Christian and Ollie had Dr appointments today. I took all the children because Christian had a fever and body aches and I didn’t want him to get anyone else sick. It was quite odd at our doctor’s office. The office was packed but everyone was sitting against the wall, quiet and solemn. The toys were all neat and untouched.
Christian’s illness is related to his ear infection, I am thankful that so far, the Swine Flu is panning out to be a lot of hype.
When Amy asked Keith to video and photograph her Grand-Father In Law, Tracy’s Memorial I was excited. I quickly realized that Keith would not be able to take another unscheduled day off right now. He is a hard worker and very necessary at his job. In a eureka moment I offered to take the pics myself, then have Keith edit the pictures and video. What could be so hard about taking pictures, just aim and click :-) (Side note, none of these antics would have happened if Keith was there)
I called Amy to let her know I was running behind and she had lost her voice. Poor friend, she could barely muster a whisper. I got to her house and we flew over to the church. It was a lovely country church with a friendly young Pastor. Tracy’s daughter Lynn did an amazing job remembering her Dad. She made boards up with pictures of him. He was a Navy Seal in the 40’s and was a Trooper after that. There were articles from when he captured a man who killed another trooper. A guest book from a Welcome Home Party from 1946 was reviewed by friends looking to find their name. A few did.
I met a woman online who needed a computer repaired. I offered for Keith to fix it. We decided to meet at the church because she lives 30 min north of me. She came up to me and introduced herself but I was brain-dead as to who she was. She finally said the computer so I showed her my car and told her to put it in the back and I would “lock it later”. She did, brave soul.
As I was videoing Sophia started pulling my hair, getting loud and shut off the camcorder. My friend Amy came to my rescue and took Sophie out but she was missing the lovely service. There were many heartfelt memories shared and beautiful songs sung. I tried to whisper to Mr. Smith, who is a former Marine, to take the camera. When he heard me he hesitated saying “I don’t know how to use it”. “Take it and point it” I harshly whispered. Thankfully there was a woman with her Nikon d-40 from the Saratoga Library (thanks Victoria!) Then I took all Amy’s children to the nursery. I changed her daughter’s poopy diaper and put it in my car. Did I mention you could fry an egg on the sidewalk?
Fast forward to the Saratoga Cemetery, my van battery died and I had to quickly buckle Sophie and I into someone’s car. I asked her her name later. (thank you again Victoria!) After Mr. Smith and a friend jumper my van I realized I still had a poopy diaper baking in the backseat.
The bottom line, you knew I was getting there, is that I wish I knew Tracy. He touched many lives with his music, stories and can-do attitude.
*photo credit to Nanette at the Convention
Keith and I had a nice weekend in Auburn with Nanette at the Mass Hope Convention. The speakers (the ones I actually made it to that is) were very challenging and encouraging. Shopping was a highlight. We left early because both of our backs were/are killing us. When we got home the kids were sick :-(
I would take a pic of my laundry pile if I could find me camera (see below post about my kiddos and my camera. I usually shoot for between 3 and 4 loads per day but this is a huge mountain of clean laundry I have to tackle.
Our neighbor had a garage sale today so the children were in all their glory buying broken watches and 10 year old ornaments from the 10 cent table. Ahem, I did find a little something too~ a US puzzle and a blender that I can use the glass part on my base so I have 2 blending units on the same base.
So there you have it :-)
said Abby as she excitedly drank from beautiful Pfaltzgraff mug given to us by Ed jr and Lynne when Ed senior passed away.
We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace.
O. Chambers
This week we are studying optimism. Optimism is the opinion that everything in nature is ordered for the best. The key verse is
Proverbs 19:21- There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the council of the Lord, it shall stand.
One of the questions that stood out in my heart is: If we are always worrying and complaining, do we show much faith in the Lord and our purpose for our life? How can Proverbs 19:21 help us be more optimistic?
and a most unfaithful friend, that will let a sick man die for fear of troubling him; and cruel wretches are we to our friends, that will rather suffer them to go quietly to hell, than we will anger them, or hazard our reputation with them.
Richard Baxter
A friend and her sweet new baby boy
One of the speakers shared how her parents were very businesslike in their parenting. They were task oriented, looking for a “product”. They never spoke disapproval but she felt it. A question that stood out to me is “do I allow my family to relax? “.
