June 26, 2011
June 23, 2011
Kenna's Comments
Kenna has such a cute way of wording things and constantly makes me smile with her words. I don't write them down often enough, so while I'm thinking about it, here are a couple of things she has said recently that I wanted to remember.
This morning, while helping me make fruit and yogurt parfaits for breakfast, she ran to get her stool and headed for the sink to wash the berries, saying, "This will be hopefully fun!"
Last night, when I was cuddling her and talking with her, I was telling her that God made her special and knew her even before she was in my belly like her baby brother. I said, "Kenna, God has a special plan for you!" She looked at me with her eyes sparkling and lowered her voice conspiratorially and said, "What is it?!" As if I could tell her! Don't we ALL want that question answered RIGHT NOW, LOL!
This morning, while helping me make fruit and yogurt parfaits for breakfast, she ran to get her stool and headed for the sink to wash the berries, saying, "This will be hopefully fun!"
Last night, when I was cuddling her and talking with her, I was telling her that God made her special and knew her even before she was in my belly like her baby brother. I said, "Kenna, God has a special plan for you!" She looked at me with her eyes sparkling and lowered her voice conspiratorially and said, "What is it?!" As if I could tell her! Don't we ALL want that question answered RIGHT NOW, LOL!
June 22, 2011
Summer Activities
Though I'm trying hard not to be TOO busy, we have found a number of opportunities that are too good to pass up! Here are some ways we are currently spending our summer:
1. National Bible Bee. Though we started a week late (because of Camp Jabez), we are on track to be caught up by this coming Sunday evening! Every day we work on a "Sword Study," as we work our way through the book of 1 Peter. I am so proud of the kids' hard work! Charis sets her alarm clock and gets up almost every day on her own to do her Bible study and work on memory verses. I work with Arden, but Tobin prefers to work alone, coming to me now and then for some help. I also have a Sword Study to work on (parents get complimentary copies of the senior level study), which I do during the time Arden and I work together. The material is AMAZING. Everyone is covering the same material but at different levels. I love this program, and we will never go back--it's a summer staple for sure!
2. Piano lessons. The kids' enthusiasm for music has not abated and probably is, in fact, encouraged by a spirit of competition (as in, "It's MY turn to play the piano!! Get off!!") Along with Bible Bee activities, piano practice is a daily task around here, but one that I rarely have to remind the kids to do.
3. Swimming lessons. The kids began this two-week adventure on Monday. Lord willing, the thunderstorms will miraculously stop before and during their lessons so we can get them all in! It was QUITE chilly Monday night! Tuesdays there are no lessons, as the pool hosts swim meets then.
4. Free movies. We're taking advantage of the free movie schedule around here and have gone twice so far. The kids have seen Megamind and Yogi Bear, and Lucan did great! He had never been to a movie at the theater before. I packed dried fruit snacks for the older boys (who can't have popcorn on the GAPS diet) and some all-natural popcorn for the rest of us, and Lucan just enjoyed snacking while sitting on my lap and making little comments on the movie. ("Bus! Noise!" "Bear!") Later on, when we get to the movies like Ramona and Beezus, Percy Jackson, and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I plan to have someone watch Lucan and Kenna and just take the older ones.
5. Park play dates. I've met several friends for lunch at different parks. Lucan always seems to have great naps these days. :-)
1. National Bible Bee. Though we started a week late (because of Camp Jabez), we are on track to be caught up by this coming Sunday evening! Every day we work on a "Sword Study," as we work our way through the book of 1 Peter. I am so proud of the kids' hard work! Charis sets her alarm clock and gets up almost every day on her own to do her Bible study and work on memory verses. I work with Arden, but Tobin prefers to work alone, coming to me now and then for some help. I also have a Sword Study to work on (parents get complimentary copies of the senior level study), which I do during the time Arden and I work together. The material is AMAZING. Everyone is covering the same material but at different levels. I love this program, and we will never go back--it's a summer staple for sure!
2. Piano lessons. The kids' enthusiasm for music has not abated and probably is, in fact, encouraged by a spirit of competition (as in, "It's MY turn to play the piano!! Get off!!") Along with Bible Bee activities, piano practice is a daily task around here, but one that I rarely have to remind the kids to do.
3. Swimming lessons. The kids began this two-week adventure on Monday. Lord willing, the thunderstorms will miraculously stop before and during their lessons so we can get them all in! It was QUITE chilly Monday night! Tuesdays there are no lessons, as the pool hosts swim meets then.
4. Free movies. We're taking advantage of the free movie schedule around here and have gone twice so far. The kids have seen Megamind and Yogi Bear, and Lucan did great! He had never been to a movie at the theater before. I packed dried fruit snacks for the older boys (who can't have popcorn on the GAPS diet) and some all-natural popcorn for the rest of us, and Lucan just enjoyed snacking while sitting on my lap and making little comments on the movie. ("Bus! Noise!" "Bear!") Later on, when we get to the movies like Ramona and Beezus, Percy Jackson, and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, I plan to have someone watch Lucan and Kenna and just take the older ones.
5. Park play dates. I've met several friends for lunch at different parks. Lucan always seems to have great naps these days. :-)
Time Is Flying!
Is it just because it's summer that time is going so quickly?! Even the kids are commenting on how quickly the weeks are going by! Ted left home a month ago today...hard to believe. Life has been speeding along ever since. I hope it continues, but I suspect we'll hit a long, hard, uphill road come fall/winter time when I'm a zombie from not sleeping much, the kids are slogging through schoolwork, and the house is a falling-apart mess. Guess I should enjoy the sensation of time passing quickly while I can!
