Messy Manger: 09.09

20090929

Weekends Suck; Mondays Rule

Without the affectionate, helpful hands of my husband, weekends are no different than any other day. So, in that sense, they suck big time. I was actually relieved yesterday to know it was Monday--being alone with the kids made more sense. But it's a little hard to make sense of anything right now simply because my brain is fried. I'm actually doing quite well for day six (yes, of course, I'm counting Thursday) with no Babydaddy. There's nothing to worry about, Mom. :) I'm just ready to warm up my ginger-scented rice pillow and smother my aching head with it.

this is kind of what my brain feels like. there's a lot going on, and you can allllmost make out what it is. but in the end you have no idea.

20090922

Farewell, Summer

Harvest Home
by Arthur Guiterman

The maples flare among the spruces,
The bursting foxgrape spills its juices,
The gentians lift their sapphire fringes
On roadways rich with golden tinges,
The waddling woodchucks fill their hampers,
The deer mouse runs, the chipmunk scampers,
The squirrels scurry, never stopping,
For all they hear is apples dropping
And walnuts plumping fast and faster;
The bee weighs down the purple aster--
Yes, hive your honey, little hummer,
The woods are waving, "Farewell, Summer."

20090921

I Just Feel Like...

Why is it that one week I feel like I can conquer the world, and the next week I feel like the world has landed on top of me?

