Blades of Glory

My gorgeous husband and great friends Paula and Todd surprised me last night!!

Paula called me yesterday and asked for us to come over and have dinner and some cards last night. I had already started our dinner and told her maybe we could come over after. She insisted that I put away what I had out and just let her cook for me. I said okay, but I was dragging yesterday afternoon. I had been cleaning, schooling and dissecting all day and I felt kind of run down. By the time Mike called and was on his way home I was just scrubbing the shower out. So I threw on some clothes put my hair in a pony and when Mike got home we gathered everyone and headed over to Paula's.

As we walked into the house their boys were running around my kids were running around (they love each other very much and get very excited when they see each other) and in the middle of all the chaos I look up and see that Todd and Paula look kind of over dressed for a night of card playing.... And there appears to be a young girl standing in the living room. Then they said,"surprise we are going out!!!"

How exciting is that!! Paula and Mike totally planned the night!! They couldn't locate two babysitters so one brave girl took on all seven kids!! Five of those being boys....Yes, she was paid well. What they didn't plan is that I had a wet pony tail and ugly t-shirt on. But Paula lent me a hair dryer and long sleeve shirt and within minutes I was ready to roll!

We went to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and then to see Blades of Glory on opening night! Okay not only do I not usually go to a full price movie but never on opening night. It was very exciting. I thought it was hilarious. How can you not laugh at Will Farrell dressed in a ice skating outfit being his silly self. I loved it.

Thanks guys it was awesome!!

Pictures of the Eyeball Experiment

Have you ever wanted to try something you thought would be cool but then when you got to do it, it wasn't that great? Well that was not the case with the eye ball dissection!! It was too cool. The kids all did excellent. Each one participated and passed the parts around. We were able to see all the parts of the eye we had been studying and actually touch and feel them. It doesn't get any better than that!! So it was a success. Here are some pictures of the day.

At first they were a little upset that we didn't have protective eye wear so they thought they should use their goggles. I knew this was not a great idea but also knew that if I told them that they would not understand why. So I let them wear them. It took about 3 minutes before they realized this was not a good idea and took them off.

Kristen

The Cow Eyeball Saga Continues

I think this is too funny!! Yesterday the kids were all so excited about their eyeball arrival that anyone who walked into the house had to have a look at it. Well at one point Faith's friend Tilynne came over and they showed it to her. Apparently she thought the whole thing was pretty cool, because in the middle of us doing our math this morning there came a knock on the door. Tilynne, who is on spring break, wanted to know when we were dissecting the cow eyeball and if she could come and help!! I told her we would love to have her come and help! So she is coming back after lunch for a little schooling.

Hilarious.

Kristen

Seth's Eyeball is Here!

I am sure you can imagine the surprise and delight of getting home from a fun afternoon of bowling and lunch with friends to find out you have received your much awaited eyeball in the mail!! I don't think I can do the scene justice. Me, bringing the milk and groceries from the van Seth, busting in the front door all a twitter with the news that the eyeball is here!! He could barely wait for me to open it up. He wants to dissect it NOW! I told him tomorrow. He said okay but he is a little disappointed that he isn't getting to do one on his own....(You were right Joni) I explained to him that he could help but that none of them were going to get to do the eyeball on their own. He was okay with that. So tomorrow is the big day.

Pray for me and the one eyed cow wandering around out there....

Kristen

Faith on Reading

One of my biggest challenges in schooling the kids is finding appropriate reading for Faith. She reads so much and so quickly that I have a hard time keeping up with her. For example since we got home from NC (so that is two weeks) she has read, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken, Heidi by Johanna Spyri, Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry by Mildred Taylor, and A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer.

I actually read Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry for the first time just this last week. What an awesome book. What a shame that it has been taken off reading lists around our country. I loved it.

I can't tell you the joy it brings me to find a book that is part of a series. It gives me at least a couple of weeks rest in my search for suitable reading. Roll of Thunder is the first in a series so YEA!!! And actually so is the wolves book. She loved both books so I am set for a while if I can get the library to get the books. Challenge number two!!

