oughta be in pictures

Well, I am the Mommy - but good grief, these are lovely children!! Click here to see the proofs of my sweet ones - my friend Melissa did good work.

her thumbs

This picture has nothing to do with her thumbs. This is just a treasure of a picture that you should also see and be blessed by. I guess I might be falling into the multi-child trap: hands too full for the camera.

Ruby declared during her reading lesson today, "my very favorite part of Anna's whole body is her tiny little thumb." Her thumbs are perfect, yes.

Today, Isaac proved that he really can read. He's a reader. Yes!!! We are doing this! I'm so proud of him. I should video him.

And Ruby can count by 5's and 10's - there is no such think as Tendy, but we do laugh about that one a lot. 80, 90, Tendy. That is pretty funny.

Anna is different today - she is watching us and getting excited when we talk to her - she kicks and flails and I tell ya, she is reaching with her little lips. I wish I had a picture, but I can't bear to look away when she's doing that! And Ruby got her #3 personal smile from Anna - she's counting.

Speaking of, I think I'll go wake that sleeping beauty and see if she wants a bedtime snack ...

Baby love

We love this baby sister.

First Dr visit of her life - she's just right. Averaging an ounce a day!?! How clever she is. She's 10lbs 1oz and 2 inches longer (21). And "proportional" says the nice Dr.

Baby days are here again

sweet surprise baby girl

8lbs, 19 in

born Nov 2 at home

on a beautiful November afternoon

now we're all even, see?

i have no words here. how could I have words for such a miracle. i'll find my words and share them later. still in my "baby-moon" - the glory-in-your-baby days.

His mercy

Grieving this morning. Goodness, grieving for weeks and so thankful for this relief today for Papa Forrest - even while we weep and weep. God is surely a strong fortress to run into and hide - His mercy astounds me - more, the way He reveals His mercy when we cry out to him. Help!

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

He will

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

We are quietly desperate here - begging God to rescue our Papa and puzzling over how we go on rejoicing in sweet things like little girls turning 5 years old and little boys learning to read and babies nearly ready to be born.

The same God who is mighty to save, whose rescue-plan began long before our struggles, is completely present with us now. We see His presence and feel His presence - because when bad news comes, Peter hums the tune to "all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord" and Ruby weeps so sweetly in such a dear cuddling, clinging, hold-me-close way that it only could comfort her Grandma and Isaac makes battle drawings, one after another: see the white cells are destroying all the bad sick ones, Mom!

I can do it

After declaring that I am up to my eyebrows in my life. But my sweeeeeet friend at Prone to Wander made this and we DEVOURED it camping. I'm going to make it, too. I can do it!
You should try it, too. Your husband will be so very impressed because it is entirely delicious - and it cooks in the crockpot. Perfect. Forgive me for linking to Oprah (gulp).

He is here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE33ejdgWIY

All of my life, in every season, You are still God, I have a reason to sing, I have a reason to worship.

I will sing praise. God is my victory and He is here.

25 things about me

I just found this old note on facebook that I'd written in Feb 09 - it made me laugh. HA! because I was about 2 weeks shy of getting pregnant with this 30-wk-old treasure in my belly! And ha! because I really nailed some things (I'm not currently doing any harmonica performances - jigs are not on my list - I did do a jump on the mini-tramp today - Peanut didn't like that so I stopped).

