Well, it is another hot Texas summer and we are just trying to keep cool. If we are outdoors, we are basically swimming or having water fights, or doing necessary and unavoidable yard tasks. Otherwise we are indoors, enjoying the amazing invention called AC. Both kids have been participating in our library's reading program, as well as a couple of other reading programs put on by bookstores. So, they have been reading a lot and earning several free books and other prizes. They are keeping up with their music lessons through the summer, and have already finished up a round of swim lessons. But aside from those things, we do not have any activities planned. It has been great! We do have some relatives visiting from Ohio and Arizona this weekend, which should be fun. I think we are going to check out the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. I don't know why I've never visited. I have been to the one in Washington D.C. though, and it was really cool.
The new pic on my header bar is of the kids in my Mom and Dad's backyard. I was trying to get a nice picture to frame for Dave for Father's Day. That is what I ended up with -- not the greatest, but better than the 75 others I took. Can I just say it is next to impossible to get all three kids looking at the camera, smiling, and also be paying attention to your own picture taking skills at the same time? Next time I am definitely leaving it up to the professionals!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Caught up in the busy-ness of life...
Yes, I know this post is LONG overdue...three months I think? Well I have no excuse other than that life has been busy as usual and I have not felt inclined to be on the computer much. As you can read in my last post, we had a very crazy weekly schedule in the Spring. Thankfully, many of those activities have wrapped up for the summer, and so has our school year. (I'll write more about school in an upcoming post.) So, we are looking forward to a couple of months of blissfully "UNscheduled" free time, except for one week of swim lessons and our usual Friday music lessons. We are not even planning to do VBS this year! I am loving it already...
In April, we took a family cruise out of Galveston in honor of my parents' 40th anniversary (it was in February but had to wait until Eliza was at least 6 months old before they would allow her on board). Our Royal Caribbean cruise went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Montego Bay. We had a fantastic time, although I wouldn't recommend doing it with an infant if you can avoid it. Really, Eliza did great all things considered, and the fact that my parents were there to help with her and with the older kids was a BIG plus. But I can say that if Dave and I had tried to do that trip alone with all three of our kids, it would not have been very relaxing. With the big kids, no problem -- but travelling with an infant has its own logistical issues anyway, and being on a cruise just adds another layer of complexity. So, if you have been thinking of taking a cruise with your kids, my advice is to wait until all of them are over three years old, no longer napping and totally potty trained. That way you can take advantage of the kids' program and possibly get some couple time! Plus, the bigger kids will really be able to participate in a lot more activities with you, and you won't be stuck in your stateroom trying to get them to take a decent nap.
Jack and Dave playing shuffleboard
Hannah did great climbing the rock wall with Dad!
Our two little 'Lucedores'
Loving the fact that our daily afternoon cookies and Seattle's Best coffee are part of the all-inclusive price
Our short-lived ice-skating experience at sea!
Hannah putts her stuff
In Cozumel in front of our ship, Voyager of The Seas
Jack and Daddy all decked out
In April, we took a family cruise out of Galveston in honor of my parents' 40th anniversary (it was in February but had to wait until Eliza was at least 6 months old before they would allow her on board). Our Royal Caribbean cruise went to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Montego Bay. We had a fantastic time, although I wouldn't recommend doing it with an infant if you can avoid it. Really, Eliza did great all things considered, and the fact that my parents were there to help with her and with the older kids was a BIG plus. But I can say that if Dave and I had tried to do that trip alone with all three of our kids, it would not have been very relaxing. With the big kids, no problem -- but travelling with an infant has its own logistical issues anyway, and being on a cruise just adds another layer of complexity. So, if you have been thinking of taking a cruise with your kids, my advice is to wait until all of them are over three years old, no longer napping and totally potty trained. That way you can take advantage of the kids' program and possibly get some couple time! Plus, the bigger kids will really be able to participate in a lot more activities with you, and you won't be stuck in your stateroom trying to get them to take a decent nap.
In other news, my brother Scott, and his wife Melecia are expecting their first child in October! I am SOOOOO excited to be an aunt! We don't know if baby is a boy or girl yet but hopefully they will find out in another week or so.
Hannah, Jack and Eliza are all doing fine. Eliza is growing fast -- she is 8 months old now and a month ago she weighed in at around 15 lbs. She has cut her two bottom front teeth and is working on the top ones, I think. She is rolling over alot and trying to scoot along on her belly. She likes to try to pull up to stand with help. She is eating all kinds of solid foods and can practically eat her weight in Cheerios.
