This entry is not my doing.  Dan insists you see the eggs I made for breakfast last week.  For once, it was NOT my fault.  The spice manufacturers are conspiring against us by changing the tops on all of their jars.  Take note, the shaker is in the flip top.  It is not attached to the bottle.  Grrrrrr....

in the school room.  It's crazy, but fun being together!

Abby's finally getting her turn with our preschool math kit. 

Ten days or so until we get our kitchen back.  Won't this be fun?  (Someone be sure to remind me why I didn't want to redo the kitchen before we moved into the house, please!). 

I've heard I have one. 

Welcome to my new school room.

I think our schedule looks psychotic on paper.  I am, however, convinced that it's better than the alternative of psychotic in real life. 

Enjoying fondu together on New Year's Eve

Sledding on New Year's Day

Fun, fun, fun! 

Mostly cosmetic, but still...

I've always wanted to post a chart.  I'm so proud. 

The yellow is four days a week and the blue is one day a week.  I use this for figuring out the puzzle of our days.  Scheduling four piano practices, four string instrument practices, and a zillion school subjects, chores, routines, laundry, and the all important meals definitely requires a grid.  I saved this before I made a few additions.  I forgot our cats initially.  Sarah will tend to them while H. and H  clean the kitchen after breakfast.  The girls can play with the cats or game table after lunch while I clean the kitchen.  I've also added that to our list of choices for the late afternoon.  Also, I use the times as guidelines.  We do well if we eat at 7:00 and start school stuff at 7:30.  Lunch is generally at 11:00 so that we can get to Tapestry as we have activities at 1 pm three days a week.  The rest of the afternoon functions more like a list as we're in and out and not everyone is always at home.  I've found that five mornings on top of our game gives us a lot of freedom in the afternoons.  Oh, and this is the realistic schedule, not the one in my head that wouldn't actually work. 

The code:

Ind. Work is independent work - math drill, handwriting, copywork, spelling workbook, and independent reading if time.

School Shelves will be Montessori or center type activities in Abby's area of the school room.

Abby's school includes phonics, math game, a bit of seat stuff, and her read alouds. 

Latin/Science for H. and H. means Science one day a week and Latin the other three days.   Doing both everyday would land me in the looney bin.

Toy Table for Abby is a table with creative play in our living room near where her sisters practice.

Video is an option that could be replaced with book time depending on her energy level.  I think she'll need a break. 

We have a set Tapestry routine.

Oral R. is oral reading done by the older girls.

HandiC. is handicrafts or kitchen crafts. 

Afternoon choices are so I don't get stuck.  Typically, we do what we want. 

Our power came back on after about 30 hours.  Of course, it took another 8 for the house to recover.  Our fireplace helped, but we wondered if it was sucking out more air than it was heating.  This was a most excellent purchase.  We slept without it and mainly used it to warm one room.  It was a huge help.

Working on a failed gingerbread house on Christmas Eve

Holly in her holly-smocked-dress before Christmas Eve worship

Sweet Sarah

Happy Hannah and Abby

This one turned out well.  I should probably crop out the peeking toes, huh?

Why is my chin shining?  Okay, nevermind.  I'll use the lack of power as an excuse. 

Since we were too lazy to find a tripod (and never thought to take the camera to church). 

Merry Christmas to all who stop by this day.  May you grow in the grace of the One who came - for us. 

If you think of us, pray that our power will soon be restored.  The girls have enjoyed the excitement, but I'm guessing that will fade if we go without Christmas Dinner.  Thanks to Dan's inventive nature, I'm writing this via car battery/power inverter powered wireless on my charged laptop.  The wind is simply amazing - up to 83 mph gusts on top of the snow - and we're hearing every bit of it.  We're doing what we can to keep warm, fed, and safe while reflecting on our Savior, the Light of the World. 

Productivity is reigning over our extended break from school.  The girls made a chocolate cake for Dan this morning.  His birthday tends to get lost after Christmas.

Who knew I could draw?  (Does this count as drawing?)

Holly and Sarah built this fun fellow.

Sarah is 5'3" or 4" to give you an idea of his stature.

Hannah and Abby built this fort in between trips on the sled.

My fun, busy girls!

Just kidding, but this is truly crazy!!!

http://coaches.aol.com/kids-and-family/feature/_a/kids-and-parents-agree-18-to-25-year/20071213150309990001

Meshing our vision (that young adults are fully capable and live up to expectations set for them) with our culture will be interesting.  Let the fun begin! 

A zillion more to go? 

Main floor bath

Lower level

Gifts from adoring sisters

Enjoying the moment

Sweet Friends

All of the Juniors

Abby had her first turn at knitting with Grandma this weekend.  Hopefully, I can figure out how to finish it with her!

While true that I usually have things under control and living with construction is hard, even under normal circumstances you are likely to find me with a slight to moderate amount of paralysis in the kitchen.  A few years ago I realized my responsibility over twenty-one meals a week, not the six or seven main meals I learned to manage while growing up in a two income/school attending home where the family was out of the house for the bulk of each day.  It was an awakening of sorts and I've had to work on accustoming myself to managing all of our meals.  The Good Eats I've posted recently are actual representations of truth in our home.  Equally true over the past week is the fact that in between those Good Eats we had Little Caesar's Hot and Ready pizza (eek!), sloppy joes prepared by a cook who can no longer taste (yuck!), and a dried out chicken casserole made by a harrassed and hurried woman who never seems to make the correct amount of homemade cream soup (ugh!).   A certain husband and oldest daughter have begun to express concern.  Never fear.  We'll be back on track tomorrow - hopefully!  If not, there's always next year. 

So, there you have it.  I make no claims on doing it all. 

We've eaten our share of deli meats from the grocery over the past few months, but we generally prefer to avoid them.  Chicken, turkey, ham, marinated flank steak, and roasts are especially tasty on sandwiches if marinated or well seasoned. 

A friend asked how I slice it to make the effort worthwhile.  An electric knife is handy with some cuts of meat, but isn't always necessary.  I always use ours for flank steak, but otherwise my cutco knife works well and the slices are quite thin.  They'd be considered medium at our deli.  

