• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

We are going to be doing Lapbooks this year for the first time.  I have been researching and planning and am very excited about it.  Our science curriculum lends very well to lapbooking.  I really think that the kids will LOVE it.  They are all crafty and love to cut and paste.  But, when I introduced the idea, they looked at me like I was speaking Greek.  So I decided to make them a demo.  I decided that my my impending anniversary would be a great topic.  Here's the result:

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Today was clinic day.  It had been 9 mos since her last checkup.  I was anticipating a terrible day.  In the past these visits have been miserable.  First, the clinic is held in a county health building that is very old and dirty and often without a working a/c.  The temperature for that city (which is an hour drive from home, BTW) was expected to be in the 100s.  Second, they try to pack so many patients into one day, that the wait can be hours long.  Appointment time is relative, an estimation at best.  Third, the tiny waiting room gets packed with grouchy parents and antsy toddlers.  Fourth, she gets an echocardiogram.  If anyone has had one or witnessed one, you know what I mean.  It requires her to lay still for up to 30 mins while the tech rubs a gooey probe all over her chest and neck.  Not an easy task for the tech or the toddler.  It's just not a fun day, by any means.  Better than the 6 hour drive to Stanford, but not fun.

But, today was different.  God was merciful and I am SO thankful!!

First, the a/c was fully functional and the office was wonderfully cool.
Second, the building is being painted so it was clean, even the bathroom.
Third, they brought extra staff so things were moving much faster than expeted.  In fact, our apt was scheduled at 10:20 and we were called before 11am.  Then, the child in the echo room before us threw a fit so we got bumped up in line.  Yay for us, sorry for her folks.
Fourth, Miss B was an absolute angel!  She layed so still and followed all the instructions that the tech told her.  She did not object at all to being slathered in goo.  It helped that she got to watch Elmo during the procedure.  The fell quickly into a Sesame Street trance and could have been alseep, she was so still. LOL
But the best news was during our visit with Dr.B.  After he read the echo, he came in for our consult and a quick exam.  He said her blood pressures look great and the pressure gradient in her aorta has decreased from our last visit.  The scar tissue and heart is growing and developing well and keeping up with the rest of her body.  He said we can move to annual checkups and plan for her to have a fully functional 'normal' life.
PRAISE GOD!!!  Today was a good day after all.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Toilet Training, that is.  We are giving up for now and will try again at a later date.  This child is clearly not ready and I'm not up for a fight.  So, contrary to the expert opinion of my MIL, I am going with my first instinct and waiting a while longer.

You see, I made the mistake months ago of saying I was gonna try to TT during the summer break, well before the baby comes.  I shared my goal with dh and MIL and just about everyone who seemed interested.  I should know by now not so say such things out loud to MIL.  She's been on me about it for weeks.  She even took the uninvited initiative to be the potty monitor at Becca's party last month. Grrr,  Over stepping much?

So, in my attempt to be open to suggestions of others who have BTDT, we tried.
For 3 days we tried.  
Dh was helpful enough to observe my concerns and agree that it's just not time yet.

While Mis B's attitude remains fairly cooperative, her bladder seems to have NO control.  She knows when she's wet, but can't feel it coming or stop it once it starts.   What's more, she doesn't mind being wet.  Unless I witnessed it, the wet panties were not found until the timer signaled the next trip to the potty. 
So, contrary to MIL's opinion, a child who dislikes having dirty pants is not necessarily a child who is ready to TT.  I knew this, but I guess after all these years I still have this need to please her.

Miss B is 28 mos, just about the age when the older girls started, I thought a reasonable age to try.  But, I am reminded once again that each child has their own time table.  She won't get married in diapers, so I'm not worried.  When she's ready to try again, we are all set with a full stock of panties. 
2 in diapers isn't THAT bad.  I've done it before. 
Hey, we'll be housebound again after the baby comes... maybe that will be our opportune time to emphasize what a 'big' sister she really is.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Today is offically the start of Toilet Training for me and little Miss B.  We are going with the timer method again since it worked so well with the olders.  So, being that this is day 1, we've been in the bathroom every 15 mins all day.  Whew!  She's a trooper and super enthusiastic about it.  As of right now (3pm) she's 2 and 2.  We've had 2 accidents and 2 successful deposits.  WooHoo  Pretty good for day 1.  She was very excited to see all her new big girl undies with the Disney Princesses on them.  She insisted on trying them all on, one at a time, all 15 pairs.

For those of you wondering how and why we use the timer method, I'll explain...
When I tried to TT my oldest, it was a HUGE power struggle that led to tears for both of us.  I tried rewards, charts, 'naked in the backyard' days.  We spent hours upon hours sitting in the bathroom waiting, reading, singing, crying.  Nothing worked.  I gave up for a while and went back to diapers.  2 months later we decided to try again, with the 'timer method'.  The timer wold be the meany who interupted playtime, not Mommy.  The timer would be the rude reminder that it was time to go potty, not Mommy.  Now that potty time was not longer Mommy's idea, it wasn't such a difficult thing to accept.  Little Miss Independent L accepted the timer's prodding with no objection.  Timer rang, it was time to go potty.  Plain and simple.  No problem.
FTR, I wasn't (and still am not) willing to let TT become a discipline issue.  Our philosophy is that is has to be the child's idea and child controled for it to be successful.  I want them to have that personal victory and sense of accomplishment.  I want it to be a rite of passage, not an act of obedience.  We have plenty of other battles that teach obedience, TT doesn't need to be one of them. IMHO 
So, we used this method with the children who followed and have had great success.  TT has only taken about 3-6 days for daytime mastery.  I'm hoping for the same success with Miss B.  She's able to stay dry in her swimsuit, so she should be able to stay dry in panties.
Tomorrow she will try to go every 30 mins, the next day every 45 mins, and so on until she's got it mastered.