Last week was very, VERY full. Here are the highlights:
* Monday--OB appointment, 90 minutes of exploring Carriage Hill MetroPark, chiropractor appointment. Very fun morning out with the kids, who were so well behaved and had a blast exploring the old farm! The park expedition was a last-minute idea, so I didn't have the camera with me. The weather was just too perfect to NOT be doing something outside.
* Tuesday--piano lessons, picked up milk at the farm while the kids played at Julia's.
* Wednesday--cooked and cleaned a bit preparing for company.
* Thursday--welcomed my Aunt Iola and Uncle Al, along with my cousin Reema and her twin girls Maelin and Joyella. Ben, Reema's husband, had been at a conference at Cedarville all week, and we met him at Young's Dairy for lunch, ice cream, and play time. Late afternoon we came home for Lucan to take a nap, though he never did fall asleep, and Reema and I enjoyed some quiet time to visit while the rest of the gang played at the park down the road. We ate a spaghetti pie dinner here with carrot cake for dessert and said our goodbyes around bedtime. We thought the family would be heading on Friday morning; however, Reema (who has MS) had what seemed to be a seizure and fell over in the hotel bathroom. They took her to the hospital that night.
* Friday--Uncle Al brought the twins to our house for the day. I was so thankful that we had cleared our schedule beforehand...after a busy week, I had decided I needed to just stay home and get some work done in the kitchen. The boys went to Justin's house to play, and Kenna, Charis, and Lucan happily played with their cousins both inside and outside. Maelin and Joyella left around dinner time to be with their family, and the kids and I had our pizza and movie night.
* Saturday--Uncle Al and the twins came over again, as Reema was still in the hospital. Al did some laundry here, and once again the kids had a blast playing together. The girls really enjoyed some of the toys we have that they don't, and they spent many hours building things with various magnets and blocks and playing in the tents that the kids had made during an early rainstorm. Ben joined us in the afternoon, and I was happy to have some help cleaning out our leftovers, as the fridge was overflowing! We had dinner together, and then they headed out. Thankfully, even though Reema had been vomiting during the day, she was released from the hospital that night, and they were able to head home Sunday morning. I'm sure they were relieved to be able to just get out of there and go home! Not quite the way they planned to end their vacation. But we were glad to be able to let the kids play together longer. I don't get to see these family members very often at all!
So that wraps up last week! Now we're already halfway through this week...
Last week was very, VERY full. Here are the highlights:
* Monday--OB appointment, 90 minutes of exploring Carriage Hill MetroPark, chiropractor appointment. Very fun morning out with the kids, who were so well behaved and had a blast exploring the old farm! The park expedition was a last-minute idea, so I didn't have the camera with me. The weather was just too perfect to NOT be doing something outside.
* Tuesday--piano lessons, picked up milk at the farm while the kids played at Julia's.
* Wednesday--cooked and cleaned a bit preparing for company.
* Thursday--welcomed my Aunt Iola and Uncle Al, along with my cousin Reema and her twin girls Maelin and Joyella. Ben, Reema's husband, had been at a conference at Cedarville all week, and we met him at Young's Dairy for lunch, ice cream, and play time. Late afternoon we came home for Lucan to take a nap, though he never did fall asleep, and Reema and I enjoyed some quiet time to visit while the rest of the gang played at the park down the road. We ate a spaghetti pie dinner here with carrot cake for dessert and said our goodbyes around bedtime. We thought the family would be heading on Friday morning; however, Reema (who has MS) had what seemed to be a seizure and fell over in the hotel bathroom. They took her to the hospital that night.
* Friday--Uncle Al brought the twins to our house for the day. I was so thankful that we had cleared our schedule beforehand...after a busy week, I had decided I needed to just stay home and get some work done in the kitchen. The boys went to Justin's house to play, and Kenna, Charis, and Lucan happily played with their cousins both inside and outside. Maelin and Joyella left around dinner time to be with their family, and the kids and I had our pizza and movie night.
* Saturday--Uncle Al and the twins came over again, as Reema was still in the hospital. Al did some laundry here, and once again the kids had a blast playing together. The girls really enjoyed some of the toys we have that they don't, and they spent many hours building things with various magnets and blocks and playing in the tents that the kids had made during an early rainstorm. Ben joined us in the afternoon, and I was happy to have some help cleaning out our leftovers, as the fridge was overflowing! We had dinner together, and then they headed out. Thankfully, even though Reema had been vomiting during the day, she was released from the hospital that night, and they were able to head home Sunday morning. I'm sure they were relieved to be able to just get out of there and go home! Not quite the way they planned to end their vacation. But we were glad to be able to let the kids play together longer. I don't get to see these family members very often at all!
So that wraps up last week! Now we're already halfway through this week...
June 21, 2011
African Chicken Peanut Butter Soup
So...I've been asked for this recipe quite a bit, so here it is!
AFRICAN CHICKEN PEANUT BUTTER SOUP
Serves 8
3 lbs chicken pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2-3 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 qts chicken broth
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Salt & pepper to taste (I added 1 tsp salt)
Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic several minutes. Stir in curry powder and red pepper flakes. Push aside and add chicken pieces, a few at a time, and cook until golden brown. (I used chicken that was already cooked from making our chicken stock.) Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer ½ hour. Stir in peanut butter and tomatoes. Add squash and cook down. Add potatoes about 20 minutes before serving, cooking just until done.
