Adoption Update

I have a friend who has been in the process of adoption from Haiti for quite some time, and she recently mentioned that in their case the old adage applies, "No news is good news".  I agree that sometimes there really isn't much to share, and it just means that things are moving along but there really isn't anything new to report.  In our case we are just throwing some leads out and seeing what doors God opens.

One door that I didn't expect to walk through presented itself about a month ago, when there was a plea on Facebook for a family for a baby boy.  The mother didn't know she was pregnant until it was time to deliver, and she didn't have any desire to have a baby.  So the little guy has been hanging out at the hospital due to some special needs while he waits for a family to be chosen for him.  We sent in a pre-application, hesitantly.  I say hesitantly because of our our history with special needs.  We understand how difficult it can be, but we also know how wonderful it can be.  It's just tricky.  I heard the next day that they had received hundreds of inquiries and figured we wouldn't hear anything back.  Much to our surprise we were contacted a couple of days later and asked for our home study.  I sent it in and we didn't hear anything for a couple of weeks.  Then I figured we for sure must have been passed over, until we got another email with the baby's medical information.  They asked that after we had a chance to talk it over with a pediatrician that we let them know if we wanted to go to the next stage, a phone interview.  So, we talked with two pediatricians (I like to overdo things) and prayed some more, then let them know we would be open to the next step.  I have not heard anything back yet.

The other area we are pursuing is the foster care system.  We have inquired about a couple of children and are waiting to hear back.  There is a sweet brother and sister I am especially interested in hearing back on.  Although we have never fostered, we know this wouldn't be the easiest type of adoption.  But our hearts are open to what God wants to do in our family.

There is a Bible passage that was especially powerful this week, as we dealt with some other issues and I had a weary realization (as I was feeling overwhelmed with our current life struggles) that adoption isn't going to make our lives any easier . . .

"Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Isaiah 40: 28 - 29

Thank you, Jesus, for always showing me that Your strength is sufficient!

Canning Adventures/Back to School

 Many years ago, in high school, I was in our Future Homemakers of America club.  In fact, my junior year I was the president.  At the time I found that pretty amusing because I was quite sure I'd never actually BE a homemaker.

Well.

It turns out that God had other plans for me than me joining the CIA, which is what I wanted to do.  (Don't laugh, I'm serious.)  So now I have been a homemaker (and a happy one, I might add) for more than twelve years.  I always have had this list in my head of things that I need to do to be successful at this homemaking thing, and canning was one of them.  The problem was, I have been terrified of doing it by myself.  I have a lot of friends who have done it for years with their moms, but my mom's health hasn't ever been to the point where we could do this together.  About a year ago God brought a wonderful family into our lives; they live across the street.  He is a retired police chief and she is just finishing up homeschooling the second of their two sons.  I've been talking with her about wanting to learn to can, and last week she taught me how!

We still have some peaches waiting to be canned, but I've done about 48 quarts of peaches, pears, and spiced pears so far.

After my first afternoon of canning I told Ethan I finally get why people who live simpler lives are so happy.  There is something so peaceful about working to put away food for winter, while the big girls make homemade granola and the little two steal pieces of fruit away from my cutting board.  It's a good life.

In other news, we are entering our fifth week of school next week.  This year we have a 6th grader, 4th grader, 2nd grader, and Pre-Kindergartner.  Aren't they cute?
 

We started using Tapestry of Grace last year and love it.  We're learning about the Middle Ages this year.  That could be a post in itself, but I'll just say here that it has been a blast.  We found out we are related to Charlemagne, which is super cool.  The kids were posing here on their first day of co-op.  This year Spunky is taking Essay Writing and Cooking, Giggles is taking a class called Daughters of the King and Reader's Theater, Bubba is taking Art and Kids Crossfit, and Calico is taking Art and a combination class that has thinking skills, math, and literacy.  They are all happy with their classes.