So - Housebound... that's me and little B for the next week or so.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Today is Hubby's 33rd birthday.  I spend much of the day preparing a feast of his favorite foods and reflecting on the last 14 years.  Yes, 14!  That's almost half our lives together.  WOW!  I remember the first birthday that we spent together was his 19th.  I took him to a fancy openair restaurant and then we walked along the beach and talked till the wee hours.  It is a wonderful memory.  Here's a pic from that night...
We were so young and SO in love.

I am blessed to call this man my husband. 
I am honored that God saved him for me. 

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Every year we go camping at Lake Cachuma.  It's kinda becoming a tradition.  We like to go there because the kids can fish and it is only an hour from home.  This year the IL joined us.  It made for MUCH less work for me since MIL likes to be the chef.  All I had to do was lunches.  Easy Peasy.
Here's a pick of the kids with their Granny...

After 2 years and more than a dozen fishing trips to various ponds and lakes, the kids finally caught something! WOOHOO!!  In fact, they had just restocked the lake so their were tons of fish.  Only problem, they were all tiny.  Over the 3 days of fishing, the kids caught close to 2 dozen baby bass and a handfull of croppies.  None of them were close to being keepers, but it was fun to catch and release. 
Here's a pix of J with his first fish.  He thought it was gross looking...

This is my brave girl pretending to eat the nightcrawlers.  Talk about gross...

We met a family in the campsite next to us that was our prequel.  They have the same age ranges and same sexes as we do, but a year older.  Their youngest is a boy, so we'll see how far the similarities go when this baby comes.  LOL  They are homeschoolers and Christians too.  The kids were thrilled to have new friends to play with and the mom and I had a great time chatting about our similarities.  The kids all paired up with their age appropriate match and were off.  The older girls took their sketch books and sat under a tree drawing horses while the boys played catch and rode their bikes.  The little girls all played Bocce, or some toddler version of it where the small ball is the baby and the big balls are trying to catch it.  We exchanged info and the kid are looking forward to keeping in touch.  They love penpals and now they each have one of their own.

It was an enjoyable weekend.  I look forward to our next trip.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I had my 20 week ultrasound.  I saw Dr. Cedars.  He shares an office with my OB and he does all the mid-pregancy ultrasounds because he's a specialist and better at reading the results.  To our benefit, his specific speciality is cardiology issues.  So, given B's heart history, we were glad to see him.  He said that everything looks totally normal and healthy as far as he can see for now.  He asked me to come back in 8-10 weeks for a fetal echocardiogram.  He was careful not to show me the gender, but we saw everything else.  Baby is still transverse, as he/she has been the whole time so far.  The head is right under my belly button, so that explains the oh-so-attractive bulging belly button and umbilical hernia.  We saw all 10 fingers and toes, all 4 chambers of a healthy beating heart, an appropriately full bladder and a free flowing chord.  Baby has his/her feet crossed and up near his/her face.  Almost looked to be sucking on a foot at one point.  (awww)  Baby was very shy and would not let us get a good front facial pic.  He/She would back away from the probe and put hands in front.  Little stinker.  He/She is measuring a bit bigger than we thought.  One week ahead, to be exact.  But, given my history of delivering late, we are keeping the EDD the same and just hoping that I won't go as late as in the past.  We'll see.  Here's baby's first picture.  (and FTR - that's a foot, not a 'male confirmation'. ;) ) 

• Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Got a little busy there for a couple days.  Dh was off, soccer began, kids were sick... you know = Life.

Anyways, today I'll share the other 2 colorful rooms in my home.  The first is the boy's room.  He is a shark fanatic so we went with a shark/underwater theme.  I know kids grow out of these phases, but this kid has a serious obsession with sharks.  It's been several years and there are no signs of an end soon.  It would not surprize me if he grew up to be a marine biologist. 
His room has 2 doors, one to the entry (a pocket door) and one to the hall.  We plan to close off the door to the entry to increase wall space and give him more privacy.  Also because hopefully there will be another boy in there at some point, and we will need room for bunks.  He doesn't have closet doors yet, but he likes it that way.  Easier access to his toys and clothes.  I'd like doors at some point though.
His white dresser is a hand-me-down from my mom, the toybox is a cedar chest that belonged to my sisters, the bed was bought at a garage sale.  There is a book shelf in the closet (not pictured) that holds rubbermaid totes full of toys.

This is the exterior wall, looking in from the hallway...
This view is of the interior wall...

The 4th and last bedroom is the nursery.  It was intended to be a sitting room, hence the wall of windows and door (right side) leading out to a patio in the backyard.  We plan to frame up the wall and install a regular bedroom-sized  window, sealing off the door.  The last thing I want in a teenager's room, is a door leading out. ;)  I tried to camoflage the windows and door with curtains, as well as block some light for daytime napping.  Right now it is B's room but when the baby comes, they will share.  The toybox will be moved under the window and the toddlerbed will go where the toybox was.
The crib was a gift when our first baby was born, the dressers are from my childhood.  The toybox was another garage sale find that dh perked up with fresh paint and decals to match the decor.  The rocking horse is a handmaid treasure from Papa to the kids.  They have all had a turn with it and it's been repaired several times.  Poor horsey. =)

This is the view from the hall...

To the left, this is the wall where the toddlerbed will go...
(The pic is all 3 of my girls, at the same age, in the same dress)

To the right, the dressers and changing station...

From the windows, looking back towards the door...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, the only rooms left are the dining/school room and the kitchen.  But, since those are the most used and most messy rooms in my home, it may take a while for me to get pix up. ;) 

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Today I'll share our daring side.  While we kept the main living areas pretty neutral, we went for bold color in the bedrooms.  After so many years of renting white walls, I was so excited to choose bright cheery colors for the kids and a romantic shade of "Exotic Orchid" for the master.  I'll spare you the befores, since it's just white walls, dingy curtains and that famous green shag carpeting all over again.  (scroll down if you missed it.) 

