One Great Vacation

We have been back almost a week now from our family vacation to Lagoon. The best thing we did on this vacation was take Grandpa and Grandma with us. It was so wonderful to let Ryan and Samantha hang with them sometimes so Ethan and I could spend time with the big girls. (One memorable moment: going to Target and not having to carry or push anybody in a cart!) We are so thankful that we were able to get away from it all for a few days. One thing I learned on this trip was that either rollercoasters have gotten scarier or I have become a wimp over the last decade! Either way, it's fun to try doing something you used to love. Sometimes you find yourself loving it all over again!

Back To School

We have been back in school now for over a week. Our neighbors across the street asked me about homeschooling their little girl, M, who is in Kindergarten. After a LOT of prayer and talking with the hubs, we finally agreed to do it. So this year I am teaching a second grader, first grader, and a kindergartner. I know a lot of homeschooling moms probably wouldn't sign on for this, but it is really a lifesaver for me to be able to help financially right now. Here's what our typical school morning looks like:

9:00 Start the day with prayer. We read great books that cover different periods of history and
parts of the world and then I ask questions to help their understanding. Finish this time
by listening to a cd with geography songs (and dancing -- there's always silly dancing!)
9:30 Split up and have individual reading lessons. When the girls are not working on their
reading with me they work on their handwriting at their desks.
10:00 Language arts. Hands-on activities, work on the whiteboard, etc.
10:30 Recess
10:50 Snack time -- we talk about character training (ie. diligence, obedience, patience)
11:00 Science -- we read aloud from our science books and then they answer questions
either at their desks or aloud to me.
11:30 Math
12:00 End of school day!

I love how our days are set up although this isn't a strict schedule. Some days we will have science experiments or craft time. At some point this week we will be making bricks to go along with our learning about the Egyptians and pyramids. School is fun! (Now you can all laugh at me in two weeks when I post about how tired I am. jk!)

Two Years

Our family has fallen victim to the latest (and not-so-greatest) stomach flu. Yuck. I don't think I've ever seen my husband this sick. The kids and I have gotten through it okay for the most part. Now if we could just fumigate the house . . .

Tonight I was cuddling with Sammie after feeding her and telling her what an adorable little person she is. From her squishy cheeks, to her chubby thighs, to her fuzzy hair, to her round little tummy -- oh, I wish I could just freeze time! As I ran my finger across her belly she let out a giggle and I had a thought come to me, unbidden. Tomorrow my Isaac would have been two years old! Two! It's hard to imagine. And yet this anniversary is easier to handle when I have his sister to hold on to.

Does anyone else still think of him? Or is it just Ethan and I? He is so precious to us. Although I don't know what else tomorrow will bring, I think I might have to get his box from the hospital down and hold onto the blanket we held him in. And I'll thank God for the five beautiful kids He's given us.

Lessons I've Learned This Summer

1. Thirty minutes is not long enough to make a sound decision on whether or not you should get an exchange student.

2. Nail polish will come out of carpet if you work really, really fast.

3. Encouraging your kids to submit projects to the local fair is only a good idea if you REALLY want to help finish all those projects.

4. Sometimes the people you least expect end up becoming the greatest friends.

5. You can't count on hot weather for swimming lessons, even in August.

6. Marriage can still be exciting after almost ten years.

7. Holding your breath around bees can keep you from getting stung. (Thanks Tab!)

8. A piece of plywood is not the best platform for a backyard campfire.

9. Yardsales are always hard work, even when you aren't pregnant.

10. Turtles move a lot faster in the backyard when you aren't watching them.

Ready, Set, Go!

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this already, but after a lengthy stay in the hospital (and turning 30) I was ready to get serious about working out. So with Ethan's encouragement I started running back in March after Sammie turned one month. Well, it was more like running/walking/running/walking. Mostly walking. :) In June I ran my first 5k -- it was worth every day of preparation!

This summer my sweet friend and neighbor Katie agreed to run with me in the mornings and it has been SO much better than training alone. We don't have a specific race we're training for but I found THIS one and had to look twice. Might be a blast with a group. What do you think?

Lockers

I can't believe it's already August! I have been horrible about posting the last few weeks, but am resolving to be better this month. :)

So my dad called us yesterday morning to ask if we might have any use for some lockers, like you use in school. I said "YES" because I love pretty much anything I can use for storage. His company was getting rid of some and let the employees take them. Ours kind of look like this:

. . . except the bottoms do not have feet; they are flush with the floor. Oh, and they are not this nice shade of blue, they are MAROON. There's a color I will never decorate with -- talk about the '80's. (Apologies here to anyone who loves maroon. It's just not my thing.) So they will be getting painted.

I posted a question on facebook to see what other people would use these lockers for in a playroom, and here are the results so far.

-- dress-up clothes

-- art supplies

-- awkward-shaped toys

-- books and puzzles

I like all of these ideas, but as usual I have thought of something completely over the top that we probably can't/won't do. I was thinking . . . what if we cut out the back of one of them and made it a secret doorway into a hidden room?! How fun would that be? I'd probably get stuck trying to show the kids, knowing my luck. :) Anyway . . . there are some serious possibilites!

Ryan News

So Ryan is fortunate enough to be off the waiting list for speech therapy now. He has been going for about three weeks and this week his therapist said the little ball at the back of his throat is tilted. (I don't remember what it's called -- any help, speech therapist friends?) She also said he has some sort of sinus issue. She is referring him to a doctor and says if it is fixed he should be able to speak more clearly. I wonder if he'll have to have surgery? I find it really interesting.