Keeping the Little Ones Busy During School

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One of the biggest challenges for a home schooling mom is keeping the little ones busy so that you can focus on schooling the older children.

Since I have a variety of school aged children, as well as many littles, I get asked this question often.

The important thing to remember is that schooling is a part of home life, so don't be discouraged if you feel like your day doesn't flow according to your schedule.  With preschoolers, toddlers, and babies in the home, continuity is usually not a part of the package...and that's okay!  It still works, and God is faithful!

Here are my tips for keeping little ones busy while schooling.

Make play time something to look forward to.  My biggest and most successful tip is to have toys/activities that are ONLY brought out during school time.  I keep bins full of fun toys put away during non-schooling hours.  This creates excitement for the toys and keeps the kids from getting bored of them.

Location, location.  Choosing the right place in your home to school makes a big difference when keeping little ones busy.  We want to be able to keep an eye on them, but still have space for them to play.  In our two story home, we school downstairs in the front room.  Our rule is that little ones may not go upstairs during school.  They usually stay in the room with me playing with whatever we've taken out, but because of our open floor plan, they're free to roam the bottom floor.  I realize that some homes are limited in options for schooling, and others choose to spread out and school all over the house (we do that too sometimes), so just pick the best location for your needs, keeping your little ones in mind.

Have a variety of things for them to do.  I love toys that encourage imagination and creativity.  Things like Tinker Toys, Legos (the larger ones), Potato Head (and the Mrs.), Fuzzoodles, wood blocks, Lincoln Logs, dominoes (setting up and knocking down), etc. are the toys I rotate out one or two at a time.  If I have little ones at the school table with me, I give them coloring books and crayons, scissors and paper (you'll be amazed at how long a three year old can sit still just cutting paper into a thousand pieces), Dry Erase Activity boards, Magnetic Dolls (boys and girls), puzzles, etc. 

Schedule sibling time.  In between subjects, I will occasionally enlist an older child to play with a younger one.  It helps to change things up a bit and encourages relational building.  Encourage an older one to read to a younger one. 

Educational videos.  Our general rule is to keep the TV off, but on occasion, I will put in something educational or character building for the little ones.  They love Leap Frog's Letter Factory, Kingsley's Meadow, and The Book of Virtues.

Take breaks. Don't forget to take breaks when possible, even just a few minutes, to read to the little ones, snuggle with them, or give them a snack.  Mine often do a lot better when I take the time to love on them than if I were to only focus on the schooling children for several hours.

Routine vs. Schedule.  I remember the days when I had a wonderfully neat and tidy school schedule.  My personality is one of structure, so a schedule worked best for us.  Even if we strayed slightly, we knew exactly what must be done each day....and for the most part, stuck to it....even through morning (all day) sickness!  But somewhere around my sixth or seventh baby, I began to relax a little.  In fact, I was forced to.  With so many little ones to tend to (nursings, diapers, whining, correcting behavior, kissing boo boos, etc), it was impossible to allot specific time frames to each subject.  Having a routine, as opposed to a rigid schedule, affords structure, but allows for those unforeseen forks in the road.  We still know what we need to do for the day, but how we get there looks much different.  Play around a bit and find out what works for you, but be flexible and EXPECT interruptions.  Those interruptions are no surprise to God, so go with them and allow Him to direct your day!

But what about babies.  Ohhh sweet babies!  I pretty much always school with a baby in my lap, either nursing or just cuddling.  When my babies get old enough to sit up, I may put them in a high chair so that they can see what we're doing....or I use the walker/exersaucer.  I also take advantage of nap times!  I can get a lot accomplished when the baby is asleep.  Setting up a port-a-crib, with a few soft toys, in your schooling area can also help with mobile babies so that you're not chasing a crawler constantly.  Some of my friends "blanket train" their babies, but I have never tried that. 

Computer time.  If you have a computer in your school area...or a laptop, you can begin your 3-5 year olds in their computer skills.  There are many educational games that little ones love that will stimulate their brains and build their basic computer skills.  Fact Monster and Starfall are our favorites.  Both have lots of fun learning games for little ones.

