Josiah took a trip...

to Krzyzewskiville!! Two excited boys went to see Duke play Miami (OH) last night. Chris won the tickets in a raffle at work. Josiah watched the game with interest and asked a LOT of questions, according to his Dad.

As I was putting him to bed last night, I asked if he was going to have dreams about basketball. He said, "YES! I'm going to dream about South Aiken!"

They are right up there with Duke, after all.

Four Boy

Another birthday for my little boy! He is getting so tall and looking very skinny. (I am sure to hear about that at the next doctor's appointment.) Josiah spent a fun day at home with the family celebrating his fourth birthday. We gave him some bathtub crayons and his first set of legos. Those things are really tiny!! It is a set that will build three small construction vehicles, so it has just the right amount of steering wheels, rubber tires, and digging attachments to make for lots of good creative play. He asked for a Hot Wheels cake, so I did my homemade best with a Mimi's Chocolate Cake. Four Boy was pleased, and that's all that matters!

Halloween

We were all able to go out trick-or-treating together, since Mimi and Grandaddy stayed home to hand out the candy! Josiah was Dash from the Incredibles, Renée and Celeste dressed up as princesses, and Eliana was a sweet little Minnie Mouse. The weather was nice and cool, and Red Cedar proved to be just the right length of street to cover in a hour. We have a pretty nice stash of "school candy" now that ought to last until Christmas!

all-of-a-kind family

Well, it's official. All of our kids have the goofy gene. I was thinking for a while that perhaps Eliana would be the quiet, serious, introspective sort, like her father. I was wrong.

A Sharp Reminder

Perhaps this sign wasn't meant for me, but I have to wonder...

Why is this baby so excited?

Because Mama made waffles! I am pretty excited, too. I like the idea of making up a bunch of chocolate-chip waffles and putting them into the freezer for easy breakfasts. (Measuring, pouring, and cooking are not my strong suits in the morning. Must have coffee...)

the unbearable cuteness of corduroy

I have been a happy busy bee lately, sewing fall outfits for Eliana out of scrumptious patterned courduroy. I love to imagine how sweet they will be walking around (when it is no longer as hot as the surface of the SUN here).

ready, set...

GO!!!

This boy means business. He is the powerhouse of Team Dinosaurs. I love watching him run!

Knocked Out

Oh, to sleep like a baby!
One of Eliana's good traits is her ability to catch a nap when she needs one. At 16 months old, she is in the process of dropping the morning nap. Some days, she still needs a little rest before noon. This morning, I heard the children playing upstairs with the kitchen set. The older kids came downstairs, one by one, and it was very quiet in the loft above. I found Eliana sleeping peacefully on the floor next to her toys.
Sweet dreams, little bit. I'll wake you for lunch.

practicing

This is what Eliana does for many hours each day - hones her newfound skill of walking. I had forgotten how all-absorbing the task is to a newly mobile baby. She staggers through her laps downstairs, a goofy grin on her face, stopping only to lean against my leg, suck her thumb, and recharge for the next round.

Swords and Bunnies

Josiah is a precious mixture of baby and big boy right now. I found his favorite weapon, the long sword with the blue handle, on his bed next to his favorite "mimi rabbits." I have seen him wielding his water gun with one hand and sucking his thumb on the other. (It is advantageous to be a lefty and a right-thumb sucker.) His favorite stories right now are great battles in the Bible and his handbook on how to be a knight.

Top Ten Reasons to Homeschool Your Children

In keeping with my last post, here is another list! It is not my own, but I wholeheartedly agree with the philosophy and am motivated by the same desires for our family.

The Top Ten Reasons to Homeschool Your Children

1. To instill your values and beliefs in your children.
2.To encourage academic excellence in your children.
3.To meet your child's unique, individual needs.
4. To help your children through the difficult times in their lives.
5.To help your children understand the hard questions we face in life.
6.To build intimate and meaningful relationships with your children in order to show them how much you love them.
7.To share with your children the common, everyday joys of life and be there when they need you most.
8. To be your children's mentor, spiritual leader, role model, friend and teacher.
9.To protect your children from the negative influence they may encounter outside the home.
10.To instill in your children a lifelong love of learning and to show them that learning is not boring, but exciting.

Top Ten Reasons Uncle Drew is Cool

10. He has dreamy blue eyes.

9. He always wears a hat.

8. He likes girls.

7. He is a basketball player.

6. He is the new basketball coach for South Aiken!

5. He can run a long time.

4. He knows how to make people laugh.

3. He's very tall and handsome.

2. He is always a friend.

1. He is big, but acts like a kid!

Grease Monkeys

I came home from a walk with the girls to find the men of the family doing manly things!

I know that Chris will teach Josiah to do all sorts of handy jobs, which is wonderful in itself, but what that little boy really soaks up is time with his Dad.

Fruits of our Labor

We picked ten pounds of strawberries on Thursday! Josiah probably ate at least a pound during the harvest. After dropping a few into his bucket, he would announce, "Mama! I need a little snack!" At first I thought he wanted me to go back to the car and bring him some crackers, so I put him off. When I noticed that he never seemed bothered by the lack of snack, I looked over at him to see him cheerfully popping a big, ripe strawberry into his mouth. Eliana hung out with a cute baby boy while we worked. Of course, we all enjoyed strawberries and ice cream when we got home, and we have lots of whole berries and jam in the freezer now.