We'll start with the master, my love nest.  Yes, another wall of windows.  This room faces west so it gets blazing hot in there by midafternoon.  We've tried to combat the heat with a ceiling fan and blackout liners behind the curtains, but these windows will also be needing some UV films applied.  The dresser, highboy (not in pic) and 2 nightstands are a set that dh's great grandmother got for her wedding.  MIL let us have them if we promised to keep them in the family.  I treasure them.

The next colorful room is the girls' room.  I believe the color was called "pink-a-licious".  They love it and so do I.  The bunks were found at a thrift store and matching comforters at a clearance sale at Sears.  Would you believe I paid $15 for the pair? WOOHOO  The girls have chosen to leave the closet doors off.  In their place we installed a curtain rod and used sheets for a dramatic effect.  The closet curtains (sheets) match the valance and the bed sheets.  Dh built a closet organizer with shelving in the middle and rods on either side.  The curtain hids the clothes but allows the girls to display their dolls.  Both girls have their own space, though Miss Boo still can't reach the top bar on her side.  The furniture belonged to dh while he was growing up.  There is a highboy next to the bunks and a dresser under the window.  The rest is all garage sale finds and gifts.

That's it for today.  Tomorrow I'll share the nursery and the boy's room.  More COLOR!

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

The second room I'll share is the most used room in the house... well maybe second to the bathroom. LOL  Our family room is fairly large and very rectangular.  It measures 13'x22'.  2 walls contain floor to ceiling windows that are original to the house.  I'm told that if they ever break, we will be up a creek because they are not up to current codes.  We love how they bring the outdoors in and light up the room so well.  However, we don't like how inefficient they are for heating and cooling.  We plan to have them tinted with UV protection.  Again, when finances allow. ;)
Dh did a TON of work in here too.  He scraped and retextured the ceilings, installed new flooring and baseboards, and hung new window coverings that I bought and modified.  Dh also painted every surface, from ceiling to fireplace.  We love the outcome.  Cozy and comfy for everyday life with kids but finished enough for company too.
Here's the before and afters...

Before:

Afters:
Looking in from the Entry
The kids' 'book nook' is behind the sofa

This is the finished fireplace and Daddy's new TV

This view is from where the fan is, looking back to the entry

This view is looking in from the dining/school room

It's funny how perspective changes over time... Several years ago BIL & SIL bought their first home.  When we toured it and observed their choices in decor and color, we (dh and I) agreed that they needed more color.  Everything was so neutral.  Every wall was a shade of beige and the furnishings were all earth tones.  It was very nice, almost model home nice, but lacked color in our opinion.
Now that we are homeowners ourselves our opinion has changed.  Neutral is nice.  You can change accesories and change a whole room without repainting.  We learned what a huge job painting is and how important it is to choose a color that will stand with time and trend changes.  Our walls are now a nice shade of beige too. =D

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Some gals I know have started a daily online Home Tour.  I think it was meant to be motivation to clean, but for me it has been a reflection of how much we've done in the past year. 
When we bought this house, just over 1 year ago, it was stuck in the 60s.  Kelly Green shag carpeting, Heavy silk draperies, asbestos filled tiles on the floor, cottage cheese textured ceilings, and TONS of smokers' tar all over the walls.  BLECK!  The realtor led us to believe that a little paint would cover it right up. NOT!!  Dh decided to scrape and retexture the ceilings and as he wet them, the tar just dripped down the walls.  It was scarey gross!  It took days of wall washing and many coats of primer and paint to finally cover it up.  It's a good thing we chose bright colors because white would have never done it.  The results are fabulous.  My handy Dh has become quite the home renovator.
We had a limited budget so most projects are still in the planning stages, but we were able to make it home, if only cosmeticly. 
The first room I'll share is the Entry/Foyer. 
In the Entry, dh did the ceiling, retextured the walls, installed a new laminate wood floor and painted.  He also installed a storm door to replace the scratched up plexiglass one leading to the back yard.  It also helps with ventilation.  In time, we plan to close off the pocket door to Josh's room.  It is a wonderful feature if that room were to be an office, but with our ever  growing family it just isn't in the cards.  It will always be a bedroom.
Here are the before and After pix...

Entry Before:

Entry After:
New floors, new door
Purse and Keys Station, Wedding Photos, L's Rubber tree

Looking back toward the front doors

My beloved piano, from my youth, now for my youths...

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

My Boo turned 5 this last wekend. 
She has told me several times in the last couple days that, "I don't feel 5, Mom.  I still feel 4."
We celebrated with her traditional summer pool party.  Being that she's the only child with a birthday in the summer time, she always has a bbq and pool party.  So far, she's cool with it.  I'm sure as she gets older, she'll get some ideas of her own.
We kept it small.  Just family and a couple friends.  We did a "Fun in the Sun" theme.  We set up the kiddie pool for the littles.  G&P brought her a triple racer slip-n-slide that Daddy set up immediately.  I made a tic-tac-toe board out of floating rings.  We also had a "sift the sand" game where the kids dug for shells and got to keep them.  We had a big tub of water balloons and they had a great girls-against-boys war.  Amazingly, the 2 boys held their own pretty well against the 6 girls. LOL
I made the cake into a beach scene after my initial idea failed.  The whole thing cracked in two when I turned it out of the pan so, the fish shaped cake was out.  Thankfully I had enough frosting to salvage and repair.  I think it turned out pretty cute and Boo was pleased.
We made foam visors and decorated goodie bags.  While they were outside having their water ballon war, I filled the bags with colored pencils, note pads, candy, bubbles and stickers.
Daddy bbqed hotdogs and burgers and Nana brought the most amazing fruit salad you ever saw.  Granny brought her famous potato salad and I made a snack mix for the kids out of fishies, oyster crackers, fruit loops and mini marshmellows.  

