Adventures in Homeschooling... and life!

I have had high fevers around here for nearly 2 weeks. I am talking 103 and 104 degree fevers. Add to this headaches, runny noses, bloodshot eyes, upset tummies, some other yuckiness that lasts about 6 days per child and you get a wonderful formula for the unexpected. This includes late nights and early mornings. Homeschooling this week has NOT gone as I would have planned. It doesn't take much time to figure out that I am not in control. God is! This sure does take a huge weight off my shoulders. I figure if He owns a cattle on a thousand hills, then He's got this. ("For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills." Psalm 50:10)

Do you ever have this? Your plans get totally derailed? In addition to the sickies last night my truck broke down when I was on my way to take Jamie to church for Bible study. Normally I would get angry, but for once, I didn't! Kara Faith definitely taught me how to trust my days to my Creator. I've had 4 of 7 children very sick over the last 2 weeks, derailed plans with homeschooling, and a broken truck, but I'm not worried. God's got this!

On the Home Front

Just a little catch-up on the home front here...

We just started our 11th year of homeschooling. My students this year are Dan (6th grade), Max (4th grade), Tommy (1st grade), and Eden (K4). Joshua is 2 and just doot-doots around. We joined a Co-op that meets once a week. I am teaching history to the 3rd-4th graders. The kids are getting a lot of out it so far.

Celeste (19) is taking classes at Sante Fe College. Her proposed major is secondary education. She is very interested in teaching high school history. Currently, she is volunteering in a 2nd grade classroom. Next month she will have been working for Publix for 2 years. She is a cashier and a bagger for them. Celeste is involved with RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) and loves it! This college youth is sponsored by the Presbyterian Church and they have chapters on many campuses. Celeste is living at home right now, so we have 7 children at home.

Jamie (16) is a junior at the local, rural high school. He finished last year with a 4.2 GPA and has just been inducted into the National Honor Society. He is taking very challenging classes this year which include: AP U.S. History, AP Language, Chemistry Honors, Pre-calculus, Spanish 2, and Culinary 3. He's very active in church youth and is going to be playing guitar for them during youth group. Also, he works as a ref at the local paint ball park.

My husband, Stuart, has his federal firearms license and owns a gun shop. Also, he makes custom holsters. It has gotten a bit busier, of late, which is good! We are attending a new church and loving it. The ladies are meeting tonight for a coffee house and I am really looking forward to it. It's nice to recharge my batteries. Being a mother and wife is so demanding--even more so when you homeschool and have a large family.

A couple of extra thoughts--Eden is taking ballet and loving it! She is a girlie girl for sure. Joshua is just a riot. He finally says "yes" when he means "yes" now. It comes out, "Zess." He LOVES the garbage man! Mondays and Thursdays he is quite excited when they come in the morning and back down our street. His delight in this simple thing is precious!

We are still mourning our precious daughter, Kara Faith. Today I am thinking on her quite a bit. I want to order her heart-shaped headstone, but we haven't don that yet. I remember being pregnant this time last year and how that felt. She was safely tucked inside. Things have settled down now. Less people respond. It's that time where her death is still SO REAL to us, but life goes on and others forget. It is okay with me for my friends and family to mention her, to say her name, to ask about how we are. I love to share about my daughter. It's all I have. I covet your prayers...

Splash Park Fun

We went to the "splash park" yesterday and they had so much fun! It was good for me to get out and enjoy my kids. To watch Max, Tommy, Eden, & Joshua laugh and have fun was wonderful. I'm trying to get back to life after Kara Faith. I love all of my children dearly. Some days it's just hard to get going. I feel very blessed by them!

Dan went to Sea World with his class from school yesterday and was quite worn out when he got home. He kept talking about riding the Kracken--a big rollercoaster. Jamie turns 16 next week on June 2nd. I can't believe that. He's about to finish out his 10th grade year and he has a 4.2 GPA currently. I am so proud of him! I miss Celeste most days. I popped in on her today. I just so desperately wanted to see her. Since she moved out I don't spend as much time with her as I'd like. Celeste took Jamie and I out to dinner last weekend and that was quite a treat! I am trying to think of fun things to do with the children this summer to keep us busy. Any ideas are appreciated!

Doings

I have been mostly home bound due to my HUGE belly issues--see Kara Faith's blog for updates on how my pregnancy is going and such. BUT life still goes on. Jamie is leaving tomorrow for St. Louis for a visit for a couple weeks. I (and we) will miss him during this Christmas holiday and I pray Kara doesn't come while he's gone. Celeste has been busy working a lot and trying to save as she is moving out in January. I can't believe I'm old enough to have a child who can move out! I will miss her and she better come visit her mom...hint, hint.