Okay so if you have any books-in-a-series ideas let me know. But before you do she has read all of the Little House series, Artemis Fowl, and Anne of Green Gables. So if you have any other suggestions I would love to have them.

Quick!!!

Kristen

The Cow Eye is in the Mail

So as of Monday I was still trying to solve the cow eye dilemma. Funny that I was able to find all these websites that were so casual about their cow eye acquisitions. I on the other hand did not have such an easy time finding such a thing. And of course I, thinking it would be no big deal getting one, put it off till the last moment. We were scheduled to dissect it Monday so I gave Mike the number of the butcher and told him I needed a fresh cows eye. Needless to say the butcher thought he was crazy. So after a couple of failed attempts he asked me to go ahead and find a science supply store and we would order a cows eye. So I found one here and it is on it's way!! We are all pretty excited but Seth, is busting. He is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the mailman and is sure that the cow's eye will be in the mailbox. Of course they sent it yesterday so I don't think it will be here for several days.

Don't worry I will try and photograph our experiment so I can share....although since our trip to NC the camera now decides when it is going to take pictures. Could be because it was dropped in a parking lot. Who knew that dropping a camera on asphalt would damage it?

Kristen

Happy Birthday Dad!

This last weekend was my Dad's 67th birthday! I missed being there with him and celebrating with him. My Daddy is one of the coolest people I know.

When I was little we used to go on walks on the weekend. He would get me up really early, yuck, but since it was our time together it was okay, and we would walk. Sometimes just to go down to the store and get the newspaper and a doughnut. But on the way there were always crazy stories we would make up together.

Remember the driving palm trees dad?

My dad spent A LOT of years in the navy but he retired when I was eight. So I got the privilege of seeing more of him then my older sister. But I tell you this fact, so that you can imagine his face when my sweet, now husband, Mike showed up at the door for the first time with ripped jeans, and I mean ripped all over, and hair down his back. But my daddy knew that I already loved this guy and when I pulled him aside in the kitchen that evening and asked him what he thought he said he really liked him. He was able to see past the exterior and saw Mike's sweet spirit and they became friends right off. My dad is one of Mike's biggest supporters and I love that!

My dad has always supported me and Mike in the decisions we have made for our family. From helping us to buy our first house to helping us to buy our first car. Even when we came to my parents and told them that we were moving our family 2000 miles away to North Carolina for a job that didn't start out with a salary, they helped us pack and even drove with us across country and helped us move in!! I can't even imagine how hard it was for him to let us go. I think about that when I look at my kids now and I am not sure I could do it with as much grace as they did.

Okay I will stop with the mushy stuff but there are endless stories of his generosity to me and others. Thanks daddy for being such a great dad and Happy Birthday!!

Kristen

Great to be Back

Did I happen to mention what a great day it was yesterday? Let's see there are so many reasons why.

Let's start with the fact that I have not been to The Orchard for several weeks because of the kids sickness and then our trip. I missed it!! It was great to be back. There is no place like it!! The service was awesome. The video was inspiring and exciting. Scott's talk was pumped up and the music was HOT!!! The first few songs had great energy and you could feel the Spirit all around. But the last song was on fire!! Mike and the team did a little garbage can banging at the beginning and end of the Noise We Make. It was so awesome. Scott even jumped up on stage and grabbed a can. I can't do it justice you really had to be there. Then, I got be a small group leader in Wahabu land. I love my 1st and 2nd grade girls!! They are so awesome. What a great day!!

Then the weather was so gorgeous, I actually drove home with all of the windows down on the van. Came home opened all the windows of the house and enjoyed the awesome breeze.

After that I threw together some Fet Kook, curry chicken and curry lentils. Todd and Paula came over and we enjoyed our meal and played some cards.

What a great day!!

Kristen

Smack Talk

For all of their smack talk I have to say that last night Paula and I did not just beat the boys in a friendly little game of cards but completely obliterated them. It was more than a win.

Once again we prove that we are superior in our card-playing strategery. Yes that is a word.

Really I have nothing more to say about it.

It was a beautiful thing.