I was preparing a casserole this morning and shaved half a breast or so and placed it in a glass container for sandwiches.  If I add meats to the container, I put the most recent addition in the bottom.  We sometimes have two meats going at once and store them together. 

I can't believe I'm posting pictures of our garage on-line.  Okay, I can't believe I post any pictures on-line, but this is an extremely handy form of scrapbooking.  The girls love it and I hope they'll treasure these day by day memories one day.  Speaking of daily activity, the garage is where you're likely to find them these days. 

You see, Dan finally asked for a Christmas present as well.   He has always wanted a game table and found a cheap one.  Given that the rooms in our home are small and the larger new rooms will serve other purposes for the next decade or so, he put his gift in our first-house-would-only-fill-half-of-this-space garage.  The girls are having a blast and they're getting fresh air without having to do the snowsuit thing. 

And then there's the ever fun game of "fishing for cats." 

Otherwise known as Jax and Tipper.  Tipper didn't like the flash and Jax was too busy playing and being pet to get a good picture, but here he is.

I think this guy could win anyone over.  He's a ham.

It is NOT gifts.  It's not Dan's either... if he has one.  Over twelve years or so of marriage, I don't think I've asked for one Christmas gift.  I'm not one to secretly desire or expect one either.  Well, this year, I finally wanted something - homemade bread.  I asked for all necessary supplies for easy weekly baking.  I was making up for lost time, see?

The Electrolux arrived last week.  Noting that the box was damaged, we opened it right away.  It took a few days for my manual reading ability to develop, but once it did the results were amazing.  The girls and I spent ten minutes making bread this morning.  Even the cleaning was accomplished while the machine did the kneading.  I am now officially spoiled.  I've given away three loaves already, so I'm assuming the generosity makes up for it... maybe? 

We had quite an assembly line.  Everyone measured one item.  Then, the younger three greased pans while Sarah started washing.  I handled the machine.  Here's Holly with a new bread pan. 

Nice hands, huh?  (Okay, Hannah took that and insists that it be posted here). 

I've never been a perfectionist...

SIX of these at once.  What a blessing!

When I tuck the girls into bed I remind them whose child they are - not just Dad and Mom's girl, but a child of God who has called them to be His own. 

I was going through a variation of this discussion with Abby tonight and asked her who she belonged to and she said, "God, because He loves me more than I love Him.  God loves ALL the people more than they love Him.  God loves Mom more than she loves Him too." 

Precious words for a tired Mom tonight...

Outside of our kingly rib roast feast on Christmas Day, the perfect pot roast has eluded me - until now.  We gave up on chuck roasts years ago and brisket serves its own non-roast purposes.  My mission for the perfect Sunday roast of my (Dad's?) childhood has continued for years.  On Thursday, I spied a rump roast at our local meat market.  It had nifty string around it - a good sign, I thought.  So I asked my friendly, wonderful butcher about it.  His response - "It's lean, so go slow and low."  I thought I'd try it in my crock pot and it was a huge success - exactly how I imagined a non-Christmas day roast should be!

I placed the rump roast in my ultra-large-crock-pot-on-steroids and liberally applied pepper and garlic powder.  I left it on high for about 4 hours before turning it on low for 2 hours.  I peeled and cubed potatoes, adding them for the last hour on high - because I had an emergency and couldn't find the potatoes I bought at the store on Friday because they were still in the van.  I put the potatoes down in the juice and lifted the roast on top.  The roast fell apart beautifully when done and had a wonderful texture.  I served it sliced with potatoes on the side and juice over the top.  Next time, I'll add onions with the potatoes.  Oh, we had asparagus and a side salad too.  The middle girls were thrilled... 

I added to the 1950s housewife experience by turning it into hash for Sunday lunch.  In case you don't have the red checked cookbook, do that by sauteeing the broken up meat and (leftover in this case) diced potatoes with a bit of onion, leftover meat juices, and a dash of worcestershire sauce.  It's definitely good eats. 

Stew bone in chicken (parts or whole) in large stock pot with water, 4-5 sliced carrots, halved celery stalks, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1/2 medium onion sliced. 

When chicken is done and tender, remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool.  Remove celery stalks and discard.  Skim fat from broth, if desired.  Remove meat from chicken bones and return to stock pot. 

Add 2 cups water, 3 chicken boullion cubes (non-msg/preservative preferred), 1 large can diced tomatoes to stock pot and bring to a boil.  Add one small package stellini (tiny, star shaped noodles) to pot and cook until done. 

Serve with parmesian cheese, crusty bread (from a bakery?), and a side salad. 

My elves had fun decorating last week.

Our little family Thanksgiving - simple version.  See Dawn, we aren't always cute.  Oh, and nevermind the guy in the hat.  We certainly don't. 

Christmas crafts... Foamies gingerbread houses are excellent for families with food coloring issues!  Hmmm....  Does it look like I need to pay bills and clean the kitchen or what?!?! 

Dan and I caught this little one on the stairs sleeping last week - too sweet!

Seeing the plastic over the stairs reminds me how happy I am that it's gone - for now. 

This doesn't work for off months or years, but it works beautifully for those weeks when one, or three, days of history didn't happen. 

Here's markerboard #1 showing Week 15 of Tapestry Year 2. 

(Okay, it won't be so messy when it's no longer ON THE FLOOR ).

This is a pretty standard "introduction" for us and I was proud to get to it considering all that's going on here.  Unfortunately, history didn't happen regularly the rest of the week.   The older girls kept up with their reading and some writing on their own, so there was just a bit left to cover from last week.  The focus of this week is Martin Luther and well, let's just say that our girls are fairly familiar with him. 

Marker Board #2 shows Week 16 added to Week 15.  Novel, huh?  It also shows that I have no shame.  I promise it will be neater once I'M OFF THE FLOOR. 

This works extremely well on the weeks when the material is something very familiar.  We did a LOT of Tapestry Year One this way with all grammar age students.  We only had a term to complete it and I was very ill.  I've also found that it works well to let them loose with the material in a self directed manner during those weeks when I've hit my limit.  The way we've used Tapestry has supported their study habits beautifully without destroying their interest in the material. 

