Birthy Teacher Mom

Happy Birthday Kyla!!!

2012-02-06T15:08:00.000-08:00

Two years ago today our baby girl was born (here's her birth story!). What a blessing she is to our lives - so full of laughter, love, and spunk! We praise you God for the gift of Kyla!

Catching Up: What's on our shelves

2012-02-05T22:57:00.000-08:00

This was our school room shelves 2 or so weeks ago (before the crazy snow) when we were working on letter O.

On this shelf: Keanan's work boxes, God's Big World magazine, I Spy game, water transfer with a sponge (they both LOVED this!), letter disk and card match, geometric shape mystery bag

On this shelf: jungle puzzle (a Keanan favorite), BOB books, Noah animal card matching (a Kyla Favorite), sandpaper letters, playdough, shape cookie jar, numeral beads and number cards, straw lacing

And here are our shelves for last week (when I had no camera) when we were working on the letter P.

On this shelf: wooden farm puzzle (Keanan is really into these and did this multiple times a day), BOB books, foam letter and card matching, sandpaper letters, stickers, shape sorting, numeral beads and cards, dino lacing.

On this shelf: Keanan's work boxes, God's Big World magazine and MAF coloring books, Candy Land travel game (a favorite this week), wooden tic tac toe, coin sorting, v-tech laptop

I promise to have some action shots for this coming week! =)

Princess Kyla's 2nd Birthday Party!

2012-02-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of our family and friends that made it out tonight to help us celebrate Kyla! We had a wonderful crazy time with lots of kiddos running around, I think I counted 13 ranging from 1 month to 5 years old!! It is hard to believe that our baby girl is 2 (well almost, officially on Monday!) - where did that time go?!

Opening Presents:

Singing "Happy Birthday!"

The aftermath! Kyla's clothes are gone, toys are everywhere, the castle is beautifully colored - we had a blast!

A tired and mostly naked princess surveying her kingdom!

No Camera = No Posts!

2012-01-31T12:15:00.000-08:00

We finished up letter O and are working on P in school at the moment, BUT... I left the camera card at Grandma's house in the midst of the snow/no power for 6 days craziness =(

Once I get it back (this weekend) I'll have posts galore on all of our learning fun! Stay tuned!

Fun while stranded at Grandma's house

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

We are on day number 5 of no power at our house and being stuck at my parents house. So to break it up a bit, today I printed out some activities for the bigger kids (Lucy and Keanan to do) and some other crafty type things for the little kids. We stuck with a snow / ice theme and I used a bunch of printables from here:

Here's our fun:

ABC Matching Game

Colored Ice Cube Painting

Princess Kyla's Castle

Marshmallow Snowman

Snow Melting Experiment

Roll a Snowman Game

Hoping we can get back to our house soon!

Snow (and no power) days

2012-01-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

A major snow storm dumped 12 inches of snow at our house on Tuesday night, followed by freezing rain on Wednesday. With the weight of the snow and ice we had branches and trees falling all over Western Washington resulting in thousands without power. Including us!

Zac's work was canceled on Wednesday due to the snow so he was able to stay home and play with the kids. This was a double blessing since I had been up the night before puking and it took me all day to recover. We lost power at 7pm on Wednesday night - and it's still out (as of 4pm Saturday) with no clear time of return. After we got the kids into bed on Wednesday Zac and I covered all the windows with blankets and sealed up the living room and upstairs from the rest of the house (where the gas fireplace is), knowing we would be without power for a while. We slept in the living room that night and spent most of Thursday there. Unfortunatley, our propane was running low so Zac ventured out in the truck to get more. This took a while since he had to use the chainsaw to move downed trees to even get out of our road and driveway! There was no propane to be had until Tacoma, so he came back home, we packed up, and made the trek to my parents house in Graham. There power had been out for a short time, but was on again, and they have a wood stove.

And here we are, still in Graham, with no idea when we will be able to get back home. I'll catch up on my normal posts when things return to normal. Praying that all are staying safe and warm!

Our Trip Around the State!

2012-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

For Christmas Keanan got a wonderful book from Uncle Casey and Auntie Jess, "E is for Evergreen, A Washington Alphabet".

Zac was reading to them from this book today, full of fun facts, when he came up with a BRILLANT idea! As a family we will go to or do each thing in the book for each letter of the alphabet! This will end up being a year long study of Washington State - with our last trip being the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma =)

Since I know you are so intrigued, here are the letter assignments and the activities we will be doing! Some of them we will combine (for example, going to the ocean and flying a kite) so it has worked out to about 17 trips or activities.

Letter	Object / Destination	Activity
A	apple	eat one in eastern WA
B	Boeing	Museum of Flight
C	Columbia River	view when in Goldendale
D	dragonfly	catch one
E	evergreen	Hoh rainforest
F	Fish	Fishing with Grandpa
G	Goldendale observatory	go to Goldendale
H	Horses	Ride with Jess
I	Islands	ride ferry to an island
J	Justices	visit supreme court building
K	kite	fly at the ocean
L	Ladies	womens history museum?
M	Mother Joseph	go to nunnery service
N	nuggets	panning at the river
O	Olympia	visit the capital
P	Pacific Ocean	go to the ocean
Q	Quinault	visit tribal headquarters
R	Rainier	go to the mountain
S	Space Needle	go up in it
T	Tri-cities	go to Tri-cities
U	US Navy	visit shipyard in Bremerton
V	Volcanoes	visit St. Helens
W	Western Hemlock	Hoh rainforest
X	Jimi Hendrix	go to EMP
Y	Yakima Vally	go Yakima
Z	Zoo	go to Woodland Park or Point Definance

We will be completing these in no particular order over the next year. Before we go, the kids and I will learn about the activity in school. While we are there we will take pictures to create our own Washington State ABC book! So excited!

First stop: Boeing Museum of Flight!

Letter N and Our Shelves This Week

2012-01-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

N is for nest and net this week! We were stuck at home ALL week since the kids have been randomly puking (fun times). I think the three of us have cabin fever, but we did a lot of school!

On this shelf: number puzzle, BOB books and God's Big World magazine (we are loving this!), pom pom transfer with tongs (Kyla was really good at this!), sandpaper letters, fake money jar, stickers (a Kyla favorite), numeral beads with counting cards, car parking lot number match (Keanan did this every day and LOVED it!)

On this shelf: both kids workboxes, wooden animal matching game, ice fishing with number fish (we all loved this!), magnetic shape winter picture match, yarn measuring and sorting.

And the action shots!

Linked up at: Living Montessori Now, No Time For Flashcards & I Can Teach My Child

My Homemaking Binder

2012-01-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I saw this post from Keeper of the Home about creating a homemaking binder. I thought it was a little weird and overly organized at first, but then I thought "hey, I'm a little weird and overly organized - this is perfect!" (Seriously, that's what I thought). So during my new years planning retreat (another Keeper of the Home idea) I spent some time making my binder. I was really excited about it and made Zac look at everything in it (he is not the super organized type, so he thought I was a bit crazy).

I have held off until now to post about it because I wanted to see if it was actually going to work for me. I can proudly state that these last two weeks have been some of the most productive and enjoyable in 3 1/2 years! I have been focused about having quality time with my kids, been off the computer when they are awake, and the kids have been happier because there is a plan. So, here is my binder: (sorry, cell phone pictures)

On the cover is my verse for the year =)

The inside pocket holds different papers that need to be dealt with (which would usually just sit on the counter). The first page of the binder is our weekday routine - it has been so wonderful to have this laid out! This has really kept me on track and not wasting time during the day.

Right behind the routine page is my 2012 goals. The next page is actually a tab and then my daily to-do list, but I took the to-do list out for the picture, so I wouldn't have so many pictures! The to-do list sheet has 6 sections, one for each day Mon-Fri and than Sat & Sun combined. It is limited to only 6 items each day. This has been so helpfully in actually getting things done! I was getting very overwhelmed at the LONG to-do lists for the week, but I can do 6 things in a day!

I have a bunch of blank to-do list sheets in there to help me spread out tasks to other weeks. After that is a sheet protector with my major house cleaning list. Secret: I only clean my house once a month! (gasp!) I roomba, clean the bathrooms, clean the kitchen, mop, and do laundry every week (some of those are every day) - but anything else is done on one day a month. This has been such a stress reliever for me! Our house is not at all dirty, but it is lived in. Zac would much rather have things this way than deal with a crazy stressed out wife =)

Next is another tab which I keep meal plans behind. I plan our dinners out a month at a time and then go grocery shopping once a week. This system really works for me and save me tons of time.

Lastly is a page proctor to keep other non-pressing items of paper (which would have been floating around the counter). The back holds bills which all get paid once a month.

There you have it! I am totally in love with this system. Administration in one of my spiritual gifts (as is teaching and hospitality =) ) so this is the perfect thing to help me keep our house running smoothly! Do you have something similar that works for you?

A Great Wolf Weekend!

2012-01-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

We just returned from the Great Wolf Lodge and had a blast!!

Our wonderful weekend started on Saturday with Keanan and Zac going for a run / bike ride and Kyla and I having a girl grocery shopping trip. After naps and dinner we played games in front of the fire on the living room floor. A great, relaxing family day.

On Sunday after church we came home for lunch and naps and then drove about 45 minutes to the Great Wolf Lodge! This place is huge! We checked into our room and then drove about 1/2 a mile down the street to a Mexican place for dinner (although there are plenty of places to eat at the lodge). Our room was the "Wolf Den" where the kids section looked like a cave with bunk beds in it! They loved this! There was a queen bed for Zac and I in the main part of the room along with a sofa sleeper. We changed into our swimsuits and walked down the hall to the giant indoor water park!

The water park was much bigger than we had expected, with something for everyone - infants on up! Keanan was not big enough to go on the super huge waterslides, but he did go on a couple that were a good 2 stories tall! We were very proud of him. Zac had his leg off and was using his crutches in the evening, so he didn't do any of the big slides (someone would have had to bring his crutches down), but when we went back to the water park in the morning he left his leg on and was able to climb all the stairs and do some giant slides. You ride inner tubes on all of them so he just tried to keep his knee out of the water as much as possible. I think Kyla's favorite thing was the wave pool - she loved "swimming" in the waves with her life jacket on.

