NOT a little bit of "peace and be quiet"

even though things are often super busy around here, i try to make as much time for A as i can. she is eager to learn, and picks up the basics quite fast. she likes when i give her "school" to do, and i like to oblige her in that regard.

she will come to me and say "momma, i want to do something that i want to do" meaning that she wants for me to give her some school project to work on.

I've been wondering around to different blogs and gleaning some "tot school" ideas, and came up with this variation last week.

i cut out 5 circles and on one side wrote the color. then on the other i traced a shape and wrote the name of the shape. (i have a jar of shapes that i got at the thrift store last year for $1~ there are tons of possibilities!)





then both girls sat at the little table to sort. A did understand the concept of what she was to do, but very quickly lost interest for some reason. B was interested, but too young to complete the sorting. unfortunately, it took me much longer to prepare the activity than the time that A actually spent doing it!



so chalk up another cold cup of coffee for mom.

pandemonium- it's just a normal day around here!

i love homeschooling my children, and after 11 years i feel confident in what we're doing and in the quality of education that they are receiving.

however, adding 2 little girls into the mix has definitely muddied up the waters more than a little bit!

I'm thankful that by the time A and B came along, every one already knew how to read, cursive writing and long division.

I'll be honest and confess that it can be sheer pandemonium around our house sometimes. between babies sitting on the schoolroom table, toddlers running off with any unguarded pen or pencil, and squealing girls pounding on the piano, it's a wonder that some days G and N even remember how to spell their own name!

Guest Friday: Greenville, Greyhound and Bob Jones University

N is the honoured guest for this Friday, and he's chosen (alright, been *strongly encouraged*) to write about his recent trip to BJU. he went to visit as a potential freshman for next year, and has decided that he likes the college and campus so much that he's started the application process for next fall. we are pleased with his choice, and know that Bob Jones University will be a good fit for N.

Early on the morning of January 13th, I awoke to make the long trip down to South Carolina with my sister M and our friend Matthew. The purpose of this trip was to go visit the college which she attended; Bob Jones University, in Greenville. We met Matthew in Lewisburg, and crammed all of M's belongings, as well as my duffel bag, into Matthew's small two-door car. It was cramped! But, we forced it all in there, the important stuff, anyway. The rest would be mailed to M at some point in the not-too-distant-future.

The car ride down was remarkably unremarkable. The two college freshman had it in their heart to torture me with a mind game that took extraordinarily long to figure out, considering how easy the solution turned out to be. I retaliated during twenty questions. (They went entirely the wrong direction! The answer was "India"; they were guessing "diamonds", "Angel Falls", and "rocks". Odd, I know...)

Anyway, we arrived safely, and made a quick stop at the college to drop off luggage and empty out the car. That finished, we wandered around Greenville for a while, using up minutes on cell phones and gas in tanks, searching for the house of the family with whom I would be staying. We finally found it, and had a delicious meal of spaghetti and cake. M, Matthew and I went back to BJU, to the student center. There, she introduced me to her friends, roomies and fellow nursing majors.

The next morning, I met M outside her dorm house. She had a pass to go off campus, and we walked to Starbucks for sustenance. A few of her friends happened to be there, and she introduced me to them. We then returned to the college; she to the grind that is getting settled in, I to the Administrations building to talk to my admissions counselor, Ben Cochran.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t there, but he had left a list of classes on which I could sit in. They consisted of several science classes, a few labs, and some Bible classes. Obviously, I didn’t have time to attend all of them, but I did make an effort to attend as many as was humanly possible. Sadly, I didn’t end up going to any of the chemistry labs. The first, Analytical Chemistry, was in Science Building Room 131. Rather, I should say that it was scheduled for that room. I waited outside the room for about fifteen minutes; no one showed up to unlock it, much less instruct us! The other lab was scheduled to overlap with Human Anatomy and Physiology, which was a class M was taking and one to which I wanted to go.

Thursday morning started bright and early; 6:30 am, to be precise. I met M for breakfast at the Dining Commons, and learned several very important bits of information concerning keeping up your image while eating. Duly noted. I also met more of M’s friends. The first class I went to, not counting the aborted chemistry lab, was a required class for all students. New Testament Messages, taught by Nathan Crockett, was one of my favorite classes while I was down there. Granted, I only went to it once, but he seemed like a great teacher, and as though he cared about his students. One of the things I liked about the college overall was the fact that that all the classes started with a prayer by the professor, and perhaps a relevant verse. You’re not going to find that at Bucknell University.

After NT messages was chapel, in the Founder’s Memorial Amphitheater. It was HUGE! There were about five thousand people there! Stephen Jones, great-grandson of the original Bob Jones, gave the message.