(We can’t have potatoes on the GAPS diet, so I omitted those and used extra squash. Yum!)
June 11, 2011
Kids at Camp, Day 5
Friday was the last day of Camp Jabez! Arden again worked with the horses and again had hives, but not too badly. It sounded as if they crammed a bit of everything into one day--zip line, rock climbing wall, paddle boats, horse riding...a very full day for them. And thank the Lord, the thunderstorms seemed to work around them for the most part! We got some rain in the morning as we were driving to camp, but it cleared up. It did rain on them a bit, and they had to take shelter for a short while, but God was so gracious to give the kids such good weather during their time at camp!
Kenna, Lucan, and I drove to Trader Joe's after dropping kids off at camp--it was a nice, scenic route, and I really enjoyed the drive. We ran into some friends who were also shopping, and since we weren't in a hurry, it was fun to chat awhile (until the kids started running laps around our shopping carts). We checked out together, and with all the talking, the cashier learned Ted is deployed, and she already knew Jen's husband had recently been deployed. She brought us both a free bouquet of flowers and told us to take them home 'cuz we "deserved them!" So sweet!
Then we hit the health food store for probiotics, the library to make copies and check out a few things (saw 3 more people that we knew there), and the post office to send off Ted's first care package. The kids were so good during all the errands! I was pretty wiped out by the time lunch was finished, so I let Kenna watch a couple of Leap Frog phonics DVDs that I had gotten at the homeschool sale for $1 each while Lucan and I napped.
After Stefanie brought the kids home from camp, I invited Justin to stay and play with our boys, which thrilled them all. Kenna was invited to play and have dinner with her friend from across the street. Charis disappeared to read, and Lucan tried tagging along with the older boys, who didn't really appreciate that much at all! We had a taco dinner, then watched Meet the Robinsons (Kenna was home by then) for our movie night. We hadn't seen it before (Justin had)--well, I think the kids said they had seen parts of it. It's very quirky and quite well done. Interesting themes!
It was a very full week for all of us, although I do regret not being a little more on top of the housework--today we have been cleaning like mad, but it still seems we have so much more to do! Finding ants in 3 different rooms of the house hasn't helped. Sigh. It's hard to keep up with crumbs around here. But on the plus side, I can see the carpet in the kids' bedrooms again, and I've deep-cleaned all 4 bathrooms...just need to finish up by scrubbing the master tub (where we bathe Kenna and Lucan) and my shower. (That's my LEAST favorite household chore, by the way, whether or not I have a pregnant belly!) Hopefully by the time the kids get in bed we will have finished picking up the various, unrelated objects strewn all about the house, vacuumed, and mopped. I think we've earned a day of rest for tomorrow!
Kenna, Lucan, and I drove to Trader Joe's after dropping kids off at camp--it was a nice, scenic route, and I really enjoyed the drive. We ran into some friends who were also shopping, and since we weren't in a hurry, it was fun to chat awhile (until the kids started running laps around our shopping carts). We checked out together, and with all the talking, the cashier learned Ted is deployed, and she already knew Jen's husband had recently been deployed. She brought us both a free bouquet of flowers and told us to take them home 'cuz we "deserved them!" So sweet!
Then we hit the health food store for probiotics, the library to make copies and check out a few things (saw 3 more people that we knew there), and the post office to send off Ted's first care package. The kids were so good during all the errands! I was pretty wiped out by the time lunch was finished, so I let Kenna watch a couple of Leap Frog phonics DVDs that I had gotten at the homeschool sale for $1 each while Lucan and I napped.
After Stefanie brought the kids home from camp, I invited Justin to stay and play with our boys, which thrilled them all. Kenna was invited to play and have dinner with her friend from across the street. Charis disappeared to read, and Lucan tried tagging along with the older boys, who didn't really appreciate that much at all! We had a taco dinner, then watched Meet the Robinsons (Kenna was home by then) for our movie night. We hadn't seen it before (Justin had)--well, I think the kids said they had seen parts of it. It's very quirky and quite well done. Interesting themes!
It was a very full week for all of us, although I do regret not being a little more on top of the housework--today we have been cleaning like mad, but it still seems we have so much more to do! Finding ants in 3 different rooms of the house hasn't helped. Sigh. It's hard to keep up with crumbs around here. But on the plus side, I can see the carpet in the kids' bedrooms again, and I've deep-cleaned all 4 bathrooms...just need to finish up by scrubbing the master tub (where we bathe Kenna and Lucan) and my shower. (That's my LEAST favorite household chore, by the way, whether or not I have a pregnant belly!) Hopefully by the time the kids get in bed we will have finished picking up the various, unrelated objects strewn all about the house, vacuumed, and mopped. I think we've earned a day of rest for tomorrow!
June 10, 2011
Kids at Camp, Day 4
Yesterday was a very full day for the kids at camp. They got to do the zip line, and there was much excitement as they told me about that during our dinner that evening! They made beaded crafts, and they also enjoyed a ginormous slip-n-slide and came home quite soaked. (The one bad thing about camp week is doing a small load of laundry EVERY NIGHT!! I can't seem to keep up with folding things, so they're strewn all over the place! But at least the camp shirts have been clean!)
