Wash me a new

Trent has been traveling a bit the last two weeks. That coupled with 2 extra days off of school for the kids, a birthday party and a killer migraine, left me a bit frazzled. Really it was the migraine that prompted me to send out an SOS text to my girls begging for prayers for my sanity.  I can kind of laugh about it now that it has passed....kind of ;)

Motherhood is hard sometimes, just plain hard.  Usually, I am the one that makes it most difficult though.  Comparing myself to what "other" mothers accomplish or do is really the evil of all things. And when I get overwhelmed with what I have NOT done, that is when the ugly, not so nice, cranky, needing to apologize later for MY bad behavior, Mommy comes rearing her ugly head!

And so while my friends were hitting their knees all over the city for me, I hit mine.  I knew the reason that my tank was empty.  Sure, a migraine, a traveling husband and extra activities didn't help, but really I was floundering in the sea of life because I had not knelled before Him in several days.  I needed to run back to Him in the quiet of my room, to reconnect if even for a few moments.  He met me there, right where I was, just like He always does. He washed me a new, clean like the snow and I was able to then be the mommy I so badly want to be.

The next day the children, one by one came down with a tummy ache.  I did a crazy thing, I kept them all home from school.  They could of gone to school and muddled through their day but I felt the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit telling me to keep them close.  And so I did. We stayed in our jammies all day.  Daddy brought us gingerale, soup and ice cream for lunch. We rented  a movie and snuggled on the couch.  We napped and woke up at dinner time.  It was such a great day and I was grateful that I had listened and obeyed.

Kindergarten: Mummy week 3

Tommy the Mummy

We finished our study of Mummies this week.  We read both Mummies in the Morning and Mummies and Pyramids from The Magic Tree House series.  We all enjoyed reading these books during lunch or  as a family before bed.

Charlie participated in almost all of the Winter/Penguin themed activities that we did for Tommy's school.

Making his snowman and penguin out of model magic

 

 He worked way at his math lessons, mastering the concepts of addition and subtraction.  He has been able to do simple addition and subtraction problems in his head for over a year now.  However, for most of the equations K12 has him using  number line or simple models/pictures to determine the answer.  He continues to enjoy math.

He also completed 5 phonic lessons, spelled words, started a dictation notebook, reviewed letter sounds and finger stretching. 

Brother's doing school together

Having fun with shaving cream and ice chunks.

The boys also started their Co-op this week.  We all had a great time.  Charlie is enrolled in a LEGO class and a Fun With Numbers class.  Tommy had fun playing in the nursery and  I enjoyed myself at the Bible study for one class and then volunteering in the nursery.  There are about 100 other kids at the Co-op ranging from newborn to high school. 

We are really getting into a groove with our schooling and it feels good.  Life is settling down a bit and we are getting to experience our new "normal".  I love each and every day that I get to spend with our boys, teaching them and watching them grow.  I truly feel blessed!

Preschool: Penguin theme

Tommy's Penguin

 I have done some tweaking on a curriculum for Tommy and have decided to focus on one theme for a few weeks.  We will be doing different activities based on the theme we are learning about.


This week we started our Winter theme of Penguins.   When Penny was hospitalized for RSV, my dear cousin Amy from Montana sent us a copy of Don't Be Afraid, Little Pip by Karma Wilson & Jane Chapman.  Ms. Wilson is a personal friend of my cousins and therefore signed the copy for our little Penny. It was so thoughtful of both of them!

We started off by reading the book which is about a sweet little penguin named Pip who desperately wants to learn to fly but is told repeatedly that she must swim instead.  After reading our book we made penguins out of model magic.  I told the boys what characteristics they needed to make or how to roll the clay etc, but they
did everything else.  Their creations could not be any cuter!!

I had hoped to use the penguins to make snow-globes with, but we all agreed that they were just too cute.  See, I am learning to go with the flow! :)
While I was getting our supplies out I set the boys up with a cute video  from National Geographic about penguins.  They learned how scientist tracked and counted penguins by placing bar code chips in their feet and then having them walk over long pieces of metal that they disguised in the sand.  The penguins were so cute!