1. I have 3 kids and I can totally envision more in my house - like when my 3 tumble up (you know how they do that?) the steps together I can imagine a few more tumbling up with them. Don't know what God's going to do with that.
2. I have my dream jobs - all of them. I can't think of any others except maybe being a singer in a band, maybe. Depends on the band. Otherwise wife, mom, Arbonne, homeschool - they are dreamy.
3. I play the harmonica and dance for my kids. Usually a jig sort of dance. They laugh.
4. My favorite place to sit is under my kids. None of our furniture is impressive, but the people sitting on it are very.
5. I love having a fire in my house - I grew up in the suburbs and certainly never imagined that I'd tend a fire every day of the winter. I love it except when I let it go out because I ...
6. love to go places. I sometimes get in the dumps and realize it's because I've stayed in and home too long. The grocery store is a sufficient "go" place - but I prefer a place with deep conversations.
7. When engaged, I remember Kevin saying "why do we always have to talk about our relationship" - Ha! If he only knew then what he knows now! I LOVE to talk about relationship - I love people and I love relationships. And I love God and I want to have LOTS of deep conversations. It's just me.
8. My husband and I met while I was at Denison and he was at grad school at OSU. Our first date was April 5 and we got engaged that Aug 2 and married the next Aug 1.
9. I love to read. I am learning to read other things, but my best is historical fiction. I love Liz Curtis Higgs and Francine Rivers the very best.
10. I love to blog because I love to write down what I think about my kids and what they say. I love to see their pictures looking back at me and know my parents are getting to read it.
11. I thought I wouldn't like my kids as much when they got bigger. I was wrong, thank God!
12. My husband keeps me sane - without him I would be gone every night and have a houseful every day and be completely over-extended and not so useful. He reigns me in just right, I love that about him.
13. I got saved when I was 18 - at a picnic table in the outside lunch-eating-area at my high school. I recently found a photo of me and RKB and some others sitting at those picnic tables. That was a cool picture to show my kids. They especially liked hearing about the splinter that almost ruined the whole thing.
14. I love how Peter and Isaac explain the condition of their heart: It was getting very dirty from sin things that keep on happening. So, I asked God to make it clean. So, Jesus did make it all clean so that he could live there. And now it stays all clean because he keeps cleaning it. Nice, eh? The pencil illustrations are good, too.
15. My favorite home school subjects are history and science
16. I am also a bad long-distance friend. I cry for missing them, but I don't guess they know that. I'm a very good pick-up-where-we-left-off friend.
17. I think my extrovertedness is failing me b/c I've felt very shy lately.
18. My next car is going to be a white mercedes. I'm not sure which one though, depends on how many kids I'm supposed to fit in it. Or should I say brownish-white - after driving down my perfect country road and driveway.
19. One day, we'll have cows and chickens. Chickens first. And maybe a kitten, although I'm wavering on the kitten. Might cat hair send me over the housewife edge?
20. When I think too much about bugs, I have strange dreams about them and make Kevin check all the sheets and blankets. I can not be reasoned with.
21. I am a prego-chondriac. That is a self-diagnosis, I invented the condition: a person who unreasonably thinks she's pregnant every month (or so). My poor husband.
22. I am a schizophrenic about cooking. I love it some days and abhor it other days. I like to make bread and cookies with whole-wheat flour even though Kevin calls them colon-cleansing. That is not a nice thing to say about cookies.
23. I adore my mother-in-law. She loves me so patiently and makes baby doll clothes for my sweet girl and let's me make horrid cakes for the kids birthdays even though we all know she is an expert cake-maker and she taught my husband such marvelous skills as cooking and cleaning very, very well.
24. My favorite vacation place is Maine. With many, many books (for the drive and the quite camp) and our fantastic cousins and loons and kayaks on a lake and a tiny little place to stay with a TV that doesn't work.
25. I'm scatterbrained. Or flighty. I can't figure out which. I use to be rather proud of my cleverness. Now I know that cleverness and good people skills are God's gifts to me to cover for my annoying flighty-ness. Someday I will be different, I will remember your birthday and be on time for our appt and not lock my keys in the car. But it's likely to get worse before it gets better.

First Day of School!

Thanks Jessica, for taking this family picture (Daddy couldn't find us at 6am when he left for his 4th day of school).

We started today!! So much eagerness! Isaac peered around the corner early this morning: "Boo! I'm ready for school!" First boy up - that was good. We did sweet cuddle time: pray for the day, read/repeat Phillipians 4:4-9, read first 2 chapters of the Jesus Storybook Bible. Just as we started to cuddle on the couch, Peter saw a spotted fawn tip-toeing through our watermelon plant! The boys raced outside onto the deck to shoo it away and Ruby and I saw its twin startle in the field and then make a marvelous leap over the fence. What a fun sight for our early morning.

Then we did Breakfast Chores and since it was already 9:15 (ack!) I did the ta-da on their newly configured notebooks over breakfast. Whew.

Isaac and Ruby's enthusiasm made a slow go for Peter - but due to his very stuffy nose/head he patiently waited and plodded through his lessons and allowed for their "I want to do more, can I do more?" eagerness. Isaac is already on 54 of his 100 Easy Lessons - making huge strides. I'm so glad that he's doing Kindergarten now, at six. Good choice.

It was grand. In fact, they did school all morning, then played pretend school all afternoon!

