Summer of 2013, Part 1

This was a strange summer for us, for SURE.  It went by so fast, and almost the entire family got sick during the month of July. DUMB!  We WON'T be doing that EVER again.  Gee whiz!!  Here are some pictures from my phone of some things we did do this summer..........

 Sasha and Addie had a dance recital.....always a highlight of our summer.  (Addie HATED this costume.  It was so very itchy and was so tight, I had to alter it.  Poor kid.  But she does look super cute in it!)

 We played baseball or softball every single night for about 6 weeks.  It was a good season, and not so good season.  I don't know if the kids will play or if Will is going to coach next year.  That is all I want to say about it.  :(

 Beautiful Sasha had a wonderful piano recital and we were so proud of her.  Playing seems to come naturally to her.  She has a soft touch on the piano and is lovely to listen to! :) Seth and Addie started lessons this summer and they seem to enjoy it. :)

 We got this to play with at Bear Lake.  We planned on staying for at least 4 days, but Addie got sick and we ended up cutting our trip short.  Camping in a tent with 7 people is nuts and I am not sure we will do it EVER again.  (Me and my big ideas.  My family things I am crazy.)

 I made 24 of these tote bags for girls camp, which took place at the end of July.  It was an amazing experience.  It was huge undertaking and dominated by thoughts for months and months!  When I got back, I felt weird to NOT be thinking about it or making something for it!! I am so glad I got to go with Sasha, even though she got sick up there and didn't have the best time.  We stayed up so late!  We played games!  We ate junk!  We floated down the Portnef River!  We crafted! It was glorious!  I LOVE being with the YW and hope I can go to camp again!   It was so fun since the girls I had as Beehives are now Laurels, so this was their last girl's camp.  It was a blast!

 Noah spent his summer playing with the hose.....it was a long hot summer so he enjoyed himself immensely.  We learned to not get too close to him while he had the hose, or you'd get a little wet.  Ha ha!

 So very glad we have this pool.  Whoever wasn't sick, swam in the pool!  Having a pool has always given us something to do, right in our own backyard!  This pool finally bit the dust; it had several holes and was leaking big time.  SO, we found a BIGGER one on clearance and filled that bad boy UP right away.  I think I swam nearly every day.  Which is probably why my hair is fried from the chemicals and sun.  It was worth it.

 The girls were in 2 parades!  It was a new experience for both of them and they loved it!!!  Addie rode the float, and Sasha danced with the older girls.  It. Was. Beyond. HOT!!  We were so proud of them for wanting to do it on the July 4th, after they were in the Syracuse parade and nearly melted from heat.  I have many fond memories of being in parades as a girl.  Nothing better that feeling the excitement of the crowd as you march past.  Ah, good times.

And lastly, here are Noah and Audrey at the park with me one day after the kids went back to school.  It has been nice to be able to focus on them during the day. Taking them to the park was something I could not do as a homeschooling mom.  Mornings were for school.  Naps in the afternoon.  Dinner and activities in the evening.  This picture makes me smile and although it has been a hard transition in some ways having the kids attend public school, I know it is right for our family. Anyway, goodbye Summer of 2013!  It was a party!

1 Week Down....

We made it through our first week of public school.

Sasha:

She loves it and is doing well.  She has gotten 100% on all her assignments so far and that makes us all so happy!  We had some technical difficulties with our computer last night as we tried to watch a power point lesson her math teacher had.  It was so frustrating.  BUT, we loaded up and went to the library and she was able to watch and listen to it and answer the 4 stinkin' questions.  Noah knocked over a fake tree while there and Audrey jumped on every couch in the place.  I needed back up but Will was with Seth at his martial arts class. Anyhow, so far Sasha loves it!  I knew she would!!

Seth:

Hates being timed on math facts.  Ya, he has never liked that. He gets so stressed.  He cried at school. I hugged him and loved him and prayed with him the next day before school.  He has had better days since then.  This is good for him to learn to handle his emotions.  Hard, but good for him.  He finally got in to a martial arts class taught by a member of our Stake Presidency. He's been on the waiting list for a year! HOW good it's been for him to go twice a week.  The 2nd day of school was rough for him and I was so glad he could go to his class that evening.  He broke a board on the first try and Will said he was so happy! None of the other kids did that on the first try. I think Seth will be like his Daddy and be a black belt too.


