...on the edge of exhaustion.

Yes, I admit it. on the very edge. exhausted. me!

We have the yuckies at our house right now. Yucky germs have invaded our house for about a week now!

We are stocked up w/ Tylenol, Dimetapp, Airborne, Emergen-C, Vicks, & an overused cool mist humidifier!

I have the littles sleeping w/ me every night.
One head on each shoulder~
snuffling, sneezing, coughing, eye-goopy germs.
tossing, turning, fussing, snoring~
while still in my arms.

Daytime is filled with~

incessant nose wiping of my five year old who has compulsive tendancies, which, btw, leads to flaming red raw cheeks!

incessant screeching from the one year old who let us all know when he needs *more drink, *to be held, *wants your toy, *is hungry, *wishes he could play outside in the downpouring rain!!

incessant sanitizing of a self-proclaimed OCD mom~ oh yes, lysol wipes, lysol spray, hand sanitizer ~ victimizing light-switches, door knobs, sinks, phone, computer keyboard, toys, and toilets!

Daddy is sick too, and TJ is sick also...
I am becoming a one-person-show running on minimal sleep...
and now I feel a lingering strike of a headache coming on...
Oh, yes, definitely a headache...
a vice-gripping, light-cringing headache...
and I want to crawl under a rock!

yet, I still wipe noses, I continue to hear the screeching,
and wonder if this is going to ever end???
because I am on the edge of exhaustion...

Then I wake up to this...






a daughter with a beautiful heart who felt the need to greet me with flowers and a card!

~Thank you Katie-girl~
a good dose of love is just the prescription your mama needed!

It is Science Day!

And since Andrew & Bryson were learning about the letter Aa this week...

We thought aerodynamics was a great Science Topic of the Week!

There is never a lack of participation in our house when creating paper airplanes!!
~

Much time went into internet research, along with time consumed at the assembly of their latest productions...

Out of the
MANY
photographs
taken,
I was only able to capture one plane in flight...clearly I am not the photographer in the family! Nick, our photographer, was occupied with test piloting!

WE ARE GRATEFUL...

that our Joe is OK!!

He avoided a row of instant stopped traffic,
on the freeway at rush hour,
fishtailed off to the left, crossed 2 more lanes of traffic,
and slammed head on into the median with enough force to actually move it!








~His seatbelt was on,
his airbags went off,
and amazingly no other cars were involved!
Joe walked away w/ no injuries at all...


~This has a significant meaning to our family, as 5 yrs ago this May, we lost a family member in a similar circumstance, and he too was 21 at the time.

We rejoice at the outcome, all the while emotions are stirred at our previous loss.

I am confident in this,
that He who began a good work in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 1:6

How are they doing it?
the final chapter =)

WELCOME to our home!

Ok, so it is not really "our" home...
it is my parent's home.

But...

they are VERY hospitable!
Come drop by some time,
and you will be encouraged in,
offered the refreshment of the day,
or the choice of coffee or tea.

There will be laughter,
encouragement,
and good conversation.

I just love the way this living room looks every morning!
It smiles at me because I have taken the time to tidy it up every evening...

Stop by
and
visit
any
time,

You
will
be
welcomed
in
by
kind
faces
with
friendly
smiles!

AND
this is what you will see...
...everytime!







The toys store on one side of Big Brother Joe's closet. Although during the day they lay scattered about...ALL of the time!

How are they doing it? part 4

Our Homeschool Style~

* Workboxes for the younger ones.
*Checklists for the older ones.
*Afternoon Activities we do together.

Plans that are simple,
lessons with accountability,
education grasped,
goals accomplished.

...and then

free
time
is
available...

...and out
will

come
the
toys...

??? =)

How are they doing it? part 3


This is our classroom~
dining spot~
sleeping area!

Who knew SO much could fit into a small dining room?

*The small desk in the corner is for Katie-girl.
*The bed is great for comfort while doing our read-alouds.
*On the very right (and not quite seen), a rather large desk. Room for computer stuff and a school work area.
*The table is a great place for the littles to eat, and to also do preschool activities & crafts.

*The whiteboard in the window is our most useful school tool!
*The bed is a great spot for our circle time for preschool. Sissy has been officially assigned as my teacher aid. The sheer joy she displays when one of our lil guys catch on to learning something new...is just priceless!

...stay tuned... for those silly toys....

How are they doing it? part 2


This is our "thougtful spot". It is also my teacher station. It is just a small nook in the wall between a fireplace and sliding glass door.

Arts & Crafts supplies are on the top shelf,
My 'Office' in a binder, Teacher binder, and Personal journal, along w/ our Geo-Safari are on the next shelf.
Next is some 'educational' toys.
The bottom shelf contains;
a World Atlas
,A Big Book of Words,
A Children's Bible,
along w/ a box filled w/ stationery supplies.

Note the stool. I utilize the "thoughtful spot" for meltdowns, not being co-operative, for any behavior correction needed.

This is a place to take quiet time by oneself.
Reading, praying, and writing apology letters are only some of the activities that can take place here.

~where are those toys?...stay tuned...

HOW ARE THEY DOING IT?

*This series is to share w/ friends and family how it is possible to make it work for a season w/ 10 people in a 3 bed-room house.
*This series is also to share w/ other homeschooling bloggers how it is possible to still homeschool during difficult transitions.

Our 1st photo is of the 'bedroom'. We have 3 children sleep in here via the bunkbed w/ a provided trundle.
*note: Grammy & Gramps have their own room, as does oldest (adult) brother Joe.