The first coats look good.  Yeah for less decisions for me!

Here's the laundry area.  I lost my *room,* but it wasn't much of a room.  It's not orange-ish in person. 

The new bedroom upstairs...

Our master future bath...  Um, it really is a nice red.  Think traditional.  Think cranberries.  Think Williamsburg. 

Odd things to post on-line, but far away family appreciate seeing things take shape. 

Colors don't transfer well digitally and the roughed in lighting makes things look odd, but I thought I'd make my blog smile too. 

Here's the kitchen in a more heathery blue than what was there previously.  The sun room beyond the kitchen is one shade lighter. 

The new cabinets will match the trim seen in this close up.

The school room is a creamy pale teal.

The main floor bath didn't transfer well at all.  It's less orange in real life - more coffee with a dash of cream.  The rest of the main floor is half cream and half coffee. 

The hallway and upstairs will be done tomorrow and then we'll start seeing some trim. 

I wonder if Martin Luther had just witnessed the birth of one of his children when he penned this...

"The reproduction of mankind is a great marvel and mystery. Had God consulted me in the matter, I should have advised him to continue the generation of the species by fashioning them out of clay. "

I agree with him on the first point anyhow. 

Jax and Tipper

On the whole I prefer to be a non-pet person, but when pressed I consider myself a dog person with no time or energy to train a dog.  I am definitely not a cat person, but I am certainly an anti-mouse person. I also happen to have two children who fall in the category of needing a pet.  In light of that, and by way of avoiding an indoor dog, Dan found these people friendly, mouser cats on Craig's List.  We met them this afternoon and brought them home.  Somehow, I've been given the grace to like them.  They like us too and made the transition easily.  Jax (male, orange, with a dog-like personality) and Tipper (female, black, friendly cat personality) have moved into our insulated third stall and have a cozy house on our kayak trailer near a window.  The girls tried valliantly to get us to allow them in the lower level, but we haven't lost our minds completely - yet. 

"What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow."

 - Martin Luther

 

Well, I should have known!

I've been hitting walls for two weeks.  A trip out of town would be enough as would re-entry after a break from school.  Having to be out of the house all day so our Builder can prime (Tuesday) is definitely enough, though we had a fun day.  I was starting to wonder when and how I'd pull myself together. 

So, today, we decided to decorate.  We weren't doing school anyhow and it didn't feel like the holidays without our tree and Christmas toys.  Nevermind the fact that my cleaning friends were unable to help tackle construction dust before Monday or the fact that half of our belongings have been packed away for the last four weeks to avoid further dusting, we determined to do it despite the extra hassle.  It was an overwhelming task and my physical self had enough by the time the extra dusting and usual household items were unpacked.  Once we got to the Christmas items (an abbreviated version this year), my *elves* were happily doing all of the work.  While I watched and encouraged them an amazing transformation took place.  Suddenly, I was HOME again.  Ahhhhhhhh....  (happy sigh).  A clean, pretty house is a wonderful cure-all!

So, tonight, my younger girls played their instruments by the light of the Christmas tree and I put them to sleep playing my...

horn. 

Did you know I have a horn?  I do.  It's lived in a variety of closets for the past decade outside of a handful of Mommy show and tells.  Last week, due to the encouragement of several friends, it made the journey from the closet to my room and tonight it made the journey to the music room.  Dan found my music - what a LOT of music - and a Mozarting did I go.  Amazingly, I can still play.  My tone is much the same.  (That's a good thing).  The inaccuracy is there too - and in fine form.  (Okay, I'll work on that!).  I think I'll continue meeting with my horn for awhile.  It might be fun to play locally and that this will help keep me out of the violin section.  If nothing else, it has to be good for my lung capacity.    Now I just have to think about whether or not to get those four front teeth completely repaired from their run in with our kitchen tile last February. 

Thanks Annette! 

and live too far away to easily attend (or missed out on the newfangled on-line ticket rush), consider visiting a theater near you for this year's St. Olaf Christmas Festival.  We're still considering the drive to a not so local theater.  Dan and I met while on Cantorei retreat and stood next to each other during Christmas Fest. sophomore year - as some of you dear friends recall!  Seeing 'Spaas conduct would certainly be fun as I had every class with him for three years.  Poor guy could hardly keep up with me.  :)  Those memories are (mostly) fun, fun, fun...  Somehow, fitting study for finals and term papers around an insane amount of rehearsal seems *fun* at this point in life! 

http://www.fathomevents.com/

that we're doing something right around here. 

Tonight, Sarah asked to come with me to a Messiah sing along.  It was delightful having her along on this sad excuse to test my vocal inabilities with the difficulties of these latter days.  I found that  wailing with the sopranos is still possible, but I've never been one for wailing.  If it can't be done with subtlety and restraint... 

1. Videos are good when driving from Michigan to Arkansas. 

2. Our family has aquired the ability to carry all needed items, including instruments, into our hotel in one trip.  

3.  All of our practice staying in hotels during Suzuki Instututes has proven extremely worthwhile.  Going to bed no longer requires extra assistance. 

4.  Turkey, stuffing, mashies, and cranberries are good eats even when you can't taste them.

5.  It's good when your nearly twelve year old daughter asks Dad and Mom to shop for her clothes every season. 

6.   Eggs should not be eaten before driving through a mountain range if your name is Holly.

7.  Ziplocs belong in the van at all times.  (Younger parents take note!). 

8.  Mountain ranges should be avoided at all costs if your sinuses are 100% blocked.  We're assuming air travel is out as well. 

9.  We love our I Pass and conceed that the construction we've put up with in Chicago over the last four years was worth the trouble.

10.  Pine trees and dunes feel like home and home is good, especially when your builder dusts and vacuums when you're gone. 

Here are three girls ready to leave the hotel in Springfield, MO and head to their Grandparents Thanksgiving morning.  We'd hoped to arrive on Wednesday, but the rain was too much after ten hours.  Can you tell they slept well? 

Abby and Hannah enjoyed helping Grandma with meal preparation. 

Sarah and Holly relaxing... 

Here's an after meal picture. 

He doesn't mind having his arms full.  How could he? 

