School 2015-2016, March

I am so pleased with the work we've accomplished during this late-pregnancy and bedrest season.  We've all had to be flexible and re-prioritize our schooling goals.  Our school day has definitely taken on a different from normal routine, but it's worked.  From my station on the couch next to an end table piled with school books, individual school sheets (we print off school sheets for each student with each week's assignments, crossing off work as it's completed), dry erase board, and a collection of pens and markers, we've made it through 2 months of schooling!

Everyone has done math and language arts each day.  Working with each level individually, either to start the lesson and send them off to work at the table, or to work together on the couch or at the little table by the couch - using a dry erase board rather than the chalkboard.  The rest of our schooling is done with everyone gathered around the couch: listening to music, looking at artwork, memorizing poems, and reading books.  Thanks to the flexibility of all the kids, it's worked.

One huge benefit to continuing our schooling through this bedrest season, school has given me a focus and a purpose each day.  This bedrest has been much easier for me than previous.  I may have been stuck on the couch, but I had goals each day and was able to accomplish much.  I may not have been able to change diapers or prepare meals, but I was able to spend focused time with my children each day.  We've been hitting the books hard these past 2 months!

Finishing up our month of March, we are now 155+ completed days of school.   

This past month, we've looked at "Apples and Oranges" artwork by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse's "Sorrows of the King," "Maids of Honor" by Diego Velazquez, and paintings by Juan Miro.

We've memorized "America" (My Country Tis of Thee) by S.E. Smith, and "Windy Nights" by Robert Louis Stevenson.

We've listened to George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," Handel's Hornpipe from Water Music, early American Fife and Drum music, Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," and the Triumphal March from Aida. 

We haven't dug into our history studies as much this month.  We're still in colonial America and have studied a bit about New France, reading "Paddle to the Sea" and starting the book "With Pipe, Paddle, and Song."  To supplement a bit of our history, the kids have had a fun break watching episodes of "Liberty's Kids."

On top of that, the bigger boys have also read "The Sign of the Beaver," and "Robinson Crusoe."  Together we enjoyed reading "Gulliver's Travels," listening to "Johnny Tremain, and starting "Swiss Family Robinson." 

Kolpin has begin his new math program this month - we are so pleased with Saxon Math, and he is certainly enjoying working with me on Saxon 1.  He's still working hard at his phonics lessons, but is having trouble remembering the letter sounds (everything is "eeee?").  With the help of his older siblings, our house is decorated with letter signs to help him practice.  This is a good reminder that everyone learns at their own pace - and makes me thankful for homeschooling.

We've worked so hard these past few months, we're certainly ready for an extended break.  Our goal is to continue reading together and have the kids work on a few math lessons here and there, but for the most part (and this mama), we're taking several weeks off to enjoy our soon-to-come/ any-day-now new addition and find our new normal.

When we return, only 25 days to go!

10

Daddy's Helpers

Each year as we enter spring, Daddy has a lot of outdoor projects.  Thank goodness for good helpers (and for daddy taking the time to teach them). 

Over the weekend, Mike had the kids outside helping to change the oil on both vehicles, sharpening mower blades, replacing air filters, installing a new front door knob, and burning leaf piles. 

Ofcourse they were thrilled to work alongside Daddy :)

Our backyard echos with the sounds of Spring: kids playing, birds chirping, and frogs croaking.  The kids have already caught several critters: many tree frogs, 2 baby turtles, 1 snake, and "the first toad of the season" - found Easter Sunday and named "Jelly Bean." 

We've been putting our dinner bell to good use - ringing it to call the busy, more-often-than-not barefoot kids inside.  They come riding or running at the sound of the bell, tracking in dirt, and full of all sorts of adventure tales. 

I love Spring :)

Baby Play Box

For a short time, this large box was being prepared for its second life as a lemonade stand - the kids had made signs and were setting prices: "Lemonade and Treats."  But, with an opportunity to "babysit" little sister outside, the box was instantly torn apart and transformed into a baby play box. 

Addy has some awesome big siblings!

Week 36, 37, 38

We have hoped and prayed that this pregnancy would make it to at least 37 weeks, and babe would stay in utero as long as possible.

Praise God!  We made it to 38 weeks!!!

(I have only seen 38 weeks one other time in all of my 7 pregnancies!)

I was on the couch for seven weeks, and we have done everything we could to help prolong this pregnancy.  And now, I've been able to enjoy a FULL WEEK off bedrest.  It has been wonderful.

I rarely set foot outside from January 30th onward, so I have loved soaking up as much as I can of this gorgeous spring.  I've walked a mile everyday (a wonderful relief to my lower back!), sat outside with the kids, exercised, baked cookies and cooked supper, and have thoroughly enjoyed waking up my babies and putting them to bed at night.  I feel strong, I feel normal, I feel great!

The kids are so funny, expecting this baby to arrive any second and getting nervous if I leave the house.  Just a quick trip to the restroom causes all sorts of excitement: "Did the baby come!?!" - I think they all remember how suddenly Dabney was born.  They're also so used to me being on bedrest, so they don't quite understand how I can be off bedrest without having a baby: "Don't you have to stay on the couch til the baby comes?" 