Kristen

Withdrawl

One of the other great things about our trip to North Carolina was our nightly card games. When we lived in NC Venessa and Willem were our next door neighbors and we often would walk through the hedge and have dinner together with cards to follow. We usually played Skip-Bo which sounds innocent enough but let me tell you it could get pretty cut throat! Of course Venessa and I were always on a team and we usually won.

Willem and Mike get pretty obnoxious.

And they cheat.

So with all that against us Venessa and I didn't do so well the week of our visit. We played a total of nine games three of which we won, five of which they won, and one game I am counting as a misdeal. (Although they won't admit to it)

We had so much fun playing and talking and I now haven't played cards in seven days.

Todd and Paula are you up for some Skip-Bo?

It's Not You It's Me

So, I feel kinda bad. I posted yesterday about being so tired and I think I came across the wrong way. But in my defense I was very tired. And I don't do well with the whole lack of sleep thing. But I would like to clear something up. Mike totally rocks!! He is one of the sweetest, most loyal, kindest, husbands. I was not complaining about him. I know that he gives his all to what he does and I support him in it. Not that I don't miss him if he has to work late but I know he is doing it for God and I respect that. I have always seen my job as his supporter and up lifter and I don't think that I did that yesterday. So I want to send this out as an apology to my gorgeous man and to anyone else who may have taken it the wrong way.

Truly I need to be able to get over MY issue of not being able to sleep if he is not in the house.

Kristen

Book Review: Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

I just finished this book last night! Thanks Paula!! It was a great read. I was at first interested in it because it is a historical fiction novel based on the artist Vermeer and one of his paintings. I was a Humanities/Art History major in college and knew I would enjoy it because it was one of my favorite time periods. After reading the book I found the only thing historical about the book are the names of the people, the places and time period in which it takes place. The story behind the painting is totally fictitious. But, I enjoyed it. I feel like she stayed true to the time period and it is very well written.

Have you read it? Tell me what you think.

Kristen

Sooo Tired

I am so tired this morning. But I am up and I will do my best to be civil. School starts in 28 minutes. I am not one of those people that function on 5 hours of sleep. I know there are people who can, but I CAN'T!!! One night in a week I can catch up from but I have had three this week!! Sunday night, we won't even talk about with the getting home at 4 am Monday morning, then Wednesday night Mike had practice and didn't get in until 12:30, and last night he didn't get home until 2:30 from the building. I unfortunately can't sleep well with out him in the house so I too was up until 12:30 and 2:30 those nights. I need to some how just turn it off and be able to sleep when he isn't home. Suggestions?

How do you do it?

Kristen

One Cow Eyeball Please

Being a homeschool mom definitely has it's challenges. Our attentiveness unit has now moved on to sight. They suggest to really make an impact on the students you should acquire a cow eyeball from your local stock yard and dissect it with the kids. Okay, so really I have no problem with the dissecting part I think the kids will learn a lot and it will be memorable. But, I really have not the slightest idea how me and my four kids are going to go down to the stock yards and get an eyeball. I mean seriously!! Yes, I realize we are in the stock yard capital but how does one go about making a request like this? I am completely at a dead end.

And of course as I was planning I happened to mention it out loud and the boys freaked they are totally looking forward to dissecting an eyeball.

You see while we were in NC Venessa's older daughter was in a biology lab and came home with the news they will be dissecting a frog next. I told her you can do it on line first so that you can be prepared and she found a virtual dissection sight and when Seth saw it he spent half a day dissecting and re-dissecting this crazy frog on line. He was totally fascinated. I am sure I can find the eyeball on line as well but it really isn't the same.

Maybe someone makes a plastic one like the frogs.....

Any other ideas?

Kristen

More on Schooling

Pretty excited about this. While I was in NC had the opportunity to talk home schooling with several friends. I have to say that is something I miss about NC. We had such a great support group there for our schooling. So I went to my favorite used book store and picked up Faith's next math book, which she will need in 25 more lessons. Wow that is a month!!! Okay, so I found the Saxon 76 with answer key for 5 dollars!!! Very excited about that deal.

Then Venessa and I wandered into a back room and I found an entire set of World Book Encyclopedias for 21 dollars!! They are from 1989 but I am okay with that. For truly up to date stuff we have the Internet but this gives them the reference book experience I feel they are really lacking.

