La Famille

What a Difference a Day Makes

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:47:00 +0000

We have a parade of visitors coming through these next weeks. My mom was here and gone and my sister and nephew were here for a week and left Monday. This is a special time. We have so much changing in our lives right now; new baby, new job, new house....read yesterday's post if you missed it. There's something really great about sharing this time with friends and family that I love. Although crazy sometimes with extra people here, it's a beautiful thing to share your life.

While my sister was here our house was brimming with five kids. Five! We did a couple of park outings just for sanity's sake, but other than that we left for necessities. Necessities like the boys' Boy Scout awards and Sophie's dance recital. Those life-marker things that are so special to share.

The hard part to me about all these people around is that all the sudden they're gone. Gone! And I remember I have four kids. Four! Four kids to take care of all by myself. Throw in a husband that's out of town Monday through Thursday and you have yourself a recipe for a breakdown, folks.

We kept things pretty much together on Tuesday. My sister flew out first thing that morning and we did pretty well the rest of the day. Wednesday was a different story.

Bad days seem to rear their ugly heads in the form of a big ol' chain sometimes...one link leads to another. Like if one things seems bad, there's a whole mess of other things that follow. I wrote my friend a text around noon that looked something like this:
Hi. Vera has been upset and crying for two hours straight.
My house is a disaster. I've been yelling at my kids all morning.
My bed isn't made. I haven't brushed my teeth.
Jarrod is out of town all week til Thursday.
Nothing in my closet fits me: maternity too big (and depressing) and regular clothes are too small.
I'm out of all groceries.
I'm having a bad day.

That kind of day. Been there? Vera was crabby and not sleeping all day and everything else just seemed to follow suit. It all seemed like crap. I did the whole "do-over" psychological mind game and tried to start over my day ten times and nothing helped. It wore on through the afternoon until I finally got the baby to close her eyes for a while. And then just as I was taking a breather around 5:15, Jack reminded me of his church function that I had fully intended on skipping. Ugh. That meant putting Vera into her carseat (which she loathes) and loading up all four kids. We were the stereotypical crabby family on our way to church, waving at friends and glaring at each other.

The evening ended with a two-hour crying bout of Vera and me, a teary phone call to Jarrod chewing him out for being gone, and finally finally bedtime.
You know when they say things will look better in the morning? It's not always the truth, but then again sometimes it is. And I love that. Fresh starts after a craptastic day is like "new mercies" to the max. We all fail. We all struggle some days. And then we need to redeem ourselves.
Yesterday was 190% better, starting with a full 7 hours of sleep for me and 8 for Vera!! She was so much happier yesterday, sleeping, eating, pooping and repeating in her little baby-rhythm. The kids pitched in and helped clean up the house. We ran errands together. We signed up for summer camps. Daddy was home early. And I made dinner. Everything was brighter and better even though not everything that had been on my nerves the day before was better, it just seemed dimmer and they didn't matter much because our day was so good.

What a difference a day makes.

{Our first picture as a family of six!}

We're all gonna have days. Bad ones. Real bad ones. Ones that we have to go back and apologize for later. They happen, we're human. These days can't be done over, but they can be superseded by better ones. And usually, as much as those bad days come with a chain reaction of badness, the good ones come with a chain reaction of goodness. And today looks like another link...my coffee, a blog post, a quiet house to collect my thoughts before I start the day....goodness. One of my best girls is going to be on her way here in a few hours despite a flood in her basement, a long weekend of friend-time...goodness. We're turning it around, folks.

What a difference a day makes.

Here's to a happy, safe, beautiful long weekend...

These Last Months

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Sometimes if I pause long enough to think about everything that's happened these last 9 months I want to tear my hair out at all the frustrations and difficulties we've had to deal with. Other times I'm thankful, now that it seems like we're through the muck of it, and I can see (I think) where God was leading or what He was teaching.
I'm glad about that...what He's taught, how our marriage has been strengthened, how our kids have learned about the world and how God provides what we need just when we need it.

I think about the last nine months...how we thought Asheville was not on our radar anymore, how we've searched out there for the next thing, how Jarrod and I have disagreed where that next thing is supposed to be, how we've fought about it, how his and my waves of emotions continued to crash against each other. We wanted different things. I had had such feelings of anger at him for wanting what he wanted and I know he was so frustrated with me, although his feeling are never quite as rampant as mine. We were on completely different pages...completely different books. Completely different genres of books if you want to get technical. It happened gradually and I can't really put my finger on it really, but sometime in February I felt a tilt and a shift. I think it may have happened whilst staring into the deep blue eyes of a certain (then) 4-year-old. I knew that really we both had to let go...that things would be the way things would be and we just had to both be open for anything.

That was February. Fast forward numerous opportunities, confusions, and ups and downs later til four weeks ago. The string of events were both devastating and eye-opening, saving and just what we needed:

Our April consisted of.....
A job offer
a weekend of house shopping a state away
the perfect house in a sleepy town
a contract
a week of planning and relief
a phone call
some shady business dealings
a let down.
A huge let down.
An awkward "hello" to Granny at the airport
a weekend of hell...wondering, freaking out, feeling totally screwed over...being completely screwed over.
A week of going through the motions.
Another offer
an opportunity
a contract
another weekend of house shopping here in Asheville
a purchase agreement.
A relief. A huge relief.
A realization that God was at work the whole time, making the pieces shift and click just so.
Labor pains on a Sunday afternoon
a beautiful delivery
a beautiful girl.
A week of staring, gushing, reliving, praising, loving, adoring, excitement.
A rush of relief and overwhelming emotions.

We didn't know what we were getting into a year and a half ago. I don't know if we ever really know anything about anything. We thought Asheville was going to be very temporary...a stepping--stone of sorts. But we're here. And we're happy. We have a house...a house that (God-willing) we'll be moving into late June. I've watched my husband go through a hell of a lot these past months and past weeks especially. I've admired him for being strong...keeping on moving forward. I had to put aside my own discomforts of extreme pregnancy and center my attention on him and my kids while we sorted through the mess. We've learned a lot the hard way, but there's no regrets...nothing we'd have done differently really. Life is in the learning and that's ok with us.

So we're staying in Asheville for now. We finally feel like we can put some roots down and enjoy life rather than wait for it to happen. Its a big relief and a big answer, even though it was a lot more round-about than we'd have preferred...its an answer. Our life has been way more drama-full than I can ever remember...we bought a house and had a baby on the same day for crying out loud! To get technical, we "bought" two houses in two different states in a three-week span. We had a job and lost a job in seven days, losing it 10 minutes before we picked up Grandma Kelly from the airport to be exact. Drama. But as much drama as these last months entailed and despite the tears and stress...we are in awe of how its all turned out, seemingly better than we'd ever expected....an answer, although crazily delivered, an answer. And and answer is always a good thing.

Anti-Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Every May it happens.The fliers for camps and summer leagues start coming. You're trying to focus on the end of this school year, but all the sudden you have to think about fall and signing up for all the activities for next year when you haven't even finished this year yet. It makes me cringe every year and this year it seems worse because more than ever I don't want to leave my house. If that sounds hermit-ish, it means to be. Hermit with a side of newborn and you've got yourself a case of eternal hermit introvertess.

We are almost done with school. The kids are doing great at working independently if I'm with the baby and then we go back and work on any problems they had later. We got done with all our really hands-on subjects before Vera was born so now we just have math and language for the rest of the month.

Other than school though, we're moving this summer (more on that later) so I'm thinking about packing and house projects. Jarrod is going to be out of town for work off and on for the next month and a half. We have guests coming...my sister got here last night (she's sleeping off her jet lag ;)).

I hate that feeling where you know you have a lot going on and you want to let it all just roll off your back, but the more you think about things rolling off your back the more stressful you seem to get. I think I do better writing things down and thinking things through than just simply going with the flow.

So here's what I'm doing to try to make life less crazy right now:

-eliminating anything that isn't completely necessary...field trips, extra running, extra errands...all nixed

-each kid gets to choose one activity this summer...they've each picked a camp and I'll have Jarrod drive them to and from for the most part. There's just tooooooo much to do in the summertime and really?? I'm sure its all good and fun, but we're just not gonna do it.