Here's some pix...

This is a view of the yard with the slip-n-slide...Tic-Tac-ToeSift the Sand for Shells...
Opening Gifts...
Here's the repaired cake...
2 toned frosting, gummy fish, brown sugar sand, fruit roll beach towels...
Happy Birthday Boo !!  Mommy loves you !!

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I've been feeling guitly about not updating, but then rationalizing that this is a blog about school and well, my good intentions about summer schooling just hasn't really played out the way I'd planned.  But, I've finally got a few free moments, so I thought I'd pop in for a brief summary...

Summer has been an absolute blast! 
Our new church (which we are LOVING and being SO very blessed at, by the way) has tons of summer activites.   They put out a calendar for all the SAHMs and their kids that is just bursting with stuff to do.  Every Monday there is an outing - Lompoc Pool, Avila Barn, Avila Beach, Nojoqui Falls, Apricot Orchards, ...  Then everyother Weds pm is family night.  This has been fun because Daddy gets to come and it's been a great way to get to know our new church family.
Our HS group has also been getting together.  We go to the beach everyother Thursday and the local park every Weds.
We've been to a couple of the free movies at the big theatre.
We've gone to the drive-in (without Daddy) to see Wall-E.  That was great.
We went on a camping trip with one of Daddy's friends from work.  Lake San Antonio was beautiful!
The 3 olders started swim lessons this week.  It is everyday for 2 weeks.
We've just been busy busy busy.  I'm actually looking forward to starting school again so we will be home more. LOL
We are keeping up with the reading and read-a-louds and doing a bit of math here and there, but nothing very consistantly.  Oh Well.  Gotta love the flexibility of being HSers.

Here's a few pix from our summer so far...

In other news, the baby seems to be doing well.  I'm now 18 weeks and HUGE!  The m/s is over for the most part and I'm starting to have more energy.  But the comments have begun.  Perfect strangers seem to think it is acceptable to tell me how big I am. Grrr
Here's a couple belly shots to prove it's not just my vanity...
This is 12 weeks

 This is 16 weeks

This is today, 18 weeks

Baby is much higher than I usually carry and I've only gained 5 pounds.  I go for the big ultrasound in 2 more weeks.  Hopefully I'll have pix to share.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Ballet and T-ball are both over as of this week.  WOOHOO!!
Don't get me wrong, I fully enjoyed watching and will be happy to do it again next year.  But it's nice to have a break for a couple months before soccer starts up in the fall.  J had tball 2-3 times a week and L's ballet rehearsal schedule got a little nuts at the end.  It's so nice to see blank days on my calendar again, if only for a short while.  This next soccer season is going to be CRAZY with 3 different divisions and dh coaching.  I'm glad we have until late Aug to rest up and enjoy the summer.

We've cut school back to 2-3 days a week for the summer.  We are doing weekly activities with the church group on Mondays and with the HS group on Wednasdays and Thursdays.  I plan on keeping them busy enough to stay out of my hair, but stay home enough for them to relax and play together too. 

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

L's ballet recital was last weekend.  They had dress rehearsal early Sat am and then performance #1 on Sat pm.  L was soooooo very excited.  No stage fright what-so-ever.  In fact, the little diva is quite an actress.  Graceful ballerina? Not so much.  Expressive actress? Absolutely! 
The company performed Act 1 from Cinderella, Chopiniana, Spanish Fire, and Act 1 from Giselle.  L played 3 parts in Cinderella and was on stage for the entire performance of Giselle.  In Cinderella, she played: Spring Blossom, Dragon Fly, and Clock Knome.  In Giselle she played a village girl.
As stage-parent, I was required to work backstage for one of the 2 performances.  I chose to work Sat and watch Sun.  Nana came for the weekend to help dh with the other dc while L and I were gone.  Then the whole family got to watch on Sun pm.  It was neat for Nana to be there because she was a ballerina when she was a girl.  Another family of friends came to watch as well, making L feel very special.
We all went to dinner after the show on Sun.
Here's a couple backstage pics:

This is my little Spring Blossom...

This is rehearsal of Giselle...

She had a blast and is very excited to do it again next spring. 

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I sat online last night and ordered our curriculum choices for next fall.  I am excited about the year ahead.  I feel like we have a plan that will really work and the kids will love.  I really want them to be having more fun while learning.  School will take more time, but I knew that was coming as we advanced in grade level and added students to the roster.  I'll have to re-do the school day schedule to accomidate the changes, but that is fun for me.  I like to plan and organize.  It's the follow through that challenges me.
Here's what I've got planned...
Math-U-See for Math
LLATL for Language Arts
SOTW for History
Considering God's Creation for Science
Sequencial Spelling for ... duh, Spelling

I learned about lap books today.  A term that I'd heard before, but never knew what exactly it was.  I really like the idea for science and history as well as any other projects and field trips we take.  What a great way to make keepsakes and help them remember information at the same time. 
We did something similar when we studied the continents 2 years ago.  We made a suitcase with folders for each continent that contained mini posters for each country.  The kids were so little and we did not go into much depth at all.  We didn't spend more than a day on each country and the suitcase has since been tossed.  But, they remembered the project when I mentioned it today.  I think I may revisit this idea in the future when we can spend more time on each country.  For now, we'll do lap books. =)

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Where to start on this one?  I guess at the begining would be good, but the point I want to make is not until the very end.  Hmmm