At 8pm the kids and I got jammies on and then went to the lobby for story time! All the animals at the clock tower came "alive" and sang songs and then it "snowed" in the building! It was sooo cool! I think that I enjoyed it more that the kids! The two wolf mascots came out with an employee who read a bed time story and then we went back to our rooms for the night. Everyone slept pretty well after playing in the water.

We had a wonderful buffet breakfast at the "Loose Moose" in the morning, and the kids were free! Zac hauled all of our luggage down to the car and then we went back to the water park until we were done, about 11:30am- but we could have stayed and played until 9pm!

Definitely recommend this place for families! It is a bit pricey, $280 for our room for one night and the waterpark (not including food or anything else), but we had some Christmas money that was just for this =). We decided to ask for this as a "present" again next year and will surely be coming back!

We didn't hardly take any pictures because we didn't want to take the camera in the waterpark, but here's a few:

Kyla in her swim suit and pulling her suitcase down the hall =)

Keanan in his "wolf cave" in our room!

School this Week: Letter M and Our Shelves

2012-01-06T15:48:00.000-08:00

M is for m & m's this week! Yum! Over our Christmas break I was able to buy some trays to better organize the activities on our shelves. This reduced how many things we have out at one time, but I decided to switch it up every week instead of every 2 weeks - so I think the kids won't get tired of it.

On this shelf: farm puzzle, BOB books and God's Big World magazine (I'll post more on this in the future), bead sorting with tongs and tweezers, sandpaper letter cards, dominoes, snowball counting game, snowman counters with numeral beads, "snow" (white with glitter!) playdough!

On this shelf: both kid's worboxes, alphabet exercises, "walk the line" (string to make into shapes on the floor), word puzzles (Keanan was telling me all the letter names!), magnet puzzle

Some action shots!

Linked up at: Living Montessori Now, http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/ and http://www.icanteachmychild.com/

Shelves!

2012-01-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

About a year ago this was the container for all of my crafty / school stuff:

As we transformed the extra room upstairs into the school room, all of the supplies traveled to the closet - and grew, and grew, and grew! Until they were all over the floor in a jumbled mass.

Now, thanks to my wonderful husband, THIS is the storage space for all of our craft and school stuff!

I can actually find things! My life has just become a little bit easier =)

Four Words

2012-01-01T16:34:00.000-08:00

Dream, Inspire, Battle, Bloom

About two weeks ago I read a great post about taking a New Year's Planning Retreat from a wonderful blog, Keeper of the Home. I was finally able to have my "retreat" time today to sit for a few hours talking to God and making goals for myself as a disciple, wife, mother, and business owner for 2012. Part of this time was praying for a word for each of us for this year. It is a focal point for my prayers, a theme for 2012.

Zac: DREAM My husband is a visionary. I love this about him. I pray that God gives him many dreams this year and the wisdom and abilities to follow them.

Jen: INSPIRE I want to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and by God's word in order to then inspire my husband, my children and others on towards Christ. As I teach my kids this coming year I want to inspire them to develop a love of learning. As I work with mothers-to-be I pray that I can inspire them to believe in themselves, their bodies, their babies, and the wonderful miracle of birth.

Keanan: BATTLE When God placed this word on my heart I did not understand at first, but then saw how it fit so perfectly. Keanan knows right from wrong and Zac and I see the battle raging in his mind and heart every day of which path to take. I pray that he fights these battles with courage and truth as he becomes God's mighty warrior.

Kyla: BLOOM She is becoming her own person, moving from baby/toddler to little girl. I pray that God gives me wisdom to nurture and guide her as she grows into His beautiful princess.

In addition to these words, God laid some verses on my heart to guide and direct my path this year:

Proverbs 31: 25-27 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Welcome 2012! I eagerly anticipate all the wonders that God has in store!

Our Goings On This Week

2011-12-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

It's been a nice, laid back week for us. We are on Christmas break from preschool so the kids have been using their time to play with new toys. My trunk is full of their old toys that don't get played with very much. I don't do clutter. If it's not used - it's out! I have used my time to take down our Christmas stuff and clean the house for the new year. I've also been catching up on my preschool planning this week - I'm set until February!

We switched it up yesterday as I was called upon by my good friend to support her in labor until her husband could make it. He came in and I went out just 30 minutes before their beautiful little girl was born! Welcome Rahab Elaine Ireland! You can read a beautiful post about her here.

As promised, here is a picture of the gifts we made this year! Lavender sugar scrub for the aunties, cupcake in a cup for the Grandpa's and Uncle's, and beeswax candles for the Grandma's!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

May HIS hope, peace, joy and love fill you today and always as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Advent: Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight we light the white candle for JESUS!

John 1:29 John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

His birth was for His death. His death was for our birth!

2nd Annual Christmas Craft Playgroup!

2011-12-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

Today was the day for our Christmas craft playgoup! I had it scheduled earlier in the month, but had to move it since I was at a birth =) We had lots of our friends over and everyone had a great time. I didn't remember to get the camera out until everyone left though, so here are pictures of the two cutest kids (in my humble opinion!) and our crafts:

Five days 'till Christmas!!

Four Generations

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Now if we could just get my Great Grandma in here (yes, she's still alive!), then it would be FIVE generations!

Lots of good family time this weekend with both my side and Zac's side. A preview of what's to come next weekend for Christmas!

Advent Sunday: Week 4

2011-12-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

This week is the candle of LOVE and the scripture is John 3:16-17.

Advent Song (to the tune of Twinkle, twinkle little star)
One small baby in the hay,
Brings us love on Christmas day.
Arms will stretch to grab a cross,
Saving us from all our loss.
One small baby in the hay,
Brings us love on Christmas day.

May you know His love this week and always! Less than a week until Christmas!

Christmas Train!

2011-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we went on a Christmas train ride to celebrate our friend Jadon's second birthday! The kids had a blast and got to see Santa again! Enjoy the pictures =)

What's on the shelves and school for the last two weeks!

2011-12-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

Over the last two weeks I had the privilege to attend a beautiful birth that extended over 2 days. It just so happened that these two days were about 6 days apart! This meant double the recovery time for me and thus my lack of blogging as of late. Wouldn't have changed it for the world, I LOVE my birth work!

Except for my couple of recovery days, we have been busy in the school room with Christmas activities on the shelves and letter L worksheets in the boxes!

On this shelf: decorating the Christmas tree, small nativity set, Christmas books, winter pom pom transfer with tweezers, felt nativity set (they loving telling the Christmas story with this!), snowman counting cards and counting bead matching, foam Christmas tree decorating with stickers, ribbon measuring, Christmas symbol matching cards, Christmas playdough (cinnamon, peppermint, and vanilla scents!)

On this shelf: snowman & snowball counting game, Christmas symbols coloring mini book, jingle bell lacing (Keanan's favorite!), foam gingerbread men decorating with markers, foam snowflake decorating with glitter glue (they both loved this!), Christmas puzzles, Advent chocolates (thank you Santa from the Alaska Airlines party!)

A few action shots:

Our new winter sensory tub!

We have also been busy making Christmas presents, and will continue to work on that next week. I'll share some pics after Christmas. Hoping your preparations are full of joy and peace!

Advent Sunday: Week Three

2011-12-11T22:34:00.001-08:00

The third candle is pink and represents JOY. The scripture verse is Luke 2: 7-15.

Song (To the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
One small baby in the hay,
Brings us joy on Christmas Day.
God sends us this baby boy,
Saving us for endless joy.
One small baby in the hay,
Brings us joy on Christmas Day.

May you know His joy this week, and always!

MIA

2011-12-11T22:32:00.001-08:00

I have been (and still am) in the midst of some doula work the last few days so my blog presence (and time) have been nill. I promise to catch up in the next few days!

Alaska Airlines Family Party!

2011-12-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we had the treat of going with the Ireland family the the Alaska Airlines Christmas Party! We drove up to SeaTac and then got to ride a school bus (the kids were thrilled) to a giant airplane hanger that was filled with decorations, food, face painting, balloons, and bouncy houses. After we ate lunch the HUGE hanger doors started to open and a 737 (that's an airplane for those of you who don't know) that was decorated with a red nose and antlers pulled up! It was VERY loud, but so cool! Once the plane stopped and they rolled the stairs over to it, the doors opened and there was Santa!!! We told the kids that he had to ride on the airplane from the North Pole to come see us because the reindeer only fly on Christmas Eve =) Santa and his elves made their way up to a stage where a line had already formed to see him. We figured we would let the line die down a bit and went over to the bouncy houses and slides with the kids. They had a blast (and so did the dads)! After a bit Chris and I decided to go hold our spot in the Santa line. ONE AND A HALF HOURS LATER, we made it to the front and all the kids got to see Santa, with no tears! It was a long day (right through nap time), but so much fun! Thank you Ireland's!!

Advent Sunday: Week Two

2011-12-04T19:00:00.001-08:00

Today, in addition to the HOPE candle, we lit the candle representing PEACE after reading Isaiah 9:6-7.

Advent Song (to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
One small baby in the hay,
Brings us peace on Christmas day.
Sin brought fighting, pain and fears,
Christ will wipe away our tears.
One small baby in the hay,
Brings us peace on Christmas day.

May you know His peace this week, and always!

Cranberry Thanksgiving

2011-12-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

For the last two weeks we have been "studying" from the book Cranberry Thanksgiving. This sweet story takes place on a cranberry farm in New England and is full of great lessons about stealing, forgiveness, judgment, and giving thanks. We also took some time to learn about cranberry bogs, chemical reactions (in baking), geography (locating New England on our big world map), and exploring the seasons.

To wrap up this unit, today we made cranberry bread from Grandmother's recipe in the book! Keanan loved chopping up the cranberries in my Pampered Chef chopper =) The bread turned out great, it is super good!! We also made cooked eggnog (which I may have cooked a little too long) because Keanan has discoverd that he LOVES it. A wonderful way to end our Thanksgiving fun in school. On to Christmas activities next week!

Advent Sunday: Week One

2011-11-27T20:55:00.001-08:00

Both Zac and I never celebrated Advent growing up, he in an agnostic home and me in a Baptist one. So when we joined the Covenant church in college we were really drawn to this new tradition. The celebration of Advent (awaiting the coming of Jesus) really helps me keep the focus of Christmas where it should be, on Christ. This is something we are working really hard at teaching our kids. At dinner time starting with today, the first Sunday of Advent, we read the scripture that goes with the appropriate candle, light the candle, and then sing a little song to help the kids (and us) remember the meaning.

