Buddy has finally finished all of the various math workbooks etc. that we have been working through this year. It was a little like pulling teeth at times; at least until he figured out that he really does know the various math facts. He seemed to struggle especially with remembering his subtraction facts. During his most recent melt-down and disbelief that he would ever remember them, I reminded him that less than a year ago he couldn't read or do addition - things he now finds easy. I also had a talk with the principal (Daddy) who then offered a new incentive for finishing all of his math curriculum - the Math Blaster computer game from Knowledge Adventure. Buddy received his reward this afternoon and is having a blast playing his new game. I love being able to reward his learning with more learning.  |
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It's amazing how early the differences between boys and girls become obvious. The Little Guy is only 13 months and already he has developed a strong interest in 'vrooming' cars (or anything resembling a car) around the house. The girls never developed such interests. (Of course neither did Buddy, but that's because for him everything is some kind of flying machine.) The girls have always shown more interest in play that relates some how to domestic things - dolls, cooking, etc. It is obvious though that they have an older brother since they are usually setting up house in a space ship or war zone of some kind. An incident that has really stood out to me in showing the difference between boys and girls occurred when Buddy was about a year and a half. Our neighbors had a little girl about his age who was very interested in dolls. One day her mother was showing Buddy how to hold one of the dolls. He gave it a brief once over before chucking it over his shoulder and heading for the toy cars. It's also been interesting to see how the 'experts' have changed their minds on the subject in the last few years. When Buddy was born it was still the prevailing thought that children were blank slates and now they are starting to admit that a great deal of the differences between boys and girls are actually hardwired from birth. Of course, anyone with half a mind would think this obvious. |
The Little Guy turned 1 year old last month. It doesn't seem like enough time has passed for that. He isn't walking yet, but I doubt it will be much longer before he does. They say that a boy is 'a noise with dirt on it, well I think Buddy is the noise part and the Little Guy is the dirt part.    |
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It’s been an interesting challenge sifting through the many possibilities and choosing curriculum for next year. Last fall when we started this adventure I didn’t really do much looking at different curriculums; mostly I just bookmarked any websites that looked interesting. We were pretty tight financially at the time and since we already had several workbooks that we had picked up from Costco, the only thing I bought was a set of Math-U-See blocks because I felt it would benefit Buddy to have some manipulatives. I figured it was just Kindergarten after all and the important thing was to concentrate on the 3Rs to get him ready for first grade. There is so much more to look at and consider for a First Grader as opposed to a Kindergartener – history, science, grammar, etc. Wading through the seemingly endless possibilities has taken a lot of time. It has really made me do a lot of thinking about what exactly I want my children to learn. Some things are fairly cut and dry like phonics and math; it’s just a matter of which curriculum I think will best fit my kids. Others like history and science require more thought about my goals, expectations, and teaching style. How broad or focused do I want the curriculum I choose to be? Do I want something that involves a lot of reading or something more hands on? Of course, science and history curriculums also tend to be mostly non-consumables; so I want to choose something that will hopefully work for each of my children. I know one of the benefits of homeschooling is the ability to tailor things to each child’s learning style and interests; but I also don’t want to be buying a different curriculum each year trying to find ‘the one’ that fits. (I can’t afford it either.) History especially seems to be a subject in which I need to look ahead because most curriculums are designed to cover several years, if not all twelve. My biggest challenge has been choosing a science curriculum. There are so many good curriculums out there and they all have their pros and cons. It seemed every time I would start to narrow down the possibilities I would discover a new one. I know I eventually want to do Apologia’s Jr./Sr. High courses. Figuring out what to focus on between here and there however has proven difficult. I think I’ve finally decided that while I want to make sure each child has a solid yet broad foundation so that they are ready for the higher level courses; this is a subject that I will need to take one year at a time so that I can take into consideration their individual interests. So, after much deliberation I have chosen the following for Buddy’s first grade curriculum: Bible: Building On The Rock from Summit Ministries – It seemed like most bible curriculums