Picky Eater and Chores...Using Reality Discipline

Rob and I have been enjoying a class each week at our church called "Parents R Us". We've been studying a book called Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours by Dr. Kevin Leman and boy, does it have some great stuff. He emphasizes reality discipline out the ying-yang and Rob and I have used some this week and although it's been stressful, I think it's slowly sinking into Avonlea's brain.

Discipline Scenerio #1: Picky Eating

I don't make seperate meals for the people in our family, with the exception of when I cook fish, I make Rob a burger since he protests fish. I want our kids to try new foods and not get hung up on chicken nuggests and fries. In fact, I've never made chicken nuggets for dinner (ever) and fries are only when we eat out (which is rare). So, I'm not sure why, but Avonlea has recently become quite the picky eater (the girl used to eat squash, spinach, you name it!). The other day, I tried something that the book suggests. I didn't set a place for Avonlea at dinner (this is your cue to gasp!!!). Yes, we all sat down for our meal and when Avonlea realized that everyone else was eating, she came out and asked why she didn't have a place set for her. I told her because she refuses to eat her dinner each night and I'm tired of arguing with her. So, after a few minutes of her walking around the house and watching us all eat, she asked if she could have a place set for her and eat along with us. I said sure. She sat down and ate about 1/2 her dinner! It was great. The only problem is that we had the same problem last night and she really didn't eat. We were off to church and she chose not to eat her dinner (Mexican rice, beans and fajitas). We had to leave and her dinner was sitting on the table cold, still uneaten. So, we left. I told her teacher no snacks that night and would you believe that the first words out of her mouth when I picked her up were, "Mommy, I'm SO hungry. I think I'll eat my dinner." (Sigh of relief.) We went home, heated up dinner and she ate some. Not as much as I wanted her to, but something. It's a work-in-progress, but I'm hoping that if we can just stay consistent, it'll all pay off in the end.

Discipline Scenerio #2: Morning Chores

This morning was a BATTLE. Not sure why because we didn't do anything different, but never-the-less, Avonlea refused to do her chores. Instead of nagging her this morning, I simply told her that I was going to turn on the tv at 9:00 and she and Lincoln could watch a show while I got dressed, showered and did the dishes. BUT, she had to have her morning chores done (there's get dressed, brush hair/teeth, make bed and feed pets). I help her with feeding the pets. She knows how to do them all and this has been a routine for months now. She lolly-gagged around this morning and when she heard the tune to "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", she flipped out because her show was starting and she wasn't able to watch it. She asked if she could watch it and I replied, "Are your chores done?" (no) The final verdict was that she took so long to get her chores done, she only got to watch 5 minutes of her show. Oh well.

I think she's just really starting to test her boundaries. It's not like we're not being consistent or anything. She's just seeing what she can get away with and whom she can get away with it. I know the Lord will honor the decision Rob and I have made to stay strong and not give in. It's not easy, but what part of parenting is? =)

I was reminded of some verses this morning that had to do with parenting. I'm so glad that the Lord has given us His word to learn from, especially in this aspect of life. He tells us exactly what He expects of us as parents and as children. Here are just a few of my favorites. Take time today to read His word, pray sincerely and humbly and jot down a few thoughts on parenting. We have such an important job moms and dads. It's the most important responsibility we'll ever undertake and we want to strive for excellence!

*Ephesians 6:1-4

(Proverbs is loaded with great parenting verses)

*Proverbs 4:1-4

*Proverbs 13:24

*Proverbs 13:22

*Proverbs 13:1

*Proverbs 6:20-23

*Proverbs 22:6 (I pray this one everyday!)

*Proverbs 23:12-28...I love this verse and meditate on it, especially for my son (and my daughter too). I do keep a journal for each of my children, writing all sorts of things in it, letting them draw in it as they're little, putting pictures in it, telling stories, etc. They can read it when they turn 18 and/or "flee the nest". I do incoorporate a lot of prayers in it and this one is the first set of verses, followed by a short written-out prayer for my son's notebook.

There are SO many other verses that our Bible contains about bringing up our children. Feel free to share your favorites!!! I'd love to hear them.

Picking Blueberries

Beautiful blueberries!

"So many to choose from Mom!"

Avonlea and her best friend picking away. They learned to pick the plump, blue ones. Those were the sweetest.