Enjoy this time.  I know that these days....when the kids are little....seem so hard, and you look forward to them being older so that you can school without so many interruptions.  Since I've graduated my oldest child...and she is now married...and another one soon to graduate, I'm realizing more than ever that this time, when they are little, is short!  In a blink of an eye there will be no more babies crying, or toddlers to chase, or toys to pick up, or little ones to keep busy.  These are some of the sweetest times...so try to relax and enjoy these days with littles.  My husband and I often joke that this is the reason we keep having babies....because we'll miss these little years too much, as hard as they may be sometimes! 


Do you have tips to add?  What are your favorite ways to occupy little ones? 

Teaching Reading

Teaching my children to read is probably one of the most rewarding jobs I have as a home schooling mother.  There's nothing quite like watching your child make that connection and begin to blend sounds.  And then, to watch your children read on their own, and love doing it.   But I'll admit, it can also prove to be one of the most challenging jobs too.  For some kids, it takes longer and you must exercise much patience during the process.  It can be a tough job.

I've had the privilege of teaching five of my children to read so far. Presently, I am slowly working with two more of my children.

My goal for teaching my children to read is, first, to instill a love for reading.  And even though I understand that not all of my children will necessarily have a passion for reading, it's important that we plant those seeds early.  In the womb is a great place to start, but it's never too late to begin at any time.

We read to our kids every day!  I read aloud to the little ones and the older ones spend time reading throughout their school day and during rest time.  But a few of them squeeze in reading whenever they can.  As I write this, my seven year old is slouched half over the guest bed reading Little House in the Big Woods.  :)  In the evenings, Greg reads aloud to the whole family. 

Over the years, I've tried several different methods and books for teaching reading.  I've come to the point where I know what I love and what has worked well for our children, so that's what I'll share now.  If you're using a method or a particular book that you absolutely love, please share it in the comments.   (Click all images to enlarge)

There are two books I use to teach reading.  They are set up in a similar way, but one is scripted and one is not.  The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading (OPGTR) is scripted for the parent/teacher.  If you're just starting out and feeling a little intimidated about teaching your little one to read, this is the book I recommend.  There is no guess work.  Simply follow the script in each lesson.  You can also purchase a magnetic board with letters, and flash cards that coordinate with the lessons here....or make your own.  Here is an example of the "A" lesson.

The second book is called Phonics Pathways.  This was my first real manual, if you will, that I bought to teach reading.  This one is not scripted, but the pages contain larger print and have less wording.  Each lesson will contain basic instructions or a particular spelling rule, but no more than that.  Here is an example of the "A" lesson.

Deciding which one I will use depends on the child.  When I began teaching Chloe, I started out using OPGTR, but found that there was too much information for Chloe...too much script.  So I decided to try Phonics Pathways with her, and visually, it was easier for her.  Simple was better.  However, with Sophia, OPGTR was perfect.  By the time we reached about 1/3 of the way through the book, she was reading well and took off from there. 

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the "silent gh" lesson.  Phonics Pathways left, OPGTR right. 

As you can see, they are very similar.  I have had success with both books and appreciate how simple they are to use, but how effective they are in teaching reading and spelling rules. 

To sum up, here are some tips for teaching reading:

~Don't be afraid to teach reading!  You can do it! :)

~Read to your children as much as possible.  Allow older siblings to read to younger ones as well.

~Wait until your child is ready.  There is no right or wrong age to teach.  If you've begun teaching your 4 or 5 year old, and they're just not getting it, there's no need to rush them.  Give it some time, continue reading aloud, and try again in a few months.  One of my girls didn't take off with reading until she was six.  Now, she's a super star reader and reads everything!

~Find what works for your child.  With my older girls, I simply used letters.  No manuals, just letters.  But now, I switch between the two books I recommended.  There are many ways to teach reading.  Look online or borrow material first to view before buying.  Also, consider your family size/dynamics.  Some programs are more teacher intensive than others.

~Dont' be afraid to use helpful tools such as reading videos or online free programs.  When I first let my kids watch The Letter Factory, I felt like I was cheating a little.  ;-) I got over that real fast!  My then two year old learned ALL of her letters and sounds from watching that video.  It gave me a great head start. :)

~Once your child begins putting together sounds, incorporate books such as the Bob Books series.  These books begin with one-syllable, short vowel words that really boost a young reader's confidence.  It gives them something other than the manual to read and makes them feel like they're reading something on their own.

