Sunday DayLook: May 18, 2014

Looking out my back porch... sun is setting & it’s slightly windy.

I am thankful for... the annual Father/Son Camping trip and easy to heat freezer meals.

I am reading… a few fluff books on Kindle, and pattern guides (it’s time to get those 4-H projects sewn).

I am praying for...  a peaceful, uneventful week with good travels.

A random thought… why is it every time I sit down to blog/read, the littlest figures that’s the perfect time to wake up from his nap.

I am hearing... the littlest squawking from his bed.

From the sewing/craft room… found time to sew several pairs of pajama pants for the boys.  Angelina is well on her way to completing her first dress; we’ll be waiting a few days for the zipper.

From the School Room... Greg still has a few subjects.  The room is a disaster area!  Needs a thorough cleaning and this years supplies need to be stored….another day.

From the Kitchen...  not much.  Thank goodness for frozen pizza and brats.

From the FarmYard… lots of feeding and cleaning.

A successful moment…

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: Youth Ministry training in Fargo, Spring planting

Tuesday: Youth Ministry training concludes; Consumer Choices contest for Angelina, Zeke & Graham

Wednesday: home today

Thursday: dentist appointments for two boys & a shopping trip to Fargo

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: Family wedding, family get-together, graduation open house

A picture memory...

July 2011 – Louis after his first haircut

Clean rooms…

In an effort to encourage my children to clean their rooms and then keep them clean, I created an award.  The award is a prize of their choice (parental approval required) won by having the cleanest room at the end of the week – provided the rooms are clean.  Some prizes necessitate winning twice.

Interestingly, the award has been won – two weeks in a row – by Graham, age 7, and Louis, age 4.  Graham needed two awards to win his Hexbug and Louis needed two awards to win a Link shield. 

There have been weeks when no one has won because the rooms were simply NOT clean! 

There has been some movement toward a cleaner room for Greg & Zeke, who share a room.  Angelina loves her piles, so is farther away from a solid win. 

AND, this past week, I completely changed it up again.  Zeke was moved in with Louis and Graham into the room with Greg.  Because…I’d been finding half empty cups of iced tea and chocolate milk on dressers (and behind clean towels in cupboards), bowls of food in drawers, under the sink in the bathroom, in storage tubs…it’s just plain GROSS!  Of course, no one fesses up to the empty bowls and cups.  So, my solution was to mix up the living arrangements so I could keep track of the offenders (yes, I do have an idea of ‘who’ is doing it, but they’d always blame the roommate).  And, yes, my kids get plenty to eat, just not that kind of junk whenever they want. 

It’s part punishment/consequence for poor decisions, part older sibling helping younger sibling learn to keep a clean room and make good choices.

I have no idea if it will work or even help, but something needed to be changed.  Here goes.

Thursday DayLook: April 24, 2014

Looking out my back porch... grass is greening and the sky clear and blue.

I am thankful for... family & friends, a home big enough to accommodate family for an Easter weekend gathering.

I am reading… ‘The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling’ and ‘Bought with a Price’

I am praying...  that we can end our school year early, that my chicks arrive safely next week, that the weather stays warm and we are done with snow until October.

A random thought… Greg turns 17 today. 

I am hearing... silly computer jargon from the game Graham is playing.

From the School Room... it was a slow start to school this week.  I like taking off Holy Week, but it’s not really a vacation because there is so much going on!  I’d really like to be done.

From the Kitchen...  I made a few new recipes for Easter and hope to post them later on my cooking blog so I remember them.  The one was a Cranberry BBQ sauce that was served over pork/beef/lamb meatballs.  Everyone liked it.

From the FarmYard… 6 sheep arrived on the farm.  The momma rabbit was disturbed by all the new additions to the barn and did not deliver a healthy litter.  We hope to try again later and hope she’ll deliver in July.

A successful moment… all of my siblings and their families stayed at our home over Easter.  My in-laws hosted my parents (who appreciated the quiet!). 

A few plans for the rest of the week… I will be headed to Fargo for meetings on Friday and Saturday.  The kids have outside cleaning to do and Spring’s field work will start up if it’s dry enough.  The guys will work on the machinery if it’s too wet in the field.

A picture memory...

Dac at the ND State Fair in July 2013

Monday DayLook: April 14, 2014

Looking out my back porch... it’s snowing.  Thankfully, though, it’s melting when it hits the ground.

I am thankful for... grandparents/parents, sunshine, and good medical care.

I am reading… ‘The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling’ and ‘Bought with a Price’

I am praying that...  my little Louis never has another anaphylactic reaction.  We spent Saturday night in the hospital for observation because his reaction couldn’t be controlled quickly enough with the medication administered in the ER.  And we were also told children have a tendency to relapse around 8 hours after their symptoms have been controlled.  We live 45 and 55 miles from the two nearest hospitals; that’s a long way to travel.