Addie:

LOVES school lunch and must read the menu over and over.  So funny!!  She loves all her friends and has a crush on a boy already.  And this said boy found out about her crush so Addie cried about it last night and today.  Good grief that girl. She has never been a fan of writing and gets mad that she has 2 pages of homework at night and has to "Waste 4 hours of the night doing homework!!".  Ya, she's emotional. And she exaggerates.

It has been a good week as I have spent time with my little ones playing at the park and just hanging out with them.  I have crafted with a friend for a Relief Society activity I am helping her with; something I could not do before. I helped organize a neighborhood park day and had such nice time chatting with other moms.  I have missed that so much.

My afternoons\evenings have been more busy that I am used to but I am adjusting.  Adding homework to the mix is something we have not had in our lives for 5 years.  Their are pros and cons to each situation.  Homeschool had wonderful things and not so wonderful things.  Same with public school.  No situation is 100% perfect.  We still feel good about our decision to send all the kids and I have been so touched by the love and support shown by our neighborhood.  An older boy in our neighborhood has gone out of his way to give Seth a high-five when he sees him at school.  A 6th grader saying "Hi" to a 4th grader.  Ya, makes me so happy.  After school yesterday Seth was coming to the car, stopped, ran back and said "Goodbye" to this boy. (Thank you, Sarah).  It was so cute.

So, we made it!  I know more time will be needed to adjust but we will be ok.  All is well.

Stopping Homeschooling.....An Honest Admission

This blog entry is by far the hardest one for me to write.  But here goes....

So much has changed in our house the last few months. Sasha let us know she wants to attend junior high, so we decided to send her. (She went to the band open house today and is going to play the flute.....Wahoo!!).

This past school year has been very hard for me.  The year before was hard, but this one has been worse.  I am not going to lie.  It is hard to admit when something is hard for you, that you aren't as "amazing" as everyone seems to think you are.  Audrey and Noah demand, and deserve more attention with each passing day it seems. I have found myself getting impatient with them as they get into things as we try to do school.  Lunchtime has come many times and I have realized that I have not played with my babies much at all since I was working with the other kids, who more and more don't seem to want to do their work.  Nagging on your kids over their school work, while trying to do housework, and take care of two wee ones is NOT fun. It is very draining, actually. I feel like my time with my littlest ones is slipping away.....

When we first started homeschooling, it was just Sasha. Now it is all three, and we have two little ones, and it is A LOT. It is hard.  It has me running all day, and drained at night.  Bottom line is I am not enjoying it like I used to.  Something needs to change.  The kids have felt it too, I am certain.  They have not seemed happy here at home, at least not like I had hoped.  Not all days are bad, don't get me wrong.  There are good things to be found in each day, but those "I-am-so-glad-I-homeschool" moments have been getting fewer and fewer.  Which is hard for me to say, trust me. I had visions of what I wanted our homeschool day to be.  I read books about what other moms do and how their day goes.  I can't be them.  I can't do what they do. I don't want to carry the weight of their education, all on my own anymore.  It is a heavy burden. I want some help with that!

My reasons for homeschooling are still in my heart.  I do think it has many wonderful benefits. I wanted it to work for at least a few more years with Seth and Addie, but we have decided to send them to public school in the fall.  I registered them today.  It was hard.

The past few weeks as I have worked through this have been tough and I have cried, thinking of all we have done, all we could have done, and what I can't do anymore. I know people will judge me. They will think what I am doing is wrong.  But, it is right for me.  It is right for our family. I want to be the best mom I can be, and for me, not homeschooling anymore is what I need to do.

I actually googled the phrase "Quitting Homeschooling" to see what I would find. I did find a few blogs with moms being very honest and sharing their experience.  I am grateful for them; for being willing to share with whoever comes along, their reasons why.  So, I hope my entry helps some other mom who needs to look at other options because homeschooling isn't working anymore. I hope she knows she isn't a quitter.  She is still a good mom and can still raise her children well.

