BLOCKS!!!!

We finally have a child that loves to play with blocks! I've bought more sets of blocks than you can imagine in hopes of this day.

Nolan asked for Legos for Christmas. I was shocked - I've tried repeatedly to get one of the children intersted in Legos - to no avail. Further discussion revealed he wants

the BIG duplo ones I'd purcahsed for Zander. :::click::: :::lightbulb moment::: The child struggles with fine motor skills - he likes to play with the big ones...and I need to get him some. LOL BUT We discovered Stacia building and knocking over towers of the boys' blocks. LOL

HISTORY QUILT

We were happy to have Jared join us today!

Jared's Square - King Tut discovered (started out as Lennin but morphed into Tut)

Nolan's Square - Charles Lindbergh's Dangerous Flight

Arielle's Square - Norman Rockwell

Monday

We realized yesterday that we didn't HAVE to do school. Pressure is off.

I woke up this a.m. and made 4 loaves of bread....2 cinamon, 1 Italain and one regular old 7 grain.

The older two boys decided to try to do a week of school in the next three days to make up for our late start. Jared decided to do math and then join us for our Thanksgiving study. Actually, he thrilled me by asking if he could make a square of our history quilt.

We read "If you were on the Mayflower" and finished another book we were reading about the pilgrims. I had copied the rest of the 76 page lap book. I thought I could cut and they could fold and glue...but after an hour and a half they were DONE. I continued cutting. It was at that point that I sent my little note earlier.

Stacia went down for a nap and I was determined to get the cutting and folding done before she woke up. I made it. My wrists are sore.....I think there must be some little tool like a quilting rotary cutter that one could find. Jodi, has made me feel better by reminding me that this is a big project. Then while we were folding and Jared was writing....Nolan colored...they are original. ::snort:: I told Arielle it would be o.k. this is a family project. LOL After a break Arielle came out and helped me fold the last few books. Parts of it was fun....I liked making the twirling book, I was fairly proud of the + sign books. LOL

When I was done with all the cutting and folding I loaded the younger ones into the van and we headed for the POST OFFICE. YIKES! That place is frightening. I will figure out how to do the "online postage, free pick up thing" before this month is over.

We planned to play at the park right down the road from us......but after about 8 minutes Arielle needed to come home. Zander said, "Well...use that tree". We came home.

It seems the Holidays are in full swing around us. We miss Mike. Zander told me today, "I miss your Michael".

LAP BOOK UPDATE

It has only taken 1 1/2 hours of cutting and folding for me to REALIZE that the paper cutter would probably make this go a whole lot quicker.....Some people may just not be made for this method of instruction?????

PARENTING/DISCIPLINE IN PROVERBS - Ch 20

20:3 "Keeping away from strife is an honor for a man, but any fool will quarrel."

~As this theme continues in Proverbs, I continue to think about avoiding strife. I do not get the sense that this is talking about cowardly compromising your beliefs in order to avoid strife. I think this means that we must NOT be quarrelsome - even while taking our stances. Make it our goal to be as Jesus was, "full of grace and truth".

~I must avoid unnecessary strife

~This will mirror for my children how to avoid strife in their own lives with siblings, parents, and friends

~I must not let my parenting become quarrelsome

20:7 "A righteous man who walks in his integrity, how blessed are his children after him."

~integrity - strongs# 8537, "tom" -
Strongs: completeness, innocence, full, perfect
Dr. Zodhiates: Complete

~Word would mean sound, complete, unbroken wholeness, sound....morally whole, morally sound, morally complete...

~I must walk in integrity, Mike must walk in integrity....as we walk in wholeness our children are blessed....God OFFERS wholeness as we submit to His healing work in our lives. Don't give up, it is possible! If for no other reason, allow God to do whatever it takes to make you "sound" because your children deserve to have parents who walk in integrity.

20:19 "He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, therefore do not associate with a gossip."

~Pretty clearly states not to associate with gossips. Why? Detrimental to my walk, destroys trusts others have in me...

~If my children observe me gossiping they will not be confident to trust me with their hearts.

~No young person wants to think Mom calls all her friends with his/her confidences.

~If we want to HAVE trustworthy children we must BE trustworthy parents! I'm very careful what I share with friends, family etc about my children. In fact, they are ASKED before I post things about them, even on this blog or online lists.

