I have been doing a horrible job blogging! It's been busy here though. Last week my pretty princess turned 5! We had our biggest birthday party ever with 11 kids (including our 4) total and 4 adults (including us). I made her a Rapunzel dress, which is still not finished, I'm just stuck...it's missing something, but I'm not sure what. And I need to lower the neckline a little. In my effort to make a modest version, I put the neckline all the way up to her neck...and she's got a great big head like Momma. So we need a little more room up there to pull it over.
I bought and started reading The Backyard Homestead. I'm loving it!! The wheels in our heads are turning about how we'll maximize our gardening potential in whatever house God blesses us with. We have been planning on buying next summer for quite a while now, but we may have the opportunity to rent a larger home from the same people who own the house we are renting now (it's getting toooooo small for us, we really NEED a third bedroom), so we're going to look into that. If we do, I guess we'll just keep up with container gardening for a few years until we decide to buy (they told us to buy that bigger house, but it comes with more property than we could afford next summer). But I'm already thinking about what next year's garden will hold.
Our garden this year was late getting planted, but it's doing awesome. The 4 tomato plants we have in one 18g tote are going crazy, with leaves anyway. I'm waiting for the flowers. The 2 tomatillos we have are just covered with flowers! It's amazing. Our peas are doing ok, they're teeny, I hope they grow up some soon. Our cucumbers are doing pretty good too, and I can see a few small cucumbers growing! The strawberry plant is filling the bucket up with shoots, which I hope means we'll quite a bit to show for it next year. Our carrots and scallions aren't doing all that great, which is a bummer because the carrots are one thing I know we'd eat the heck out of. Oh well.
We all had a small cold this week. We knocked it out quickly with homemade elderberry syrup. Well, ok, not so much syrup. The recipe I found calls for honey, but I didn't have any, and I wasn't going anywhere, so we used just a little xylitol. It was not yummy, but it worked REALLY well and I encourage anyone to try it! It was super simple too. 1/2c of dried elderberries to 3c of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Mash the berries, strain, and done. Even the baby (7mo) took it.
We "started" homeschooling back up. We didn't take the summer off, we chugged along through, just at a slower pace. We did take last week off so we'd have time to prepare for the birthday party (mostly so I'd have time to sew). I think I have a new plan for working through this year though, for my oldest. He really has a hard time staying focused on his work for extended periods, so I think we're going to break it up and do Math, then Bible, a break, and then Language on M/W/F, then History and Science on T/T. My 5yo only has Math and Language to do, and at this point, I just have her do as many or as few pages as she wants in each book as long as she does at least one page.
I've also been trying to reopen some mental issues with my parents and work through them. I was challenged recently to consider reaching out to them sometime in the future, but after thinking on it a lot and talking it over with my husband, we've decided that it's not the best for our family at this point in time to reconnect with them. Our original plan was to step back and give God time to soften their hearts and keep an open heart for when/if they try to contact us with a genuine apology (not the usual snippy "I'm sorry...but it's all your fault I treated you that way")...and I think we're going to stick to that plan. I've wondered this whole time if I had truly forgiven my parents for the way they treated me, and I know I have for the childhood abuse-minus the sexual stuff...I'm still having a hard time with that, but I'm also having a hard time with fogiving them for how they treated me as an adult, undermining pretty much EVERY parenting decision I made, and trying to be a wedge between my husband and I...and I'm just not over that yet. My husband asked "what is forgiveness?" and we talked about it and he asked if I wish for bad things to happen to them...and I don't. So I'm on the right path. I'm not keeping my kids from them to torture or punish my parents (though I know they'd say otherwise). I'm keeping my kids from them so that I can protect my kids from all their "crazy". So yeah, my mind has been very occupied this last week.
And for my "excuse" reason for not blogging...my internet and/or my computer hate me. It seems like everytime I think of something to blog and sit down (or stand, I don't mind) to type it out, my internet cuts out or my computer locks up. I know my computer is "old" (4y), but I'm not sure why my internet cuts out everyday between 11am and 3pm.
So there you have it. That's what's been going on with us here. Maybe I can get back on track in the next week and start blogging properly again. Maybe.
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
My favorite new picture
Non family picture anyway. We lit fireworks on the 4th in our driveway. My 4yo wanted us to light some around a rose from one of the rose bushes (that girl LOVES her roses). This is the awesomeness that happened!
Friday, July 1, 2011
What a week!