I have learned so much in the past 5 or so years since we began homeschooling.  Don't judge another family by how they choose to educate their kids.  It is their choice.  We are all doing what we feel is best.  What works for one may not work for another, or it may work for a time, but not be right anymore.

We are doing our best to finish out the school year.........we are limping to the finish line!  I want to finish it out. And I also want to play with my kids in the summer sun. That sounds so very nice.

To Junior High, She Will Go...

I did not see this coming.  I didn't expect to be sending Sasha to junior high; to high school, but not junior high.  But, the Lord had something else in mind.

I have felt like something wasn't right with our homeschooling for a few weeks, and I have felt very uneasy for days.  My prayers were pretty simple, "Help me. Something is wrong and I don't know what."

One day, it was warm so Sasha and I sat on the front porch and chatted while the other kids played.  She asked me a question about high school, which I answered. I asked her if she wanted to go to high school. She said she did. So then, I asked her if she wanted to attend junior high, not knowing why I was even asking her that since it was never our plan to send our kids to junior high.  She started to cry and said she did want to go. I immediately knew that this was right.  I felt the heaviness I had been feeling be lifted. It has been such a spiritual experience from me and I am so thankful for a loving Father in Heaven that knows what I need to do to raise these kids He gave to Will and I.  I knew I needed help, not sure exactly what, and He gave it.

She is registered for the fall.  She is beyond excited.  I am happy for her.  And nervous. I will miss her very much.  But, this is right. Off she goes. Love you so much, Sasha Belle.

An Alphabet Poem

We are still enjoying our book about poetry and wrote another gem that I want to post here in case the original gets lost or ruined somehow.  (Noah has become quite the terminator lately).

 

A Was An Anthill...

 

A was an anthill

B was behind it

C cornered it

D dodged it

E embraced it

F faced it

G guarded it

H hated it

I ignored it

J jumped on it

K kicked it

L lost it

M mounted it

N noticed it

O opened it

P peeked in it

Q quarreled with it

R ran over it

S stabbed it

T tickled it

U went under it

V vexed it

W walloped it

X x-rayed it

Y yo-yo'd with it

Z zig-zagged far away from it.

 



Keep your big mouth shut...

Don't you hate it when you decide to say something...

to speak out...

and you think you are doing it well,

 but you end up hurting someone's feelings.

Ya  and I always end up making people

mad at me when I post about

homeschooling.

Maybe I should just keep my

thoughts and feelings to myself.

 

This has not been a good 24 hours for me in some ways,

but in others, it has been wonderful.

 

So, to you that have been offended

by my homeschooling related rants,

I AM SORRY.

That is never my intent.

But, I have come a long way.

I truly don't care how you

educate your kids.

We are all doing what

we feel is best.

There are challenges that come with both.

Sometimes I post about

those challenges that I encounter.

That's all.

**sigh**



Our Poetry Unit......

This is what we are using for poetry and I love it.  Someone pinned it so I found it on Amazon and gave it a try.  I love that it has a cd in it with people reading the poems mentioned in the book.  It has parts you read, talking about the style of poetry and then you get to listen to examples and follow along in your book. Easy to follow and do, which is a must for me.

Last week we learned about nonsense verse and tried our hand at it.  Very fun to make up your own words, I must say.

Today we learned about limericks, listened to about 6 on the cd and wrote one together. You may remember it....it talked about a pickle at one point...

We also learned about The Villanelle so we read "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night, which always gets to me.  I remember reading that for the first time and the impact it had on me.  Poems will do that to ya, so that is why I really want my kids to be exposed to them.  I like that this book also offers insights into what the author was trying to say, and also gives definitions for words that are probably unfamiliar.

Next week it looks like we will be reading about Haikus.......how fun!! Right??

One thing I have learned in our homeschooling journey is that what we do here at home does not need to be complicated and completely rigid.  Introduce them to something and see what happens....

There Once Was a Girl Named Jill....

There once was a girl named Jill,

Who climbed up a slippery hill.

She sang all the way,

and it took her all day,

so she munched on her pickle of dill.

 

We are studying poetry every Thursday and boy has it been fun!  We learned about limericks today and decided to try our hand at one.  So fun and pretty easy.  I had to help with the last line, but other than that, it as all them.  Give it a shot.....it feels good to call yourself a poet.

