I left town for Stampin' Up!'s Leadership Training conference on January 9. It was in Palm Springs, CA, an absolutely beautiful location. I so enjoyed being able to visit with old friends and getting a boost mentally and came home ready to "work" my business again. I had been feeling pretty burned out by life in general, namely our 4th move in three years and keeping up with Kenna. Major kudos to Ted, who took off work so that I could go. (I had to miss last year's Leadership because he was deployed and I was great with child!) The kids had a great time here at home with Daddy, and he even crossed off most of the homeschool tasks on the list I had left him!! PLUS I came home to a fabulously CLEAN house, to include Charis's room, which is normally a pit of despair...I walk in and despair of ever seeing the floor!
Though I returned home last Sunday (the 13th), this week has been filled up with catching up on emails, phone calls, regular mail, homeschooling, and yes, even working on my business. I had a workshop for my deaf friends Tuesday morning and a stamp club that meets once a month yesterday afternoon. I've also booked a couple of parties for March and a long-distance "Party in a Box" event for a friend in Ohio. (If anyone else is interested in hosting a "Party in a Box," leave a comment or email me so I can give you more information!) Then last night a friend came over for dinner and an evening of scrapping. It didn't feel like it, but it was 11:30 p.m. when we wrapped things up! I'll be updating my scrapping blog later today after I take pictures of the 7 pages I completed.
So, it's been a busy but balanced week--and that means I have not blogged or read my friends' blogs at all! I have a lot of catching up to do in that respect! But I'm thankful to get back into a routine. Of course, the routine sometimes seems to change daily, especially with an 11-month old!
So, an update on Kenna, since Megan asked. :-) It's taking 4 chairs these days to pen her in the family room. She's worked up to an average of 45 minutes of contented playpen time, so I am able to count on that as time when I can get other things done. It hasn't worked quite as well as I would like to do our Sonlight reading in the family room while she roams...she seems to not like Sonlight! We get a few pages read at an extremely high decibel level as we compete with her shrieks, and then I give up and dismiss the kids until later when Kenna is napping.
She is becoming more proficient on the stairs, but I am not even close to feeling comfortable leaving her on her own for that activity. Still, she loves crawling up them and always does so with a big grin on her face as if to say, "Aren't I a big girl now?!"
An update on the nursing issue...I did pump while I was gone, and amazingly she hasn't completely rejected me upon my return. However, as we were having to supplement more and more even before I left, it's definitely dwindling. I can count on her to nurse well when she isn't completely awake, so late at night, first thing in the morning (sometimes), or (rarely) in the middle of the night. We're at an average of about one nursing period per day, whereas before my trip it was usually two. So I guess the trip did have a noticeable effect. But you know what? I'm OK with it! She's a beautiful, healthy girl, and we have made it quite a long time considering all the issues we've had over her short life.
So there you have it! An update from me! It's now breakfast time...TTFN!
January 19, 2008
January 08, 2008
My Life Is Over
Well, it has happened, much sooner than I had hoped. Kenna has mastered stairs--at least, going up them. Since she hasn't quite developed a good grasp of the concept of gravity, life as we know it is finished.
If you saw the pictures of our house, you can see the difficulty Kenna's new skill presents. With a sunken living room and family room, the only place to go (in Kenna's mind) is...up! I no sooner set her in the middle of the family room with some toys than she is scampering over to the stairs, climbing up them and proudly looking back at me as if to say, "Aren't you coming, too, Mom?!" She then scoots around the corner to the big staircase, at which point I am right behind her. I've allowed her to crawl up the carpeted steps several times, letting her get a feel for what could happen if she decides to sit down with a cheek hanging off a step. She hasn't fallen yet, but if it weren't for my hands right behind her she'd definitely have been in the ER.
Since I can't very well let her wander at will, I've tried being creative in order to pen her in. The gap between the family room and the dining room is too big for the gate we have, and even so, the wall curves at the only point we could lock it in place. So I've taken to laying two dining room chairs down beside each other. I learned quickly that I couldn't simply SET the chairs there--Kenna pushed and pulled one out of the way and escaped within moments. The first time I laid the chairs down I made the mistake of assuming that simply placing an obstacle before her would deter Kenna from trying the stairs. She crawled through the legs and became frantic when she realized she was trapped in a "pen."
Third time was the charm--I placed the chairs in a way so that Kenna could neither move them nor get caught in them. It worked. And we spent a lovely 20 minutes listening to her scream because I was fixing lunch in the kitchen and she was not.
This afternoon I tried taking a project to the couch so she could play with the obstacles in place and not be so upset that she couldn't be where I was. It worked! She explored her little domain quite happily. (Who needs toys, anyway?) I think we were in that room, Charis reading, I working on swap cards, and Kenna moving about, for at least a half hour before she got tired and started to fuss. Whew. There's hope for at least a minimum of activity during this phase!
We do playpen time one or two times every day, anywhere from 20-30 minutes, depending on how well Kenna is doing at the time. (In fact, that's the only reason I'm able to blog at the moment, since Ted is working late this evening.) Those times are when I can get a shower, answer some emails, or do something that involves not having to look over my shoulder every other second to see where my little Houdini has gotten herself.
I will say this is definitely throwing our school schedule for a loop! I don't feel safe doing school with Kenna on the loose, though now that we've gotten the chair wall to work, we can probably at least do our Sonlight reading in the family room while she roams. We've taken to cramming in as much school as possible during Kenna's morning nap, and the rest of the day kind of goes downhill from there.
I know we'll eventually get used to this phase. And Kenna will eventually learn how to navigate the stairs both ways so I won't have to worry about her killing herself. But then my worries will just be beginning...the rate she's going, she's going to be a pro mess-maker!
If you saw the pictures of our house, you can see the difficulty Kenna's new skill presents. With a sunken living room and family room, the only place to go (in Kenna's mind) is...up! I no sooner set her in the middle of the family room with some toys than she is scampering over to the stairs, climbing up them and proudly looking back at me as if to say, "Aren't you coming, too, Mom?!" She then scoots around the corner to the big staircase, at which point I am right behind her. I've allowed her to crawl up the carpeted steps several times, letting her get a feel for what could happen if she decides to sit down with a cheek hanging off a step. She hasn't fallen yet, but if it weren't for my hands right behind her she'd definitely have been in the ER.
Since I can't very well let her wander at will, I've tried being creative in order to pen her in. The gap between the family room and the dining room is too big for the gate we have, and even so, the wall curves at the only point we could lock it in place. So I've taken to laying two dining room chairs down beside each other. I learned quickly that I couldn't simply SET the chairs there--Kenna pushed and pulled one out of the way and escaped within moments. The first time I laid the chairs down I made the mistake of assuming that simply placing an obstacle before her would deter Kenna from trying the stairs. She crawled through the legs and became frantic when she realized she was trapped in a "pen."