Our "loot" about 1/2 way through picking.

The kids and I, along with another homeschooling family, decided to go pick blueberries at an organic blueberry farm about 40 minutes from our house. It was a lot of fun and needless to say, we'll be eating blueberries for awhile. =)

Lincoln learned to pick the blue berries and not the green ones (learning his colors) today. He mostly ate along the way, silly boy. We did pay the man extra for what we had eaten as we picked. What a fun day!

All In a Line

Puppies at 1 1/2 weeks old. Couldn't resist this shot last night. It's fun because when the kids are in bed, I actually get to sit and hold them all to myself. The puppy we're most likely going to pick for our family (as of right now) is the second from the left. The leading names are "Hannah", "Honey" and "Lentil Sandwich". Most likely, the second name. Avonlea came up with the first and last ones. Can you tell? =)

"The Bump" Update

Well, here it is friends! "The Bump" as they say in England. I couldn't get a whole shot of me with it, so this will have to do. Here is our baby #3 that we have no idea what the gender is. People ask me all the time "What's your intuition?". I kindly respond with, "I have NO idea!" This baby is a little low (like when I carried Avonlea) and the cravings are similar to the ones I had with Avonlea (salty in the beginning), but you never know. One thing I DO know is that this little one is giving me some major back pain and sleeping at night has become quite painful. I don't get up too often, but when I do, it's very difficult to get out of bed. I'm waiting for the night when I'm going to have to wake Rob up to help me "roll" out of bed! We're definately in the home stretch and I get anxious sometimes wanting to meet this sweet baby, but all in God's timing of coarse.

As far as how I'm feeling, I usually don't have mood swings, but I'm sure my husband has a different insight. =) I've been enjoying my long(er) nails and fuller hair, feeling this little one move inside and the predictions as to what the baby is going to be. I have not been enjoying the back pain, limiting what and how much I lift (Lincoln still likes to be held here and there) and the limited amount of clothing I can wear, but I know it's all WELL worth it. I just feel blessed that the Lord has given us the opprotunity to bare children as I know this is a struggle for so many married couples today. I don't take being pregnant for granted. It is such a blessing.

I have to say that I was SOOOO touched this morning! The kids and I got dressed and ready to go over to play at our friend Christina's house and what I thought was going to be a small playdate outside (mind you, I dressed in raggedy shorts, flip flops, pony tail with no makeup and one of Rob's shirts...yes, no cute shirts are fitting any longer) wound up being a full out baby shower by the Mom's group that I lead on Tuesdays. I got a little teary-eyed and was definately not expecting it! All the moms with their kiddos were there and it was such a great time of fellowship and fun. The kindness that was shown this morning will not be forgotten. So sweet.

Homeschool Curriculum is In...Let the Planning Begin!

Here are just some of the curriculum supplies we'll be using this year in our Pre-K learning.


Our homeschool area in our dining room. I have a certain bookshelf in mind that I'd like to purchase to host all of our homeschool curriculum and books. Our roller cart has all our supplies in it (pencils, sharpeners, rulers, glue, scissors, markers, crayons, calendar stuff, handwriting paper, learning games, etc.). The two blue bins host all of our file folders categorized according to themes (the jungle, healthy eating, community helpers). It's where I keep all my stuff I get online, handouts and lesson plans that I don't write in my planning book. The blue ETA bag is full of hands-on math manipulatives.Here's a "must have" if you're teaching using larger posters. It's a poster carrier. I'm a visual person and I know Avonlea definately learns visually and auditorily, so we're using the colorful posters. I laminate EVERYTHING. I used to be known as the "laminating queen"...no joke...at the school I used to teach at. It keeps everything usable for a much longer period of time and is easy to wipe off. Of coarse I have a homeschooling binder! Hello! If you didn't think this, visit the "organization" label on the right-hand-side of the this blog under "Organizational Binders = Lifesavers!" and you'll see why people tease me about my binders. =) I keep everything relating to homeschooling in it, including the following:

Summer and school year calendars full of activities, lesson plans, etc.

Our master schedule, including when we have homeschool blocks during the day. We have blocks in 15-20 minute increments. A preschooler can only sit for so long before he/she gets bored, so we have our subjects broken up throughout the day to spice things up and keep it interesting.

