We Met Eliana

 We were heading out to M&M when we realized, in the bustle of getting kids yesterday, we forgot the CARSEATS.  ::grin::

Not to worry, Arielle and Zander stayed home with all the kids here....and Nolan and Stacia came to help with kids at M&Ms.  Arielle has learned how to use the camera....couldn't figure out WHY my battery was dead this evening..... ::snort::

At M&Ms we discussed situations which are likely to make us impatient and how to walk out the patience and kindness God shows us in our homes.

We clearly do not have experience dealing with curly hair.  Postpartum emotions being what they are, I was very relieved when Rachel and Matt laughed instead of cried when they saw her tonight.

While we took care of business on base, the kids at home made cards (oops forgot to give them to Matt and Rachel when they came).....

Joy

 

Played Games

Zack

 

I see you Seth!

Seth

 

Bubbles - reminds me this needs to find a new home. LOL

Nathan

We spent the afternoon with a bit of a rest time, more games, dinner and waiting.....until finally....they MADE IT.

All afternoon Joy kept asking me, "Is Eliana OUT now?" I assured her she really and truly was.



The moment finally arrived.

Hey Sweet Girl, get used to it - big sister LOVES you!!!

SCORE - I got to hold Eliana before Michael, he who is KNOWN for stalking newborns at the chapel.

I unintentionally alarmed joy when Rachel gave Eliana to me.

"She's OURS."

 I shot back, "I think I'll keep her."

 "No! She's MINE." ::snort::

And that she is....the start of a wonderful sister relationship, I'm sure of it.

Michael and I, being advanced in this parenting thing, couldn't help think of Bre and Krista....when we brought Krista home....ah such fun memories. Exhausting  - but fun.....and the kids had fun thinking back to when Stacia was born....

Note there is no doubt Michael would have been in these photos but he had to leave about 15 minutes before they arrived to spend the night at a sleep clinic.

Our Spectacular Monday

We planned for our "big" summer school days to be today, Thursday and Friday. I headed to Walmart with Stacia to buy a few things we needed for science playing experiments.

BUT our plans took an exciting change.....and we never got back to Science. We got to relive what it's like to have a family of 8 at home....and yes, there was a moment when we looked at each other and realized  if I'd continued having children we would have THIS family still at home and Stacia wouldn't be so pre-occupied about all the Gherkins outside of the home. We always love the time we get to spend with Matt and Rachel's kids.

 

Michael was home today and took Zander to get a pair of shoes. It was way past time.

 

Back at home we played games, had lunch, had dinner and waited.....for Eliana Faith - 7 lbs 12 oz to make her arrival.  FINALLY (really only 5 - 6 hours after the kids were dropped off), we got a text and a Facebook message....I called the kids around to show them....then we thought about getting the camera out so we missed Zach and Seth's reactions. LOL

 

"Joy, I have a picture of Eliana!" Wow...

 

...then she looked at me with a puzzled look and said, "Is she OUTSIDE now?" ::snort::

 

I asked her if she thought Eliana would have blonde hair like her or brown hair like the others. She told me "white" hair. I asked her white like mine or like hers....she wasn't sure about this at all. LOL I assured her it wouldn't be white like mine.

 

Hello, Sweetie....we're looking forward to meeting you.  We're happy to be part of your birth story.

Matt and Rachel - take your time coming back tomorrow. I still have some spoiling to do on this end....and since Eliana surprised us a day early, I want to whip up something for your dinner as I know the meal train won't start until Wednesday. LOL

Stacia on Aging Siblings and Friends

Stacia entertained me with some profound thoughts today:

"Mom, when I'm 20 Bre will be 40."

"Yes."

"When I'm 60, Bre will be 80!"

"Yes."

"Mom, pretty much all the Gherkins out of the house are going to die before I get very old."

"Maybe, but not necessarily."

"It's a good thing you had Zander."

"Yes."

"He's a pleasant age."

PREGNANT PAUSE.

"I want to live down the street from you and Dad when you are done traveling and all the older Gherkins are dead."

Um....it appears Michael and I will outlive all the Gherkins - except for Stacia and Zander.

She also shared this thought, "Moms shouldn't bully kids to make sure their kid always get their way. Their kids will never learn how to be good friends."

Yes, this led to a great conversation on what makes a good friend. And they say homeschoolers will be unsocialized......I think she's got a handle on this.

Ultimate Game Challenge

*Note Arielle made the patriotic tie-dyed shirts

 

We had a plan of a doomsday/disaster marathon....last night we started with 2012 and Independence Day.....and this a.m. two of us were rather depressed and simply couldn't face the idea of another couple of days of doom. We lobbied for a Jane Austen marathon.  Hmmmm......

Arielle came up with an alternate plan for the day.....we had our first annual "Ultimate Game Challenge.  The kids put their head's together and came up with rules and a prize.