I can't remember right now what else the kids told me about camp that day. Kenna and Lucan and I went to a park down the street from us to meet Genae and her daughter Rowen. I hadn't met them in person yet; Genae's husband was Ted's boss during the past year. She and her husband had both contacted me several times, wanting to make sure I would let them know how they can help us out this year. I'm so glad we connected at the park! It was a beautiful morning, and Kenna was in heaven to meet another little girl! (Rowen is 6, but they're almost the same size!) The kids played very happily, and I enjoyed getting to know Genae. She, like me, was an English teacher before starting a family. They struggled to have children, and they call Rowan their little miracle baby. They are a really sweet couple--I met Lt.Col. Lamb at Ted's going-away luncheon, although we had spoken by phone a few times when he had called the house. Genae and I will, I believe, be good friends. We could have talked all day, but Rowan had to leave to go to kindergarten. She's at the public school now, but they're sending her to a Christian school next year.
In the afternoon, I told Kenna we could have some girl time during Lucan's nap. (I made sure I got an iced coffee to take to the park so I wouldn't need a nap, LOL.) We made a big batch of cookies so we could send some to Ted, painted Kenna's fingernails and toenails, and went to my office and STAMPED! Kenna was beside herself to be able to choose a stamp set and some ink pads to play with! I worked on a project, and so did she. It was a very fun, productive afternoon.
In the evening, after dinner, the kids and I went to the annual PEACH used homeschool curriculum sale. I spent a whopping $4 and came home with a HUGE bag of stuff--there was a room full of free items, and we made out like bandits! Charis took some spending money and spent about as much as I did and also got a lot of freebies. I wasn't there to shop for curriculum--I know I'll be ordering from Sonlight--but I was thrilled to get a lot of great books for the kids to read over the summer, plus some activities (a whole Kinex set! for free!). Yay for free stuff! And yay for new books!
I can't remember right now what else the kids told me about camp that day. Kenna and Lucan and I went to a park down the street from us to meet Genae and her daughter Rowen. I hadn't met them in person yet; Genae's husband was Ted's boss during the past year. She and her husband had both contacted me several times, wanting to make sure I would let them know how they can help us out this year. I'm so glad we connected at the park! It was a beautiful morning, and Kenna was in heaven to meet another little girl! (Rowen is 6, but they're almost the same size!) The kids played very happily, and I enjoyed getting to know Genae. She, like me, was an English teacher before starting a family. They struggled to have children, and they call Rowan their little miracle baby. They are a really sweet couple--I met Lt.Col. Lamb at Ted's going-away luncheon, although we had spoken by phone a few times when he had called the house. Genae and I will, I believe, be good friends. We could have talked all day, but Rowan had to leave to go to kindergarten. She's at the public school now, but they're sending her to a Christian school next year.
In the afternoon, I told Kenna we could have some girl time during Lucan's nap. (I made sure I got an iced coffee to take to the park so I wouldn't need a nap, LOL.) We made a big batch of cookies so we could send some to Ted, painted Kenna's fingernails and toenails, and went to my office and STAMPED! Kenna was beside herself to be able to choose a stamp set and some ink pads to play with! I worked on a project, and so did she. It was a very fun, productive afternoon.
In the evening, after dinner, the kids and I went to the annual PEACH used homeschool curriculum sale. I spent a whopping $4 and came home with a HUGE bag of stuff--there was a room full of free items, and we made out like bandits! Charis took some spending money and spent about as much as I did and also got a lot of freebies. I wasn't there to shop for curriculum--I know I'll be ordering from Sonlight--but I was thrilled to get a lot of great books for the kids to read over the summer, plus some activities (a whole Kinex set! for free!). Yay for free stuff! And yay for new books!
Kids at Camp, Day 3
Whew, as I suspected, this week has flown! So I'll quickly try to recap the rest of the camp week...
On Wednesday, the kids had another day with horses. Arden decided to try having Benadryl in his system so he could be around the horses, so we dosed him up and sent him with the medicine in his backpack. It did help--he didn't have the watery eyes, runny nose, etc., but he did break out in hives on his face and neck. He got cold water dumped on him afterward, which probably helped! And I had him shower as soon as he got home. By the time he got home, even though you could still see the rash, he said it wasn't bothering him. I think he really enjoyed being around the horses!
I believe Day 3 of camp was also the rock-climbing day, where they got to climb a 29-foot wall. Tobin didn't try, but Arden and Charis did, and Arden nearly made it to the top. This was also water balloon day. They sure kept them busy each day of camp!
Meanwhile, I took Kenna and Lucan home, finished packing our picnic lunch and did a bit of work in the kitchen, and then took the kiddos to a splash park to meet some other friends. The park reminded me of all the water parks in Las Vegas, except this one was EXTREMELY crowded! These parks aren't quite as plentiful here as in the desert, I guess! There was absolutely no shade anywhere around the water area, so we ate our picnic lunch under some trees near the parking lot. The water didn't turn on until noon, so we had time to eat before the mad rush to get wet.
The kids enjoyed it, and I did, too--mostly because it was so stinkin' hot that I enjoyed when Lucan tugged my hand and wanted to go get wet, because then I could cool off as well! We played in and out of the water for about an hour and a quarter, and then it was time to get out of the heat and head home to rest.
While Lucan napped, I let Kenna watch a phonics DVD from the library, and I had some time to work on our summer schedule spreadsheet. I'm not totally done yet, but I did get some ideas down...it just looks like we have so much free time! Too much free time = not good, so I need to pray some more and see what we need to do to make sure we're using our time wisely and accomplishing what God wants us to this summer.