The above picture is our advent wreath, lit for the first time this year. The first candle is the candle of HOPE. Scripture: Romans 15: 12-13

Song (the the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
One small baby in the hay
Brings us hope on Christmas day.
God had promised his own son
Bringing hope for everyone.
One small baby in the hay
Brings us hope on Christmas day.

ATTENTION: Anyone teaching young children!

2011-11-25T21:09:00.000-08:00

What is the name of this shape?

If you said "diamond" you are wrong, the correct mathematical term is RHOMBUS!

This is no harder to teach preschoolers than the terms hexagon or square, but time and time again they are told (until geometry class in middle/high school) that this is a diamond. Please stop mis-educating our children!

Let review. This is a diamond:

This is a rhombus:

Thank you, have a nice day!

~ Your Friendly Former High School Math Teacher (Jen)

Our Feast!

2011-11-24T20:18:00.001-08:00

What's on our shelves - Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T12:19:00.001-08:00

This week and next week we are enjoying some fun Thanksgiving activities! We are also doing Five In a Row's Cranberry Thanksgiving, but more about that next week.

On this shelf: (starting on the top) corn paint printing, BOB books, feather painting, corn kernel pulling with tweezers (Keanan's favoroite!), pretend corn beading, cheery pie making with playdough, ABC movement cards

On this shelf: (starting at the top) letter writing in cornmeal, turkey number cards with numeral beads, roll a turkey game, Thanksgiving matching cards, build a turkey with playdough, gratitude leaves (not pictured), tracing activity

And the action shots!

Here is the result of our gratitude leaves! They are hanging in the dinning room ready for Thursday!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Linked up with Living Montessori Now

First Snow of the Year!

2011-11-19T10:36:00.001-08:00

Craft Time - For Lincoln

2011-11-18T14:26:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday night one of Keanan's friends broke his femur at his own birthday party (just turned 4). He had surgery at Mary Bridge Children's hospital and should be back home tonight or tomorrow. Keanan was very upset when he heard about it yesterday. I think he assumed for a few minutes that Lincoln's leg came off and he would have to get a new one like Daddy. We talked about it quite a bit and have been praying for Lincoln. So for our craft time today we decided to make some cookies and a card for Lincoln! We know that Lincoln LOVES the Cars movies so we decorated our card with Cars stickers. It turned out really cute and we hope to get it to Lincoln tomorrow. Please keep him in your prayers as he heals (spiral break down the femur from hip to knee, now with two metal bars in place).

Home Preschool: Letter K

2011-11-17T15:44:00.001-08:00

We finished up our letter K unit this week! It is no surprise that K is Keanan's favorite letter, and he really enjoyed most of our activities.

Some of Keanan's work:

Some of Kyla's work:

Our "starting school" wall:

Action Shots:

They decided to play this all on their own and were taking turns *insert fluffy pink heart*

Linked up at No Time For Flashcards and I Can Teach My Child

Craft Time - Handprint Turkey

2011-11-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

With all the activities we do in the school room, I haven't taken much time lately for crafts. So this last Friday we did craft time instead! Each kids had their palm and fingers painted and then printed on a piece of paper. Here are the results!

Our school room activities this week

2011-11-11T13:40:00.001-08:00

During this week and next week we are in a letter K unit and having fun with different things in the school room. Here's our current activities:

On this shelf: pumpkin hammering (Keanan loved it so much that I kept it up), BOB books, farm animal puzzle (Kyla's favorite thing right now), straw pieces lacing, letter sounds matching, cookie cutter shape matching, sandpaper mystery bag

On this shelf: cornmeal letter tracing (Keanan really likes this), belt practice, bead sorting with tweezers, sound matching (both kids think this is great!), uppercase & lowercase letter matching with clothes pins, wooden tic-tac-toe set, nuts, bolts, washer & lock washer sorting.

I also set up a magnet number matching area and a watercolor area this week.

Here are the action shots!

Linked up at: Living Montessori Now, I Can Teach My Child, and No Time For Flashcards

Our Missionary Friends, The Scheer's

2011-11-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely dinner tonight with our new friends Matt, Ellie, Blake and Callie Sheer, who are soon to be stationed missionaries in Indonesia with MAF, Mission Aviation Fellowship. A few weeks ago they spoke at our small group about their new adventure with MAF and Zac and I knew we wanted to support them in some way and get to know them better. So they drove almost 2 hours to come hang out with us and the kids tonight =)

Matt is a Pilot / Airplane Mechanic and Ellie is an RN, although staying home with the kids now. They are so excited for the opportunity to serve with MAF in Indonesia. MAF planes fly missionaries to places all over the world. They also assist in humanitarian efforts flying in food and medical supplies and flying sick or injured people out of remote locations for care. Matt is looking forward to building relationships with the people he serves while flying in Indonesia and sharing the love of Christ with them.

Their kids are too cute and our kids had fun playing with them tonight. Kyla was very taken with baby Callie =)

Take a moment prayerfully consider supporting Matt & Ellie and check them out on the MAF site at http://www.maf.org/scheer They would love your prayers and to hear from you.

Go Zac!

2011-11-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

This morning Zac competed in the "Turn Back the Clock" 5K race in Lacey. He took 2nd place in his division with a time of 24:53 and got a medal!! And 18th overall! We were there to cheer him on, and so proud!!

Halloween

2011-10-31T21:27:00.000-07:00

This morning we went on a Halloween parade of the nursing home in McKenna with the Mom's Club and this evening we trick or treated at our church's harvest fest and trunk or treat. A fun day with too much candy!

Pumpkins!

2011-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

This week (and next week as well) we are having tons of fun with pumpkins! We started on Monday by making pumpkin pie from a pumpkin (which I heard was pretty good, I don't do pumpkin so I have no idea) and making pumpkin playdough!

Here are our shelves in the school room and some action shots:

On this shelf: Keanan's work boxes (monster worksheets), pumpkin seed spooning, tall/short picture sorting, pumpkin lacing, pumpkin counting game, pumpkin face drawing

On this shelf: pumpkin hammering (Keanan's favorite thing in the school room right now!), mini pumpkin transfer with tongs, pumpkin counting cards with glass rock counters, Kyla's workboxes, Jack O Lantern teeth counting game, pumpkin playdough (Kyla's favorite), orange paper cutting (we will use the pieces to make a pumpkin craft later)

'Tis the Season!

2011-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's Christmas shopping time again!

Our society has taken gifts to the extreme at Christmas time. The money that is spent in the US for Christmas could save countless lives in developing countries. There is such an ingrained materialism in our culture, it almost makes me ill. We give each other "stuff" that then gets used for a little while and tossed aside, or sits on a shelf collecting dust.

This is part of the reason why we have no TV. We do not want our kids bombarded with the commercials for the newest toy or latest gadget thinking that the "need" it. We also do not give our kids many gifts. For birthdays they get a book and one present. For Christmas they get their stockings filled by Santa and one present from mom and dad. Zac and I do not give each other gifts at any holiday or anniversary. This is not because we are cheap, it is because we really want to stress to our kids (and remind ourselves) that Christmas is about Jesus. God gave us the greatest gift, the gift of true life through His Son.

As a family we have decided to also give the gift of life for Christmas. With the money that we would have spent on toys or other material things for ourselves, we will sit down together and select an item from the World Vision Global Gift Guide. We will give a poor, hungry family a goat, or chickens, or medical supplies, or education, or clothes, or seeds, or ... the means with which to have a better life. Our kids (Keanan at least) understand this and are more than okay with it! Keanan is always talking about giving his toys away to other kids because he has a lot. Warms my heat =)

SO ... for your gift giving this year, especially if you are going to be shopping for us, please consider shopping from the World Vision Global Gift Guide or other similar source. Lets all work together to give the gift of life this Christmas.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Despite the wet Washington morning we made our way to the pumpkin patch today! The kids loved the tractor ride out to the patch and Keanan picked a pumpkin so fast we were back on the tractor ride in no time! He and Zac also had a great time in the hay maze.

How do you like those expressions?

After naps we went to work on the pumpkins! Kyla and I decided to be a little different and ended with a mummy pumpkin =) Keanan and Zac were a bit more traditional.

This is the perfect kick off to our pumpkin unit study for our school time during the next two weeks! More fun and pictures to come, including making a pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin!!

Home Pre-School Unit: J

2011-10-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last two weeks focusing on the letter J! Keanan's workbox items were mainly about J for Jesus or J for jellybeans while Kyla's were J for jelly fish.

We didn't have a lot of work to display this unit. Kyla does not choose to do work from her workbox very often, she is very happy to do activities from the shelves. Keanan has 3 workbox activities that he is "required" to do per school day, and the rest is self-directed items from the shelves. But a lot of his workbox work is counting, cutting, writing, matching, and other things that can't be taped up on the wall =)

Business Changes

2011-10-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

As I posted on Facebook a few days ago, except for one doula client opening in March, I am booked until September 2012!! I know that there are not any July and August due dates yet, but I will be taking July and August off for family time. All of this happened in the last two weeks! It is so exciting and crazy at the same time, I love it!!

This coming Monday is the last class in my first teaching series at CareNet of Olympia. I have had so much fun teaching this class and getting to know the students, I even took them on a tour of the family birth center at St. Peter's hospital last week. I am already getting excited for the class in January. I volunteer to teach this class for 4 weeks, once a quarter.

Soooo.... things are busy! And Zac was getting a little concerned about it. We have a family rule that I am only gone 3 nights out of the week. With one of those nights being our small group that leaves 2 for doula / class work. With teaching, doing interviews, prenatal meetings, and the possible birth thrown in - I just didn't have enough time.

Therefore, I will no longer be teaching group childbirth classes in Yelm through Miraculous Journeys. After praying about it and talking to Zac this is the thing that had to go. I will still teach private one day (or half day) classes to my doula clients and anyone else that desires that, but this will help me to not be gone so many nights a week.

Here's the link for more info about my new class offerings. Beautiful Miracles Childbirth Classes. I am excited about the year ahead!

Mother and Son Pirate Adventure!

