Advent at the zoo

So this Christmas season Clay and I wanted to add some traditions to our family and keep old ones going. Growing up my family had many traditions...I LOVE traditions! One of the things we did was an advent calendar. Some friends from church told me that each day in December leading up to Christmas their kids would pull an activity out (ours was a little calendar with pockets) of something and do the "advent" for the day. I was a little intimidated becuse with 4 kids just about everything is a task, but I really wanted to make this season about memories and joy and not just busyness. I wrote up a list of things to do each day. Some were simple, like make a christmas craft or read the Christmas story. Others were a little bigger like go to Sea World or go to the Nutcracker (I've gone every year since I was 2). One of the "advents" was one when we were at my parents. Every night my mom puts a little surprise under the kids pillows to play with as they fall asleep. On this night she put the rudolph nose under their pillows with a note that said to "put on your rudolph nose, grab some eggnog and jump in the car to go hunt Christmas lights. It was so fun and as you can see Cole and Cooper fell asleep on the hunt! All in all it was a wonderful tradition that I can't wait to do next year. Here is the slidwshow of some of the highlights of our season. I'm so blessed to be a part of this crazy family. It is so tiring, but such a joy to watch these little people learn and grow. Christmas in this house was busy (anything we do is busy =) but it was so special. I loved every morning whe the kids woke up...they would run downstairs find Elfie (our elf on the shelf) and then go grab the "advent" for that day, bring it to me and wait in anticipation to see what the activity would be. I'll hopefully get to posting about our actual Christmas before the summer!

Family Update!

Well, this is way overdue, but here is quick update on all the monkeys in the zoo!

Jude's face cracks me up in this picture!

Cole-5 years 2 months
The boy has boundless energy and a very large vocabulary! He goes from the moment he wakes up to the moment he falls asleep. Some days I'm convinced he chugs a 5 hour energy when I'm not looking. He often just lets out a scream (and yes, I mean scream) of joy randomly...wherever he is. Makes me NUTS!!! Though he never stops, he has a sweet and tender heart. He loves his momma, daddy, brothers and sister something fierce! We all get unsolicited hugs and kisses throughout the day just because he has to get "the love out." He loves to read to Jude, loves all things electronic, loves to play with Cooper and will have a tea party or two with BK (when he thinks no one is looking.) He loves to learn and is amazing me every day with how much he is learning and remembering. Currently he has mastered his doubles facts, is flying through 1st grade math, is getting quite good at reading 3 and 4 letter words, is working hard on NEAT handwriting, knows 1st, 2nd, and 3rd latin declensions, knows the timeline from the ancient world into the first week of medevial times (if you are in CC you know what I'm talking about) and has memorized tons of info about science, history, and geography. He also, can "blob" the world, which considering I had no idea what the 7 continents were when we started homeschooling is a big deal! He definitely fills my day with opportunities to practice patience, but he also fills with with SO much joy!

                                                                       Typical!

Cooper- 5 years 1 month
Cooper has quite a bit of energy too, but is able to control it a bit better! He also loves all things electronic, but has learned how to "work the system" quite well. We have certain times in the day when they are allowed to play said electronics and cannot ask for a turn...they have to wait until mommy or daddy say it is their turn, but if they do 1 minute will be added to the time they are able to play the game. Well, Cooper knows all of these rules and regularly will say, "I know its not time to play the ds right now mom,"but he does it with his charming smile hoping I will cave....He will also say, "I'm not going to ask if its my turn mom." So sneaky, yet so smart! He tends to get lots of ouchies and definitely can turn on the drama card. Yesterday he had a tiny blister on his foot and told me he probably needed a cast for it (thanks Doc Mcstuffins). I told him I thought a band aid would suffice. He is so sweet and gentle with Jude. Loves animals, is very patient with Bk, loves to giggle and snuggle with mommy, is quick to change his attitude when needed, and is SO smart. Lately he asks me every time he eats if its healthy for him. He tells me all the time that it is important to eat really healthy things so that he will grow strong and fast like a cheetah. It is so cute and I think he might just have a future in nutrition. He also has an amazing leaning towards spiritual things. He asks a lot about heaven and what it will be like, what makes Jesus happy and says these amazing, deep things to me all the time. I know the Lord has amazing plans for my boy! He has an amazing strength in math...it blows my mind every day! He is learning all of the above things Cole is and it is so fun to teach them together becase I'm convinced that they are thriving because they have eachother.

