One Year!!!

I can't believe it is my one year blog-iversary.  When I started this blog I wanted to have a place to record what I was doing with the girls.  It was to be a record, a memory, but also a way to share with other moms the crafts we were doing.  I hoped to be of help to others, but I wasn't sure how when I had no followers.  In the past year  I have gained many blog friends and discovered so many interesting blogs.  So, I wanted to say a great big thank you to  those of you who are regular readers.

I have an idea for a giveaway and I am working on it.  I was hoping to have it ready to celebrate one year of blogging and making friends.  Unfortunately, as I have been so busy with the girls, between trying to plan and implement lessons and take care of the baby, I am a bit behind.  So stay tuned.

I am looking forward to this next year.  As I looked back on this year I am amazed at how the girls have grown. I see how much they have learned, realizing I helped them.  I haven't sent them out to another teacher/daycare worker for them to share in the accomplishments.  (I have nothing against day care workers, I was one and loved it, but it is sad to see children being raised by others.  Day care workers are with children so many more hours than parents usually.  I had to send my older children out to others and missed so much.)

I have so much planned for this year, but have been hesitant to share it.  One, because I am not near as organized as it seems so many are.  Two, I fear to plan too far in advance and too much because Miss Hannah has been making it near impossible to get more than one thing accomplished each day.  She has been taking a decent nap in the afternoon, so that is when the organization has been taking place.  Typically, though, she will wake up when I am in the middle of something and I will lose my motivation or, due to the older girls' curiosity and mischief, will end up having to start from the beginning the next time I have a chance to organize. Our playroom is organized, but the lesson area is in the dining room and it is slow going.  I really hoped to have it ready by the start of the school year.  Let's put it this way: Close, but no cigar.

Hannah has seemed a little more fussy lately.  For the first time in weeks she didn't sleep through the night last night (I know, I know, I am fortunate that my 4 1/2 month does sleep through the night). We are not sure if she is teething, big possibility as her fist is constantly in her mouth.  Our other theory was, perhaps it is time for some baby food.  Four and a half months, later than we started Tabitha and Amelia, so today (well, looking at the clock yesterday August 27th) we gave her the first taste of rice cereal mixed with water.  She seemed to like it.

Getting bib on 

Yes, we had a little trouble keeping her hand out of her mouth

My baby is growing up too fast.  You would think I would know that having seen 5 other children zinging through milestones.  Still, I get emotional.

Anyhow, I will be sharing our weekly post on Sunday as we have to put our ants together yet.  Our activities this week were quite similar to last week's seeing as we are still focusing on a number and a color.  That doesn't mean I will not be posting.  I have projects and pictures to share.  Just got to finish the one project.  Tomorrow will not be a day for posting as we are taking the girls to their first Buffalo Bills game of the season (okay, preseason). It is Kid's Day and the girls are so excited. And after I finally get the room organized I will be sharing our school room and our curriculum. I'm just a tad bit behind everyone else.  So glad I do not have to report to the school district for another 5 years.  

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: August 25, 2010

Welcome to this week's edition of Words of Wisdom Wednesday.  The question I chose to ask this week is:

Why do we sleep?

Here is Tabitha's answer:

We close our eyes and lay down on our bed.  And we get tired and close our eyes and lay down and wake up in the morning.  Then we play, then we write, then we get to play a lot of times.  We get to play with our backpack.  

Mom: But why do we go to sleep?

T: Because we gotta grow.

M: Is there anything else you want to tell me?

T: Just 10 days and a week it will be football time.  (Then she walked away for a couple of minutes)

T: Mommy I want to tell you something else.  We have to grow big and tall and we do this (she was jumping up and down).  

Once again she walked away and I was going to ask Amelia when Tabitha came back over 

T: Mom I guess I want to tell you one thing.  When we sleep, we're bigger.

Here is Amelia's answer:

Close our eyes.

Grow big, big, big, big. (She was obviously listening to Tabitha even though I though she was off and playing.)

What about your children.  What would they say if you asked them why we sleep.  If you decide to ask them, don't forget to post about it and link back up here in the linky below with your Words of Wisdom Wednesday link URL.  Please link back here in your post too, please.  You could even grab my Words of Wisdom Wednesday button over at the left.

Tiny Talk Tuesday: August 24, 2010

Time to share some of the interesting comments that the girls made this week.  The things children say really do make you sit back and think at times.  Especially this one:

I looked over and saw Tabitha on the floor with her little laptop computer.  It was just after lunch when we were supposed to get ready for nap.
T: I'm just checking  my blog.
Mom: Time for story and nap.
T: First let me check my blog okay.

Okay, maybe mom is on the computer a little too much?

Also the same day (Aug 21) Steven was holding Hannah and made a comment because of her fist being in her mouth and drooling:
S: Are you getting a tooth?
T: She has teeth, they're just behind her gums...  I have teeth.

Yesterday evening, for snack we were having ice cream.  Tabitha had a glass of water and took a drink of it after eating some of the ice cream.
T: That water helps me cool down of my coldness.

And today was quite the fun day when it came to cute little things she said.

The girls were chasing around.  Tabitha came in and said, "I'm trying to get away from Amelia cause she's a chasy one."

