Dear Readers,
I will be taking some time off...
mainly because I simply don't have time to hassle with Blogger & it's many faults.
I need to get our house in order.
I need to focus on school starting on Monday.
I need to get my family settled into our *new* normal.
Then... hopefully in a few weeks, I will look into Wordpress, and begin the switch over...
I LOVE this time of year and enjoy posting about the fresh starts of a new school year.
I hope to see you all again by September. =)
Blessings,
Sheri
Showing posts with label The Move. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Move. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
My Lil Ballerina...I may have been caught in the rain showers chasing after roses for our ballerina; she, on the other hand, showered us with her grace on stage.
We loved watching her in"Sleeping
Beauty".
She curtsied & twirled as a courtyard lady;
she swooped and swirled as a minion (bat);
followed with a final performance as a "lady in waiting".
The Calm before the Chaos
Most things are now packed and ready for our big move. Now the boredom begins to set in...
Most things are now packed and ready for our big move. Now the boredom begins to set in...
Unless, ofcourse, you have a fun dad...
What does your husband do with marshmallows?
Mine happens to like those gigantic campfire ones to teach the kids how to make "taffy".
What does your husband do with marshmallows?
Mine happens to like those gigantic campfire ones to teach the kids how to make "taffy".
I just prefer not to watch as they enjoy their ooey-gooey-icky-sticky mess. =)
Preparing:
I have pulled together a monthly meal plan. It's simple & rotatable (is that a word? hmmm).
I have created a chore chart, implementing our morning routine, jurisdictions, & evening routine. Just so you know, this makes me smile #41.
Besides our typical daily school schedule, I put the "flow of our day" on poster board, with the adaptability of placing sticky notes on any changes out of the norm. This is with the intent of letting Grandma M. see how our days flow. We are a busy bunch, and I can see how the chaos could be confusing. This way she doesn't always have to chase me chasing someone else to ask what our plans are for the day.
And since I am such a planner, (you did know that about me, right?), I have already laid out how I would like our belonging to be set in our new house.
I am especially thrilled with choosing to use our formal dining room as our school area. I am leaning towards simple & natural. Many ideas are dancing in my head....
and then their is school planning to ponder in this week of down time. We love, and will implement the Robinson Curriculum. Our hot topic is of our foreign language studies. Several of us want to continue French, several others want to begin to learn Spanish. We have friends we will see quite often who will be learning Spanish due to possible mission work in the years to come. This would be fun to learn together. My quandry comes in the possibility of a multi-lingual approach.
Other things knocking on my door...
1) I've been asked to go to a Zumba class at our church...every morning. This disrupts our school schedule, or maybe not. The littles can go with me, the older kids can do their scheduled math hour while I am gone. Honestly, I need the exercise. really!
2) I am excited at the thought of offering Bryson's little friend to join us for preschool hour(s). Let's face it; songs, fingerplays, crafts, and stories are more fun with a friend.
3) I have been asked about homeschooling someone else's child. I.am.praying.about.it. This is not a new offer, it is something that was being pondered before the move.
4) to co-op, or not. 4 moms, including myself, may rotate Friday mornings to teach our own beloved topic. In other words, I would have one morning a month to share nature studies with a lovely bunch of children. Katie & I had wanted to begin a Nature Club anyways, so this may just be the right approach. In turn, I would have 3 other friday mornings a month without the littles. They would be off having fun doing creative arts, food crafts, etc.. and quite frankly, I like the thought of some quality time with my older boys. =)
5) my biggest contemplation is the desire to begin to unplug our family. I will save the details for another post, but really, this tugs at my heart...
So, What's been knocking at your door?
I have pulled together a monthly meal plan. It's simple & rotatable (is that a word? hmmm).
I have created a chore chart, implementing our morning routine, jurisdictions, & evening routine. Just so you know, this makes me smile #41.
Besides our typical daily school schedule, I put the "flow of our day" on poster board, with the adaptability of placing sticky notes on any changes out of the norm. This is with the intent of letting Grandma M. see how our days flow. We are a busy bunch, and I can see how the chaos could be confusing. This way she doesn't always have to chase me chasing someone else to ask what our plans are for the day.
And since I am such a planner, (you did know that about me, right?), I have already laid out how I would like our belonging to be set in our new house.
I am especially thrilled with choosing to use our formal dining room as our school area. I am leaning towards simple & natural. Many ideas are dancing in my head....
and then their is school planning to ponder in this week of down time. We love, and will implement the Robinson Curriculum. Our hot topic is of our foreign language studies. Several of us want to continue French, several others want to begin to learn Spanish. We have friends we will see quite often who will be learning Spanish due to possible mission work in the years to come. This would be fun to learn together. My quandry comes in the possibility of a multi-lingual approach.
Other things knocking on my door...
