They grow up so fast

I was thinking this morning that I have really been neglecting my blog lately.  While browsing iPhoto, I found these somewhat recent pictures of the girls playing at the park, which reminded me of these not-so-recent photos of the girls playing at the same park.  Hope you enjoy a little time travel because it's time to take a little trip down memory lane.

Baby Leah

Big 5 y/o Leah (sniffle sniffle)

Baby Lily (with a trach and the Little Orphan Annie curls)

Big 5 y/o Lily who takes her first slide at the park all by herself!

Little tiny Elise.

Big 7 y/o Elise!

Growing up seems to languish when you're a kid, but flies by at records speeds when you're the parent.  I know I will be taking some extra time today to savor these special summer days with my girls, perhaps with some "Summer Celebration" cookies (Elise's idea)!  

Happy summer!

Three Things Thursday

Michelle from Psalms 104:24 hosts Three Things This Thursday.  It's just a fun, quick way to share a few random things from the last week.  Because I feel completely worn out, I'm just going to get right into it...

1.  Two words:  SUMMER VACATION!!!  I don't think I've EVER been so excited for it, not even when I was a kid!  This year of homeschooling has been really rough at times.  Don't get me wrong.  I love being home, and I love seeing her learn new things, but the whole non-compliant attitude thing I could easily do without.  It frustrates me to no end, and that makes the situation worse for both of us.  We're still debating about next year.  For now, I'm moving forward with plans to continue homeschooling while researching a new curriculum.  I'd love to use Sonlight, but it can be a bit pricey.  Either way, I know I'll be homeschooling the twins for Kindergarten.  In the meantime, we'll just keep praying about it.  I feel like, if Elise and I can come to a good understanding and work well together next year, then the benefits will be tremendous.    

2.  Baking is in full swing again.  Yesterday I baked 2 loaves of sandwich bread using this recipe (however, I used 3 cups whole white wheat flour and 1/2 cup all purpose), and one batch of sugar-free banana bread tweaked from this recipe.  (I like to increase the cinnamon and nutmeg, and I also added a bit of allspice this time.  Oh, and this time, because I didn't have quite enough banana to make 2 cups, I did add just a little honey--about 2-3 tsp.)  I think it was my best batch so far!  Today, I baked Rhubarb Crumble from my grandma's recipe, using melted coconut oil instead of the melted shortening.  Still just as tasty, and completely trans-fat free (no partially hydrogenated oils)!  

3.  Have I mentioned that I'm really excited for summer vacation yet?  Oh, I have?  Hmmmm....well, okay, how about this:  I started working on a seasonal clothing switcheroo about 2 weeks ago, and I still haven't finished the twins' room yet!  I've gotten most of their summer things put away (still a few items that will require trying on), and their winter stuff is out of their drawers and closets.  The problem is that most of their winter stuff is waiting in piles on the floor for me to have time to organize and pack away (some we'll keep, and some we won't, so I have to decide all of that too).  I haven't been able to work on it during the day because of homeschool, and I haven't been able to work on it at night because they're sleeping in that room.  So, it sits, and waits for a Sunday when I don't actually have anything else planned (like hopefully this Sunday, as I doubt I'll be able to do much in there tomorrow).  After that, I get to tackle Elise's room!  

Hidden track:  (For fun, I'm including a really old photo of me that was taken about 6-1/2 years ago.  It was taken at Christmastime.  We were at Mark's uncle's farm, and that's a brand new pygmy goat I'm holding.)    

 

I need homeschooling advice

How do you motivate your kids to do their school work?  

At this point, if something doesn't change, we will not be homeschooling next year.  

For awhile, I've really felt that this is what God wanted me to do.  I've felt like He's been teaching me through this situation.  Nevertheless, if I can't motivate my kid to do her work, then I can't continue to keep her home.  It's not fair to her.  It's not fair to me.  And, it's not fair to the twins.

Prayers are appreciated.

Thanks.      

Three Things Thursday

Michelle over at Psalm 104:24 hosts Three Things this Thursday, where you share 3 random things that are going on in your life, anything really.  I only discovered Michelle's blog this morning, but I thought it would be fun to participate this week, since "Random" seems to be my middle name lately.  My blog is updated randomly.  I shower at random times of the day.  Last night, I even randomly decided which groceries I should put away (and which could wait until this morning) before I put the kids to bed and headed upstairs to work on the church bulletin.  (Of course, I really should have remembered to put the rice milk in the fridge.)

Anyway, on with the Three Things.... 

1.  I can't sew.  I have a sewing machine, but I really don't know how to use it.  Learning how seems a bit daunting.  Not only would I have to haul the thing out, set it up, and have Mark help me figure out how to thread the thing again, but then I have no idea what to do with it.  I have all of these projects I'd like to try.....making dryer sachets (a very easy first project) filled with dried herbs and essential oils, converting knee high socks into baby legs, this, this, and quite possibly several of these adorable retro aprons, but I have no clue where to start.  I know I must start somewhere though, and I'm quite sure "somewhere" will require a trip or two to JoAnn's with someone who actually does have a clue. 

2.  Tongue twisters are awesome!  After scouring the internet yesterday for some ideas on how to really engage Elise in Phonics, I discovered a technique using tongue twisters.  After some searching, I found a few that use the sounds we're learning in this unit (i, i-e, ie, y, igh).  First she memorizes the tongue twister without looking at it.  We begin by saying it slowly, until she's ready to try it fast.  Then I write it down, while she watches, so she can visualize the letters making the sounds in the words, and we post it on our wall.  So far, so good, and Phonics just became a little less tedious!  