These next two were spoken at dinner time.  The children were seated around the table while Harold and I were standing because of rearranging the furniture (no I am still not done).  I also had found some things we hadn't seen in a while, like the little Buffalo Bills pencil topper shaped like a Bills helmet.

Tabitha was holding it and placed it on her head. She said, "I'm a team."

And then, a little later, she told Harold and myself, "Good job standing without sitting."

It's so much fun hearing Amelia talk more and in longer sentences.  I know we have counted 5 word sentences, not sure if any more.  Harold and I thought these two comments were cute.

This morning we were all congregating on the bed, like we do sometimes if I am finishing up nursing the baby before breakfast.  Daddy was lying on the bed with a makeshift pillow propping his head (it was a spice drop bowl).  Amelia had moved the bowl, causing daddy's head to fall on the bed.  Then she handed him a little Winnie the Pooh soft/plush wrist rattle and said, "Here's your pillow."

Also today, she came into the room, sneezed and said, "Bless me."

I am again linking up to Tiny Talk Tuesday over at Not Before 7.

Head on over to check out all the other cute things kids are saying.

Just a reminder, this week's Words of Wisdom Wednesday linky is still open.  The question to pose to your child today is 

Why do we brush our teeth?

Just ask your child the question and share the answer in a post.  Then please come back here a link up.  

And the next question will be posted on Wednesday.

Muffin Tin Monday: ABC's

Yay! It is my first ever Muffin Tin Monday.  I have been wanting to do this since I first saw posts about it almost a year ago.  Unfortunately, I didn't have a suitable muffin tin.  We have one muffin tin with 12 holes and 1 mini cupcake pan.  Neither of which works right with 2 children to do this for.  You can't believe how pleased I was to finally find something usable at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago.  So I decided I would post about our ABC muffin tins I made for lunch today and link up over at Muffin Tin Mom's blog.

I decided to focus on the letters A B and C.  Each letter is represented two times.  

A- Applesauce and Apple sticks

B- Bologna and Bread B's and Beans

C- Cheddar Cheese Cubes and Animal Crackers

The girls are used to me making themed lunches, but I think they really got a kick out of the muffin tins.

Tabitha actually cleaned her plate:

I went a little over board and decided to do a D dessert:

Donut and Dora gummies

(Boy was I upset I didn't have any alphabet gummies left.)

Amelia did NOT like the gummies!

"I don't like it."

Mamarazzi Monday: August 23, 2010

It's time to share some of the evidence of my obsessive picture taking habit.  I love creating memories, even if everyone else is not always amused when mommy says, "Wait, let me go get the camera first," or "Don't move, that deserves a picture."  So, without further ado, here are the pictures I am linking up to Mamarazzi Monday, hosted by Ann Marie over at Household 6 Diva.

Eating Numbers:

I think we need a bigger barn:

The girls were having a little dinner party it seems.

I heard them going back and forth between the kitchen and

the playroom.  Bowls and spoons were being borrowed.  

Don't worry, I know they are using diapers on the dolls; I won't

use them on Hannah anymore.  One day they leaked two times 

when she had a bowel movement.  Let's put it this way, 

one is not saving money buying cheapy brand if one is going through 

extra diapers or ruining clothes.

Hannah just looked so cute:

And here she is getting her exercises.  She loves to try to sit up:

Go check out the other photo taking mamas for some cool pictures:

Time4Learning

I have been trying to think of something different to try with the girls.  I saw this invitation posted over at Kylie's blog, Our Worldwide Classroom and decided to sign up for the opportunity.

If you are interested, please note, as I was reading the terms I did notice that they have limited reviewer spots if you don't already have an account with them.

Here's hoping we get to check out this program.  I am interested in seeing how the children will respond to it.

I’ve been invited to try Time4Learning for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so be sure to come back and read about my experience. Time4Learning can be used as a homeschool curriculum, for afterschool enrichment and for summer skill sharpening. Find out how to write your own curriculum review for Time4Learning.

Science Sunday: Tadpoles Pt 2

Just wanted to update everyone on our new pets.  Yes I said pets.  Steven decided he wanted some more tadpoles, so after church a couple of weeks ago he headed down to the little river where we have our baptism services and caught 2 more tadpoles.  

So, we started out with 1:

Aug 7th

You can sort of see his little back legs

And of course it is growing:

Aug 14

Can you tell the legs are getting bigger?

Aug 17

He/she has front legs now.

Aug 19

A shot with all three of them

The one on the right is the first one we got, he/she is older

Look at those looong legs.  Really looking like it is a frog.

Same day, close ups

(because I finally learned how to take close-ups

on my camera)

Notice the one still doesn't have front legs.

I love this picture, you can barely tell there is still a tail there.

Aug 20

He/she gets up on the rocks a lot more now and is using 

legs more, tail less.

Still no front legs on this one

Not sure if you can tell but this one (the oldest/

one we had longest) has its head out of the water.

Once again I think mommy is getting more of a kick out of this than the children.  In fact they were really still the one day, and I got so worried they were dying.  I fed them, because I wasn't sure when Steven did last (He is very busy getting prepared for his first day of college Monday) and they perked up.  

I am linking this up to Science Sunday hosted by Ticia over at Adventures in Mommydom.  Head on over to check out what others are experimenting with/learning.