Family Update

Gracie

*Gracie is really taking off with her reading! She picked up a reader that I had on my bookshelf and is basically teaching herself how to read harder words.

*She continues to draw and color many pictures everyday. We got her an art book called Masterpiece of the Month so she can learn about different artists and recreate some of their famous pieces.

*She is excited to start school at home. I am going to really work on teaching her responsibility and independence.

*She has learned how to snap and shows everyone.

Madelyn

*Madelyn calls Looney Tunes "Bunny Tunes"

*She got new toothpaste and a toothbrush in her stocking that is My Little Pony brand. The first time she used them she said, "This toothpaste smeels good. It is pony smell." I asked her what ponies smell like and she said flowers!

*Madelyn told Gracie not to step on the cracks in our floor because then Tinkerbell would sprinkle them with pixie dust and Daddy didn't want them to float to the ceiling.

*After telling Grammy and Grandpop that we live in Arizona, Madelyn told them that the sun lives here too.

*She is learning to write her name.

Aubrey

*She has discovered her hand and spends several minutes staring at it. It is so cute.

*She smiles a lot now. She is even smiling at her sisters.

*She sleeps for long stretches at night but likes to fuss for an hour or two before she finally falls asleep. Her pacifier and aquarium help keep her content while she falls asleep.

*Jim calls Gracie G-Monkey and Madelyn M-dog. He now has many nicknames for Aubrey, none of which I approve of. :) Lil Aub (thanks to Gracie), Aubster, A-Lob, Aubie. He also loves to say, "What's the prob, Aub?" Maybe I should have chosen the other name I had in mind for her!

*She has her two month check-up on Wednesday. We are excited to see how much she has grown and hoping the doctor will order another sonogram to see if her kidney swelling has gone down at all. Many newborns are born with hydronephrosis and the swelling eventually goes away on its own. I'm hoping the doctor won't yell at me since we never had the test done that she really wanted Aubrey to do. We are praying that we made the right decision and that God will heal her kidney.

Me

*I got a pilates video for Christmas and plan to lose the extra baby weight by doing that and walking. I like pilates so far, but it is challenging!

*I have used most of my Christmas money on rare out-of-print picture books that I will use for Gracie's schooling. There is nothing I would rather spend my money on than books!

Jim

*Jim could not come up with any updates for himself, so I will add one. He has grown a beard.

Why We Are Homeschooling

The short answer--my desire has not gone away! Jim has agreed to try it and see how it goes. If we love it, we will continue. My desire is to sit on the couch with my girls, read a quality picture book, and explore each of the subjects using the book. We will also take many rabbit trails as we explore different topics that interest us. The Charlotte Mason method will be our style of homeschooling as we try to make learning come alive in our home!

Here is what we are using.

Bible
Five in a Row
Language Lessons for Little Ones 2
Do It Carefully and Find the Answers workbooks
Math games and activities
Nature notebook, animal classification box
Book of Time, globe, passport and stickers
5 subject response journal

And lots of extras! Art and drawing books, state map coloring pages, a Spanish book, Bible coloring pages, themed readers that I am writing and Gracie will illustrate, Hide and Seek sight word pages, Bible verse copywork, play-doh.

I'm sure I've missed something, but our goal is to just have fun learning together! We will also be joining some friends for a homeschool co-op and taking trips to the library and park.

And if we continue, I'm looking at TruthQuest History and Singapore math.

I'm not sure where the journey will take us. I'm praying it will be a great experience and that our children do not become socially inept. (I'm being sarcastic about the socially inept part, of course!)

Meeting Aubrey

Three weeks ago on Thursday, November 3, 2011 we were given a great gift. We got to meet our third daughter, Aubrey. Here is how it all happened.

I woke up that morning and told Jim I thought the baby was coming that day. He asked if I was having contractions, and I said no. I had been having some early labor warning signs since Sunday, but nothing new had taken place. I just had a feeling she was coming. Jim went to work, I took Gracie to school, and I went home and called the nurse for the third time that week to make sure she wasn't concerned about the bleeding I was having. This time I was told to come into labor and delivery to make sure nothing was wrong. Jim left work, we packed up the bags, Madelyn went to Tracy's house, and we headed to the hospital mid-morning.

After being examined in triage, I was told that I was only three cm dilated and they wouldn't admit me unless I was at least a four. Since we don't live close to the hospital, they let me lie there for awhile to see if I would progress so they could admit me. I'm not sure if the exam helped things along, but I started having strong contractions while still in triage. By the time they checked me again, I had progressed and they admitted me. We were having a baby!

