Whoa!

I feel like I got a little taste this week of the true meaning of "running around like a chicken with their head cut off". It has been a very busy week. (Jason would like to remind me I did it to myself) Let me try to give you a brief recap.


Actually, Monday and Tuesday weren't too bad. I had David those days and keeping up with him is hectic enough. I think I threw in a few errands where I could and then picked up the kids at 3, playtime, homework, dinner/pack lunches, playtime, bedtime.


Wednesday started with negative strep test for Daeg, take him to school, back home to pack lunches, back to school for lunch duty for Tavis' class, recess duty, quick grocery shopping trip, carpool, playtime, homework, dinner at church, Wednesday night classes.


Thursday started off low key for Mac and I as we did a little bit of nothing that morning. Lunch with Daegan and Capps, lunch duty for Mollee's class, recess, a quick hello to my niece Emma in the high school, recess with Capps' class (just for fun), story time at the library (just Mac and I at the school library off in a corner reading books for 30 minutes), PTL meeting, carpool, homework, allergy shots, dinner, homework/flashcards, and crashing into bed.


Friday I did my regular morning grocery shopping (the disadvantage of coupon/sale shopping is having to go multiple places in one week), lunch at home with Mac, Math Centers with Daeg's class, Dr. appt. for Mollee to have procedure done for moluscum virus on her face (more traumatic than we anticipated), dinner with the Browns.

Unfortunately, Saturday morning has come too soon. Jason is working today -Ugh! He had to get up at 5:40 to meet someone 40 minutes south of here to pick up a tool he needed. Then he had to drive to work, which is about 35 minutes north of here. I have a hard time going back to sleep, so I'm blogging.

Hoping today is a low key Saturday. I've done my grocery shopping and I'm caught up on laundry, but I know I have two boys that need to go shoe shopping and it is Amish Bread baking day and it is going to be a beautiful day, maybe I need to take the kids for a picnic or something....

A Best Friend

Capps is loving school. Absolutely loving it.

He told me the other day that he knew he was going to like school, but he didn't know he was going to get a Best Friend! Keegan was at school last year in kindergarten but because of his medical issues he is doing kindergarten again.

These two are adorable and are inseperable! They even get their mommy's to pack extras in their lunches so they can share.

What fun it is to get a Best Friend!

Flashcards

If you've been with me lately, you may have heard me complain about flashcards. I think part of the problem is that, as a 3rd and 4th grader, they caused me a lot of anguish and many, many stomach aches. I really struggled with the multiplication table and I think part of it was because I struggled so much with memory work.

At CCS they teach 'Math Their Way'. It emphasizes concepts and manipulations in kindergarten and 1st grade before they start timed tests and math worksheets in 2nd grade. It is to help the kids see why 2+2=4 instead of just getting them to memorize it. I think this would have helped me immensely.

After all my frustration and tears, I ended up in summer school for math and was taught all these concepts. Then I was able to do the math and I ended up loving my high school math classes. I only went to college for two years, but my favorite classes were the ones that had to do with Calculus.

I even was a math tutor for many years. This was fun for me, but was a little bit of a struggle because my mind works in a different pattern then others. Since I don't memorize stats very well (but I can remember birthdays, addresses and phone numbers???) I came up with my own system for the multiplication table.

Tonight Mollee and I were doing flashcards. She is doing much better, but she struggles with the same ones each time. She also freezes at the 'timed' aspect, don't ask her to do math facts because you read this entry, Please! I tried to explain to her my system, but I don't know if they were more confusing than helpful.

Let me try to give you some examples.

We all like the 11 x ?? because you know it is just the number doubled. 11 x 9 = 99, 11 x 6 = 66, 11 x 4 = 44. For 12's I take that answer and just add one more. Jason said it doesn't work for people that can't see math problems in their head?? So, 12 x 6 = 66 + 6, does that make sense?

For 8's I do double, double, double. It just works for me. 8 x 7 = 7, 14, 28, 56

For 9's I do the 10 x answer minus itself. 9 x 6 = 60 - 6 = 54

OK, this sounds crazier and crazier as I try to type it out, but it is what works for me. Any tips that work for you?

I know my brother, Philip, understands!

Stove

When we moved into our home seven years ago, the whole house was trashed. The kitchen was especially terrible. We had to live with my parents for four months just to get the house in livable condition. Jason installed new cabinets and we were able to get a new refrigerator, but we decided to hold off on getting a new stove. The one left behind worked and we were trying to keep the "fix-it-up" costs low.