Why I Cook From Scratch

Menu planning.  Those two words used to give me despair.  I cook three meals a day for six people.  Per month that is 90 meals being prepared.  The task of sitting down and planning out meals used to be my most hated chore.  We did it for a while, but that all changed last fall . . .

After much procrastinating, I decided to start cooking using the GAPS diet.  GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome.  I really do believe that if we had been able to faithfully follow this diet it could have really helped Bubba (read "helped", not "cured"), but it was almost impossible to follow this strict diet.  I did learn a lot about cooking while attempting this.  We also experimented with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is similar to GAPS but easier.  It was still very difficult.  And finally we spent some time cooking Paleo-style.  All of this experimentation in the kitchen got me used to making everything from scratch.  And when I say everything, I mean it.  Ketchup, taco seasoning, spaghetti sauce, dressings, etc.  Right now we have settled into a gluten-free diet for Bubba, with almost everything from scratch.  And can you believe the menu planning is no longer an issue?

I love it because we always have what we need in our pantry.  And because of the restrictions on some of the diets, we got used to eating the same meals over and over.  I have to admit that there was some mom guilt there, like my children are going to suffer as adults because I'm not giving them a different menu all the time.  But you know what?  It works!  The family is happy, I'm no longer stressed, and we're eating at home 99% of the time.  Win-win.  :)

                                         Inside our pantry

Determination!

When I was a little girl, I remember looking through my parents' bookshelves for new things to read.  From James Herriot to Laura Ingalls Wilder, there was always plenty of new material to get lost in.  I also remember their non-fiction books, and the one that was particularly tattered, "The Strong-Willed Child".  No, that book wasn't for me, it was for my brother.  I didn't really understand what him being strong-willed meant when I was a kid, but now that I'm raising one of my own do I ever get it!

Our youngest . . . she is something.  It's not unusual for Ethan and I to look at each other with eyebrows raised and mouth, "What the heck?"  when she is in the midst of a new explanation or adventure.  She is a pure delight and keeps us on our toes.  She is determined!  Whether it is to sing on the radio (like she did earlier this year) or learn to read (so she can figure out what adults are spelling when she's in the room), she will do it!

Last night I got to witness some of this when she wanted to go to the park.  I told her I had to finish vacuuming and sweeping, and then we could leave for the park.  She said, "Mom, I'll vacuum."  She has vacuumed a little bit before, but it's usually just in one spot.  I knew that we had a LOT of chip crumbs under and around our dining room table, and I never thought she would even notice it.  I was wrong.  Our little 30 lb. girl moved ALL the heavy chairs away from the table and somehow managed to vacuum up every crumb.  I kept expecting her to give up, but she wanted to go to the park!  She did the entire thing like it was no big deal.

We love our strong-willed sweetie and are eager to see what else she will do with her life!

Here We Go!

Last night was a very big night for our family.  For the last several months (and I mean SEVERAL) we have been working on an adoption home study.  Last night the big night when the social worker came out and interviewed us and looked at our home.  To say I was nervous would be an understatement.  The interview was actually really great.  She started by asking our kids questions about their basic information and how they felt about having a new child join the family.  It was so sweet to hear their thoughts.  The worker asked them what might be a downside to having a new sister or brother, and Giggles (who is now nine) answered that she might have to share her room.  She was asked if that made her feel differently about adopting, and she said "No, it's okay!  I don't mind!"  What a sweetie.  :)

The home inspection was so much easier than I had anticipated.  It was nice that we (and by we I mean Ethan) completely re-organized the garage this weekend, but she didn't even look in there.  Same thing for the inside of the fridge and showers, which I had scrubbed like a madwoman.  I'm not complaining, though; we have really appreciated having everything so clean and organized for the last few days!  

I had no idea how long it would take for the study to be approved.  I feel like I've been holding my breath for so long, just waiting to see if we will be able to do this.  When I asked last night, I just loved our social worker's response.  She said, "Oh, the approval on this will just take a couple of weeks, and it's not your family that is being approved, it's my report.  If I'd had any concerns about you I would have mentioned it by now."  What a great thing to hear!  I was so worried that we wouldn't be good enough.  But now that the we have gotten this far we will just be waiting to hear that we are certified to adopt!!  I can't wait.  

