tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16406971373780195512024-03-13T01:02:48.751-05:00Family AboundsJoin our family as we follow Jesus Christ in a life that truly abounds!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.comBlogger281125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-9158197267047326512015-06-10T20:00:00.000-05:002015-06-10T20:00:10.040-05:00Snapshots: May and Some of June<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things around here are winding down...or up...I can't really tell which way they're going.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids will finish up school this week. Praise the Lord! This mom is ready for a break! I think the kids will enjoy some extra free time as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we have relaxed our daily schedule quite a bit, the Crew has had plenty of time to perfect their paper airplane making abilities, have lots of water gun fights, and attempt to dig giant holes in the front yard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Naturally, we also have many appearances of soldiers (from both the past and the present), pioneers, and various community servants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During one of our many trips into town for doctor appointments, the kids and I took a quick side trip over the mountains. Before moving to Virginia I had discovered a discount grocery store, but with our current location it has been impractical to make a trip there. After some inspiration from another blog I just <i>had</i> to go. We stocked up on a lot of pantry items and paid about half the price we would at Walmart. I really can't wait to go back! I know...life changes when you're a mom to a handful of kiddos!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have enjoyed several family hikes over the last few weeks. A trip to Shenandoah National Park was especially exciting when we saw several deer within just a few yards of us. One fawn even walked within an arm's length of Claude and the kids!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claude's parents visited us a few weeks ago. Too bad we ended up with a stomach virus while they were here! Why these things happen, I have no idea. But we all made it through...and then everyone came down with a cold the following week. Gotta love living in close quarters with a bunch of kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, Hannah, and Abigail participated in the Awana program at our church this winter and spring. It was an adjustment for us to get used to driving to and from church twice in a day, but so worth it! They had a blast, memorized a lot of scripture, and have been encouraged in their walk with the Lord. They had a big party, store to spend their Awana Bucks, and their last awards ceremony last month. They can't wait to start in the fall when Jeremiah gets to join them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have seen more and more wildlife in our yard this spring. There is a rabbit that has been spotted several times in the morning and around dusk. The kids spotted something black, larger than a squirrel, and smaller than a deer. It could have been a shadow. They are having fun dreaming up all of the different kinds of animals it could have been.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They found a turtle who lived in the front flower bed for a few days before taking off into the wild of the front yard. And Joshua also spotted a deer bounding out toward the road during a thunder storm last week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The weather is getting warmer. I'm getting more and more pregnant, if that's possible. And we're ramping up for the arrival of Chew Crew 6. 35 weeks and counting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could be soon. It could be more than a month from now. The suspense is always a bit too much for me. But how much more exciting does life get?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, it can always get more exciting when chocolate pudding is involved!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-36537532253845414482015-05-12T14:53:00.002-05:002015-05-12T14:53:54.399-05:00Homeschool Update: What's Working, What's Not, What We're Doing About It<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been a while since I have posted about the state of our homeschool. Not that many people care to know the nitty gritty of our academic life, but I felt like writing about something I know. I am certainly not a homeschooling expert (still a novice over here!) but I am an expert in <i>our</i> homeschool. And since we're wrapping up a school year and making plans for the next, this seemed like an appropriate topic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, this is simply what we're doing and how it's working (or not). I'm not advocating for any one way of teaching. And neither do I stand by one particular curriculum. Some we will keep using because they work very well for us. Others are working for now, and some are not working at all. I recognize that every family is in a different place in their schooling journey and that place changes with the growth of our children and other shifts in life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All that said, here is what we are doing now in our homeschool.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><img alt="Arithmetic 3 Work-text - " itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/204515.jpg" title="Arithmetic 3 Work-text - " /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>MATH</b></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What curriculum are we using?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> </b>A Beka Math</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is using it?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, 7 years, Grade 2, <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=95702" target="_blank">Arithmetic 2</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah, 6 years, Grade 1, <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=92185" target="_blank">Arithmetic 1</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abigail, 4 years, pre-K/Kindergarten, <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=99384" target="_blank">Numbers Skills K5</a></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How did we settle on A Beka?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
used A Beka Numbers Skills K5 for Joshua and Hannah in our <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2013/01/homeschool-series-kindergarten.html" target="_blank">very first year of homeschooling</a>. For me, it was easy to use because the lessons are
scripted out, but it seemed repetative for the kids and I wanted to see
if there was something a little more engaging. <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-2015-school-year-part-2.html" target="_blank">We tried a year of Singapore Math</a>, which was good for developing mathematical thinking
skills but it was too teacher-intensive and produced a lot of stress and
frustration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew that we needed something low-stress yet thorough, with plenty of math facts practice built into each lesson. A Beka fit the bill so we made the change in January of this year.</span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it working?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YES! This curriculum is working well for us. It is a better fit for Hannah (first grade) and Abigail (kindergarten) than for Joshua (second grade). This has nothing to do with the second grade curriculum, but is simply a difference in learning style. It is working well enough for Joshua, however, that we are most likely going to move right along with A Beka and not waste time finding a better fit at this stage.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why is it working?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We spent most of last year having ditched a formal curriculum for learning and practicing math facts. For nine months Joshua and Hannah made their way through the addition and subtraction facts using flash cards and an occasional color by number or other worksheet. It was good at the time and really helped with their memorization of math facts. However, after nearly a year of that I felt like we needed a change. This restlessness combined with knowing that we would be giving the kids standardized tests to fulfill Virginia state homeschool law, made changing to a formal curriculum seem like a good choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Beka is filling the need to cover more concepts than memorizing facts while still giving plenty of practice on basic arithmetic. It is easy for me to use, requires no advanced preparation, and has been flexible enough for me to tweak it to fit into our daily routine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><img alt="Spell to Write and Read - By: Wanda Sanseri
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>PHONICS AND SPELLING</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What curriculum are we using?</i></span><br />
<a href="http://www.christianbook.com/spell-to-write-and-read/wanda-sanseri/9781880045244/pd/145249?event=ESRCG" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spell to Write and Read<i></i></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is using it?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, advanced speller</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah, intermediate speller</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abigail, beginner reader and speller</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Is it working?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YES! I have written about this before <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2013/01/homeschool-series-kindergarten.html" target="_blank">here</a><i> </i>and <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-2015-school-year-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a><i>. </i>The more I use this program the more I really like it. The kids are excellent readers and solid spellers. Each time I go through a section (some I have already been through 5 or more times), I am understanding more of how the English language works. It's not as complicated and conviluted as some might think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Probably I have written before, but I will say again that I do not use this program to its fullest potential. When following all of the suggestions, you can use this set of two books to teach a complete language arts program from beginning reading through upper elementary school and even beyond. It is a little too much for me to sort out how exactly to do that, so we use it strictly for phonics (leading to reading) and spelling. We even omit the learning log and are still getting a lot out of this program.</span><br />
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<img alt="First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, Level 2 - By: Jessie Wise
" itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/333945.jpg" title="First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind, Level 2 - By: Jessie Wise
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">GRAMMAR</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What curriculum are we using?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/first-language-lessons-trained-level-2/jessie-wise/9781933339450/pd/333945?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">First Language Lessons</a><i> </i></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is using it?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/first-language-lessons-trained-level-2/jessie-wise/9781933339450/pd/333945?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Level 2</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/first-language-lessons-trained-level-1/jessie-wise/9781933339443/pd/339443?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Level 1</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Is it working?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think so. I read all kinds of things about waiting until upper elementary school to introduce grammar and writing. I also read things about introducing children at a younger age to definitions and the basics of grammar and writing so that when they are older things are familiar to them. My thought is that by the time kids get to high school and college, the only thing that will matter is if they can write well. Their college professors aren't going to say, "Oh, wow! You must not have started grammar until fifth grade!" Neither will they say, "Incredible! You must have memorized the definition of a noun when you were only 6 years old!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why is it working?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I'm not sure how well First Language Lessons is working. Joshua and Hannah are very good at memorizing things. This program definitely plays toward that strength. However, some application seems to go over their heads. The lessons are scripted and short. That means I am able to keep up with them with minimal effort. I am not a lazy mom. Neither am I a lazy teacher. I do, however, have several irons in the fire during school time alone (not to mention the rest of the day) and I know that if I can't keep up with it, the kids won't be learning that subject.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like the simplicity of this curriculum. It works well enough for now. Therefore, we will stick it out and see what results we get in later levels.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><img alt="Cursive Success Student Workbook Grade 4, Updated Edition - " itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/482566.jpg" title="Cursive Success Student Workbook Grade 4, Updated Edition - " /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>HANDWRITING</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What curriculum are we using?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.hwtears.com/hwt" target="_blank">Handwriting Without Tears</a><i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is using it?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, <a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/CH/HWT" target="_blank">Grade 3 Cursive Handwriting</a></span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/CH/HWT" target="_blank"> </a></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/CH/HWT" target="_blank">Grade 3 Cursive Handwriting</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abigail, <a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/LN/HWT" target="_blank">Kindergarten Letters and Numbers for Me</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Is it working?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">YES! You can read more about how and why we switched to this program <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-2015-school-year-part-1.html" target="_blank">here</a><i>. </i>Everyone enjoys handwriting. Everyone is improving in handwriting. And, true to its name, it is all without tears. Amazing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why is it working?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's simple. After they learn to form letters and hold their pencil correctly the kids can do it on their own. They love the workbooks! It really couldn't work any better than that!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><img alt="Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Level 3 Workbook - " height="400" itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/g/ebooks/covers/w185/4/467014_w185.png" title="Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Level 3 Workbook - " width="293" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>GREEK</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What curriculum are we using?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.greeknstuff.com/andrew.html" target="_blank">Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek!</a><i> </i></span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who is using it?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, Started the year with <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/andrew-teach-greek-level-2-workbook/9781931842068/pd/467007?event=CPOF" target="_blank">Level 2</a>, Now in <a href="http://www.greeknstuff.com/info/infoGR-03-WB.html" target="_blank"> Level 3</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah, Started the year with <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/andrew-teach-greek-level-2-workbook/9781931842068/pd/467007?event=CPOF" target="_blank">Level 2</a>, Now in <a href="http://www.greeknstuff.com/info/infoGR-03-WB.html" target="_blank">Level 3</a> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Is it working?</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes! Joshua is attempting to construct sentences in Greek. He and Hannah enjoy using the books. They have learned this on their own for the most part (seeing as though neither of their parents currently read Koine Greek). I'm pretty sure it's working.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Around the World in 180 Days Student Workbook, 2nd Edition - By: Sherrie Payne
" itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/495581.jpg" title="Around the World in 180 Days Student Workbook, 2nd Edition - By: Sherrie Payne
" /> </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What curriculum are we using?</i></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://shop.apologia.com/around-the-world/311-around-the-world-in-180-days-2nd-edition-student-workbook.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around the World in 180 Days</span></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=183202" target="_blank">A Beka History of the World in Christian Perspective</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Public Library, Juvenile NonFiction 900's </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Who is using it?</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, Around the World in 180 Days, Grade 7 History of the World in Christian Perspective</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah, Around the World in 180 Days, Public Library Juvenile NonFiction 900's</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Is it working?</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes and no.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, this is a little more complex than math or handwriting simply because the kids work at varying grade-levels and this subject can't be qualified very easily. We started off the year using the public library to check out books of the kids' interest. They read about things from ancient civilizations to men landing on the moon. You can read about how we did that <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2014/09/2014-2015-school-year-part-3.html" target="_blank">here</a>. But they needed more structure.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why is it working? Why isn't it working?</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an attempt to find something we could all do together, we tried Around the World in 180 Days. I like the idea, but couldn't really pull it off. Getting books on hold from a fairly small library system was challenging. Guiding two young elementary students through the process of reading various books in order to find answers to specific questions was tedious and too time-consuming for me.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua did great with it. I threw a packet of questions and maps at him along with a stack of books and some atlases and he finished two units without much trouble (or effort, for that matter). He needed more of a challenge. For Hannah it was more challenging and frustrating. She is younger than Joshua and her strengths lie in different areas. She needed something more age-appropriate.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua has recently switched to A Beka History of the World in Christian Perspective. I will start by saying that I had no idea that I handed him a seventh grade level book. I really didn't. We bought a used copy, along with a few other Christian history textbooks, to help us along with the Around the World curriculum. The book does not say what grade it is intended for. When he finished units on Antarctica and Australasia, did two extra activities and reports, and I didn't have the next unit ready for him I realized this approach wasn't going to work. So, I grabbed a textbook from the shelf and said, "Read this, define the bold terms, and answer any questions you see." He is doing great with it!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah has gone back to the willy-nilly, ready-what-you-feel-like method. It's not bad, but she is lacking direction and doesn't have the a strong interest in the subject to be self-driven. For now we are just finishing out the year. But we will be doing something different with her next year.</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><img alt="Exploring Creation with Botany, Textbook - By: Jeannie Fulbright
" itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/337002.jpg" title="Exploring Creation with Botany, Textbook - By: Jeannie Fulbright
" /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>SCIENCE</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>What curriculum are we using?</i></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://shop.apologia.com/62-botany" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apologia Exploring Creation with Botany</span></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Public Library, Juvenile NonFiction (I can't remember the call numbers - anything from plants to animals to innovations)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Who is using it?</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua, Apologia Exploring Creation with Botany</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah, Public Library Juvenile NonFiction</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Is it working?</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes and no.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is very similar to our story of history and geography curriculum. Joshua needed more structure and direction, so early this year we set him to work through the Apologia textbooks. Hannah has continued with the library approach but is at a point of needing more direction. She will be switching next year.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why is it working? Why isn't it working?</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apologia is working well for Joshua. It is pretty thorough without being overwhelming. The text is easy to read and gives in-depth information and explanations. I like that it isn't full of cartoons and that the text doesn't sound like it's from a toddler board book. We will definitely continue using these textbooks.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What isn't working are the projects. It is hard to keep up with things like this. Claude is taking care of holding Joshua accountable with his projects, but many of them Joshua does in the morning and then moves on before Claude or I even know he's done it. Honestly, I haven't checked his science notebook in several weeks. And since he is one to value completing assignments quickly rather than being thorough, I have no idea how he's really doing.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know...bad mom. Bad, bad homeschool mom. This is why I need summer. A chance to stop the madness of the daily school grind and be inspired to <i>want</i> to check the science notebook. Oh, yeah...and give birth, recover, figure out how to do life with six children, and then jump back into a new school year. Sounds like a recipe for being able to check all the schoolwork, doesn't it? ;)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Latin's Not So Tough! Level 1 Workbook - " itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/467088.jpg" title="Latin's Not So Tough! Level 1 Workbook - " /> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum on CD-ROM - " itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/710184.jpg" title="Typing Instructor for Kids Platinum on CD-ROM - " /> </span></span></span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>NEW SUBJECTS</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua will be adding two new subjects next year. He needs a little more challenge and stimulation. Plus, there are a couple of skills he needs to begin working on. His new subjects will include <b>keyboarding</b> and <b>Latin</b>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why keyboarding?</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it's a necessary skill and he has had very little practice using a computer or keyboard of any sort. I think he'll have fun since it will seem more like a game than a school subject. Since I'm the mean ogre mom who makes him slave away over assignments all day this may be a breath of fresh air for him.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why Latin? </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because it's a necessary skill and...oh, wait. That's not the reason!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When asked what subjects he would really like to study in school he said, "Hebrew, Latin, Geography, and Space." Joshua has a knack for languages. He is picking up Greek very easily and is interested in developing his own codes and secret languages. He also says that one day he wants to write books for people to understand difficult things like the book of Revelation, the Rapture, and the Millenial Kingdom.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Biblical languages are a natural fit for him. As is Latin and maybe Elvish. Hebrew will probably come in time, but of the two languages Latin seemed like a better choice for an 8-year-old. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>WHAT'S IN THE WORKS FOR NEXT YEAR </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With all that in mind, here's what the plans are for next year:</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><img alt="History of the World in Christian Perspective, Fifth Edition - " itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/183202.jpg" title="History of the World in Christian Perspective, Fifth Edition - " /> </b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Joshua, 8 years, Grade 3 </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Math: A<a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=104515" target="_blank"> Beka Arithmetic 3<i> </i></a> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spelling: Spell to Write and Read, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-s-e-guide-for-spelling/wanda-sanseri/9781880045213/pd/244020?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Wise Guide for Spelling</a> (Finishing!)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grammar: <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/language-trained-level-3-student-workbook/jessie-wise/9781933339085/pd/412983?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">First Language Lessons Level 3</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handwriting: <a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/CS/HWT" target="_blank">Handwriting Without Tears Grade 4 Cursive Success</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keyboarding: <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/typing-instructor-for-kids-platinum-rom/pd/710184?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Typing Instructor</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Latin: <a href="http://www.greeknstuff.com/info/infoLA-01-WB.html" target="_blank">Latin's Not So Tough Level 1</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greek: <a href="http://www.greeknstuff.com/info/infoGR-04-WB.html" target="_blank">Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Levels 3 and 4</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">History and Geography: <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=183202" target="_blank">History of the World in Christian Perspective</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Science: <a href="http://apologia.com/index.asp?proc=pg&pg=4" target="_blank">Apologia Exploring Creation Series</a> (TBD; Possibly <a href="http://shop.apologia.com/61-astronomy" target="_blank">Astronomy</a>)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /><img alt="Our American Heritage: People in U.S. History, Fourth Edition--Grade 3 - " itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/204728.jpg" title="Our American Heritage: People in U.S. History, Fourth Edition--Grade 3 - " /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Hannah, 7 years, Grade 2</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Math: A Beka Arithmetic 2</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spelling: Spell to Write and Read, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-s-e-guide-for-spelling/wanda-sanseri/9781880045213/pd/244020?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Wise Guide for Spelling</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grammar: <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/first-language-lessons-trained-level-2/jessie-wise/9781933339450/pd/333945?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">First Language Lessons, Level 2</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handwriting: <a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/CS/HWT" target="_blank">Handwriting Without Tears Grade 4 Cursive Success</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greek: <a href="http://www.greeknstuff.com/info/infoGR-03-WB.html" target="_blank">Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! Level 3</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">History and Geography: <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=104728" target="_blank">A Beka Our American Heritage</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Science: <a href="http://shop.apologia.com/62-botany" target="_blank">Apologia Exploring Creation with Botany</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><img alt="My First Bob Books: Beginning Readers, Set 1 - By: Bobby Lynn Maslen
Illustrated By: John R. Maslen
" itemprop="image" src="http://g.christianbook.com/dg/product/cbd/f400/845001.jpg" title="My First Bob Books: Beginning Readers, Set 1 - By: Bobby Lynn Maslen
Illustrated By: John R. Maslen