"Phew!" as my 2yo would say. The big kids had VBS (Vacation Bible School) this week. They had a ton of fun, but my goodness, I didn't realize how much work there was involved in getting 5 people out the door by 8:30 in the morning everyday! And I wasn't even volunteering this time (next year when my 2yo is 3yo and in the 3yo class...maybe). I have to give kudos to those out there that do this every week during the school year, I just can't imagine. We still start our homeschooling day at 9, but if all I have the energy/time for is pajamas and fuzzy hair, pajamas and fuzzy hair it is. I had so much I wanted to do this week-like get my blog all spiffed up-and I just had no energy to do it after running all morning. Not to mention that it was just nice to sit and chill with the kiddos after they spent a few hours away. Aaaaaaand, my almost 6mo ((sob)) is teething big time this week and just not happy if I put her down (poor sweet baby is asleep in the Baby Ktan right now).
So those are my excuses for not doing anything around the blog here in over a week. I DO very much want to figure out how to get a button to show up...I have to try a new code my friend sent me. And I really want to figure out how to get tabs up at the top of my blog. I found something posted online, but wow, my non-computery self just did not get it. So if anyone has any tips that would be awesome, just don't take offense if I can't figure it out, ok?
Oh, I suppose I should update on the shingles. I had pain in the same spots (on my left shoulder blade and on the left side of my chest about where the nursing clip of my nursing tank hits) for 3 or 4 days and that was that. I took garlic and nothing became of it. So thankful, I really wasn't in the mood for shingles right now! Though a few days later I was WISHING I had shingles because I woke up to my left breast swollen, red, hot, and soooo hurty. I guess I had a mild case of mastitis starting? I have no clue, in almost 8y of straight breastfeeding I've never had anything like that happen before. I have caught my 2yo chewing on his TOEnails ((ew))...I wonder if it's his fault? I've had clogged ducts before, but this didn't feel like it...though on the 2nd or 3rd night of pain, while I was nursing the 2yo, I was massaging also and felt something hard go soft, so maybe there was a clogged duct deep inside that was starting to get infected. At any rate, I'd like to share that I took garlic everyday again for that and I'm pretty sure it knocked the potential infection out.
F is for Friday!
So those are my excuses for not doing anything around the blog here in over a week. I DO very much want to figure out how to get a button to show up...I have to try a new code my friend sent me. And I really want to figure out how to get tabs up at the top of my blog. I found something posted online, but wow, my non-computery self just did not get it. So if anyone has any tips that would be awesome, just don't take offense if I can't figure it out, ok?
Oh, I suppose I should update on the shingles. I had pain in the same spots (on my left shoulder blade and on the left side of my chest about where the nursing clip of my nursing tank hits) for 3 or 4 days and that was that. I took garlic and nothing became of it. So thankful, I really wasn't in the mood for shingles right now! Though a few days later I was WISHING I had shingles because I woke up to my left breast swollen, red, hot, and soooo hurty. I guess I had a mild case of mastitis starting? I have no clue, in almost 8y of straight breastfeeding I've never had anything like that happen before. I have caught my 2yo chewing on his TOEnails ((ew))...I wonder if it's his fault? I've had clogged ducts before, but this didn't feel like it...though on the 2nd or 3rd night of pain, while I was nursing the 2yo, I was massaging also and felt something hard go soft, so maybe there was a clogged duct deep inside that was starting to get infected. At any rate, I'd like to share that I took garlic everyday again for that and I'm pretty sure it knocked the potential infection out.
F is for Friday!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Time to get my nurture on
Mondays...Mondays really have been hard lately and I don't know why. They never used to bother me, but for whatever reason, I've realized over the last several weeks that I'm mega grumpy on Mondays. I know my awesome husband has been praying extra for me on Mondays, and I'm so appreciative. I think it's partly due to being with Daddy all weekend and all of us missing him when he goes back to work.
This Monday wasn't too bad until the afternoon, and then it was just...blah. I let it get the best of me and broke a promise to myself and didn't get the living room picked up before my husband came home from work. My husband's job is loud and messy, and he's let me know that it's really hard to relax on his time off when the house is the same (or worse...which is very possible with several small children and a wife who struggles with the housekeeping part of being a sahm). I have been trying to get the living room picked up before he gets home for the past few months to bless him and serve him, but Monday I didn't even try. I just felt blah and I let it dictate my afternoon and his evening. At bedtime, as he kicked a toy he'd just stepped on, he vented his frustration a little to me. I failed him and I was sorry.
Tuesday I did a much better job picking up, but Tuesday was Monday 2.0 in its own way. Tuesday my patience appeared to be on vacation. According to my 7 year old's dictionary, patience is "the ability to remain calm when dealing with a difficult or annoying situation, task, or person". My 2 year old was deep into the "Terrible Two's" yesterday. He kept hitting and laying on his older sister and me, and tried to crawl on his baby sister. He was pushing all my buttons and he was unrelenting in it. As much as I tried, I couldn't channel Michelle Duggar (bless her for sharing her whisper instead of yell tip...if I could just manage to successfully incorporate that). I *should* have taken a time out, put my little guy in bed, and gone to pray, but I didn't. Let's just say it's a wonder that I'm not hoarse today. Not my proudest afternoon for sure.