Sarah finished a quilt project with Grandma.  Here, she is sewing on a binding.

The next day she used Grandma's quilting machine.  It's a far cry from the discipline of hand stitching she's learned at home!

She's been wanting a big girl doll like Hannah's for awhile!

Weaving is just the thing for her!

Sarah made her a pinata and, wow, did it work well! 

She's always wanted strawberries in her birthday cake.  Due to construction, we took the opportunity to have one made for her - yummy!  We might have a new tradition on our hands. 

Happy Birthday, Holly!  You are a treasure and a delight to your family.  We love you!!! 

About three weeks ago my middle girls started asking for short haircuts.  While noting the wonders of progress from impulsively hacking off of each other's hair to asking for a hair appointment, I told them to think about it for awhile and then I'd call.  They were insistent and I made the appointment the following week.  Their hairdressers wanted them to wait another week before doing her part, but the day finally arrived on Wednesday.  I noticed during their haircuts that Hannah and Holly seemed very determined and intense.  Something was *up,* but I had no idea what and didn't dwell on it. 

When we arrived home, they tumbled out of the van saying, "Let's go!  Let's finish our *play!*"  (Everything imaginative is called a *play* lately).  I wondered what they were finishing and they looked at me like I was a complete idiot when they answered, "JOAN of ARC, Mom." 

I've been laughing ever since. 

Here they are in the midst of battle.  Holly received birthday money today.  Apparently, nothing else would do... 

Has anyone else said, "Okay, buckle in" when finishing a cuddle before bed time? 

The sad thing is that I didn't even realize it.  Sarah and Hannah started laughing hysterically, bringing their little sisters out of bed and Dan over to the stairs.  I'd have titled this Poor Mom for all of their laughter if I didn't realize how very hard it must be to honor and obey a Mom who says such ridiculous things! 

on the endless variety of details that go with keeping up a household and schooling with a bunch of construction workers in the house.  They won't be around until we're away for Thanksgiving and this morning I found out that it's time to for me to decompress.  I sat around a lot of the morning and um, I'm not a good sitter (just ask my dh how much he enjoys watching movies with me...).  The girls did some token school and are watching a library video - and um, we don't watch videos on weedkday mornings!  I wonder what will help me decompress.  Hmmm... I wonder if that is Goodwill calling my name.  Oh, I might take a nap too - something I only do while pregnant (and I'm not).    When January or February arrive, I'll be exploring the area of balance.  Won't it be grand to find myself there again?!?!

Here's our new tub area and...

the main floor off the kitchen. 

I'm not looking downstairs until he says I can use it! 

Contact with original sources should be a habit of historical study.  There's no need to tread water until age fifteen or seventeen or twenty.  Children benefit from a combination of narrative and investigation.  This site, that I've shared previously, provides both.  This entry on the Pilgrims caught my eye recently.  http://www.awesomestories.com/history/pilgrims_america/pilgrims_america_ch1.htm 

The password is homeschool for those who educate at home. 

We've entered the early Renaissance and are having quite a time exploring the art and music of that period.  I am happy to report that we can now sing the Tallis Canon in three parts.  Ah, the things that make me happy...  :)

Here's Sarah sculpting a bar of ivory soap.

The finished product...

We've been accomplishing a lot of school while hiding out from construction workers, but this week the fumes pushed me into migraine land and we opted for a break from the basics on Thursday and Friday.  I guess I needed to clean and the bins of filed schoolwork became my target. 

All of their bookwork from grades 1 through the present, seven bursting bags, were hauled to the dumpster.  Hopefully, digital documentation will suffice.  Don't worry - I saved some of their preschool/K work and have their history and science notebooks stored elsewhere. 

Ah... the joy of empty bins.  It's not limited to hauling baby clothes to the consignment shop.  I don't have a problem with clutter...

That is, until I came to this bin.   I made it through a pile of trinkets and several tapes before wilting at the sight of a basket of letters.  Dan rescued me by needing help with wallpaper in our guest bath.  Yeah for removing wallpaper!  R., I bet you can place all of the items in the baggie - and I'm sure that more than half the letters are from you and your Mom.  There were some doozies in there as well, which makes me glad.  I'm glad that I've had such an interesting life! 

We'll be back to our checklist tomorrow.  Free days with workers here does not, as in does NOT, work.  I won't be doing that again.  We're on Week 14 of TOG and studying the Aztecs, Incas, and Spanish dominion.  We won't be doing new reading outside of our spine, encyclopedias, and a couple of picture books - a good opportunity to catch up on our reading assignments for the last few weeks and polish a few writing assignments.  Hopefully, we'll be busy enough to ignore most of the drywall mess going on throughout the house. 

Michaelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci would fascinate and inspire children. 

I've found that they do! 

Several of you have let me know that you really want to know, so I'll try to give a general update. 

The girls are great.  We've had a wonderful start to the school year, despite the construction.  The interruptions provide just enough incentive without being too distracting.  We're seeing them become wonderful friends for each other as they've gotten older.  They're still so much fun! 

Construction is going well also.  We had a few weeks of outside work while we waited on a bathtub.  It was well timed and provided the perfect opportunity to regroup.  I'm holding up amazingly well (lost it only once!) - and yes, it's messy.  I've figured out a few temporary systems for staying on top of the essentials and have been able to keep my perspective and patience thus far.  The rest of this week and next will be devoted to drywalling (and cleaning).  When our builder returns, he will finish the lower level, inxlusing the carpet and bath.  At that point, the girls and I will have an entire level of peace and sanity (relative, of course) to ourselves.  I'm just a tad excited about that.  Our builder will finish the main floor and upstairs as time allows, taking a break when the kitchen is ready.  That will be the last big hurdle and as much as I'm not looking forward to it, I'll be glad when it's over.  We knew the kitchen was junk when we bought the house, but somehow our "in five years" was turning into nine.  I *think* I'm glad we're pushing ahead now.  The house is already a mess. 

