Musings and journaling of a woman with a heart for Titus 2 that is still trying to figure out how all that works in "real" life. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:16:00 -0600 Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:16:00 -0600 My children all have blue eyes and fair skin, but they each have different hair colors from dark brown to sunny blonde.  When I was pregnant this past summer, I prayed that God would give this baby red hair like her brother, Kade.  And look at that........He did!  My third boy and my third girl both have gorgeous red hair. Well, the baby's is more of wispy red hair and fuzz, but anyway. God cares about such small details as the color of our hair.  He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.  It's rather amazing when you think about it.  He is so big and magnificent and we are so nothing, yet He cares about such a silly thing as what color I hoped my baby's hair would be.  He used Faith's red hair to remind me of this gentle love and care recently when I was pushing away from Him. There is an area of my life that I had taken back from Him.  I know he wants ALL of me and I consciously began to refuse to submit in an area.  I was miserable, trying to hide from Him.  It made me grumpy and depressed to live that way.  But He loves me anyway.  When I was playing with baby's hair, He whispered to me that He gave her that color in answer to my prayer.  His quiet voice persists and asks me to trust Him, to turn it all back over, to let go. And I have. And there is peace. And every time I see that red hair on my little girl I will be reminded of His love and that I can trust Him.  I don't have to be in control. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/742563/ Fri, 6 Nov 2009 09:16:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/742563/ Our girls have both managed to climb up and get the Desitin at about the same age.  Here is when Joy did it at the age of 21 months: And here is Hope, this weekend at the age of 24 months: What is so fun about Desitin?  They both used it as a finger paint to paint themselves and other things, too.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/741740/ Tue, 3 Nov 2009 10:57:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/741740/ I am ecstatic.   I have connected with a group of buyers to buy food from local farmers.  Most of the goodies are free of antibiotics, hormones, preservatives, etc.  We even connected with a farmer who has raw cow milk and are trying our first gallon today.  We've been drinking raw goat milk for almost two years now, but I've never had raw cow milk.  It is totally different from anything I've had before.  It's good, though.  Hope doesn't know anything different from goat milk.  I'm anxious to see if she likes the cow milk, but she has been napping since I got home with it.  I am wondering if the meat will taste any different having been grass-fed vs. the feed lot variety from the grocer.  I'm really looking forward to cooking our meals this week! We will have Chicken Cassoulet, Sloppy Joe Pot Pie, Vegetable Chili, Chicken and Potatoes, and a pot roast.  I'm considering a pumpkin soup, too.  These are nearly all new recipes, so it will be an adventure. We were supposed to go to Reformation Party today, but some of the children have a yucky cold and I didn't want to share that with others.  I'm sure my son's cough would raise eyebrows and be truly scary to others on this day of fear.  He is feeling okay, but sounds awful.  Joy had a bout with a croupy cough last night and gave us a bit of a scare.  Joe was so sweet to sit in the steamy bathroom with her and read her stories.  It helped his cough, too.  I put VapoRub on the bottoms of her feet and she hasn't coughed at all today.  We'll see how tonight goes.  Faith has the cold, too, but is a trooper and handling it well. These were taken last weekend at an Egyptian Festival.  The kids has fun doing an archaeology dig, learning about mummies, and making papyrus. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/741004/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:13:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/741004/ Happy Friday! Ever wonder what it is like to be the sixth baby in a family? Here is a hint.............. One could imagine that she is a wee goddess and those are the offerings of her loyal following. Of course she is not a goddess, but she most certainly has a fan club and they want her to be happy all the time.  They lay all manner of things on top of and near her because those are the things that make them happy.  Those sisters can't wait til she is big enough to play, but for now they are ecstatic to be rewarded with this............. Yes, we are beginning to see smiles around here.  They are mighty hard to catch on camera for some reason.  Generally they take up her whole face, but this is all I've been able to capture so far. She really grins at Joy.  When she hears Hope nearby, she gets a worried look on her face, does that tell you anything? For more Show and Tell posts, hop over to Mary and connect with Mister Linky. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/740745/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:47:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/740745/ Right now Joe has taken Kade aside and is teaching him how to play the piano.  