Beyond Measure...

All About Jake

2011-07-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

We got Jake at four months old, we did not know at the time what an imipact he would have on our lives 13 years later.

He was a very happy lab as most are, but even our vet in California nicknamed him "Mr. Happy". He was always glad to see us and just to be with us. His favorite thing to do besides eating was playing Frisbee. He would play until he was ready to pass out. Before we had children he would sleep in our bed with us, then we had childrenhe spent more time outside as our priorities changed. He went on almost every family vacation and really became a member of our family.

I named him Big Jake after John Wayne, one of my favorite movies it just seemed to fit him. He was a fair weathered dog and did not care for cold, snow or rain. When we moved to Oregon he loved it because we kept him inside all the time. He had beds all over the house because next to eating he loved sleeping.

At age 13, not too long after his birthday, with lung failure, a swollen heart and his back legs going, we decided it was time. The whole family went to the vet, because that's what love does. We wanted to be with him to the end and not miss one part of his life. As I write this with tears in my eyes, I can tell you without a doubt, that he was "the best dog in the world."

Thank you God for the 13 awesome years with our friend Jake. You have a great dog with you now, just remember to play frisbee with him.

To: Jake From: Brody
Jake was a great dog. I've had him for most of my life. Jake was a yellow lab. He was always shedding. He loved Beggin Strips. We gave him one when we had to go somewhere. He was really soft with big brown eyes. At the age of 13 the family agreed that we should put him to sleep. We had hated to see him suffer.

Our dog Big Jake died a couple of days ago. He was a yellow lab. He shedded tons of hair and loved food. He took sausage right off Brody's plate!
He got his name from one of Daddy's favorite John Wayne movies, Big Jake.
Mommy and Daddy got him when he was 4 months old. Daddy said he looked like a doofus with a small head and a big body. He loved food, and at the age of 12 he started eating his poop.
He was definitely the best dog in the world.

A Special Gift

2011-07-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

Almost 13 years ago when I was a sales rep for The Iams Company, I received a special gift, that made an huge impact on my life. I was making my rounds in the L.A. area and found my to Peggy Woods Pet Emporium, one of my favorite customers. When I parked, I saw a pretty big puppy in an outdoor cage which I had never seen before. I asked Ira, the owner, and he told me that he was a "return". He sells puppies, and someone had purchased this yellow lab and got more than they bargained for. It was hard to sell him again because most people wanted the itsy bitsy tiny puppies. He said these words to me..."Do you want him"? I am pretty sure that I laughed it off, finished a meeting, and went about the rest of my work there. But something happened to get me thinking. It could of been just the darn cuteness of that animal, or the fact that I felt sorry for him and it broke my heart that no one wanted him...whatever it was...I was slowly changing my mind. I called Bryan at his job at Petsmart where he agreed that we had room and the love for one more dog. That was that...I loaded him up in my car, left work early, and met Bryan at work to meet our new pet. Jake was then 4 months old.

This past Monday, on July 11th, we had to make the very hard decision to help that beloved pet die peacefully because he just wouldn't give up and leave us on his own. He had arthritis in his back legs so bad that sitting and standing were very hard and I could see that it was hard for him to get comfortable, though he was not a complainer. He also lost control of his bowels which was not fun for either of us, had partial paralysis in his throat, and an enlarged heart that was making it harder and harder to breathe.

In the middle were 13 years with that dog which was a huge part of this family. That is a long time to have someone by your side....and I do mean that literally. When I was home, Jake was pretty much at my feet. He came into the bathroom when I showered, laid at my feet when I was in the office, was on his bed in the family room or living room when I was in there, laid right at the kitchen sink when I was cooking, and slept next to my side of the bed. I miss that. He was a great, and loyal companion. Before his hearing and eyesight went bad, he was a good guard dog too. I felt safe with him around. I miss that. He always greeted us at the door, tail wagging, and happy to see us. I miss that. He LOVED to play frisbee and when he was able, would play until we had to stop him. I miss that too.

Jake went on family vacations whenever we could take him, cheered us up when we were sad or lonely, and loved on our kids too when they came along. He never acted jealous, even though he got thrown outside during the day for a few years;) When we moved to Oregon, he got what he always wanted...a permanent indoor position as an active member of the family. We think he lived out his last few years in luxury:)

Here are some pictures we captured of us with Jake and his last few days here on earth...I will always be grateful for these memories.

We are all adjusting to live without Jake and it is hard. Going to bed the first night without him there was hard, waking up without having "Jake duty" was hard, leaving the house without taking him out and giving him a treat was hard, vacuuming up the last ton of dog hair aound the house was hard, even sitting in silence without his panting by me is still hard. Brody cried the first day he did his chores and didn't have to get him water and Connor was sad when there was no one to throw his crust to. We miss him a lot but each day does get easier.

We were lucky to have him as long as we did and are grateful for that. He leaves a large hole in the hearts of all of us here and always will.

Where have I been? Part III!

2011-06-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

At the rate I am going...my whole summer will be full of "Where Have I Been" postings!:) Anyway, on to part III!

This year the boys took the stage at our homeschool groups "Delight Night" (variety show)! I was very excited about that. Brody put this presentation together all by himself titled "Bunnies at Home". He designed the poster, what to put on it, and did all the writing and drawing. I was very proud of him. He got to take Dusty to the show which helped him get over any nervous feelings he might have had. He also recited a short poem. Way to go Brody!

At "Delight Night" Connor did two things. He played three pieces on the piano and did a great job and also introduced all the families to Sport Stacking. He had a lot of fun and even got one of his new high records during the demonstration which really excited him.

Brody participated in a local race called the Awesome 3000. He ran 1 mile and really enjoyed it. There were a lot of kids there....see him in the group shot in the orange? I was grateful for that as I fought to keep track of him in all the frenzy. It was so funny at the start because he laid ALL the way back and let all the crazy kids run off when they shot the starting fire. He literally took off DEAD last. I guess I should of emphasized the word "race" more, but he really doesn't like crowds and I heard some kids got knocked down, so it seems he made a smart choice! He did real well, moved way up, finished the race and said...."I'm not even tired"!

The day before Brody's big race, Connor participated in Teen Pact. This was a one day leadership training class in the government. He even had homework to do ahead of time which involved writing a bill. We did a prayer walk for all the leaders, a scavenger hunt, and learned all about the legislative process. As you can see, he had to dress for the event. I could hardly stand how grown up he looked in that tie;) It was a terrific experience and we both enjoyed it very much!

Where Have I been....Part II

2011-06-16T21:57:00.000-07:00

When there was a dry day we tried to get out and get some work done. Here, the boys are loading up firewood....well....one is loading up anyway?:) I just love this picture.

We celebrated Easter. Here are Connor's amazing eggs. He did a great job and even though decorating eggs is a lot of fun...it was clear that he knew we were celebrating something big! We also went to a wonderful service on Good Friday. Connor was happy to hear some of the same songs that we have been learning at home. We also enjoyed a great story called "Amon's Adventure" written just for Lent. It was a great way to keep us focused on the death, burial, and of course the Resurrection of Jesus!

Here are the eggs that Brody decorated. We found a neat kit this year, with little rollers. It made the eggs very sticky, but fun and very bright.

This year Brody got a very special bible. I looked and looked and decided on this NIV version. He is always commenting on the small print in Connor's backpack bible in a negative way so I found a large print bible just for him. He seemed very excited about it!

Brody celebrated his big 7 1/2 birthday! Wow...is time flying. They are both very excited to do the decorating all on their own. I'm not sure what this was, but I have an idea. See the grass at the bottom?

We visited a Buffalo Ranch with our FIGS group and it was a great field trip. The best part was that earlier that morning, we picked up Aunt Lara from the airport!

We decided to take Aunt Lara to the coast to see the ocean! We ended up with a room in a little town called Seaside. Along the way, we just had to stop at the famous Tillamook Cheese Factory!

Did I mention they have ice cream? YUM!!! Aunt Lara and I enjoyed some real Marionberry ice cream....life is good!

We just had to show Aunt Lara Flamingo Jim's outside of Rockaway. We always stop by when see the LeVesque's on their annual visit, what a fun place!

Aunt Lara was VERY surprised to see people at the "beach" in sweatshirts!

Connor and Brody had their first bumper car experience and boy was that a blast! It was Aunt Lara and Brody against mommy and Connor. I'm pretty sure it was a tie!

We stayed at the Shilo Inn and they enjoyed many hours in the pool swimming. We also let them go into the sauna which reminded me so much of Grandma and Grandpa's condo in Florida!

We really enjoyed our visit. After Aunt Lara left things kept up at that pace for a while....more to come in Part III!

Where Have I been? Part 1

2011-06-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

I think this is by far my longest "dry spell" since starting my blog. Wow...April 16th...what have I been doing since then?

The first place I have been is using an online journal called Cozi. This is so handy, and I can upload pictures and quick stories to go with them in a matter of minutes. I have found it to be a huge shortcut of keeping people informed and it even sends out a monthly newsletter to people that want that much information on my family:) However, I do realize it only does a few pictures and a small part of "the story" so I really do want to get back to my blog. After all I am three years behind on my photo albums, and I don't want that to happen here!

April and May were quite the blur...I have decided to keep this short and full of pictures then try to back into the swing of things.

In April I jumped on the chance to go to California for a week of "spring break" for us. I had a business opportunity to work a vendor fair for two days and the boys and I really needed some sunshine, some time with family and friends, and a break from school. (not necessarily in that order) We had a great time!

Shorts, sunglasses and sunscreen are pretty unheard of in April in Oregon, so it was a real treat to enjoy some beautiful weather. There was actually snow the day before we arrived and it knocked some branches of some of the palms...made for great toys!

A lot of hours were spent with Grandma & Pa watching movies, playing outside, and Yahtzee!

Of course some good times were had with Zack....

and the Barker clan at the park! We got see one of best buds Caleb play baseball...sorry no picture of that...but I did get to play a lot of "bear" with one of my most favorite little people on the planet...Ms. Lillie!We were very excited to meet our friends pony....I mean dog...Macy! What a beautiful dog! We enjoyed some play time with Morgan, Ryanne, and the whole Loomis clan!

It ended with a passel of kids on the couch watching "Tangled".

Fun, fun times. I am so grateful to for trips "home".

Stay tuned for part II coming soon to a blog near you:)

Hands Free Mom

2011-04-16T19:49:00.000-07:00

Last week, the boys and I took a trip to California. It was the first time we flew there for a spring break and it was a blast! However, details of our trip will come in a future post.

I realized as I went through the airport that it was the first time my hands were totally free as we traveled. Connor and Brody are both growing up so fast and were extremely responsible on the trip. They almost packed all by themselves, they carried their own booster seats, and even insisted on carting around my backpack the whole way. After we checked in our bags, I literally had only my purse. It was such a great feeling and I loved seeing my boys rise up to being independent and even to serving me in that way. I was really on Cloud 9, then we got to Oakland.

While we were sitting at the gate waiting to board munching down some Annie's pretzels in the airport, I found I could not take my eyes off a young man and his parents seated directly across from us. He was probably about 15 and loved football, trust me, I could tell. It dawned on me how fast it will come for me to be sitting somewhere with teenagers! It made me a little sad in a way. It seemed like just yesterday I was in an airport struggling my way through with two little ones in car seats and diapers watching a mom with older kids, thinking how much easier it would be one day. It was an incredibly surreal moment for me.

So, I came down from Cloud 9 and remained a little stunned (for lack of a better word) for a while. Luckily, it didn't last too long. I decided to just enjoy the moment I was in appreciate this stage of parenting without dwelling on the future....sounds funny, huh? Don't we normally dwell on the past? I know the future will come fast enough and one day before I know it one of them will be driving me to the airport! I want to look forward to it, and embrace the process God has designed. I love being a mom, I can't imagine not having them around all day every day, but I am raising adults and that is what I pray they become; adults who can get themselves through an airport one day, and maybe help someone along the way. I have to admit, it is looking great so far!

Waiting to go through security with all the "stuff"!

They wouldn't even let me help them carry them up two flights of stairs! The escalators were not working anymore and without the stroller, we can't use the elevator anymore!

Hanging out in an airport....I just LOVE the looks on their faces in this picture!

The Apple Pie Experience

2011-04-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I love about our co op is that Connor and Brody are exposed to so many things that I would most likely not do on our own! A prime example of this was Apple Pie Day that took place last week. For our community service project one of the moms had the idea for the kids to work together to make apple pies to take to "Apple Pie Day" at the capital. The purpose of this day is for homeschoolers to gather at the capital to show our desire for freedom in home education and to take each member of legislature an apple pie. I had never been before and wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a great day. The event is sponsored by OCEAN Network which we are a member of, and who works hard to protect homeschooling freedom here in Oregon. It started on our regular co op day which was Wednesday. My friend Kim gave a great class and presentation on the basics of the process a bill takes through the House of Representatives, the Senate and on to the Governor. Then we broke the kids up into groups. There were three groups of pie makers...

Connor went with the kids that worked on the dough...

Brody got to be an apple slicer!

When they weren't in the kitchen working, they were busy writing letters to their Representatives and Senators. I am pretty impressed that Connor can tell you the names of the people holding those titles in our district. I couldn't do that before last Wednesday! They told them a little bit about themselves, something they like about homeschooling, and asked them to support our freedom that we currently enjoy. It was such a great thing and I am grateful to my friends Tera and Kim for organizing it all! Then the next day we were off to the capital! We went with our friends Kim, Sam, and Grace. We didn't have much to do until our tour time, but we had fun. The tour included a walk up over 100 stairs to the top of the capital which Brody decided not to do. I stayed with him, and luckily Kim took Connor with them, because he was thrilled! Older homeschooled kids had an opportunity to be volunteer pages for the day and a lot of people had appointments with their representatives and senators, which we just might do next time. Then there was a rally at 12:00 which included children performing and a special speaker that is with HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) and it was very informative and encouraging!

I tried so hard to get the golden man in the shot...oh well, the kids are much cuter anyway!

I don't know how many people were there, but it was a lot! Here is just a piece of the crowd that we were in...what a great thing! The rain even held off for us!

Oh....and there were baskets and baskets of the yummiest, juiciest apples;) Here is Connor's journal entry about the whole thing....

For Apple Pie Day, we went to the capital! There, we went (or I went) to the top of the building! That was really cool. We learned how a law is made and about the legislature. OCEAN Network supports homeschooling. If someone wants a law, a bill is taken to the House of Representatives. If it passes it goes to the Senate. From there, it goes to the Governor. The Governor can like, or dislike, and it will pass either way. If the Governor hates it, he or she can veto it and it goes through a process I don't know about. Our trip to the capital was really fun!

Turns out all this interested Connor a great deal and now he even wants to participate in an event coming up in May called Teen Pact. They offer a one day "class" for 8-12 year olds where they can learn more about the legislative process, which I am looking into!

Ugghhh....the "classics"

2011-04-04T07:06:00.001-07:00

After reading the book, "A Thomas Jefferson Education", I was impacted in a number of ways. One of those was an encouragement to continue to pursue my own education particularly in one area. I really want my kids to be thinkers. I want them to read or learn something and be able to discuss it rather than "parrot" back some details. In order to teach that, I have to learn to do that myself to be able to teach them and participate with them. I am such a classic example of a "typical" public education. I didn't even take advantage of the education I did receive. I memorized what they told me to, read really fast, and just happened to be a great test taker (then forgot all those pesky little details)! I was real good at finding the "answers" and got great grades all through school. Every day as I teach my kids I am embarrassed at what I didn't retain, but excited to be learning along with them. Part of me thinks that every almost 40 year old mom should take an elementary history class;) So...I threw the idea of a book club out to some friends and we have quite the little group going. We have committed to pick books from the reading list and get together once a month to discuss these books. We just finished "A Tale of Two Cities" and I will admit, it was quite painful for me. I read it out of duty and accountability more than desire, but it turned out to be a great experience for me. I have to re-train my brain as I read and learn and it was a good first step. We had some great discussions and it made it worthwhile. Our next assignment is "Jane Eyre" and although I was dreading that a little bit as well, I am loving it so far! I also realized that as much as I embrace most of the new technology, I just can't get excited reading a book on screen yet. I had to go get the hard copy after downloading it for free to two different apps. I thought it would be so convenient, but it just isn't the same. Bryan teases me because he reminds me how much I was opposed to the digital camera saying that I would never make that switch;)

Weather Woes

2011-03-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

A few years ago when I would tell people that we were moving to Oregon, the only feedback I ever got about it was the weather and it was all negative. The truth is...it is a huge topic of conversation to those who live here as well.

I truly enjoy the fall season and the winter is very tolerable, as far as winters go! Summer is beautiful, although I am more used to hotter days that last much longer, it is a very enjoyable summer as well.

Spring is a MUCH different story for me. It is really only the time of year that I have a hard time. I know spring is here, as there are many signs. The birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and trees are starting to bud. I guess it is a little warmer and the grass is starting to shoot up.

I on the other hand, am still lighting a fire every morning in the stove to take the chill out and feeling like without the sun shining, it just doesn't feel like spring to me. I am surprised to admit that I don't mind the rain and even enjoy some of the rainy days, especially when I get to be home. I have hit my limit though for now!

I know the sun is coming...I know things are going to get better which is one of the best things about living with the seasons. There is so much more to living here than the weather, but I most likely won't blog about those until summer.

Right now, I am drowning not only in the rain, but in a little bit of the rainy day blues too.

They can look that up!

2011-03-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

I read the best article the other day from the owner and creator of my favorite homeschool curriculum; Sonlight. Sarita Holzman shared a great story about a conversation she had with a friend that went like this.

Cheryl was mortified, she said, when "someone asked my children what the capital of France was, and they didn't know!"

I told her: "Kids can look that up anytime. In the total scheme of things, it is not important for our kids to know what the capital of France is. How much better that they learn to get along with one another."

I can't get that out of my head. I am so grateful to have that little gem in my "arsenal" as I homeschool day in and day out. What a blessing to be reminded of one of my goals in this journey.

I thought of this last night as my boys spent close to 20 minutes agreeing on a movie to watch. Connor had a little sore throat so it was a treat for a school night which they did not want to lose by arguing. To make everyone happy they ended up watching an episode on 2 different Magic School Bus videos and an episode of Shawn the Sheep. All those together totaled the time of a movie....trust me, they did the math! It was a little agonizing to watch, but they did it. Sure, I could of let one of them watch on a laptop, but what lesson would there be in that? I tell them all the time that these skills of comprise they are learning will really come in handy when they get older! I am thrilled that they have each other as brothers, friends, and classmates. They have a lot of other friends and I often wonder who will be in their lives when they are older, but I know they will have each other.

I am currently STILL in the process of writing out my homeschool mission statement, and you can be sure that family relationships will be a part of it. I say every year that I am going to do it, but I never quite get it done. However, things are a little different now. I shared that goal with a friend who encouraged me even to the point of having a deadline for a first draft! (you know who you are, my friend and I thank you) I happen to work well with deadlines and accountability so I have high hopes on getting this done!

Contest Entries

2011-03-10T10:58:00.001-08:00

We heard of a contest that the Humane Society in Portland was running. It is the, "Be Kind to Animals Poster and Photo/Story Event." They assign a theme for different grades and both Connor and Brody wanted to participate this year. They made a lot of different entries, but decided on a few in the end. It was a lot of fun for them to do and we mailed them off earlier this week. I had to catch a couple of pictures before sending them!

Brody has been practicing drawing rabbits a lot lately! His theme for the posters was, "Be a good friend to a pet."

Here are the two posters that Connor decided on. His theme was, "All Pets Need Love and Care their Whole Lives."