My doctor, Dr. Mitchell, happened to be at the hospital already so she came and broke my water sometime that afternoon. Things happened quickly after that. I remember at one point the nurse saying that Dr. Mitchell would check me again in forty-five minutes. I knew I wouldn't make it that long.

Laboring and delivering without medication is an intense experience. There is no way to describe it other than intense. This was my third time and it wasn't any easier or less painful. I know Jim's hand was hurting as I squeezed it to death with my right hand. The ice chips that were on a sliding cart next to me almost dumped to the floor several times as I grabbed the cart with my left hand. There comes a point for me at nine cm when I get scared. With both Madelyn and Aubrey, no one but Jim was in the room with me at nine cm when the urge to push began, and I panicked both times. Jim had to push the call button each time to get someone in there. This time around, the nurse came in and told me not to push. Easy for her to say!

Shortly after, the room was full of people. My doctor, the nurse, the NICU team (just in case), and several residents. I found out later that my doctor said my baby made her run! She was afraid she wouldn't make it in time. After a few pushes, Aubrey was born at 3:56pm.

Aubrey was allowed to stay on my chest for a long time, probably longest of all three of my girls. She didn't cry much. Her hair was strawberry blonde and she didn't really look much like her sisters. She is her own beautiful person and we are so thankful she is part of our family!

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139

Two New Favorite Verses

He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. Matthew 6:33

I want to make these two verses my life verses. Seeking first and refreshing others needs to be my new life focus.

Favorite Moments from Fall Break

Here are some of Gracie's favorite moments from her fall break.

*driving her pink car

*watching Toy Story 3

*going to the lake with Dadddy and seeing a white duck family

*eating at Red Lobster

*painting

*going to the park and drawing pictures

*helping Daddy wash his cars

*seeing a katydid

*calling her grandparents

Running Like Jonah

"No, Poo-Poo Head!" is often a response I hear these days when I ask Madelyn to do something. She just simply does not want to do what I've asked of her. As a parent, it is so frustrating to come up agaisnt that response. She will often get disciplined, start back at square one, and have to obey anyway. I just shake my head in disbelief and wonder why she doesn't just obey in the first place.

I have been enjoying a study on Jonah. It has been so interesting to learn about this prophet, and also very convicting. Did you know that Jonah was the only prophet to run in the complete opposite direction that God had called him to? He had been called to go to Nineveh and proclaim a message that would cause the entire city to repent and cry out to God. Jonah did not want to see Nineveh reformed. So he went as far away from Nineveh as possible, ended up in the belly of a great fish, was spit out at square one, and ended up going to Nineveh anyway.

It is so easy to judge Jonah and think how unnessarily disobedient he was. I look at my children and think the same thing. And then I take a look at myself. How many times am I just like Jonah? How many times do I tell God no? All the time! Even though I haven't physically run from God, I learned that I have been running from God with my attitude. He is asking me to take Gracie to public school. I don't want to. I go through the motions, all the while angry at God that my plan isn't being fulfilled.

I have been feeling this way since August when Gracie started school. My attitude has been that of my stubborn three-year-old. I just don't want to do it! Yet God has been working on my heart. I am still not at the place where I am completely surrendered to His plan, yet I desire to have my attitude changed. I had a breakthrough while doing the Jonah study yesterday. Instead of asking "Why can't I homeschool?" I need to be asking "How can I reach teachers and parents for the Lord?"

As we see in Jonah, God allows second chances. And third and fourth, etc. And that is great news! My desire is to stop running and start obeying joyfully so that I may reach others for God.

*listening to Gracie read Goodnight Moon. She is learning so much and is doing so well!

*My favorite time of the week is weekend mornings. We get to lounge in our bed with the girls and be lazy! We realized last Sunday that we might need a bigger bed once this baby comes!

*trying to decide which first name to pick for this baby. I thought I had it figured out, but now I'm in love with a new first name!

*preparing for the baby's arrival

*adding Madelyn's birthday pictures to her album

*looking at Gracie's K school picture and comparing it to her preschool picture. She has grown so much! I'm thankful she is growing, but sad to see her grow up so fast.

*reading How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World and watching the girls help Jim make an apple pie

*seeing the baby's sweet little face in another sonogram

*washing all of the baby's clothes

*ordering the baby's crib and dresser

*reading Bible stories to the girls

*reading about Johnny Appleseed

*learning so much from a study on Jonah

*realizing that God can change the desires of our hearts to match His desires for our life if we ask Him to

When I Grow Up I Want To Be...