1) I've been asked to go to a Zumba class at our church...every morning. This disrupts our school schedule, or maybe not. The littles can go with me, the older kids can do their scheduled math hour while I am gone. Honestly, I need the exercise. really!
2) I am excited at the thought of offering Bryson's little friend to join us for preschool hour(s). Let's face it; songs, fingerplays, crafts, and stories are more fun with a friend.
3) I have been asked about homeschooling someone else's child. I.am.praying.about.it. This is not a new offer, it is something that was being pondered before the move.
4) to co-op, or not. 4 moms, including myself, may rotate Friday mornings to teach our own beloved topic. In other words, I would have one morning a month to share nature studies with a lovely bunch of children. Katie & I had wanted to begin a Nature Club anyways, so this may just be the right approach. In turn, I would have 3 other friday mornings a month without the littles. They would be off having fun doing creative arts, food crafts, etc.. and quite frankly, I like the thought of some quality time with my older boys. =)
5) my biggest contemplation is the desire to begin to unplug our family. I will save the details for another post, but really, this tugs at my heart...
So, What's been knocking at your door?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
What are your days looking like?
We're pretty laid back right now.
Can you tell?
Sissy is reading in her spare time. Never mind that it is a school text book and that we are on summer vacation. (and that we don't even use textbooks for school anymore, lol).
The littlest brother had fun helping make spaghetti this week. They even took turns
"stirring" which doesn't always come so easily. =)
We're pretty laid back right now.
Can you tell?
Sissy is reading in her spare time. Never mind that it is a school text book and that we are on summer vacation. (and that we don't even use textbooks for school anymore, lol).
Andrew is enjoying being, well, Andrew! Loves the simplicity to just play, imagine, do.
~psstt...He's secretly learning to read, as I have caught him reading zoo, boy, so, go, & stop. Random? I kinda think so? He knows waaayyyy more than he lets on. I'd like to think it was because of Asperger's, but really he probably inherited that trait from his dad. *smile*
The littlest brother had fun helping make spaghetti this week. They even took turns
"stirring" which doesn't always come so easily. =)
The Calm....
before the storm...
sort of...
Things here are pretty low key. The weather is still Pacific North West Wet. We are slowly packing up our things, mostly our school books, since everything else has lived in storage for 2 years. Katie-girl doesn't quite know what to do w/o me coming up with "all the fun things to do". We are having to get creative for fun while packing up all the fun things.
before the storm...
sort of...
Things here are pretty low key. The weather is still Pacific North West Wet. We are slowly packing up our things, mostly our school books, since everything else has lived in storage for 2 years. Katie-girl doesn't quite know what to do w/o me coming up with "all the fun things to do". We are having to get creative for fun while packing up all the fun things.
I am excited to be moving! I love a fresh start to getting organized! I almost thrive on it. *hee* My dear husband is not such a fan, lol. Bless his heart, he is hanging in there well. He's needing to help his mom some as she will be living with us too.
I try not to think about what we are going to do with 2 households of "stuff", oh my!
I, er, my husband, downsized us quite a bit when we moved up here 2 years ago...
gave away our TV's, couches, some desks, a foosball table, etc...
so we are pretty low key...
i hope.
gave away our TV's, couches, some desks, a foosball table, etc...
so we are pretty low key...
i hope.
What am I most excited about with our new house?
3 toilets!
and that we will be using a formal dining area as a school room.
A whole room for school!
now THAT is my kind of fun!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
HOME SWEET HOME
The move~ the final chapter?
What a journey the last 2 years have been!
I was very comfortable in our small hometown...
maybe too much so?
God led us to new adventures...
and we followed.
Nothing glamorous or fancy,
just simple lessons and new opportunities to learn from.
For my newer readers,
we went from tiny town to big city.
We had a comfortably large home w/ hot tub & swimming pool, and plenty of space,
to invading loved ones homes with all-of-us while our belongings stayed in storage.
The move came due to a job expansion.
The reasons for our chosen housing came for different reasons...
one was to help financially til a home sold,
followed by the request of my parents to stay with them in their home for a season.
Life Lessons continue:
* Big City Life certainly throws a learning curve at you on a daily basis.
(& no, I am not naive, trust me,
my childhood was full of 'reality checks' of worldly situations).
* Our "family" continues to stay bonded through the changes.
* I had the opportunity to really focus on what I wanted our children to get from homeschooling.
* Katie-girl received 2 years of Ballet in a wonderful home setting.
* I have gotten the chance to really get to know my (step)dad. He's a great guy.
* Thanks to my dear sister-in-law, we were taught 2 years of French; something we will continue to practice.
* Nick experienced soccer at a highly competitive level, and thrived.
* Material stuff is optional, family is not. =)
* My husband is my best friend. I have really good friends, some are quite priceless. Yet I am grateful that God has given me my perfect life-mate.
* I have learned that circumstances change, but life always continues. We make it what it is with our attitude....