Third time was the charm--I placed the chairs in a way so that Kenna could neither move them nor get caught in them. It worked. And we spent a lovely 20 minutes listening to her scream because I was fixing lunch in the kitchen and she was not.
This afternoon I tried taking a project to the couch so she could play with the obstacles in place and not be so upset that she couldn't be where I was. It worked! She explored her little domain quite happily. (Who needs toys, anyway?) I think we were in that room, Charis reading, I working on swap cards, and Kenna moving about, for at least a half hour before she got tired and started to fuss. Whew. There's hope for at least a minimum of activity during this phase!
We do playpen time one or two times every day, anywhere from 20-30 minutes, depending on how well Kenna is doing at the time. (In fact, that's the only reason I'm able to blog at the moment, since Ted is working late this evening.) Those times are when I can get a shower, answer some emails, or do something that involves not having to look over my shoulder every other second to see where my little Houdini has gotten herself.
I will say this is definitely throwing our school schedule for a loop! I don't feel safe doing school with Kenna on the loose, though now that we've gotten the chair wall to work, we can probably at least do our Sonlight reading in the family room while she roams. We've taken to cramming in as much school as possible during Kenna's morning nap, and the rest of the day kind of goes downhill from there.
I know we'll eventually get used to this phase. And Kenna will eventually learn how to navigate the stairs both ways so I won't have to worry about her killing herself. But then my worries will just be beginning...the rate she's going, she's going to be a pro mess-maker!
January 04, 2008
Saving Money in 2008
There was an article on New Year's Day about saving $2008 in 2008. Sounded interesting, so I perused it to see how exactly I can go about stashing away this money. Here are some of the suggestions:
FOOD AND DRINK:
* Give up just one Starbucks drink a week or else downgrade to regular coffee instead of the pricey espresso-based drinks.
* Replace one fast-food lunch per week with a brown bag lunch. (Can't do it? Just stop super-sizing instead to save 50 cents to a dollar each meal.)
* Skip dessert when dining at a sit-down restaurant.
* Stop making impulse snack purchases at the checkout line.
* Stop buying one bottle of water for $2 or $3 every day.
* Skip the soft drink at restaurants and order water instead.
MY RESPONSE:
Hmmm. I go to Starbucks for a "pricey espresso-based drink" probably once every 2 months. I eat lunch at home every day, and Ted takes leftovers to work every day. We never super-size. Sit-down restaurants are few and far between, let alone splurging on a dessert when we're already stuffed and taking home doggie bags. My kids have pretty much stopped asking me about the treats at the checkout counters, because I never, EVER buy anything there. (Except chapstick--it's hard to find anywhere else, and I do admit that I bought a 96 cent tube of chapstick a couple of weeks ago.) We don't buy bottled water except at Sam's Club, where it averages out to be a quarter a bottle. Even then, it's purchased with the intent of taking it with us somewhere, not just drinking at home. And I already skip soft drinks at restaurants, partly because I'm cheap and partly because I can't stand the taste of soda anymore. This section is not going to help me save $2008...
ENTERTAINMENT:
* Cut out a premium channel, lose the TiVO service, or reduce the number of receivers in your home.
* Use the library instead of always buying new books.
* Bue one less issue of People magazine (or other checkout counter magazine) per month.
* Buy matinee tickets instead of going to the movies in the evening.
MY RESPONSE:
Hmmm. We don't have cable, TiVO, or anything else. We pay nothing for TV! Buying new books, well, that suggestion could help, though we already utilize the library tons and only purchase maybe a few new books each year, typically for gifts for each other. As for buying magazines like People? Bleh! It's bad enough to have to see the covers in the checkout line! With a military discount we can get into evening movies at matinee price, but our outings are limited to once every few months anymore regardless. This section may possibly save us a little bit of money, but if we like a book well enough to buy it, I don't know that we'd want to wait for it to be available at the library anyway.
SHOPPING:
* Use coupons.
MY RESPONSE:
Ha! This is all they could come up with for shopping! OK, I do use coupons, BUT I refuse to scour papers and cut them out. I find that I can use the pull-off ones at the commissary and save several dollars or more each visit. On the rare occasion I do take in a coupon myself, I find that the brand advertised is more expensive than comparable products, so I end up not using the coupon after all. (Thus my decision to stop wasting time cutting coupons.) I suppose this could be beneficial for some people, but for me the time involved just isn't worth it. I suppose if I couldn't shop the commissary I might do it, but even so...the Walmart brand is a lot cheaper than the brands with coupons anyway...so maybe not?
SMOKING:
* Stop doing it!
MY RESPONSE:
We don't even need to go there. As non-smokers, we've already saved tons of money.
UTILITIES:
* Don't pay for services you don't use or need.
MY RESPONSE:
We only pay $27 per month for all our phone services through an internet-phone company. I agree, why pay a local service for caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, etc. when you can save so much money with a different option? We made the switch about a year and a half ago, and despite some initial difficulties, overall we've been pleased enough with the service, especially since we're saving $50 over what we were paying monthly.
MEMBERSHIPS, CLUBS, DUES:
I won't go into this because it's another N/A for us.
YOUR CAR:
* Consolidate errands to save on gas.
MY RESPONSE:
Trust me, with 4 children, I don't exactly hop in the van and drive willy-nilly around town. Our outings are VERY planned in advance!
PAPERWORK:
* Pay bills online.
MY RESPONSE:
We already do!
Well, Las Vegas Review-Journal, I have to tell you that you have not exactly inspired me. What is sad is that so many Americans could truly save money with these suggestions. I think most of my friends and family are pretty frugal already and would likely agree with me that these suggestions are already part of their lifestyle.
How about ideas for saving money if you're already frugal? I'd love to see a list of suggestions from those of us who don't frequent Starbucks or McDonald's! I'll start:
* Two words: God's math. When we put Him first, He truly does pour out the blessings. We have NEVER been able to out-give God!
* Remember it is more blessed to give than to receive: Pass on clothes and items you don't need...and chances are you'll find yourself on the receiving end when you need to be. Somehow we are swimming in clothes for Kenna, even though we have hardly purchased anything for her ourselves. We've been blessed with friends and family who have passed on clothes, and it's so great to dress her up without breaking the bank!
* For variable expenses like gifts, recreation/entertainment, and Christmas, set aside cash each month (according to what your budget allows) and stick to what you have. Don't resort to plastic!
Anyone else want to contribute?
FOOD AND DRINK:
* Give up just one Starbucks drink a week or else downgrade to regular coffee instead of the pricey espresso-based drinks.
* Replace one fast-food lunch per week with a brown bag lunch. (Can't do it? Just stop super-sizing instead to save 50 cents to a dollar each meal.)
* Skip dessert when dining at a sit-down restaurant.
* Stop making impulse snack purchases at the checkout line.
* Stop buying one bottle of water for $2 or $3 every day.
* Skip the soft drink at restaurants and order water instead.
