(So I finally got my cord for my computer and now blogger won't let me post pictures...oh how frustrating! Well, pics will soon follow :)
Well, we are back from our 'vacation'. We stayed at a friends house while they were away, house-sitting for them. It was definitely a great time and the kids had a blast playing with all the new and different toys and having room to roam!! But that is exactly what we missed about the camper...we never knew where our kids were! Are they upstairs? Are they downstairs? Maybe they are outside?
We kept busy on our little vacation with a little cleaning (I cleaned their fridge, organized their tupperware, cleaned their laundry room, etc), weeding the garden (I will soon have before and after pictures...it was a jungle!), cooking with fresh veggies from the garden (LOVED that!), laying outside in the sun (Nathan is still trying to get his stomach and legs to match his arms and face :) and grilling!
The kids kept busy with playing, playing, and more playing. They also loved taking a bath in the HUGE tub and splashing in the small pool outside.
And I did a LOT of laundry! And I just hafta say this....if you have a 'normal' size washer and dryer and they are both in working condition, you have NO REASON to complain about doing laundry!!! I could not believe how much laundry I could get done and how QUICK it goes! Remember that in the camper I have an all-in-one washer and dryer so it switches over to dry the clothes after it washes them...BUT I have to take almost 2/3 of the clothes out of the washer first otherwise none of them will dry. And the drum is VERY small, letting me only wash and dry a few things at a time. So when I had the privelage of using a big washer and dryer for a week...WOW, what a difference!! So no complaining from you 'normal' folks, got it?!
But even though we had a great time over there, we could not wait to come back to the camper. I think the Lord is really teaching us contentment, especially Nathan. He didn't think in a million years that he would be desiring to come back to the camper but...this is our home. And it's always nice to be back home. Our own space, our own stuff, our own bed (even though the king size was nice!), and we always know where our children are!!
Yes, we have to stand sideways in order to walk around our bed....yes, our children bathe in a tote....and yes, I can vacuum my whole home from one outlet....but it is our home. It's where daddy comes every evening after work, it's where my oldest will start kindergarten in a couple weeks, it's where our 3rd became potty trained and where our 4th learned to walk, it's where we sit and read stories as a family at night...and yes, it's a camper. But to us, it's home.
And, plus, who else can make a cool bed out of their table in order for all to be able to snuggle up and watch a movie together?!
So we continue to learn to be content with what we have. We are blessed to have a home, blessed to have this camper, blessed to have a healthly family where we can all be together, and blessed to have a Lord and savior who provides for us. And we are finding out that that's really all that matters.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
big gulp, huh?
"What are you looking at??"
ps...she doesn't even know how to use a straw and the cup was empty ;)
ps...she doesn't even know how to use a straw and the cup was empty ;)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Cruise control
Im set on cruise control. No slowing down & definitely no stopping! Im still waiting for my cord for my computer so i can do an actual post with pictures :) this Iphone is super hard to type on.
Just know that we are basically on a 2 week vacation staying at a friends (huge) house with a (huge) yard while they are away. And, by the way, we are ALL loving it!!
Just know that we are basically on a 2 week vacation staying at a friends (huge) house with a (huge) yard while they are away. And, by the way, we are ALL loving it!!
Monday, June 21, 2010
camp.
A couple posts ago I mentioned that we spent the day out at Shenandoah Springs Camp because our church held a baptismal service out there. Well I finally got a new cord for my phone (more about that later!) so I am now able to get the pics off of it to put on here :)
The road leading to the camp. It was actually pretty freaky driving on this road. It was wedged between two steep ditches and obviously only one lane (though, thankfully we didn't meet anyone trying to go the other way) and it was also real curvy, as is everything in Virginia!
Here is how the kids sat during the service, which last a good 2 hours.
But...the kids did get somewhat antsy so Dad took them aside and threw them around for a little while, literally! We can't blame them for getting antsy though, most of the adults were too given the fact that it was only in the 90s and super super humid. It felt like we were standing in an oven. Aren't dads always so fun?!
This is the lake where the baptisms were held.
After they finished, we swam in the lake and Nathan even played a nice game of sand volleyball. Go Dad!
Needless to say, this is the way the kids looked on the way home :) (Take note of Ariella in the mirror...sleeping beauty too :)
Fun day!
And I was going to post about my amazing Father's Day weekend, but that will have to wait until next time. I'm extremely tired from staying up way too late the past couple nights and it's already getting late, so I'm off for now!
The road leading to the camp. It was actually pretty freaky driving on this road. It was wedged between two steep ditches and obviously only one lane (though, thankfully we didn't meet anyone trying to go the other way) and it was also real curvy, as is everything in Virginia!
Here is how the kids sat during the service, which last a good 2 hours.
But...the kids did get somewhat antsy so Dad took them aside and threw them around for a little while, literally! We can't blame them for getting antsy though, most of the adults were too given the fact that it was only in the 90s and super super humid. It felt like we were standing in an oven. Aren't dads always so fun?!
This is the lake where the baptisms were held.
After they finished, we swam in the lake and Nathan even played a nice game of sand volleyball. Go Dad!
