An Unwanted Guess

The stomach bug came and visited us last week.
Doesn't it know it has overstayed it's welcome?

Dear stomach bug:
First you said hi to one twin.
Then four days later the other.
And not wanting to leave anyone out,
you said howdy to the oldest today.
Hubby is trying to refuse your generous hello.
You know better than to say hi to Mommy.
Mommy don't play your bug games.
So, I am asking, no ordering you to go home.

I want my peanut butter and jelly loving,

stuff my face,

And lean in for a big kiss children back.
So go away stomach bug.

Do you think he heard me?

Lord, I do want to thank you for not letting the stomach bug
say hello to everyone at the same time.

A Gardening Curriculum

Came across this horticulture site. I have not fully looked at the site, but it seems to have promise. It is called Growing a Green Generation. It is a horticulture curriculum for pre-school and kindergarten age children. It is supported by Sustainable Horticulture University of New Hampshire. Yes, I live way down in the Coastal South, but this site has some wonderful ideas and activities to do with young children. Now, I am not one for a "curriculum" for the young ones, but this looks more like a living curriculum. What better way to get your kids in the garden? This site I think can be adapted to the region where you live with little effort. Main idea is to get the kids outside and in the dirt, why not grow something too? Anyway, thought some might be interested. I am. Many blessings.

Preparing for a Home School Convention

At Simply Charlotte Mason there is a nice post about preparing for a Home School Convention. I wished I had read this before we attended our first last year. The biggest surprise for me was the vendor hall. I was overwhelmed. We ended up spending money on things that we have not used because they "looked sooo pretty" all packaged up. Also, I am a sucker for a good sales pitch.
This year we are taking SCM's advise and are preparing by making list of publishers that sell things that are based on our family's learning style. We are going to take that list in the vendor hall with us. We are going to also "wait" 15 minutes before buying anything. If I really feel we need it after 15 minutes of thought, then we will make the purchase. Usually 15 minutes is all I need to make that "do we need this or do I want this."

I have made a book list of books needed and am looking forward to the used book sale. The used book sale is my favorite thing about the Home School Convention. This is one place I might buy extra, but if the book costs less than 2 bucks, I will take my chances. But, I will have my list of needed books and will look for them first. Afterwards, it is looking for pleasure and possible "finds."

We leave on Thursday and so far my list of needed books is short. I am hoping that by having a list, I will not get so overwhelmed by the vendor hall. I will have my caffeine free diet coke in hand, maybe two of them, one for each hand for any need anxiety.

We are looking forward to being surrounded by other home schoolers. Looks like the convention has some great speakers planned. Eating out and sight seeing a plus too.

Hymn Book

Hymns for a Kid's Heart is the book we are using as a guide for our year one hymns. This book comes with a short story, Bible verse, prayer, and of course, the hymn words. A CD also comes with the book. We are enjoying this book. We highly recommend it. We are focusing on one hymn per term. Many blessings.

Eyes of Love

Yes, I love you too, my darlings.

Unplugging

I recently came across a blog site called Unplug Your Kids. This week they are having a Unplug Challenge Week. Check out the site: http://www.unplugyourkids.com. I wished I had seen this earlier because I would have loved to join the challenge. We do not watch to much TV during the day anyway, but either late afternoon or night time after dinner, a movie is watched. I think the challenge will be a good one for me especially. I do love my computer and the phone constantly rings. I have tried before of not answering the phone between certain hours to no avail. I need this challenge more than the kids.

So, here goes, starting Monday May 4th- Sunday May 9th, we are going unplugged.

I have a few rules, more for myself than for anybody else.

1) can check e-mails and blogs once a day in the am only
2) no TV period
3) no answering the phone between the hours of 9am and 2pm
and also between 5pm and 8pm. Will make sure friends and family know.

I think that will do. We do not have electronic games or video games, etc. to worry with, so no need to talk about them.

I am excited.
I think I can, I think I can, I think can......
Many blessings.

My My

Got your ear plugs?
This picture speaks for itself.


My oldest was my quiet giant as a baby.
The other twin we call bulldozer because he runs forth with no worries.
But the one pictured is our screamer.
He get frustrated easily, he wants to do everything himself.
He is a stickler for details.
Loves his snakes and his big brother.
But, if something is not right from his point of perspective,
screaming commences.
I know this is just a stage and when talking comes
this shall lessen, but in the meantime my ears hurt.
I do have to say that he is most expressive, dimples and all.

My twins are two and very little talking.
I have heard the term "twin language"
and if no major improvements by end of summer,
we are off to get evaluated.
I know they can hear because they follow commands
and are very responsive.
The Pediatrician says no worries,
language will come.
I just want to hear my little ones precious voices.
What mother doesn't?

Loving Creating Music

My hubby let our oldest play with "Daddy's" keyboards the other night.

Listening to the sounds.

Adding more.

Jamming.
Wanting Mommy and Daddy to listen to the music he is making.
Who needs to pay 50 dollars to see someone.
Many Blessings.

Easter Tree

For the last two years the children at our church have presented
an Easter Tree to the church on Palm Sunday.
They decorated the tree with symbols of Jesus.
I so enjoyed the presentation
that I made an Easter Tree for our house.
This helps to keep the focus on Jesus.
The tree is made of branches found in the back yard.
Styrofoam placed in flower pot made up the base.

