"all that drips" ~ an update

Whew....

Today is Saturday (well, late Saturday, but still Saturday).  We are always busy during the weekends, but today wasn't too bad.  We managed to make an errand run out to the local health store (yes, Honeycomb).  I picked up the following:

Essential oils

~lemon

~eucalyptus

~peppermint

Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar

Honey (local)

I'm going to start the ACV/honey combo tomorrow.  I'm trying the essential oil on the temples at bedtime tonight!!  (lemon & eucalyptus, right Holly?)  

The other health-type things I am doing at the moment:

I take Supermom vitamins from Beeyoutiful.com (2 a day usually)

*also take Acidophilus Blast from Beeyoutiful.com ~ a probiotic that I'm hoping will head off candida/thrush problems that I experienced so horribly while nursing Elijah (for like 11 months STRAIGHT!  It was awful!)

I try to get some basic yogurt in each day too, to help with the yeast issue.  

Other than those things, plus making a lot of our own bread and cooking from scratch when feasible (and realistic.....I *do* have many small children ;)), I really just need to work on portion-sizes.  Yes, we probably hit the fast food places too much (especially on busy weekends), but overall, I would say our diet has improved *so* much over the almost-10-years Dean & I have been married.  Having 5 babies, in 7 1/2 years, will push you to search out some answers in this area!!

I am getting very excited about the birth of this little one.  I am on the mend in regards to this sinus stuff (PTL!), so I am not so pathetic and whiny about how I feel.  I actually feel pretty good for this far along!  My dh got the cradle out of the garage today ~ now I just need to figure out the best "mattress" solution, seeing as how it's not your average size cradle.  You can't just pick up a mattress at Wal-Mart.  We'll see.....  (I just did a search online and found you *can* order just the size mattress we need for this cradle....GREAT!!  Just one more thing on my to-do list *wink*)

I also picked up some more storage bins today for some of my big kid clothes.  I had bins up to size 6/7 for each sex - but now my older ones are getting beyond that size (how did *that* happen??).  Plus I am ready to put away the winter gear (come on SPRING!!) - all I had was a cardboard box that was falling apart.  Now I have a HUGE ol' storage bin ~ Hurray!!

Lastly, I picked up some camis for my almost-6 year old daughter (her birthday is on Wednesday ~ I can't believe it!!).  She jumped up 2 sizes recently and really needs these little undershirts to help smooth out the "bumps" (does that make sense?).   She isn't sprouting "buds" quite yet (oh, I am *so* not ready for that?!), but still....she needs *something*.  Anyone else have a young daughter who needs/needed these type of undershirts??  I told her they were what little girls wore BEFORE they got training bras (something she is *very* excited about, btw), so she is excited about wearing them.  Goodness..... ;)

Well, I'll be MIA for the next few days, what with our quite busy Sundays (so NOT our restful Sabbath), plus one last pre-baby trip to IKEA (thank you Leanne ~ who is watching ALL FOUR of our children, God Bless you!!).  I'll try to check back in on Tuesday and see how everyone is doing.  Have a terrific weekend~

Essential Oils

Can anyone recommend a place to get essential oils?

I'm not EO savy, by *any* means.  I get my vitamins via the internet from a site called Beeyoutiful.  They sell an EO package (tea tree, orange, eucalyptus, lavendar & lemon) for $33.  I've liked their products thus far and they've had great service too.

I would love to try some of the suggestions you ladies gave for my sinus issues.  I need to pick up some apple cider vinegar (why don't I already have this?  no idea).  I've also tried one of those netti pot things (or whatever they're called) - with minimal success.  Maybe I've just not given it enough of a chance, didn't do it enough times, etc.  Do you ladies use it with some type of powder that you dilute in the water, or what exactly do you use?  Just the water?  I'm confused....

Thanks everyone, for your words of support and encouragement and advice.  I feel like all I'm doing is complaining, sorry - hopefully these last few days will go smoothly!  Yes, they will!!

*Plus, it can't get too much worse than tonight, when my current lil' baby threw up Cheeseburger Pasta and Ibuprofen all over me and my bed and himself.  Gross....He's fine, but ewwwwww.....  What is it about little boys and not wanting to take ANY medicine??

Time to relax ~ my wonderful dh brought me home ice cream..........I love this man~!~

Don't ya always feel better...

Here I was, on day two of migraines, starting to go down the "pity-party" road.  Not a great time to be had by *anyone* around me, let me tell ya!

Instead, I lit some candles (because my head hurt too much for the bathroom light, not just to be all cozy and romantic or anything), and took a L O N G....hot...shower.  I shaved my legs (and I mean my legs, not just up to my knees like normal - come on?!?  Do you honestly shave your WHOLE leg each time?) and really conditioned my hair.  I did a face mask scrub.  I got out and gave myself a mini-pedicure:  scrubbed the bottoms of my feet, slathered them with this AWESOME lotion from Bath-n-Body.  You know, really pampered myself.  