I also got the opportunity to see what Venessa is using and I love it!! I was looking at a change for next year. Konos has been great but we are needing something different. I looked at her Tapestry of Grace and really think it is right for us. So as soon as i can find the money for it I am going to buy it and start preparing for fall. I like it because it is history based and by the time they finish the full 4 books they will have covered every thing in history that is needed and required. The only thing we will have to supplement is math and science lab stuff but we maybe okay until high school with the science....not sure yet. I think we will just have to spend a year with it before we know.

Kristen

Fat Cakes

The one thing you need to understand about my good friend Venessa is she can cook like nobody's business!! I mean really cook. She can cook anything. Well, one of my favorite things that she cooks is called Fet Kook. I am sure I spelled that incorrectly since it is Afrikaans and I don't speak or spell it I am just spelling the way it sounds when she says it to me. It means fat cakes and let me tell you that is exactly what would happen if you ate too many of them. But oh man, do I love them. She makes a bread dough. Delicious. Then she makes little buns and lets them raise. Next she drops them in a pan with hot oil and continually pours the hot oil over the tops of them until they puff up. You turn them once and when they are brown you pull them out and let them cool. But not too much!! They are soooo good hot. She made me some curry to eat on it. And not just any curry but the real deal. Spices from Sri Lanka with meat and veggies, and lentils. Oh my goodness. Then we just cut open the hot cakes and pile it with the curry.

I really have to stop talking about it because my mouth is watering....


She has made this for me many times before but this time was different. I watched this time and she sent me home with spices. If you come to my house you may become a guinea pig.


I will warn you first.

Kristen

Mutant Hillbillys?

This is the only picture I got in West Virginia. I really wanted to stop and take some pictures in this state. Some awesome old barns, old houses and green pastures. Oh, and of course the occasional porch with a few couches and refrigerators on it, it was a true picture of the south.

But here is something you may not know about Mike. He is not going to stop in West Virginia. Unfortunately, while living in NC some friends convinced him that stopping in WV was not a wise choice. Ever. So that combined with one too many mutant-killer hillbilly movies and an irrational paranoia is born!!

So until he gets some counseling for this we will not be staying in or visiting WV....

Kristen

A Long, Long Way Home

What a long night!! We went to Elevation Church in Charlotte yesterday morning which was an hour drive from where we were staying. It was great to sit next to Mike during the service, but we missed The Orchard so much! After we got out of there and ate it was 11 o'clock IL time and we started home.

What should have been an 11 hour trip turned into a 15 hour drive home. We pulled in at 4 am exhausted. Of course, the children slept most of the way and were bright eyed and bushy tailed first thing this morning. So Mike and I are up but I can't really say we are awake.

I was hoping to take a ton of pictures on the trip and be able to share them. But unfortunately I got just too relaxed, and slacked on the picture taking. I do have a couple that I will share in the next few days. I am pretty full of NC stories right!! I will have to get them all out.

But for now I have a ton of laundry to do.

Have a great day!!

Kristen

Week End

I can't believe our week is almost over! I don't know that i have been this rested in a long time. Today Venessa and I took the girls and little boys to see the Bridge to Terebethia. It was a great movie that left all of the big girls crying.

Mike and Willem are enjoying a little N.C. golfing today. I am glad for Mike to have a rest.

Tomorrow we head to Elevation church in Charlotte and then straight home. Can't wait to see all my Il friends again!!! Miss you!

Kristen

North Carolina Family

Hey there!! We are with our North Carolina family!! We are having so much fun eating, playing, sitting outside in the warm NC sun, playing card, and just relaxing! I don't think I can go home....

We are having too much fun! More about the trip later.....

Kristen

Jumpin' Josh

Well...he would like to be. But I am keeping him down for just one more day. He is driving me crazy!! He wants to go out an play so badly. He has also said he doesn't want to watch another movie!! Wow! You know they are feeling better when they want to quit watching movies. But for now he is couch ridden and will have to just deal.