* Grandparents are precious, and Aunties are very giving with their time and talents.
* Church is what you make it.
With all these lessons under our belt, changes continue...
We are moving back to our small hometown. My husbands job continues, and we are grateful. The house we are to make our home is modestly large and eloquent. Not having the 7 of us living out of 2 rooms shall be interesting *smile*, the littles think this is normal. =)
I am still pondering the use of a "family closet". Ofcourse it would be on a bigger scale than our wee survival mode one we've adapted to. Got any links or ideas for this, please do share!
We are in full swing of *social* planning;
co-ops, sports, & volunteering at VBS are all knocking at my door already.
I love these things, but am very well aware that I will need to prayerfully think out our days, and plan according to our individual needs as well as nurturing our bond as a whole.
All in all, I am excited to be a part of community again, all the while remembering to slow down, exhale, and appreciate the small, simple moments that seem to whisper by....
What a journey the last 2 years have been!
I was very comfortable in our small hometown...
maybe too much so?
God led us to new adventures...
and we followed.
Nothing glamorous or fancy,
just simple lessons and new opportunities to learn from.
For my newer readers,
we went from tiny town to big city.
We had a comfortably large home w/ hot tub & swimming pool, and plenty of space,
to invading loved ones homes with all-of-us while our belongings stayed in storage.
The move came due to a job expansion.
The reasons for our chosen housing came for different reasons...
one was to help financially til a home sold,
followed by the request of my parents to stay with them in their home for a season.
Life Lessons continue:
* Big City Life certainly throws a learning curve at you on a daily basis.
(& no, I am not naive, trust me,
my childhood was full of 'reality checks' of worldly situations).
* Our "family" continues to stay bonded through the changes.
* I had the opportunity to really focus on what I wanted our children to get from homeschooling.
* Katie-girl received 2 years of Ballet in a wonderful home setting.
* I have gotten the chance to really get to know my (step)dad. He's a great guy.
* Thanks to my dear sister-in-law, we were taught 2 years of French; something we will continue to practice.
* Nick experienced soccer at a highly competitive level, and thrived.
* Material stuff is optional, family is not. =)
* My husband is my best friend. I have really good friends, some are quite priceless. Yet I am grateful that God has given me my perfect life-mate.
* I have learned that circumstances change, but life always continues. We make it what it is with our attitude....
* Grandparents are precious, and Aunties are very giving with their time and talents.
* Church is what you make it.
With all these lessons under our belt, changes continue...
We are moving back to our small hometown. My husbands job continues, and we are grateful. The house we are to make our home is modestly large and eloquent. Not having the 7 of us living out of 2 rooms shall be interesting *smile*, the littles think this is normal. =)
I am still pondering the use of a "family closet". Ofcourse it would be on a bigger scale than our wee survival mode one we've adapted to. Got any links or ideas for this, please do share!
We are in full swing of *social* planning;
co-ops, sports, & volunteering at VBS are all knocking at my door already.
I love these things, but am very well aware that I will need to prayerfully think out our days, and plan according to our individual needs as well as nurturing our bond as a whole.
All in all, I am excited to be a part of community again, all the while remembering to slow down, exhale, and appreciate the small, simple moments that seem to whisper by....
Monday, May 2, 2011
A Random Update:
* I will continue my Happiness 101 journey.
Here is (# 40)
Here is (# 40)
I may have fun with all my boys, but my dear daughter knows how to melt my heart.
* Our house hunting continues... this is a very exhausting process as I spend all week gleaning homes, then the week-end we take the day trip down to look at those homes...and...nothing has been productive. There is hope though, as I am in contact w/ a lady from our hometown area who is looking for renters...yay... the size, area, and cost are perfect... so do pray that she likes us. =)
* I won't be posting a l.i.f.e. Academy outline for this month. Basically we are just wrapping up the details of last month, and reviewing for our year end State Testing.
* ditto for Learning w/ the Littles. Although, Andrew has shown much more interest in reading AND writing... yay! We are just playing random phonic-type games for now, along with some reading time. We are slowly packing up our school books to get ready for our move, thus life will be our lessons for awhile.
* Our Monday trips for Campfire & French lessons are wrapping up in a few weeks. We have loved our 2 years of French study; it has been a fun family study.
* I am looking forward to Mother's Day. With 5 boys and a non-romantic husband (no worries, I knew what I was getting myself into, lol), I don't expect much in the flower, card, & chocolate category. But what I do get is a full day of yard work out of everyone! This is priceless to me, as I love the jumpstart to face our summers. This year we will be blessing my mom by doing her yard. =)
*Guess what? While we were down hunting for homes, our Nick had a soccer game, AND it was sunny! AND I got burnt... on my nose, forehead, forearms, a bit on my neck, and my ankles (yes, ankles, I was sitting in the grass and my pants must of been scrunched up??) AND I am not complaining... nope... not at all... real sunshine is much more cheery than that liquid sunshine we have been enduring for months now!