Peter met Botany after lunch - taxonomy, binomial nomenclature. Whew, he's a trooper. But then we giggled through the Field Guide for trees and said the silly latin names for a few minutes to wrap up - I love my little learners.

Camping with the geese

We went camping last month. The geese were gross, but we still had a good time. We canoed and Peter had his first night-fishing experience - extremely, extremely exciting - didn't even complain about the bugs swarming him too near the light. What a marvelous child. Peter also gashed his knee in a bike wreck which led to a heroic wheel rescue by Daddy (we rather like camping sort of near a Walmart) and brave bleeding by Pete.

Isaac: "really, it was this big". Each of the kids got private "canoe with Daddy" time - and I read an entire Thoene novel - wonderful. We got poured on (first lightning/thunder and torrential rain camping!) and our handy daddy fortified the EZup so we could huddle in there and just dodge drips while we played Uno. We laid in the shade and slept in. It was good.

Peanut grew

Peanut keeps growing - keeps getting better. I cry for wanting to meet him, and then quickly freak out. No thanks, you stay in there until November, please. Whew.

Here are two shots from our "photo shoot" 2 weeks ago. We're at 23 weeks now - much older, much kicking-er. This first one is my favorite, but to see Peanut, you might need my help. The two oblong black spots on the left are his brain spaces!! Nice and big! The round spots with the smaller black smudge inbetween are his eyes and nose - you can actually see the lenses of the eyes. And lips! And two arms bent at the elbow on either side at his chin.

Yes, I'm saying him, he, his - but we still haven't met Peanut's boy-ness or girl-ness. We do not know. Peanut is eagerly awaiting his wonderful birthday to let us know.

Peanut's debut

Ta-da!! Little flashing heart, wiggling body, poky little legs. Yep!!If you are not an ultrasound tech, let me explain. That's my healthy body (praise God) and Peanut merrily floating inside. Peanut's head is the biggest round part, body is the smaller floating upward part (that's what he wiggled for us to watch!), the not-smooth part at the end of the body is leg (sort-of bumping up out of the body)!! And the dark pocket that Peanut is floating in is the amniotic sac. All good. Due 2nd week of November!

Baby Days!!

I am so excited for today. Strange stamp-of-approval from the doctor-world on this so-pregnant-pregnancy. After you've had a miscarriage, it is surely normal to test each day, "do I still feel pregnant?" I do. What a relief. And today we will see the blinking light on the screen - our baby's heart thumping.

But first, today I declare the glory of God: You are the awesome creator of life - and you are the wise guard over this small one tucked safe inside. I surrender authority to YOU to create this small human as you will - in Your image (as you've promised) and for Your glory (as you've promised).

Glory to God, the author of all life!

taxes and babies

Only reason I have time to blog tonight is because I am doing my taxes. Yep. I'm doing them and doing them. And yet they are not done!

But shouldn't I have blogged by now about our baby - tiny one growing steadily inside - forming toes and fingers and a sense of balance and a heart to pulse blood throughout. Very busy, you see, I've been very busy! Too busy to stay up late and blog. Taking lots of photos, but not, evidently, for anyone else to see.

Ah, someday. I miss my blog. But the first trimester, it only lasts a little while.

surprising God

Tonight Ruby was s-l-o-w to obey and I said "Ruby, when I have to ask you 2 times or 3 times, what is that"
"that's when I disobey"
"and what should you do instead?"
"obey"
"why should you obey?"
"because I believe in God" (yes!!)
"why else?"
"because you love me" (yes!!)
"and what does God think when you obey?"
"He is surprised" (what?!? Ha!)
"I think He is glad, actually" (Whew. I so love them.)

(If I could insert a photo, it would be Ruby standing in the doorway to my room, standing with her little legs tucked into one corner and her arms spread so she leaned rather sideways with her head thoughtfully inclined.)

Reach for your goals!!

I have a new business partner. He thinks the mouse on the screen is enthralling - me, too, kitty - I'm obsessed with that computer screen, too :)

He loves me today! I needed this kitty to love me today b/c I was speaking blasphemous "maybe he's not the right one for us?" thoughts out loud earlier this week. But today he decided (b/c we all know that kitties are in charge and decide what their owners should do) to reveal his sweetness to us - and to me specifically.

