A pretty great homeschooling day

Today . . .

Jack has showed me his beginning reading skills. He is mastering those all important words like "cat", "sat", and "the" I am thrilled to pieces. When I tried to teach Laura to read, the efforts were not as successful. I am now convinced that she *just wasn't ready* If you have a chance to see how well she reads now, it is obvious.

Laura sat down and did her math homework without drama. Guess what. She does math pretty well when there is no drama. I was shocked at how fast she flew through problems that usually leave her (and me as well) in a pile of frustration.

There was almost a really cute moment this morning on our way to homeschool kardio kids at the YMCA. Laura and Jack were walking hand in hand, a complete moment of sibling friendship, until Laura started going too fast and ultimately ended up dragging Jack behind her on the cement. It was a wonderful 5 seconds while it lasted!

Messy James

I think he was just showing off his good manners for the grandparents, I would NEVER let my child get this messy while eating (he is eating the leftover mushy baby food that Megan didn't want at all)

Jack's Soccer

Jack has really enjoyed YMCA soccer this season. His team was The Blitz

Here are some shots of Jack in action:

Warmups:


During the Game (I think all the boys here are too cute)



Cheering Section:




Go Blitz!

Fun with Friends

We had some fun with our friends the other day . . .

Lunch on the porch:



James had a friend to create beautiful music with:
(I love how she tries to twist his arm off)

Laura Is Stylin'!

Not many people can pull off this look, but Laura sure can!

And the side pose so you can appreciate the high heeled black dress shoes:

Latest Picture of Megan

We get all dolled up for church, but Megan knows that when she hits that church nursery the ladies will pull that headband off of her. Apparently they don't believe in torturing children like I do!

Where's James?

James is always finding ways to have fun around the house . . .like when we are doing laundry:




I should be careful, since James is usually quite drooly, people may think this is where I put him to dry him out.

Fantasy Football Anyone?

There was a time when I was growing up that I was highly annoyed with football. At our house during football season a couple of our 5 channels (8,10,13,21,31) were overrun by football games. There was the pregame, the game, the post-game talks. Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah. All day Sunday, and then Monday Nights too. What was a 10yo girl to do?

Then I got married to a Redskins fan. I often tell people I am a Redskins fan by marriage. It beats my history of a Buffalo Bills fan in the 80's, but it is not always an easy row to hoe.

So I learned to love football because, well, my husband loves football. And love it now I do. So much so that the last few years I have even participated in a Fantasy Football League . . .one of the harmless ones at nfl.com. (My precious sewing time this evening was even interrupted by a very fascinating end to the first Monday night football game. I had the pleasure of "watching it" with my husband since we were talking on the phone and watching the end together)((yes, my husband was out of town and I still chose to watch the game)) (((even though I have an unviewed Dr. Phil on my TIVO)))

And this week, (yes, I am about to brag) I had the fortunate selections of Tom Brady and the Eagles Defensive team on my roster. Cha Ching. So I . . .that 10 yo girl who dreaded football, married a football fan, and toight became the high scorer in her league.

*takes bow* *soaks in applause and admiration*

It's okay if you aren't really applauding, I can still hear it happening in my head.

Christian Military Wives

So there was this group on facebook, and a gal named Patti who seems to promote it. I just checked out their actual website, and I am quite impressed. I love the motto of Bloom Where You Are Planted. It is a MUST when you are moving so often. I have learned to jump in with two feet. (Our last move, I kinda more EASED INTO the waters because of the preggo belly and the baby on my hip) But if you are of the Christian Military Wife persuasion, you may be interested in checking out their website . . .

National Sewing Month

I just found out September is national sewing month! This is great because a group of us are meeting later this month to do just that.

I thought I would share a link to some cool projects. The website is www.youcanmakethis.com.

They even have a free project link which has patterns for baby items and girls' headbands among other things.

This is the project I am working on now: click here

Not Me Monday

It's another Monday, and another opportunity for not me Monday . . . the fun activity over at what is now www.MckMama.com. Jennifer has had a few changes in her life, and a new web address is one of them.

Let me think . . .

That certainly was NOT me that you heard reply "wonderful" in a cheerful rather than sarcastic tone on Friday night. I was talking with work, how could I sound so cheery. I certainly was not looking forward to a kid free drive to work a four hour shift. Nope, not me, I would never view four hours of work with such happy thoughts.

This morning I was NOT in a scurry to change the babies out of their clothes from yesterday. No matter how late I come home from Sunday night church, I ALWAYS have time to get the children properly prepared for night time slumber. Even if my husband is out of town.

I certainly did NOT forget to serve the children any sort of snack or dinner before the One Month to Live Bible Study and AWANA activities last night at church. And I did NOT offer them microwaved popcorn at 8:15 pm to compensate and fill their empty tummys. (No babies were fed popcorn, just in case you were wondering how NOT ME of a Monday this actually is)

But we have another week, with what I am sure will be filled with imperfect parenting moments.

Friday Faves . . .Hymns

Missy asked what our favorite hymn and favorite modern song are, and I am so pleased to answer!