MY RESPONSE:
Hmmm. I go to Starbucks for a "pricey espresso-based drink" probably once every 2 months. I eat lunch at home every day, and Ted takes leftovers to work every day. We never super-size. Sit-down restaurants are few and far between, let alone splurging on a dessert when we're already stuffed and taking home doggie bags. My kids have pretty much stopped asking me about the treats at the checkout counters, because I never, EVER buy anything there. (Except chapstick--it's hard to find anywhere else, and I do admit that I bought a 96 cent tube of chapstick a couple of weeks ago.) We don't buy bottled water except at Sam's Club, where it averages out to be a quarter a bottle. Even then, it's purchased with the intent of taking it with us somewhere, not just drinking at home. And I already skip soft drinks at restaurants, partly because I'm cheap and partly because I can't stand the taste of soda anymore. This section is not going to help me save $2008...
ENTERTAINMENT:
* Cut out a premium channel, lose the TiVO service, or reduce the number of receivers in your home.
* Use the library instead of always buying new books.
* Bue one less issue of People magazine (or other checkout counter magazine) per month.
* Buy matinee tickets instead of going to the movies in the evening.
MY RESPONSE:
Hmmm. We don't have cable, TiVO, or anything else. We pay nothing for TV! Buying new books, well, that suggestion could help, though we already utilize the library tons and only purchase maybe a few new books each year, typically for gifts for each other. As for buying magazines like People? Bleh! It's bad enough to have to see the covers in the checkout line! With a military discount we can get into evening movies at matinee price, but our outings are limited to once every few months anymore regardless. This section may possibly save us a little bit of money, but if we like a book well enough to buy it, I don't know that we'd want to wait for it to be available at the library anyway.
SHOPPING:
* Use coupons.
MY RESPONSE:
Ha! This is all they could come up with for shopping! OK, I do use coupons, BUT I refuse to scour papers and cut them out. I find that I can use the pull-off ones at the commissary and save several dollars or more each visit. On the rare occasion I do take in a coupon myself, I find that the brand advertised is more expensive than comparable products, so I end up not using the coupon after all. (Thus my decision to stop wasting time cutting coupons.) I suppose this could be beneficial for some people, but for me the time involved just isn't worth it. I suppose if I couldn't shop the commissary I might do it, but even so...the Walmart brand is a lot cheaper than the brands with coupons anyway...so maybe not?
SMOKING:
* Stop doing it!
MY RESPONSE:
We don't even need to go there. As non-smokers, we've already saved tons of money.
UTILITIES:
* Don't pay for services you don't use or need.
MY RESPONSE:
We only pay $27 per month for all our phone services through an internet-phone company. I agree, why pay a local service for caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, etc. when you can save so much money with a different option? We made the switch about a year and a half ago, and despite some initial difficulties, overall we've been pleased enough with the service, especially since we're saving $50 over what we were paying monthly.
MEMBERSHIPS, CLUBS, DUES:
I won't go into this because it's another N/A for us.
YOUR CAR:
* Consolidate errands to save on gas.
MY RESPONSE:
Trust me, with 4 children, I don't exactly hop in the van and drive willy-nilly around town. Our outings are VERY planned in advance!
PAPERWORK:
* Pay bills online.
MY RESPONSE:
We already do!
Well, Las Vegas Review-Journal, I have to tell you that you have not exactly inspired me. What is sad is that so many Americans could truly save money with these suggestions. I think most of my friends and family are pretty frugal already and would likely agree with me that these suggestions are already part of their lifestyle.
How about ideas for saving money if you're already frugal? I'd love to see a list of suggestions from those of us who don't frequent Starbucks or McDonald's! I'll start:
* Two words: God's math. When we put Him first, He truly does pour out the blessings. We have NEVER been able to out-give God!
* Remember it is more blessed to give than to receive: Pass on clothes and items you don't need...and chances are you'll find yourself on the receiving end when you need to be. Somehow we are swimming in clothes for Kenna, even though we have hardly purchased anything for her ourselves. We've been blessed with friends and family who have passed on clothes, and it's so great to dress her up without breaking the bank!
* For variable expenses like gifts, recreation/entertainment, and Christmas, set aside cash each month (according to what your budget allows) and stick to what you have. Don't resort to plastic!
Anyone else want to contribute?
January 01, 2008
New Blog
So, for all my scrappin' friends out there, I've started a new blog. I hope to post pictures of all my scrapbook layouts that I complete this year. The goal is to finish 208 pages in 2008. The key here is that they have to be pages for our own albums, not albums that I give away, LOL! I gave 6x6 mini-albums of Kenna pics to the grandmas for Christmas, and those were pretty quick and easy to make. I've decided it's high time I put a priority on getting our own albums caught up.
I know it's not a HUGE priority. This year I hope to lead our children into some service projects and help them find ways to share Jesus' love with others in a more tangible and consistent way, and that, for example, truly IS a priority. But the fact is, I put myself and the things I enjoy doing at the bottom of the to-do list. Don't think it's for a noble cause, serving others before myself and all that. Ha! If only I could truly say that were the case. Sadly, though, I confess that I'm as selfish as they come, and instead of always thanking the Lord for the precious gifts He has given me to shepherd, I find myself grumbling and complaining with a woe-is-me, I'm-such-a-martyr attitude that disgusts even me.
So what to do about it? Scrap, of course! Follow me on this one...I'm trying to justify making this a priority. :-) Seriously, working on our family scrapbooks is something that brings me joy and also benefits our family. We all love going back to look at pictures and reliving the memories together. The kids and Ted all enjoy flipping through our albums. That brings me great pleasure in and of itself. But the creative process also helps me fight stress and discouragement. When I work on a layout, any troubles I'm facing somehow leave the room. My focus is completely on what I'm doing.
Focus--that's another goal I have for this year. I'm as bad as a 2-year-old some days, with an attention span of a gnat. I am hoping that by slowing down and scheduling in some activities that help me develop the habit of concentrating on one thing at a time, perhaps I can get past this obsession to multi-task, which often leaves me feeling frazzled and as if I just can't quite get things done properly. Ultimately I want my focus to be on Christ, who alone is worthy of all my praise and energies.
So, if you're a scrapper (or a wanna-be scrapper), I invite you to check out "208 in 2008" and let me know what you think. Pass the link on to any scrapping friends, and come by often. That will help keep me accountable so that I'll actually DO the pages, take pictures of them, and then post them! I hope it will be an encouragement and creative inspiration to many others!
I know it's not a HUGE priority. This year I hope to lead our children into some service projects and help them find ways to share Jesus' love with others in a more tangible and consistent way, and that, for example, truly IS a priority. But the fact is, I put myself and the things I enjoy doing at the bottom of the to-do list. Don't think it's for a noble cause, serving others before myself and all that. Ha! If only I could truly say that were the case. Sadly, though, I confess that I'm as selfish as they come, and instead of always thanking the Lord for the precious gifts He has given me to shepherd, I find myself grumbling and complaining with a woe-is-me, I'm-such-a-martyr attitude that disgusts even me.