Brody also decided to enter a story which I was real excited about. He wrote this all on his own about when Dusty broke his leg, and the goal was to write a story about how you love your pet. I think he did a great job and don't worry...I checked...a grammar lesson on commas is coming up;)

It was fun to see them participate in their first contest of this kind, they really enjoyed it. Of course I would give them my vote, but I'm not on the judging panel..darn!

Bye Bye Busy-ness!

2011-03-09T06:02:00.000-08:00

Today is a special day....it marks the start of Lent, 40 days before the celebration of Easter. I have decided to participate in Lent really for the first time. I think I might have "given up" something in the past for 40 days, but realize that is not what the season of Lent is all about. I know my words will do a poor job explaining it, but I think now for me that it is supposed to be a time of redirection, of reflection, and focus on Christ and what Easter represents. Going 40 days without something is a discipline in self control for sure, but it has ended there for me. I believe that if I search my heart and find something that replaces God in my life, then give that up, and give that time back to God, I can truly participate in Lent.

I have also done some very basic surface skimming into the history of Lent trying to figure out why more Christian churches don't participate and it is one complicated topic that I know very little about. It seems to come down to rituals and routine and trying to avoid anything that promotes it. Bryan and I have decided that anything that helps turn your heart to God is not a bad thing and we are doing this together.

In the last month, God has brought two "classes" my way on Spiritual Discipline and I think He might be trying to tell me something. They were completely different in what they taught, but I took a l ot from both of them. So...I'm sure you are wondering what I am letting go of. In a way it is my fancy iphone. Sounds cheesy, right...feels cheesy anyway. I absolutely love my iphone and it has been such a blessing to me in so many ways. It keeps me organized, and has so many great things that I use every day. Some of those things are good things like a calendar, a shopping list and even my daily devotion by Greg Laurie which I really enjoy. But then, there are some things that aren't so good; facebook, scrabble, even access to e-mail. These things aren't bad in themselves, but having so much access to them, has occupied many little "free moment" minutes to really add up during the day. Also, I have been communicating less because I check messages quickly and don't respond because it is not fun to type on my phone long messages back. So, my plan is to use my phone for the basics and not for fun in a way, but more importantly...it is the busy-ness that I have fallen victim to. It is the inability to sit still and enjoy some peace that I long for. I remember hearing this and I loved it though I have not lived it...

"We all say we SEEK peace but we avoid silence." (As I type this I have a piano lesson and a guitar lesson going on in the background...hee...hee:)

So..to replace my wasted moments with my "play toy", I have been creating prayer cards to truly spend time praying for things that are close to my heart and for people that I love and care about. They will be on nifty flip rings and almost as accessible as the touch of a screen;) I also have a book that I really want to get through called "Respectable Sins" by Jerry Bridges. I believe it will be a great tool for me to focus on sin in my life that I easily overlook.

There you have it...my 40 day plan. So far this morning, I am still alive without playing scrabble, or checking all the irresistible online specials like woot and groupon. I feel good. I have to admit, slightly anxious, but good.

I guess that my focus on self control certainly won't hurt, I wish I was a little more experienced there, but I guess I am getting a crash practice course!

Our Annual Trek to OSU Lambing Barn

2011-03-01T22:01:00.000-08:00

I am sure this will be a family annual event around here for awhile. Every year during lambing season the Sheep Research Center at OSU opens up the facility for visitors to see all the babies. It is such a good opportunity for our Brody to be around a whole lot of sheep. The rest of us pretty much tolerate it for his sake. It was freezing cold in there this year but Brody didn't mind one bit.

He has always had a special love for the black sheep and this year there was plenty of them to see when we were there. They are darn cute little things though, aren't they?

Even Grandma Louise flew out from Missouri to brave the cold and stinky barn to witness Brody in a state of pure happiness!

So little lambs, grow up and big and strong and we will see you all again next year!

Just the facts mam....

2011-02-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

I have often commented on the fact that I can see Connor with a future as a wikipedia writer or something similar. He loves to report the facts! He does not really enjoy creative writing assignments unless the idea is totally his. When he does have an idea that is not a school assignment, he gets excited for a little while then fizzles out. I think he currently has 5 or 6 "books" in the works;)

This past week a new opportunity came up. Sam, one of the kids from our co op, had a brilliant idea to start a newsletter for our group. I am excited to see what happens with it and think it can be a really good experience for the kids that get involved in it. I know Connor thinks it is a great idea and he decided to do a restaurant review for his first submission. He loves to go out to eat and felt this a perfect fit for him. He did this today, all on his own, with only a little help setting up the initial document. I think he did a terrific job and may even give him a "free pass" on Language Arts for tomorrow:)

A Whole Lotta Love!

2011-02-16T06:39:00.001-08:00

I just love our co op group. Last week we had a Valentine's party and we all had such a great time. God has brought together some amazing families and it is so neat to see the kids gather each week developing friendships and learning things together. I am grateful that we have an opportunity to participate in such things as a Valentine exchange even though we do not participate in traditional school. It is one of those things that I would not want them to miss. They went through each one when we went home and were excited to have treasures from their friends at "class" (okay and some candy too).

Daddy had some cards waiting for them witha HUGE sucker attached and I showed my love to them by slaving over banana chocolate chip muffins which is their favorite breakfast...or at least one of them. By request I also made them some chocolate goodies they love, AND we enjoyed a nice day at home with no errands which is always one of their favorite "treats"!

BIG Smiles :)

2011-02-15T07:33:00.001-08:00

It seems that Connor and Brody have a lot to smile about lately;)

Connor got his braces off after just a few months and what a difference in that smile! I am so happy we went ahead with the partial set now and feel it was totally worth it. He was so happy to get them off and kept saying how much older he felt. I remember driving home almost going off the road looking in the rear view mirror at that handsome boy! This is my new favorite picture of him even though the quality isn't that great! (indoor at night with my iphone...what do you expect?)

Brody and I went to his first 4-H meeting on Saturday and he really enjoyed it. Some of the older kids were working with him to pick up Dusty by himself and he is so excited to learn to do that. He also learned how to clip his nails and do quarter turns for showing. Not the greatest picture either, but the smile was SO precious!
Any time you can go to the Oregon coast without huge gusts of winds and a parka puts a smile on my face! On Sunday, daddy took us along with Grandma Louise visiting from Missouri, out to Newport where he has been working. It was a great time for a run around in the sand and I just love this picture I grabbed of the boys together having fun.

After that we headed to a great old fashioned diner for lunch and real ice cream malts and shakes. Big smiles there too, but no pictures!

Separate Ways

2011-02-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

I LOVE having two boys and love even more them being so close in age. When I was still pregnant and shared that the baby I was carrying was a boy, just about everyone would comment on how they were going to fight and bicker. If I didn't know better, I would say that people almost felt the need to offer me some sort of sympathy. I have never needed it. Yes....they do bicker once in a while, but the good times FAR outweigh that. They are best friends and playmates and I love that they have each other.

Parenting them has been quite easy. Since they are so close in age, they like pretty much the same things. Since they are both boys...clothes and toys have been shared, and interests have been similar. They want to play the same games, watch the same shows, and go the same places. I even teach them together in Bible, History, Geography, and Science and it works quite well for us.

However...I sense that I won't be getting off so easy for long. In many ways, I see them going separate ways. I am beginning to see the age gap seem to grow just a little between them. In our co op, Connor is now considered one of the "big kids" and sometimes they are separated for activities.

This Saturday Brody will attend his first 4-H meeting and he can't wait. We have signed him up with his bunny Dusty and he is so anxious to get involved with anything animal! He is not sure if he wants to play flag football again and says that he just "doesn't like sports." He can't wait to be done with piano and has no interest in learning a different instrument.

Connor is chomping at the bit for flag football to start again and is wanting to play baseball too. I think he would play anything involving a ball. He has wanted for years to play the guitar and is now finishing up his piano books and can't wait to get going with his new instrument of choice.

I see Brody working to search out his identity apart from Connor which is a good thing. I also think Connor is seeking some time to himself and realizes that he is getting older, which is also a good thing.

On the practical side, it will be a little tougher for mom. I am already dreading the day when I have to be two places at once on a Saturday morning. I am already preparing them to support each other in their different activities, even if it means some sitting around for them at a practice or a meeting.

However, my possible inconveniences and calendar concerns are quite trivial and I know that. God has created them different and unique with their own gifts, and talents, and interests. I am truly more excited to see those things develop and grow into who and what GOD wants them to be. I am just honored to be along for the ride.

School News!

2011-01-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked the end of our first semester in school this year. We are officially halfway "done" and I wanted to make it special. We took the day off and had a "play day" which mostly consisted of me losing games. We slept in and dawdled most of the morning. I wrapped up and handed out some small gifts, then came....the progress reports! Now, I know as a homeschool mom, I don't have to do this and a lot of people actually disagree with it, but I have found that my boys LOVE it and look forward to it, so I do it. Throughout the year, the only assignments I actually grade is math and I usually save that for big reviews. Recently I did start giving report cards or progress reports two times a year with subjects including academics, electives, and character. I also give a grade in their effort which I believe to be more important than their actual grade. Of course at this point, there is no formula I use...just the E for Excellent, S for Satisfactory, NI for Needs Improvement and U for Unsatisfactory.

After my little conference with Connor, he decided to grade me as well in the teacher category. He said for sure my effort would be E and my actual grade would be an S. I told him it meant a lot that he knows how hard I try and I am completely happy with a satisfactory grade overall;) Brody didn't volunteer but when I asked him later he also said he would give me an E for my effort grade and he couldn't decide between an E or an S for my overall grade. I was very happy....needless to say!

We played a complete game of Monopoly which took a really long time then ate a lesiurely lunch while reading. After blasting some music and getting our chores done, we splurged with some Wii time where I realized that I am way to old for Mariokart! How on earth do they keep with all that is going on? They still loved playing with me which made me feel great! They didn't even complain when I pulled down the whole team and our chances for the trophy;) Then we pulled out the Wii Sports which I do much better in. We had a blast and it was a really fun and memorable day!

I figured this was a great time to post their school pictures for this year, it is going by so quickly! I am so blessed and honored to be home with them every day and I promise to keep trying to earn that Excellent grade for my effort in making our decision for home education a good experience for both of them!

Brody 2nd Grade 2010-2011

Connor 4th Grade - 2010- 2011

Stuff it!

2011-01-27T21:37:00.001-08:00

I have two boys ages 9 and 7. Recently I have shared with friends, that I have been wondering when they would "grow out of" the stuffed animal stage. They probably hinted a slight touch of motherly concern, which I admit I have had some of. On the other hand, I absolutely adore their innocence and plan to keep it as long as possible. Admittedly, a lot of friends their age have started to outgrow them, but not all of them. There has been a slight nagging about it within me, a sort of unspoken crazy feeling that they should be outgrowing them.

These boys love their "pets" they call them. Webkinz are their favorites and they spend almost all their money on them when they get it. They keep their birthdays memorized and know their profiles as well. Mostly, when they "play" with them I realized they really do a few things consistently. They create sports teams; costumes and all, they participate in "Webkinz skiing" which involves a big toss and a wood floor, and they recently made them their very own Monopoly board. They are like a whole bunch of brothers and sisters, maybe the large family I always wanted without the extra laundry?......you never know;)

Well, yesterday after a great day of school they were enjoying free time in their rooms and I walked into this...

And this....When I asked what they were entertaining themselves with so nicely, I was given the details on the "5 stages of torture" that they had set up. They were laughing and giggling and having the best time. I took pictures of the first two then I was laughing to hard to get any more. The first one there is the "guillotine", which we recently studied about with the French Revolution. (I am proud they remembered some about it, but obviously not enough if it is the 1st stage???...) The second one there is the criminal on the catapult (which we made in our boys club at co op) about to be flown into the bookshelves at high speed. I don't quite remember the details of the other three but in the end there was a bungy cord and a hook, and it got pretty ugly. By then, I was already planning this post on how boys will be boys and how us moms need to allow our kids to move gradually from stage to stage not rushing where we think they should be;) After all, the stuffed animals won't make it long at this rate!

My Apologies Apologia

2011-01-19T11:33:00.000-08:00

I have to start by saying that I LOVE this Science curriculum. As a matter of fact, I love them so much that when you combine that, with my very small, practically insignificant desire to purchase and collect curriculum (some might call it an addiction, but as you can see by my description, that certainly doesn't fit), you will find that I have already bought 5 of the books. If you don't know what that means... it is equivalent to approximately 5 years of topics including Botany, Health and Anatomy, Astronomy, and 2 years of Animal Science.

However, as a homeschool mom, one of many important lessons and benefits I am learning along the way is flexibility. I have the "power" to say when something isn't working for us and then I have the "power" again to change it. Wow! Having the power is cool, using it is slightly harder for me. I don't like change and I also really enjoy doing what I say I'm going to do...you know checking it off my list. However in a conversation with a friend of mine recently after listening to me whine about how bad we were doing in Science... she said simply this "You might not just be an Apologia kind of family". Ouch...that hurt! However she is right...for now.

A few years ago I was introduced to the concepts of lapbooking and notebooking. Honestly, my first thought was to literally "spare my kids the busy work" that to me looked like it went along with this type of program. Somehow an opportunity came up to try one and I quickly learned that they think it is the "coolest thing ever." I did what any normally sane homeschooling mom would do...I decided to add a little bit of it in with what I had planned since they did enjoy it so much. (control freak alert....)

So, my original plan for Science this year was to do 2 weeks of Apologia then 2 weeks of notebooking animals that we all decided we wanted to learn more about. That didn't last long, because we quickly once again, fell off the Apologia plan. I even tried Astronomy this year as I heard that was a lot more fun than the Botany I already tried. We did keep up with our notebooking plan though which is a good thing.

Many people have benefited from my lack of follow through on these books and I have lent them out to families that are embracing them and loving them as much as I know we will one day. I do plan to try again and I know when we are ready they will be awesome!

Since first semester is almost over, I thought I would post something Connor and Brody are VERY proud of. I bound up 5 of the animals they have worked on so far this year into one big notebook and they just love looking at it. So....here you have it...Bears, Cats, Dinosaurs, Lions & Wolves! Not bad if I do say so myself;)

Here is what the kitchen island looks like during one of the many creation stages...

This morning I put a challenge before them. After a short unit we are doing on The Human Body, I have asked them to come up with something THEY want to learn about...could be an animal or maybe not? Anyway, they are going to create the "notebook" on their topic from start to finish, no preprinted sheets this time. They are also going to do separate topics, and research and read on their own. They seem to be up for it and excited which is great! I can't wait to see what they do.

Thoughts on Self Control

2011-01-16T21:36:00.000-08:00

So, here it is 16 days into my year of self-control so I felt an update was in order. Right off the bat, I found this definition which I love (and hate just a little too)....

Self Control is the instant obedience to the initial promptings of God's spirit.

I can't get that one out of my head. Since I read that, I have realized how true it is. How often my "battle" with self control takes way too many swings before I realize that I am in a fight. I am working on realizing just how many times I literally ignore the voice of God guiding me in all things, big and small, and I am shocked.

I have found comfort in the last few weeks knowing that God's spirit is real and present in my life when I listen, and saddened how quickly I can turn that off and turn it into a battle of what is really my own self will. I actually talk myself out of listening to God's spirit which is a whole different ball game than ignoring Him all together. That nudge is there...realizing it is step 1...now I want to focus on the instant obedience part of it!

This has been a very powerful lesson for me already. Not bad for day 16....God must know there is no time to spare;)

Now for some Nostalgia!

2011-01-14T22:32:00.000-08:00

Since I totally put down the whole Scrabble board game in my previous post, I feel the need to redeem the board game industry somewhat here. So, let me just say...we are having SO much fun with the old fashioned Monopoly! The boys got it for Christmas and boy has it brought back some serious memories. I remember playing this game many times over and it hasn't changed much at all. There is a new speed dice option which I might seriously look into soon. Although I have memories of playing it, they don't include hours on end of the never ending game! I'm sure I was much more patient in my younger years;)

The dollar amounts are small and easy for the kids to handle and they are old enough and have gone far enough in math that the game is actually fun for them too. When we opened the box it was the same feeling as finding some old friends on facebook. There was the hat, the boot, the dog and all the same old pieces! I do wonder what the reasoning is behind the game pieces, they do seem odd, don't they? Who even wants to be the iron or the thimble? I know I avoid those two at ALL costs! The board looks the same and I even researched some of the history and it hasn't changed much since a patent I saw in 1935 and it is the best selling board game in history. I wonder if they accounted for inflation, what the prices would be...that would be much higher math involved I am sure. So far, in the few games we have played, Brody has ruled the board. He is lucky and smart and it has been a good lesson for all of us in so many ways. It has been a chance for Connor to be happy when he is not the lucky one and for Brody to practice humility.

Adding to the nostalgia was another childhood memory. Yesterday while frantically getting from one side of Wal Mart to the other the boys found a real treasure in the office supply aisle. I mean a real "treasure box" they are calling it. After realizing that their wallets still had some money in the spending section it took a whopping 2 seconds to decide that it was a must have. The keys were what sold it and they were beyond thrilled with their purchase decision. Connor even came up to me later, pulled the keys out of his pocket and said...."mom I feel so important with these in my pocket." I remember how cool it is to have your first very own space and I was hit with another dose of how big they are getting and fast they are growing up. I remember a very small cedar chest with a small golden lock that had very similar magical keys to it. I loved that box.

Here is to your own memory making Connor and Brody and a picture for you to look back on one day. I wish I had a picture of my treasure box so I felt compelled to take this for you. I hope you love yours as much. However please remember along the way ...Matthew 6:20

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Not so Nostalgic

2011-01-09T22:06:00.000-08:00

Most of the time I want to think the OLD way of doing things is better, especially when it comes to kids. I have always like the "old fashioned" toys and games for them. I like books written in their original text and not abridged or changed by someone trying to make it better.

I have to say though....Words with Friends is one major improvement over the old Scrabble board! Connor used to beg me to play Scrabble with him and it felt about as much fun as cleaning the toilets. It seemed to take forever to get through a game and he needed my help so much it didn't feel like much of a game. Plus, Brody hated it so he was always restless. So, I did what any desperate parent would do and hid the Scrabble board under the couch for a few months!

Then, my friend Becca turned me on to an app called 'Words with Friends". It is just like Scrabble, but you play online. There is SO much to love about playing like this way. To name a few; you can go at your own pace and take your turn whenever it suits you, you can text with your opponent within the game, you can learn new words by just hitting submit and seeing what it takes, and it is a fun way to "play" a game with friends and family far away!

I recently had to take extreme measures and set Connor up on daddy's ipad with his own username because he was trying to get in on MY games and constantly grabbing my phone. He LOVES this game and truthfully I love him playing it. I have to admit here that he has beat me 4 times in a row and is on his way to a 5th victory. I find that quite embarrassing especially considering I don't in any way shape or form go easy on him, I pull out everything I can! However the bible tells me not to lie so there you have it.

He is currently playing games with me, Aunt Lara in Missouri and recently started a game with an old friend his age that lives in Vegas now. They are sending messages to each other and having a great time with it! We have a rule that when he uses a word he doesn't know, he has to make it a future vocabulary assignment by writing in his planner right away....works like a charm! I also have to say it is a great refresher in math basics as well. Why I can just see this being marketed as a full on "school subject" one day soon.

Also, an added bonus is that I have a new "privilege" that I can use as leverage! What a blessing.....

I don't think I will be pining over the old way any time soon!

What do "they" know anyway?

2011-01-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

I have struggled with this for some time now, so since it is a New Year, I am going to confess it right here right now and get it out there for all to see.