 

It started with a game selection  - we've been downsizing games in preparation for the "move"

 

Stacia got to choose the first game - Candyland....

 

The winner got to win the Independence Day Crown and pick the next game...

 

I won this one and chose Dixit next...Michael slept until Monopoly (background).

 

Arielle won Dixit. Stretching before a game choice can only mean one thing - TWISTER Gherkin style. We've gotten so much use from this Gherkin size Twister "board" Krista made us.

 

Arielle won Twister and chose Quelf....

 

 Which Nolan won. He chose Monopoly Millionaire and won it.

 

We needed a tie breaker. Stacia suggested "Go Fish." Arielle ended up winning. In our home, the winner picks up the games - which she did. Her prize excused her from dinner clean up. 

 

We enjoyed combat Uno after dinner.

Stacia created a game. She really wanted to try it out - Introducing Silly Dilly. You sit in a circle, on your turn you get to make someone do something silly. If they do it until their next turn they get 5 points. If they do it intermittently they get 1 point. 20 points win.....this actually was a lot of fun and resulted in some off the wall photos - bonus.

I can't remember what he was doing



Hokey Pokey



Roll across the floor - simplified from cartwheels



Zander singing Old Macdonald and hopping, Arielle singing "Waddle Waddle"

The Ultimate Game Challenge was the perfect pace for us and just what we needed. Relaxing, fun, together....I couldn't help thinking how much we'll miss Arielle when she moves out in a couple of weeks. But I didn't live there - because I have decided to live in "enough" - to be content - to live fully present....and this present was enough. ::wink::

Three Successes and a Fail

This girl was NOT going to take a vacation from Summer School. ::grin::  Today we did four experiments.....

We checked the freezing point of four different liquids

 

Neither guessed Jello would freeze first....we're waiting to see if one of their guesses as to which would freeze last is correct. Success.

In this one we were to explore an amorphous solid - it didn't work - and then I tasted it.

 

Yep! We learned you can't substitute powdered sugar for corn starch. Fail. We'll try this one again.

 

Success - we demonstrated how atoms like to stick together.

 

Alex wanted this one to succeed - and it did. We learned about surface tension and floated  a needle.

We finished science in time for me to go with Michael to Sacramento for his brain scan.  We picked up Papa Murphy's on the way home and are settling in to watch Independence Day.

WOOT - ACCLIMATION

Woot! We have acclimated from the frigid temps of Northern Japan to the scorching, drought-inducing temps of Central CA.

We know this because we rushed outside to enjoy the cool evening - 90*. Yes, our yard is dying. Yes, we have let our landlord know.  The verdict was the sprinklers are on the CA drought allowed water schedule. ::sigh:: I hate that it's dying. He's trying to sell when we move out.

Bocce

 Arielle and I ENJOYED the hot tub - the water was way HOTTER than normal given our recent temps. 

SUMMER Days

No Brain Dump for these students

We use "summer"  to fill in any gaps we let slide during the "school year," read a lot of good books and continue on with "table school." This works for us.  As of 1 July we have officially begun our new school year....the years morph.  Schooling this way allows us to school the number of days the state requires (usually more - we had 205 days this year), take breaks when it fits our schedule (12 weeks this year - allows for the natural rhythm of our family) and still cover all we want to cover in any given year.


For us, "104 Days of Summer," equals brain dump and fog in the fall. We had a couple of weeks of NO SCHOOL at all in June and we take complete breaks here and there during the year - 3 weeks in December. The rest of the summer we do "table school" - finishing last year's work; getting ahead in next year's work - this includes math, language arts and reading.  It takes about an hour a day. The older two are continuing with their Japanese lessons. The younger two get to pick their own reading material for our mandatory 30 min of reading a day.

"Any book on the shelf?"

"Yes."

Stacia told Arielle, "Mom gave us the privilege of choosing ANY book on the shelves we want to read." 

Sometimes it's SO easy to be cool. ::wink::

Alex has been choosing science text books. Stacia is reading a story about children immigrating to America to join their father.

The routine and a bit of structure is nice - and this greatly helps with the brain fog that used to accompany the start of each school year. It also gives us a legitimate reason to stay in the air conditioned house during the "hot hours."

We did get behind on the experiments which accompany our science text. We are doing them now and have discovered it's  perfect for Summer School. It anchors our day and is serving as a great review. I don't think I'll save them all in the future - but a few from each unit would be fine.

 

We made lava lamps today.

 

Science is serious business - you never know what will blow up

 

 Moments like these (above and below) make homeschooling fantastic!

Everything but the Epsom Salt in a basket for tomorrow's fun. I don't want to BUY a big thing of Epsom salt when we are SIX WEEKS away from moving into the trailer. I may skip the Epsom Salt....which may be why we have iffy results so often. LOL 

 

*Note we used vinegar instead of water for a stronger reaction. I think the results would have photographed better with a lighter color oil - but I had full body olive oil and I'm moving in SIX weeks. LOL