I keep so much more in it, but I think that's for another post. *Note to self...do a post on just the Homeschool Binder! There's so much.

Bible/devotional time: In the morning after breakfast. I searched for an already written curriculum, but after many hours of searching, I didn't find anything worth buying. So, I'm using a children's Bible story book and doing the work myself in finding activities/crafts/coloring sheets that fit into the Bible story of the week. The story book is one that Avonlea's godparents from London gave her last summer (thanks again Kris and Dean). It's wonderful and very colorful.

*If anyone knows of a great Bible curriculum they've used and reccommend, please let me know.

Reading/Phonics and Circle time: After much research, we've decided to use the

A Beka K-4 readers this year. The Little Owl books (8) and "Little Books 1-10". I have some other little readers I found at a local teacher store that I'll implement after the A Beka books have been conquered. For phonics, we'll be using some basic flash cards that include all the constanants, vowels and most blends (ch, gr, sh, etc.). I also have a chart. I have a great website I'll be utalizing to help out with the phonics. Check it out HERE.

Math: Again, searched on this one, but wound up ordering the K-5 A Beka curriculum workbook. I also purchased some other books at Target that help with telling time and money which the A Beka math in Pre-K gets into.

Science: There's no science curriculum for this young of an age (or at least that I've found), so I decided to stick to a theme per week (zoo, weather, volcanoes, etc.) and base the science experiments off of them. I have a science experiment book for the early years that I'll be using as well as THIS WEBSITE for cool ideas.

Handwriting: I purchased some simple handwriting books from a local teacher store for Avonlea to practice with. We have a 15 minute time block before dinner where she can practice by herself as I'm getting the table ready. It's a simple print book. A Beka has some handwriting things available, but it's cursive and I'm not ready to start Avy with cursive until she's mastered print.

ELECTIVES...

Spanish: This is only once a week, incorporated into our morning circle time where we talk about basic, single nouns (colors, numbers, alphabet, items of clothing, animals, etc). I do speak quite a bit of Spanish (learned it working for 4 years at a local Mexican restaraunt) and was able to get us around pretty well on our anniversary trip to Mexico last summer. I'm definately no pro though, but feel confindent in teaching my kids. No real curriculum yet, but we're going to be putting together a Spanish book with pictures and words starting this fall.

Art: I LOVE to do art and although I'm a neat person, I don't mind messes (scroll down for the post where my son painted his hair recently!). I have various art books that I'll be implementing, tying in to our weekly theme.

Music: We do go to a music class a few times a month that both kids enjoy, although I'm thinking Avy is growing out of it slowly. There are a lot of younger children there and she's the oldest so I need to stay on top of my game in terms of providing musical opprotunities for her. I'd love for my husband to teach her on Saturday mornings how to play piano, but he's not comfortable actually teacher her so we'll be leaving that up to my mother-in-law who plays beautifully and has taught for YEARS...we're counting on you Judy! =) For now, we sing A LOT around the house and I'm going to really try and implement some classical music and talk about composers this fall. She can already identify "Moonlight Sinata" whenever she hears it. One of our favorite classical pieces.

Here's a peek inside what Lincoln is doing while Avonlea and I are learning together. I do rotate between the kids, able to homeschool them both, even if it means doing an ABC puzzle with my little guy while Avonlea does her math.

I took a simple diaper box (I use them for everything, always save 'em) and filled it with educational things...puzzles, books, a coloring book and then some playdough. This gives him something to do while Avy and I work, teaches him to sit still and be quiet during these certain times of the day, gives me educational time with him (he's been learning so much!) and helps him get into the routine of having school time. He loves to participate in our circle time. We have it at the table: calendar, saying our phonics charts, reciting the Fruits of the Spirit and the Ten Commandments, etc.

So, I'm still busy planning away and trying to get this next fall's plans underway before the baby gets here (7 weeks and counting...can't believe it). A good friend of mine and I met this evening to plan out a new homeschooling group we're starting this fall (we're doing activities over the summer, but they're more laid back than the school year will be). Through the Lord's leading and much prayer, I've recently left the leadership of a local Mom's group to persue helping lead this homeschool group. I just know it's going to be a year of blessings and many memories.