~Allow your child to read aloud to you often.  Whether it's Bible time, school reading, or just fun reading, find ways for your child to read aloud.  If we're reading a Bible passage, we divide up the verses so that everyone gets a turn.  If my beginner reader is working on math, I have him or her read the instructions aloud.  Reading aloud builds confidence....especially if those listening are encouraging.

So what are your best tips for teaching reading?  Please share in the comments below.  If you're just starting out, was this helpful?  Do you have any questions?  I would love to hear from you!

Photo Credit

Revamping the Chore Chart

As our family continues to grow, it's been necessary to revamp the chore chart every so often. Whether due to a new home or kids getting older and more capable, it seems like I am revisiting this subject often.

This is a chart I made about three years ago. At the time, the youngest child on the chart was Sophia, who was three. As you can see, she only had the job of Toy Pick Up. I'm sure there were odd jobs we would ask her to do here and there, but this was the only official job she had. As our younger ones have gotten older, we've added them to the chart, but usually still beginning with one or two jobs at the age of three.

Our goal is to teach our children team work, service, and responsibility. Little ones love to be given jobs and their little faces just light up when you've encouraged them in their job. And I think the earlier we instill these attributes into our children, working together as a family becomes "the norm".

Here are their current ages: Chey 16, Celeste 14, Seth 7 (almost 8), Sophia 6, Chloe 4, Ethan 3. (Genevieve is 17 mos, so not officially on the chart yet. And of course, baby Jonathan is a newborn.) The most recent Chore Chart:

As you can see, due to number of "helpers" in the house, we all have very little to do day to day. I also have a separate Saturday chart with jobs like mowing, cleaning bathrooms, dusting, etc.

So what are some of the jobs your little ones are doing? And at what age do you begin actively training your little ones to do specific chores?

A Change of Heart

Our Journey to Many Children


I am no stranger to large families. My mother is the sixth of fourteen children, my dad is the oldest of five, and I am the second of four. Even the generations before, there were many children in our family line. I grew up surrounded by lots of family and LOVED the chaos of family gatherings and reunions. My husband, however, is an only child, and so is his mother. You'd think that I was already signed up to have many children and that my husband would lean towards one or two. Well, that wasn't the case....


When Greg and I were engaged, I don't think we necessarily talked about a specific number of children, but I knew my husband was in the "I want 20 camp"......I just laughed, as in "yeah right"! Three months after we were married, we found out that we were expecting our first child. We were thrilled. Until.....I began death-like morning sickness! I was so sick for seven months. Continuous vomitting, dehydration, etc. After this, I KNEW I would not be in a hurry to do it again. Our daughter was born and we were very happy first-time parents. Yet, the memories of how sick I was haunted me. About two years later, I began feeling suspiciously sick and took a test. It was positive. Although I welcomed the "idea" of another baby, I was terrified of going through such agony again. And how would I do it now with a toddler? And to make matters worse, we were moving back to the states from England in just a few months. How am I going to handle a major move, plane rides, and a toddler?


The morning sickness intensified and I just took it one day at a time. Our little two year old spent most of her days watching children's videos and I cringed each time she said she was hungry. It was difficult to get up and prepare food. Greg was working 24 hour shifts, so when he was at work, he was gone ALL DAY!


It came time to move. I left England a month before Greg so that I could spend more time with my family before heading to our next base. I was four months pregnant, still sick, and was now going to travel back to the states with our daughter, by myself. UGH! Sixteen hours and three plane changes later, I made it home. Barely! That night, my dad offered to go get me something to eat and food actually sounded good. The next morning, I woke up and felt great! God was good and faithful and allowed morning sickness to last only four months instead of seven! Our second daughter was born and we were the honored parents of two little girls. I was content.