After chapel and lunch, I had another class, taught by Nathan Crockett again. This was Life and Ministry of Christ. After that, it was Life and Ministry of Paul. Then it was off to dinner with M and her fellow nursing majors.

The next morning started off bright and early again. This was a day filled mostly with science classes. General Chemistry at nine o’clock, and then a class with M at 10, Bio-organic Chemistry. Both were very fascinating, and I was even able to keep my head above water and comprehend most of what was being said! Chapel and lunch again. At 2 o’clock, there was another science class with M and her buddies: Human Anatomy and Physiology. Since I had to be at the information desk at 3:30, after this class we parted company; ne'er the twain again shall meet. (At least until May...)

Well, what did I think of the college, specifically the rules? Hmm... tough question! I obviously liked it; enough to apply there, of course. I liked the classes offered; it was a spacious campus, but not sprawling enough to get lost. The food wasn't terrible, the library was large and had a wide selection, and the student center was quite enjoyable, thank-you!

But that isn't what made me want to attend. In spite of all the griping and complaining to the contrary, it's the strict rules and regulations that are going to be a great help in my college career. Yes, some may be very strict, (no playing cards), and others somewhat nonsensical (no pool on Sundays), but hey. At least they try. In spite of all their shortcomings, regulations-wise, BJU has and does maintain a Christian atmosphere, which you won't find at any secular college. As the prevailing theory among most of the student body seems to be, they're rules for college, not rules for life. Besides, all these regulations can't help but cause you to try to act right, and if you're not allowed to socialize off campus or play pool on Sundays, well then. Perhaps you should be studying anyway, hmm?

In short, I enjoyed my trip, had a quick taste of what it would be like to be a college freshman at BJU, and hope to taste more fully what the campus has to offer come this fall!

life at our house...

it's usually pretty busy at our house, and almost always a little chaotic, too. and messy... that's a given.

and dichotomy, well, that's all over the place too:

N is wrestling with Advanced Chemistry this year, just trying to comprehend that the sum of all oxidation numbers in a molecule must equal the charge of that molecule.

A, on the other hand, has not quite grasped the concept of same and different. and potty training is a whole 'nother story.

G is doing quite well in history, and can rattle off a quite long and impressive list of important dates to remember. like when Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar lived. or when Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa. and it doesn't even count that he knows when Columbus "discovered" America. we all know that. but i bet you don't know when William the Silent lead the Dutch Revolt.

as for baby B, well, if we can just get her to stop eating the cat food and drinking the shampoo, that would be a good thing...

i'm a glutton for punishment!

I'm such a sentimental pack rat, and to prove it, i have tons of stuff stored in the attic from my bigger kids- Lego's, dolls, Mr. potato head, a doll house and Lincoln logs, just to name a few. for Christmas this year, we recycled a few things for the little girls. it was just small things, really- a baby feeding set, a bunny doll... there is really no point in getting tons of new stuff, just to say it's "new", when we have lots of treasures just waiting for us in the attic.

G's gift to A this Christmas was this little tikes easel. while it was not a treasure from days gone by that we resurrected from the attic, it's almost as good: we got it at the thrift store for $1! with a little bit of elbow grease, it's as good as new! N put several bottles of finger paint in A's stocking, as well as some paper, and with an old t-shirt of daddy's, she's ready to go.

finger painting is such a satisfying activity- and not as messy as i remembered, either!

chalk one up for a few more moments of peace and tranquility!

just a little bit of peace and quiet...

entertaining A on these frigidly cold and snowy days is not a task for the faint of heart. she obviously takes after her daddy, who would never choose to sit still and do nothing, no matter what the weather. me, on the other hand... i know the value of a warm quilt and a good book. and not necessarily in that order!

i have a very dear friend who founded and teaches at a Montessori school back home. (hi, Susan!) A spent some time in her classroom last summer, and really loved it. Susan had told me of this particular activity, and i thought yesterday was a perfect time to try it out.

i gathered a few foam shapes that we had around, and made a simple color-coded chart.

next, i filled a medium sized bowl about half full with rice, and buried all the shapes in the rice. then i gave the bowl to A. i showed her how to use the spoon to dig around, and when i found the first little foam piece, i placed the pink circle on the corresponding pink circle on the chart. then i gave the spoon to her, and let her do it herself.