consisted of just reading through the Bible and while there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, I felt there should be more to it than that. I also didn’t want to replicate what my kids are already getting in Sunday School and Awana. BOTR has a bible survey portion, but it’s main emphasis is on building a solid Christian worldview foundation. It’s a bit pricey, but they tell me they are working with Apologia to bring the price down and make it even more homeschool friendly. Math: Math-U-See – He will be ready for the Beta level this fall. Phonics: Explode the Code – I think book 4 is where we need to start. Grammar: First Language Lessons – I’m still a little torn between this and Easy Grammar. I think Buddy will do fine with either one and both have pros and cons. However, I think when Princess is ready for grammar that she would do better with FLL. We’ll see. Science: Studying Creation Through Astronomy from Apologia – Space is definitely Buddy’s area of interest (anything that involves flying or rockets or outer space) and since his sisters won’t yet be old enough to fully participate this next year I decided to pick something that was more specifically for him. I am planning to purchase the coordinating lapbook from Live and Learn Press. History: Mystery of History – I am grateful to my dh for taking the time to sit down with me and talk about what was important to both of us that our children learn about history. After comparing the different options MOH stood out to us both as the best fit for our family; not only because of the worldview it presents, but scope and sequence it uses. Handwriting: Getty-Dubay Italics – I definitely like the idea of this approach to handwriting verses the traditional manuscript/cursive approach. (Personally I do not like cursive and only use it for my signature.) |
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I am posting this recipe at the request of my sister. I found it online a couple weeks ago, but hadn’t tried it until she inspired me to do so with her Facebook post about the braid she made. Here is the original recipe: 2 c chicken, cooked and chopped 1 c broccoli, fresh or frozen, chopped 1/2 c red bell peppers, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 c cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 c mayonnaise 1 tsp dill weed, dried 1/4 tsp salt 2 8-oz pkg refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1 egg white, lightly beaten, optional 2 tbs almonds, slivered, optional Combine chicken, broccoli, pepper, garlic, and cheese in mixing bowl. In another small bowl, combine mayonnaise with dill and salt. Stir mayonnaise mixture into chicken mixture. Unroll packages of crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange dough onto baking sheet to form a rectangle the length and width of the pan. Roll dough together to seal perforations. On longest side of baking sheet, cut dough into strips 1½" apart and 3" deep using a pizza cutter (there will be 6" in center for filling). Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, lift strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn, and then pinching together. Continue twisting and pinching strips to form a braid. Pinch ends together to seal at end of braid. If desired, brush egg white over dough and sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Serves 6-8. *I mix up a batch of biscuit dough and roll it out about 1/4" thick in place of the crescents. It makes a heartier and delicious braid and saves me money. Here are the modifications I made: · I didn’t have any peppers (not a big hit in our family) so I added minced onion and fresh mushrooms instead. · I also didn’t have any dill weed so I added some chicken bouillon and a dash of Italian seasoning (no I didn’t measure anything). · I did like the poster of the recipe and made a batch of biscuit dough instead of using the crescent roll dough. However, instead of regular biscuit dough I made a garlic cheese dough and just brushed the top with butter instead of egg whites. It turned out quite delicious and a lot easier to put together than I thought it might. I will definitely be making this again and look forward to experimenting with different fillings. |
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Buddy lost his first tooth the other day. It took everyone by surprise, even him. I knew the day was coming, but figured that since my kids have tended to be late getting their teeth that they would also lose them late. It happened rather suddenly; no gradual loosening. He just walked out to the kitchen the other morning and said ‘Daddy, I’ve got a loose tooth’ and then proceeded to show us just how very loose it was. Buddy hardly ate anything that day; he was so worried about whether it was OK to chew with a loose tooth. He also kept touching it and wiggling it all day which drove Dh nuts. The next morning we told him the tooth had to come out because we weren’t going to let him continue taking an hour or more to eat each meal. I tried to convince him to let us take him outside and tie it to his glider plane, but he wasn’t so sure about that idea. We ended up just having Dh yank it out. Buddy wiggled and whimpered so much through it all that for awhile I wasn’t sure if we were going to get it out. It actually came out quite easily once