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Jul. 26, 2008

Annette's 3rd Grade Year

Posted By Homeschooling6

Okay! I think I'm done with figuring out what my Annette will use for her 3rd grade year. Here it goes. Ready???

For Reading she will use Total Language Plus & Progeny Press. I would have loved to continue with R&S Reading but since she scored such high grades on her assessment I feel that Rod & Staff would be lots of busy work for her. I'll update and add the ones she uses to this post. Her first one will be

Total Language Plus - Pippi Longstocking

Grammar- First Language Lessons 3 I like how it includes dictation, narration, dictionary skills, letter writing & grammar all in one book.

Writing- Writing With Ease this looks so non threating. It's scripted!!! Yahoo! I love how The Well Trained Mind is scripted. I don't have to worry about explaining or figuring out how to teach it.

Spelling- All About Spelling She will start with Level 1. She is a natural speller but when I called they recomended that she start with Level 1 to get the foundation of the phonograms down.

Math-Singapore 2A, 2B, Challenging Word Problems & 2B Intensive Math. I wrote a schedule HERE if you would like to see how we plan to fit all this in. I don't expect her to finish all of the Challenging Word Problems & Intensive Math.

Penmanship-Queenhomeschool new Cursive progam.

Bible/History/Art/Read Alouds/Science/Music- My Father's World "Creation to the Greeks" & WinterPromise "Adventures in the Sky & Sea" I'm not sure if this will work, but I plan to use CtG for 9 weeks, S&S 9wks, CtG 9 wks, S&S 9 wks. We'll only get half way through each program this year. As we go through these I'll post what books we read as we go here on this thread. If we skip anything I don't want it listed as we did it.

Science:

Genesis For Kids

Bible:

Discover's Bible for Young Readers
Dinosaurs of Eden

Read Alouds:

Teasure of the Snow (My Father's World)
Three Little Ladies (from queenhomeschool)

History:

Victory Journey Through the Bible

Art:

God & the History of Art

Music:

Vivaldi The Four Seasons, The Story of Vivaldi, Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery & Vivaldi Masterpieces

PE:

Trips to the pool
Bike riding
Practice jump roping
Twice a week park trips or walking to Seven Eleven

Foreign Language:

Spanish
Greek Roots

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Jul. 26, 2008

Visiting Dad

Posted By MamaSmurf in Family

Yesterday, we made the journey to North Wales to visit my Dad. When we got there, we were just so glad to get a drink and sit in a comfortable chair it was ridiculous!!

We spent some time catching up on news and then went to the cemetery where my Mum is buried to take some flowers - it is such a beautiful place! We could see right across the river towards sunny hills (just as if she were really pleased we were there!).

Then it was a quick trip to one of the coastal towns for a walk round and (as always) Dad treated us all to a beautiful meal at a local restaurant. Littlesmurf was able to spend some quality time with his "Taid" - especially as my sister's children weren't around to interrupt (I know that sounds terribly un-Christian, but there are three of them and they are exceptionally "loud" - whereas Littlesmurf is just one, relatively quiet young man).

It was then just about time for us to set off back home again - a short, but sweet visit! We have promised that we will visit again later in the year and, perhaps, stay over, so that things are not quite so rushed!!

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Jul. 26, 2008

Minute to Minute - How To Get Out Of The Kindergarten Corner

Posted By Gena Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

Minute to Minute
Readers Helping Readers

Greetings!

Last week Minute to Minute received a letter from a new homeschool mom who felt unable to homeschool her kindergarten age daughter while taking care of her ill, elderly mother.

This week, homeschool moms wrote in to encourage Tammy and tell her that she can homeschool. If the Lord has given her a calling, He will help her to do what seems impossible. She's not alone, and she has people and resources that will help her.

We at TOS also wanted to remind Tammy and other homeschool moms of the wonderful resources TOS Magazine has to offer to those homeschooling kindergarteners. Numerous TOS articles covering teaching tips, fun ideas, and helpful resources can be found in the Kindergarten Korner. Also, be sure to order the TOS Spring 2008 Digital Back Issue which features wonderful kindergarten articles and resources.