Very rarely do we eat dinner together at the table as a family.

There I said it. Whew, do I feel better!

I have read too many articles and heard too many advertisements warning me about the negative ways that this will impact my boys throughout their life; and they constantly fill me with guilt. I am working to let this go and have realized that all families are different. A lot of times Bryan is not home when I start the boys on their dinner. Right now it is playoff season, and we are eating in the family room; only temporary. Our island only seats three with the stools we picked. (There is something wrong with that) On the other hand, sometimes when I make a really nice dinner we DO sit down together at our table and enjoy a meal together. It just depends. It is on my mind a lot though. At breakfast the boys and I are always together and usually reading the bible and starting our history lessons for the day. At lunch they almost ALWAYS ask to read as their "break" from school, but I don't usually let them at dinner.

BUT...I did try the other night. It was salad bar night (notice how Connor's ingredients don't mix or even touch; that is a whole new blog topic...by definition I'm not sure if that is a salad?? I digress...) and the kids wanted to sit at the island in the kitchen where they eat most of their meals. I let the guilt get to me and went to have dinner with them so I sat down to enjoy some togetherness and this is what happened...

They wouldn't get their faces out of their books! They said things like....

"Come on mom, we want to read!" and "We see you ALL the time." "Just let us read for a little while, PLEASE."

So, I sat with them while they read and enjoyed our meal together anyway which consisted mostly of me giving them a hard time about how much I was enjoying their company. They will know I tired if nothing else by the proof in this post!

I know what "they" say but I want to realize "they" don't know us. I don't feel this deep need to connect with them over a meal, we do that all day. Sometimes for daddy the best thing for him is a few minutes to himself to decompress after a long day. Sometimes we look like a TV commercial for Stouffers Lasagna laughing and enjoying each other at a beautifully decorated table. Ok....maybe not decorated....

I want that to be OK with me, the way we are. After all, for now....it works for us.

How Sweet the Sound

2011-01-05T16:02:00.000-08:00

In addition to the sweet melody of Connor plucking away and "playing" his new guitar every day, there are some other sweet sounds around here.

Since we had 32 hours round trip in the car with our kids on a recent road trip to California, we decided to cram in some serious parenting between naps and movies;) One of the things we discussed was how laid back the boys are getting in answering (and how lazy we have been in enforcing) us when we call them. Obviously this is a critical step to obeying your parents, actually it is the first step. We would practice saying their name and getting them to answer right away. I realized quickly how much I didn't like the "what" response so we asked them to say "yes mom?" or " yes dad?" .

Now I am sure that 1000 books have written describing how important it is and I am sure I have probably read a huge percentage of them, but it slipped my radar until now. I cannot believe the difference this has made. We are still working on it daily, but oh when they answer it is a sweet sweet sound. It not only sounds so much more respectful but it seems to have a huge impact on their attitude as well. Instead of just going about what they were doing and screaming what, they stop think and give me their attention. I am in mommy heaven.

When they have that respond down to a pat answer, I might have to change it again. I am thinking of something along the lines of....."yes, reigning queen mother of the household"?

What do you think?

Really God?

2011-01-01T17:32:00.001-08:00

I have been trying to deny the clear voice I hear from God telling me what my "word resolution" is for 2011. It first came to me a few weeks ago and of course I put off blogging it waiting for the REAL word to come. I was hoping for something else, not sure what, just something else. Most likely something easier or fun...like kindness or organizing... but NO....not that easy.

This year God wants me to focus on SELF-CONTROL. YUCK!

The hard truth is, I lack it and I know it.

I can't believe how many times in many different areas of my life I will say I am going to do or not do something and then I justify doing the opposite. It will come up in everything over the course of the year I'm sure...

Exercise, Diet, Parenting, Relationships, Finances, Time Management

It has already come up in most of those just today:)

Even though I am dreading the "work", I know it will be a good thing and I want to be positive and open to all God has for me to learn. So, I will hold on tight and prepare for the ride!

Christmas Activities

2010-12-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

This year I must say I feel I did do better preparing for the holidays. With the exception of a forgotten Gingerbread House to make and no sugar cookies to decorate yet, overall, I have done pretty good.

We have had a light week in school....just keeping up with Math, Grammar and Phonics and our regular daily activities such as piano practice. We have been "studying" Christmas with activities such as memorizing and studying a few Christmas carols. For some reason, my boys do not like to sing out loud, so I am working on that. We learn a song together, then I am encouraging them to sing it which is going surprisingly well, we talk about what it means, and then they write it out from memory.

We also have been reading Bartholomew's Passage which is a daily advent reading, I highly recommend. There is 3 books in the series and last year we read through Jotham's Journey. They are stories written with a part to read each day and a lesson to take from that days reading. Almost every day is a "cliffhanger" so we can't wait to get to it the next day! I have one left to get for next year!

Christmas cards are out, packages are sent, only one left to wrap! How do you hide a guitar? I had to pull off an amazing feat to hide bow and arrows already...

We had a great time decorating the tree! I got the boys their special ornaments at a craft fair this year and they really liked them! Connor actually told me that he could give up all the presents, but it just didn't feel like Christmas without a tree. Think I should test that next year?

He got an Oregon Duck ornament which goes quite nicely with his new jammies, don't you think?
We had to remember the year of the bunny....so there you have it!

Here is Connor with his "football" section. The tree rotates around slowly and they love watching their ornaments come around to see!

And of course....Bean with the flock he adds to the tree!Here is the completed job and we threw in the big dog for the shot who really doesn't care about Christmas but will love the bag of beggin strips the boys picked out for him!

By far, my favorite Christmas decoration is this Angel as part of the Jim Shore collection. I think she is SO beautiful and I love the nativity carved into her skirt!

I had a baking party with some moms from FIGS, saw A Christmas Carol play at my neighbors church and had a Happy Birthday Jesus party with my homeschool group! Tonight is my husband's company Christmas party. Then I need to find time to make some of those sugar cookies with the boys!

What would you miss?

2010-12-16T07:32:00.001-08:00

Almost every morning as I make my way out to the kitchen, I am greeted with a dirty coffee cup on the counter. In the earliest days of my current position as "home maker" this would most likely cause an argument or at least a deep discussion. As a matter of fact I recall clearly one of those such "discussions" where I remember throwing out very valid arguments about how I am "not respected" and treated like a "hotel maid" over dirty socks.

Well, I have grown up a lot since then and have come to see it very differently. It hit me very hard one day....

I WOULD MISS THIS IF HE WERE GONE!

It tells me that while I was sleeping all warm and cozy in my bed, my husband got up way before the crack of dawn to start his day. He enjoyed a few cups of coffee in this cup while probably checking the news and sports scores (during football season). He prepares a fire for the boys and I, so we are comfortable as we start our day. He then makes his way to work where he gives his all to the company he works for so I can be home with our kids.

Honestly, I don't know why the cup can't make it to the sink, or even in the dishwasher, but I don't care. I like it there telling me "Good morning" every day since I don't see him before he leaves!

I know my husband respects me and appreciates everything I do for our home and I respect and appreciate everything he does for this family. As a matter of fact, I recall the turning point for me. The kids and I had taken a long trip over the summer and he was left here to work. After about 3 days, he called me and said so sincerely something to this effect....

"Honey, I am such a slob....thank you for all you do around here."

He really isn't a slob at all, we just have a system that works well for us. I know that if I asked him to put the cup in the sink or even the dishwasher he would, but I like doing it for him. I like it there for the reminder it serves and I have chosen to see it as one of the reasons I love him so much. I realize how sad and lonely I would feel if it were not there one day and that is a another huge Reality Check for me;)

Reality Check

2010-12-15T22:29:00.000-08:00

I have often felt very unique this day and age to say that I have never watched the mega hit reality television shows that have become so popular. Shows like Survivor and American Idol hit the home screens and has been a "sensation" ever since. Of course since I breathe and live in the United States I can't help but know of some of them such as The Biggest Loser and Jon and Kate plus 8, but they have never interested me to devote any time to them.

However.....recently one show peaked my interest. I have had many people mention the show, "Undercover Boss" and I was intrigued enough to set the recorder on a few episodes to see for myself. I actually enjoyed it. I stayed up way too late actually watching two episodes in a row one night. I went to bed really feeling like I enjoyed the show and had many warm fuzzy feelings for all the great stuff that happens at the end. If you have seen it, you know what I am talking about.

I couldn't wait to watch my next episode so one night after Bryan went to bed, I warmed up my cozy, got in the chair and grabbed the remote. My anticipation level was high and I was eager to spend some time with my new friends and what felt like my new guilty pleasure.

Then it hit me. That "first date" feeling was already gone. These shows aren't real. There is way too many similarities in each of the episodes to not be scripted and rehearsed to a huge degree. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled at what they do in the end, and it seems they find some hard working people that deserve it. It still has some feel good moments in it, and is quite entertaining. I loved it when a CEO actually got fired from a job driving a shuttle bus, and when another CEO was belittled with a timer as he assembled a sub sandwich. But, overall...the excitement is gone for me, but it sure was fun while it lasted. If I was sick with fever laid up on the couch, I might enjoy an episode or two again;)

Bunny Business

2010-12-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

I just realized I am behind in my update on our ER Bunny!

After much thought, consideration and a quick look at the checkbook, we decided to go against doctor's orders for the last few steps of the broken leg process.

We opted out of an x-ray and another sedation to be sure the leg was healed before permanently removing the splint. The bunny got to a point where he was really DONE with the bandage and we were almost having to re wrap every day, so we trusted what seemed to be his "animal instincts" and finished removing it for him one day. With a few snap of the scissors he was free and oh so relieved!

It was wonderful to see his personality come back so quickly and he was one happy bunny again!

He was back standing on his hind legs again which was so fun to see!

So far, our experiment has brought me to the following conclusions:

1) Bunnies are more high maintenance than I anticipated.

2) It is my nature to make things more high maintenance than they probably should be.

3) Brody is not quite capable of cleaning the cage by himself.

4) Brody is not capable of meeting the standards I have for the cage cleaning process, I'm not sure anyone is.

5) Although Brody loves the bunny very much, he still has to be constantly reminded to take care of it, no surprise there.

6) Even though he has to be reminded, he has yet to complain once or try to get out of taking care of little Dusty which makes me very happy.

7) Rabbits are messy little creatures, but worth it.

8) They really will use a litter box which is surprisingly cool.

9) For some reason God built them with really strong muscles and a very delicate frame, not a good match in my opinion...but hey....He knows all things, certainly not me.

10) They really do like carrots.

Smarty Pants

2010-12-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

Since I keep this blog to share fun stories with others and to keep a record of memories I don't want to forget, I just have to post this one!

This was a recent conversation between Brody and myself....

Brody had just done something amazing, honestly I don't remember the what because he constantly amazes me! As I was working on meeting my words of affirmation love language quota for the day, I started the conversation like this.

Me: "Brody....you are SO smart! God gave you a great mind"!

Brody: "Yah, I know."

Me: "Come here a minute...(seeing a teaching moment opportunity and now cuddling on my lap). I know how smart you are and I think that is great, but do you know what is even MORE important to me? Who you are is much more important than what you know. I care more about the person you are in your heart, the way you treat others and the choices you make to honor God and do "the right thing".

Silent Pause...

Brody: "Mom"

Me: "Yes honey?" (in the most motherly voice you can imagine)

Brody: "Don't you think you have to BE pretty smart to know all
that and make the right choices?"

I just love that kid!

Here is one of his recent memory accomplishments...ALL the books of the bible listed in order! He really is SO smart though, don't you think?

First Sex Talk..............Check!

2010-12-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, my kids have never asked where babies come from! This has surprised me more and more as I hear other moms talking about the questions their children are asking them, and how much they want to know.

I ordered a book a while back as I knew it would be coming up soon, but of course I can't find it, so I borrowed a stash of books from a friend and picked one to introduce the topic. I decided that I needed to get the conversation going before the neighbor kid did. After all he recently taught them what a wedgie is, how to "call" your place, and how to look like you are picking your nose without actually doing it. I feel it was only a matter of time.

So, we cuddled up yesterday morning after doing our reading in Prince Caspian and our conversation started like this.

Me: Have you ever wondered where babies come from? How you were made?
Connor: Nope.
Brody: Yeah, I have wondered that.

Well...okay then, here we go! So, we read the book titled "How Did God Make Me? The Miracle of Birth" and it went really well. Very uneventful actually. Then we all made our fingerprints because the book discusses how God makes each one of us unique even with our own set of fingerprints so that was fun.

However, the best part was that when I talked about the miracle of the birth of Jesus...a HUGE massive light bulb went off with Connor and he said in that very familiar tune...."Now I get it!" It is amazing how much information we throw at our kids that they don't get right away. So much of it comes in bits and pieces and I am happy that the timing of our first "sex talk" was around Christmas. He understands that the "daddy part" came from God himself, and a little bit more understands the miraculous birth of our Savior! He is now connected with a huge part of The Christmas Story.

I believe it was perfect timing.

I'm sure Brody got it too, but he was also pretty interested in the role of the belly button, and that the mystery of that body part has finally been revealed.

I guess our next talk will have to be how the mommy and daddy parts come together, but I'm sure that is down the road and I will pray that the neighbor kid holds off until I'm ready.

Bye Bye Better Home....I will miss you

2010-12-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

I have made a decision to let my subscription cancel to the magazine Better Homes and Gardens. I have to say that I LOVE this magazine and it has been a truly agonizing decision.

However, I have stacks of them tucked in secret places waiting for me to get to them. I have a file with pulled out pages of great ideas, and wonderful decorations that no matter how hard I try, I can't recreate. Truthfully, I am just not a Better Homes kind of girl.

Yes, I have pulled a few great recipes such as a garden fresh chicken pasta salad and a huge hit with the boys; banana chocolate chip muffins. But overall, that is it. Mostly I just look through them and feel a sense of frustration.

Frustration, that I would never find that or make it look that good even if I did.

Frustration that I don't want to spend the time or money to make things such as napkin rings that would look out of place in my home.

Frustration that turning an ordinary oatmeal container into some extravagant gift package just seems like too much work.

Frustration that the plants and flowers they name are never at Home Depot.

So, I am saying goodbye. If I feel withdrawls, I might reconsider. If I get through my current stack, I might reconsider. If I have a moment of weakness where I feel incredibly crafty, I could reconsider.

But for now, it is goodbye. My home might not be a "Better Homes and Garden Home" but it is mine and for now, I will spend some time in that contentment. After all it was my word for the year and this magazine did NOTHING to promote that for me!

Connor's Birthday!

2010-12-02T21:45:00.000-08:00

This year Connor's birthday fell on Saturday and was spent with some of his favorite things. Aunt Lara was visiting and he started the day with presents! As you can see in the picture, he woke up at the crack of dawn which is very unlike him on a normal day! Can it get much better?

Sure...throw in Paddington's Pizza for lunch and football on the tube later and you have a hit of a birthday to put a smile like this on his face! Here is the birthday boy with a thin crust pepperoni and black olive pizza, a vanilla creme soda and a sucker! YIPPEE!

Also, he really wanted to decorate his very own cake this year for his home party! Big shocker.....a football theme!

This year for his 9th birthday Connor chose a party! We give our kids a choice between a party or a present from us each year. We do this not only to control the cost, but to teach them about making choices and prioritizing. This year Connor was very involved in the party planning. I was thrilled to have a party with our friends here in Oregon, even though he chose Chuck E Cheese for the place;) Actually, I have to say that the people over at Chuck E Cheese were fantastic and we had the party on Monday morning and literally had the run of the place until the party was over which made it very pleasant!

We made some football cupcakes that were a lot of fun and I think I heard from more than one of my friends, that my sister is one of the best Aunts around. I think I can agree with that!

I think it was a great time for birthday fun and I just can't believe it has been 9 years since I became a mother.

Dear Connor,

I can't believe that you are 9 years old and the same baby that I once held almost non stop in my arms. I really enjoy you. Your passion never ceases to amaze me. You have a true dedication for the people and the things that you love. Loyal describes you pefectly, and lucky are the ones that you call friend. I admire the way you think of others. Your ability to feel true repentance is rare and your heart is SO easy to reach.

You love to have fun and play is a huge priority in your life. I have to resist the urge constantly to push that brilliant mind and step aside and let you be a kid. You love to create toys and games. You start many many projects and finish only a few of them, but your joy clearly comes from the idea!

You have an incredible memory and love to learn and read. You are confident in who you are, and I see that grow each year. You are a peacemaker and a very easy going young man. You are cautious about most new things which as your mother, I can truly appreciate;)

Your laugh is contagious and your smile is happiness and contentment rolled into one.

I love being your mom and feel honored each and every day that God blesses me with the privelage. Happy Birthday to you!

Love, Mom

Thankful for 10

2010-11-27T20:05:00.000-08:00

During our bedtime routine on Thanksgiving night, I asked the boys what they were thankful for. We just happen to love lists and round even numbers around here so they decided to come up with 10....

Brody
1. God
2. My Parents
3. My Brother
4. My Pets
5. Food
6. Reading/Books
7. Drinks
8. Sheepie
9. Sleep
10. Sugar (Gum, root beer, and cool whip)

Connor
1. God
2. Mom and Dad
3. Food and Water
4. Brody
5. The Pets
6. Clothes and my bed
7. Books
8. Our House
9. Football
10. Vitamins

One interesting fact to note here; they came up with these lists ALL on their own with one exception. After Connor heard Brody list God first he moved Him up a notch;)

Thanksgiving Day opened up the door for some special sweet treats which highly affected the end of Brody's list as you can clearly see. The most unusual addition is the vitamins on Connor's list and of course after all the football on Thanksgiving Day I was not surpised to see it make the cut!

However, over all I am pleased for the most part where their priorities seem to be at their young ages and I thought these were too cute not to share!

November Notes

2010-11-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

I started out so good and have had so many ideas and thoughts to blog about it, but it just hasn't been happening. I believe the weather is partly to blame. Here in Oregon, fall or an early winter is in full swing and since we practice zone heating....I am found more often in the living room by the wood stove. The computer room is completely in the back of the house and I am spending less and less time there because there is no wood stove! I have pulled out the space heater so things might pick up, but the ambiance just isn't the same.

However, I feel the need to catch up some....so here is some notes from November so they aren't forgotten!

It has been a busy, but fun month already. Our last boys club event was wonderful! We had the grandparents of one of the families volunteer and they delivered a fantastic afternoon. There was a devotion, followed by the making of their very own personal stomp rockets!

I had to make them pause to take this picture because I couldn't get one that wasn't blurry! The best part was that Mr. Martin was a shop teacher and had lot of experience setting

up for a class setting like ours. All the boys were allowed to cut their own PVC pipe and hoses and it was such fun for them. I tried not to be nervous as I watched each one of "my boys" pick up a hacksaw and go to town:) Here is my brave friend Becca holding the board for Connor and Brody to have their turn!

We also had our Harvest Party with our co op and spent some time decorating gourds which was a ton of fun for the kids. I love having these adorn my kitchen counter for the holiday season;)

School has been going great. I decided last Monday to take a week or two off from our traditional Sonlight "core" classes so we can start American History in the fall at the same time as a few families that will also be starting. This will make it fun to plan some field trips and share ideas so I am excited about that. With the free time, we decided to study the dinosaurs and the age of the Earth from a biblical worldview and it has been very interesting. We also spent some of the extra time finally reading the first of the Chronicles of Narnia...The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which we finished tonight and enjoyed. Here is a few shots of what our school mornings have looked like around here...