We have had a couple of false starts: bouts of contractions every 5 minutes or so, but no true labor.  Our ever patient, ever on-call, on-top-of-things midwife has been at the house several times this past week and even spent the night on our couch (Mike is very grateful - he would prefer not to deliver this baby himself).  I think all my muscles are waking up after my long hibernation :)

This baby is seeming bigger than any I've carried before (this one pushes up into my ribs and waaaay out to the side!), so it is a bit more difficult for me to distinguish contractions from baby stretching out and filling its space.  At this stage, our midwife is guessing a 7+ pound baby - a big baby for me.  My extra weight gain (33 lbs) this pregnancy may have helped with this ("I've never seen you with this much weight on you!"). 


We're so excited to meet our newest little one, when it's ready to arrive :)

10 Months

Our baby girl Addison is 10-months-old!

At 10 months:

EIGHT teeth (!)

pulling up to a stand

cruising along the couch

waves and says "hi!"

 drinks 5 bottles a day (30 oz. total)

eats 3 solid meals a day

puffs, cheerios, sweet potato, banana, avocado, applesauce, butternut squash, carrots, scrambled eggs

"dances" to music (bobs up and down and waves her arms)

startles easily

glued to Baby Einstein movies

lifts up her arms to ask to be held

signs "please" at mealtime

squirmy worm during diaper changes

crawls (she's fast!)

keeps attempting to climb the stairs

bounces and throws herself into our arms

chatty and interactive

"mama" . "dada" . "baba" 

puts everything in her mouth

stands up in her crib and "talks" to Dabney

watches everything

very alert

fusses when she's tired or when she wants to be held

claps her hands

ticklish under her chin

takes 1-2 naps each day

sleeps 12 hours at night

loves attention

  mimic

snuggle bug

giggles

loves listening to stories

loves her paci

stands up in her highchair - eek!

20 pounds

wears 12 month clothing

 

Addy is a joy :)

(and her sweet cheeks are very kissable!)

Easter

He is not here, he has risen!  

Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  

"The son of man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, 

be crucified and on the third day be raised again.  

Luke 24:6-7

In him, we have redemption through his blood, 

the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  

Ephesians 1:7

 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

 - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.  

Ephesians 2:8

On Easter we celebrate the miracle and gift of Christ's resurrection.  After his incomprehensible suffering sacrifice, Jesus conquered death and gave us a way to restored relationship with our heavenly Father.  Easter truly is a celebration of new life through Christ. 


For our children, we want this to truly be a celebration, but ultimately use it as an opportunity for teaching, marveling, meaningful discussion, discipleship, and reflection.   We want our children to be in awe of the amazing gift of Easter.

We have fun with fancy dresses, egg hunts, jelly beans and chocolate, coloring sheets, "Christ is Risen" hard boiled egg cracking competitions, and cascarones . . . but we strive to balance these fun celebrations with meaningful biblical teaching.  We read Isaiah's prophecy of the coming Savior, have a scavenger hunt with biblical Easter story symbols (crown of thorns, bread, vinegar), read about Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, crucifixion, and resurrection from beautifully illustrated children's books, and teach the story straight from the Word of God.

We all fall short.  We are all in need of a Savior.  As parents, we mess up daily.  Despite our  failings, with God's grace, we hope to train the hearts and cultivate the affections of our children and help to guide them towards a personal, meaningful relationship with the Lord.  

We all need Jesus :)
Thank God for Easter!

Blessings

Cascarones, confetti filled egg shells, are a family tradition, adopted while my parents were living in San Antonio before I was born.  We use cascarones as a symbolic gesture to spread blessings at celebrations: weddings, showers, and Easter.  My mom makes 12 dozen cascarones each year, I'm sure she has several dozen tucked away in the garage, to be used and shared throughout the year.  It's a fun tradition to share with friends.  

In our household, we also enjoy cascarones . . . although we only made 2 dozen this year (I had a pretty good excuse to not being on top of my game this season).   This kids certainly have fun cracking eggs over each others' heads, and the confetti in our home and yard will remind us of these "blessings" in the many weeks to come. 

The kids do turn this sweet spreading of blessings into a full-contact sport: "blessings" shouldn't hurt :)  

Spring Training

We have all enjoyed the gorgeous weather and longer daylight hours of Spring - the kids especially enjoy it when daddy gets home early enough to toss the ball before supper. 

 And, baseball isn't just for the boys, the girls get in on the action too :)
(barefoot and wearing princess nightgowns!)

Whipped

Our baker was at it again: this afternoon, Hiwot asked if she could try to make whipped cream by hand, curious how long it would take.  She is one determined girl.  Hiwot whipped and whipped and whipped and whipped - about 15 minutes later, she had a bowl of perfectly stiff whipped cream. 
(she turned the bowl upside down to demonstrate :)

We all enjoyed spoonfuls as a treat! 
This girl is quite impressive in the kitchen.