I told myself I was doing it in preparation for this new baby.  Whenever I go into the hospital for a c-section, I can't help but remember how many people are there in the OR with me.  Naked. (well, mostly naked).  And how many times people are checking my legs out afterwards (for swelling, red marks, blood clots).  How many times the nurses look at my feet to see how swollen they are (usually pretty swollen from the meds).  I always feel the need to "spiff" things up a bit beforehand.  Which is a bit sad, seeing as how I should really feel the need to "spiff" myself up for my dh regularly anyways....

Well, I *used* to do all this on a regular basis ~ pre-many little kids, anyway.  

Today, I could hear them all playing and running and basically destroying the downstairs - and I was "just fine" with that!  Amazingly, that's true.  I was fine!  I realized halfway through my pedicure, that my head felt a lot better.  Less pressure.  Less pain.  PTL!!  

So now I have a half-destroyed house, but I feel much better.  Thank the Lord~

Here's my plans for the next 11 days:

*get my hair cut and highlighted (maybe??, not sure on the highlights...)

*make a trip to IKEA:  linens, pillows, misc. stuff

*get the bassinet from the garage and get it looking good

*go thru my lil' boy clothes and pick out my favorite outfit "just in case"

*make sure the house is up to par

*make sure the laundry is completely up to date

*make sure Selah has a good 6th birthday, even without a big ol' party

And lastly, the t.v. will be gone in 3 days.  That's right, as of March 1st, we will no longer have our DISH network.  No cable.  No rabbit ears or converter box.  No channels.  In preparation for this change, we have upped our Netflix subscription to 3 movies, promising the kids they will get one of those 3 specifically for "kid" movies.  Isaac is taking it all pretty hard, but he'll be fine.  He's the only one old enough to actually have a "weekly show" he enjoys and will miss (Star Wars: the Clone Wars - poor fella).  I don't feel too bad for him though ~ I think it's one of the smartest decisions we've made!!

So if I'm not around in the next three days, I'm probably getting in my last "t.v. fix" for a while.  And if my dh shows up at your home to watch sports (during football season at least), you'll know why.  Try to be compassionate.....poor fella......

;) ;) ;)

a sniffer gone bad...

How do you deal with sinus infections?  How to you avoid becoming stuffed up to begin with?  I seem to deal with this problem often, and I'm not sure how to avoid it in the first place?!?!

Any essential oils known for dealing with sinuses?  Any particular foods that help with sinuses?  

These sinus problems lead to many of my headaches.........which are awful and require me to take Excedrin.  I know being preggo increases mucus and such, which can lead to stuffed sinuses.  Yet there has to be a preventative plan, right?!

As far as I know, there's no problem "internally" - does that make sense?  Like, I don't have a deviated septum (sp?) or any weird inner nose/sinus issues.  I just get stuffy often, and it leads to very painful headaches.  ugh.

So help a sister out, will ya??

;)

p.s.  I should add, I am a "window opener".  I will open the windows regardless of the weather, as I just can't stand that "stuffy-house" feeling.  So I'm guessing it's not that....hmmmmmm??

Music snob?

Hmmmm.....

I have my degree in music performance.  Clarinet, to be precise.  Yet I hardly play anymore (sad, I know, especially considering how much I love it and how very expensive my clarinet is - thanks mom ;)

My kids aren't quite old enough for instrumental lessons - winds, that is (although Isaac is *really* looking forward to trumpet lessons...ahem...Brooke...).  Yet I've just started Selah & Isaac on basic piano lessons, while taking this time to teach them music theory stuff.  Selah has always shown a love of the piano, ever since we've had one in our home (most of her life, I'm guessing, even though no one really plays....weird).  I knew I wanted her to play, I really want ALL my kids to at least learn the basics.  I love music and being able to play the piano, even basically, is a skill I really wish I would have picked up somewhere along the way.

So ANYWAYS...........I went to our local music store to pick up some beginning piano books.  I kinda got the impression that most people do *NOT* agree with me teaching my own daughter piano - due to it not being my instrument.  It is true, I am NO piano player.  I know music theory, I can read music, I can find the notes on the piano keyboard............but the "other" stuff??  Hand positions and all that jazz, nope.  Right now, I'm relying on the book's descriptions and instructions, plus a few piano-playing friends, to help me with the basics.  

Obviously, if this is something they are truly interested in, we will get them lessons as they progress and shown a willingness to practice faithfully.  