2011-10-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last night Keanan and I went on a date! But not just any date - we went to the mother son Pirate Adventure at the Hands On Childrens Museum in Olympia!! We had a blast! Keanan made a pirate hat, eye patch, flag, parrot, telescope, and ocean in a bottle. We also did a pirate obstacle course, made a giant pirate ship, went on a treasure hunt and had pirate dinner and desert.

While we were gone Zac and Kyla went on a date and had dinner out - the first of many =) The perfect end to a wonderful family day!

What's on the Shelves, and Spiders!

2011-10-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

This last week we started a two week unit on the letter J, so we also added new activities to our shelves in the school room.

The above shelf has Keanan's workboxes (with letter J printables), a shining pennies science experiment, sandpaper matching in a mystery bag, magnetic and non-magnetic sorting in the blue basket, ABC exercise cards, pencil sharpening (he LOVES this), flashlight disassembly, and some fall colors collage.

This shelf has a counting sheet with red glass stone markers, stamping (Kyla's favorite of the week), Kyla's workboxes (with her letter J printables), magnet shape pattern sheet, and cookie cutter tracing - using the newly sharpened pencils by Keanan.

I also put together a new Halloween sensory tub for the kids that we are all enjoying. It has a black bean base, fake pumpkins, some jack-o-lantern fuzzy streamers, fall leaves, and little plastic bats, skulls, and spiders.

Speaking of spiders, Zac and the kids made a giant web in the family room last night! The goal of the game was to stay on the web and go around and pick up all the little spiders. We added the books to block off parts of the web to make it a little harder for Keanan. Lots of fun!

Thanks to 1+1+1=1, Confessions of a Homeschooler, Montessori At Home, and No Time for Flashcards for all the great ideas this week!

Lots of Pregnant Mama's and Some Cheese!

2011-10-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

Whew! My business has really exploded in the last two weeks! I have had or will have in the this next week FOUR interviews, 2 hospital tours, visiting a childbirth class student and holding her beautiful 2 day old baby, and teaching childbirth class at CareNet (with 5 couples!)! Along with a friends baby shower and visiting baby Naomi last week - babies and bellies everywhere! I LOVE IT!

The kids and I were at the Yelm Food Co-op today getting some things and I noticed the raw milk in the display case. I suddenly really wanted to make cheese. So I bought 1/2 gallon and we did! I ended up with some lemon cheese and some queso blanco (spanish white cheese). Yummy! It's been whey too long! (Get it?! Hahahaha) Anyways, here are some pics!
The cheeses hanging
Lemon cheese with herbs de provance
Queso Blanco

Apple Pie!

2011-10-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have not attempted it, let me tell you that making an apple pie from scratch (even the crust!) is hard!! Especially with two small "helpers." But we did it! And it turned out perfect!!!

This morning we trekked to Lattin's Cider Mill for our apples. My grandparents met us there and we walked around seeing all of the animals before selecting our 5 perfect apples (per the book). We left with apples, cider, donuts (they make them there!), mini pumpkins for decoration, and 3 ears of corn (thanks Grandma and Papa!). After naps we started in on our pie. TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER (not kidding) it was done! What a wonderful end to our apple week! I am a little sick of apples for a bit now =)

What does a doula do?

2011-10-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

Want more info? Visit my website: www.beautifulmiracles.net

Our Apple Unit!

2011-10-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun this week, and I took a TON of pictures! Let's start with what's on the shelves.

Above is: bucket of apple pie spice playdough, apple puzzle, Kyla's workboxes (with apple coloring sheets), apple sequencing, apple lacing, red strips for cutting which we then used to make an apple collage.

On the other shelf: Keanan's workboxes (we did some apple life cycle and other related things), apple slicing (this is the first thing he did each day!), apple fraction cards, fake apple transfer with tongs, apple math, cinnamon stick grating (he loved this), and measuring practice with beans (to get ready to make our apple pie on Friday!)

All of this was inspired by the book "How to Make and Apple Pie and See the World". In it the main character wants to make an apple pie, but the market is closed. So she travels the world collecting the best ingredients instead! The only issue I had with the book was that she got the apples in Vermont. Really!? Obviously we changed this part to say Washington! One of Keanan's workbox activities was to put the story cards in order. You can see below all of the places and things we talked about an found on our wall map. In a few years I will bring this book out again and do a multi week unit study going over each country, mode of transportation, and ingredient in more detail. There are so many possibilities!

Here are some pictures of our school time fun this week:

Tomorrow we head to an apple farm to get apples and cider! Then we are going to make an apple pie following the recipe in the book and have friends over in the evening to share!! Pictures to come of all the fun tomorrow =)

One World Birth

2011-10-05T16:27:00.000-07:00

There is a revolution occurring in the world today. Birth is getting worse, not better. The reasons vary depending on where you are in the world. Many are standing up and taking attention, calling others to action. Such organization as the Million Moms Challenge have a goal to raise awareness and funds to do something about it.

Another organization, One World Birth wants to get the word out and make the world aware that there is a problem, through videos. Created by two filmmakers, One World Birth is an online video resource filled with clips from well known professionals in the birth world.

It is a different type of "film" as quoted from the site: "Whilst we love documentaries, we realized that if we spent a year making one about what is happening in birth around the world today, by the time we released it, it would already be out of date! That's why we came up with the idea of making a "live", never-ending documentary that would be available online straight away and would keep up with the rapid changes (both good & bad) that are happening daily."

They are traveling the world to film the issues that are happening in birth, and posting these new videos all the time. This is a fantastic resource for birth professionals (such as childbirth educators and doulas - where I fall) and also for parents and soon to be parents.

The filmmakers are self-funding this venture through the sales of their recent film "Doula! The Ultimate Birth Companion". This is a wonderful look at the role of a doula and how they can serve you at your birth, highly reccommended.

What Can You Do?
Visit One World Birth and check out the videos, there are many! Spread the word about this great site, and purchase your own copy of Doula!

Keanan's First Puppet Show!

2011-10-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I bought two super cute puppets made by a local mom from the MOM's Club of Yelm (which I am a member of). Here's her Etsy shop if you are interested: http://www.etsy.com/people/HandsOnFun They are really great quality and the kids love them (Keanan sleeps with his and has named it Mikos). So here is Keanan's first show!

Yay for awesome days!

2011-10-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

I love when things work out! So far today the kids got to go play with their friends Kaitlyn and Ethan while I had a doula client interview (thanks Elizabeth!!). They had so much fun and even got to see the school bus! My client interview was so great, we really hit it off and ended up talking for quite a while. I will be really sad if they don't hire me!

We got home, had lunch and reading time and then put Kyla down for nap. Then Keanan and I had a wonderful time in the school room exploring all of the apple activities I set up! He loved grinding cinnamon, cutting up an apple, learning about the apple life cycle and playing with apple pie spice playdough (which I made yesterday all by myself!!! Seriously it smells like an apple pie - I want to eat it)!! At the end of this week we will be making an apple pie together, more details on that later =)

I also registered Keanan and I for the mother son pirate adventure at the childrens museum next weekend! We are both super excited for our "date" - dinner and desert included!

Tonight I am teaching my first childbirth class for CareNet Crisis Pregnancy Center in Olympia! I can't wait! I have 6 couples signed up so it should be a great time.

Dinner is cooking in the crockpot, laundry is done, my BSF lessons are all caught up. Ahhhh..... if only every day could go this well! =)

Home Preschool - I

2011-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday we finished up our two week unit on the letter I. Keanan had lots of fun with I is for inchworm, and Kyla was working on I is for igloo. I really liked this unit because we spent most of our time play-learning with our Montessori setup in the classroom.

With the re-organization of our school room we ended up moving the sensory tub to the family room. It has gotten much more use here! Right now we have a rainforest theme tub (complete with coffee beans as the base!) to go with our rainforest calendar theme that we just completed for September.

We also moved the KEVA planks to the dining room! Keanan (and most days Zac) can be found playing with them on and off all day. I love seeing him use his imagination and build new things! Kyla enjoys them as well - but mostly as "babyzilla"!

We has an awesome time at our small group on Tuesday night with a visit from out friend Bethany's (who had her baby the next day!!! Welcome baby Naomi!!!) parents. We had a great discussion about homeschooling. Yes, we are considering homeschooling our kids. We have not made any definite decision, and won't for 2 years, but it is a very real option for us. As a former public school teacher I have it drilled into my head what school "should" be. This is not true, school can be so many things! I don't have to follow some strict schedule or worry about doing everything in a certain curriculum. Kids learn everywhere and all the time! This has helped me relax my view of our preschool time a ton. So freeing!

Workout Routine

2011-09-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

I've found a new one. I like it and it's kicking my butt!

Zac and I were running together to get ready for the 5K that we ran in last Saturday. But it is difficult for me to get the kids up from nap and out the door to meet him at the track (15-20 minutes away) by 5pm and then get home and have dinner at a reasonable time. So rather than me do nothing, again, I searched the internet for something I could do at home. Inside. For free. And I found it!

Exercise TV workout plans! They give you video workouts for 30 days, just follow along! I think they change the 30 day plan every month, but I'm not sure. I am really loving the one they have on there right now. I deviate from the plan a bit to fit the amount of time I have, so for me it is one 20 min. workout in the evening. With a break on Saturday and Sunday (unless I miss a day during the week due to a birth or teaching a late class, then I will do one on Saturday).

So if you are feeling like you need to get moving but it's getting a bit too cool outside (I don't like to be cold), check out the link. I've said before that I don't own a scale and I don't care at all how much I weigh - I just want to be healthy. Exercise is a key part to that!

Super Mom vs. Abiding Mom

2011-09-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

A great blog that I follow, Confessions of a Homeschooler, had a post a while ago about Super Mom vs. Abiding Mom. I re-read this the other day and it really struck me.