Something Special

You Can Do It

Dear Tammy,

I believe that you can homeschool with an aging parent. It will take a lot of planning, and let me tell you, helping out my father has felt like having two children to look after, again. Is your mother coherent enough to read to your daughter? This may be the time to enlist her help (if able) so that you can do lesson planning. Your mother may interrupt because she desires the attention (just like a child) and giving her something to do may provide that attention. I have found that the best time to get things done was while I was waiting at the doctor's for appointments, and believe me, my father has plenty of appointments. We never went anywhere without our "carschooling bookbag."

This may also be the time to check out pre-packaged curriculum programs. My son was always happy to be with me in the kitchen while he did his little workbook pages. This requires some multitasking, but it truly can be done. There are also some computer-based programs that require limited supervision, as well as online programs that you may check out, and these begin as early as kindergarten. I also purchased a plastic bin where I kept a learning center. I switched these out about once a week. One week it was full of "red" things, "blue" things, etc., then we started with letters and sight words.

Does your mother take a nap in the afternoon? Does your preschooler still need one? If you have quiet time in the afternoon, use that time for lesson planning (I know how tempting it is to use this for chore time, but you do need planning time).

Check with your church about adult respite programs. There may be an adult daycare that you can afford for a couple of mornings a week. Home healthcare organizations may also have someone on the staff qualified to "babysit" your mother. Ask around, you may be surprised. I'll say a prayer for you and your family.

A Homeschool Mom Who's Been There,

Kathy

Don't Underestimate 5 Minutes

Dear Tammy,

We just started first grade with my oldest this month. Though I do not have the challenge of caring for an ill adult in my own home, our past several years have definitely been full of challenges. Several close family members have required extended hospitalizations. We were away from home several times for long periods helping those family members. My husband is also active duty military, and we have dealt with very erratic schedules and extended separations, with a year-long deployment to Iraq coming up this fall and the birth of a baby, who is a very active and interruptive 2 year old this year.

I have a few rather practical questions. Does your mother take naps? Could you work with your daughter during this time? We had a new baby and had to work around naptimes and interruptions quite a bit. We would also play tapes with the alphabet or number song in the car or while preparing meals. I pointed out things in our home: letters on the fridge, numbers on the phone or calendar. Count out x number of eggs for me for this recipe. Something else my son really loved was simple educational computer games. We saved them for special occasions, but once you got him started he could sit and play the games for a while by himself, and he was actually learning all at the same time.

I was really scared when we started kindergarten with my son last year. Two things helped me to overcome my fear. First, I noticed that it didn't take more than a half hour each day for my son to do his "school work". Sometimes it seemed like it only took 10 minutes, then he was off playing again for the rest of the day. What really set the tone for the whole year for us was finding the right approach to teach him reading. He just didn't understand at first. Then we picked up the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. That book just spoke his language. The light bulb went on, and he was off and reading. It really eased all my fears and built up my confidence to realize that it could be done and in such little time.

I guess what I am trying to say overall is, don't overestimate what your daughter "has" to learn this year, and don't underestimate the impact you can have in any given 5 minutes.

A Fellow Homeschool Mom,

Regina

Cherish The Moment

Dear Tammy,

While I didn't have exclusive care of my father, he did take ill and pass away during my daughter's kindergarten year. I was so thankful that we were homeschooling at the time because I was free to take my kids (my daughter, and also my, then 3 year old, son) to visit him without guilt and without question. I have never regretted the time we spent with my dad during his last days with us. My dad and my daughter had a very special relationship, and it was a blessing when she could be with him.

Don't worry about interrupting your kindergarten schooling to take care of grandma. You're teaching your child something much more important than her ABCs and numbers. What's more, she will get her ABCs and numbers one way or another, perhaps just not on your timeline. Here is where teaching at home is so different from teaching in a classroom. You don't need to look like you're in "school" to learn, and you don't need to follow a pre-determined schedule.

As a teacher-mom you can incorporate your lessons into everyday life. . .count the steps as you both go up and down, count spoonfuls as you cook, count how many plates you need to set the table for the family; draw numbers and letters in the sand or with the ingredients of your cookies; read aloud at bedtime when dad can help with grandma. Mostly, relax and know that your child will learn what she needs to know, plus she will see your loving care of grandma in action. What classroom school could ever equal that?

Having Homeschooled With An Aging Parent,

From The Experienced. . . .

