Eyes of Blue, 2 foot 2...

More Bullets

-Thanks for all of the info and suggestions ladies. It reminded me that I am doing way more than just the curriculum. We've read thru the whole Charlotte Mason reading list for Kindergarten. We are starting the first grade list. We also got some Abeka K and 1st science books that we've gone thru. He's doing Explode the Code phonics and loving it and Horizon math and we are liking it. We also do bible studies and memory work every day. So, I guess we are good so far.
The curriculum we are using is actually My Father's World. I'm going to have to reevaluate it for us next year. I've realized that I'm just not a fluffy girl. To me, coloring and cutting and artsy work every day is a waste of time. My kids seem to be geared that way so far too, thank goodness. If I get an artsy one, we are in trouble, lol. So I am going to keep with the MFW but just lightly and use it for our one or two days a week of fluff, then focus on everything else the rest of the time.
-This weekend was crazy busy and I'm exhausted. The Candlelight Walk went really well last night. We served free chili and hot dogs to the community during the parade and festivities. It was fun but tiring. I organised all of it, so I was glad it went well. Today we had Thanksgiving dinner celebration with the Lohnes and our church family here. Lots of food and it was fun. I stayed home from church this morning to get some rest and get food prep done.
-I am hoping that everyone has passed thru their illnesses. Hannah had the flu all week but seems to be good now. Leah threw up on Saturday morning out of the blue, we still don't know if it was something she ate or a bug, but she seems ok. Joshua and Robert and I are good, so far.
-Getting ready to head to God's country again come Thursday!!!!!!!!

No Time, Bullets

-Hannah woke up with a fever Monday morning. It broke this morning but is now back. Poor baby. She won't let me put her down.
-Busy week. I am organising our churches free chili/hot dog meal for the community during the Medina Candlelight Walk on Saturday, also making 2 huge pots of chili for the event. Went and bought 33 packages of hot dog buns today, can officially check that off my list of things to do before I die. Sunday we are having our church family Thanksgiving celebration at the Lohnes's home. I'm cook up a whole slew of yummies for that.
-I need some homeschool thoughts from you Mama's. Our curriculum is WAY WAY under Joshua's level. I thought we'd just push thru it anyway for a structure but seriously. It is a waste of our time, and I don't like wasting time. Leah gets most of this stuff and she's 3. What to do. We had purchased more advanced phonics and maths and so he's really pushing thru those now, but should I look for something else? Anyone? This totally reaffirms to me that Joshua couldn't got to public school. He's almost on a second grade public school level at 5. If we put him in "K" next year, he'd get diagnosed with ADHD and put on meds. Seriously.
-Robert is now in an indoor soccer league for the winter. It's fun but I don't like splitting my attention between the kids and his game. I'm a sports fan and just want to watch all of the action, lol.
-We leave for Texas in NINE days! YIPPEE!!!!!!!!
-I made some awesome chicken and dumplings. Actually, I feel like I'm coming into my own on this whole soup making adventure. I consider myself a good if not great cook. I've been doing it since I was 9 (my Mom worked second shift, so cooking was up to me) but living in the South, I never really had a reason to learn soups and so have always been awful at them. But now, I think I've figured them trick out......shhhhh, don't tell anyone, it is a blender! Yup! I use an immersion, but a regular would work too, just more work. I boil up a million veggies in some chicken broth, doesn't seem to matter what kind, and then blend them up, TA DA! Delicious soup. Really, we are loving it. My chicken and dumplings I boiled the chicken with onion and garlic and carrots and kale, celery, then pulled out the chicken to dice, blended up the veggies, add a little more broth to thin it some, then threw in the chicken and dumplings and let them cook. It was DIVINE and alot healthier than most recipes. So there ya go Kel, try it, you'll love it!

and today just gets better and better. We ran to check out a health foods place I had heard about and it is the best Healthy Foods Grocery I've ever been in. It is called the Mustard Seed and I am in LOVE. I was soooo giddy going thru it today. Tons and tons of gorgeous organic produce. Awesome supplements and other groceries. A fresh butcher that had great looking meats and fish. Seriously, I'm soooooooooo stinking happy!

Then, I came home and all of the kids went down for naps!!!!! Hannah is still adjusting to the time change and has been taking a morning nap and it is about to kill me! No rest or breaks at all is more than this Mama can handle for days on end.