Dh was able to get ahold of it. Buddy didn't even realize that it was out for a few moments. I think it will go a lot easier next time now that he realizes it isn’t that big a deal. Care Bear is our other little one who is going through a big transition time – potty training. Now that I am no longer spending much time feeding the Little Guy (I’m actually starting to wean him now that he’s getting teeth.) we felt it was time. We were also looking at our budget and realized that diapers was a very doable area that we could cut back in provided Care Bear cooperated. It took nearly a week and for a few moments I wondered if she was really ready; but we finally had success last night. It seems to me after potty training three of them, that the biggest hurdle is getting them to go in the potty that first time. So far this morning we’ve had one successful attempt and no accidents. She seems to finally have the idea, for which I am extremely grateful. This will leave us with only one in diapers. Such a bitter sweet thing, this watching them grow up. So many things that I will miss – cuddles, funny little ways of saying and doing things; and yet so many things to look forward to as well. |
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Traveling with small children is always a challenge and we’ve certainly done a lot of it. Most of the time things go fairly smoothly and we get to and from our destination without any major mishaps. Occasionally though we have a trip where everything seems to be going wrong and the temptation is strong to just turn around and go back before anything else can happen. Such was the case with our holiday travels this Christmas. The plan was to have Christmas at home Tuesday morning and leave that afternoon, arriving at the grandparents’ house Wednesday night in time for the Christmas Eve service. Early Monday morning after I fed the Little Guy and put him back to bed, I found Care Bear fast asleep in a dried puddle of vomit with a diaper starting to overflow. (She had been struggling with diarrhea the last two days.) Thankfully I was already planning to do laundry in preparation for the trip. Needless to say, it was a long day between dealing with her and trying to get everything prepped for having Christmas the next morning and then leaving. Care Bear threw up again Monday night; just enough to need sheets and jammies changed. Having already done the laundry, I didn’t want to run to the Laundromat again before leaving and figured we’d just take it with us and do wash at Grandma’s. But then Princess got so excited about opening presents that she forgot to go potty until it was too late. So, back to the Laundromat I trekked. At this point Dh and I were wondering if we should post-pone our travels until the next day. After much deliberation we decided to continue. Care Bear hadn’t thrown up all day and just wanted to sleep which we figured she could do in the car. Everyone else was fine and we didn’t want to mess up the timing of the family events that were planned. After getting a much later start than we had intended, we headed down the road and got as far as the other side of town before Care Bear had problems. After cleaning both her and her seat we continued on our journey. About an hour further down the road the weather turned nasty and we crawled along battling black ice and fog. After passing lots of vehicles off the road and a number of police cars dealing with a pile-up on the other side of the road we came across a recent accident and stopped to offer help. The truck had rolled several times landing upright and thankfully the couple inside were not hurt. No one had responded to their 911 call yet and we found out from a passing snowplow that they had gone to cold reporting (there were so many accidents that if no injuries were reported they weren’t sending anyone out). We offered to take them to a hotel and they in turn paid for a room for us as well since it was now nearing midnight. The next day we continued on, making the usual stops to feed the Little Guy and change diapers. Thankfully Care Bear was no longer throwing up. However, now that she was keeping stuff down the diarrhea returned and by the end of the day had gone through every pair of pants we had brought for her. The straw that about broke this mommy’s back happened just a couple hours shy of our destination. Half an hour after our last stop Buddy in a panicked voice told us that he had left his brand new watch at Wendy’s when he had changed into his jammies. At that point I was ready to just turn around and go home; never mind the fact we were almost there. Thankfully, when dh immediately called the restaurant there was still someone there (since it was Christmas Eve, they had closed early and we were the last customers) and they agreed to hold it until we came back through. I am happy to report that from this point on the trip went smoothly and everyone had a great time. We had two Christmas dinners; the first at Grandma & Grandpa’s on Christmas day and the second at Dh’s aunt and uncle’s on Saturday. It was a great time of fellowship and we had fun learning a new game – Telephone Pictionary. We also were able to get together with Dh’s cousins again on Monday before beginning the trip back. So, despite the very rough start I would say overall it was a good trip.