My main piece of advice is that you don't stress about kindergarten. Five isn't a magic age to teach them stuff, and if you miss it they won't be delayed or deprived. If you must do something, do it in short blocks of time (which is good for that age anyway). I don't have an aging mother in my home, but I do have 8 children, seven of whom are school age. That makes Kindergarten take a back seat to the 10-yr old who is still struggling to read.
~Carol

Not sure if this is a possibility, can your mom be included in your kindergarten lessons? Have your mom, read to your daughter or practice doing some basic stuff that your mom CAN do with your daughter. Take pictures of them together too as it will be priceless when she is gone. I say this as I lost my mom on April 7, 2007, and I just loved it when she came to visit. I have only a handful of pictures of them doing things together; my child learning from my mom. Act like you are busy and that you need your mom's help, maybe she is interrupting because she wants to be included in some way, even if it is small. You can have your mom "HELP" with your daughter's learning and then later let your mom know that this is your time to review or to teach some new things. Remember, to do what is best for you and your family. Please be careful not to show your impatience towards your mom, as your daughter will pick up on that.
~Valerie

I have been in the same situation (although my dad doesn't wander or get into things). I would include him in the learning while I was working with my daughter doing kindergarten. A lot of the time, she would answer the questions I was asking him or vice-versa. It was great for us. He has Alzheimer's, and it helped to keep his mind tracking, too. During times when I needed my daughter to focus, I would put my dad to bed for a nap. I hope this helps just a little. I know it's hard, and I commend you for
taking caring of your mom. Stay strong.
~Candi

I have 4 children that I homeschool, and their ages range from 1 year to 10 years. I believe the challenges you face with Grandma may be similar to those I face with my 1 year old. They are needy in different ways of course, but they can both be a sweet little source of interruption while trying to school your other children. For instance, my baby is constantly asking for things, crying, wanting a snack or a drink, needing entertainment, and wanting to be held. Neither you nor I would want to ignore our precious needy family members, so we have to figure out a way to balance it all! I believe my solution could also work for you. I have learned to engage my baby in learning with my older children. This could be of great help to Grandma! Even if she has lost some of her faculties, you can allow her to exercise her mind (and her fingers) by giving her some manipulatives to work with! Alphabet puzzles, building blocks, pick-up sticks, color matching, etc can be wonderful for young children and the elderly alike! I have found preschool manipulatives to be a life-saver when it comes to entertaining my children, and it is a much healthier option than plopping them in front of the TV. If Grandma thinks this task is silly, simply let her know that she is helping to teach your little one. I believe she will feel appreciated and important, while she is also being entertained.
~Anna

We have three children ages 2, 5, and 8. For the alphabet we have used several things including Leap Frogs Fridge Phonics Magnets, Leap Frog Videos, Dover Publishing ABC coloring books or free printouts from enchantedlearning.com and cartooncritters.com. We also play with ABC stamps and playdough with ABC cookie cutters. You could also bake sugar cookies and cut out ABCs. When traveling in the car we listen to phonics songs and play I Spy alphabet and number games. I also have used and love the free curriculum from Brightly Beaming Resources and Old Fashion Education. You can also find at your library or at the bookstore several books including simple hands-on games for reading and math skills. Don't forget to check The Schoolhouse Store first! All these things take little time and believe me having three kids, I need quick and easy lessons! I could go on and on forever on this subject, but my best advice is to just relax and enjoy this time! You have a lot of schooling years ahead of you and your daughter and whatever she does not learn this year, she'll learn the next. Take care of mom and enjoy her also. Happy homeschooling!

~Autumn

Homeschooling Resource

The Upper & Lower Case Magnet Sets from Eager Mind are extremely unique. Each set contains the long and short vowel sounds. Each letter/picture combination is fully backed with a 1 mm magnetic layer, and each letter and picture are together on one magnet.

Homeschooling Resource

Adventures in Phonics Level A Workbook from Christian Liberty Press begins a formal study of phonics-starting with short vowel sounds and logically progressing through consonants, long vowels, and beyond. It uses drill, repetition, and writing activities to ensure comprehension. It is designed to work with the Kindergarten Phonics Readers, where students are prompted to begin reading once the phonics concepts for a given title have been studied.

Click HERE to view the Christian Liberty Press Adventures in Phonics Workbooks, Teacher's Manuals, and Flashcards for Kindergarten through third grade.