-I'm calling a moving company to see about having someone else pack my house when we move. This isn't a company move so we are paying for it all ourselves. I'd like to use as much $$ as we can on house projects instead of the actual moving part, but there's also something to say about general sanity as well.

-I'm reserving one day for errands, sans kids. On Sunday I went and got groceries by myself and its just sooo much easier without everyone with me. Duh.

-Some of the peeps coming to stay have offered to stay in a hotel, and I'm taking them up on it. I love to have friends and family stay and I want them to see our new little girlie but there's also something to say about the ease of not worrying about the pee on the bathroom seat in the kids' bathroom, ya know??

So this week, my sister and I are sitting around the house with all our combined FIVE children, drinking coffee, and doing not much more than chilling out. We're going to let the kids play outside and ride scooters. We're going to do some fun photos with the kiddies. Sophie's dance recital is this weekend and the boys have their awards ceremony for Boy Scouts tonight. We're so excited that Auntie will be here for these highlights! Sometimes the best visits are the ones with nothing planned...

So what's your remedy for busyness when the last thing you want is busyness? What do you do??

A Little Gifty Business for Mama

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:02:00 +0000

With Mother's Day almost here (how the heck did that happen???), and with re-entering myself into motherhood, I find it perfectly necessary to compose a list of Mother's Day gifts...for myself. Or I guess a grandmamma too.

Did you know Shutterfly has a new line called Treat? Well, they do and there's some really cute stuff!

I want this mug. How cute is this?!

Also for Grandma, moms, first time moms, friends, whoever there's some really cute cards...

Also, on my list...this cup. I don't know why its so much easier to drink from a straw, but it is. And I think I need help with water.

I have really talented friends. Mary and her girls just opened a shop and you're going to love everything. Such as this necklace...so so sweet. Any mama would love it.

And Ms. Becky! She's got cuff AND super fun baggage tags too. Wouldn't these be a great gift!? You can find this one HERE...

So there's my mama's day list. What's on your list?

Happy Monday!

Welcome, Vera Mae

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I've never written a birth story before. Some things seem almost too precious to write down, like they're only dear enough to savor in your heart. Too dear to share. But I want to write it all down because 1. there are so many of the details I don't want to let myself forget and 2. who doesn't love a good birth story?

I don't know why some big decisions in life are so clear and easy and "yes, that is what we should do" simple, but some aren't. Some are big and scary and you don't know which is what and its frightening to say one way or another. That's how I've felt for probably two years about having a fourth baby. I didn't know. In the back of my mind, I'm always slightly afraid that I'll take on one inch more than I can actually take on and I'll snap into a million pieces. I thought maybe that fourth baby would be my breaking point...could I handle it? We debated for months. Yes, no. Yes, no. Until last August when our answer became a resounding, "yes."

Flying back home from South Dakota last August, the day before Jack's 7th birthday. I knew something was going on, but that? No way. We left so early that morning, a flight before the sun. The kids quickly zonked out, Jack's sleepy little head on my lap. I, on the other hand, was not sleeping. My head was in a million different directions, different scenarios, different streams of sanity. Somewhere in the middle of my frantic thoughts, Jack sat up and stared at my face. "Mom, I just want a baby so bad. I don't remember when Sophie was a baby and I want to be a big brother. Like a big brother, you know?" Ya, serious folks. He said that. Right in the middle of my stewing, little Jack Jack was thinking about a baby too, but on an entirely different wave-length.

Fast forward to 40 weeks + 6 days of pregnancy and a thousand stories later. I posted this post that day, whined about how tired I was about being overdue. I skipped church. We did a little house shopping (more on that later...and yes, we found the one that very day.) We ate lunch out. I wasn't hungry. Noah, Mom, and I went to get groceries and it started. I had been having so many of those rude fake contractions, I wasn't sure. But after the groceries were put away and they were still happening, my mom made me sit down and she timed them. Jarrod was in the back with the kids completely oblivious that the words of our baby's birth story were slowly being jotted down.

I moved slow, unusually calm. Mom called Jarrod to come get ready to go. I showered. Somewhere in there Sophia came inside. She was a nervous burst of energy in the room. While I showered, she brought be jewelry, pajamas, a toothbrush. She put things into my bag; shoes, my camera, make-up. The boys came inside. Noah was nervous. He flipped through books on the couch and chewed on his lips. Somehow Jack missed the memo of what we were doing, "What?! You're going now!? I thought we were eating dinner...." Ya, it confused the little guy that everyday for the passed 6 weeks had asked if it was time, is it time, is it time a million times. They were all nerves and excitement. My mom made them dinner. I snapped some pictures with my just three before we left. We drove off to blown kisses, wide eyes, and big waves.

Even though I'd done this three times before, there's still a big element of holy crap we're about to do this thing. I don't know if I'm just an old worry wart now or what, but I had more anxiety this time then I ever have. Just worried. What if something went wrong during delivery? What if something was wrong with the baby? The anxiety never really went away til much later. The night drifted on. They moved us from the first monitoring room to the delivery room. The contractions got stronger, but not unbearable. I hadn't felt contractions in over five years and strangely enough, I wanted to. (for a little bit and then give me the drugs, you get me??) Jarrod paced and ate Swedish Fish. He kept making me laugh.

The anesthesiologist came in. I soon felt that cool rush of the IV down my back that I both welcome with open arms and curl my toes in fear against...a love/hate relationship. With Noah, I had no drugs. With the other two, I did. I chose the latter this time too.

It was getting late, around 1 am. It was so quiet and calm. Jarrod dozed, I dozed. In between, I listened to everything; the clock, the monitor, the baby's heartbeat, the blood pressure cuff, Jarrod's slow deep breaths...I took it in. I knew that this was going to be my last rodeo and I wanted to make it count. I wanted to remember it all, see it all, take it all in. Around 2:30 am, the doctor came in to break my water. After she did so, I knew the look exchanged between her and the nurse meant something was up. "It's not uncommon, especially in overdue babies, to have a bowel movement. We'll have to call the NICU team but there's nothing to worry about. Also, it looks like the baby is facing upwards instead of downwards so we're going to try to get the baby to rotate." Cue more anxiousness.

They had me twist my upper body to try to get her to shift and they said they'd be back in 15 minutes to check again. After five, the intuitive mama-gene kicked into hyper-mode telling me it was time. And it was. In about 45 seconds, our quiet oasis was filled with people; the doctor, nurses, the NICU team, a sweet Asian student nurse named Christina who I'm pretty sure was more freaked out than me by a long shot. The adrenaline in me kicked into overdrive, leaving no room for the anxiety because for those of us that have been through this crazy experience you know there's no room for anything else but to focus on the present. A little sweat and five pushes later and my 9 pound 7 ounce bundle was in front of my eyes, blinking at me. The sweet smell of a newborn baby hit me in the face like a kiss. The doctor gave Jarrod the go-ahead to make the announcement. He had been so so sure that this was a boy, he'd basically not even looked, until he did. I saw his face take it in, "it's a.....girl."

I laughed and the tears came. All the months of sciatic pain, numb ribs, nausea, emotions running rampant; it all became worth it in an instant, in a rush at 3:16 am.

My girl.

My second girl.

It all suddenly made sense. I somehow knew that this the way it was supposed to be all along. All my fears, my anxieties, my worries...this was the plan the whole time, I just hadn't seen it. Our family, completed by a sweet girl I never knew I needed. I laid with her forever, drinking her in. Meeting each other for the first time is the best blessing there is.

Her name...Vera Mae. It fit so perfectly from the first moment. There's really no great significance to the name we chose other than I loved the meaning of it, "faithful one", and Mae is an old family name. It suits her so well.

They moved us up to the Mother-Baby floor. They said to rest. There was no way. I finally had this little person in my hands. There was no chance of resting. The sun started to come up a few hours later, over the mountains a million colors bursting just for us, I just knew. I thanked God for my perfect daughter,
for the other sweet babies I knew had barely slept waiting to hear the news,
for the months we have to prepare ourselves for that moment,
for the two sons and two daughters I now had; perfect playmates and best friends forever,
for all I had and hadn't seen.