I had kids in bed by 8 p.m. this evening...it had been very hard to wake them up for breakfast in the morning! After they were down, I enjoyed a nice long Skype conversation with Ted, so that was a bonus!
On Wednesday, the kids had another day with horses. Arden decided to try having Benadryl in his system so he could be around the horses, so we dosed him up and sent him with the medicine in his backpack. It did help--he didn't have the watery eyes, runny nose, etc., but he did break out in hives on his face and neck. He got cold water dumped on him afterward, which probably helped! And I had him shower as soon as he got home. By the time he got home, even though you could still see the rash, he said it wasn't bothering him. I think he really enjoyed being around the horses!
I believe Day 3 of camp was also the rock-climbing day, where they got to climb a 29-foot wall. Tobin didn't try, but Arden and Charis did, and Arden nearly made it to the top. This was also water balloon day. They sure kept them busy each day of camp!
Meanwhile, I took Kenna and Lucan home, finished packing our picnic lunch and did a bit of work in the kitchen, and then took the kiddos to a splash park to meet some other friends. The park reminded me of all the water parks in Las Vegas, except this one was EXTREMELY crowded! These parks aren't quite as plentiful here as in the desert, I guess! There was absolutely no shade anywhere around the water area, so we ate our picnic lunch under some trees near the parking lot. The water didn't turn on until noon, so we had time to eat before the mad rush to get wet.
The kids enjoyed it, and I did, too--mostly because it was so stinkin' hot that I enjoyed when Lucan tugged my hand and wanted to go get wet, because then I could cool off as well! We played in and out of the water for about an hour and a quarter, and then it was time to get out of the heat and head home to rest.
While Lucan napped, I let Kenna watch a phonics DVD from the library, and I had some time to work on our summer schedule spreadsheet. I'm not totally done yet, but I did get some ideas down...it just looks like we have so much free time! Too much free time = not good, so I need to pray some more and see what we need to do to make sure we're using our time wisely and accomplishing what God wants us to this summer.
I had kids in bed by 8 p.m. this evening...it had been very hard to wake them up for breakfast in the morning! After they were down, I enjoyed a nice long Skype conversation with Ted, so that was a bonus!
June 07, 2011
Kids at Camp, Day 2
The kids were so excited to get back to camp this morning, despite being very tired and needing to be dragged out of bed. It was a full morning for me, too! After dropping off the crew, Kenna, Lucan, and I went to the farm to pick up our milk and Julia's--she and I take turns doing the milk run each week, but I'm taking it for all of June and July so she can do it all of August and September when I'm even greater with child and then with newborn. :-)
I put our milk away at the house before going to Julia's. She had offered to keep Lucan and Kenna for a few hours when I brought her milk over, so I took advantage of that, since I ended up running to base to take care of some issues, including trying to resolve the lovely CO DMV situation. I made 7 stops total: the pharmacy for Arden's prescription, the BX for notebooks for our Bible Bee materials, the commissary, the library, the post office, the gas station, and the Pass & Registration office to get the MP to sign off that our VIN really is our VIN.
Amazingly, I was HOME by 11 a.m.! The whole run had taken about an hour and a half. Not bad. Of course, it wasn't a typical commissary trip by any means, as the kids and I had just been to get a load last Thursday. But anyway, it was nice to get home and get settled, have lunch by myself (leftover meal from The Cheesecake Factory, plus the cheesecake slice I didn't even taste last night!), AND have an hour-long, uninterrupted Skype session with Ted. Woohoo! I did a tiny bit of kitchen work as well before going to get Kenna and Lucan to bring them home for Lucan's nap. Then Kenna finished watching a movie she had started at the L's house while I took a nap.
After nap time, Kenna and I looked through the new digital family albums, which arrived today, one week after I ordered them! WOW! Super impressed by the speedy delivery, and the quality is amazing. I got more kitchen work done--worked with some produce from our Happy Box, chopping, cutting, and drying carrots, celery, and cilantro respectively.
The kids were excited to share their experiences at dinner--it was quite lively around the table! They were on the high ropes course and apparently had no fear at all. :-) They also enjoyed a hike, game time, and craft time. (They made prayer journals.) Yesterday's Bible study was about us being like clay, and today the comparison was sheep. They are having a great time. I did think it was amusing (but tried very hard not to show it) that Arden was under the impression that camp would be a year-long adventure. He was asking what days they go to camp, and when I said tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, he said, "Oh, so two days off for the weekend, and then 5 days of camp, then 2 days off..." I may have disappointed him terribly by informing him that he would be there 5 days, period!
After dinner we cleaned up, did baths/showers (poor Lucan has a TERRIBLY sore bottom from two very yucky poops--I pray it's better by morning), and then watched the Welcome DVD from our Bible Bee box! We put together our study binders, and we're all pretty excited about getting started, although I think Charis is rather overwhelmed with the sheer number of verses she has in her stack, now that she is participating as a Junior instead of a Primary student. I think the birth date requirement is a little odd--because she will be 11 at the time of the National Competition, she was placed in the Junior category (ages 11-14), even though she'll be competing locally while still age 10. Goodness, her birthday is less than 4 weeks before Nationals! It's just a pretty big leap in the number of memory verses. But...I'm encouraging her that the experience is the most important thing, plus she can always switch and do the Timothy track instead of the National track (which honestly, I think would be better, but it's her decision).