" /> </i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Abigail, 5 years, Kindergarten</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Math: A Beka <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=99384" target="_blank">Numbers Skills K5</a> and <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=92185" target="_blank">Arithmetic 1</a><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phonics / Reading / Spelling: <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/spell-to-write-and-read/wanda-sanseri/9781880045244/pd/145249?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Spell to Write and Read</a>, <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-s-e-guide-for-spelling/wanda-sanseri/9781880045213/pd/244020?event=CPOF" target="_blank">Wise Guide for Spelling</a><i>, </i><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/my-first-bob-books-beginning-readers/bobby-maslen/9780439845007/pd/845001?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">BOB Books</a>, Home Library, Public Library</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Handwriting: Handwriting Without Tears <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-s-e-guide-for-spelling/wanda-sanseri/9781880045213/pd/244020?event=CPOF" target="_blank">Kindergarten Letters and Numbers for Me</a><i> </i>and <a href="http://shopping.hwtears.com/product/MPB/HWT" target="_blank">Grade 1 My Printing Book</a><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>CONCLUSION</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have made a number of changes to our curriculum mid-year. This is the first time we have done this, and I do hope it's the last. It won't be, but I can dream, right? I like routine. I like things that work. I like making plans that we can actually stick with and that will succeed. But, I do like a change of pace every once in a while and I do not like when things are not going well.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we are in the final weeks of our third year on this homeschool path, I think we are settling into some curriculum choices that will likely stand the test of time. Things that fit into our ever-crazier daily routines are not things I will toss out the window with the changing of the winds. We are learning what works, what doesn't, and when to make changes.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what have you been doing in your homeschool recently? What is working? What isn't working? What are you doing about it?</span></span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i></i></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-43925308804998433812015-05-07T09:11:00.000-05:002015-05-07T09:11:02.433-05:00Is It Friday Yet?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, wait...Friday won't take away my troubles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it Saturday, then?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ummm...no. Saturday will have no more success taking away the daily distresses than Friday had.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sigh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess I just need to hold on and hang in for the long haul.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the mean time, I will pretend that Claude and I were <i>not</i> woken up sometime in the middle of night by a 45 minute tantrum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, it wasn't a night terror. It was a full-fledged "I didn't get what I wanted so I'm going to scream as loud as I possibly can for as long as I can stand it to see if you'll give in" fit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will also pretend that the morning has <i>not</i> included another hour of screaming and outright disobedience from the afrementioned middle of the night tantrum thrower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, this child is not ill. This child simply wants his/her own way. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead, I already took a few minutes to stand on our giant porch. I listened to the birds chirping and the general calming sounds of nature. Of course, I ignored the sound of cars racing down out little country highway and the smell of the trash cans that were sitting right in front of me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I snapped the below photograph before heading inside.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LLWToxolfM_AwYfkWCpnOpQoTlhMZ_hH5KpXarHglG40xV-kNYQnhhqRnKwBhnkGaNuueeGasj30Tk2WDroZdVzjjI2fIGECOB89HZM7TrkIs8uQSWudrc4beK9PKxkfBSmtgt_XJg/s1600/IMG_2453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3LLWToxolfM_AwYfkWCpnOpQoTlhMZ_hH5KpXarHglG40xV-kNYQnhhqRnKwBhnkGaNuueeGasj30Tk2WDroZdVzjjI2fIGECOB89HZM7TrkIs8uQSWudrc4beK9PKxkfBSmtgt_XJg/s400/IMG_2453.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the view from our
kitchen window. Green. Crisp. Spring. Isn't it beautiful?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I will poor a cup of tea and continue on with the morning routine as usual.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And wait for Friday in the hope that it will start off a better foot than Thursday has.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-55222780569010550382015-05-04T09:00:00.000-05:002015-05-04T09:13:11.117-05:00All Shapes and Sizes<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After our firstborn, we kind of thought we had seen it all. Super strong will. Super intense personality. Pushing the boundaries - discipline-wise and also academically.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an infant he didn't sleep well at night. In fact, he was two years old before he ever slept through the night. The Lord humbled us very quickly with that first experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, because He knows better than we do, God continues to humble us even today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until our fifth child, we never had a "runner". You know, those kids that won't stay with their parent out in public? In the blink of an eye they are across the playground, in the middle of the street, or lost in the crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Four kids we have had. Four kids who hold on to the stroller and stick by our side very consistently. I have never had to chase a child down. We haven't had any that run off just for the fun of it. Quite frankly, they have probably been too afraid. They like to stay within at least some of the boundaries placed around them. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until now.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wAqbEuujeQE5ENe046CtVs_MrjX0zAzagyCqwS3QaywBEz6Tt61u0eNRgBHw6VeuHcMop5Y3g7BoFm5DsvCCxGJT-TMM2zeFqsPBsYXU91JpT6JRMZOiAY-SZcCWhCP-CGHCJkOXpQ/s1600/IMG_2408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wAqbEuujeQE5ENe046CtVs_MrjX0zAzagyCqwS3QaywBEz6Tt61u0eNRgBHw6VeuHcMop5Y3g7BoFm5DsvCCxGJT-TMM2zeFqsPBsYXU91JpT6JRMZOiAY-SZcCWhCP-CGHCJkOXpQ/s1600/IMG_2408.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meet Rachel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She runs. She runs without regard to how far away she may get from the rest of the Crew. No fear here. She will now hold on to the stroller only because she wants to be like her older brothers and sisters. Praise the Lord for years of training the older ones to stick together!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not only does Rachel run, but she shrieks. Yes. I do mean shrieking. This is not merely fussing or crying. At birth she took a few minutes to let out a good cry. We were a bit concerned until we heard it - the loudest newborn cry that graced our ears up to that point. She continues to be loud. I guess it's necessary being the fifth in line. She won't get overlooked around here, that's for certain!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, that's not all. Rachel runs. Rachel shrieks. And Rachel hits. When she gets angry she raises her hand in readiness to smack the nearest offending object. Sometimes it's Jeremiah's head. Sometimes it's even Daddy or Mommy's arm or leg. No bounds does her temper currently know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, Rachel throws. She really does. Upset that Mom gave you water instead of peanut butter? Chuck the cup. Angry that you have to go down for a nap when you would rather build with Duplos? Chuck the nearest block.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She is fiery. She is a fighter. And she is learning that these outbursts are not appropriate ways to express her personality.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqgyG-XQXz-ZZn4wKpA8obWqV9GDRYclqs-6F2FnXKCIIyIjE4h444-8KNegp7Q3c626h86mKZ3BisBvGbZtUL1k0wwX9MDz4KKynyOwLVJ-o778-HxS5ElISf7Mdarn2IC7a0J0g0g/s1600/IMG_2291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqgyG-XQXz-ZZn4wKpA8obWqV9GDRYclqs-6F2FnXKCIIyIjE4h444-8KNegp7Q3c626h86mKZ3BisBvGbZtUL1k0wwX9MDz4KKynyOwLVJ-o778-HxS5ElISf7Mdarn2IC7a0J0g0g/s1600/IMG_2291.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We thought we had seen it all. Now the super strong will, intense personality, pushing the boundaries kind of kid is wrapped up in 23 pounds of cuddly Rachel goodness. Although we have learned many valuable lessons with our other children, we are out of our reckoning...again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can have a handful of kids. You can think you've seen it all. But friends, you haven't. We haven't. No one has.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's be humble. Before you go and judge that mother whose son runs into the parking lot at every opportunity, remember that you haven't seen it all. Your kids just may not be runners. Before you try and explain how easily you potty-trained your daughter, remember that your kid is not your friend's kid. Your child may just have a knack for keeping her pants dry. Before you launch into the best and only way for your neighbor's child to sleep through the night, preface it by saying this is just what worked for you. It may not work for someone else.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kids come in all shapes and sizes. Their temperaments vary greatly even within the same family unit. Their personalities, individual bents, and quirks are not duplicated in any other little person. If you're like me, maybe it takes having several different children to really get this - not just to say it, but to really know it. But if you're wiser than I am, which you probably are, learn it now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All shapes. All sizes. One amazing Creator. And a bunch of perplexed parents. I guess we're in need of grace because there's no way we're going to find a formula with this kind of mess!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOo5Cp2Vj3Q6HFzz1Ga6mwgzmKu8Egy0c03eRGME00QDrqGw9k2WrO2aaxoVCW5YgSYzO4I39T8-s4I2SBmRa9kj8WM5drExq1glo2oVR56pKRYRZYJPNJfaau6_-OiKcFbdq5q2LtQ/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOo5Cp2Vj3Q6HFzz1Ga6mwgzmKu8Egy0c03eRGME00QDrqGw9k2WrO2aaxoVCW5YgSYzO4I39T8-s4I2SBmRa9kj8WM5drExq1glo2oVR56pKRYRZYJPNJfaau6_-OiKcFbdq5q2LtQ/s1600/IMG_2438.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-14395328195734672522015-05-01T14:21:00.001-05:002015-05-01T14:21:54.908-05:00Snapshots: Camping<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not exactly the "funnest" mom on the block. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When it comes to special outings and little extras I just don't do very well. </span>I enjoy spending time with the kids, but the days are full of meals, dishes, laundry, schoolwork, diaper changes, and discipline. Of course, they are also full of cuddles, laughs, funny things the little guys say, and interesting conversations with the older crew.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an attempt to be fun and spontaneous, I planned a little escapade for last weekend. Claude was out at a <a href="http://www.extremeultrarunning.com/2015_pl/results.pdf" target="_blank">50K</a>, camping overnight in the little van so as not to miss an early morning start. I thought, why not take the kids camping while he was away?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you start thinking that I'm some kind of super mom, just check out our campsite.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_F04dMGeY_zrWPjOGvTGGT8rulSIIyVt67GBpzPmJnLq_xDhDvP_lXi7OT4jeGE2vpo-Kv_XIpFUANW9A67kfEj95gXvmqQunZgwV-riE7QHohAUVl9-Zyeftnqu5vI65K_G7_0KK9g/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_F04dMGeY_zrWPjOGvTGGT8rulSIIyVt67GBpzPmJnLq_xDhDvP_lXi7OT4jeGE2vpo-Kv_XIpFUANW9A67kfEj95gXvmqQunZgwV-riE7QHohAUVl9-Zyeftnqu5vI65K_G7_0KK9g/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our very large toy room (soon to be occasional guest room) seemed like the perfect spot for our 9 person tent. Of course, it had to actually fit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which it did. Perfectly.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTp0ZOKnzZOL4nmGBwrycZ37aZTL4dadUenRxPcSFt0JF8CcbwWxcF9WKN0iY9DtRhUfmI2KfKsFS2tf1zM3b71bsG1B5qghyphenhyphenQtjwPCrV_Ed9CJ8A8V5ob5IltBIJWXNpbxBQGA2RQw/s1600/IMG_2392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTp0ZOKnzZOL4nmGBwrycZ37aZTL4dadUenRxPcSFt0JF8CcbwWxcF9WKN0iY9DtRhUfmI2KfKsFS2tf1zM3b71bsG1B5qghyphenhyphenQtjwPCrV_Ed9CJ8A8V5ob5IltBIJWXNpbxBQGA2RQw/s1600/IMG_2392.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started our campout with a rousing game of Memory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids were bouncing off the walls (literally...if they could defy gravity they would have been up and down and all around the walls and ceiling). The excitement was extreme, and they didn't even know that we were <i>sleeping</i> in the tent. They were wired from a day of merely <i>playing</i> in the tent.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3LUdiCNcNciXtiWug3Ideew4vzFZSHIuGRq5Mid8NyiXUnIjQGxIe2OGzAnau2NB_IUHKz5QeKAnJUd4KUVJ0OsGq_D_UFnMdAVjqpaNFROJFye6FTvfeO7LtCiC2RZ8J-OOPEa9SQ/s1600/April+20152-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3LUdiCNcNciXtiWug3Ideew4vzFZSHIuGRq5Mid8NyiXUnIjQGxIe2OGzAnau2NB_IUHKz5QeKAnJUd4KUVJ0OsGq_D_UFnMdAVjqpaNFROJFye6FTvfeO7LtCiC2RZ8J-OOPEa9SQ/s1600/April+20152-001.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I went for easy, camping kind of food - hot dogs and frozen peas (still frozen) served in coffee filters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>*Note: Coffee filters are my new favorite way to serve everything from hot dogs and sandwiches, to popcorn and pickles. Try them. They are awesome. Cheap. Compact in the trash. No washing necessary.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdziKlR-GfREh4LhT6exC5lo8c4LYIz5y9k1vKnqhspoyO0pGJ-bacKp_Gnopj2R7z6E11qBTKFlsg-Thqibvj7h93iEitvaBJZig-CZyCuXhXKfOY4MVOLfks51JGlmiIGjUfwqDCaw/s1600/IMG_2366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdziKlR-GfREh4LhT6exC5lo8c4LYIz5y9k1vKnqhspoyO0pGJ-bacKp_Gnopj2R7z6E11qBTKFlsg-Thqibvj7h93iEitvaBJZig-CZyCuXhXKfOY4MVOLfks51JGlmiIGjUfwqDCaw/s1600/IMG_2366.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next we enjoyed S'mores, which I made in the oven. Half a marshmallow, two pieces of chocolate, and a two graham cracker halves. The kids each had about three, but even with that their sugar intake was significantly less than if we had used full marshmallows and twice as much chocolate.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZr1MqQfqzkBcjh6F2GNqMriReNGLoSA7qavTtbVEtcA6rXAjr7sZH85c-o-GnC2BC4d7lJBFqO3GXPtLE4wqDoDkewRtsrSNowBRVRnn2ykMJITdJArUNcBjFNlQMpzW4ZVF58Xvtw/s1600/April+20151-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVZr1MqQfqzkBcjh6F2GNqMriReNGLoSA7qavTtbVEtcA6rXAjr7sZH85c-o-GnC2BC4d7lJBFqO3GXPtLE4wqDoDkewRtsrSNowBRVRnn2ykMJITdJArUNcBjFNlQMpzW4ZVF58Xvtw/s1600/April+20151-001.jpg" height="640" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone thoroughly enjoyed them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are a few of the messy faces.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNboLNlviSetuVDStDnkz0kXZjmgZg8eANV07V1zo2djLRalROFzg_n8-N4oYLp1O2DDYt12kru7qtPqdNVl9eiABYIOWmsRqji8TM1VJGLBqZfyQPHxIXwiGaCLNY4mxZgSNDamPCg/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNboLNlviSetuVDStDnkz0kXZjmgZg8eANV07V1zo2djLRalROFzg_n8-N4oYLp1O2DDYt12kru7qtPqdNVl9eiABYIOWmsRqji8TM1VJGLBqZfyQPHxIXwiGaCLNY4mxZgSNDamPCg/s1600/IMG_2378.