LET THE WORK BEGIN

After a full week of school we are slowly starting to get our after school routine into place.  It is challenging to have two kids working at the same time especially when one is still needing help reading instructions.  It is amazing to see how much they do really learn in a year when I see Becca and Brayden together.  This week is Becca's first week with a memory verse, I was a little nervous about having two kids with different verses but she is doing great and is able to recite it already. Another bonus-she can finally tie her shoes! This week I have decided to start piano lessons with Brayden.  I am missing seeing the kids grow in the musical arts and have decided I just need to make it part of our schedule.  Surprisingly Brayden didn't seem to mind too much having a lesson/missing play time and didn't put up too much of a fuss about having to practice every day.  Slowly things are coming together.  Andrea is determined not to be left out and wants to read.  She asks repeatedly..."when is it time for my work" So, I have decided to just make it part of her schedule and another surprise....she actually sits and works at it.  I think she memorizes most but at least she is trying! What I am learning most is how much encouragement the kids need with so many new expectations.  Brayden continues to be super competitive. After being super excited to play a new math site after school today was reduced to tears because he was losing.  The site is super fun-a timed math facts page against any student logged on across the entire world.  He is loving timing himself with his math facts-crazy! This new site is perfect for him once he finally figured it out.  It is so easy to get overwhelmed with school, Brayden gets frustrated and mad, while Becca tends to quit and stare into space.  A quick hug and some encouragement goes a long way at getting both of them going again-something hard for me to remember!

 These picture make it look so calm and peaceful.....what you don't see is Becca yelling for help.  Brayden yelling because his pencil ripped the paper.  Andrea jumping off the couch repeatedly and James running around with a plastic toy tub on his head.  Along with  at least one episode of ephie going bazerck at the front door because the neighbor kids are pounding, wanting to know when the kids can play.  I am telling my self to embrace all this craziness because it will soon pass by-just as almost all my babies are now in school!

This was our project this weekend....or I should say my project that Ron got dragged into.  A new coat of paint and organization on one section of our overflowing garage.  Hopefully this will work for a mud room since our laundry room is just too small.

 No, we did not tackle the other half of the garage....this is life!



YUMMY BIRTHDAY CAKE

So my birthday has come and went, I find it hard to think about getting closer to that big 40 but time just keeps flying by. It was nice to celebrate with lots of family while in MI but the actual day was spent traveling in the car back to Tulsa. Last night Ron made a yummy ice-cream cake and I was again serenaded with the happy birthday song. The cake was extra yummy but most of all made special by the kids and Ron!

We are slowly making it through our first full week of school.  Monday and Tuesday went pretty smoothly but reality quickly set it.  It didn't take long for the bread shortage arrive, some how making lunches five days a week for kids and Ron uses up twice as much food as normal at home lunches.  I soon forgot to run the dishwasher at night and was left with a mountain of left over supper dishes, breakfast dishes after yesterdays morning rush.  Socks are once again in the picture...actually just all over the house and yard. I am still figuring out schedules and with practice and soon to start gymnastics dinners take early planning, and end up being quite early.  Today I received boy scouts info for Brayden and American Heritage Girl info for the girls.  By no means do we try to do everything, and amazingly our schedule is mild compared to some other kids.  I can't imagine doing both soccer and football or twice a week gymnastics, along with a sport.  It is crazy what I feel pressured to do as a mom these days.  The one thing we have enjoyed is our after school routine.  It is still our time and the kids love just coming together and getting time to talk before work takes over. I am finding out they need some down time as too much play and work is overloading to their young minds.  What each kids needs is quality TIME...not just a busy schedule.  Sometime hard to remember once sept rolls around!

Becca and Brayden are slowly getting into the homework routine.  Thankfully we did do some reading this summer, not enough but it did keep them going.  Brayden is into Matt Christopher books and Becca is still plugging away at level 1.  Brayden was all set to go on memorizing his memory verse and keeping up with his math.  Today he had to find his watch so he could time himself-two minutes to finish, thankfully he remembers he doubles from last year.  Next week we start memory with Becca and spelling.....all I can say is that it will be an interesting week!  Andrea loves school and spends her quiet time looking at books waiting for Becca to be done with her work.  James is a handful, I can't throw him in bed anymore so I am begging on Andrea to help play with him to give me a couple free minutes to help the older two.  Mornings are a race, Afternoons the house is a workhouse/playhouse and in between it is eerily quiet...sometime a little strange.  We are all adjusting to school and the schedules that come with it.  I am just thankful for the weekends!