A few weeks ago my dc were having a playdate at a MrsY's house.  She had offered to let me drop them off for a few hours while dh and I had a nice lunch out.  LOVE that woman!  She also had  MrsH's 2 kids too.  Ambitious indeed.
Later in the day, the children told me of the game they had played.  They had put on a wedding complete with flower girl, best man, maid of honor, bride and groom, orange blossom bouquets and cake for reception.  I thought it was adorable.  L was the bride and A was the groom.  When "the minister" announced them married, A kissed L on the cheek and voila they were married.  No harm there, though we did have a short chat about not letting boys kiss you anywhere, not even on the cheek for a pretend wedding.
Fast forward to last Wednesday.  I was picking the kids up from AWANAS and A's mom (MrsH) rushed over to me and said, "I need to talk to you tonight.  Can I call you later?  Will you still be up?  It's about L and A."  My mind flooded with horrible thoughts and wonder of what could be so terrible that she would need to call me that very night when I speak to her almost everyday?!?!?! 
So after we were home but before MrsH called, I pulled L aside privately and asked her if anything had happened at AWANAs that night?  She got VERY embarassed and said, "A kissed me again and the teacher saw."  I encouraged her to tell me the story, which was much like pulling teeth with no meds.  She finally confessed that they had been pretending to be married for weeks now.  She said that A tells everyone that they are married and she just sort of plays along sometimes adding to the pretend story.  But, on this night, one of the other boys challenged A and told him to kiss L.  So A kissed L, and L did not discourage him.
I was torn.  I know my dd, I know the flattery she was feeling, I understand the rush of the spotlight and the excitement of a boy having a crush on you.  But I also know that she is 8y/o and this is NOT acceptable behaviour from any of the involved parties.
I dissmissed L to bed, and told her that I'd discuss it with daddy and we'd talk the next day.
After the kids were in bed, MrsH called.  Apparently A had quite a crush.  She had been trying to handle it without getting me involved because she knew that her son's feelings were not reciprocated by my daughter.  He had been talking about L for weeks, about how he loved her so, about how they were really married because they had a real ceremony.  The poor boy's mother had talked with him several times about it, but he insisted that he loved her and would be with her forever.  It was cute, but quite WRONG!
MrsH and I agreed to talk to our own dh about it and end the 'marriage' immediately.
When dh arrived home the next am, I talked with him about it.  As I told him the story, he did not laugh like MrsH and I had while we had disccused it.  Instead his jaw tightened and his temples started to flare.  He did NOT think it was cute or funny in the least!!!  I tried to explain what I thought L was feeling and thinking.  I told him how I understood her enjoyment of the attention eventhough she knew it was wrong.  I thought, based on his reaction, that L would be in serious trouble. 
We waited until naptime that day to speak to her.  The other dc were in thier rooms so we had privacy with her.  We 3 sat on the big sectional sofa and I told her to tell daddy the story.  I warned her that I had already talked with MrsH so I would know if she lied or left anything out.  She humbly gave the account of the events, starting at the begining with the fake wedding and ending with "the kiss" the previous night.  We did not interupt as she told it well and didn't leave out details this time.  When she was finished, she was in tears of shame and guilt. 
Dh tenderly pulled her into his lap and I witnessed the most precious conversation EVER!  They were nose to nose and it went something like this:

DH:  "L, you belong to me.  God gave you to me and you are mine.  There will come a day when you are grown, that you and I will choose a suitable man and I will give you to him.  But until that day, you are mine.  Your kisses are mine.  Your hugs are mine.  Your heart is mine.  You are my girl and I am not going to share you."

L: nodded and smiled as the tears streamed from her eyes.

DH: "I don't want you to share your love or your body, even your little kisses on the cheek, with any other boy but me.  I am always here to hug you and kiss you.  Whenever you need or want some cuddles, I'm here. Okay?"

L: "Okay Daddy." Still sobbing and smiling but now nuzzling into his chest and hugging his neck.

DH: "Promise me that you will keep your heart for me.  Promise me that you will give your lovin' only to me.  Promise me that there will be no more pretend weedings or pretend boyfriends, or any of that."

L: "Okay Daddy" now sobbing and giggling at the same time.

DH: "Thank you L.  I love you.  I love you more than any boy ever could or ever will.  Only God loves you more than me." He kissed her forehead.

L:  "I love you too Daddy."

DH had never shocked me like he did that day.  It was one of those awesome moments where I saw the Lord work through dh, giving him just the right words.  I was moved to tears and gained a new level of respect for the father that my wonderful dh has become. 
Here I was preparing to lay down the law and rebuke the child.  But dh took her tenderly in his arms and reassured her of his love and protection.  SO much more effective than what I had planned.  I never had that kind of relationship with my father.  It is new and strange for me.  I am so blessed to have witnessed such a precious moment between 2 of the loves of my life, and such an awesome shining moment in my dh's role as father.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I haven't been blogging because I haven't been feeling well.  I am exhausted most of the day and requiring daily naps.  I have been nausiated for every waking moment of the last week and it's getting progressively worse as the days go by. 
PRAISE GOD!! 
I am praising Him in my misery because it's all for a wonderful reason.  We are expecting!! 

I have been reluctant to write about it here because the silly fear in me doesn't want to jinx it.  We had 2 devastating losses this last year and I've become careful and a bit fearful.  I know fear is not from the Lord, but part of me still feels the need to gaurd my heart.  I have not let myself get excited yet.  I am still cautiously optimistic.  I pray everyday (several times a day) for a healthy baby this time, for the chance to feel it's kicks in my womb and hold it in my arms.  If we loose another sweet baby, dh is likely to call it all off and say, "No more."  I'm not ready to be done but I'm almost certain that another loss would end it for him, and therefor me. 
Oh, Lord.  Please protect this tiny life and grow it to perfect health as only You can.