Thank you for writing in and encouraging Tammy as she attempts to homeschool her kindergartener while taking care of her aging mother. Remember, if you have a question you would like to ask the Minute to Minute Readers, please email us. Emailing or otherwise responding to this email constitutes permission for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC to publish, post, reprint and distribute part or all of your response in the Minute to Minute E-Newsletter, the print, digital and online versions of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, on Company websites and in other Company publications.

Sincerely,

Elisabeth Marlowe, Minute to Minute Editor
The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine

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Jul. 26, 2008

"I don't know how you do it. You must have the patience of Job."

Posted By ElCloud in Spiritual Life

I think many stay-at-home moms, and all homeschooling Moms have heard this before. Well, add in a larger than average family, and it gets even worse. "You must be superwoman."

I'm not. I am just an average woman trying to do what God has called me to do. I don't always do it well. In fact, I often do a very mediocre job, and sometimes I just completely fail. One morning this week I was so overwhelmed with all that needed to be done to clean the house, after too many days of just relaxing. I was feeling very discouraged with the struggle to get my children to work with me. I had basically given up that day, before we even began.

Well, my pity party grew as I folded clothes, until I was crying as I put clothes away. I'm sorry, but you can't cry secretly in a house with six kids, no matter how hard you try. I finally went to my room and shut the door, but within 5 minutes I had 6 kids standing around my bed staring at me. What a novelty!! Mom's crying!!

After I reassured them no one had died, and baby and I were physically fine ... I did finally tell them I was just discouraged. I didn't want to use my tears to manipulate them, but I did want them to know that I was discouraged.

Then we got up and we all started working. I did most of the work, and I am still feeling it in my achy muscles, but the work was done. We just need to work on the concept that if we don't work daily it will all fall apart again. My oldest will be 13 next month, but we still do not have the area of chores and cheerful obedience regarding chores conquered. None of us are perfect here.

There are other times I just lose my patience and raise my voice. And I have several children who mirror that right back at me. If I let my irritation or anger show in my voice, it is returned to me in their response. I know this ... and yet I still let my frustration and anger show too often.

I am selfish. I am impatient. I get tired of the daily grind of homeschooling, housework, and raising a large family. Too often I procrastinate and don't give this task my best efforts.

How do I do it then? With God's help. I've been listening to our Selah "Hiding Place" CD in our car, and it touches my heart. The first two songs on the CD totally express my dependence on my Lord and Savior.

Selah -- You Raise Me Up

When I am down, and oh my soul, so weary.
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be.
Then I am still and wait here in the silence.
Until You come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

There is no life, no life without its hunger.
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly.
But when you come and I am filled with wonder.
Sometimes I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up, to more than I can be.

Selah -- Part the Waters, Lord / I Need Thee Every Hour

When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord
When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea
When I cry for help, oh, hear me
Lord and hold out Your hand
Touch my life
Still the raging storm in me

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford

I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain
Come quickly and abide, or life is vain

I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee

O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee

When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord

I'm not superwoman. I'm not perfect. I'm not even that patient. But, God is continually working in my life to change me. I am more patient and less selfish than I once was. And I pray I become even more patient and less selfish.

When I turn to God, and lean on Him, I can do this. I can stay home, and homeschool my large family ... in a manner that is pleasing to Him. With Him, I am more than I could ever be alone. And I need Him, always. Not only do I need Him, but He is faithful and He will give me everything I need to complete the task He has called me to do.

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” " 2 Corinthians 12:9

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13

"Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." 1 Corinthians 1:7-9

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Trusting in Him,
April

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Jul. 26, 2008

Graduation Open House - What Worked/What Didn't

Posted By mom2many in Homeschool

It's been a week since Erika's high school graduation open house. Since I have another one graduating from homeschool next year, I've been thinking about how it all went, and what I might do differently in the future.

