7 Really, Really Quick Takes

See Jen.  See Jen write.  See Jen let other people write and link their posts up to hers.

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James Dyson says "cyclone technology" ensures that their vacuum never loses suction.  Ever.  That is a lie.  Their vacuum most certainly does lose suction...

when you forget to clean the filter and roller for a year or so.

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I grew up 15 minutes from the Hoover Vacuum plant and the Hoover family.  I say "vacuum" the carpet.  My British friends, who live thousands of miles and across an ocean away from the Hoover plant and the Hoover family, say "Hoover". 

I find that to be quite funny.

I'm going to assume you do, too.

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I had the best game of Scrabble of my life.  I had three, let me repeat, THREE words in which I could use all my letters.  I got to use two of them.  One on a double word score, one on a triple word score.  I got over 400 points in one game. 

I was playing against Star, who normally gives me a run for my money.   That day, though, he had just gotten home from camp covered in poison ivy.  And when I say "covered", I mean his entire face had swelled up.  He was just a touch distracted, so I had a hard time feeling triumphant.

Blasted kids, always raining on my parade.

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"I don't have any socks," in kidspeak actually means, "I have shucked my socks all over the house over the last five days, so none of them actually got washed, so I don't have any socks in my drawer to put on today."

These were found in every single room on the first floor of our house in a two minute clean-up time.  They all belong to Cuckoo and Turken. 

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Kids think lollipops are fun, especially when I insist they sit and watch TV while eating them, to ensure the lollipops don't get stuck to things in every room in my house.

What color is my tongue?

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Child does not do the laundry he was supposed to do while Mother was out.  Again.

Mother gets angry with Child.

Child apologizes, then hops to.

With a smile on his face, Child takes 5 times as long as it should to fold the laundry because he folds it origami-style.

Mother has a really hard time staying angry with Child.

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As a fake farmer, never knowing a real farmer in real life, I was quite excited when our town had a "Meet Your Neighbor" event at a farm in town.  There was a tour and everything, so we could meet the family and learn all sorts of things about modern farming.  It was completely fascinating. 

What did my children consider the best part?

 

 

 

On a side note, while at the farm event, my husband found what he wants to be called on the blog.

Nice try, Dear, but, while true, it is most certainly not a chicken name.

Have a lovely day!

Don't forget I'm on Facebook now, and we'll be having our weekly 10 Things of Thankful over the weekend!

Eating on the Go

Two or three times each season, we have a night like we will tonight.  This is what we will be doing today:
2:45 pick kids up at school
3:00-4:00 8yo and 10yo piano
4:30-6:00 12yo basketball practice
6:00-7:30 9yo basketball practice
6:45-7:45 8yo basketball practice
7:30-9:00 12yo Boy Scout meeting

You might wonder, when and where will the children eat, change clothes, and do homework?  It's going to have to be the van, as it is supposed to rain this afternoon and evening. 
I made the choice years ago, when my oldest became a toddler, to avoid fast food like the plague.  It was just a matter of how.  I went to a Tupperware party and saw a lunch box that would be perfect.

 I bought three (and a fourth when the fourth child was born).  For 9 years we have used these boxes.  We've taken them on every picnic we've been on.  We've used them in the car when on road trips, so we didn't have to stop for dinner.  Every single day for an entire school year, my kids ate breakfast out of them on the way to school.  (eggs, french toast, cereal, and all)  These boxes have lived through it all.  I love them.  They are the best things I have ever purchased to help my family eat well and cheaply on the go.  Some reasons I like them so much:

1.  I can clean them in the dishwasher.
2.  I save money by not buying sandwich bags.
3.  A juice box, sandwich, cheese stick, and two sides fit in it.
4.  I don't have to worry about dirty picnic tables.  The kids eat right out of them.
5.  They save space.  All four can easily fit in our cooler, with room for my lunch and ice packs.

If you would like some, they are called Lunch-n-Things Containers.  I have no affiliation with Tupperware, and I never have.  I just want to help you out.

I'm on my way to fill them now.  So much to do, so little time.

Attack of the Stinky Ladybugs!

