It has been toooooo long...

I have not posted on here in forever.  Life has been crazy...with 4 kids, differing health issues in our home and outside of it, and just a whirlwind of issues that comes with marriage, children and homeschooling.

Well, J Sr. is on a business trip this week and I am just trying to stay sane.  He just left after church yesterday and I'm already losing it!  Why is it that I can't even handle 1 night with him away? 

On to other things...we are about finished with our 2nd year of HSing.  The kids have done a marvelous job this year and it has been alot of fun adding KK into the mix.  She is like a sponge, soaking up everything I've taught her like it is the most natural thing in the world.  She really amazes me!  She's also loving dance class and has a recital in May.  The whole family is excited!  I truly LOVE her dance teacher and the fact that it is a Christian dance studio.  All of the music is Christian music...and the girls are so sweet and wonderful there.  I have not one single complaint.




KK smiling pretty for the camera

Boo is struggling with school this year.  We have had her tested for ADHD and the signs point to that condition.  We are hoping that her brain can start focusing once we get her on medication.  I know what many are thinking...why medicate?  Well, we've been struggling with learning for quite some time.  She is barely at a Kindergarten level at the end of her 1st grade year (agewise).  She truly struggles.  School is not fun for her, she is way behind KK and her self-esteem is started to take a hit.  Why wouldn't we medicate, at this point?  If the meds do not work, we'll know it and know to look further into Learning Disabilities for her.  We've had her tested through a local professor of education, but he found nothing to indicate a certain LD.  If ADHD meds do not work, we will then visit with a neuropsychologist to determine exactly what we are dealing with here.  She is also passionate about horses now and will start riding lessons this spring/summer.  We love this little girl so much and only want the best for her!

Boo and her boots

Big J is learning and learning...except for spelling.  I tell ya, that is one subject that he'll never get.  Of course, J Sr. struggled immensely with it too.  I, on the other hand, have always done well with that subject.  Everyone's different, I suppose.  Big J also hopes to grow up to become a Ninja.  Hey, I'm sure there are new ninjas learning the art all the time...and who am I to squelch his dream?  I do think it will be extremely difficult for my hyper boy to be quiet and stealth-like...but maybe these can be learned behaviors?!?!

Big J with "Who Dey" from the Bengals

Little J is growing like a weed...a very large, overpowering weed!  He will be 3 in July and he is the same size as most 5 year olds.  He recently suffered from hand foot and mouth disease and carrying him around nearly broke my back!  He is a cutie tho and does tend to put a smile on my face.  He loves Superman and anything superhero-ish.  He's also into Lego Ninjago.  Does he sound like a little Big J, or what?! 



Super Little J!

Well, overall we are doing well.  We've had a rough past year...but we are looking ahead and trusting that God will deliver us on the other side anew.  Praying for you and yours this Easter season!



It has been awhile...

since I posted.  This past month has been CRAZY!!!  I never knew that it would be this hectic.

Boo is loving American Heritage Girls.  We now have a new leader, which is a God-send.  She's one of the other moms and she had plenty of activities planned for 5 year olds.  It was a fun time!

Big J is loving Cub Scouts.  He's even done enough to complete his Bobcat Trail! 

Both of them love 4-H.  It is alot of fun and I am learning new crafts to do.  It is nice to have new decorations in the house that we didn't have to pay for ourselves.  4-H is awesome!

KK is loving preschool.  I think she might be reading by the end of the year.  She is such a sponge.  She absorbs everything.

And my Little J...well, Little is a bit of a misnomer.  He's 99th% for his head circumference and height and 97th% for weight!  At 15 months he's almost 31 pounds.  I can't imagine that 3% of kids are bigger than this, but apparently they are.  He reminds me of Andre the Giant and has the disposition to boot.  He's a gentle giant, unaware of his own strength.  I guess he could be the smallest of the kids as an adult, but I would be amazed.

Alright, I need to get ready for my mom's group at church.  The breakfast casserole is in the oven, I have everything printed and ready...2 hours of mommy-time, here I come!

Where is the time going?!?!

Seriously...is it really mid-September?

Anyhow - I just looked at a calendar and we are already 47 days into this beautiful journey.  We've learned quite a bit already.  I am amazed by these little cuties daily.  Sometimes I look at what they are learning and wonder how I ever learned this stuff with 30 other kids distracting me.  I'm still wondering, actually!

Big J's phonics is on full-speed-ahead right now.  We are through all the long vowel sounds and have moved into blends and unusual sounds.  Now, when he reviews, I have to remind him "sometimes a makes the short u sound" or "er, ir and ur all make the ir sound, like in girl", etc.  He's getting it tho, and Mommy couldn't be prouder.  He also wrote the Greek alphabet today!  It was awesome.  He did a nice job...especially since he hates handwriting.  It was cool since I knew alot of the letters.  My engineering degree actually helped with homeschooling my first grader.  Who knew?!?!

Boo is starting to learn the letter sounds we have covered.  When I say a sound she can show me the letter.  She is struggling more with "what sound does this word start with" exercises.  She'll get there.  Mommy just needs some patience.  She is LOVING all the activities that go along with her themes.  We made "bird's nests" today out of rice krispy cereal, coconut and some gooey stuff to hold it together and then ate them.  They tasted scrumptious...did they hold together and look like bird's nests?  Absolutely not!  Did she love making them?  Absolutely!  Did it matter if they held together?  Let's just say, they are gone and we made them around 10:30 this morning.