Memo to Moses

To: Moses

Subject: Saveing israelites

I am amazed how you hit the rock with the stick and made water come out. I am Celeste, and I am cristshin, and I learned about you.

Love,

Celeste

Deep Thoughts from Josiah

I can't keep up with all the funny stuff this child says!

We were talking about how our cat, Hannah, died. I told him that the world was broken because of sin. He said, "I don't have any sin." I gently suggested that we all do (Romans 3:23), and he replied, "Well, I just have a little sin."

After watching a video about Moses and Joshua, he said, "But Mama, Moses didn't part the Red Sea, he parted the BLUE sea!" Sure enough, that water was technicolor blue. Tough to explain.

"Mama, Judas loved money."

"Yes, he loved money more than he loved Jesus."

"Mama...I like money."

"But do you love money more than you love Jesus?"

quiet for a few seconds...

"I love money AND Jesus!" ((big grin))

Birthday Sweetness

Eliana is ONE!!!

We spread the birthday festivities out over a long weekend, and I think she felt very celebrated and loved. And she is. I am smitten with the little personality that is emerging - sweet, a bit coy, and very silly.

Here she is enjoying her cake and her first birthday present, lovingly passed down from her siblings.

Pretty Baby

This has to be the sweetest baby ever to bless a family.

Mom is Great!

no, not chocolate cake, but I did make them chocolate-chip muffins for breakfast. Their reaction was one of pure joy. I love being popular.

Three Sisters

Look at that baby swinging! The last time we visited the playground in our neighborhood, Eliana was still too small and squishy to sit up properly in the swing. What a difference a few months makes! It was a glorious, warm, smells-like-spring day on Sunday and we enjoyed it to the fullest.

Magic Man

Josiah has a Carolina Gamecocks hat that his great-grandfather, Burr, gave him. It is a treasured possession.

"I like your hat, buddy."

"Hey Mama, I'm pulling rabbits out of my hat!"

"That's a neat trick."

"Yeah, cause I'm a magic man, Mama."

So I've got that song stuck in my head and I keep trying to sing it to him.

"No, Mama, I'm not a magic man anymore. I'm a beat box man."

"No, Mama, I'm a football player man."

"Mama, no. I'm not a magic man. I'm just Josiah!"

Yes, he is incredibly patient with me. And he is still my magic man.

Try to understand.

I'm Pulling for You

Every morning, Josiah comes downstairs in an outfit that he has chosen for the day. He loves to aks me, "Mama, are you pulling for the orange guys to win or for Purdue to win?" At this point, it is imperative that I LOOK at him to see what he is wearing, because then I know to say, "I'm pulling for Purdue!" Every time, without fail, a proud and surprised smile flashes across his little face. "Hey Mama! I'm Purdue!!" And then I say, "I know! I'm pulling for you, Bubby!"

Children need to know that we are pulling for them. Unconditional love, when demonstrated and affirmed with words, gives them great confidence. I am your biggest fan, Josiah. No matter what team colors you're sporting today.

If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

God Church Babtist

When the girls learned that we might not be able to attend church this morning because of the snowy roads, they came up with a plan to have a church service at home. When we arrived at the church (in their bedroom), we were given hand-made bulletins and invited to sit on the floor. After the anoncements, we sang Amasing Grace and Bles Ashore. Chris was able to listen to both adult Sunday Skool and a sermon by Celeste, who took her responsibility very seriously. I had a small but very engaging class of two that met in the closet for Sunday Skool and Children's Church. Best of all, one was added to our number as baby Elizabeth was presented for babtisement.

(Yes, I did have to point out to them that if their church were really Baptist they would not have been able to baptize baby Elizabeth.)

More Snowy Fun

Even Eliana got in on the fun today! With warm sun instead of blowing snow, conditions were just right for playing outside.

Little Boy in Pink Mittens

I did try to Scotchguard Josiah's knit gloves, but it proved to be no match for the power digging he did in the 5 inches of snow that fell last night. Hence the pink (waterproof) mittens that belonged to his sisters. I felt embarassed for him until our neighbor, Cole, who is 8 years old, came out wearing empty bread bags rubber-banded on his hands. When asked if he would rather be wearing Wonder-Bread mittens or pink mittens, he said, "PINK ones!"

There's nothing like coming in from the cold and snuggling in front of the fire with a nice periodic table.

Never Too Early

Fridays are relaxed in terms of school...but I find that even when I'm not structuring the morning, my students are still eager to learn.

Eliana is working on the months of the year. So far, I think she's got "May."

Orderliness

Celeste speaks my love language.
She told me the other day that she had organized my extra hangers into 8(!) categories, then went on to describe them. Plastic, plastic with metal, wire, rubber-coated wire... I wanted to cry, I was just so proud of that child.

Worth the Pain of Labor

Sometimes we just play dress-up with the baby!

She certainly favors her Daddy in that ball cap.

Renée just told me she knew babies wouldn't be born on Sundays because "for six days you shall labor but the seventh is the Sabbath, a day of rest."