*and speaking of weather... truly we are praying for all the victims of the recent tornado disasters some of the States have endured. It is indeed a crisis, and many people are still missing... May God's grace comfort them all.
Blessings,
Sheri
Sheri
Monday, April 25, 2011
Life continues on...
Katie-girl suggested s'mores...
Dad liked her idea...
...so he bought a fire pit that she put together. =)
Yummy....
Katie-girl suggested s'mores...
Dad liked her idea...
...so he bought a fire pit that she put together. =)
Yummy....
Well, it was quite a bummer to put our dog down; now it is just the normal every day habits that we have to adjust to...
like...
never leaving the front door open so she can't get out...
or glancing at the bedroom window to see if she is "giving me away" to the littles as I sneak off to a store...
or coming home after being gone all day---and no longer having Asia greet us at the door. *sigh*
but our lives continue on...and we are entering a very busy month for us.
like...
never leaving the front door open so she can't get out...
or glancing at the bedroom window to see if she is "giving me away" to the littles as I sneak off to a store...
or coming home after being gone all day---and no longer having Asia greet us at the door. *sigh*
but our lives continue on...and we are entering a very busy month for us.
May 3 TJ's birthday (14)
May 13 Grandpa's birthday, and end-of-the-year State Testing.
May 14 Bryson's birthday (3)
May 22 Nick's graduation
May 13 Grandpa's birthday, and end-of-the-year State Testing.
May 14 Bryson's birthday (3)
May 22 Nick's graduation
and
hopefully by the end of May we will actually be moving into our own house?
Well, not our "own" house, but a house (rental) where we can unpack our things and call it home.
Well, not our "own" house, but a house (rental) where we can unpack our things and call it home.
Dear mother-in-law Michele is moving along with us. I am praying to find a house that will fulfill all our humble needs...
like...
*more than 2 bedrooms ;^)
*a main floor bedroom for Grandma M. Understandably, she is not a fan of stairs, yet houses w/ 5 bedrooms usually have stairs.
*more than 1 bathroom (oh super please!)
*enough space to have a "school area"
*a fenced yard, preferrably. =)
God's provision of our homes have been vastly different in past years...
2001: Back when we had 4 children we lived in a wee tiny quaint house (800 sq ft) with a BIG yard...
2002: then we bought a large home (1800 sq feet) on a decent lot...
2003: (followed by a very l-o-n-g lay off, in which we lost the house)
2004: where we then moved into a small 4 bedroom townhouse (1100 sq ft) w/ 5 kids...
2007: followed by an offer from a friend to move into their house (2000 sq ft) w/ a pool and a hot tub w/ our 6 children (woo hoo)
2009: job expansion led us out of our home town to big city... where we first lived with dear m.i.l. & s.i.l. in a modest 3 bedroom house (yes, all 9 of us) until their house sold...
2010: then we were welcomed into my parents' home until we knew our next step, which is also a 3 bedroom home (yes, with all 10 of us).
*a main floor bedroom for Grandma M. Understandably, she is not a fan of stairs, yet houses w/ 5 bedrooms usually have stairs.
*more than 1 bathroom (oh super please!)
*enough space to have a "school area"
*a fenced yard, preferrably. =)
God's provision of our homes have been vastly different in past years...
2001: Back when we had 4 children we lived in a wee tiny quaint house (800 sq ft) with a BIG yard...
2002: then we bought a large home (1800 sq feet) on a decent lot...
2003: (followed by a very l-o-n-g lay off, in which we lost the house)
2004: where we then moved into a small 4 bedroom townhouse (1100 sq ft) w/ 5 kids...
2007: followed by an offer from a friend to move into their house (2000 sq ft) w/ a pool and a hot tub w/ our 6 children (woo hoo)
2009: job expansion led us out of our home town to big city... where we first lived with dear m.i.l. & s.i.l. in a modest 3 bedroom house (yes, all 9 of us) until their house sold...
2010: then we were welcomed into my parents' home until we knew our next step, which is also a 3 bedroom home (yes, with all 10 of us).
Thus, the journey continues...
wish us luck, and throw a prayer our way, would ya?
Friday, June 25, 2010
...The Move
...The
Transition
The Keep On Keeping On...
It has been a year since we have moved from our small hometown in nowhere Oregon. I think I have been in denial about the move. Indeed hoping for temporary at best. God has moved us forward for a new season; He has His reasons.
I was actually excited about moving at first, until one realizes what is being left behind... security, community, familiarity, routines, and ofcourse, friends. Admittedly, the kids have adjusted better than I have.
Moving forward...
I adore being home with my kids.
I enjoy homeschooling.
I love family.
