Some School Stuff

Does life ever slow down? I think not. Whew! One day at a time, just one day at a time...

Right now, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am getting really excited about summer break! Really, the kids enjoy school and the routine. They are too young to be counting down to summer. But, (don't tell them this), I am ready for a break!

Mostly, I just want to re-organize some things. Something about spring that makes you want a fresh start, right? But, time is flying by -- somehow it's mid-March, already! Here's a few things we've been doing:

Riding our "horses" around the obstacle course throughout our downstairs.

Making spring flowers out of coffee filters. You just stack 4 filters and cut out circles. Cut slats across the radius of the circle, stopping just before the center, then tie them together using a piece of yarn. Pull apart the petals and paint the tips with watercolors. Very simple and very pretty!

Making "fireworks" by filling a bowl with 1/3 cup milk, then adding 3 drops of food coloring around the edges, and finally dripping liquid soap to the center to watch the colors swirl and mix.

Learning how our sense of smell affects our taste by sniffing various items such as vanilla and mint and then eating an apple.

Designing a shirt, then writing qualities from our Colossians Bible verse inside our hearts!

All these ideas are from our curriculum, "Beyond Little Hearts for His Glory." As with any curriculum, there is good and bad, but our girls have really seemed to enjoy this curriculum despite some shortcomings I see. You can check it out here.

"Rag Dolls"

"Mom -- Take a picture of me with my rag doll, and then blog about it!" Um... ok, sweetie! Hence, this post. But, what do I write about? I began to think. Want to know my thoughts?

I'm not really sure what to call this toy. I refer to it as "The foam and buttons." They are one of many finds that Grandma found for us at a garage sale. I have never seen them in a store before, or else I would buy them as gifts for friends; I think they're pretty cool!

Like any toy, they are super fun and played with for a long time at once, then forgotten about for weeks until they become "new" again. Really, I don't think the girls have played with these since we moved here. But, this week they decided to make "rag dolls" with them. They have lots of dolls they could play with. But, these dolls became precious and special because they made them!

It made me realize once again just how little kids need to really make them happy. Last week, they worked outside for hours every day playing "brick factory" with some old pavers the previous owners left here. After Costco trips, boxes become the best toys. There is no fort cooler than one built out of blankets and chairs. And, homemade games and crafts? The best!

I can totally relate to their joy. I am currently working on decorating the shelves around my tv cabinet. When I find something around the house that I can use there, I get so excited! I don't even want to go buy more "junk." (Unless, of course, it's on clearance at Target because I just can't seem to resist an orange sticker!) But really, I have all I need. I find joy in re-purposing old pieces that actually mean something to me. Or, I like creating my own art -- even if it's copied from Pinterest!

So, there you go! It may be reaching a bit to pull that out from "Rag dolls," but it's a good reminder, none-the-less to be happy with what we have... And, to make the most out of what we have!

Sunday Cuteness

CAUTION: Major cuteness ahead.

Warning: Squeezing cheeks may leave fingerprints on your computer screen. Please try to refrain.

Ooh, I just love that little chubbers! 3 1/2 months: the perfect age. No rolling over, sitting-up, crawling, making messes, arguing, talking back, eating anything but breast milk, and rarely even fussing. Just looking plain cute. Perfect, I tell you!

Bass Pro Spring Fishing Classic

It's that time of year, again... the Bass Pro fishing classic is here this weekend with crafts, coloring, and free trout fishing for the kiddos! Last year the girls accidentally stumbled upon it with Grandma when we lived across the street from Bass Pro Shop and they would take walks to the "fishy store." They called Daniel and I to come with our cameras, and we waited outside in the heat for a very, very long time. When it was finally our turn, we waited once again; (I guess that's what fishing is about, right?)

Not this year! Because we went on Friday, the wait wasn't very long and the fish were biting quickly. It was a nice day, but not overly hot. All 3 girls caught a fish, though we forgot our camera -- doh! And, guess what? Natalie's fish was...

PREGNANT!

I hope the pictures aren't too bothersome for you. Years ago, I would have been very disturbed. Being married into the Chinese culture, things like this don't even bother me anymore! In fact, I find them very cool. Of course, Daniel had me look up a recipe for turning them into caviar, and that's exactly what he did! It's quite a process; each egg has to have the membrane removed. But, we couldn't resist giving it a try! They now sit in a pretty little glass jar in our fridge!

And, tonight we enjoyed the trout. It's not my favorite fish, but being that it was fresh and caught by my girls I found it enjoyable.

The Toothfairy Pillow

As I mentioned yesterday, I had to rush to make Allison's toothfairy pillow while she was at VBS. I did already have the fabric in hand that Allison had picked out herself, and I made the pillow according to Allison's instructions she had given me beforehand. But, I didn't really get to be creative.

