Future engineer

If you have a child who adores hands on work maybe First Lego League / First Tech Challenge is a good fit for them. FLL uses Lego Mindstorms to build a robot and program it to do a series of tasks in a timed completion. FTC the teams build a larger metal robot that is both remote operated and programmed to complete a set of obstacle challenges. Our local team, sponsored by Everything Engineered, was a homeschool team and they competed against other local schools doing pretty well for themselves for first years. My son is 12 here and he has had most wonderful experience working with his coaches and teammates this season. You can be sure we will be at it again in a few short months planning for next years competitions. Check it out at www.usfirst.org

Mandy

Cuddly backpack buddies

 

Patch Buddies are an adorable combination of a Plush Toy and a custom Backpack that has a built-in carrying case. There are ten playful animals and four unique characters in the Bubele's Patch Buddy collection and each has a unique personality that will provide endless hours of entertainment and comfort, at home or on the go. Safety is important to us and to your children. So we manufacture and produce our products with the highest quality materials, dedication to safety and especially designed to protect your little ones. To see our loveable and playful collection visit our website at http://patchbuddies.com/ or our facebook page.

Here you can save 40% on any buddies purchase. Just click the link for the coupon,40% off use code: BUDDY224.

My 2 youngest have birthdays and these are perfect, and so stinkin cute!

Mandy

What I did today…

Moved a rose bush

From here:

Ok so maybe I did not do ALL the work but I did quite a bit while the boys were complaining it was too hard. Of course then they were into it when they discovered there were only 3 roots to unearth. Although to their credit the soil was very rocky here.

To here:

Doesn’t it look happier already? Hubby dug the new hole for me since we made it a wee bit narrow, thanks hun! This is a climbing rosebush and was going up our wall and into the roof so it had to be moved. It was in a very bad spot with a ginormous honeysuckle and another bush, that I can’t think of what it is right now, blocking all the light and making it very difficult to prune.

The previous owners really had no clue as to what they were doing and much of this house is a confused mess but we hope to eventually put it to rights! If you look there is no footing for the deck post behind the bush and that is a second story deck! The deck is next on my list to get fixed.

Here is the little garden area behind our house under the kitchen:

I would love to have this as my veggie garden at some point to start with since it is right out the back door (and down the deck stairs). It would get full sun from about 10 am on if I get it all cleared of that bush but I feel bad because it has been our bird watching spot for the past 3 years. What to do, what to do?

So before I started this project I worked on an apron for little miss but need to save my pennies to buy some ribbon for ties and trim but otherwise it is finished and super simple. I post later on how to make one.

Also not sure if these are cicadas or not since I have not heard them this season but I am pretty sure they aren’t butterfly chrysalis like my son thinks. I am going to go up on the ladder tomorrow to find out for sure. I have never had them on the house like that before.

Made some yummy pasta tonight for supper with the peppers and tomatoes from my plants, added some oregano and thyme and it was super yummy! Sorry no pics though as we devoured it immediately after our hard work outside today!

Well some of us just played in the sprinkler but you know that’s hard too!

Mandy

Did You Know That?

Today my kids took an impromptu reading assessment. They were less than thrilled but since today was a short school day they did not complain too much. I like to have them take the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, or TAKS, because it gives them the free test online and spits out the scale scores to me which makes it super easy to see where we are. I hate standardized testing even though I see it as necessary for college bound kids at the vary least to be ready for test taking. This being the case I prefer to give it in my home in this way so they learn to concentrate and take tests even with distractions.
I sent my DS8 up to his room to quietly do something so as to minimize those interruptions (I don’t expect them to take a test during a 3 ring circus you know) that do occur. DD2 was napping in her room so we were all set. So I thought. Soon I hear talking from upstairs and thinking “What in the world” went to investigate.

Wordless Wednesday

Mandy

Past Success

It is during these dreary days I feel the need to have my heart lifted up. I tend to get depressed when there is no sun shining. I have been feeling like we are just dragging our feet through school a bit and decided I wanted to read some old posts. I hope you’ll enjoy the following as much as I did remembering the success.

http://emptymelord.blogspot.com/2010/05/lil-man-makes-progress.html

 

Mandy

Blizzard of 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had some fun today with our weather. I have been wanting to make a sensory box for Deirdre for awhile but am always worried about her putting things in her mouth she could swallow. I thought snow would be a great experience for her. This was not the first snow we have had this winter but it is the first good texture we have had. Great for packing.  She loved it so much I am going to try and come up with a box for her to play with at least one a week.

View Full Album

Mandy

I gave Joy to the World when I....

birthed my 3 beautiful children. My daughter, who is almost 2, & my sons, who are 8 and 15. We have had our ups and downs with medical issues and money problems but through it all my children have reflected God’s love. They are so happy all the time even if something less than what they expect has happened. I sometimes think God gave me this particular children just so he could see me laugh. All of my children have a humor streak a mile wide and for that I am grateful. I love to hear my 8 year old laughing turned high pitch squeal, to see my 15 year old  with tears streaming down his cheeks while laughing without sound, and to watch as my giggly baby girl chases everyone who will be chased. All ending up in a pile of laughing children on the floor. Yep, I thank God for the joy he has sent to this world through me, he knew I would need it.