So anyways, I never really knew how many "music snobs" there were out there.  I should have remembered, from my college days, really......I was right there with 'em, in "snobby-land".  Ha, serves me right!!

p.s.  The first lesson today went well for both the kids ~ Selah just seems to have a knack for this whole piano thing........while Isaac did fine, but it took more effort on his part.  His little fingers just didn't want to do what he *wanted* them to do - LOL!!  Good thing he really wants to play trumpet ~ only 3 fingers, right?!  Yet I can hear him up there right now, practicing.  Sweet kid~

Schooling w/ friends~

So Mondays have become our "schooling w/ friends" day!  This is only our 2nd Monday, but we are enjoying it immensely!  The kids enjoy having their friends over (they get to play about half the time they are here, then we school for the other half or so).  I also enjoy having my friend over!  Schooling the kids together has been fun ~ they are all at varying levels, yet fairly close together (K, 1st grade, advanced in some areas, etc.).  We do lunch together, we talk about where we are struggling with homeschooling, what things are working for us, what we like/don't like, etc.  

Plus it's time to talk to another woman ~ a woman who is a lot like yourself in many ways:  married to a pastor (or who *will* be a pastor), momma to many little ones, homeschooling, financial planning and budgeting, SAHM, parenting issues, you name it!

We are not EXACTLY alike in our beliefs, in our parenting, in our styles, etc......yet we are enough alike to support one another and encourage one another, plus get another viewpoint on ways to handle things.  She has been a wonderful encouragement to me in regards to being less "up-tight".  I tend to view things as a "perfectionist" ~ and if you have many small children, things are simply going to have to ease-up a bit if you want to remain sane.  Even little things, such as allowing your child to wear the shoes she chose *herself* and put on the *wrong* feet - that's OKAY.  Really!!

I am so thankful for a real life friend to connect with each week (or each day, if I need to!), to discuss what we are each going through in our daily life, in our marriages, with our children, in our walk with the Lord!

I think the Lord actually wants this for us - this fellowship.  He made us, He knows how important relationships are to women.  Yet in today's society, there just aren't that many women staying home, connecting with one another.  Yes, we see each other at church, maybe at a Bible Study...........but for the momma's "in the trenches", we need more than a passing "hello" in the hall on Sunday morning.  Even though I *love* my conveniences, I sorta miss the idea of women getting together to do the laundry, or bake big ol' batches of bread together, or canning, or quilting, or whatever.

I have no idealistic thoughts that is was an "easier" time......I know it was hard.  Yet these women had relationships - real relationships.  Sometimes I feel like we are all sequestered in our own homes, trying to figure it all out on our own, relying on our husbands to meet our every relationship need (which he can't do, in my opinion).  It's no wonder women feel the need to "get out of the home", to work outside the home with "other adults", to feel valued and appreciated and content and happy.  Hmmm....how much of this stems from holing ourselves up in our home, trying to be *perfect*:  the perfect momma, the perfect wife, the perfect housekeeper, the perfect cook, yada-yada-yada.....all alone.

So anyways, if you have this kind of friend (or even friends - lucky you!!), count yourself as blessed!!  I know so many women who simply don't have another woman they feel comfortable with in a relationship.  How many of us are here, blogging, to in some way fulfill this need of relationship with other women??  

You must also seek out your own heart - to make sure this isn't *YOUR* expectations or issues, getting in the way.  And pray.  Pray for the Lord to send this person into your life.  Again, He MADE us this way - and He will provide!

p.s.  I am 'fast-fooded' out.  It is my own fault - while my dh is away, when I'm being lazy, whatever........my first "each way out" is to drive thru McD's.  Yet we have been blessed as of late with a wonderfully stocked pantry!  I am taking advantage of it (finally) and once again, finding that I actually *enjoy* cooking for my family.  Trying to be creative, trying to be frugal, trying to find foods we can all enjoy and are good for us!

Tonight it is red beans & rice, with ham hocks, plus I'll open up one of our MANY cans of refried beans (which we were blessed with recently).  If you have any ideas of dishes to make with refried beans, PLEASE, let me know!!!  I'm also enjoying using a COOKBOOK.  Often times, I simply print out recipes from on-line.....but there's something nice about having that cookbook open on the countertop.  I don't what it is, but I like it~ ;)

Going to the hospital...

Well, almost.... (freaked ya out, huh Mom?!)

Last night, I was up *way* too late (dh gone and all).  At about 2:30pm, I knew I was exhausted and headed off to bed.  Tali was fussin', ended up having a slight fever and was uncomfortable, so I gave her a dose of Ibuprofen and they both ended up in bed with me.  That's okay, without Dean it was comforting - as long as they don't touch me (I'm weird about that - but we have a king-size bed, so it's all good).

Sooooooooooooo......about 4:15am or so, I wake up with pain.  In the TOP part of my abdomen.  Nothing seemed to help, not changing positions, getting a drink, going to the bathroom - the top of my bulging tummy was very tight - yet not like contrations (at least, my idea of contractions, since I've never been in labor before).  The pain was fairly constant, with times of more intense-pain, yet it never got better, never really gave me a chance to calm down.

Yet here I am with four small children and no hubby.  What should I do?  I honestly didn't think I was in labor, but what was wrong with me??  Is my uterus really tight, or am I in pain from something else and my muscles are just all taunt and stressed and tight and painful?  Either way, I can't just keep this up.

