It's Wednesday morning and I'm the only one up. I've had a bagel and I'm now enjoying my second cup of coffee. All is good. I had a fever and mastitis for a few days, but i seem to be on the upswing. In all my years of nursing I never had mastitis before. Wow, it's so painful! Flu-like symptoms, fever, headache, achy feeling, not to mention extremely sore breast! Thankful to be through the worst of it, so it seems.
School is coming along nicely. This year has been so much better than last year, and last year went pretty well. We've found our groove and are really enjoying learning together. Margaret and Samuel began taking a science and logic class for homeschoolers at our church, which was a big answer to prayer. I was really wanting to find a group to be involved in, but couldn't find one that seem to fit into our schedule. A mom from church offered to do this class since she was already going to be doing it with her son, and opened it up to other families in the church. They use Apologia General Science and Fallacy Detective for logic. I put aside what we had been using for science and we all use the Apologia book. We're also all working through Fallacy Detective together, and it has been so fun to hear the kids detect bad reasoning in each other's conversation. We also added a Latin and a Spanish program to our curriculum. Having all the kids working through the same books in many subjects makes it so much easier too add all the extra things we wanted to do last year but never could fit in.
I'm so much less stressed about school this year.
A lot of our activities have started up again. Samuel, Margaret, and William are playing soccer, so they have practices on Wednesday and games on Saturday. William is laying flag football and has practices on Monday's and games on Fridays. The boys jones a new boy scout pack and have meetings on tuesdays. We started going to sunday night church where Margaret goes to youth group, the boys go to choir, and Brian and i sit in on pastor Cassidy's teaching. I try to keep hazel with me, but she's pretty noisy and has ended up in the nursery most evenings.
I had a very sweet birthday last week and was treated like royalty. My mom came to town and took me shopping. John and hazel came along, but the others stayed home. That evening we met the rest of the family at Trudy's for dinner. I was showered with gifts, things that the kids had specially picked out for me when Brian had taken them shopping the day before:lots of candles, a bathroom rug, a pillow, earrings, lots of soaps, a back scratcher (from William, who loves to have his back scratched), and other things. Brian gave me a James Avery chain with a Texas pendant and a bottle of wine. It's humbling to know that you're loved so much!
I'm still running. Last Sunday I did a nine miler, but most days I just run four miles. The marathon is a month from today and I think I'll need to get in one more really long run before it.
Hazel will be 11 months in a couple of weeks. She still isn't walking, though she's taken a step or two on her own. She is such a funny little girl. She already demonstrates a sense of humor.
And she's finally eating! She still mostly nurses, but will try all kinds of foods from my plate now.
Well, I need to get out to run.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
I've started to blog many times, but have not had time to finish. Let's hope this one sticks.
We had a delightful summer! We didn't do a lot of the things we talked about doing, but still, the days were full and pleasant and many memories were made. Margaret swam day and night the first two months of summer, and the boys played basketball the last month or so. We ran, swam, skied, canoed rivers, jumped waves in the gulf, hosted parties, took road trips, made crafty things, checked out hundreds of books from the library, hosted the cousins for nearly a month of the summer, played, prayed, and worshipped.
School started for us this week. Brian and I are really trying to be organized this year and keep a step or two ahead of the kids. We also attempted to simplify things and step out away from a curriculum for some things. So far things have gone well. Again, we're only in day 4, but I'm optimistic that this year will be better than last.
Here's a run-down of our day:
I get out at 6 to run every morning, four miles most morning's, six on wednesday. I'll probably cut back after I run my marathon in October. Brian runs with the kids in our neighborhood a couple of times a week.
Bible: we read and do memory work. This week our verse is 1 Peter 4:16.
Math: the kids are doing Abeka - Margaret Algebra 1, Samuel 6th grade, William 5th grade, and John 3rd.
Poetry: we're memorizing Shakespeare's All The World's A Stage.
Spelling: I'm not using spelling books this year, but instead and creating my own list each week from our history, science, and art studies. Everyone studies the same words. This has made life so much easier for me!
Grammar: everyone is using Abeka. Margaret is in Grammar II, Samuel and William are both in the 6th grade book, and John uses various
Abeka materials that span 1st to 4th grade.
Creative writing: I'm using a site with daily writing prompts right now.
Literature: this isn't my ideal, but right now Margaret and Samuel are using some literature textbooks, Margaret - English literature, Samuel - world literature. I just have William reading Cricket magazine, and John picks a
book off the shelf to read each day.
Art: this is my favorite subject! I have an American architecture text that were using and we're learning the principal styles of American domestic architecture. The kids have so enjoyed it! They already seem to have an interest in houses like Brian and I. I could really see Margaret being an architect with her interest in math and her incredible artistic ability.bon art were also going to study/create our own illuminated lettering to go along with where we are in our history studies.