A caught on right away, and had a good time rooting around in the bowl looking for the rest of the foam pieces. (there was only a little bit of rice on the table and the floor when she was done. and she didn't eat too much, either.)

i know that susan would have a very impressive sounding (and long) list of the things that A is learning while doing this activity. but i just know that it kept A happy, quiet and entertained for almost an hour. and while happy, quiet and entertained is a relatively short list of adjectives, the peace and tranqility went a long way for this busy and sometimes frazzled mommy!

i encourage you to try this today if you have a busy toddler of your own. (and make yourself a cup of coffee while you're at it. you'll probably get to enjoy the whole cup while it's still hot!)

today we did art!

i haven't really gotten much done today, but G and A spent time together playing with play-doh this morning. we're not sure who had more fun- the toddler or the teenager! G made lots of things- a dinosaur, an elephant, a clown and a snowman. but the biggest success was the tractor. just like daddy's- and A loved it!

G will soon be 16, but from the first day that we brought A home from the hospital, he has taken the time to foster a loving and close relationship with A. the birth of A was a very special time in our family, and i am so grateful that God blessed us with this sweet little girl. a very vivid memory of mine of her first few days is one of G and A together. i was in the kitchen, doing something, and walked out into the family room to see G sitting on the little chair next to A. she was asleep in her car seat, and he was leaning over her. i wondered aloud what he was doing, and he replied "I'm watching her sleep." he was sitting and watching her, waiting for her to wake up! he just wanted hold her. at the time i wished that i had taken a picture, but this memory is so vivid and real to me, that it could have happened only yesterday.

G is rarely too busy, or to impatient to take the time to play with his little sister. and for that, A has elevated G to the status of "Favorite Brother"

i for one think he is worth of that title!

happenings at our house this week

it's been a very busy week here, with lots going on. I'll just give you a list, in no particular order, and you can see for yourselves what we've been up to.

*we celebrated my birthday

*i started putting perennials in my kitchen garden

*we butchered and froze 20+ chickens (somewhere along the way we lost count!)

*we canned 19 quarts of grape juice

*we celebrated the twins' birthday

*B is on the brink of walking

*we canned 28 quarts of applesauce, and made 3 apple crisps

*Dave hooked up heating zone 2, completing the heat for all downstairs living areas

*A enjoyed her first story time at our local library

*Dave and i reached a happy compromise about the butler's pantry

*M is doing just fine down in SC, but is very busy, and doesn't get much sleep

*N's stitches were removed, and he will have an impressive scar on his elbow

*Dave put in a new door in the utility room (with a window!)

*we got $10 pump jacks on e-bay, and can start insulating the rest of the house

*we closed up the garden, tilling it all under, and planted it with winter rye

*we played the genus edition of trival pursuit, and Dave and i creamed the boys

*it's my job to feed the wood stove, and I'm liking that chore

*D started his job at Family Dollar

*A is learning about the color orange, with crafts, coloring and snacks

*all 3 boys are working well at their chemistry

*Dave accidentally trapped the master bath shower in the utility room

so that's it- life at our house: full of adventures, escapades and mundane happenings, just to keep things interesting!

houston, we have lift-off!

last thursday, M's long anticipated day finally arrived- it was time to take her to college. BJU in south carolina. which as i mentioned, is very far away. as in 700 miles far away. we were hesitant to take our car that far, so we rented a '06 dodge caravan. and it was really nice. i wanted to keep it, but dave made me give it back. we needed to take the girls with us, as B is still nursing, and we didn't have anyone for A to stay with. we were all a bit nervous about 14+ hours in the car with an infant and toddler, and our worst fears were indeed realized. there was a lot of weeping and crying, like we expected, and then A and B started, too. (just kidding!) the DVD player that we borrowed didn't really entertain A like we were hoping, so it was a long ride until she fell asleep. a very long ride. and loud.

here's the girls as we were starting out. happy faces now!

and now we have arrived many, many hours later. M is checked in, and is ready to start settling in the dorm.

here she is partially settled in, and the little girls are happy to see her.

they are even happy to help unpack! i took M to wal-mart to get some last minute stuff. including a little step ladder so she can get up on her bed!

it's not really home until your bed is made, and your quilts are on. now that the quilts are on the bed, and the pictures are on the shelf, M feels at settled in, and she's ready and eager for her classes to start, even though that won't be until Wednesday. we were so happy that dave's parents were able to drive up from Florida to visit us. more on that later.

in the weeks that led up to M's leaving for college, i've been a bit weepy every time i think about her leaving home. she's so far away! (i think i may have mentioned that already) for almost 20 years she has been a daily presence in my life, and i could not imagine our life without her. but after spending several days on campus, and getting to meet her roommates, professors and just general observations, i can honestly say that both dave and i were very peaceful about leaving her.