Last year the church used an Easter presentation for children
called The Easter Tree
by Gail Gaymer Martin.
This year we used Easter symbols found on
Danielle's Place website.

For our Easter tree , I used symbols from both years.

Many blessings.

Update on Play Area

My hubby has been working hard on the play area.
His weekends are the only time he can work on it.
Of course, there are soccer games,
and honey do lists to complete too.

All that is left is sand for the sand box,
a toddler swing on the end closest,
a pirate ladder by the latter,
and two slides on the far side of the tower and fort,
one slide is short and the other is a tunnel twisting slide.
After that mulch, lots of mulch.
Next on hubby's list is benches and bookshelves.
What fun he says.
Many blessings.

Pictures of 15k- Gate River Run

Thought I would share a few pictures of my last race.

This is my friend and me before the race. I am on the left.
I have been running a few years now,
completing two marathons, my friend
started running with me last April after 10 years of no running.
We haven't stop since. It is great to have a running partner.
We have the same pace and are supportive of each other.
This was my first 15k and frankly I was a little nervous.
I have only really run flat surfaces.
Well, not anymore.

Here is a picture of bridge one on our run.

This picture is the halfway up the green monster,
the last bridge of the race.
This monster is the last mile and a half of the race.
We ran up and up and up.

Here we are with our medals to prove we finished.
See our motivational hats?
26.2 miles.
My friend has never ran a marathon.
She now wants to.
Disney 2010 here we come.
But first, let's see:
5k- check
10k-check
15k- check
1/2 marathon- October 2009
marathon- January 2010
lots of training in between and maybe a 5k or two.

Many blessings

Training

Starting today I am going to be more consistent in blogging about my running. I think this will help make me more accountable to myself and my training. Hmmmm.....What was my last running post? Oh, the Disney marathon back in January that I had to drop out of and probably had no business running...stomach virus. Anyway since then I have run a 10K trail run, not a favorite and a 15K. The 10k run was in February and it was cold and 4 miles of it was through a marsh and it was muddy and uneven. Scenery was nice, loved the sign that said "Beware wild alligators." Tail running can be tough if you are not use to it and I wasn't, so it was rough. Great pancake breakfast afterwards though and now I can say "done it." The 15k was the River Gate Run in Jacksonville in March. My friend and I loved this race, we ran it at an conversational pace because we do not know how we would do at the bridges. The last mile of the race consists of a bridge they call the green monster and it was. I have no trouble going up hills, it is the down hills that give me trouble. I have had two knee surgeries. Going down that bridge my left knee was doing a hula dance, it was that unstable, but I made it. I will have to think twice about another race that has a bridge that steep, but who knows. After both races felt great, no soreness the next day.
Have a couple of 5ks on the horizon, but my next big race is not til October, a half marathon. Probably two more half marathons after that then the big one---The 2010 Disney Marathon.
Many blessings.

First Year of Homeschooling- Summing It Up

Things have been busy around here of late. Computer crashing, season of Lent and Easter, Spring weather, mild sickness, running, and homeschooling.

On the homeschooling front, we are on what one would call a steady course. Our "kindergarten" year will be completed in May. My son has improved greatly over this past year. We are so proud of him. Reading was a huge obstacle for him, but not anymore. He is my little reading machine. Handwriting, WOW! is all I got to say. Stepping back and concentrating on perfect letter formation was the key for him. Math, our focus has been from a "hands on" approach with some worksheets too. We have really enjoyed our read aloud books this year. We have read many. We are currently reading Saint George and the Dragon, The Tales of King Arthur and His Knights, and The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit. My son is very interested in knights if you could not already tell. We have also spent as much time outside as possible. My husband and I really want our kids to enjoy the outdoors. We want them to be kids. Much learning is done through play. Our oldest has had very little exposure to the computer. What exposure he has is educational. This is an decision we have made and are happy with it. There will be plenty of time for computers later. There has been lots of art, lots of creativity with Lego's, army men and such.
Anyway, this is a quick sum up of our first year of homeschooling. It was not as easy as I first thought, but not as hard as others said. I learned quickly that if something is not working for your child, it is okay to stop and try something else. We tweaked a lot this year, we delayed things for next year when we found our child was not quite ready, we skipped things when it was obvious he already knew, we homeschool. It is rewarding to watch your child grow and learn right before your own eyes and not through reports of others. With such individualized one on one teaching, what parent could ask for more?

Did my oldest learn all that "they" say he should in kindergarten? I looked at what a child should know at the completion of kindergarten in our state. The answer is a big YES! But, let me make myself clear, we are not using what "they" say should be taught as our guide. We do not want to sell our children short. We feel as parents, it is our right to choose what is best for our children. We will choose the style and the pace. Believe me, our children will have learned beyond what any school could teach by the time they graduate. Enough of that, I think you get my point.

We plan to school year round, so our year one will start in June. I am in the planning stages of our year one, but the end is in site. So, far we are pleased with what we have selected for year one. We are a Charlotte Mason style homeschool family. We are using a combination of Ambleside online, Simple Charlotte Mason, and readings from Charlotte Mason herself as our guide. Looking forward to year one, but don't want time to go by too fast either. Trying to hold on to these precious years as much as possible. Many blessings.