With construction, time has been moving swiftly, but things are still one day at a time as far as how I'm doing.  I have recovered the strength to do normal tasks, though at a slower pace.  After last winter, I'm very thankful to be washing our dishes!   I completed a bunch of testing a few weeks ago and was given a diagnosis.  We're hoping I can get by without the treatment recommended by my ENT and pulmonologist (tons of steroids and a surgery that would likely need to be repeated several times - um, no thanks).  For those who've asked, I have a symptom set that is called Samter's Triad.  I've probably had this underlying susceptibility throughout my life, but it flared when challenged by the severe upper respiratory illness I picked up at the hospital last winter.  My CT scan showed 100% blockage of all but one of my sinus cavities.  That other one was blocked 96%.  That is likely why I can no longer sing (well), why I can't smell or taste, and why I've had no improvement with medication.  The blockage is supposedly polyps and those polyps cause the breathing problems, which they now believe are asthma.  I noticed last winter that an ibuprofen brought on immediate, severe breathing diffiiculties, so NSAID allergy is likely a factor.   We'll be tackling this from several angles once construction ends.  In the meantime, we're hoping for a calm winter health-wise.  A decrease in sinus pain without surgery would be wonderful.  I want to sing again more than I want to smell or taste, but we'll see... 

Dan had patient appreciation week this week - saw 110 people today (thud!). 

with current events.

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/robin-hoods-forest-is-in-trouble/20071104195309990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

We'll be warm tomorrow as drywall will be hung in the ceiling upstairs first thing in the morning.  I like how the arch frames the entrance to the large space.  Our contractor put one in our bathroom over the new tub too. 

We had a busy day with four girls in class and Dad out of town.  Thankfully, my parents missed a bit of the MSU game to help.  Aren't they grand?

Abby did really well for her first time in a Suzuki class.  She had an excellent teacher who gave her a little mini lesson before the others arrived for class.  She was a bit confused at her concert as she thought she'd already done it.  Her last class was on stage!  :) 

We start the early Renaissance this week and this fell in my lap this afternoon.

http://www.haltadefinizione.com/en/cenacolo/look.asp

The girls did school at a friend's home on Friday while I had a series of tests at the hospitol.  They looked so cute on the driveway and had a great day doing school with a friend despite the fact that  "school is SO heavy!"

Simple is the name of the game currently.  We're glad to be on track and enjoyed our Medieval unit this fall.  The younger girls used dress up clothes for costumes.  Sarah made pumpkin bars and poured the cider.  I made Viennese Goulash and helped them with a few easy crafts.  Hannah and Sarah read their writing assignments aloud while Holly displayed her cut and paste projects and then we watched a bit of Joan of Arc. 

A fall theme and an assortment of ABC, 123 books fill Abby's basket this month. 

Hannah and Abby enjoy playing cello games together! 

My Interlochen bench - a gift from Dan one fall a few years ago when they were handing them over to willing alums for a $50 donation.  (Isn't he grand?).  Well, it is the perfect rustic bench for our woods.

Enjoying the view

One of Dan's patients owns the ten acres behind our home and graciously allows us to play there.  The girls' favorite activity is going "down the gulley with Dad."   

It's amazing how having our yard settled brings a sense of relief and peace to our home.  It will likely be dirt all winter as we plan to hydroseed in the spring, but the change from a couple weeks ago is striking.  Never underestimate the power of a mess to unsettle this Mama!

Thankfully, I married someone of a similar vein.  Dan spent the weekend doing our contractor's work.  He set these rocks, removed from our hillside, to complete the path from the side of the yard to the patio.

We spent our restful Sunday placing hostas...

and wondering at how our yard feels and appears larger than before construction.  Hmmm...

We also took a trek through the woods to look at our neighbor's home.  How very convenient that they did a similar addition on the back of their very-similar-to-ours- home three years ago.  S. was very kind to let me see what we were building before the process began.  Due to our guest room and school room window, we went with a patio instead of a deck.  I also believe our 18 X 20 has the long side lengthwise where hers is the other direction.  In any case, wasn't it nice of her to use our dimensions?

And here's the back of ours from the woods.

Sarah continues to enjoy Rainbow Science's Chemistry program.  This was an experiment with steel wool and Vitamin C. 

Everything else is going well.  We're finishing up Unit One of Tapestry Year Two.  It's a light week for us as it is primarily an opportunity to review, planning a very low key Medieval Feast, and reading a bit on the Early Lights of the Reformation.  It's Reformation time for our conservative Lutheran-ish family, so we're enjoying that.  The older girls aren't having any trouble with their writing assignments, so we'll be taking a break from outlining and writing about history this week.  Abby is ready for a preschool unit on fall leaves, so I'm hoping to take an opportunity to enjoy the change of season with leaf collecting, rubbing, and a variety of crafts. 

We had several days on our own inside the house as our contractor was working outside and the heating guy is finally finished.  Holly, in particular, enjoys watching him work.  She watched him pull out a tree that we are selling and was surprised when it landed on top of him!

I caught a glimpse of him holding the branches away from his head and thought I better be kind and  wait to snap the photo! 

We had a Family Suzuki event Friday night.  We listened to a brief biography of Dr. Suzuki's life and heard solos and duets from a variety of students.  Holly and I played a Bach Minuet together.  Sarah performed Veracini's Gigue.  My long time friend from Arts Academy days played Dr. Suzuki's favorite piece, Ave Maria, and we ended the night with group playing and cupcake decorating. 

Here's Holly and a few friends.

Here are my friend's twin daughers playing Twinkle A.

I recorded Sarah and forgot to take her picture! 

here's a picture of my kitchen "inspiration" anyhow.  Having pictures around helps me talk to our contractor and designer.   The colors will be quite different, but the shape of the window, the backsplash, and the cabinet style will be similar. 

Thursdays are crock pot days in our home as there's a lot going on between ballet classes, violin lessons, and a wee bit of teaching.  Today I made beef brisket.  It's a satisfying meal and surprisingly easy.

1 beef brisket

1 bottle Heinz Chili Sauce

1 empty Heinz Chili Sauce bottle worth of water, shaken to include every last bit of chili sauce ;)

Set on high/low/keep warm throughout the day per your crock pot and cook until meat is tender and falling apart. 

I serve this over egg noodles with a side of broccoli florets. 