BJU can evoke strong reactions from people- both positive and negative. either you love it, or hate it. no middle ground, it seems. there are many rules- some seeming very trivial and legalistic. but they are very honest about what is expected, and make no apologies for what they believe is in the best interest of the students. dave and i are appreciating their high standards, and their commitment to see them carried out. i have respect for M, and all the other students, for willingly submitting to the authority of BJU. we don't need to debate whether the bible says it is wrong for a woman to wear jeans, or watch PG-13 movies, or listen to Rebbecca St. James. BJU says these thing are not going to be allowed or tolerated. they are setting a standard for behavior, holding the line, and saying NO COMPROMISE! perhaps we need more families, churches and schools willing to take such a strong stand for what they believe.

M will do just fine, and in fact will thrive, and be a better person when she graduates in 2012. she will have had a thorough education- spiritual, cultural and academic. she will be a good RN. she will be a compassionate RN. but most importantly, she will be a Godly RN.

we really did it!

a last minute study session on monday night. (ignore the date- M's camera is not set right)

our happy little mascot!

all this studying finally paid off! we got 5th place in the oral component, and 5th place overall!

just a little while ago we all got home from penn state, after spending 2 days there for the state envirothon competition. it feels like it was a long journey, but all that studying and nagging finally paid off!

the oral component of the e-thon was a scenario about the Appalachian trail, and the negative impacts from the variety of recreational uses. they had to come up with solutions to 2 critical recreational impacts, and how to implement those suggestions. they worked hard all week, brainstorming, preparing, researching and perfecting their speech and delivery. dave and i were able to go in with them into the room as they gave the speech in front of 6 judges. they did very well, with minimal nervousness, and answered the questions the judges had at the end very confidently and intelligently.

on tuesday (which was a very cold, damp, cold, rainy and cold day in state college) was the rest of the testing. dave and i spent the day in the car with B (which was not as bad as it sounds!) around 2pm, we bundled B up, and headed for the awards building. we met M coming down the hill, and she was a little discouraged (and alot wet and muddy!) and she told us that she didn't think they had done so well. i was disappointed, but knew that they had done their best. so off we were to wait until it was time to give out the awards.

first they announced the winners of the oral component. i was fairly confident that they had done well, but when the 10th place winner got a overall score of 92, i was a little worried! however, we were very pleased to receive 5th place, with a score of 95! for this achievement, we all received nice little fanny packs from REI, a $15 gift certificate, (even our little mascot got her own gift certificate!) and a trophy.

then came time for the real nail biting waiting. after what M had told me, i was no longer sure what to expect. they started announcing the winners one by one, starting with 10th place. our friends from snyder county got 9th, and we were so happy for them! then 8th, 7th, and 6th (another homeschooling team from westmoreland county) place were announced. i was just turning to M to say that we didn't get in the top 10 like we had hoped, when they said 5th place "union county homeschoolers" !!!!!!!!! we were shocked, amazed, thrilled and ecstatic! back up front for more picture taking, and more prizes- a wooden plaque, a bag, flash drive and disposable camera.

after we were home we made a few phone calls to brag and share the happy news with friends and family. maybe if we're lucky we'll be in the daily item. (we don't hold out too much hope for that after their lame article about the county competition.) so now life will get back to a more normal pace and expectations. we've had alot of things on hold, to give the kids time to prepare for e-thon. tomorrow morning it's nose to the grindstone. we've spackling to do, a dumpster to fill and a ditch to dig. no rest for the weary!

homeschoolers kick butt!

the union and Snyder county envirothon teams

gabriel

micheal, daniel, nathaniel, matthew

miriam, paula, kelcie and barb

Tuesday was the regional competition of the envirothon, and my kids represented union county, as the union county homeschoolers. our friends were representing snyder county, as future hope. between the 8 of them, they beat (whooped) all other 292 public and privately schooled kids there. (a total of 56 other teams!)

it was alot of work preparing for this competition. there are 5 subjects to study- soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatics and a current issue, which this year was "recreational impacts on the environment". we started studying in january- mostly 1 hour a day. i will say, however, some of my students studied harder and more diligently than others! if you want more info about envirothon, you can go to www.envirothonpa.org there were definitely some grumblings in our house about the amount of extra work that is required to prepare for this, but after our homeschoolers sweep, every one is psyched again.

we won the top scoring prize in soils and current issue. future hope won in forestry (with a perfect score of 100!), wildlife and aquatics. each of our teams was the top scorer in our county. the overall score was tied at 468, and the tie breaker was current issue, so we took the top prize overall.

we are thrilled to be going to the state competition on may 19 & 20! there we will compete against 59 other teams- the best from each county will be represented. we have more work to do preparing, and we will need to prepare a speech on a given scenario. all this will take place on the state college campus of Penn state. we went last year, and the kids had a great time, so they are getting excited again.

I'm very proud of my kids- so bear with my proud mama bragging! they worked hard all year, and deserve alot of credit and recognition.