There's still some planning to do, but knowing that the decision of curriculum is out of the way, the items have arrived and I have them to thumb through as I put my lesson plans in my book is a big relief. Also, many of you know that Avonlea is one of the older ones in her "grade". She misses the September 1 cut off date by a few weeks and would be currently in a two-year-old room right now if she was in pre-school. I don't think so. That was one of our biggest factors in the decision to homeschool. We decided to move her ahead actually to Pre-K (two grades ahead) in terms of what objectives are met through the curriculums we purchased. I know she's capable and needs the challenge. Every child is different and who knows where our second child will be, but as for Avonlea, we feel this is the best decision.

For now, I'm off to dreamland...geesh! It's late. You know how your mind gets churning when you're busy planning away. Lots churning in my noggin this evening and not enough hours in the day.

"Lord, thank you for today, for my husband, my amazing children and the child growing inside of me. Thank you for 'the moments' we had today and for 'the moments' we're going to have together tomorrow. Watch over us as we sleep and let us wake up with a servant's heart, willing to love one another no matter the circumstance. Amen."

HAPPY 30TH ROB!

Rob and the kids with Avonlea's cake she pretty much made by herself. We wrapped his gifts with plain paper so the kids could decorate them. He got a piano book with songs by Peter Citera in it. Gotta love the 80s! We also got him a football (can't believe he didn't own one before now), some nice smelling men's shampoo/body wash, Avonlea insisted on buying him a flashlight (?) and some baseball shorts from his favorite team (the Rays).

Rob singing with his Chicago piano book.

Yes, folks. That's right. My incredible husband turned the BIG 30 this past Saturday and I honestly have to say that he took it well. I think I'll be the one having a harder time with it, but I still have some time.

The kids and I had fun decorating the house, baking a cake and wrapping his gifts on Friday while he was at work. Then, we had a nice dinner at Outback that night followed by a trip to Blockbuster for a movie. On Saturday, which was his actual birthday, my mom was so awesome to watch the kids for us while the two of us had a day to ourselves, shopping for work clothes for Rob, running an errand, catching a movie he had been wanting to see and then back to get the kiddos. It was a fun day.

Happy 30th Sweetheart. I Love you!!!

Puppies at 1 Week Old

This picture didn't come out as clear as I thought, but you get the picture. Yes, they're darling and we also tied little ribbons around each one to tell them apart. Result, Riley (mom) pulled them off. Apparently she didn't want anything to do with the ribbons! Too bad, because now I might have to resort to a different color dab of nailpolish on their toes. =) Oh well.

They were one-week-old last Friday and are growing and thriving well. Their eyes are almost open and they're really scooting around and trying to walk. They're not feeding as often and are developing quite the little barks when they want to be heard. Sweet things.

Butterfly Update

We've had lots of fun with our Monarch caterpillars this spring. Here's a picture of one of the ones ready to make a chrysalis any day now. We've already had one metamorphasis take place and let that one go. We currently have roughly 8 more caterpillars on our Milkweed plant munching away at leaves and growing everyday. We made the choice to keep them inside this year just by keeping a potted plant on our table and watching them from time to time. The kids get more interaction with them and they're not trouble at all. Maybe we'll get a picture of one of the butterflies to come. =)

Yummy Tomatoes

We've had a really good crop so far from our spring garden and right now, we're getting in lots of yummy, ripe tomatoes. Here are the ones we picked today that were ready and we made tomato pizza tonight. So flavorful!!!

We had luck this spring with: summer squash, lettuce, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, zuchinni (spelling?), peppers and many herbs. We still have yet to get anything out of our cucumber plants, pumpkin plants and watermelon, but these take more time.

Oh Lincoln!@#%&*@!*

The kids and I took a grocery trip this morning (we usually do this on Thursdays, but got thrown off last week, hence the trip today), and as we arrived home, I shewed the kids out into the backyard to play while I unloaded the bags from the car and at least got the cold/frozen items put away. Well, at one point, I heard Avonlea giggling beyond hysterics and as I peeked out to see what all the fuss was about, this is what I saw. Lincoln had painted his hair bright red! The funny part was that I still had many grocery bags still to unload, so what the hay. I let him continue on (he was being quiet and was going to need a full-out bath anyway right?). We ate lunch and then it was straight to the bathtub for this little boy. I just love him!

