Blessing of a Niece

Oh my sweet Jadelyn!

We had the absolute privilege of having Jadelyn spend 2 nights and 3 days at our house. We also had the blessing of Grandma Gail coming for 2 of those days. At one point I called Jadelyn's Mommy and told her I understand why she is exhausted on a regular basis. Jadelyn is busy, smart, fast, and stubborn. But she is also sweet, tender hearted, caring, and pure cuteness. She regularly checked to make sure her cousins were taken care of, and she was very quick to share. Quite the combination! 

I took very few pictures, though I hope to get some more from Grandma Gail, but these tell a piece of the story of how much these cousins LOVE each other. One morning Mckenna helped Jadelyn get dressed. She picked a bright blue shirt and jean shorts. All 3 of my kids changed their clothes in order to match their cousin. I'm not sure where Mckenna was for this picture.

Later this day I took them all to Costco. It was busy, and at times they had to walk single file in front of my cart. Everywhere we went people commented on my "line up." :o)

Recent Happenings...

Summer is just around the corner...right? I am anxious for a few months that are less harried and have fewer responsibilities.

Meanwhile, between grading a whole lot of essays (hundreds and hundreds), homeschooling, church responsibilities (which, in a good way, are growing and growing), and friends, we have been joyfully busy.

Our Mom's Group had an Easter egg hunt in my dear friend's backyard. 

The kids had an incredibly fun time.

Jules and on of her best buddies

I asked this cutie pie to show me her favorite egg, and this is what she did :o)

 

 

 

 

They are still best buddies!

A few weeks ago, Daniel and his AWANA staff held a pinewood derby style race

The kids loved it and it reminded me of when my dad and I did this with our YMCA group.

Mckenna is supposed to be attending a horseback riding camp, but the owners had some personal issues and have canceled or postponed it. We are waiting, hoping she gets to go, along with her good friend Courtney.

And that is all there is time for!

A New Reading List

The last time I posted about books the response was tremendous. It was this post on Parenting Books and many of my friends and siblings were having babies at the time. Likewise, many conversations recently have turned to books--books for moms, books for men, books for kids, books for Christians, books about kids, books for homeschool, books about homeschool....you get the point--so here is what I have read and plan to read, as well as my kids' reading lists. I have not read them all, and I do not necessarily endorse them all, so if you want actual recommendations other than what I write briefly here, please just ask. Also, if you want to borrow one, ask, and if we can loan it out we will.


The Christian Life:

Slave: The Hidden Truth about your Identity in Christ
Adopted for Life
Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations (Mckenna and I are reading it together--we love it!)
Evangelism in the Early Church
On Being a Servant of God
The Obedience Option

Marriage:

The Most Important Year in a Man's/Woman's Life(we used this book to spark discussion during pre-marital counseling with a sweet couple, and it is excellent!)


About Homeschool:

When You Rise Up (R.C. Sproul takes a Covenant approach--I am not in full agreement, but there is great stuff in the book)
A Thomas Jefferson Education (I am very interested in this, but I am an ecclectic homeschooler meaning I pick what is best for each kid each year, rather than subscribing to one system of education)

For Homeschool:

Mathematicians are People Too
Usborne Book of the Human Body (I am in charge of this book...it's quite thorough :o)
Magic Tree House books (PLUS Research Guides. I get them from Thriftbooks.com for $3.95 a book or less. Then I use MagicTreeHouse.com to get some worksheets and project ideas)
Story of the World Volume 2 (We have the book, the CDs and the Activity Book. I cannot say enough good things about this history program)
Buliding a Winning Curriculum from Vision Forum. (I do not subscribe to everything at Vision Forum, however, there are some great tools. And it's where Gabe's Bow and Arrow are from, and I could easily build my kids' gift wish lists from it!)
The "Adventures In" series from Good Times Travel Agency. (These books are hilarious and educational.)
Marguerite Makes a Book (Love this beautiful book. We found a recipe for paint from her time and illustrate our own pages too. So fun!)
Parables for Kids

Mckenna:

The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes
Three Cousins Detective Agency
American Girl books
Ballet Shoes
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
Treasure Island
Aesop's Fables
Julie of the Wolves
Little Women
Secret Garden
Homer Price
Misty of Chincoteague (LOVE this book!)
Jane Eyre
Stuart Little
The Cabin Faced West
The Chronicles of Narnia
NKJV Bible for Early Readers (full Bible in larger print)
American Girl: A Smart Girl's Guide to Manners  (every girl needs this book!)

