Feb. 9, 2008 - I Interupt This Absence With an Update!
After such a long absence, I'm not really sure where to even begin with an update! All is going well and my absence has been only because life has been tremendously full of bloggable moments! Here are just a few:
We got to visit the Ballard Locks in Seattle, Washington recently. We all enjoyed it very much! Though we didn't get to see any big ships go through the locks, we saw several HUGE yachts travel through and that was enough! A very fun trip! 
Aren't these two smiley kids wonderful? They teamed up and started a load of laundry for me (with a little parental supervision) and were so proud of their work!
Look how this baby has grown! Miss Sarah Grace is days away from being 7 months old! Where has the time gone?
Life here at Earthmuffin Manor is going well. I knew this would be one of the most challenging years homeschooling as little Sarah came along and the boys would still need lots of help. I am learning so much as I go and readjusting my expectations, or atleast trying to. Despite the challenges, I continue to be so very grateful to get to teach them at home (or at the Ballard Locks, as the case may be!). I am learning most recently that despite all the great resources out there for homeschooling, when I fail to go to the Ultimate Source (God) for wisdom and knowledge as to the course I should be taking with my children, I may get an instant answer but not always THE answer. I'm so thankful for God's faithfulness to me; His willingness to wait patiently for me to stop fumbling around and come before Him and ASK!!!!!!
Miss Sarah has been dealing with some food allergies even though she has been exclusively nursing. We know with certainty that dairy is one of them but we are suspecting there may be another one. This has been a bit difficult as she is too young to have an official allergy test done, leaving elimination from my diet the only way of pinpointing the culprit. Currently I have eliminated dairy and soy. I also was eliminating wheat but it didn't seem to have an effect one way or another. I am praying that the Lord will lead us to the answers and protect her little insides in the meantime.
Hannah is such a delight! I am enjoying her little imagination so much lately! My favorite so far was when I overheard her pretending to be her feet taking turns in the slats of a chair: "No, its my turn now"; "You can have a turn when I am finished"; "Please, you need to be patient"! She told me the other day that when she grows up she will have a baby in her tummy and Daddy will help it come out like he helped Sarah to come out. When I tried to convince her that perhaps her husband would like to help her, she firmly corrected me, "No, Daddy will help me!!!!".
Kaleb is enjoying playing indoor soccer through the YMCA in our town! This is the first time we have signed him up for any sort of organized sport. We have many, many thoughts on organized sports and the such, of which I won't go into now. But for this season in our family's life, it is a good fit and its fun to see him so excited! I am throttling back with school for him a bit. He enjoys reading and being read to, and likes to write stories and draw pictures and I am feeling God pressing me to leave it at that. I find myself all to often lumping him in with Noah as far as my expectations of him go. Too often I fail at simply letting him be nearly 6. I am learning!
Noah is doing well and is getting so TALL!!!! The other day he told us that he thought it would be neat if I had some button we could push that would make me 'pop out another baby'. He said, "It would be so cool. It would be like Mom was a Baby Dispenser"!!!!! Oh, we chuckled about that one! I am finding the need to tweak school a bit with him as well. I think we've fallen into a rut and I see him being bored with school lately. If I could accomplish one thing through homeschooling, it would be that I would instill in my children a love and passion for learning. I am missing the mark on this lately and I'm seeking the Lord and His wisdom on how to change this.
Along with all the above excitement, we are waiting in great anticipation for our springer spaniel, Sage, to give birth to her first litter of puppies around Valentine's Day!!! Craig and the kids are excited but I'll confess.... I'm a nervous wreck! I've had four babies of my own and attended nearly 30 births but I've never been this stressed out about a birth before! If I could just talk to her and tell her what's going to happen and what to do and that it will be okay.... My husband has started referring to me as The Basket Case. Anyway, I'll be sure and post pictures of what will most certainly be the cutest litter of puppies you've ever seen!
Anyway, there's a quick update! I have hopes of blogging a little more regularly but I've hoped that for the past 4 months!!!! Thanks for checking in:)
Comments
Feb. 9, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by homeskoolmom
What a cutie! She's getting so big.
God bless,
Christine
Feb. 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Rebeca
Good to hear from you again! We've also been a good kind of busy and I haven't posted much in the last while either. Food allergies are tough- I've got both of our kids off wheat right now trying to discern if it makes any difference. I hope you get it figured out soon. I love the "Just push a button and have a baby pop out" idea! The things they say are so precious. May the Lord continue to bless you as you care for your sweet family! And I hope the dog birth goes well.
Rebeca
Feb. 12, 2008 - :-)
Posted by Phyllis
It's so good to hear from you and see some pictures!