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Outside My Window...It is cloudy and supposed to snow again sometime today. We had a really good snowfall just after Thanksgiving and the kids had so much fun playing in it. The temperature warmed up shortly thereafter and melted all the snow, but that was OK because it made for a great day at the zoo. I am thinking...and wondering how long it will take to get the extension for my drivers license. We were supposed to be home by now, but as always the Lord’s timing is not ours. I’m also wondering when the Little Guy's tooth will reappear. I saw and felt the tip of it last week, but the gum has swollen up over it now. I am thankful for...having everyone healthy at the moment. From the kitchen...I think I have successfully reclaimed the fridge from Thanksgiving, only some stuffing left. I am creating...doll clothes for Princess’ Christmas present and the Christmas cards are almost done. I am going...to try to remember everything on my to do list. I really ought to write it down somewhere. I am reading...’Of Plymouth Plantation’ – a history of the Plymouth settlement written by Gov. William Bradford. Reading about what really happened and the reasons behind it all is very eye opening. I am hearing...Buddy and Princess playing, Care Bear doing her Toddler Jump Start computer games, and the Little Guy fussing himself to sleep (hopefully). Around the house...as usual there are dishes waiting and I really should vacuum soon. One of my favorite things...is seeing the look on Buddy’s face when he realizes he really does know his math facts. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I want to get the Christmas cards in the mail (last year I had them ready before December and they didn’t get out until after New Year’s, so we shall see what happens). Other goals are to finish freezing baby food and turkey stock; get the patterns/fabric cut out for the doll clothes; and make another pie for my dh and some Christmas cookies to take to the new neighbors moving in upstairs. Here is picture thought I am sharing...
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FOR TODAY December 8, 2008...
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Homeschooling is going better than I hoped. I wasn’t sure when we started how it would all turn out and like most beginners I was a bit nervous. Would Buddy adjust well to a more intentional school time? Would he accept me as his teacher? How would the girls handle school time? We had started working with him on Kindergarten stuff last January when he turned 5, but we had been fairly relaxed about the whole thing (mostly because I was pregnant) and he was very resistant to ‘doing school’. Well, Buddy has more or less finished Kindergarten. Although the Hooked on Phonics program was not a good fit for us, we did make use of the readers. He was very excited to put the last sticker saying ‘I did it’ on his chart last week. He has also learned all of the recommended sight words for Kindergarten. So far he enjoys reading and is eager to learn more. He asks almost every day if we have new words to learn, so I guess I need to print out the first grade sight words. He has also finished his School Zone Kindergarten workbook and we have moved on to the Math 1-2 and Phonics workbooks. I’m just concentrating on the 3Rs right now. That’s about all his attention span can handle and with 3 other little ones it’s about all I can handle. I’m just pleased at how well he is doing. We haven’t been following a normal school schedule – Monday through Friday, taking weekends and holidays off, etc. Life keeps changing things around and I figure he doesn’t really know the difference anyway. So far we’ve ended up with days off due to sickness, a trip to visit grandparents, and when I have various projects that need to be done. We’ve made up for it by doing school on Saturdays a lot. On the days when we’re home and I can’t do school with him I try to make sure he spends some time working on his Jump Start games. Sometimes I think of taking a day off due to whatever holiday and then he starts asking if I’m ready to do school. Then I remind myself I need to take advantage of his eagerness to learn while he still has it (and pray that it continues). |
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FOR TODAY November 17, 2008... Outside My Window...it is dark. The sun definitely sets earlier now. We got our first snow the other day and there are still hints of it in the shadows. I am thinking... that somehow despite not feeling like doing anything I seem to actually be accomplishing quite a bit today. I am thankful for...my dh finding a ‘fix’ for my computer so that Word works again and I can do my daybook entry. From the kitchen... My big project for the day has been making mini corn dogs. This is the second time I've tried this (the first time I didn't have enough oil to cover them) and they are turning out fairly well. Even my dh who isn't a hot dog fan says they are good. I decided to do mini ones instead of full size because I have an abundance of toothpicks and didn't want to have to buy skewers. I also figured they would go over better with the kids. I am creating...Christmas cards. Yes, it’s that time of year again. I like to get them done before Thanksgiving and since I need to do over a hundred this year I really need to get cracking. I am going...to hopefully do more laundry tomorrow. Dh is out buying quarters (along with running other errands) right now. I wish it didn’t cost so much to do laundry, but I’m grateful to finally have laundry facilities here in our 4-plex. I am reading...recipes, blogs, online books, status updates on Facebook… I am hearing...Buddy flying his K’nex airplane around the house, Care Bear splashing in the tub, and the Little Guy fussing about being bored with his toys. Around the house...dishes are waiting to be washed, clothes need to be folded, and I need to get Care Bear out of the tub so Buddy can get in. One of my favorite things...is the feeling of getting things accomplished. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Work on Christmas cards and get together with friends for a playdate or two.  Grandpa H and Buddy - two hardworking cowboys. |