My sweet KK is now in preschool.  She is loving it, but Mommy is soooo sad.  I will survive tho...

All my munchkins (minus Little J) have started a music lesson of some form.  The girls are doing a Musikgarten class and Big J is taking piano.  These kids LOVE music!  It is amazing to watch them with this extracurricular.  Big J is also doing Cub Scouts and 4-H.  Boo is doing American Heritage Girls and 4-H.  KK is a little jealous at times.  I keep reminding her she can do these things next year...plus, she gets to go to preschool.  I think the other 2 might get a little jealous of that.  I don't think they want to go to school...they just want to go back to preschool!  lol

Well, I should go to bed.  We have an early morning tomorrow!  Good night...

Allergies - ugh!

We are all suffering this week!  Big J, Boo, Little J and myself have been on a constant supply of Zyrtec.  I almost wish we could buy it in bulk or something. 

We were told to give Little J his medicine right before bed...it can cause drowsiness, they told me.  So, I informed J Sr. of this (since he does the nighttime ritual) and I thought we were set.  Apparently, not!  He skipped the meds on Tuesday and I paid for it Wednesday.  Poor little guy had the cough back (had to do his inhaler) and his eyes were all pink and watery.  I was forced to do his Zyrtec at naptime.  Ugh!  I think we are finally back on schedule.  I also had to dose Big J and Boo with Zyrtec yesterday as they woke up coughing and miserable.  I think that basically set the tone for our day yesterday. 

Lesson learned...

We have our good days and our BAD days.

Today was a BAD day.  Boo was great...she did her work, did it well and went on her merry way.  Big J was another story.  I could tell in the first 2 minutes it was not going to go well.  He was not remembering anything I was saying, he was staring off into space, writing sloppily, not really putting much effort in at all.  After trying, unsucessfully, to get him to read his phonics words, I gave up.  No sense beating a dead horse.  He's been in a funk all day and even his piano teacher commented on it.  Most days it is me who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed...today, it was Big J!

That isn't to say that I haven't had some days lately when I have been in a funk.  Yesterday was my funky day and it is semi-carrying over into today.  Boo commented on my discipline style yesterday, Big J said he'd rather have Daddy home all day and I just started to feel low.  I know they are just kids and I shouldn't let their words affect me so...I know, but my heart directs me otherwise.  I have strived to be in a better mood today and I have accomplished that, to some degree.  Right now the kids are in their "resting time" and Mommy is enjoying a few quiet moments to herself.  They are refreshing!  I think I just need a good, old-fashioned night out.  No kids.  No husband.  Just me and maybe a friend I might allow to come.  Wouldn't that be nice?

Day 36 of homeschooling...

I can't believe we have made it this far!  The kids have been so good and trying so hard.  Admittedly, we have good days and bad days, but who doesn't? 

We have had many fun activities planned this year.  We have visited the Creation Museum, the Zoo, parks, an apple orchard, etc.  The kids really love getting to visit other places and I love getting out of the house!  Almost every trip we plan is for after we do school that day and usually relates to the topic.  For instance, we went to an apple orchard on Monday after Boo started her unit on apples.  It is really alot of fun to tie real life into school.  I don't remember learning being linked to real life when I was growing up.  If nothing else, my kids will know that what they study has real life applications.

On a side note, KK started preschool today.  Yes, I am homeschooling the other 2 but was not prepared to homeschool them and a preschooler!  She also needs to learn about listening, self-control, following directions, etc.  I can teach her these things but I didn't want to overwhelm myself the first year!  She loves it, so I do too!  Maybe when Little J is ready to start preschool I will be better prepared to teach it...maybe.

Exploration Day

Today was Big J's "Exploration Day" in his curriculum.  Once each week he has a day to go outside and enjoy God's creation.

I believe this part of the curriculum is the most needed and the most misunderstood.  Alot of people look at me like I have 5 heads and they are all purple when I tell them about exploration day.  After all, their beautiful children are stuck in a school for 6-7 hours every day and barely get a 20-minute recess.  Why on earth does my child deserve an exploration day?

This beautiful day is all about enjoying being a kid, enjoying what God has created and learning a thing or two about science in our everyday lives.  Before we headed out, Big J made a Lake Model, we made clouds and rain and we made a rain gauge.  Boo also got in touch with her nature side since her task for today was to do leaf rubbings (which were great fun...not to brag or anything, but mine were pretty good!) and we took a peak at her pressed leaves as well.  So fun!

Since they have been outside they have played in both of our sandboxes (my kids are spoiled), played in the kiddie pool, chased butterflies, kept track of Little J (a daunting task), are torturing some ants right now and have just enjoyed this beautiful day.  Peppered throughout the day Mommy reminds them that God made all this wonderful stuff and about His Creation...they might pay attention, they might not.  The wondrous thing about it is just that they are able to enjoy it and that our beautiful world is good.  Thank you, God, for your creation and thank you for my beautiful, healthy, smart children!