Jarrod left later to get the kids. I could hear them in the hall before they came in. Their faces as they met their sister are forever engraved in my memory. Their pride and wonder...it was almost too much for my heart.

Bringing another person into your home always has a learning curve attached. We're all getting used to each other. I am learning about this new little girl and loving this sweet time. It's less sleep, yes, but what we've gained instead is so much more. She sleeps really well, she's only waking up once a night. There are so many little things I don't want to forget about this precious newborn time:

Her hair waving at me from the ultrasound screen three days before she was born like seaweed in the water. She has way more hair than any of the others, I can all but braid it.

Her nightly routine of waking around 3am every night, the same time I woke up while I was pregnant almost every night for the last 3 months.

Her daily hiccups that have carried over from the last several months of pregnancy into her infancy. The little chirps making the kids hysterical.

Her smell. Her precious, irreplaceable newborn smell. I cannot get enough.

Knowing this is the last bambino, I'm acutely aware of all these details. In the past 10 days I've tried to write down and organize my thoughts. It's hard to do. I've had a few baby-blue breakdowns. Mostly I'm digging my heels in against the racing world, refusing to go fast and get back to normal. I don't want normal. Because there's nothing normal about this amazing event of becoming a mama once again. It's extreme and beautiful and not to be passed over. I'm throwing my fist up at the calendar and we're skipping everything right now. I'm saying, let's just pause please a little longer.

We didn't stay long in the hospital. Usually I like to take my time there and enjoy the quietness, but this time I was anxious to get home to my other babies. They wanted her home. I wanted her home. Jarrod and I packed her up, driving home a little slower than normal. We were welcomed by our entourage, a welcoming committee of love. I'm pretty sure she hasn't been put down since.

I sit here bewildered...days later...wondering how it is that I've been so blessed. My heart is so full it almost hurts. The Master Baby Creator knew just what I needed. He knew our family needed one more sweet girl. He knew that even after two induction dates scheduled and neither working out that deep down I wanted to let our baby choose it's own birthday and I wanted to feel that excitement of going into labor on my own. He knew Sophie needed a sister. He knew. He knew.

This is Vera's beginning. The start of a life. I've been praying for her future; her health, her life. Grandma's gone home, hence our house is messy but our hearts are full and overflowing which is all we're really concerned about right now.

We're not quite ready to go back to everyday life, it feels forever changed anyway. If you need me I'll be smelling my Vera Mae.

xo,

{alicia}

six days ago...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:09:00 +0000

...I met the missing chunk of my heart.

This is Ms. Vera Mae.

Last Sunday I blogged about what we were doing in our waiting...ice cream and farmer's markets. This Sunday I'm drinking in sweet newborn nectar and wondering how we ever survived without this girl. Labor pains started a few hours after I posted that post and our sweet bundle arrived at 3:16 the next morning.

These last 6 days with her have been emotional for me. I know this is probably the last time for this baby magic and I'm drinking it in. I want to hold each second close for a while. I want to share every detail, but the details are all mine for right now. Mine to replay and reminisce. I wish I could redo these last six days over and over...they are so precious to me.

I'll be back here when the words are ready.

Just in case you were wondering...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:03:00 +0000

...yes, I'm still pregnant. Five days overdue at this point. I'm beginning to think I'm going to be the "Perpetual Pregnant Lady" at the circus. "Woman Pregnant with 13 Year Old Child!!!" "Come See the Ever-Pregnant Lady...only $10!!!" (I'm at least $15, right!?)

So ya, still pregnant. And as tired at I am of the questions and advice and sleeplessness and fake contractions and waddling and shirts that don't fit and numb ribs and and and...I'm sure I'll look back and wish I would have taken it in more....which I'm not. We're all on pins and needles. Even the kids. They're asking me where the baby is?? Why it's not out?? How much longer?? I know its hard to wait for them too. Noah keeps wringing his hands, Jack keeps nuzzling my belly, Sophia just asks questions really really loudly, Jarrod is almost annoying optimistic, "TODAY is the day, I just know it!!" And my mom is perpetually cleaning, cooking, or baking something...which works out quite nicely for me to curl up into uncomfortable positions on my bed and read.

This pregnancy has involved a lot of life issues...jobs, housing, life-logistic stuff and it seems only fitting that Baby would want to milk it's warm cozy abode for all its worth. We are doing our best to wait...doing our best to keep busy.

Ice cream out

Target runs for multiple nonsense items

Farmer's Market (photo credit: Sophia)

Ballet

Making menus

Organizing kids' underwear drawers

Painting toenails (very funny)

Watching "our" chickadee make a nest

and then lay her eggs...seems the common theme except in my life...

Driving around

Baking cookies

History reports

Buying good quality entertainment (like Barbie's Pink Shoes)

Doctor appointments

Non-stress tests and ultrasounds

Watching Argo

Reading The Great Gatsby (first time)

We're hangin' in...today the kids and Jarrod went to church. I stayed home to avoid real pants. I think we'll go for more ice cream, go for a drive, get some groceries, and work on history reports. Baby HAS to come out sometime right?? I do have an induction date for later this week, but I seriously better not go til then.

I'll let you know when...it's gotta be soon!!!

Dear Baby,

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Today is the day. Well, in my mind it is. The day we've been counting down to for months. The day that's lead to over 9 months of waiting, but has felt like 2. The day that's been circled in RED on the calendar for months. We are ready. As ready as we can be...take it easy on this mama, ok??

I'm sure you've sensed some stress in that incubator you've been in. You were right...mama's been stressed. It's been a roller coaster of a ride these last 9 months...I'm sure you've felt the brunt of it. We've been waiting for answers. Wanting them to come so badly, mostly for you. But the more I've thought about it, the more I'm pretty sure you're not going to care one bit where we live, whether its temporary or our own, what kind of nursery you have, what city we're in. I'm certain that all those life details won't mean anything to you. I know all you're going to need is a family ready to welcome and love you, a bottle, and a warm bed...and you'll have all those things.

Your brothers and sister have been counting down the days. They've been asking so many questions and preparing themselves for another brother or sister. Jack had been asking for you for months prior to finding out you were coming. Sophia is more than ready to be a big sister. And Noah is pretty much the best big brother I've ever seen. You'll be in good hands.

We are ready.

What are you??
When will you come?? (you know it's your due date today, right??)
How big will you be??
What will you look like??

We have so many questions still in our life, but the one thing we know is...we are so ready for you. I know the details of our life will fall into place and with you here, we'll be able to change our focus from the unknowns to the knowns: you and us, our new family.

Come soon. I can't wait to meet you. (and the kids' countdown now says ZERO and they take these things quite seriously...also, they're asking me every five minutes when you're coming...so please do.)

Love,
Mama

She's Got This

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

If there was one of my children I was apprehensive about accepting a new brother or sister, it was Sophia...in the beginning. But now? Ya, now I'm pretty much comfortable with the fact that sister's got this. GOT this.

Her little mind is always in overdrive, asking questions, thinking 10 steps ahead, planning out the details...but with this baby, her little mind is in SUPER overdrive. She wants to know EVERYTHING!!!!!!

She wants to know where the baby will sleep,

where it will eat,

what reasons it will cry,

how to change it's diaper....

...in Target, she spotted the breast pumps...or "fancy bottles". She wanted to know what they were and why you'd need them. And NO, Cliff's Notes version of explanation would NOT do.

She of course wants to know how the baby gets out...and I told her. We talked about it for a good five-ten minutes, she got bored and asked for a snack. She has since informed us that she's very ready and old enough to be IN the delivery room. #umNO

She wants to know about the special fat Q-tips and what they're doing on the baby's table.
Why will the baby have a weird belly button for a while?
Why? What? How?

The questions keep coming....and coming.

But I don't mind. I actually love it. Boys just don't care about these details, but she does. There are some things boys (and men) would rather be left in the dark about. But she wants a head lamp and a super-watt flashlight in each hand to examine this new thing called BIG SISTERHOOD.

I cannot wait to see her in action.

She's going to be amazing.

She's so totally got this thing...