What Worked:

waiting until July -- there are SO many open houses in late May and most of June! I wanted to be able to go to as many of them as we could. Plus, I didn't want people to feel forced to choose between "us" and "them"!
having it from 4-7 p.m. It was wonderful to have the whole day for all the last minute preparations.
ordering Erika a diploma, tassel, invitations and a few little extras from homeschooldiploma.com Since she didn't get to participate in a "real" graduation, these things really made her feel like she had "finished". Our order was pretty inexpensive, came in 4 days and was perfect!
deciding to go with meatballs vs. hot dogs and smoked sausages on the grill. Way less fussy (no need for condiments, buns, etc.), and lots less work for my hubby, who would have been standing at the grill half the time.
chopping all the vegetables for the macaroni, potato and broccoli salad on Thursday. I spent about 1-1/2 hours washing, peeling and chopping and bagging onions, green/red/yellow peppers, celery, radishes and broccoli and another couple of hours boiling/peeling/cubing potatoes, eggs, and pasta. It was so worth it when I got ready to put together the salads on Friday! Once the salads were made I put them in gallon-sized ziplock bags. On Saturday, I filled up the disposable aluminum pans and put the rest of the bags on ice in a cooler under the food table.
accepting help when it was offered. My friend made a beautiful, HUGE fresh fruit salad and two of my sister-in-laws brought pasta salad and baked beans. Between the three of them they saved me hours of work!
letting Erika put together her "shrine" (what we called her table of memorabilia and pictures!). I specified a few things that had to be included, but she did the rest, again saving me hours plus she really enjoyed showing people her hand-picked memories.

What Didn't Work:

the budget. We figured it would cost around $350. It ended up being much closer to $500. Ouch!
the weather. It rained. Fortunately we had 2 canopies and a screen tent, but it was still soggy, and once the rain stopped it was muggy and mosquito-y! We had to move the "shrine" inside, but we have a big house, so it worked okay.
using only one invitation for the entire church family, and one for hubby's work. Some people didn't come because they didn't see the invitation, and a few were offended that they didn't get a personal one.
estimating how much food we needed. Actually for the most part, we did okay, but we ended up with WAY WAY WAY too much macaroni salad!! Note to self: 1/2 bag of pasta from Gordon's will make enough to feed 150 people!!
the cake. Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful! One side had a picture of Erika at age 2 or so, the other side had a graduation picture (both in edible frosting). I didn't want to cut it!! However, Erika's colors were black and silver, so the frosting around the edge/bottom of the cake was also. I can't tell you how many people walked around with purple lips and gray teeth after eating a piece! (I didn't have any ... LOL!)
not asking for help with the clean-up. By 9:30 when the last guests left, we were beat! We still had to put away all the food, wash all the dishes, clean up all the trash, take down all decorations, tables and chairs (they belonged to the church and had to be back that night). We left the "shrine" and the canopies for the next afternoon, but it was still after midnight before we could sit down.
not having extra batteries for my camera. I had to rely on a couple of relatives to get good pictures for me. :o(

All in all it was a wonderful day. It was so enjoyable to see everyone, many whom I haven't seen in years! Erika came away encouraged and blessed by the many who were there.

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Jul. 26, 2008

The "SATURDAY MORNING POST" -- Update on dd

Posted By Stacy Miller in Our family

Still no word from the doctor's office. One person said it can take two weeks for mono results to come back. Another said 5 minutes. I am going to quit paying attention to those kinds of comments because I have enough on my mind without getting conflicting information. We will just have to until they call us.

DD is still resting a lot, though not doing much actual during the daytime hours. She usually "comes to life" for about 3-4 hours in the evening. Since that is around the time dh comes home, he doesn't seem to think there is anything wrong with her. Perhaps when he is home tomorrow, he will see that we really aren't and jut making it up.

She was up more yesterday than she was on Wednesday and Thursday, but still very lethargic. Basically sits and draws or lies down and watches TV. We also bought some vitamins in liquid form from the health food store. Those may be contributing to the slight changes we are seeing in her. The vitamins cost around $60 for the two bottles dh purchased. (Mary, I guess that one won't work for a TT thread, will it?) OTOH, if they help dd feel much better, and shorten the length of whatever her illness is, then it will be worth it.

Above all else, . Thank you to all of you who take time from your busy schedules to check on us, but most of all, thank you for your prayers.

Specific prayer requests:

1. That dd regains her strength quickly and her body completely heals.

2. That whatever this is, it will be minor with no lasting complications.

3. For my sanity. I'm beginning to go a little stir crazy.

4. That my back will not end up going out since I'm not working out at the Y right now. It is beginning to feel a bit tender, for lack of a better word. The last thing we need is for me to be flat on my back for several days.