"It's A Birthday Party"....

"It's a Birthday Party

and you probably won't be invited..."

Ok, there isn't really an invitation like this, but I feel like maybe there should be!  When I began our homeschooling journey, there have been a few things that have become "side affects" of our decision, and being invited to birthday parties is one of them.

 

My kids rarely get invited to birthday parties.  They go on around us in the neighborhood, but my kids don't seem to get invited very much.  Is it because they are weird?  No, I don't think that's why.  I honestly think it is because the kids around here, when they DO have parties, invite all their classmates, which puts their party at Maximum Capacity, so they don't get around to inviting their Primary friends, or neighbor friends.  Which wouldn't really matter maybe if you attend public school and don't get invited to one party, because chances are your another classmate will have one and you'll get invited that one.  BUT, if you are homeschooled and don't have classmates, that aren't their siblings, the chances of getting invited to a birthday party are pretty slim.

 

So, what is a homeschooling momma to do about this when she has one particular child that WANTS to go to parties SO very badly, but the invites don't come?  (As I type this, she was delivered an invitation to a party that I am pretty sure she was quickly added to the guest list because the party girl invited Addie today at church before checking with her mom.....awkward!  I wasn't sure how to handle this one....."So and so said I can come to her party.....", says Addie.  "Oh, well you didn't get an invitation......", says I.  Oh dear.......BUT, she was able to get an invite and yes, I got kinda teary-eyed as Addie received it.  It means so much to her.......)

 

I have heard that in order to be invited, you must have a party and do the inviting.  True. So we have done that when my kids want a friend party.  Seth has never once asked for, nor had a friend party.  He couldn't care less about that kind of stuff.  So funny.

 

As I have been kinda upset about this whole thing this evening, I had a great idea.  Why not host a "Big Birthday Bash" in the spring or early summer for all homeschoolers?  Have it at a park.  Have lots of cake and ice cream, and games, and even a small gift exchange!!  Why not??  Maybe there are other mothers who have kids that want to get invited to birthday parties, but just don't seem to be remembered all the time, so this might appeal to them.  My mind is thinking of ideas.......this might work.  With some help from some other mothers, we could pull it off.

 

Sometimes we get our feelings hurt and it isn't intended.  I truly don't think people are excluding my kids.  Sometimes things happen and we can't do anything about it, and sometimes we can.  We will just invite ourselves to the party.  I always enjoy a good party.  Especially if there is cake and lots of it!! :)

Relax....and LEARN

This winter I have struggled with what I am sure is the "Winter Blahs".  It has been too cold to play outside, and that can get kinda old.....  We all have lacked motivation and would like to take more days off than we should if we want to finish our year off by the end of May. I have found myself saying out loud, "What in the world is our problem??".

We have been staying up a little later than I would have liked.  Starting school later than usual. Finishing later than usual. And I have just went with it.....and it is OK.  I have relaxed and guess what?  We are still learning.  We are still getting things done. I read recently that another homeschooler described their homeschool as "relaxed".  What a great word.  A big reason why I wanted to homeschool is because I wanted my kids to enjoy learning; to find joy in it.  A relaxed atmosphere, in my opinion, is a perfect place to find joy in learning.  Not a rigid place where imaginations can't be used and developed.  Not a place where I am yelling at them to get their work done.  That's a hard one.

But, my kids have their daily assignments written down and they KNOW free time to use electronics will ONLY come when they finish, and also it has to be at least 2pm. (Or else they might be tempted to finish too early and play the day away on the computer.  If they finish early, they can play anything but NOT electronics).  I remind them to get started on their school, but let them know it is up to them when they finish.  It has made such a difference in the tone of our homeschool.  Addie has been my #1 finisher lately and it has been really cute to see her check all the things off that she has to do that day so she can be done.

Seth, on the other hand, has been super slow at getting going.  He has found a book series he loves and reads them all the time.  Do I stop him?  Nope.  He can read all he wants but he knows his turn on the computer won't come if he doesn't do his school work.  The other day he played all morning long with Audrey and Noah.  Well, he did manage to get a few things done off his list, but saved the "hard stuff" until last.  I found myself getting frustrated with him not getting all his work done quickly, but then I realized he is doing something important: Playing with the little ones!!  They need to be loved, and played with while we are doing school, and he completely engaged them for hours!!  Once they went down for their nap, which is finally AT THE SAME TIME, he and I sat down and did his math and grammar.  That is what makes my heart sing about homeschooling: He played and spent time with his siblings.

