Wednesday, April 10, 2013

That time of year again

It's that time of year again.  The weather is getting warmer, trees are in bloom, and the kids are playing outside.  Spring Fever!!!  Every year it happens to me.  I get to this point in our school year and I am so ready for it to be over.  I am ready to think about school for next year, but I must press forward and finish well.  Even the kids are ready to throw in the towel!!
Next year will be a big change for us as we start Classical Conversations.  This program is completely different from anything we have ever done so far on our homeschool journey.  I already have all of our school books for next year so I can pour over them and try to learn as much as possible before everything changes.  It's a lot to take in and process.  Prayers are appreciated!!!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Anniversary


Happy 14th wedding anniversary to me and my husband.  I can't believe it's been 14 years already.  Sometimes it seems like yesterday, but more often it seems like we've been together forever.  This fall we will have been together for 19 years.  I was a mere 16 years old when I started dating Ryan.  Neither of us would have dreamed that we would have 6 children (two of which are in heaven) and be living such a blessed and happy life together.  I love you babe!  Forever....it only keeps getting better (and I really believe that even on days that I'm grouchy!)  Thanks for loving me!



Friday, March 1, 2013

Day in a Life

Today I am linking up with Kelly's Korner to share a day in a life.  Our days either seem pretty typical and boring, or we are on the run with WAY to much to do.  We had no where to go all day today, so its been pretty quiet around here.  By 6-6:30 Isaiah and Olivia are usually awake and eating breakfast and maybe watching a cartoon (even though Isaiah is supposed to be getting the dog out and starting school!)  I try not to get out of bed until 7:30am but that doesn't always happen.  Allen eats around 8am and this morning I read the older kids our devotional while I fed him.  After breakfast Olivia and Allen played while the older two started their school work.  Isaiah had two science experiments today that had to do with combustion; so I had to keep my  eye on my little fire bug.  I ran around doing laundry, dishes, and making sure Olivia didn't have to potty.  We all eat lunch around 11:30-12, including the baby.  After lunch we reviewed our Classical Conversations material, I graded some papers, started work on my Bible study, talked to my sil on the phone, and then Emma and I practiced violin together while Olivia watched a movie!  Right now the movie is still on and Allen is laying down for a nap.  The older two should be upstairs reading, but I have a feeling they are playing video games.
Tonight two of my nephews and a niece are planning on spending the night after the girls go to a violin workshop.  We'll have dinner, play, and then it will be bedtime!  I love days like this where we don't really have anywhere to go all day long.  Most days we are running to violin or piano lessons, a doctor appointment, haircuts, basketball practice, or to our homeschool co-op.  Once warmer weather comes the kids will speed through their school work to get outside to play as quickly as possible!  Can't wait to get some sunshine!!

Monday, February 18, 2013

What were we thinking??

We had a moment of weakness.  Maybe it's the lack of sleep or the cold winter months going to our brains.  In the midst of all the sickness in our house we have added 4 more members to the family. 
It all started when Emma wanted a fish.  Seems innocent enough, right?  Wrong!  Next Olivia wants a fish, which somehow turned into Isaiah wanting a snake.  Unfortunately for him my mother-in-law is deathly afraid of snakes and would refuse to come inside the house if we got one.  So he turned his attention to acquiring a a bearded dragon.  After much research we realized that a bearded dragon needs a lot more care and attention than we were ready for.  So we were on the hunt again for a suitable pet for Isaiah.  We went to both Pet Food Centers, Petsmart, and then finally to Harp's Pets before he found the deal he was looking for.  They had a sale on two steppe runners with a cage, light, cave and water bowl already included.  The only care they need is water and crickets, and to clean their cage regularly.  He was sold!!

And so now we have 2 parents, 4 children, 1 dog, 2 fish, and 2 steppe runners.  Who knows, next it may be chickens!!  (Not kidding, I've been wanting chickens for a long time now!!!)




Please excuse the mess in the background.  We are in the middle of turning our dining room into a school room.

Friday, February 15, 2013

Really??

If I wasn't living it; I wouldn't believe it.  Since my last post Isaiah has had strep throat and a cold, Olivia has a cold and Allen has been diagnosed with RSV and an ear infection.  It really is time for this cycle of sickness to be over.  We've also had to replace a broken toilet and fix a broken fridge in the last week.  Anyway, I know that the Lord is teaching us something and is sustaining us through it all.

We did venture out of the house Wednesday this past week to attend a Classical Conversations open house.  The kids and I really had a wonderful day and I was thoroughly impressed by what I saw.  Emma even said it didn't feel like school and she wanted to go back next week.  So, my excitement for school next year continues to grow.  Now I just can't wait to get my manuals and books so I can get organized and ready for the big change when fall comes.
The kids "helping" me give Allen a breathing treatment

Monday, February 4, 2013

I surrender

I surrender.  I give up.  Sickness continues to visit our house and I am tired of it!!  Quite literally. 