Connor and Brody love to make desks in odd places and this day they set the cushions on top of the arm rests with the back pillows and had so much fun doing their work there. As you can see Owen liked it too.I absolutely LOVE this picture. Jake certainly likes to be where the action is when he is not sound asleep and as Connor was working on his vocabulary, he got to spend some quality time with boys best friend. I think it is so sweet the way he is petting him with one hand and holding that book with the other.

So, now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving reading books about Squanto, and the Pilgrims and enjoying some much needed time off that Bryan has been blessed with. Aunt Lara is coming Friday to visit for a few days which us all very excited and eager for the week to hurry along!

"A Fly Also Lives"

2010-11-09T21:13:00.000-08:00

Recently I finished reading The Chosen by Chaim Potok. It seemed to take a little while for me to really enjoy it, but once I got to a certain point, I could hardly put it down. I realize that it has been almost a week since I finished it and I can't get a certain part out of my head. I keep thinking about it over and over again so I wanted to share it.

This is a conversation between the main character and his father and I believe it to be life changing if you let it.

"Human beings do not live forever Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life. There is so much pain in the world. What does it mean to have to suffer so much if our lives are nothing more than the blink of an eye?" He paused again, his eyes misty now, then went on. "I learned a long time ago, Reuven, that a blink of an eye in itself is nothing. But the eye that blinks, that is something. A span of life is nothing. But the man who lives that span, he is something. He can fill that tiny span with meaning, so its quality is immeasruable though its quantity may be insignificant. Do you understand what I am saying? A man must fill his life with meaning, meaning is not automatically given to life. It is hard work to fill one's life with meaning. That I do not think you understand yet. A life filled with meaning is worthy of rest. I want to be worthy of rest when I am no longer here. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Merely to live, merly to exist-what sense is there to it? A fly also lives."

Wow and Amen!

Bean Wisdom

2010-11-08T07:53:00.000-08:00

It is time to share some of Brody's recent journal posts. They are so enjoyable to me and something to treasure.

Part of what makes these so special right now is the writing. I love the way he sounds out the words and since they still fit on one page, I decided to scan them so you can view them in their original glory!

Here his assignment was to define what Love is to him...

This one just had to have the picture with it. The topic was..."If you could do anything you wanted right now, what would it be?"

This was our field trip with our co op group to Bauman Farms!

Here he got a free day because of course he had to journal about his new bunny. This is also one of my favorites. It shows his sweet nature to me;)

There you have it. Some "Bean Wisdom" for today.....may you have a good one!

Maybe you will now desire a trip to New Zealand, some candy from those you love, and you might just go out and acquire some pets and vet bills to make your life complete!

End of the Season

2010-11-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday marked the end of our first organized sports season. I have to say we went out with a great big bang for a few reasons.

I was dreading our last game as it was against an undefeated team, it was the earliest game time at 8:30 in the morning and it was supposed to be pouring down rain. The hardest part though about the season ending is that we were just starting to look like a team! All the parents were talking on the sidelines about how the last few games looked like real games and were quite enjoyable. The coaches did an amazing job through the season and they brought the kids a far way from the chaos that was there is in the begining. Both Connor and Brody felt like it was just getting started and were sad to see it end.

Connor made some huge improvements in the last few games pulling some flags which he really tried hard to do. More important though, he got over a fear he had of making a mistake and really got into the games. Here is the best action shot I got the whole season. He actually got this kids flag and as you can see had to work really hard for it, he is on the ground turned the other way! It was very exciting.

Brody never did get a flag and he wanted to so bad, but he did get to carry the ball a time or two and seemed content. They both had great attitudes and were excited about each and every game win or loose.

Overall we had a great experience with Upward Sports and they are both already making plans to sign up next year. I talked to them about other sports but there is nothing else they want to play which is OK with me;)

Back to Saturday....I believe in the first 30 seconds the other team scored a touchdown and then quickly got another and let's just say it wasn't looking good. However, they played hard and actually came back to win it with an ending score of 26-22! It was a very proud moment, more than it probably should of been and that "soccer mom" in me reared a tiny part of her ugly head. I know that she exists and do my best to control her though.

To cap off a fun season, something happened at the last Star Ceremony that I am most proud of. Both Connor and Brody earned the hardest star to get and that was the "Christ-likeness" star. When they called them up the team mates shouted things like.."yeah for the brothers". The assistant coach explained that they earned the stars for the way they looked out for and treated each other all season. That brought tears to my eyes and I was very excited that their relationship was honored in this way and that others recognized it. What a wonderful thing to happen!

So, next year I am sure we will be out there again. Because of their age, they will be separated on different teams which will be an interesting factor to see played out. I will be there with my fancy new sport brella, my new folding chair, a lot of my regular self and what the hec...I'm sure I will unleash "Soccer Mom Suzie" once in awhile. After all, that is MY boys out there!

The ER Bunny

2010-11-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

Yes...I wish those letters stood for something like "exotic radiant bunny", but they actually do mean just what you probably thought. Meet our Emergency Room bunny!

Here is how it happened..

We went out after church and got the bunny a litter box because it is too hard for Brody to clean the cage with the heavy tray, and we heard there is a really good chance to teach them to use it. I proceeded to take the bunny out and put him in his exercise pen while I got the cage all cleaned up and ready. Bryan decided it was a great time to clean off the patio as well. (Have I mentioned how messy bunnies are?) Anyway, being a guy he did what guys do and brought up the leaf blower...which it turns out really scared the hec out of Dusty. It scared him so much that he flipped out... literally... and broke his leg. Bryan noticed it because it was dragging and when he picked him up to look at it, it was awful! The back right leg could just do a full turn and was just hanging there. Bryan was sure that the bunny would have to be put down, not thinking there was anything they could do and was also sure that he was suffering. So, we prepped the boys and after the tears decided to head to the emergency room because of course this would happen on a weekend;) While in the waiting room, I used my nifty little iphone and did some research and it turned out the results weren't as bleak as we thought.

After meeting with the doctor, we had three choices..

1) Put him in a very small space and keep him confined as possible and let the bone heal. This option came with a huge risk of infection.

2) Splint the leg which obviously came with a price tag and an inconvenience.

3) Have surgery with an osteopathic specialist to fix it properly which probably cost as much as a car and would be a tougher recovery.

We went in the middle and splinted the leg. Bryan and I fully admit that this was done mostly out of guilt since the bunny was in our care when it happened! Also, I have to admit if the bunny was a jerk of a bunny or jumped out of the cage, we might not have been so willing:) Truthfully, he is a darn sweet bunny and a real good pet, with a great personality.

So, we went back later and picked him up and it has been quite the ordeal around here. Turns out bunnies don't have much of a will to live! Who would of known? Anyway, getting him to eat and drink was critical in that first 24 hours so like a nurse I was there holding the water bottle and hand feeding him Timothy Hay and kale that we happened to have on hand. After a day he did start coming back to life and is now progressing very well.

Thankfully, we have not had to put one of those awful collars on him that prevent him from chewing. The first day, he put that hole in the top bandage, but has left it alone since. I am grateful for that because I imagine that would be a huge step back for him adjusting. We are just now getting our bunny back and I can't wait for that thing to come off his leg. Obviously the litter box training is on hold and we can't take him out of the cage, which is a big bummer for all of us!

I know there are people that are going to call us crazy for doing this and some that think we should of put all costs aside and gone for the surgery. We made the best decision for us, which is all we can do. The truth is we could afford it and this is a perfect example of why we save from every check that we can. Although it isn't at the top of our list on how to spend the money, especially with the holidays coming up and with both boys having birthdays, but we felt we owed it to everyone to do something since we could. We would of had no trouble explaining that we weren't going to do something if we really couldn't.

Plus, if you would of looked into Brody's sad eyes that day, trust me, you would of wanted to say you would do something too;)

I can't wait to blog that the splint is off!

Party Poopers!

2010-11-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

So I was just visiting a few of my friends blogs reading about all of their Halloween fun and I feel like major party poopers!

This year was kind of strange...I just couldn't get the kids excited about dressing up. I felt I was totally pushing them and they were just very un-excited. They said they would wear their costumes from last year and didn't even sound interested in the carnival at church that we go to every year. So...I threw another idea out there....how about we buy some candy and stay home and watch a movie? They jumped and down and were thrilled with the idea....so there you have it. We hit Winco where I let them go a little crazy in the bulk bin section, then we spent the night snuggled on the couch watching "Air Bud, Golden Receiver". I might be a party pooper, but it is all my kids fault;)

Actually, they did put on some costumes to go visit a few neighbors that bought candy just for them since there is no trick or treat business where we live. I never thought I would see a football playing monkey, but now I have.

Also, what a great opportunity to share these memories.

Truthfully, they do dress up and seem to enjoy it...just recently they tailored these fine knight uniforms all on their own from foam board!

You know I can't help but think of that quote that paraphrased goes something like this...Every time you buy a child a toy, you take away their desire to create it on their own.

The Big 07!

2010-10-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

So this October my mom turned the big 70 and my baby turned the big 07. He is now the age on his football jersey...apparently a very big deal!

Even though he opted for the "no party" there was still plenty of presents from family and friends! We also had "the cousins" over for cake and ice cream.

He got some much needed money and a Petsmart gift card to buy rabbit supplies, and plenty of things to keep him busy! Here is just a few!

Kim and Zack sent a present for Brody and his brother...very thoughtful!

Well, Brody says..." I still feel like I'm six" but he is another year older, getting so big, and growing up so fast.

Dear Brody,

Happy Birthday to a very special boy that puts laughter in our lives each and every day. You love life and it shows. You are the "class clown" in our house. You play tough, but you still love to snuggle and I love both sides of you. You love your family, and care deeply for animals. Your bond with your brother is so apparent and puts joy in my heart that can't be described. You are confident and at the same time willing to admit when something frightens you. I love that honesty. You are so smart and learning comes natural to you. You tease Connor about his love for books as you lift your eyes from your own. You have a very logical mind which I pray that God will use in your life in a mighty way. I call you my "little negotiator" and am constantly amazed at how you see things and how you teach me to see them too. You embrace things that are unique and admire the extraordinary.

You are a true gift and a blessing from God and I am so grateful to be your mom. I know 7 will be great!

Love,

Mom

This is only a test....

2010-10-26T22:58:00.000-07:00

This year I had a brilliant idea for Brody's birthday. His birthday was Monday and will receive a separate posting soon;)

Each year we offer Connor and Brody a big choice when their birthday rolls around. They get to choose between a party with friends or a present. We have explained how expensive it can be to have a party for kids these days and that if they want a party that IS the present and it has been a real good strategy for us. This year Brody chose a present. He said parties are crowded and there is "you know mom all those people". If you know Brody, I'm sure you are chuckling right now.

I thought long and hard and came up with the perfect present....a bunny! Brody has been wanting a real sheep for a very long time but he is just so little. He really seems to want to take care of animals and I see a 4-H club or two in his future, but I am tired of telling him "when you get a little older". So, I felt a bunny would be a great "test" to see how he can handle the responsibility of an outside pet that requires quite a bit of care. I quizzed him a few months ago and asked if he couldn't have a sheep what other animal would he want and he said that a bunny would be really close to a sheep.

So, we are now a 3 pet family...dog, cat, and now the cutest little Holland Lop bunny you have ever seen!

We had to spill the beans early because daddy decided to build the hutch and it took up the garage for a few days. Also, I wanted him included in picking out just the right bunny for him. He was SO precious going to Petsmart and spending birthday money and a gift card on all the "stuff" that his new pet requires, and we found a breeder in Turner that was so helpful. The hutch came out great and Saturday night we picked up the newest member of the family, Dusty.

He is a real good bunny with a great temperament. He is not aggressive or shy and has a great personality. He comes to the cage when you go to the door and will sit for ever and let anyone pet him.

So far we are only on day 3 but it is going good and the honeymoon isn't over yet! We even got him an exercise pen and he is learning to put it up and down and get him out of his cage for exercise and fresh grazing. (Did I mention they are quite a bit of work?) I do think it will be great for him and he is so excited. I think it will be a good lesson to teach responsibility beyond the cat and dog and it is fun to see him so excited.

Here is his first night in his new home.

We learned quickly how much he loves clovers!

Today, he got to practice picking him up and holding him which of course was a very big deal. That bunny just snuggled right up to him.

I am thrilled that he loves his present this year and will update how the happy couple is doing;)

Letters to God

2010-10-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

In the journal jar is an assignment to "write a letter to God" which both Connor and Brody have done in the past week. I felt these were worth sharing and preserving...

Dear God,
What made you think of creating the world? I've been curious.
Thank you for family and friends.
Thank you for giving us food and water.
Thank you for holidays.
Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and thank you for games.
I hope I can go to heaven when I die.
Love, Connor

Dear God,
You are awsome. And very big.
You made the world.
And you made me and my family plus Big Jake and Small Owey.
Amen.
Love, Brody

How sweet! I just love these letters and I adore these boys of mine!

One more chore

2010-10-22T15:16:00.000-07:00

I absolutely dread ironing. Truthfully, I have enjoyed the last almost 20 years of no ironing. I loved my husband's T-shirt and jeans philosphy and have had no trouble putting something back on the shelf that looked like it would require ironing. After all....I did "press" full time with a job I had out of high school and feel I did my time. Plus after you have used a professional iron, you realize how inadequate the regular versions are.

However, that time has come to an end and I am now back to the task of ironing those button up shirts. Bryan wants to look nicer at work now that he is a superintendent and I definitely agree and support him. He has meetings with clients, suppliers and companies now and I am so proud of him.

Yesterday was my first day back on the job. The kids were giddy to see mom use the new iron and board I had to purchase. (I know I had an iron because I have used it on numerous bead crafts that the boys made over the years, but I couldn't even find it;)

They thought it was the coolest thing ever and that is when it hit me that they have never seen anything like it....mom ironing clothes?

Oh...the good ole days;)

Pillow Talk

2010-10-14T22:29:00.001-07:00

I thought my mom's whole purpose was to be my mom. That's how she made me feel. ~Natasha Gregson Wagner

I love this quote and have probably mentioned it many times before. Most likely it is to remind myself to slow down and pay more attention or sometimes I pull it out to beat myself up when I am feeling really crummy about my ability to parent these two young children God has trusted me with.

Tonight though it comes to my mind and I long to capture some special moments with Brody . I do get busy, there are many things grabbing my time and attention. I hope more often than not it is my kids, but I admit I fall very short. I think all the time about regrets that I don't want such as...

"I should of read that story even when I was tired or played that game when there was laundry to do. I should of just played hooky from school and pulled out the board games."

Brody has started asking me to lay in bed with him at night when I go to tuck them in. I have to admit, it makes me sleepy, and that is why I find it hard to do sometimes. The evenings have been a very productive time for me lately and it is hard to bounce back after laying down and being read to, then laying in the dark to top it all off! However, he seems to really treasure these moments with me as much as I do with him. He is cuddly, sweet, and affectionate and even tells me, "I like it when you lay with me mommy." So, each night I am home I have decided that I will spend this time no matter how I feel or what I think I have to get done. It can all wait and these are important moments that I will never get back. Just last night we discussed some great things ....

"Mommy....if someone was going to turn you into a motorcyle which part of you would be the wheels? How about the horn mommy, and the handlebars and the...."

"Mom...what are contacts for and why do you wear them when you don't have your glasses on?"

"You know I couldn't feel my first loose teeth because my permanent were already coming in Mommy, but now I think I will."

I don't know where or why this came up but thank you God that my little boy wants to spend this time with me, I know that he will be all grown up before I know it. I will treasure these nights and enjoy every minute and I thank you for blessing me with this incredible gift. I hope it gives him some sense of feeling so loved that he feels for that time he is my whole purpose.

Words of Wisdom....from Connor

2010-10-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

This year I tried something different to spice up their journal writing a little. I wrote on slips of paper a lot of different journal starters for each one of them. Then they decorated containers and we folded them and put them all in the jars along with 2 each that says "Skip Journal Today". I assign journal writing two times a week on Tuesdays and Fridays and I have to say they have been doing really well with this format. It challenges them a little more but they also feel more in control since they pick it;)

I want to share a few that Connor has written so far this school year. I will correct spelling, but leave it as written. I wish they copied or scanned better, but this will have to do. Enjoy!

The Qualities that make a best friend are....
To make a friend you need to have 5 qualities. To make a best friend, I like to have a similar age. I also like to like a few of the same things. You also need to like each other. You need to be kind and good. I like having friends to play with.

What makes you laugh?
There is a lot of things that make me laugh. For instance, I really laugh at the word Bootie! Brody can really make me laugh. He does really funny things, but I can too! Once we made ourselves fall off the bed and Brody fell on me! (I just remembered that it was the couch!) Laughing is really fun for me and Brody!!!

What would happen if you threw a piece of trash on the ground? What if everyone did?
If I threw my trash on the ground I would be a litter bug. If everyone threw their trash on the ground, the earth would be trash! IUE!! Then everybody would have to buy a gas mask. It would not be funny, but it would be stinky.

I am the happiest when...
Normally, when I am happiest is when I am not sick. I am also happy when I am watching football. I am also happy when I am laughing. I also love eating. I have fun playing football. I love it when I am happy.

Love....(he had to define it as a vocabulary assignment which is where the first part came from)
Love is giving to other basic needs without having as my motive a personal reward. Love is also to have a passion or devotion to someone. Love is also liking something. God loves us because He created us. Abraham showed that he loved God because God told him to sacrifice his son. Abraham did it. But before he actually did it, God said not to and gave him a ram.

What would happen if there were no rules?
If there was no law, it would be kind of fun! It would be fun because the government would make silly laws. There could be no such thing as school. (that would be kind of bad) If they made sports with no penalties or coaches, the quarterback could do whatever. The bad thing about no rules is that people would do bad things, like stealing, cheating, and killing. If there were no rules it would be good and bad.

Honestly, he came up with no school being bad all by himself! He is really doing a great job this year and has come a long way. Writing is harder for Connor because he is very logical and likes to have the "answer" in print before him. I am proud of him for thinking about some of these topics and coming up with some pretty great stuff! He is growing up so fast!

Not a Bad one in the Bunch!

2010-10-04T22:39:00.001-07:00

Last night we finished reading together "The Cricket in Times Square" and Connor's comment was to me, "mom I don't think there has been one Sonlight book that I haven't liked, they are all good." I am happy to have such a tremendous resource in Sonlight and I just really enjoy the times we share together with the Read Alouds.

Last week Connor, Brody and I finished a great book, that I have to mention here. It is called "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite De Angeli and we all really enjoyed it. We had been studying knights, castles and the Middle Ages and this was a wonderful way to end that part of our lesson. It was only made better by this wonderful one my friend gave to me as she knows I love old books! I adore this copy that seems to have been printed in 1949 and pulled from the library shelves of School District No. 42 in Benton County. The price on the jacket boasts a $2.50 price for a hardback book. I love that it was obviously enjoyed by so many and I am sure a bright new copy took it's place on the shelves.

The illustrations are wonderful and it is at the top of my list of "favorites"! The best part is the story and the lessons and how a young boy could relate to the main character, Robin. It is wonderful for asking..."What do you think YOU would do?" Oh, and how easy to discuss true character and fruits of the spirit when given so many wonderful characters! Robin is an excellent role model for any young boy in my opinion demonstrating true courage. We had some wonderful discussions around this book and it is one I will not soon forget. It asks us to identify "walls" that come up in our own lives and what "doors" we seek out and find our way through. This is one to keep, treasure and enjoy over and over again!

You Win some....You loose some.

2010-10-04T21:53:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a weekend!

Started Saturday with team picture day for flag football then onto the big game. They knew it would be a tough one against the Crimson Tide but they practiced hard and were confident they would do their best. One of the many strong players was out camping, but they tried hard not to let that get them down.