Gabriel:

Magic Tree House (see above)
Star Wars chapter books, which Grandma Gail finds cheaply at her used book store
Boxcar Kids (all 20 something of them--Mckenna read them too)
God's Little Warrior Bible (not my favorite bible ever)
Dr. Seuss--Gabe's sense of humor is definitely developing!
Books on Sharks, Dolphins, Snakes or History

Juliana:

Little House books (with my help, she can't read them herself)
Early Readers
Phonics Readers
Fancy Nancy
God's Wisdom for Little Girls
God's Little Princess Bible

For Review (I get them for free and review them):

Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer (very good if you like stories of the Amish)
Now I Walk on Death Row


Some Books Daniel has read the Kids at Night:

Swiss Family Robinson (Hands down our favorite book, and so much better than the movie. Definitely find an original copy or a copy of the original. The new versions lose a lot)
Ender's Game (with parental editing)
The Chronicles of Narnia (all of them)
The Hobbit
The Biography of Eric Liddell: Something Greater than Gold
The Fellowship of the Rings

My next adventure:


The American's: The Colonial Experience
The American's: The National Experience
The American's: The Democratic Experience

We will use Story of the World, Volume 3 next year, and see what is happening in the whole world during the time that America is beginning to develop. However, since Mckenna will be a fourth grader and has not specifically studied American History (we take a chronological approach to history), and because there are incredible resources around here for American history, we are taking on the history of our nation. Since it is my worst subject in terms of having a timeline in my head, and really understanding what went on, I need to brush up!  These books look enjoyable AND educational for me.

Before and After

Before we had kids Daniel and I would drive for hours, for fun, just to be together and go somewhere we wanted to go. We would wander around Home Depot, Best Buy, furniture stores, and ritzy malls not to shop, but to dream.  Long drives meant long talks, and meandering through the shops could take hours. In the times we did nothing our love and our friendship grew.

Today we set out on an adventure with the kids. There were five stops on our list: Drive around a neighborhood we might like to live in, donate the massive quantity of clothes and toys in the back of the car, pick up our check from our realtor (as in, our offer was not accepted), Target and Costco. 

The first 15 minutes of driving around the neighborhood were fun, especially since at every turn Juliana shouted out, "I want to live here NOW!"

After those first 15 minutes, things headed downhill.

I have to pee!
I'm hungry!
When are we going to Costco?

Then the self-entertaining began.

This is a skill my kids possess in great measure, but it's neither a quiet activity nor a gentle one. They played: Who can rip the shoe off someone's foot, who can get the hidden sticker out of someone's shirt, and how many songs can we sing at the same time?

At this point I asked Daniel if we lived in a 3 Ring Circus.

Target was fine--they each carried something and we let them browse the toy aisles for a long time--and Costco is always great fun, especially when free samples and frozen yogurt are involved. But by the time we got home, a full 3 hours later, we were all wiped out.

I looked over at my husband, scarcely able to remember when it was just the two of us, and admitted, "I thought this would be fun."

"I am having fun," he said. "This is good."

It is good. Even though before we had kids we had time to simply drive, wander, and dream, now we have cuddles, giggles, and silly games. Before we had quiet, organization, and time; now we have small hands to hold, large messes to enjoy, and the loud, magical sounds of happy children.

And while I am glad we had our children young, since we will still be young when they are gone, I don't wish those days would come quickly, for I am enjoying just being their

Jadelyn Turns 3!

So many of you prayed for my niece Jadelyn in January when she was suffering from seizures in the hospital. Not only has she been seizure free, but she is doing great. Praise God!

We spent last Saturday with Jadelyn and her new brother Kody, along with other cousins and their parents. A fun, relaxed time was had by all.