This "Reason Why" falls on the heels of the last one.  I promise my language won't be as inflammatory.   ;)

While reading the articles I linked previously, I was reminded of a pivotal experience I had while a student at the University of Michigan.  It was the fall of my first year of college.  It was the early nineties and the term, "freshmen," had already been banned.  I had been looking forward to my first college level literature and writing course after my years at Interlochen.  Upon first inspection, the text was a bit disappointing as it was a compilation of a wide variety of speeches, but I remained hopeful about what the Prof could pull out of the text and our expression.   It took very few classes to discover the true aim of this course had nothing to do with the development of critical reading or effective communication of ideas.  Creatively hidden behind the facade of an advanced writing class was a course with a dual purpose -  to test commonly understood boundaries of free speech and provide indoctrination into a particular political mindset. 

All analysis and expression in the course centered around these goals.  Our minimal reading assignments and subsequent class discussion failed to offer even a nod to literary techniques and varied tools of written expression.  Our written assignments centered around topics such as, "Write About a Time When You Were Angry" in which we were encouraged to provide an essay full of shocking rant and emotion.  Overall, it was disappointing and dull until it became what I consider dangerous.  As the weeks went by the class took a serious turn.  One of the assignments for discussion was to listen to, read, and analyze pornographic lyrics.  In an environment where most students were feeling masterful over their ability to handle such sensitive material without blushing, I found myself misunderstood as a prude for recognizing what I was missing.  That is, a true English Literature and Writing course.  I made the decision to refuse to listen to the music.  Eventually, these issues came to a head when I was given a failing grade for my paper on "A Time When I Was Angry."  I chose to write about the indoctrination classes I'd experienced at orientation weekend the previous summer and was clearly graded on my point of view and not the mechanics of my writing.  Crying fowl, I took the paper to the department head.   The Prof. lost his position.  *My* grade was erased.  I was given another assignment and the department head took over the class. 

There is much I could share about that experience - the mind games the staff tried to play during indoctrination (ie. orientation) weekend, the refusal of the editor of the student run U of M newspaper to run a story written by a journalism student about my experience with this class, and the herd effect seen within the other students who initially stood with me in refusing to listen to the lewd lyrics who caved when their grade were on the line.  I could share how I left that school in pursuit of an opportunity for a real education, which I received (and paid for) at St. Olaf College in Minnesota.  I could share how I became a "freshperson" or was it "first year person" figuring out how to label gender specific alumnae to avoid offending alums.  All of that might be fun to explore, but for now I'll share a bit about how this experience at the U of M relates to why I get up and "do this every morning."

A primary consideration in the education we pursue is academic achievement.  I will not have my children waste these years.  It is my experience that, while adults can learn many things, it is best to train the mind while it is young.  My children will never regret the hours put into their studies when they are grown.  Their minds are made for it and it is a glorious thing to see.  We will self educate through and beyond college, if necessary, to avoid mind numbing or debasing classwork and exposure.  Coursework that is designed for political or social aims does not have a place in the education our children.  Coursework that uses great literature or profound historical documents as pawns for a narrow agenda does not have a place in the education of our children.  First hand experience is an excellent teacher.  I will shape my children's experiences toward academic achievement and understanding. 

Why AK wants to be a nomad this week.

Counter and paint options...

Preliminary sketches...

They make brownies for fun on weekend afternoons.

Or... A New Project for Mom! 

Abby took a violin break last winter when I was ill.  I wasn't planning to restart her on a string instrument until next fall as she had a spot with Hannah's old early childhood piano teacher and I thought two instruments would be too much for a four year old.  I was wrong.  Abby missed her Suzuki time with Mom.  We debated about putting her back on violin, but decided it would be fun to have two cello girls in the family.  I was gifted a beautiful full size cello from a friend and will be figuring out how to teach her at home for the next few years (gotta keep that one lesson per child *rule* in place!).  So far, it's been a lot of fun! 

Not very exciting, but we're getting there.  Mechanicals should wrap up this week.

 We elected to add a furnace to the upper level so that it could be zoned seperately.  The heating and cooling guy has been here daily for over two weeks. 

inflammatory language, here's another "reason why." 

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58130

and

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58154

My children do not need to be subjected to the political whims of others.  They need to learn - in an environment where Dad and Mom are understood to be good and normal. 

These donutes are very, very bad.  Yep, they are.  They're horrible. 

Yes, I ate one too.  It nearly had me in tears.  Never underestimate your attachment to your sense of taste and smell.  I made chex mix for the girls last week and was shocked that I couldn't taste it.  Hmmm... the holidays aren't looking good for me - and I promise I'm not a glutton.  I just like to taste my food! 

One last chunk of wall was finally able to come down this morning.  This bit had a gas line, pipes for a sink, a laundry drain, and many electrical wires making it a project for many hands.  Our contractor tore it down today.  Here's the mess...

When I came back from lunch (Panerra bagels again!).

Yeah!  He can (and does) use a vacuum!!!!!!!  The ceiling in the basement bath is being torn out at this moment.  Amazingly, the girls don't mind ANY of the noise.  I was sure we'd have to practice violin and cello at bedtime, but I forget that they all learned to play with babies in the house! 

The girls have had grand success finding frongs in our torn up yard.  This one has been found several times over the summer.  It is easily recognizable with it's stump leg. 

*Training* it to jump over a stick.  "Good frog, good frog..." 

are the order of the day.  The girls seem to enjoy them - probably because of our attempt at making a Viking Settlement a couple of weeks ago.  That was a complete disaster! 

Our new tradition for lost teeth.  Actually, I think she chose hot chocolate this time.

I thought it might be fun to catalog some of my reasons "for doing this every day."   One caveat before I begin (drumroll please)...  I am doing this *for fun* and am not of a debating or justifying  frame of mind.  My thoughts are not meant to be taken out of the context of my own experience or as a judgement on the decisions of others.  Without further ado...

