Pics Part 1

Chase pushing Jolene while we pick berries

Little Chase eating watermelon

Hannah after see beat me in a game of speed

My handsome young man Cody

The kids were water painting a picture of The Little House on the Prairie

Stuff

So since Jeff told me to take the summer off I have been going through my planner and really looking at the things that need the most help school wise. Which turns out to be our math and handwriting. We have tired everything out there from super cheap to the most expensive. So we have been looking at Abeka for both 2nd grade and 6th grade. We think we have found our curriculum. I looked it over and over and talked to so many people who use. I looked for hours and read everything I could on them. So I was up searching homeschool classifieds and found a women selling her set for 100 dollars and includes everything from cards,charts,teacher,student, and test and drills. Never used. So she also had some phonics I was looking for AND my handwriting for Cody. As we were talking she decided to give me all this for 35 dollars and that's including shipping!!! She said she wanted it to be used and was tired of looking at it sitting there. What a blessing!!! That's how God works! Then I was looking for Hannahs math and came across her set for 26 dollars!! Man it was a good night :) Yesterday we had out homeschool group play date. It was so nice seeing people that I haven't seen all summer. I'm ready for fall when we start doing this every other week. We are also doing World Changers a My Father's World co op in Pacific every Friday starting in the fall. he kids are really looking forward to that.
we have had so many things go in the last couple days with friends. I have had 2 friends loss their babies to miscarriage. I have no words to comfort them. what so you say? Its so hard. They were so happy and excited. And now they have to go back and tell every body their baby is in the arms of Jesus. My heart aches for them. I want another baby soon after I get healthy again and we are moved. We leave to God and His plan but it worries me when I hear things like this. I pray for them.
I made a list a mile long of things I have to do and only managed to do 2 so far and its 2 pm. nice.

Say what???

Ethan 3, doing his school today

This is his Fav!!!

The husband came home for lunch today ;) and we were sitting and he told me the kids need the rest of the summer off. He said they need to play and get away from book work. Me as shocked as I was, was like " you said what??" So they are not doing textbook work until the middle of August or beginning of Sept. Why? Because they learn so much from building a home, doing homemaking with me, and all the normal day to day stuff that they will be gaining so much more. We will continue to read and our Little House on the Prairie unit study because that's fun and what we enjoy. We will continue to do flash cards for math so they don't forget some things. I was in a major shock all day as I thrive on a routine. But as the day went on I was like hey, I don't have to wake me kids up early or grade papers for awhile etc... I'm looking forward to the break now because I need to get things ready to move and need to be cleaning here for the move. I have a lot to do and taking a break is what we all need. It also gives me a chance to have that one on one with my 2 preschoolers for awhile. I did teach Ethan today by himself and he just loves to do school!! I love that. He works so hard and is so proud when he gets a stamp on his page. Makes me smile. He is really into broad lacing right now. we sit on the floor and I hold the board and he laces it all up. Chase can do a little of it but likes to jump on mommy when I sit on the floor.Why not? The older children were beyond excited when I told what Dad had said. we have a homeschool Faithgroup tomorrow so I'm really excited about that. I need some mommy time with other mommy's.

Today

Our 6 blessing

digging for geo pipes

Look pillars

So we had a busy AGAIN. But it was nice. I ran to the new house like 5 different times. The house is coming along and its so exciting. My brother put the pillars on the front porch and they look so pretty. the guys laid the geothermal pipes in the ground. that was pretty neat to watch as they went had to dig down 5 to 9 feet for 250 feet long.It was cool for the boys to watch.They finish that up tomorrow and then they can pour the basement and finish putting the windows in. I had the kids out there with the magnet nail grabber and they went to town getting them nails :) we had our oldest daughter Caitlin out for a sleep over and the girls stayed up really late talking and watching Little House on The Prairie. She thinks some how she really blood related to me because she keeps stubbing her toes :) Im thinking she is right;)

I started printing our notebook and file sheets for the Prairie unit we are doing.We are far into our reading on the different books for this. I do have to say I haven't seen Cody this into books before. He soaks it up and remembers everything about it. The littles are just as in to as we are. Ethan always asks to watch little house at his down time. We start back at My Fathers World the first week of August. I cant wait. Neither can Hannah because we travel over to Paris!! we finished Norway and that was neat but Hannah is learning French and couldn't be happier to be in Paris for a few weeks. Oh yes I also switched Cody to Abeka Math 3. Rod and staff just wasn't bright enough for him and I'm hoping this will work for us. I also switch Hannah over to Abeka 6 for the same reason. Oh the looking for a FIT in curriculum never stops :) Thanks to my addiction of books !!!

Fresh produce

They poured the garage floor

This is my vaulted ceiling in the living

See that little white thing in the dirt in the far back? Thats my hubby putting in pipe

Co op food

Co op food

Alright, so today I picked up my fresh produce from this co op I joined. I got a lot of stuff but the only reason I joined because its this young lady who said everything was local farmers and locally made. So I get my big bag of yummy goodies and get home and start pulling it all out and im seeing stickers on some of the stuff. I look and it says Columbia Turbana :( So I start looking for some more. Granted there were a few things that were made in the USA nothing was locally grown. So as much as I like the idea of the fresh produce in a co op Im not doing it again. First, I paid 23.00 for a big o yummy stuff. That was a good price but I can go to the farmers Market down the street and get it there cheaper. second, Im paying some one to Crete in food from another country! I think not. we live in the USA it should stay that way.I did also get kettle corn and St.Louis made Chips because I love them so much. I alo got Amish made salsa.Hannah really likes that. The guys were hard at work digging up the back yard today laying pipe out.I made homemade pizza and brought it to them. It was so bloody hot out there. I'm don't running around. This morning I ran to give my hubby lunch,store,library,back to the new house, out to Pacific to get co op. My plea to my hubby.... PLEASE DON'T PUT GAS IN MY SUBURBAN

