That's Not Funny

If you've never seen a family of seven get ready for vacation, let me assure you that it isn't funny in any way whatsoever...at all...

Mama Maidenhood

We are soooo busy this week, planning our trip to Michigan! Wahooooo!!! We can't wait! I did however have this little bit in my draft file...I enjoyed it, I hope you will too...

The other day, I was having a conversation with Q. This in and of itself is a good thing,,,seeing as he is hardly still long enough to...to...you know, breathe. Anyway, he is always asking me great questions, and this time it was about my last name. He is obsessed right now with how to address people and why. Mrs. vs Miss...Mr. and why there isn't a married Mr...etc. Well, he was asking me about my maiden name and what that was and why I'm not called that anymore, and such. So to clarify is his mind, he asks "So, before you married daddy you were called Mama R~(insert remainder of maiden name here)?"

I educated him. His mama does indeed have a name besides mama. Although, even on rough days, that's a pretty awesome name!

Look Who...

CAN RIDE HER BIKE!!!



The boys taught her! She was so excited!

Here's someone who wasn't so excited...she is sick today...She's a trooper though, drinking lots of liquid.

Wide Eyed

WARNING: Scary post ahead...





Staring contests. Remember those? Well, it seems my kids are now into them. They wish they could beat me. Up til now they couldn't.


That all changed today. At lunch the kids figured out that if they open their eyes REALLLLLY wide, they have a better chance at winning. Not full proof, but better. I would start into the contest, then they would pull their big eye trick and I would start giggling. Nearly got me every time.








N~ did find a way to win everytime...


Like I said, scary...

"Problematic" Math

This morning I was wanting Q~ to hurry up with his math so that he could help me with J~. J~ had a BAAAADDDD day...I think he's teething...Anyway, I told Q~ to hurry himself on up and he said, "Mama, you know, there's a reason they call these things 'problems'." Yes, and he did air quotation marks for "problems".

By the way, once Q~ uses "the air quotation marks" to say something and I laugh about it, they get used ALLLLLL the time.

Mama, I'm finished with my vegetables, I'm "serious". Mama, I didn't actually "hit" him. Mama, I "swept" the floor, can I go outside now?

AND, the list goes on...

So, here's looking to tomorrow. A day full of "questions", "explanations", and hopefully some type of "learning". Til then, I think I'll go to "bed".

In the Blink of an Eye

I have been struck lately at how much the kids all seem to be growing. Their childhoods seem to be flying...I put this collage together today with tears in my eyes.


Incredibly thankful this Lord's day...

Or Something

Man, oh man this week has flown! It seems that I have been so busy. I will try to post some pictures of our semi-finished schoolroom on the homeschool blog tonight. I will try. But, until then, I have to get this down...

We had the cable guy come in yesterday to put in a line upstairs so that I could have 'The Beast' (my lovely nickname for our new printer) close by when I need it. Now, we had company yesterday, my SIL with her two kids. Add that to our five and there were seven kids under the age of 10 in our house when he walks in the door. BUT, not just seven REGULAR kids...we had just hyped the kids up on sugar bread,,,yes the kids call it sugar bread (Amish Friendship Bread,,,very yummy, but verrrry bad for you),,,so there were seven SUGARED UP kids and they were careening through the house. Upstairs, downstairs, outside, back inside, and I'm pretty sure there was at least one crying the entire time the poor man was here. Darn sugar. N~, and Q~ followed him around the entire time asking questions such as...

what are you doing? how does that work? are you using the right drill bit? how do you know that will work? have you done this before? where does that wire go? you better do that right, my daddy's coming home soon...

I'm pretty sure I saw the guy roll his eyes...I told myself he must not have any children.

Sooo.....all that to say this. While he was here he asked me a question of his own...and I quote: "Do you 'like' have a daycare or something?"

Yep, or something:)

Womanly Negotiation

This week is crazy with appointments, a field day, and co-op, so we decided to tackle a home project instead of 'regular' schoolwork. We are moving our schoolroom back upstairs...aaahhhh....I have a love/hate relationship with a 'schoolroom'. Anyway, I will post some pictures of our finished room later in the week hopefully. Sooo...I will finish this post that I started much earlier...

A few weeks back I heard the boys upstairs pestering H~. She was trying to work it out with them, handling the big brothers quite nicely actually, but they continued doing something that was not making her happy. After a few more minutes of negotiation, I hear her scream at the top of her little lungs: "IS THAT ANY WAY TO TREAT A WOMAN???" I just giggled. I'm pretty sure she learned that one from me. Here's the expression that I imagined she was giving the boys.

Easter Sunday

Thought I would share. They had fun!

Happy Easter

This post is for my mom, who won't get to be here to celebrate Easter with us this year. They decided to move away...:( So, Mom, HAPPY EASTER!!!

First we copied all the kids handprints and cut them out. The kids stapled them onto pipe cleaners to make lilies. Here is N~ showing you his lily up next to J~'s lily. Quite the difference!


H~ is showing you the bouquet of handprint lilies that will go into your vase...


The kids made you a picture frame magnet with a picture of the collage header to this blog. S~ is showing you...



Q~ just wanted to say...


Here is today's picture of J~.



And finally, the finished product. This will be waiting for you next time you are in town...and, until then,,,,,,,,,We Love You & Wish You a HAPPY EASTER!!

Restaurant Manners

This past weekend we went to Wendy's. We were prepping the kids for the trip in: How do we act in a restaurant?, Is this a running place?, Can we yell?, etc. etc... I ask for responses from the kids, and I get this...

N~ & Q~ from the back seat: "No running, no yelling, be nice, think of others first, no running..."

H~ adds: "AND, no bad breath."

That's my girl...

Deals

Ok, here is my loot...

I got 8 reams of paper for a little over $2. My cousin's blog ~HERE~ showed me how. Keep the deals coming is what I say! That was fun!!!

Hereditary Nerdhood

Well, H~ has done it again! Another tooth gone...


She is pretty excited!

In other news...

Today on the way home from co-op, Q~ and I had this conversation in the car:

Q~: Mama, did you know that my teacher actually KNOWS deaf people?
Me: No, I didn't know that,,,but did you know that your mama does too??
Q~: No sweet mama (alright I added that part), I had no idea.
Me: Well, in college I had lots of friends who were deaf. Even boys.
Q~: What? Was that before you met daddy?
Me: Yes.
Q~: Oh, and you chose daddy because he was a sweet nerd?
Me: Yep.

So this evening, we relay the conversation to the sweet nerd and he looks at Q~ and says that nerdhood is hereditary. When Q~ asked what hereditary meant, Ben, like the good homeschooling father that he is, said "You'll have to wait and find out."




I don't think Q~ will have to wait long...

April Fool's Day Kids

Tonight Ben told S~ to get everyone else for dinner...she said, "you mean, you want me to get the kids?" I found that humorous...she didn't seem to put herself into that group.

Here are some April Fool's Day photos. The kids tricked Ben into thinking that they got into his razor blades. It would have been funny, except they all tried to play the same trick.

I started a homeschool blog as well today. There is a link in the sidebar. I'm hoping to get another post on there tonight about N~'s day today.