Here are a few more pics from the cruise...
Jack and Dave playing shuffleboard
Hannah did great climbing the rock wall with Dad!
Our two little 'Lucedores'
Loving the fact that our daily afternoon cookies and Seattle's Best coffee are part of the all-inclusive price
Our short-lived ice-skating experience at sea!
Hannah putts her stuff
A regular beach bum
In Cozumel in front of our ship, Voyager of The Seas
Jack and Daddy all decked out
Me and my homegirls
Mom & Dad Celebrate 40 Years Together
Mom & Dad Celebrate 40 Years Together
Saturday, February 14, 2009
A Typical Day...(There Isn't One)
Several people have asked what our typical home school day is like. The truth is that there are no “typical” days. Of course, we have a general routine that we follow, but each day’s routine is somewhat different. That is mostly because we are working around various activities, but also because we’ve chosen to address different aspects of our curriculum on separate days of the week. Often, we do not get everything done that we plan to on a given day, so we just double up another day, do some of our reading at bedtime, or even do some projects over the weekend. That said, I’ll attempt to summarize what our week looks like (rather than a specific day).
I am up feeding Eliza at 7:00 a.m., and the big kids usually join us in my bed until she is done. After we do morning chores and routine of getting dressed, eating breakfast, etc. we are usually ready to start school by 8:30 (sometimes earlier, sometimes later). Conveniently, this coincides with when Eliza goes down for her morning nap. We start with our devotional Bible reading, which relates to a different character trait and corresponding memory verse each week. After Bible, we go through that day’s “read-alouds”. Usually that means a chapter or two from whatever literature book we are working on, although sometimes we postpone literature reading until bedtime if we have a busy day ahead. We also read a lesson in history or science, depending on the day. M/W/F is history (ancient history this year), T/TH is science (astronomy). For science though, we usually read one week, and the next week we do experiments/activities that relate to the previous week’s lessons. If we are on an “experiment/activity” week, we usually wait until after lunch to do it, or push it to Friday or the weekend. On Wednesdays our read-aloud time also includes a couple of poetry selections and a missionary story.
After our read-alouds, we move on to “seatwork.” For Jack, that means handwriting, math and phonics. For Hannah, that means handwriting, math, phonics and English. Usually they just start their next assignment in their phonics and handwriting books, and if they need additional instruction, I help them with it. (The lessons are pretty self-explanatory). I do most English lessons with Hannah orally but occasionally have her write out a lesson. I also go over new concepts in math with her as we come to them, but otherwise she just works independently. Jack uses a different Math program that includes video instruction. So, when he starts a new lesson, I watch the video with him, go over the concept to make sure he understands, and answer any questions he has about the assignment. Then he works independently on it for a few days until he is ready to go on to the next lesson. Sometime during “seatwork” time, Eliza usually wakes up and is ready to eat again (about 10:00). If the kids finish their seatwork before I am done feeding her, they go practice their musical instruments and do independent reading (assigned). Otherwise, I check all their work and they correct it before they go on to do those things. Fridays are “no seatwork” days. So, we do all the read-aloud stuff, but no handwriting, phonics, math, or English. Instead, we work on our history timeline and other history activities/crafts, do art lessons/projects or any science activities that we’ve gotten behind on.
That is the end of “school” for the day. Generally we finish up around lunchtime (noonish). Sometimes a little before, sometimes a little after, depending on when we got started and what attitudes were like! But at the very latest, 1:30/2:00. Sometimes seatwork assignments that didn’t get finished during the regular school time get done in the afternoon instead of going out to play with friends (if the reason was because of bad attitude, dawdling, etc.). Sometimes we just grab the lap desks and the assignments get completed in the car (if the reason was simply that we ran out of time before we had to be someplace).
