Ok since I have been missing in action for so long I will start with the latest and work my way back.

 We had a wonderful Christmas break and a wonderful Christmas as well. Christmas morning started EARLY!!! The boys were up at 3:45 am. I of course told them not to touch anything and to go back to bed. I said they could not get up until at least 5am. I was so hoping they would go back to sleep, yeah right!! I think it was 4:58 when they came back yelling "It's 5, Mom, get up" I did, I do still remember the excitment of Christmas morning and thinking you would die if you had to wait any longer LOL

Here is Chaya with her much wanted nail dryer. This thing will be getting a lot of use.

Chesney with her very first American Girl doll. She was so happy.

Chase, our Lego crazy boy had only Legos on his Christmas list, here he is with his "most wanted"

Ok then we have Cade.  All I can say is it is tough being so cool and yet so young!! Tony Hawks look out!!!

This is the one who is going to give my gray hair!!

Our big family gift was a Wii and mom got a ......

ask me how many times I have been "allowed" on the Wii since Christmas!! ONCE!!!!! I am hoping the newness wears off soon.

Ok so there is Christmas 2008, I will be back.

September 1st and it is snowing. I am not pulling your leg! I am so not happy about this!! Ok I know or at least hope I know it will not stick but there is just something wrong with the whole idea of snow this early.

Can you see the poor little humming bird sitting in the snow?? He is on the red humming bird feeder.

The kids were in the Labor Day parade with our church. Their walked respesenting AWANA, The Boys Club and the youngth group. The weather held off until the parade was almost over. Our church family made a Noah's ark float complete with a rainbow!

In other happenings around our house, we continue to work through "Exploring Creation with Botany" Loving it and learning alot. The kids like it too!!  I am always amazed at all the new stuff I am learning or didnt learn the first time around.

We made a light box and each of the kids got to plant something. The plants are doing great and we will be transplanting the squash plants so they can grow throught the winter.

We have been doing some cool experiments like dissecting a flower and preserving a fresh flower.This week we will being doing a flower pollination project. Since we didnt get as much as I wanted done this summer we will be saving the butterfly garden for the spring.  We did a fun project with seeds where the kids placed seeds on a wet paper towel in a bag to see if they would grow in different areas. We put one in a cabnet(no light), one in the fridge( cold) one in a window(sun light) and one on a shelf in the school room.(nature light from basement window) You can see the results below. The point they learned was that seeds do not need soil to grow only air, warmth, and moisture.

We are also growing some crystals. I will add their pictures next time.

Well thats about all the new stuff that has been going on. I think I will go get a good book and a blanket and in enjoy the snow

Happy Labor Day

What do you get when you take this mess and and two shades of pink?? You get this......A pretty pink room for a princess.

 Then what do you get when you mix spinach green, catus green and off white? Well, a room fit for the Incredible Hulk, of course!

So as you can see 2 of my 7 painting jobs for the summer have been completed. Yeah!  I start on room # 3 tomorrow. Not bad I guess as we have been busy with Princess dance camp, and soccer camp not to mention babseball games and soccer games.

In other happenings, the baby of the family is no longer the baby. She has lost her very first baby tooth.

How did rocks get on the roof you ask***.  Well, that is a lesson for a different day!

For those of you who have  troublesome rocks on your roof, I will now teach you how to get them off.

First get on the roof, of course do this with someone watching you. (preferable someone with a camera)

Gather rocks,  that have somehow gotten themselves on to the roof and toss them one at a time to the ground. Be very sure not to hit anything or anyone.

Once the roof has been cleared of all rocks you must get you down. Please do not toss yourself to the ground!!  Important note: it is much easier to get on the roof than it is to get off.  So to remove yourself safely (safety experts will question this, I am sure) have your trampoline place near the roof so you can JUMP off of the roof. Please make very sure you jump inside of the net if it is installed.  Please note: when jumping you must do it with complete joy or the act itself looses something.