Cooking on this stove top has been a challenge. The coils were lopsided, so if you wanted to cook fried eggs, you would have to hold the pan the whole time, otherwise, all the eggs ran together in one corner. I managed, but when Jason was helping me by cooking the eggs the other night, he decided it was finally time to get a new one.And thanks to Best Buys 18-month no interest plan we were able to get a nice one. The only problem (one I didn't foresee while buying it) is that it was an Open Box Item and, therefore, no box.

You should have seen Daegan's disappointment when this realization hit him. I wondered why he was so excited about a new stone?

How quickly we forget!

When you are in the midst of parenting little ones, you wonder how much longer you can handle certain things. With an infant, I never thought I'd get a full nights sleep. With toddlers, I never thought I'd get a shower at a decent time of the day. With potty training, I never thought I'd get to wash my face at night without wet underwear draped over the sink.


Everyone tells you, enjoy your little ones, they'll be grown before you know it. Mine aren't grown, but after 9 1/2 years, I don't need a diaper bag anymore. I might throw an extra pair of Mac's underwear and a drink in my purse, but really I don't usually need anything.


Babysitting a 14-month old two or three days a week has made me realize that I have quickly forgotten and that my house is no longer baby-proof. I've forgotten how babies put everything in their mouth. And I've remember why we held off so long buying the boys Legos. I've forgotten how you have to schedule your day around naptime. I've forgotten how messy feeding a toddler can be. I've forgotten that you have to leave the bathroom door closed so toys don't end up in the toilet. I've forgotten that if little hands get a hold of your remote control, you may never see it again. And I've forgotten just how stubborn some little ones can be, but I haven't forgotten this about the older ones.

But, I don't want to forget all these things. Good and Bad. Mac will be 5 soon (as he tells everyone as if it will be next week instead of a year and a half away) and be going to kindergarten.

Then what will I have forgotten? Thankfully I have the blog to help me remember.

Bubbles

Sometimes you forget about the simple delights.

Mac got his first birthday party invitation to a party last night. The party favor was bubbles.

So, today, Mac and I spent a lot of time on the deck blowing bubbles. I forgot how much time a child can use up blowing bubbles and then catching them

When the kids got home from school they wanted to join in the fun. (My front porch needs to be rinsed off now from the multiple spills) They decided to go inside and blow bubbles out the window.Mac was a little late to the window party, but looked so cute in the window by himself.

Let us not forget about B-U-B-B-L-E-S!!! (you didn't think I was going to make it for Fun Mom Friday, did ya?)

Volunteering!

Some would say I'm a control freak. Maybe I am, a little?

When the kids were little and we had a 1, 2, 3, and 4 year old running around, I would give Jason too many instructions when I'd head out the door. Cut Daegan's crust off his sandwich. Don't use too much jelly it makes a mess. Don't forget to take (whoever was potty training at the time) to the bathroom. etc. etc. etc. You get the point. But in my defense, kids weren't always taken to the bathroom and allergy medicine isn't always remembered at bedtime.

Sending my kids to school was a challenge for me in the beginning because I relinquishing that 'control' to someone else. The alternative is homeschooling, which I don't feel I am cut out for, but I am careful to never say never because I know the Lord's plans are not always my plans. For now, I am beyond thankful we are able to send them to a Christian school.

I love being involved in the classrooms at school. Two years ago I was Room Mom for Mollee's class and loved every bit of organizing the parties and being in charge. The only down fall was that I was in charge of her parties and wasn't available to participate in the boy's parties.

I've always wanted to be more involved in volunteering in the classroom but I've always had two or more at home that would need a babysitter every time I did something. Each class has "centers". This is when the classroom divides into four or five small groups and works on different activities, whether it is math or reading or a craft. I've wished that I could volunteer to help the teachers these centers and also with lunches. Each grade has a day that the teachers meet at lunch and they have a parent stay with their students and then takes them to recess.

This year, it is just me and Mac. I've signed up to help with lunches for 3rd grade on Wednesdays and 4th grade on Thursdays and Mac can just tag along. I'm also going to help with Centers for 1st grade on Fridays and for kindergarten on Thursdays. I won't be doing this every week, but I will be doing it for each class at least twice a month.

Why? Because I love it! I know it isn't for everyone, but I am so excited to be able to do it this year. There is a good chance that when Mac goes to kindergarten I will be getting a job, so, for now, I'm going to volunteer as much as possible.

Just this morning I've been asked to be Room Mom for both kindergarten and 4th grade, and I'm actually thinking about doing both if I can pull it off.