A Boys' View on Babies

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

There's no hidden secret that this baby coming in a few shorts days was somewhat of a surprise to us. We had been so on the fence...should we have another baby? should we not?? And the answer came in a resounding YES one day in August last year. Jarrod and I sweated it out for a few days, thinking about all the changes and all we had to do to get ready. But then came the calm, where we knew our answer to our BIG question we'd had for months was neatly laid in our laps...or my uterus, and we knew it was just as it was supposed to be.

We told our kids when we vacationed in the Outer Banks last summer with our friends. You can read about that memorable dinner HERE. I had thought about how the kids would react and I was surprised by some of their responses and not so surprised by others.

My boys are very different. They are pretty much besties, but they are still very different.

Noah is the thinker.

He worries.

He bites his lips and wrings his hands when he's deep in thought about something.

He takes on everyone's problems.

He has a HUGE heart.

At first he was offended that we hadn't told him RIGHT at the second we knew we were expecting.
"How long have you known about this??" He's taken some time to get used to the idea of a new baby. He can't quite picture it yet. I see him eying my belly sometimes, apprehensive.

It's ok though. He's cautious.

The thing about Noah is, he's probably the best oldest brother I've ever seen. He's concerned about the others' safety, he gets them things, helps them, teaches them...he's a good one. He just needs some solid proof that this little one is going fit right in with us...and I don't think that will take long.

Jack, on the other hand...he's kind of unconcerned about most things.

He also has a HUGE heart.

He started asking (begging) for a little brother or sister months before we were actually having one.

"I just wanted to be like a real big brother...you know, so I can remember it. And I don't remember when I was a big brother when Sophie was born."

Well, that would be because he was two, but I guess I see his point.

He thinks this baby is all his, because well, it was his idea after all.

We took a trip to South Dakota in August, which is where I started having suspicions that there was in fact a little fetus hibernating in there. On the plane on the way home, as I was running through every scenario possible in my head, sleepy Jack popped his head up beside me and asked one more time..."Mom, can we please have another baby??" Well, that was crazy timing, Jack.

But we are growing our family and it is going to be good and I cannot wait to see my big, strong boys holding this little tiny babe.

{things}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:19:00 +0000

{1st thing}

My mom is here. It's gooooood. She would be considered perpetually pregnant to a person that firmly believed in nesting...because she's always nesting. We spent the weekend doing outside things and church and eating. Yesterday, I had tons of errands and appointments and when I got home she had done all the laundry,
cleaned the laundry room,
baked brownies,
prepped dinner,
cleaned countertops,
and completely restacked and swept out our garage full of storage stuff that finally looks like we're actually storing good STUFF opposed to a bunch of JUNK.

Ya, she's good.

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{2nd thing}

Jack has influenza. Ya...seriously. He really doesn't seem all that sick, which is weird because when I had influenza, I was like dead man walking. He's missing his last co-op class of the year (aka: party, fun, sugar) and he's really sad about that.

Him being sick, compounded by extremely crap-tastic news over the weekend, has had us kind of tap-tap-tapping for this baby to come and bring some good and happy unicorn glitter to be sprinkled on us. It's strange though, somehow I feel like I've been filled up with super-sonic-39-week-pregnant strength serum making me rearrange my priorities completely and focus on who and what really matters. That is the upside of the downside.

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{3rd thing}

I made the kids some little gifts for when I go to the hospital. I can't believe I'm going to have four kids...FOUR!!! That's like kind of a lot.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

{4th thing}

I'm thinking about spring and flowers and green things. Are you? We're going to the nursery later and planting some pots. It's been gorgeous here...like 80* I turned on the air conditioner yesterday.

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{5th thing}

I'm feeling frustrated.

I'm trying not to be bitter.

I'm frustrated with people, mean people, people that don't give a flip about people, people.

I'm tired of trials and stuff.

I'm tired of not sleeping when I only have a few more nights of any hope of getting any sleep.

Ok, that was a lot of things for only being ONE thing.

I'm going to go to the nursery and buy some ferns and inhale it like Prozac.

I want to drink in these days with three kids and a family of five and enjoy my mom and remember these days before we're changed by huge changes...I want to remember this time and how God filled me up with what I needed to live out this role that isn't hardly ever easy. I feel strangely calm for all the crap we're having to deal with. Somehow I know that I know that I know that I know that we're going through all this for SOME reason. I am hopeful...and ready for ferns.

What I Remember about Giving Birth....

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:02:00 +0000

Last night, Jarrod and I took a tour of the hospital. We'd never been to the hospital here and I'm so glad we went to check it out. It was nice. There were mountain views in some of the rooms. I saw the food trays...they looked good. There were pools in some of the rooms, making water birth a viable option if you wanted it to be.

My upper lip started sweating when I spotted those blue spongy things tucked under the delivery bed where your legs rest while you're pushing and then the tour guide describing labor positions, I felt my throat closing in. I was the veteran mom in the group...hell, I should have been leading the group, passing out booklets and telling all those newbies what was what.

It wasn't like that.

It wasn't like that because I remember all too vividly what giving birth is like.

Walking in at 1,789 pounds,
the ear temperature checks,
the I.V.,
the hospital gown that falls off your shoulders,
that fetal monitor thing they strap on your belly that is so uncomfortable,
the beeping machines,
the chipped ice in those Hondo plastic cups,
the squeaking nurse's shoes and how they talk so quietly but you still want to punch them in the face,
the doctor breezing in to save the day after you've been through hell and back and how you want to punch him in the face too.

Then the tour guide went into the after-care:
the giant pads you could duct tape together and sail home in,
those stretchy Grannie panties (although for some reason I really really like those),
the squirt bottle cleaning tool,
Tucks,
and the antiseptic spray,
and
and
and...

I've had a lot of anxiety about this pregnancy...more than I can remember having with the others. I haven't done this in five years. I was only 25 last go-around and maybe because I'm 30(!!) now, I'm not sure why, but I've thought about almost every scenario of something going wrong.

What if this?
What if that?

I've thought and rethought about all those things listed above and sweated over these things. I've remembered over and over how I got to be my sister's birth coach and how horrible her doctor was and what an awful birth experience she had. I've woken up in the middle of the night thinking thinking thinking...

Being in that hospital last night made me remember all those things about birth so vividly. BUT...and you mamas know there's a "but"...I remembered something else last night. Laying in the tub before bed last night I remembered some other things about giving birth...

...that smell,
the weight,
that feel of your newborn that's never seen the light of day except for right then, with you...on your chest...him looking into your eyes and you into his.
The hot tears that roll down and fall on your baby's little misshapen head,
that feeling of utter relief when the shoulders pass and you know it is out,
hearing that first squeaky cry,
looking up at the face during those last hard pushes that has been there with you through it all, telling you how brave you are, how beautiful, how strong, how amazing.
Watching that same man get nervous to meet his new baby too, wiping his sweaty hands on the back of his pants over and over and over...
...that moment when the doctor announces, "it's a ........." at the very end of nearly ten months of wondering.
Inspecting that newbie's ears and eyes and how much hair they have...

staring

staring

staring at their face for hours until the others come in to meet their new brother or sister and seeing their faces grow older before your very eyes...but not in a sad way, in a happy way...a this-is-how-it's-meant-to-be way. Seeing those older kids in a new, strange place with plenty to explore and check out, but none of it matters because there's a special bundle waiting to meet them that they've been waiting months and months to see too.

It's scary, birth is.
Whether it's the first or the forth...it just is.
But I can't recall even one mom saying she's rather give her baby back than relive that I.V. or those giant maxi pads...not even one.

I have anxieties...even after doing this three times, but its funny how even those memories wash out the scary stuff. I know it's going to be uncomfortable and a little freaky...but I also know the end result.

And that is really really worth it all.

38 Weeks and What's in my Bag...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:37:00 +0000

I'm officially 38 weeks TODAY, folks! Cannot believe it. I shouldn't be so shocked at how quickly your body falls apart at the end of almost 10 months of carrying around a little human and I shouldn't be so shocked at how the time has flown, but I am! This pregnancy has been hard on my body. I know it's typical and this is the last time I'm probably do this, so I can grin and bear it till the 16th or so, but I'm not going to lie...it'll be a good thing to feel my ribs again, see my feet, and walk forward instead of waddle side to side. Yes, there's something great about getting your body back and finally holding your baby with your arms instead of your leg and hip muscles.