Am I a loving mom who teaches or a taskmaster?
hello! this is me doing my homework. you see that thing with the ball? well, that is my Nerf gun. i got it for Easter.
my mom said i did very good on my school.
well, got to hit the road! BAM! ok. i hit it. BAM! now it hit me!
Oh boy! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! HELP! one minute. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! i am so glad i have a Nerf gun!
Good by.
We went to a Mother’s full day luncheon Tuesday and I was so blessed. The speakers were encouraging, the shopping fun, and the food delicious. It was great to see some friends I haven’t seen in a while. One of the best parts was the full day children’s program. Each child was in a program from 8-4. I do not think I have ever done this before. They made crafts and raised a ruckus.
If you know anything about parents, home school moms too, we can be a guilty group. We worry worry worry. Oliver made this puppet in his class.
I was freaking out, wondering why his puppet was so sad! Was Mr. Puppet angsting about his childhood? I asked Ollie to tell me about his puppet. He painstakingly explained to me what materials I needed to make my own puppet and how to assemble it. I then asked him why Mr. Puppet was so sad. He said
“Mom, that is his mustache”
sheesh
They must have taken this picture of my neighbor. Do they really think I will not notice pictures that I didn’t take?
I'll Fly Away
Some glad morning when this life is o'er,
I'll fly away.
To a home on God's celestial shore,
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.
When the shadows of this life have flown,
I'll fly away.
Like a bird thrown, driven by the storm,
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, O Glory, I'll fly away.
When I die, Hallelujah, bye and bye,
I'll fly away.
Just a few more weary days and then,
I'll fly away.
To a land where joy shall never end,
I'll fly away.
I'll fly away, O Glory,
I'll fly away.
I am most thankful for Jesus Christ, who bore my sin and wants to have close friendship with me. Keith’s precious Aunt Joann is gravely ill and my heart is laden for her family. Keith is at the hospital now.
I am thankful for the time we had with our families today.
First we went to my parent’s house. There just is never enough time! My Uncle John is very exuberant! Gilli had fun.
I love this picture of my Dad,Julianna and Sophie-Kate
My Mom is awesome with babies
Jerm, Stef, and Julianna had a full weekend of baking, egg coloring and lots and lots of baskets!
Unfortunately, I was too busy laughing and having fun at Keith’s mom’s house to take any shots! Erika organized a feast. Christa made some favorites and Derik contributed cheesecake. It was a success. :-)
Well, in an effort to keep my fans happy here is a pic of my dad.
Now off to find some pictures of Frank…………
I said I would not post the inane details of my life but guess what. This would be empty if I didn’t. It *is* free reading, you know.
We went to the church work day. I am thankful that I went. I was struggling with having a bad attitude, trying to pack 5 tired children and 1 tired mama, but it dissipated when I saw my friends working away. I am inspired to do some cleaning and organizing.
Oliver is on letter N this week so we made cute chocolate nests. It just happened to correspond with Easter being tomorrow. I had coordinating purple clothing for everyone except Keith but now everyone is wearing something different. The best laid plans of mice and men……….
Have a blessed day tomorrow!
Friday started with a trip to visit the co-op we would like to join next year.
There was a visit from a special Police Officer trained in dog handling.
His dog’s name was Eric and he was a bit scary for some of the children.
Everyone ate their lunch in 30 seconds and ran to play outside. In Christian and Gillianne’s science class a bird handler brought an owl. The sign language class sang Happy Birthday to Gilli in sign language. The country in Countries and Cultures was Switzerland. Everyone was very friendly and organized.
Then we flew down to Chuck E Cheese for Gilli’s birthday party. It was fun and didn’t have to clean up afterward. I am thankful for our friends and family who came.
I forgot that Bob can’t have pizza (gluten) but Uncle Keith bought Bob a whole half gallon of Fireworks ice-cream. Waahoo!
Uncle Frank looking less than thrilled with my cupcake ice-cream cones. (I am getting a complex here, first the chili, now the cupcakes) .They each had a truckload of very sweet frosting, even the kids didn’t finish them.
Ollie on the jeep! 
Uncle Mike and Christian
Hula Queen Gilli and Bob
My parents
Uncle Jerm having fun!
Thanks Everyone!
As Leslie would say “Get out your parkas to cover your Easter finery”, the high is in the 40s. You were right Aunt Ruth, we will be shivering in our Easter dresses.
Christian bought Keith and I this Passover dish for $2! It has spots for the different elements of Passover.