I'm a bit ashamed at how I took my fertility for granted for so many years.  With the first 3 being so easily concieved and so close together and so uncomplicated, I never imagined I'd have just as many babies in heaven as on earth.  Now to have lost 3 of the last 4 pregnancies, I am humbled beyond words.  I have peace that God has a reason and a perfect plan for my family.  I know He had good reason to take my precious ones from me.  I have to believe that.  I need to believe that.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Yesterday was the AWANA Grand Prix.  The kids had a blast creating their cars.  DH took it as a personal challenge to impress his brother, the Pine Derby King.  He had big shoes to fill but the outcome was AWESOME!  I was very proud of my man and his artistic ablilities.  The kids had a great time sanding and painting their cars.  Very little help was given. ;)

L wanted a purple car with flames... I think she achieved her goal. 
J created a shark. SURPRIZE!!  The wheels hid the teeth but he was still pleased as punch with his Maco.   Maco because they are the fastest swimmers.

L won 3rd for design.  Neither won for speed, but they had a blast anyways.

Dh cleaned house in the Adult category. 
1st in speed and design.  WooHoo!  Go Baby!
His theme was pretty predictable, but his result was fabulous...

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Is there such a thing?  I've come here several times over the last few days with nothing to say.  Feeling like I need to update but not knowing what to write.  There is a ton I could write about our busy lives, but every time I start, I delete before I've finished. 
Not really sure why. 
Guess maybe I've got blogger's block.
LOL

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

My littest babygirl turns 2 today!! Every milestone with her is such a treasure to me. 

She had a congential heart defect that wasn't detected at birth.  At 9 days old she wouldn't eat and all she wanted to do was sleep.  I know newborns sleep alot but this was different.  After 12 hours of not being able to rouse her or nurse her my mommy instinct was screaming that something was very wrong.  I took her to the Pedi.  Before I said a word to the Dr she looked at the baby, looked at me, and in a very calm but firm voice she said, "Go to the ER, RIGHT NOW!  I will call ahead and tell them you are coming and make sure the oncall neonatologist is ready for you."  After a couple hours of ER chaos, it was finally determined that she was in congestive heart failure and on the verge of death.  After calling in a pediatric cardiologist and running several tests, she was diagnosed as having a coarctation of her aorta.  It had only become an issue for her as the valve that connects to the baby's circulatory system to the mom's system had started to close.  This typically happens around 7-10 days old.  The NICU Drs got in touch with the team at Stanford University (Lucille Packard Children's Hospital) and arranged for her to be taken by helicopter asap.  They came down, we signed all the consent forms and off she went.  Just 4 hours earlier I had been concerned that my newborn might have reflux or something, now she was being heliported to a hospital 300 miles away to have heart surgery to hopefully save her life.
The IL came and stayed with the older kids and dh and I left asap.  We drove at high speeds in the dark of night to get to our precious baby.  I was checking in with the hospital staff every 1/2 hour by cell phone.  We finally arrived at LPCH to hear  the AWESOME news that our baby was stable.  She was still in need of the surgery, but thanks to the machines and medications, they had her stable enough to wait for the top pediatric heart surgeon in the nation to arrive.
We met with drs who drew us pictures and showed us diagrams until we understood exactly what the problem was and how they intended to fix it.  They assured us that her defect was the most common and easily fixed of all the heart defects they see.  They told us that they performed the same surgery several times already that month and everything would be fine.  We felt relieved but it didn't make it any easier to see our tiny baby hooked us to all those machines and totally sedated.  She went in for surgery the next morning, approximately 18 hours since I took her to the ER. 
The hospital staff were awesome to us.  We were comforted and allowed access to her up until they walked into the operating room, and then again right after in recovery.  When we saw her, she had a small incision on her left side where they entered.  I was so pleased that they didn't have to go through her sternum.  No big ugly scar down her chest.  She still had tubes all over, but her color was already better and she was stable.
They told us it would take 7-10 days before we could take her home.  We were allowed to stay with her in her room and I pumped round the clock while she was fed through a tube.  The staff were so kind to us.  They brought us meals and chatted with us.  They did everything they could to make us as comfortable as possible.  Dh stayed in a hotel at night and with us during the day.  I slept in the room with her by my side.  Yes, I co-slept even in the hospital! 
After 2 weeks she was nursing well and gaining weight.  They taught me how to administer all her meds orally.  She was on several different blood pressure meds and lasix for the fluid around her heart.  We were estatic when they finally released us and we could go home.  I was missing my older babies so very much and emotionally drained from the stress for the last 2 weeks.
We returned to 'normal life' back at home and she had weekly checkups with the pediatric cardiologist who had initially diagnosed her in the ER at home.  He would become our Pedi since all her checkups coincided with her well baby checks.
The team from Standford has been coming down every other month for a clinic in our county for years.  We were put on the schedule for their next clinic.  This was such a blessing as we didn't have to drive all the way up there for checkups.  They did echos and BP checks as well as a physical exam.
The first clinic was 2 weeks post-op and went well.  All looked good.  Her site was a bit swollen but they said it was because she was so fresh from surgery.  We continued to see the Pedi every week for BP checks and med dose alterations.  We were weaning her off the meds VERY slowly.
The second clinic didn't go as well.  I was shocked when they told me she would need to go back up to Stanford for more tests.  She was thriving and seemed so normal.  Her color was good, her breathing was normal, her appetite was healthy.  But, what I couldn't see was what the echo showed.  She had scar tissue building up around the repair site.  The Dr said that she was not in immediate danger but that he wanted to see her up there within a week.  We made arrangements for the older kids and prepared ourselves for another trip.
They did several echos before deciding on a course of action.  She would not be cut open again.  They would go in through her groin artery (femoral) and perform a balloon dilation (angioplasty).  The concept of purposefully tearing her newly constructed aorta was terrifying to me.  They assured us that the surgical team would be standing by if anything went wrong.  They said that this procedure was far less invasive and her recovery should be faster given her good health and age. 
Once again dh and I held eachother and prayed as we kissed our baby goodbye and handed her over to the medical team.  This time was harder because she was not sedated before hand.  We had to watch them carry our 3 month old child away crying and reaching for us as if we were leaving her.  It was heart wrenching.  We sat anxiously in the waiting room for several hours. 
Finally the cardiologist walked by and our eyes caught eachother.  He asked if we'd heard anything yet and said he'd go check in on her.  He returned about an hour later with a worried look upon his face.  He said everything went well and the procedure was a great sucess but... once again her blood pressure was giving them trouble.  This was of concern because they had just torn several tiny holes and they didn't want those holes to rip open from the pressure.  This is what was taking so long.  They were watching and waiting to make sure everything was going to be okay.  We were so relieved to see her in recovery.  She had tubes and wires everywhere and we couldn't hold her but she was stable. 
Over the next week she had daily echos to make sure her aorta was healing properly.  Her BP continued to give us problems.  The machines were always beeping in alarm.  I learned how to sleep through the vital checks and alarms.  Once again we co-slept on the tiny little couch in her room.  I didn't leave her side while she was awake.  If I did leave, dh was right there.  I learned how to read her needs and desires and became her advocate.  When the lab wanted blood, I insisted on a certain tech who we'd come to know was 'the best'.  When the student docs did rounds, I made sure I was there to listen to comments and questions and asked tons of my own.  When B pulled her gtube out for the 3rd time, I insisted they leave it out and let me nurse her.  We had to modify the charting technique but I knew that tube was irritating my baby.  So, we weighed her before and after every feeding to log her intake instead of pumping and feeding her through the tube.  I took her for walks outside in the warm fresh sunshine. 
Her blood pressure still had everyone baffled.  They'd tried every med they could think of.  Finally the cardiologist wanted to try this new patch.  He said it might make her a bit lethargic but if it could control her BP, it would be worth it.  I consented and the patch was applied.  Within a few hours my sweet happy alert baby girl became a fussy, stoned-looking limp ragdoll.  Her BP was great.  Right where it needed to be.  But my child was NOT okay.  I notified the nurse that I needed to see the dr asap and this patch was coming off!  Within a few minutes the drs asst came to meet with me.  I informed her that I was taking the patch off so they had better order something else for her.  She looked at B and agreed that this was not worth it.  We removed the patch and within a few hours my baby was back.  Her pressure was back too.  I had been praying for answers and wisdom for these docs for weeks.  I kept hearing God tell me to be patient and wait.  I felt Him telling me that it would all be okay, just not in their timeline.  He told me that I needed to go home and trust Him.
Finally after 2 full weeks (again) I convinced the drs to let us take her home.  We knew the routine with the meds, she was off all the monitors and her BP was under control so long as she took the meds.  They had initally wanted to keep her until they could start weaning the meds, but we didn't know how long that would be.  We couldn't very well live in the hospital any longer.  We agreed to visit the cardiologist weekly and they let us go home!  WOOHOO!!  It took a good 6 months to wean her off the BP meds.  Her little heart was so used to working overtime that it took a while to learn how to regulate itself.  God knew and I trusted Him.
She continues to have checkups at the clinic every 6 months.  Her last was in Nov 07.  At that point the dr told us to consider her corrected and totally normal in everyway.  Her life should not be altered by her condition in any way.  She can do whatever any other child her age can do and should grow up to have a full and normal life.  We will continue 6 mo checkups for the first 5 years.  Then annually after that for the rest of her life.