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Like so many others, life seems to be coming at me faster than I can keep up with and blogging ends up taking a back seat to everything else. I wanted to at least do the Simple Woman's Daybook each week, but my computer has been giving me fits about it. I did come across some inspiration yesterday as I was following links. The blog I ended up at was posting their great-grandmother's diary online. This woman kept a diary faithfully for 10 years. She didn't write very much, only a short sentence or two everyday; but it reminded me that this doesn't need to be anything fancy. Anyway, I'm going to try to write a short bit everyday. If I succeed great, if not - that's life. |
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Outside My Window...it is cloudy and a little bit foggy. They say we might get snow tomorrow. I am thinking...about going to the homeschool activity at the library this afternoon. The library’s website says it is ‘open to all homeschoolers’ and geared toward 5-10 year olds. Supposedly we’ll read a book and then do a corresponding activity. Sounds great, but I’m a little nervous since we haven’t done much with other homeschoolers yet. I want to meet other homeschoolers and be able to do stuff with them; but since we aren’t Colorado residents and are only here temporarily ‘joining’ a coop isn’t an option. I am thankful for...four great years with my Little Princess. She had her birthday yesterday. It’s hard to believe how fast time flies and how quickly they grow. I was helping her with her socks the other day and remember thinking how big her feet have grown. From the kitchen...I smell bread baking. Lord willing it will turn out well; I doubled the recipe and then altered it a little. I am creating...clothes for my kids. I finished the dress for Princess. Now I need to make a new Sunday shirt for Buddy, some long sleeve shirts for Princess and fix Care Bear’s jeans. I am going... to write some thank you cards for our trip last weekend. I am reading...nothing particular at the moment. I am hearing...my kids watching Curious George and Word World. Around the house...there are play dough crumbs under the table. The kids have been enjoying the new play dough and toys Princess got for her birthday from Grandpa Hill. One of my favorite things...is fresh bread. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: No big plans other than to hopefully get more sleep. If I had laundry facilities here I would get going on Buddy’s new shirt (I need to wash the fabric first), but since I don’t it will have to wait. Maybe I can get some scrapbooking done.  Care Bear having fun at Whit's End. |
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Today my little Princess turned 4 years old.
 My how she has grown! We celebrated with some friends last night and then again just our family today.  I made her a new dress for her birthday. She always gets so excited about her new dresses. Tonight we will finish celebrating by watching one of the movies she received for her birthday (The Little Princess or The Secret Garden). |
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FOR TODAY October 13, 2008... Outside My Window...blue skies and sunshine. Yes, I’m actually writing this during the day. The temperature dropped this weekend and it actually feels like winter is on its way now. I am thinking...about my plans for tomorrow. We have storytime at the library in the morning and in the afternoon I plan to go borrow a sewing machine from a friend. I also need to do some laundry. I am thankful for...being home again. Our weekend in Denver went well and we had some great visits with friends. We also were able to introduce the kids to a fun restaurant from dh’s past – Casa Bonita. From the kitchen...Mondays are easy nights for me since dh likes to take Princess on a date before Cubbies. I usually do grilled cheese since that is Buddy’s favorite. I am creating...lots of things in my mind – scrapbook pages, Princess’ new dress… We’ll see what I manage to accomplish this week. I did get a bunch of pictures printed out for the scrapbooks. I am going...to be getting more shelves (hopefully dh will pick them up tonight). I am so looking forward to being able to organize all the school and craft stuff better. I am reading...Treasures of Encouragement by Sharon Betters. I started it awhile back and then it got lost in all the packing and moving. I found it again the other day and want to try again to finish it. I am hearing...Buddy playing on the computer and the Little Guy making little noises as he plays with his toys. Around the house...dishes are waiting to be washed and I need to get out the winter clothes for everyone. One of my favorite things...is fresh strawberries. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: After I borrow that sewing machine my goal will be to get Princess’ new winter dress done for her to wear next Sunday. It’s a little cold now for wearing a sundress even with a cardigan over it. Sunday is also Princess’ 4th birthday. We are going to some friends’ house for dinner Saturday night and I will be bringing cake and ice cream to celebrate. Here is picture thought I am sharing...