One last funny moment from last night.  Bubba (who is now seven) is really into sniffing (and occasionally licking) people, and he probably sniffed the social worker a half dozen times.  Luckily she has a daughter with special needs herself and she was very accommodating.  We just love his crazy quirks! 

Time Flies

Several years ago I kind of fell into keeping a blog.  It seemed like a good way to record family history, and I'm a spontaneous type of girl, so off I went.  As life picked up steam it became harder and harder to devote time to it.  I eventually decided it wasn't a priority, so I stopped blogging.  But earlier this week a dear friend asked me about our family blog.  I looked it up to make sure I was giving her the right address, and now I'm regretting that I let a year and a half pass without recording anything.  Life is still as busy as ever, but I'm going to try to record some memories here!

On Memorial Day we took the kids for a hike.  They all did really great, despite the girls' fear of seeing a rattlesnake or getting into poison ivy (which were both legitimate concerns).  We attempted to go up to this cave at one point, and I was climbing while supporting Calico.  My enthusiasm outweighed my abilities and before I knew it she and I were sliding down the side of the hill, with nothing to stop our fall.  Hello road rash!  I was so grateful to Spunky, who is the planner in our family.  She had packed a full first-aid kit and it came in handy.  Calico skinned both elbows but was so excited to be out on a hike that it barely bothered her.  She is becoming quite the brave four-year-old.

What Seeds Are You Sowing?

This morning was one of those mornings where I thought I was going to ship my girls off to public school if I heard them argue one more time.  They were just. not. getting. along.  We were taking a break from studies and tidying up when I heard another argument break out.  Frustrated, I told them to separate and then meet me in the kitchen in 10 minutes.

A while back we ordered a book that a friend had recommended called "For Instruction In Righteousness".  There are some beautiful ideas in this book for using God's word to guide our families.  I decided to work with my girls on one of the ideas from the book.  So .  . .

When the girls met me in the kitchen I handed them two containers and had them go get some fresh dirt.  When they came back in the house I had them sit down and told them we were going to plant some seeds.  I handed them a packet labeled "Strife and Contention" with pictures of angry flowers.  (Since I only spent a few minutes making the packets it wasn't like they were perfect, but they worked.)  On the back of the packet the description read "Guaranteed to produce large, stinky blooms.  Long-lasting quality.  Ingredients: selfishness, anger, spite".

The look on their faces was pretty cute.  Giggles was alarmed that they might actually grow stinky flowers.  I urged them to open up the packet and get to work.  (The packet contained grains of rice.)

After they had planted their "seeds" I held up another packet labeled "Peace and Joy".

"Now, girls . . . this is what kind of flowers I want you to grow.  The description on the back here says that these flowers will smell sweet and be pleasing to the eye.  The ingredients are selflessness and humility."

They just stared at me for a second.

"Okay, start growing these flowers!" I urged, pointing to the "sweet" flowers.

Giggles looked confused, "We can't grow that; we planted the wrong seeds!"

This naturally led to a great discussion about what kind of "seeds" we plant each day.  I swear I've talked with them about this kind of thing before but have never seen such interest.  Gotta love hands-on teaching!  Some verses we studied after this were Proverbs 16:28, Proverbs 20:3, and Proverbs 17:14.

I hope that this might be a help to some other parent, because it certainly made a difference to us today!  :)

Lest I Forget . . .

My babe (Calico, age 2 1/2) has made some adorable statements lately.  A sampling:

Broccoli is "flower power".

Instead of simply being cold, we often hear, "I so feezing!"

Of course she wants to pray for dinner like everyone else, so on her last rotation her prayer went something like this . . . "Thank you for the God, and thank you for the Jesus."