5. For all of us to find our strength in the Lord and not allow a spirit of heaviness to take root.

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Friday, July 25, 2008

The craziest year of my life

Posted By Trish

How does one sum up the craziest year of her life in one blog post?! Let's see...

Where did we leave off?

Oh yeah..

marriage falling apart

pregnant

want a homebirth

found a midwife!

I'm measuring WAYYYY too big for my dates but I KNOW that they are accurate

schedule the ultrasound I swore I wouldn't have

It's TWIN boys!!! Oh my gracious!!! Thank you God!!!

Oh my gracious...it's twin boys....what am I going to do?!

How many placentas did she say were in that ultrasound?!

one

How many sacs did she see?

one

Oh well that means they are identical!

cool.

wait a minute....doesn't that mean they could get tangled in eachother's cords?!

Forget homebirth, we've got to find a doctor!

Oh great, we found a doctor!

Oh great, the doctor dumped us.

what are we going to do?!

hey what about this doctor?

oh wow I like this doctor...well his midwife at least...

Sorry about those kidney stones babe, but I can't find a sitter to keep the kids for my check up...I'll see you this afternoon!

What do you mean go straight to the hospital (3 hours away)?! I can't...my hubby's at home and I can't do this without him!

What do you mean I have to stay here till the twins are delivered?! That could be weeks! I can't do that, I have 5 kids and a sick hubby at home!

Babe, you better find a sitter and get up here, they are taking the boys in the morning...

In hell, they will be doing epidurals, I just KNOW it.

It's a boy...and another boy, but you can't see them.

The Apgars were 3 and 6 at one minute, doctor...

No mam, I'm afraid you can't touch the babies from the gurney because you can't scrub in first.

Here's your chance to hold your baby for the first time, mam...the social worker needs to know what type of birth control you plan to use.

We're leaving the NICU in the morning after just 9 days! Great!

I can't nurse my babies because I don't have a doctor's order to?! You do realize we're leaving in the morning, right?

I can't believe they've been home for 3 weeks...oh my God, Malachi's not breathing!!!

Now Seth's not breathing either!!!

What do you mean you need directions?! This is the 911 address you people gave us and you don't know where we are?!

So your wife was home alone with the babies when they stopped breathing?

What's that got to do with anything?!

Well they seem fine, sir, we're just trying to figure out what happened...

Turn around Doc! You'll see for yourself what happened! They're turning purple!

breathing tubes

ventilators

RSV

life flight to Tulsa (3 hours from home)

too windy for the helicopter...must take ambulance

I know it looks rough now, but they'll be home in a week.

Family separated again

Malachi needs a higher powered ventilator

We're not going home just yet are we Doc?

Seth is ready to wean from his vent!

Oops...maybe not

His right lung has collapsed and his left lung has over-inflated to make up for it, but it's pushing his heart completely out of place

Are they preparing us for the worst?!

God, I surrender this to you...I'm not giving up on Seth, but I know that my worrying can't keep him here...it's in your hands now.

Look at this x-ray! His lung popped back open and he's on his way back to us!!

Thank you LORD!!

Look his eyes are open! The paralytic drugs are wearing off!

Why are his eyes moving like that?! Why won't he look at me?!

Why aren't you telling me anything?!

Oh, he's okay...well alright then...if you say so...

I need to get home to my family for a day or two...poor hubby is falling apart.

Honey, what is this on the computer?! THIS right here! Don't try to deny it!

I can't handle this! I've got to get back to the hospital...

The boys are off their vents...and crying non-stop! What a welcome sound after 3 weeks of silence!

What do you mean they can't share a room in the new building?! How can I care for them both in separate rooms?!

Honey, they're releasing us tonight! Oh, you're already on your way? You were coming to surprise me? Wow. That was thoughtful.

27 days in the PICU...that was the longest "week" of my life.

So this whole thing could have been prevented if the NICU doctor had just given them an RSV vaccine before he released them...he never even offered!

Honey, please ask if the nurse can just call us on your cell phone or wave to us to come in...I can't see taking these boys in there to sit in a germ-ridden waiting room after all they've already been through.

Well if they won't work with us, we'll call the Soonercare helpline...that's what thy are there for.