History: I combined everyone into one class this year, and we're studying world history. We're starting where Samuel and Margaret left off last year, right at the beginning of the Renaissance.
Science: as with history, I decided to haver everyone work from the same text. We're using the Abeka physical science as our guide and branching out from there. Some of the stuff will be a little too much for William and John (who am i kidding, some of it's too hard for me! when we read about ridiculous notation this week, I was like "huh?"), but we have so many other books and resources, i think I can bring it down to their level and make it interesting for them.
I guess that about covers it. We have not arranged anything for music. Frankly just don't see where we'd fit it in.
Dang, I thought I already publishes this. Must make blogging a priority.
It's Sunday evening now. We've had a nice weekend full of socializing. We went to Central Market Friday night and listened to a jazz quartet. That was pleasant. We worked all day Saturday and in the evening had three neighborhood families from church over. Lots of kids, lots of food, good beer, good conversation. This morning we made it to the early service, then came home and hung out here for the day. Thomas brought his kids by in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day with us. He gave me an Apple tv thing for my birthday. I don't quite understand how it works, but I think we'll get alot of use out of it. He and the kids went to church with us tonight for the monthly dinner thing we do. That was different. A good different. Maybe they'll start coming regularly.
I'm beat. I was supposed to run 17 plus miles this morning, but I've pushed it over until tomorrow so I'd better get some rest.
Until next time.....which better not be a month from now!
We had a delightful summer! We didn't do a lot of the things we talked about doing, but still, the days were full and pleasant and many memories were made. Margaret swam day and night the first two months of summer, and the boys played basketball the last month or so. We ran, swam, skied, canoed rivers, jumped waves in the gulf, hosted parties, took road trips, made crafty things, checked out hundreds of books from the library, hosted the cousins for nearly a month of the summer, played, prayed, and worshipped.
School started for us this week. Brian and I are really trying to be organized this year and keep a step or two ahead of the kids. We also attempted to simplify things and step out away from a curriculum for some things. So far things have gone well. Again, we're only in day 4, but I'm optimistic that this year will be better than last.
Here's a run-down of our day:
I get out at 6 to run every morning, four miles most morning's, six on wednesday. I'll probably cut back after I run my marathon in October. Brian runs with the kids in our neighborhood a couple of times a week.
Bible: we read and do memory work. This week our verse is 1 Peter 4:16.
Math: the kids are doing Abeka - Margaret Algebra 1, Samuel 6th grade, William 5th grade, and John 3rd.
Poetry: we're memorizing Shakespeare's All The World's A Stage.
Spelling: I'm not using spelling books this year, but instead and creating my own list each week from our history, science, and art studies. Everyone studies the same words. This has made life so much easier for me!
Grammar: everyone is using Abeka. Margaret is in Grammar II, Samuel and William are both in the 6th grade book, and John uses various
Abeka materials that span 1st to 4th grade.
Creative writing: I'm using a site with daily writing prompts right now.
Literature: this isn't my ideal, but right now Margaret and Samuel are using some literature textbooks, Margaret - English literature, Samuel - world literature. I just have William reading Cricket magazine, and John picks a
book off the shelf to read each day.
Art: this is my favorite subject! I have an American architecture text that were using and we're learning the principal styles of American domestic architecture. The kids have so enjoyed it! They already seem to have an interest in houses like Brian and I. I could really see Margaret being an architect with her interest in math and her incredible artistic ability.bon art were also going to study/create our own illuminated lettering to go along with where we are in our history studies.
History: I combined everyone into one class this year, and we're studying world history. We're starting where Samuel and Margaret left off last year, right at the beginning of the Renaissance.
Science: as with history, I decided to haver everyone work from the same text. We're using the Abeka physical science as our guide and branching out from there. Some of the stuff will be a little too much for William and John (who am i kidding, some of it's too hard for me! when we read about ridiculous notation this week, I was like "huh?"), but we have so many other books and resources, i think I can bring it down to their level and make it interesting for them.
I guess that about covers it. We have not arranged anything for music. Frankly just don't see where we'd fit it in.
Dang, I thought I already publishes this. Must make blogging a priority.
It's Sunday evening now. We've had a nice weekend full of socializing. We went to Central Market Friday night and listened to a jazz quartet. That was pleasant. We worked all day Saturday and in the evening had three neighborhood families from church over. Lots of kids, lots of food, good beer, good conversation. This morning we made it to the early service, then came home and hung out here for the day. Thomas brought his kids by in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day with us. He gave me an Apple tv thing for my birthday. I don't quite understand how it works, but I think we'll get alot of use out of it. He and the kids went to church with us tonight for the monthly dinner thing we do. That was different. A good different. Maybe they'll start coming regularly.