I took a Sunday afternoon nap recently and was woken by my sweet girl and her handful of Polly Pockets.  While relaxing with her I yawned and she stuck a Polly Pocket in my mouth.  After I sputtered and told her not to put her toys in my mouth, she marched her Polly back to the other dolls and said, "Hi girls!  I just went swimming at the pool!"

Whenever she is asked about her age, her prompt reply is, "I am seven."  She thinks her 7-year-old sister, Giggles, is the coolest thing ever.

I was going on a quick trip to the store, sans kids, and had barely made it to the door when I heard a screech.  Calico came running to me, picked up some new (to her) Nike tennis shoes she had just gotten, and exclaimed, "Take me and my pretty shoes with you!"

During school the other day I was reviewing our science lesson with the girls.  I asked them, "Nicolas Capernicus rightly assumed that what was the center of the universe, that everything revolved around?  Before either girl could speak up, Calico shouted "me"!  (Side note: I really don't think she had a clue what we were talking about and just has excellent timing.)

One more.  In the above photo she had exclaimed, "I made a snowman!"  If you look closely, you can see the milk spill in the shape of . . . yes, a snowman.  :)

Camping's For the Birds!

Well, we finally did it.  The hubby and I braved the woods with our little crew of munchkins.  Thanks to an extremely kind friend we were lucky enough to have a camper to use.  We were also lucky enough to get to go with some good friends we met at co-op last year.  So. . .

We headed out bright and early Saturday morning.  Due to a last-minute change in vehicle, we ended up putting the dog in his kennel for the ride.  (He loves his kennel.)

 

He seemed just fine, but when we got to the campground we got him out and he had blood all over his head.    We weren't sure how it had happened but we tried to clean him up as best as we could.

For some reason we ended up getting to the site at the absolute hottest time of day.  I had planned to lay the little two down for naps, but it wasn't a reality with the heat.  So we wandered down to the beach to cool off.

After a bit we came back to the camp and finished setting everything up.  We had discovered a leak coming from the trailer when we started using the water, so we scratched the idea of water.  I have to say . . . at this point I was getting a little nervous.  Yeah, I know.  Everyone who reads this has probably camped in the middle of nowhere with nothing but a sleeping bag, but I hadn't.  We had a faucet with water outside the trailer so it was okay, just different.  

A big hit for all the girls was biking.

After dinner was the most anticipated (by the kids) part of the trip:  s'mores!!

That night we put Bubba and Calico down to sleep first, which went fairly well.  Our plan was to let the kids spread out in the camper and we would sleep outside in a tent.  When Spunky and Giggles came into the camper to sleep, they somehow woke Calico.  She started crying and woke Bubba.  He was the one I was most afraid to have woken up, because once he's awake he can stay awake for hours.  True to form, he laughed, and walked around the camper, and laughed some more . . . forever!  He didn't want the camper door shut with us outside, so I decided to lay next to him until he fell asleep.  Unfortunately, it didn't seem like either of us slept much that night.

The next morning we just relaxed and finally made it over to another beach.  

It was so cute seeing the little ones play in the sand.  

We went for a nice, scenic drive.

And came back to camp for a little bit of packing up while the kids played.  

What I loved:  seeing how happy the kiddos were, spending time with our friends

What I was challenged by: dirt, little sleep, cooking w/o easy water access, dirt, the dog bleeding, dirt

Yeah. I need to embrace dirt a little more.   

The day after we got home two girls went to the doctor and the dog went to the vet.  One girl had an ear infection, one had pinkeye.  The dog had cut the tips of his ears on his kennel, and there wasn't really anything the vet could do about it.  (Offered a surgery but said there was no guarantee it would help.)  The poor pup is still bleeding, and it's been a week.

Sigh.

I really feel like camping is something I need to like.  So, I'm working on it.  Everyone camps, right?  Until next time . . .  ;)

Summer 2012

While it may seem tempting as a homeschool mom schedule nothing during the summer, I can't seem to let it all go.  Call me crazy, but letting the kids choose their own activities twelve-plus hours a day has not worked in our favor!  They, and I, need some structure.