Here is the chili I made for dinner in a cute milk glass crock I found for.25each, sw-eet!
Keith said this was his favorite chili so I may as well note the recipe here.
Brown 1/2 onion, garlic, 1/3 pound ground beef and 2 links sausage crumbled (must be Sorrentino’s hot) . Add 2 *huge* cans of kidney beans (the dry ones are always hard, never cooked enough when I do them), 2 can Mexican diced tomatoes, a little salsa, garlic and onion powder and a ton of chili powder.
This morning we attended a "Leave No Trace” program at the library by Dianne Shapiro.
The program was very interesting and well done. Dianne really drove home the key points of safety/courtesy while hiking with object lessons and hands on activities.
She set up a tent for the children to camp out in.
Dianne even brought a snack of mud (otherwise known as chocolate pudding :-) Everyone had a super time!
Dianne demonstrated carrying in (and sometime out!) your toilet paper.
Now for the reality. All of the above is true but also
Abby’s diaper was loose and leaked a little so she smelled like pee
Abby knocked over a little girl
Gillianne regaled everyone with tales of her outhouse usage and how one time when she didn’t have anywhere to pee we had her use a diaper (!)
While learning about respecting bears and being kind to their homes Christian informed everyone that his uncle shoots bears
I rear ended someone in the drive through at Burger King afterward
So there you have it :-)
On Wednesday evenings we are doing a study on Self0Confrontation using this
http://www.avantshops.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=bcf&Category_Code=matls-c1
There is a workbook with weekly homework, it is a very profitable use of time. It focuses on taking the beam out of our own eye. This week we read about reading God’s Word and memorizing scripture. This is what spoke to me the most:
Psalm 19:7-11 The law if the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart:the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever:the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them is great reward.
From this passage
What God’s Word is Like
perfect
sure
right
pure
clean
enduring forever
true
righteous
desirable
sweet
What God’s Word does in *us*
converting the soul
making wise the simple
rejoicing the heart
enlightening the eyes
warns us
great reward
Success is merely going from one failure to the next with undiminished enthusiasm.
Winston Churchill
Well, hang out with Nanette and you will get media coverage, it’s guaranteed.
Here is an excerpt from a story you can find on
http://www.greenpointnews.com/entertainment/ny-states-history-museum-nearly-neglects-bk
On a windy Monday afternoon it was being enjoyed by the children of Nanette Johnson and Kariann Deno, who had driven in just for this. Johnson remembered that while she was growing up, there were more fairs and carnivals than there are today. “It’s just this great childhood fantasy—you’re riding a horse through the air, there’s music, there’s lights.”
Deno remembered going on one later, with an old boyfriend. “He threw up in a donation bucket.”
Now they bring their kids here; it’s an American tradition. “The hardest part,” Johnson said, “is waiting the fifteen minutes to ride again.” While the kids waited, they ran around the ride clockwise. The horses they had ridden a moment earlier spun the opposite direction.
Yep, here is my 15 minutes of fame and it includes vomiting, how fitting
http://www.thehomeschoolshop.com/sh-freedownload.htm
FOR THE MONTH OF April...
Happy Scribe Copybook... Pet Friends
Learn all about cute little family pets!!! And improve your handwriting too!
I am reading Thomas Jefferson Home Education Companion and so far a major theme is to inspire, not require. We all agree that we would prefer that our children be spurred on to learning by a burning desire to learn rather than us standing over them insisting and cajoling them to get their work done. This is scary territory for me. I disagree that nothing should be required. How will they grow up to function if they are always allowed to choose and not taught to fulfill duties? I want to add a disclaimer that there is a huge emphasis in this book on academics and developing leadership in your children, just a different method. One strategy I am using is modeling. I wanted the children to work on some thank you notes. Instead of rounding them up like I normally would I simply got out my thank you notes and started working…. and waiting. Soon everyone joined in and was enjoying writing the notes. Does anyone have any ideas of how you seek to inspire not require from your children or any arguments against this idea? Another caveat I want to add is that we must require what God requires from them as far as kindness, obeying parents etc.
Any thoughts?
http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/Easter-Holiday-Helper.pdf
This has picture study, stories, copywork, and poems.
Yesterday morning started with my favorite breakfast cooked by Keith. He made eggs, bacon and cheese on flaky biscuits. Christian was popping like a popcorn kernel so excited to give me my birthday gift. He used his own money to buy me a beautiful silver locket engraved with mom. I will treasure it forever.