The end of school usually means the beginning of the day’s activities. Mondays, we are free in the afternoon, but Jack and Dave do Christian Service Brigade in the evening. (So we are usually trying to make an early dinner so they can be out the door by 6:30). Tuesdays we had basketball (just finished the season last week) from 12:30-1:30, then an hour of speech therapy. Then it is usually home to play outside and make another early dinner because two Tuesdays out of the month, Hannah and I go to FaithKeepers in the evening. Wednesdays we actually have NOTHING in the afternoon or evening (at least until soccer/baseball start again) and it is awesome! Usually I get caught up on stuff around the house or do grocery shopping and the kids spend much of the afternoon and early evening playing outside with their neighbor friends. Dave or I sit outside with them when they do, because unfortunately you have to these days for safety reasons. But, we usually do stuff in the garage or socialize with OUR neighbor friends at that time, too. Thursday afternoons are a repeat of Tuesday, except in the evening, we host our church small group in our home. So, after speech therapy we are usually frantically cleaning house and having yet another early dinner! Fridays we take Hannah and Jack to music lessons after lunch, usually followed by more neighborhood playtime and our “Family Nite.” Dave makes his homemade pizza and we all watch a movie or play games together. This ritual has been put on hold temporarily while Jack is taking an 8-week karate class that happens to meet on Friday nights (a gift from my mom and dad). If he decides to continue taking karate, though, he will move to a different class time so we can preserve our family tradition! Saturdays are “whatever” days -- right now we don’t have any scheduled activities, but that will change when baseball starts. Dave and I also try to make Saturdays a date night at least once a month. Sundays we go to church of course, followed by a leisurely few hours until we take Hannah and her friend Tatyana back up to the church for choir practice in the late afternoon.
Am I crazy? Probably. Okay… yes, definitely. I just thank God I have an amazing husband with a variable work schedule and a willingness to help me with everything! Also Eliza has been a dream baby. She just goes with the flow and even when she is off her nap schedule she still does reasonably well. She is still sleeping 11 hours at night so that makes Mama very happy! :o) Sorry this is such a loooong post….our version of “typical” is just a little bit complicated!
I am up feeding Eliza at 7:00 a.m., and the big kids usually join us in my bed until she is done. After we do morning chores and routine of getting dressed, eating breakfast, etc. we are usually ready to start school by 8:30 (sometimes earlier, sometimes later). Conveniently, this coincides with when Eliza goes down for her morning nap. We start with our devotional Bible reading, which relates to a different character trait and corresponding memory verse each week. After Bible, we go through that day’s “read-alouds”. Usually that means a chapter or two from whatever literature book we are working on, although sometimes we postpone literature reading until bedtime if we have a busy day ahead. We also read a lesson in history or science, depending on the day. M/W/F is history (ancient history this year), T/TH is science (astronomy). For science though, we usually read one week, and the next week we do experiments/activities that relate to the previous week’s lessons. If we are on an “experiment/activity” week, we usually wait until after lunch to do it, or push it to Friday or the weekend. On Wednesdays our read-aloud time also includes a couple of poetry selections and a missionary story.
After our read-alouds, we move on to “seatwork.” For Jack, that means handwriting, math and phonics. For Hannah, that means handwriting, math, phonics and English. Usually they just start their next assignment in their phonics and handwriting books, and if they need additional instruction, I help them with it. (The lessons are pretty self-explanatory). I do most English lessons with Hannah orally but occasionally have her write out a lesson. I also go over new concepts in math with her as we come to them, but otherwise she just works independently. Jack uses a different Math program that includes video instruction. So, when he starts a new lesson, I watch the video with him, go over the concept to make sure he understands, and answer any questions he has about the assignment. Then he works independently on it for a few days until he is ready to go on to the next lesson. Sometime during “seatwork” time, Eliza usually wakes up and is ready to eat again (about 10:00). If the kids finish their seatwork before I am done feeding her, they go practice their musical instruments and do independent reading (assigned). Otherwise, I check all their work and they correct it before they go on to do those things. Fridays are “no seatwork” days. So, we do all the read-aloud stuff, but no handwriting, phonics, math, or English. Instead, we work on our history timeline and other history activities/crafts, do art lessons/projects or any science activities that we’ve gotten behind on.
That is the end of “school” for the day. Generally we finish up around lunchtime (noonish). Sometimes a little before, sometimes a little after, depending on when we got started and what attitudes were like! But at the very latest, 1:30/2:00. Sometimes seatwork assignments that didn’t get finished during the regular school time get done in the afternoon instead of going out to play with friends (if the reason was because of bad attitude, dawdling, etc.). Sometimes we just grab the lap desks and the assignments get completed in the car (if the reason was simply that we ran out of time before we had to be someplace).
