Acknowledging Him
Jul. 1, 2009
What's New
Posted in A Day in the Life
Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I blogged! I think I have been too busy sharing on Facebook. Yes, I finally succumbed, and if you haven't already, you can find me there too, where I will share even MORE mundane details of our lives, LOL. For now, I am tired of sharing Germany photos, instead here is what happened today: DH brought 10 chicks home in the back of his car, but I'm not upset ;) These are Buff Orpingtons. They are a little over a week old. They are supposed to friendly and hardy.  They are for eggs, not eating. Unless they stop laying. Or end up being male. Or make Adam mad...  Chicks are WAY better than a kitten, because there are enough to go around.  Yes, I think we will keep them.  And this picture's just because. And no, I did NOT tell him to do that :) |
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Jun. 17, 2009
A New Member of our Family
Posted in A Day in the Life
When you saw the title, didja think the baby had come? Didja? No, he still has 6 weeks till he is due, but we did add another new little guy to our family this weekend:  Isn't he cute? We went out garage saleing on Saturday morning, and found nada until I saw a sign at one house that said "free kittens." Well, I had to at least look, and he was so cute and sweet that there was no turning back after that. His "birth family" was calling him Candy Cane (see the stripes?) but we have named him Milo. He is very good with the kids, and they are thrilled with him, especially Ezekiel and Emily. Here are a few more pictures to make you go "Awww..." I wish I had one with Emily, but when she is holding him, I mostly have to be right. there. to make sure she isn't holding him a little too tightly    I think he is going to fit in right well with our family  |
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Jun. 17, 2009
8 Years
Posted in Celebrations
Tuesday was our anniversary, and it was a lovely day. Adam stayed home from work, and baked me a German Chocolate cake. Now, some women might think the occasion called for something like flowers or jewelry, but my husband knows what I like  We put eight candles on the cake, and the kids sang "Happy Anniversary to you!" Later, we all went out to dinner, where everyone (mostly) behaved. I had told DH that since he made the cake, I would make a special dinner of his choice, but he said "It seems mean to make you cook for OUR anniversary." Yup - I think I'll keep him!  |
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Jun. 10, 2009
Wordless Wednesday - Talking to Grandpa
Posted in More pictures, less words
 What do you suppose he's saying? |
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Jun. 8, 2009
Uniquely Emily
Posted in A Day in the Life
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Yes, I know I put the spotlight on Emily just a few posts ago, but I have to do it again today. Emily has some very unique habits that besides making her a joy to have around, I also do not want to forget. So I will immortalize them here: *When she nurses, or has her pacifier in her mouth, she sticks her tongue out. I don't know how she does it - have you ever tried to drink something with your tongue sticking out? It's not easy! *When she is sitting at the table, she spends a lot of time playing peek-a-boo around the centerpiece with Papa. SO cute! * When she eats, she sticks her whole fist in her mouth. * She could drink from a sport-top water bottle, before she learned to drink from a sippy-cup (she's never had a bottle). * Until recently, she spent the past few months walking around on her knees - even out on the sidewalk! The tops of her feet were bruised because she used them to balance, but neither that nor sore knees ever seemed to bother her. In the past week or so, she has taken up real walking though! Yeah, Emily! *She loves toothbrushes. I think she has better hygiene than Ezekiel ;)  Yeah, she's standing in the laundry cart, but what kid wouldn't enjoy that? My big kids are always trying to climb in too.... |
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Jun. 6, 2009
One little, Two Little, Three Little Indians....