I read a book about homeschooling once written by a veteran homeschooler and she said that each day her children wake up at 6:30, do their chores, eat breakfast, practice their instruments, and meet on the couch with their daily planners, ready to go by 8am.  When I read this I was just getting started in homeschooling and tried very hard to pattern my day like hers.  Well, it didn't work.  It was making me miserable and angry when my day didn't go like hers.  I have finally figured out, I think, what works for us.  Me being relaxed, yet firm. Focused, yet fun. Enjoying the mess and mayhem of each day, and making sure I have my good shoes on so my feet don't hurt at the end of the day.

My hope is that my kids will love to learn, to know that their success does depend on them, and that if they dilly-dally around TOO much during the day, 3 o'clock will come and the "teacher" will be off duty, so they will be on their own to figure out how to multiply fractions, or how to diagram that sentence.

He's not me...

Ever since this boy of mine was...oh about 3 years old, he has given me a run for my money.  Ok, maybe since he was born.  Can you say headstrong?  Determined? Particular? He likes what he likes and doesn't like what he doesn't like.  Easy enough?  Right?  Not for me.

I am more of a peace-keeper.  Don't make waves, or at least not very big ones. Go with the flow.

Compromise.  Ya, that's more me, I guess.

So, Seth leaves me scratching my head more often than not.

Will is way more patient with Seth than I am, most of the time.

"He is just like me!", he says.

"Oh, good", I think.  Will turned out ok.... LOL!!

I have come to learn and realize that Seth is NOT me.

He doesn't like what I like.  And that is OK.

He doesn't like most social settings.  I do. I thrive in them, most of the time.

I signed him up for a homeschool group for boys that I thought he might like.

It gave the boys a chance to learn about important men from history, to learn values, to play and do "boy stuff" like sword fighting.  I thought he'd like it.  I wanted him to like it.

Well, he hated it.  A whole lot.

The boys met a few times before the holidays, taking the month of December off.

This gave me a chance to think about his involvement. 

Is it a good thing for him to be in?

Yep.

Is it a big deal if he isn't in it anymore?

Nope. Not really.

After some thought, prayers and chatting with my friend Jennie about it, I realized

that Seth doesn't like it and that's OK.

He can't quit things like Scouts or Primary, but he can quit this group.

Sometimes as parents we tend to force our kids to be what WE want them to be instead of letting them figure out WHO they are and what THEY like.

 Just because I am one way doesn't mean I have to force my child to be like me.

I need to pull back and let Seth be Seth.

I need to listen to him.

I will continue to help him try new things, and I WON'T let him quit certain things, but I will do my best to help him become the best boy he can be.

And if I can figure out how to play Lego Wii games with him,

he will say I am the best mom EVER.

HANG on......

Christmas Break is coming!!

Hang on!

Yes, I am talking to myself, mostly.

You'd think by now that I'd realize that I should

never plan to do a boatload of school

during the month of December.

We can't focus.

I can't keep it together.

We want to bake...

and craft...

and decorate...

and eat what we baked...

then bake some more....

and stay up late watching movies...

and then sleep in wayyyy too late....

Yes, we need to snap out of IT!

We still have ONE more week of school!

So, COME ON, Rodgers Family!

HANG ON!

Christmas Break is coming!

P.S.

Have you ever tried the Orange and Milk Chocolate M&M's?

They are goooooooood.

I ate a big bag myself...pretty much.

 

Also, I kinda want a white tree now. I have never like them, but now I am thinking they are so pretty and elegant.  I have room for another tree, right??? Ha!

Where did November GO??

I cannot believe it is already time for Christmas!  We had a great Thanksgiving meal, and I did get grouchy during clean-up.  Sorry, family of mine.  Holiday's tend to stress me out.  So much pressure to have things go great, for the food to taste great and so on.  I need to chill out, and I AM doing better.  At least I hope I am.....