Neighbor kids were shocked to find the girls home today, on a Sunday, and they are gone up the street playing. So I am going to finish baking the bread for lunch and go spend some time with my new book.

Stay well!

Kristen

Round Two

This is precisely the reason that I am the germaphobe that I am. If you have ever spent the entire night with a four year old who is vomiting every couple of hours and trying to get it into the bowl but not always making it , you too would insist that the anti-bacterial be used whenever possible. We had our second round of this virus last night with Joshi. I don't really understand the 7 day delay except that Seth must have been contagious past his 24 hours. Joshi seems to be feeling better this morning and is drinking.

I am thinking our plans are not going to change too much for our trip unless someone else gets sick before we leave. But we do need some serious prayers here. I don't want to be 12 hours from home and in a friends house when someone else gets sick!!

Going back to bed for a while. Have a great day.

Kristen

More on our Star Wars obsession

So the other big Star Wars thing in our house is the Star Wars Lego video game. Now, if you have a little boy in your house between the ages of 4-8 I am sure you know what I am talking about. They adore this game. I am pretty picky as to what video games they play. I don't like the blood and violence and I think a lot of these games just add to their already very active nature. I don't really need them being any more active than they are!!

Yesterday when we were studying symphonies and instruments in the orchestra we were perusing the Internet and listening to different orchestras play when we came across this. The boys thought it was hilarious. I thought it was great that they were disturbed that there were no woodwinds represented and the second violin section was missing.

I guess they were listening.

Kristen

Mission Impossible

Sometimes getting the kids to not just do their work but enjoy their work feels like an impossible mission. I think one of my jobs as a home school parent is to not just get the work done but to teach the children to enjoy learning. And for Faith one of our biggest challenges has been learning to love writing. She loves to read, as a matter of fact I can't keep up with her. I have never had her tested so I don't know her reading level but I know by the books she is reading it is high. So you would think that logically anyone who reads that much would also enjoy writing. But you would be WRONG!!! So I have to send out a big thank you to blogger. Since I started this blog she has been very interested in starting one herself. She begged and begged and Mike added a blog on to mine so that she could post as well. She is doing great!! She loves it and she is choosing to sit down on her own every afternoon and post something!!! You have to understand what a huge accomplishment this is!! IT's huge!! So here is a link to her blog. Check it out and give her some encouragement!!

Kristen

New Ride

So we found out this week that our van was not just cosmetically unattractive, but also a hazard to drive and to top it off worth literally no money. But my savvy husband was able to work it out and we traded the old thing in for a new, safer, and I have to say outwardly more appealing van. We are pretty jazzed. I love the fact that the steering wheel doesn't shake violently as you are driving down the road and the kids love that the back sliding door windows roll down. Something for everyone.

For me this is also a lesson in the great things that God has in store for us. We went into this venture just trying to get out of this dangerous vehicle and were looking at anything available. And God literally shut the door on it. I see now that He had something better for us, a newer better vehicle. Isn't that the way we all are a lot of times. Expect the least when God really has so much more that He wants to bless us with? I just praise God that he continues to bless and keep our family safe.

Kristen

One More Thing...

Oh, and this mighty guard dog you see here, who has been completely spoiled and pampered beyond all recognition, is terribly afraid of the new vehicle in the garage. So afraid that she just stands by the back door and barks at it. She was so concerned about us when we got back from our little family drive that she fully inspected each of her "babies" as they came into the house, then resumed her barking at the door.

It's going to be a long day.

Kristen

Lucia, Lucia

I just finished a great book. It was Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani. She is the author of the Big Stone Gap series which was also good but I like Lucia Lucia better. It is not educational or anything it is kind of the chick-flick of books. But the thing I like the most is that it is told as one older women telling another younger women the story of her life. She just has a nice way of writing that makes you want to know the characters and find out what happens next. Sometimes I just really want a book that I don't have to think too much about. One that you can just sit back and enjoy. This book definitely did that for me.

If you read it I hope you enjoy it and if you have read it what did you think?

Kristen

Ten Minute Tidy!!

People often ask me how I manage to school all four kids. So I thought I would include some of the things that I do to make life run a little more smoothly.