Our 2nd photo is of our "family closet". Funny enough, Kathi mentioned a desire to have a family closet. Well, let me show you the how to have one w/ the core basics.
Photo:
Left top~ my 5 outfits hung together & TJ's shirts.
Left bottom~ Katie's dresses, jackets, and lil brothers jackets.
Left floor~ dark blue bin (hidden left) is stuffed animals. Red bin is Katie's shoes. Wicker bin is Katie's socks.
Right top~Fred's dress shirts (hidden right). We have 2 sweater holders; the left contains Andrews clothes, the right contains Bryson & Katie's clothes.
Right floor~school files (2 crates) & 4 blankets.
The middle shelves hold: top to bottom;
Pink bin~ my undergarments
Blue bin~ TJ's shorts
Red bin~ TJ's pants
Red bin~ TJ's undergarments
"the diaper station"
Pink bin~ Katie's ballet stuff


Nick & Fred both have a dresser to contain most their clothes, and the turtle hangs out in here too!
Did you notice simplicity?? No pictures on walls, no toys? toys? where are the toys? hmmm...guess you will have to stay tuned to find out...

THE SIMPLE DAYS OF SPRING BREAK

* shopping for soccer gear

* light-hearted games of yahtzee & dominoes

* a Sounder game

* new windows installed at the house

* scheduling our daily routines

* organized our school room

* a nature hike
* mom read Little House in the Big Woods w/ daughter.

* dad read Screwtape Letters w/ older boys.

* sidewalk chalk

* pet rocks

* spillproof bubbles
* Katie's movie night of "Snow White" w/ Grandma & all her brothers!

No fancy trips to write about,
but we are blessed to enjoy each others uniqueness.

Kathi @ A Mother's Prayers was kind enough to give me this Beautiful Blogger Award. Too kind really, but that is the way she is. As a homeschooling mom of 7, she is quite encouraging to me. Thanks for sharing a part of your world!!

*The rules for accepting this award:

1. Post a thank you, and link to the person that has given you the award.
2. Pass this award on to other Beautiful Bloggers whom you think are fantastic.
3. Contact said blogs to let them know they've won.
4. State 7 things about yourself.

** 7 Things About Me:

1. What you may know is that I am outgoing, but what you may not know is that I do not care for crowds. Really. So yes, I have been known to "color coordinate" our clothes for busy outings.

2. What you may know is that we currently live 1 mile from Wild Waves (Six Flags), but what you may not know is that I have a fear of heights and do not know how to swim. Won't this be fun? *The thought makes me shiver*

3. What you may know is that we homeschool our children, but what you may not know is that I skipped Kindergarten, although by graduation, I had attended 17 different schools.

4. What you may know is that I love staying at home with my kids, but what you may not know is that I was raised as the typical latchkey kid.

5. What you may know is that I have 6 children, but what you may not know is that as a teenager I had wished for 22 children (ofcourse, assuming some would be adopted, lol).

6. What you may know is that we love doing crafts, but what you may not know is that I am not artistic nor creative. I just copy ideas really well (I like to call it self-learning, lol).

7. What you may know is that I am a born-organizing, schedule planning, compulsive cleaning mom (or maybe not ;^), but what you may not know is that I am a terrible procrastinator who fears disappointing people. *ouch* wasn't that an honest one?

Now, my picks for the Beautiful Blogger Award...

Tammy ~beautifully witty

Della ~beautifully candid

Brenda ~beautifully creative

Elaine ~beautifully country

Laurel ~beautifully kind

Carol ~beautifully caring

Tonia ~beautifully authentic

Sounds to make a heart smile!

Grammy gets to play with us on Thursdays. This particular afternoon she is resting in her favorite chair, her feet up on a stool. Sugar (her miniture pomeranian) is snugly fit along side her. Grams is enjoying a peaceful moment as her eyes drift closed. I thoughtfully ponder what she is hearing...

On her right there is gospel music playing softly as I am swaying Bryson to sleep.

In the corner next to us, Katie-girl is reading a "Help Me Be Good" book as Andrew absorbs the words shared in his attempt to be ready to creatively re-tell the story when it is his turn to "read".

Suddenly laughter erupts in another room. We are clueless as to why the older boys are cracking up, but it is amusing none-the-less, and a bit contagious too. *grin*

I muse in the beauty of grand-parent-hood, and am grateful for the grace & love that is displayed in this home we live in.

Children's children are a crown to the aged,
and parents are the pride of their children.
Proverbs 17: 6

TEENAGERS!!


Who here has heard that word used in exasperation?

BOY TEENAGERS!!

Who here has heard that word used while smirking or eye-rolling, or the all-knowing-head-nod?

YOUNG MEN!

~CLEVER, WITTY, SELF-DETERMINED, STRONG, RANDOM, AGILE, COMPASSIONATE, INTENSE, & INSIGHTFUL~

I have 5 sons...
21, 16, 12, 5, 1...
obviously I am in the smack middle of each stage of child-raising; cept, of course, my adult son.

So, what created this post?
an innocent comment in jest, during, I am sure, a flustering moment in time... a mom being whimsical to spark some sanity in her world... haven't we all been there? Indeed, I have.

The replies to this 'thread' was met w/ humor & suggested workloads to give a teen a kick in the rear, er, encouragement. Not unusual replies, nothing rude or anything, but somehow it saddened me.

so here was my overly advising reply...

"although manual labor can encourage character training, there is so much more to raising young men~guiding them through integrity, instruction of moral choice and consequences, communication that strengthens self-esteem, firm rules, & light-hearted laughter~not easy years indeed, but amazing ones none-the-less.
Walking that journey one step at a time."