 View from partway up Mt. Hermon. |
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FOR TODAY October 6, 2008... Outside My Window...the sun has set, but there is still a hint of pink on the horizon. It’s been fairly windy lately; it’s fall after all. I am thinking...I could really use a bread knife. I made bread and then realized I didn’t have a knife to cut it with. It’s just not the same if you try to use a straight edge knife and the only serrated one I have is a paring knife. (Dh got home before I posted this and had found me two bread knives at Goodwill.) I am thankful for...leadership that is genuinely concerned about our support level and is willing to get personally involved. From the kitchen...I’ve been having fun trying different recipes and so far they all seem to have gone over fairly well with the rest of the family. I am wearing...blue jeans and a green v-neck t-shirt. I am creating...materials for a letter A lapbook. Princess sooooo wants to do school work and I figure this is a good way to start. She loves looking at the scrapbooks I make, so I figure she will have fun with this too. I am going...to give Care Bear a shower when I’m done typing here. As usual she has managed to get something sticky in her hair. I am reading...various websites and blogs. I’m in between books right now. I am hearing...Buddy and Care Bear playing. The Little Guy is fussing a little and wants to be picked up. Dh and Princess are out right now. He has decided to start taking her out on a ‘date’ each week before taking her to Cubbies. Around the house...need to do some cleaning tomorrow. I’m working on teaching Buddy to clean the bathroom (most of it anyway). One of my favorite things...probably my absolute favorite is cuddling with my husband. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I want to try getting back to the used book store. It’s going to be a short week here at home because we will be going on a short trip to visit more friends and supporters. Pray for dh as he tries to work out all the details. Here is picture thought I am sharing...  My sister and I wanted to get a picture of the two little guys in their matching outfits. When we sat down for the picture we realized they were not the only ones matching. |
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Buddy is doing so well with his reading. He can pretty much read any of the Hooked on Phonics Kindergarten readers now. He’s even feeling confident enough to read to Daddy now. I’m still having him read me one story each day in ‘school’ though, because he’s not reading them as easily as I would like before we move on to the next level. I’ve read so many places about not pushing the reading too fast and making sure they are comfortable before moving on so that they aren’t scared off from reading. I need to look into ordering more readers for him so that they are here by the time we are ready.  The Little Guy has reached another milestone and has started eating solids. How time does fly! So far he has enjoyed peas, sweet potatoes, bananas, rice cereal and oatmeal. Like each of the others, he’s not real excited about plain cereal (rice or oatmeal) so I usually mix it in with his veggies. Tonight was the first night he ate a whole serving (stage1 container) at one sitting. Hopefully it will help him sleep better. I think he’s going through a growth spurt because he’s been waking up early wanting to eat. Right now we are just sitting him in the car seat on one of the dining chairs for a high chair. We’ve had several people offer to loan us one, but since we have so little space in our dining room I don’t want to bother with one until he is ready to do finger foods.  I am also excited because a friend is going to loan me a sewing machine. I know, I’m addicted, but it is so much fun and my kids need clothes right? This friend has also asked if I want to take some fabric and patterns off her hands. Let’s see, free fabric and patterns too; do you really have to ask? I am looking forward to getting started on Princess’s fall wardrobe. My first project will be a new winter dress for Princess. She always gets so excited when I start making her new dresses. Right now she has a cardigan to wear over her sundress which works well; especially since it has usually warmed up significantly by the time church is over. I have pictures of the girls summer dresses on our website if you are interested (www.scottandsarabeth.com). |
