A Little Catch Up

I haven't posted much here because...well because my house looks like I should be on an episode of Hoarders.  We've been gathering donations for our yard sale fundraiser this Saturday and it is truly amazing how much wonderful stuff we've been given.

All of my energy these days is funneled directly into homeschooling, trying to stay afloat with household chores, adoption paperwork and fundraising.  I've been posting on our adoption journey blog at www.ourlostcoin.blogspot.com

Although this blog has been on hold, life is just barreling right along.  My parents took us to Kansas at the end of September.

It was a wonderful visit with my grandma, aunts and uncle, and cousins.

I miss them all so much!

Gracie has her first day of volcano class and choir.  She is having so much fun and it is such joy to watch her blooming and interacting. Although my heart squeaks a little.  Didn't I just hold her in my arms, while she cried incessantly for 6 weeks, yesterday?

The twins turned 3.  

Their birthday was really special in that two sets of grandparents were there to celebrate.

They are so big.  So sweet.  So everything good.  

I just love my family to pieces.

So that's what's been going on.

Oh, did I mention that Sophie is obsessed with babies?

Here she is, wondering if this is what heaven is like:

My Blog is now Carbon Neutral

This is so cool.  By writing this post, and displaying this button in my sidebar, a tree has been planted in the Plumas National Forest for me.  

A typical blog emits about 8 lbs of carbon dioxide a year.  A tree absorbs about 11 lbs of carbon dioxide a year.  Now that's some math I can do!

And now my blog is carbon neutral!!

Homeschool Begins!

Homeschooling is in full swing now and it could not be more fun!  Grace and I make a great team and her enthusiasm keeps me going.  

We start off the mornings with our "morning board".

It's a great start to our day.  We say a pledge to the bible, recite our memory verse, write and make the time on a foam clock, make the date with coins, write and color in the thermometer for inside and outside temperatures, explore the season and the weather and go over what day it is, what day it will be tomorrow and what day it was yesterday.  Calendar and time ideas are abstract concepts and it's clear that daily repetition is needed.

We think this is a katydid.  Although I didn't think they lived in our area.

Then I give Grace the option of starting with Language Arts or Math.  She usually picks Language Arts because she loves reading.  I love our math curriculum too.  It's called Early Bird--definitely not a traditional approach, which is wonderful.  After those lessons, we usually quit for a while.  She'll play with the twins or go outside.

A baby snail.

After lunch, the twins nap and we either play a game like Memory or Alphabet Bingo.  Today we decided to do a puzzle of the United States.  Yesterday we completed a Charley Harper art assignment.  Later next week, we'll start a science unit on adopting a tree.  

In October, Gracie will start two in-classroom classes at her charter school: a class on volcanoes (she's going to LOVE it!) and choir.  They are both on Tuesdays, so that will be our out-of-the-house day.  

The twins are awfully interested in what Big Sis is doing these days.  Sometimes they disrupt us, but mostly they just want to watch what we are doing.  There are some things Grace needs to concentrate on, but there are other things the twins can join in on and all three of them can learn together.  

As for me, I am finding that homeschooling is one of the greatest delights of being my children's mom.  I had some second thoughts early on, but it has become abundantly clear that this is what I was made to do.  It really is so fun to be doing this as a family.  The loudness, the messiness, the light bulbs going on here and there--it's such a blessing to be in the middle of it all!  The kids' joy really brings it all together for me too.  If they weren't having so much fun, I wouldn't be either.  

Perfection

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8

All I can say is, thank God for that.  My ways are rotten.  My thoughts are flawed.  But God is perfect.

Perfect way.  Perfect purpose.  Perfect timing.

“As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” Psalm 18:30 

Our Fourth of July

We had two new recruits for shucking corn this year!

The day's menu consisted of  watermelon, kid-shucked corn-on-the-cob (which is way better than adult-shucked corn-on-the-cob, in case you were wondering), barbecue chicken, baked beans, and flag cake.  There may also have been root beer floats made from the Root Beer Party Keg from Costco.  

I can neither confirm nor deny this. 

Of course, the slippy slide and blow up pool were out and the kids played in it most of the day.

Then we had a few fireworks to watch.

I can't believe I let my kids hold fire.   

It was a late night for my normally-early-to-bedders.

Sophie even let it slip that she was "pretty tired, Grandma".  

But it was a special night.  And we all slept in the next morning... 

If you call 7 am on the dot sleeping in. 

And just for the record, I don't.

(Yawn.)

Summertime

It's hard to believe our summer started out like this:

But here in California we are sure making up for it now!

It's even too hot to ride bikes right now.

The 100 degree temperatures melt me.

But I'm keeping the kids supplied with homemade popsicles and lots of slippy slide time.

(And lots of air conditioned house time for me!)

Storytime is Always More Special...

...with Grandma!

Buster-oony

We call him Buster-oony.

Sometimes I add on Doony.  As in Buster-oony Doony.

Frequently that accompanies "high five a-roonie-doonie".  

As in "high five a-roonie-doonie, Buster-oony Doony!"

And that's only when we're not calling him Buster-eeno.  

Buster-eeno Deeno.

Yep.  (crickets chirping)

Sophie For a Second

It's harder to get pictures of Sophie because her first response is to be a goof-ball.

Her second response is to wiggle all around!

Her third response is to stay still and smile for one single solitary second so that maybe I'll let her go play.  

But if I'm not ready in that one second, you can forget it!

Thinking About Strawberry Shortcake

Gracie will humor me the longest, enduring long photo shoots.

I'm grateful, because I could do this all day.

I'm trying to choose a favorite to order in an 8 x 10 for our family photo wall.

But I can't!

Can you help me?

In the next two photos I told her to think about strawberry shortcake.

I Mean, Seriously

Yes, it's the next day.  Yes, I'm still documenting a boy in a tutu.  

Yes, I'm still giggling about it.  

And...yes, that's the same shirt he was wearing yesterday.  Well?  It was only mildly soiled.

My life is a laundry pile, you have to cut me some slack.  

I Am Sorry Tristan...

That I have to document all the things you might regret later.  Heh!

And yet, I have to admit...I'm not really that sorry...

  

After all, this is what it is to have naive fun when you're 2!  

You love the attention from your sisters, and they love you beyond reason!

Happy Birthday Gracie!

Yesterday you turned 5.  I couldn't be more proud of you.  I couldn't be more blessed by you!  My baby, my firstborn, we love you so much!!  

PS.  Is that loose tooth ever going to come out?!