Super Mom	Abiding Mom
Does	Is (Psalm 46:10)
Tries to impress others	Pleases the Lord (Eph. 5:10, Proverbs 29:25)
Is controlled by an agenda (curriculum, schedule, etc)	Is controlled by the Holy Spirit: (Gal. 5:22-26) (Uses curriculum & schedules as tools for orderliness so she’s more free to follow the spirit)
Her self worth is found in her accomplishments (clean house, perfect kids, the perfect bulletin boards, etc.)	Her self worth is found in an accurate view of who she is in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:10)
Her peace is found in the “perfect” environment	Her peace is found in Jesus in the midst of any storm (Is 26:3)
She is discouraged by failure	Failure reminds her that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10)
She expects perfection from herself and others	She practices grace with herself and others (Eph 4:32)
She teaches her kids to be good	She teaches her kids to be Godly (Proverbs 22:6)
She is frustrated with her lack of spiritual fruit	She abides in Christ and bears much fruit (John 15:5)
She does things with her children	She builds a relationship with her children (Deut 6:6-7)
Her perspective is based on what is seen	Her perspective is based on what is unseen (Col 3:2)
She chooses quantity of activities	She chooses the most excellent Way (I Cor 13)

Here is a printable version from Confessions of a Homeschooler: http://shared.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/momstuff/AbidingMom.pdf I am putting mine up where I can see it daily!

It doesn't have to be this way!

2011-09-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

The latest studies find that "The USA spends more than any other country on health care, and more on maternal health than any other type of hospital care. Despite this, women in the USA have a higher risk of dying of pregnancy-related complications than those in 49 other countries, including Kuwait, Bulgaria, and South Korea." - Amnesty International, you can read more here.

This is so disturbing to me. Women in our culture have been "trained" to trust everything their doctors tell them. We have put or trust in technology and not in women's bodies, designed by God to give birth. Do what they say and everything will be okay, right? WRONG!! Research clearly shows that many of the the routine procedures used by OB's and in most US hospitals are not only not evidenced based, they are also harmful to the motherbaby. (Yes, I purposefully made that one word - they should not be separated in real life or in text.)

What can be done?

Women, educate yourselves! Learn about your options, the benefits, risks, alternatives to every intervention. Childbirth Connection is a great resource.
Consider homebirth or an out of hospital birth center birth (which is actually SAFER for most women with a normal healthy pregnancy than a hospital birth).
Consider hiring a midwife instead of an OB for pregnancy and birth care. Midwives are generally less likely to use interventions that many times cause more harm than good. Many midwives will also attend hospital births.
Take a childbirth class OUT of the hospital (most hospital birthing classes teach you how to be a good patient, not about all of your options).
Hire a doula, especially if having a hospital birth. No, I do not say that to bring in business (because I am one). Many studies have shown that having a doula at your birth decreases the use of interventions, helps with breastfeeding, and results in a more satisfied birthing experience. A doulas job is to provide you information for all of your options so that you can make the best informed decision for you.
Get involved! Show your support for healthy birth through the One Million Moms Challenge or by supporting the Maternal Health Accountability Act of 2011 through Amnesty International. Both things are free and will only take a minute of your time.

I have many, many pregnant friends. I know or know of many, many more pregnant women through the birth work I do. Sometimes it seriously scares the crap out of me. I do not want them to be one of the nearly 13 deaths per 100,000 live births in the US. Or one of the 34,000 who nearly die each year from pregnancy related complications in the US.

Maternal health is a human right. Please help.

Million Mom's Challenge

2011-09-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

I am passionate about healthy, safe, and empowering birth expereinces for all women. But many are denied this all over the world (including here in the US). I want to do something about it. By God's great design I stumbbled across the Million Mom's Challenge tonight while reading the news. I joined to make a difference for women, babies and children all over the world - will you join too. It's free!! Click on the logo on the upper right of my blog, or read the expert from the site below. Lets get 1 million moms!
_______

It should be the happiest moment in a mother's life: the moment when she holds her new baby in her arms for the first time. A new life -- full of hope, of love and wonder.

But in some parts of the world, pregnancy and childbirth is a time fraught with worry, and with good reason. The statistics are stunning:

Every 90 seconds, a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of those deaths are in the developing world.

1 in 5 women in Africa loses a baby in her lifetime. In richer countries, that number is around 1 in 125.

Almost 8 million children die each year before their 5th birthdays—that's almost 21,000 children each day—from largely preventable causes.

But there is good news: there are easy solutions, and they're not far from reach.
It costs just pennies a day to provide moms and babies with proper nutrition, to train midwives to help during childbirth, to vaccinate children against life-threatening diseases and to use simple, innovative technology to deliver crucial health information to women and health workers in remote areas.
Whether you are a mom or you just love your mom, you can help. It's easy.

Take the Million Moms Challenge!
Join the Movement and sign up to be the first to know about events and opportunities to help moms and babies around the world.

We ran a 5K!!!

2011-09-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

We did it!! Both of us!

This morning at about 10am Zac and I ran in the 5K race (about 3 miles) put on my Truly Motivated Transitional Living to raise funds for drug and alcohol recovery programs. Zac ran about 28:35 and I think I did about 30 minutes and some odd seconds. Not bad for an out of shape mom and a guy with one leg!!!

I am SO proud of Zac. This was huge! On to the next one! =)

What's on the shelves?

2011-09-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a look at our Montessori inspired shelves in our school room right now! If you haven't read my Montessori Madness post, please do!
Above is Keanan's shelf, but Kyla has been enjoying these activites as well. It includes: Keanan's work boxes with his letter worksheets, banana cutting, color mixing, coin sorting, nuts and bolts, pom-pom transfer with tweezers into ice cube tray, shape card lacing, bead threading, socket set for ordering and stacking, mystery bag with geometric solids and labels, and shoe tying.

Above is Kyla's shelf, but Keanan uses them too. It includes: play coins transfer jar, pom-pom transfer with tongs onto a mancala board, Kyla's work boxes with her letter worksheets, matching animals cards, bucket full of playdough fun, shape sorting bucket, and foam letter to match to letter cards.

We have been working on letter I and will continue to do so next week. Since we do school about 3 days a week that gives us a good 6 days to really get into the letter. Here are some action shots in the school room:
Finally, inspired by Carisa's post here, we have started reading time right after lunch until nap time (15 - 30 minutes). The rule is you must be reading. Together, alone, out loud, doesn't matter as long as reading is going on. After I clean lunch up I join them. This is a great way to wind down for nap time too!

Goodbye Papa Grist

2011-09-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

I post this as I cry. I miss him already.

September 29, 1931 - September 21, 2011 William “Bill” Grist, 79 of Paris, Arkansas passed away on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 in Paris. He was born on September 29, 1931 in Subiaco to his parents Mose and Gracie (Burt) Grist. He was a member of St. Benedict Catholic Church in Subiaco, member of the Knights of Columbus, a retired and Decorated Vietnam veteran of the United States Air Force. He retired from ten years of service with GSA and was best known as establishing the 911 service in Logan County during his four terms as Logan County Judge in which he also received numerous gubenatorial awards.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Mose and Gracie Grist and two brothers, Harold and Cecil Grist.

Bill is survived by his wife of 56 years, Patricia (Willems) Grist of Paris, four daughters, Barbara O’Neill and husband Frank of Spokane, Washington, Kathleen Lathrop and husband Philip of Graham, Washington, Cynthia Jerome and husband Vince of Kansas City, Kansas and Judith Deatherage and husband Todd of Annandale, Virginia, one son Edward Grist and wife Linda of Bonney Lake, Washington, one sister Lila Mae Richardson of Pasco, Washington, one brother Clayton “Snooks” and Lila Mae Grist of Charleston, fifteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Memorial Rosary will be held at 7:45 P.M., on Friday, September 23, 2011 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Subiaco.

Memorial Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Subiaco officiated by Abbot Jerome Kodell O.S.B. and Fr. Aaron Pirrera O.S.B.. Burial will follow at St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery in Subiaco with full military honors under the direction of Roller Funeral Home in Paris.

In Lieu of flowers the family request that donations are made to St. Benedict Catholic Church or Abbey, C/O Abbot Jerome Kodell, 405 N Subiaco Avenue, Subiaco, AR 72865.

Hawaii

2011-09-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

It only took my 2 months, but I have finally gone through, selected (got it down to 82 from 800!) and resized them so I could put up our pictures from Hawaii! Click on the picture to see all of them=)

Hawaii 2011

Montessori Madness

2011-09-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

I am a teacher. I have ALWAYS wanted to be a teacher. It is the passion that God has given me. Right now this passion is used to teach my kids and expecting parents. So I am always reading about the latest and or best ways to do this.

One of the blogs that I love and follow is Carisa at 1+1+1=1 She is an amazing Christian mom who homeschools her kids. Before having kids she was a primary teacher and was introduced to the Montessori method and loved it. Lately she has been doing "montessori minute" posts on her blog and I was intrigued. I ended up buying an e-book, Montessori at Home by John Bowman who was the guest blogger on Carisa's blog. I read it and it was really good. And that was the extent of that for a few weeks.

Then I saw this video: Montessori Education for the Early Childhood Years It helps me to see things to really get it. I LOVED this idea and really wanted to incorporate it in our school. So back I went to the Montessori at Home e-book. I read it again and rearranged our school room in order to display the Montessori activities for the kids. THEY LOVE IT!! I can see their little brains working as they explore the different materials. They are also learning respect for them as we carefully set up the activity on a mat or table and then carefully put it back in its spot on the shelf when done. We even re-organized our family room so that every toy has it's own spot, no tossing things randomly onto shelves or in baskets. An organized area supports an organized mind.

We are still using the Pre-K curriculum's from Confessions of a Homeschooler and Carisa's 1+1+1=1, but the driving force of our school time is Montessori. If there was a Montessori preschool within 30-45 minutes that was part-time, we would probably send our kids there. But there is not, so we will do it ourselves! If you have kids ages 3-6 I HIGHLY recommend checking out the video listed above and purchasing the e-book, Montessori at Home.

I will post pictures of our shelves in the school room at the end of the week!

Wedding Weekend

2011-09-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my cousin Alyson (on my mom's side) got married at the Cave B Winery overlooking the Columbia River Gorge in George WA. It took us about 3 hours to get there (and then drive home at 9pm). The wedding was beautiful, although a bit windy and cold, and we got some great family pics. Keanan was so excited to dance, which he did a little bit with Grandma and Lucy. We all slept in until 9am this morning to recover! Enjoy the pictures =)

Home Preschool Updates

2011-09-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

I've fallen a bit behind on my posting, but we have finished letter H and then took a week to review the letters A - H. Things are starting to click for Keanan and he is identifying some words that start with these familiar letters when he hears them. He is also pointing out some of these letters as he sees them.

This week we are taking a break from letters and doing a unit study from the homeschooling curriculum Five in a Row. We are reading the children's book "Grandfather's Journey" and doing activities to learn about Japan, our family tree, counting weeks, Japanese culture, shadows, birds, origami, accepting different races, and learning about different landforms. It is really fun!