"In God We Trust"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

Please click on this link today and submit your vote. The topic is about taking the "In God We Trust" off US currency. NBC is taking the poll and we want them to know how we feel. Luckily, when I voted, the votes were highly in favor of keeping the motto...praise the Lord.

Puppies... 4-Day-Old Update

This sweet girl is the runt and she's just too cute.

Lovin' on each other

Tired Mama

The "crew"

So, I promise I won't be updating the blog with puppy pics every other day, but they are just too darling and are already growing on us not to share. They are 4 days old today and are already changing and growing tremendously.

I did resort to the paddling pool. The kids normally play in it out back, but it's serving another use for the next few weeks. =) The puppies are really crawling around now and their eyes should start opening soon, so they'll be able to see where they're going, making them more mobile by the day.

It's fun to just watch them snuggle with their mama, take naps on top of each other, watching them yawn (gotta love puppy breath) and stretch, and their little barks are too sweet. Not sure if I mentioned this, but we won't pick our puppy until they're older and we can observe the personalities a little more. That's one thing that I think helps in picking out a puppy is asking the breeder about the personalities of each puppy and seeing how the puppy will fit into the family. A good breeder will help the buyer pick a puppy according to the temperment and personality rather than just letting them pick. The "fit" is everything. Riley couldn't have been a better "fit" for our family and I got sad today realizing that she's actually older than I thought. She's 7 years old and this will be her last litter (only had one other 4 years ago). I'm glad we were able to breed her a last time to carry on her line though (we'll be keeping one of the girl puppies). It's funny how people say, "It's just a dog", but when you've had a dog (a good dog), it's not just a dog. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones speaking a little, but I got sad tonight knowing that Riley won't be around forever. Rob and I made the mistake of renting Marley and Me the night after the puppies were born and like the first time we saw it in the theatre, I bawled. Just a sweet story so many families go through. Very realistic.

Anyways, enjoy the pictures!

To Dos Galore

Ever have a to do list that never quits? Well, mine is spinning out of control lately and that urks me. I'm not a procrastinator (at least on things I'm motivated to complete). I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. I probably shouldn't be blogging right now, but needed an "out" for a few minutes. Here's what is spinning in my brain this week...

...get paperwork started for puppies, vet visits scheduled for shots, advertisement for puppy sales (newpaper add and flyers), finish ordering A Beka curriculum supplies for fall (I'm getting a jump on things before the baby is born, can you tell?), finish baby's nursery, wash baby supplies/clothing/nursing supplies, get an early jump on packing my hospital suitcase just in case, register this month at the hospital I'll be delivering at, LOTS of Mom's group "stuff" to finalize and start planning for next year, Lincon's birthday party stuff finalized and invitations out, re-type LOTS of documents in computer since my hardrive crashed last week and lost EVERYTHING, clean out garage (again), go through old teaching supplies to see what manipulatives/supplies I can re-use for Avonlea's homeschooling over the summer and this fall, replace needle on kids' record player, baking, order pictures of pictures we were able to save on our computer, scrapbooking catch-up!!, shower thank-you notes out, book sitter so I can get two crowns put on my teeth-fun stuff, create preschool Bible curriculum for homeschool (since I can't find one I like or that isn't insanely priced online), create curriculum for Avonlea this summer and this fall, ahh...the list continues.

I need a special fairy wand to wave over everything and poof! It'll be done. Not that you all wanted to know my "to dos". Just thinkin' out loud tonight. =)

The Puppies Are Here!!!!!

Avonlea with Riley and her puppies. Riley is drinking water as usual. What a thirsty mommy!

Aw...Brother and Sister

Count 'em up...6 sweet, little darlings. Two boys and four girls.

Sleeping soundly without a care in the world...ahh, the life of a puppy

Avonlea with her "Hannah"

Okay, I know that you've all been waiting for this, so I'm glad to annouce the arrival of the Bates puppies.

Riley had her 6 healthy puppies (4 girls and 2 boys) on Friday, April 17 (yesterday) between 8:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. We did sadly loose three pups (all girls) for a total of 9 puppies all together.