One of the things we do around here, so that I don't go crazy, is a little thing I call the 10-minute tidy. I put a ten minute timer on each morning before we start school and everyone goes as fast as they can to pick up, swifer the floors, wipe down the bathrooms, and just do whatever needs to be done so that we can start our day. I started this because I was finding that, that little bit of mess that was around before we started our school day turned into a big giant mess by the time our school day was over. But now with our 10 minute cleaning spree it is very manageable and not a big deal. The kids don't get over whelmed and neither do I! Also I think the kids work better when there is order to the house. I know I do!

And to top it off now the kids have a little song that goes along with it ...maybe I will have to get that on video because I really can't do it justice.

Kristen

N.C. Here We Come!

We are all pretty excited around here right now! Mike has a conference in South Carolina next week and when I originally heard about the conference I devised a plan...See we moved here two and a half years ago from North Carolina and have not been back to visit since. We all left great friends there and have wanted to go visit for a while. So Mike is actually taking some time off and we are going for a week!! He is going to drop me and the kids off and then going to the conference. We are getting to stay with our best friends Vanessa and Willem and their kids Chaunte, Leandrie, and Izak. No, those are not typical southern names!! They are from South Africa. They were our next door neighbors in N.C. and in that house is where I learned about some of the best food in the world and my kids learned to speak Afrikaans. Okay, not totally but they learned a lot! I can't wait to spend a week soaking up the sun, my great friends, and some relaxation.

Oh, and I will not be wearing any shoes that cover my toes while I am there. Faith and I have already decided the toenails will be orange, we are excited about painting them after their long winter hibernation.

The real problem is what will we tell them when we have to come back home and they have to go back in socks?

Kristen

Attack of the Clones

Yesterday was weird. The kids did not enjoy missing church and were a little on the grumpy side. Seth was really fine yesterday and feeling 100% like himself. But I, being the true germ-a-phobe that I am didn't want to expose him to anything else. So I made everyone stay home from church yesterday. Did I mention they were not happy? So, to make up for this bit of sadness in our house I allowed them to watch Attack of the Clones.

Okay, so I really can handle only so much Star Wars. I have a limit, and really reached that limit several years ago. So Kylee, Seth and Josh put on the movie and I went in another room to read my book. From the other room I am hearing the battle noises and such from the movie. But then it seemed like I was hearing the same scene over and over again, which really isn't that unusual since the whole movie kind of sounds like one scene playing over and over again. I then tune in a little more and I realize it is the same scene playing over and over. And a fight appears to be brewing between Seth and Josh. I crept around the corner and this is what I heard:

Josh: But I want to be Yoda!!!! (You really have to imagine the half whine, half scream here)
Seth: I really should be Yoda. (Said with confidence)
Josh: But it's my light saber!!! ( Things are starting to get ugly)
Seth: So, I have it. ( Again just a fact)
Josh: But I look more like Yoda!!!! (Aha!!)
Seth: You're right, here.

The good thing here is that they worked it out with out me intervening. How is it a good thing to win the argument by the fact that you look more like Yoda, I'm not sure. But after that I couldn't resist watching the scene be re-enacted. And I have to say Josh rocks as Yoda. Who knew?

Kristen

Pass the Buck

If you know me you know I like to read....A LOT! I love all kinds of books. One of my recent favorites is The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. If you haven't read this, or haven't read it in the last ten years, it is a must read! To me the most amazing thing about it is that it was first published in 1931 and it is still such a great read. Sorry, but I sometimes have a hard time with older books and them still being relevant to my life. And I have to admit when I first decided to read it I was reluctant. It sounded a bit like something I was forced to read at some point in my school career. But because I read so much I happen to be without a book at the time and decided to give it a try. It is one of those books that you become so involved in you begin to neglect your family....If you like to read you know what I am talking about. I am not going to say anything more about the book but if you read it and want to talk about it tell me what you think!

Oh, and guess what I just found out it was the first book in a trilogy!!!! My poor family.....

Kristen

It's Amazing!