About me:
I am an happy-go-lucky-love-the-mornings-glass-half-full type of gal , and I am ready to get out and face the world. As a child I went to 18 schools before graduating; we moved houses more times than that. Making friends was easy, keeping them was not. I am a people person who never fit into any stereo type. Christ has always been my Savior, especially during many childhood traumas. Caring about others comes easy; letting others care about me is not so easy. I tend to over commit and try to over achieve; only in recent years have I learned to slow down and enjoy the small, simple moments that whisper by almost without notice.
My challenge:
~In a small community it is very easy to get connected to other folks. Your church, school (home & public), sports, outings & activities all tend to blend around the same people.
~Now that we are in the city, how does one approach creating a connection with other people? A place where neighbors don't take time to get to know you, where the church you choose to attend is many miles away, where schools are many, parks are a dime a dozen on any corner, homeschooling is not common, and having many children of a wide variety of ages makes you not fit into any social mold?
Live in a big city? A busy community? What do you do to get connected to others, or do you?
Blessings:
It has been wonderful to live with my parents. To share my children with my mom is beautiful. She was a very hard working single mom who did not have the opportunity to be home with me much when I was a little girl; she did not love me any less than I absolutely love my kids. In this new season, My Mom gets to enjoy alongside of me the journey of hands-on, Christ-led, guided nurturing that I find to be an amazing blessing! God is good, all of the time.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Here We Go Again...
Transitioning....
This past year has been full of changes that seems to be on a continuous path...
as I embrace the moments, it is becoming clear to me, that this is about the journey, not the destination.
The home we are housing in, is currently up for sale. We moved up in this area last June due to a company expansion at my husbands work. It seemed to be a fantastic timing, as my lovely s.i.l. Chanelle had recently purchased her mom's home (this would be my dear m.i.l.) The transition of ownership was needed due to an extensive unemployment... in easy terms...we didn't want mom to lose her home. The challenge is that it is too costly for one income (Chanelle), thus it has worked well for us to move in and help share the financial load. The difficulty, long term, comes in the size of the home. 3 bedrooms for 9 of us is a snug fit, especially when there is a varied expectation on the"children". Respectfully, it is still mom's "home". With this, comes a regard for Grandma's rules intermixed w/ our own standards of parenting. The children have adjusted amazingly, imho. None-the-less, the multiple showings of the house is putting a strain on me (how's that for selfish? ;^), as we can have an hour notice to tidy up, put school away, shove the littles make shift beds into the garage, get jackets and shoes on, shine up the place, get the dog, and load up in the van... then not really go anywhere? it's winter... where does one go w/ 5 kids and a dog for unspecified times?? It is usually a two hour outing...sometimes followed by another one, and another one... This does not fit well into our homeschooling agenda..."Have school, will travel" is a motto that has not been very effective.
The home we are housing in, is currently up for sale. We moved up in this area last June due to a company expansion at my husbands work. It seemed to be a fantastic timing, as my lovely s.i.l. Chanelle had recently purchased her mom's home (this would be my dear m.i.l.) The transition of ownership was needed due to an extensive unemployment... in easy terms...we didn't want mom to lose her home. The challenge is that it is too costly for one income (Chanelle), thus it has worked well for us to move in and help share the financial load. The difficulty, long term, comes in the size of the home. 3 bedrooms for 9 of us is a snug fit, especially when there is a varied expectation on the"children". Respectfully, it is still mom's "home". With this, comes a regard for Grandma's rules intermixed w/ our own standards of parenting. The children have adjusted amazingly, imho. None-the-less, the multiple showings of the house is putting a strain on me (how's that for selfish? ;^), as we can have an hour notice to tidy up, put school away, shove the littles make shift beds into the garage, get jackets and shoes on, shine up the place, get the dog, and load up in the van... then not really go anywhere? it's winter... where does one go w/ 5 kids and a dog for unspecified times?? It is usually a two hour outing...sometimes followed by another one, and another one... This does not fit well into our homeschooling agenda..."Have school, will travel" is a motto that has not been very effective.
All this to say we are headed to my parents home in 2 weeks. Again, it is a 3 bedroom home, so it will be snug. For those who may be questioning why we aren't getting our own place, again, it would be because we will still be contributing financially to help ends meet for Chanelle (thus also helping mom).
This move will be a blessing for our children. My mom does not expect the house to be company ready at all times, thus I can just breathe, and the kids can, well, be kids! My mom's rules are a bit more laid back than Grandma M. (note: there is not a wrong way to be grandmas, just different ways). The kids will be able to swing their feet in dining chairs, the littles will be able to stand/climb on the couches, our classroom will be able to actually be in the house fully adorned w/ maps, a huge whiteboard, children's art, and desks. My parents are willing to give up their dining room space in lieu of our children's education. Easy accessability to their books and school supplies will be helpful and refreshing to stay on task.