There you have just learnt how to safely remove rocks and yourself from the roof.

End of lesson.

***Do you really need the lesson on why or how those darn rocks got on the roof??  Yeah I didnt think so ; )

WHAT!!??

 It is finally looking like Spring here in Wyoming. Yes we have still have had some snow in May but things are starting to look green and the flowers are starting to bloom. Hurray!!! My first "flowers" of the season.  Giving to me by my sweet hearted Cade. Every once in a while I get a lookinside of the rough and tumble of boyhood into the man he will someday be.

Other news at our house, we have a new puppy, Bowzer "the wowzer" He is a basset hound and we are all in puppy love. Isnt he a sweet thing?

We have made it through another year of AWANAS. Everyone finished their books and hid away  many of of God's verses in their hearts. 

Chaya got her Timothy Award, she has finished 8 years of Awanas. We are very proud of her.

Chase got to hold the flag in the flag ceremony. He finished his first year in T 'n' T or green shirts as we call them.

 Cade finished 3 years in Sparks and will be moving up to the green shirts next year. Chesney is not a cubbie anymore, she finished her first year of Sparks and will be in her second book next year.

We have also made it through another dance competition season. Chaya and the Daredevils come home with two first places, a second and a third.  Her 6th grade class come home with two 2nd places and two 3rds. Chaya performed a solo at one of the competition and she won 1st place. Mom of course cried(but I didnt let her see!) when I saw the posted scores. I am very proud of her.

1) What two sports teams have been owned by The Walt Disney Company?

2) Which of these films is NOT based on a true story?
A) Miracle
B) The Greatest Game Ever Played
C) Ice Princess
D) Remember the Titans

3) Which sport has Bud the golden retriever not tried ... ... (at least, not yet?)
A) Snowboarding
B) Soccer
C) Football
D) Volleyball

4) In "Glory Road," who do the Texas Western Miners play in the NCAA National Championship?

5) What sport did Walt Disney like to play?

6) If you thought the last question was too easy, we have a tougher one for you: Name the cartoon in which Mickey Mouse plays Walt's favored sport.

7) Which major-league baseball team does spring training at Walt Disney World Resort?

8) Where at Walt Disney World Resort can you find competitions in tae kwon do, lacrosse, and triathlon?

9) What Medfield College sports team gets a little boost from flubber in "The Absent-Minded Professor"?

10) On the original "Mickey Mouse Club," which day of the week featured circus performers demonstrating feats of strength and skill?

11) What sport is the subject of "The Greatest Game Ever Played"?

12) At what Disney hotel will you find a baseball-themed swimming pool, complete with bunting and "bleachers"?

13) In what Christmas film will you find Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck figure skating?



Answers:

1) The Anaheim Angels (baseball) and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (hockey)
2) C
3) A
4) The University of Kentucky Wildcats
5) Walt became an avid polo player, and enjoyed playing Hollywood luminaries like cowboy star Will Rogers
6) 1936's "Mickey's Polo Team"
7) The Atlanta Braves
8) Disney's Wide World of Sports complex
9) The basketball team
10) Thursday was "Circus Day" each week on the show
11) Golf
12) Look for the Grand Slam Pool at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
13) 2004's "Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas"

We are heading to Disneyland January 5th. It is part of the kid's Christmas and we arrive on the 7th so I get to spend my birthday in Disneyland. Since it's a big birthday it will be fun to spend it at a place were I can be a kid : ) I thought it would be fun to blog some Disney trivia.

 Question: What was Daisy Duck's original name, and when did she make her first screen appearance?

