Happy in Montana: kid-isms

My kids have been cracking me up lately ~ so want to share it as a journal here. I think I will never forget.. but I do!

May Track Meet!

So a week or so ago, Cubby was singing this nonsense rhyme that the older kids have taught him while jumping on the trampoline or clapping a pattern. He was chanting, "My name is pom pom poodle, willy, willy, whiskers, my name is Fred, Fred, Fred, Freeze!" Upon hearing him be able to say all of that in his tiny little voice, I said, "Orion, I wish you were learning useful things, like 2, 4, 6, 8, 10..." He immediately replied, "Noooo! Sat is maf!" (translation, if needed: No! That is math!) I guess it was so cute to me that he knows numbers are math-- one of the zillions of things I have never told my kids, but they just absorb! Today while I was making lunch for the kids, he set 5 bowls on the table without being asked ~ yet another quantity I didn't know his little mind could fathom! Well, of course he can count, but how many 3 year olds know how many kids there are in their family?

it's cool to have sisters who do your hair...

Happy 3rd Birthday to a really awesome little guy
(but don't let him hear you call him little!)

*favorite*

With a little interest and a little diligence, Aaron has taken off with his own reading and math skills! I am so excited for him, and glad that he has been gifted with (from what I can tell) a photographic memory, which will serve him well. He was also hard wired with a very strong will, which we pray the Lord will use for His glory. So as intelligent as he is, he is not an easy child for me to teach! I have to change all the methods I've used for the past 7 years to be effective with him. His ploys this week have included disrespect/defiance, answering my questions with silence, and purposely giving me goofy answers instead of correct ones. Reflecting on this, I am glad the Lord reminded me to DO what works, and DITCH what doesn't!! It doesn't work for this little boy to sit in a desk, look me in the eye, and answer canned questions. He thrives on competition in a group setting. He learns by having his hands move, so he will be allowed to color, build legos and crash cars while I recite. I love the way the Lord keeps us on our knees!

reading lesson

DIY bird costume

swimming lessons

Today Jaci's math lesson consisted of making a graph of a range of years that 20 pennies were minted. It very quickly came to my attention that she had never heard of the 1900's. Wow, I guess when you were born in 2008, that would be a foreign concept!

mmmm, tea party!

queen of the chickies

hurdles!

Ella and Tessa are cruising through their first introduction to our new classical curriculum! We began in March in order "catch them up" before we join the Classical Conversations community in September!! They are memorizing amazing amounts of information from Bible, History, Math, Science, English and Latin Grammar! The Lord so clearly and plainly led us to this when we asked in prayer; we are all so excited for what is ahead!

I am proud of Ella because she is self motivated, helpful, and a beautiful person inside and out. She recently completed a 14 hour Safe Sitter course, so we have begun allowing her to babysit her siblings for short stints. She is very responsible, and now knows more about CPR than I do!

nature girl!

Ella planned, prepared and hosted a tea party all on her own!

high jump!

javelin!

relay!

Tessa is the girl who loves to check off lists. When I compose a list of chores and school work for her, she would happily go about working on it and come tell me when it is done! Now, if I could just get such a list made every day... Since I don't, she is usually the one badgering me with the question, "Mom, can I be released from school now?" What a kid!!! She is mastering multiplication, and is a great help around the kitchen!

Tessa's 1st place long jump

hurdles!

yes! She runs for those ribbons!

So, no summer off school for us ... obviously a decision I would have never made on my own, but I've been inspired by the Holy Spirit to do! I'm so thankful for an uber-supportive husband, who is sitting down to drill our History Timeline (including 161 events and people from Creation to Present) in the evenings! And answering math questions in a more professional way than I can! He is sold, as I am, on the classical model; his support keeps me going! He has also given me a few breaks by taking the kids to a nearby lake to catch snails, minnows and crawdads. When they bring them home and put them in the kiddie pool to observe, I say-- best science lesson ever!

best dad ever

He has carried 5 so far...

We are having fun with an in depth study of the United States, including names of each President in chronological order and identifying each state by its shape and location (and I have to admit, I didn't know which were Rhode Island, Delaware, or Connecticut until now). As another parent put it, "we are redeeming our education along with them!" So fun to be in it together!

So, as a matter of coincidence, while we were pouring time into studying the amazing United States, Skirt Fixation offered this beautiful embroidered pillow, and so I commissioned one!! This is one of my favorite blogs. If you like skirts, sewing, or unique childrens' clothing, you should check out their website!

Today I saw the little sign that I hung above the school room door peeling off the paint. It reads, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Seeing it half hanging there struck me as real irony ~ right about now, I can only do about 1/2 of things, through Christ who strengthens me! A pregnant lady gets asked hundreds of times, "How are you feeling?" My standard reply has become: "I will feel better in October".