Blackberries and curriculum

Look windows

Hannh Chase and Ethan picken

Ethan sharing with Cody

When we started picken

A day running again. we ran it seems everywhere today. But they had to get done. We came home in time for nap time and some cleaning. Made breakfast for dinner and it out to my hubby. As he ate the children and me picked some yummy blackberries. I found the mother load and took a wacker to weedthem . The kids that it was pretty cool to see old mom here swinging it like a mad woman. Felt pretty good to. As we were pickin Ethan was a eating. He turned purple ing so and looked so cute. very once in a while Chase would eat one and spit it right back out and giggle. Hannah and Cody didnt really want to eat many until they were washed. Im so glad we found all the berries. I was worried we only had a few bushes and they didnt look very big but man oh man we scored big time. They all are pretty red still but turning. we picked all the ones that were ready. We ate all of them :)

We have half the windows in now :) They look so pretty. The hubby and I were talking ad looking at the front porch and I talked him into putting a porch fan in so we can sit in the summer with a breeze na watch the children play. Then I said I wanted a swing on there so when we are old we can swing and watch the grandkids play. He just smiled :) Oh its to fun to talk about the new house :) I cant wait! he poor hubby has just been out there sweating away and doing everything he can. Im so proud of him.

Chase made again all day in underwear! Every store, every stop we made he peed in the potty. Even wore underwear at nap time!! Thats a big deal. Night time still doing the Bum-genius and wool cover. Way to wet for not.

So as we begin the new school year which its really new to us but for he state of Mo July 1st is the new school year for homeschoolers. So here is what we are doing... Right now we are doing a HUGE unit on Little House on the Prairie. it has been the funnest thing we have done so far. The kids re just eating it up....

Hannah:

Teaching Textbook 6/ R&S speed drills

Notgrass Bible Psalms

My Fathers World for History, Geography,Science and a little bible

Rod and Staff spelling 6

Rod and Staff English 6

French Rosita Stone

Pathway readers 6

Handwriting is bible verses for the week

Many new readers coming

Art will be normal craft time

Cody:

Rod and Staff math 3

Rod and Staff English 3

My Fathers Worlds for Science,History, geography,little bible

Notgrass Psalms bible work

Handwriting is bible verses for the week

Pathway readers 2nd and 3rd again this year

Rod and Staff spelling 3

Art normal craft time

Five in a Row is also going to our big thing with Cody and the littles this year

Ethan:

Lots of tracing,coloring,reading,puzzles,

Chase:

Lots of coloring,puzzles,reading,playing

We are doing Five in a Row with the 3 boys. I have a ton of other stuff I through in the school year but this gives you an idea of what we do. Its much fun!!

I stayed home

Can you believe we have stayed home ALL day today! it feels great. Did I get anything done??? Well no not really. But we stayed home. we have had a lot of fun times over the last couple of days I hope I can remember most of them. Lets start off with yesterday. we went over to my Moms for a get together with my sister and her kiddos. We had alot of fun. Ethan picked up a bee and got stung. He thinks all bugs are his friends and loves them so much. Not so much he found out :( He screamed for maybe 3 minutes and I fixed him all up and he was back playing with the kids. My sister was loven on Jolene and sucking up all the baby she could as we go 2 weeks with out seeing anyone.Sunday was the 4th and we headed to church for an awesome sermon. Brother Joe really knows how to hit and when. It was like he knew I was going through that. So church was great. Then we headed home to clean and cook. My sister in law and her 3 children came over for some bbq. Took them over to the new house and my brother in law Doug and his wife and children came out and we let all the kids shoot fireworks. Our new house in on like 6-7 a and it backs this really nice Spanish style house. These people have more money than they know what to do with. They must have spent 10 grand on fireworks. It was he longest most exciting show ANY of us had ever seen. We pulled out out chairs and sat by the drive way and watch. The kids were in such AWWW. As we were leaving all the kids were saying this is the best 4th ever. and hooting. It was really nice. Did I mention Cody caught the neighbors field on fire?? oh yes. The bottle that he lit the bottle rocket in fell side ways and shot over to the field and up it went. Thankfully they got it out but it was really scary for them. On another note, Chase is in underwear!!! yes that's right. He get a cloth diaper at night and undies all day, even at nap time ( because I forget to put a diaper on him) He did poop on my kitchen floor and he was really happy about that ;) I have a really weak stomach and the kids laughed the whole time I was cleaning. Jolene is sitting now. She is 7 months old now and as cute as a button, really :) Man I cant get enough of her. She is always smiling at me and rubbing my face. She now loves to play in her play pen while we do school or I'm cooking. I still have to put her in the corner of it so when she falls back she can catch herself. Chase gets in there and play with her to. He takes such good care of her. Cody is moving right along in his math. He didn't like doing all the math we did today but he did it and felt good after wards. Next week is the beginning of our "next year" school year. We school year round almost so it makes no diff to us. Although Hannah and me are really looking forward to the school supply sales. we get totes full of art supplies and paper. I love that day!!! My hubby thinks we are nuts but that's ok.

I really wish Id get on here every night so I can remember what we have done over the days. My minds a blank :)

Tomorrows post: Our school curriculum