Where has the summer gone?

Splish splash I was taking a bath...

Trying to get a drink...

He loves the water! (Hmmm... I think it is time for his first haircut!)

Now that Myles is on the move, there is no sitting him down on the floor. He was waiting patiently for me to swap laundry!

We have "put up" (Kellie... this one is for you!) tons of peaches in the freezer. I don't care for canned peaches but didn't want to keep filling up freezer space. We decided to can peach pie filling. I think it turned out good and we are looking forward to using it this fall and winter. (Thanks Susan for the inspiration!:>)
Normally by this time of the summer I am ready to get back into a routine and start school. We all seem to do better with a routine. It seems like we just finished the school year and now it is time to start again! I guess it didn't help that we had things we had to work on all summer. I have been gathering books and supplies since April for this coming school year. I buy a lot of my stuff at the annual home school convention in May. We like good books, so I usually choose curriculum that has lots of reading incorporated into it. I didn't realize until today (yes, we are starting THIS Monday) that I can't locate the Biology book that McKenzie used (and Matthew needs this year!), and that I have a whole list of books that Matthew needs for his History/Literature program! Talk about organized!

I do have most everything ready to go though. I have a crate for each one of the children with their stuff in it. I keep all of my "teacher" stuff in another spot for my teaching and grading. I thrive under organization! Clutter makes me crazy (and grouchy!) In our quest searching for the Biology book I discovered that there are tons of school books that need to GO!
Matthew will be doing Biology and McKenzie will be doing Anatomy and Physiology. They both have dissections to do this year, including a fetal pig! I am not looking forward to it!


Well, I guess I better go help find the missing Biology book!

Some Days...

are better than others!!!

Funnies with Mariah...

While driving down the road in our twelve passenger van Mariah noticed the ashtray and said, "A smoke thing? In a homeschool van? I don't think so."

I love when children learn how to read. It is always amazing to me that they go from slowly sounding out words to really reading almost overnight! Mariah has always eaten "branch" dressing with her raw vegetables. The other day she opened the refrigerator up and said, "Hey, this isn't called BRANCH it is called RANCH!" Thanks for letting us know that Mariah! :>)

Conversations with Mariah this evening:

Mariah: "I am feeling so responsible right now."

Me: "What are you feeling responsible about?"

Mariah: "Well, the way I am mean to Malachi sometimes."

Me: "That would be irresponsible, not responsible."

Mariah: "Well, actually, irresponsible is like when you have your eyes on someone and then you take your eyes off of them." (This probably comes from the hundreds of times she has heard me say, "Watch your brother and DON"T take your eyes off of him!"

Thanks for the laughter Mariah!

Ten months old and first food...

Sweet little Myles is ten months old!

I thought this summer, with all of the fresh vegetables, it would be a great time to start him on some food. I have been putting it off just because I was too lazy to fool with it. I mean, he definitely looked like he was hurting! So, today I steamed some yellow squash from our garden and blended it all up. Doesn't it look yummy!? :>)

He was so eager to grab the cup, I thought he was going to really get into this eating thing!

His expressions were priceless. What you can't see in the pictures is what was really hysterical- he actually shivered he was so grossed out!

He was so glad to nurse when we were finished! We will try again tomorrow!

Summer Projects and other things...

I never seem to accomplish all of my goals in the summertime, but I did get a couple of things done this week! We recently bought new living room furniture and were saving up for the tables to go with it. I had posted my old tables on Craigs list to try to sell them. I didn't get any response, and then I decided since they were good sturdy tables that I would just store them. Who knows... maybe McKenzie would want them for her home one day! Then my sister Kellie and her children stopped by here one day when they were heading to our mom's house. She suggested since they were good solid wood tables to paint the tops black. Our kitchen table has black chairs and benches that have kind of a "beat up" look. I decided to try to achieve the same look. I was a little nervous, but I think they turned out pretty good and saved tons of money!

Before-

After-

This room is technically supposed to be the "dining room" in our house. We had moved the old couch and chair in there when we got the new furniture. It ended up looking like a junk room. I sold the couch on Craigs list (I love that list!:>) last week. I switched the office chair to this room and put the other chair in the office. We put baby gates on both entries to this room, so now Myles has a completely "baby proof" room to play in. *Note to self looking at this pic... next project is to clean out that book basket!*

We love, love, love books at our house. Our whole family loves to read. Summertime means lots of library books! Our library basket just isn't big enough in the summertime!

Keeping little people busy when the day just gets too hot!

Mariah finishing up her last years school. She is reading like crazy now! It is so fun when the "light bulb" turns on!