Anyway, November flew by, didn't it??  I was looking at the calendar and we have 3 weeks of school before we take time off for Christmas Break.  Lots to do. But, I do need to be realistic about what I want to accomplish in the next three weeks.  I want to read a book out loud to the kids but have yet to decide which one....any ideas?  A good Christmas book you love?

I am looking forward to having a break for the Christmas Season.  I have tons of scrapbooking to catch up on.  Well at least work on.  I don't think I'll ever get caught up.  Completely!  I am also making Birthday Cards again this year for the entire Relief Society in my ward.  I love doing it!  It MAKES me be crafty and create and I love that.  It is so good for me.  It is my therapy.  That and eating chocolate.  And drinking a certain carbonated beverage.  ;)

Onward and upward......

2 Month Check-up......

Our 2nd month of school is nearly done. Time to reflect and tweak what needs tweaking:

• I usually start with the basics each day, but I have been surprising the kids with our "subject of the day" first thing sometimes.  It has been a much needed change of pace for us.  Who doesn't want to start their day off with studying about bats for "Science Wednesday" instead of waiting until after lunch? I know, right?!  Changing the order of how you do things is kinda refreshing.
• Having my kids do a book report a week has been great for me, and painful for them....or at least some moan and groan.  It has been a goal of mine to have my oldest to do better at finishing books from the library instead of reading a bit from like 10 different books.  I have been letting them read a book of their choice one week and them I get to pick the next book the following week.  It is working so far.  Yay.
• We stink at singing a hymn a week.
• Our devotionals have been hit and miss.
• We are doing great at history, geography, AND science this year.  The school years when I was either pregnant or just had a baby, these subjects have not been done as well as I would have liked, so I feel very good about how things are going this year!
• I love having geography with my homeschooling buddy and her boys once a month. We watch a short video about the country we picked, the kids share something they learned that was interesting to them, AND we eat food from that country.  It has been super fun! This is the only co-op we are doing this year and I am ok with that. :)
• I have felt more relaxed and feel good about how we have been spending our days.  I know some homeschoolers do more than we do.  I know some probably do less.  But, we shouldn't compare ourselves, should we?  It never is a positive thing. Improve where we need to but take note of all the good we are doing, right?
• I joined www.cleverdragons.com for Seth and www.alwaysicecream.com for the girls.  The price was right and it has given them something fun AND educational to do on the computer when I need them to do something independent for a bit.  I gotta change a diaper or clean up the mushed up playdough sometime during our school day! Ha!
• Sasha's spelling is getting better and better and I am so glad.  She has struggled and feels badly about it.  I got her an electronic dictionary and that has helped.  We are doing regular spelling tests, journal writing, and notebooking which have all helped her a ton.  Way to go, Sasha!!

I am looking forward to the holiday season and hope we get lots of snow!!!

A Book Review: Factory Girl by Barbara Greenwood

I found this book as I was walking to the check-out desk at the library.  The old picture of these girls caught my eye, so I decided to take it home with me.  I loved it!  It is filled with the most amazing pictures taken of factories and the people, including children that worked there in the early 1900's.  What an eye-opener!  What hard lives they had!  Working long, horrible hours, doing repetitive work, over and over.  They had very little rights at all.  Their pay could be withheld if they didn't meet their quota for the day, or if the boss just decided to NOT pay them that day.  It is a book written in an interesting way: fiction and non-fiction, all in one book.  A fictional story goes throughout the book, and in between those chapters, she has put facts and photographs about the time period.  It was a great read; probably suitable for upper grade levels and older, but younger kids will learn a lot from how other kids lived at that time.

King Tut and LeRitz

We just finished up a unit study of Egpyt, so when I heard about the King Tut Exhibit at a museum in Idaho Falls, we thought we'd go check it out.  Driving that far and coming right back home with 5 kids didn't seem like a good idea, so we opted to get a hotel.  We decided to stay two nights so we could have a little fun.  Oh, and did we have fun!  LOL!  We stayed in a place called "LeRitz" and we got a kick out of the name.  It was pretty nice and the price was right!  I didn't get a single picture of the hotel, of us swimming or anything BUT the museum and those turned out blurry.  DANG!!                                               

 We got to the museum after we checked into our hotel, and we only had 40 minutes to look around since they were closing.  That was actually just right since Audrey was pretty terrified of everything in there and kept saying "I don't want anymore!!".  My visions of walking around and having intelligent converstaions with my kids about the artifacts and replicas there didn't really happen......