As always, there's a thousand things to do to prepare...grandma will be here Friday, I have to get the car seat out of the box, and other miscellaneous little things. One thing that's ready though is the hospital bag. Yay! I packed yesterday and I feel like I can rest easy that if I happen to go into labor I'll have my own toothbrush. I only packed what I thought I'd really use and need. So much of the time, I pack a whole bunch of extra stuff that I didn't really need.

So here's what's in the bag...

I have my camera battery charger, I'll have my camera, phone, phone charger, and that cute Intax that take credit card sized pics. I have loved using it for my baby Smash book. It's just fun.

For baby I know the hospital send you home with all kinds of stuff...including diapers, so I'm not bringing those. But I do have it's take-home outfit ready with a little hat and special blanket from a friend. Also, the carseat...but that won't be in the bag. :)

A few weeks ago, my mom sent a whole bag of things for Jarrod to take with to the hospital. I thought, "how smart!" There's everything he would need...snacks, body spray, mouthwash and toothbrush, gum, chapstick, notebook. He's all set. My mom's real sweet like that.

For me: I've got all my bathroom stuff, lotion, deodorant, a little make-up. Also I have a few pairs of pj's so I don't have to wear hospital gowns the whole time and a going-home outfit...two actually. A comfy one and a cute one, depending on my mood. Pretty sure I'm going to go for the cute one though.

Another thing I'm going to do is load a special playlist to my phone for delivery. I've heard from friends that its really distracting to focus on the music...we'll see. ;)

So that's done!! Now all I need is a granny and I'm hittin' the road!!

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PS: Someone ask me where I got the typewriter I used for THIS party...but they didn't leave their name and the comment was anonymous. To answer: it's not mine! But my friend found it at Goodwill. I've seen them there several times...happy hunting!!

{friday}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

You know when you have those weeks where you just want it to be Friday and it just seems to drag on???

Well I want one of those weeks. Bad.

Time is flying by at an incredible rate lately! My hair's blowing back and this seriously pregnant mama is waddling along to keep up.

It's all good stuff though, making the time fly by...mostly good.

Yes, good stuff.

{Art}

Kandinsky's Centric Circles was on our lesson plan for art this week. Very simple project and very fun. Just water colors and oil pastels. Pretty much a lot of fun.

{Granny's Coming!}

My mom will be here NEXT FRIDAY!! (so hang on til then baby, ya'hear??) I just can't believe how fast that's snuck up on us. I know that with Easter, a ton of appointments next week, and school I'd have to be thinking ahead and getting things done early.

So I put together this Gram-packet...I don't know when I'll go into labor so I wanted to be able to leave to the hospital without worrying about Sophie missing her ballet photos or the boys missing their last day of co-op classes. I printed off maps, our schedule, and a list of fun things we want to do with her while she's here. I had to add a little fun with some washi tap. Obvs.

And then to make her feel at home...

...all her faves: a coffee mug...she drinks coffee like its running through her veins...licorice nibs, crossword puzzle, and gardening reading material. She just needs to add her sweet granny glasses and we're golden.

{Bed Rest School}

No, I'm not on bed rest...but having school this week in my room, the kids making their desks here and there around the room...just seemed easier on my dumb sciatic nerve that's been giving me horrible fits. Sitting is hard...laying or standing is better, but standing means swollen ankles. Gosh, I'm a piece of work.

{Love Mail}

I've gotten some super super sweet packages in the mail this week, including this scrummy blankie that will be swaddling my babe home from the hospital. I can't wait to show off our little make-shift nursery we've put together. I have to hang one more thing, then you can see. We are so darn excited to just add the baby to complete it...but not til a little later, ya'hear, baby????

{Easter Happenings}

Somehow Easter is THIS weekend. I put together one community basket for all three kids this year. One. I don't have a clue where their baskets are. Two. I don't want to make a big dealio out of gifts and candy. I got each one a CD. I got a couple outside things to play: Play-Doh and sidewalk chalk. And I got Miss Potter for everyone. Have you ever seen this movie?! Oh my...love it. It's about Beatrix Potter...pretty fitting for the whole "bunny" thing. Anyway, it's just one of those sweet movies you love. So it's in their basket for me them.

{Projects Projects Projects}

We made lungs out of paper bags because that's just neat. Also a diaphragm from an empty bottle...also extremely neato. The boys worked on their derby cars!!! So exciting! They handed them in this week and NEXT WEEK is the big race!!

Alright. That's enough randomness for one bit. Not that there's any other theme to my life....

Happy Easter weekend to you!

xo,

{alicia}

so what's in those boxes? {march and april and may}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:20:00 +0000

My head is swimming today.....timelines and dates, blessings and parenting issues, cervixes and hospital bags....I'm kind of a head case today...which isn't good because its only 7:40am. So instead of hashing all that out on my blog and possibly making you a headcase too, I'm going to talk about something light-hearted. Ok? Ok. (and I'm not going to the hospital yet...just need to get my bag ready. One of the many things on my list.)

Last week I shared some boxes I made for Sophie's birthday. Each box was a monthly craft kit that she can work on. I didn't include all the activities I included, but I got so many comments and emails about what I put in there I figured I'd share....but only the March, April and May box this post. I'm pretty sure the post would take me two hours to find all the links if I included the info for all six boxes in one post.

Each box has 3-5 projects: a picture of the project and anything she might need. I didn't include the basic stuff, like glue and markers, but I did include things that would be hard for her to get herself in case I'm tied up with baby. Each box also includes a book to go along with the theme. Anything else I could find that was small...a little puzzle, stickers, etc.

{March: Butterflies}

The Projects: (click each link for instructions)

Coffee Filter Butterfly

Butterfly Paintings

Butterfly Life Cycles

The book: Are You a Butterfly?

{April: Birds}

The projects:

The book: A Nest Full of Eggs

{May: Flowers & Gardens}

The Projects:

Color Wheel Flowers

Vegetable Garden Markers

Eric Carle inspired Flowers

Rotisserie Greenhouse

Painted flower pots

The book: Jack's Garden

I'm going from memory and not actually looking in the boxes, so I might be missing a few projects, but this will get you started if you wanted to make your own. She's having fun with them already. She did her butterfly painting and I love it! I want to paint one!

Have a great Wednesday!

Nature Study Lately

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:06:00 +0000

Even though there were a few flakes flying yesterday, we feel like Spring has sprung here in Asheville. The people here think it's still cold, but my kids are running wild in t-shirts and shorts! Something I've been itching to do more of with the kids is nature study. It really is so simple and adds so much to our school...or not even just school, but education all around.

We're outside, looking for birds, identifying birds, looking at tracks, at moss, at lichens, at toads!

I've been having the kids do an entry in their nature journals a few times a week for the past couple of weeks. I put together new journals for them for spring and summer. They're just three-ring binders and then I had them design a cover to go in the front. Then on the inside, the journals are divided into five sections: trees, birds, animals and habitats, flowers, and water creatures.

I found a ton of printables to put in each section on pinterest. Here's the link to my Science and Nature board. Also, I purchased some notebooking pages from THIS website that included some great coloring sheets for birds as well.

Our bird feeder on our back balcony has been alive with birds, so even on colder days we see them out there and can journal about what we see. There's been a whole herd of cardinals, robins, chickadees, and blue jays...so exciting!

Sophie's journal

This toad was hilarious. I'm sure the kids scared him half to death, but he just sat there forever almost completely camouflaged in the leaves. We could see his heart about to explode!!

It looks like it's going to be chilly today, so probably we'll stay inside but we've been taking advantage of the warmer days for sure! Otherwise on the agenda, I'm going to a doctor appointment, Scouts, and hopefully getting my hospital bag packed....only THREE weeks to go!!! Can you even believe it!?!

this week

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:24:00 +0000

I just had one of those weeks that leave you exhausted and counting your blessings too. Everyday was jam packed...today, Friday, is jam packed as well. Weeks like this are making life speed by so fast that somehow...not sure how, but SOMEHOW I only have 3 weeks and 4 days til my due date. What the????