I am so blessed by this little girl.  I find daily joy in her eyes and her giggle.  She challenges me like none of the others have.  She is mama's girl and not a day goes by that I don't thank the Lord for allowing me to keep her here on earth with me for just a bit longer.  I know that God has grand plans for this child.  I have no idea what her future holds but I know it's gonna be amazing.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my miracle baby.  Mama Loves You!

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I found our next series and I'm SO excited.  We have been reading Black Beauty while I searched and finished today.  They liked that one, especially L.  She thinks she likes horses eventhough she's only really ridden once.  I think she likes the idea of horses, but who am I to burst her bubble?

After a recommendation by a trusted HSmom and friend, our next reading adventure will be the Miller Family Series by Mildred A. Martin.  I collected all 5 books and even the 2 workbooks.  I read through a few chapters of one of them with dh and he was very pleased.  So, off we go with the Miller Family.  YAY!

Our study of Ancient Egypt continues.  Yesterday we heard about mummies and pyramids.  I let the children mummify themselves with toilet paper.  They thought that was HUGE fun!!  Then we made necklaces like the Egyptians wore over thier tunics.  Only ours were made of paper plates.  They had fun designing and using the new markers that I surprized them with.

L has finished her LA studies for 2nd grade already.  She's still got a ways to go with math, so I think we are gonna buckle down on math a little more intensely.  I'll still have her do her daily reading, but the table time we spend doing phonics and grammar will be spent on math. I'm not ready to start her on the 3rd grade material as I haven't even purchased it yet.  We have a plan, but we haven't actually recieved the new books yet.  So, we'll fill in with reading and misc workbooks for LA until we are ready to officially start 3rd grade.  Poor girl got all excited that she was done.  She forgot that dh and I decided to work through summer.  We've decided to go year round.  We will still do all the fun things that summer involves, like beach trips and camping and lots of time outside.  But we will not be stopping our studies for a 3 month break. ;)

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

We finished the last book of the Narnia Chronicles yesterday.  It has been such an neat journey to take with my children.  They have LOVED these books and it has been a part of our (almost) daily activity for months.  We chatted about themes and symbolism.  They were able to relate the plot and characters to our world and our Savior's story.  We were so exctied to finish the series, but now we are at a loss.  J said today that he wished there were more Narnia books, that he was sad it was over. 