*a photographer

*a second grade or kindergarten teacher

*a school librarian

*a reading recovery specialist

*a children's book author

I have no idea which of these, if any, will actually happen. I also don't know how I'm going to be any of these things and still be an intentional mother who knows her kids and what is happening in their lives. But God is teaching me that He has plans for me and wants to use me. I just don't know how He wants to use me yet, aside from being the best mom I can be. I have such a heart for education, and since I'm not homeschooling, I am wondering if God is pulling me back to the public schools for a reason.

'For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord.
Isaiah 55:8

Favorite Moments

*eating lunch with Gracie

*watching Madelyn play and get dirty outside in the cool (finally!) morning air

*making an eye patch for Gracie for Pirate Day

*that I was able to help a mom of one of Gracie's classmates

*watching Madelyn learn how to write some of the letters

*figuring out Halloween costumes for the girls before October

*watching Madelyn sit at the desk and draw with a pencil for a long time

*watching a favorite TV show with Jim

*enjoying a new Bible study and learning some important life lessons

*giving Gracie a kissing hand before school

*looking forward to volunteering in her class tomorrow!

Life Lessons

Here is a list of some life lessons Gracie has learned from being in school.

1. Why we don't say "Oh my god!" That hurts God's ears.
2. How to stay as safe as possible on the playground.
3. How to eat lunch at the peanut-free table in the VERY loud cafeteria.
4. How to ignore rude comments from kids.
5. How to stand up for what she believes in.
6. Why lying is not okay.
7. Why it's okay to have friends who are boys but not "boyfriends". (I pray for my girls' purity everyday!)

Big lesson I'm learning? To let go and let God!

Once Upon A Time...

there was a fairy named Tinkerbell. She lived in Pixie Hollow. Pixie Hollow had many shiny jewels. Tinkerbell loved the jewels and took them to her friends. Her friends were Rose and Daisy and lived in Pixie Hollow made of leaves. She had two friends who were boys. Their names were Jack and Jonah. They lived together collecting leaves. And then Tinkerbell got so tired she fell asleep. The End

*A puppet show story by Gracie

No Limits

I love this picture of Jim helping Madelyn put on her shoes. She is fully capable of doing this herself, but we have another little girl on the way who may find it challenging to put on her shoes and tie them. We found out at the end of June that our third little girl will be born with only the upper part of her right arm. The part below her elbow did not develop.

It took a while for us to process this information. I immediately started thinking about all the things she may never be able to do. I was crying over the thought of her never tying her shoes. Would she ever swim? Many questions like that were making me feel sorry for her.

Thankfully, about a week after we found out, an article in the Journal Star changed my way of thinking. Many family members sent the article to me, and I'm so glad they did! It was about a teenage girl born without her left arm. And the main thing that stood out to me was that her mom said they never limited her and just expected her to find a way to do things on her own. I needed to hear that! This amazing girl is a softball player, a lifeguard, a ballerina! And she learned how to tie her shoes as a little girl.

I read in The 4:8 Principle, a book based on Philippians 4:8, that we should tell our children everyday that they are "beautiful wonderful children of God." That is the last thing I whisper to Gracie before she heads to the playground at school. This baby is beautiful and wonderful and fearfully made. God knows her body. We still don't know if there is an underlying condition that may have caused this to take place. But God has a plan for her life. She is his child and will teach us how to raise her. And the message I am hearing more and more is to place no limits on this child. God knew I needed to hear that. I'm so excited for her to join our family!

Some More Favorite Moments

*the way Madelyn has been saying "I love you" to me all day long

*Gracie's sweet picture that she drew of a necklace that I broke last weekend. I dropped a favorite blown glass necklace on the floor and it broke. When she realized I was upset about it, she ran out of the room and said, "I will go draw you a picture of it so you will remember it forever!"

*going to Gracie's open house at school and seeing all of her work and meeting her friends

Education and Other Thoughts

My educational philosophy is and always has been summed up in a quote by William Butler Yeats, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." I started researching homeschooling when Gracie was just a baby. Because I love creating fun and exciting lessons, I really thought homeschooling would work for us. But here we are, 5 years later, and Gracie just entered kindergarten at the public school.

I am still a huge advocate of homeschooling. So why aren't we doing it? I believe God calls each of us to different things at different times. And while I have always thought it was the perfect plan for our family, Jim wasn't so sure. At this time in our lives, I am focusing on the verse from 1 Peter 3: 5-6, "They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what it right and do not give way to fear." I'm also going to join or start a Moms In Touch prayer group for her school. I am starting to realize that God might want me involved in the public schools and my plan was getting in the way of that!