It reminds me of a story I read in a favorite book (Captivating) of when the author prayed that God would allow her to see a whale when she was on a boat trip (on the ocean, of course, I mean. And she did see whales). She needed the personal God-touch ta-da at that time. I've had a wretched week - I've been needing some comfort. The kids and hubby weren't covering it - not because of any lack on their part, but because of my own selfish striving. And I was determined to make this cat like me (I'm a "pleaser' through and through!) - and todays kitty-satisfaction fit just exactly in with a new resolve to put away frustration and excuses. So much of my emotions are a determined decision - I hate confessing that b/c I wish it were "not my fault". But I must choose to obey, choose to worship, choose to be patient - these are my high callings - these are things empowered by His sweet Spirit residing here within me.
Not grit-my-teeth and choose.
No, give-up and choose.
I don't have it within me to overcome this world. But my God does. So I give-up, and then I conquer!

Reach for those goals!!

(Festus reaching for my bulletin board where I have all my "someday" goals - see Kevin's photo there with the print across the bottom "I love my job"!)

kitty videos

Ruby explains our cat, Festus, and how he likes her. Kevin found him asleep on her bed this morning. Then he woke Isaac up with his purring. Isaac said, "I was laying here like this (closes eyes) and I thought, what's that sound? and I opened my eyes and he was looking at me on the floor and he jumped up. He likes to lick my fingers!"

Meet Festus!

We are now a kitty family! We brought this baby home tonight (in a February thunderstorm) and he was terrified in the box - but he turned sweet so fast at our house!

Today we confirmed that he could be the kitty for us - sending us into a frenzy of preparation (great excuse for Mommy to mobilize the small workforce - must get the house clean for our new pet - don't want him to eat those legos, eh?). My funny Mom says "will coming home to a clean floor encourage him to keep it clean?" Well, I wouldn't know, I've never had a kitty before.

We made him cat-toys out of mismatched socks (no shortage here!) and yarn - he has 4 (I made one, too!) little pretend mice to play with - and he likes them already!

Ruby did have to cry a couple of times today. First, because this kitten is a boy, not a girl. Then, because Daddy declared "if we get a cat, I get to name it and the name is Festus" - and that has stuck. Ruby prefers cuddles. She thought of another good name Thunder Catches - because of the thunder we were hearing and because he will surely do good catches of mice. But it's just Festus. She aquiesced on the ride home. She likes this kitten and his name.

He has made everybody his favorite except Mommy (I'm OK so far, but I can feel enormous jealousy looming - I am, after all, the one who pushed this issue and asked Santa for a kitten very persistently - he better love me).

First he loved Ruby, gave her the first rub-around-the-legs. We think it's maybe b/c of her footy-jammies w/ cats on them? And surely her graciousness with accepting his maleness and name.

When Kevin sprawled on the floor, Festus came right over and rubbed on his head. That is nice. Like "hey, thanks for giving in, I'll make you really like me."

Then he did a funny hopping trick like "oh, I like you, I will hop so I'm a little closer to your dangly fingers" when he rubbed around Peter's legs.

Isaac was nearly asleep on the couch - so we went up to bed at 8 and the boys introduced him to the game "jump on my bed and pretend you'll sleep with me". I think he might still be up there. How do you find a cat in your house?

They claim he's already litter-trained - well, I'll believe it in the morning. We'll have to take more photos!

I just needed you

Today was not a pretty day for my princess. She screamed - the kind that makes that feedback sound in your ear and must surely cause long-term damage. Something is amiss. I insist that it is because this is no sort of normal. Absolutely must be something amiss.

From my quiet office sanctuary tonight, I heard the crying sound (how quickly I'd forgotten that sound - of crying-in-the-night - because these days I sleep all the night through - what a short little time of life that waking time was - I think I even miss it) and Daddy's sleep-gruff voice saying "she's downstairs, Mommy's downstairs".

I find her tangled in half-mast footie jammies - it's hard to find your way back into those even when you are such a big girl that you can navigate the middle-night-wake and find the bathroom. I love to hold this warm little girl body and help her shiver back into those jammies and scoop her up and help her find the still-warm spot in her flowery girl bed. "I just needed you, Mommy"

I didn't handle things "right" when she did her screaming tricks today - I didn't give her a consequence, I didn't make her ask forgiveness of the friends. I talked her down. Why are you screaming. "because I'm mad and sad" If you stop screaming, I will hold you and help you feel better. She took a deep breath and arms lifted up. Her manners are intolerable, but she stopped screaming and kicking and flailing and we both won (she got to hang onto my while everyone else cleaned up and I got to make our escape with some hearing left). Mercy.