Today is Wednesday. It's a new day. It's a chance to make reparations for the wrongs I've done. It's a day to nurture. Obviously, I plan on having the living room picked up for my awesome husband when he gets home...and hopefully the dishes too. Everything else is pretty tidy right now. I also plan to serve him in whatever way he needs or asks for this evening. For the baby, there will all the usual cuddles and carrier time and some floor time play. For my 2 year old, I've promised to go and play Thomas just as soon as I finish up here. I also plan to tickle wrestle with him later. When he gets rough, it seems to be his way of showing that he just needs some rough love and boyish affection, and I completely disregarded that yesterday. He loves to just go in the bedroom on our bed and snuggle, wrestle, and tickle. So we'll do that this afternoon sometime, probably when he starts getting grumpy and tired. For my 4 year old, we're going to do dishes together-her new favorite way to "help" and sew some headband/scarves this afternoon. Maybe we'll color together too. Quality/quantity time and affection seem to be a big need for her, and I'm not good at filling it everyday. This is an area I NEED to improve. For my 7 year old, I plan on writing a "love" note. He feels really special when he finds them and usually carries them around for a while or puts them on his shelf. I also plan to ask him more about his latest Lego creation and maybe we'll read a book together later too.
I love my family and I definitely haven't done a very good job showing it this week so far. But we are renewed each morning and I'm going to take it. All too often in our society when we have a rough day, we're told to take a day off and focus on ourselves, do something nice for ourselves, but I'm going to focus on service today, and I KNOW I'll feel better. I'll feel fulfilled, satisfied, renewed.
"22)The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23)They are new every morning,
Great is Your faithfulness.
24)'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,
'Therefore I have hope in Him'"
Lamentations 3:22-24
This Monday wasn't too bad until the afternoon, and then it was just...blah. I let it get the best of me and broke a promise to myself and didn't get the living room picked up before my husband came home from work. My husband's job is loud and messy, and he's let me know that it's really hard to relax on his time off when the house is the same (or worse...which is very possible with several small children and a wife who struggles with the housekeeping part of being a sahm). I have been trying to get the living room picked up before he gets home for the past few months to bless him and serve him, but Monday I didn't even try. I just felt blah and I let it dictate my afternoon and his evening. At bedtime, as he kicked a toy he'd just stepped on, he vented his frustration a little to me. I failed him and I was sorry.
Tuesday I did a much better job picking up, but Tuesday was Monday 2.0 in its own way. Tuesday my patience appeared to be on vacation. According to my 7 year old's dictionary, patience is "the ability to remain calm when dealing with a difficult or annoying situation, task, or person". My 2 year old was deep into the "Terrible Two's" yesterday. He kept hitting and laying on his older sister and me, and tried to crawl on his baby sister. He was pushing all my buttons and he was unrelenting in it. As much as I tried, I couldn't channel Michelle Duggar (bless her for sharing her whisper instead of yell tip...if I could just manage to successfully incorporate that). I *should* have taken a time out, put my little guy in bed, and gone to pray, but I didn't. Let's just say it's a wonder that I'm not hoarse today. Not my proudest afternoon for sure.
Today is Wednesday. It's a new day. It's a chance to make reparations for the wrongs I've done. It's a day to nurture. Obviously, I plan on having the living room picked up for my awesome husband when he gets home...and hopefully the dishes too. Everything else is pretty tidy right now. I also plan to serve him in whatever way he needs or asks for this evening. For the baby, there will all the usual cuddles and carrier time and some floor time play. For my 2 year old, I've promised to go and play Thomas just as soon as I finish up here. I also plan to tickle wrestle with him later. When he gets rough, it seems to be his way of showing that he just needs some rough love and boyish affection, and I completely disregarded that yesterday. He loves to just go in the bedroom on our bed and snuggle, wrestle, and tickle. So we'll do that this afternoon sometime, probably when he starts getting grumpy and tired. For my 4 year old, we're going to do dishes together-her new favorite way to "help" and sew some headband/scarves this afternoon. Maybe we'll color together too. Quality/quantity time and affection seem to be a big need for her, and I'm not good at filling it everyday. This is an area I NEED to improve. For my 7 year old, I plan on writing a "love" note. He feels really special when he finds them and usually carries them around for a while or puts them on his shelf. I also plan to ask him more about his latest Lego creation and maybe we'll read a book together later too.
I love my family and I definitely haven't done a very good job showing it this week so far. But we are renewed each morning and I'm going to take it. All too often in our society when we have a rough day, we're told to take a day off and focus on ourselves, do something nice for ourselves, but I'm going to focus on service today, and I KNOW I'll feel better. I'll feel fulfilled, satisfied, renewed.
