Can't wait for my turn!

Jeremy and his brother took off for the lake house in Conconully late last night, and left me all alone with the kids. Greg is leaving for the Marines in 2 weeks, so Jeremy really wanted to have some fun with him before he left. It's a beautiful day here, but there is still laundry to do, dishes to wash, school stuff to plan, toys to pick up, and groceries to buy. But, I'm not too down about it because we will be heading over to the lake house with the kids for 3 or 4 days in early August. I can't wait!

What a day

I know many of you have read this but seeing how Isaac set fire to the microwave today, I thought it was fitting to post:



For those who have sons & those who are happy that they don't! You find out interesting things when you have sons, like...

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you h ave to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4- year old Boy.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24. 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.

25. 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

a nice break

Today we went up to King's Pond, which is the property my parents own in Standwood. What a wonderful, sunny, summer day! We went swimming, built sand castles, walked through the woods, and Genna even found a rock that looked like a smiley face! It was such a refreshing break. We all had a great time.

Classes for those men we love so dearly

Summer Classes for Men at The Adult Learning Center

NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

Class 1 H ow To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--
Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2 The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3 Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--
Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4 Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--
Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5 Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM

Class 6 Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7 Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.
Open Forum
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8 Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.
Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9 Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--
Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10 Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?
Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11 Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.
Online Classes and role-playing
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM

Class 12 How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion
Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13 How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14 The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.


Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

NO PARENT LEFT BEHIND.............

These are real notes written by parents in a MISSOURI school district. Spellings have been left intact.

1. My son is under a doctor's care and should not take PE today. Please execute him.

2. Please exkuce Lisa for being absent she was sick and i had her shot.

3. Dear school: please ecsc's John being absent on Jan. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and also 33.

4. Please excuse gloria from jim today. She is administrating.

5. Please excuse Roland from p.e. for a few days. Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

6. John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

7. Carlos was absent yesterday because he was playing football. He was hurt in the growing part.

8. Megan could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

9. Chris will not be in school cus he has an acre in his side.

10. Please excuse ray Friday from school. He has very loose vowels.

11. Please excuse Lesli from being absent yesterday. She had diahre dyrea direathe th e trots.

12. Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea, and his boots leak.

13. Irving was absent yesterday because he missed his bust.

14. Please excuse Jimmy for being. It was his father's fault.

15. I kept Billie home because she had to go Christmas shopping because i don't know what size she wear.

16. Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday. We thought it was Sunday.

17. Sally won't be in school a week from Friday. We have to attend her funeral.

18. Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.

This happened a while ago, but thought it was worth sharing

We are all in the car on the way to the store and suddenly Bella starts crying. Here's the conversation that took place:

me: why is Bella crying?
Genna: she's afriad she's going to die
me: what? why? Bella you're not going to die
Genna: Oh yes she is! But don't tell her or else she'll just cry louder


To this day I still don't know how that all started............

Just a few random things I read today........

people tend to see things that reinforce the choices they have made~ unknown


I want to know God's thoughts. The rest are details~ Albert Einstein


Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts~ Winston Churchill


The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn~ John Lubbock


Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway~ Anonymous

FUN FUN FUN!!!

Jeremy and my dad built the swing set yesterday and now we are ready for summer fun! This thing is so cool! It has two swings, a disk swing, a speedy slide, a rope wall, a rock wall (Jeremy still needs to attach this tonight), a covered club house with a steering wheel and a periscope, a chalk board, and an area underneath for picnicking! We had to peel them off at 9:30 last night, and by 7:45 the girls were up and ready to go out again! My mom had a great idea to give all the kids a joint birthday gift of a swing set this year, but bought it early so they could enjoy it all summer! Thank you Grandma, Papa, Auntie Julie, and Grandma Lynn!

blessed

Some of you know that recently we had some major upheavals in our life, but when I stop and look around my messy house I can't help but notice how blessed we are. Little shoes, little socks, loud toys that turn on by themselves in the middle of the night, running water in the bathroom with no one washing, crayon on the walls, jam on the couch, a yard filled with club houses, kiddie pools, and miniature sports equipment...........all the little things that mean children are present. We are so lucky to have five wonderful, healthy children. I've watched people that I love dearly, hope and pray for the chance to have just one child. I read about little Annabelle, who's not even in this world yet (her blog is listed off to the side), and my heart breaks for her and her parents. I have had the chance to work first hand with children who were born with life-altering conditions. We recently participated in March of Dimes March for Babies, and I honestly find it mind-boggling that we have been given five healthy children. FIVE. Wow. The other day a man in the grocery store asked if they were all mine. I get this question a LOT, so at this point I tend to just say yes, give a half smile, and continue on with my business. But before I could even look away, he stopped me and said "You are incredibly rich. You have wealth far beyond many others." It can be so easy to get caught up in what we don't have that we forget to look at what we do have. Tonight I spent the evening sitting in the new "club house" while Bella pretended to drive us to the zoo, climbed a rope ladder with Genna, slid down a slide with Isaac on my back, sat on the swings with Elijah in my lap, and cuddled up in bed with my sweet baby Nahshon. Times like these will not last forever, and I pray that God will keep me focused on these precious moments because in 50 years, this is the stuff that will matter.