Bailey Kate - 3 years 5 months
Oh miss Bailey Kate! She is a hoot! The temper and OCD seem to be calming down a bit, I don't know if that is due to consistent discipline or moving out of this super challenging stage...either way I'll take it! She is her own woman. She has quite the fashion sense. Currently she will only wear dresses...no pants, no skirts, no shorts, JUST dresses (if anyone needs tons of girls shorts and tshirts I have 2 drawers full!) She is constantly playing some game or make believe. Today it was a paper plate she colored on, covered in happy face stickers which was her plate of cookies she handed out to everyone. Yesterday, on the way to ballet she informed me,"mommy, I'm going to talk to myself now." Um, ok! She is loving ballet class once a week, but would prefer home "dool" instead of going to preschool. She still loves babies, loves al things princess, loves the color pink, loves to do whatever mommy is doing, loves to color and do crafts. She usually is content to sit and cut and glue the WHOLE time we are doing school. She keeps us in stitches constantly with her antics. I can't wait to see what kind of woman she grwos up to be.

Jude - 16 months

My sweet baby Jude. He is still such a sweet, silly baby. He has mastered walking and has moved onto running. He can also go up and down the stairs with no trouble. He LOVES to eat and eats all the time. He weaned himself at 15 months (made me sad ), thinks he is one of the big kids and as a result has no fear! He is definitely my most adventerous and mischevious baby. He has quite a temper, which we are trying to work on so it won't be as fierce as BK's, is quite the momma's boy, but is SO excited when he sees daddy walk through the door. He LOVES books and animals. We recently went to the Alligator farm and he was in awe of all of the animals. I love this stage of discovery and joy. I'm savoring the last remnents of baby. I still have yet to cut his baby mullet and have no intentions to =) My friend aske me the other day if he was going to be a redneck for halloween. He is so sweet and cuddly and chubby and I love him to the moon and back!

running thoughts

So, I've started training for another half marathon....before you think I'm wonder woman, DON'T! I only run to eat =) I love to eat and the only way I've found, with our busy schedule, to stay in shape is to run...so, I run! This morning during my run I decided to forgo the trashy music I usually listen to (though it's not my taste all the time it sure helps because the beat helps me run at a more consistent pace) I decided to listen to a little Phil Whickam. It was a nice change.

Lately, mostly through homeschooling, I have realized that 1) I'm a closet control freak. I love to have control and order. 2) I care a lot about what people think of me. As I have embarked on this new journey I have to relinquish a lot of control (my days often don't go as planned) and I have to be comfortable with the choice Clay and I have made and not worry so much about what others think of me. God is gently reminding me that the only approval I should be working for is His. I love to make people happy, I love to serve, I love to have people think I have it all together, I love to have people like me...I love myself! As I was running this morning God gently reminded me that He chose me, before the foundations of the world, not as a woman who has it all together, but as the wretched, filthy, sinner that I am. He loved (loves) me when I don't have it all together, when my children are acting crazy, when my house is a mess, when I choose to "try" and control things and get angry when things don't go my way, when other people don't like me. I've been a Christian since I was 6, I know the story of salvation in my brain, but I often don't know it in my heart. I'm quick to forget...He loves me no matter what! I debated if my morning musings were bloggable (yes, I just made up that word =), but I figured maybe some people who read this need to be reminded of this just like I did. He chose you...He loves you, just the way you are! You don't have to have it all together, he still chooses you (mind boggling)! Maybe one day I won't forget this so easily!