Around 5am, I called dh (in Wisconsin).  I wasn't sure what I expected *him* to do, but I needed to hear his voice.  I told him it didn't feel like labor - so I was going to go try to throw up and I would call him back if things didn't improve.

Yet I *HATE* to throw up, so I didn't actually try that.  I walked around and thought of my options.  Then I took a look around my house (go read my last post about the state of home when dh is away) and was utterly embarrased.  How could I call someone to my home, in the middle of the night, into *that* mess?!?  It was *bad*!

I also thought perhaps if I picked up a bit, swept the floor, emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, etc.....whatever was causing me pain, would subside.  So I did.  I cleaned up, at least the upstairs areas, just basic picking up.

Nope - pain was still there.

I took a cool shower - nope, pain was still there.

At this point I remembered how horrible I had eaten the day before.  I had gone to Bible Study and thought perhaps they were sick too - maybe it was something we had eaten.  So I called up my friend, it's like almost 6am.  Nope, nobody is feeling ill there, no pain, nothin'.  Great.

I actually *did* call my OB office at one point, just to get the on-call number.  Yet I still didn't feel like this was labor.  Yet I couldn't remember feeling the baby move since this had all began.  I'm guessing the pain was causing me to tighten up and therefore I wasn't really paying attention to baby movements.  I was just about to call the on-call number, at the very least so I could get some confirmation that all was well with the baby, when I began to feel like I was going to throw up, hate it or not~

So I psyched myself up, sat in front of the "throne" and hurled - A LOT!!!  I hadn't eaten for *hours* yet there seemed to be LOTS coming up.  (really gross, I know, I was there!!).  I washed up, brushed my teeth and fell into my girls' bed.  I was still in pain and just wanted to give myself a few moments.  I was *exhausted*.  It was like 6:45am - and I with *maybe* an hour of sleep that night.  I began to relax, trying to feel the baby move.  I rolled over to the other side, trying to feel the baby move.

I finally headed back to my own bed.  It was starting to get light outside.  I felt like things were easing up, and my stomach was really just stretched and tight due to my muscles freaking out about the pain.  I never did feel the baby move, and I fell asleep...

My friend called me back, at 8am, just to check.  My pain was gone.  I sat up to put the phone back and realized there was still pain, but it felt like the pain you have after throwing up a whole lot - stiff and sore in your abdomen.  I fell back asleep.

Elijah woke me up about 9am - I threw some doughnuts at the boys (thank the LORD I had stopped at Tim Horton's the night before) and fell back in bed.  It was at that time I realized the baby had the hiccups.  PRAISE THE LORD!!  I never really got any more sleep, although the girls stayed in bed with me 'till almost 10am (WOW!).  

I tried to eat a bit of yogurt this morning and that little bit came back up.  So I've just tried water since then.  I feel fine, albeit a bit tired and shaky.  It appears my dh is going to be a bit stuck in the winter weather, so he probably won't make it home tonight (bummer).  I've got to run the elementary program for Saturday night church, but I've got plenty of help, so that's good!

So there ya go..........I *almost* went to the hospital.  Yet it wasn't labor - it was a stomach bug or something.  I feel pretty good right now, so it's not something that seems to be hanging around.  No one else is sick thus far, so it's not food poisening.  Who knows?!  I just know that I don't EVER want to have to go through something like that again, especially with my dh out of town.  We would have been fine, we have lots of loving friends that would have stepped up to the plate, but still......it's not your husband, ya know?

Still two weeks.........I'm so excited!!  The baby is flipping out down there as we speak - so comforting after last night.  YIPPEE!! 

When dh is away...

...apparently, I lose all sense of motivation and cleanliness.

There is an excessive amount of chex mix on my kitchen floor - from this morning's breakfast, no less.  The train set is strewn a'boot the living room floor.  I even have an end table *on* it's end, just sitting there, upside-down.

And I don't care.

So there.

That's how I feel when my dh is away.

It's just one night, he's back tomorrow, and I'll clean everything up before he arrives - but during this time, the kids and I just "slack off" and do...um...not much of anything.  I read books, we watch movies, we eat......less than stellar food group combinations.

Now, it's time for me to go drink the rest of my chocolate shake from McDonald's (yes, dear, it's a LARGE chocolate shake), watch a bit of t.v. and crash into bed, exhausted by my lack of ANYTHING plus bad nutrition.  Yuck.

Be careful, honey, with the snow storm and everything - drive safely and stay with my folks if you have to.  But then come home soon - we love you!!  

p.s.  My dh is at another Children's Ministry conference - speaking - in Wisconsin.  I'm just so proud of him.  This is something he wanted to do, so he simply decided to go out and DO IT!  He's a motivated and driven man, especially when it comes to families and children.  Just proud of him, so I wanted to share......love ya, babe~

How BIG?!?