So, I'm on the look out for our next literary adventure.  Suggestions are welcomed.  ;)

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I overslept a bit this am.  The kiddos were so quiet when they got up that I was not awakened.  Apparently when dh got home from work, he found them all sitting on the floor in J's room with the Legos, playing quietly together.  =)   Dh woke me sweetly after he had fed them breakfast and made my coffee.  Yes, he's a keeper.  So, my devotion time came while they we getting themselves dressed and ready for the day.  I proceeded to the table with my coffee and my bible and sat for a short while.  It wasn't long before L joined me at the table.  She wanted to know what I was reading, what it meant, why did I read my bible EVERY morning, could she read her's every morning too.  It was such a sweet few moments.  We went through Proverbs 3 and talked about wisdom.  She wanted to know what her gift was, if I knew what my gift was, was it wisdom, could she have wisdom too, did daddy have wisdom.  The girl is so full of great questions.  I pray that I give her good answers.  I want her to keep asking, to keep seeking knowledge, especially about our Lord.  I was a wonderful way to start my day.  Thank you Jesus.

We learned about ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian writting today in History.  For our activity, we made 'Cuneiform tablets' out of playdough.  (I thought hyroglifics would be much too hard to duplicate.)  I let them play with the playdough while they listened to the chapter.  Then when it was over, we molded the playdough into 'tablets' and wrote their names in Cuneiform symbols taken from our worksheet.  I also wrote a little note to each of them using the symbols.  They had a blast trying to decode my messeges.  Here's our finished tablets...

FUN! FUN! FUN!

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

I attended my first HS conference on Sat.  It was a small intimate gathering compared to the big ones in the bay area or down south.  It was a perfect starter for me. 

Marcia Washburn was our keynote speaker.  She was a delight, full of insight and encouragement.  She reminded me that my children and I have been perfectly matched.  God chose us for eachother and I have as much (or more) to learn from them as they do from me.  She reminded me that my priority as a mother and homeschooler is to teach my children how to daily walk with the Lord.  I need to be careful to not to get curriculum driven, but to be spirit driven.  I need to remember that my main concern is the state of my child's heart not their ability to complete workbook pages.  She reminded me that character is not developed in text books, but in relationships.  All good stuff I needed to hear again.

I also attended a session by Mariaemma Willis.  She really inspired me to explore different ways to teach my kids.  She encouraged me to acknowledge their individuality and embrace it.  I have 4 very different little people to teach and they will not fit a cookie cutter mold of a perfect student.  They will most likely have very different needs.  I already see it in L & J.  She is so easy for me to teach.  He is a struggle.  I have yet to figure him out.  I'm hoping ths book and lots of prayer will help me figure out how to help him succeed with more joy and less frustration for us both.

There were also a few vendors.  The night before, I had made a list of all the items I need for next year.  I listed the price I found online so I'd be able to compare at the conference.  I was dissappointed in the prices.  The vendors didn't really have any good deals for the things I was looking for.  Oh well.  I was glad that I had shopped online or I might have spend more than I need to.  I did find our spelling program for the same price, so I figured if I bought it, I'd be saving shipping.  I got Sequencial Spelling 1 & 2.  Oh, and I did find all our manipulatives for MUS in the used curr area.  I got 2 sets for $12!!  WooHoo.  One brand new set is $30, so I got a great deal! 

I attended a couple other sessions as well, and the resounding theme of the day for me was DISCIPLESHIP.  I heard several different people talk on several different topics, but this is what the Holy Spirit was speaking to me about.  I need to be discipling my children, not just instructing, praising and correcting.  They need to see me walking the walk and inviting them to walk along side of me.  This means a couple of very specific changes need to happen in my daily routine.  First, I need to start my day with the Lord, not the computer.  I sit here each morning with my coffee, checking emails and forums.  I should be sharing my morning coffee with God while He instructs me on the plans He has for my day.  What a wonderful example that will be for my children, meanwhile filling my own cup too.  I can and should allow them to see and hear me praying and spending time in the Word.  It doesn't always have to be done in private.  Private time with God is good and needed, but the model of daily devotion is needed too.  Second, I need to control the volume of my voice.  I am a yeller.  I don't call names or throw insults, but I yell.  I want to change these two things immediately.  The first will be easy, the second will be a struggle.  Especially because my children have become used to it.  They know that when mom yells, they'd better obey.  I need them to obey my words without anger or frustration behind them. I need them to learn how to handle their own frustrations with eachother without yelling.  These two things will be my prayer focus and my goals in the upcoming weeks.  I'll update as to my progress.

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

My babies are back.  I am so thankful.  I'm glad they got to go and have such a fun time with thier grandparents, but I'm more glad to have them back.  Things were just not right without them here.  The house felt too quiet, too clean, too empty.  I don't like to be away from my precious ones so, I'm delighted to have them home again. 

Thank you Lord for protecting my babies and bringing them home safely to me.

• Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

MIL came today and picked up the older 3 to take them to Legoland for the weekend.  She will bring them back late Sunday evening.  So, its just the little one for 4 days.  I don't know who it's going to be harder for... me or her.  I miss them already.  I know they are in good hands, but it's so quiet.  Too quiet. 

Dh took us out to dinner tonight.  Table for 3?  WOW, been a long time since we'd had a table for 3. lol  I'm hoping to get some 'spring cleaning' done while they are away, and maybe even catch up on laundry.

Saturday is our HS conference.  B is going to stay with MrsY for the day since dh will be sleeping.  I hope and pray that she does okay over there without any siblings.  I'm super excited about the conference.  I'm planning to attend several workshops, one in particular that I'm excited about it the Learning Styles session.  I'm looking forward to learning some tips and techniques for teaching my 2 VERY different older dc.  I tried to get dh to go, but he has to work. =(

I finally got an art piece for above my fireplace.  I've been looking for a year now and finally this week I found it.  I LOVE it.  It's a photo of a huge oak tree that has been enhanced and colored.  The colors match out LR decor perfectly and the tree is very appropriate for where we live.  There are tons of these old oak trees in this area.  They have such character.  This one is symbolic to me, as well.  Here's a pic of it, and one of my completed fireplace area...

• Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link