Saturday, November 15, 2014
Cheap Date
Once in awhile we walk over to the grocery store to eat the cheapest of cheap lunches. For less than $5 I can feed all three of us, including dessert. Lily made up a song after we ate.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Halloween 2014 + Autumn Update
Hey, how's it going? Been awhile since I've seen you. It's probably my fault since I don't post very often, but we're still friends, right? I'll give you a little update to prove it.
We started homeschooling in earnest and it is going well. So well I can't even explain. Not every day is perfect, but it doesn't have to be. The kids are thriving and happy, and that is what is important to me. One interesting side effect of homeschooling that I didn't expect is how much closer I am to my kids. I mean, I'm with them all day every day and I have been since day 1, but now we have at least 90 minutes of uninterrupted, totally devoted, Mommy/Kid Time every single morning. It's easy for us to kind of ignore each other, even when we are together and interacting, so having 90 minutes every morning where we focus on learning stuff together has been incredibly positive and really fun for everyone. I haven't regretted our choice to homeschool for one minute. Not once. But I could go on and on about that, so let's move on, shall we?
Ben is participating in NaNoWriMo, which has been a goal of his for several years now. I am very proud of him and I look forward to the book that is the product of this month of hard work. He is doing well at work, has earned "Dad of the Year" for the fifth straight year, and enjoys his bike commute, even in the rain.
I am working hard on Science Kiddo. I am learning so much and trying so hard to get this thing off the ground. I have big plans, but it is definitely a roller coaster ride. One evening I am so discouraged I want to just delete the entire website, the next morning I'm doing a happy dance because a post was received well. Hopefully it evens out a bit as I get the hang of being a real Blogger.
Tommy is an awesome kid. He is kind and thoughtful. He loves writing little love notes to the other members of the family. He is so sweet to his little sister and is always willing to get her things, play with her, and help her out. He is her #1 cheerleader. Tommy loves babies, math, and staying up way past his bed time. He recently had a genius idea to make all of us potty charts so we each get stickers when we go potty (this is to help Lily out, of course). Even though he has been potty trained for over three years he is now earning prizes again for going potty on the toilet.
Lily is a funny little girl. She loves Tommy more than anything and especially loves to wrestle him to the ground. She is constantly making us laugh and smile with her funny sense of humor. She plays with her food like it is a family, she treats her stuffed animals like babies, and she loves to put puzzle pieces in the wrong places just to be funny. She loves to climb on stuff and she loves all things pink and princess. Lily is so empathetic and loving to everyone. She is always the first one to give us a hug or to worry about a sad kid at the playground.
We haven't really been up to much lately. Just busy homeschooling and hanging out with our homeschooling group and going to the gym and the library. The weather is turning cold and gray, but I am looking forward to the season of soups, hot chocolate, and Vitamin D pills.
Here are some pictures from Halloween. Grandma Chatterton made the kids' costumes again this year. She's so talented. Winnie the Pooh and a Black Ninja. The kids worked hard to go trick-or-treating so they get to eat their spoils and enjoy the sugar rush.
Here are some other pictures from this Fall. A fun picture from the zoo and one from the pumpkin patch.
Here are a few videos from our Fall adventures:
We started homeschooling in earnest and it is going well. So well I can't even explain. Not every day is perfect, but it doesn't have to be. The kids are thriving and happy, and that is what is important to me. One interesting side effect of homeschooling that I didn't expect is how much closer I am to my kids. I mean, I'm with them all day every day and I have been since day 1, but now we have at least 90 minutes of uninterrupted, totally devoted, Mommy/Kid Time every single morning. It's easy for us to kind of ignore each other, even when we are together and interacting, so having 90 minutes every morning where we focus on learning stuff together has been incredibly positive and really fun for everyone. I haven't regretted our choice to homeschool for one minute. Not once. But I could go on and on about that, so let's move on, shall we?
Ben is participating in NaNoWriMo, which has been a goal of his for several years now. I am very proud of him and I look forward to the book that is the product of this month of hard work. He is doing well at work, has earned "Dad of the Year" for the fifth straight year, and enjoys his bike commute, even in the rain.
I am working hard on Science Kiddo. I am learning so much and trying so hard to get this thing off the ground. I have big plans, but it is definitely a roller coaster ride. One evening I am so discouraged I want to just delete the entire website, the next morning I'm doing a happy dance because a post was received well. Hopefully it evens out a bit as I get the hang of being a real Blogger.
Tommy is an awesome kid. He is kind and thoughtful. He loves writing little love notes to the other members of the family. He is so sweet to his little sister and is always willing to get her things, play with her, and help her out. He is her #1 cheerleader. Tommy loves babies, math, and staying up way past his bed time. He recently had a genius idea to make all of us potty charts so we each get stickers when we go potty (this is to help Lily out, of course). Even though he has been potty trained for over three years he is now earning prizes again for going potty on the toilet.
Lily is a funny little girl. She loves Tommy more than anything and especially loves to wrestle him to the ground. She is constantly making us laugh and smile with her funny sense of humor. She plays with her food like it is a family, she treats her stuffed animals like babies, and she loves to put puzzle pieces in the wrong places just to be funny. She loves to climb on stuff and she loves all things pink and princess. Lily is so empathetic and loving to everyone. She is always the first one to give us a hug or to worry about a sad kid at the playground.
We haven't really been up to much lately. Just busy homeschooling and hanging out with our homeschooling group and going to the gym and the library. The weather is turning cold and gray, but I am looking forward to the season of soups, hot chocolate, and Vitamin D pills.
Here are some pictures from Halloween. Grandma Chatterton made the kids' costumes again this year. She's so talented. Winnie the Pooh and a Black Ninja. The kids worked hard to go trick-or-treating so they get to eat their spoils and enjoy the sugar rush.
Eating a Sour Patch Kid Halloween Night
"I got an MRI and now I'm dizzy. I went to sleep and there was an MRI that I didn't even know and now I'm asleep."
Lily Chasing Tommy with a Homemade Weapon
Dancing to the Classics
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Best Friends
This summer we have seen our kids shift into being each other's best friend. It is the most rewarding thing I have seen them do so far. Not only am I happy they love each other, I'm also happy they have a constant playmate so that I get a few more frequent breaks during the day :)
New Family Pictures
We finally updated our family photos this Fall. Ali Lanenga did an amazing job and I highly recommend her services if you are in the Portland area.:)
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