The Future? We do not know how long it will take for the house to sell. Thus we do not know what the future entails...only that we will re-evaluate our situation in 3 months. How's that for a plan?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding,
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
This move will be a blessing for our children. My mom does not expect the house to be company ready at all times, thus I can just breathe, and the kids can, well, be kids! My mom's rules are a bit more laid back than Grandma M. (note: there is not a wrong way to be grandmas, just different ways). The kids will be able to swing their feet in dining chairs, the littles will be able to stand/climb on the couches, our classroom will be able to actually be in the house fully adorned w/ maps, a huge whiteboard, children's art, and desks. My parents are willing to give up their dining room space in lieu of our children's education. Easy accessability to their books and school supplies will be helpful and refreshing to stay on task.
The Future? We do not know how long it will take for the house to sell. Thus we do not know what the future entails...only that we will re-evaluate our situation in 3 months. How's that for a plan?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and lean not on your own understanding,
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5&6
Thursday, January 14, 2010
SHARING LIVES FOR A SEASON
Picture: Myself & Chanelle
Chanelle: A super-fantastic aunt...whom takes the boys to soccer and hockey games, teaches us all French, enthusiastically joins us for family-read time, leader of Katie's campfire group, and puts up w/ sleepless nights along side me when Bryson feels the need to scream at 2 a.m.
She is also a fabulous friend, always positive, always encouraging, and always kicking my behind w/ endless miles of walking. (really, who walks 8 to 14 miles a day??). I could not ask for a better sister-in-law; I am blessed.
Note the word SEASON above...
Our days of living in a wee bit of a house together is sneaking up to an end. The house is going up on the market next week, thus I am actively looking for a place for our family to live. It is time...Chanelle is ready for her own place, own life, and an opportunity to finally settle back to the States on her own terms (fyi...was in Ireland many years). She is a beautiful free spirit, much like a butterfly who needs to flutter about, touching many lives as she enjoys life!
Fred & I are praying that God will open up housing opportunities to us; the right town, with a house that meets our needs, to prepare our hearts while seeking out a church for our family, and mostly to trust Him in His timing for answers to all of those things. At this point my dear m.i.l. will also be moving with us. To let go of what she knows in turn for relocating to a new area will be challenging for her, it may be full of change, but can also be full of blessings...just praying one moment at a time...
Sunday, August 9, 2009
"The Move" part 2
Exploring the woods...
See... we can play hide-n-go seek anywhere.
What I want to know is how Dad talked Andrew into sharing his "S" hat??
Reptile Zoo...
(share more later)...
Yes, that would be our TJ with both a soccer ball AND a football during a family hike...
Grandma Hollinger... How lovely it is to see her more!
See... we can play hide-n-go seek anywhere.
What I want to know is how Dad talked Andrew into sharing his "S" hat??
Reptile Zoo...
(share more later)...
Yes, that would be our TJ with both a soccer ball AND a football during a family hike...
Grandma Hollinger... How lovely it is to see her more!
Our hometown is a pleasant place to raise a family. Most areas of interest are within walking distance. Traffic is minimal, parking lot spaces always available, and there is ALWAYS someone to say "hello" to at the store. Crime, although there, is not dominant. It is easy to get to know your neighbors, and I am pleased to get positive reports when they say "oh, I saw your son at the...." I love the people in our little town!
Big move means bigger changes for our children:
~More gang behavior observed.
~a bigger awareness of the homeless
~observations of drugs
~exposed to what a 'workin' girl' behaves like
~the amount of 'adult' stores available
~we discuss how sin brings about more sin when describing casinos, which seem to be everywhere. Gambling brings about drinking that brings about sexual immorality... and so on...
Big city offers bigger opportunities...
the up side to our move is there is more to do, thus the lack of complaints about our new transition.
~Within city limits we have a huge library, ice rink, parks, beaches, petting zoo, childrens museum, indoor soccer; just to name a few of our interests.
~Near by, we have access to endless interests in the Seattle area. Our favorites would include the Seahawks, the Sounders, the Mariners, the Washington Park Zoo, the Science Museum, Children's museum, Space Needle, Farmers Markets, Train rides, and an occasional Ferry ride.
My conclusion is that home is where our family is... and we look forward to meeting some nice people in our big city!
Big move means bigger changes for our children:
~More gang behavior observed.
~a bigger awareness of the homeless
~observations of drugs
~exposed to what a 'workin' girl' behaves like
~the amount of 'adult' stores available
~we discuss how sin brings about more sin when describing casinos, which seem to be everywhere. Gambling brings about drinking that brings about sexual immorality... and so on...
Big city offers bigger opportunities...
the up side to our move is there is more to do, thus the lack of complaints about our new transition.
~Within city limits we have a huge library, ice rink, parks, beaches, petting zoo, childrens museum, indoor soccer; just to name a few of our interests.
~Near by, we have access to endless interests in the Seattle area. Our favorites would include the Seahawks, the Sounders, the Mariners, the Washington Park Zoo, the Science Museum, Children's museum, Space Needle, Farmers Markets, Train rides, and an occasional Ferry ride.