I think I immediately felt like two was enough for us, although I knew my husband wanted more. He never pressured or asked, but I knew his heart welcomed more children. As time went on and the girls got bigger, I began to enjoy the independence and the freedoms of having children out of baby stage. I also began planning my future which included finishing school and possibly a career in the future. I had all kinds of ambitions, goals and aspirations. And now that the girls were getting older, I could finally work toward these goals. By this time, we were moving again. Greg was getting out of the Air Force and we were moving back home. As soon as we were settled, I enrolled in school. Oddly enough, it was during this period of life that I began to question all of my reasons for only wanting two children. This was strange to me! I loved school, I loved the girls being older and I was set on being able to afford to send these girls to college. How would we afford more children? And, do I want to go through morning sickness again?

Nonetheless, my heart was being pulled in another direction. I questioned why I only wanted to have two children when I have a wonderful husband who wants more? Was God not faithful in getting me through morning sickness? Will He not provide for more children? Is pursuing a career what I really want to do? And is it God's plan for all of our children to even attend college? All these questions ate at my core until finally it was clear! God had turned my heart to welcome more children. Greg was elated!


We were living in CA at the time and getting ready to move back to Texas. We agreed that as soon as we got back to Texas we would try for another baby. The first thing we did when we arrived was shop for a hospital. Once we picked our place of birth (which didn't end up being the one we chose), and upon a friend's recommendation of a fertility book, we began charting and trying. ;-) To our amazement, two months later we were pregnant with our third child.

Yep, sick again. I survived and we welcomed our third child, a son, SIX years later! Seven months later, to our SHOCK, we were pregnant again! Fortunately, my good friend was pregnant too, so it made it a little less scary. Sick again, still nursing baby #3, survived again and welcomed our fourth child, another girl.


Okay, at this point, I'm not sure what our "plan" is now. We still hadn't come to the point of welcoming "any and all" children, but we weren't saying we were done either. So what we did was continue to chart. I would chart until I felt "ready" to be pregnant again. By now, I knew that God would get me through morning sickness, we knew He would continue to provide, and we were thankful for our four children.

Our fourth child was about 13 months old when we "put the charts away". Soon after, we were pregnant again. Yep, sick again and now living in a tiny rental home. Five kids, three very small bedrooms, no problem. Our fifth, another girl, was born and we were thrilled!


God continued to do a work in both of us concerning our view of children and what scripture says about children. Over and over, scripture calls children a blessing, a heritage! Although I think most people would have agreed that our quiver was certainly full and probably overflowing, we weren't content with that. Don't get me wrong, we were content with our five children, just not content with deciding five was "it".

During this time, I was at a HOPE meeting (our home school group), when a dear friend , the wonderful woman who leads our studies, shared with us her journey to having nine children. As a matter of fact, it looked (the age gap) and sounded a lot like ours. She shared of how Hannah, the mother of Samuel, prayed fervently for a child. She went on to say that she realized there were ONLY examples of women in the Bible praying FOR children! There is not one example that God gives us of a woman (or man) praying NOT to have children. Yet, we see in the Bible that there were many varied sizes of families! And being that we know modern birth control did not exist (although we know the story of Onan "spilling his seed", and God was not pleased), we can assume that God was in control of family sizes! This, in conjunction with God's Word referring to children as blessings, arrows and a heritage, was HUGE for me. God used my sweet friend's own story to continue writing ours! Thankfully, my husband shared the same conviction and we went on to have two more children. No charting, no worrying, just freedom. You see, for us it really is freedom. Since we welcome any child God is willing to entrust us with, there are no worries about getting pregnant. We just enjoy our love for one another and welcome "the fruits of our passion", as my husband so sweetly puts it! ;-)


We don't know what the future holds, but we do know we built our six bedroom home with the hopes of filling every bedroom with children. Yeah, I know, crazy huh? Definitely God! I thank Him almost daily for changing my heart, for my husband's loving patience, for friends who share a similar conviction, and for seven beautiful blessings.

If you know me, you know that I am NO supermom. I struggle daily just like every other mom does. I have days when I want to string these little blessings up by their toes or run away to a tropical island. But this I know......God is faithful, God has provided for our every need and then some, God has helped me not to fear morning sickness....too much, and God has freed me from the worldview ideals I held all those years ago. We couldn't be happier. There's nothing I'd rather be doing than raising and growing our heritage.


So, to end this story, I would like to happily announce the blessing of our eighth child......to arrive in June!