Posted in CraftTacular
When we first moved into this house (almost 3 years ago!) There were these brown suede curtains on two of the windows that weren't really my style (not that I have any style...moving on...). I took them down, but kept them, thinking that "someday" I could turn them into Pocahontas-style dress up clothes. Well, that day has finally come:  These outfits are total Monets - from far away in blogland, they look real nice, but up close, they are a big ole mess  I totally made up the "pattern" (and made Arianna's neckline too big) and we bought the bead fringe on sale at Michael's, but I've been told that it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Oh, and and just in case you were trying to give me more credit than I deserve, these outfits are not intended in any way to represent actual Native American clothing. Although, my great-grandmother WAS Navajo, so technically, you are seeing some authentic indians here . |
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May. 25, 2009
Germany part IV
Posted in globetrotting
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***caution: this post is picture-iffic. If you have a slow internet connection, it may take awhile to load *** This post is for Kelly, who wanted more Germany :) So after our visit to Rheinstein Castle, we had a quick lunch,  (it's apple juice people) and then it was on to Marksburg Castle (click the link, really. It will tell you lots cooler stuff than I can or will.)  See there on the top right - it's one of those skinny windows for shooting arrows out of  If it has a more proper name than that, I don't know it. Here it is from the inside (Dh and I think the wood with the notch was added later. You know, to steady your rifle):  Dh was interested in the cannons.  The canons kept watch over the surrounding hills  as well as over the river:  DS thought they were pretty cool too.  The kitchen was all set up with replicas of/and period pieces.    I have wanted a trestle table for the longest time. Unfortunately, there was no way to get a pic of the entire massive fireplace, but I bet you could have easily fit a queen size bed in it. Instead, here's a sink!  Here's my MIL standing next to a medieval bed so you can see just how small it is. We heard diffing stories as to why this was. One was that women slept sitting up so as not to muss up their elaborate hairdo's. The other was that people were superstitious, and afraid that to sleep lying down was too akin to the position of the dead.  Oh, and isn't the tiny cradle cute? I want one. Here is DH (and his trusty sidekick) showing how short the doorways are. Looking at that, I think - well, no wonder the beds were small!  A chess board. I thought I had a pic of the tapestry on the wall, but maybe not...  A toilet *giggle*  A statue in the chapel.  A loom.  Ezekiel, trying on a helmet. This room had statues modeling armor from various cultures and eras.   The blacksmith's shop. Our (English speaking, Kelly) guide mentioned that it was unusual to have one in a castle, that most smithys were outside of the town walls. Noelle asked me why, and when I asked her what she thought, she said "So the [other] buildings wouldn't catch fire [should the blacksmith go up in flames] " Smart girl!  Hmmm, looks like that's it for now. Did you guys learn anything, Mari? |
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May. 19, 2009
Wordless Wednesday
Posted in More pictures, less words
I know I should post more pictures of Germany, but I am too sick (allergies) and tired tonight, so I will just leave you with this. You'll thank me later  |
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May. 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day to me
Posted in More pictures, less words
 Ezekiel: Me want someone to cuddle with! Arianna: You can come up here, Zekey. Noelle (near tears): I want to cuddle too... A & Z: Okay! DH, later: Why'd we buy bunk beds, again? |
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Apr. 30, 2009
Germany part III: Rheinstein Castle
Posted in globetrotting
If you've been waiting for Germany pictures, look no further. Here is a sign that was at the monastery which I forgot to include in the last post: About 10 feet from the sign was a poor flat frog, who I guess missed the warning. Here is a statue of Germania, celebrating German unification. It is HUGE:  One of our favorite days in Germany was spent touring a couple castles that dated back to the middle ages. These pictures are from Rheinstein Castle, which looked like it was carved or grew straight out of this rocky outcropping that over hung the Rhine River. No pictures could do it justice, but here are a few:  The river bank here pretty much goes straight up - very defensible position for a castle. See that tower on the left? If you look real close, you can see a metal basket hanging out off the top of the tower. If you are old, like my mom (Happy Birthday Mom!), here is a closer picture:  That basket was where the lord of the castle could send anyone for a time out. It is about big enough for a man to sit in, and if you were so unfortunate as to be sent there, your view would look something like this:  Just watching Adam climb the stairs to the tower made me dizzy. I think a little time in the basket would have made me plenty repentant! A view of a courtyard garden; keep in mind it was still winter:  Moving inside, the Knight's Hall:   Arianna in the music parlour:  A study:  One last view:  I have many more pictures of the interior of Marksburg Castle to share next, so check back soon! |
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Apr. 23, 2009
Ode to Spring
Posted in More pictures, less words
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Signs that Summer is fast approaching 1. there is a layer of yellow pollen on my windshield 2. flip flops 3. I killed a fly in the house (he totally deserved it) 4. my kids have stopped asking "Do we need a jacket?" when they go out. 5. There are apple and strawberry blossoms in my front yard, and lilacs out back 6. We saw a snake sunning at the park! 7. I found a tick on the back porch (Lucky I found him before he found ME!) 8. DH turns on the fan at night (for the noise) - and I don't mind 9. I ordered a frappuccino today instead of a hot coffee 10. the first sprinkler play of the season:       I hope you're enjoying your weather too! |
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Apr. 23, 2009
barefoot and pregnant
Posted in A Day in the Life