~Beware even of Internet gossip.....God takes gossip seriously.

TICKERS

Mandy and I discussed my ongoing challenge to loose weight. She asked me, "What are we going to do about it?" I know I need to work out to loose weight - or forget the weight - feel great. It's cold in the AM for bike rides and I'm not motivated...but I can't whine away the rest of the winter. I need to suck it up - get the bike riding done - so that I can purcahse the elliptical machine. Jamin cleaned the garage out so there's a spot for it weeks ago. ::snort:: I think the boys are looking forward to it as much as I. I thought of joining Curves...but I know I need to accomplish THIS goal.

I can't MAKE the weight ticker move. I CAN make the exercise ticker move. That's what I'll focus on. I will try to get the rest of my miles in before Christmas and be done with it. LOL And I noticed before that as I focused on the ticker I could move, the second began to inch downward ever so slowly. LOL

I can still dream of being 20 when I lost all pregnancy weight in less than two weeks...but I'd best work with what I have in my 40's..... ::snort::

BTW it is time NOW to begin research on a good home elliptical machine. Ideas? Opinions? One's you love or ones you've hated? I can't pay for gym quality but I don't want it to shake, rattle and roll when I use it - that's MY job. ::snort::

SUNDAY

Our day got off to an interesting start when I realized that there was no Sunday School. {g} That explains why I got all those Proverbs entries written up. LOL

Jamin and Jared have really wanted Chinese. Usually, we can find fried chicken or pizza or fries or something at a Chinese restaurant. Around here every place we've gone has been buffet and there was nothing American on it. I told the boys to call around and find a place and we'd try it. They were really craving sesame chicken and fried rice. Jamin still wants to try one that Ian suggested to him before they moved, but they were closed on Sundays. This restaurant wasn't too bad, actually it's my favorite here so far. It WAS a buffet but they assured me that I could order 3 hamburgers and fries....obviously they don't make them often....I think it was ground chuck....very good. LOL They really worked with us. At one point Zander was sure he was going to throw up - long story. I jumped up, pushed Stacia's chair, scooped up Zander and ran for the restroom. I came back and everyone was laughing. Stacia's chair was on wheels and she went clear across the dining room with a shocked expression on her face. LOL I'm thinking Chinese may work for Thanksgiving.....no one is taking me up on Taco Bell. I'll be cooking turkeys for the student's Thanksgiving on Saturday so I have no desire to cook more. LOL We'll see.

We did some shopping for Mike's Christmas package...enough said.

Friday, when I picked up produce, I didn't have room in the back for all the produce. They put several cases on the seats up front. I love our new van - but it really isn't built as well as the Dodge was. I'm disappointed. The seats are thin material and that won't be a good option. Jamin has been diligently trying to shave money from our budget at every turn. Today, he used Hard Red for Pizza and asked me to figure the savings of using that over Hard White....{g} He had read that if you took 100 lbs off your vehicle you would save an average of $43 a year on gas. He's been promoting the removal of another rear seat from the van since reading this. He's met with resistance from the other two young men in the family. I came up with the idea of removing the first seat...so now two young men can sit beside Stacia and have all the leg room they need. The three younger ones have the back seat and one sits in the passenger. Obviously, we'll put it back when Mike comes home, but in 6 months this should save us $21.50. ::snort:: It is NICE to have that space.

I didn't make it through church again tonight....but I was THERE. It was good not to have sick or feverish children. Zander was doing so well, but didn't handle the meet and greet time well. I wasn't expecting his actions. I finally just took he and Stacia to the van. The space there really has more play room than the cry room. LOL I have some direction. I need to intentionaly work on Zander interacting with us again.....but I also need to work on impulse control. He simply has none. He does whatever seems like it may be fun. I keep thinking he'll gain some...but it isn't coming. Even after meet/greet he wasn't BAD....he hurt his head and then just wanted to hug himself and rock and it was distracting others....time to just change the setting. {sigh}

I realized today that most the kids here have been on a break since last Friday. I told the older three they could choose what to do with school. I will work on the Thanksgiving unit with the younger ones and that will be that. I'm not sure how I missed that this is supposed to be a school holiday. Probably because Mike isn't home to be talking about days off.....I missed veterans day too...we worked right through the days off. LOL

I had another of my PBS books requested. Yippee!