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuoKG_71wtkp-wG4Y5-Zk7cqTMeozPV8d8mAfWTDVLq_iRstTa83acvq9KKmcK-C8iYaWTEviUuutyw5xzhPFlU7IvFLm4Q5vzf0Sim8yhELjvb1YjEMB8BhheGFSFhqVHA0p99n58g/s1600/IMG_2383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGuoKG_71wtkp-wG4Y5-Zk7cqTMeozPV8d8mAfWTDVLq_iRstTa83acvq9KKmcK-C8iYaWTEviUuutyw5xzhPFlU7IvFLm4Q5vzf0Sim8yhELjvb1YjEMB8BhheGFSFhqVHA0p99n58g/s1600/IMG_2383.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtjoAZEZeUnG5J13ZHxy4izpiTa2RZJBHcxNAi7QH7xGNKAS9G-MPYlz-S2dUg3viSZndSwPx1325zw3prJplt7yls1XnIbsv6YX-shsQAmxxMhUPQ4D9i43AG5up5VtnmDurYgE4JQ/s1600/IMG_2384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxtjoAZEZeUnG5J13ZHxy4izpiTa2RZJBHcxNAi7QH7xGNKAS9G-MPYlz-S2dUg3viSZndSwPx1325zw3prJplt7yls1XnIbsv6YX-shsQAmxxMhUPQ4D9i43AG5up5VtnmDurYgE4JQ/s1600/IMG_2384.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the older three kiddos watched "Milo and Otis" (which, by the way, scared Abby immensely), I sat upstairs to monitor the little guys. They did well, but boy did they blow a lot of raspberries before they finally conked out. My lips were tingly and then numb just listening to them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then, before I knew it, everyone was sound asleep. One was even snoring. One claimed to have stayed awake the whole night. :)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3eUSYdk3eoQudojd0V5YmuZBsPYb3IQhEqdp0i-v6Agrp1BWi5KRuEsSgfkXM2J0E5GMxbadT3jWAMpZx75VD7qbV7kWmAT8LV0kZOqPQe9K3PFeuKFLkOfAYKj9wVNyAycN5veacA/s1600/IMG_2394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3eUSYdk3eoQudojd0V5YmuZBsPYb3IQhEqdp0i-v6Agrp1BWi5KRuEsSgfkXM2J0E5GMxbadT3jWAMpZx75VD7qbV7kWmAT8LV0kZOqPQe9K3PFeuKFLkOfAYKj9wVNyAycN5veacA/s1600/IMG_2394.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then Rachel woke up three times in the night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then she cuddled with me on my mattress and we slept for a while. And then she woke up, walked all over the tent, and brought things to drop on my head. And then she toddled down the stairs with me at 5am because I finally caved and decided to give her a bottle of milk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We slept beautifully after that. :) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then the morning came and with it the metldowns and grumpy attitudes I had feared. Saturday was a bit rough and I was so glad when Claude walked through the door!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had fun. Made some memories. And learned some rules about tent dwelling. Now that we've had a practice run maybe we'll attempt a "real" camping trip!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-8736924681574141672015-04-22T19:11:00.002-05:002015-04-22T19:11:48.819-05:00I Want Butter!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes you just need some fat!</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9Wx_WRM0eaI" width="560"></iframe>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-70962725497723799372015-04-22T14:52:00.000-05:002015-04-22T14:52:03.559-05:00Watched<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you ever felt as if you were being watched? You can just sense that somewhere out of your own line of sight there is a pair of eyes following you, observing every move you make. You may begin to feel nervous. You may become acutely aware of what you are doing and how you are doing it. Most likely you will not be relaxed and will probably have a hard time acting "normal" under the pressure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I happen to know tha I am being watched most of the time. How do I know this? Because the little pairs of eyes that are watching me are connected to little mouths. And these little mouths love to report what their little eyes see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can be standing at the sink and from the table I will hear, "She's putting soap on the sponge."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Yeah, now she's filling the sink with water."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Oh, yeah...and she's scrubbing the pan."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or I may hear the following, "She's getting milk out of the fridge."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Now she's getting a cup. Ooh, it's a glass cup!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Uh-huh. And now she's putting milk in her cup. I bet she's going to drink it."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I just think, "Guys, I'm right here! I can hear everything you are saying about me!" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything I do is under scrutiny. I can't enter a room, leave a room, or go to the bathroom without at least one pair of eyes watching my every move. Even as I write this post there is a pair of eyes reading over my shoulder!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having five sets of eyes watching me day in and day out is one thing. But the constant commentary is a totally different story. It's like if an Olympic athlete had an earbud to hear everything the commentators were saying about them and their performance <i>while they were performing</i>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a particular memory from my childhood that strikes me as funny right about now. I was with my family at my grandparents' house. All of the aunts, uncles, and cousins were visiting, probably for a holiday. At a rough estimate I would say that there were at least 25 people in one fairly small house. Not just any 25 people but 25 very loud people (for the most part).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a part of that brood, I got used to the noise, but I didn't like it much. I learned that I could sneak off to a small room above the garage, curl up with a book, and only have to deal with the din of all the commotion happening downstairs. I was in such a corner of the house one evening when I heard an announcement for dinner. I didn't go down. I figured it would be a while before food was actually dished up and surely someone would come and get me before it was too late.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know how long I was up there, but it became obvious that no one realized I was missing. Feeling a bit dejected, I wondered if anyone would ever know that I was gone. Would my parents? My siblings? A cousin, maybe? My grandma? When I could hear the sounds of a full-fledged family dinner going on below me, it hit me. I had been forgotten.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, I didn't stay forgotten. My dad came in search for me at some point and I went downstairs to join the crowd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If only I could be forgotten like that in this stage of life. Oh, the autonomy! Oh, the freedom! Time to go to a quiet corner and read a book without anyone saying, "Look, she's reading a book."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's all about perspective, right? Being lost in a crowd of boisterous family members gets a little discouraging. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being watched on a moment by moment basis gets a little annoying. </span>On one hand you want to get a little attention on yourself so you don't feel left out. On the other hand, to slip under the radar every once in a while would be refreshing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the time being I'll just stay under the watchful eyes of my children. I'm told that they will not always be this young and that one day they won't follow me to the bathroom. Hallelujah for the hope of privacy one day! ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-62418877612129467292015-04-17T16:44:00.000-05:002015-04-17T16:44:08.738-05:00Snapshots: Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHd69w4XY3cWo6yKolFzoHfnmeuJZweNDvii86iRwODhOYZrfvG_4EZN6a-2xDqSnY76yUKZwpqw7kg2vl0WRLPpGQkeI2uBS_SNqJbRGmEbJg-rZKErgHwI1gTbNnGT9T5msqmXXCjg/s1600/IMG_2314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHd69w4XY3cWo6yKolFzoHfnmeuJZweNDvii86iRwODhOYZrfvG_4EZN6a-2xDqSnY76yUKZwpqw7kg2vl0WRLPpGQkeI2uBS_SNqJbRGmEbJg-rZKErgHwI1gTbNnGT9T5msqmXXCjg/s1600/IMG_2314.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joshua and Hannah finished their first ever standardized tests this week. Praise the Lord! As a special treat (and since we had the tests scheduled all week and managed to complete them on Wednesday) we took Thursday and Friday off from school. The kids enjoyed free time and playing outside, and while it rained yesterday afternoon we played some games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rachel wandered around scavenging for stray popcorn. She found more than her fair share! She also rummaged through the fruit drawer and rounded up all the oranges her little arms could carry. I am convinced she would eat all that we would peel.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0axjCRnb8gJBy9nxMdkgHKa9Dga2xfXrgzfQ40b7gFtijkuYffCdEg0UGLfcPrvmjhvyFhx3wIAo-iNSp3vyAO9U5FRWiJ_BbD3QNTCiKQqV0AAuX8KbIkQ6XuexH7rUOMjo1-z-2gA/s1600/IMG_2311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0axjCRnb8gJBy9nxMdkgHKa9Dga2xfXrgzfQ40b7gFtijkuYffCdEg0UGLfcPrvmjhvyFhx3wIAo-iNSp3vyAO9U5FRWiJ_BbD3QNTCiKQqV0AAuX8KbIkQ6XuexH7rUOMjo1-z-2gA/s1600/IMG_2311.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jeremiah played along and turned the same two tiles over each turn until he finally got a match. Some of his older siblings were quite generous and donated their matches to his cause.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAExsAu0TrtAH-A_vK19BMACVp9W6Quh4SRtkEg1C4l91KrZWcATM-S2-6E8sPq60fVTbDG0c6e02OZg0cJL1MTUjGTQ3v0jZpsmMrNrGs-fC5mA0sr61Ndg44vzOYjGVpKl0geGOUow/s1600/IMG_2328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAExsAu0TrtAH-A_vK19BMACVp9W6Quh4SRtkEg1C4l91KrZWcATM-S2-6E8sPq60fVTbDG0c6e02OZg0cJL1MTUjGTQ3v0jZpsmMrNrGs-fC5mA0sr61Ndg44vzOYjGVpKl0geGOUow/s1600/IMG_2328.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids usually get pretty upset if they don't win. Maybe it was having unlimited popcorn to snack on and being able to enjoy a piece of candy, but they didn't seem to mind when I won.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFU92euhXTsMh2qkmDg1qFKUk5noPq0cuH67gMj6novjrab5qdz34MVLirX6vhBL1j1bXwrrv21sZX8zVmIhCyUmBNpP1n8lBZMblhnpzxi81c3YCHfK9l7S0Hb-FFPGMvphyphenhypheneaktRDw/s1600/IMG_2324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFU92euhXTsMh2qkmDg1qFKUk5noPq0cuH67gMj6novjrab5qdz34MVLirX6vhBL1j1bXwrrv21sZX8zVmIhCyUmBNpP1n8lBZMblhnpzxi81c3YCHfK9l7S0Hb-FFPGMvphyphenhypheneaktRDw/s1600/IMG_2324.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, as things usually go, moments after snapping these photos the entire fun operation came to a screeching halt. The older kids were on a sugar high, the younger kids were crying, and the middle kid was coughing, sniffling, and starting to feel pretty terrible from an oncoming cold.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Such is life with a crew of littles!</span><br />
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-81962994957325502062015-04-03T14:16:00.001-05:002015-04-03T14:16:25.944-05:0045 Minutes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The morning was great. We got up, made it through our morning routine, even read a few books with the little kids. School time was smooth. Everyone was in their places doing what they were supposed to be doing. It was a good day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:05pm - Two children began throwing tantrums for different reasons. I cleaned up Rachel from her lunch, attempted to put her in her bed and quickly realized that she needed a new diaper in a bad way. Jeremiah walked in the room and it became obvious that he also needed a new diaper. So I began the process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:15pm - Both tantrums persisted as I cleaned up the little guys' diapers. Both messes were a bit bigger than I had anticipated. Rachel needed a new shirt. Neither diaper swished out in the toilet nicely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:20pm - One tantrum ceased, but the other ramped up as I rinsed out some pretty fowl cloth diapers. It didn't take long to be literally elbow deep in some pretty mucky water. Ewww...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:22pm - Hannah comes through the front door, screaming, "Abby won't let go of the jump rope and I already asked her to!" Oh, yes...this requires my direct attention. Not. I send Hannah back out to resolve the jump rope issue with her younger sister.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:24pm - Still up to my elbows in diaper water, trying to keep Rachel out from underfoot, and Hannah enters yet again. This time sreaming about ten times louder than the last time. "Abby hit me with the recorder!" Cry. Sob. Jump up and down. Yep. Another tantrum. At least the tantrum from the other room had toned down to some moaning and groaning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:30pm - I look up to explain to Hannah that I cannot deal with the recorder/jump rope situation because my hands are covered in poopy water. I see blood streaming down her face. A blood nose. Perfect. I send Hannah to get some tissue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:33pm - The diapers are rinsed. My hands are scrubbed. The bath tub is bleached. Hannah is still freaking out. She runs in to find me and I send her right back to the bathroom where she started. She leaves a drippy trail of blood through most of the downstairs. My usual pregnancy heartburn rears a very ugly head about now. Oh, well...no time for that. I get the hydrogen peroxide, put Rachel in her play yard, and hope that this is over soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:35pm - After cleaning the blood trail, I find Hannah standing over the toilet. Screaming. There is blood everywhere. Her hands and arms are covered. Her clothes are covered. The toilet seat is covered. Blood is splattered on the walls, the floor, the outside of the toilet, the sink, the mirror. I'm glad I have the hydrogen peroxide and that I apparently have a strong stomach after working through those messy cloth diapers. I start cleaning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:45pm - Hannah is clean and changing into fresh clothing. Her nose is no longer bleeding. The bathroom is clean. The laundry has been rinsed with hydrogen peroxide to prevent stains and is in the washing machine. All tantrums have stopped.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12:50pm - Three of the kids are playing play dough. They are laughing as if none of them had thrown a tantrum, produced a blow out poop, had a blood nose, or beat up their older sibling with a recorder. <i>(Please note, the blood nose was NOT from Abby. It happened all on its own.)</i> Rachel is in bed, not asleep yet, but on her way. And the complaining from Tantrum-Thrower Number One has ceased. Now it's time to dictate a spelling list, supervise violin practice, heat up lunch, and prod the preschoolers as they clean up the Duplos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If ever you hear a mother or father with a few (or more!) small children in their constant care, this is what you should think of when they say things are "busy", "hectic", "crazy", "exhausting", "tiring", or "non-stop" at their house. This can happen any time of day or night without warning, without due cause. Things are running smoothly and then BAM! Everything spontaneously combusts and chaos abounds for 45 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay...so on a <i>good </i>day it only lasts 45 minutes. I won't even get into what a bad day can look like. You're smart. I'm sure you can imagine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After you have imagined, then you can say a prayer for any parents you know who have a troop of little tikes at home. You may just be praying at the precise moment that a blood nose, two tantrums, two incredibly messy diapers, some heartburn, and a few other urgent matters collide in one big train wreck.