After a week or so of doing our school time while Kyla is napping, I realized that Keanan still really needs a 2 hour nap. So we are back to school in the mornings with Kyla, but only about 3 times a week. This week we are starting Bible Study Fellowship on Wednesdays (the kids both have their own class), library visits on most Thursdays, and our preschool class at Hands On Childrens Meuseum on Fridays. With house cleaning on Mondays and visiting Grandma's house on most Tuesdays - we are busy!

Home Preschool: Unit 7

2011-08-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

We took this unit a little slow since this month has been so busy for us. We had fun with G is for gumball (Keanan's theme) and G is for goat (Kyla's theme).We also added some fish to our schoolroom!! The kids are loving them and doing a great job feeding them.We are now switching gears and doing school with Keanan every day! Most days this is when Kyla is napping, but she will join us when our schedule allows in the morning. Keanan and I are really excited about it!

18 Months (a little late)

2011-08-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Kyla had her 18 month check up today! She actually turned 18 months on the 6th, but I was in Arkansas at the time. She weighs 21lbs 7oz and is 31.5in tall. That's 9% for weight and 39% for height - a skinny little girl, but totally healthy. She was so great during the appointment and didn't even cry for her one shot!

What a sweet, feisty little princess we have! Her vocabulary is growing every day, we're pretty sure she has over 100 words but we haven't actually counted them yet. She loves to run and play with Keanan, do school, feed the cat and brush her teeth. One of my favorite things that she does right now is pray. Whenever we pray she wants to do it on her own. She will fold her little hands, close her eyes and quietly say "Thank you God." Melts my heart!

Another Run, Another Baby, Another Fair!

2011-08-22T13:59:00.000-07:00

No joke! We pretty much had a repeat weekend. Saturday was Zac's 30th birthday! To celebrate we made him breakfast in bed, went for a family run on the YHS track, had a yummy lunch, took a family nap, and had spagetti for dinner - his favorite. My brother also graduated from WWU on Saturday, yay!!

On Sunday we headed into church to teach Keanan's Sunday school class. As I was setting up I got a call that my September client's water broke! So we raced home to get the other car and my doula bag and went back to church. I was able to teach the class before my client called back and needed me to come since her contractions had started. It was a beautiful birth with a healthy, yet early little boy.

While I was at the birth Zac and the kids went to the Lewis County Fair with the Ireland's and his parents. They watched the destruction derby, saw animals, rode some rides, and ate yummy fair food. Keanan even went on the little roller coaster with his Grandpa! The kids wore themselves out and slept in the car on the way home. I made it home about 2 hours after them.

I was bummed to miss out on the fair trip, but so blessed to have been able to support this mama in her birth. Another lovely weekend!

Run, Baby, Fair!

2011-08-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

What a fun 24 hours we/me have had!

Last night we met Zac at the Rainier High School track for our first family run! Keanan did great and probably ran about 400m. I did 4 laps and Zac did 5, not bad for both of us being out of shape (and one of us only having 1 leg =) ). Kyla enjoyed the ride in the jogging stroller. We need to get up to 12 laps before the TMTL 5K that we are signed up for next month.

As we were putting the kids to bed I got an email from my client and left to help welcome her new baby! It was a beautiful, natural, completely intervention free hospital birth with a healthy baby girl. Mom was ecstatic and couldn't have imagined it going any better. I am still on a high from it! I even made it back home by 5am and was able to get a few hours of sleep in.

This morning the kids and I headed to Graham for the Pierce County Fair! We met up the the Johnson's and Lucy and Keanan had a BLAST going on some of the rides! It was so fun to see them out there by themselves, such big kids. We also had some yummy fair food and saw all the animals.

The only downside of the last 24 hours is that the kids did not nap today, which means neither did I (kind of a must after attending a birth all night). So we were all crabby =( I am off to bed early tonight!

Yay for running, babies, and fairs!

Our School Day in Pictures

2011-08-11T15:08:00.001-07:00

Home Preschool: Unit 6

2011-08-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

We finished F for fish and feet today! We had lots of fun coloring, counting, lacing, cutting, painting, glueing, and reading. Kyla has been more interested in what Keanan is doing so now she gets her own tot-school worksheets. I am incorporating more Montessori type activities as well, which has been a lot of fun - and sometimes a challenge.We also had a Cars (the movie) theme this unit, which thrilled Keanan! Complete with a cars sensory tub (filled with rice). This is the first and only movie Keanan has really watched. Every day we get to see him as a race car running around the house, too fun =)

In other news: I am officially the new childbirth educator for CareNet (crisis pregnancy center) of Thurston County! God really put this wonderful ministry on my heart after reading "The Missional Mom", a great book about living with purpose, and being an example as such for your kids. The first class kicks off in October!

I leave tomorrow night for Arkansas to visit my Papa and will be gone until Monday night. It did not work out for Keanan to come with, so Zac will be home with the kids (with the help of our awesome friends the Ireland's while he is at work). Just thinking about being gone makes me miss them horribly. This will be the longest I have ever been away from my babies. =( Please keep all of us, and my Papa in your prayers.

Please Pray With Us

2011-07-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

On the drive to the airport in Hawaii to board the plane home my mom made a call to my Grandparents in Arkansas. My Grandpa (Papa) has been battleing cancer for some time but the periodic treatments of chemo had seemed to be helping, although hard on him during the process.

After getting off the phone I saw tears running down my moms face. They have given up on the chemo and are calling hospice.

We are now scrambling to find funds and book flights to Arkansas. Right now it is my Mom, my sister Ann, niece Lucy, brother Mathew, sister-in-law Elizabeth, myself, and Keanan. We are trying to leave on August 4th.

I have waited until now to share this because I didn't know what to say. I amazingly still have all 4 of my grandparents living, and even one great-grandma. This is all new to me.

Please pray for my Papa. For comfort and peace. For him to feel the love of God and the arms of Jesus. For healing - if it is God's will. For comfort for the family (they have 5 kids, lots of grandkids, and 6 great-grandkids). For travel mercies as we all make our way there. For provision for expensive plane tickets. For wisdom and help for Zac as he will be home alone with Kyla while we are gone.

God is good, all the time. Even when we don't understand and can't see it. His love endures forever.

So much to do...only one me!

2011-07-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

We are back! And totally not unpacked from Hawaii at all! I am getting a little overwhelmed at all the stuff that I need to do like unpack, sort the million or so pictures (not an exaggeration, Zac is camera crazy and even rented a fancy lens for the trip), upload the sorted pictures, create a book of said pictures, meet potential clients tomorrow, meet two current clients next week, go to the store (we have no food), get school stuff ready for Keanan for next week, get ready for Zac's family to come on Monday, figure out how to fix the stupid broke washing machine (this is Zac's chore- but it is stressing me out), and I'm sure there is more in addition to the normal day to day stuff. Ugh.

On a different note, some of my Hawaii highlights include visiting a very authentic Hawaiian church on Sunday. They blew a conch shell to start the service, sang 1/2 of the songs in Hawaiian and had hula girls! So cool!

I am also in love with coconuts more now than ever. I ate two of them (after drinking the water out with a straw) in about 2 days. My lower intestines were very upset for a bit - but it was worth it! They do not taste the same here, not fresh at all.

Zac and I went para-sailing, which was fun and not scary at all. We all went to the aquarium, had sushi, spent time on the beach and the pool, and drove around the entire island (on the south side it is called the road to Hana- very beautiful.)

Loads of pictures to come. Someday...

Dinosaurs and Sand

2011-07-10T22:13:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun with our sand/beach sensory tub that I forgot to take pictures! Auntie Ann, Lucy and Kate came for the day on Friday when I introduced the tub. Sand everywhere! But they loved it! Keanan and Kyla played in it again with Zac on Saturday. Their favorite things were finding all the shells hidden in the sand, taking them all out and then putting their feet in the sand. They are going to love the beach in Hawaii! =)

Keanan finished his dinosaur lapbook this last week. (See pictures below) We had lots of fun and learned a lot about the dinosaurs with this. There is a flip book about palaeontologists, what a dinosaur is, extinction, and favorite facts. He also made a little book about reptiles and a graph for how tall/long certain dinosaurs were.

Cover
Inside
Inside with mini books open
Keanan and I toured the Strawberry Patch Co-op Preschool on Saturday. We had lots of fun looking around the room, playing with the different things, and talking to Ms. Sally the teacher. Zac and I discussed our plans for this next fall and we have decided to continue our home-school curriculum, attend BSF class, and attend the class at the Hands On Childrens Museum on as many Fridays as possible. Next year (when Keanan is 4) he will be attending Strawberry Patch (as well as the BSF class and a little bit of our home-school curriculum).

On Saturday afternoon we drove down to Longview to play at a park and have dinner with our good friends from Texas, the Shipman's (they are visiting family in Oregon). The kids had a great time at the park and we all ate a ton of pizza. =)

Sensory Tubs!

2011-07-07T17:19:00.000-07:00

We are venturing into the world of sensory tubs, starting with a beach theme in anticipation of our Hawaii vacation next week! Pictures to come!

Have any of you out there done sensory tubs before? Any tips?

Yes, I'm a hippie.

2011-06-27T15:05:00.000-07:00

Last night I made deodorant. (So far so good (and Zac is using it too!)) 2 tbl baking soda, 2 tbl cornstarch, 4 tbl coconut oil

I make my own cleaning solution: 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 cup vinegar, 10 drops tea tree oil in spray bottle filled the rest of the way with water. For a floor cleaner omit baking soda and double vinegar (add 5 drops of peppermint oil to keep away pests and leave a light minty smell).

I make my own shampoo: 1 tbl baking soda and 1-2 drops essential oil (See here) per 1 cup water stored in an old shampoo bottle in the shower

I make my own conditioner: (only need to use is 2 times a week though) 1 part apple cider vinegar to 4 parts water with 1-2 drops lavender essential oil.

I use old cloth diapers as rags for everything (we have no paper products in our house besides toilet paper)

I use Burt's Bee's products for everything for me and the kids (body wash, face wash, sunscreen, lotion,...)

I use only natural/organic makeup. (Do you know how toxic the normal stuff is?? 1# toxin that kids get into in the home)

We cloth diaper. We recycle. We use natural laundry and dish detergent. We eat fresh / local / organic as often as possible.