So what to do about it? Scrap, of course! Follow me on this one...I'm trying to justify making this a priority. :-) Seriously, working on our family scrapbooks is something that brings me joy and also benefits our family. We all love going back to look at pictures and reliving the memories together. The kids and Ted all enjoy flipping through our albums. That brings me great pleasure in and of itself. But the creative process also helps me fight stress and discouragement. When I work on a layout, any troubles I'm facing somehow leave the room. My focus is completely on what I'm doing.
Focus--that's another goal I have for this year. I'm as bad as a 2-year-old some days, with an attention span of a gnat. I am hoping that by slowing down and scheduling in some activities that help me develop the habit of concentrating on one thing at a time, perhaps I can get past this obsession to multi-task, which often leaves me feeling frazzled and as if I just can't quite get things done properly. Ultimately I want my focus to be on Christ, who alone is worthy of all my praise and energies.
So, if you're a scrapper (or a wanna-be scrapper), I invite you to check out "208 in 2008" and let me know what you think. Pass the link on to any scrapping friends, and come by often. That will help keep me accountable so that I'll actually DO the pages, take pictures of them, and then post them! I hope it will be an encouragement and creative inspiration to many others!
Happy New Year!
It really is true that the older you get, the faster time goes. I remember writing the date at the top of my school papers in elementary grades and thinking it would NEVER be the year 2000. (This was waaaaaay back in 1981 and following!) Ted and I were talking last night about how in some ways it seems our time together in Florida for Christmas 2006 was just days ago. A lot has happened since then, for our little family as well as for our nation and world, but somehow all those major events for us--Kenna's birth, Ted's return from his 6-month deployment, our summer travels, and yet another Las Vegas move--seem to have just flown by. It was a good year, it was a challenging year, and we are ready to move on!
We enjoyed the time my parents got to spend with us. They left Sunday morning to go to New Mexico to spend some time with my dad's sisters, and then they will drive back to 'Sconsin (as we affectionately call their home state--to say it properly you need to contort your lips to make the O sound more of a cross between an O and a short A, but drag it out a bit to emphasize the northern accent, as in 'Scaaaaaan-sin). The kids acted like they didn't know what to do with themselves after Grandma and Grandpa were gone. Due to a scheduling error, Ted had to work on Sunday, so it was pretty quiet by the time we got home from our 2 services at church. Kenna went right down for a much-needed nap, I camped out on the couch enjoying some quiet time to read, and the older kids wandered about disconsolately for awhile before finally settling down to their own activities. Charis cried rather passionately, already missing Grandma, her crafting buddy. But then she got involved with a doll kit my mom found for her and seemed to lose all track of time!
It ended up being a nice thing that Ted had to work on Sunday, as he then got both Monday and today off. We did a small amount of clean-up Monday morning, though nothing at all like we probably should have! Kenna was NOT a happy camper, refusing to nap most of the day, much to our chagrin. She is having difficulty staying in a horizontal position when it's time to sleep! Somehow between the screaming fits we managed to have some down time (Ted on the computer, me at my scrap table) and make treats (baklava and hot Mexican dip) to take to the New Year's Eve party at Heather and Blair's house.
We arrived at 7 p.m. and set up Kenna's play pen in Heather's sewing room, hoping she'd crash after a day with little sleep. By the time everyone arrived, there were 7 families there with a total of 22 children. Whew! The kids played remarkably well together, and Kenna did sleep a little bit, though not the whole time. We stuffed ourselves with all kinds of fattening treats, and then 4 of us managed to get in a game of Settlers of Catan amidst the chaos.
Though we didn't plan to, we stayed until just before midnight!! We arrived home just as the fireworks were going off on the Strip. We could see them from our bedroom window, but the kids were tired and completely unimpressed. I guess fireworks from a distance just isn't the same! Kenna blessed us by "sleeping in" until 7:30 this morning (her normal wake time is anywhere between 6 and 6:30 a.m.). The boys were up by 8:00, and Charis slept until after 10:00! I think the boys will need a nap time today...there has been a severe lack of sleep around here during this holiday season.
So, here it is, New Year's Day, 11:15 a.m. and I'm still wearing my bathrobe and glasses. I have, however, scrapped 3 more pages (for a total of 9 in the last 2 days) and am catching up on our blog, so that has to count for something! Kenna is sleeping finally, and I think we'll be getting our lunch ready soon. Today will be a lazy day of watching and playing games, I think.
Hope you all have a wonderful start to the new year! May God bless and guide you every step of the way!
We enjoyed the time my parents got to spend with us. They left Sunday morning to go to New Mexico to spend some time with my dad's sisters, and then they will drive back to 'Sconsin (as we affectionately call their home state--to say it properly you need to contort your lips to make the O sound more of a cross between an O and a short A, but drag it out a bit to emphasize the northern accent, as in 'Scaaaaaan-sin). The kids acted like they didn't know what to do with themselves after Grandma and Grandpa were gone. Due to a scheduling error, Ted had to work on Sunday, so it was pretty quiet by the time we got home from our 2 services at church. Kenna went right down for a much-needed nap, I camped out on the couch enjoying some quiet time to read, and the older kids wandered about disconsolately for awhile before finally settling down to their own activities. Charis cried rather passionately, already missing Grandma, her crafting buddy. But then she got involved with a doll kit my mom found for her and seemed to lose all track of time!
It ended up being a nice thing that Ted had to work on Sunday, as he then got both Monday and today off. We did a small amount of clean-up Monday morning, though nothing at all like we probably should have! Kenna was NOT a happy camper, refusing to nap most of the day, much to our chagrin. She is having difficulty staying in a horizontal position when it's time to sleep! Somehow between the screaming fits we managed to have some down time (Ted on the computer, me at my scrap table) and make treats (baklava and hot Mexican dip) to take to the New Year's Eve party at Heather and Blair's house.
We arrived at 7 p.m. and set up Kenna's play pen in Heather's sewing room, hoping she'd crash after a day with little sleep. By the time everyone arrived, there were 7 families there with a total of 22 children. Whew! The kids played remarkably well together, and Kenna did sleep a little bit, though not the whole time. We stuffed ourselves with all kinds of fattening treats, and then 4 of us managed to get in a game of Settlers of Catan amidst the chaos.
Though we didn't plan to, we stayed until just before midnight!! We arrived home just as the fireworks were going off on the Strip. We could see them from our bedroom window, but the kids were tired and completely unimpressed. I guess fireworks from a distance just isn't the same! Kenna blessed us by "sleeping in" until 7:30 this morning (her normal wake time is anywhere between 6 and 6:30 a.m.). The boys were up by 8:00, and Charis slept until after 10:00! I think the boys will need a nap time today...there has been a severe lack of sleep around here during this holiday season.