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-90924387306063978872015-04-02T20:42:00.000-05:002015-04-02T20:42:29.751-05:00Snapshots: Playing Catch Up<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We haven't updated much about the general comings and goings in the Crew. Things haven't been out of the ordinary, but they certainy have been busy. I can't quite imagine what things will be like with another Crew member in tow this summer. For now, the five little guys running around here keep Claude and I on our toes and ensure that we fall asleep without difficulty at night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some photos from the past month or so, just as a bit of a catch up on what we've been doing recently.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Working backwards...here's what we did today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ice cream for lunch. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't tell Rachel she missed out on the ice cream. She has no idea!</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our church hosted a 5K to raise money for a girls' home in the Dominican Republic. The entire Crew was supposed to participate, but with a few of us being sick, Hannah and I went on our own. It was a fun way to kick off a mother-daughter day. :) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last Friday we did the big seasonal clothing switch. We have been working on acquiring all that each child needed for spring/summer for a few weeks. It was so much to keep track of that I was having anxiety dreams over it - even with my master checklist!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Praise the Lord, the final clothing items arrived just in time to put away the old and take out the new. But by the end of a long day, I could hardly stand on my feet. Joshua was sick that day, so these guys were my clean up crew - chocolatey faces and all! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah and I may have walked a 5K, but Claude ran about 20 times longer earlier in March. We hung out near the finish line, played on the playground, and ate candy. :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids were pretty excited to see the sun set and watch the stars come out while we waited for Claude to finish. Here they are, enjoying some rest while Dad is slogging away in the mud.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And he did it! 100Ks! Joshua is wondering when he'll run 100 miles...</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had quite a bit of snow in the late winter. The kids loved it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claude and Jer built this snowman just after the last (Lord willing!) snowfall of the season. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was plenty of shoveling to do. Since Claude never did get a snow day, we had a pretty long driveway to clear with each storm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recruited a new team of kitchen helpers.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have to watch these three. They all like to taste test, especially Rachel. Just this week she shoved her face into a measuring cup of cocoa powder. I don't think it feels great going up the nostrils!</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah and Joshua helped sew some wash cloths. They are begging to do more on the sewing machine.</span> </div>
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<br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-31092346814354225042015-03-26T16:13:00.003-05:002015-03-26T16:13:52.987-05:00Of Forests and Fields: An Ode to Inspirational Trail Running Films<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When someone in your household is into trail running you end up viewing many short films meant to inspire and encourage a love of the sport. Here's the Chew Crew's take on the whole thing. Hope you're inspired to go run a few miles!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Password: 2005ChewCrew </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/123305291" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/123305291">Of Forests and Fields</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user25764002">Chew Crew</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Claude Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01889589569527568676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-65786455896326566812015-03-15T22:23:00.002-05:002015-03-15T22:24:17.575-05:00Happy Birthday Becca!<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">33 years ago the Lord saw fit to bring into the world Rebecca Lynn Valentino who would eventually become Rebecca Lynn Chew!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And boy am I glad that He decided to do that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't have anything necessarily eloquent or profound to say, other than I am humbled and blessed by the Lord to have been brought into marriage with Becca, not quite sure why He would pick the two of us from completely different backgrounds and geographical locations (try the other side of the world, literally) to be one to represent the love that He has for the church (try Ephesians Chapter 5).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So let me attempt an acrostic poem to try and capture the essence of how we feel about Becca:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">R - Radiant</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Becca continually reflects and shines the light of Jesus more and more everyday to her family and to our friends!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>E - Encouraging</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Becca is an encouragement to other moms in their journeys in following the Lord Jesus!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>B - Beautiful</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not much to say here, other than Becca is beautiful and continues to reflect and be adorned </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Pet-3-4" id="en-ESV-30412">with,"the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.</span> <span class="text 1Pet-3-5" id="en-ESV-30413"><sup class="versenum">5 </sup>For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves..." - 1 Peter 3:4-5</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Pet-3-5" id="en-ESV-30413"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>E - crEative</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text 1Pet-3-5" id="en-ESV-30413"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">When it comes to organizing things, making things, crafty things, teaching things, Becca is very creative she often has a different way of looking at things that is usually helpful, once I get over thinking that my way is right...</span><b> </b></span> </span></span><b></b></span> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">C - Compassionate</span></b></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Becca is compassionate towards, especially in light of the constant demands of the many needy members of the Chew household, to me this is quite supernatural and can only be inspired by Jesus!</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_lQT5kzEQbf7O3pg9nTh_DX3-rq96b44JpB-e2SgMo4511x7O6PrL2evGooqUAnbt4284oj7xsaBIujAwI-WUOaAGMHWqydBDPClV2jYY5rLUeLtZ5rIiYI5U3o7keTU13cUL3gRa_35/s1600/IMG_0823.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_lQT5kzEQbf7O3pg9nTh_DX3-rq96b44JpB-e2SgMo4511x7O6PrL2evGooqUAnbt4284oj7xsaBIujAwI-WUOaAGMHWqydBDPClV2jYY5rLUeLtZ5rIiYI5U3o7keTU13cUL3gRa_35/s1600/IMG_0823.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">C - Charis</span></b></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b> </span></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"></span></b>This is the Greek for "grace" or "gracious", Becca is extremely gracious towards us all in the Chew household, even after day after day of nagging, tantrums, bad attitudes, teaching, training, pottying, diapering, cooking, homeschooling, even after all of that she still is able to send me out of the house to go run somewhere out of cell phone reception for a day!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A - Aletheia</b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Becca is interested in the truth, the Truth of Jesus, the Truth of the Scripture, the truth of most subjects, and that is something that the Lord has usually used to unite us even more as one. I am very thankful to be married to be someone who so highly values the Truth of Jesus Christ.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So there you have it, nothing overly sentimental but believe me, words cannot communicate how much I love and honor Becca!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Happy Birthday Becca!</span><br />
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<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-CbEB3ICRCJY%2FVQZHT9UczTI%2FAAAAAAAAAHo%2FoeDTjV7PvMw%2Fs1600%2FIMG_0745.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-vaZuurVbZ6kVzrPIDl57Qnnab8NlhIPSTj1XF1VNKdv9vKLWDCOJOctYfXHA18FjVhwTRz-9teWcfDFNHTtWePE3jv79ki6mdI8dPDWfiVFyDiuWTTICna5tuX8qauiTpDp8gUIo_hH/s1600/IMG_0745.JPG" -->Claude Chewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01889589569527568676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-42127757894935524752015-03-05T09:41:00.001-06:002015-03-09T09:03:49.546-05:00These Days<div>At tthis point it has been several days since I wrote this post. I wanted to put a link to kiviak and Inuits who go under the sea ice to collect mussels in the spring. It's not going to happen any time soon and I want to push publish. If you are interested in the diet of Inuit people try Google. And if you don't care to know, then the link wouldn't have served much of a purpose anyway and I won't feel bad about not including it.</div><div><br></div><div>Okay...so here's what I wrote a few days ago...</div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>I wrote this yesterday...didn't get around to publishing. Between writing this in the morning and bed time last night I witnessed my children gathering mussels from under the sea ice in the Arctic. They fermented the mussels in order to make mussel kiviak. </i><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I overheard Abby explain to her two-year-old brother how gums are very small when you're young and will get bigger and bigger as you get older until they are all of half an inch long. Josua and Hannah spent their evening free time playing a homemade game about seeds - it came right out of the science text book. I think this classifies them as nerds, if watching the imaginary tides until just the right moment to venture under Arctic sea ice in order to ferment mussels isn't already nerdy enough.</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>And how could I forget the hugs from Rachel? She and Jer are the first of our kids to be so affectionate. I am (sometimes literally) showered with hugs and kisses from them during the day. If I wasn't a softy before having kids, I most certainly am now. Of course, a bunch of pregnancy hormones probably has something to do with that. Or not.</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><i>Maybe I'm just getting old.</i></span></div><div><br></div><div><i>Anyway...here's what I wrote yesterday...</i></div><div><br></div>There is a storm coming in today. Right now the sky is grey and getting darker by the hour. The wind is starting to blow so that the trees on our property are swaying significantly. It's the kind of day when I want to curl up under a blanket and read a good book. But around here, there is no such thing as a "curl up on the couch" kind of day. The activity levels are as high as ever this morning, which has proven to be both good and bad.<div><br></div><div>Today I was reluctant to get out of bed. There are those days when I just don't want to do anything - not like doing nothing is ever an option. As my feet drag, especially through the afternoons, I have discovered my coping mechanism.</div><div><br></div><div>Earl Grey. Hot. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It smells good, it's decaf, and it is not chocolate.</span></div><div><div><br></div><div>We are having some friends over on Saturday afternoon. As I was thinking of necessary preparations for their visit, I realized that we haven't mopped the kitchen floors since the last time we had people over. That was sometime before February began. Sweeping is done at least twice a day and usually three times, but no mopping in over a month? This says a lot about my current housekeeping habits.</div><div><br></div><div>If you could see the clean laundry that resides on the floor in the master bedroom, you would also have a picture of how well I've been doing in the household management department. Of course, you should also look at the pantry, re-organized kitchen cabinets, and the fridge which is about to burst at the seems with pounds of newly cooked beans. So, I suppose only some things are left to the wayside. Mopping and putting away the laundry just don't rate around here.</div><div><br></div><div>While I'm on the subject of cleaning, I asked Joshua and Hannah if they would vacuum the upstairs today. It's been even longer since that happened than the last time we took out the mop bucket. My instructions were to be thorough. They moved all of the large toys and containers out of the toy room, cleared out the underbed storage bins, and even attempted to move their clothing drawers. My concept of thorough wasn't quite so, well, thorough.</div><div><br></div><div>The little ones have been rocking out to demo songs on the keyboard. They're bottom-wriggling dances are quite funny. And the laughter that ensues from a good dance session is priceless.</div><div><br></div><div>To wrap things up, I am feeling extremely pregnant. Aches and pains I normally feel in the last few months have been with me for a while now. I'm only 21 weeks. The second half of this pregnancy may just feel like an eternity. In addition, the first trimester nauseau persists. I guess my body has gotten mixed up - the second trimester is supposed to nauseau and pain free - hello sixth pregnancy! Or perhaps that should be, goodbye abdominal strength and general agility.</div><div><br></div><div>Maybe I'm just getting old.</div><div><br></div><div>This little guy is very active, though, reminding me of the reason for the discomforts. While I can try and feel bad for myself, and for the first time think that pregnancy is really hard, the pity party can't last long. We have had two in-depth ultrasounds in this pregnancy. No complications, just a question about the due date and a routine mid-pregnancy scan. To see such a tiny person (he was only 3 inches long the first time) wriggling around and putting his hands to his face was nothing short of amazing.