Connor got to play quarterback and was obviously nervous. Once the offense got in the groove though it went better. Connor was thrilled to score his first points which involved a 2 point bonus after a touchdown. He tossed it to Jack, who tossed it back to him and then he ran it in the end zone for the score. He really needed that! Brody was in a few trick plays and even played running back which he was waiting to do since the season started. He plugged through for some yards but also really enjoys rushing the passer! (kind of ironic, since I am always the one rushing him) It was a very rough start to the game...we were down by two very quickly scored touchdowns. They played hard and fought tough and in the end came out victorious! Am I an awful mother for not remembering the numbers? Connor is asleep so I can't ask him and he would know. But we won and are now 2-2!

Bryan was also lucky enough to get 4 tickets to a Ducks home game for that same evening so it was a football day for the Doeren family! He heard the traffic going down could be crazy so we left very early with plenty of time. It was a beautiful day for a football game and with free tickets to our favorite Oregon team, we are all pretty blissed! It was funny that the game started out just like ours...down quite a bit very early...but the Ducks made a strong comeback! It was really a great game and was quite the experience. College football fans make up for a very interesting bunch and I think I will leave it at that for now....

So with all that winning...I am sure you are on pins and needles wondering what the loss could possibly be???

I won't keep you waiting any longer.....

Brody lost his first and second tooth! The first one came out at halftime during his game and the second one came out on Sunday. It is so weird when he has his big "firsts" because they seem to represent my "lasts" since he is our last child. However, it was a very exciting time for him and I won't dwell on that.

I do have to note though and am pretty sure that it will be documented here that I am the world's WORST tooth fairy! I even put the money on the coffee table sure that I would see it when I went to bed, but I didn't.

So, this was our conversation the next morning....

Brody: "Mommy, do you know what is so weird? I put my tooth under my pillow and it is still there."

Me: "Really, that is really strange, what do YOU think happened?"

Brody: "Maybe I didn't put it under my pillow early enough?"

Me: "I don't think so (can't be his fault that his mom is a loser), maybe she is just running late today." Let's have some breakfast!

While breakfast is heating up....I sneak away and well you know! After breakfast I try again...

Me: "Brody, why don't you go check under that pillow again?"

Brody: Big....no HUGE...smile and all is right with the world again.

So, you do win some and loose some and sometimes you just get lucky! Thank you God for understanding kids who can bounce back when I fall short.

Schoomates, Stats, Sunflowers & Strep

2010-09-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

Some updates from the Doeren house...

Schoolmates: This past week was a first for us. We had friends over on a school day to help their mom out and decided to still try and get some work done. What was I thinking? Actually it wasn't that bad...if the sun wasn't shining, I am sure we would of been a little more successful;) We got the BIG stuff completed after all; math and language arts! Everything else was put aside for some of that good old fashioned socialization so many people worry about us homeschoolers getting! I'm not quite sure what they were doing but let's just say it involved a roll of string, a few trees and a whole lot of sticks in the backyard.

Stats: After our first big game, we have since lost 2. I have to say though, I am extremely proud of the way Connor and Brody "handled" it. They didn't seem upset at all, slightly disappointed, of course, but they sure didn't let it bother them. I am very happy for that, and was dreading the day honestly. I thought I would have to pull out all of the Brady Brunch pep talks I heard over the years and work hard to make them feel better. I thought this would be the moment when all the parenting articles I have read would finally come in handy. I was prepared to back up what things the Bible says that are important in life and how doing your best is all that can be expected.

But, I didn't need any of it....

They were just as excited as the game they won and that....is....good! They truly love to play and I am grateful for that. I am interested to see how the season progresses.

The first loss took place in the pouring down rain and all the kids were thrilled to pieces to play in it. I think the excitement of that outweighed the loss! Really, they think that is fun? There was not one kid out on that field with either team that seemed the least bit upset about the downpour. The cheerleaders were another story...

Brody received the defense star award yeseterday and was just darn cute out there. He got to "rush the passer" once and he came out with such force at that quarterback, it was hysterical!

Connor had a terrific run with the ball which of course I didn't get on videotape, pulled a flag and dove for many more.

The best part was that this last Saturday they both really played! We had a talk during the week and I pointed that I noticed them a little hesitant to engage in the game. As it turns out they were scared of making a mistake so I just encouraged them the best I could, and pulled out those great parenting skills that I needed after all;)

The look on their faces is priceless here!

Sunflowers: This week at FIGS I taught an art lesson on Van Gogh and we worked to re-create our own masterpiece versions of "Sunflowers". I had so much fun with this one and all of the kids did amazing! I was so impressed with how they came out and wanted to share the ones that Connor and Brody worked on.

Strep: Connor woke up Wednesday night pretty hysterical saying his throat hurt. He would say things like there was something stuck and he couldn't swallow it down. It turned into a long night of feeding him ice chips every 2 hours and it has been a long time since I have seen him so miserable. He rarely gets sick and it is tough on all of us. He was so precious and would ask...

"Mommy would you pray for me....(long pause).....out loud"!

I loved that he felt he could trust that. I decided to take him to the doctor because of the pain he seemed to be in. We passed on the culture, but the doctor was pretty sure he had strep throat so he started him on antiobiotics. He was in the doctor's office at 3:00 crying and absolutely miserable, threw up on the way to Walgreens and felt like we would never get home. Seriously, in just a few hours, he was already feeling better and that kid's immune system never ceases to amaze me and neither does the power of prayer:)

Final Score......35 - 27

2010-09-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

I find it hard to believe but I am for the first time in my mothering career a "soccer mom". Connor and Brody have joined their first organized sports team...flag football. Last Saturday was the first game and they won which I know it isn't about, but let's face it, was a lot of fun!

They are playing for the Upwards league which started here in Salem and I can't even describe how excited they have been. It literally is a dream come true for both of them, which sounds hokey, but it is true!

We have been practicing once each week and they have one game a week as well which is a schedule I can live with.

Before the game, they had all the players run on the field through a tunnel after being announced and it was pretty much the cutest thing EVER! I have to admit, I got a little choked up. I also have to admit that I only turned slightly "crazy" wanting them to really do good and being ever so slightly excited when the other team didn't. I did feel horrible about that, they are just little kids, but those were also MY little kids out there and it changes everything!

Here is Connor getting ready to hand off the ball and Brody taking off ready to block!

This picture is a little blurry but that is how fast these kids were running around that field. Connor is going back to throw and Brody is racing to get out and get open! They told me it was a little different than the backyard with "all those kids coming at us!"

All the kids will get a chance to try all the positions. This game Connor was the quarterback, and Brody a wide reciever on the offense. Brody never even touched the ball, but he didn't care, he was so excited and did a great job blocking when he played defense. The first play of the game right after they all lined up that boy just took off running ready to play! He received a special star for outstanding effort which was a perfect call! Connor did a lot of handoffs but did also throw a completion into the endzone for an extra point which was a huge highlight for all of us! He received the sportsmanship award which we were also proud of.

As much I have encouraged a nice indoor sport like basketball, this is what they have in their hearts to do. As the weather progresses we will see how we all handle football in the rain!

GO TIGERS!!!

So Good to be back!

2010-09-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

With school starting back up, many things seem to run along with it. All of a sudden I find myself a new kind of busy again.

Last Wednesday was our first day back to FIGS, our co op that meets every week during the school year. We had some great park days over the summer, but it is good to be back seeing everyone on a regular basis and seeing all "my kids" each week. I really missed them even though I enjoyed the break at the same time.

We have some great additions to our year that I am very excited about. One mom is teaching a drama class each week and after the new year the group will be creating and performing from scratch our very own play that we will perform at the end of the school year. It sounds like quite the project but I believe it to be in good hands!

I will be continuing with my art lessons and even met with a real art teacher a few weeks ago who was our judge at our art show. She will be coming in to teach a lesson on perspective and I got some great ideas for the year.

In our presentation portion of our "class" we will be adding Biography for the older kids and Star Student for everyone. Each week 2 kids will share all about themselves with us and I am excited for that. I already completed the schedule for the year which I joke about being a 720 square grid Suduko puzzle!

Today in PE we had our first fitness test which was a huge amount of fun! We will be dedicating the first session of each month to tracking progress in four categories including; shuttle run, long jump, push ups and sit ups.

Today was also our first Knights meeting (Boys club) and it was one of my favorites so far! We had some guests from the Salem Fencing Club who shared some great history information with us along with some great show and tell and fencing demonstrations! We did a devotion on the armor of God focusing on the Sword of the Spirit and made the ever so popular noodle swords. We changed the design and they were a huge hit! Of course let me just warn you...if you give 22 boys swords of any kind in an enclosed room, please except some level of chaos!

It IS good to be back and I am looking forward to spending time each week with these wonderful families.

I'll take 179 more JUST like it!

2010-09-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

Today was the first "official" day of school and it was fantastic! I really could not of asked for a better day. The trick was a lot more planning and to leave plenty of time. I know life will get in the way more as we move through the year but I sure hope to have more like today.

I decided to try a new breakfast....banana chocolate chip muffins...which turned into quite the ordeal. However for most of us the result was good and I am happy to find a new breakfast for Connor to eat that is pretty healthy for the most part. Brody didn't care for them to much, but that is OK because he eats a lot of different good stuff for breakfast!

We stuck to a new schedule that I am trying for days we are totally home and don't have to go anywhere and it went well. I am instituting a new concept here at our school and it is called homework. I feel like it is a very wierd thing to do since we are home, but I realized that sometimes it takes them to long to finish the big subjects and it moves everything off course for the rest of the day. This results in less time for other fun things! I also realize that it is more of a motivator to complete the assignments if they realize they will have to spend their free time doing them later if they don't get it done;) Worked like a charm!

Today was almost blissful complete with an art lesson on ellipses, science, and even a word each in Latin and Greek! Will it last? I'm not sure, but that is why I decided to journal today and not the end of the week. Today I want to soak in the accomplishments and look forward with a positive attitude.

Today, I am grateful to be able to homeschool and enjoy days like this. Today, I feel blessed by God with my life and my job.

Brace Yourself!!!

2010-09-06T17:30:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that 8 years ago Bryan and I would love to look at this child with a "gummy smile" just waiting for teeth to come in. We knew it didn't look good as he lost his baby teeth and grew some permanent teeth, but we were hopeful. Our dentist recommended a small amount of braces just in the front where the teeth need some help to straighten up. There is one not even coming down because it has no where to go and he felt if we waited it would push it's way through and make it even worse. So we decided to go for it...

Connor was such a trooper and was actually excited. He admitted to being a little nervous about the pain but said he really wanted his teeth straight. He is SO responsible with his braces and is taking such good care of them!

He has all the colors picked out for the bands until he has to have them off. To start...he picked Oregon Duck colors! He says he feels they are already working!

Saturday in Seattle

2010-09-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Bryan called to say that his boss offered him 4 tickets to a Seattle Mariner game on Saturday. I had plans that I decided not to change after thinking how much fun it would be for the Doeren boys to get out and do something fun together. I am blessed to do so many fun things with them and they were more excited about baseball than I was! Brody had mixed emotions about me not going, but Connor actually wanted to just go out with dad and in the end everyone was happy!

They had great seats, right about the Twins dugout and it was a great experience. Daddy let them watch movies in the car and eat all sorts of junkfood which they were pretty excited about!

I sent daddy with the camera and I was so happy he captured a few memories for me. It was a very strange feeling for me not to be there with them, I realized how little I have missed of their lives. It also gave me a huge appreciation for Bryan and the sacrifices he makes every day to provide so I can be home with them!

I had a blissful day myself. I enjoyed a wonderful pedicure (thanks to my FIGS moms) and a nice lunch with my friend and partner in crime, Kim. I also ended up cranking out a big project when I got back...the whole year's presentation schedule for the FIGS group...37 kids, 7 topics, and 19 classes!

What a great day for all of us it was!

Working our Land!

2010-09-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

We picked a weekend to finally deal with the massive pile of trees that we had chopped down a few months ago. It turned out to be a much bigger project than either of us anticipated! We rented a log splitter and headed out. After about an hour, we fell into a great routine...the boys and I would get logs to Bryan, he would split them, then the boys and I would load up the wheelbarrow, push it into the barn and stack the wood. I kept teasing Bryan with each new sore muscle that we were...."working our land". It turned into quite the joke!

After about the 50th load I remember having the thought of chucking all this and just turning up the thermostat! After all we do have central heat, and what a blessing! I thought about people that had to do this and was grateful for how easy we do have it. We do enjoy our wood stove in the winter and it will be worth it in the long run!

The boys loved the project and jumped right in and put in a few good hours each day! We treated them to Blizzards at Dairy Queen day 1 and day 2 we went to Paddington's Pizza for lunch, one of our favorite places to eat pizza!

We didn't quite get finished, but we definitely have enough firewood to get us through the winter and felt a sense of accomplishment. Even though it was hard work, it was a fun time that we all spent together.

I love these pictures because Connor and Brody found that rolling the logs was much more exciting and challenging than stacking the cut wood. They found every excuse to get out there and I was actually quite surprised at the pieces they were getting off the pile and moving around.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

2010-08-30T10:57:00.000-07:00

This summer one of my goals was to share this story with my kids. I remember reading it when I was young and loved the story. I headed off to Borders to grab a copy after trying unsuccessfully to find a copy I wanted used at my usual favorite used bookstores. I wanted the older copy with the great illustrations that I remembered and the cover picture that looked like a big chocolate bar ripped open at the edge!!!

I had NO idea that just getting the copy I wanted would turn into the ordeal that it did! The lady there was very helpful but did not remember the one I was referring to. All the copies she had contained the artwork she remembered...(she was much much younger than me) which seemed more like cartoon drawings and the new movie version which I wasn't interested in either. I remember that little boy bending down when he found that dollar and the image was in my brain and it obviously had a strong impact!

So, when I realized that I would have to turn to the Internet, I went home and begun my search! I was surprised to find that the older copies can get quite expensive on ebay; all the way up over $500! I had a limit and was determined to not pay over $20 with shipping! After all, I am not a collector...I actually like old withdrawn library copies!

After a few weeks I lucked out and my precious book arrived!

Connor and Brody could not get enough and we devoured the story like we would a yummy Wonka chocolate bar! It was so fun and definitely a summer highlight for me!

Brody's favorite: My favorite part is the square candies that looked round because it is funny how he tricked them. My second favorite part was when the oompa loompa ate the hair toffee when the mixture wasn't right and grew the really long beard. I like all the characters the same because they are all funny!

Connor's favorite: Charlie is my favorite character because he is the hero of the book. He obeyed Willy Wonka and was given the chocolate factory. I liked that he was poor and still got into the chocolate factory. My favorite part is when he found the dollar on the street.

More from my Trip

2010-08-24T22:03:00.001-07:00

I realize I missed some VERY important things from our trip after the wedding when we spent a few more days in St. Louis before flying home so here is my 2nd attempt to document just some of the fun we had!

I have to say, I felt a little "touristy" with what we had planned but it was great fun!

Connor and Brody have been talking about going in the arch for literally about a year now. What is wrong with them? I could not figure out the attraction of going 630 ft. up in the air in what looks like a bent and twisted building! Granted...it is beautiful and the construction is amazing but do they know how high that is? However, we decided to grant their request and go for it...have some fun! Should I have started this with the fact that I have a mild terror of heights? Maybe not...where would the fun be there?

I realized I just had to go and experience this with them for many reasons.

1) I didn't want to look like a wimp

2) I didn't want to be mom that stayed behind and didn't have fun

3) I wanted to show them that I could face my fears and not let fear stop me from trying new things and having fun
4) Brody was obviously nervous and Aunt Lara said I had to!

It was a great experience and once I got to the top and over a few feet to the straight part, it wasn't so bad. I am pretty sure I even looked out the window! I know I didn't get sick and after a few minutes even Brody was climbing in the window! They loved seeing the line for the Cardinal game from all the way up there and the building with the swimming pool on the roof!

Here it is...PROOF that I DID IT!!!

We also LOVE going to the St. Louis Zoo! Aunt Lara has been a member forever and we get some extra perks that even make it more fun like free train rides!

I had told both boys that I would let them make something at Build A Bear and we thought it would be fun to do on our trip at the zoo location! It was a huge bonus that we found a $5 coupon in the airline magazine! (Connor and I really like to get a good deal!)

Connor made a panda and Brody made a penguin! They had SO much fun and it was a real memorable experience for them!

Here is Aunt Lara, Grandma Louise and Aunt Kathy with Connor and Brody at the new and improved entrance to the zoo!

I had to prove that I was there too;)

It was a hot and humid day to be at the zoo, but a fun day altogether. I'm pretty sure that one of the cutest sights in the world was Connor and Brody walking around with their maps navigating for us! They looked so grown up! They were also such gentlemen and took turns carrying the backpack with all our stuff for the day...what tough boys they are!

LOVE Connor with the notebook here. He found it hard to look around, walk and write, but he tried hard!

The penguins and this hippo were definite highlights of the day!

It was great to be back in St. Louis with all the great food....I mean all the wonderful people! We gathered one night at Sweet Tomatoes with family, had dinner with my brother and his wife and I even spent an afternoon with a friend from high school I hadn't seen in over 20 years!

What wonderful memories....I am SO grateful for my husband who supports me to take these trips and who stayed home to work and take care of our pets! Thank you honey!

I'm so Proud of my boys!

2010-08-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

This week I have been given some great reasons to be proud of my boys....

I had this brilliant idea Monday morning to head out to a great new swimming hole we found in Albany called the Swanson Pool that afternoon. The weather forecasted a hot day and the rest of the week looked pretty busy with cooler temperatures. So, we all hustled on chores and headed out to run a few errands before our fun afternoon.

One of those was to visit a friend in the hospital. We planned to spend some time visiting, then head home eat lunch and be there right when it opened. When we got to the hospital, there was quickly a change of plans. Our friend was being released to go home! It was a great thing and since we were already there, we agreed to be the transportation. Well, that took about 3 hours so I had to break it to Connor and Brody that we were not going to get to the pool that day after all due to the limited hours of open swim time. This was such an opportunity for them to shine and shine they did! I just told them that people were more important than our plans. While we did talk and acknowledge how disappointing it was for us, we also focused on what a great thing for our friend Aldine to be back in her room where she could continue to heal! She also showered them with lemon drops which probably didn't hurt either;)

We got to that pool the next day and enjoyed ourselves with a wonderful afternoon!

My other proud moment came this morning. Connor woke up with a stomach ache and a feeling like he might get sick. (I think it turned out to be hunger since he didn't like my meatloaf last night and hardly ate anything!) Connor was on the couch resting and reading and Brody VOLUNTEERED to do his chores for him! After a few were done, I asked him why he did that and he said it was "just because Connor doesn't feel good." I asked him if he felt he should get extra gems for that and he said he didn't know but he would ask Connor if it was OK! Isn't that just the sweetest thing! It was such a selfless act of kindness and melted my heart to see him love on his brother like that!

Now to find those pictures from the pool.....

MY Tax Table

2010-08-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

As I walked through my dining room this evening, I had a flashback! I was a little kid walking through our dining room at my dad's house and it was tax season! That is how my table looks right now only my "tax" work is school preparation!

I am excited to plan for this year. I realize I always start out with more subjects and plans than I end up with and I just pray that the important things stick! Some new things for this year...