Though our desire is not to make parenting decisions based on our experience as children, there are a few moments from my more youthful days that come to mind when pondering why we've chosen this path.  Here's one that I think of often.  (Well, as often as I think of those days...).  I left home for a private boarding school at the beginning of my junior year of high school.  In my first term away I encountered lecture classes, primary sources, essay tests, lengthy reading assignments that required full attention to detail, class participation, and the importance of a defendable thesis.  When I wrote my first paper - for a British Literature course, I failed.  As in, I earned an F!  Thankfully, we had the opportunity in that first term to schedule tutorials during office hours.  My first tutorial astounded me. It was my first exposure to the idea that paragraphs could contain descriptive terms while remaining analytical or that they were allowed to have more than a specific number of sentences.  A standard paragraph, in my experience thus far, contained only a topic sentence, three supporting statements, and a restatement of the topic.  Essays were an extension of that principle with three supporting paragraphs containing their five sentences each sandwiched between two topic paragraphs - of five sentences.  I walked into that tutorial feeling adament that I'd followed the correct formula and I left with a mind awakened to the possibilities of a depth that astounded me.  I did not realize at the time that it was the beginning of lifelong joy in academic pursuit, but I recall that I wrote and rewrote that paper many times over the course of the week.  I don't recall my final grade on my revision of that first attempt, but I went on to have a senior paper on the Great Gatsby published in some sort of journal for English teachers during the following year.  This mind expanding experience took place outside of the humanities as well.  I learned enough about mathematical thinking and chemical reactions to know that I was walking the rim of a vast world I wasn't sure I wanted to probe.  In the process, a new life began to form and take hold within me and though I probably did not think about it as a young mother, I am sure that a chunk of the weight that tipped the scales toward keeping my firstborn off the school bus was due to a determination to keep her mind in the open, engaged state we'd witnessed in her since her birth. 

I moved school to Hannah's room and it's been a nice change.  Sarah and Abby's rooms are nearby, so it's easier for me to check in on Sarah's work and give Abby some space for free play.  With workers in the house my full time job has been keeping the girls under direct supervision. 

We had less going on in the house this week.  Most of the work was done in the new areas wiring, extending plumbing, and prepping for a new mechanical system.  We accomplished a normal week of school and were able to be home when desired, though with much less freedom and a lot more mess. 

Sarah's school is going very well.  She's not so sure about the pre-writing tasks required by TOG and would prefer to "just write her paragraph."  I explained to her that we've always done pre-writing even though she might not have been aware of it.  Other than that, she's trudging along wondering why there are "so many years of school."  :)

Hannah has made HUGE leaps this year.  She's very much like I was as a child - bright, but tends toward figuring things out after the test.  In the last couple of weeks I've seen her develop a love for being on task and signs that she's figuring more things out on her own.  She's five years ahead of me on that score!

I made a good decision putting Holly in mostly second grade subjects, though she's first grade age.  She's loving school.

I've been surprised that Abby enjoys seatwork.  I'm not a huge fan of seatwork for 3-4 year olds, but since our school area is unavailable I've had her using engaging, interactive workbooks instead of our usual floor games.  She focuses very well at her table and, as I've found in practicing piano with her, not so well while working with cards on the floor.  Still... she's starting to recognize letters and numbers - things she was too busy being goofy to learn as a toddler like her sisters.  I'm enjoying the break from reading instruction.  Perhaps I'l get a year off afterall.  Holly is a solid reader now and, though I've never started a child as late as five, I'm thinking that a year off of the "black book" will be nice for me. 

I might have shared these resources previously.  Now that my oldest is in the dialectic stage we're using them with more frequency. 

You might have to sign up to see more than the samples here.  We've been pouring over the artwork in this "story" about Medieval Illuminations.   http://www.awesomestories.com/history/illuminated_manuscripts/illuminated_manuscripts_ch1.htm

If that link doesn't work without a membership, go to http://awesomestories.com to view a sample. 

Another excellent resource for primary documents is the National Archives.  http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/ 

The study of music history provides another dimension to our contact with original sources.  For all of my interest and experience in this area, I find that I'm quite lazy.  We have a large Encyclopedia of Music History that I picked up at a calendar stall in a mall (of all places!) and then there's http://www.ipl.org/div/mushist/ .  We study art in a similar manner, but some things are on hold while we live in a construction zone. 

Speaking of construction, the plumbing is done and we had our electrical and landscaping run throughs this evening.  Electric will be put in tomorrow and we should get word on the final placement/configuration of a new furnace soon.  The drywall guy was here measuring as well.  It's been a quiet week here.  Last week was definitely the low point.  BuilderDan (as opposed to MyDan) said that it would be and it's a relief to be on the other side. 

I love it when history makes the news. 

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/magna-carta-is-going-on-auction-block/20070925163209990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

I'm a utilitarian minimalist.  Making things beautiful is something I've been working on learning, especially now that Miss A. is mostly past her scream-a-lot stage. 

Let's call this "Making Neighbors Happy."  They're all wonderful Mrs. Marthas.  I rarely enter their world - as evidenced by my cookies on foil at the last two Christmas cookie exchanges (sigh).  Perhaps conversion is on the horizon.  Check out this decor. 

Hopefully, these look okay.  In any case, I noticed that I felt more at home here after adding these little touches.  You might know that this house is nearly opposite what I would choose.  I'm nowhere near discontented, but appreciate everything that makes it feel like home.  Location is everything. 

A clean cupboard.  Who knew what bins could do for deep, high cupboards? 

The girls and I made a wonderful assembly line while making many tins of apple crisp.  Abby washed the  apples.  Hannah dried them and brought them to me.  She also took care of the food scraps I created while peeling and slicing.  Holly put the apples in pans.  Sarah made the topping, topped them, and wrapped them in freezer foil.  Hannah delivered them to the freezer in the garage.  We enjoyed our first one with lunch.  Yum!  (Okay, it felt yummy). 

Here are a few pictures of the chaos, though it's really not bad on the weekends. 

This picture is looking into the old laundry room.  The tyvek rustles and pops with every breeze.  There's more in the kitchen and in our bathroom. 

This shows the girls' bathroom.  Between that opening, tyvek paper in our bath, no bathroom on the main floor, and the plumbers using the basement bath to access pipes, we're really stuck in the mornings when we're at home.  Thankfully, Dan's office is close and we've been using that bathroom a lot!

The old and new main floor bath.  Plumbing was complex here, but they are nearly done.