So, here it is, New Year's Day, 11:15 a.m. and I'm still wearing my bathrobe and glasses. I have, however, scrapped 3 more pages (for a total of 9 in the last 2 days) and am catching up on our blog, so that has to count for something! Kenna is sleeping finally, and I think we'll be getting our lunch ready soon. Today will be a lazy day of watching and playing games, I think.
Hope you all have a wonderful start to the new year! May God bless and guide you every step of the way!
More Pictures
Kenna and I on Sunday morning before church (the 23rd); Kenna with Grandpa and Grandma; the kids with Grandma and Grandpa; and Charis, the Toothless Wonder Girl!
December 28, 2007
Merry Christmas Montage
I could write lots and lots about what we've been doing, but I'll try to let the pictures share most of the story. The captions/explanations are on top of each picture for easier reading. You can click on any picture to see it enlarged.
My mom and dad arrived in town on Saturday the 22nd, and we've been having a fun-filled celebration. It's our first Christmas together since they came to visit us in Ohio in 2001, when Charis was 14 months old and I was pregnant with Tobin. We enjoyed the Sunday church service very much, and it's been fun to see my dad get acquainted with Kenna, whom he had not seen in person before! Since Kenna is well on her way to being a complete menace, it's nice to have extra hands and eyes around to keep her (and our stuff) safe!
On Christmas Eve we drove to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory to see the festively decorated cactus garden. (We can pause here for all you other moms to sing "Because we work real hard at the chocolate factory...we start at 8 and we don't get lunch 'til 3...") And if you've never seen a festively decorated cactus garden, you're really missing out! It was fun to take Mom and Dad to a unique place like that. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get in and get our free sample of chocolate, as they were closing up early, but we did enjoy the lights. (Well, most of us enjoyed the lights...Arden spent most of the time whining about being really hungry for chocolate!)
Ted had to work mids (midnight to 8 a.m.) for 4 nights, ending Christmas night. Thankfully he ended up having to only work 4 hours on the nights of the 24th and 25th. Our schedule ended up being a little crazy, but we were pretty much ready for Christmas Day when it arrived. By the time I was showered and dressed for the day, I came downstairs to find Tobin piling up his stash of presents and looking mighty proud for having found all of his own gifts. I reminded him that the kids were instructed NOT to touch the gifts until we were all ready, and he reluctantly shoved them back under the tree. We managed to get this fairly good shot of all four of them before Kenna started having a meltdown. Arden was awakened long before he was really ready to wake up and didn't get into his normal happy mood until well after breakfast! Thankfully by then Ted was home from work, Kenna was napping, and all was relatively peaceful!
This is as close to a family picture on Christmas morning as we got. Ted still wasn't back from working his night shift, but it was like holding back the tide where the kids were concerned! We had agreed that they could open their stockings before breakfast, and as Kenna had been up for about 2 1/2 hours by this point, she soon disappeared for her morning nap.
Our advent calendar is complete--Baby Jesus is in the manger! It was touching to see the kids so excited to do this Christmas activity, even before opening their own presents. *Sniff* I'm getting so sentimental in my old age...
Grandma J sent us money to help outfit our whole family with bicycles, and Ted and I had fun shopping on her behalf the Friday before Christmas. The kids were so excited to see all the bikes lined up in the garage! We just have to find something for Kenna...the seats sold at the BX would not work with bikes with rear suspension. I'm personally hoping we can find a reasonable deal on a jogging/biking stoller so I can go running with Kenna sometimes, too. Since Charis and Tobin both had bikes already (Charis just needed new innertubes for the tires), we used some money to get Charis some roller skates and Tobin a new scooter. As a P.S. to this tale, Charis learned to ride without training wheels the day after Christmas! Woohoo!
When I saw this bonnet, I knew Charis had to have it! She adores anything "Little House-ish" and was delighted to have a bonnet for playing dress up. By the end of her unwrapping, she was wearing her Christmas nightgown with a handmade apron from Grandma K, her new robe from Mommy and Daddy, her bonnet, and her roller skates from Grandma J. I should have gotten a picture of THAT get-up, but the bonnet pose will have to do.
Arden likes his Batman hat from Grandma and Grandpa. The jersey, which was from Ted and me (and only cost $1 on the Walmart clearance rack!), was also a favorite, and we had to tell him to stop wearing it three days after Christmas!!
One of the boys' favorite gifts was their own pop gun from Ted and me. Due to a remarkable (!) lack of self-control on their part, the pop guns spend the majority time on top of the refrigerator, waiting to come down when no one in the house is trying to nap! Tobin is also sporting a new hat and gloves from Grandma and Grandpa K.
Kenna is wearing a new outfit from Debi, chewing on a spoon from my mom and dad, and looking at her new book from Grandma J. Isn't she charming?! This picture was actually taken the day after Christmas, since we had a mess in the family room by the time she awoke from her nap and I didn't want her on the floor with all the little pieces of STUFF. We opened her gifts the next morning when things were a bit cleaner!
Charis watches while Grandpa carves the turkey. My dad was in charge of cooking the turkey, and my mom did her famous mashed potatoes and gravy (plus the apple pie for dessert--yum!). I got off easy with making stuffing from a boxed mix and green bean casserole. Oh yes, and I also opened the can of cranberry sauce. So much work! (We won't think about all the dishes I did later, nor the mounds of baking leading up to Christmas Day either!)
Singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus with our "birthday pie." We chose not to do a cake this year since we had so many other goodies--this is Chocolate Pecan pie, a to-die-for recipe from our dear friend Rose!
Merry Christmas to all!
My mom and dad arrived in town on Saturday the 22nd, and we've been having a fun-filled celebration. It's our first Christmas together since they came to visit us in Ohio in 2001, when Charis was 14 months old and I was pregnant with Tobin. We enjoyed the Sunday church service very much, and it's been fun to see my dad get acquainted with Kenna, whom he had not seen in person before! Since Kenna is well on her way to being a complete menace, it's nice to have extra hands and eyes around to keep her (and our stuff) safe!
On Christmas Eve we drove to the Ethel M. Chocolate Factory to see the festively decorated cactus garden. (We can pause here for all you other moms to sing "Because we work real hard at the chocolate factory...we start at 8 and we don't get lunch 'til 3...") And if you've never seen a festively decorated cactus garden, you're really missing out! It was fun to take Mom and Dad to a unique place like that. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get in and get our free sample of chocolate, as they were closing up early, but we did enjoy the lights. (Well, most of us enjoyed the lights...Arden spent most of the time whining about being really hungry for chocolate!)
Ted had to work mids (midnight to 8 a.m.) for 4 nights, ending Christmas night. Thankfully he ended up having to only work 4 hours on the nights of the 24th and 25th. Our schedule ended up being a little crazy, but we were pretty much ready for Christmas Day when it arrived. By the time I was showered and dressed for the day, I came downstairs to find Tobin piling up his stash of presents and looking mighty proud for having found all of his own gifts. I reminded him that the kids were instructed NOT to touch the gifts until we were all ready, and he reluctantly shoved them back under the tree. We managed to get this fairly good shot of all four of them before Kenna started having a meltdown. Arden was awakened long before he was really ready to wake up and didn't get into his normal happy mood until well after breakfast! Thankfully by then Ted was home from work, Kenna was napping, and all was relatively peaceful!