I got into the car the other day, to drive to church.  I slid (squeezed....whatever) behind the steering wheel, glanced down then over at my dh, about to make some comment about how he needs to stop moving the seat forward when he drives the van.

Until I remembered that part of our van broke a long time ago - you *can't* move the seat forward.

Nope, it was just my big ol' belly is HUGE!!

Maybe my due date was wrong??  I doubt it, but maybe.

Alright "little" one, I'm ready to meet you~

Now you see me...

Now you don't!

TIME
Yes, it's been quite the weekend. I asked my dh the other day, as we were once again passing each other coming and going, "are we just more busy than normal??". Yes, we definitely are!

And yet, each day seems to be getting longer for me.....I'm not sure how that's possible?! According to the u/s tech, this baby is bigger than any of my other babies (although still not huge), so I'm wondering if my body is just tired of carrying this "little" one around - HA!

Anyway ~
My mil and other various relatives are headed up tomorrow for a quick visit - they are even timing it so my wonderful dh can *finally* make it to one of my OB appointments! Yes, this will be the first OB appointment he has made - it just seems to get harder to plan those things with each added little blessing. Oh well, I'm just happy we can head out tomorrow, just the two of us, for a little bit!

Then Friday & Saturday my dh is speaking at his last Children's Ministry conference before this baby arrives. It's just two days, but I'll miss him anyways....;) The rest of his commitments are all local stuff, in-house. I'm gonna have to just get used to this, as he will probably be speaking more and more each year (that's the plan, anyways). Luckily, the babies grow each year.......sometimes it's hard to remember they won't always need me for EVERYTHING! Before you know it, I'll miss these days, so I'm trying to stay "in the moment" and love on them whenever and however I can. I'm not always successful, but I'm working on it~

BUYING STUFF
Then next week, we're planning on a final trip to IKEA before the baby comes. Does anyone else go to IKEA!??! We love it! This will be our first trip ALONE ~ since we've had some offers from friends to watch our little ones. We will be looking for: a crib, a mattress, various linens, floor lamps, pillows, and little things that always catch our eye (like meatballs and Swedish sauce, yum!).


HOMESCHOOLING
School around here is going great! We just started co-schooling with some friends on Mondays ~ we are using the KONOS units as a starting point. Isaac is actually excited about writing sentances (basically notebook pages to document what we have been learning about) and Selah is just excited to have her friend coming over!!

Today I also ordered our new Math curriculum: LIFEPAC 1st grade Math. In looking through it, I'm guessing we'll be able to breeze through most of it, but I didn't want to miss anything important, so I didn't want to skip 1st grade yet.

Oh, and we've started copywork. Probably not as diligently as we should, but we're hitting it here and there ~ mostly with our vocab words. I can see how we can work this in with grammar: capital letters, nouns/verbs, all that jazz.

MORE BUYING STUFF
I also ordered some "new baby/hospital" stuff today as well. You know - nursing bras, nightgown/robe, that kind of thing. I thought my dh would freak out, but he's planned all this fairly well (actually, the Lord has timed all this really well), so our tax return $$ came at *just* the right time for all this "stuff". PTL!!

Did anyone else watch the Duggar's recently on TLC? Where they went on a missions trip? It had all these "pop-ups" talking about "the average American family" and how we compare to most of the rest of the world. It was *sad*. Such as, American's (on average) spend as much a year on GARBAGE BAGS as these people EARN a year. EARN. Garbage bags. ugh.

BOOKS
In the bathroom (you know, where the *important* reading happens!) I'm still working my way through Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow - EXCELLENT! It has been *exactly* what I needed, each and every day. How does the Lord do that?!! Amazing!

I am also on chapter two of our small group study of James (with commentary). I'm enjoying how it's all laid out, the questions, and how indepth it is. Again, it is *exactly* what I need to be reading, to be hearing from the Lord. Amazing.

LASTLY- TECH
We are in the process of switching over to a new computer - so I might be hit or miss until next week. I have some pics to share, but I'm not going to upload them to this old computer - I'll just wait until the new one is in place.

I also believe our hospital has Wi-Fi in the rooms, so we'll be able to post some pics and keep up with communication while we are "vacationing" there for a few days. Yes, 'cause to be without internet for a few days......wait....can't.....breathe..... ;) ;) ;) ha~

And we are losing the DISH network at the end of this month. Can you believe it??!?! Sometimes I still can't. I do believe it's what we need right now, but it is *so* opposite of "normal" around here, it's still weird.... We'll see.

It's just the end of winter..........blech. Luckily, my nesting is kicking in so I'm cleaning and organizing. Yesterday was the fridge (thank goodness I have babies every few years - yes, my fridge was *that* bad). Whew....I'll be glad to teach that particular chore to a child soon. Yuck~

Hope you are doing good through these last weeks of winter ~ can you believe we'll be talking about planting a garden soon? Well, maybe not a "garden".........maybe a red pepper plant or two. Maybe. ;)

What does being a daddy to 5 children teach you?