I can't believe they just FIRED 8 week old babies in the parking lot over us calling the Soonercare line. What are we supposed to do now?!

Who knew it took 2 months to get assigned a new PCP?

Mommy, why does Seth look past me instead of at me?

Seth's not tracking! Why isn't he tracking?!

Why can't we get him into see a pediatrician?! You're his PCP...why won't you give us a referral?!

Money...or lack thereof

Hey look, this place says they can help Seth, we just need the PCP to sign off on it and it's covered!

I can't believe the PCP didn't even know what this place was...but at least he said he'd sign off...

or not

Okay, let's just jump through this hoop to get him to sign off...maybe this eye specialist CAN do something for Seth

His eyes are structurally sound, but he doesn't track...we already knew that!

They want to recheck him in October and then send him for brain scans

Oh wow, the PCP finally signed off!

Seth's evaluation is set for August 11th!

Time for the boys 6 month check-up

Seth's head is too small to register on the charts?! What does that mean?

Phew!

Now you're up to speed...next time I'll attempt to post pictures of our newest blessings...for now stats will have to do. ;)

About 9 am on December 30th, 2007, 7 weeks ahead of our schedule but precisely in God's timing, our family welcomed 2 more of God's richest blessings into our home and hearts.

Seth Jonathan
5 pounds 2 oz

Malachi David
5 pounds 8.9 oz

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Jul. 25, 2008

We'll Put Her in a Pumpkin Shell and There We'll Keep Her Very Well

Posted By Sagerats in Uncategorically Speaking

My mom is nearing retirement age and the closer it gets the more she talks about moving in with us. We've joked around about it for years, like how I'll keep her in a high turrett where her grandchildren can throw food up to her through the window.

My mom claims she will be very cranky and a pain to live with because she will be old, tired, and in pain. She'll be angry that she can't do all the things she wants to do. In one way I can understand that but in another I keep telling her she's just going to have to accept it. It's a fact of life and I don't know why she has to make all of us miserable to boot.

While Dear Man likes my mom he wonders if he might lose his sanity living with someone who chooses to be a grump. He decided we would be a little house on wheels so when my mom is good we'll park her house next to ours and when she is being a pain we'll park her in the back forty.*

Actually my mom will need to have a house on the ground floor so a two or three story house with ground floor apartment would be best. We could also go with a house that has a ground floor mother-in-law house on the property. Either of these could be hard to find in our price range and in our neck of the woods.

So we've been looking to see what kind of houses are out there that we could add to our property. Here are some possibilites. Some are just fun, some are ugly, and some you just have to look at because its there.

Tumbleweed Houses - It's a house, it's on wheels, it's cute!
Eco-Pod House - For the bee in your family
Micro Compact Home - It's ugly and one might be called in to social services if you actually housed your mother in it.
Just a house pod - Might work if we lived in the arctic.
Shell house - Since my mother says she'll be a crab...
Simon's Eco-house - My mom would actually like this even though she doesn't have hairy feet.
ICOSA pods - You could always hope Han Solo might stop by.
A Yurt - You want a reindeer with that?
Loft Cubes - I'd be worried that an alien ship might mistake it for a spare part.**
Pumpkin House - To prevent it from decaying would you have to shellac it?

* I hope you know we are just kidding and that we would take good care of my mom. Maybe.
** I don't believe in aliens but that's what it makes me think of.

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Jul. 25, 2008

Grocery Shopping and Menu

Posted By JoAnn in Menu Plan Monday

Well today was my grocery shopping day. I go every two weeks. I tried to go only once a month but found I kept running out of stuff so back to every other week I went. I've been doing a lot of reading on eating healthy and ridding our diet of unwanted chemicals. As a result I'm trying to use up the stuff that isn't so good for us and slowly restock with things that are better. Here is what I spent on groceries today.