And I guess that sums up our day. Two days in a row for me of getting work done without anyone in the house! Time to get back into Mom mode: tomorrow is WATER PARK DAY!!
I put our milk away at the house before going to Julia's. She had offered to keep Lucan and Kenna for a few hours when I brought her milk over, so I took advantage of that, since I ended up running to base to take care of some issues, including trying to resolve the lovely CO DMV situation. I made 7 stops total: the pharmacy for Arden's prescription, the BX for notebooks for our Bible Bee materials, the commissary, the library, the post office, the gas station, and the Pass & Registration office to get the MP to sign off that our VIN really is our VIN.
Amazingly, I was HOME by 11 a.m.! The whole run had taken about an hour and a half. Not bad. Of course, it wasn't a typical commissary trip by any means, as the kids and I had just been to get a load last Thursday. But anyway, it was nice to get home and get settled, have lunch by myself (leftover meal from The Cheesecake Factory, plus the cheesecake slice I didn't even taste last night!), AND have an hour-long, uninterrupted Skype session with Ted. Woohoo! I did a tiny bit of kitchen work as well before going to get Kenna and Lucan to bring them home for Lucan's nap. Then Kenna finished watching a movie she had started at the L's house while I took a nap.
After nap time, Kenna and I looked through the new digital family albums, which arrived today, one week after I ordered them! WOW! Super impressed by the speedy delivery, and the quality is amazing. I got more kitchen work done--worked with some produce from our Happy Box, chopping, cutting, and drying carrots, celery, and cilantro respectively.
The kids were excited to share their experiences at dinner--it was quite lively around the table! They were on the high ropes course and apparently had no fear at all. :-) They also enjoyed a hike, game time, and craft time. (They made prayer journals.) Yesterday's Bible study was about us being like clay, and today the comparison was sheep. They are having a great time. I did think it was amusing (but tried very hard not to show it) that Arden was under the impression that camp would be a year-long adventure. He was asking what days they go to camp, and when I said tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday, he said, "Oh, so two days off for the weekend, and then 5 days of camp, then 2 days off..." I may have disappointed him terribly by informing him that he would be there 5 days, period!
After dinner we cleaned up, did baths/showers (poor Lucan has a TERRIBLY sore bottom from two very yucky poops--I pray it's better by morning), and then watched the Welcome DVD from our Bible Bee box! We put together our study binders, and we're all pretty excited about getting started, although I think Charis is rather overwhelmed with the sheer number of verses she has in her stack, now that she is participating as a Junior instead of a Primary student. I think the birth date requirement is a little odd--because she will be 11 at the time of the National Competition, she was placed in the Junior category (ages 11-14), even though she'll be competing locally while still age 10. Goodness, her birthday is less than 4 weeks before Nationals! It's just a pretty big leap in the number of memory verses. But...I'm encouraging her that the experience is the most important thing, plus she can always switch and do the Timothy track instead of the National track (which honestly, I think would be better, but it's her decision).
And I guess that sums up our day. Two days in a row for me of getting work done without anyone in the house! Time to get back into Mom mode: tomorrow is WATER PARK DAY!!
Red Tape
I woke this morning after a very poor and short night of sleep...reading the mail right before bedtime is NOT something I recommend. Yesterday I got a fat packet from the Colorado DMV, which included all the items (even the payment) for the registration renewal of our Suburban, which we had mailed in mid-May since it was due at the end of the month. The letter simply said that the form we had sent was outdated. Never mind the fact that Ted had printed it from THEIR web site, and never mind the fact that it was dated 2010, whereas the "right" form had 2008 on the upper left hand corner!
But that wasn't all--they also sent MORE paperwork that needs to be filled out: an out-of-state form to verify that yes, we do have insurance (never mind that we sent copies of our insurance cards), PLUS a form for verifying our VIN, which, it was indicated, should be done by a military policeman since the whole reason we're in this mess is that we're not living in the state of Colorado at the moment. All this because we don't have current emissions test results saying the Suburban doesn't cough black smoke as we run hither and yon...in a state two time zones away.
My stress level shot up after reading all of this. It seemed utterly overwhelming at 10:30 p.m. It took me awhile to get to sleep, because I just wasn't sure what I needed to do about it all. I stewed about how government agencies certainly don't make being in the military any easier and ranted inwardly about how every time we renew the registration, SOMETHING HAS CHANGED and we have to fix it and mail the packet back again. This time definitely surpasses any other, though, with all the extra (and seemingly unrelated) paperwork.
This morning, I stumbled into the kitchen after my alarm went off at 5 a.m., made some hot tea, and settled down for my quiet time and lots of prayer. I became convicted that no matter how absurd the circumstances or requirements, I was responsible for MY response alone. God does not call me to infuse a government agency with common sense; He DOES call me to be like His Son, Jesus. I repented (reluctantly, it must be admitted) of my bad attitude and asked for God's help in doing what I needed to do with grace and humility. My human nature wanted to fire off some spicy correspondence, but really, what good would that accomplish?
Part of my morning walking and driving time involved reviewing all the chapters of Scripture I've been memorizing of late, and I had to stop when I got to Proverbs 31..."Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." I had sent some messages to Ted asking what to do about various aspects of the situation, and let's just say I probably did not leave him with a feeling of confidence that I could handle this well! So again, I determined to let the Spirit direct my actions and attitudes.