The end of school usually means the beginning of the day’s activities. Mondays, we are free in the afternoon, but Jack and Dave do Christian Service Brigade in the evening. (So we are usually trying to make an early dinner so they can be out the door by 6:30). Tuesdays we had basketball (just finished the season last week) from 12:30-1:30, then an hour of speech therapy. Then it is usually home to play outside and make another early dinner because two Tuesdays out of the month, Hannah and I go to FaithKeepers in the evening. Wednesdays we actually have NOTHING in the afternoon or evening (at least until soccer/baseball start again) and it is awesome! Usually I get caught up on stuff around the house or do grocery shopping and the kids spend much of the afternoon and early evening playing outside with their neighbor friends. Dave or I sit outside with them when they do, because unfortunately you have to these days for safety reasons. But, we usually do stuff in the garage or socialize with OUR neighbor friends at that time, too. Thursday afternoons are a repeat of Tuesday, except in the evening, we host our church small group in our home. So, after speech therapy we are usually frantically cleaning house and having yet another early dinner! Fridays we take Hannah and Jack to music lessons after lunch, usually followed by more neighborhood playtime and our “Family Nite.” Dave makes his homemade pizza and we all watch a movie or play games together. This ritual has been put on hold temporarily while Jack is taking an 8-week karate class that happens to meet on Friday nights (a gift from my mom and dad). If he decides to continue taking karate, though, he will move to a different class time so we can preserve our family tradition! Saturdays are “whatever” days -- right now we don’t have any scheduled activities, but that will change when baseball starts. Dave and I also try to make Saturdays a date night at least once a month. Sundays we go to church of course, followed by a leisurely few hours until we take Hannah and her friend Tatyana back up to the church for choir practice in the late afternoon.
Am I crazy? Probably. Okay… yes, definitely. I just thank God I have an amazing husband with a variable work schedule and a willingness to help me with everything! Also Eliza has been a dream baby. She just goes with the flow and even when she is off her nap schedule she still does reasonably well. She is still sleeping 11 hours at night so that makes Mama very happy! :o) Sorry this is such a loooong post….our version of “typical” is just a little bit complicated!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
January Happenings
January came and went quickly, or at least it seemed that way to me! With the start of the year came several other "starts" for our family. Both Hannah and Jack started basketball, and Jack started karate lessons (a gift from Namaw and Poppy). Hannah and Jack also both started going to speech therapy sessions -- Hannah for "s" and "r" sounds, and Jack for "sh" and "r" sounds. That process seems to be going well so far.
We celebrated Jack's 6th birthday with a "camo/outdoor" party at Cabelas, and had a lot of fun. Eliza turned 4 months old, discovered her toes, and started rolling up on her side from her back and from her tummy to her back. We finished off the month with all three kids getting some sort of virus (fever and head congestion), but all seem to be fine now.
One of my new year's resolutions is to post more home school information on my blog, so stay tuned for more on that front (hopefully I'll get something else up later this week).
Hannah is such a great big sister and babysitter! I am so blessed to have such a willing helper!
Jack blows out his candles on his "fish bait" dirt cake.
Enjoying the great outdoors...indoors...at Cabelas.
Christmas and Birthday brought a variety of weaponry, from light sabres to Nerf guns. Here is Jack with his neighbor friends having one of their afternoon battles.
Hannah and Jack conducting experiments with their new "Mind Blowing Science" Kit they got for Christmas. Thanks, Cousins Jake, Shandee and Slade!
We celebrated Jack's 6th birthday with a "camo/outdoor" party at Cabelas, and had a lot of fun. Eliza turned 4 months old, discovered her toes, and started rolling up on her side from her back and from her tummy to her back. We finished off the month with all three kids getting some sort of virus (fever and head congestion), but all seem to be fine now.
One of my new year's resolutions is to post more home school information on my blog, so stay tuned for more on that front (hopefully I'll get something else up later this week).
Hannah is such a great big sister and babysitter! I am so blessed to have such a willing helper!
Jack blows out his candles on his "fish bait" dirt cake.
Enjoying the great outdoors...indoors...at Cabelas.
Christmas and Birthday brought a variety of weaponry, from light sabres to Nerf guns. Here is Jack with his neighbor friends having one of their afternoon battles.
Hannah and Jack conducting experiments with their new "Mind Blowing Science" Kit they got for Christmas. Thanks, Cousins Jake, Shandee and Slade!
A recent trip to visit Daddy at the fire station.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Eliza and Her Toys
Eliza is growing fast and doing more new things every day. Here she is with a few of her favorite things...
Hangin' around in my johnny jumper
Chillin' in my bumbo seat
Exercisin' my new exersaucer
My monkey tree and seahorse go everywhere with me!
Hangin' around in my johnny jumper
Chillin' in my bumbo seat
Exercisin' my new exersaucer
My monkey tree and seahorse go everywhere with me!
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