Remember when she was this little size with her self-trimmed hair barely growing - and the same softest cheeks to press against mine. She just has me conquered - how am I supposed to give her consequences, God, when I'm so wooed by this lovely creature!?!

quiet

I've been feeling blog-quiet lately. Maybe because I did something radical and put the blog address on my Christmas letter - why did I do that?!?! Ack! Ah well, it's all an illusion anyway - it's not like I really thought this was private musing, right? And also because I'm so very full. I cannot believe how much history there is, how many books, how many things to do. Oh, you knew that?! Yes, but it's daunting to be the designer of our days. The author of our times.


HAAAA-HAAA!! That is my deranged laughter.


I am not the Author, nor the Designer. That job is taken! Yahooo!!! Shout for joy to the Lord!! The Author of life and the Designer of creation has it under control. Whew. That is a relief.


I just get to pick which books we will read today (or tomorrow, I should say, because today they are romping in the thawed Ohio, um, wetlands). And that task is my joy - my thrill - my honor.


This weekend I've read 2 books - one the bio of Susannah Wesley and the other an imaginary tale wrapped around her real son John Wesley. I would recommend kids lit to anyone who wants to know history and doesn't like the grown-up books! They can be dry and icky (as in - who wants to know all the dirt on these history heroes - I want to know what they did that is honorable and heroic and history-changing - and that is in the kid-books).

Does anyone in the world know a good way for me to make a little side-bar thingy that can have my recently-read and currently-reading books there in a clever way?

snow days

We had some snow days - I didn't blog about it, I just took pictures. Isn't it marvelous to have a husband like this?!?!Too freezing to play much. But perfect for dress-up. Aren't they cute? Peter was, guess!! yes. Reading a book!

They also did have some fun belly-sledding as it started to warm up. Who knew you could belly-sled (well, I knew, but they didn't know I knew). Just have pictures of that in my mommy-memory.

pink eye

This is what you should do when you have pink eye. When no one lets you go anywhere. And you cry in the night for fear that you'll awaken to glued-shut eyeballs. That's a scary prospect.

And when you feel a little better, you should model Tigger for your Mom. Even if you are acting strangely un-Tiggerish. Very strangely un-Tiggerish for Isaac, don't you think?

requesting

I'm unhappy just doing one thing at a time. So, while I hunt down library books online to request for school, I'll put some thoughts down here. I have some things to be thankful for.

I've been requesting quite a lot from God, and boy, I am so well taken care of.
Philipians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious, about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If I could remember how to record with my mic, I'd sing it to you (the only way for me to really keep scripture in my head).

We are about to study the Great Awakening in our history time - the 1730's and 1740's when John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards were telling the truth in Europe. I'm excited - I don't know much of anything about these guys and it's time I do.

So, now I'm just going to sit back in my comfy chair and listen to this nice blog music and hunt for the marvelous books in my TruthQuest History guide. I love my life.

frozen and overdue

What to do. When your van doors are frozen shut and your pretty driveway is a slippery slidey place. And you have 22 overdue library books. You say, "um, can you please help me?" to the sweet library girl on the phone and she does! And you take a picture - because it IS beginning to sparkle outside! And another picture of your coziness. And you call it Soft Clothes Saturday, because that is very nice. And you read your Chronological Bible and celebrate-cry with Job (because he knows that his redeemer lives - even when his life is like a pit and his wife can't even stand his breath - it really says that) and say "good job Julie" because you are reading January 10 on January 10! Then, you invite your kids to read the next chapter in The Light and the Glory in your coziest room. Then, maybe revise the Christmas letter (from it's first version on Dec 24 to the updated Jan version) - maybe even think of sending it?

Good Night.

My sweet brave friend who is now a gypsy - traveling the country, going where her love goes, bringing her life and her babies and their what-we-can-carry with them - she has a blog. It is marvelous because she has always said wonderful things and now I can read them twice or three times if I want. Perhaps she will let me link there after this tribute to her.
Update: she did let me! Click on gypsy.

I am going to bed. I am 30 minutes late. I am resolved, my listening-to-Holy-Spirit-skills (I wish there were a way to automatically hyphenate - is there a way?) are hindered by my sleepiness. So, tomorrow is Saturday, a typically challenging day (we are all home together and expected to be harmonious - that is MY expectation - isn't that what families are supposed to be??!) and I will be ready.