3.  A couple of pictures, including my favorite one from our recent trip to my parents' house.           
My neighbor's apple tree in full bloom, taken from my bedroom window.  I was pretty pleased that I was able to avoid getting the window screen in the picture by practicing my manual focus skills.

Elise and Leah  

Aside from sickness (plenty of pics)

When we haven't been sitting around like this... (picture taken last September the morning before we took Lily to the hospital) these last couple of weeks, we have actually been able to spend some time enjoying the new growth springing up in our backyard. 

The girls rediscovered the Kid'nex when Mark and I brought in all of the toys to go through a few weeks back (and we finally did get through them all, in case you were wondering).  

Lily tells me these are her fishies.  

My beautiful blooming bleed heart.  

I adore the aroma of fresh lilacs.  

My heart-shaped nettles are finally starting to perk up this year.  They were gorgeous last year, but until the last week or so, they were looking rather sad.  

Violas growing in my rhubarb!  Mmmm...those juicy red stalks make my mouth water!

Budding apple blossoms.

Have I mentioned that I'm simply wild about Spring?

This is Gumby, our green clown goby.

Love Thursday - Love despite the mess

You may remember awhile back when I wrote this post.  When you have young children, life is full of messes.  That's just the way it is, and it's easy to get overwhelmed by it all.  Yet, each time I find one of these hearts in the midst of life's mundanities, I feel like God is reminding me anew how precious this time is that I'm sharing with my girls.  The importance of a mother's work may be overlooked by many, but it isn't by God (and, just to get this out of the way, I'm pretty blessed that my husband and family appreciate my efforts as well).   

Now, believe me when I say that I'm not smiling at all of the messes life (and my children) throw my way.  On the contrary, I usually get rather frustrated by the lack of order and that never ending clutter.  Nevertheless, I cannot despair when God shows me again and again that He appreciates the work I'm doing in my home, that this work is the most important job I have at this moment.  

Amid all of the sickness this past week, I found this on my shirt after making pizza from scratch the other night.  Yes, that would be homemade pizza sauce.  Can you see the shape?  

**Please ignore my terribly dry, cracked hands.  It's from all of the nose blowing and subsequent hand washing I've been doing for the past week.

  

Yep, there it is.  No, that's not just pizza sauce, my friends, it's also a little piece of God's love, letting me know that He's always here with me, walking me through the mess.  

Not Me Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday, created by MckMama. It's been several weeks since we've done one of these. J's youngest son, Baby Stellan, had been hospitalized for over 5 weeks at Children's here, and Children's in Boston. He's home now, and MckMama is back in "Not Me-ing" action. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I was not awake until 3:30 one morning last week decorating a birthday cake for my nephew because I just don't do things like that. I'm far more organized!

When Lily started getting sick this past week, I did not automatically start thinking about swine flu. I wouldn't do anything like that because I'm totally not the type who overreacts to media hype. No, I did not take the time to consider how Lily would have to be tested for it when I had to take her into the ED (emergency department) at our local hospital (probably by nasal lavage or something equally unpleasant). No, I would never allow my mind to run crazy like that. Not me!

Over the weekend, my husband had to speak at his home church. The girls were all sick with sinus stuff (coupled with Lily's asthma complications), but we did not simply take them anyway because I was so excited to see my sister and family who were driving over to see us. I would not take that risk with swine flu running rampant these days! Because we did not do that, we also didn't have to leave early on Saturday after Lily went on oxygen, and we needed to be sure that we wouldn't run out of tanks during the night. Lily was not begging us to take her home, and she definitely did not beam happily for several minutes when she found out we were not heading home early!

We did not get home only to have Lily go downhill so fast, Mark and I argued over whether or not to call the ambulance vs. me just driving her to the hospital (I like having a car there). I tried her on the humidified O2 and the MR-850 (heated, humidified O2) set-up I have here at home. Nothing was working. Throwing some clothes into a small duffle bag, and running back downstairs, I was surprised to see that Lily's sats were just fine while on 2L of O2 through the concentrator. This was not because Mark and I failed to notice earlier that the piece that holds the bubbler in place was broken, and we were oxygenating the air instead of Lily. Not us!

I did not spend most of yesterday walking around like the living dead, including occasional moaning and mouth breathing (Do zombies mouth breathe?). Therefore, in the afternoon, my loving husband did not have to practically drag me outside into the sunny sun (Perhaps I've seen Mermaid Dora just a few times in the last week?) for some vitamin D. Attired in sweatpants, a long-sleeved t-shirt and my big, old college sweatshirt (from back when baggy was fashionable), I did not slowly drag my feverish self outside. I did not consider taking with me a lap robe er afghan er blanket with me, even though it was probably 70º in the sun (or more, but I didn't check). That would be too nursing home-ish even for me, right?!

My living room is not and has not been a horrible mess for about 2 weeks now. It is not half full of toys because Mark and I brought in all of the girls' toys to go through them and reorganize everything. I was not way too tired to go through them the night we brought them in, and they have not been here awaiting our attention ever since because my husband has been so stressed out for the last two weeks, working on a big project for school. No, we would never bring in all of those toys and just neglect them for 2 weeks.

My bathroom garbage is not currently overflowing with used tissues, and I am not considering leaving it until Mark comes home this afternoon. That would be disgustingly lazy, even for the living dead!

For the last several minutes, Lily has not been silencing her own pulse ox alarm while I've been typing my Not Me Monday list. (Her O2 levels are currently 94-96% on 3L).

In conclusion, because I only like bathrooms with flushing toilets, I absolutely, positively never told my husband while we were not driving home from up North the other night that I had to pee so bad if I had a Subway cup (read the link to get the joke), I'd totally go in it! No, I'd never even think such a thing! Not me!