The day started out when Rob left for work and I was getting up with the kids around 7:30 (we usually snuggle in bed for a little bit and then get up to make breakfast). So, I got up to check on Riley and was relieved that the process had begun. I was also saddened though because as I peeked into our whelping box, I noticed a non-breathing puppy cast aside in the box. Poor thing never stood a chance. She was born with her intestines outside of her body. Very sad. I gently removed her from the box with a towel, so that Riley could continue birthing the other puppies. They all kept coming, some within 20 minutes of each other, some with an hour between births.

We did loose puppy #4 and puppy #9 in addition to #1. I don't think I was prepared emotionally for that today. I know I wasn't. The last time Riley had a litter of pups, it was in the middle of the night and there were only 3, so this was my first attempt at playing midwife and no one ever prepares you for the experiece emotionally. I had read up and researched all that I needed to know, but sometimes, it's just God's will. Puppy #4 and #9 passed away from lack of revival. I tried everything to get them breathing, but no luck.

Riley is doing well and so are the 6 puppies. They are currently abiding in our baby's nursery on the floor with a bunch of blankets. They can't quite scoot around just yet, so I'm trying to come up with a plan B of where they'll be living. I'm done with the refrigerator box because it was too flimsy (not reusable after the birth...use your imagination) and the kids try to play in it. They can't stay where they're at because they're going to get mobile soon and I want to keep them in the house to monitor them. We used a paddling pool last time, but that was before we had curious children who could access the puppies by climbing into the pool. The pool was perfect because it lasted up to 5 weeks and then the pups started crawling out of it. Riley could get in and out easily and it was just the right size. I'm thinking we may resort to the paddling pool again, just where to put it is the question. Don't want the kids to have full access to them, especially my rowdie Lincoln who will no doubt pick them up and not handle them properly. "Think Kel, think!"

Anyways, we're just trying to keep Riley hydrated and fed well since her job right now is to supply these puppies with nourishment and cleaning up after them. I literally do nothing folks!My job starts in about 5 weeks when they're mobile. :) It's a lot of fun though. Avonlea loves the movies "Air Buddies" and "Snow Buddies" which are both movies about Golden Retriever puppies who are mischevious and get into all sorts of predicaments. They're rated G and both are Disney movies if you're interested in viewing them. Avy has named our puppies after the ones in the movies (there are 5 in the movies...can't remember their names right now though), plus she has decided that the one she's keeping is going to be named "Hannah". Don't ask me why she chose this name, but it's starting to stick. I had some other names I was thinking of, but we're leaning towards letting her choose the name.

I'm looking forward to watching the personalities of these little ones develop because the stud/daddy is a beautiful, stocky, white Golden that goes by the name Country Boy and he has the most wonderful temperment and quite a fun personality. Of coarse, I'm partial to Riley because she's my dog, but she's just the sweetest dog and can I say LOYAL! I could go on for hours, but needless to say, I have a great feeling about this litter.

One thing that I was a little unsure of how things would work was if she went into labor while the kids were awake. It worked out well with her having her puppies on a Friday morning. We had a playdate planned, but it was more important that we were home to oversee Riley and the puppies' health. So, we just layed low and I got out project after project for the kids to do while running back and forth from project making to delivering puppies. The two hardest things about the day were keeping the kids out of the box (especially Lincoln) and emotionally handling the loss of three puppies. Other than that, it worked out well. That afternoon, the kids and I were feeling a little caved-in, so we left Riley to some peace and quiet with her puppies and we headed out to run an errand and then hit the park for some running around and playing.

Thanks for all the encouraging comments and we'll keep up the updates on our sweet, little ones.

Jesus Has Risen!

Easter egg hunt at Mom and Dad's. Me and Lincoln.

Yes, friends. This is my dad. =) He's so full of life and this picture says it all don't you think? He's giving Lincoln a high five.

Some of the eggs we dyed. Nothing fancy...common, we have a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old! =)

The "Linkster" dyeing eggs. It was more like he threw them into the bowls! When we took him to church that evening, the nursery workers looked at his hands and said, "Let me guess, dyeing eggs?" Yepper.

Here are a few pictures of Easter. No, I didn't take a photo of the kids dressed and ready for church (in a hurry). Bummer, cause they looked cute too, but here are some others of us at my parents' house that evening (dinner and egg hunt) and of the kids dyeing eggs on Good Friday. Rob's company shuts down on Good Friday (surprising because most companies don't and I think it's terrible), so we're always able to spend the day in reflection as a family and attend church. We're so grateful. I taught my usual Sunday School class (three-year-olds) and then we had a wonderful time of praise and worship in church. We then headed up to my parents' after naptime and had a nice dinner and an egg hunt. What an amazing thing that we worship a RISEN Savior!