Apparently, how to sleep through ANYTHING!!

Now, I love my dh ~ he's a great husband, a terrific father, he's fun, caring, a hardworker, smart and a great leader of our family. After long days of being....well...awesome, he's tired.

Very tired, obviously.

Last night, about 3:30am, I awoke to fairly bad pain in my abdomen/side. I must have been laying funny, or the baby was laying funny, or *something*. I tried to roll over - but that's not as easy as it sounds, when 8 months preggo. I just couldn't manuvuer myself to a position where the pain would subside ~ in fact, it just kept getting worse. I was just starting to freak out....

Let me pause here. In case you didn't already know this about me, I am a wimp. Seriously. It's probably a *really* good thing I don't go into labor - I would never survive.... now, back to our story:

.....so I reached over and grabbed my dh's hand. I had already been moaning and groaning, in my not-so-subtle way.

He didn't even budge. His snoring didn't break tempo or volume. I almost laughed, it was so humerous. It's probably what kept me from crying ~ I just figured I was on my own, so I hauled my body to a different position, got up, and managed to get rid of the pain and go back to sleep. To the lull of my dh's snore....

So there ya go ~ lessons from a father of five!
(well, told through his wife's eyes, anyway)

How to clean your tub on a regular basis~

Have a child poop in it.

Gross.

(it's like they get together and discuss who and when.......yuck)

Again, gross.

Our new math~

Well, our first math, really. We've just done free on-line stuff or from workbooks we bought here and there. I was a bit frustrated for a while - I *wanted* a set math curriculum, but we just didn't have the money at the time. Now I think I may know why God was holding us back...

I've not been homeschooling all that long (I mean, since the birth of my children, yes - but not "officially"). As time progresses, I'm just beginning to get an idea of what hs'ing many children *may* be like. Due to this, I continue to seach out different curriculums - without freaking out or buying a ga-gillion different ones. I've found this "computer-based" curriculum that I'm thinking of trying a few years down the road. Switched on Schoolhouse by AOP (same publishers as our current curriculum The Weaver).

So now comes the time when we are ready to purchase the kids' math curriculum. What do I do?? I want to get something that will seamlessly (as much as possible) transition into SOS when/if we go that route. Yet I couldn't find much info on what families used BEFORE starting SOS math. I was more than a little frustrated...

Then tonight, I found the golden ticket! I read a bit more about LIFEPACs, also from AOP (are you getting the idea I like them yet?!). Apparently, LIFEPACs are basically the *same thing* as SOS, just in workbook/textbook/paper form instead of on the computer. The *same thing*! And LIFEPACs start with Kindergarten!

Our tax money will be here in a few days, and LIFEPACs 1st grade math set will be arriving shortly thereafter! I'm getting both Isaac & Selah the 1st grade pacs, yet I'm going to let them progress at their own pace - that way I'll get a better idea of where they each are. Besides keeping them both "on track and focused", I'll let them work at their own speed - if one of them finishes quickly, we'll just go to the next grade (regardless of where we might be in the calendar year). We plan on schooling year round anyways.


Okay, just wanted to share ~ someONE might be interested, maybe....plus I'm just excited about actually finding what (I think) is a good fit after all this searching!! Hurray~



p.s. We were going to go with Math-U-See. It has been described to us as "very different from traditional math" - which is one of it's best selling points, actually. Yet due to our possible future plans, we needed to find a math curriculum that was going to "match up" - not be completely different. So while I still think Math-U-See is a great choice - it just doesn't seem to work with our current plans.

another day, another organization project

Isn't that the way things go around *your* house??

I have so many things, on so many lists, it's getting a bit ridiculous (yet I'm smiling as I type this - I *love* lists!). I have a "tax return money" list, a grocery list, a house-project list, a menu planning list, a library list, a homeschooling idea list.................the list goes on and on.

Today, we've been through the kids' books: finding all our "lost" church library books and locating a new "home" for them upstairs, throwing away ripped & broken books that were beyond repair and repairing those we dearly wanted to save. One project down~

Tomorrow, we'll attack the girls' room: the plastic kitchen needs to go (broken in many places, not used enough to be taking up so much room) and we will be replacing it with some type of toy storage. We need the space in their closet (where the toys are currently stored) in the event this lil' wee one is another girl. Not to mention our current system simply isn't working. No one (including me and *definitely* including the girls) can keep things organized or even picked up! Another project will be checked off~

And lastly (this week), I'll really get into the boys' room. The toys need to be gone through (tossed, fixed, reorganized), the closet needs to be reorganized (with new bins) and I need a new plan *if* this lil' one turns out to be a boy!

Luckily, I really get excited about reorganizational projects! Yes, I do - weird, I know ;)

I wonder if this is "nesting"??