I am pleased to report that I am nearly finished with the paperwork. Further review this morning revealed that it's not as terrible as it might be, and the fact that I was able to get an MP to sign off the paperwork with absolutely NO wait time or hassle was a HUGE blessing and, I think, a confirmation that I was right in thinking this situation is not simply a mass of red tape but an opportunity to glorify God. I still think a lot of the boxes that need to be checked are less than relevant; for example, I need to locate our tape measure and figure out how long and how wide the vehicle is, plus find out where to get the GVWR and CWT figures. (What exactly do those mean, anyway?!) Ted said if in doubt to leave it blank. :-)
So, Lord willing, I will get these papers in the mail in the next day or two, and this will all be behind us...just in time for the van registration to be renewed!
But that wasn't all--they also sent MORE paperwork that needs to be filled out: an out-of-state form to verify that yes, we do have insurance (never mind that we sent copies of our insurance cards), PLUS a form for verifying our VIN, which, it was indicated, should be done by a military policeman since the whole reason we're in this mess is that we're not living in the state of Colorado at the moment. All this because we don't have current emissions test results saying the Suburban doesn't cough black smoke as we run hither and yon...in a state two time zones away.
My stress level shot up after reading all of this. It seemed utterly overwhelming at 10:30 p.m. It took me awhile to get to sleep, because I just wasn't sure what I needed to do about it all. I stewed about how government agencies certainly don't make being in the military any easier and ranted inwardly about how every time we renew the registration, SOMETHING HAS CHANGED and we have to fix it and mail the packet back again. This time definitely surpasses any other, though, with all the extra (and seemingly unrelated) paperwork.
This morning, I stumbled into the kitchen after my alarm went off at 5 a.m., made some hot tea, and settled down for my quiet time and lots of prayer. I became convicted that no matter how absurd the circumstances or requirements, I was responsible for MY response alone. God does not call me to infuse a government agency with common sense; He DOES call me to be like His Son, Jesus. I repented (reluctantly, it must be admitted) of my bad attitude and asked for God's help in doing what I needed to do with grace and humility. My human nature wanted to fire off some spicy correspondence, but really, what good would that accomplish?
Part of my morning walking and driving time involved reviewing all the chapters of Scripture I've been memorizing of late, and I had to stop when I got to Proverbs 31..."Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life." I had sent some messages to Ted asking what to do about various aspects of the situation, and let's just say I probably did not leave him with a feeling of confidence that I could handle this well! So again, I determined to let the Spirit direct my actions and attitudes.
I am pleased to report that I am nearly finished with the paperwork. Further review this morning revealed that it's not as terrible as it might be, and the fact that I was able to get an MP to sign off the paperwork with absolutely NO wait time or hassle was a HUGE blessing and, I think, a confirmation that I was right in thinking this situation is not simply a mass of red tape but an opportunity to glorify God. I still think a lot of the boxes that need to be checked are less than relevant; for example, I need to locate our tape measure and figure out how long and how wide the vehicle is, plus find out where to get the GVWR and CWT figures. (What exactly do those mean, anyway?!) Ted said if in doubt to leave it blank. :-)
So, Lord willing, I will get these papers in the mail in the next day or two, and this will all be behind us...just in time for the van registration to be renewed!
June 06, 2011
Kids at Camp, Day 1
Charis, Tobin, and Arden are experiencing something new this week--day camp nearby! Here's how the camp itself describes the program:
"Campers will participate in a weeklong variety of activities that will encourage them to explore and appreciate the outdoors in a biblically informed way. Programs can include a time of wilderness education, map reading/orienteering, games, gardening, fishing, archery, and horse riding/training. Riding classes incorporate patience, emotional control, and learning how to communicate with a horse without the use of force or intimidation. We teach respectful boundaries with horses; how to keep an animal out of your space while improving leadership and love. A period of Bible instruction and reflection is included to encourage the campers to enjoy a daily walk with Christ and appreciation of his word. A climbing wall, paddleboats, a planned zip-line and giant swing, or exploring our woods provide an outlet for excess energy in a non-harmful way."
I knew Charis would love it, since she's a girl and therefore in love with horses. And I figured the boys would enjoy it as well, since their pal Justin has been attending the past couple of years with his older sister Jessica. Stefanie and I are carpooling--I take the kids in the morning (we leave at 8 a.m.), and she brings them home in the afternoon (camp ends at 3:30 p.m.).
Today was the first time we had set foot on the campus, and I was glad to see it in person. We had looked at a lot of pictures to prepare the kids for what they would see and do. This week is the homeschool session, and it's a small crew, only 14 kids total. But I think that's just fine!
The only bad thing is...apparently Arden has inherited his dad's allergy to horses. :-( In typical Arden fashion, however, he took it all in stride, did NOT want the camp leaders to call Mom, and didn't complain a bit. I promptly gave him Benadryl when he walked in the kitchen and I saw his red, puffy eyes and heard from Stefanie what happened! I made him go shower and change his clothes, too! The kids are only around horses Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so we'll see what he wants to do the next couple of times. The leaders said he could double up on the other activity--they split the kids into two groups, and while one group is with the horses, the other group does something like the zip line or ropes course activities. So, if he prefers to not put himself through that again, he can do that. Or, we can give him more allergy meds before he goes and have some on hand to keep in his system to get him through the day...I think he really DID enjoy being with the horses, so I wouldn't be too surprised if he chooses this option.
They have a Bible study during the day as well, and it sounded really neat. All in all, I think it will be a great week for all of us.