Answer: Dasiy's original name was Donna Duck and she debuted in  the 1937 cartoon "Don Donald"

Answer: Dasiy's original name was Donna Duck and she debuted in  the 1937 cartoon "Don Donald"

Being a mom requires continual change, rethinking of old thoughts and ways, learning of new things(MP3Player, IMs, computers, cell phones, text messageing, ect) and staying up to date on the latest dangers to our children. I have been very worried lately about my oldest child's online time. How do I protect her, her innocents and still allow her time online. How do I know if some sicko out there is making contact with her? Sure we have had the talk about never ever giving out personal information but I know from personal experiance that there is a certain sense of safety sitting in your own home, in front of a screen and not being able to see the person you might be chatting with.  It all seems so unreal or maybe that is just me.  Just read through my blog, you can find my children's names and comments to the state we live in. I guess I have had the mind set of Who could possibly care about us? I have been reading a wonderful book" Logged On and Tuned Out" by Vicki Courtney.  I have to tell you when I bought it I thought that she(my daughter) was the one doing the "tuning out" But as I read the book I realize that I may possibly be the one who was tuned out. I mean she is home in our school room on the computer but do I know who she is talking to?  or even what she is doing?  We have set up guide lines for online use you know time limits, what information is not ok to share, parent control is on but I was getting the increasing sense that it was not enough.  She asked the other day if she could go to "You Tube" and watch a music video. Have you been to that site?? OMG as far as I can tell anyone and everyone can post whatever they want on there. I am sure that if you sign up there is something about x rated/porn videos but oh my . So I told her she could watch the video only with me there and she could not go to that site without me or dad. She was ok with that and happily watched the video. Ok so with the guide lines we have in place why have I been feeling the way I have? I read a book a long time ago called "Protecting the Gift" and one thing that stuck with me was that I have these fellings about my children for a reason. God has given us parents this so we are able to protect our children. So I have decided to stop questioning it and just do something, something  I never thought I'd ever do. I have installed a monitoring program on my computer. I am now feeling like "Big Brother" spying on my child but in reality I guess I am not spying on her but the world that may make the choice to contact her. I still feel quitly about it as silly as that sounds. But I will not have someone stealing her and her innocence.  So there you are, I have joined the ranks of what? over protective mothers? spying on my child? having a hard time letting her grow up?  Well, maybe be from where I sit it is better than what I could be doing, tuning out.

Be kind in your comments

Eleven years ago today a child was born to a woman half way around the world. Eleven years ago today the decision was finalized to give this baby life, in a country were human life is not always viewed as precious.  For these eleven years I have prayed for the woman I will never know, this side of heaven. For eleven years I have prayed for her salvation so that I  may have the chance to thank her for the precious gift she carried for 9 months, the gift I now call my own.  Eleven years ago today God put into action a wonderful plan for our family as our first born daughter took her first breath in the land of the rising sun. I am sure as people awoke that Christmas Eve morning they had no idea the part they would play in helping to bring God's plan to a conclusion. Bless them, Lord. From the postal carrier delivering paperwork to the notaries who notarized that paper work, to the nameless woman in China remembering the baby she gave life to eleven years ago today, bless them this day, the day of our daughter's birth.  Happy birthday Fu, Rongping, we love you with all our hearts.

We have, since kindergarten with "Red1", done light book work the whole month of December and heavy on crafts, reading and making Christmas gifts. Here are some of the titles we will be reading, listening to or viewing this Christmas season.

One of  the kid's favorite activities is the Santa advent calendar

We print one out for each child and they glue cotton balls on until Christmas day. Last year we had a Santa with a pink beard.  We also have a advent nativity calendar that the kids made, that we add pieces too.

Another favorite thing is the home made Christmas gifts for dance, music, AWANAs and Sunday school teachers. This year we are making bags and putting a Chex mix recipe. The bags are turning out darling.

We make reindeers and for the antlers we traced each child's hand, they turned on cute wouldn't you agree??

.

Another Christmas tradition is the making of gingerbread people and house.

some of the finished "art"work                                  

 I love all the fun things we get to do this time of year and I get to count it all as school, that's the best!

We wish all of you a wonderful Christmas.

Look what God blessed us with this morning. Isn't it amazing?? I love snowy mornings. I love being the first person outside in the fresh snow. It is so quite and peaceful.