It was Joe's idea.  He should be doing his schoolwork, but I am not about to stop him.  It is good to see them working together and Joe being nice to Kade for a change.  He's even being patient.  That would totally not happen if Joe was away at school. We've been busy with all manner of things the past few weeks.  We've had two sets of grandparents come to visit, we have a cold going through the crew now (baby has it too), I got to take photos of another family at the park (fun!), we've moved around some furniture, we've been looking at houses/property, hubby has been camping two weekends this month with the boys, scouting, piano, field trips, etc, etc  Of course we're trying to do school, too. And in the midst of all that, I'm reading a wonderful book called Not So Fast by Ann Kroeker.  The subtitile is Slow Down Solutions for Frenzied Families.  I'm loving this book. I'll blog more about it later, 'cause right now I'm too busy!  But, it is a good busy.....laundry and loving on my sick babies who are about to wake up. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/740372/ Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/740372/ As I was writing out our lessons on the wipe erase board this week I was aware of one thing that has held me back in homeschooling during the past seven+ years.  I have this desire to want things (like spelling lessons) to begin on Monday and end on Friday.  Ya know, like you get the new list on Monday, work on it through the week and then test on Friday.  Our CQLA is set up kinda that way, too, with copywork on Monday, working on grammar and comp during the week and finishing up with dictation and a final composition on Fridays.    That is all well and good, so how does that hold me back...........if we get off kilter due to illness?  I tend to want to wait for a new week to start over rather than begin "day one" on, say, a Wednesday.  The problem with that is if I do it enough, I get way behind on our year and my child is finishing up last year's work long after it should have been done.   So, now I find myself at the board forcing myself to write day one work on a day that is not the beginning of the week so we don't get farther behind after an illness like the flu. I've noticed the same "problem" in a couple of my children.  Yesterday we went on a lovely field trip to a farm.  It was like visiting Dr. Doolittle with the variety of animals out there.  We didn't get home until after lunchtime at which point I told the boys to start their bookwork.  Joe tried to inform me that he cannot begin his work after 12 noon.  He has to start it before noon or he simply cannot do it at all.  Uh-huh.  That did not fly with me and I convinced him that he could indeed begin his work after noon.  Joy is potty training, as I menitoned before.  I have been using a timer to help us remember to go potty.  She is hung up on the timer.  She thinks she can't go if it doesn't beep.  The big problem with that is that sometimes I forget to reset it.  She is learning to listen to her body and not the timer this week.  It is going pretty well now and Hope is doing quite well, too.  Could I possibly have only one baby in diapers soon? I've had two at time in diapers for about the past four years. Now that I think about it, I have the same problem with my devotional time.  Ideally, I think it should be first thing in the morning.  It is so hard to have that time with the Lord if it has to fit in later in the day.  And, if I'm honest, sometimes I don't even try because I "can't" get up that early or I'm too sleep-deprived right now to make any sense out of reading, etc, etc, etc.  I bet the devil has a hey-dey with our "I can'ts" and other hang-ups we have when it steals our time with the Lord and keeps us from doing all that we should. But recognizing the problem is half the battle and knowing our weaknesses helps us to be strong. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/738277/ Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:16:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/738277/ For Today's Show and Tell we have a birthday at our house this week.  For those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile, you may remember when this little toot was born.  My how time flies! Yes, our little Hope is two years old.  She is at such a fun age. She is talking better than most of her siblings were at this age.  It's not always perfect English, but I understand her.  When she says "yes" she says "dahs."  It's cute, really. Last night in the van Daddy said, "Something is stinky in here."  Hope said, "Boys are stinky."  LOL   She is also potty training and doing well with it.  I tried the "wait and they'll do it themselves" approach to potty training with Joy.  It hasn't worked for her.  She is almost four now and I have just decided to buckle down and train both girls as once.  But, I digress.... Hope is such a sweetie.  She loves her baby dolls and takes such good care of them.  If someone is hurt or crying, she will go over and pat their back and say, "K, is K"   (It's okay) She loves to sing and dance in her own little way and keeps us entertained.  Two year olds are so much fun to have around. Because I am so lazy and late with this post, to go see other Show and Tell posts click on the CanadaGirl link in the left sidebar. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/736695/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/736695/ On Thursdays I receive a new menu online from Cooking Traditional Foods.  It contains a week's worth of dinner menus, a shopping list, and a weekly calendar to remind me when to defrost things for the next day, etc.  Sometimes I like being told what to do.  Menu planning is one time that I often just want someone to tell me what to make and it is good.  Many times, we will use the menu mailer just like it is, but I will often use it as a springboard or change the days around a bit to fit our schedule better or to accomodate our food allergies.  (Most of the recipes are gluten-free) Anyhow, I've been using the CTF menu mailers for about six months or so now and most all of the recipes have been a big hit with our family.  They have been easy to make and generally friendly to the budget. I have dared to try new things and have been pleasantly surprised that my children (and husband) like some of the ingredients that I've introduced.  I recently made a meal that used a lot of bell peppers and everyone loved it, even me....and I have never been a big bell pepper fan.  It has been added to our favorite meals list along with many others from the menu mailer. My biggest problem with the mailers is the need for a new binder to hold all the new recipes I've collected.  Three inch rings are necessary, thankfully I can find binders for cheap at the local thrift store. I print out the menus/recipes each week and then slip them into page protectors in the binder.  When I cook something, I pull out the whole page and stick it on the fridge while I prep the meal.  Then, if it is one that we really, really love, I will use a dry erase marker and make a note on the page protector. Anyhow, you can get a sample menu for free here.  Look around the site if you are interested in eating a more whole foods/traditional diet.  The forum there has tons of info and is very interesting to read. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/736393/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:53:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/736393/ I am the very happy winner of a Yankee candle from Sarah over at Peace in the Puzzle. I have never owned a Yankee candle before, though I did know they exist.  I just don't often get out to shop anywhere that they are sold.  I do like the scent of a good candle and Autumn is my favorite time of the year for burning candles.  Sarah picked out a Pumpkin Pie scented candle and I'm not sure how, but somehow it smells even better than the real pumpkin pies that I made a week ago.  It is divine!  All of my children kept saying, "Let me smell it again," when we first opened it.  Now we are all enjoying the aroma as it burns in our living room.  Thank you, Sarah!  We love it! The only problem is that I like it so well that I might just have to buy more Yankee candles when this one is done. So, what is your favorite candle scent? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/735940/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:02:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/735940/ It's Friday!  Actually, I'm not that excited.  It's gray, cool, and stormy and my guys are going camping leaving me here with sick children.  Joe's temp insists on returning to the 104 and 105 range every time I let up on him with the baths and motrin.  So, for Show and Tell I want remember our trip to the Pumpkin Patch two weeks ago.  Oh, happy memories and a beautiful day! The children had a grand time on the hay ride.  Hope had never been on one before. The hay bale maze was a big hit with our little ones.  The big boys loved it, too, but they were tall enough to see where they were going! And what trip to the pumpkin patch is complete without pumpkin wrestling, er, I mean picking a pumpkin. Kade got a little more than he bargained for there. Why is it that little boys climb on and jump off of everything? This photo makes me thankful that my big kids don't think they have outgrown the pumpkin patch. If they were in PS, then they'd probably think they were way too cool to go with us to places like this. Or they'd have some kind of electronic device with them and sit around like they are tolerating being with the family.  We don't own such devices and since they aren't around peers and don't watch commercial television, they aren't even asking for such things. Instead, they enjoy playing with their younger siblings and being outside to run wild and free. Though, they do fuss a bit over who gets to hold the baby. And Hope is seriously concerned about that scarecrow behind her. If you think about us this weekend, I'd appreciate prayers for healing.  These high fevers have to go.  And I especially covet prayers that the new baby doesn't get ill.  Kade had RSV when he was her age and we about lost him.  I don't want to go through that again. Go check out the other Show and Tell posts at CanadaGirl's blog. She has the coolest pumpkin candles to show off this week. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/734754/ Fri, 9 Oct 2009 15:18:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/kidcraze/734754/