If you have multiple kids, (and especially 2 girls), you know that giving them 2 different presents can be risky. Inevitably, if I give Allison something and then Natalie something different, Natalie wants what Allison has. Knowing this, I asked Natalie ahead of time if I could make her toothfairy pillow different. She said yes. I wasn't convinced. I asked again. She still said yes. I still wasn't confident, but I went for it. Rather than a tooth with a pocket and her initials like Allison's, I made an orange monster head that eats teeth. It kind of resembles an "ugly doll." Here it is:

And... drumroll please...

Natalie loves it! She named him Benny. He sits on her bed and makes her happy. She called me to her room tonight just to look at him on her "polished bed." So sweet. She's happy. I'm happy. And, now to watch my tivo'd Survivor and go to bed!

Up Late... Again!

I have had so many weird computer issues, lately. Alas, my picture has downloaded and I can blog! Hooray!

So, I must tell you -- I kind of have a crazy obsession with all Asian drinks; especially coffee and tea drinks. I love to try new ones and have several old favorites. I've tried sea salt coffee, Vietnamese coffee, all different brands of canned milk coffee and milk tea, thai tea, and boba drinks. I sometimes think I am more Chinese than my husband. (And, so does he!) Anyway, I recently discovered my favorite milk coffee is back at our local Asian market, and I am so excited! It is my little friend that allows me to stay up far past my point of exhaustion in the evening to work on projects and planning.

Tonight's project is a tooth fairy pillow for Natalie. I CANNOT believe she has 2 loose teeth, already! I guess it makes sense since her older sister at just 6 1/2 has lost 10 teeth. I remember being shocked at the phone call from VBS a week after Allison's 5th birthday saying she had lost her first tooth. I had to rush to make her a pillow before she got home; I think I had 2 hours. It feels a little better this time around to not have the time pressure. That being said, I need to finish a few final touches and head to bed so you'll have to wait until tomorrow for the final project! Good night!

Musings

I love to run. Love, love, love it! I rarely need motivation... (finding time is another story!) I've been back to running for about 5 weeks, now. The picture above was taken by my husband about 3 weeks ago. A sweet new friend of ours gave us her old BOB double jogger. Yes, I feel completely blessed by her generosity! Combine that with our old garage sale double jogger, and we can all go jogging together as a family of 6, (plus the dog!). This particular day I gave my husband our little camera to catch a picture of the view. Of course, it was a foggy day... Murphy's Law! But, I feel like I'm on top of the world when we reach the top of the hill! And, he took a picture of me which made me gasp when I saw it. I need to be on one of those pictures that says, "How I feel when I run," and "How I actually look when I run." You know which ones I'm talking about? Ha!

This past Saturday we decided to jog 2.5 miles downhill to get the girls smoothies. We flew -- that was no problem! But, that meant we had to jog another 2.5 back up the hill! I am proud to say I made it 1.5 miles back up, but had to walk the rest because it got way too steep to push 2 kiddos and jog.

Yesterday we packed them all in again, which is no small task, only to make it around the corner and feel rain drops. Bummer! With my husband's schedule I am lucky to run maybe 1 - 3 times a week. I don't want a treadmill because I don't think I'll use it. I love the fresh air of an outdoor run. I love the view from a steep climb. I love gawking at houses, wondering who lives there, and gathering decorating and landscaping ideas. I don't even like listening to music when I run; I prefer to think, ponder, pray, and daydream. Running is my therapy, my stress-release, and my excuse to eat dessert before and after every meal! :) I know my knees wish I would find a different way to exercise, but I think I am literally going to run them to the ground!

In other news, we bought an avocado tree! Did you know these things grow as wide as they do tall? They are suppose to be ginormous, so we'll see how it goes. I do love me some guacamole!

We've been making lots of yummy breakfasts, lately. Crepes with homemade yuzu marmalade, dutch baby, oatmeal blueberry pancakes, and pancakes with sprinkles and chocolate chips. I always feel like a yummy breakfast and a good cup of coffee means the day has to go well! So far my theory has not held entirely true, but I am going to keep testing it!

And, just so you know... baby swings; they're not just for babies anymore!

Twisted, backwards...

...inside out, and one leg out! Yes, I am describing Sierra's pants. (She was so proud!) But, I am also describing how I've been feeling the last 3 days. I was in such a funk! I am so happy to be typing "was," because I feel the fog is lifting.

I believe the main culprit has been fatigue. My Sierra has not only given up napping at the tender age of 2 yrs. 4 mos., but she has also decided that sleeping through the night and sleeping-in are no longer for her, either. I've been through this once before; my number one gave up napping at this age, as well. So did my number 2, but somehow she wasn't the bear that number 1 and number 3 are without their naps. My husband has been working a lot, and somehow I just fell into this funk!