Last summer we did something fun by diving into the Little House on the Prairie Series.  Besides reading, we had friends over to create pioneer crafts.  We still have the bonnets we made in our dress-up box.  This summer the girls have been asking to do something similar, so we may read through the Anne of Green Gables books.  And just to help us do some of the things we really want to do, we're trying a fun new schedule.  It looks like this (along with our plans for this week):


MAKE IT MONDAY

Create wearable shoes from specific amounts of cardboard, fabric, and duct tape.  Here's the link to our inspiration.

TIME TO READ TUESDAY

Obvious one here . . . visit the library!

WORK IT WEDNESDAY

Organize the school room - clean out those desks.  :)

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY

Take treats to Daddy's work and gifts to M.  (Our little friend who broke her leg last week.)

FRIEND FRIDAY

Invited the W. family over to play!

Happy Summer!

Soccer

This post was supposed to have been written a week ago, but by the end of the story you'll see why I'm kind of glad I waited.  Last Wednesday our three oldest kiddos got to participate in a soccer program at our new church.  It's fantastic.  They learn the skills and get to play in teams for an hour, then they come in and have a time of worship and learning.  So, here they are:

Spunky in action!

Giggles taking a much-needed break.

And then we have Bubba.

Bubba absolutely fell apart last week at soccer.  At the beginning of the session I went out with the whole group of kids to do warm-ups with him.  Did he stay in one place to do jumping jacks?  No, he ran from child to child, kicking everyone's personal soccer balls and generally upsetting the other kids.  When they split into smaller groups he didn't want to go with the other five-year-olds.  When I walked over to the group another boy groaned and (using his real name, of course), moaned, "Do we have to have Bubba on our team?"  That, of course, made me want to go home and cry!  He gradually got more and more stressed out until he burst into tears and begged to go look at the railroad tracks.  (There are some railroad tracks just a short ways from the church.)  So this was a picture of him hanging out with Daddy, looking at the tracks.

Discouraged doesn't even come close to describing how Ethan and I felt on the way home that night.  We probably wouldn't have brought him back without the kind encouragement of a mom with an older autistic child. But we thought we'd give it a try.

Week two, last night, was a whole different story.  We started Bubba off with a buddy, a teen girl who must have an infinite amount of patience.  I was in a Bible study when Ethan texted a photo to me with the words, "You may not be able to see, but he's kicking the ball into the goal here!"  I thought I was going to jump out of my chair with joy!

By the end of the night, he was doing all the drills with the help of his new friend.  I get emotional even writing about it; it's such a big accomplishment.  This verse from Lamentations has been in my mind all day.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning,
great is Your faithfulness.


His mercies are new every morning!

Sister, Sister

Having never grown up with a sister, it was a huge delight when I discovered our second child was also a girl.  I dreamed of tea parties and secrets between the two little ones.  Friendship that would grow at the kitchen table and in the backyard . . . and last for a lifetime.  So it makes me especially happy when I see things like this:

It may be hard to read, but this was part of a beautifully decorated invitation from Spunky to Giggles.  An invitation to a slumber party, specifically.  It's been just over three months since they've shared a room but they were missing each other.  The invite included a list of things to bring, including a sleeping bag.  However, Giggles was a little put out that her big sister expected her to sleep on the floor!  So, the slumber party was short-lived.  :)

Someday I hope my girls will see what a privilege it is to have each other!

I So Scary.

It all started with a shriek and a cry coming from the staircase tonight.  I ran to see what what happening with Calico, who was supposed to be going upstairs with Giggles for a bath.  Big sis could only say, "I don't know what happened, she just seemed afraid and wouldn't go up there."

Calico reached for me, saying, "I want Mommy."  I asked my sweet, tear-stained baby to tell me all about it.  "I  so scary," she confided.

She seemed to do just fine during her bath, but when Daddy came in to say hi she whispered, "I so scary with the Cookie Monster."

What?!