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So, I'm 26 weeks pregnant, right? And I have some pretty cute maternity pants, I think. And yet, they are. So. Uncomfortable. So I was thinking, what can I wear that would not sit at my waist and be so uncomfortable? And the thought occurred to me: A jumper. Now, in some circles jumpers (especially denim ones) are considered an identifying mark of a Homeschool Mom. And generally, I hate to be a cliche. But you know what? I'm comfortable.  PS: If you look close, you can see my new floors! |
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Apr. 19, 2009
A Big Boy
Posted in Celebrations
Well, I was all set to share more Germany pictures with ya'll, till I remembered that I just had to share these pictures of Ezekiel. So look closely at this picture, what do you see? Well, you DON'T see a binky. And that is not a fluke! We finally threw away the pacifier. And let me just say, the next time I see a 4 year old with a pacifier in his mouth, I'm not going to pass judgement. That was almost us  . I told him if he could go binky-free with a minimum of whining, I'd throw him a Big Boy Party. Whether it was the bribe or not, he did great, and so a party we threw. What did it involve, you ask? DOn't get excited, I'm nto that creative. The first step was a Big Boy haircut, during which he got to chose a movie to watch - a special treat. Behold, before:  (I love that picture!) And after:  Ok, so it's not the best picture or haircut, but you get the idea. Here's the after after:  That's more hair than I lost at my last cut! Next, we had to have treats. What's a party without cake (or cupcakes?) Here are the girls singing "Happy Big Boy Day to You" (told you I'm not that creative).  Hopefully, they will remember it as a special celebration, even though it wasn't a big to-do. Emily's up next; I'm determined to only have ONE "baby" in the family. Or at least, I'm determined to be the slave of only one baby's pacifier.  |
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Apr. 13, 2009
In which I talk about books - again
Posted in The Academy
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So Cal Kelly had some questions about my last post, and since I always strive to oblige my readers, and since I STILL do not have my Germany pictures ready for blogging yet, I will try to answer her. Kelly asked: Would you please post a run-down of how many your library really had, how many you borrowed from friends and how many you bought. That's a TREMENDOUS list! Also did you put the list together from Ambleside Online? I'm just so impressed; and I want to know more. First of all, this IS a tremendous list, even for me. There are 45 books on it, more than twice what we used when studying the Middle Ages and the Age of Exploration. I was surprised to find that I actually own 15 of these books. And though I don't normally purchase new books for every unit, the planning for this particular one happen to fall shortly after tax return time, so DH let me indulge a little. Thanks, honey! If you're dying to know which books I felt were worth my money, they are: The Matchlock Gun; Aaron and the Green Mountain Boys; Liberty! How the Revolutionary War Began; The New Americans, and Hasty Pudding, Johnny Cakes. Which means I had 10 other books sitting on my shelf just waiting for such a time as this. If you want to know which ones those are, you must really be a bibliophile, and we should get together Which also means that the other 30 books came from the public library. We have been blessed to fall into this wonderful library system, in which not only are all the county libraries connected, but I can also browse for books online, and request that they be sent to my branch with a simple click of the mouse. I click frequently, as you may imagine, and I feel for those of you whose libraries are poorly supplied, I really do. As for the second part of Kelly's question, No I did not put this list together from Ambleside Online. While we do use AO for Literature (scroll down a bit), Read-Alouds (there are some from Sonlight there too), and Art and Music study, I am not following their history curriculum. Instead, I compiled this list mostly from Tapestry of Grace's early elementary (lower grammar) suggestions for this time period. You can see them HERE and HERE; from my own books, and from books I saw or had seen at the library and wanted to use. We use Story of the World as a 'spine' to help keep us in a somewhat chronological order. Yes, it's sometimes a lot of work, but I enjoy it HTH! |
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Apr. 5, 2009
The American Colonies and Revolution
Posted in The Academy
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Well, after finishing up with Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare last week, we are now ready to move out of the middle ages and into the American colonies and revolution! I have about 10 weeks of lessons planned and about 14 until our little guy is due, so I don't feel too rushed, and will even be able to take a little vacation in July and August. Which I will probably spend planning next year's studies, LOL. In any case, here are the books we will be diving into the next couple months: |
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Mar. 20, 2009
Germany, part II
Posted in globetrotting
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After the monastery and lunch, we made a quick stop at St. Hildegard Abbey. St. hildegard's is only 100 years old, but is still a working abbey, and we did not have a tour set up in advance, so we had to settle for just looking around the ground, and inside the chapel, where I stopped Ezekiel just before he was about to blow out the prayer candles
The girls were especially interested in the tombs of deceased Abotts and other patrons of the abbey. Are they buried right here? (step) Here? (step) Here? And that they got to see a real nun before we left. She looks just like Maria! (The Sound of Music, people). And because I know you're dying to know, Emi did great the whole day. The next day, no so much.... |
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Mar. 20, 2009
Germany, part I
Posted in globetrotting
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Just wanted to share a few quick pics with ya'll... Since we have been studying the middle ages, we decided to take a little field trip the other day. Our first stop was Eberbach Monastery, founded by 12th century Cistercian monks in the German state of Hessen. It is no longer a working monastery, but a museum of sorts, and after our English language guided tour, we got to wander all around a bit. Here we all are, with the monastery in the background. Don't ask me why my kids are making those faces...