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Outside My Window...again it is dark now, but it has been another beautiful sunny day. It threatened thundershowers several times this week, but nothing ever came of it. I am thinking...I am too tired to really do much thinking. It has been a really long week. Even though we only moved a couple miles up the road, it still meant a lot of busy days, late nights, and unsettled kids. I think the kids are starting to settle in here. We just need some quiet, normal days without any running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I am thankful for...a nice apartment to call home for now and for being at 78.7% of our support. From the kitchen...I think I finally have all the kitchen paraphernalia needed to cook or bake whatever. I’m hoping to do some bread baking. I am wearing...the same thing I was in my last daybook entry - blue jean capris and a blue patterned T-shirt. I am creating...a home. I know we’re only planning to be here a few months at most, but this is the first time I’ve had my own house in two years. I am going...to work on building my milk supply tomorrow. The Little Guy has woken up hungry during the night a couple times this week. I’m also starting him on solids. I am reading...an online book by Judith Bronte. (http://acacia.pair.com/Journey.of.the.Heart/index.html) She has some interesting plots and addresses some tough issues in her stories. I am hoping...to get some sleep this week (maybe even a nap or two). I am hearing...the news my husband is watching, the hum of the computer, cars going by on the street. Around the house...just settling in and figuring out where to best put everything. One of my favorite things...is holding my Little Guy while he is sleeping. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I plan to take it easy and just work on establishing a routine here in the new house. Here is picture thought I am sharing...
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FOR TODAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2008...|
This week has been one long emotional roller coaster. Last week we had absolutely no idea where we would be living this next week. It’s actually only been 4 days since God started opening the door and showing us the next step. Why does He always seem to wait until the last minute? Then of course there are always the questions of why He chose not to provide through His people (several people knew of possible places, but they were always too small or too far out of the way) and instead used a random Craigslist rental ad? What connections, ramifications, etc. are going on ‘behind the scene’ that I don’t see? Why do both radio stations have to have major break downs whenever we're in the middle of something like this? What’s he trying to teach us; or is the main lesson for someone else? Whatever it is I just keep reminding myself that He does have a plan – for my good and that of my family. The apartment He has provided is a 3-bedroom, 1-bath in a 4-plex with a nice big fenced backyard. Most importantly, they are willing to do a short-term month-to-month lease with utilities included. Dh is looking forward to having an office instead of working out of the living room. They’ve been working on renovating all of the apartments, so we are the only tenants right now. It’s even more centrally located to all our friends and supporters than the place we’ve been staying, so that is a big plus. The only downside right now is that the laundry isn’t working. There is a leak in the ceiling that needs to be fixed before they install the new washer and dryer. Dh has offered to help them with that to hopefully speed up the process. In the meantime, a friend has suggested we have regular play dates at her house so I can do laundry there while the kids play. As I write this Dh is out rounding up furniture and delivering it to the new apartment. It is exciting to see how God is taking care of that need. Dh only sent out the email this morning telling what furniture needs we had and already God has provided most of the list; even things that I didn’t really expect to get. How many people do you know that have a dining table with 6 chairs sitting in their shed or an extra brand new microwave? The kids are excited about moving to a new house. They ‘worked hard’ all morning getting their toys and books packed. Of course a lot of them are unpacked now. They want to sleep over there tonight and I keep reminding them we don’t have beds yet. Besides, the internet doesn’t get switched over until Tuesday and Dh can’t go for long without that. I have to admit I’m a little addicted too. There’s nothing like being without internet for a few days to make you realize just how much you use it. Well, I must go help load the car so we can take another load over. We have way too much stuff, but with 4 kids and having been ‘outside’ for 2 years (that’s 2 Christmases, 8 birthdays, and a baby) it’s difficult to minimize. |
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This is supposed to be done on Mondays, but I have no idea where Monday went this week.