Don't they make a pill to keep that over achiever going? If so, I'd like a few.

~~~

And Later That Day...

Call me melodramatic, but follow me here:

The whole ruby slippers thing is metaphorical for how I always feel like the evil within me is what brings this house down. Moms feel guilty for everything, so if I'm having a hard time I feel like it's my own fault. If the lessons aren't done, if the biscuits burn, if the kids are screaming--it's always my fault.

So after the above post I was sitting at the dining room table with Gizmo. I was doodling in my lesson planner while he was doodling on the white-board slate. He was quietly talking gibberish to himself and all of the sudden I heard these words come out of his mouth:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil."

For Thou art with me.

Indeed, He is.

20090917

Hold Me Back

Girl, I'm afraid I didn't do a very good job of holding back today. My self-control slipped away--or perhaps I should be honest and say, I threw that dad~gum self-control in the trash!

I took the kids to the mall for lunch and play time. (Yes, it is actually getting chilly enough for that. Yikes.) So we were having a great time; it was wonderful to get out of the house for a bit. They ate a hearty Chick-fil-A meal and we headed to the play area (Momtopia, remember?)

Ladybug was SO excited! The girl loves to climb and run and giggle. She was the most precious thing ever, just running around and running back to snuggle with my leg and then running around again. Obviously, she can hold her own, so I was just watching from a safe distance. She had climbed up and gone down the slide several times, even though bigger kids would sometimes sneak by her or breathe down her neck. It was no problem for her. No stress. She was fine. Then, a little later on she returned to the slide and a boy of about five or six went by her and slid down before her. I didn't think too much of it, though I was watching her like a hawk. He looked a little aggressive. And then all of a sudden he turns around and pushes her off the top of the slide. She flies down on her back and I was in flight as well. She was SO upset. The girl is tough, and she was just bawling her eyes out. I swooped her up and stared at the kid and said, "No you did NOT," in my most acidic tone. Catching his mom's eye in the back ground I turned my focus to comforting the injured party, but I was so angry I was shaking for a very long time.

In the end I got control of myself. The kid's dad made him come apologize and I was able to say It's Okay and Thank you for apologizing. But I could tell I had scared him.
Also in the end, Ladybug was fine. I think it scared her and hurt her feelings just as much if not more than it hurt her body. Really, she's a tough girl. But it's the whole falling backwards at the hands of another person. The most suspenseful parts of movies are created from such things.

And just to tug at your heartstrings a little more, here's our sweet girl~ ;)

20090916

Kindergarten, Eat Your Heart Out!!

I have been spending the last three years reading and researching this crazy idea of taking on the responsibility of teaching our own children at home. Who In Their Right Mind would do this? When we can send our kiddos to fun classrooms with good teachers--and then have time to go to the gym and have lunch with grown ups...or perhaps get a job or go back to school. Who would give that up? Only people who are in love behave this way.

Well, Li'l Bit: I think I love you, so what am I so afraid of?

So, in my excitement for the commencement of Li'l Bit's official Kindergarten year, here is a glance at the curriculum I've put together for her:

I like the idea of our kids hearing Scripture, not just Bible stories (though we do have some wonderful Bible storybooks.) We've been walking through TOPGTTReading since she was three. It's been a slow walk because I'm learning how to be consistent, but she's getting ahead of me with her sight reading. So now I really have to get on the ball in teaching her phonics!

I love this book! I wish I could find more like it. It has beautiful artwork to accompany the 23rd Psalm--word for word, actual scripture! We've read it so much that even Gizmo (who is feeling A-OKay, by the way!) can recite it with me!

They both love the Math U See blocks. :) We're getting acquainted with the video and lesson structure, and this week we're making our own Decimal Street so Li'l Bit can master place value. So far I really like this curriculum, and everyone I know who uses it likes it.

Handwriting is simpler and harder than I thought. I use the workbook as a guide, but it takes consistency, practise, and constant supervision to help her learn. Muscle memory. To do these lessons I'm going to have to master the art of occupying the younger two, so I can focus on Li'l Bit.

Synopsis: the books have a little bio about each composer. The cd has the composer's music: a 30-60 second excerpt from their famous pieces. That piece is followed by the same music paired with cute lyrics to help the kid (and, umm, the parent) remember who composed what. The one thing I don't like about it is how synthesized the lyric-less bits of music are--only because when I expose my kids to fine art and music I want it to be in its most beautiful form. Also, I plan to focus a week+ at a time learning about the life of one composer and always having his music playing throughout the house. We did one week with Chopin and I found a wealth of good storybooks about him at our library. In the end Li'l Bit has always loved to listen to the Classical Karaoke cd. And when I have the real thing playing sometimes she will actually say, "Hey, that's Pachelbel!"

These books have wonderful pictures and bios. Every so often the kids will pull one off the shelf, sit on the floor, and just gaze at kids from around the world. Ann Voskamp also has some very popular geography/world studies books I want to get my hands on. (her blog is amazing: http://www.aholyexperience.com/)

I stumbled onto this book in our local book store and love it. The subject matter is very intriguing--by telling the history of the White House, it tells the story of our country. (Which, our kids are going to need to know to help them weather the storm of politics and understanding our government.) It's cut up into digestible pieces, and the artwork is gorgeous.

I love this book! The experiments are SO doable and SO many of them are right on Li'l Bit and Gizmo's level without being hokey or crafty. I chuckled to myself when I got it because I thought, "No good, baptist girl would ever buy curriculum with the word wizardry in the title!"

And last but most certainly not least: Literature!! Just makes you want to breathe deep and snuggle into the couch doesn't it! This is and will always be our strongest subject. We all love to read, and as mama of the house I just have to make sure that they have only the best to consume. These are just a few of our favs, but there are dozens and dozens I could list. And the most surprising books have amazing morals in them! Like The Magical Ballet Slippers by Nick Ellsworth--all about self control.

So, anyway, that's our little world right now. And this little world is embarking on a very cranky breakfast time, so here goes...

20090910

Pitiful Doesn't Even Begin To Describe

Some of you may know--and most of you do not--that today was Gizmo's birthday. Well, the poor, pitiful guy...

He was great (i.e. normal) all morning. We ogled over his cake, opened presents, played with them, etc. I woke up this morning with a dad gum migraine, so Stac came over around noon to give me a break. While she was watching them he all of the sudden was inconsolable with extreme stomach pain. Long story short, he only wanted to lay flat on his back on the living room floor and every five or ten minutes he'd start crying hysterically with a belly ache.

We took him to the doctor and did x-rays and yada yada yada. Again, long story short--because I am indeed exhausted--he's doing better now. Whatever was torturing him has hopefully given him its worst and now he's healing. He has had a very long, very hard birthday and I just want a freakin' Do Over for the poor guy!! We got home from the hospital and he saw his uneaten birthday cake, unopened presents, and in the tiniest voice he said, "I want my birthday." Once he's good and back to normal, we are definitely having a Do Over Third Birthday.

But let me just say I am Thankful:

What would I do without Stacey? I honestly Do Not Know what I'd do without her love.

Grammie got here today. What perfect timing when we are all at the end of ourselves?! We have already made use of the extra set of hands...and ears and eyes and voice... :)

Gizmo is asleep! I pray he's able to rest through the night and not continue to wake up vomiting.

oh, that sweet face!! playing on the table while my dad and i put down our new rug. its gorgeous.

the chandelier i've wanted for three years! finally purchased and put up in the dining room!

this girl is still a total nut! we love all her silliness and lovey~ness. we just want to eat her up!

and our beautiful little priss. this girl is reading like nobody's business! she amazes me by what she's picked up outside of formal lessons. kids are sponges, dude. sponges.