So guess what I did, I called a snow day! No school today. What I cant do that? Sure I can and I did! But we dont have to drive to get to school, oh yeah that's right. So! I did it anyway! Just dont tell the school board LOL. The kids thought it was a great idea and just look at the fun they had. Our neighbor made the snow hill with his backhoe. The kids think he is the greatest to do that just for them!  I wouldn't tell them he thinks he is just plowing the street. They have to make him special treats for Christmas.

The teacher(me) needed some time on her knees and some time to cry without anyone coming in and getting worried about mom who was crying.  The kids did come in after playing and told me they were ready to do school. Nope, I didnt want to! They may be thinking I have lost it!!! "Red2" ask if we could do history(Mystery of History) and science (Exploring God's Creation with Zoology 2 Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day) Everyone have a great day. I think after lunch we may go make snow students. LOL  Enjoy 'em while you have 'em, all too soon they are gone.

You might laugh at the last couple of posts. You might think "You are asking people to pray for your dog, your 16 year old dog at that"! And I am sure that to some people I might seem out of my mind but does it really matter to God what we are asking for?? Well I suppose it does, a pray for a million dollars seems is silly to me. God , after all is not a genie in a bottle but the creator of the universe. I learned something through this, might even be the reason I went through it. God loves us and greatly cares for us. Yes, He even cares that my heart was breaking over a sick dog. He wants us to come to Him with everything, no matter how big or small.He always has time and He wants, He really wants us to come to Him. Of course realizing this does not mean that the answers to my prayers will always be what I think they should be. God knows far better than I want is best for me. I also learned that if I pray and tell God my needs(of course He already knows them) and pray for His will not mine to be done He will give me the strength to get through whatever the trail may be. As I drove out to the vets last Friday to sit with Cujo as he was put to sleep(or so I thought) I prayed the whole way telling God that I knew he could save my dog but that I also knew that it might not be His will to do so and if that was the case I needed Him to heal the hurt and to help me not be upset with Him. Well all I can say is God is good! He allowed me some more time with Cujo and He helped me to understand my relationship with Him a little better.

This is Cujo, sitting where he should be, at my feet while I am on the computer.

Ok so what other fun things have been going on?  Here are some pictures of "Red3" and "Red4" pointing out a butterfly they found in the garden.

and the butterfly

The boys made some great wilderness pictures at Boy's Club with paint and a wood burner(Dad helped with that!) Notice "Red3"s picture, the hunter shot the bear, lots of blood. What goes not in that mind of his??!!

They also made some very colorful, loud wooden whistles(thanks Mr. Brad!)

We spent a day learning about ants. The kids put some jam on paper plates and then come up with things to put around the jam that they thought an ant would not walk through to get the jam. We had things like toothpaste, ketchup, horseradish, pepper, salt and relish. Unfortunately, the wind blow our plates away, so as true scientist sometimes have to do, we need to do this again.

Yesterday we painted with marbles. Yes marbles. It was great fun. we had bowls with our paint in, 2 marbles for each color and some 6pack pop flats. We put a sheet of paper in the box flat, put the marbles in(we did one color at a time) and the kids moved their box around, making the marbles roll. Here are their finished works.

Wouldn't they make fun wrapping paper? "Red1" who has the hardest time think outside the "box" didn't get this project at first but after she did the first picture she didn't want to stop.

One last thing we did this week, we caught a fly in a glass jar with banana on the inside glass. We sat and watch the fly eat and clean its self. Very interesting stuff! "Red1" said it looked like the fly was thinking up a evil plan as it rubbered its front legs together LOL. It might have been planning what to do to us once it got out of the bottle.

Friday night as I looked at the kitchen table with all the stuff from the week on it, fly in a bottle, marble picture, whistles, piles of library books, I thought "Geez, you can sure tell we homeschool"

Have a great Labor Day weekend.