A Character Curriculum teaching virtues through Aesop Fables and the Bible
Adding on a bible study in addition to Sonlight
Journal Jars with topics to pull and grab from
Piecing together my own LA curriculum (very nervous about this one!)
Trying English from the Roots Up AGAIN
Scheduling light on Wednesdays to accommodate for co op with less stress (hopefully)
Fun on Fridays....save some of the good stuff for last!
Adding Unit Studies in Science
Critical Thinking Studies
Connor - math on CD! (Teaching Textbooks...YIPPEE for mom)
Connor - Football Math (lessons on Fridays)
Brody - Study on sheep this year
A new attack plan on creative writing

Wow! I'm not sure if I can make it all fit! Maybe I shouldn't have listed them out like this? I'm sure a few more days at the drawing board and I will feel just fine! I am really looking forward to this year and getting a little bit more organized! Summer has been great and we have really enjoyed ourselves, but I think it will be a great school year too!

The Lazy Days of Summer.....

2010-08-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Whoever came up with that saying hasn't taken 2 vacations both with LONG road trips in one summer!

We have been back a week now from our second and last trip and I have been anxious but not stressed to get back to my blog! I don't like it when so much time has passed, I feel I will leave something out...but attempt it anyway I will do!

The boys and I packed up again and headed to St. Louis Missouri this time to visit with family and friends. We only stayed a day....before driving to Virginia for my little brother's wedding. Luckily Aunt Lara made the journey with us;)

Our one day in St. Louis was spent well though; visiting at Grandma Louise's, swimming and a Cardinal baseball game all wrapped up on one!

Here are the boys hanging out with Grandma Louise at her place, and with Aunt Kathy sporting their new Cardinal shirts!

There was a little bit of rain at the game, but Connor especially was fired up to see the Cardinals!

Then we drove to Maryland where we attended the rehearsal dinner for the wedding of James & Jennifer which was taking place the next day. It was great to be a part of it and to see some family from Kansas City and Florida that we haven't seen in a few years. That night it was off to Virginia where we checked into our hotel and passed out. Nana booked us a hotel with a pool so we were there bright and early in the morning working off some energy before the wedding that day!

My "little" brother and his bride to be and James with Connor and Brody.

Here is me with my boys! It is not often that mom gets in the picture!

Of course Aunt Lara kept Connor and Brody highly entertained at the reception!

Here is Nana, Papa, Connor and Brody at the reception!

I don't have any pictures of the bride and groom because they had a photographer that was very thorough so I stayed out of his way! It was a beautiful day and we were so glad to be able to make it to celebrate with them!

After the wedding we spent a few days visiting with our family there and on our last day Papa took us over to the pool in his neighborhood which was a huge hit for my little fish. They got to go off their first diving board AND they had a basketball hoop which was a ton of fun! The word of the day was "cannonball"!Then we drove back to Missouri where we spent another 4 days which will have to be updated in another post...SO much fun stuff!

To Reward or Not to Reward?

2010-07-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

I can honestly that I have not made a firm decision on where I stand with rewarding my kids. However I can say that we have had a successful run over the last few weeks! During my visit with my friend Marianne in California...we decided to try something we read about in a magazine. We are using the same concept but different details. The idea is that each child gets a jar and earns GEMS (i.e. marbles, rocks) for doing what is asked of them. When the jar is filled, ( I picked 100) then they get a reward. I sat down with Connor and Brody and made a reward list and this is what they came up...

1) A Webkinz

2) A Date night with mom or dad

3) Double allowance for that week

4) Gift Card to Dairy Queen

For me, a challenge has been the constant reminding them of the chores they are responsible for. Both of them are pretty good workers and do a good job getting their chores done, but I want them to take initiative. So, we made up a new chore list with some added responsibilities and noted which chores are daily, weekly and as needed. I assigned a 1 gem value to all daily chores and 2 to weekly. The way to earn the gems is to do these chores on their own without me telling them. They can also earn gems in many other ways such as showing kindness, or being helpful and kind. However, at the same time, gems can be taken away. IF I have to ask them to do a chore, the appropriate amount of gems is removed from the jar and the chore still has to be done.

They both really enjoyed the tangible rewards and loved watching their jars fill up. It took a while to get over them (mostly Connor) worrying about what color he was getting and wanting to keep it even! (so much like me....poor kid) All in all it went real well. They would do their chores without being asked and only lost a couple over our first trial run. They would come up to me and say things such as, "mommy, can I dust?" which was pretty fun to hear! When they really got close they would wake up early and I would hear them cleaning them rooms! One morning I had a cute little face leaning over me in bed whispering, "where is the dusting stuff?" Ok, that was a little annoying but they were excited!

They chose a Webkinz for their first prize and were so excited to earn it! Connor got his on Friday morning and Brody had to wait until late in the afternoon for his. They kept thanking me over and over again and were so happy!

We are definitely going to try this again...it was fun!

What is going on around here?

2010-07-16T22:14:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot has been going on around here and since I am behind, I will do a recap of some of the highlights...

Brody has really been using his free time to create all sorts of things! He has played around with origami, completed almost every project from a book titled Wings of Wonder (paper airplanes) and recently took to attempting balloon animals! It took the two of us and a lot of practice but we finally made something resembling a dog...I think? Anyway, it has been fun!

This has been a familar site around here this summer! Connor with his head in a book. That kid just loves to read and he has recently started reading while he eats which I let him do sometimes! He reads and re reads books then starts books back in order and reads them again! He completed the reading program at Borders and got a free book called Hoot which he was pretty excited about!

We had some fun with our nature club earlier this week when we went in search of Animal Signs at Minto Brown park. It was a beautiful day and we found all sorts of great stuff including a bird nest, woodpecker holes, some scat, a few tracks, and lots of chewed leaves! It was a lot of fun!

We had some fun making "noodle swords" too! We will be making these with our boys club when we start back up so we had to test it and price it and see how they came out (so if you are reading this and your son is in our Knights club....ssshhh). They have provided hours of entertainment and we made one for our neighbor too. The boys are having a blast and they are a huge hit!

Even though it feels like summer is flying by we are trying to make sure there is time for the real important things such as berry picking, ice cream and sharing a good story. Right now the boys and I are reading Little Pilmgrims Progress and although I'm not sure how much of it they are "getting" they sure do love it and can't get enough!

Name That Dog!

2010-07-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a family movie night to watch Homeward Bound II...Lost in San Francisco! The boys were so excited as they loved Homeward Bound I. We had pizza and I made popcorn, always a big hit! We learned Brody likes it only with NO butter at all...can that be right?

Connor and Brody both love dogs and all animals so they really enjoyed the movie! I just have to laugh a little because when Delilah comes into the picture, Connor just says..."oh that it is a maremma sheepdog", like he was pointing out a poodle or something! After the movie, they pulled out the books to show me how right they were and find ALL the characters from the movie!

They have these books called Legacy of the Dog, Legacy of the Puppy, and Legacy of the Cat and they study them! I have often joked that Connor would make a great Wikipedia writer one day because with him; it is all in the details! Also, a few weeks ago we were at Petsmart and Brody surprised a loving pet owner by noticing and calling out her Saluki!

Is there a game show out there I can enter them in? Maybe I need to start a "Dog Naming Bee" and have a competition? After all.... don't tell them this; but neither of them are natural spellers...but we all have our strengths, don't we?

Got me thinking

2010-07-08T22:49:00.001-07:00

I am reading a wonderful book on eduation titled; A Thomas Jefferson Education, teaching a generation of leaders for the twenty-first century by Oliver Van DeMille.

This has been such a fantastic read for me and I am really enjoying it. I would highly reccomend it to any parent but have to admit I have only read through Chapter 4 so far, so maybe I should hold off on my praise until I am finished.

As I began Chapter 5....there is an assignment for me, so honestly the book has sat for a whole day while I contemplated moving on without doing it. Then I realized that is central to the core of the book; how easy it is to move on without thinking about "it". Plus these words were very powerful..."I'll refer to these later, so please be sure to stop reading and answer these three questions in writing before continuing." Also, just a few pages before I was convicted by this passage...

"In our modern society, whenever education is the subject, we always want to talk about the kids. We care about them, and their education is important but we also find that it's easier to talk about their education than to improve our own."

Well, since my instructions say...in writing...here I go!!

1) What books are your companions through life?

mmmmm...I have to say that I love to read, so I don't understand why I have a hard time answering this, but I do. A few years ago I read a series of books by Francine Rivers called Mark of the Lion. They have been kind of a recent "companion" to me especially when I went through my move to Oregon a few years ago. This might sound silly...I know they are no literary classic, but Hadassah the main character has inspired me over and over and they are the only books that have stuck with me in the past few years!

2) If you were evacuated to another planet and could only take one book, upon which to base the whole teaching of your family and establishing right and wrong for your community, what would it be?

This one is easier because I really would take my bible, it is all in there;)

3) What is good? What is evil?

Good in itself is so hard to define for me because I use it to describe so many things! Good is good, right? I think good is something right, moral, pleasing to God. Good is pleasant, something to approve of and welcome. I am defining it with relation to evil though because of the question; because good can also mean yummy....like ice cream!

Evil to me is the absence of God, the lack of His moral direction; darkness, wicked and scary!

Now....back to my book! I'm sure I will be back with more assignments! It is kind of like summer school for mom!

Family Seeks Sunshine....

2010-07-04T19:35:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, the boys and I drove away from Salem and headed for Yucaipa California which we still affectionately call home along with our home here;) This was the first time I had to make the trip by myself and it went great. We stopped in Stockton for the night to be safe and the boys did stellar on the long car ride. We got so excited to see the outside temperature go up as we went down Interstate 5! Connor kept asking me...."how many degrees is it now mom?" When I began to answer above 80 he got REAL excited!! It didn't help that Salem had one of the wettest June's on record this year! Let's just say it felt good to be hot and when we checked into the hotel it took us about 5 minutes to throw our bags in the room and jump in the pool!

I had almost the whole two weeks planned before we even left (thanks to Kim) and we were excited to visit everyone and some of our favorite places too! We tried to have as much planned by the water that we could....

Of course there was swimming at Papa Jerry's...big sticks always included!

There was a field trip with our old homeschool group at the Regional Park!

A day trip to the Banning Water Pool with the Loomis clan and the Harker family!

(That is Ryanne & Lillie in there!)

And our very favorite....Doheny Beach! We had a great day with some of our very best friends and were especially blessed to have the Barker family join us this time!!! The weather was perfect and the beach amazing....

We also managed to squeeze time in for some of our favorite "other" places..

Thai Chilli, In & Out Burger, Casa Trejo, 7-Eleven for slurpees, Both Goodwill bookstores, The Best .99 store, Frugos and Cuca's!

Just to name a few......

The name of the game on this trip was.....TENNIS!! Grandma set up a kit that she got the boys and they played every day! They had a blast and enjoyed every minute of it!

We also got some tennis in with Zack at Ford Street Park!

On Father's day we managed to have a great time even though we missed daddy very much! We went up to the ranch in Oak Glen where Randy and Patty invited us to go fishing. It was a special day because Pa had wanted to take the boys for a long time! They both caught their first fish...actually they each caught 5! The pond was so beautiful and it was a great day...(also topped off by that In & Out burger)

And last but certainly not least....FOOTBALL!!! What would it be without a little playground football game with our buddies?

It was good to go home and when it was over....good to be home too! We had a great vacation and have some wonderful memories.

Thank you for my freedom...

2010-06-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

With the 4th of July weekend coming up, you might expect a post on my gratitude to those who have fought for our country's freedom in the armed forces. While I am grateful for that...right now my heart is filled with gratitude for a different group of people who have fought long and hard for freedom in a different way.

I attended my first ever homeschool conference in Portland this weekend and overall it was a great experience. I have never attended one previously for many reasons but enjoyed the opportunity this year and going with friends made it much more enjoyable too;)

I heard speakers this weekend that really got me thinking about my right to homeschool or home educate my boys. Once in a while, I hear little comments about what it "used to be like" but it happened so much this weekend that my brain is just beginning to wrap around the concept. I heard some truly unbelievable stories that have caused me to really evaluate something I can so easily take for granted so I want to officially thank them.....

Dear Pioneer Homeschoolers of the 80's,

I want you to know first that I am sorry for not fully comprehending the trials of the road you have paved for me and for my family. It is hard to believe that in my lifetime a world existed that was so hostile to homeschooling families. I can't imagine being cut off from family and friends and not knowing another single family choosing the same path. I can't imagine not having one "curriculum" company to order my materials from. I can't imagine my kids hiding under their beds when there is a knock at the door and not allowing them to play outside during school hours. I can't imagine being taken to court every single year and the emotional tolls that a legal battle that can have on a family.

Thank you that I can't imagine that.

Thank you for your devotion to God's call on your life. Thank you for fighting this battle for me and earning me the freedom to choose this same road that you traveled. Thank you for making that road easier. Thank you for your perseverance to stand up for what you believed in. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for sharing what you have learned and passing on your wisdom to a new generation of home educating families.

Thank you that I can imagine a world where homeschooling might not always be understood but it is allowed. Thank you for the freedom to hold my head high and be proud of the choices my husband and I have made for our family. Thank you for allowing my kids to tell the lady at the checkout counter why they are not "in school."

I am eternally grateful.

Sincerely,
Suzie Doeren

Youth Outdoor Day

2010-06-06T19:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday the boys and I attended our first Oregon Youth Outdoor Day and it was so fun for us. It has been going on for 8 years now here and sells out every year. Luckily we registered early and for the bargain price of $5 each we got to attend. Unfortunately Daddy had to work due to a paving deadline he had to meet, but we went on ahead and took lots of pictures for him. It was very well organized for such a large group of people and God brought out the sunshine just for us. Honestly it was the only nice day in so long and we were so blessed with warm temperatures!

Our first stop was fishing, and the boys were so excited. I actually got to teach them to cast! I know I learned when I was little, probably from my stepdad Joe; but I never thought it would come in handy. Well, they got the hang of it right away even surprising the volunteers that were helping out. So, here are a few video clips showing off their stuff.....

They also enjoyed many hands on activities such as fish printing, laser shooting, and even building a birdhouse. Brody was happy when we found a booth on wild sheep. It was interesting to learn some of how they are working to increase the population. He got to hold a real horn and learned how the rings show how old they are!

All in all it was a great day and we hope to make it again next year!

My new toy!

2010-06-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

Bryan wanted me to have one and I said no.
Then I really thought about it and still said no. I felt it would take up more of time that I don't have to give...

Then we saw it in person...and I am now the proud owner of a iphone.

I LOVE this silly thing and in reality I feel I am spending less time on the computer instead of more. It is so fast and easy to check a few things then click off. Plus it is just downright cool! I am about as giddy as when I got my first pager! Honestly my desk is getting clearer and clearer as more notes and information go in there. If you have stock in post it notes...you might want to reconsider your holdings there. I am hoping to drastically cut down my usage;)

I am very excited about the video feature too! I was hoping to get a flip for my birthday. Now I'm sure this is not the quality, but I don't do a lot of video and this will be perfect for little clips like these! I got the boys doing a little piano practice this morning to figure out how to work it!

My favorite features...the weather at the touch of the button, the maps, and the mom's organizer which even holds my grocery list!

I'm sure one day when my boys are all grown up they will see this in a museum and wonder if I ever had one so now they will now;) I'm sure that my first cell phone is in one somewhere! I remember it clearly...had a cord and everything! It came up from the floorboard and had the buttons on top which was really handy for driving and dialing.

Technology is moving so fast. I can't even imagine what my kids phones will look like one day.
Well, I should be off to bed, but I will proabably search the app store for a few minutes.....if it could only cook dinner for me!

Ooey Gooey!

2010-05-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I shared at a MOPS meeting about ways to entertain your kids over the summer. The things that came to my mind were of course turning off the TV and reading but I also had to introduce this group of women to Lisa Murphy...the OOEY GOOEY Lady! It was so fun to "relive" this time in my life and remember how much she impacted me so many years ago. I heard her speak on September 18, 2002 when Connor was less than a year old! She was fantastic, hilarious and passionate. The main things I took away from her talk I still try to practice with my kids...

1) Lots of free play time - Goes well with our homeschooling schedule

2) Lots of play dates - I try to make sure my kids have lots of opportunities to learn all they need to out of playing nicely with others;)

3) Lots of real experiences through play!

I think the 3rd one was so much easier when they were younger. It should be the other way around now that they are old enough to clean up;) She encouraged us to always think about "why" we say no...usually because we don't understand why they want to do what they want to do, or because we don't want to clean up the mess! So, lately I have been trying to be more aware of both of those things as I work to be child centered still! They just have turned in the fingerpaint for watercolors and the play dough for modeling clay, but the concepts remain the same.

In my research...I ran across some old pictures that brought back memories. Someone asked how to throw an ooey gooey party so here you go.....in pictures....

Enlist good help...

Someone to help with the prep work and someone to hold the baby!

Invite lots of friends...

Have lots of paper....and paint!

Encourage Helpfulness....

Play clothes are mandatory...and a hose is just a good idea;)

You will never have too many handprints! Trust me on this one...

Have snacks.... or just put spaghetti in the sensory table!

AND...a critical component of the ooey gooey experience is the sensory table or tubs. Our favorite items were colored spaghetti, potato flakes, flax seed, coffee sand, rice, bird seed, sand, and of course water.

The best advice I can give took me a few playdates to realize....

Always separate the space where you have the dry and wet materials in your sensory table/tubs, or you get something like this and trust me....it isn't pretty!

What fun times! My boys still remember and the three of us had so much fun going through these old pictures. I love the experiences they were allowed to have and miss those days....So, let your kids dig in the dirt, and play in the mud puddles...they ARE learning something and they will love you for it;)

Happy 1/2 Birthday Connor!

2010-05-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

Happy 1/2 Birthday to Connor..now 8 1/2 years old "officially"!!

He was very excited that we got to be home on his big day. He loved throwing on some sweats with holes in the knees! He also added a shirt that he turned into a jersey with red duct tape! Of course it wouldn't be a celebration without pancakes so that is how he started out the day! We had a nice day and he loves being closer to 9. They both iced and decorated the cake themselves again and couldn't even wait for me to take a picture before slicing into it!

I wonder when they won't want to celebrate 1/2 birthdays anymore?

Love that "thumbs up"!

Homeschool Happenings

2010-05-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

It is the last week of school and I am having such a hard time staying focused, which of course rubs off on my kids. I don't know why but this year I am spending a lot of time and energy already planning for next year when I feel I should be closing out this year better! I know there are some things I want to change so I am trying to feel inspired before I zone out for the summer, I guess! I know that toward the end of this year I went away from some of my plans and was really feeling down that school wasn't fun and I was lazy in handing workbooks out and not following up on techniques (like narration) that I feel so passionate about. However I received a "gift" yesterday. While taking a break from reading through books and researching on the internet I looked around at how my kids spent their afternoon and the free time they enjoy so much.

1) Connor worked on a "book" he is writing about the geography of Africa.
We studied Africa for about two weeks and he loved it...he knows where every country is including the surrounding islands!

2) They were acting out Robin Hood!
We are studying this time period and reading a fascinating book about his story. What fun to see them fantasizing about this great story.

3) They devoted even more time, paper and scissors to creating knight uniforms for their Webkinz.
Now, this might sound a little sad to you...and my first thought was..."for goodness sakes mom, go buy those children some action figures!" Then I was reminded of something I read a long time ago...Every time you buy a child a toy you take away their ability to create it! They are perfectly happy with what they are doing and they are darn cute. The whole room is spread out like a knight army with foot soldiers, and horseback riders and they are armed with lances, swords and their fully decorated coat of arms! They also created a 3-d castle complete with a keep and a throne for the King! Of course I flinch at the forest they are destroying daily and I have to contain myself on that one...

4) They asked to make another watercolor butterfly.

This from an art lesson that we did at FIGS a few weeks ago!

