31

Check out the delicious chocolate layer cake Hubby and the kids made and decorated! (Princess took the picture--not bad!)
The blue candles represent the 3 and 1. The others were strategically placed by Hubby so I couldn't blow them all out easily with one breath. But I had plenty of helpers, so it was no problem!

I've had a good birthday, two birthday meals, a bunch of Honey Bunches of Oats (my favorite!) Princess and Honey helped me make a birthday cookie for tonight. Here's the recipe--it is gluten-free, super quick, only 4 ingredients (PB, brown sugar, egg, chocolate chips) and tastes like reese's pieces. :) (yeah, I don't know how it works with no flour, but it does!)

I think Snuggle-Bug is getting tired of getting her picture taken. Here are some from this week:

School Days, School Days

For anyone wondering, I thought I'd update where we're at with our home preschool. :) I started out using the 4-year old Character training curriculum from Hubbard's Cupboard. Princess wasn't very interested in trying to do stuff with sight words; Speedy was bored; and there wasn't much for Honey to do. And one character trait per week seemed to be moving through it too fast for us. So basically we kept most of the calendar binder, and we try to do that 2-3 times a week. (I’m practicing letting go of the perfection of doing things ‘just right.’) We work on a bible verse (usually the one Princess brings home from Children’s Church.) We’re emphasizing the ROCK rules for our house, using the four appropriate trait sheets from Hubbard’s Cupboard to supplement. I’ve been trying to pick a seasonal theme, or something the kids have been very curious about for each week. If we’re at the library or PAT room, I check out some books relating to the theme, or read from our BIG home library. (We’ve done Bugs, Caterpillars, Leaves, next week will be Spiders.) Then we work our way through a letter that fits in and a number. We’ve been doing more art—which all the kids like best, anyway. J Even Honey is getting into it. We also try to do some play-do time, and singing and finger play time.

Here’s my summary of the (FREE, of course!) resources I’ve used the most and found the most helpful over the last couple years:

Hubbard’s Cupboard is a very thorough pre-k resource with lots of theme and bible activities, crafts, songs, and fun play-do recipes.

No Time For Flashcards is a great blog for simple, cheap crafts for young kids. The projects use mostly things you'll already have on hand. There is usually a related song and book reviews listed, too. Her index of activities is very easy to use, too.

Hummingbird Educational Resources is a compilation of crafts, activities, songs and snacks listed by topic, as well as by certain storybooks (i.e., a bunch of ideas for using with Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?)

Preschool Express has many activity, craft, snack, and song ideas for different themes; as well as calendars of suggested activities for toddlers or preschoolers, and different sections focusing on art, music or movement.

I’ve been trying not to do worksheets (as someone reminded me, my kiddos will be doing worksheets the rest of their school career!) but the older two like them at times, and they are good reinforcement for some of the letters and sounds. I have found great worksheets at beginningreading.com.

And for letter and picture coloring printables, there is quite a selection at Preschool Coloring Book.

There are SO many useful and inspiring sites out there, but these are the ones I go back to over and over.

100 Things About Me

In honor of my 100th post (wow!) I'm following suit of other bloggers and trying to come up with 100 (semi)interesting things about me:

1. I'm a sinner saved by grace.



2. I'm a blessed mom of 3, soon to be 4.



3. I have a wonderful, Christian, patient, kind husband who is also my friend.



4. I don't have a cell phone.



5. I don't have cable.



6. I love chocolate chip cookies.



7. Well, pretty much anything chocolate, especially dark or semi-sweet.



8. Favorite foods include: ice cream



9. Pizza



10. Italian dishes



11. Mexican dishes



12. A good old cheeseburger and fries.



13. I don't like bananas.



14. Or applesauce.



15. I love fall.



16. I enjoy being outdoors.



17. I like foot rubs.



18. And back rubs.



19. My least favorite chores: ironing



20. Dusting



21. I like organizing things.



22. I love flowers. Just about any kind.



23. I like taking walks,



24. Going for bike rides,



25. Getting dirt under my fingernails.



26. Hobbies: scrapbooking



27. A little bit of sewing, I would love to do more!



28. Cooking



29. Reading



30. Playing outside



31. Gardening



32. Playing with the kids



33. I'm hooked on Parents As Teachers



34. and MOPs



35. I tend to favor the color purple.



36. I am low-maintenance in the hair and make-up dept.



37. My ears are pierced 3 times.



38. My nose and belly button are not.



39. Good thing, because I no longer have a belly button after 4 pregnancies.



40. I'm a little addicted to garage sales.



41. I get frustrated shopping for clothes.



42. I don't drink.



43. I don't smoke.



44. I have 2 dogs.



45. I have a non-functioning inground pool.



46. I journal.



47. I blog. (duh!)



48. I facebook.



49. I don't have an iPod.



50. I have 2 younger sisters.



51. And a younger brother.



52. I have 16 nieces and nephews.



53. And one more on the way!



54. I have more ideas than time to do them.



55. I drive a mini-van.



56. A teal one.



57. I have had chicken pox.



58. And pinkeye.



59. And ACL surgery.



60. I'm a college grad.



61. I can't stand things between my toes (like toe rings, [shiver])



62. I do a little stamping.



63. And card-making.



64. And piano-playing (just a little)



65. I have driven a combine.



66. And a 4-wheeler.



67. I have seen a cow give birth.



68. I have gone car-hooding in the snow.



69. I have been rapelling.



70. I've seen the mountains.



71. And the oceans.



72. But not Alaska



73. Or Hawaii. (sigh)



74. I've never been overseas.



75. I can speak un poco Espanol.



76. I used to know some sign language.



77. I like football season (goes along with the fall, see #15)



78. I root for the 'Cats.



79. My parents are both still living and married.



80. So are both sets of my grandparents.



81. Trying new things is mostly out of my comfort zone.



82. Except in the kitchen, I seem to be more adventurous.



83. I am a home-body.



84. I've had some gray hairs since college.



85. I haven't dyed them...yet.



86. I have never bungee jumped.



87. But before I got OLD, I enjoyed roller coasters.



88. So far, I haven't really minded the labor and delivery part of having babies.



89. But the last 16 weeks of pregnancy I could do without!



90. I enjoy doing crosswords, cryptoquote, sudoku, and other word and number games.



91. Scrabble is one of the top pastimes in our household.



92. I was recently awarded the 'I have a new favorite pie' distinction.



93. I have always been a little scared of horses.



94. I can still fit in some clothes I wore in high school...



95. But not some from a couple years ago (?)



96. I wouldn't mind being a little more stylish and glamorous.



97. I am so tired of automated telemarketer phone calls.



98. I don't like humidity at all.



99. I wish I had more hours in the day.



100. I can't believe I got to 100!

:)

Wait 5 minutes

My fellow Kansans know the joke, 'If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes.' It was beautiful earlier, sunshiny, clear blue sky, 56 degrees. I was thinking about spring and how lovely it is to be able to crack the patio door and let in some fresh air. And how long it seemed since it has been sunny here. How optimistic spring and sunshine make me feel. Well. I'm glad the kids went outside for a bit before nap, because now it's overcast, the wind picked up even more, and the temp already dropped to 48. Here's a spring-y pic of some tulips in the sun (that my sister brought home from work.)



Speedy has had a fever off and on the last three days--so sad, because he had to miss his best buddy and U. T's birthday brunch yesterday. Lots of crying yesterday, but okay. Honey had me up a ton last night, not sure what the deal was. She capped off being up and active for an hour or more by rolling all the way down and off the foot of our bed with quite a clunk.

Here's the little crayon cruncher caught in the act.

The kids are watching Strawberry Shortcake sing-along right now (I think Princess convinced Speedy to pick it for his BM reward.) Unlike those songs, here's a link to one that I enjoy listening to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYBLjEaDFDE&feature=related You'll recognize it from the new Mac commercial. :)

Tuesday Musings

We saw a Papa John's flyer with a heart-shaped pizza, so Princess wanted to try making one for our Valentine dinner. Wasn't too hard. She was also excited about our pink punch (1 c pink lemonade, 1 c raspberry sherbet, 1 can 7up).
Speedy has latched on to Sam the bear; Sam sleeps with Speedy; Sam is sometimes Speedy's pillow; Sam takes trips in the van with us; Sam even sits at the table during meals sometimes. (Yes, he's wearing his jersey again!)
Just a cute one of Honey and Hubby. :) Honey's latest exploits include still putting everything in her mouth, and passing some interesting things into her diaper; LOVES grapes; can climb onto the bathroom stool and reach onto the counter; very interested in everything in the bathroom--today was already seen dragging around the toilet brush, then the bathroom rug. She cried herself to sleep for a nap today...for the first time ever--usually I am her pacifier to soothe to sleep. She has never been interested in an actual pacifier for more than about one minute. She's waving, clapping, bouncing to music, putting phones to her ear, trying to run, and I'm pretty sure, has repeated a couple words. :)

Princess & Speedy always want to try yogurt, then don't like it, so there's all these partially eaten yogurts lurking. Finally, we discovered that they love the Yoplait Whipped yogurt. Especially the chocolate mousse flavor. Does that really count as yogurt??

Speedy was reading 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?' out loud to himself after lunch today. Very cute. And hard to believe he's growing up so much! He was helping me in the kitchen this weekend (he likes being close to the food, I think, and the opportunity for snacking). He was leaning over a pan just out of the oven, and I said "that'll burn your face, honey." He kind of glared at me and said, "I not HONEY, I SPEEDY!" Hubby agreed. :) Speedy has come up with his own word for when he toots--he calls it a peep. Like, 'I peeped' or 'I made a peep.'

We (the kids and I) started a new chapter book--Stuart Little. We're only on chapter 3. Need to enforce some bedtimes, I guess. I finally finished 'Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours' (I hear you snickering) by Kevin Leman. It was slow to start, but had some good points--main focus is 'reality discipline' basically letting logical consequences and your (the parent's) actions do the talking instead of arguing, wheedling, bribing, etc. Also had some pretty good chapters on single parenting and blended families. The verse it was based on was

Eph 6:4 "Don't keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them
angry and resentful. Rather, bring them up with the loving discipline the
Lord himself approves, with suggestions and godly advice." NLT

Also talks about how as a parent you want to aim for an authoritative approach, in between permissive (robs child of self respect and initiative by doing so much FOR her) and authoritatian (robs child of self-esteem and sense of independence by doing so much TO her). Interesting.

So Hubby thinks my blogging is kind of silly--I can't blame him, he actually gets to talk with other adults throughout the day instead of pseudo-conversing via a blog. :) It's also a good way for me to savor the everyday stuff, share info with others as I think of it (that I usually end up forgetting to tell them in person), and hopefully be an encouragement, or at least mildly entertaining to others. Time to end this long post that has only taken about 40 minutes, in between interruptions. One of which was Princess asking me if God and Jesus would take care of her if she didn't have a Mommy and Daddy in heaven. (sniff, sniff) Yes, Princess.