</div><div><br></div><div>Aches, pains, nauseau, heartburn - none of it can compare to the awesome privilege of watching these kids grow up. And if<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> this little one is as active out of the womb as he is inside, we'd better be ready. The Crew is about to not only get bigger but busier. Much busier!</span></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-629597918801860982015-03-05T09:00:00.000-06:002015-03-05T09:00:03.648-06:00Tantrums Abound<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week we had a couple of doctor appointments in town. The kids did great sitting through everything, but after being in a waiting area or an exam room for three hours we were ready to go home. Before going home, however, we decided to stop by Walmart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walmart, my least favorite place on earth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Praise the Lord that our trip was uneventful. Quick. Smooth, even. Until we got out to the van.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That is when I realized that I had locked my keys in the ignition. Thankfully the van was not on. I suppose if it had been I would have noticed <i>before</i> we had gone into the store that something was amiss.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There wasn't much to be done about the situation, though. So, I called Claude to ask him to stop by Walmart after work and we set out to kill three hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started our adventure by walking up the hill to Sam's Club. After a round of hot pretzels and cold water from the soda machine, we began the Alphabet Game. We walked the store, slowly (always very slowly) for an hour and a half and found the following items:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The rules were that we had to go in order and we could only write down items that we saw as we wrote them down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Upon completion of the Alphabet Game we realized that Rachel had taken off and dropped both of her socks. A game of Find the Socks ensued. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once we had exhausted our options of productive occupation at Sam's Club, we headed back down the hill. If you ever find yourself in Walmart with a few hours to spare and a handful of kids I would highly recommend locating the fish tanks. From Chew Crew 1 down to Chew Crew 5, everyone was enthralled by watching the little fish flit around. We stood there for at least 20 minutes without a single complaint.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then the nagging began. From an un-named member of the Crew, I heard "I'm thirsty" at least a million times in approximately 30 seconds. I had already made very clear the water-drinking regulations for the afternoon. Designated water stops mean more predictable potty breaks and preventable accidents. In a family of many littles, this can make or break an outing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The thirsty child knew when to expect another drink and was decidedly unwilling to wait. It had to be on her terms and when I didn't budge, she began throwing a tantrum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First it was just crying. Then the crying became shouting. The shouting then led to her sitting down in the middle of the aisle. When that didn't get her a drink, she began screaming and shuffling next to the stroller on her knees. This, of course, all started as the after work crowd was making their way through the store. We had quite the audience!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the time Claude arrived, she was in a full-fledged temper tantrum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided that Claude would take the other four kids out to the parking lot while I worked with the tantrum-thrower. Her screams had gotten louder, her nagging about water continued, and she proceded to throw herself onto the floor and wriggle and writhe so that a group of ladies came over and tried to sympathize...with her!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm so glad my back was already to those well-meaning women, because it meant that I didn't have to reply to their questions or comments. I just kept on keeping on, requiring obedience and <i>silence</i>. It was reasonably successful and we were nearly out of the store, when the nagging began again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A second tantrum was right on its heels. At least this time we were in the privacy of our own car and I had some music to turn on nice and loud so the rest of us could attempt to enjoy the long ride home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually she stopped screaming...and fell asleep. But before she did, I got a good chuckle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"You're never going to make me stop my tantrum, Mommy!" she yelled. "The more you tell me no water the more I will nag and nag and scream!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least we had gotten past all of the pleasantries and could see the beast for what it was: Just another sinful, selfish person trying to get her way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't we sometimes throw the same kinds of fits? They may be quieter, but I'm sure a four-year-old is not the only one who has ever lost all sense of self-control in the face of not getting what she wanted, when she wanted it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I doubt she will be the last. At least not in our Crew.</span><br />
Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-41478114690913385092015-03-02T09:00:00.000-06:002015-03-02T09:00:02.767-06:00Boy or Girl?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past several weeks the Crew has been in an ongoing discussion. Will Chew Crew 6 be a boy or a girl?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week we found out and now that we've had some time to celebrate with cake, we're ready to let you in on our little surprise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>To view this video in Vimeo use 2005ChewCrew</i>.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="375" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/120912468" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/120912468">Chew Crew 6 - Boy or Girl</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user25764002">Chew Crew</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-6931407651085980082015-02-27T13:04:00.000-06:002015-02-27T13:04:01.268-06:00State of the Nose<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago Jeremiah <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2015/02/broken-or-not.html" target="_blank">fell and hit his nose</a> on the frame of our couch. Instead of rushing him to the doctor we decided to wait it out and see how things went for him and his nose. Everything healed up well as far as we could tell and he doesn't seem to have any problems breathing through the nostril that took the brunt of the fall.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are some photos taken the first few days. They do not come close to capturing the bruising. It all looked worse in person. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The day he fell.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 1</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 2</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Day 4</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See that little bump on his left side of the bridge of his nose? It's not just a shadow or some funny trick with the lighting. He actually does have a lump there...for better or worse it's probably there to stay. We'll ask the doctor about it whenever Jer has a well-patient check up, but for now it doesn't cause him any trouble. Except that it looks a litlte weird. Sorry, Jer...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-18911308860362932942015-02-18T08:00:00.000-06:002015-02-18T08:00:09.183-06:00Got Enough Kids?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I found this post in my "Drafts" folder. The statement which sparked it was given to me the summer of 2013. We were sweating out a hot, humid holiday gathering at our church. I was noticeably pregnant, the kids were obviously tired, and we were attempting to get everyone's things gathered up and into the car.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Why comments like these come at times like that I have no idea. Sometimes I wonder if a pregnant belly comes with a sign that reads, "Please make rude, unwanted, or just plain weird comments, especially when I am hot, sweaty, and ready to have the kids in the car."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And that is why I don't leave the house except on Sundays. :) Just kidding! Kind of...I mean, I don't leave the house except on Sundays but it's not actually because of these types of comments.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Now, on to the post.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aqWSOP3fADvLweK_AxFAeSmm6ylXgVG-6WtSB59LVpwBGEjrmkklW2qr2TcbYBcpEJV3X3QxgA-aKRjXzSd5GFjXsUblchDWSu6wGQewO84hALGrxdbFXZ6tCJEvH7u7fW3Dk8dlow/s1600/November+20143-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9aqWSOP3fADvLweK_AxFAeSmm6ylXgVG-6WtSB59LVpwBGEjrmkklW2qr2TcbYBcpEJV3X3QxgA-aKRjXzSd5GFjXsUblchDWSu6wGQewO84hALGrxdbFXZ6tCJEvH7u7fW3Dk8dlow/s1600/November+20143-001.jpg" height="322" width="400" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"So, have you got enough kids?" the gentleman asked me.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I fumbled through the few lame responses that I know are tucked away somewhere in my head, but came up short. All I could do was smile, look in front of me at all four of my children, and smile again. <i>Updated to add: Now I would just laugh and say, "Apparently not, because God is giving us another!"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where the question came from I can only guess. Perhaps he was just curious about us. Maybe he felt like he needed to say something and that was the first thing that came out. Or maybe he can't quite imagine family life outside of the American norm - 2.01 kids, a dog, a cat, and a white picket fence.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKj_49ozzH5LWQmoUdLqR9LEtivJ7G2x2f3B1NkECTqwghozyW5b7dpRs3r7PNCWxw7MVhIhEzOOTdRYG34N06s65HwVVj4xOSLUTNT1suXXVrLGypXlOXNiBvKnFLrfBXfIyaHS-2Pw/s1600/September+2008+and+Hannah's+Birth!%2B027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKj_49ozzH5LWQmoUdLqR9LEtivJ7G2x2f3B1NkECTqwghozyW5b7dpRs3r7PNCWxw7MVhIhEzOOTdRYG34N06s65HwVVj4xOSLUTNT1suXXVrLGypXlOXNiBvKnFLrfBXfIyaHS-2Pw/s1600/September+2008+and+Hannah's%2BBirth!%2B027.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something in the delivery of that question, however, made me wonder if he has some ideas about family planning. If so, I'm guessing that we have not followed any plans that would be deemed wise. Apparently we have been foolish in this matter of having children - something that has been told to us before and that was when we only had one child and one on the way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This man's question has been on my mind for the last few days. So far I've constructed a simple response that I will file away in an easily accessible memory file. I'm pretty sure our family will have more comments like this one, so I want to be ready. That response is to smile, look at my children, and say, "I can't imagine life without any one of them."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beyond finding an appropriate response to future statements, I have some issues with this idea of having "enough" kids. To me the question implies that children are a commodity, an accessory to our lives. We decide how many we want and when. We set a limit on what is "enough".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first is to do with contentment. If we haven't had the number of children we desire, we are unhappy and potentially jealous of others who have the size of family we have planned for ourselves. We may not be able to take joy in the life God has given us. That might mean wasting away some special years as a single, with our spouse, or with our first (and maybe only) child.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6s58oh6zaKGHOagpHZeA5dbhlfL-bi5gBKyhmWecLivJe2pMyAMvWdt0-m1aUT7X3W-lLiA9hAWzIqsEcuA3LfgihoLrtT_vb2piNK952lZJ9HqWKSH6aaSBaikzSrheqKLw9F0BnWQ/s1600/May+2013-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6s58oh6zaKGHOagpHZeA5dbhlfL-bi5gBKyhmWecLivJe2pMyAMvWdt0-m1aUT7X3W-lLiA9hAWzIqsEcuA3LfgihoLrtT_vb2piNK952lZJ9HqWKSH6aaSBaikzSrheqKLw9F0BnWQ/s1600/May+2013-001.jpg" height="290" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we find ourselves crossing our self-imposed line of what we can handle, then we run the risk of becoming bitter and resentful toward others - even toward our own children. We may say something like this, "I wish I had stopped after just one. Two is more than I can handle." And do we think that our kids don't pick up on those attitudes? They know that they are the "mistake" or the "oops" child that nearly sent Mom into panic and despair upon finding out she was pregnant <i>again</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second problem I have with the "enough" mentality is that by reducing children to a commodity of which we can have too little or too much, we are devaluing their very existence. When it comes down to it, the value of a child is subjected to our current feelings on the matter. If I've wanted a child for 10 years and finally conceived and birthed a healthy baby, that child is valued greatly. On the other hand, if I find myself pregnant before my wedding day rolls around that child may not be as warmly received or as highly valued by me or by others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God values children. He doesn't think of them as a nuisance. Neither does He place them on a pedestal. He loves children because He is love. And He loves people of all ages and stages just the same.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvppIO82MepH9HjKNt60cgGbmlbCBR9RKZxCfREuKjnxIf22-P98opsALEsn2nh_l7ieK60Yb1TEdcaPLNcwuqv6x54c8COlXPsyM2EcSPbjNbiPE-w13oeZ1UM6f13-Aczvb2O8FfVA/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvppIO82MepH9HjKNt60cgGbmlbCBR9RKZxCfREuKjnxIf22-P98opsALEsn2nh_l7ieK60Yb1TEdcaPLNcwuqv6x54c8COlXPsyM2EcSPbjNbiPE-w13oeZ1UM6f13-Aczvb2O8FfVA/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Psalm 127 children are described as a "heritage from the Lord". I know that many people who have convictions about not using birth control use this verse as a way of saying that <i>everyone</i> should live as they do. I'm not here to make such conclusions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I do want to point out is that throughout Psalm 127, the value of children is made clear. They are important. They are a gift from God. That value does not and should not change just because something falls outside of our "enough" boundaries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If we truly value children, then we should find no trace of discontent or bitterness in regard to our family size.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether God has allowed our family planning to be executed precisely on our schedule, we find ourselves mourning through loss of pregnancy after pregnancy, or we are reading that little plus sign just weeks after our wedding or when we already have an infant in the house, we would do well to be content with the way in which God has chosen to bless us.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj337DZqV4LFc2cio1eF05Czv_Gr_pkLL2L5T_rfMPNZRnicKbSoxDiorznZYSngHju3nRN7C-cHHEXUmbp2nqIQlch3ubyuoHwlc32d1_xQr9lGksVSeKmeE1Pw_KHLMLj4iKWzVqfOQ/s1600/IMG_1976.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj337DZqV4LFc2cio1eF05Czv_Gr_pkLL2L5T_rfMPNZRnicKbSoxDiorznZYSngHju3nRN7C-cHHEXUmbp2nqIQlch3ubyuoHwlc32d1_xQr9lGksVSeKmeE1Pw_KHLMLj4iKWzVqfOQ/s1600/IMG_1976.JPG" height="300" width="400" /> </a></div>