5) I allowed 20 minutes of Wii Fit since it is still raining here and there haven't been many chances for bike riding, tree climbing, and hole digging!
Ok, this has nothing to do with school, but it is what they did!

So, with the exception of the last one, I realize that everything they chose to do in their free time revolved around school subjects! How cool is that? Obviously our strengths at this point revolve around History and Geography... but what a blessing it was to know they are digging more into the ideas and the subjects. It reinforced one of my goals..for them to love learning and enjoy it! It was a gift to know that it is time well spent. It was a reminder that I can reduce the pressure on myself and trust what God puts in my heart. Yes, there are things I want to change for next year and ways I want to re focus...but God just clearly wanted me to spend some time on the positive things and I am grateful for that. All in all, it HAS been a great year!

Every Girl Should have one of these!

2010-05-24T19:23:00.001-07:00

I LOVE my new Traeger grill! Since we finally after a whole lot of years received an actual return on our taxes, we decided to splurge! This is the best grill ever and the best part for me is that I am comfortable operating it all on my own! It is is smoker and a grill and works kind of like a convection oven. You literally plug it in and turn the knob (no more fear of blowing myself up with propane) and it feeds smoked pellets into a hopper!

Tonight I had perfectly grilled (no black) tender steak on the table when my husband came home;) As much as I love a good steak once in a while, we hardly ever went to the trouble of starting the bbq...plus I love it well done and it would almost always get burnt on the outside, so I am in heaven. Of course I will be pulling some extra minutes of exercise to get the cholesterol out of my system, but it is worth it!

Chicken breast also come out perfect and I am told you can even bake cookies on it...however my pallet does not water at the thought of hickory smoked chocolate chip cookies! At least not yet anyway....

And the Blue Ribbon goes to.......

2010-05-23T16:15:00.001-07:00

Brody's Artist Choice - A Border Collie herding a mama sheep to the barn and a little lamb by the barn. He worked SO hard on this and was happy that it won the blue ribbon for the "Crowd Favorite" category!

Connor's "Tear Bear" won the blue ribbon and he was so excited about that. He made a panda bear with a lot of extra detail on it including a bamboo tree and a squirrel in the tree!

Last Sunday we had a art show for our FIGS home school co op and it was a wonderful night! We had a great time sharing it with all our friends and with Grandma & Pa in town, we had family too! The boys were so proud of their artwork and they worked especially hard on their "artist choice" piece they entered. Each child had 4 pieces that we had done in class and one that they did on their own.

Connor won a special award from our guest judge for his "Fat Cat" for Best Use of Line. He was very surprised and proud of that one. It was one of his favorite pieces and he has made many more since!

We had a great time and look forward to doing it again next year!

One Fish, Two Fish...

2010-05-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

One fish...

Two Fish...

This past week Grandma & Pa came to visit us here in Salem. We had a great time and they stayed in a hotel over by Costco with an indoor pool. They love to have the grandkids "over" for some fun and boy did they! Connor and Brody loved getting in the pool and I can't believe the difference in particular in Brody's skills over the week. By the end of the visit they were both jumping in the deep end! One day they swam for 3 hours straight and were so excited to get to do that! They even played their first game of Marco Polo with all of their cousins which was fun!

I loved it when they started jumping in together! What fun!There are probably two words that would sum up their visit....swimming and pancakes. The hotel shares a parking lot with Denny's so they ate pancakes every chance they got! We are always grateful when we get to spend time with family!

Saved by the Frog!!

2010-05-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here he is...the one we got to see! Success! They also found some eggs, but I didn't get a picture!

Last week we (or most likely I) were having a "not so good" day for many reasons. Most of them little things adding up to nothing. Little did I know that our day would be saved with our first outing with our new nature study group! A new friend of mine runs this great website and organizes field trips and monthly nature outings for the homeschool community. I was so excited to find these trips because I have wanted to add these to our homeschooling experience but haven't yet for many reasons. I didn't feel safe going out with just the boys and don't know where to go just to name a few!

So, we headed off to Minto Brown park with our nature journals and backpacks to learn all about frogs and toads! We had such a great time and here is some of what the boys told me they learned...

Frogs have smooth skin and toads have bumpy skin

Some don't have any lungs and some are poisonous

The life of a frog..tadpole, back legs, front legs...Frog!

The frog soaks up pollution through it's skin if it is in the water

We got some great exercise hiking to a pond and were even lucky to see one little frog in the water! It was a great day and we had a lot of fun with friends and enjoying God's creation. We can't wait to do more and I am so grateful I found it!

Here is the pollution experiment..

Here is Brody exploring....

And here is Connor exploring the water....

A Love Note from my son

2010-05-03T23:10:00.001-07:00

Tonight I went to a meeting with some local homeschool moms. These occur once a month and I enjoy the fellowship and the ideas that are shared.

A few weeks ago I had a meeting with a different group of homeschool moms and when I arrived home there were 3 stuffed animals wearing paper football uniforms that Connor designed and created along with a note that read...."Look mom, I finished all these tonight". They were adorable and I loved that he wanted to share them with me and he wanted me to see them first thing when I walked in the door. He had them staged on the kitchen island right in view where I would see them.

Tonight there was a note that read this....

"Mom, Look at this! Brody found it!"

He had a post it stuck to a book that we have been looking for and again had it staged on the island for me to see first thing. It hit me suddenly what a gift these precious little notes are. In that moment I was struck with an overwhelming feeling of love from my son. I also realized that I was secretly hoping to see something there although I didn't even realize it until I DID see something there. He might as well have written things like; "I missed you tonight mom" or "You are such a big part of my life that even a short absence has you not really absent." He really put in bold letters..."I LOVE YOU MOM". There is no doubt my boys are growing up and while it is exciting, sometimes it is hard knowing that I can leave now without my phone ringing....that they can get by just fine with mom gone. However the notes tell me that while they can absolutely get by, I am still in thought and present and what a gift to me that is.

Homeschool Happenings

2010-04-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

Just a few weeks left...see light at the end of the tunnel! However.. This is a tough time to get through for us. It seems we are close to finishing so much and excited to start new things. I am already looking ahead to next school year and in June will be taking a huge leap of faith attending my first homeschool conference. I am nervous to see things and think I need to be doing it...I am afraid I will feel I am falling short and will want to do everything I see. I might have to be medicated...only time will tell.

Let's see though..what is going on in CB's Schoolhouse these days.

I can say that we rock in Geography and History but I have to follow that up with admitting that we still stink in Science! I thought this year would be different. I thought that Apologia would change it all for us, but it is just us I guess. The way I see it is this....If one of my boys shows a strong interest in Science, we can cram...we can make it up...we can overcome!

Connor especially really loves the Geography and we have done really well except when we studied the countries of Russia! Wow are those hard to pronounce. This is Connor after filling in the Middle East countries we studied, he of course likes to fill in all that he is familiar with! Here is one area where I am definitely embarrased by what I am learning. Wow, my geography was pretty pathetic!

In History we are studying knights and castles and wow is that exciting! The boys are loving it and they are having a whole lot of fun documenting in their history notebook all that they are learning!

I have decided I am no longer qualified to teach to the level required for the higher math that my boys are in....OK, just kidding....I will be honest, 3rd grade is my limit. I had to get through equivalent fractions with Connor and the next week regrouping addition with Brody. They both did amazing with both topics, but I felt a little tongue tied trying to execute those lesson plans! Connor loved the fractions so much he wrote an expository paragraph on them! His last sentence was; "I like equivalent fractions because I like equal stuff." Brody is amazing in math as well. He adds in his head and grabbed onto the concept of regrouping in addition very easily. I still don't understand how he gets to the answer sometimes, but they are almost always right. Still though, I am looking into a CD Rom program for Connor next year called Teaching Textbooks that I am very excited about! The daily lesson plans will be on the computer followed by a workbook lesson! This will be good for both of us, I'm sure;)

We took two field trips in the last few weeks; one to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and one to the Humane Society. We had a great time at both. We closed the place down in Portland and I could hardly pull my boys out of the play room at the humane society. They have decided they want to have their birthdays there this year.

I have to close with a big fat THANK YOU to the Clampett family from the Beverly Hillbillies! If it wasn't for the hours I spent watching that show as a kid, I am certain of the fact that I would not be able to pull off the voices needed for our current Read Aloud....Strawberry Girl. What a fantastic story! I have reinvented the accent of Ellie May for one of the main characters....Birdie! For that, I will be eternally grateful! Never thought that would come in handy...I guess you really just don't know!

A Day and a Half!

2010-04-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big day for our little "Bean"! When he crawled out of bed, we informed him that we were skipping church and heading off to the Ag Fest for the day. He felt that was a very appropriate way for him to spend his special day since after all he did officially turn 6 1/2! We told him there would be a petting zoo, a sheep shearing demonstration and handed him the printed map of the fairgrounds! He was grinning from ear to ear!

We had a great time, received a lot of free goodies...like plant starts and even a tree. (of course I forgot what kind it is) The most useful bring home item was 4 brand new spanking pencils. Why can't I ever find one when I need it? They had a lot of hands on activities for the kids such as digging for potatoes and planting. Brody won a free ice cream at a wheel spinning in the dairy booth which he was very excited about. Usually "lady luck" follows Connor so I was happy for him and he was pretty darn proud of that red certificate!

Then we went and had lunch at Padington's Pizza which really was fantastic! It was nice to have daddy with us for all the fun and it was a special day!

This year Brody and Connor wanted to decorate the 1/2 birthday cake ALL by themselves! No shocker that Brody picked white with white frosting....like a sheep. Connor worked real hard with a knife to make it look like sheep's wool and they used the sprinkles to make a sheep (hard to see...look REAL close) and there is some grass down there too. It was a real valiant effort and they were proud of their masterpiece!

Like a Good Neighbor

2010-04-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

I have been reflecting this afternoon on how blessed I have been with great neighbors in my life, specifically the last few moves. I remember Kathi and Richard who lived across the way when I was going to live by myself for the first time. They were friendly and helpful and even sent there teenage son over to do all my heavy lifting. They would help with my dog when I was working long hours and even bring me goodies once in a while. They were wonderful to talk to you and kept me company during what could of been a lonely time.

Then of course in Yucaipa, Bryan and I lived next door to his parents for 9 years and they too were terrific neighbors! We spent a lot of time together and I would even call them Jody Brothers Market because I constantly went over there for missing groceries! She always had what I needed! We had wonderful afternoons on the patio and many yummy dinners over too. It was also extra special to walk a few steps for holiday occasions and avoid the awful traffic in Southern California!

We have already had two moves here in Salem and God has been good to us once again! Over on Alderbrook we had David & Aileen who lived right next door. They helped us in the yard and would answer any questions as we were learning our way around town. They were instrumental in our decision to buy the place we are in now and their daughter even drew the plans on our remodel.

I think of this because this afternoon when my doorbell rang it was a new neighbor of mine, LaVurne. She was holding an amazing bunch of lilacs pulled from her yard for me. They are so beautiful and have filled my home with beautiful color and sweet fragrance. Last weekend she called me and gave me a whole bunch of "starts" for us as we begin the huge landscaping project here. I called her a few weeks ago for some advice on our yard and she welcomed me over and walked me all over her property as well as came up and gave some specific advice on mine.

You know, neighbors have the potential to make life miserable and it is one thing that is hard to check out when buying a house...you never know what will be on either side of you or even across the street. So, today I am grateful for the many blessings I have received from great neighbors and hope I can be a good one too.

NOT for Children of All Ages!

2010-04-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I am constantly amazed how our culture continously not only exposes to but actually markets completely inappropriate things to our kids.

I don't get on a soapbox to often here, but I can't get this out of my head, so I need to share it.

Last week the boys and I attended a local Shriners Circus which overall was highly entertaining. By far, the finale impressed the socks off all of us....two motorcycle riders in a big steel ball. My boys were literally on the edge of their seat with the thrill and also loved the dog show act.

I found myself continously shocked and disappointed though because of the poor taste in clothing that the female entertainers wore for the show. I don't understand how an attraction like that which markets to children can show such bad judgement and further more I don't understand the point! In my opinion they looked like they would of fit in more in a adult entertainment lounge than a family oriented children's circus! Low cut in the front, high cut in the back....well, you get the picture! Then throw about 50 hula hoops on them and watch them spin, put them in some high heels and add some gymnastics...and you really have a show....but for who??

I will admit when it comes to things like adult humor and violence at this stage in parenting, I am what is probably considered "extreme" in keeping that from my kids. I probably sound "extreme" here too, but I prefer my boys to be exposed to modesty modeled in women which I know will give them a healthier outlook and more respect for them later on in life. What is the point of them seeing things like that? I can see no positive.

I did walk away from there though completely amazed at the sheer amount of talent that the group had. When the whole cast came out, you realized how small it was and how many of them were involved in more than one act. I had some great thoughts running through my mind like....

Who was the first one to say....."Sure, a dog can do a handstand!"
Who thought of this one...."How about juggling with fire...yah that sounds like fun!"

I came away wanting to find a book on circus life and see how they live and am fascinated with what their lives might be like. I am curious about the ones that travel and live life on the road. Are they like a family? Are the other girls jealous of the girl that gets the center ring? How many hours of training are involved in pulling off the two hour show they put on for us? How do they really treat the animals?

I know that it isn't the same with each and every circus. I remember going to a local YMCA circus in Redlands California and I don't remember having the same negative experience. It was a fantastic show with incredibly talented young people. I just remember sweating with fear watching the performers so high up as I have a slight fear of heights myself!

So, I guess I will have to be aware and cautious next time I consider a family night out at the circus...what a shame.

Down on the Farm

2010-04-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Ok...I know we don't really have a farm. We aren't growing anything but weeds, and I am sure of the fact that one cat and dog, does not qualify us for the animals required to earn that title either! It just sounded good.

It has been almost a year since we bought our home here in Salem Oregon. It is the first time that we have owned any amount of property and it has been interesting!

Bryan sold his truck and bought a tractor! Wow, has that already come in handy big time around here! He spent last weekend mowing down the weeds which makes a huge difference!

We had a crew of workers here this week taking down 3 big fir trees that were in the front yard. One was very close to the house and the other two were down by the barn. The good news is, we got a good deal, we have firewood for next winter (after we cut it all up) and they chipped all the branches into a huge pile of mulch that we can't wait to spread around! It also lets much more light into the front of the house which I love! We hope to plant trees that don't get so big.

When the guys were here working on the trees we paid them to finish the day by climbing into a few of the trees into the back and cleaning them up. They did that but left the branches for us to take care of which we all worked on this past weekend. Wow, was that a project and boy did that tractor prove itself useful again! The boys would work for a while, then ask to climb the trees for a while which of course we couldn't resist. They did work hard and we love seeing them climb, play and explore this place. After all, they are the main reason we are here!

So, I feel good knowing that we have at least begun some of the project of working to clean up the outside. I am excited to see it come along! Let me say that "yard work" has a whole new meaning for us now too!

It Just gets Better!

2010-04-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

I remember very clearly a conversation with a dear friend a few years ago about our little ones. Although her only son is only 9 months older than mine, when our kids were real little that amount of time is HUGE. Kim was always looking forward to the next stage and told me it just gets better! I remember feeling then almost an anxious feeling about each step when I became a mom. I felt like I would figure one out and feel like I was in a good groove, then I would realize how quickly things would change. I remember thinking what I am going to do with a kid who is 8!

I find myself with that 8 year old now and it is awesome!! I do love each stage and it really does seem to get better. It definitely changes and sometimes that change is hard, but now I feel like I have this little man in my life and I just adore him. I love so much about having a child at this stage; he is starting to cook for himself, he can find things in the car when I can't, I can reason with him and explain things that I never could before, and he displays this confidence that grows with each passing year. We have great talks now and I truly enjoy his company. Plus, let's face it the board games get way better!!

In the past few weeks, he has gone to a no back booster, received his first pocket knife and tomorrow will be taking his first school test administered by someone other than me. It is a wonderfully strange feeling to be parenting a boy and one that is just not so little any more. I think I have turned a major corner and instead of anxiety about the next step, I am now anticipating the next step because it really does just keep getting better!

NO...You CAN'T Read now!!!

2010-04-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Boy do I feel like a horrible mom when I say this, but sometimes I just have to. Every day this seems to be our dialogue....

Me: "Boys...come on time to start school!" (enthusiastically said mind you)

Boys: "Can we PLEASE start with reading?" (a little whiny)

Me: "We really need to get going on some of our other language arts first, then you can do your reading."

Boys: "wwwwwhiiiiiiinnnnnnnneeeee"

Literally this happens almost every day. The only problem with them starting with their school assigned reading is that they will not stop!!! They are both a year ahead in their "readers" with Sonlight and they just can't put them down. They really do pick the best books, but there is never enough! I have to use it as leverage to get their other schoolwork done. What a problem to have!

Brody just starting reading chapter books a few weeks ago and is doing SO well comprehending what he is reading. They both discovered these Magic Tree House books and are gobbling them up! They are a real quick read for Connor as in on the way home from church, but they take Brody a little longer. Someone told me that they were good books and we had a few on the shelf so I pulled them down and they are loving them. Brody even explained to me after reading Dolphins at Daybreak how a pearl is made! They do have some magic and one I previewed had some ghosts but we have talked about it extensively and they know it is pretend fun. Today they took $25 that I got from selling some toys on craigslist to the Book Bin and bought 11 of them with that money. Of course Connor picked out his share in numerical order and he tried real hard to be patient with Brody when he picked out ones with titles that he likes with numbers all over the place! It was VERY cute!

The other day on the way home from piano they had a great conversation about another book they both read titled "Amazing True Dog Stories." I have to say it was kind of surreal hearing them in the backseat talking so grown up and sharing this experience. It made me realize how much my little ones are growing up!

Connor curled up with his LA reader, the famous...Henry and Ribsy!

I walked by their room and the other day and saw this and thought it was so precious. He just pulled his desk chair right up to the bookshelf! I also caught him reading by flashlight one morning when he woke up early and both of the little boogers were up until 10:15 reading the other night.

Brody will be sharing his very first book report at FIGS and he chose the first real chapter book he read called....Sheep and Goat (a gift from Aunt Ann & Uncle Max)! He has practiced it so much, he has it memorized and he wrote it all by himself using an outline I gave him! I got a clip of him doing a practice run!

Easter Fun!

2010-04-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

We had some real fun this Easter holiday! Here are the boys with the "loot" from their Easter baskets. Connor got a new bible which he was SO excited about. We have misplaced his old one, but was ready for a new one anyway. He was happy to take it to Sunday school today! He also received his very first pocket knife which we know made him feel so grown up. He got a Swiss Army Knife and he can't wait to have some fun with that! He loves his new doodle markers that color and write and is good with the candy too!

Brody got a new devotion book that he was so ready for and new "mini" markers which he loved also. I just couldn't resist getting him a little sheep after what happened the other day. We were cleaning out their room and I was encouraging them to purge through some of their belongings. I felt that we could pass on some stuffed animals and after an agonizing search we narrowed it down to 3 sheep. Then we got down to one but when he went to say "goodbye" he tried hard to be strong, but was torn up inside. I couldn't go through with or expect him to! They did get rid of a few toys and one stuffed animal so I was happy with that! He is very thrilled with his new puffy sheep!

Daddy and the boys colored eggs on Saturday while I was out and daddy was sweet enough to remember to grab a picture for me!

We finished our day up with a egg hunt and a yummy Easter ham dinner! The service at church was incredible and we had a great day!

Busy & Blissed

2010-04-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

A few reasons why my afternoon out did NOT feel like a break from mommyhood....