We took a little family vacation to Yellowstone National Park June 27-July1st. We had a great time. I was in fact very surprised at how much fun we had. We camped, in a tent, on the ground, in the dirt, in the mountian and we still had fun!!! I knew that most of us would enjoy themselves but it was myself and "Red1" who I was not so sure would have fun. She said to me before leaving, "You do know there is NO electricity, dont you" LOL  It was a fun trip even without electricity!  We met some friends who had moved and it was the first time we got to meet their newest child. "Red4" really enjoyed playing with him but she was not in a rush to give up her spot as the baby of our family for a baby of our own. That's ok, she can stay the baby. We got to see lots of animals, not bears or wolves, which was on the boy's list to see. But we did see buffalo, elk, deer and a coyote. Some of the signs talked about "millions" of years which the oldest two joked about and thought was pretty "dumb" They came home with wild flowers to dry for their nature journals and some fun memories. The best part is we are going to go camping again!!

At the Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone

Grand Cayon of Yellowstone

Artist Paint Pots

I remember a time, in the not so distant past, when I could stand in the shower as long as I wanted, which usually meant until the hotwater was gone. I could shave both legs and I mean both legs, the whole leg not just to the knee. I remember a time when I didnt have someone tossing toys in under the curtain, just in case I wanted to play with one while I was in there. No one would bring me the phone while I was in the shower. Of course you can tell that today was not one of those days from the past! I am in the shower, wet, hot water, room filling with stream, shampoo in hair. I hear a voice, cant understand teh voice but I hear it just the same. I poke my head out and say "Open the door, I can't hear you"  You should NEVER invite them in In comes "Red 4" "Will you get me dressed," then as if she realizes where I am she adds "after you are done"  Now yes, we homeschool but most days we do get dressed, so this should not have been a big worry. But being the super mom that I am(kidding) I reassure her that I would help her get dressed when I was out of the shower. She leaves closing the door. Now back to building up steam. I love a steam filled room after a nice hot shower so when you open the door the steam rolls out (it isnt going to happen in this story!) Ok shampoo out of hair, about to put in conditionor, I hear two voices at the doorPoking head out, in comes "Red4" and "Red 2"  "Red 2" tells me that in the other bathroom(which I was wishing they all were in!) someone had dropped some toy in the toilet and it was floating in pee. Thanks I need to know this!!! And "Red4" wanted to use my bathroom. I tell her she can but to hurry and shut the door. I still might have been able to build up the steam. I put my head back in the shower, conditioner on and then out. I peek out, "Red 4" is gone but the door was WIDE OPEN well at least she didnt flush! Explaines the conditions the floating toy was in the other bathroom, now doesnt it. Ok all the steam is gone and I just give it up, turn off the shower and get out. "Red 4"is dressed and they have all gone off to play. Maybe I should go sneek back to the shower??!!

I have finished "Red1's" room. I have to admit it was easier to cover up the purple(sorry Renne) than I had thought it would be. We still need a window treatment that matches the room but for the most part it is done. I put flowers and butterflies on the walls. Of course she covered up my hard work with pictures of horses! So here we go with the pictures

See, still need a window treatment that goes with the room.

Dont you love the beaded closet "doors" ?

Yeah, she is horse crazy. Which is ok with Mom, much better than boys!!!

There are silver stars on the ceiling, here is a close-up

I dont know about those stars, but she likes them.  Guess that is all that matters.

I still have a bathroom to do but I think I am going to take a paint break. I am starting to feel like "Red 4", pooped!!!!

I need to work on my scrapbooking, I am soooo far behind with that. I finished 85 pages last summer and have only done 3 this summer . "Red 1" has the most books and the other 3 really need some books of their own. It isnt much fun to have to look at "Red 1's" all the time But what can I say, 1 child is easier to scrapbook than 4!!!

HAPPY INDEPENDANCE DAY AMERICA!!!!                                 Happy 4th to all you bloggers and readers too!

Dixie

aka Mommy2fourCs