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-26290851041227608292015-02-16T10:00:00.000-06:002015-02-16T10:00:01.507-06:00Straight Lines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am a product of the self-esteem movement. At least I'm pretty sure that I must be, since I seem to feel terrible about myself unless I can find at least one thing at which I am proficient.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With complete assurance, I will tell you that parenting is not on my <i>Feel Good About Yourself Because You're a Rock Star</i> list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I could name a few things that might go on that list they would be as follows:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Changing diapers. Yes. I can change a diaper. Any diaper, any mess. I've got it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Cheesecake. I take no credit for this really, because it's my family's recipe and my dad taught me how to make it. Now having a lot of practice, I can make a pretty good cheesecake. Unless it's lumpy...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Sewing (relatively) straight lines. Of course, I would prefer that you didn't look too closely at those straight lines because sometimes they're not so pretty. My machine does a funny thing sometimes with the bobbin thread...and well, I'm not perfect. But I can make one heck of a wash cloth!</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See. Parenting is not on this list. Why? Because parenting is complex and never-ending and requires a whole lot of selflessness (not to mention a heap of wisdom) that I just don't possess in and of myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The past couple of weeks have been particularly challenging. One child is sneaking into snack foods. This morning it was cocoa powder. I guess since the "good" stuff is all stashed in out of sight and out of reach places, powdered chocolate seemed like a good alternative? I think the immediate consequence was the shock of how aweful that stuff tastes without a ton of sugar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then there are the tantrums. Yes. Tantrums. Hundreds of them from every age of child we have in our household. Except the 1-year-old. Keep that in mind because it holds the key to something I will say in a moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And can I just say that no one ever told Claude and I that we would need to talk with our 6-year-old daughter about dating? Recently she got herself in a terrible pickle when some kid at Awanas (our church's evening program for kids) asked if she "liked" him and if she would be his "friend".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She said, "Yes," and "I don't know". Apparently the kid swooned. Literally. We even had a demonstration.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, in the above case, this is when I am thankful for a firstborn who, even with relentless training and correcting, must interrupt any and every conversation within earshot, knows how to be rude, can be very hard to get along with, and loves to police any situation he can. (Unless he's trying to police the cocoa powder, in which case he'd rather just have a taste.) And I am thankful that the aforementioned firstborn is in the same Awanas class as his sister who is being pursued by blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Mr. Popular. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry...that was a bit of an aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As these situations present themselves, it has become increasingly apparent to me that when it comes to parenting I have absolutely no clue what I am doing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And this is where I will make two points.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first point is that sewing straight lines is a beautiful, therapeutic endeavor. While parenting is a twisted, back-tracking, mangled mess as you wind your way through a dense jungle of attitudes, behaviors, and situations, sewing is the smooth, wide, and straight road that leads to sanity. And it makes me feel good about myself. See the self-esteem thing?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Case in point. I sewed these wash cloths this week, along with three children's aprons, three pioneer skirts, and a pair of maternity jeans. Thank you, Audrey, for the free fabric!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgTzYjzckVmw6Re9P7xd2G22xWzUkrQQVyDnLmCLtxqCCFOufBWRqQZgoQXKea933CEwSWIgBBKXJePAiZgY1wbgeKvnn4cSrkRaVncNu8jketw0cAdFaxVVVMwlFlL_8vXKufeNriw/s1600/IMG_2028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgTzYjzckVmw6Re9P7xd2G22xWzUkrQQVyDnLmCLtxqCCFOufBWRqQZgoQXKea933CEwSWIgBBKXJePAiZgY1wbgeKvnn4cSrkRaVncNu8jketw0cAdFaxVVVMwlFlL_8vXKufeNriw/s1600/IMG_2028.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second point that I would like to make is this: Everybody needs a 1-year-old. Having a baby around the house who is super cute and cuddly, sleeps through the night (not really), and doesn't throw tantrums is amazing. You'll feel great about your parenting automatically just by looking at the little tike and having warm fuzzy feelings each and every time. See, there's the self-esteem thing <i>again</i>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Case in point. Rachel. Just give her a bottle and/or a book and she's good to go.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsvZHR2Fiq60fpRfLV2A3Bi6yhXLdTTdQvI4sjH-3Ef7vVrhxLaRhUyNAX4cGX9SumqH-9ynk6dendYSeDqjm2kk2GkarxX0fcZ0C3Uiv4aYgcqIuLbQFNtAF4ql54u94KQ9u02hx1Q/s1600/IMG_1990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsvZHR2Fiq60fpRfLV2A3Bi6yhXLdTTdQvI4sjH-3Ef7vVrhxLaRhUyNAX4cGX9SumqH-9ynk6dendYSeDqjm2kk2GkarxX0fcZ0C3Uiv4aYgcqIuLbQFNtAF4ql54u94KQ9u02hx1Q/s1600/IMG_1990.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbJj9jtZ1aHSKRxQbXUh61eHbmgQQ8Z60p7gM5TZsrXhsMs8LGI8_uINV9y0HMykmNK3O37_qPVkW3DfxNO4k8kenm07wUc_DVGztPdop9mID6FYNTok_doc1fxtJ5aVeOEVLW5dKZw/s1600/IMG_2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbJj9jtZ1aHSKRxQbXUh61eHbmgQQ8Z60p7gM5TZsrXhsMs8LGI8_uINV9y0HMykmNK3O37_qPVkW3DfxNO4k8kenm07wUc_DVGztPdop9mID6FYNTok_doc1fxtJ5aVeOEVLW5dKZw/s1600/IMG_2015.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here's the third point. I know, I know...I said I only had two, but I can't just leave it at that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is no job, no activity, no task that has ever humbled me so much as parenting. It really does send me to my knees. Or rather, the bathroom...because that's where I can lock the door. *smiles* And it causes me to seek God in His infinite wisdom, strength, and understanding.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNvJPHzGTFTPsaBKhTl-7QQ0nNxGQRTSNZGaDnVdRzRXPigAnpSS9_GluT42Pel6Aon6iNxsNtojGK39kd47pNAAGp_pT080wa6KI8_W7jVVF5WZ9K1Weq0HWv8ewTqOxvI-dm7yScA/s1600/February+2015-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNvJPHzGTFTPsaBKhTl-7QQ0nNxGQRTSNZGaDnVdRzRXPigAnpSS9_GluT42Pel6Aon6iNxsNtojGK39kd47pNAAGp_pT080wa6KI8_W7jVVF5WZ9K1Weq0HWv8ewTqOxvI-dm7yScA/s1600/February+2015-001.jpg" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, in the midst of sneaking cocoa, throwing tantrums, and six-year-old dating troubles, you will find me asking for wisdom from the only One who has it to offer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And you'll probably find me sitting at the sewing machine, taking deep breaths while I convince myself that I can, indeed, get up and do this all over again for <i>at least</i> the next 20 years worth of tomorrows.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-64855771329707790352015-02-13T09:00:00.000-06:002015-02-13T11:21:08.653-06:00The Cold That Kicked Me To The Curb<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By God's amazing grace, I managed to miss out on all four rounds of the Great Stomach Virus of 2014-2015. Managing morning sickness was pretty much enough for that stage of things, and I was so glad to not add other unpleasantries to the mix.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Been there. Done that at least twice. Not fun. In fact, it's kind of like a cruel joke.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"So, you have morning sickness, do you?" asks the stomach virus. "Well then, take this!" And before you know it you are out for the count.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aside from the Great Sickness, the kids have been sick with colds all winter. Jeremiah and Rachel seem to get one every other week. I'm pretty sure this comes from their time in the nursery with other wee ones who are getting colds on the weeks our kids are healthy. They meet up on Sunday morning, swap some germs, and say "See 'ya later" until the next week, when they trade colds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lord has spared me from these colds. And I have been very grateful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past week, however, I finally succumbed to the milieu of germs that is our household. Even while pumping my body with vitamin C, I still couldn't manage to keep this one at bay. It hit like a ton of bricks on Friday night and I have been wiped out ever since. Ugh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claude put it best when he said, "This one has been carefully selected by the kids."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it has. After all the rounds of colds, the Little Crew has filtered out the weaker viruses and only the hardiest has survived. Now this virus is kicking me to the curb...and boy is it hard to get back up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rachel and Jeremiah are sharing in the joys of the current illness. They seem to take it better than I. I've grown to be quite wussy in my old age.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway...this is about as good as I have felt this week.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OITNN0JG_ijZmHtQ66AeGKwntROKE0MFv-i3JXLYJdEdJqNYj12Ssh3UT2TtjMloQYduE7nEa6gP-yQAPuZwsbK-3ut0bT_E_8I6trAW2X5S5XYs9ajTbHFYQ5WWEnwCYcMqDSPjkA/s1600/IMG_2020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_OITNN0JG_ijZmHtQ66AeGKwntROKE0MFv-i3JXLYJdEdJqNYj12Ssh3UT2TtjMloQYduE7nEa6gP-yQAPuZwsbK-3ut0bT_E_8I6trAW2X5S5XYs9ajTbHFYQ5WWEnwCYcMqDSPjkA/s1600/IMG_2020.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Obviuosly Rachel is not her usual self, either. Or is she?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDbxc3OiWpgMUO4ua9eG-GHUcmQ6tmQGFwMyXfjKVhn7lyt_G0-ueIxsLmM23XhaVN2ZBz93rnZIopIAzcJItslherVEKHaXbXMzKJyyZ7h_OGrjDmLreroK5jbUfs6O4aYDfT3QqoA/s1600/PA240064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDbxc3OiWpgMUO4ua9eG-GHUcmQ6tmQGFwMyXfjKVhn7lyt_G0-ueIxsLmM23XhaVN2ZBz93rnZIopIAzcJItslherVEKHaXbXMzKJyyZ7h_OGrjDmLreroK5jbUfs6O4aYDfT3QqoA/s1600/PA240064.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She really has been frowning since just moments after birth. She has now had 15 months to perfect the frown, though. She's getting better all the time! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In all seriousness, this is a terrible, no good, very bad cold. Poor Rachel and Jeremiah. I feel your pain. But have no fear. We shall prevail over this villainous virus. Until the next time you go to nursery...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-39777576453332384212015-02-12T15:34:00.001-06:002015-02-12T15:34:57.582-06:00Simple Easter Cross Craft for Toddlers and Preschoolers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCazzvdH6nL_q5I5om-ECi94Z9yd4BPWkjmZlDhiaplBMZp6nOQMWxn7n5B0Cmul4oYGq3XxROISxsE4lLx5aqQGRAZXh0JXnwx0IGnHh6sUljpp77coHeVQWsfEjYlRyAFzvK-SvPw/s1600/Easter+cross+Bible+craft+toddler+preschooler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCazzvdH6nL_q5I5om-ECi94Z9yd4BPWkjmZlDhiaplBMZp6nOQMWxn7n5B0Cmul4oYGq3XxROISxsE4lLx5aqQGRAZXh0JXnwx0IGnHh6sUljpp77coHeVQWsfEjYlRyAFzvK-SvPw/s1600/Easter+cross+Bible+craft+toddler+preschooler.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is a simple craft and Bible lesson to do with your toddler or preschooler around Easter time. The end result is a cute and colorful cross.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Scripture</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Matthew 27:32-28:10--Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the tomb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Lesson Objective</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jesus died on the cross for my sin.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>Memory Verse</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"All who believe in Jesus have their sins forgiven through his name." (Acts 10:43, simplified from the NIrV)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-or-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A different verse of your choosing.<br />Here are is a list of suggestions for verses about salvation. Each link is to a song that you can use to learn this verse with your child:</span><br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/Z3ggLLGLqE0" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Romans 10:9</i></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://youtu.be/84KRw-h3VpQ" target="_blank"><i>John 3:16</i></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://youtu.be/AKwOILGlQAQ" target="_blank">John 14:6 </a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://youtu.be/zTQsbMZdUpQ" target="_blank">Romans 6:23</a></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><i>Memory Verse Song</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>To the tune of "The More We Get Together"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"All who believe in Jesus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In Jesus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">In Jesus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Will have their sins forgiven</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Through his name.<i>"</i><b> </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPLE6_YbKXINXye1FjuhCCtjrvjMvUdFv04biB9KW2Z8GFX8Y6vBobtghZyFpks-EgxiADV9CFTNWGzL4pOm6yXiweeH4Ac0DGSmcOJrsbtx8gUsNmrjcmjhJJf8BDyac4XVThiXuvQ/s1600/Cross+Easter+Toddler+Bible+Preschool+Craft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPLE6_YbKXINXye1FjuhCCtjrvjMvUdFv04biB9KW2Z8GFX8Y6vBobtghZyFpks-EgxiADV9CFTNWGzL4pOm6yXiweeH4Ac0DGSmcOJrsbtx8gUsNmrjcmjhJJf8BDyac4XVThiXuvQ/s1600/Cross+Easter+Toddler+Bible+Preschool+Craft.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b><i>Easter Cross Craft</i></b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sWJCfezGxu7WL0nqHgtcf-Y4G9j3tILK84etnPXjGL4kEdAZsS_-_NAEwgPc5GNd3PYvJfit-h5igTvBv20tCR0QeYEEuEPjQezzoSK0i1W7XMYjJJRCe3gZAAtSPf46AEmC1nyOGg/s1600/Bible+Preschool+Easter+Cross+Craft.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5sWJCfezGxu7WL0nqHgtcf-Y4G9j3tILK84etnPXjGL4kEdAZsS_-_NAEwgPc5GNd3PYvJfit-h5igTvBv20tCR0QeYEEuEPjQezzoSK0i1W7XMYjJJRCe3gZAAtSPf46AEmC1nyOGg/s1600/Bible+Preschool+Easter+Cross+Craft.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><b>Materials<br />