 This picture cracks me up.....the kids are like "Is it time to go to the pool now???".

One last shot and we left the museum and hit the pool. 

In fact that is pretty much all we did.  Go swim.  Go back to room.  Change into clothes.  Someone asks, "Wanna go swim?".  Sure, why not.  So we put our suits back on and swim some more. We even had pizza delivered and got drive-thru so we wouldn't miss out on all that precious pool time. Hilarious.

The first night was miserable; Noah cried off and on all night long, and the moments where HE wasn't crying, Audrey was.  I am getting old, I think.  It is so hard to travel with the babies!!  Oh, and Noah got kicked on accident and got a bloody nose.  :( The 2nd night was soooooo much better! We did decide when we go on another little adventure, we need to spend a little more for a bigger room.  A room with two queen beds just isn't cutting it anymore.  Our 3 older kids are too big now to sleep well all crammed in the same bed and we were stepping all over eachother!  But, I sure do love hanging out together at night and first thing in the morning, where at home we are all in our own rooms.  All in all it was a fun time and memories were made.  And that is the point, right??

How strange it will be when it is just Will and I traveling all alone with no one to keep us awake at night.  No one to grind chips in the hotel carpet.  No one to escape and run down the hotel hall when we aren't dressed yet and can't go chase them.  No one whose cannon-ball jumps in the pool need judging. 

As I gazed out the window as the older kids swam and I held Audrey who was cold, I saw a young couple walking to the hotel across the street.  It reminded me of us pre-kids.  What DID we do with ourselves back then?  I don't really remember but I know now our lives are full, and busy, and time for yourself is rare, but can be found....most days!  May I treasure the here and now and not worry about the poor night's sleep, the messes and squabbles over whose turn it is for what.

Where should we go next..............??

Happy October 1st Day!

I decided to start a new tradition of sorts.  It has been a long time since we have had a "FUN CRAFT DAY", and I feel badly about that. Sometimes, believe it or not, I get so focused on academic side of our homeschool, that we don't do enough of the fun stuff.  So, I decided this morning that today would be "Happy October 1st Day".

We put on our Halloween earrings, and put our Halloween bows in our hair. We put our Halloween socks on and started to craft.  Addie is painting her bat made out of egg cartons.  We are going to suspend them from light fixtures as soon as they dry....

We went to our neighbor's house for a housewarming party this weekend and she had done some crazy-cute crafts with her daughter.  She found the ideas on pinterest, which I hardly ever get on.  The one we tried involved mixing Elmer's glue and shaving cream and finger painting them on a paper bag.  Once dried, it is similar to puff paint.  Homemade!  Even better!  We colored ours black, purple, green, to see if it would work.  Our neighbor kept hers white and made dang cute ghosties with googly eyes.

Audrey had fun with her paper bag and painted for quite awhile.

Yes, even my Sethy came and joined in.  He made the cutest pumpkin!

Sasha making a witch.

This is Addie's creation.  We can't wait for them to dry all the way so we can put them up.

I decided to decorate my house a little more for Halloween, so I did this.  I made the banner out of scrapbook paper and strung it on black tulle.  I put scrapbook paper in some frames and put ribbons of ripped up fabric I had around to make it look spooky but not TOO spooky.  (Poor Addie is afraid to go downstairs alone, AGAIN.  Dang  that Spirit Halloween store and their freaky, gross decorations).

I have decided I won't be buying any more of that fake spiderweb stuff!  Soooo messy to clean up!  I found these spooky mesh, net things at the dollar store a few years back and picked up a few more this year.  They are super cute, and way easier to work with!  I put the ripped up ribbon do-dads on the banister and called it Spookified!  I love Halloween.  It is a fun holiday that kinda helps us get over the fact that summer is over.  We love summer, have I ever mentioned that??

I am glad we took the day "off" from school and crafted.

I needed to.