Observations from the first 2 weeks of home schooling...

• My kids are hilarious
• Cole CANNOT hold still or stop talking (I hear it is hereditary =)
• Cooper is amazing at blending sounds...until he is tired, then he just says whatever sounds come to mind...makes me crazy!
• I'm loving the curriculum we chose and Classical Conversations. The kids are learning a ton and so am I!
• Bailey Kate didn't want to go to preschool today becuae she wanted to stay at home and go to "home dool!" She is quite the party animal so I was shocked she wanted to stay home with me!
• I love structure and so do my kids!
• Cooper told me yesterday that I was the "goodest" teacher. Melted my heart (and I took a mental note to work on a little grammar =)
• My sister (who is living with us for the year) is a HUGE help with Jude in the mornings. I don't know how moms do it with little babies without help!
• I'm so blessed to be able to teach my children at home. I love being with them, and though some days I want go hide under the covers in my room, I really have enjoyed my intentional time with the kids the past 2 weeks.
• At the end of the day I'm EXHAUSTED!!! It is so much work, but so worth it!

                                                            A little break at the park

Breakfast the first day of school...YUM!!

Sesame street live!

So, we get to take all the little people to watch sesame street live. I remember watching sesame street while my mom taught Trey. I loved it because I knew that when it was over it was snack time =) Yes, I love to eat! A little fun to celebrate a great first month of school....pics to follow!

Let the adventures begin!

My Sweet Baby Boys!

So, tomorrow we start a new adventure with these two little men! How can they be 5 and going into kindergarten!?!? I am so blessed to be able to stay home with my kids and home school them. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little scared, but I'm super excited too. I was homeschooled from 3rd to 12th grade, and though it may not be a great fit for everyone, I LOVED it and know that it was fundemental in forming me into the person I am today. As Clay and I embarq on this journey with our little zoo I pray that we would be worthy of this high calling. I know that this adventure will "educate" me more than my kids, and by the end of this my hope and prayer is that, above all, we are more like Jesus. Pray for us as we start...we'll keep you posted on how things go =)

I love how my boys love each other and I am so excited they get to go on this journey together!

The Library and Adventures

So one of these days I'll get around to blogging about Jude's birthday in June and Cole's birthday on August 1...one day =) But today I'm going to blog about our afternoon. I have been promising the kids a trip to the library (you can walk to it from our house) for a few days, but since it has stormed every afternoon we haven't been able to go. Today when everyone got up from "rest time" I told the kids we could go to the library if we hurried because it looked like it was about to rain. I was praying it would hold off long enough for our little outing...it didn't! Torrential downpour just as we pulled in.  I told the kids that we were going to wait in the car for a few minutes and see if the storm would pass. Currently, we are driving in a car with no A/C...long story =) so as I sat in our steamy car grumbling in my head about the rain, my car full of crazy, noisy kids and wondering why we didn't just stay home...it would have been much easier for me! But the Lord gently reminded me of how I constantly scold the kids about complaining and tell them to "change their face" to reflect a "happy heart". Clearly I was not obeying the family rules =) So, with a quick prayer for patience I told the kids to get ready for an adventure! We all ran into the rain, got soaked, and went to the library as promised. We read books, played some computer games and picked out our books for the week. As we were walking back out to the car it started pouring again, and by the time we got to our house the flood gates opened. We ran, screamed and giggled through the rain, got inside, put on our warm, dry pajamas and looked through our loot. As they were sitting reading Cole said, "mom, that was a great day, I love you!" Makes all the work, mess, and chaos worth it! Though my afternoon didn't go quite as planned the Lord is so gracious to remind me that I am what my children watch and learn from. I'm so grateful He is patient with me as I am slow to learn. What a treasure my little people are and I'm so blessed and grateful for the adventures i get to have with them each day.

 Jude making a run for it!

Reading through out new books in our dry pj's (BK wanted to wear one of my shirts with her frilly pink skirt...crazy girl! And apparently Jude is doing yoga with his bear =)