What can I say about this picture of the birthday girl? Oh My Goodness she is too cute.

Mckenna made this cake for Jadelyn

Playing with her new playdough.

"Happy Birthday to YOU!"

As long as I moved and sang, Malcolm laughed and smiled (4 months old)

Jules jumping on Jadelyn's new trampoline

 *side note: Juliana got an adorable new haircut--framing her face but still long in the back. The little tiny "alfalfa" hairs you see sticking up on top: she cut those herself :o)

The 3 youngest cousins. Left to Right: Malcolm (4 months), Elijah (2 months), Kody (3weeks) We have been triple blessed!

Lovely

My oldest friend (as in I met her in 1st grade, not as in she's 103) wrote a great post on discipline--and overall the necessity for it. She recognized the developmentally appropriate behavior of her 2 year old, which she called limit testing--more commonly known as "No, NO, no, NO, Mommy, NOOOO!"--and the developmentally appropriate response for an adult in charge of said 2 year old. She lamented the lack of developmentally appropriate adults in charge of children and the obvious yet rampant consequences of rewarding bad behavior by simply redirecting the miscreant to another activity. 

She recommended flogging with a wet newspaper.

I heartily cried out AMEN, sister!

It reminded me of our new hairdresser who told me that the best kids take no work at all. You either get a good apple or a bad apple, said he. 

I told him he clearly does not have kids;

then I told him he never should.

Then I got to put it all to the test.

Lovely

(code for: I hate it when that happens except I don't use words strong enough to express said hatred so I will use the word Proper Southern ladies use when they detest something).

One of my darlings has decided to have a strong opinion on EVERYTHING and express that opinion LOUDLY. 

Geez, I have no idea where that comes from. 

After many warnings over the past few days, this particular offspring took it to a whole new level by deterring a sibling from choosing a prize out of the treasure box that was "inappropriate for their age." (That is code for: I-want-to-pick-it-next-time-so-get-your-grubby-hands-off.)

So, while the very hurt sibling happily played with their treasure box selection, the opinionated one had a little cooling down period (code for: Sit on your bed with no toys or books and think about what you have done while I get a piece of dark chocolate and a cup of coffee and decide not to evict you).

Then I allowed the creative parenting juices to flow (code for the brilliance that gave Juliana our 10 year old dog for her 4th birthday after she begged for a pet of her own, and that connected Gabriel and Juliana to each other at the wrist until they could get along. We're talking good juices people).

Then Daniel came home and added some creativity of his own.

Here's the final punishment:

3 days of Dad picking out all articles of clothing.

That is not code. It's just torture.

The goal is that each time this child is tempted to be bossy, they will look at their clothes and decide if it's worth it to express a strong opinion on something that is none of their business. We are hoping they decide it's not worth it. 

But, on the off chance that fashion a la Dad is not a strong enough deterrent, we have some other tricks up our sleeves (and that is code for this kid had better shape up because the juices flow freely these days).

Pure

Pure Joy. Pure Sweetness. Pure Awe.

Meeting our new cousin/nephew was pure wonderful bliss. He is perfect.

Thankful Challenge, Day 28

28. My kids. I know, it's redundant, but I really am. I nearly bled to death after Mckenna was born, twice. I could have missed all these years. While I was pregnant with Gabriel we got some very bad ultrasound results, both for him and for me. Those issues were all resolved, praise be to God, and even the emergency C-Section was less traumatic than it could have been. And Juliana, well, we weren't planning on another one so soon, and the doctors weren't sure we could have another one. So even though the pregnancy and delivery were relatively smooth, she is a miracle baby too.

So daily, even when I am angry or discouraged, I am more thankful than words can describe for my 3 treasures.

Pumpkin Patch, Part 2

Warning! Extreme Cuteness Ahead!

My girls were in the mood to be photographed. I had actually dressed them in very adorable, dark purple dresses with purple boots (and jeans for Mckenna, leggings for Jules), but it was so cold they couldn't bear to take off their jackets. Oh well!

 Jules at her "Microphone." Mom, take a picture of me singing! she said, in all her adorable-ness.