Sometimes as mom's we tend to loose ourselves and it's ok

to take the time to do what WE love.

I LOVE to craft and decorate, and if I didn't

homeschool, that is what I would be doing all the day long.

I don't have time to be on pinterest much.  Even if I did find something I wanted to do or try, I am sure it would take me FOREVER to actually do it.  Unless it takes 15 minutes and then I might get it done.  UGH!!

I have felt kinda run down lately and like my work is

never done.  Always something I should be doing.

My dad asked me the other day if I EVER just stop.

Well, today I did and it felt wonderful.

A Month Down....

I pretty much look like this each and every day.  But, it's good.

One month down and we are back into our groove.

We are used to not being done by lunchtime now.

With two little ones, it's just not possible anymore, and we

are doing ok with it.  We start at 9, go until 11:30 or noon. I send the kids outside so I can make lunch, clean up, do some laundry or just stare at a wall for a few minutes.  I put the littles down for a nap around 1pm, and then we all come back to finish up our day and are done by 3pm. It is working.

Having the kids (mostly Seth and Addie) have "baby duty" is helping a ton.  After they have done a few things from their workbox, I send one of them off to play with the little ones.  Playdough, sandbox, or whatever!!  It has been great!  (Although very messy....oh well...!!)  Audrey really had a hard time getting into trouble when we first started back to school; slamming doors, ripping up our papers, just being a stinker.  But, we all are making sure she knows we love her and take time to play with her.  That is why our day is longer now, but I am ok with that.  A few months back, a huge concern of mine was how I would homeschool the three big kids and still take care of my babies???!!  Letting go of the old way we used to homeschool has helped me. We are always adapting, aren't we?!

I am happy with the way our year is going so far.  Each day may not go the way I planned it out in my mind, but I am learning what things are ok to let go, and what things aren't.  Happy Fall to us all!

p.s.

I am working on altering some fancy dresses the girls found at the DI for their Halloween costumes.  Princesses for four of us, a doggie, a Spiderman and one handsome Zorro.  Yes, we all dress up in the Rodgers Family!!  LOVE it! 

Artists are we....

Thursday is "Art\Music Day" for us so here is what we did today....

 I had an Usbourne Book Party recently and got this book!  LOVE it!  It has art in it, a short biography about the artist, and shows you how to do a project on you own that is similiar to the artist's.

I also got these art cards and they have been super fun to just pull out anytime to look at.  Addie especially has liked to do that.  We spread them all out today and just picked up ones we thought were interesting. These cards are awesome!

 We turned on some classical music, channeled our inner "Jacskson Pollock" and tried our hand at splatter painting. Addie took to it like a pro....

So did Seth.  He is what I call my "Reluctant Artist".  He claims he hates art and usually disappears when we start doing artsy stuff.  But, sometimes he comes and joins in after much prodding on my part.  He told me as he was creating his splatter painting masterpiece today, "I could do this all day".  See, Sethy!  Art IS fun!

Sasha takes art from a wonderful lady once a week, so it has been important to me this year to make sure I do art with my other kids since they aren't old enough her for regular classes. What shall we do next week.....???

**Audrey painted her arm quite nicely and Noah managed to eat more of a crayon than I would have liked while we painted.  Just in case you wondered if they like art, too.**

Heritage History: Ancient Rome

A friend found this history curriculum and recommended I take a look at it, so I did! 
Here is what it says on the back of the cd:  "The Ancient Rome Classical Curriculum was created to provide resources for anyone interested in learning about Ancient Rome, either through independent study or as part of a comprehensive course.  Our complete curriculum includes a library of engaging traditional history books, as well as maps, illustrations, timelines, and other study aids developed to help foster a life-time interest in ancient history."

LOVE that!!  It really is awesome because you can tailor how you use it to suit your needs.  If you just want to use the book lists you can.  If you want to download the books to a Kindle, you can do that. You can use if for a variety of ages, so that makes me happy since my kids range in age.  I am so glad I found this since it fits my vision of how learning history should be. 

My kids wanted to learn about Ancient Egypt first, and them I will casually suggest we study Ancient Rome so we can really use this cd.  I am pretty sure they'll go for it.... I will do another review of this cd at that time. :)