Oh, and the lovely lady next to me is my Mother In Law, our long-suffering hostess in Germany. The scary teenager is my sister in law, though we like to pass her off as my sister Unfortunately for our pictures, the weather was overcast the entire weekend.
Ok, so I have no idea how to use my camera. Sue me.
I think Dh took that one. Artistic, no?
This fountain was right outside the stairs to the dining room. You know, so the monks could wash before they eat. The tour guide asked my kids: "What does mommy ask you do before you eat?" Blank stares. Afterwards we had schnitzel and apple juice for lunch in the town of Rudesheim:
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Stay tuned for more....Mar. 13, 2009
Just wanted to let you know....
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We are on vacation, that will likely be a bloggy vacation too. I may try to post some pics, but then again, I may be having too much fun :) See you soon! |
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Mar. 3, 2009
Art and music study, Charlotte Mason style
Posted in The Academy
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When my first born was in the womb (ahhh, the memories) and I started reading about homeschooling, one of the things I was so excited about was being able to study all the things I never learned about school. My kids, I thought, would learn about the great artists, and be fully familiar with classical music, and speak Latin....And then it came to teach those things and I had no idea where or how to start. Gulp. And then, O Glorious day! I came upon Ambleside Online and they had it all right there, and made it seem so easy! It doesn't matter if you are not a strict Charlotte Mason-er (I'm not), and you don't need to use their whole curriculum (I don't; but if you want to, it's FREE!). The wonderful, hardworking people at AO have set up a schedule for 12 YEARS worth of artist and composer study! Here's how it works: they have chosen 3 artists for each "school year," and have listed links to 6 or so works by each. Same for composers, only the composers are not linked, so it would be up to you to get a few CD's (I found great inexpensive ones at CBD). Here's what art and music study looks like at our house, though I guess I should mention that I am not strictly following the AO schedule. For no reason other than when I started this year, I didn't want to start with Bottecelli, because I didn't think his work would interest my kids very much. We started with DaVinci last term, because he seemed to fit right into our study of the middle ages, and Bach, who was on the schedule. This term we are studying Pieter Breugel the Elder, who also fit into our history studies quite nicely; and Mozart, because I didn't have a Franz Liszt CD. Another thing I love about homeschooling - I'M the teacher, and can arrange the lessons to suit my needs. Anyhow, here's what we do (are you still with me?) Every two weeks or so, I change the background picture on my computer to the one we're studying:  Breugel - Tower of Babel (1563)Then, the kids all crowd around and we talk about it - what we see, what we think is going on, how it compares to the artists other works, etc etc. Repeat a couple times for each work, and add in a biography or two for fun. Sounds simple, right? It is. But you'll be amazed by how much your children learn and retain. You can also print out the works at home, or have them printed at your fave photo processing place, or order them from one fo the fine ladies at AO. It's a similar routine for composer study. This week it's Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. All of my classical music is on my iPod. I put it on the little speakers in the kitchen and we listen while we eat lunch or draw pictures or fold laundry, the same piece on repeat 5 or 6 times. We've also enjoyed reading biographies of the composers. The other day I caught my 6 year old humming Piano concerto #21. When I asked her if she'd like me to turn on the music, she said yes, but that she preferred Bach :) I'm in love - my lovies enjoy classical music, and even have preferences! AO also has suggestions for studies in folk songs, poetry, and even Shakespeare! For folk songs they suggest purchasing The Homestead Picker's Folksongs. It is on my wishlist, but for now we are using I hear America Singing which I purchased many years ago. Because my kids were already familiar with the CD, I am doing more than 3 songs this year. For folk songs I encourage them to dance around and sing along. Because every child should know the words to Clementine and Home on the Range :) Now I just have to find a good way to teach Latin... |
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Mar. 1, 2009
How to Keep Yourself Entertained
Posted in More pictures, less words
First, see my previous post. Then, take lots of pictures of your adorable daughter (or son), completely forgetting about dinner, but saving it just in time from total ruination.  Oh Mom, can't I eat in peace? Ah well, back to business.  You're still here? Really, that's enough now.Alright honey. That's enough - THIS time |
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