McKenzie recently started her first "real job"! Marc has always said he didn't want his daughters working unless it was something that would benefit them for the future. We are not against a college education for them, but he just wants them to be prepared for being a wife and mother. I have a college degree, but I wish that I had learned more practical skills when I was young. We have tried to encourage them to learn skills and have hobbies that can be useful (and help make money) in the future. McKenzie was recently asked to teach piano at a studio in town. She started this week and will work one afternoon/evening a week for 5-6 hours. She was nervous, but I know she will do great. It will be great training to teach her own children one day, or even out of her home. Here she is going through old music.

Pjs and sparklers before bedtime!


This was funny. Marc got up and made pancakes for breakfast one morning (he even ground his own wheat!) He is not a cook, so he was quite pleased! They were good too!Malachi- "Hey mommy! Take a picture of my muscles!"

Happy Summer!

Teething woes...

My Happy baby has been gone this week. Yesterday he was so fussy. He has only had two little teeth on the bottom for a couple of months. McKenzie said, "Did you know that Myles has two more teeth on the bottom?" I felt so bad. I think he is going to go from 2 to 8 teeth in a flash! Today he has either been asleep or in mommy's arms. Nothing else will do.... Looking forward to getting my content little baby back!

A walk down memory lane...

My father was second youngest in a family of nine children (actually ten, one died at birth.) The baby of their family was his brother Herman. My father (Edward, as his siblings refer to him) and Herman were very close growing up. The stories I have heard over the years about the two of them are so funny and make me wonder what I am in for with my two littlest boys!

Herman has Parkinson's Disease and is not doing well. He had been asking his children to take him to see my dad for a while. This past Saturday they made it happen. Out of the nine siblings, there are only three left; Emily 91, Edward 84 and Herman 82. One of Herman's daughters picked Emily up and brought her too. My dad really was hoping some of us could be there. My sisters couldn't make it and I didn't think I would be able to do it either. At the last minute (literally!) we decided to make it happen. I am so thankful that I did.

Siblings... It is sad that Emily and my dad are in such great shape and they are older than Herman. Parkinson's has really taken it's toll.

Cousins. David is Thelma's son. She died several years ago and was between Emily and my dad. The three girls are Herman's daughters. They are right at the same ages as me and my sisters. It is very sad that we didn't really know each other growing up. I know we would have had so much fun. It was neat to see that one of them looks like my sister Kellie!

This moment right here was worth every effort to get there! My dad and Herman started talking about their childhood and some of the funny (and some very foolish!) things that they did. They grew up on a farm and were in charge of milking their cow. They would squirt the milk into the cats' mouths. So that their mama wouldn't know that they had wasted the milk, they would add water to it. Aunt Emily very indignantly said, "I thought our milk tasted watery sometimes!" She has said more than one time when I ask her about my dad as a little boy, "He and Herman were BAD!"

Lots of laughter.

The big sister listening to their stories. Doesn't she look incredible!?

Aunt Emily told of when my dad started school. She said that she, Thelma and Mildred had always walked to school together. The year that my dad started he had a hard time keeping up. If he got behind he would scream, "WAIT!" If they didn't slow up he would throw rocks at them. One time he hit his big sister Mildred in the head.

My dad is probably one of the sweetest, gentlest people I know. It was neat to hear from Herman's daughters that he is like that too. Their mama and daddy must have been sweet people. I hate that I never knew them. They both died before I was born.

Saying good-bye... It was sad to see Herman wipe the tears from his eyes.

Malachi telling his second cousin goodbye!

I know it had to be going through their minds wondering if they would see each other this side of heaven again.



Wonderful memories...

Eat Mor Chikin!!!

Today was "Cow Appreciation Day" at Chick Fil A. If you dressed as a cow you got a free meal! I was inspired last year when I saw a mother and her ten children dressed up on another blog! We planned ahead and spent $1.89 on black felt, dug out a cute little cow costume that my mom made years ago for Madeline and pulled out black and white clothes. Here is what we came up with.

Myles all dressed up and ready to go! Poor little guy was probably roasting! It was 100 degrees today!
Malachi-not too sure he liked those spots on his face!

Quickly changed his mind when he got his own sandwich (I usually split with him!) AND he got to drink sprite! Sprite is such a treat for our kids, that the younger ones went home with a stomach ache!

I HAD to post this picture. We kept bugging Marc (who was a great sport-- he didn't want to go in the first place!) and told him he looked like a floppy eared bunny!

Matthew was so funny. He came down the stairs at the house with his "ears and spots" on and said, "I would have rather just paid for my stupid meal!" He was a good sport too, although as soon as we ordered he headed to the bathroom and came out with his spots and ears stuffed in his pockets!

Free food and fun memories! :>)