Go Rays!!

Rob and I were able to get out (thanks Mom!) and enjoy a baseball game last night (White Sox vs. Rays) in some nice (free) company seats behind third base. Rob and I had a blast and enjoyed the chance to relax. The father and son next to us also caught two foul balls. It was a lot of fun even though we lost. =(

Baby Shower

One of my sweet friends, Lisa, threw me a baby shower last weekend and what a treat it was. Having a shower with your first baby is always exciting and having one for the opposite gender is always fun too. I guess I just didn't expect a shower with baby #3 and having one of each child. I was so stoked! We played some fun games, I saw friends and family I hadn't seen in forever and everyone was so sweet to shower me with gifts. It's funny, when Lisa asked me to register for gifts, my initial thought was "for what?". =) We've been blessed to get most items with our other two children (clothing, furniture, toys, burp cloths, etc.), so I got to register for some more fun things and other necessities (diapers, wipes, baby wash/shampoo, breastfeeding supplies, etc.). I also registered for an infant sling to carry the baby in hands-free and I got TWO of them! What blessings. Thanks to all.

COMPUTER CRASHED!!!!

Hello Fellow Bloggers!

I wanted to let you in on knowing why I've been absent for the past week and 1/2. Our hardrive crashed and we've been without internet or e-mail. Last night, we loaded up the kiddos and went to Best Buy to find a good deal (plus a 3-year warranty!) on an inexpensive hardrive and we found one. Hence, I'm back. =)

Kids are still awake, but tonight, I have some MAJOR blog catchin' up to do and some interesting events that have been happening around here!

Stay tuned til tonight...

Puppies = 6 more days!

Here's our sweet Golden Retriever, Riley, taking one of her many "dog naps" during the day. She's definately getting more and more plump and her cravings for people food (she snuck an entire bag of bacon the other day in 5 seconds flat while I had my head turned!) and her naps are becoming more and more abundant. The last time she had puppies (over 3 years ago), we couldn't even tell she was expecting, but THIS time, whoa mama! Her tummy is so big that I'm honestly scared there will be this GIANT litter of pups to sell and we won't be able to get rid of them all (granted, we're probably keep one) before the baby comes. We shall see. She's a great mama though and the "Puppy Hotel" is stocked and ready with old blankets and comforters. It's funny to explain our large cardboard refrigerator box to guests who come over. "So, um, what's up with the box Kel?" "Well, you see, Riley is pregnant...wanna buy a puppy?" =)

You can be assured I'll post pictures as soon as they're born. The puppies are just the cutest things and I know our kids are going to have a BLAST holding them, playing with them and loving on them. It's going to be a sad day when we have to find loving families for them. I just know we're going to love them all!

Her due date is Tax Day, April 15. (Thought that was funny and a good way to remember.)

Letter "R" Week

Our rabbit =) "Fur"...don't ask who named him!

This week, we've been learning about letter "R" and all I have to say is that it's just been one of those weeks. Busy and distracting, but good. =) Letter "R" has taken a backseat, but I'm hoping to get back on track today and tomorrow so we don't have to repeat it next week. I've only had to do that once so far. The nice thing about homeschooling is that it does provide you with the freedom to go places and do things during the day together, but you really have to watch how busy you do become because it can really take away from learning and its consistency. Again, Avonlea is only in preschool, but even just a few days of errand running or "fun outings" can become a distraction and a set back to what you've accomplished so far school-wise.

So here's the "good stuff" for those of you following along in our preschooling homeschool journey:

1. Use your letter of the week box to go on a "R" hunt. We found a raincoat, record and rabbit.

2. Cut "R" pictures for your Alphabet Book.

3. Practice writing upper and lowercase "R"s in workbook.

4. ACTIVITIES:

Talk about rabbits and how they're mammals (characteristics of a mammal), what rabbits eat (gardening and can tie into Peter Rabbit). Provide lots of manipulatives to create rainbow patterns and talk about the order of the colors, make a BIG rainbow on your wall using chart paper and glue or paint the colors on it also adding the names of the colors when it's dry, do rainbow experiments with crystals or prisms, talk about the rain forrest, read Ranger Rick magazines, reading traffic signs, labels on foods (use chart paper to display labels from cans and other foods), talk about recycling and if you don't already recycle, START! Make pictures/creations from recyclable materials (bottle tops, cardboard cereal boxes, milk jugs, etc.), talk about the color red by finding pictures in magazines that are red and gluing them to a large red apple with the title "Things That are RED" at the top, talk and learn about reptiles and their characteristic, rhyming games, start a rock collection and paint them OR get a pet rock and write a story about him/her, learn about robots.