Ya, crazy.

Monday was spent running errands, getting a cake, getting gifts wrapped for Sophie's big day.

Tuesday was the big day, but we celebrated mostly on Wednesday. Tuesday I took little Sis to get her a pedi for fun and she got to pick all the meals, which included donuts for breakfast...of course.

Wednesday we spent the day celebrating. Jarrod took the day off and we went to the zoo AND the children's museum in Greenville, SC...only about an hour from us. They have a fantastic zoo!!! I opted to sit in the museum cafe and do some reading while the kids and Jarrod went through with the kids.

But the zoo was SO fun...

Thursday was appointments, ballet, errands, and I got the organizing bug something fierce which is always exciting for me and terrifying for everyone around me...

I put away Sophie's new things, cleared off all the countertops, organized a new calendar for the kids, threw away garbage.....just stuff!!

Our fifth and final butterfly emerged. Ain't she pretty...

The boys watched Tora! Tora! Tora! for history and wrote a little report on it. It's on Netflix right now if you're interested.

I'm trying to tie up loose ends before my mom come in a few weeks and the baby comes soon after that. I cleared everything off the fridge and put on ONE pad for Target and groceries and BIG magnetic calendar so everyone can see what's up. The kids are always asking what we're doing...not they don't have to. Also this one has a little blank for each day to put your menu so they can check that out too.

Sophie got her recital costume...I die.

And I realized my limits this week with swollen ankles and some bad rib pain and sciatic pain. My body is nearing the end of this pregnancy and I'm feeling it big time! I know I've got another 3 weeks in me...but still, it's getting harder! What makes it all worth it is the reward...I had an ultrasound yesterday and saw that sweet baby's face. I could see it's lips moving!! It was SUCKING! I nearly died, it was the sweetest thing ever.

So that's that...a full week in more ways than one. We are feeling so blessed with where we're at...the hard things and the good ones. I'm learning to trust God's timing more than ever. I feel at peace with the unknown. I feel like we're in our last half hour...I think.

It's Friday!!! We're doing school and going to a friend's house. Jarrod ordered me to bed rest this weekend. I will not argue. But I will be putting baby stuff in drawers and hanging a few wall art pieces around the crib in it's make-shift nursery so Baby feels the love right away :) I'm also putting together a schedule for my mom with maps and instructions in case my water would break in the middle of the night and Sophie misses her ballet pictures the next day or the boys miss their Derby Car race for Scouts. Jarrod said I just want an excuse to make more lists. ;) He kinda knows me....

What are you doing this weekend??? Have a good one!!

Our Own Monthly Craft Kits

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Sissy turned the big 0-5! yesterday, which kinda makes my head want to pop off from disbelief, but our remedy to that is to just keep having more kids...so we feel better about our present baby being 5.

Her birthday was yesterday, but we're celebrating today: the zoo, pounds of sugar...and gifts.

There's one gift that I put together with the help of my mom that I want to talk about for a sec. At first, she and I were going to split a year's subscription to BabbaCo or Kiwi Crate...both great companies, I'm sure, but expensive. And we thought maybe we could create something similar to their monthly themed craft kits...but include more projects.

I thought something like this would be a great gift for Sissy with the baby coming. She's like my second-self and I wanted something that she could just pull off the shelf and do by herself...or with me if I'm not busy.

Mom and I decided to make six months-worth of boxes, she helped me brainstorm and halved the cost with me, and I set out to gathering all the stuff.

Each month goes something like this:

March: Butterflies

April: Birds

May: Flowers and Gardens

June: Fairies

July: Oceans

August: Honeybees

I ordered a book for each box and then found several projects to go with the theme.

Almost all the ideas in the boxes are from my Creative Kids board on Pinterest or my Science and Nature board. I also got a TON of ideas from the blog Deep Space Sparkle...so many great ideas over there! You can check those out, but if you want to know the exact projects I used, I might be willing to part with that info :)

Since I don't know whether or not the computer will be handy during craft time, I printed off some of the directions for the harder projects and for all the projects I printed pictures of them and glued them to large index cards. So when she sits down to craft she can pick the one she wants to do. Pretty much everything is in the box, except the basic supplies like scissors and glue and paint. She'll have to go round up those things on her own.

She will be under strict orders to NOT open a box until the appropriate month...I'm very funny about this sort of thing. No peeking at the sex of the baby, no peeking in your craft kit til next month! Very important rules, you see...

I'll let YOU peek though...

...here's her kit for May: Flowers and Gardens. She'll be reading Jack's Garden, making a mini greenhouse in a rotisserie box, painting pots and planting seeds, painting rocks for garden markers, and making a color wheel flower, (which she did yesterday because it was so cute I couldn't stand waiting...she can make another one.), and painting some Georgia O'Keeffe inspired flowers.

To add a little fun, I spray painted the lids hot pink. I'm sure it will chip off and really tick me off later, but for now it's really cute.

I can't wait to give them to her today! She loves art AND nature right now and each of these boxes will give her plenty of activities to do.

In other exciting news....

Our butterflies have begun to emerge... ON Sophie's birthday, which I think is incredibly fitting...and awesome.

Ok, I'm off to the zoo and lots of walking around. Please pray for my ankles...and that my water doesn't break. That would be bad...delivering a baby at the zoo. But I guess when it's older and acting crazy, I could say..."Were you born in a ZOO?" and it could have some really great smart remarks back. It would be a good story...

no.

Ok, bye.

My Favorite Homeschool Resources-Old and New

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:40:00 +0000

I spent all day Saturday ALONE at a homeschool conference. It was lovely. Not only did I get to look at (and smell) approximately 50,000 books and art supplies, I got to listen to some fabulous speakers and come home rejuvenated and refreshed about homeschooling.

I love getting ideas from other homeschool mom and the encouragement is priceless. I go and listen and take notes like a crazy person and leave feeling good about implementing those new tools.

Since I love getting ideas and tips from other moms, I thought you would too. I've come across so many great books and websites lately...not to mention my list of books I've loved for years, that I thought I'd compile a list of some of my favorite homeschool resources; old and new:

Beyond Survival by Diana Waring. I heard Diana speak at a conference last year and I loved her. She has such wisdom and this book is all about letting go of some of those things we freak out about and really enjoy your homeschooling life. She has many other great books too and a fabulous-looking history curriculum that I'm sure I'll have to try one of these years.

A Charlotte Mason Education series by Catherine Levison. These books are some of my very very favorite. They are easy and quick to read, she gives very practical tips and ideas, and her books are what really made me understand what it means to have a Charlotte Mason-type education. I have implemented many of her tips in our homeschool and I'm planning on rereading them again for a third time this summer.

Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola. This is a terrific Charlotte Mason resource as well. It's a great book to read a chapter here and a chapter there because that are short, simple, forward chapters all about having a great Charlotte Mason homeschool.

Homeschool Supermom...NOT! by Susan Kemmerer. I haven't read this book yet, but I bought it because I listened in on a workshop by the author and she was fabulous! Her talk was about homeschooling boys and everything she said about the subject was so good! I think she said she had SIX boys or something crazy like that!?! She gave such practical tips like having your little guy stand at the counter to do math if they're too wiggly to sit and let your child run with their interests. Good good stuff. I can't wait to dive into her book. It's about homeschooling life in general...not just boys.

Laying Down the Rails by Sonya Shafer. I have wanted to hear Sonya speak for a long time. I have read some of her other books and she is basically the guru on Charlotte Mason teaching. I was able to go to her workshop on habit training your kids and I am SO glad I did. Her whole talk was about the habits our kids should (and shouldn't) have and how to ingrain those habits as moms....AND how much easier life is when they do grasp those habits. It was SO good. I haven't read this book yet, but I have started it and I think it's going to be wonderful. We have been dealing with REMEMBERING things that we've told the kids and I'm thinking that Sonya's tips will help with some of those issues.