My conclusion is that home is where our family is... and we look forward to meeting some nice people in our big city!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
BUSY?
NOT ME... yet...
Running a household for the 7 of us can be chaotic at times, but I have been a mom long enough to know to embrace the moments...yet now we are adding a few items to my load...
*Fred is already working in our new location, thus he is gone all week. Now, I know my job does not ever stop just because my dh is home. I mean I still change all the diapers, still need to continue chores, still get to bed late; but what I do get when dh is home is a bit of a mental break. I am never "off duty", but it is a bit relieving by evening to have a 2nd set of eyes to be aware of household events happening. It is relaxing to have the littles up in the big room playing with dad while I scramble to get more things done downstairs (I just ignore the fact that a mess is being made upstairs, while I am cleaning downstairs, but hey, atleast they are having fun!).
*Can you imagine how much "stuff" our size of family has? Amongst other things, I am now packing up our house.
Half the toys are packed. I packed up all our jumbled-stuff like leggos, lincoln logs, marble sets, etc... less mess equals more time to get things done.
It was much work to weed through our school books, carefully choosing only what we will need for this up coming school year (for 4 of our children). All the remaining reading books, unit studies, curriculums, & resource books are boxed up and in the garage. Go me! ;^)
Now I am headed to the mysterious beyond...closets! I am amazed how well I utitlize space in coat closets, linen closets, bedroom closets, & 3 storage closets (one for board games, yes, we have a lot! They are great for family time. Another is for arts & crafts, photos, and the like. The last one is out of season items such as Christmas stuff.) The content to these spaces seem endless...but I am getting through it!
Next will be the laundry room! If I can get through these few things this week, all-the-while still being a family, I will consider it a successful week!
Asia is not so sure about what is going on with Dad gone a lot and me packing, so she just lounges about and watches me.
NOT ME... yet...
Running a household for the 7 of us can be chaotic at times, but I have been a mom long enough to know to embrace the moments...yet now we are adding a few items to my load...
*Fred is already working in our new location, thus he is gone all week. Now, I know my job does not ever stop just because my dh is home. I mean I still change all the diapers, still need to continue chores, still get to bed late; but what I do get when dh is home is a bit of a mental break. I am never "off duty", but it is a bit relieving by evening to have a 2nd set of eyes to be aware of household events happening. It is relaxing to have the littles up in the big room playing with dad while I scramble to get more things done downstairs (I just ignore the fact that a mess is being made upstairs, while I am cleaning downstairs, but hey, atleast they are having fun!).
*Can you imagine how much "stuff" our size of family has? Amongst other things, I am now packing up our house.
Half the toys are packed. I packed up all our jumbled-stuff like leggos, lincoln logs, marble sets, etc... less mess equals more time to get things done.
It was much work to weed through our school books, carefully choosing only what we will need for this up coming school year (for 4 of our children). All the remaining reading books, unit studies, curriculums, & resource books are boxed up and in the garage. Go me! ;^)
Now I am headed to the mysterious beyond...closets! I am amazed how well I utitlize space in coat closets, linen closets, bedroom closets, & 3 storage closets (one for board games, yes, we have a lot! They are great for family time. Another is for arts & crafts, photos, and the like. The last one is out of season items such as Christmas stuff.) The content to these spaces seem endless...but I am getting through it!
Next will be the laundry room! If I can get through these few things this week, all-the-while still being a family, I will consider it a successful week!
Asia is not so sure about what is going on with Dad gone a lot and me packing, so she just lounges about and watches me.A lot of folks are commenting on how we are going to manage living is such a small space with all of us... My dear m.i.l. has a quaint 3 bedroom rambler-style home. Just think 'Brady Bunch' style, and it will work, lol. It is temporary, a minor season in life, and quite frankly, we could survive in a cardboard box if needed, (although not neccessary) as long as we all were together. Family's matter, eh?
Thursday, May 7, 2009
MOVING step 2: Paper Clutter
Paper Clutter...just thinking about it seems over-
whelming. Oh where to start?
First I sorted through our bills; tossing old ones, marking the calendar for up coming ones. Cancelled our water cooler account. Now how to figure out magazine subscriptions?...some are gifts, some are school related, the rest for fun. They consist of National Geographic, Highlights, Disney Princess, Boys' Life, & Christian World News, among a few others.
Next I went through my stack of home-schooling catalogs as a few were getting a bit outdated ;^D. Yes, I am a catalog reader, I admit it. I can spend hours (if I had that much free time) reading through catalogs. My current favorites are:
ABEKA- Great for preschool! It is also good for classic textbook/workbooks. At the higher levels, it does seems to be advanced, so I don't recommend it for struggling learners.
SONLIGHT- considered a "living books" style. Great for avid readers. I find it a bit expensive, so I have not used the curriculum as a whole, just good books here & there.