This is as close to a family picture on Christmas morning as we got. Ted still wasn't back from working his night shift, but it was like holding back the tide where the kids were concerned! We had agreed that they could open their stockings before breakfast, and as Kenna had been up for about 2 1/2 hours by this point, she soon disappeared for her morning nap.
Our advent calendar is complete--Baby Jesus is in the manger! It was touching to see the kids so excited to do this Christmas activity, even before opening their own presents. *Sniff* I'm getting so sentimental in my old age...
Grandma J sent us money to help outfit our whole family with bicycles, and Ted and I had fun shopping on her behalf the Friday before Christmas. The kids were so excited to see all the bikes lined up in the garage! We just have to find something for Kenna...the seats sold at the BX would not work with bikes with rear suspension. I'm personally hoping we can find a reasonable deal on a jogging/biking stoller so I can go running with Kenna sometimes, too. Since Charis and Tobin both had bikes already (Charis just needed new innertubes for the tires), we used some money to get Charis some roller skates and Tobin a new scooter. As a P.S. to this tale, Charis learned to ride without training wheels the day after Christmas! Woohoo!
When I saw this bonnet, I knew Charis had to have it! She adores anything "Little House-ish" and was delighted to have a bonnet for playing dress up. By the end of her unwrapping, she was wearing her Christmas nightgown with a handmade apron from Grandma K, her new robe from Mommy and Daddy, her bonnet, and her roller skates from Grandma J. I should have gotten a picture of THAT get-up, but the bonnet pose will have to do.
Arden likes his Batman hat from Grandma and Grandpa. The jersey, which was from Ted and me (and only cost $1 on the Walmart clearance rack!), was also a favorite, and we had to tell him to stop wearing it three days after Christmas!!
One of the boys' favorite gifts was their own pop gun from Ted and me. Due to a remarkable (!) lack of self-control on their part, the pop guns spend the majority time on top of the refrigerator, waiting to come down when no one in the house is trying to nap! Tobin is also sporting a new hat and gloves from Grandma and Grandpa K.
Kenna is wearing a new outfit from Debi, chewing on a spoon from my mom and dad, and looking at her new book from Grandma J. Isn't she charming?! This picture was actually taken the day after Christmas, since we had a mess in the family room by the time she awoke from her nap and I didn't want her on the floor with all the little pieces of STUFF. We opened her gifts the next morning when things were a bit cleaner!
Charis watches while Grandpa carves the turkey. My dad was in charge of cooking the turkey, and my mom did her famous mashed potatoes and gravy (plus the apple pie for dessert--yum!). I got off easy with making stuffing from a boxed mix and green bean casserole. Oh yes, and I also opened the can of cranberry sauce. So much work! (We won't think about all the dishes I did later, nor the mounds of baking leading up to Christmas Day either!)
Singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus with our "birthday pie." We chose not to do a cake this year since we had so many other goodies--this is Chocolate Pecan pie, a to-die-for recipe from our dear friend Rose!
Merry Christmas to all!
December 20, 2007
The House Is Quiet...
I just got out of a nice, relaxing, hot shower, Kenna is napping, Charis is crafting, and (amazingly) the boys are wordlessly playing in the family room. Ahhh! I wanted to take a few moments and consider where we are in our preparations for Christmas.
First, the externals...
1. House decorated? Check. Our tree looks lovely, and no more ornaments have fallen onto the tile floor (or the tree skirt for that matter). Christmas candles make the house smell and look beautiful in the evenings, and the holly garland on our bannister is festive.
2. Shopping completed? Almost. We have some things to purchase on behalf of Grandma J, but our excursion is planned for tomorrow evening when we can take advantage of a youth babysitting service at the church of of our home school families.
3. Gifts wrapped? The ones to be mailed, yes. The ones to open in our house Christmas Day--haven't even started!
4. Handmade gifts done? Yes! This year I opted to make quite a few things for our family members. I hope they enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them. I won't mention what they are here since several recipients visit our blog now and then. :-) I do have one more batch of "something" to make but hope to do that today or tomorrow.
5. Christmas cards stamped, letter written, copies made, envelopes stuffed, address labels printed, postage stamps attached? ABSOLUTELY NOT! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?! OK. For the past 8 years I have stamped all of our Christmas cards, written the annual family update, made copies, sometimes even stamped the letters themselves, printed address labels...you get the picture. And we've actually mailed this nice bit of effort. But this year? My decision was I could either A) do all of the above work or B) enjoy the season with my family. Since I have considerably less stress than I typically do this time of year, you can probably imagine which option I chose.
Don't get me wrong...I don't plan for this to happen every year. (Can I blame our move?? I was planning to start stamping cards in October but instead ended up packing and unpacking boxes!) I love creating handmade cards and writing our family update letters. Just don't look for it to happen at Christmastime every year. We may make a huge change in the WHEN of this project! During a season when there are so many good activities to choose from, many of which truly do help us focus on the Reason for the season, I am just having a hard time forcing myself to do a major chore that I could enjoy during a different time of year when there aren't so many other options for using my time.
So, I hope you will forgive us for not appearing in your mailbox this year, but frankly, if you are reading this blog, you probably know way more about our life than most other people anyway!
OK, back to my list...
6. Christmas goodies baked? Mostly! We love dipped gingersnaps (made, ate, and gave away one batch of 12 dozen already), fudge (still have some in the fridge), peanut butter balls (just made those, so we have a lot left), brown sugar pecans (currently going through the second batch), and roll-out sugar cookies (still haven't made). My plan is to let the kids do roll-out cookies with Grandma K on Sunday or Monday. I may make one more batch of fudge with nuts--the first batch was nutless because it was for the kids, and they aren't fond of any type of nut (with the possible exception of their mother, ha!).
7. Advent activities? Yes! We continue to enjoy our calendar by Noel Piper and our advent book. The children talk much about the first Christmas, and we never seem to get tired of it (praise the Lord!). They are eagerly waiting for Christmas morning when we can put Baby Jesus in the manger. Their sweet prayers and eager anticipation make this a special season indeed.
8. Guest room prepared? Hmmm...this one needs work. My parents get into town on Saturday, and my stamping area is a disaster! I suppose if they can at least get to their futon bed it will be OK, right?! Thankfully Ted is off work tomorrow and can help me prepare the room! Charis did her part in cleaning her craft area (though she may very well be messing it up again...)
So, on the outside it would seem that we are indeed very nearly ready for Christmas. How are we doing on the inside?