It all started about a week before Christmas.  We were at basketball practice and my throat started to hurt.  Thought it was just a cold.  This "cold"  lasted about 3 weeks and turned into one of the toughest respiratory infections that I have had in a long time.  Coughing became a frequent sound in our house.  At one point I even lost my voice.  Ryan thought that was pretty great!  :)  My body ached, I laid in bed, I had the cold chills.  Every time I thought I was getting better then, WAM, it would hit again.  After two antibiotics, a steroid shot, and a high dose steroid pack, I was on the mend. 

Since then Isaiah has had the cough and ache, and the pukes.  Emma has had the cough and ache, and then the high fever while feeling horrible.  Olivia has coughed and ached, pretty badly, and then she had the puke and fever.  Fortunately, little Allen only got goopy eyes and just recently a little cough and hoarse throat. 

That brings me to Ryan.  He has had all the above too.  Then today he came home from work (which he hardly ever does) with a fever and running to the potty, if you get what I mean. There has been a constant stream of sick people in my house for over a month.  We have had 3-4 days in a row here and there where all was well, but it never lasted long.  I didn't even get to go to church for something like 5 Sundays in a row!  That may be a record for me!!

I am so done with sickos in my house.  Starting to wonder when it will end??!!  Maybe we need to just hole up until it is warm outside again.  Spring can't come soon enough for me.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Cherished Day

Friday was one of those days.  The kind that I know I will cherish for years to come.  My big kids had been at Academy of Arts drama camp all week and on Friday they stayed ALL day; like 10am-midnight kind of all day!  I had spent the rest of my "free time" earlier in the week running errands and volunteering at the camp.  But Friday I was able to spend all morning playing with Olivia and Allen.  We played games, doctor, read books, colored, played in the snow, and showed Allen all sorts of toys while he rolled around.  It reminded me of my early days as a parent.  We never had much to do and Isaiah, Emma and I would play, dance, paint, sing, ect. 

Now that Isaiah and Emma are school age most of our time is consumed with school.  Not that I am complaining.  I love teaching my children and watching them learn and discover the world around them.  But I do miss just being able to play and I often feel badly for Olivia and Allen.  They don't get the same attention and individual time with me that the older two did.  I understand this is just a function of where we are in life, but that doesn't make it any easier!  So, I must make a commitment to be more purposeful with my little ones.



All that being said; I thoroughly enjoyed my time with my little guys on Friday and then that night I was treated to a wonderful play put on by the Academy of Arts students.  My older two had a wonderful week learning about set design, make-up, costumes, lighting, and acting.  They made friends, learned more about the Lord during chapel time, and learned some major teamwork!  Already, they are wanting to be signed up for next year!!  Overall, the whole day was a treat!!!
before the performance

the entire cast of "Basket of Flowers"

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

It's been too long-an update

It's been so long since I have paid attention to my blog that is almost seems pointless, but I still want to keep up with what's been going on around here!!  Halloween and Christmas have passed.  So have both of my girls birthdays.  The new year has started and it has been a time of reflection and thinking for me.  My days are consumed with preparing school curriculum for next year and pouring over a new diet book my sil gave me for Christmas.
This book has changed the way I think about food and the way I eat.  So far I have lost about 10lbs. and I still get to eat things like chicken broccoli alfredo with noodles and the ever so important, chocolate!!  You can go to trimhealthymama.com  to find out more!  It's a long read, about 600 pages, but worth every word!!  Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett (sisters who wrote the book) have tested all of this info on themselves and have tried almost every diet on earth.  For them this is a way of life, not a weight-loss plan.

When it comes to school I have decided to switch gears altogether.  So far I have used mostly Abeka with the kids which is traditional schooling.  We have used a couple of other things along the way, like Soaring with Spelling, Veritas History, and Apologia Science.  Over the last semester I was so thoroughly impressed by the caliber of work my niece and nephews were churning out in their new schooling venture with Classical Conversations. As the name implies this is a classical learning style, which is not something I completely understand yet, but I am so excited to start learning. The level of work that is expected of the student is high, and they also have a local co-op of sorts that meets once a week during the school year to provide our family with tutors, healthy competition, debate, and learning games in a group.  They do offer so much more but like I said I really can't fully understand it all until we start this fall.  As Isaiah moves toward the upper grade levels, Classical Conversations will help me challenge him in a way that I don't think I could do on my own!  Be praying for us....this change will be HUGE  for the kids.  We have essentially done school the same way since Isaiah was in kindergarten (that was over 6 years ago)!!!www.classicalconversations.com


That's enough update for now. Here are a few pictures of the last couple of months!