I walked outside to enjoy the beautiful, sunny day.  Within seconds, I was completely covered with ladybugs.  I looked around and saw that ladybugs were on every surface and swarming in midair.  What is it about this house and creepy, crawly bug overpopulation??
This first happened our first year in the house, and has occurred again and again over the years.  To be fair, they aren't actually the cute, wouldn't-bother-a-soul ladybugs.  They are some sort of beetle that look exactly like ladybugs.  My kids say that they smell, but I haven't experienced that. (Side note:  I actually discussed olfactory decline with friends of mine, all of whom have five or more children.  We all assumed that with so many babies, we'd be able to smell a bad odor a mile away.  Not true.  Every single one of us have gotten worse at it as we have more babies.  Bad enough that I can't jump without peeing, but not being able to smell things?  Where does that come from?)  Back to the bugs.

When the bugs do swarm, it's only for a few hours.  The number diminishes, but plenty stick around to irritate me to no end.  They are all over every surface in the house, including the ceiling!  I vacuum constantly, with the two year old behind me yelling, "There's one!  It's a bug!"  every five seconds.  I spent an hour sweeping the house this morning, and as I sit here writing, I can see bugs on the floor and three of the windows.  UGH!

What is the life span of a beetle?  It can't be long.  I am convinced that these bugs simply come here to die.  They just want a nice place to spend their last 15 minutes of life. 

I just heard another bug land next to me.  Pardon me while I go get my vacuum.
 

Busy, busy, busy

Busy weekends can be so much fun, but man are they exhausting.  It was our home soccer tournament this weekend, and we have three children playing in the league.  We had six soccer games on Saturday, back to back to back..., from 8:20 am until the last game at 5:40 pm.  Plus, we had one shift to work it during two of the games.  Sunday there were 5 games, but there was some overlap.   First games at 8:20, last game at 1:40.  Plus, we had to work 2 two-hour shifts.  Two of our teams did great!  Our daughter's team won the championship for her bracket in double overtime.  So exciting!  Our 8 year old's team won all four games, with the last goal of the season being scored by the only child to not score all year.  The crown went wild!  Our 12 yr old's team, not so much.  They just couldn't get the ball in the goal, only scoring one goal in 3 games.  Luckily, they won their league standings last week, so the season wasn't all bad.

I have no pictures, since watching soccer games while taking care of two toddlers is a full-time occupation. 

Oh, and at the end of it all, we still had trick-or-treating!  The whole family fell down exhausted by 8:30 last night. 

I'm going to try to take a nap.

October Break

I love a break from school.  A day to just hang out in our pajamas, play, read, and make special treats.  Today is one of those days.

Two of the children woke up wanting to have a Halloween celebration. They gathered everyone to dress in old costumes, then decorate bags, the older children helping the little ones.  They went around to the bedrooms collecting little toys and treats.  Some music was turned on, and they had a little dance party.  Finally, we made some Rice Krispie Treats with black bat sprinkles. 



ten year old planner helping one year old




Twelve year old dressed in lion costume he wore when he was four.  Two year old was thrilled to be Pooh.




Eight year old in homemade Patrick costume from 2 years ago




One year old didn't wear this for long

  

Ten ways to help your child prepare to read

My nine year old enjoys Pokemon and similar books these days.

Learning to read is one of the most exciting and important things your child will ever do.  We all know this, and that is why panic often reigns in a parent if a child can’t read fluently by the end of kindergarten.  We need to keep in mind that children don’t learn at the same pace.  For some kids, it will take time, but it will happen.  Your job is to get your child to enjoy books and reading.  You are to lay the groundwork for the teaching your child’s teachers (or you if you homeschool) will do.  So relax.  You get to do the fun part! 

Ten dos and don’ts to help prepare your child for reading

1.  Do read to your child!  Even before your child is a year old, he will sit for bits of time to listen and look at the illustrations.  Every day, more than once a day, read to your child.  Make the library a common errand and check out lots of books each time you go.  Get a variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction.

2.  Don’t make your child read to you!  If you force him to read before he is ready, he will hate books and anything having to do with them.  You would simply be proving to him, in his mind, that he is not smart.  Read to him, and if he asks to read to you, let him and help him.   Then read to him some more.

3.  Do read with enthusiasm!  Do you like listening to a speaker who talks in a monotone?  Neither does your child!  You don’t have to use different voices for each character, but use the emotions reflected in the book.  If the character is sobbing, sob.  Keep it interesting.

4.  Do take the time to look at pictures and ask questions!  The illustrations tell as much of the story as the words do.  Point out the expression on each character’s face, discuss the setting, ask your child to predict what will happen next.  Find things in the book that compare to your child/family/life.  Really get your child involved in the story.