1. House decorated? Are my body, soul, and spirit ready for the celebration of my Lord's arrival on earth? I'm working on giving my body the rest it needs; my back is still giving me problems, and I'm fighting a cold. I'm forcing myself to slow down, which isn't a bad thing by any means. I am meeting with the Lord each morning for a quiet time of prayer and Bible study...but sometimes I leave God in the rocking chair and rush off to see what I can cross off my to-do list. My challenge during December (as always) is to stay quiet and listen, enjoying a heart-to-heart visit with Jesus.
2. Shopping completed? What does one give Someone Who has everything?! This year I want to give Christ the things that are most important to me. I want to give Him a husband who is loved, cherished, honored, and cared for in all ways. I want to give Him children who have eager hearts to know more about Him. I want to give Him a clean, calm household--not because it's all-important that my home is clean and welcoming, but because He made me the "heart" of our home, and I want to extend His love to others.
3. Gifts wrapped? No, because I'm working on them on an ongoing basis!
4. Handmade gifts done? Whatever my hands find to do, I desire to do with all my might. So no, they aren't done, but Lord willing, they are working their way to completion!
5. Christmas cards stamped, etc.? I long for my life to be a love letter to my Lord. My prayer is that when I arrive in heaven's "mailbox," Jesus will read me and answer with, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!" This is one letter that will take a lifetime to write, and trust me, there are many spots where we've had to go back with the eraser of God's forgiveness!
6. Christmas goodies baked? I pray my life gives off the sweet aroma of God's love: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him" (2 Corinthians 2:14).
7. Advent activities? Every day we are looking forward to the return of Jesus! "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thess. 4:16-16). Amen!
8. Guest room prepared? Today at breakfast I had the privilege of being in a discussion with Charis and Tobin that involved how to get to heaven. Even though they grasp the idea that Jesus paid the price for our sins, for some reason Tobin still mentioned being "good enough" to get to heaven. This sparked a wonderful talk about how we can never even come close to God's holiness. Tobin did give his testimony again--he keeps referring to a time in our first LV house when he prayed and asked God to forgive his sins and come into his heart. Though Ted and I weren't present when this happened, the fact that he keeps referring to it tells me that there must be something to it. The truth is, when Jesus comes in, He gets more than the guest room! The whole house is His! May we make choices each day that allow Him to be the Master of the house.
For more thoughts on the true meaning of Christmas, I'd love to invite you to visit my sister-in-law's blog...she has done a fabulous job of writing devotionals for each day in December. Grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and let your heart be encouraged and challenged by God's wisdom poured out through Sarah!
First, the externals...
1. House decorated? Check. Our tree looks lovely, and no more ornaments have fallen onto the tile floor (or the tree skirt for that matter). Christmas candles make the house smell and look beautiful in the evenings, and the holly garland on our bannister is festive.
2. Shopping completed? Almost. We have some things to purchase on behalf of Grandma J, but our excursion is planned for tomorrow evening when we can take advantage of a youth babysitting service at the church of of our home school families.
3. Gifts wrapped? The ones to be mailed, yes. The ones to open in our house Christmas Day--haven't even started!
4. Handmade gifts done? Yes! This year I opted to make quite a few things for our family members. I hope they enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them. I won't mention what they are here since several recipients visit our blog now and then. :-) I do have one more batch of "something" to make but hope to do that today or tomorrow.
5. Christmas cards stamped, letter written, copies made, envelopes stuffed, address labels printed, postage stamps attached? ABSOLUTELY NOT! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?! OK. For the past 8 years I have stamped all of our Christmas cards, written the annual family update, made copies, sometimes even stamped the letters themselves, printed address labels...you get the picture. And we've actually mailed this nice bit of effort. But this year? My decision was I could either A) do all of the above work or B) enjoy the season with my family. Since I have considerably less stress than I typically do this time of year, you can probably imagine which option I chose.
Don't get me wrong...I don't plan for this to happen every year. (Can I blame our move?? I was planning to start stamping cards in October but instead ended up packing and unpacking boxes!) I love creating handmade cards and writing our family update letters. Just don't look for it to happen at Christmastime every year. We may make a huge change in the WHEN of this project! During a season when there are so many good activities to choose from, many of which truly do help us focus on the Reason for the season, I am just having a hard time forcing myself to do a major chore that I could enjoy during a different time of year when there aren't so many other options for using my time.
So, I hope you will forgive us for not appearing in your mailbox this year, but frankly, if you are reading this blog, you probably know way more about our life than most other people anyway!
OK, back to my list...
6. Christmas goodies baked? Mostly! We love dipped gingersnaps (made, ate, and gave away one batch of 12 dozen already), fudge (still have some in the fridge), peanut butter balls (just made those, so we have a lot left), brown sugar pecans (currently going through the second batch), and roll-out sugar cookies (still haven't made). My plan is to let the kids do roll-out cookies with Grandma K on Sunday or Monday. I may make one more batch of fudge with nuts--the first batch was nutless because it was for the kids, and they aren't fond of any type of nut (with the possible exception of their mother, ha!).
7. Advent activities? Yes! We continue to enjoy our calendar by Noel Piper and our advent book. The children talk much about the first Christmas, and we never seem to get tired of it (praise the Lord!). They are eagerly waiting for Christmas morning when we can put Baby Jesus in the manger. Their sweet prayers and eager anticipation make this a special season indeed.
8. Guest room prepared? Hmmm...this one needs work. My parents get into town on Saturday, and my stamping area is a disaster! I suppose if they can at least get to their futon bed it will be OK, right?! Thankfully Ted is off work tomorrow and can help me prepare the room! Charis did her part in cleaning her craft area (though she may very well be messing it up again...)
So, on the outside it would seem that we are indeed very nearly ready for Christmas. How are we doing on the inside?
1. House decorated? Are my body, soul, and spirit ready for the celebration of my Lord's arrival on earth? I'm working on giving my body the rest it needs; my back is still giving me problems, and I'm fighting a cold. I'm forcing myself to slow down, which isn't a bad thing by any means. I am meeting with the Lord each morning for a quiet time of prayer and Bible study...but sometimes I leave God in the rocking chair and rush off to see what I can cross off my to-do list. My challenge during December (as always) is to stay quiet and listen, enjoying a heart-to-heart visit with Jesus.
2. Shopping completed? What does one give Someone Who has everything?! This year I want to give Christ the things that are most important to me. I want to give Him a husband who is loved, cherished, honored, and cared for in all ways. I want to give Him children who have eager hearts to know more about Him. I want to give Him a clean, calm household--not because it's all-important that my home is clean and welcoming, but because He made me the "heart" of our home, and I want to extend His love to others.
3. Gifts wrapped? No, because I'm working on them on an ongoing basis!
4. Handmade gifts done? Whatever my hands find to do, I desire to do with all my might. So no, they aren't done, but Lord willing, they are working their way to completion!