 My big, helpful, wonderful girl.

 Yep. She's cute.

 Posing with Adam on the "cannon."

Love, love the fall colors and weather.

 This little guy was just so sweet, soft, and adorable.

 

Load it up....

 Shoot it!

Gather the ammo and do it again.

Pumpkin Patch, Part 1

I have long heard about Riley's Farm, but while my kids have been several times to pick berries or apples, I had never gone. My new friend Michelle, and her little guy Adam, changed that today, and I am grateful. What a wonderful, beautiful, fantastic place.

The green hillside, dotted with orange pumpkins, proved to be a fantastic place to not only pick a pumpkin but to climb, run, and explore. The kids were just kids today, playing with sticks, in mud, and on a slippery slope. The cold and fog were no barrier, and added to the ambiance.

 Determined to find the perfect pumpkin to carve, Mckenna ended up pulling this one off the vine. What a unique opportunity to experience farm life!

 Less picky, these two wanted pumpkins they could carry!

 

 My Aunt Laurie, an artist, explained to my kids that orange and blue are opposite each other on a color wheel, and therefore are complimentary colors. That only adds to the other reasons I love this picture.

Our First Days of School

3 Moose, ready for their first day of school!

Thanks to Meadows Elementary School, my Alma Matter, for the I Love to Read inspiration. 

I am starting my own I Love to Read Program for our homeschool. I used a friend's Cricut to cut out these cute letters. Each time the kids finish a book, they will write their name, the date, and the book title on a label, and stick it to the poster. The goal is to fill it up this year. I plan to create some awards for the end of each semester for the kids based on the books they read.

The Bookshelf

This is the hub of school for us. Everything is labeled and organized, and the kids can get out and put away their own stuff. If you look closely, you will see that books are the primary form of education for us. And since I took this picture on the first day, we have added at least another 20 books to this shelf. I have had to rein the kids in and not let them just read every single book on the shelves at their own pace, or we would run out by the end of September! I know, it's a good problem to have.

The Homeschool Table

Through the generosity of family and friends, we own some really nice pieces of furniture. This table is not one of them, and yet it is probably my favorite piece we own. If you look closely, you can see red paint, faded stain, nail polish, crayon...etc.  We bought it for $50 on Craigslist last year, including the 4 chairs, and I am so glad we did. I don't put newspaper on it when we paint, I scrub it down with soap daily, it sits on a sturdy rug, and we use it all day long. If it gets too covered, I will simply sand it down and start over.

The First Grader

He loves numbers, spelling, Bible, and history. He is eager, willing, and a quick learner. His smile is constant, even when he is practicing the dreaded handwriting, and he does anything he is asked. If only I could get him to stop asking to play Xbox every hour, even though he knows it's only for weekends, he would be the perfect student.

The Preschooler

Ready to learn, this student of mine loves to write, draw, trace, and create. If all learning could involve crayons and rhymes, she would be thrilled--and at this age it can. So we read fun books, we trace big letters, we make fun lapbooks, and we color--lots. And whenever she is done, she is allowed to play dollhouse or dress up, and she can rejoin us at anytime. Mostly she loves that I made her a history book this year so she can follow along with what we are studying.

The Third Grader

We have yet to start math, so thus far my darling girl is a happy student. She earned 100% on her spelling test, reads ahead in her first book, Poppy, and wishes we could spend more hours of the day in school. Her ability level is, on occasion, so much higher than I think it is, that I have to push myself and allow her to set the pace. The math I ordered is completely computer based, and since her favorite activities so far have been doing research online, I am hopeful she will thrive with this program.

Better Than...

Gabriel loves to work on his headstands

His handstands too--and he is getting very good.

Mckenna's cartwheels are improving

And Jules's fearlessness serves her well, even without a ton of technique.

But it's her attitude that gets her far. 

Tonight, after doing her best handstand yet, she said,

"I am better than eve...."
wisely not finishing the word everyone.

Without missing a beat she changed her tune:

"I am better than myself!"

So with high fives and a lot of giggles we celebrated her success.