The other kids have been pretty bored with being housebound. I'm going to try to bake some cookies with them this coming week and do some things around home that will be fun. Pray for energy for me. It's really hard for me to stand too long, so that makes things limiting. I hope your family is having a wonderful Christmas season!

Not the best day

I'm having a difficult day. I am in so much pain with my right hip it is hard to think straight let alone deal with 5 active children who are at home with me. I called my chiropractor and they don't take my insurance anymore. Boo! Now I have an appointment with someone a friend recommended. Last time I saw someone I didn't know (when I was pregnant) I was in worse pain for 3 days afterward. Nervous.

Life is just really difficult for our family right now, so we would appreciate your prayers. I don't want to complain because I know that would not honor the Lord. It's so difficult, though. I'm praying, too!

Help From the Lord

I don't have any great words of wisdom right now. Life is going by at a recklessly fast pace with lots of crazy diversions. We have one unhappy teenager's car which is broken at the moment and may be quite costly. We would appreciate prayers for a reasonable bill and the ability for said teen to pay it. ;) Chauffeuring an 18 year old around isn't making this mom's life any easier. Hopefully, a lesson will be learned for all of patience and moderation.

In church on Sunday a wonderful young man, David, led worship. He read Psalm 121 and it greatly encouraged me. I thought I would include it here. Enjoy!

Psalm 121--My Help Comes From the Lord

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore.

Ordinary Day

Hey, I just found one of the many missing snack cups underneath the computer desk. (I had been looking for that one.) Such is the life of a mom of many or a mom with lots of littles. It's Labor Day. No plans today. Daddy (Stu) just went outside to mow. We have a riding mower, so I think he likes it now. Hey, maybe I should grab my iPod and be the one to go do it... (Mmmm, time alone) Nah, it's getting hotter by the minute out there and I'm almost 5 months pregnant. Since Joshua is taking a nap I think opting for a bath where I can actually shave this week might be the best use of my time... I just realized that Eden needs to get cleaned up, so it looks like a shower with her is it. At least it's well before lunch!

The Slacker

Oh, I am such a slacker! This summer is just dragging on and I'm just trying to get through the "yucky" feeling part of pregnancy. I really miss my 15 year old son. He's my right hand guy during this time. He will be home from St. Louis in 16 days, yay!

This week, Dan, Max, & Tom have been attending VBS. They are really enjoying it. We've had some good conversations about God and Jesus. It has been good for them to have something to do instead of sitting around the house all day. Dan asked me today, "Who created hell?" His teacher couldn't answer that question. I did tell him that I believe "hell" is eternal separation from God. At 10 years old, it is good for him to be thinking about eternal perspectives. This is going to be a big year of learning for him. I always crank it up with my 5th graders.

I have a mom's night out for church tonight. I feel pretty crummy, but am looking forward to speaking with some adults. I have been very discouraged lately. It seems there isn't much immediately to look forward to and this always really gets me down. Please pray for my attitude. Thanks!

Updates

Okay, why is it that whenever I get close to someone (make a really good friend) they move away?!? This has happened to me twice in the last year and now it looks like my good friend, Charity, will be moving to Ohio. God sure does have some interesting plans for us. Sometimes I wish I could have a peek into the future, just to calm my nerves. (Although, it probably wouldn't do that!)

Recently, we've had some medical stuff around here. Eden is dealing with a staph infection. I took her in last week and it wasn't that bad, so they didn't really do anything, but it got worse over the weekend. Daddy took her to the pediatrician yesterday and she is now on antibiotics. At almost 3 years old this is only the 2nd time for meds for her. She had an ear infection when she stopped nursing at 13 months. I wish she didn't need them. I think of them as rather a pollutant to the system. (They kill all the good bacteria, too...) Dan has had hives for the last week. He went with Eden to the ped on Monday and they say it's a reaction to a virus. He is taking Zyrtec to help with symptoms. Also, Celeste got her eyes checked today and what a blessing it was that my friend, Tara, stopped by and watched the 5 youngest for me!

I am missing Jamie. He will be home in another 5.5 weeks. Celeste is going to St. Louis for a visit later in the month. I didn't realize how much Jamie helped with cleaning and the kids until he wasn't here. He is an amazing 15 yo young man!