AND, for the most part all of that stuff saves us money! I also feel so healthy. Just thought I'd share. =)

Home Preschool: Unit 4

2011-06-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks were all about D! D is for dinosaur, to be specific. We also focused on the number 4, the word all, and our verse "Do all things without complaining or disputing." Phil. 2:14 (NKJV)

We checked out a bunch of books from the library about dinosaurs and have been working on a dinosaur lapbook, which is not quite done yet. Kyla has been coloring and painting worksheets all about D and ducks. Today she came into the school room, went straight to the letter on the wall and said "D!" Both the kids love starfall.com and the program that they have for each letter.

Keanan has been quite clingy as of late when we are anywhere but home and Grandma's house. We literally have to peel him off of our legs when going to his Sunday School class or visiting a friend. He is fine after about 5 minutes, but initially you would think we were leaving him forever. I know most of this is him being 3, but we also want him to be comfortable in social situations. We (maybe just me) are planning to tour one of the preschools in the area in a few weeks just to see if it might be the better option for next year. It would be 2 days a week. We will see.

This weekend is Yelm Prairie Days! My doula partners and I have a booth and are hoping to spread the word about doulas, our childbirth classes, and the Thurston County Birth Circle. If you are in the area, stop by and say hi!

Bamboo Magazine!

2011-06-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Childbirth Education

2011-06-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

I am LOVING being a teacher again! To my kids and for childbirth classes. Here are the three different types of classes that I am offering:

Private One Day Childbirth Class: This one is for doula clients only. A day in the comfort of your own home asking questions and learning everything you want to know about labor, birth and postpartum! I use the InJoy "Understanding Birth" workbook as our guide which you get to keep and reference.

Comprehensive 4 Week Series: Taught as a team with another certified doula. This series meets 2 hours per week to cover labor, birth, comfort measures, positions, interventions, c-sections, postpartum, baby care and breastfeeding. Participants receive a copy of InJoy's "Understanding Birth" and access to a webpage for class participants that offers great handouts and videos. Discount for Military parents, and teens are free!

Express Childbirth Class: Also taught as a team with another certified doula. This is a two week class specifically designed for 2nd (or more) time parents and those whose schedules do not fit a 4 week class. It is participant driven, knowing that most of todays parents are doing research and gathering information for themselves about labor and birth. We are here is answer questions and fill in any gaps. The class covers positions, comfort measures, and other issues based on the needs of the students.

You can find more information on my website: www.beautifulmiracles.net

I would love the help spreading the word, especially to the Yelm Community!

Home Preschool: Unit 3

2011-06-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last 2 weeks learning about the letter C, number 6, word in, and caterpillars! Lots of fun had by all =)

With our sight word (in) we have a little book that we read together called "In the Basket." By the end of the 2 weeks Keanan can read the entire thing by himself! Yes, he is reading the pictures, but he can also point out the sight word (in) on each page.

Kyla has been having fun in school too. When the bell rings she says something to the effect of "cool"!!! Her favorite things are dot paints and markers. We are working on keeping both on the paper =)

Here is a bonus picture of Keanan eating ice cream at Grandma & Grandpa's last weekend:

8 years!

2011-06-07T09:53:00.001-07:00

Keanan is 3!!

2011-06-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

How time flies! I can't believe that Keanan is already 3 years old! What a fun, smart, and crazy little boy he is! We have had/ are having/ are going to have a blast celebrating him.

Yesterday my grandparents came over for dinner and brought some presents for Keanan. We had a good visit. This morning my mom came for the day with Lucy and Kate! Keanan opened a present just about every hour (at least it seemed like that!). He got the Leap Frog Tag system and some sandals from mommy, daddy and Kyla; a sweet white board / chalk board easel from Auntie Ann, Uncle Brian, Lucy & Kate; and a slide, radio flyer wagon, cowboy hat, pistol, rifle, holster, bandana, swim trunks, swim shirt, t-shit, and shorts from Grandma and Grandpa who went a little (lot) crazy! He is sleeping right now with the pistol and rifle on his bed - just to be safe. =)Tomorrow we are having his party at Northwest Trek! He is soooo excited to see all the animals (and his friends). I spent a good part of today baking and frosting 95 red velvet mini cupcakes for after lunch. We are then heading over to Grandma and Grandpa's for naps and dinner with the family. Whew! What a lucky kid! Actually, we are so so so blessed that God has entrusted us with this sweet boy. What a wonderful 3 years!

B is for BABIES...I mean Butterfly

2011-05-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

We have just completed our two week home preschool unit on the letter B, number 5, and word "they". Out theme was butterflies and it was fun learning about their life cycle and doing some crafts.Keanan is constantly surprising me and did so again during this unit. He is a master with the dot paints and today painted all the capital B's red and the lowercase b's yellow in a story we were reading, all by himself, like it was nothing! He was still loving to cut this unit, and lace up a B and b I printed out of card stock and punched holes in.

We are doing our school time 3 days a week for 1-2 hours each time, it just depends on the day. All three of us look forward to it and Keanan and Kyla stand outside the school room door waiting for me to ring the bell! =)

In other news: my May and June doula clients (whose due dates were exactly 5 weeks apart) ended up BOTH having their babies this week, within 3 days of each other! My first birth center, and home birth! I was very tired by Wednesday. But now I don't have another client until August (on vacation in July!) and am looking forward to the break from being on call. However, my doula partner and I start teaching our first round of childbirth classes in June! So if you know any pregnant women in the Yelm or surrounding area, let them know. We still have spots open =)

I have never owned a scale.

2011-05-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

And I probably never will. For me, it is not about weight. I could really care less about how much or little I weigh. What is important to me is that I am healthy, fit, and not flabby.

In the last few years I have slowly been turning more and more "green". With this I have been more conscious about what we as a family put on and in our bodies. We eat way healthier than we did last year. I have also switched out all our cleaning and body/beauty products to natural ones. So I'm doing pretty good with the healthy part.

It's the fit and not flabby parts that have caused me some troubles. I have tried and tried to be good about doing my Pilates on a more regular basis - but it seems that something else of more importance comes up (like sleep!). Then I got really motivated...

My parents are taking our entire extended family to Hawaii in July (I know, they are crazy and awesome all at the same time!) My sister and my mom have been joined a gym and been attending a "Booty Camp" class (well, really just Mom at the moment as Ann is recovering from DOUBLE knee surgery - which she lost a bunch of weight from, but that is really not a suggested way to slim down!) Mom is doing great! And looks great! (she reads my blog, so I just scored some points =) )

I came home from visiting on Mother's Day bound and determined that I would not be the only one in Hawaii with a flabby post-baby belly! And so...

For the past 2 weeks I have gotten up at 6:15am at least 4 days a week to run! It's only about 2 -2 1/2 miles, but it's something! I feel awesome and am actually enjoying it! It is a great way to de-stress and start my day. I have been running around the Cougar Mountain Airport and it is soo beautiful in the morning. I have yet to see another person. Just me and my friend Mace (makes me feel safe =) ).

This is quite a miracle for me. Since Zac and I have been married anytime I would attempt to run, or even walk fast, I would breakout in horrible itchy hives on my legs. It was awful. I ran track and cross-country in high school so this did not make sense. I even went to the doctor, but they had no idea. I just resolved that I was allergic to exercise. But in the last 2 weeks, no hives! Not even a little itch! I prayed like crazy before I took off for that first run. God is so good!

So I am feeling healthy, fit and not near as flabby! Bring on Hawaii! =)

Some springtime pics

2011-05-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Home Preschool: Our First Unit!

2011-05-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last 3 weeks studying the letter A, the word away, the number 7, and Spring! Usually we will do a unit in 2 weeks, but we moved up to the school room in the middle of this one and I was not happy with our routine before that.

Note: I purchased our letter curriculum from here (best $10 ever spent!): http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/ and am also using the free curriculum from here: http://1plus1plus1equals1.blogspot.com/ They are FANTASTIC and Christian based.

The Friday after we moved into our schoolroom our Kindergarten Teacher friend, Chirsty, came over to check it out. It was great to have some feedback and suggestions about what we are doing. I scaled back our sight words from 4 to 1 per unit after talking to her, and am glad I did since that was the part Keanan liked the least during school. He can now "read" a little book called "Who Ran Away" (away was our sight word this unit) =)Here is our door of A at the end of the Unit. Keanan picked a bunch of things to glue on to some cardstock paper for his ABC Book. We had so much fun with this! There was tons more that we did that didn't make it up on the door. Even Kyla got involved:Our verse was "A soft answer turns away wrath." Proverbs 15: 1 We talked a lot about what that meant and did a craft about our words. Keanan cut them all out and glued them to the correct side, happy/mad. One thing I learned in the last 3 weeks is that this boy LOVES to cut. And he is really good at it!We also made a Spring lapbook and started our Garden book, which we will add to as we plant more things in our garden. Right now we have peas, beans and spinach. Still growing in Grandma's greenhouse is our tomatoes, carrots, and green peppers. We also planted sunflowers and will be graphing their height each week. Today they are at 2 inches!

Did I mention that we are loving this?! I feel like we are thriving not just surviving with this new setup. I am not watching the clock (as much) for 5:30 when Zac gets home. Keanan's behavior has improved as well with the structure. Not that he was a bad kid or anything, just the number of 2-almost-3 year old meltdowns has decreased a ton!

I knew from 4th grade that God had called me to be a teacher, I just never thought it would be as a home preschool teacher and a childbirth educator/doula! I LOVE IT!

Bamboo Magazine!

2011-05-10T13:18:00.001-07:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More children

School Room!

2011-05-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture tour of our school room! Today was the first day, and we had so much fun! The kids are not allowed in here without Zac or I. This helps keep it a special place and the toys that stay in there stay more exciting.

Next to the door, memory verse, weather chart, book case (the top few shelves hold my supplies for the day)American flag wall hanging that my Grandma made, Keva plank table (inside are Keanan's Highlights magazines), stamp chart on closet door (closet contains the masses of stuff/junk for a garage sale, and will eventually be where school supplies are kept), up on the wall are my weekly school plansTelescope and work tableReading corner where we do our bible time and morning review (cards up on the wall)Activity shelf with Keanan's work boxes and learning toys (mostly for Kyla while we are working on something)Keanan's work boxes loaded and ready for the morning. There are three drawers for three activities and then he gets a stamp on his chart when they are done. We then do other crafts/games/songs/reading... of his choice for the remainder of "school". I load the boxes again during nap time for three more activities before dinner.And up along the ceiling are his letter crafts that we spent last year doing!