5. BOOKS:

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

A Rainbow of My Own by Don Freeman

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor

Stone Soup by Marcia Brown

Real Robots by Maccaroni, Krulik and Epstein

6. FOODS:

radish, raisin, raspberry, rice, rolls

*See previous posts under the "homeschooling" label to see what the Alphabet Book is, the Letter of the Week Box is and what workbook we use.

Have fun learning!

Summertime Planning and Activities

Summertime is quickly approaching and if you're like me and you like to plan ahead, this post is for you! Here are some fun and exciting things to do over the summer that should help keep you and the kids busy...

Click on the following links...

100 Summertime Activites LINK

Family Fun

Creative Kids At Home

Building a Vegetable Garden Bed (Better Homes and Gardens)

Here are some other ideas to keep minds and bodies pumping...

Little or No Money:

Beaches

Bike Riding

Parks

Chuck E. Cheese

Library Story Hour/Puppet Shows

Music Classes (I highly suggest Music with Mar. for 6 mos.-5 yrs. old)

Reading with your child everday

Science Centers

Swim Lessons

Vacation Bible School

Start a family vegetable or butterfly garden (even if you don't have a lot of land, just get yourself some pots for the back porch and grow tomatoes...you may find your kids excited to eat more veggies!)

More Money Needed:

Camping

Baseball games

Aquariums

Zoo

Museums

Lessons of some sort (music, dance, golf, etc.)

Paintballing

Some ideas that I have found helpful come from Family Fun Magazine. I do keep a binder (see "organization" label on sidebar for this previous post) labeled "Summertime Fun" and put all magazine tear-outs from magazines and other handouts in it (use plastic page covers!) for quick and easy reference. Make sure to start your own this year as you read through and tear out your articles and ideas.

Here are a few from my binder...

-wash the car and make it a fun event, get soaked!

- have a neighborhood or family cookout

- play lots of water games

- go on a hike

- camp out in the backyard

- make fun decorations for the Fourth of July

- learn some new recipes for baking, cooking and fun snacks

- go on a treasure hunt outside

- create an outdoor art center

- collect large and small boxes and make a fort, castle or other fun creation

- collect rocks and paint them

- make a water balloon catch game using empty milk jugs (cut out a hole)

- if you're traveling, collect dirt/sand from the places you've been and display them in clear neat bottles that are labeled with the place you visited

- decorate a t-shirt or flipflops

- go fishing

- start a book club

- have a "Block Party" in your neighborhood

- learn another language

- learn how to play tennis

- have a spa day for you and your significant other

- scrapbooking

- don't forget to continue on your date nights (heart)

Don't forget to keep your brains churning by keeping up the academics too! Purchase some inexpensive workbooks from Sam's Club or a local bookstore. You can also ask your child's teacher what are some good things to be practicing over the summer for the next grade level and maybe they'll let you borrow a textbook or two (?). Have incentives for kids that finish a certain amount of work. Be sure to set realistic goals.

HAPPY SUMMER PLANNING!!!

Family Trip to the Fair

Rob's brother and our sister-in-law were down from up north so we all decided to get together this past weekend. It was a fun day. We got to hang out at Uncle Don's and played with his kids and then after some dinner, we headed out to the fair down the street. The bigger kids got to go on some "big kid rides" while Rob and I hung out at the kiddie rides. I look at it as "putting in our dues". =) Someday, it'll be us at the "big kid rides", but for now we're just enjoying them as little ones.

One thing Avonlea and I have in common is that we LOVE cotton candy! It's so bad for your teeth (hello sugar!), but when we rarely have it, it's a treat. So, of coarse we had to get some. Lincoln helped us out too.

It was a fun day and great to see and catch up with the fam! =)