 Also, congratulations to Tiffany, Shannon, Janelle, Blair, and Stephanie G. who are also expecting in June! And to Stephanie C. who is due in May! Soli Deo Gloria!

UPDATE:  On April 20, 2015, we welcomed our 11th child....another precious girl.  We now have 8 girls and 3 boys.  I am 42 years old, so we'll see what God has in store for the future.  :)

Birth Control

Where Do You Stand?

As a mom of many, I always appreciate posts like this one by Jess:

Some Subtle Effects of the Birth Control Culture

Lately, I've been noticing some trends that I think are directly attributable to the rise-- indeed the expectancy-- of birth control use in our culture. I'd like to talk through them one by one so it's clear what I'm getting at. I believe that there are consequences that are a direct result of our culture's embracing of the birth control mindset as normative, and here are a few.

#1: Young couples are thought irresponsible when they get pregnant right away......because, the implication is, any "wise" couple would wait and follow the oft-given advice (even by pastors) that you should "take a few years to get to know each other" first.
This basic assumption overlooks the fact that even with birth control usage, regular intercourse often leads to a pregnancy. Indeed, that is the general plan of God's design for marital intimacy.It also overlooks the fact that children are a part of God's design for sanctification of parents, and that the continuation of a self-focused lifestyle has not served America's "Christian" marriages well.

#2- "Was it planned?" is no longer deemed a rude and quite personal question, but in fact, is seen as a natural question......because, the way our culture sees it, it is up to us to "plan" when life will begin according to our own time tables and goals. The abortion-on-demand mindset tells us that we can control when life ends, so why not believe that we have full control of when it begins as well?

#3- Children are often seen, and even referred to, as an "accident".
Perhaps you've been fortunate enough to not ever have actually heard someone call their child by such an insulting description (an "oops baby", or "our little accident")... but it's all too common. Linked to the idea above, this whole notion is a natural attitude when we believe that we are the ones in control of life.

#4- Large families are often seen as incredible (and thus, put on an undeserved pedestal) or insane (and thus, sneered at behind their backs)......because once you can control how many "little buggars" you get, someone who has more than the two (or maybe three, if your first two are of the same gender) MUST be either Mother Teresa, or one step away from the loony bin.

#5- Anyone who has clearly NOT bought into the birth control culture at any point is seen as fair game for jokes, criticism, or invasive questions, because (it is assumed) they "chose" something different......because now, the "norm" is obvious: it is assumed that you WILL limit your own family size, shape, and timing according to your own will. The family that has two children 14 months apart gets jokes ("Haven't you figured out how that happens?" hardee-har-har) and eyerolls at their (implied) stupidity. The couple that has struggled with infertility now feels obligated to share that very personal information, because others imply or outright state that they are intentionally avoiding children, calling them selfish or scared. (Talk about adding insult to injury!) And of course, there's the classic large family comments.

#6- By extension, because they "chose" their family size, the larger-than-average family is often expected to never lack, to never struggle with discipline, to never be tired, etc.... even by Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Don't believe me? Think again.If a two-year-old in a family of seven children has tantrums or is wearing mismatched clothes, it's because "the mom is spread too thin". But if that same child is the only child of two doting parents, it's because "bless his heart; he's a normal two-year-old" and because independent little two-year-olds love to pick out their own clothes.If a mother of three children is exhausted as she's pregnant with her fourth, it's likely to be met with an "I told you so" attitude from those who have already inappropriately shared their thoughts about family size. And she rarely gets sympathy. More likely, she'll get a "you made your bed, now lie in it" perspective from most of the people around her. But a first time mother struggling with morning sickness gets sympathetic comments and offers for how others can help.And lest you think I'm just whining as a mom of four, I'm really not... I'm just stating things the way I've plainly seen them. And these are things I hear from many of you, my friends and readers.

#7- A young professional women is "throwing her career away" if she opts to stay home with her new baby.... ...because she could have controlled that for another 10 years, and really DONE something with her life, don't ya know?