The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles by Carol Barnier. Carol was my most favorite speaker at the convention I went to last year. She was an absolute doll and BRIMMING full of knowledge on learning styles and how to implement different tactics in your homeschool. This book is simple and easy to read. There are chapters on different subjects and suggestions and LOTS of ideas for making those subjects sink in for your kids. She loves using ditties and has a CD of a whole list that she's recorded for helping kids remember certain things. Even Sophie, who is four, could recite: In Ireland Eighteen forty and five; they ate just potatoes, it kept them alive; then a blight came along and the crops failed for years; one million they died and two million came here.

Great stuff!! I love her book and her CD.

Two other resources we've been using a lot lately are:

-www.bookadventure.com is a lot like Accelerated Reader if you remember that program. You can choose a list of books for your kids and after they've read them, they take a quiz and earn points. My boys are loving it so far. The prizes are a little hokey, so I'm going to come up with some prizes on my own...like an ice cream cone at DQ or something.

-www.learner.org/jnorth...Journey North has been SO much fun for us this spring! You can track Hummingbird Migration and see when they'll be coming your way, track American Robins and tulips popping up. They also have a bunch of printables that you can print and add to your nature journals. It's been a really fun resource.

So that's my list...it's ever-growning though :) Hopefully you can use some of these too!

Happy Monday, friends!

{wednesday}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:39:00 +0000

Good Thursday to you! I really do have lots of real posts to write about things like school and projects and how homeschooled kids really are "normal." But it's just not coming to me. But lucky for you, all these random posts ARE!

I feel like I'm wearing about 18 hats right now: teacher, pregnant lady, cook, cleaner, organizer, scheduler, birthday planner, technological person...lots. But it's all good and I'm glad for it all.

Yesterday was busy as well as every other day of a stay-at-home-mom....

...we managed to snap a few pics of belly rubs. They are so funny.

"What is the baby doing now?"

"What is the baby doing now?"

Funny.

Jack and I ran a few quick errands to finish up Sophie's bday shopping. I kind of bit off a lot with one of the gifts I'm giving her. More on that later.

Anyway, Jack is just a fun guy. He's so chill. He asks the most random questions. Sometimes I wonder if we're on the same planet. But I love him...my little space cadet.

We found this at Target...

...and unpacked my car and then my house looked like this...

...and this.

I had about 2 hours before we had to get to church, so I got busy cleaning up the Skittles, crusty mac and cheese, and ladybug habitat off my kitchen counters.

Also, couponing. It's going well....here's some of my couponing scores from this week:

The Nivea Men's lotion was my favorite score...regularly $5.54 at Target, I got it for $1.54. Yeah!
Other stuff: Natural bliss creamer: regularly $2.48, I got it for $1.50
Minute Maid juice boxes: regularly $4.18, I got them for $2.48 each
Simply Cranberry juice: regularly $4.25, I got it for $2.50

I'm pretty happy about that.

It's Sophia's birthday next week. We are going to the zoo. We checked the zoo's website last night to make sure it was open and all that and we learned there's a brand new baby giraffe!! You could watch the video of it being born, so of course my baby-crazed daughter said YES YES YES!! So we did...the boys were not present for this. Jarrod gagged, I peed my pants laughing at Jarrod and Sophie teared up and said, "ohhhhhhhh my gosh!!!!!!!!!!!"
She loved every bit.
And then she was disappointed when I told her she would be with a babysitter when our baby came out.

"BUT I WANTED TO SEE IT COME OUT!!!!"

Uh.

No.

You'll be happy to know that by the time we left to church, my kitchen looked more like this....

...yes, that's Honeycomb cereal in paper bowls for dinner.

Bon Appetit, kids!!

And no more ladybugs in the kitchen.

Jarrod's car threw a hissy fit yesterday, so a lovely gentleman had to come and tow it to the shop. So I had to go pick him up.

He doesn't have ladybugs on his desk.....

I propped my feet up and made my list of things to take to the hospital while I waited for him to finish up. What do I need that I'm forgetting??? Help a mama out...

Ok, independent work time has turned into a mockery...I better go address this.

Happy Thursday, friends!

{monday}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:20:00 +0000

Are you totally feeling the time change or what?! Ya I am. Totally. Had the hardest time getting up today.

But I did.

And my Monday started out with me copying my to-do list from my email (that I emailed myself at 11:30pm because I couldn't sleep) into my planner. My list took up the whole page. Baby's here in 5 weeks...maybe sooner, I've got a long list y'all.

Long.

I told the kids school was postponed til 10am. They did not object. (#notsurprised) I made yogurt parfaits for breakfast and got to work. I had so much computery stuff to do: orders to make, registration stuff, balancing checkbook......

...then school.

I love school.

It took a long time today though.

We're doing a little unit on St. Patrick's day, so naturally that takes lots of reading, glue, and measuring each other to see how we'd measure up against a leprechaun...

It could have taken longer because there was a lot of dancing going on to our Celtic music in the background....

We ordered caterpillars to raise into butterflies. They came a couple weeks ago and they have all changed into their pupal state! So exciting!! But they are kinda gross. I'm so glad they're all in their neat little cocoons now...so much nicer...and neater.

We had to carefully move them into their tent to be reborn. It's nerve wracking holding five little delicate lives in your hands, but they survived the move into their tent. We look forward to seeing them in about a week!

Then!! Then we got the sweetest package in the mail...completely gorgeous art pieces from my artsy South Dakota friend. Don't you just love them?? I do.

A lot.

(xo, marissa!!!)

Also? I'm back on the coupon train! I was walking through Target yesterday with my Banker smelling men's body wash and it was like the couponing fairy waved her hypnotic wand over me...once again. I used to be SO good at couponing. Not to brag, but...good. Like, "pardon me while I get $45 dollars reduced from my Target bill right about NOW!"

Yaaaa...

So it happened again while I was smelling men's body wash, noticing all the Dove Men's stuff was on sale and if you bought 4 you got a $5 gift card AND I knew I'd seen a coupon out there somewhere. With the help of my Banker, I quickly computed that WITH the $1 off coupon and WITH the $5 gift card, I could get four of these body washes for about $1.25 each....holla!!!

So I came home and printed coupons til my printer flipped me off.

I fell off the wagon so hard I don't even know where my coupon organizer is anymore. So while at Target I got this handy dandy girl in the $$ section. My boys were in solitary confinement for most of the day yesterday, so they were allowed out on work release to cut coupons...holla again!! Then I organized my little money makers in my new organizer. ~~And then I kissed it.~~

I'll let you know how I do...I know there's some non-couponers that totally don't get my bliss here. But I know there's plenty of you that totally want to high five me right now. You can. (*slap*)

Well, my hour before I had to start dinner is ending. (boo) I just drank a cup of reheated coffee and ate two Carmel DeLights. The kids were quietly watching 101 Dalmatians (the Glenn Close version...love that movie), but now it's over and they're doing a science experiment that "makes a really big mess and glows in the dark" in my bathroom. Mercy.

I'm going to make THIS for dinner and then I'm going to bed at 7pm.

Happy Monday, folks.

PS: Have you broken in your Easter shoes yet? Ya, we did that today too. Just a friendly reminder from ~~Martha~~ me :) xo

History Lately: Early 20th Century

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:43:00 +0000

Good Friday morning, friends. I really can't believe it's Friday already, but I guess time flies when life is crazy and always changing and never changing and busy and monotonous. We had a week of bad weather and a lot of time in the house, which is both good and bad. It forces us to get things done inside and also to relax.

Even though I feel like life for us is really upsidedown and we have so many unknowns and no plans, one thing that has been bringing me so much joy lately is school. We are about to finish up our fifth year of school and I can't believe it. I love this time of year when we're in the last leg of our year and we're tying everything together. There's conferences on the calendar where I can go and get mega encouragement and look/see/smell/touch all the great curriculum that's out there. I start making lists and planning for next year....I love this time of year.

Right now, homeschooling is giving me some sort of focus. Like it's something that I do have control over and I can plan for it...unlike pretty much everything else in the future it seems. So I wanted to share what we've been doing for the last half of January and February because even though it might not look like a ton, we have been learning like crazy!

