Dear God, Thanks for the Free Unit Study

Dear God,

I know that I should be thankful in all things, so in the spirit of that command I would like to issue my most sincere thanks for the hands on Science experiments you have been providing with us all week. Although I had full intentions in continuing with our Apologia Astronomy lesson on Venus . . .you saw it fit to give us a hands on - real life - immersion science lesson in the stomach virus.

This prayer is not for the weak of stomach, so if you find yourself in that category you may want to start praying silently to yourself for a while.

We learned many wonderful things. We learned about viruses, that they are mean, that the doctors really can't do much for you when you have one, and how they can come and go. We learned the word "Contagious" and "Susceptible" as we have watched them start with one person and then move on to someone else. We learned the full scope of the GI tract, that when a virus is in your tummy it has two ways it can get out (Three if you count the nose).

We learned that sometimes these viruses make a person so weak they can hardly stand. These people sack out on the couch for days at a time. Other times the viruses have a potency that gives 2yo boys a high fever and a slightly grumpy disposition. Sometimes when 1 yo girls get the virus they seem like they may have recovered completely and then suddenly demonstrate that they haven't after consuming a large sippy cup of milk. (At the lunch table, when mommy just sat down with her bowl of soup, immediately after asking, "Hey, How are you feeling Megan?")

I realize now that this incident was actually a pop quiz. It gave me the opportunity to witness the speed at which my oldest two children can evacuate the kitchen. They even did it with their eyes mostly closed and their fingers pinching their noses. I now have the utmost confidence in their emergency exit skills.

We observed the soothing effect of ginger ale on a stomach, the clean smell of bleach being used about the house, and the true capacity of our washing machine. I would like to say a special word of thanks for the washing machine.

I believe, however, that we have met all the requirements of this Unit Study on The Stomach Virus. We would like to submit our coursework for your grading, and then continue on with our study of Venus.

Thank you Lord,
Me

Getting Ready for Auntie Beth

As we were getting ready for Auntie Beth to visit (last month) the kids realized that they could all fit in the downstairs shower . . .

and speaking of which, there are other places that James and Megan like to hide

We went to Louisville

While Auntie Beth was visiting we went to Louisville . . .can you guess where we went by the pictures?

There was a carousel . . .

And inflatable jumpie things . . .

And a playground (wher eother moms were getting nervous with the 2yo's playground skills) . . .

Have you guessed yet? Well here ya go with a better clue, around the playground was a baseball diamond

Yep, it was a baseball game! ( A far cry from our AAA Rochester Red Wings at the now retired Silver Stadium) There were also fancy concession stands, shaved ice carts, and we had a great time watching the Louisville Bats. The stadium is incredibly close to the famous Louisville Bat Factory, which we will tour at some point. We did actually watch about 1 inning of the game before taking advantage of all of the diversionary activities. It was also military appreciation night, so that is why the inflatables were there. Thanks for a great night Bats!

A Really Cool Thing Happened On The Way Back From GA

A really cool thing happened on the way back from GA, and fortunately I had my camera ready:

I have a video of it actually changing, but I am having trouble posting videos . . .which is a shame because I have some really cute ones of the kids. I hope we get another 100,000 miles out of our van! In case you don't know (or have forgotten) we bought our van the day before Jack was born. It is now 6 and 1/2 years old. It has travelled from in and through a bunch of states (20 of them, multiple times) and it has always proven reliable. We have a few more trips planned for the next few months. . . more on those trips when they happen.

I Disagree With Your T-Shirt

I was standing in line at Kroger. I had my four little ones with me. I was stopping by for a few groceries, and did not expect the long lines that I encountered there.

I was ecstatic earlier when I had found a shopping cart that was perfect for grocery-getting with my kids. The front has a car for James, and the seat in front is there for Megan. The older kids were sadly out of luck as they had to walk (and sneak a ride on the sides when the aisles weren't too crowded) As I sat there in line keeping Megan happy by letting her play with my Debit Card and Military ID, I noticed that James was at a perfect height to reach for the King Sized Reece's Peanut Butter Cups that the grocery stores so thoughtfully position in the checkout area. I bend over to remove the tempting treat from his hand and I hear a gentleman say, "I disagree with your T Shirt."

The T Shirt is a staple in my wardrobe. It has the picture of some Mommy sized sandals next to some child sized shoes and it reads, "Motherhood, the toughest job you'll ever love"

I fought all natural urges to kindly offer that the gentleman take charge of my four children, usher them through the checkout, load them up in the minivan in our oppressive summer heat, drive them home and feed them some lunch before he make such a statement.

Instead I said, "I bet you would prefer the fatherhood version" (My husband has that version)

"Yes" the man replied. He told me that he is still being father to his 42 year old son. I gave him a compassionate smile and said, "That is a lot of years of parenting" I do not know the reason why he is still parenting his adult son. I could think of a lot of reasons. He could be physically or mentally handicapped, he could have suffered from a life lived in the grips of alcohol or drug abuse, he could be staying with dad as he goes through a painful divorce, he could be a soldier who has not transitioned back to life after serving his country very easily.

"Fatherhood is a very important job" I added those words as a casual afterthought. It wasn't until a moment after the words left my mouth that I realized the truth of that statement. What an important role our fathers play in our lives, I see my husband. He encourages, challenges, and loves our children. He prioritizes time to help them grow in spirit and wisdom. What a blessing. I have a dad who worked hard and provided for a large family, who cared about our spiritual upbringing, and who is eager to love on his grandchildren. And I have a God. A God that does not stand distant upon a mighty throne, but craves relationships with His children. He encourages us, His sinful, ungrateful, self-absorbed children to call Him "Father"

So as I managed the rest of the way through the checkout line, loaded my kids in the minivan in the oppressive heat, drove them home and fed them lunch, I thought about this man, prayed for him to have strength in whatever struggles he is dealing with, and said a prayer of thanksgiving to my Father for all the fathers we have.

Standing in Line

Look, it's a bunch of homeschool kids, and guess what . . .they are being socialized, and they even know how to stand in a line . . .

*post created in the spirit of good humor*

Baby Watch Trip

My friend Abbie is due . . .past due . . .with her #6 Baby Bryant. Today she is going to be induced. The Transue clan took a trip down to GA to be there when he was born. Unfortunately he did not come a bit early, he didn't come on time, and he didn't come slightly late. But we sure did try. We arrived Monday afternoon. We left early Thursday morning. In the meantime we:

1. Managed 9 kids (or tried to)
2. Went to Monkey Joes (woo hoo for our miltary discount!!)
3. Tie Dyed Tshirts (fun, thank goodness for soft scrub with bleach)
4. Visited the YMCA pool (on a hot GA July afternoon)
5. Watched Jelly Telly
6. Took what we hoped would be a labor producing trip to JoAnns and Target
7. Ate Chineese Buffet
8. Fed children, bathed children, enjoyed children

Alas, she remained pregnant and I think we wore her and her family out. She said it helped pass the time, I am sure it did!

Sleeping arrangements

Group Pic the day we left (more on this to follow)

note tie dyed tshirts worn by some . . .

How super dads unwind after a busy day of work and kids

P.S. You can click on Abbie's link and follow her labor today . . .if you are interested. She is live blogging today (valid only on 7/23/2010)