"22)The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23)They are new every morning,
Great is Your faithfulness.
24)'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,
'Therefore I have hope in Him'"
Lamentations 3:22-24
Saturday, June 11, 2011
My Littlest Mister
So my two year old son is quite the rough and tumble boy. And a little grumpster at heart. We knew it right from the start, even before he was born. Around 18w he picked a posterior (face forward instead of toward mom's back) presentation and stuck with it to the end. His favorite activity in utero was to push one or both of his feet as far into my belly button as he could. Thanks to him, my belly button has gone from an "outie" to a "downie"...as in it points downward now. Awesome. He's worth it though. He further clued us in to his stubborn ways when as a baby he took his sweet time learning to laugh, and then sharing it. The usual tricks that worked with our first two didn't always work on him, and he'd only laugh when he really felt like it. I guess he's like me a bit in that, I don't always laugh when somethings funny...I think I'm laughing, but then my husband ends up saying "guess you had to be there" and I realize that I'm NOT laughing.
My littlest guy is a happy boy...sometimes. But he's definitely a brooding, emotional, easily soured little guy. We're learning how to help pull him out of his shell though. A few days ago he was having a moment...or rather, an afternoon of stormy emotions. I pulled him to me and planted a bunch of sloppy mommy kisses all over him. He laughed a little and went back to brooding (a favorite code-saying of ours in reference to these moods is "oh, it looks like someone killed Little Guy's puppy again" and one of us will go off and try to cheer him up). My husband and I have been talking a lot about helping boys be boys and what little boys are inherently drawn to and it struck me. I pulled Little Guy to me and went to plant a kiss on him and stopped suddenly, pulled back, turned my head and exclaimed "EEEWWWWWWW! Toddler kisses! Yuck!" and he laughed his little monster head off. We did that over and over and over again, probably for a full 10 minutes. He's such a boy! Any kind of gross noises tickle him right to his core (like when the squirrel passes gas on Phineas and Ferb). That kind of stuff may make ME uncomfortable, but my husband is always reminding me that boys are boys, and they love that stuff. So I'll do it for them. Do you have a broody little one? What do you do to cheer them up?
My littlest guy is a happy boy...sometimes. But he's definitely a brooding, emotional, easily soured little guy. We're learning how to help pull him out of his shell though. A few days ago he was having a moment...or rather, an afternoon of stormy emotions. I pulled him to me and planted a bunch of sloppy mommy kisses all over him. He laughed a little and went back to brooding (a favorite code-saying of ours in reference to these moods is "oh, it looks like someone killed Little Guy's puppy again" and one of us will go off and try to cheer him up). My husband and I have been talking a lot about helping boys be boys and what little boys are inherently drawn to and it struck me. I pulled Little Guy to me and went to plant a kiss on him and stopped suddenly, pulled back, turned my head and exclaimed "EEEWWWWWWW! Toddler kisses! Yuck!" and he laughed his little monster head off. We did that over and over and over again, probably for a full 10 minutes. He's such a boy! Any kind of gross noises tickle him right to his core (like when the squirrel passes gas on Phineas and Ferb). That kind of stuff may make ME uncomfortable, but my husband is always reminding me that boys are boys, and they love that stuff. So I'll do it for them. Do you have a broody little one? What do you do to cheer them up?
Friday, June 10, 2011
What a neat resource!
Faith on the Go
I got this on my Facebook feed a few days ago and I love these ideas! We've only done one thing so far, but we're definitely going to be doing many of these. We talked about the word patience (from #1) and the older two kids drew pictures that showed patience. My daughter drew a picture of herself "patiently" waiting for a carrot and then wrote the word "patience" as I spelled it for her. My son drew a picture of Thomas the train "patiently" waiting to cross a signal, and then wrote a sentence describing it. While they did that, I held the sleeping baby and drew whatever letter my 2 year old asked me to draw. We've been trying to talk about patience ever since, and I need to get some Bible verses for reference for them. I think today while we run errands I'll talk to them about #11 too! Have you done any of the activities from this? I'd love to hear about it.
I got this on my Facebook feed a few days ago and I love these ideas! We've only done one thing so far, but we're definitely going to be doing many of these. We talked about the word patience (from #1) and the older two kids drew pictures that showed patience. My daughter drew a picture of herself "patiently" waiting for a carrot and then wrote the word "patience" as I spelled it for her. My son drew a picture of Thomas the train "patiently" waiting to cross a signal, and then wrote a sentence describing it. While they did that, I held the sleeping baby and drew whatever letter my 2 year old asked me to draw. We've been trying to talk about patience ever since, and I need to get some Bible verses for reference for them. I think today while we run errands I'll talk to them about #11 too! Have you done any of the activities from this? I'd love to hear about it.
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