Another fun activity was making snow cream.  I got the idea from Susana, who is my wealth of knowledge blog friend!  Trent gathered some snow from the front yard (we had plenty to spare!), I added some milk, vanilla and a little sugar.  The boys added sprinkles and ate away.  Charlie said it was ok but too cold, Tommy accidentally dumped about half a tube of sprinkles on his and thought it was "gwoss" (gross) and Trent said it tasted like watered down ice cream.  I think we will try it again next year when I can taste it and make it better (no dairy for me because of little Miss Penny).  It was fun  though and something we did as a family, can't beat that!

Tommy also did some worksheets from Starfall.com on the number 3 and the letter C.  Our neighbors had also given a ton of odds and ends preschool workbooks.  I have given one to Tommy as his school book to do with us as Charlie finishes up his seat work.  Tom loves it and it makes him feel so big.
 








The boys also had some fun in the tub with  a full bottle of shaving cream (our fake snow) and a few chunks of colored ice.  I took different plastic containers and filled each of them with water that was different colors. I then just put them outside for a few hours and later that night brought them in when it was bath time.  We let the boys play in the shaving cream with the chunks of ice and they loved it.  Since they were in the bath it didn't matter how messy it got.  In the end the boys had fun, they were clean and I had a squeaky clean bath tub! Win, win for everyone!!

Country Christmas 2010

We spent Christmas down at Nie Nie and Papa's house this year.  It was good to be together Christmas morning.  There is nothing like watching the children fly down the stairs with excitement to see if Santa had brought them their treats!

On Christmas Eve we put out cookies and milk for the Jolly Ole Elf, carrotts for the reindeer and also special reindeer food, made form oatmeal and glitter, out on snow so the reindeer could find their way to the big house.  Santa obviously didn't have a problem finding us this year, even way back off the dirt roads in the country!

Santa even has special wrapping paper!!

Tommy and Charlie opening their "Santa" presents.

Tom was SO excited!!

Santa brought him the drum set he wanted

and the trumpet

All the boys got LEGOs

Charlie got the Buzz and Woody LEGO train set he wanted.  The fellas went right to work building it.

The day wouldn't be complete without a ride on Grandpa's loader!

There was sledding

and naps

rides on Nie Nie's tractor

and snow wagon rides with cousins

 musical shows being put on by the children

and lots of time to catch up

There was good fun in the newly remodeled kitchen (you DID IT Dad!!)

lots of smiles at the kids table

and a beautiful Christmas spread

We celebrated this little girls 1st Christmas

ah, I love that handsome man!

and of course, there was plenty of time spent with Grandpa and his Christmas train.

 

Our biggest gift this year!

We celebrated the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ, and thanked Him for the promise of eternal life with Him in Heaven.  This year, that has much more meaning to me then any other. For though we celebrated and laughed and ate and were merry, we were all missing our beloved Jane.

Sledding

Charlie, Trent and Tommy
Train sledding

Charlie going down the hill all by himself for the first time.
He LOVED it!!




Tommy's first trip down ended in a wipe out, as did all of his other trips :)
He kept saying MORE, MORE!!


Daddy even had fun!








Thumbs up for our first ever sledding trip!!


And no afternoon would be complete without
Thomas devising a plan to smash his peanut butter
sandwich between his hands and tossing it ALL over the van.
Charlie had to follow suite as well!

We had a great time sledding. We all started off on the BIG hill. Tommy went with me, Charlie with Trent it was so much fun. Despite being dragged by the foot for about 20 feet, Charlie couldn't wait to go again and Tommy loved it too. Mommy learned after 3 runs that her body is not as young as it use to be and ended up in horrific pain for 2 days following. And Daddy, as usual the kid in him came out and made the day fun and special for all of us!