Spanish, Chinese, Farsi????

Jeremy and I both agreed that next year we would start Genna on a foreign language program, but we weren't sure what. We've been thinking about it, talking it over with Genna, asking other people's opinions, and praying about it. Genna is the type of person that once she sets her mind to doing something, she does it! It doesn't matter what it is or how long it takes her to get it right, she keeps going until she gets it down. We thought she would have fun with French, but we're not sure how practical that will be in life. German is supposed to be good for college/graduate studies, but she wasn't interested. Spanish is practically the official second language of America, and is a good language to know before tackling any of the other romance languages. Knowing Arabic or Farsi could be extremely useful considering what's going on in the world today, but we just felt very uncertain about it. After much consideration, it seems that Chinese (mandarin) is going to be our choice. Earlier this year Genna suddenly developed an interest in China, and her interest seems to keep growing. (right now she even talks about wanting to adopt children from China when she grows up) She has a passion for the children of China, and wants there to be more laws that protect them. She's also very intrigued by the amount of products sold in the U.S. that come from China. If she is able to learn the language, she will have an uncommon but valuable skill. We wonder if God has ignited this passion in her for a reason, and if so, we want to do all we can to allow her to see it through. Jeremy and I both think that if anyone is up to the challenge, Genna is.

"Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your task."-Phillips Brooks

a little shake up

We are moving around the house again. A couple weeks ago I had a meeting with Elijah's speech therapist and the psychologist that has been part of his evaluation team since he was 3 years old. The good news is that he is no longer considered developmentally delayed!! (He made amazing progress this year at home with me. I almost wish I would have never sent him to that public preschool program, but I guess if I didn't, I wouldn't know that homeschooling was a better choice for him at this point in his life) He is still considered to have a communication delay, so he will continue to get speech services at the school around the corner. At our meeting though they suggested minimizing distractions as much as possible in his learning environment, so once again we are doing a shuffle. The children now live in "kids paradise", which was formerly known as the master bedroom. Isaac was staying in the previous kid bedroom, but he graduated himself to "kids paradise". I suppose a room full of toys, TV, and all his siblings was much more enticing than a quiet nursery. Jeremy and I took the playroom as our bedroom, which is also where little Nahshon is staying. Next week however, Nahshon is moving into the nursery (right now the crib is full of Bella's toys since she partially moved in when Isaac moved out). We got rid of our living room TV, but moved the computer in so they kids will be able to work at it. I'm going to order the bulk of our curriculum next week, so I also need to clean out our school shelves to make room for it all. (next week I'll probably post about our curriculum once I place the order) I'm also creating a "learning area" in the living room with a white board and floor pillows. We need to reorganize the shed so we can move all the sports equipment out there, and we are also going to paint everything. (white walls + 5 kids = MESS!) We are also planning/saving for a new couch since the children have loved ours a little too much. (we're either going with microfiber or some sort of leather next time around, no more cotton!) I'd like to get something a little bigger that we can all fit on when we sit together to read. Basically the kitchen, living room, and dining room is going to be our nourishment center where we can nourish our bodies and minds without distraction from TV or toys.

The problem however, when a large family shuffles around in a small house, it makes a HUGE MESS. There is laundry everywhere, stuff everywhere, and too many people around to get it done! It seems every time I sit quietly and do nothing, the children happily entertain themselves. The moment I get up to do laundry, dishes, or any work around the house, all the kids need something. Jeremy is working all day everyday right now (which I am not complaining about at all, having work is a blessing!), but that leaves me to do crowd control on my own. It'll be nice when it's all finished though since we are planning to be here for another 2-3 years, so we want to make it nice. I'm exhausted though!

Where's the sun??

We had 3 beautiful days of sunshine and now we're back to clouds and rain! I know it's Washington, but this is ridiculous! The poor kids are so confused, they think it's autumn! They've been making plans for their birthdays, watching Christmas movies, and making wishlists! Enough already.

.........

At the suggestion of many, I've decided to start a blog. Here you can catch fun stories of the kids and keep up on what's happening in our crazy world. Stay tuned.............