One view of outside with siding nearly to the top.  The girls enjoy seeing the workers on ladders outside their windows. 

Those of you (and many  strangers) who find me so *calm* will be glad to hear that my *calm* self has returned after my "help" attack and a wonderful weekend playing Martha Stewart in my kitchen and outdoors.  Apple crisps fill our freezer.  Mums sit on our porch.  Gourds and pumpkins line our window boxes.  I don't tend toward the decorative, so perhaps I'll take pictures later.  We did a bit of "together" schooling on Saturday.  Dan has taken ALL of the girls bike riding on a trail while I figure out how to do laundry (it's interesting here right now).  A weekend has never been such a wonderful thing!  The girls will enjoy playing in sand at the beach for many, many hours tomorrow and as we have no other fixed engagements... 

Yes, I'll take pictures later. 

That's code for ,"Help!" 

Have I mentioned I need help?

Yes, you knew this was coming.  AK living in a mess with 10-20 men running in and out of the house during the day.  I've lost it.  Yep.  Aren't you surprised??? 

Our new plan:

Piano times 4 kids and Hannah's cello done around breakfast time.

Math times 3 kids.

L. Arts times 3 kids. 

Latin review for older 3 while I do preschool with Abby.

Squeeze in Holly's violin while the others watch a video on my computer in their bedroom (see, I've LOST IT!). 

Tapestry of Grace written work.

LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR FIVE HOURS (help!)

Before bed, we'll pack lunches and books.  I'll read aloud (to regroup and find our family again - help!).  Sarah is practicing flexibility and practicing violin at bedtime.  She's also the lucky one who gets to go to ballet school, where things are normal, every now and then.  Saturdays will be for piano lessons, Sarah's science lab, and introducing our next week of history.  The girls still don't think history is "school," so there's no reason to take a break in that area.  Besides that, we're on the feudal system this week and get to study knights and castles.  That's good news. 

The other good news is that the necessary walls have been destroyed and moved.  Plumbing was done today.  The cement patio is done.  The siding is nearly 2/3rds complete.  We'll be fine, but for now...  HELP! 

Think of me in the afternoons.  Migraine and breathing problem free thoughts most welcome! 

Sarah and Holly spend Thursday afternoons together.  Here they are playing after ballet followed by a few shots taken during their violin lessons. 

Ha!  Sarah's teacher likes to make Sarah have *fun* with her violin.  No losing blood over her art allowed (outside of ballet!). 

Hopefully, these are self explanatory.  We're swamped!  (My lungs are holding up okay). 

These were taken a few days ago.  The first two are of the upstairs.  You can see some of the framing for the new laundry area and a bath for our master bath.  The third one is of the main floor before it was cleaned up for the day. 

The next two were taken this afternoon.  Windows are in and siding is starting to go on the side you can't see.  The new patio is in the foreground.  We can't tell what color it is yet. 

Hannah, Holly, and Abby helped me make snowflake shaped borax crystals.  It was interesting to see how the size of the crystal varied in relation to saturation.  This was an overnight project - much better than the sugar and salt crystals Sarah and I grew when she was in 2nd grade. 

Our school days actually look like this (schedules are always nice in theory). 

6:00 Sarah wakes up and gets ready.

6:30 Sarah starts piano.  Hannah and Holly wake to their alarms and start their chorepacks.  Abby finishes snuggling with us and starts her chorepack.    Sarah puts clean kitchen items away when she's done with piano and starts cooking breakfast.

7:00ish Holly goes to the piano.  Hannah, Abby, and I help get breakfast ready.  Abby and I practice her piano together once she's done eating.  If Hannah's done first, she has her turn before Abby. 

7:30 ish Hannah and Holly start Bible and Language Arts.  Sarah does Bible.  Abby plays in her room.

8:00 Holly finishes L. Arts and starts Math.  Sarah starts Math.  Hannah finishes Bible and starts L. Arts.

9:00 Holly and Abby play together.  Sarah starts L. Arts.  I go over Hannah's math, get my coffee, work to recall why I home school my children. 

While Sarah and Hannah continue working, I read aloud to the little girls from Abby's book basket.  Then, Holly reads to me from her Pathway Reader.  Abby grabs legos and sits by me while Holly practices violin. 

10:00ish The girls grab a snack and start Latin.  Holly and Hannah review their vocab. and chants each day on their own while I pull up their program on my computer.  We do one page in their book together after that - a little bit every day is plenty. 

10:30 Abby watches a video and rests on the couch.  Hannah and Holly do science with me on Monday, independent research on Tuesday.  Hannah practices cello after science on M and T and during this time on W and Th. 

11:00 Lunch, Kitchen cleanup (hard to be outside much with construction workers around, but we try). 

11:30 Tapestry of Grace Intro., Read Aloud, Worksheets, Writing, or Project

12:30 rest time, housework, get to Sarah's violin, or make sure someone gets to music class or ballet. 

It's wonderful accomplishing so much in the morning without feeling rushed or pushed.  The rest of the day is wonderful too, but much less scheduled! 

from the comfort of our couch via laptop. 

http://www.taj-mahal.net/augEng/main_screen.htm

http://www.kultur.gov.tr/tr/ayasofya/ayasofya.htm 

(Joanna, I have to warn you that the above link will cause you painful memories.  I still cringe when studying the Hagia Sophia). 

Abby went to music class without an older sister and stayed for her first piano lesson this afternoon.  She was beyond thrilled and definitely "big." 

The weather has changed.  We're hoping the cooler temps. last. 

The girls "work while they work."  Afternoons are for play.  Sarah was at ballet wearing out a pair of pointe shoes while we were home playing. 

Windows are scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.  The siding will be done after that. 

Yesterday

The above picture makes it look a bit out of proportion.  Today's are better.  It's a large room, but it isn't bigger than our house. 

Today

What a huge relief it is to have the back filling done.  Roofing was supposed to start, but we were expecting rain.  I'm sure it will rain now.  ;)

The recent string are written for a specific friend who's busy figuring out her school year.  For whatever reason, she finds posts like these helpful.

So, L, here's the manilla folder with reading assignments on post-it notes and check marks by Sarah.