We started with a short week or two on the Industrial Revolution. I figured something out this year: that when I plan less, we actually get it done! Who knew!? So I chose just a few great books, found some good online resources, and we were good to go.

I found this series that airs on the History Channel that you can view through Amazon.com. I do preview the episodes because they weren't made particularly for children, but besides a few little things they've been great. They fit in perfectly with what we studied; post Civil War, Westward Expansion, Industrial Revolution...and it is soooo interesting!

The kids especially love that Cornelius Vanderbilt is part of this show since we get to enjoy the fruits of his inginuity through his grandson's grand house; the Biltmore Estate. You might remember we spent Easter there last year and our fun photo shoot as well. We've spent many days exploring the Biltmore with our annual pass...that expires this month. (note to self: go to the Biltmore this month.)

Next we moved on to World War I. There are so many good books out there, but we focused on just a few of our reference books and a few novels. We read War Horse together, which is a wonderful book...yes, Sophie read it with us. Then I let the boys watch the movie, which varies slightly from the book as most movies do. There is a lot of war in the movie, but nothing graphic. There's no language either...it was a great visual for the boys. Sophie watched her own horse movie: Black Beauty, so she didn't feel left out.

We also did a lot of notebooking and lapbooking pages as well.

This lapbook was a great find too.

Then we moved on to the Great Depression. We read some great picture books like:

Kit's World

Born and Bred in the Great Depression

The Gardener

There were several others and I can get you our complete list if you'd like to email me.

We love the American Girl series for history. The boys say they don't but they are always intrigued. We watched the Kit Kittredge movie and it portray the Great Depression for kids so well. Such good resources.

We also completed this Great Depression lapbook.

One of our favorite things we did was prepare a week's worth of Great Depression recipes.

Every night for dinner for five days, we ate meals that were common to that time. We ate a lot of soup and a lot of simple meals. Meat was scarce then and everything was from scratch. We made biscuits from scratch several times and since sugar was actually something available to the people stuck in the Great Depression, we had dessert almost every night too. The Rice Pudding is something that will stick around...we loved it!

Check out the recipe link above to see all the meals we had and their recipes. So fun!

We have now moved on to World War II. I'll share our resources when we're done. I've decided to stop there for the year. Covering the Civil War to World War II is a lot of coverage! For the remaining weeks of school, I'm having the kids do projects and reports on what we've already learned. I'm hoping to do some of the fun projects that have been in my "idea folder."

Have a great Friday, folks. :)

A Word For Those Who Are Waiting...

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Despite my vagueness, I'm sure you have put together that we are in a waiting period in our lives. We are. We are waiting for big things and every time we think we're about to get that big answer, we don't. And then we wait some more........

And as the great Lady Grantham has said,

"There's nothing more tiresome than waiting for something to happen."

When I woke up yesterday morning, I wrote in my journal how tired I was and how weary waiting makes us. How we start out in a trial so strong and so full of confidence, but as the time wares on we get tired and weary and lose hope and the doubt creeps in. I picked up Streams in the Desert...a devotional I only read when I really need it. It's so good and it's meant for those of us in desert times. Dry, icky desert times. I cannot tell you how timely this devotional has been for me these last couple of weeks. I've been so encouraged to keep pressing on and on and on. I've learned to let go of all the control I thought I had....

Here's what I read:

We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.
Hebrews 3:14

It is the last step that wins; and there is no place in the pilgrim's progress where so many dangers lurk as the region that lies hard by the portals of the Celestial City. It was there that Doubting Castle stood. It was there that the enchanted ground lured the tired traveler to fatal slumber. It is when heaven's heights are full in view that hell's gate is most persistent and full of deadly peril. "Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." "So run, that ye may obtain."

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The problem of getting great things from God is being able to hold on for the last half hour.

Are you waiting?

Is there anything more tiring than waiting??

I'm trying to hold on to this scripture...to hold on to that confidence and see this thing through. I have contemplated not saying anything on this blog until the end...until the answer comes. But I decided there's no testimony in that. Because this is the part that matters...the middle...the waiting. Even though I'm totally over it, I know this is where the refining is happening. I'm trying to consider myself blessed to be counted worthy enough to be tested like this.

Faint not, fellow waiters.

xo,
{alicia}

Monday Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

A usual Friday Favorite quip, but today a Monday edition is in order. My favorite things and moments over the last 7 or so days. I'm in need of a little random...you?

Jack snapped this picture. You guys, I have almost SIX weeks left!! That's not that long. At all. This belly of mine is getting quite hilarious and I find myself laughing hysterically at myself throughout the day at the predicaments I get myself into. Soon....we will see what's in there very soon....

Noah had such a big week last week! He had a BIG Scout camping weekend last weekend and then he turned 11 on Tuesday and then he went to a church retreat this past weekend called DNOW. I can tell he's so proud of himself and feels like he's a big kid and I do love that. I can't believe it, but I do love it.

We got five caterpillars in the mail last week. I just love stuff like this. We are using Insect Lore to raise these little buggers into butterflies. We've done this before, but it was years ago...Sophie was just teeny. We're going to do some butterfly things this month to make it more fun.

And speaking of mail...I have been getting the absolute sweetest gifts ever in my mailbox!! Will you just get a load of these little Minnetonka Mocs!?! I mean, really Suzanne??!! Can you hardly stand it?? I feel so blessed by my friends, it's been really amazing seeing how thoughtful people really are.

I never taught Noah to read. His kindergarten teacher did. I taught Jack to read from start to finish and we've already started on Sophia. I was nervous about this because it seemed like such a HUGE thing!! And it is! I have seen Jack get better and better and better. Even in these last few weeks he's starting to read longer and harder words. It's so gratifying. I love that I taught him that.

My two little ones surprised me with a Spa Day. They snuck in my bathroom, ran me a bubble bath, let me soak, painted my fingers and toes, lotioned my arms and legs, and gave me a massage. I fell asleep!! All on their very own. Ahhhh...who needs Aveda?

Sometimes, once in a great while, when the stars align, and the unicorn emerges from his enchanted forest...the kids do something together without arguing about it. Yes, it happens. Jack was Sophia's assistant manager of the spa. He gladly helped her with her idea and they picked it all up without complaining or picking. Yes, once in a while.

To: Jarrod From: Sophia

She is completely enchanted by what's going on in there. I'm really going to miss this. But she's really really going to be a wonderful sister.

Sister nearly peed herself laughing looking over her shoulder at the boys running after her as she raced along the walking trails at warp speed. I was waddling behind...I'm sure it was comical from all aspects.

We are covering some really difficult subjects in history, but overall school is so fulfilling right now. We are packing it in, trying to cover the more in-depth stuff before April 16th and it has just been fun. I have several school posts I'm working on and I can't wait to share what we've been reading and doing.

Do I really need to say why?

Happy Monday, folks. Here's something to ponder on today...

My Crooked Path

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:38:00 +0000

Often God seems to place His children in positions of profound difficulty, leading them into a wedge from which there is no escape; contriving a situation which no human judgment would have permitted, had it been previously consulted. The very cloud conducts them thither. You may be thus involved at this very hour.

It does seem perplexing and very serious to that degree, but it is perfectly right. The issue will more than justify Him who has brought you hither. It is a platform for the display of His almighty grace and power.

He will not only deliver you; but in doing so, He will give you a lesson that you will never forget, and to which, in many a psalm and song, in having done just as He has.

We may wait till He explains,

Because we know that Jesus reigns.

It puzzles me; but, Lord, Thou understandest,

And wilt one day explain this crooked thing.

Meanwhile, I know that it has worked out Thy best--

Its very crookedness taught me to cling.

Thou has fenced up my ways, made my paths crooked,

To keep my wand'ring eyes fixed on Thee,

To make me what I was not, humble, patient;

To draw my heart from earthly love to Thee.

So I will thank and praise Thee for this puzzle,

And trust where I cannot understand.

Rejoicing Thou dost hold me worth such testing,

I cling the closer to Thy guiding hand.

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Perfect words to read today.

All taken from March 1st devotion, Streams in the Desert. I couldn't not share. I know I'm not the only one that needed these words today.

Have a great weekend, loves.

xo,

{alicia}