I'm beat. I was supposed to run 17 plus miles this morning, but I've pushed it over until tomorrow so I'd better get some rest.
Until next time.....which better not be a month from now!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
This summer is just flying by! I wish i had been more consistent at blogging.
Some of the highlights:
We've had the cousins come stay with us for two extended time periods, in June and also in July. So much fun was had and lifelong memories made.
Margaret swam every night at Patterson pool for swim team practice. She went to the regional meet at UT where she competed in three events. Her relay team made it to state, which will be in Corpus Christi at the end of the month. Now that she's training for state, her practices are twice a day at a pool downtown. I've been running the trail while she swims, so we're both getting in pretty good shape.
Speaking of Margaret, she's been gone for a week to Philadelphia with Brian's parents. They fly back in today. This is the longest she's been away from all of us by herself. All the kids together have stayed with grandparents longer, but never by themselves. He boys miss her so much! I think she's had a great time. She's been sending us tons of pics over the phone.
VBS at Redeemer started yesterday. William and John are the only participants this year. Samuel and I worked in the infant nursery with the babies of the teachers. We only had three babies yesterday including Hazel. I've never left her in the church nursery on Sunday, so all those toys and play things were a while 'nother world for her! She was loving it!
Hazel still isn't sleeping great. We've tried her in the pack n play, but usually that doesn't work very well. She rarely naps and still has trouble getting to sleep at night. I just don't know how she keeps going! She still doesn't sleep through the night consistently, but that doesn't matter so much since she sleeps in our bed.
She's learning new tricks every day. Yesterday she walked a little bit behind one if those push toys. She cruises along the furniture and has attempted to stand on her own a couple of times. She waves occasionally, and gives kisses. Of course every new milestone is a cause for celebration by her fan club, i.e. brothers and sister. She brings us so much joy.
We've been blessed with a lot of rain lately, so unusual for the month of July. Everything looks so green and alive, and our lawn, which pretty much died after the hell that was last summer, has come back to life and looks like it is going to make it.
The summer is flying by too fast. We haven't ordered our books for next year yet. Still kind of waiting to see if Margaret gets into the middle school we've been trying to get her into. She's #3 on the waiting list, so there's a strong possibility that she will. Samuel is number #10 on the waiting list for the same school, so I don't have a lot of hope that he'll get in this year. Still praying about what's best for our kids...
Well, busy day ahead.
Some of the highlights:
We've had the cousins come stay with us for two extended time periods, in June and also in July. So much fun was had and lifelong memories made.
Margaret swam every night at Patterson pool for swim team practice. She went to the regional meet at UT where she competed in three events. Her relay team made it to state, which will be in Corpus Christi at the end of the month. Now that she's training for state, her practices are twice a day at a pool downtown. I've been running the trail while she swims, so we're both getting in pretty good shape.
Speaking of Margaret, she's been gone for a week to Philadelphia with Brian's parents. They fly back in today. This is the longest she's been away from all of us by herself. All the kids together have stayed with grandparents longer, but never by themselves. He boys miss her so much! I think she's had a great time. She's been sending us tons of pics over the phone.
VBS at Redeemer started yesterday. William and John are the only participants this year. Samuel and I worked in the infant nursery with the babies of the teachers. We only had three babies yesterday including Hazel. I've never left her in the church nursery on Sunday, so all those toys and play things were a while 'nother world for her! She was loving it!
Hazel still isn't sleeping great. We've tried her in the pack n play, but usually that doesn't work very well. She rarely naps and still has trouble getting to sleep at night. I just don't know how she keeps going! She still doesn't sleep through the night consistently, but that doesn't matter so much since she sleeps in our bed.
She's learning new tricks every day. Yesterday she walked a little bit behind one if those push toys. She cruises along the furniture and has attempted to stand on her own a couple of times. She waves occasionally, and gives kisses. Of course every new milestone is a cause for celebration by her fan club, i.e. brothers and sister. She brings us so much joy.
We've been blessed with a lot of rain lately, so unusual for the month of July. Everything looks so green and alive, and our lawn, which pretty much died after the hell that was last summer, has come back to life and looks like it is going to make it.
The summer is flying by too fast. We haven't ordered our books for next year yet. Still kind of waiting to see if Margaret gets into the middle school we've been trying to get her into. She's #3 on the waiting list, so there's a strong possibility that she will. Samuel is number #10 on the waiting list for the same school, so I don't have a lot of hope that he'll get in this year. Still praying about what's best for our kids...
Well, busy day ahead.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
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