#8- Couples are often shocked and dismayed when they struggle with infertility... ...because the whole issue is so framed by an "in control" attitude. It seems so easy to NOT have children, and thus, it should be easy TO have them, right? Sadly, many modern couples either aren't even marrying until less fertile ages, and then may find themselves desperate to have children... or they have followed the common advice to take some time for themselves, only to find that once they finally get off the pill, they struggle to get pregnant at all.Even the couple who would love to have children and hasn't put it off or waited gets rude comments from family and friends because our culture has such an "if you want it, you can get it" attitude about everything, including children. And underlying all of it is the cultural idea of "rights"... that we have the right to have children or not have them, whenever we so desire.

#9- OTHER EFFECTS I won't even go into the rise in casual sex (a.k.a. fornication), affairs (a.k.a. adultery), and abortion (a.k.a. murder) due to the ease of birth control procurement and use.SO WHAT'S THE SOLUTION???The answer isn't that we bang down the doors of the courts and seek to legislate birth control usage. That ship has sailed.In my view, the answer IS that Christian couples should seek God's face and become that peculiar people-- a people that stands out as set apart and different from the world around us-- in this area of how we view children. A people who see children as blessings. A people who discipline our children in the Lord, so that we aren't so bowled over by our disobedient, bratty children that we can't STAND the thought of more. A people who aren't afraid to live as strangers in this world that kills and throws away imperfect children, medicates children instead of offering loving discipline, and that acts and thinks as though we are the ones in control of life. Heaven help us!

If you're a part of a big family, I'm sure you can relate to this. If not, what are your thoughts or perspective? Have you been guilty of some of these thoughts? Please chime in.........

HT: Granny

Family Integrated Church

RUN over to my friend Amy's blog and read about her journey to the Family Integrated Church!

If you want to know more about this wonderful church of which she speaks, click on the Covenant of Grace link to your left!

First Day of School

After a two week delay from when we had originally planned to begin school, it finally happened! We got it together and began our new schooling year today!

Though I was looking forward to the routine and structure of our school days, I have to admit, I just wasn't quite ready this year. It's been a busy summer and the urge to sleep in this morning was tempting. But alas! I got up and got busy......at 5:30am.  This happens to be my normal wake time, but for some reason, just knowing we were starting school today made me feel unusually tired. Or maybe it was staying up until 11:00 pm watching the Olympics that made me feel so tired!  Hmm...

Just for fun, I thought I'd document our day. I can remember a time when we were on top of things and probably TOO scheduled for most people, but it worked for a time!

Now, with seven kids, five of them seven and under, I have yet to find a schedule that works for us. So, we just do the best we can and try to be sensible in our planning and have fun!

Here's what our day looked like:

We always begin our day with Bible reading and prayer, even the little ones.


After Bible, we spread out and put everyone to work. The school-aged kids pretty much always begin with math. The younger ones think they're schooling by doing something like this.


Celeste began with Grammar and Composition while Cheyenne used the computer for her math lesson.

This is Seth digging in to his second grade arithmetic book.

Sophia got quite a bit ahead last year, so is well under way in her first grade math book.

We do not do a formal pre-k program, but we do get our little ones started in basic letter recognition, sounds, and writing practice when we feel they're ready. Chloe is up for the challenge, although she's learned a lot already by way of watching the older children. She did GREAT tracing the letter A.....and, she's our first lefty!

While the other kids are still working, we try hard to keep the little ones busy with Legos, Tinker Toys, or Blocks.

Cheyenne is busy completing her math. She's pretty good at it, just like her Daddy!

Bam Bam and Pebbles! Poor Genevieve!

We're to the point where we have to take shifts with the little ones. Here, Celeste is taking her shift while I work with Seth. What a help this is!!!

Seth is doing his copywork from his second year of First Language Lessons.

Break and snack time.

Thankfully, Genevieve is content to sit and play!

The little ones are busy coloring while I work with the older girls.

Chloe's a big girl and she's learning to read!

Seth's (second year) lesson from First Language Lessons. He LOVES this book!

Sophia BEGINS First Language Lessons! I LOVE this book!

Ahh.....a quiet moment for the older girls. The little ones are down for rest time! The girls are doing Vocabulary at the moment.

We had a great first day!

Tomorrow, we'll dive into our other subjects such as History, Science and Writing. While these pictures may reflect that of a nice, peaceful, stress-free day, we certainly had our share of whining, poopy diapers, chaos and discipline. But over all, it was a productive day and I can actually say that we're looking forward to tomorrow!