Okay, so I have a confession. I am a reality show addict. I used to watch any reality show that came on, but now I've cut back to my top three favorites; Amazing Race, The Apprentice, and (of coarse) American Idol. Now here is the really sad part.... I have somehow pulled my innocent children into this obsession. It started with American Idol. Which is really more of a talent show than a reality show. Right?

Then they caught me watching Amazing Race one evening. I really thought that they would think it was boring so I let them watch. They LOVED it. I mean loved it! They now have their favorite teams that they root for and they get so upset when their team doesn't do well. In my defense, I really thought at first it was somewhat educational since you see the maps (geography) and you get to see some of the country that the teams go to, as well as, hear and see some of the native people (social studies). So really it is all to broaden their knowledge. Really.

Got to go the Apprentice is coming on!

Kristen

You Know You Have A Great Church When....

You tell your kids that we can't go to church because one of them is still recovering from an illness, and they ALL begin to mope!!!

Kristen

Week in Review

The kids and I have had a challenging week. Not bad. Just challenging. I don't know if it has anything to do with our new character unit we have started but God is definitely trying to teach us all something. Mike and I have chosen to use Konos character curriculum for the last two years. This curriculum covers everything except math and spelling (and phonics for the little ones). I like it for several reasons but mostly because it hammers a character trait for a 6-8 week period so that everything that we do is centered around that trait. Bible, writing, reading, science, art, history, social studies you get the picture.

Anyways our new unit is on Attentiveness. So this week we focused on the ear. How it works, all the parts and on Monday, which is Mike's day off, he built a huge ear out of things around the house with the kids! They could crawl through it and be inside an ear, they loved it. He also made a soundscope with them so that they could "see" sound moving.

The rest of the week we talked about deafness-learning about Braille, how deafness occurs, and I began reading The Miracle Worker to them. Lots of science experiments on how sound travels and how we hear, the kids love that. I like it too just more planning and work for me but still cool. And then at the end of the week my attentiveness skills were really put to the test when Seth got sick.

And now I think we should all spend some time being attentive to Saturday morning cartoons!!

Kristen

Joshi and Mommy's day of fun!!

At the beginning of the school year Mike and I set up a reading goal for the kids. If Seth and Josh read 100 and the girls read 50 then they would earn a date with either mom or dad. They have been very excited about this. Josh reached his goal in early January, seeing that he only had to have books read to him this was really a greater feat for ME, but so much has been going on I just haven't had time to take him on his date.

Well, this week it finally happened. Monday while daddy was constructing a giant ear with the older kids Josh and I snuck out on our date. He got to choose the place and he chose Panera Bread company. I know that sounds a bit like I influenced him but I didn't!! I swear!! His favorite food right now is their Broccoli and cheese soup. It really is awesome! I found a copy cat recipe here but nothing is as good as the real thing. So we went to Panera and enjoyed some bread and soup together. He was very cute and soooo polite. Then we chose to go to the book store and look around. He brought me about 12 books, which we read together, and then found a very cool book that we bought.

We drove home slowly because we really enjoyed our mom and son time out. And now I am jealous because Faith just finished her 50th book and now it is Mike's turn!!

Kristen

Entertain me

Wow this seems like a strange day to start this blog, but I have been talking about it for a while so thought I would start today. I am a mom of four gorgeous kids, and with the help of my awesome husband they are all four schooled at home. So life is....busy.

Today started like any other. The alarms go off and we start our day breakfast, getting dressed, beds thrown together, oh, and the first-thing-in-the-morning musical serenade by either piano or guitar performed by our budding musicians. All seems to be normal until we hear the dreaded,"Mommy, I don't feel good." Seth our 6 year old has a stomach ache and like any six year old boy, he thought that a large bowl of cereal with MILK on it would make it feel better. So after the first round of sickness I put him in bed and began the decontamination process. I don't know if it really helps but I do know that it makes me feel a lot better.

The school day must go on so I am giving spelling tests and bleaching all surfaces that are not moving when I hear my name being shouted from the upstairs quarantined area. As I hurl myself upstairs to my sweet child's bedside (yes I was concerned about him, I was also concerned about the carpet) I see that he is laying peacefully in his bed he looks up at me and says," Mommy entertain me."

Did I mention that I love him?

Kristen