So what lists are you working your way through?

How many homeschool kids....

How many homeschool kids does it take to make a co-op??

Ha! My friend and I have 7 (almost 8) kids between us. She has just started homeschooling (which *I* am super excited about!) and we have decided to try to get together one day a week for some co-schooling with all our kids. We have 2 first graders, a Kindergartener, 2 preschoolers, a toddler, a baby and almost a newborn.

Ok, yes, after typing that, I agree.....we are, in fact, crazy!

Anyways, I have these two 9-week unit studies (KONOS) that I got a while back from my sister. We have decided to pull out some of their afternoon science-type projects and do them together. Fun for kiddos, fun for mommas, learning all around!

At the end of the first study, the kids will perform a play - the book said something along the lines of "if you only have 1 or 2 kids = do this" and "if you are part of a co-op = do this". So I'm wondering, how many kids does a co-op make?? I'm fairly certain we qualify ;)

The really good thing about this "co-schooling" day is that I'm hoping it will help me stay accountable in general. If I am making sure we are prepared for Mondays with our friends, perhaps I will do better at making sure we are keeping up with our other areas of hs'ing. We have been working at 3 phonics lessons per day (from 100 easy lessons) - this is going well. Now if I could just be consistant with Friday Library Days, then we would consistantly have our needed books on-hand. If we always have our needed books, I would be much less likely to push today's schooling to tomorrow (day after day - just waiting to get to the library).


So:
**Mondays = Co-schooling w/ friends (KONOS Orderliness Unit)
**continue on w/ 100 Easy Lessons for phonics
**continue on w/ The Weaver Unit Studies
**add in our new math curriculum (still to be decided on)
**add in new piano books (Isaac & Selah) for music
**Fridays = Library Day (get all needed books for the upcoming week)


Let's see....I had another OB appointment today (they're coming every week now, can you believe it??). They did an ultrasound to check the baby's size (I guess I measured kinda big last time) - and they came up with a size of 6 lb. 9oz. which seems really big to me (at this time). Selah was 6'10" and Tali was 6'11". Isaac was 7' even and Elijah was 7'5" - so none of them have been huge. If this little one is already 6'9", well then, whew.....he or she might end up actually being a chubby baby! WOW!

My OB also rescheduled my c-section (she is going to be in another town the original date), so we are going with Mondy, March 9th. Even earlier - whoo-hoo!! Ok, it's just two days, but still......I'm excited about meeting this little one! So Monday, March 9th, 7:30am - I'm so excited!!

And lastly, I just had a bad day yesterday. Ugh. Thankfully, after dealing with this issue all afternoon, I checked the mail.............whoo-hoo!!! A good friend had sent me a Tim Horton's gift card for my birthday! How awesome is that?! I was able to splurge on myself and my kiddos and even my hs'ing friend today! Thanks so much, Janet - YOU ROCK! Isn't it amazing how God times these things?? Just when you feel down-n-out, He sends along *just* what you need to make you smile. Yup, God really does care about us - even the little things! Awesome!!



p.s. due to some ideas I have about possibly going to Switched on Schoolhouse in the future, I'm debating what math curriculum to go with now. Math-U-See might not be the best bet, if we will be switching the kids' curriculum in a few years (Math-U-See is quite a bit different from your average math curriculum - so I've been told). So anyone with Switched on Schoolhouse experience, let me know about their math stuff......what would be a good option for young children who will be using SOS in the future?? I want to order our math soon (tax money refund - YES!). Thanks~

A full page of Quiverful~

It's amazing to me that when I check my stats, I still have PAGES of people searching for "quiverful" and somehow ending up at my blog. I'm amazed that so many people are actually searching this term out - plus that they are actually ending up here!

For one, it seems everyone I talk to has never even *heard* of this term before - which is fine. So how can so many people be searching it out on-line??? They must run to the internet right after we talk.....;)

And two, there are a *million* other sites, blogs, etc. that discuss the term quiverful, the lifestyle, the various ideas and extremes of this word, etc. Again, we're just normal ol' people who happen to have five babies - big deal?!!? Weird...

Oh well.

There's a few other things I want to talk about - such as my OBVIOUS problem with authority (thanks Mom), how this affects my own children, my marriage, etc. There's also the idea of accountability partners between women, what this entails, how it works for me (and asking how it works for you). Plus the idea of co-homeschooling one day a week (something a friend and I are thinking about - just to get together and teach our kids together one afternoon a week). Oh, and so much more. My brain is a buzz~

And lastly, it's wonderful to have my hubby back!!! He keeps me more on track and I feel much more ME....ahhhh......love ya, babe!!




p.s. I have no idea why my siggy's not working. Hmmmm??

p.p.s. I also finished the stash blankie last night. It's in the wash, so I'll post pics asap. Yeah!