A random thought… we are fortunate to live in an area where our kids are welcome to participate in the local school sports and extra-curricular activities.  We probably wouldn’t have let the kids participate as much in Fargo, but I can’t say that definitively because we moved.  Recently, my husband was visiting with a friend who talked about another homeschooling family who was considering moving because they felt ostracized in the town where they currently live.  Very thankful for our location, just thankful.

A favorite quote… "No one in the world can alter truth.  All we can do is seek it and live it."  ~ St. Maximilian Kolbe

I am hearing... the vacuum.

From the sewing/craft room… last week, I finally made time to sew.  Of course, it helped that there was a deadline involved!  Greg needed the vest, bowtie or tie (he couldn’t make up his mind, so I made both) and pocket square by last Friday.  So, we have one vest that is too small and one that fits wonderfully.  Suffice it to say, when that little voice tells you to measure, you really SHOULD measure.  You shouldn’t talk yourself out of it by thinking that it’ll take too much time…NOT measuring definitely takes more time.  In fact, it takes the exact amount of time to make another vest AND measure twice to make sure you are right the second time around!

From the School Room... the younger kids finished up a lot of subjects last week.  We are taking Holy Week off from school, except that Greg will most likely continue to work in a lot of subjects.

From the Kitchen...  not much was planned over the weekend as we ate at our parish mission each evening.  This week, we have LOTS planned as we’ll be prepping for Easter and the arrival of family.

From the FarmYard… PIGS arrived last Thursday.  And they are so CUTE!!  They’re small, but they’re Spots (a breed) and they are seriously adorable.  The cousins are going to love seeing the animals during their visit.  Eric and the kids will be picking up more pigs at a sale this week.

A successful moment… the weekend activities are completed. 

A few plans for the rest of the week…
We are taking the week off from school.  Angelina & Graham have ortho appts in Fargo, so we’ll be able to stock up on food and supplies for the family gathering over the Easter weekend.  Our family is hosting this year and looking forward to seeing family.  Other than that, we look forward to Holy Week and all the activities that go along with this most Holy time in our Church.

A picture memory...

Greg will celebrate his 17th birthday later this month.  How he has changed.  The pic above is from 2008 when he celebrated his 11th birthday…a couple months later we moved out to the farm.  That was a year of big changes for our family!

Finished by Friday

Remember I’m the type who likes lists and crossing off each item?  Well, this is a short list of what’s been accomplished in our household/homeschool this week. 

1. Vest, tie, bowtie, pocket square all sewn for Greg…this week.  Pictures to come later.

2. Angelina finished History, Literary Analysis & Reading Comprehension. 

3. Zeke finished History. 

4. Graham finished poetry & religion.

Monday DayLook: April 7, 2014

 

Looking out from my back porch... snow is pretty much gone and the sloughs in the fields around the house are catching the melt.

I am thankful for... a warm home, little boys (the 19mo old sounds cute, anyone else is more of an elephant!) who run through the house, awesome diocesan programs/gatherings for our junior and senior high kids, ability to bulk shop

I am reading… ‘33 Days to Morning Glory,’ ‘The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling,’ and ‘Bought with a Price’

I am praying for... the parent of a good friend who has been ill and a friend of my dad’s who is nearing the end of his earthly life.

I am hearing... Graham practicing the recorder.  He’s better every day!

From the sewing/craft room (aka. laundry room!)… over the weekend, I finally cut out the pattern for Greg’s vest and tie.  I’m almost done sewing the vest…needs shoulder seams sewn, button holes & buttons and a final press.

From the School Room... very thankful the kids are finishing up quite a few subjects..just in time to send them out into the warm weather.

From the Kitchen...  over the weekend, I crock-potted two chickens.  I like to do two at a time so I have meat to dice and freeze.  So, we ate chicken a la king for lunch with enough leftovers for supper.

From the FarmYard… snow melt means mud and rubber boots and loads of muddy jeans coming my way.

A successful moment… school planning was finished on Friday and the kitchen stayed clean over the weekend..

A few plans for the rest of the week…
Monday: staying home today & I’ll be sewing

Tuesday: potluck supper for Loboe Little Wrestlers and families

Wednesday:  my sister and her two boys are coming to stay overnight

Thursday: morning visit with my sister & boys

Friday: Greg is attending prom with a friend tonight, our parish mission is this weekend, Grandma Golden Acres is coming for a visit

Saturday/Sunday: parish mission

A picture memory...

Dac in April 2013.  Just reminds me how much all the boys look alike!