1) The weather was awful; rainy and stormy off and on all day
2) I ran marathon errands for a total of 9
3) I ran those 9 errands in the awful rainy weather
4) Target and Wal-Mart supercenter were included in that bunch
5) I was out on a Saturday at the beginning of the month
6) I was out on a Saturday at the beginning of the month, the day before a holiday!

A few reasons why my afternoon out DID feel like a break!

1) My afternoon did start with lunch by myself and a good book
2) I was the only one put out by the awful weather in and out of all those stores
3) I splurged on Starbucks
4) It ended with a facial at Simply Blissed!

I had this afternoon planned all week, but the errands kept piling up. It has been forever since I had a facial and when they called earlier in the week and could get me in, I jumped on the chance! When I got there, I got to put my feet up on the couch with a warm wrap around my shoulders and a hot cup of tea. My facial was incredible...warm booties on my feet...relaxing music...and incredible smells. It was SO wonderful! They really know how to spoil you there!

Then I came home to dishes in the sink, the boys still in their pajamas wanting dinner, laundry to put away.......you know....back to reality;) Connor and Brody did enjoy their "daddy day" and even colored their Easter eggs! I enjoyed talking to them on the phone. Sounds silly...but they sound so different when I talk to them on the phone, so grown up!

All in all.....Busy & Blissed....and wonderful!

News from the FIGS front....

2010-04-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

Our homeschool group continues to meet each week and the boys are doing wonderful and really enjoying themselves! It is definitely keeping me busy too!

Connor was awarded the very special "Stanley Sportman's Award" a few weeks ago and was very proud. He was caught sharing balls with other kids during a game of toe tag among other things that day! He slept with it on his bed the whole week!

He impressed the crowd with his Show & Tell taking a joke book that Aunt Lara got for him. He ended with 3 jokes and had everyone laughing! He also recited a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson titled My Shadow.

Brody has been a little "nervous" for presentation but did a stellar job reciting "Sheep and Lambs" by Kathryn Tynan and some scripture verse the next time. He has his first book report coming up in a week and is very excited!

We had an art lesson on Gauguin and they had a project titled "Surprise Color" with oil pastels which they enjoyed. Connor created a castle, a field and an orange river with a shark ( a few surprises there) Brody of course did a sheep.....mmmm...imagine that, threw in a purple tree and blue grass!

On Tuesday we went to the Elsinore Theatre with a few families from our group to enjoy "Nate the Great". It was very well done and the kids had a ball!

Yesterday was our Ressurection Party and it was full of fun! We had PE...craft time....snacks with our friends...acted out the Sounds of Easter....and had a relay race blowing chocolate eggs through straws! What fun!

This group of homeschool families has been such a blessing to us over the past few months and we love seeing our friends each and every week!

Language Arts Laughs!

2010-03-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

I just have to report a few funny things going around here during school hours!

Connor was learning about adverbs last week and had a writing assignment to write some sentences using them and this is my favorite...

My mom helps me with my schoolwork goodly.

This just made me chuckle, doesn't sound right to me. Honestly, that day during our read aloud time of Red Sails to Capri, there it was again used in a sentence. After some quick computer research looks like it is a word, though obviously not used often these days, and I don't think it should be used as an adverb. (Mom, I'm sure you will advise me more on this!) I am thrilled however that he sees my help as a positive thing!

Brody is really fun to do language arts with as well. In order to keep him interested, I try to put each spelling word when used in a sentence in some sort of sheep context! Not easy, but definitely keeps me on my toes! He will write about sheep in any way and any time that he can. When studying homonyms last week, he had to write a sentence for 4 different ones. Here is what he came up with...

know - I know I want more sheep.
no - No, Sheepie is mine.
their - Their sheep are running.
there - There were a lot of sheep.

As long as he gets it, I don't care how he gets it! Now, that is tailoring an education!

To Indulge or Not to Indulge...

2010-03-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

For some reason on my parenting journey I am super sensitive to NOT indulge my children. I'm not even sure where it comes from. I'm sure if I felt I really need to know a few hours in some sort of therapy would pull out some buried emotional instance from my past, but truthfully I just don't care. I want to give my children good things and I love giving them gifts, I just don't want them to feel entitled, I want them to be grateful and appreciative.

The definition of indulge is... To give free rein to; To yield to the desires and whims of

I am wanting to raise boys that care more about the needs of others and don't enjoy being around kids that get everything they want or think they need. I was bound and determined to be able to walk through a store with my kids not kicking and screaming because they want a toy or some other item. It has taken discipline on my part but has paid off!

But I have to share a story...

A few months ago, the boys and I ran into TJ Maxx looking for some pictures to decorate a wall with. We ran into this stuffed dog, a huge stuffed dog and my boys just fell in love with him. They carried him around the store and talked of getting him. When we added up the money they had between them they were $5 short. At $3 a week each it would take a week of waiting. Brody was very encouraging to Connor explaining that next week they could afford to get the new beloved item, but Connor struggled a little more. He reasoned that if I would give him the money they could get him now! It took every ounce of willpower on my part to not shower this gift on them, but I felt I just couldn't! So, we hid him in the store (boy did I score some serious points with that one), and I told them we would talk to daddy and we would see. They both walked out of that store, not the least bit upset and I was so impressed with their behavior! Anyway, after talking with daddy we decided to "lend" them the money because there was only one of him and we didn't know if we would be there the next week. So, we made the exception and went back the next day.

Wow were they excited. They took that whole night to really decide if this was something they wanted to spend ALL their money on, if they could share him, where he would go in the room and what they would name him.

He was there and we brought him home the next day. They bought their first thing on credit! I can't find the picture but they slept for 2 nights in our guest bed with that dog in the middle so they could share him properly. They wrote journal entries on him, played with him every day and were just so thrilled.

So, I have to report two months later that "Paws" is still at the top of the favorite list. They absolutely adore that silly dog. They dress him, switch off sleeping with him, and even have created books for him when he attending their "school". It is so precious!

Looking back, I am so excited about the way it turned out. I love to say yes to them! Truthfully, I'm not even sure if they did pay me the money because it isn't about that..it is about the life lesson! It is about raising adults who can wait...It is about raising adults who can think through a decision, and raising adults who are grateful.

The Heart of a Servant

2010-03-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

I am so incredibly proud of my Brody. He has worked SO hard over the past few weeks and I have been witness to a huge attitude change in his life.

It started a few weeks ago....we were out running errands with Aldine. She is a friend of ours that lives at Wilson House. She is unable to drive because of her disability which has her bound to a wheelchair so we take her out a few times a month to run errands with her. We were taking her home, carrying in all sorts of things and I was pushing her when I asked Brody to get the door to let us in. He was upset because Connor got to carry something bigger than him and so he made up an excuse about not having a hand to help. He did the same thing moments later when we arrived at her room. I am always working with my boys to open doors for people, especially women and anyone with their arms full and certainly anyone in a wheelchair!

After getting her settled, I had a long talk with Brody about being a servant to others and being helpful to those we care about and to strangers. I told him I was a little saddened to see him act so selfishly.

I also had to sit back and realize my part. By habit, I usually ask Connor to help by opening those doors, and doing all sorts of other small tasks for me. I'm sure it just has to do with him being the oldest. Well, I realize that this has not been helpful for Brody to see how significant he CAN be and what he can do. So, that day I started consciously asking him to do little things and most of the time it was received very well.

I have to say...I hardly recognize this kid! Just tonight as one example, he heard Connor mention that he left his book out in the living room and he bolted on his own and went and got it for him. Actually, I don't think a day has gone by that he has not jumped up and done something for one of us without being asked to do so. He has shown us how thoughtful and caring he truly is and I love that he is sharing this side of him! God has blessed him with so many wonderful gifts and I love being a small part of nuturing those in him. What an awesome journey I am on with him each and every day!

Before and After

2010-03-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

In our church bulletin this morning there was a little green card.

On one side it simply said.."Before I met Christ" and on the other side it reads "Now that I know Christ." At the bottom is a place for your signature.

It really got me thinking about how I would fill this out. A few years ago I gave my testimony at a MOPS meeting and it was a very tearful cleansing experience. However, I look back and think how different it would be today. I have moved so much farther past "my past" and although I don't want to forget that person, I hardly recognize her or relate to her. I have been the new me long enough in my adult life that I am now more used to this version of myself. However it was still easy to fill out the before part and on the other side I just wanted to write...BETTER! I thought it would be good though to complete it...

Before I met Christ...

My "moral compass" was broke..no clear direction on right and wrong.
I lived a very selfish life which is the wordly standard.
I had no real hope of anything better.
I filled my life with destructive behavior to feel loved and fill any void I felt in my life.

Now that I know Christ...

I look to God's word for direction on right and wrong in my life!
I try each day to live out God's purpose for me. I realize that living for the moment is a very lonely place!
I know this life is temporary and believe with all my heart that heaven is real and amazing and I want to go there!
The deep hole in my soul has been filled and I know I am loved by God no matter what!

So, that is basically it in a nutshell. Not quite as complicated as I thought.

Just BETTER!

No More Tears

2010-03-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

Ok...just a few, but the title sounded better with the whole Johnson ad idea, hopefully I didn't infringe on some copyright title!

On Tuesday we took Aunt Lara to the airport after a fun filled extra long weekend visit! It seems that we have gotten into a good enough routine that Connor no longer gets overly upset when she leaves. I brought up on the way, our plans to see her in July to make sure he had a time frame in his head. He explained that if he knows when he will see her again, he doesn't feel the need to be so sad. So, a few deep breaths, some red eyes...and a few tears..then smiles on the way home:)

This visit was also very efficient because we made a list on the way to pick her up this time. It seems that after every visit Connor and Brody both had things that they wanted to show her, or do with her that just didn't get done. As we were loading suitcases, she watched them both kick off the new football tee which marked off the last thing...success! Some other things on the list were....

Swimming at the Croc Center

Chuck E Cheese

The Lambing Barn at OSU - Aunt Lara and Connor left to get some "fresh air" after a few minutes...Brody would of stayed all day and remained true to the fact that to him..."sheep smell isn't stinky"

Our new favorite game, Blokus

There were many other things I didn't get pictures of such as showing her Owen the cat, playing the Wii Fit which she got us for Christmas, and reading the adventure story that Connor is writing.

We did have a great time and my boys have a terrific aunt that they love dearly. I am blessed to have such a wonderful sister too!

It really is THAT good!

2010-03-04T21:41:00.000-08:00

I have heard from many people how good this book was and we finally read it!! I know they made a movie a while back and maybe one day we will tackle that, but it can't be as good. Are they ever really? We have found the book is always better and the few that we have watched after we read have fallen way short of our expectations; Trumpet of the Swan, and Lassie come to mind.

The boys and I finished reading this book last weekend and it was SO good that I just have to share...just to make sure that if you haven't read it...you do. It is a wonderful read a loud; short chapters, fun characters, and easy voices (remember my Lassie fiasco?). We could hardly put it down and read through it very quickly. Connor and Brody would beg for more each day, at every meal and and again at bedtime. The best part was that I enjoyed it too. We read a lot of great books through our school curriculum, but I always have an extra read aloud going as well. I borrowed this from a friend but went and bought it the day after I finished because I knew we needed to own this one. Sure enough, that night Connor started reading it on his own at bedtime. (I just knew he would do that)

Every time we read a good book, I usually think to myself; I hope I remember these characters and these situations when I need them. I hope that when I can use them in life lesson teaching around here, there they will be on the tip of my tongue and luckily because God knows me very well, He brought one quickly.

I was helping Connor to log onto the computer to play some Webkinz when I got a notice of a possible threat to the computer so I ran a quick scan and had to shut down and restart. He was absolutely stumped by all of this, especially when I introduced him to the term "hacker". He just kept asking me..."why would someone do that mom?" So, I thought of Botticelli who explained that a rats purpose was to bring other people suffering and we talked about how sad it is for some people that live in the "darkness of a dungeon" without light in their lives. They don't have a moral compass, and they block out God's voice that offers guidance on right and wrong.

So, thank you Kate DiCamillo for such wonderful characters...I just wish the comparison between the rats and people was much harder to get to!

The Pitter Patter of Little Feet

2010-02-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

Doesn't that just sound sweet?

Not so sweet when those little feet are walking over your head at 2:30 in the morning!!! I'm not sure what has gotten into our cat but he has decided that would be the best time for him to get some attention. He has food, doesn't need water...so all I can assume is that he wants to be loved. I guess the hours he spends in our laps before beds only stretches so far and he runs out about this time. So, we are working on that...but otherwise everything is going great with those little feet.

Now onto more and more little feet! Our first month is done with the homeschool co op and it is going great! At least I think it is and my boys are having a blast! I have always wanted to do this and am really enjoying myself. It is in a way the same program that I got started in California only that didn't really have time to get off the ground.

God has brought 13 wonderful families to come together each and every week. (we have had to start a waiting list) Not only did He provide a place for us to meet, but it is a great place that is happy to have us there and even has an indoor "gym" area! Our home church, Court Street Christian Church here in Salem has opened their doors to us and have been wonderful to work with!

We are organizing a PE class each week and having a presentation class almost every week. This is where kids can get up and share things such as a poem memorization, scripture verses, book reports and show and tell! I am organizing some art lessons and projects that we do twice a month and we have one session where we just focus on some sort of "group project". This week we collected all sorts of recycle items such as milk jugs, boxes, and paper towel tubes. We split the class into groups and had them decide as a group what to build. They had some time to decide then got to building and then presented their creations to the whole group. It went really well and was a great exercise. It was a great chance to involve kids with different opinions and work with other kids besides siblings!

Starting next month we will have one meeting a month where we separate the boys and girls and have sort of a club meeting with a devotion time, craft and anything else we decide to plug in there!

Our mission is this....

"To enhance our homeschooling experience by providing a time and opportunity for our kids to participate in activities better executed in a group environment."

One of my main goals was to spend one afternoon having different "elective" type classes to fill in the gaps (FIGS) of things we can't or don't do at home. I want less on my calendar and this is a real great fit for us!

Here is our last art project...tear bears! They came out so cute!

My Flowers

2010-02-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. .

There are some cards on the table and even a box of candy this year...but my favorite gift is MY SPECIAL FLOWERS. They don't smell good, add color to the room or even fit in a vase, but they are mine.

I am reminded of a story shared by Aldeana at a MOPS meeting so many years ago. She told how her husband, Pastor Don wasn't one to bring her flowers, but she explained how he would often be up for hours a night trying to help her to be comfortable enough to sleep. He would arrange and rearrange her pillows trying to bring her damaged body some comfort. She explained that those were "beautiful flowers" to her.

I have to admit, I am personally responsible for never receiving flowers from my husband. Years ago, when times were a lot tougher for us, I felt them a waste. You see, Byran always wants to give me "the best" of everything and I just thought they were extravagant so I probably made him feel bad for buying them for me. Because of what I heard so many years ago, I am able to see, enjoy and appreciate the "beautiful flowers" he gives me every day...Here is just a few...

Every morning there is a fire going in my favorite room to warm me up as I start my day.

There is wood stacked right outside the garage door, so I can reload all day without getting wet or cold.

He loves to take me to out to eat and give me the night off from cooking!

I can be home all day and it is still OK to serve hot dogs for dinner!

He works hard so I can enjoy each and every day home with our kids.

He encourages me to homeschool and gives me freedom with the decisions.

He insists on a life insurance policy for himself to take care of us if the worst were to happen.

He constantly encourages me to have "me time".

He never puts expectations on me and how I spend my time.

He never uses my past mistakes against me.

He calls me to check in and tell me that he loves me and sometimes he just says, "I love being married to you."

I know I can buy flowers any time I want because he doesn't criticize the way I spend money.

So on this special Valentine's Day I want to say to him...

Thank you honey, for all the flowers you have given me that brighten so many of my days. I love being married to you!

One Cool Cat!

2010-02-10T22:21:00.000-08:00

Well, we did it....we added to our family; with an animal that is! Connor is really the one that initiated the desire for a cat. I have to say that I have always seen myself as more of a dog person, but I am really a sucker for this cat we got!

We started looking at the Humane Society a few weeks ago just to give us time to find the right one. We all fell in love with a beautiful little kitten named Maestro on our second visit, however he was already "on hold" pending his neuter surgery. So we put a second hold him and sat back and waited for a week. We would check the "stock" online almost daily and the boys really got to know almost all of the cats. I prepped the boys fully that he had a home and we would only get him if it fell through for some reason. The shelter called the day he was supposed to go home to let us know that he did so we planned another visit. They were genuinely happy that he got a home and weren't upset like I thought they would be.

That is when IT happened....the three of us just fell in love with Owen. He was the sweetest cat we ever visited with and when we went into a visiting room he would not leave us alone. He was happier walking over our laps and sitting next to us then hiding under the bench. He was playful and a total love bug. He was not what we expected our cat to look like, but I told the boys over and over again that we would just "know" and all of us did. We were discussing putting him on hold so we could bring daddy up and Brody says...."mommy I really think God wants us to have THIS cat."

So, the rest is history. Of course daddy loved him as much as we did and the next day we brought him home. It has been almost a week and I have to say that we totally scored with this cat. He is around 5 and I believe that for us, an older cat was the way to go! (Maestro was only 5 months) As we were filling out the paperwork we were a little surprised to read that the previous owner surrendered him because he would pee in the house and spray the furniture. SO, I warned the boys that if that happened, he had to go back...no deal on that one! Reading further though, we found that for whatever reason they would not offer him a litter box, so that gave me plenty of hope. Well, with the litter box, he has done fantastic, we have had no problems! We were worried about him with Jake, but they are both doing very well. He doesn't even hiss and Jake has become brave enough to look his way just a little bit.

He lets the kids just carry him around and would rather be on your lap than anywhere else. He sat with the boys and I today the whole time we did our history and bible study and the boys were in heaven! I think he might be part dog...he rolls over and loves his belly rubbed and meows at you when he has to use the litter box, wants to eat or needs water! He enjoys drinking out of Jake's bowl more than his own and as soon as Bryan's alarm goes off he is right there with him!

He is a real pleasure and we are so happy to have him. I feel like the mom of a newborn with the camera, but I will control myself and only post a few:)

Let's Celebrate!

2010-02-03T21:18:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, our church had a celebration dinner and it was truly an amazing event. I have to say that I only visited 3 churches before we settled into a routine with Court Street Christian Church. The boys both fell in love with the church upon their first visit and kept us going back because of their enthusiasm. After spending almost 11 years at Yucaipa Christian Church I felt like nothing could replace the comfort level I had there.

On Sunday, the goal was simple..to celebrate what God did in the life of the church in 2009 and offer praise to Him. There was an amazing home cooked lasagna dinner and the sanctuary looked beautiful. One person was so excited that they donated all the food and there was around 300 people there. They had a party set up for the little ones with pizza, movies, and even a bounce or two set up. There was 3 people that shared their testimony on how the church has impacted them personally and it was incredibly powerful.

There was Bob, who at the age of 67 decided to give his life over to Jesus and thanked the church who prayed for him for years as his wife attended without him. There was Megan who gave an amazing account of what life looks like apart from God after walking away from the church in her young adult life. One day she realized that although she had a "good life" it wasn't the life God wanted for her. Then there was Russ. Russ showed real raw emotions as he shared about a very recent event in his life where he made some bad choices that also became public knowledge. He explained that the members of this church welcomed him when he returned to church when he thought they might "hold the doors shut" when they saw him coming. He said that two people hugged him and said they were glad he was here and that people would move across the room to welcome him and shake his hand. Basically they loved him when he didn't feel lovable.

It was a great evening and I walked away finally feeling at home with this church. I just felt without a doubt that it was a place I wanted to be and something I definitely want to be a part of.

That feels good.