This kiddo has never even seen an episode of Sesame Street, as far as I know.  When Daddy took her down the hall to get pajamas on she pointed fearfully to the attic access and mumbled about the Cookie Monster.  Then her sister opened her bedroom door as she was walking past and she screamed.  Poor girl.

Before being completely ready for bed Calico talked with me about dinosaurs and ghosts.  She pointed to the ceiling again with the dinosaurs.  I've never had a child this young so verbal about her fears.  She just barely turned two!

I tucked her in tonight between her two best stuffed friends, "Flop" the penguin and "Puppy" the dog.  We prayed together and asked God to give her peace.  I pray my little girl will have sweet dreams tonight.

Easter Egg-Stravaganza!

When I told Ethan we were invited to an egg hunt for children with autism and their families, he replied, "That is going to be the worst egg hunt ever!"  After laughing and agreeing, I did wonder what it would look like.  It was pretty fun, though.  The organizers had some great ideas.  For one, they included sensory bins with eggs in them.  For children who may not understand the idea of a hunt, they could sit at a table and rifle through Easter grass.  Bubba tried it out and found probably every chocolate in the bin in like seven seconds.  They also had a couple of bunnies the kids could pet and a whole bunch of people blowing bubbles for the kids to play in. 

The most heart-warming part of the event for me was watching the brothers and sisters helping their autistic siblings.  For our kids it has burden but a much greater blessing to help Bubba.  His big sisters remind him to put his clothes on, flush the toilet, clear the table, shut the door, etc, etc, etc.  They cheer him on when he finishes a puzzle or colors a picture.   And someday his baby sister will probably do the same for him. 

Something I hadn't counted on; while watching the kids playing on the slides I talked with another mom for a bit.  We were pointing out our kids and as I motioned to Bubba, who was squealing and  wearing this doll beanie he occasionally likes to shove on his head, I felt as if I was seeing my son for the first time as an autistic child.  Not as my baby boy, but as a child with autism.  It was almost like an out-of-body experience.  I think that probably happens to all parents of special needs kids at some point.  I just stared at him for a minute and saw how joyful he was.  He didn't look anything like a "typical" kiddo, but he was clearly having the time of his life!

So Saturday did NOT end up being "the worst egg hunt ever".  It was, instead, enlightening.

I Am Extremely Magical

Or at least my kids think so.  Want to know why?  You may want to sit down.  I moved the outdoor slide into the living room!

Oh my.  You would have thought we'd announced we were going to Disneyland.  I'm talking about at least two hours of giggling and joyful shouts.  It was great.

Grandma also got points this week for finding a fun and unusual toy for them:  PigJax.  Yes, a game of jacks with little pigs.  Weird, but fun.  Giggles has enjoyed them so much I suggested maybe we re-decorate her room in pigs, just to tease her.  She was not in support.

It's the little things in life.

April Fools

After being inspired by Pinterest I set out to make an April Fools dinner my kids wouldn't forget.  We started with cupcakes.  They were SO excited!  Giggles stared at them for a minute and said, "That's not frosting, is it?"  I just let her try it.  She and Spunky figured out pretty quickly that it was really meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  Little Calico dug right in with no comment, so I guess two years old is too young to know what food is supposed to look like.  Bubba had the best reaction of all.  He had the biggest smile on his face until he took his first bite.  Poor kid.  It took him forever to get around to eating it, but once he did he seemed to like it pretty well.  I've always made pizza-flavored meatloaf because my kids prefer it.

After eating cupcakes it was time for our dessert: grilled cheese sandwiches!  The kids were on to me by this point.  They loved the toasted pound cake with yellow frosting.  It really looked convincing. 

We've never had any April Fool's Day traditions before this, but I think this one is going to stick.  It's just too much fun!

My Life Verse

There are so many beautiful, life-changing verses in the Bible.  I've never been able to pick just one that has a particular meaning for my entire life, but there is one that keeps coming back to me and I read it again just recently.  It's found in the book of John; the third chapter. 