5.  Don’t buy programs, videos, flashcards, or workbooks to teach your child!  You will hear people swear by them.  That doesn’t mean you need them.  Videos can’t listen to your child, flashcards don’t give your child any context for words, and your child will get plenty of workbooks in school.  Your child needs you to help him prepare for reading.

6.  Do make letter identification a game!  Find letters and words everywhere you go.  To keep kids busy in the checkout line, have them find each letter of the alphabet in the names of the candies.  Use paint, chalk, or even mud to write the alphabet, the child’s name, or any words he’s interested in.

7.  Do let your child see you reading!  Children do what they see others (especially parents and older siblings) doing.  If you watch TV, they watch TV.  If you read, they read. 

8.  Do let your child have books of his own to be well-used (torn up)!  Keep books accessible and let your children have free reign to them, even when they are still toddlers.  You don’t want them stressed about keeping the books in perfect condition.  Your child will have certain books to which he is drawn, and those books will fall apart over time.  It’s ok. 



Each bedroom has a bookshelf, including the toddler/baby room.
This is in the room shared by the three oldest boys.



My two year old looking through Bear Snores On

9.  Do activities to go along with the books you read!  If you read a book on science experiments, do the experiments.  If you read a book about a duck jumping in puddles, go jump in some puddles.  Connect books to your child’s everyday life, and help him see the benefits of reading.

10.  Do turn off all electronic devices for most of the day!  If given the choice, most children, even kids who like to read, will choose TV or video games over reading.  Take that choice away. 

Take a look next to the post for a list of some of my family's favorite picture books. 

Let me know what your favorites are, as we are always looking for more!

Milestones

For years Husband and I have wanted to join the adult volleyball league at church.  We have a few friends who play, and it sounds like so much fun.  We've never been able to, though, because it would require us to hire sitters for an hour and a half every Saturday night.  It would have bankrupted us.  Plus, when we moved out here to the farm, the drive to get a sitter would have just been a pain.  Well, the time has come.  Our oldest is of babysitting age. 
I have never been more worried about my children as when we pulled out of the driveway, leaving the 12 year old in charge of his 5 siblings.  Granted, we had already put the two little ones down for the night.  We had made the expectations completely clear to the rest of the kids before we walked out the door.  They had all the phone numbers they could possibly need.  The doors were locked.  The dogs were on alert.  And yet, every horrible scenario went through my head in the 30 second trip down the drive.  I only let myself call home once, and when we got home, of course everything was fine.  They are good kids, and they were ready for this.  It doesn't mean I like my children growing up.

My job as a mom is to raise my children to be independent, confident, responsible, generous, and happy.  From the day the oldest was born, I have kept this in mind.  Regardless of the fact that I hate to see them grow independent of me, that is what God wants.  They are not mine to keep under my wing for their entire lives.  With each milestone, from taking first steps, heading off to school, or staying home alone, I have to encourage them and be excited with them, because they certainly are excited.  They are doing what they were born to do.  By helping them do this, so am I. 

By the way, we had a blast playing volleyball.  Their growing up does have some perks.




our six little darlings-one year ago



Sleep!

Children go through phases.  We all know this.  Behaviors and preferances come and go.  The one that astounds me every time is the sleepless phase.  Why do toddlers who usually get up at 7:30 all of a sudden start getting up at 6:00?  And at the same time, only take one hour naps instead of the usual 2 hours.   If they woke up happy, I would understand a bit more.  Unfortunately they wake up so very sad, and stay that way for days, until their little bodies get back on track. 
We are in the middle of such a phase right now.  My dear little two year old loses his mind when he doesn't get enough sleep.  We've hit an all new level this week.  He cried for 5 minutes at breakfast, because his dry Kix wouldn't stay in a pile on the side of his bowl.  Later, he cried for 10 minutes, because he wanted a diaper change.  He doesn't wear a diaper.  There were no tantrums, just sad, pitiful crying, repeating his request over and over.  There was no reasoning with him, even though I actually showed him that he had underwear on.  Nothing could go right for him all day.
I can easily see what is wrong with him.  If he would only sleep, all would be well again.  But as with horses with water, you can take them to their beds, but you can't make them sleep.  All I can do is take pictures during these meltdowns in order to make fun of him at his high school graduation and make sure that I am getting enough sleep.  It would be really bad if both of us lost our minds at the same time.