FOR TODAY SEPTEMBER 9, 2008... Outside My Window...it is dark now, but it has been a beautiful sunny day. The kids played outside most of the day and we even took a walk after supper this evening. I am thinking...I need to learn more about html code so that I can improve my blog and help more with our own website. I am thankful for...a husband who is willing to take the time to teach me about computer and websites, etc. From the kitchen...I was planning to do chicken alfredo tonight, but discovered that chicken had not been added to the shopping list after we used the last of it. So, plan B was rice, corn, and some leftover meat sauce I had in the freezer. I am wearing...blue jean capris and a blue patterned T-shirt. I am creating...scrapbooks. I somehow manage to remain two years behind, but at least I’m not getting further behind. I also have a cross-stitch that is almost done; though it is definitely low on the priority list. I am going...to try to sort through the kids' toys this week and see what can ‘disappear’. I am reading...100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum. I am hoping...to return to Alaska soon. (Anyone out there interested in supporting mission radio reaching out to the bush of Alaska?) I am hearing...my husband making phone calls. Otherwise it is blessedly silent now that the kids are in bed. Around the house...the laundry is waiting. I am notorious about getting it halfway done and then forgetting about it. One of my favorite things...is the smell of rain. A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: I plan to keep persevering with the homeschooling. No it doesn’t take that much time or effort (just Kindergarten after all), but we are just starting and it will take time for it to become habit. Our handwriting student workbook arrived today, so we will be figuring out how to add that in to the routine. I am also hoping that we will find a new place to live since we now have less than two weeks left in this house. Here is picture thought I am sharing...  Care Bear exploring the flowers last summer. |
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As I mentioned before due to financial constraints we have a very eclectic curriculum this year. I figure though with it being only Kindergarten it won’t matter so much if I’m piecing things together as long as the basics get covered. I thought I would share what we’re doing (if only to see it written out and understand it myself). Bible Our Bible curriculum is fairly simple right now. We want the kids to learn catechism, so I found a website that has a simple catechism laid out year by year (one question each week). Buddy is also doing Awana Sparks, so that will be his memory verse each week. I want to do a Charlotte Mason memory program with him using those verses so that we will have lots of review. Phonics When Buddy turned 5 we purchased Hooked on Phonics because he was ready, we had friends who had good success with it, and Costco was carrying their entire Hooked on Kindergarten curriculum for a good price. I quickly discovered their rote memorization/ repetition, repetition, repetition did not work for my kinesthetic learner. Thankfully they included a workbook which used pencils, crayons and scissors. We also did a lot of spelling with fridge magnets. When I started looking at how to continue I came across a couple of websites (http://www.mes-english.com & http://www.schoolexpress.com) that have phonics printables for teachers. From these I was able to make some phonics blends flashcards and print some Kindergarten sight words work sheets. Right now we are working on recognizing one set of blends and sight words each week. When we are done with those I have a School Zone ‘Big Phonics’ workbook (also from Costco) that we will use. We will also make use of all the beginning readers that came with the Hooked on Phonics and play some of the reading games they suggested. Math Right now we are finishing up School Zone’s ‘Big Kindergarten’ workbook. Eventually I want to use Math-U-See, but I can’t afford the whole curriculum right now. I watched their demo on their website and figure I will try using the blocks with the School Zone ‘Big Math 1-2’ book that we already have. The blocks arrived yesterday and the kids had a great time checking them out. I will also make use of the Hooked on Math by using it as tests to double check our progress. Handwriting I have decided to go with the Getty-Dubay Italic handwriting. I agree with the ideas behind italic versus stick & ball/ traditional cursive handwriting. The teacher’s manual arrived the other day, but we are still waiting for the student workbook. I also read several articles on the websites for Peterson Directed Handwriting and Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting so I will try to incorporate those teaching styles. Science We’re not doing anything particular for science yet. I found some little books in the homeschooling section of the used book store that have little experiments you can do with young children. We will try to do those as we have time. That’s it for now; as I said, very eclectic. I’ve seen some neat looking stuff that I’m interested in for next year if the Lord provides the finances. One day at a time, one year at a time, right? |