²⁷ John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ ²⁹ He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. ³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.
(New King James)

Verse 30 is so amazing to me .  . . "He must increase, but I must decrease."  The New International Version words it this way, "He must become greater, I must become less." 

How has this been a comfort and strength in my life?

When Bubba has screamed endlessly and I just want to throw in the towel.  He must become greater, I must become less.

When I hurt my husband by a thoughtless comment, and I remember.  He must become greater, I must become less.

When I'm frustrated by my children, who are still learning and growing in their maturity.  He must become greater, I must become less. 

When I'm tempted and tried.  He must become greater, I must become less.

No matter the situation, the truth remains the same.  Why does this give me hope?  Because I don't have to carry the weight of perfection.  He is greater!

"Boo Wice" and Other Stories

The other night Ethan and I went out to help our friends prepare for the very first service in the church they are starting.  How will God work through it?  I can't wait to see.  It's exciting!

While we were out we left our little monkeys in the hands of teenage twin brothers who have babysat for us before.  The two of them do a great job with the kids. When they gave an account of the night, it came up that Bubba wouldn't eat his dinner.  (It was Louisiana red beans and rice.)  That's nothing new.  However, he did keep asking for "boo wice".  After a few attempts to understand him, Spunky finally asked if he wanted blue rice.  And strangely enough, that's what he wanted.  No, he's never had blue rice.  I have no idea where that came from, but they mixed a couple drops of food coloring in and he was as happy as could be!

Now on to the slew of pictures . . .

 Here's Spunky in a career class she took in our co-op learning to do web design. 

 Some of the girls from our co-op on a field trip to the science museum.

 Bubba strikes again!  He thought is was absolutely hilarious to put stickers on the dog.  Archer had no opinion.

 Our sweet girl getting her ears pierced! 

Game night with friends.

I'm super proud of my little reader, Giggles.  We were trying to figure out which Magic Treehouse books she still had to read and discovered that she read ALL of them this winter.  (Okay, all except two, because I didn't approve them.)  That's like 45 books.  She's bummed that the next book isn't supposed to come out until fall, so we're trying to find some alternatives.  We decided to start the illustrated classics.  She's currently reading Pollyanna.

Calico is keeping our hands full right now.  Two-year-olds are SO much fun!  Her daddy has been working with her to chew with her mouth closed, and the other night at dinner she got a reminder.  I wish I had a picture of her reaction.  She just stared at him for a second, then put one hand under her chin and one on top of her head before slowly and deliberately chewing (while staring defiantly).  I really think she was being sarcastic, although I've never seen someone that little exhibit that behavior.  We'll be keeping our eye on this one.  :)

Fun Day Monday

Sometimes this old mom breaks out of the routine.  Last night was one of those nights.  I can't remember why, but it just seemed like the late afternoon/evening was dragging on and on!  I knew the kids had some energy to get out, so we did relay races.  They lined up and took turns running a set course downstairs with a ribbon.  Since they didn't have another team to race, I timed their trials and then they tried to beat their fastest time.  The best part of this was watching Bubba.  He was absolutely hilarious.  Imagine giving the ribbon to a boisterous puppy and you'll get the idea.  Instead of tagging the couch (halfway point) he would take off in a different direction, roll with it, laugh like crazy.  It made the timed trials somewhat unpredictable.  :)

Next each child got a ribbon and we turned up the music.  They danced while I attempted to take pictures. 

After that we made miniature calzones.  The kids loved making their own.  You may notice Calico looking sad; I think she wanted to roll out the dough but couldn't quite get the hang of it. 

The finale of the night was curling up with a book.  We're reading through by "The Sign of the Beaver" by Elizabeth George Speare.  It's part of our curriculum so the big girls were pretty interested.  The little two . . . not so much! 



Snowstorm in March

I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the weather anymore, but I had mixed emotions when I opened the curtains to see some crazy snow coming down the first day of March.  The girls felt no uncertainty; it was pure joy to get another day to play!  They love jumping on the trampoline in it, and I've even caught the dog out there a time or two. 

Anyone else looking forward to spring?