OAK MEADOW- I think this one is less known in the home-school community. This is not Christian based, but is moral-based (do good/feel good). I would recommend it for a creative thinking student. I also found the higher levels good for struggling learners, as all English & spelling lessons are based off one history story.
SRA/McGraw Hill- secular based. Has an incredible reading program (reading mastery) which is great for all of my students. I discovered this after using "How to read in 100 Easy Lessons", which btw, was extremely successful w/ my daughter at age 3/4ish. Our Andrew will use this when he is 5 as he is a bit more aloof with his attention span. ;^)
Teacher Created Resources & Learning Train are not curriculums, but great resources for workbooks/reading books, and for learning tools & toys.
I also went through my cookbooks and phonebooks. Do we even need phonebooks nowadays??
Last will be to organize and sort our school books, arts & craft supplies, and Bible lessons. This should be a challenge, because I will need to set aside what we directly need for this August while trying to pack the rest to storage. I will have a Junior, 7th & 2nd grader, and pre K going into our new school year! Limiting books seems a joke. This gives me a bit of anxiety, as the teacher, I like access to our resources at my disposal. Wish me luck ;^D
Saturday, April 25, 2009
"To do" list for moving...Step 1- education
First on my list of priorities is researching the laws for the state of Washington regarding home-schooling. Oregon is a low restrictive state, meaning one must notify the school of your intent to homeschool, and take standardized acheivement tests on required years (3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade). No number of days required or hours per day required.
Washington appears to be of medium restriction (border line high, imho). This could cause a normal person stress, lol, but I tend to find several things amusing.
Requirements:
notify w/ intent to homeschool
180 days minimal
5 hours per day
mandatory 11 subjects
AND (4 options here)
*Teaching parent must have 45 college credits
*Student to report 1 hour weekly to a certified teacher
*Parent must take a course in home-based instruction at a vocation/technical school
*Parent deemed qualified by super-intendent of school district
180 days minimal
5 hours per day
mandatory 11 subjects
AND (4 options here)
*Teaching parent must have 45 college credits
*Student to report 1 hour weekly to a certified teacher
*Parent must take a course in home-based instruction at a vocation/technical school
*Parent deemed qualified by super-intendent of school district
I will look into the third choice, although I'd like to think I would be 'deemed' qualified after so many years home-schooling, running a successful daycare (of many ages), years of working my own preschool program, having taught many levels of Sunday School, being a successful mentor to teenagers, and 20+ years of parenting. :^P
What I find so amusing is the wording they use in the "by-laws"...
"The state hereby recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home-based instruction..." Is it me? or do they make home-schooling sound like a disease? I think it more fitting to use the word choose, and do believe I will write in to the state officials about that.
"The state hereby recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home-based instruction..." Is it me? or do they make home-schooling sound like a disease? I think it more fitting to use the word choose, and do believe I will write in to the state officials about that.
Another thing that amuses me is the daily/hourly requirements. Home-schooling is not an institution but rather a life style. To minimize life into 5 hours seems absurd to me. It is not about "schooling", but rather "learning". My dear friend Tonya explains it well here :
The Road Less Traveled
The Road Less Traveled
Just today, Fred, Joe, & TJ went fishing. They caught a Large Mouth Bass. We turned it into a "lesson" without them really knowing at first, lol. We looked up the anatomy (external/internal) of the fish, watched dad disect it, named all the parts, Nick took photos, TJ will journal about the experience of Joe and him crossing fishing lines and catching the same fish, they will observe how to fillet it, cook it, and is the classic lesson on "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime"... all in a fun-filled Saturday morning!
Nature Studies:
Choose any living creature or thing.
Last week...
Bees...
they are quite fascinating to learn about, and is adaptable for all age groups.
Bees...
they are quite fascinating to learn about, and is adaptable for all age groups.
Keyboards Guitars, toy drums, maracas, and a tamborine!
This would be considered 'music appreciation' in our home.
I wonder if classical music at bedtime counts?
This would be considered 'music appreciation' in our home.
I wonder if classical music at bedtime counts?
Art
class...
class...
endless
creativity
... stenciling, painting, card making, wall murals, draw an illustration for a report. We also study a famous masterpiece per week (Mona Lisa, etc..)
creativity
... stenciling, painting, card making, wall murals, draw an illustration for a report. We also study a famous masterpiece per week (Mona Lisa, etc..)
Ofcourse you cannot have a well rounded education without Physical Education! Sports are the biggest hit, as is field trips out (such as bowling) or games played at home (such as 4-square or wall ball). Physical activity is a must in this house!
These are just a small sample of our daily living, along with the usual "book" work such as math, history, and English. Then include Bible readings, scriptures memorized, and the weekly study of character traits.
My favorite is Social Science... isn't living in a home with so many of us, with different temperments, talents, and time schedules considered the Art of Socialization?? ;^D
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