Now, I feel I must confess something. I did not run into the arms of the One who calls me to cast my burdens unto Him (1 Peter 3:5) and come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28-30). No, I looked to my iced coffee with heavy cream! But, it wasn't cutting it!

I did try to think of all my blessings - and I am SO blessed. I began thanking God for everything I could think of. But, I was still in my pity party! Ridiculous, I know!

I blasted my worship music, but I felt like I was constantly turning it down or off because I needed to break-up an argument, or put a baby to sleep. I tried to cry out to God, but couldn't find a time/ place to be alone, and kept getting interrupted.

Somehow, I couldn't find the humor in things. I couldn't see anything beyond the immediate situation. All I wanted was to be alone. I was just plain self-focused!


Finally, today I opened my windows to let the fragrance of the jasmine permeate my house. And, this is what I believe changed my attitude; I began to pray for my friends! My, oh my! Was it really that simple all along? I absolutely needed something -- anything to get my focus off myself! From there I began to pray for my kids, which again, caused my heart to melt for them.


I am still tired. T-I-R-E-D! So is the sweetie in the swing. I think she began rubbing her eyes the moment she woke-up, and continued to do so until bed time. She carried her blankie with her all day, too; a sure sign of a tired girl. We spent a lot of time in this swing today!


Tired, but at peace. My joy and love tank are being refilled as I consider this trial "pure joy." Really, it's not even a trial; it's a little funk. It's a lot of fatigue. It's a season that is passing quickly.


I am just looking at this face as I am blogging -- looking at that mop on top of her head! Looking at that smile and once again praising the Lord for my blessed life!

Dr. Seuss Fun

As I mentioned in my last post, we did indeed celebrate Dr. Seuss day; we just happened to do so a day early! When we first did Dr. Seuss day 2 years ago, I remember lots of planning took place. This year -- not so much, thanks to Pinterest! Not-to-mention, I realized I have a lot of Dr. Seuss paraphernalia around here! For example, these 4 Dr. Seuss puzzles we started our day with:

Next we did the classic reading of "The Cat in the Hat." I had my girls help take turns with the reading. In fact, I had them help plan most of this day. I thought it would be fun for them to feel like little teachers since they were the oldest kids there at 5 and 6! The night before I handed them a checklist of things to do to prepare, such as collect items that rhyme and put them in a basket and build the "trick-a-ma-stick" for the game. They did a great job working their way through it.


Here are all of the cuties doing their "sit-down work: which came from here.

And, here was our snack:

And, here is the story behind the snack: Ever since our last Dr. Seuss day celebration 2 years ago, I've wanted to make the "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" cupcakes I saw on some blog. So, I loaded the 4 kids in the car the night before and drove to the only place I know to get cotton candy; The Dollar Tree. As you can see from the picture above, it appeared that some blue cotton candy would be in the bag. That was not the case -- it was all yellow and pink. Ugh! To make matters worse, I could NOT get the circle labels to stick to the front of the cupcakes. So, this is what we ended up with:

On the bright side, the kids did not care one bit, and they tasted delicious!

Finally, we used our 2 Dr. Seuss games to end the day with a little fun.

Setting The Tone

Yesterday I had a few friends over to celebrate Dr. Seuss day a tad early. Though my husband had been gone for 2 days, I managed to have the house all clean, my lessons all prepared, and I was ready to host a fun day of learning! You're waiting for the "but," aren't you? Actually, it all went down as planned. It was homeschooling at its finest!

Both friends have kids 4 and under, so they haven't decided whether or not homeschooling is the road for them yet. I was happy to encourage and give advice. They asked things like how I managed with the 2 little ones. "We just go with the flow," I said with a smile. And, it's true. I answered many more questions and we had a great time, and then said goodbye. I was feeling great. I had even convinced myself that homeschooling was the best! And, that is how I've been feeling, lately! And, here comes the "but..."

Then, last night hit! My oldest lost her 10th tooth! Tenth, and she's only 6! That meant I would have to remember to stay up to play tooth fairy, and I was already quite tired. It also meant I had to help Allison get to sleep because she was too excited. Once I finally made it to bed, the little man had some trouble sleeping due to his second cold. Sniff, snort, snuff, cry -- poor little guy! Then came Natalie; a bad dream brought her to us insisting she sleep in our room. We got a sleeping bag and a box of kleenex and I was hoping to hit dreamland again. That was not to be -- our crazy dog began barking, as he heard the wind coming. He is so crazy; must bark every time the Santa Ana winds hit! Last, but not least, the bloody murder screaming of our dear Sierra. All I know is that she is way overly tired, which makes her sleep worse -- makes sense, right?

All that to say, today started off way too early, (5:30am), and on little sleep. The fun began right away when I decided to take a shower and Sierra decided she would feed the fish. Here's the picture:


Next, as I was cleaning the fish, Sierra was upstairs with her sister and I found this:

You're not suppose to smile when you're naughty, stinker!