Mandy

Do hard(er) things

Sometimes as parents we must do hard things. I think as Christian parents we called to do harder things. Things that others, who are while they may claim to be Christian are actually worldly, look down on us for. Unfortunately I am too familiar with the show of contempt and disrespect for my convictions as a Christian mother.
I have been told I am to strict, too hard, selfish, and more. I think the one that gets me the most is being called selfish. Am I selfish for expecting the best out of my children. For expecting them to follow God’s word am I too harsh? Well I should hope so. I expect obedience and there are consequences otherwise. I and my family live for Christ. The bible is God’s infallible word on how we should live.
“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20)

Monday August 16 - Friday August 20 Student School Pictures Week

Take a glimpse of our first day back at Home Schooling here at Miskatonic Prep. I had the kids sit for Mommy Professional Pictures and I think they did very good. For some reason though my camera started acting all wonky for B-Rad’s and I really do not like his. I know he will love it when I tell him it’s re-take time, being a teen boy and all!Miss D was less than thrilled but gave me some precious looks which I managed to not really capture (if only the camera was as fast as her mood swings).



Mandy

Doughnuts, Swimming, and Despicable Me

Today is OJ & doughnuts for breakfast because that’s what C-man wants. Since today is his 8th birthday he picks breakfast. Later we will go swimming and then to see the movie Despicable Me. Both are things he has been begging to do.
8 years ago today God blessed me in an amazing way. He sent me our beautiful, sweet, compassionate baby boy. Second child of mine and has a heart of gold. He loves all things boy except bugs and sitting still!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY C-MAN!

Mandy

Tinkerbell is 15.5 months

This is right after a haircut she now has a much more shaggy hairstyle now, again!
 
Field Trip to Daniel Boone Home

New Hat!

Learning a new language

Lately my precious little girl has been having bouts of some severe frustration with us.

So hubby and I decided to look into using a few signs to teach her. Thinking this would give her some control over her little world and help us to understand what she wants.
I set out with Connor in tow to learn a little about American Sign Language or ASL for short. After I Googled (did I mention I heart Google) it and found what I was looking for here. It is a video dictionary for American Sign with and exhaustive list of words. You can search for a word alphabetically and then watch the video to see the sign for that particular word.

It took me a bit longer to learn the signs than Connor and I had to watch the videos a bit more as they are done rather quickly but all in all very easy to learn. It was after about 10 minutes I noticed the little tab at the top that said ASL For Babies. I clicked it and was taken to a page specifically for infant sign, Awesome!
So far we have learned the words Mom, Dad, brother sister, drink, food, more, bath, sleep, no, and stop. Deirdre has picked up sleep, more, food, drink, and no very quickly. She hasn’t used them to tell us on her own yet but when I ask if she is ready to sleep and sign it she will sign it back and head for her room or my arms.
Hopefully after a little while she will be able to tell us what she needs with out us asking first. Then we will have a happier baby!

Happy Birthday Tink!

I can't believe it has been an entire year since I had my beautiful baby girl! She has been such a wonderful joy to our whole family. The boys can never get enough of her drooly wet kisses and daddy and I are crazy in love with her beautiful star eyes.  God has so richly blessed our family when he gave us this amazing little girl. I hardly believe she's real, almost like a fairy. My own Tinkerbell, my own little Kewpie. Happy Birthday love and may all your dreams come true! (ignore the dates on the pics, I never reset it after changing the batteries)

What little boys are made of

I know it happens but this is the third night in a row that my youngest has woken me up before 4 am. The little darling has had earaches in both ears now and tonight was a total surprise. He is calling from the bathroom which is right outside my room. I go in to see what is wrong thinking he has a tummy ache. Now I did not turn on the light because he informs me that it hurts his eyes, so I turn on the nightlight instead. I am at this point noticing a large brown lump on the floor and some on the front of the toilet (which at this point he is still on). I inquire as to whether or not he needs wiped and what exactly were my not so awake eyes seeing. He quietly informs me that he missed the potty! What?! It takes me a few seconds to realize said lump is stinky and I flip on the overhead light, ugh! I then ask how and of course he can't figure it out himself. So out went the dirty undies, which for the life of me I can not understand how he got those dirty in the front outside, and down to the laundry I go, but not before realizing he has smeared the lid and apparently stepped into it also. As I come down the steps what greets me but a fresh mess from our loveable dog, all over hubby's Bowflex machine. What a great start to my Friday!!! Needless to say we got everybody and everything cleaned up and put back together, but not with out some grumbling. I think I need to pray for some extra patience today.