Ideas for Staying Close as a Family

reading the Bible at breakfast

reading and talking on the couch after school

dinner together every evening

Jim reading a chapter book to the girls at night

circle prayer at night

limit extracurricular activities

game night on Fridays

cooking together on the weekends

documenting weekends through photography

watching movies and favorite TV shows together on Sunday night

Some Favorite Moments

*watching the Little House on the Prairie movie after reading the books

*creating Gracie's family tree project for school

*curling Gracie's hair for picture day

*teaching Madelyn her letters and sounds using songs

*picking Gracie up after school

Favorite Restaurants from California Trip

*Red Robin--This was one of our first stops. The girls each got a balloon, and Madelyn's trip could have ended right here. She was so excited because she LOVES balloons and is quite obsessed with them.

*Warm Puppy Cafe--This is a little restaurant at the Charles Schultz (Snoopy) Museum. The girls got to eat their lunch out of dog bowls!

*Rainforest Cafe--Madelyn saw a statue of a man holding up the world and loudly proclaimed, "Mommy, Jesus is here! Jesus is here!"

*Mimi's Cafe--The girls each got to eat an Oreo Dirt Cup. Gracie was so happy that she could have it!

*Blue Bayou--This is part of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (which we did not actually go on) and it was completely dark inside except for candles. Gracie really liked it! We did too except for the fact that it was VERY expensive!

Gracie had an asthma attack
She is very tired
Madelyn soiled her pants
She is very wired.

The dog is eating a napkin
The phone is ringing off the hook
All I really want to do
Is hide and read a book.

But God is calling me to bigger things
The girls need me near
They would be lost without me
And probably full of fear.

I ask myself how I can do it
How I can handle it all
That is when the Holy Spirit steps in
Picks me up when I fall.

Amidst all the frustrations
That occur during my day
I know that I am blessed
Much more than I can say.

*sharing Easter day with the girls

*going through the Resurrection Eggs

*seeing pictures of my pretty little girls in their Easter dresses

*watching the girls run and giggle with helium-filled balloons

*Gracie saying Jim would need 88 ladders to reach their balloons if they floated up into the sky

*egg hunts

*the way Madelyn says "prettyful" and "spinamon" (cinnamon)

*how much Gracie is growing up

*One day as Madelyn was playing with her cash register, she got a coin stuck in it. I noticed that she was shaking it, looking all over for the coin, and then she got up and left. She came back a couple minutes later wearing tiny blue glasses that belong to Mr. Potatohead. She crouched down next to the cash register to look for the coin again! It was so cute!

*Gracie: "Mom, you put your big butt right in my face!" (Jim chuckling)

*Driving through the snow-covered mountains, Gracie said, "That mountain is as tall as 88 cars!"

*Madelyn said she couldn't take a picture with her eyes because she wasn't wearing her (beloved) brown shirt!

*the way Madelyn says "smarshmallow"

*drinking hot blueberry tea last night--yum!

*M: "They put leaves on my plate!" She was very disgusted at the restaurant we went to because there was lettuce on her plate.

*Madelyn had been complaining of a tummyache so I told her she must have caught a bug. She said, "Yeah. There's a bee in my tummy."

*M: "I love you."
G: "I love you, too."

*G: "Did you play with this bag when you were a kid?
Me: "Yes."
G: "Man. That was years and years ago!"

*the cute way Madelyn puts on her chapstick

*Gracie helping Madelyn on the computer

*Gracie: "What are those birds doing?"
Madelyn: "They're kissing!"

*The way Madelyn is in love with her brown shirt and jeans! She wants to wear it everyday and tells everyone about her brown shirt!

*Gracie coloring her cow pink

*watching the girls listen and dance to silly songs

*Madelyn sleeping in her big girl bed last night for the first time (after climbing out of her crib during the day yesterday)!

*Madelyn making her tummy dance

*Madelyn asking me to pray for the birdies and spiders

*reading Farmer Boy to Gracie

*Gracie calling Almanzo "lasagna" when she told Daddy about the book we are reading

*hearing the girls say at lunch out of nowhere that they love Jesus

Things I'm Looking Forward To in 2011

*Gracie turning 5 and starting kindergarten

*continuing to supplement Gracie's education with good books that I find. Our current favorites are My Name is Not Isabella and The True Princess.

*Madelyn turning 3 and starting dance class

*learning how to sew

*learning more about photography and Photoshop

*learning about God's love and forgiveness

*pursuing new friendships

*contemplating becoming a gradeschool librarian--only 24 hours of coursework on top of my teaching certificate, and the courses look AWESOME! If I decide to do this it will be a long process, but I like to dream...

Mostly, I'm thankful to have a new appreciation for where I live and for my current job as a stay-at-home mom.