Between our "school" time, library time, Sunday School, the kids weekly Bible Study Fellowship classes starting in the fall, and the weekly free preschool class at the the children's museum starting in the fall - I think we are good to go!

The most productive Sunday EVER!!

2011-05-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

We worked so hard yesterday and did not stop until 1am! Some things that were accomplished:
- lawn mowed
- garden weeded
- birdhouse hung
- toddler bed moved to Kyla's room
- big bed set up in Keanan's room
- garage sale items loaded into closet (think tetris)
- bookcase, little table and chairs, end table, and short bookcase moved upstairs into our schoolroom!!!!
- office completely reorganized (it actually looks like a semi-professional office!)
- school room decorated, organized and ready to go!
- laundry done
- kitchen clean

Whew!!! It was crazy but soooo good! We have decided to homeschool Keanan for preschool next year so the school room is really exciting for me! More to come (with pics) on that later.

Easter Pictures and Lapbook

2011-04-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! These are pictures of the kids this morning. They were fighting, hence the lack of pictures together (ahhh sibling love)! They woke up to hidden Easter eggs and had a ball filling their bucket/basket! We had a wonderful day attending church in our new building. Our small church saw over 1000 people walk through the door today throughout the 4 services! After church Auntie Jess and Uncle Casey came over for lunch and after naps we went over to their place for dinner and another egg hunt.

For the last few weeks we have been working on an Easter lapbook! A lapbook is just a file folder(s) cut and folded. You can then attach pockets, mini books, pictures... that relate to whatever theme you are learning about. Here is the cover (colored and 1/2 cut out by Keanan):Here is the inside! We have 3 pockets to hold the games we made: a shape/color sorting game, an ABC's matching game, and a number/shape/word matching game. We also added an empty tomb coloring page (which Kyla helped color), and an Easter story accordion book.Here is the Easter story book opened up. Keanan can tell this story mostly by himself!And here is the back. A handprint butterfly with our memory verse, which Keanan can say mostly by himself! We are going to continue working on this verse as we start learning about Spring (and working on a new lapbook)!

What a lovely spring day!

2011-04-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today we drove down to Portland to celebrate Zac's Grandpa's (Buppa) birthday! We had a nice lunch and short visit. The weather was so nice that we spent as much time outside as possible, we even stopped at a park on the way down and another park on the way home to play.After dinner at home we headed back outside. Keanan wants to learn about spring and how things grow so he helped me till up the spot where we will have our little garden! We plan to grow tomatoes, carrots, spinach, sunflowers, green peppers, and whatever else Grandma thinks will grow well at our house.Zac thought it would be a good idea to build a birdhouse with Keanan's help. This is a very special birdhouse with a plexi-glass back. Zac is going to hang it outside our dinning room window. Then we can watch the bird make a nest, lay eggs, watch the eggs hatch, and the baby birds grow!! I hope a bird decides to make it her home!

Last Letter of the week - Z!!

2011-04-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

This post is quite late, but we've been busy! We finished up with letter Z last week!! We made a zebra Z, read some books about the zoo, and worked on writing a Z!

We have been working on our Easter lapbook this week (I'll post pictures after Easter) and next Keanan wants to learn about Spring, so we will be making a Spring lapbook!

After much discussion, we decided to not send Keanan to preschool next year. Instead he will be attending a weekly class at BSF (bible study fellowship) while I am in bible study and we will also renew our membership at the Hands On Children's Museum to take advantage of the free class they offer on Fridays. Starting in the fall I will also be more intentional about our "school" time here at home. I'm excited!

This week has flown by since I was at a wonderful birth on Tuesday night. I can't believe it is almost Friday! Happy Good Friday and happy early Easter! He is Risen!!

Letter of the week - Y

2011-04-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

We had fun this week with a yellow Y and yarn "egg". Keanan also did really well at "writing" this week and traced his letters many times (I put the printouts in sheet protectors so we can re-use them with dry erase markers). We have slowly been adding to our Easter lapbook (for a later post!) and worked on that this week as well.

After taking the above picture, Kyla stood in the same spot and started saying "cheese!" I had to take hers as well!I had a busy "doula meeting" week this week, but it was refreshing to get out of the house! We also had a fun lunch with the Ireland's and a visit from Zac's parents before they head to Africa for 6 weeks! Here's a cute picture of Kyla and Grandpa:

Letter of the week - X

2011-04-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

We were a little limited with our X crafts, but had fun making an x-ray X and a xylophone! Almost done!

We spent more time at Grandma's house this week than normal, but it was nice. We were blessed by a HUGE amount of clothes for Kyla from the other little girl that my mom watches. She now has more clothes than she will be able to wear for the next year! Thank you Low family!

I am also officially done with my doula certification course! I am now a certified birth doula through Childbirth International! Thank you mom and dad for making that happen =)

Cheese!

2011-03-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

That's right! I have FINALLY made some cheese again! (hence the "cheese" part of "My Life and Cheese")

The kids and I (mostly I) started our milk cooking about 1/2 hour before lunch. By the time they woke up from nap (around 4:30) we had squeaky cheese (cheese curds)! I made some ricotta from the whey as well. Yummy!

The cheese curds being pressedRicotta cookingRicotta drainingFinished ricotta mixed with a little salt and herbs de provence.Finished cheese curds broken up and mixed with a little salt.

Letter of the week - W

2011-03-27T23:28:00.001-07:00

I am bound and determined to finish our letter of the week bit before Easter! This week we had fun with worms, wolves, and watermelon! We also found some neat W books at the library.

It was a busy week as I was at a very long birth in the middle of it. Welcome beautiful baby girl!

We spent today in Mossyrock celebrating Grandpa, Auntie Jess, and Great Aunt Linda's birthdays. We also got to see the new lambs (only a week old!)The kids with Great Grandma Vawter.

She's Crafty...

2011-03-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

Beastie Boys anyone?? Ahh, flashbacks to junior high and high school, *sigh*.

Actually, I am anti-crafty. It is a very large stretch for me to do anything remotely crafty. But stretching us is one of the things our kids do best, right?

We have taken a break with out letters of the week lately. Part of this is Keanan not wanting to do it, so I don't push it. Part of it is me being consumed with my doula certification work (which is sooo close to being done!!). So this last week we did some fun crafts to get ready for St. Patrick's day. I'm sure we will do some more this week as well. Hopefully we will finish our letters soon, we just have W, X, Y, and Z to go!

Marshmallow Shamrocks (Kyla did one too)Sorting colors to make a rainbowThe finished productWorm painting (painted using spaghetti noodles)And just for fun, big girl Kyla on the potty!

Lent

2011-03-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

I've seen many posts lately about what people are giving up. Chocolate, Facebook, cussing, etc. Last year I gave up the time I spent on the couple of forums I was frequently lurking on. The intention is to give up something that matters to help us remember what Christ gave up for us.; the very thing that matters most, his life.

This year I am not giving anything up. This year I want more. More of Jesus.

Lysa TerKeurst posted this on her blog today and it really struck a chord with me:

"It’s not saying I need to add more to my already too long to do list. It’s saying, “Lord, help me to be more… with you, in you, like you, because of you.”

Help me to walk toward the cross this year carrying my depravity that needs to die there.

But even more so, help me keep my eyes focused on the tomb, where hope rises and victory prevails."

My Prayer:
"Draw me close to you, never let me go. I lay it all down again, to hear you say that I'm a friend. You are my desire, no one else will do. For nothing else can take your place, to feel the warmth of your embrace. Help me find my way, lead me back to you.

Your all I want. Your all I've ever needed. Your all I want. Help me know that you are here."

These might not be the "right" words to this song. But this is how I sing it. This is the cry of my heart.

I realized this morning that I have been hiding, running even, from Jesus. Not so much that anyone else would notice. Just enough for me to see. I've been going through all the "right" motions, but I've been afraid of hearing what he has to tell me, or where he wants me to go. We had a good chat this morning.

Speak Lord, I am listening. I will go, send me.

If you are giving something up for Lent, I commend you and wish you strength to stick with it. I want to ask you though, what are you filling that extra time or space with instead?

"You're all I want. You're all I've ever needed. You're all I want. Help me know that you are here."

The end of a stage

2011-03-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

It's official, we are done. I am no longer a nursing mommy. This end is bittersweet for me.

Since September 2007 (3 1/2 years!!!) I have been pregnant or nursing or both! This sometimes annoying but mostly wonderful time is now over forever as we are not having any more kids and Kyla is totally weaned. I would not have changed anything for the world. I have loved the closeness of breastfeeding with my kids, knowing I was doing something so amazingly good for them.

I am also very glad to have my body back. I no longer am sharing it with another little person. I am also looking forward to owning some well fitting, pretty bras again!

If you are pregnant and considering breastfeeding, or a nursing mom in the middle of it, I highly encourage you to buy/check out "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" written by the founders of the Le Leche League. It is a great resource and a pretty easy read. Very encouraging.

Simple Joys

2011-03-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

You don't know what you've got till it's gone.

So true! I have realized in the last 2 weeks how much I rely on my washing machine. Especially when using cloth diapers. After two weeks of hauling my dirty laundry around, and 2 weeks of Kyla being in disposables (which I HATE), Zac fixed the machine last night!! Praise the Lord!!!

BIG thank yous to my mom and Chris who both sorted (I don't do this), washed, AND folded our laundry. I think my mom did this routine 3 times. Love you guys!

I wish all of you happy washing. May your machine never be out of commission for more than a day!

Growing so fast!

2011-02-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

Kyla's depth of understanding is increasing everyday! A few days ago she was yelling at me and I told her "Kyla, no, no! Go to the step." (that is our time out spot). She put on her pouty lip, started to whimper and immediately walked her little self over to the step and sat down! When it's time to eat I will tell her to get her bib, which she does and takes over to her chair. She will go grab a book, or give a toy to Keanan when asked (most of the time!). One of her latest things has been to feed her babies! It is so cute. Zac commented today that she is starting to get fun. I agree!