Updates & Ramblings

I'm doing just fine ~ I'm 34 1/2 weeks along (yes, the 1/2 *is* very important at this stage) and a bit less itchy (just a bit). My liver function test came back in normal limits, so it's not PUPP nor anything really with my liver - good news! Guess I'm just getting older, getting drier, and living in Michigan during a FREEZING winter......so I'm itchy. I'm desperately trying to NOT itch and I've purchased some good lotion for itchy, severely dry skin - so here's hopin'~

Remember a bit back when I discussed how I was organizing kids' clothes, giving stuff away, putting up clothes that we want to keep but just don't fit anyone right now, etc.?? Well.....it appears I need to do it again. Seriously. Elijah Rock has ENTIRELY too many clothes!! And where exactly am I going to put the baby's clothes? I haven't focused on this detail, due to not knowing the baby's sex, but I was looking at the boys' closet today and thought "if this little one is a boy, WHAT am I going to do??". Now granted, I fit ALL FOUR kids' clothes in one ity-bity closet at our last rental, so I *know* it can be done.........but it's gonna take some work, let me tell you. I'm gonna have to be BRUTAL in getting rid of what we simply don't need, perhaps purchase some more bins & baskets, but it *can* be done!

I have a friend who has a family closet/laundry room type of set-up. I'm envious....well, I'm happy for her, I just want one someday. Me too, me too!! I have another friend who has this EXCELLENT mudroom/entry room with these open-locker type of things, with space for each child's coat, bag, papers, shoes, hat/mittens/etc......plus lots of extra cubbies for other shoes. You mean, when my family walks into the house, they could all easily put away their coats, shoes, bags, winter-gear, whatever without trampsing through the whole house, dropping various items along the way, never to be found again???? WOW!!! Again, I want one~

Ideas to store away for our future home plans.....


And best of all, my hubby arrives home tomorrow! Whoo-hoo!! I can't believe how much I love this man ~ how much I rely on him for so many reasons throughout the day. Yes, for that extra set of hands with the kids, with the house, with stuff. Yet also for that adult conversation, for that freedom to be ME, to let my guard down, to cry, to laugh out loud. I feel like I'm floundering around a bit without him. I don't like it. I like myself much better WITH him ~ he honestly brings out a much better me ~ God knew what He was doing putting us together (well, God ALWAYS knows what He's doing.......you know what I mean....).

So what's next? My amazing dh already did our taxes, so we are strategically planning out the details of how to best use this money. Besides paying off the van, and setting some aside in our "emergency fund", there are necessities to be purchased for this upcoming birth. There are also some necessities to be considered for this home and our car. Oh, and the computer. We need a new computer. Oh ya, that.....well, it will only spread so far............I gotta remember to praise the Lord for what we have, instead of focusing how what we can't quite manage right now.

Speaking of which, a friend shared a book with me (Calm My Anxious Heart, by Linda Dillow) - and I believe I might have read this before. Yet it is really striking a chord with me now. We've all read Paul telling us to "be content in whatever circumstances" - yet it can be difficult to actually put this into practice. At least for me, it has been. So this book has been a blessing and I am so thankful to my friend (hi Kerry!).

And lastly, I've almost finished my "stash baby blankie". It's turned out pretty cute. It's mostly green, with bits of variegated here and there, even different weights of yarns - yet it works. Once this little one is born, thus revealing the sex, I will pick out a pattern that is PERFECT for him or her, but for now I'm liking this basic blankie ~ pictures to come soon ~

And now, I'm tired. One more day, Lori, just one more day. I'll probably still be tired, but my hubby will be home so it's ALL OKAY~

It *will* happen...

Yes, it *will* get more interesting around here again....someday.

Right now, I have my mom & niece visiting, we got hit with more snow (again), I miss my hubby and I'm itchy. That's about it. Baby is still moving around lots, which is such a comforting, "momma" feeling - I love it.

I am making up a "stash" baby blankie for this little one - from all that extra yarn crocheters have stashed around the house. Since we don't know if this baby will be a boy or a girl, I will simply use colors I like, colors that make me feel all warm and comfy and basically just make me smile. I'm also hoping it will help me get off my feet more. There's something about having your fifth little one......you really aren't as young as you used to be, your body is a bit more tired ~ yet you are pushing yourself way more than for the first baby, 'cause you've got four other little ones that need you. My dh is *wonderful* and really WANTS me to take it easy. He is great about the house, about helping out, about simply relaxing and helping me to relax as well. PTL!! I'm lovin' that man of mine~

So while we thaw out around here (supposed to get up into the 30's & 40's over the next week), I'll try to snap some end-of-pregnancy pics. What's happening around here, how homeschooling is *really* going at this stage, ways in which I am trying to prepare for the arrival of this little one (like freezing meals - got any tried-n-trusted ideas?)....I love looking at snippets of other momma's life, so I like sharing pics here as well.

Hope you all are staying warm, counting your blessings and trusting in Him. Some days, that's all I can manage - and that's okay~