Aldi's

5 gallons of 2% milk
seedless watermelon
4 containers of cottage cheese
10 cans of frozen juice
4 lbs. of real butter
3 bags of shrimp
2 bunches of bananas
10 lbs. of red potatoes
2 bags of dried tart cherries
fresh garlic cloves
sea salt
2 packages of string cheese
coffee creamer
coffee
1 tube sausage
12 small containers of yogurt

Spent = $90.64

Krogers

organic milk
organic salad dressing
washing soda
borax
tart cherry juice concentrate
ground flax seed
garlic powder
minced onion
skewers
2 bags of long grain brown rice
3 boxes of organic cereal
6 lbs of pork loin
greek vinaigrette
5 lbs. of crab
red wine vinegar
2 bars of fels naptha
5 boxes of beef stock (they are discontinuing this particular product and it is the only one that is natural with no msg. I'm bummed)
3 boxes of vegetable stock
1 box of chicken stock
1 bag of navy beans
5lbs. of whole wheat flour

Spent = $108.05

Wal-mart

4 pack of minute maid boxes
3 avocados
tomatoes (mine aren't ripe yet)
2 bags of red seedless grapes
2 heads of iceberg lettuce
1 bunch of green leaf lettuce
1 bunch of red leaf lettuce
2 containers of strawberries
beef bullion cubes
chicken bullion cubes
4 new shirts for mom off the clearance rack

Spent = $64.37

Dollar General

3 boxes of 8 gallon trash bags
4 stack-able plastic bins

Spent = $9.25

Farmers Market

5 lbs. of green beans (different variety then what I planted)
2 cucumbers
2 cantaloupe
2 green peppers
sweet onions

Spent $13.20

Grand Total = $ 285.51 That averages to about $143 a week

Now for the Menu. Somethings I already had in the freezer or pantry, so if your wondering how I got some of the things for the menu, that is where they came from.

Breakfast (served with fruit or juice and milk)

cereal
french toast
pumpkin bread
zucchini bread
waffles
pancakes
boiled eggs/toast
scrambled eggs/toast

Lunch (these are served with a veggie)

salad
ham sandwich
ham spread sandwich
chicken wraps
hot dogs
leftover dinner
peanut butter and jelly sandwich
tuna salad
grilled cheese and tomato soup
fried bologna
bologna spread
leftover dinner
chicken salad sandwich
mac-n-cheese w/ham

Dinner (served with some form of bread)

chef salad
baked ham w/potatoes/green beans
pork kabobs/salad
shrimp/brown rice/ veggie
tamale casserole
chicken soup
salsa chicken, rice, corn
eggplant Parmesan
crab quesadillas (I probably spelled this wrong LOL)
grilled pork, roasted potatoes/ salad
leftovers (twice)
roast, potatoes, carrots
beef stir fry over rice

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Friday, July 25

Show N Tell Looky, looky......

Posted By bethanyrae in Show 'N Tell

Go see Mary at Canada Girl for more Show N Tells.

Looky what I got!

We now have three little hens and a little rooster. They're quite young, so we're not sure yet just what they're going to look like once they get their feathers all organized. I'm sure I'll keep you posted if they start to look any different! ha.

I can see now why it was recommended that I get the little rooster to go with them. These little hens, barely out of the fluff and into their feathers, simply adore him. It's obvious they trust him with their little lives.

He's the one who is all alert to everything, and he'll call to them if they get separated from him when I'm working in the pen. They frantically run around in a little hen clique, trying to get next to him.

I'm glad I figured that out, because when I went out after dark to see if they had figured out their routine for the night, there they were in a little huddle on the ground. Not the best situation. I quickly discovered that when I approached them with a flashlight, they would just sit there mesmerized. So I decided to pick up the little fella first and pop him into the straw-filled nesting box. Yup...he didn't jump back out looking for the others as I suspect a hen would have done, but instead extended his neck and called to them! One by one I popped them in and they were so happy to snuggle down with him into that straw!

So now, we're about to discover if we're cut out to be chicken farmers. They won't start laying for quite some time, and when they do there'll be these little bitty eggs, as these are Bantam chickens. I remember my parents had these little Bantee eggs, and I only remember that the yolks were a richer color.

So if the kids can get used to that, we'll do alright. And if we can handle having to tend to them in the cold of winter. And if the critters don't get them. And if we can set them up well for when we want to go away for a few days. And if the chicken feed doesn't offset any savings we realize on eggs.

They're really too little to eat, for all the work involved in butchering them. So maybe we'll end up naming them after all. If we end up keeping them, right? They seem to have cuteness going for them...or is that just something about me and all my little pets? Oh...did I say "pets??" (Shhhhhhh)

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About Me

Tales of homeschooling children ages 17, 15, and 13.