5. Christmas cards stamped, etc.? I long for my life to be a love letter to my Lord. My prayer is that when I arrive in heaven's "mailbox," Jesus will read me and answer with, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant!" This is one letter that will take a lifetime to write, and trust me, there are many spots where we've had to go back with the eraser of God's forgiveness!
6. Christmas goodies baked? I pray my life gives off the sweet aroma of God's love: "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him" (2 Corinthians 2:14).
7. Advent activities? Every day we are looking forward to the return of Jesus! "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thess. 4:16-16). Amen!
8. Guest room prepared? Today at breakfast I had the privilege of being in a discussion with Charis and Tobin that involved how to get to heaven. Even though they grasp the idea that Jesus paid the price for our sins, for some reason Tobin still mentioned being "good enough" to get to heaven. This sparked a wonderful talk about how we can never even come close to God's holiness. Tobin did give his testimony again--he keeps referring to a time in our first LV house when he prayed and asked God to forgive his sins and come into his heart. Though Ted and I weren't present when this happened, the fact that he keeps referring to it tells me that there must be something to it. The truth is, when Jesus comes in, He gets more than the guest room! The whole house is His! May we make choices each day that allow Him to be the Master of the house.
For more thoughts on the true meaning of Christmas, I'd love to invite you to visit my sister-in-law's blog...she has done a fabulous job of writing devotionals for each day in December. Grab a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and let your heart be encouraged and challenged by God's wisdom poured out through Sarah!
December 17, 2007
Ramblings
Last week we "cancelled" school because of my back, so today we did sit down and read some Sonlight assignments. In lieu of starting a new math lesson I opted to have the kids watch a favorite DVD that teaches math--it has about 4 hours' worth of lessons, and I pop it in and let them watch different segments from time to time. I'm not sure we've quite made it all the way through, but they enjoy it and are learning at the same time--and it gave me a chance to shower this morning!
I think we'll continue with our reading assignments and do Language Arts "lite," as in the workbook assignments only instead of trying to squeeze in writing and the optional activities. The kids are definitely getting learning opportunities...lots of home ec around here as we bake for the holidays and clean house!
Charis's Christmas pageant was this past weekend. I'll have to upload a video clip later...my camera is downstairs right now and I'm not up for stair climbing for any unimportant reasons. Anyway, she did GREAT! She wasn't nervous at all. I think we may have a drama diva on our hands. Her only regret was that she didn't have more lines. Well, that and the fact that she had to wear a mic. "The REAL angel didn't have a microphone," she pouted. But it wasn't her choice to make, as all the kids with speaking parts got hooked up with a "Madonna mic," and she looked quite lovely regardless. Apparently she was ready for more drama, as she lost her top front tooth moments before the very last performance! She was thrilled, and amazingly no blood ended up on the borrowed white angel costume, for which I am grateful. This picture was taken with "Mr. Rory," the playwright and director. He heads the drama troupe at our church as well and is an amazingly talented man. He has two nearly-grown sons and told Ted and me that Charis makes him wish he and his wife had tried for a little girl!
It was a busy weekend, with dress rehearsal for 2 1/2 hours Friday night, then 5 hours at church Saturday for the 2 performances and back to church at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Ted took Charis Sunday morning while I brought the boys and Kenna later for attending our regular service, and then I drove Arden and Charis home after the last performance. (Arden wanted to see the show again!) Then we had a late dinner and I left again for a ladies' Christmas tea at Debi's house. It was fun to fellowship with the women, and we had a nice time of desserts and a gift exchange.
Now we're down to less than a week before my parents come to town, and we are looking forward to seeing them at last. It will be the first time my dad has met Kenna, can you believe it?! She's almost 10 months old. That's what happens when you refuse to fly, I guess...yup, they're driving from Wisconsin. We're excited to have our first Christmas together since 2001.
In other news, my back is much better, though I'm not at 100%. I have not gone to a chiropractor, not because I'm opposed to it, but because I'm not sure TriCare covers it. (Any thoughts on this, Claire?) There's not one on base, and that's where all of our health care is provided from. Ted has done a great job massaging the muscles in the affected area, and I've used heat packs often as well as some medicine for pain management. I'm fairly confident that I will be back to normal within a day or two and look forward to at least going for a long walk. I've missed running.
Well, it seems that it's about that time...time to intervene between brothers squabbling and time to finish up dinner. Our sausage and bean soup is smelling yummy, and I want to throw some corn bread in the oven to go with it. Mmmm!
I think we'll continue with our reading assignments and do Language Arts "lite," as in the workbook assignments only instead of trying to squeeze in writing and the optional activities. The kids are definitely getting learning opportunities...lots of home ec around here as we bake for the holidays and clean house!
Charis's Christmas pageant was this past weekend. I'll have to upload a video clip later...my camera is downstairs right now and I'm not up for stair climbing for any unimportant reasons. Anyway, she did GREAT! She wasn't nervous at all. I think we may have a drama diva on our hands. Her only regret was that she didn't have more lines. Well, that and the fact that she had to wear a mic. "The REAL angel didn't have a microphone," she pouted. But it wasn't her choice to make, as all the kids with speaking parts got hooked up with a "Madonna mic," and she looked quite lovely regardless. Apparently she was ready for more drama, as she lost her top front tooth moments before the very last performance! She was thrilled, and amazingly no blood ended up on the borrowed white angel costume, for which I am grateful. This picture was taken with "Mr. Rory," the playwright and director. He heads the drama troupe at our church as well and is an amazingly talented man. He has two nearly-grown sons and told Ted and me that Charis makes him wish he and his wife had tried for a little girl! It was a busy weekend, with dress rehearsal for 2 1/2 hours Friday night, then 5 hours at church Saturday for the 2 performances and back to church at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. Ted took Charis Sunday morning while I brought the boys and Kenna later for attending our regular service, and then I drove Arden and Charis home after the last performance. (Arden wanted to see the show again!) Then we had a late dinner and I left again for a ladies' Christmas tea at Debi's house. It was fun to fellowship with the women, and we had a nice time of desserts and a gift exchange.
Now we're down to less than a week before my parents come to town, and we are looking forward to seeing them at last. It will be the first time my dad has met Kenna, can you believe it?! She's almost 10 months old. That's what happens when you refuse to fly, I guess...yup, they're driving from Wisconsin. We're excited to have our first Christmas together since 2001.
In other news, my back is much better, though I'm not at 100%. I have not gone to a chiropractor, not because I'm opposed to it, but because I'm not sure TriCare covers it. (Any thoughts on this, Claire?) There's not one on base, and that's where all of our health care is provided from. Ted has done a great job massaging the muscles in the affected area, and I've used heat packs often as well as some medicine for pain management. I'm fairly confident that I will be back to normal within a day or two and look forward to at least going for a long walk. I've missed running.
Well, it seems that it's about that time...time to intervene between brothers squabbling and time to finish up dinner. Our sausage and bean soup is smelling yummy, and I want to throw some corn bread in the oven to go with it. Mmmm!
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