Finally, I've got a big ole pot of chicken and veggies bubblin away to make some chicken and dumplings for dinner. I am on a mission to make meals we love from our childhood but healthy. This one has kale, celery, carrots, onions and chicken. I'll pull the chicken out and dice it up, then cream the veggies to make a creamy broth then add the dumplings and chicken back in. I CAN'T wait, I was drooling while I made it.

A little unsettled. We got an email from our HOA here today that said a man in a blue car has been going to kids waiting for the buses in the morning and yelling at them to get in the car. This has been happening for 2 weeks. Ick. I worry about Joshua at times. He is sooo social, and will talk to anyone, anytime. Anyone have good suggestions for a book on how to talk to your kids about safety stuff like this?

In other news, we are having the best day. I was just sitting thinking that this is how I would like all days to go. We got up and got the kids their baths and then breakfast. Joshua fed Hannah her breakfast while I did some computer work. Then, Hannah went down for a nap and the big kids and I got school done. Leah even asked to play some alphabet games and she is finally learning some of her letters. Joshua is doing phenomenal in school, no surprise there. Then, we made banana walnut pancakes together and had a tasty lunch. Now we are off to run some errands and enjoy the beautiful weather we are enjoying!

I have a headache and no idea why. Hannah is sleeping ok, not thru the night but ok. I've been eating good, drinking my water....must be hormones. Blech. AND I don't have a book to read right now, which is what I"d like to do, curl up and read a book. I've been reading Cindy Woodsmall's Amish books lately. They aren't anything jump up and down about but the stories are fun to dive into. She isn't as good a writer as Beverly Lewis. She is more personal stories and sagas kind of writing with a little Amish life thrown in, where as Beverly Lewis is more Amish lifestyle with personal sagas included. I like Lewis better. That being said, I am still going to finish the Sisters of the Quilt series and then get back to what I prefer to read, nonfiction. I recently reread 5 Love Languages, still highly recommend that book. I also read two books with Joshua that we really loved and I would like to find for our home library. One was A Tree is Nice and the other was A Little Boy Named Babaji, really loved the Babaji story.

We our enjoying some unseasonally warm temps here right now. It is nice as I know what is coming this year. I know we will also enjoy the snowy times too, but they last so long. I'm trying to get the kids outside as much as possible, and am researching vitamin D supplements.

What a great weekend. We have been blessed amazing summerlike weather this weekend. It has been in the 60's yesterday, today and tomorrow will be too. Sunny and BEAUTIFUL!!!!! So, we are out enjoying it! I think a zoo trip is in store tomorrow.

8 Wonderful Years in September.

All of us on our 8th anniversary in September.


This is my first time ever, organised junk drawer. Is this inspiring or what?


Bad hair night for AWANAS.

This is our cutie little blond curly haired blue eyed girl.

We had our first snow yesterday. It snowed off and on all morning. No sticking. The kids went out to catch flakes on their tongues.

Don't forget to vote today, lots of people have given their lives for you right to vote! If you are in Ohio, please vote no on 2!

It is sunny but cool here today. We had a really heavy frost yesterday morning. Snow is forcasted for Thursday. It is November now, so I am ok with it snowing. Reminds me that I still need to order snow boots for the kids though...oopss. We've looked at alot of the cheaper snow boots around but none of them look like they would be waterproof and my kids would have frozen feet in about 10 seconds. They love playing in the snow, and so we are going to spend the money to get them boots that will keep their feet warm in the snow. Joshua actually begged to go play in the frost yesterday, lol! He ran to me first thing in the morning and said "Mommy, Mommy, look outside there is white stuff!!!!" He was sooo excited. Hated to break it to him that it wasn't snow and they weren't going out to play in it.

Hannah is either gearing up for a huge growth spurt or getting sick. The last two days she has nursed constantly. She climbs up in my lap and signs eat while pulling on my shirt and saying night night, lol! She may not be talking fully but the girl can get her point across. She also screams APPLE at the top of her lungs any time anyone has ANY kind of food. It is hysterical. She'll frantically sign more and eat and please trying to get some food. You'd think she was starving to death. She ate more chicken pot pie than Leah at dinner last night.