Good night. And in honor of my self-discipline, I will share this adorable photo (from the summer time of shaggy-hairdo Isaac) of what I get to see in the morning (if no one turns the TV on - it is still within the official NO-TV-edict timeframe that I proclaimed after the official 2-weeks-with-sleepovers-at-grandparents-with-TV timeframe) - if I go to bed now and establish the wake-up-time-is-couch-time-with-Bibles-and-other-useful-books timeframe. See, I need a shortcut so I don't get carpal tunnel from making so many of -----

snow day

This day did not start out the way I expected. When Daddy is on 2-hr delay, we are all glad. But, the quiet time was rather conversational and soon the kids were piled onto my couch. You know, not very focused.

Next, preschool canceled - ah lovely - finally got that appointment tucked in tightly and now we have to reschedule since appt + 3 kids = not productive Arbonne. Try, try again.

Then, van doors frozen shut. Don't even try to go to town, just don't go. Don't you know it is a snow day!!!! Who knew that all those merry moms driving their minivans were under constant threat of suctioned stuck slider doors? I never knew. Man! I need my Mercedes.

So, as you can see, we did snow instead. And it was ever so much better.

After we conquered Pete's grief over missing piano, they dove into the snowsuits. (small praise to Peter - we conquered all of today's school in spite of Mom's many frustrations and not-Spirit-led responses. Woo-hoo Peter!!)

My bests were the all-3-on-same-sled attempts. My kids really love, love each other - all praise to Him. And Ruby sleeping on Daddy's pile of wood-to-be-split. "Do you know why I did that Mommy, because the boys did not pull me up that time. And I just laid my head down because I was too tired."

My other best (this is me talking like them, saying "my best". When will they be talking like me, ever, will they ever?) was Ruby just needing one thing before she could sled more. "I just need a drink, and then I can"

Peter: "Ruby, snow is water - you can drink it!" She's quite amazed and brave to try. Hope you enjoy the video like we did. We have since educated her on the parameters for drinkable snow. Don't worry.

in the closet

Update: OK - the reason for the rolling-into-closet is my marvelous new desk chair which obeys the law of gravity and rolls me right into the closet if I dare lift my feet. It's tricky and must be resolved - b/c my current solution is perching on the edge of it w/ legs crossed, foot asleep, neck cramped - you know, just like the old way of sitting on the hard little wooden chair. So silly. But I'm ever so grateful for my new chair - just weighing the friction options carefully!
-----------------------

I know, it's odd. But I'm in the closet again. What with so many coming out of the closet. But I just have this problem. It really merits a photo, but since I'm the only one awake and it's very hard to get a discernible (?) photo of me in the closet, you'll have to believe me.

My chair keeps rolling into the closet. I'm sitting here laughing out loud at a blog, my right hand is numb from the freezing job of using the mouse, and we just roll, roll, rolls back into that beautiful red curtain I made. Sorry, no photo for you. But, after all, I am in the closet.

Someone should help me clean out this closet.

back to it

In honor of it being the very last day of our mammoth Christmas break from "school", Peter did actually read the entire Usborne Children's Encyclopedia today. You know, just a refresher before we dive in tomorrow. I so love him, so much. Because he just wanted to read it - it is fascinating stuff.

Should I just skip Christmas on this abandoned blog? I don't know. But I'm back now, real life resumes and I'm ever so glad. I love homeschooling. I've done the wild emotional ride today from must-plan-how-have-I-procrastinated-until-today to oh-horror-I'm-a-wretched-unprepared-teacher to wow-we're-farther-than-I-thought to here. Here is here:

Peter is thriving. Needs to be moving in math, I've been lazy and he deserves better than tiptoeing through the texts. He reads like a whiz and I'm just not starting the "grammar/english" until next year because why should I mire him up. But I am making him labor on his handwriting and spelling so he's not so stumped when he tries to write. And we're adding copywork (for spelling lists, geography and memory verses) and dictation (for poetry and bible). Science is awesome and we love it. History got mired in the colonies - but we're pressing on toward some cool new biographies and the Declaration of Independence! I said we were adding Spanish, but I'm backpeddling. And Art on Friday's. Yes, we're not skipping it. And music playing - I think I need to go marinate in Ambleside and that will either make me shutdown or step forth victorious!! Here we go!