I am truly blessed to be able to teach my children at home! Happy schooling everyone!

Photo Journal

Fun Photos


Do these make me look smart?

My......what BIG eyes you have!

The girls love to sew. Celeste is making a dress for Sophia.

Cheyenne is helping Celeste to gather the waist.

Genevieve and Caleb........the betrothed!

They go way back.......all the way back to Genevieve's birth!

This is big brother Ethan telling Genevieve that she's just too young to marry Caleb!

Expelled

Expelled

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Infant Drowning Prevention

Greg sent this to me this morning from work!

It's a must see! It's unbelievable!

It's hard to believe that infants can be trained in this way!

http://www.childdrowningprevention.com/index.html

Photo Credit

Daughter in Training

One of the many ways our family has been able save a little money has been by avoiding the salon or barber when possible. I have been cutting hair since I was a teenager and this has come in handy for our growing family. I am not a professional and have had no formal training, I just seemed to have had a knack for cutting hair.  And I had many opportunities when I was young.

My brothers were my first victims customers, and then my sister offered her head as a sacrifice practice model. And that led to some of their friends asking for hair cuts.

So when I married Greg, well, naturally I would convince him to let me cut his hair as well. What a nice man!!!

SO, I figure, in the 16 years we've been married, at approximately one cut a month times 16 years, say at $10 a cut, I've saved us at LEAST $1920.00. Of course, that doesn't even include Seth's hair or the girls......just Greg!

Recently, Cheyenne has shown an interest in learning how to cut hair. And since it is our goal to train our girls in all aspects in the art of homemaking, now is the perfect time to begin. The last few "training sessions" consisted of her just observing while I talked about and demonstrated different techniques. Today was the big cutting day......and what a good daddy to allow his head to be used for training purposes!


Cheyenne did a great job and I can't wait for her to be able to cut hair on her own to take some of the load off of me!


So here you have it....our freshly cut men!

Fun With the Brace Family

On Friday, we headed to Austin and spent the day with the Brace family. Over the past couple of months we've been getting to know each other via email, so it was great to finally meet them!

They live on a gorgeous piece of property, living the farm life. They have goats and chickens and all that nature offers. We all had a BLAST! The best part was the wonderful time of fellowship we had with this amazing family! We had fourteen children between the two families and ALL of the kids got along so well and had such a great time together. We can't thank them enough for having us in their home and showering us with sweet hospitality! What a blessing!

They have a very unique, but very cool home. They built this home to fit their family's needs and did a beautiful job. Our kids couldn't stop talking about their COOL house, especially the kids dormatory! I wish I had a picture of that! Here is a picture of the family room. Check out this view!


All those small, round windows have each of their children's names on them.

They definitely had a kitchen to die for! I LOVED the kitchen!

Their fouteen year old son, Robert, has his own cheesecake business. OH MY GOODNESS, were those cheesecakes fabulous!

It was cute seeing some of the kids sitting on all the barstools...

The kids were fascinated with the chickens....

Sophia didn't hesitate to pick one right up!

Amazingly, Chloe got up close and personal too!

Thankfully, the rain held off for most of the day, so the kids spent much of their time playing, swimming, and even milking the goats!

And finally...here's Sophia making herself VERY comfortable in someone else's home!

Thank you, Brace family, for a wonderful day and we look forward to having you in our home in just a few days!

Sewing Lessons

Over the last year, we've gotten to know a sweet family from around the corner. They have recently begun homeschooling their two older children, and now love the idea of them having more time on their hands to learn new skills. When their oldest daughter, Erin, heard that Cheyenne and Celeste knew how to sew, she asked if they would teach her! The girls were thrilled! Here are some pics of the first lesson!








Here is Cheyenne teaching Erin the very basics.....threading the machine!
















Now Celeste is showing her how to install and thread the bobbin.














Some of the other things the girls covered: Winding the bobbin, how to read a pattern, cutting out a pattern, basic stitching and trouble shooting the machine! Erin wants to make a skirt, so they took her measurements and pinned the pattern. Next week they'll have her cut her pattern and begin sewing it together.







It was so neat watching them work together......my heart smiled!