Needless to say, this is the way the kids looked on the way home :) (Take note of Ariella in the mirror...sleeping beauty too :)
Fun day!
And I was going to post about my amazing Father's Day weekend, but that will have to wait until next time. I'm extremely tired from staying up way too late the past couple nights and it's already getting late, so I'm off for now!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
huh?
Can anyone guess what is going on in this picture???
Yes, that is Caedmon and yes, he is sound asleep, and yes his pants are pulled down. But why you ask? Well, he got hurt outside (of course!) and came in crying. I told him to sit on the couch with a paper towel layed over his thigh (where he got hurt) and he fell fast asleep. :)
We even spiked his hair and one of his siblings threw the remote in his lap but he didn't move an inch. What a sweet kid....but it did make for a funny picture :)
Yes, that is Caedmon and yes, he is sound asleep, and yes his pants are pulled down. But why you ask? Well, he got hurt outside (of course!) and came in crying. I told him to sit on the couch with a paper towel layed over his thigh (where he got hurt) and he fell fast asleep. :)
We even spiked his hair and one of his siblings threw the remote in his lap but he didn't move an inch. What a sweet kid....but it did make for a funny picture :)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
mom's the teacher.
On Sunday we had a special church service out at Shenandoah Springs Camp to hear testimony's of those who were being baptized as believers in the Lord. (I have pics but since my phone cord melted, I need to get a different one to upload the pics to my computer!) It was a great time hearing what the Lord did in these peoples' lives and then after the service we had a pot-luck lunch followed by the baptizms in the lake. When that was done I took turns taking the boys for a swim in the lake. (Nathan watched the other kids since he, for the time being, has Sunday's off again!!) It was a sweltering day reaching 99 degrees and super humid. The lake felt amazing!!
While we were standing by the lake in the shade trying to figure out our next plan of action, a lady probably in her 60s started a conversation with Tiernan. We stood back smiling, wondering how he was going to answer her questions since he is such a story teller. Here is about how it went....
Lady: "So are you going to be starting Kindergarten in the fall?"
Tiernan: "Yep. After we move and then come back, then I will go to Kindergarten."
Lady: "Oh, so maybe you're going on vacation and then when you come back, you'll start school?"
Tiernan: "Yeah. We hafta move to Colby's house for a while first." (We are house-sitting for some friends for a couple weeks while they go on vacation.)
Lady: "Which school are you going to?" (She named a couple but can't remember names)
Tiernan: "Yeah. I'm going to Kindergarten. And it's called homeschool. And Mom's the teacher."
Excellent Tiernan! Well said!! It was so cute though because when he said "and mom's the teacher", he tipped his head towards me and stuck his hand out towards me...it was so cute! She proceeded to say that she was a kindergarten teacher at a school in town so she's quick to pick out the 5-6 yr olds.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
I've done a lot of looking at curriculm and researching different methods and approaches to homeschooling and here is what I've decided to do for this year anyway....
First, I've decided to homeschool year-round. I (we) decided this mostly for me. I know that once I am in a routine and have things down-pat I want to keep in the swing-of-things. If I were to take a 3 month vacation from school and get into another routine and let my kids get into another routine, I will be much less likely to get motivated to get into that routine all over again. I'd rather keep the routine going all year and take mini-breaks. There are a few different ways that year-round schools operate and after looking them over, I think a 45 day learning time (not including weekends) and then a 10-15 day break (not including weekends) is what we'll end up doing. I actually don't even see my kids wanting to take that long of break (since they LOVE to do school stuff) so we'll see once we start. Being flexible is one thing that goes along with homeschooling. You have to be flexible. Stuff happens, babies cry, lunch needs to be made, kids need naps, butts need wiping...all this has to be flexible in order to fit into a schedule. And some days maybe we'll just feel like skippin' school for the day and having an "eat homemade popcorn for lunch and watch a movie" day. And that's just fine by me!
So what do we plan to do exactly? Well, like I said, it's flexible and we'll have to see once we actually start how things will go but here is what I have so far.
Tiernan is obviously the one I will be focused on as far as 'school' goes, but since I have an almost 4 yr old and an almost 3 yr old that wants to do everything Tiernan does, I will have to have stuff planned for them as well. Here is what I have for Tiernan.....(times are approx but a guideline)
10 min -- Bible and verse memory
10 min -- Phonics and/or reading
10 min -- Writing
10 min -- Numbers and math
15 min -- Science, history, animals, colors, weather, telling time, money, anatomy (will rotate)
20 min -- Activity time -- crafts, dramatic play, music
And one day per week I will do a theme day where everything for that day will revolve around the theme. Ex) Theme could be 'trees'. So everything from math to science to crafts will be about trees.
Curriculm:
Last year I ordered the K5 curriculm from Abeka. They are a Christian based curriculm, supplying private schools or homeschoolers with all they need to teach for the school year. There are some other books I will suppliment with, including Discovery Works, Scholastic, and misc ones that I have found at garage sales and through my mom!) The money and budgeting tools I will get from Dave Ramsey which is called FPU for Kids. Super excited about that!