My favorite hymn, by far would have to be Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing . . . early on when I was being drawn to Christ a pastor of mine broke down this hymn with a small group of us. It marked the start of my love of hymns, as I searched through the "boring words" of each one to find the deep meaning. I suddenly found beauty in the words. The song today still pulls so strongly at my heart with its truth. I chose this song to be at our "second wedding". (Same guy, different day)

1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.

2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.

My favorite recent/modern song is HOW MANY KINGS from
the band DOWN HERE

(Actually, my favorite is the modern version of the hymn
I Am Not Skilled to Understand by Aaron Schust,
but I thought that would be cheating by using two hymns)

How Many Kings

Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe after all we’ve projected
A child in a manger

Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mothers shawl
Just a child
Is this who we’ve waited for?

Cause how many kings, stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn savior
All that we have whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for his honor and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he’ll suffer
Do you believe, is this who we’ve waited for?
It’s who we’ve waited for

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
How many Gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that has torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me

All for me
All for you
All for me
All for you

How Many Kings Lyrics- DOWNHERE Song words

Single Song Words by Artist / Band : DOWNHERE
Lyrics Title : How Many Kings
Taken from Album : -
Single Released : 2007
Music Genre : Christian rock

(Song Data Information taken from : wikipedia)

James For Hire

Available: One toddler, almost 17 months old
Skills: Besides running, climbing and drooling, said toddler is skilled in the dishwashing arts

This is how he loads the dishwasher:



Here is how he unloads a dishwasher:

Songs for My Babies

I visit about four blogs on a regular basis. There are so many wonderful ones out there, but mainly I visit the ones on my blog list on the right. Missy has Friday Faves on her blog, and since I am awake at 3 am I thought I'd check it out.




Songs I sing/sang to my babies:

Laura was frequently in need of night time sleepiness support. While I had her in the baby sling she would be held captive . . .I mean entertained with many songs. Some I remember singing the most were "How Great Thou Art", "Blessed Assurance", and this one:

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep

Sleep, Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
Sleep all through the night for Mommy
Go to bed by 10
Wake up around 7
Sleep all through the night for Mommy

As I share with a lot of people, the joy of sleep never really occurred to Laura until she was about 1 year in age. Now, occasionally, I'll have to wake her up in the morning. Like this morning when we met friends at 8am for free Chick-fil-a breakfast.

The last three kids get different renditions of the same song:

I Love My . . .

I love my Jack Boy

I love my Jack Boy, I'm so glad he's mine
I love my Jack Boy, I'm so glad he's mine.
He's mine, He's mine
I'm so glad he's mine.
He's mine, He's mine
I'm so glad he's mine
I love my Jack boy, I'm so glad he's mine.

This song was created by me, sung to no particular tune *since I can't carry one anyways*, and apparently very adaptable. Because 4 years later:

I love my James Boy

I love my James Boy, I'm so glad he's mine
I love my James Boy, I'm so glad he's mine.
He's mine, He's mine
I'm so glad he's mine.
He's mine, He's mine
I'm so glad he's mine
I love my James boy, I'm so glad he's mine

*so helpful at 3 am to cut and paste, just deleting 2 letters of Jack's name and adding 3 in. Poor third child. His first of many hand-me-downs, but it really was a "classic" at this point.

Almost done, but I bet you will be astounded at the way I adapted the song for Megan. In my defense, she didn't give me a bunch of time to come up with anything new, arriving 11 months after her brother.

I Love My Meggie

I love my Meggie, I'm so glad she's mine
I love my Meggie, I'm so glad she's mine
She's mine, She's mine,
I'm so glad she's mine
She's mine, She's mine
I'm so glad she's mine
I love my Meggie, I'm so glad she's mine.

My babies have also been soothed by the rather loud playing of the Go Fish Guys. After VBS this summer, they have grown to love the songs, especially the 10 Commandment Boogie and The Bible Book Bop. Last week when I was attempting to console my napless-ear infected one year old at the pharmacy counter he was not up for any soothing, until I started singing Go Fish. Go Figure.

She's Getting So Big

I dressed Megan in some clothes that I received from a friend at church. She is wearing jeans and a tshirt and she just looks so big to me!

James and Playground Fun

James is hard to keep up with at the playground . . . especially with two older kids running through the water thingy (see below) and a baby in a sling (not pictured) Here he is displaying his talents. Not bad for 16 months . . . he usually goes down the slide by himself, but since Daddy was there he helped him out.

I name you Prancing through the Waters

So there is this really cool water thingy at the library playground, and Laura used it to display pure childhood bliss . . .

Reunion

Okay, so it took a while for me to post this . . .soon after John got home we were visited by a mysterious illness that put a few of us out of commission for a few days. Here is a video of the kids picking up Daddy. I kept it as a surprise. I told them we had to go pick something up before their piano lessons:

Laura: Is it something for homeschool or something for play?

Mom: Both

Laura: Is it something new or something used?

Mom: Used :)

When we drove into the airport

Laura: "Isn't this the place where we are going to go when we pick up Daddy?"

Mom: Yep

Laura: Well then what are we doing here?

Mom: Picking up Daddy

(round of cheers from everyone except the baby, although I think James was just clapping because the older kids were)

Megan is not pictured because she was Baby Bjorned to me.