</b>-White card stock or construction paper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-Black construction paper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-Scraps of construction paper or tissue paper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-Scissors</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">-Glue </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Directions</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">1. Cover the white paper with glue (I prefer washable glue sticks to reduce mess).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy-sdOR-iHxx0XpASM03WV3GQYuV6h3zrttlR3nJAibWUVg8HtoTJmLM2RhNLWVppesk2lxqUx3ySqOx7e-1ZnAcN3yOqQSyf3m1-c2BqMiLesQ-gehF5id4Un17krg_eStr2OwD3ug/s1600/Toddler+Bible+Cross+Craft+Easter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwy-sdOR-iHxx0XpASM03WV3GQYuV6h3zrttlR3nJAibWUVg8HtoTJmLM2RhNLWVppesk2lxqUx3ySqOx7e-1ZnAcN3yOqQSyf3m1-c2BqMiLesQ-gehF5id4Un17krg_eStr2OwD3ug/s1600/Toddler+Bible+Cross+Craft+Easter.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">2. Stick paper scraps all over paper so that no white is showing. <i>Cut the scraps yourself from any type of colored paper, or have your toddler tear the pieces. For a preschooler, allow them to cut the scraps of paper. It's great scissor practice!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">3. Fold the black paper in half and cut out half of a cross. When you unfold the paper it should have a full cross cut out from the center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">4. Glue the black cross cut out on top of the scrap-covered cardstock.</span><br />
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Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-67195106510072401402015-02-07T09:23:00.000-06:002015-02-07T09:23:53.839-06:00Movies and Missing Egg Rolls<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over Christmas we took a <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2014/12/white-christmas.html" target="_blank">5,000 mile round-trip adventure</a> to see my parents in Montana. It was fun. It was exciting. It was adventurous. And it was abounding in <a href="http://familyabounds.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-chew-crew-vs-stomach-flu.html" target="_blank">throw up</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part of what made this such a fun trip was that we managed to surprise my mom with our little journey. My dad played the role of accomplice, which meant no surprises for him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or did it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What no one else knew was that aside from making a last minute 36 hour trip, we still had one more suprise up our sleeve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The kids insisted that they could keep this secret until Christmas morning, when my parents would open a homemade movie as a gift. And they did an awesome job!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2YY19iEuf5S9E4eGUEavVOgpsPz437rtISTdWWuCuOvJJ124ShQDAzKNdvHIJZlA5clrGI3bgmz5z0gnHScPFILzsbsM8UZe4PQz7CjDPUyEs3YM7ehWGPis4tGAwj5bHyOVJ_M1EQ/s1600/IMG_1818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2YY19iEuf5S9E4eGUEavVOgpsPz437rtISTdWWuCuOvJJ124ShQDAzKNdvHIJZlA5clrGI3bgmz5z0gnHScPFILzsbsM8UZe4PQz7CjDPUyEs3YM7ehWGPis4tGAwj5bHyOVJ_M1EQ/s1600/IMG_1818.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe they were just having too much fun sledding and vomiting to think about it, but they were put to the test on Christmas Eve when my dad sat down with Joshua and Hannah to look through the photos on our camera. The above photo, which we used on the cover of the DVD gift, was on the memory card. He asked them what they were looking at and why they took the picture. They sat quietly, said, "The box was empty," and left it at that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was amazed! Apparently they are good at keeping surprises a secret until just the right time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway...on Christmas morning, amidst the near chaos of our entire family opening gifts, we were able to share the Chew Crew's very first motion picture making endeavor. We had fun with this project, and the kids are already talking about making more in the future, so stay tuned!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until then, we'd like to share with you, "The Mystery of the Missing Egg Rolls". To view our short (really, it's less than 2 minutes) film, click through to Vimeo and use 2005ChewCrew</span>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/115030093" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> </div>
<a href="http://vimeo.com/115030093">Mystery of the Missing Egg Rolls</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user25764002">Chew Crew</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<br />Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-19500182790092656832015-02-04T18:55:00.001-06:002015-02-04T18:55:45.224-06:00Broken or Not?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEZw8VKEmzm9uh4iVPb_WyiPfsEmDxNo7AJYjnsFLB6bSfBzRiMmSCbYDDd-MUdd6dOev2r1GlKTj844o0g2iQEo3nU_pDId1HXccKOH2595Z_ClYaeod2MfOKWGJ23MBsx2xFK760Q/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPEZw8VKEmzm9uh4iVPb_WyiPfsEmDxNo7AJYjnsFLB6bSfBzRiMmSCbYDDd-MUdd6dOev2r1GlKTj844o0g2iQEo3nU_pDId1HXccKOH2595Z_ClYaeod2MfOKWGJ23MBsx2xFK760Q/s1600/IMG_1977.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right now I'm thinking not.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaHYDKcub0XayFQXZISJTHjJCYJBHzcZ5F7Yd_I7lTb3oIPRpNpPO9RY1l7Ecdw5IZyqoVJn7C9l3mUYG9VbKLD7kJBFy1b8PboiAFR9IhWsruWGKUbl7cX9z_z6rQpQMfkivK8dbSA/s1600/IMG_1979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaHYDKcub0XayFQXZISJTHjJCYJBHzcZ5F7Yd_I7lTb3oIPRpNpPO9RY1l7Ecdw5IZyqoVJn7C9l3mUYG9VbKLD7kJBFy1b8PboiAFR9IhWsruWGKUbl7cX9z_z6rQpQMfkivK8dbSA/s1600/IMG_1979.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But maybe?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess we will see how it looks tomorrow when the swelling is (hopefully) down.</span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-88445057967148209372015-01-28T16:30:00.002-06:002015-01-28T16:30:47.906-06:00Heart Attack Moment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEtpPP-4j_kC5G_q9e2kzRgSQfTvcYwfWAJyMqlgP2emjzxANNft0-rdBkeRtbFd_2KpDvbkfCxTWAe8Bh2arZz-PP-ogRKSfdCAIZCRQ8gilbbGIC1X1hlClVCqzXFDoN4dv9OuPsw/s1600/IMG_1475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEtpPP-4j_kC5G_q9e2kzRgSQfTvcYwfWAJyMqlgP2emjzxANNft0-rdBkeRtbFd_2KpDvbkfCxTWAe8Bh2arZz-PP-ogRKSfdCAIZCRQ8gilbbGIC1X1hlClVCqzXFDoN4dv9OuPsw/s1600/IMG_1475.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This little girl nearly gave me a heart attack a few moments ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cautious is not really a word that I would use to describe Rachel. The likes to keep up with her older siblings, doesn't mind falling flat on her face, and when she does she gets back up and keeps on trucking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She has been trying to access the stairs for quite some time. We usually have a safety gate at the top and the bottom of the staircase. Both are meant to be locked whenever Rachel is awake. When relying mostly on a 4-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 7-year-old to close the gates it goes without saying that they are not always locked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhoo...I saw Rachel climb about five steps last month. Then, in a horrifying split-second, I watched as she fell down the same steps. I was too far away to catch her. Scary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This afternoon, while the older kids were playing outside, I was enjoying some toddler time. Then I noticed Rachel was no longer in the living room. Not hearing her in the dining room or kitchen, I headed to the stairway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The gate was open.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And there she was. Standing at the top of the stairs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My heart nearly stopped.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rachel, on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-36016570542155218532015-01-22T13:41:00.001-06:002015-01-22T13:41:56.468-06:00Lessons in the Kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYbxEHthxmy4buWpy6aa-T-RgiJrN9Pa8DcFA9eUGG5NmkD1ORxiYy9GzQmoT6rdN4FRD-pQ7P7ey2H2JWOakFRcRqUHgIG-0fW7UgAcMA2jbfqZ9TDY3OaO0YVA0eZD2MqCURmFqTA/s1600/IMG_1954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYbxEHthxmy4buWpy6aa-T-RgiJrN9Pa8DcFA9eUGG5NmkD1ORxiYy9GzQmoT6rdN4FRD-pQ7P7ey2H2JWOakFRcRqUHgIG-0fW7UgAcMA2jbfqZ9TDY3OaO0YVA0eZD2MqCURmFqTA/s1600/IMG_1954.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The kids cooked dinner last night. Mostly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I asked Joshua to head up a team to make waffle batter. He is well prepared for such a task, having been a kitchen helper since he could stand on a chair. He has about one year of experience making things on his own. He can make pizza dough, bread dough (because it's really the same as pizza dough), cook bacon and pancakes on the griddle, and fry eggs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The batter making process went smoothly and the kids even cleaned up after themselves as an added bonus. I, however, was out of the kitchen so I didn't know all that actually went into the batter. Neither did I know how much of everything went into the batter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Come time to cook the waffles I noticed that the batter was a little too yellow, a little too thick, and a little scant. I assumed that I had just forgotten how this particular recipe turns out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The waffles cooked quickly and were a wonderfully crips golden brown. They didn't seem to hold together like usual, but they looked great.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Then I tasted one. It was rather salty. In fact, it was salty enough and not quite as waffle-y as I expected from a tried and true recipe, that I began asking questions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"How much flour did you put in?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Four cups."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Okay, how much oil did you put in?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"One cup." (No one said waffles were healthy!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Okay, how much milk did you put in?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"One cup."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"I think the recipe said 3 1/2 cups."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"No, it said three to one or two. So we put in one."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Okay...well, how much salt did you put in?"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"One and half teaspoons."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Didn't the recipe say half of a teaspoon."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Oh."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Yeah..."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One third of the flour and three times the salt. That's just how we roll sometimes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1640697137378019551.post-74144969444001013772015-01-17T09:28:00.001-06:002015-01-17T09:34:11.350-06:00Matching Games and Visual Learners<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With everyone being sick on and off, the kids and I have been very much out of routine. Sure, we have our meals at fairly regular times and bed time is generally on schedule. But school...wait a minute. What is school? I think I have forgotten.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have also had some major fallout in the attitude department. I don't think the kids know how to talk nicely to one another. When they try it sounds just as rude and mean as whatever tone of voice I tried to correct. Somehow they will get there...hopefully. The process, however, is painful and slow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an attempt to keep everyone on the same page and tackle the attitudes, I instituted a game day early in the week. We built puzzles and played games all day long. We practiced rejoicing with those who rejoice (instead of throwing a fit that your sister got ahead of you in the Ladybug Game). And I corrected and corrected and corrected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Tuesday the kids had picked up on the game thing and were playing by themselves. Now that the week is over I think we have built the same three puzzles about 5 times each, played the Ladybug game several times, learned Uno and played it a few times, and we have probably played a dozen or more games of Memory.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, it's what I knew as Memory growing up. Now it is called Matching. Apparently we don't want children to feel bad about their memories, so we put the responsibility on the tiles. It's not that <i>I </i>didn't remember where the second tile was, it's that <i>the tiles</i> were not matching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway...back to the point. If there ever was one, that is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah started out as the most enthusiastic Memory/Matching player. She and I played several times while in Montana over the holidays. Her excitement waned just a tad with each game because I would win. Like, really win. As in I would take the last 10-12 matches in one sweep. Maybe I should have cheated and played dumb.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While she still wants to play most of the time, Abby has taken Hannah's place as the most zealous Memory/Matching player. At least once a day she traipses downstairs announcing to her siblings, "I'm going to play a game with Mommy!" Out comes the box, along comes the very long process of maticulously setting out each tile, and then we play.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I win. Every time. But only by a small margin most of the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She doesn't seem to mind. Usually she just laughs the whole time and says funny things like, "Oh, bummah!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During one of our games, Abby said to me, "My brain is very smart, Mommy. My brain has eyes in it. They can see things and remember what they look like even when my real eyes can't see it."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If ever there was a description of a visual learner, that would be it - eyes in the brain to see things even after the image is no longer visible to your real eyes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This strength in visual learning is a big reason why Abby does very well at the Memory/Matching game. Some of the kids will see a tile and excitedly shout out, "Oooh! Oooh! That one is somewhere [points to about half of the tiles] over there!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Abby sees a tile that has a match she knows of, she smiles and says, "I know! I know! The other one is right [points to one specific tile] there!" And she is right about 99% of the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the time being, I am the undefeated Memory/Matching champion. I have, however, met my match. Soon, with those eyes in her brain, Abby will be winning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd better be willing to pass on the title. It is, of course, a game for preschoolers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739393852429076077noreply@blogger.com0