture and a dining room table. All of these are not worthy to pass on so tomorrow they make their voyage to the transfer station. Dan is taking tomorrow off and the children will be off from school and we will see how many trips we can get in to get rid of all the junk.

Well, I am going to sign off so I can concentrate on the Apprentice. It is half over and I have missed what is happening.

Just our day

8:38 PM, Mar. 24, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 0 comments .. Link

So I start the day by getting up late and not getting a shower. I had to pick my husband up from work at 11 last night and it was all I could do to stay awake. Get home, go to bed and sweet baby Hilarie wakes before 1 am. Then again at 5, which after feeding her I really should have gotten up, but I fell back to sleep.

Yesterday was a beautiful 60 degree spring day. The boys played outside and came in dirty. I am so glad spring is here. Today, mostly rain and the boys are inside and they just keep moving. I am a bit tired so my tolerance for activity is a little, well just not there. God just keeps teaching me to be realistic in my expectations.

Dh works again tonight. Have I mentioned that he works 2 jobs. What a wonderful man I have who works so hard to provide for his family. My 17 year old daughter works at the Shopko, just six blocks away. She doesn't work tonight, so I don't have to take DH to work. Yipee!!! Looks like I might have to get up early tomorrow to take him though. Hollie works at noon and it is supposed to rain.

We delay driver's licenses for our children. We just think 16 is do young. We have established a 17 1/2 rule for getting the license and they have to pay for their own Driver's Education. So, by having that rule, it does mean that I get to experience the priviledge of taking my children to work and back. Hollie does like to walk if the weather is nice, so that is helpful. We have been hoping for a second car, which we thought we would have by now, but God has just not told us it is time yet.

Well, my brain is beginning to shut down, so I will bid good-night.

9:04 PM, Mar. 21, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 0 comments .. Link

Hilarie is having a hard time sleeping because her little nose is just a runnin. Maybe it is me who is having a hard time sleeping because I am listening to her nose all night long.

This morning Hollie and I had an appointment with the Moody Northwest Bible College. Heather graduates from there this May and Hollie starts attending in August. I didn't want to take Hilarie and so I had her up a little early so that I could hopefully get to back to sleep right before we had to leave. Hilarie has been a easy baby and has fallen into a nice pattern for the daytime. Anyway, it was close, 5 minutes before it was time to leave she was still awake. She did fall asleep and was still asleep an hour and a half later when we returned home. Hollie and I even had time to stop at the Starbucks on the way home. No drive through, we had to go in. I hope Hollie appreciates the sacrifice on my part...I really do not like the smell of coffee. Practically had to hold my breath while we were inside. Yuck.

I wanted a nap today, but Hilarie wasn't cooperating. I was blessed when Heide took her and let me have a nap.

Tonight three of the children had Bible Study. While they were gone I worked on my scrapbooking and finished 4 pages. Now I am watching the Big Break (a golf show) and then I am heading to bed. We have a full day tomorrow. I get to spend the day with other homeschool moms. Yipee!!!

Good night.

Our Day

10:10 PM, Mar. 20, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 1 comments .. Link

Today ran smoothly. The temp hit a whopping 50 degrees. That meant that after we finished our preschool/kindergaten the boys went outside. Yipee. Hilarie was still napping so I spent time scrapbooking and got 2 pages done. I am working on our Christmas album and currently am doing Christmas 2005.

Haylee was a troooper this morning and finished all her assigned work in less than 1 hour. Then I had her do two more lessons and now she has earned 45 minutes of computer time today. She spent her time playing Diner Dash..this game is a blast and very addicting.

At 11:30 I put the fourth load of laundry in the dryer. It was done and put away before I put James down for his nap.

During rest time, Hollie, Heide and Joseph worked on their Precept Bible study. Haylee read the Bible and I also spent some study time. I love attending Precept Bible studies. I am not attending one currently because it just doesn't work so well when I have a new baby. Maybe in the fall I will start back up again. Our small group is studying 1& 2 Peter so that is what I worked on. After just a little big of time studying I found myself falling asleep. I decided that I need to do better about listening to my body...I went and took a nap. This is something I have not been allowing myself to do and with being up at night with Hilarie I really should.

This afternoon before my dh arrived home I got a meatloaf put together and put potatoes in water for mashed potatoes. Dan arrives home usually around 3 pm and we eat dinner around 4:30-5:00. After dinner I fed Hilarie and out the door to Wal-mart to do the grocery shopping. By the time I get home Dan has put all the little boys to bed ... coincedence ... I think not!! By running errands in the evening it gives Dan time with the children.

Chatted with my mom for a few minutes and put all the groceries away.

One of my favorite TV shows is The Apprentice and Heather and I watched while she worked on her support letter for her trip and I worked on a mailing list.

It is late and I really should be heading to bed. Hollie gets off work in about 15 minutes and I am blessed tonight because Heather will pick her up, so I have time to blog. I also need to redo the chore chart. I like to mix it up every few months and it is about time for a change. Think I will work on that now, and then head to bed.

The beginning of a new week

5:58 AM, Mar. 20, 2006 .. Posted in OurRoutine .. 0 comments .. Link

I am up too early this morning, but it has been good. We did not go to church yesterday as we are still battling this virus. Seems as though we are at the end, I pray.

I am reading about brokenness and what really struck me this morning in Nancy's book is how brokenness is not a feeling or emotion. Brokenness is a choice. an act of our will. True brokenness is an ongoing, constant way of life. Brokenness is the shattering of my self-will. I pray that this is something I can live out, today and everyday.

Today will be a normal school day. I don't have any errands to run, well except taking my daughter to work at 5. The children have already been reminded of what I expect of them today. We will do school until lunch time and it is my hope that the children will be done with their school work by then. It weighs heavy on me if they are still doing school in the afternoon. I really like to have the bookwork done so we can do other things in the afternoon.

Hmmm, wonder if that is what God wants today? :)

Remember, a day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.