Keith gave a a Brighton hair clip and a very cool Brighton bangle. They were both a great surprise and something different to enjoy. He also bought me a bunch of books.
1. The Hungry Girl Cookbook
2. The Young Peacemaker
3.A Thomas Jefferson Home Education Companion
4.Teach it to Them Diligently
I can’t wait to curl up with these rather than grabbing snippets like I have been yesterday.
My parents and Julianna stopped by with brownie sundaes and they gave me some comfy pjs. I liked having them over. Sharon and Dan graciously offered to watch the children and Keith whisked me out to dinner. “I decided on the olive Garden. Sometimes I just get in the mood for something and their salad was it for last eve. We enjoyed getting to chat and laugh and then returned to Sharon and Dan’s for cake and ice cream. It was a happy day.
Nanette presented me with this on Friday
You can find it on ESTY. I love it! Mine is a bit different and I like it better. She also made the most gorgeous picture. You will have to see when you come and visit. We love friends, old and new, coming to see us.
On Friday we checked out an area homeschooling co-op for next year. It is quite a hike but I am leaning strongly toward joining. I think it will be a good thing on so many levels. The women there were so welcoming to us. They were strict with the children but they were filled with grace and you could see that they were enjoying what they were teaching and who they were teaching :-) Gilli and Ollie joined right in and did very well. I got very lost on the way and on the way home :-)
After we got home my darling husband watched the children (after working over 70 hours this week) so my friend Nanette and I could go out and celebrate my birthday. First we went to the Katrina Trask Sale. I bought too much but we can always use cute clothes and it was fun! Speaking of which~ who are these people who have WHITE shirts without stains to consign? I would like to meet them……probably the same people whose children grow out of their socks before they lose them. I digress. Then we were thwarted by the new awesome Treasures Store run by Saratoga Hospital. It is great but it was closed. We could only look in the window like sad puppies. Next we went to Five Guys for an awesome dinner. The burgers and fries are taste filled. Our next stop was Price Chopper for my b’day breakfast supplies. I remembered that I needed to order my bridesmaid dress for Jeremy and Stef’s wedding by 8 at 7:50 an ordered in while buying biscuits and bacon. Our last stop was the $ store for loot for Gilli’s b’day. You will have to wait until tomorrow to see what Nanette gave me but it was very heartfelt and special.
Hope you all have a great weekend!
1. Children fighting constantly sometimes
2.Half the birthday cupcakes missing because the dog ate them
3. Toddler getting up from a nap with poop in their hand saying in toddler-ese : “pine cone”
Keith’s ankles started swelling on Monday. Since he was just discharged from the hospital on Saturday I called the Pulmonologist who had been caring for him. They doubled his HCTZ and potassium. We went to the Cardiologist today who was concerned by how big his ankles were. They did blood work to check for heart failure and kidney problems but didn’t want to increase the diuretic yet. Keith’s ankles have continued to swell more this afternoon and I thought they looked discolored, ever so slightly bluish so I called the Cardiologist again. They said for him to elevate them and keep them covered so they do not get cold. His blood work came back and his heart and kidneys look good. We are thankful for that but concerned about why his ankles are so swollen. I am hoping it is an adverse reaction to the steroids he received intravenously and is still taking orally. His feet are very sore, the skin is stretched so thin. He is working very late, until 3:30 am last eve. Thank you all for your loving concern and prayers on our behalf.
Notice I didn’t call this post “What I have learned from Mrs. R”. That would be because I don’t have it all buttoned up, I merely have an awareness. Mrs. R has a beautiful homestead. She grows everything she needs only going to the store monthly for a few items. We met some friends at her house yesterday to visit and give a hand. The children were thrilled to collect eggs from the hens. Then we broke into teams and raked and pruned. The children found some cool worms and grubs outside!
The things that stand out to me the most are
1. Do not waste. Mrs. R doesn’t waste a thing! Last year we were caning celery from her garden and when she came across a bug she would say “chicken treat!” and put it in an empty yogurt container to feed it to her chickens. Her home is very neat and she is very content, not feeling the need to update what she has.
2. Work hard. Mrs. R works hard and cheerfully. She does every job “as unto the Lord”. She is very diligent.
We had a great day! It started to rain right when I had to leave to bring Keith to the doctor. Nanette and Grace continued to work in the rain~ you go girls!