Summer

Ah, so it begins. It begins, with birthdays (Jamie's and mine), All-Star baseball practices and games, hot days, rain, antsy kids, Jamie leaving, homeschool planning for next year, and what to do with all this time on our hands? I'm trying to plan some fun things that are free or virtually free. The problem is the heat. We have no trees on our property, so my kids don't play outside during the day. They would be scorched in the 90+ degree heat. What I need is a good vacation, but that's not going to happen! So, any ideas appreciated!

This week

Here I am! I had one of those "there's only one of me and 5 of them" days. (I'm speaking of being home and trying to homeschool with kids 9, 8, 4.5, 2.5, and 10 months.) It was a crazy day, but I made it through. Right now Daddy is at the ball field with Dan & Max at baseball practice. We have a big week for that! Opening day is Saturday and there's practice on M, T, and Th this week. Plus we have caregroup on Wednesday night. Busy, busy!

I have a new love/interest. It's coffee... I think. ;) I don't own a coffeemaker and I would love to get one. I'm not sure I would want something sitting on my counter all the time. I think I would probably fire it up 3-4 times a week. Any info or suggestions would be appreciated. I think I like the flavored types like mocha, french vanilla, etc.

I'm off to finish up dinner. Tonight it's 5 can soup (listed on my recipe blog--sidebar), white rice, and homemade cornbread. It will cold here in FL tonight with a low of 25. Chili was in order. Have a super Monday night!

Dinner

Dinner tonight was interesting. You know you live in a large family when... First of all, my hubby was at a meeting and Celeste was at work. That leaves 7 of us. Evidently, it was the crazy 7. Jamie is getting the last drink. He is serving lemonade to Tommy and the pitcher just explodes (somehow) and lemonade goes everywhere. There's sticky on counter tops, cabinets, floor, etc. Jamie tries to "mop" it up with a dishtowel that only spreads it further. By the time he sat down he was flustered. During dinner Tommy, 4, and Eden, 2, are making random noises and humming. At the same time, I am attempting to feed Joshua with my left hand while I eat with my right. He is babbling and screeching in between each bite. The older kids give me this look. I think we live in a "zoo" sometimes. Looking back it was funny. After dinner Jamie goes to get the mop to clean up. It has been sitting on the back porch in the bucket for 10 days. Not using that mop! Hands and knees got it done right, though. Stu came home and told me to get away. Needless to say, a trip to Starbuck's and the grocery store saved me from a lobotomy, lol!

For Today

--It started with a migraine. Yuck! Thankfully, Dan and Max were good with the younger kids while I rested my head for a little while.
--Joshua awoke at 6:20 a.m. for the 2nd day in a row. I think he's still "off" from me being gone over the weekend.
--Tommy is running through the kitchen and into the family room in a loop, over and over.
--Home school is complete for the day. (Certain children complained when schooling. You know who you are!)
--It's frozen pizza night. We have care group. LOVE those people!
--Celeste is getting ready for work and just got home from her classes at the college.
--Jamie is at a friend's house.
--The weather is dreary. I want a crisp, cold winter day. (Not too likely in FL!)
--Eden and Joshua are napping at the same time!!!! I need to go be productive... C YA!

Thanksgiving Update

Joshua takes a nap on the couch with Max.
Joshua is sitting up quite well!

Tommy drew this picture and said, "Mommy look. It's my dancing boy." How cute!

Well, after a few hours in the kitchen sink, the turkey did thaw adequately. My cousin, Jeanne, helped me prepare it and it came out just right. Thanks, Jeanne!

It's a quiet weekend around here. We're hoping to put up some Christmas lights--probably tomorrow. We need the clips that attach them to the shingles. It seems they got thrown away last year. On our "date" tonight, I'm sure Stu and I will pick some up. Jamie comes home tomorrow. He was missed by all! Currently, the two youngest are napping. Yay! I'm doing laundry and a some light cleaning. I signed up for twitter. Look for updates in my sidebar. It seemed interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try!

Thanksgiving musings

Okay, so hey, it's Thanksgiving on Thursday. I have only had it at my house once (in 1993) and I didn't cook the turkey. So we embark on the adventure that is preparing a turkey. My Dad calls me yesterday to remind me to put it in the fridge to thaw. Ok, that's done. But today it seems no more thawed than yesterday...mmm. Well, just have to watch and see what develops. I'm going to do green bean casserole, a potato casserole that Stu loves, rolls, and pumpkin pie. We have another family joining us and my cousin is supposed to come, too. It should be a nice little gathering.

I'm still worried about this turkey. Mom of 7 cooks turkey. You'd think I would know how to do these things. Time to visit the allrecipes site and check out what to do!

