Around

I've been meaning to get back to bloggy land, but life... I think of posts as I sit and nurse and rock Priscilla. I want to update on all of the kids, since this is where I store their "baby" books, at least the info of our daily lives part. And, of course, I have random things I want to pontificate on. Things that no one is around to chat through during the long, busy, fun, exhilerating and exhausting days of Mommyhood to Several Littles. I text with friends, and that really is my lifeline to sanity at times.....I think God gave us that little bit of technology just for homeschooling Moms of many (although I don't feel like we have many, even with all the comments we get when we are out). To be able to shoot a quick plea, question, prayer or request and not have to sign in or look up addresses or wait for a reply or worse get caught in an extended conversation that you really don't have time to finish, and just go on with the warp speed pace of the day is so wonderful! It is uncanny how often a friend will shoot me a text of just the encouragement I need to keep going, right when I'm about to poop out. Of course, all the Moms reading this know that I wouldn't get to poop out alone....heaven, forbid...I would have a curious audience surrounding me saying, "Hey, Moe...."

Priscilla is getting so big. She's 8 1/2 months old now and just the most prescious, sweet baby ever! I know that everyone says that about their baby's, but I don't. Babyhood is not my favorite phase of this Mommy gig, but there is just something special about Priscilla. Lots of people notice it. Even my fellow non-baby-fan friends agree that she is just something amazing. She's calm and peaceful and adorable and sweet and you just can't get enough of her. I hope she keeps that sweet spirit all her life and uses it to please and serve our Lord.

She is getting all around and into EVERYTHING! She army crawls, QUICK and is pushing up to all 4's and attempts to crawl that way but quickly decides to get the show moving more effeciently army style. She can pull up to standing and climb up on anything and will at every given chance! She says Bubba, of course since he is the love of her life, and bye bye and she'll wave....when SHE wants to. Like our other kids, she is quick to show that she is NOT a performance monkey. She's been sleeping thru the night since 5 weeks old, see something special about this one since she beat her next sibling by about 13 months on that one! She has 6 teeth and she's not afraid to use them either. She's just so awesome!

Hannah is three and she will quickly correct you that she's almost 4! I'm not sure what is going to happen at 4 but she is pretty excited about it. She is S M A R T! We've been so impressed with Joshua all these years, but she might show him up if he's not careful. She colors better than any three year old I've ever seen. And she is FUNNY, but you aren't allowed to laugh at her. It really is a fun personality growing in that little thing. She follows Leah around and will copy every move she makes. They are best friends and I love to see that! They play and work together so wonderfully. A guranteed lifetime friend, you can't ask for more than that.

Leah is so BIG. I wonder how she got that way. She loves all things pretty and sparkly and shiny. She has waist length hair that she brushes and "fixes" all the time. Her mainstay do though is a pony tail at her neck. Keeps it out of her face and her neck cool and always has a bow or three. As girly as she is though, she LOVES playing in the dirt and will keep up with Joshua on the playground and field any day of the week. She is reading now, but not totally independently. I am very proud of her progress, she's never gotten frustrated or pouted about school. Math is not her thing, at least not right now. The curriculum that is perfect for Joshua did nothing for her, so we are taking a math break and will launch off another path again soon for her. She can add in her head all day long, but put it on paper and she's stumped. I hear that my grandfather was that way all the way through school. Good thing she's homeschooled is all I have to say!

And finally, my baby boy.....who is 7 and 1/2, don't ya know can't forget that 1/2! He's brilliant. Really, he is so fun to teach....ok, I don't do alot of teaching. He already schools pretty independently and just runs things by me when a new concept pops up. It really amazes me. He DEVOURS books.....he could easily read 2-3 a day on the 4-5 grade level. I thought I'd be able to stay ahead of him longer but it is hopeless. I'm so grateful for so many christian classical book lists out on the web that I can pull titles from for him. So far, I have 52 books from 4-7 grade levels lined up for him for history and literature next year. Who knows how many he'll get through this summer, once we actually get to summer. Since we started school in October after Priscilla, we still have a ways to go to wrap up this year. I'll try to post a video of his history song finalle when he gets there in the next few weeks.