Oh, this is just a glimpse. There was lotion all over. And, it happened 2 more times today... TWO more times, despite a spanking and a very aware little girl apologizing. Hmmm... we also had markers all over, floss pulled out, chapstick all over the face, and... yes, it was one of those days!

School still happened. I'm not sure how, but it did. We didn't get to read, but we made it through everything else. Was I patient? Not really. Did I laugh about how crazy it was? I tried, but I couldn't. What happened to "Go with the flow?" What happened to my clean house?

There was fighting and arguing today. There was mess-making and crying. It was a tough day for me. I felt like I couldn't give the love that everyone needed. It was ugly, and not the perfectly planned day I like.

I put the kids to bed by 6:45pm, then came downstairs to process. Oh, the joy of a quiet house! Thinking back over the day, I can see a few things that make me smile. When we first got up and I was in bed surrounded by all 4 kiddos, Allison pulled out my "Jesus Calling" devotional, asked the date, and began to read. Thank you, my sweet child! God knew I needed to start the day with those words! After lunch, when I was about to pull my hair out, I decided to turn on worship music to clean to. Oh, how worshipping our Savior can refresh a frustrated heart!

I was listening to a broadcast from "Focus on the Family" a few weeks ago, and it was a mom talking about raising kids. One thing she said that really struck a chord with me was that WE, as mothers, are the ones responsible for setting the tone for our family. I love these people:


But, they are not the ones to set the tone for our day. It is up to me, when they have the grumps, to turn on that worship music. Lately, Allison makes a funny face at me when she's mad where she puckers up her lips. I smile and ask if she wants a kiss? It often makes her laugh and changes the mood in an instant.

Part of today I was successful at this. Part of today, I failed miserably and let them dictate the tone. I am learning. I know this will not be my last tough day. More are to come. Yet, even as I write and look at these sweet faces, I am reminded that there is humor in all this. I will look back one day and laugh as I tell Sierra what a stinker she could be. And, I will continue to be humbled and brought to my knees, asking God to please help me set the right tone!

I'm off to bed now -- so tired, I hope I'm even making sense! Pictures of our fun Dr. Seuss day to come!

Two Things

1. Laundry isn't so bad when you have a cozy fire to do it by on a rainy day.

2. I would do laundry all day with this adorable little guy next to me.

1. 

If You Give a 2 Year Old Bubbles...

...They may end up in your fountain; which isn't all-bad. It is kind of cool, really. Leave it to a 2-year-old to know how to have fun. Ha! Oh, Sierra!

Malachi 3 Months

Dear Handsome,

• You are 3 months old, today!

• You love to talk more than any other baby I remember -- I think you are getting ready to live in this crazy house of girls!

• You have had a bed time of 7:30 for about a month now, and only wake-up once or twice; THANK YOU!

• You are losing your hair rapidly, and I am guessing you will be bald by next month's picture.

• You have not once made yourself a fountain, and I don't even bother covering your turtle anymore. Please don't start now!

• I am so in love with you, and so are your sisters and your Papa. You are one special boy!

And now to totally embarrass myself with babytalk just for Grandma:

Lessons from Sunday School

Up until last year, it was like pulling teeth to find out what the kids learned in Sunday School. Perhaps they were just too young to articulate it; I don't know. Somehow, it all changed once Allison was moved to the first grade classroom this past summer. Now we get bombarded with verses, stories, and tales of games, snacks, and friends the minute we pick them up from Sunday school. I LOVE it! What I love even more is when the lesson "sticks."

Yesterday, Allison told of how she learned to share. Today, I found this upon returning from Costco:

I had to smile!

Then there's our artist. She told us how she learned the story of Jesus calming the storm. She explained the whole deal to her dad while he questioned her. I say she got an "A." Today, the picture she painted was this:

Yup, that's Jesus in His pink robe calming the storm. Makes me smile.

Spring Surprises

We've been in our new house now for almost 8 months. Time flies! Needless-to-say, this is our first "spring," (though it's technically winter), living here. While the girls and I were enjoying the beautiful spring weather and some yummy smoothies the other day, I noticed a strong fragrance. I walked around the corner, and found these beauties:

I think they're jasmine? Anyone know for sure? Oh, how lovely they smell! At least that is my opinion, I was informed... Allison thinks they smell disgusting! Ha!

Inside we've discovered a little spring, as well. Our curriculum had us creating a little flower garden...
...As well as a little herb garden. I learned that an herb is just any soft-stemmed plant. Bet you didn't know that! :) First grade has sure taught me a lot.

Looking forward to spring and planting a real herb garden; and lots of veggies! First we have to find a spot. Melissa, I need your HELP!