I have a new love...caffeine. Never really thought that much about it before. I'm really liking McDonald's sweet tea. I get to have one every now and then. And Celeste treated me to Starbucks today. That mocha truffle espresso was REALLY good. I don't own a coffee maker, but I could see the benefit to it. I swore off caffeine in 2003 when I was taking more care with my health. I don't see it as a good thing, BUT I sure do have more energy when I consume it! Not a down side to that proposition!

Yesterday...

Yesterday began like "one of those days." I got out of bed because I could hear Eden "singing" on the monitor. Joshua was still asleep in his crib in our room. I get to the kids' hallway and I smell the lovely odor of pee. Tommy comes out and says, "Mommy, I'm really sweaty." "Son," I say, "that's not sweat." By the time I get him in the shower, strip the bed, and get the laundry started, Eden is screaming she wants out of her crib, Joshua woke up and was crying for a bottle. I am glad today was better. Celeste watched the younger set and I had a quick lunch with Stuart. Just us.

On a good note, gas here is down to $2.42/gallon! I was able to fill up my Suburban ALL THE WAY for the 1st time in at least a year and a half!!! (I have a 44 gallon gas tank. It's a '99 and in 2000 Chevy reduced the tanks to 32 gallons.)

It's a Gator Holiday

I hear little ones in their cribs, so this has to be short...

Today is our local holiday. It is University of Fla's homecoming weekend, so the whole town is off today. (Well, all the schools are closed.) I have 2 kids off and we're taking a homeschooling break, too. Will we do anything special? I don't think so. There's a parade, but it's 100% chance of rain today--it was just raining a few minutes ago. Jamie is having a friend over and Celeste is babysitting this afternoon. I think I'll try to get caught up on the laundry and maybe clean up in a hot spot.

In other news, the political front is heating up. Please get out and vote on November 4th! You can bet I'll be voting. I'm not voting for someone who associates with known domestic terrorists and supports killing babies. Watch Fox news at night and see what's being reported.How can someone, in good conscience, elect a man that has such an obvious Muslim name after the 9/11 attacks? Also, he believes we should "spread the wealth." That's socialism. I think this nation has lost its mind. I am praying for the election. God is sovereign and He will allow what He will allow. In the meantime, my vote is for McCain/Palin.

Fewer words

Me babywearing Joshua.
Josh peeks out of his sling.

It has been a busy week here. What week is not? There's been football games, church events, homeschooling, appointments, but best of all is a ladies' fun night tonight and I get to be with the big people. Yay! At times I just need a break. Tomorrow I'm going to do some scrapbooking, too. Life is...well, life--right now. Not too much I can say about that. Phil. 2:14 says, "Do all things without complaining or arguing..." That pretty much sums it up and it's what I'm trying to do. So, lately, I'm a woman of fewer words. Life is challenging. Thank goodness there's Jesus!

New tutu

Been busy over here! (Of course, what else with 7 kids---well, 5 right now.) Celeste and Jamie are due back on Saturday night, yippeee! I can't wait! I haven't seen Jamie in about 8 weeks and Celeste in 5 weeks. I am hoping to go to the airport, but we'll have to see if we can work something out. We are in need of a van for our family--12 passenger or 15. I'd like a Ford b/c I like the lines. I've been praying that God would make it possible somehow. We have a 1999 suburban that seats 8 and is in great shape. I lurve it! But there isn't enough room for everyone... I've been wanting to visit Val in Orlando and Saturday would be perfect. Let's see, I'm hoping to have some ads going on my site soon. I've joined some groups on yahoo in order to get affordable clothing. I love Gymboree and Hanna Anderrson! Eden got a new tutu. Picture above. Too cute. Thanks ebay and Christy!

A busy day

I haven't posted much because I've been so busy. I went to pick up Celeste today at college and it turned out there had been a bomb threat, so her friend brought her to meet me. She was a little unsettled by it, but is okay. Jamie helped me set up some books for a used curriculum fair at our church. After that, I took him to guitar. He has a recital this Monday. (We look forward to that...) Then I dropped him off for an overnight, ran to the grocery for more insulin syringes (I'll be glad when I don't have to take that anymore!), and home. An hour later I went to a baseball game starring Dan and Max. They won 10-3! Max got his first hit during a game and Dan ran home from 2ND when Max hit that ball. It was cool! Did I mention I took Tommy and Eden to the game without any teen help?!? Stu got pizza from a really yummy local place. There are only 5 eating establishments here, so we're limited. Well, I'm about ready to pass out now. We're getting everyone bathed and uniforms washed because they have another game at 9 AM. I have to be at the curriculum sale by 9, too! Being this busy should make the time go quickly before I have my baby--I can't wait!