Our first week of school

This week has been exactly the challenge I thought it would be.  It is great that I know what to expect from my children,  I know that Caeden will show extreme excitement about something and then extreme aversion to following the instructions of the leader (a trait I pray he can work out before his adult life) and that his attention is usually not on his assignment though he is so smart he could have them finished in minutes if he could focus his pencil on the paper.
I know that Sapphira thinks it is funny to give the wrong answer even when she knows the right one, thus making it hard to know if she does or does not truly understand the subject matter.
I know that moo moo is totally jealous of anyone getting my attention and has to be treated as much like the other children as possible plus lots of cuddles and snacks and drinks when I am attempting to educate his brother and sister.
I know these things.... but I don't know how to change them or work with or around them.  I fear Caeden will go so slowly that he will grow even more bored with math and stay in 2nd grade level long into 3rd grade simply because after answering a question he forgets to write down the answer. That he will hate me for pushing him so hard to read and write and spell when they are such monumental educational foundations.
I don't know how to express to my daughter that giving the wrong answer to gain mommy's attention (because Caeden demands so much of it to get through a task) will not help her.
I don't know how to settle moo moo down and help him feel loved and not pushed out when keeping him on my lap is such a distraction for his siblings.
We made progress yesterday in all areas.  It took Caeden longer to do his spelling but considerably less time to write in his journal.  And he was on a roll with math so I know beyond a doubt he understands it, he just needs to write down the answers.  
Sapphira finally started showing me she does know her shapes and colors pulling out a blue crayon for the color of her bed in a drawing she was making and telling me her bed was blue, and later saying that my legs made a square the way I was sitting, and she was correct.
Micah's nap time has sorted it's self out after 3 days of him demanding not to sleep when I put him in his crib and didn't return for him until long after his brother fell asleep and he was threatening to wake him up. He now naps during the second part of our school day,  and he is awake when the other children lay down for their own naps.  This gives me no break but it allows me to focus on cuddling my moo moo without distraction and educating Caeden and Fia without his distraction.
The best part of this school year is that while I face these age and personality issues I am not faced with figuring out each day and it's activities week by week.  We have a very direct comprehensive school schedule that is both flexible and easy to follow so I can make my day flow amazingly well regardless of the challenges I come across.
As stressful as homeschooling your child can be (what no one told you that part?) It is also amazing to be responsible for their every achievement and discovery, to see their faces light up when they finally understand something.  And most of all to watch them grow in character and size at the same time.

Homemade vanilla yogurt!

I heard recently that you could make your own yogurt and nearly flipped my lid... what a profound idea!  It never even occurred to me that it was possible!

I am currently making my 3rd batch. Batch number one was sweetened with honey.. yummy but my husband was not completely in love with the flavor of honey in his yogurt.
Batch number 2 was sweetened with homemade vanilla extract and sugar.  It was delicious I must say, but not as sweet as the store bought and therefore my nearly two year old didn't devour it as fast, so batch number three I have added an extra bit of sugar to sweeten it more... I am excited to see how it tastes!

I promise to put instructions on this blog just as soon as I have perfected my process but in the mean time believe me when I say this is ridiculously easy to make, simple and healthy eating for the whole family!

Good morning!

Believe it or not it is 4 am and I am totally awake!  This is my new wake up time as we are starting school.  No my husband doesn't wake up for another 2 hours, my children may be up in 2.5-3 hours, but I am up now.
Why? Because I am excited to start the school year out right.  Over the summer my husband had several occasions at work that gave him extra time, and required him to wake up at 4 am,  I always get up to prepare him a breakfast and lunch and then do my bible study, and I found that on the days he woke up at 4am, I was much more prepared for the children when they woke up.  My day flowed so much smother and I got a lot more done as well as spent quality time with my family, all good things!
Today is Caeden's first day of 2nd grade, and Sapphira's first day of preschool.  I am seriously excited to be starting this year out!
Caeden was apprehensive about school last year and I worried he would struggle against me when we started again,  but he is excited too!  Sapphira loves school and is excited to do anything related to it as well.  We even bought Micah a set of large crayons and a notebook to color in, last year toward the end he was adamant that he had school work to do with us so he got to color and was happy to join us!
I am hoping to post more each day as we travel through the school year, but we shall see. .. I have so far, not been a reliable blogger. 
As we begin school we are going to be focusing on attentiveness and frontiersman.  Caeden is especially excited to learn about tracking animals and we will be going on a family nature hike this weekend, Caeden will have the opportunity to earn his meal by collecting animal "furs" (pictures of animals). 
Let's get started! Not a moment to lose!

Poison ivy

Instead of going to play group this morning I am in the pediatrician's office with my children.  To be completely honest I don't feel the need to be here. We have a case of poison ivy on our oldest son.  He actually looks as if his skin is healing now but he has had it for two or three weeks depending on exactly when I noticed the first tiny spots.
Patrick wants to be sure that is what we are dealing with,  so we are here. . Waiting. The appointment was scheduled for 30 minutes ago, but I guess a good doctor is unpredictable on their schedule,  it really speaks to the heart of the doctors when they take time to talk to you and get personal with your family, I value it a lot.
I do however wish to get on with my day....
Thank you Jesus that Patrick cares so much for his son to be sure about the rash we are dealing with,  and for doctors with passion for their patients.

School is about to start again

Maybe not for the majority of Americans,  but in our house school starts on Monday!  I am so excited and nervous about this! I can't wait for cooler days this fall and all the fun activities we will be doing in school, but I'm also so far behind in my house work that adding school to my schedule seems daunting.
I am trying hard to lean on God today for the strength I need to accomplish what needs doing.
I read Jeremiah 12 today, it starts off with Jeremiah saying "you will be in the right,  oh lord, when I lay charges against you; but let me put my case to you." I feel like that is what I am saying to him right now... God I know your plans are better than mine, but I am going to whine about them anyway!
There is so much to be done, and I have lost the excitement I once had for all of these projects!  The front of my house is looking amazing but I still have more to do and lost the energy to do it.   The back yard is really starting to come together,  but I have lost the desire to continue. The kitchen is ready to be started but I have no energy to start that project. And now school is starting!  Agh... Lord give me strength!
Maybe one day when I have a working computer I will post the before and after pictures of all these projects!  They really are pretty amazing.

It's been a really long time.

This year is totally flying by!  I have thought very often of writing in my blog but a tiny, ok massive project has kept me from having the time to do it. Even right now I should not be laying in bed writing this post, I should be changing a diaper and making my children breakfast,  but I wanted to tell the world (or whoever comes across this post as it isn't likely to be very many people) that I am actually writing a book.
God pressed it into my heart years ago and my fear of failing at it kept me from completing the task,  but I am 6 chapters in now and not turning back!
What else has kept me from updating? Getting contractors to replace our roof, scraping paint from the house and repainting it, trimming trees and hauling off the branches, mowing our yard, filling old ruts and holes with new compost, cooking, cleaning, creating home school curriculum,  shopping, taking care of three growing children,  and attempting to bless my husband daily.
This life I live is hard work!  And I am thankful every day to have the strength, love of family, and joy to complete the tasks!
How are you? Are you thankful to be able to work today?

Sometimes life is not nice

I can't complain too much. .. but I am incredibly nauseous right now.  It doesn't matter that the reason has nothing to do with the miscarriage, or that nausea is not the only thing ailing me right now. 
If life were fair then people who have terrible morning sickness in pregnancy should not have any in the months following a miscarriage.
That is all.