The Giant Jam Sandwhich

Bedtime stories...I think you either love reading them or loathe them. For the most part I love reading them...Jamie loathes them. He will encourage the kids to pick the shortest story we have...usually a picture board book. When he does get caught with a long story, I catch him reading it as fast as he possibly can. Like I said most night I love reading bedtime stories...I definitely have my favourites and ones that I try to hide from the kids. Is that bad?! This book, The Giant Jam Sandwich is definitely a fav because I love the language and the rhyme it has. But tonight it took FOREVER to read it because I kept getting interrupted with questions and comments...such as these....

Frankie: Mummy...how do wasps have babies?

Jesse: What is salt made of?

Frankie: Mummy...where do wasps live?

Jesse: What's that word? And that one.... what about that one?

Jesse: Let me say the last word.... what's the last word again? (Jesse likes to say the last word in the stanza because it the rhyming one)

Frankie: Why are the birds flying that high? Where are they taking the sandwich?

Jesse: Suggestion....what's a suggestion? (Swinging from the top bunk)

Frankie: I don't like wasps they sting people.

Jesse: Mummy...knock knock...mummy.... mummy.

Let me read the flippin story man!

It truly drives me crazy. How can one read a really cool story with cool voices, expression and excitement when you are interrupted all the time? But the still small voice gently whispered...that I wasn't being fun and the story wasn't about me but about them and that we actually LIKE and encourage questions and discussion in this house. Ouch. Ok point taken.

Will do better tomorrow...different book though

Who's the Man

This guy!

He truly fills my heart.... has me in stitches every day. He started his 'schooling' at the beginning of the year, but he truly has me wondering how teachers cope with having half a class full of five-year-old boys. Jesse is not in slightest bit interested in holding a pen to do book work or sitting still.... nope not at all. I may get an hour if I am lucky...and that's spread out over the entire day. He has way too much energy to be sitting still.

Here's what he did today instead....

Made faces and figures out of quesinaires (rods), painted, play doh, stuck quesinaires into play doh and made hedgehogs, bounced on the trampoline, drew pictures while we did devotions, made bread buns, made cupcakes, wrestled, played play doh, and scooted around the block this evening, helped his brother clean the kitchen, unloaded the dishwasher and vacuumed the kitchen floor....and that's just the stuff I noticed.

Honestly some days I struggle under the weight of responsibility of schooling him, but I notice that's after I have looked sideways and see what other little boys are doing in school. I struggle with what he is "SUPPOSE" to be doing but then I realize that is exactly why we chose to homeschool so they could be themselves, learn the way they learn best and not have the pressure of "SHOULD" and "SUPPOSE TO".

To not have the pressure of time to do but have the gift of time to be. What made me realize this again today.... Jesse spending a full 20 mins watching the dough being kneaded in the bread maker and then declaring that the dough looked "like a dog chasing its tail", then painstakingly kneading and rolling the dough into buns and having the satisfaction of serving hot buttered buns to his siblings. This is our why!

I need to remember this when he has tipped the couches on their sides and used foam mattresses and blankets to make a lounge- sized hut or canon balling out the window onto the trampoline.

Lord give me strength!

So Cute

10 Weeks

10 weeks!

Waaaaa how can it be???!!! Seriously though isn't she just the so delicious! I marvel at how well covered she is....and she is only 10 weeks, currently wearing 3–6-month clothes but almost into the next size.

Charlie is making herself known and is quite vocal about what she wants and doesn't want. Likes to be cuddled, to be carried looking outwards, to sleep late in the morning, loves people talking with her, is a very spilly baby (hold her at your own risk), HATES her car seat but loves to travel in the car, still loves a bath and HATES getting dressed.

We are enjoying her immensely even if the task of getting her to sleep at night is sometimes difficult. Once she's asleep though she's a gem. We love our Charlie Grace

8 Weeks Old

8 weeks old!

It continually amazes me how much one can change and develop in such a short time. All smiles, making "talking" noises and learning to reach and touch. She honestly is so delightful. We are having a few evening struggles but don't all babies....so we have started listening to the Word while we drift off to sleep and as I transfer her from in arms to bed. Either way it definitely that can't be a bad thing. My husband has been away for the past four days at a youth conference with our three older boys and twenty or so other youth...so my sister and her family have been staying. It was really nice to have her around and to introduce her to Charlie Grace. Plus, she did all the fun Aunty stuff with the kids. I am usually left hanging out with the kids when Jamie goes away so this was a real treat. Now it's back to normality guess.

What a Weekend

Well, our momentous weekend has been and is now in the throes of winding down. We will not ever forget this weekend and the significance it holds not only for us but our church family and those that have been and walked beside us from the beginning until now. I have said before that this does not just simply end our chapter or season, but it also marks the beginning of a new one.

As Jamie so passionately shared yesterday that "winter is no more and spring is here". We will look back on this winter season of our lives not with sadness or regret but remembering the hard times with thankfulness.... because it's in those times that we saw God move mountains and bestowed miracles. We saw His Love and His provision. We felt the prayers and the love of His people. It's in that winter barren season that we developed and grew the most.

We would not be who we are today if it wasn't for that season that six and a half years. God stripped us bare of friends, finances, position and material things to bring us to a place of total dependance on Him, to a place of humility and to a place where we can now see the world through his eyes and feel it with his heart. We can only be thankful for that. So from now on...it's all new...never been see before, it's good and it's ours .... ready to share. We are ready to not only move forward but to be used by Him, to love and to serve His beloved people. The person, the church, the community, and the world. All glory to Him...God, our heavenly Father.

Love This

One more sleep

 Time is ticking little one. Just waiting for her to fall asleep soon can take my husband pants up. New pants are for tomorrow but first I need to chop a whole 10cm off the bottom and hem them. It's the only sewing get time to do these days.

A momentous occasion for is as a family.....wee Charlie will be totally oblivious to it too. It feels a wee bit like a wedding. I know I am excited about it...Jamie on the other hand is a little nervous about it. I mean it's not every day one gets ordained. Whoop whoop!

Hands Free

This is the way we do dinner around here.... especially when dads out. Like most babies the evening is a cranky time of day and Charlie is no different. A crying baby stresses me out to no end especially when it's my own. Which is why I am totally in love with the ring sling. It's so easy and comfortable to use. Keeps Charlie nice and close and I am hands free because everyone knows you can't peel potatoes one handed. Well, I can't anywayyes, I have tried more than once.

This a pic was taken between crying spells! Urgh.

Evening meetings by like

Little Blue Socks

This gem of a book came in the mail last week. I love this author and it's hard to believe this book was first published in 1906! Using books as the basis of a unit study is a great way to learn all sorts of things from all over the world. You can make it as simple as you want, or you can choose to dig deeper and wider for older kids. Just in case you are wondering.... Frankie does know her colours.... she just thought Little Billy Blue Socks wanted a change to match the sun

.... she is next level this girl!

P.S. just so you know I am having a hard time getting the others to do school today.... currently building huts in the lounge.