When I got home from dropping kids off this morning, Eilene picked Kenna up to take to the dog park with her, and Chris came over to get Lucan and take him to her house across the street for some play time. I happily organized our bookshelves and brought out ALL of our Sonlight books to put on their own special shelves! I decided I would much rather let the kids have the opportunity to read/reread all these great books rather than have them perfectly organized and separated and sitting in boxes in our closet.
I gathered a sackful of trash from around the book case area and filled 2 1/2 bins with items for the July community garage sale. Woohoo! All the shelves got cleared and dusted at some point, and all the shelves now have books neatly aligned on them. I'm going to be VERY strict with the Sonlight shelves, but we'll see how long that lasts... I put all of Lucan's board books in a Rubbermaid container to keep beside the bookshelves, so that freed up a lot of space, too, and will make it easier to clean up his books, since they are the most awkward and bulky pieces of our library. We actually have a shelf and a half EMPTY! Probably not for long, once I have all the kids retrieve the various books from the Suburban, their rooms, etc.
I should note that I only worked on the two bookcases that house kids' books...I didn't even attempt to change anything on Ted's and my shelves! I'm sure as the garage sale dates get closer, I may want to purge some more, but as I don't want/need to add anything to those shelves at this point, I wasn't concerned about doing anything there. It's really amazing how two bookcases could take up so much of my time! But I'm thankful for the opportunity to get to this project, as it's been bugging me for weeks now!
I took lunch over to Chris's back porch, and we all ate (Kenna had joined Lucan by that point, and the two were happily playing in the kiddie pool), and then I brought the kids home for Lucan's nap. Kenna puttered around, watched part of a movie, and mostly waited for me to give her some attention. :-) So we did a few things together, and I still managed to finish up what I wanted/needed to with the book shelves.
Then the older kids came home and cleaned and showered, and I...drum roll, please...actually got a night out! Our church moms' night out group was meeting at The Cheesecake Factory, and I had posted on our Helping Hands web site about the event awhile ago, but no one had signed up as of yesterday. Megan gently reminded people, and a friend from church signed up and came over to watch the kiddos for me! So I got to escape from the house WITHOUT KIDS!! First time since Ted left...has it really only been two weeks and a day?! So, I feel slightly spoiled by all the time I had to myself today. I could get used to this, LOL!
I tucked the older kids in when I got home and had some sweet moments being able to hear more from each one individually about their camp experiences. It was after 9:30 when I left their rooms...I hope I'll be able to drag them out of bed for their early breakfast tomorrow!
June 04, 2011
Memorial Day Pics
This will mostly be a picture post...it's getting late, and I need to get some sleep before Kids' Street Live tomorrow! (I should probably work on my lines, too, ha!)
Memorial Day ended up being a great day for us. I was tempted to have a pity party since I had nearly forgotten it was a three-day weekend and hadn't made any plans. But instead I asked my friend/neighbor Eilene if they had anything going on for the day. Turns out they didn't have plans, either, so it worked out well! We started our celebration around 10 a.m., trying to beat the heat. Got to Skype a bit with Ted from the N's driveway, and the kids ran around trying to keep cool with water balloons/guns and a kiddie pool for Kenna and Lucan. Charis became enthralled with the 3D chalk, and Tobin borrowed a new series of books from Blake, so he was happy as a clam with a new book to read.
We had a yummy lunch of grilled hot dogs, chili, veggies, and fruit, then headed to the basement to cool off and play some games. I brought some watermelon-lime-blueberry pops that we had just made the day before, and they were quite the hit. I couldn't believe it was 3 p.m. when I headed home with Lucan and Kenna! The time flew. Lucan had a late nap while Kenna and Charis watched a girly movie and I worked on our 2009 digital album. (I ended up finishing it that night--woohoo!) After a dinner of leftovers, we headed to the park to wear Lucan out again, since he had awakened so late from his nap! I got to chat with my mom-in-law on the phone while the kids played. All in all, it was a nice, relaxing day...and I'm sure the kids were happy that I remembered it was a holiday so they didn't have to do schoolwork, LOL.
Memorial Day ended up being a great day for us. I was tempted to have a pity party since I had nearly forgotten it was a three-day weekend and hadn't made any plans. But instead I asked my friend/neighbor Eilene if they had anything going on for the day. Turns out they didn't have plans, either, so it worked out well! We started our celebration around 10 a.m., trying to beat the heat. Got to Skype a bit with Ted from the N's driveway, and the kids ran around trying to keep cool with water balloons/guns and a kiddie pool for Kenna and Lucan. Charis became enthralled with the 3D chalk, and Tobin borrowed a new series of books from Blake, so he was happy as a clam with a new book to read.
We had a yummy lunch of grilled hot dogs, chili, veggies, and fruit, then headed to the basement to cool off and play some games. I brought some watermelon-lime-blueberry pops that we had just made the day before, and they were quite the hit. I couldn't believe it was 3 p.m. when I headed home with Lucan and Kenna! The time flew. Lucan had a late nap while Kenna and Charis watched a girly movie and I worked on our 2009 digital album. (I ended up finishing it that night--woohoo!) After a dinner of leftovers, we headed to the park to wear Lucan out again, since he had awakened so late from his nap! I got to chat with my mom-in-law on the phone while the kids played. All in all, it was a nice, relaxing day...and I'm sure the kids were happy that I remembered it was a holiday so they didn't have to do schoolwork, LOL.
 |
| This picture was taken with the 3D glasses over the lens...can you tell the difference?! It really was pretty cool! |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)