I will do what I can in the morning since that is our most productive time and things that are a little more in-depth, I will probably do during nap time so Ariella at least will be sleeping so I can focus a little more. The other boys don't regularly nap so this is where file folder games and activities come in real handy! There are a gazillion things you can do with file folders and you can make them for any age group. For a few examples, visit here. .
I also will keep in mind the learning that takes place doing everyday activities such as cooking. Explaining the steps and why we do what we do and how food affects our body and 1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup equals what, etc....all this can be taught and learned just from makin' lunch!
By the way, school starts July 12!! You might ask why then? Well, frankly, I don't want to wait until the end of August and I figure a month is not going to make a difference....plus my kids are begging to 'do school' every day....why not officially start?!
While we were standing by the lake in the shade trying to figure out our next plan of action, a lady probably in her 60s started a conversation with Tiernan. We stood back smiling, wondering how he was going to answer her questions since he is such a story teller. Here is about how it went....
Lady: "So are you going to be starting Kindergarten in the fall?"
Tiernan: "Yep. After we move and then come back, then I will go to Kindergarten."
Lady: "Oh, so maybe you're going on vacation and then when you come back, you'll start school?"
Tiernan: "Yeah. We hafta move to Colby's house for a while first." (We are house-sitting for some friends for a couple weeks while they go on vacation.)
Lady: "Which school are you going to?" (She named a couple but can't remember names)
Tiernan: "Yeah. I'm going to Kindergarten. And it's called homeschool. And Mom's the teacher."
Excellent Tiernan! Well said!! It was so cute though because when he said "and mom's the teacher", he tipped his head towards me and stuck his hand out towards me...it was so cute! She proceeded to say that she was a kindergarten teacher at a school in town so she's quick to pick out the 5-6 yr olds.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
I've done a lot of looking at curriculm and researching different methods and approaches to homeschooling and here is what I've decided to do for this year anyway....
First, I've decided to homeschool year-round. I (we) decided this mostly for me. I know that once I am in a routine and have things down-pat I want to keep in the swing-of-things. If I were to take a 3 month vacation from school and get into another routine and let my kids get into another routine, I will be much less likely to get motivated to get into that routine all over again. I'd rather keep the routine going all year and take mini-breaks. There are a few different ways that year-round schools operate and after looking them over, I think a 45 day learning time (not including weekends) and then a 10-15 day break (not including weekends) is what we'll end up doing. I actually don't even see my kids wanting to take that long of break (since they LOVE to do school stuff) so we'll see once we start. Being flexible is one thing that goes along with homeschooling. You have to be flexible. Stuff happens, babies cry, lunch needs to be made, kids need naps, butts need wiping...all this has to be flexible in order to fit into a schedule. And some days maybe we'll just feel like skippin' school for the day and having an "eat homemade popcorn for lunch and watch a movie" day. And that's just fine by me!
So what do we plan to do exactly? Well, like I said, it's flexible and we'll have to see once we actually start how things will go but here is what I have so far.
Tiernan is obviously the one I will be focused on as far as 'school' goes, but since I have an almost 4 yr old and an almost 3 yr old that wants to do everything Tiernan does, I will have to have stuff planned for them as well. Here is what I have for Tiernan.....(times are approx but a guideline)
10 min -- Bible and verse memory
10 min -- Phonics and/or reading
10 min -- Writing
10 min -- Numbers and math
15 min -- Science, history, animals, colors, weather, telling time, money, anatomy (will rotate)
20 min -- Activity time -- crafts, dramatic play, music
And one day per week I will do a theme day where everything for that day will revolve around the theme. Ex) Theme could be 'trees'. So everything from math to science to crafts will be about trees.
Curriculm:
Last year I ordered the K5 curriculm from Abeka. They are a Christian based curriculm, supplying private schools or homeschoolers with all they need to teach for the school year. There are some other books I will suppliment with, including Discovery Works, Scholastic, and misc ones that I have found at garage sales and through my mom!) The money and budgeting tools I will get from Dave Ramsey which is called FPU for Kids. Super excited about that!
I will do what I can in the morning since that is our most productive time and things that are a little more in-depth, I will probably do during nap time so Ariella at least will be sleeping so I can focus a little more. The other boys don't regularly nap so this is where file folder games and activities come in real handy! There are a gazillion things you can do with file folders and you can make them for any age group. For a few examples, visit here. .
I also will keep in mind the learning that takes place doing everyday activities such as cooking. Explaining the steps and why we do what we do and how food affects our body and 1/2 cup plus 1/2 cup equals what, etc....all this can be taught and learned just from makin' lunch!
By the way, school starts July 12!! You might ask why then? Well, frankly, I don't want to wait until the end of August and I figure a month is not going to make a difference....plus my kids are begging to 'do school' every day....why not officially start?!
Monday, June 14, 2010
when the cat's away, the mice will play
This is what happens when we take a nap on a Sunday and choose not to get out of bed when our kids do.
It's a tough choice but I'm not sure the few minutes of undisturbed rest was worth all the clean-up time. But at least the kids had fun!!
It's a tough choice but I'm not sure the few minutes of undisturbed rest was worth all the clean-up time. But at least the kids had fun!!
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