Football

I am not quite sure what to write about our first official football scrimmage.  Overwhelming, nervewracking, frustrating, worry, anger.....mostly any emotion not having to do with happy best explains the morning.  We were at the fields by 7:45 and even with such an early start time the fields were flooded with parents, teams...everything football.  I reminded myself that soccer was much the same way but some how this still seems over the top.  This morning was practice scrimmages, where the teams play 17min offense, then 17min defense, break, 17min defense and ending with a 17min offense....against all different teams.  Basically it is to help the boys get ready for the seasonal games starting next week.  We were as ready as possible, with one practice under our belt I was feeling a lot nervous.  Football I am finding out is all about plays and I was not so sure Brayden had any clue as to what he was supposed to do.  The first offense play was great, yes he did get hammered multiple times while running the ball but he hung in there, although seeing four boys jump on your son basically sends my heart racing, actually I wouldn't have been the least embarrased running on to the field and flinging a  couple of them off my son!  Defense was another story, he was hit over and over...terrible to watch, heartbreaking seeing him brace himself at the line with three huge guys in black ready to eat them up....I hated it and I know he did too.  He came off the field in a terrible mood...I don't like football, everyone is trying to hurt me.....I didn't know what to say???  It really didn't seem like skill would help at that point-I told him this was the one time he could hit, push and let out all his frustration, he looked at me like I was crazy and walked away.  I know that sounded like horrible advise but after seeing all the coaches screaming at their kids, making them run laps and do push-ups, pulling kids off kids because they refused to stop tackling I really didn't think there was much decorum to these games.  He managed the second defense just barely...I couldn't watch.  He was a little excited to try offense again but when I saw we were up  against a Broken Arrow team my heart sank......best in the state and huge guys out for blood, okay maybe not that bad but the hitting was hard and  by the end of the 17minutes I just wanted it all to be over...as did Brayden.  Even though he did score a touch down and did do his share of ball carrying he had had enough and was in tears.  In the end he hated it....hated the coaches yelling and hated getting hurt.  To me the sport seems a bit ridiculous and after Saturday my opinion has only gotten worse.  Moms tell me it is always rough in the beginning and with work it does get better.  We did do some talking to his coach which did help.  Reminding us that football has a lot do to with team and the support of the team as to blocking and protecting each other.  I am hoping they can pull it together so we don't get demolished in the first month!

 

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Some how I find it hard to believe another year is starting....I think all I remember is all the work that comes along with school as did the kids.  No one was excited for meet the teachers the other day except for Andrea...I think because she remembers how much fun Becca and Brayden had in K4.  Andrea has Mrs Oxenham, same as Becca and Brayden.  Becca has Mrs Gregg, and Brayden, Mrs Maney.  Wednesday, at meet the teacher day everyone was a little stimulus overloaded, including myself.  How many information sheets, sign-up sheets can one fill out??  With kids, parents, teachers all excited to see one another it was a lot for one morning...at least for all of us!  I think we were all a little apprehensive about today.
    Becca's comment shortly after pick-up sums up the first day.  "Well, that actually was not as bad as I expected"  it just made me laugh.  And yes, they all came out with huge grins on their faces and hugs for everyone.  Andrea was smooth sailing and the older two were just happy they didn't have any homework to take home.  We will see how next week goes.  On to another wonderful year of learning and growing-acedemically and spiritually, I love seeing my kids grow in more ways than one!

  This was actually taken last night-everyone was up to snuggle before bed.  I love these moments-they sure beat out all the fighting and whining.  I know school is good but sometime I just want to hold these guys close and never let go!

Everyone up and loaded thanks to the best dad.  Turned out I need to get my head out of our summer mode and start paying attention to our schedule....or should I say everyone else's schedules which we have to follow (I miss summer already!) I didn't realize I had a dentist appointment and was told I need to pay if I was going to reschedule.  Needless to say the secretary got and earful but I was in that dentist chair praying for my kids instead of helping them along.  Ron did great and they all got off without a hitch.

Morning assembly before heading off to their classes

ahhhh, back home again.  Endless noise, kids talking over kids, yelling, whining-this is home.  James did do great today, although it is different just having a 2 year old at home.  Much of the day is all about the older kids...little bit of a time warp going back to just hanging out with a little one again.

TIME FOR THE WATERMELLONS TO GO!

Our little fun garden actually turned out quite the produce this summer.  Although most of it went uneaten.  The cucumbers were first to go...endless prickly vines.  They will be cut from the "things to grow" list!  Next was the watermelons.  They were slow to germinate but once they started growing, there was nothing stopping them.  With the super hot temps and sprinkling the vines took over the entire corner of our yard.  I had been pinching them back but being gone about two weeks let them have free reign over the yard.  It was a little too much and  after finding our larger watermelons had some animals holes decided no more watermelon.  What a chore!  The vines attach to any little blade of grass and were actually filled with lots of little "baby" watermelons.  The kids had fun collecting all the little ones...I am just glad to see some grass again!

 The kids had fun carving some out and making more boats, which turned out to a whole lot more buoyant than the cucumbers!

Turned out that after all the work of pulling out the vines they all started from just two plants!  Only thing left is basil and some sad carrots.  Something else that does not grow in the OK clay soil!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA!

Happy Birthday Andrea, FIVE YEARS OLD!  Once again we were in MI over her birthday.  She looks forward to celebrating at the beach every year-one of the main reasons why she is always waiting for summer to arrive.  The other kids are a little jealous of all the fun she gets to have with grandparents and cousins but they do a great job making it her special day.  The day started with church and a special ride in Grandpa's new electric car....yes Brayden did do his share of pouting over this.  We celebrated late  in the afternoon with all the family.  I don't think it really would have  mattered what we did as long as we had cake and sang happy birthday to her.  It was so special for her to have a day centered around her.

This is how I see Andrea, such a little goof with strong opinions as to what she likes and dislikes.  Today was all about happy.  Becca is always sweet on these occasions, always thinking of ways to let Andrea have her way...making Andrea think she is just a a queen for the day.

Andrea got lots of fun gifts, always fun to see her open with her crazy excited expressions.  The cards hold just as much anticipation for her.  She loves seeing what is on the cards-her favorite...baby kittens, and cards from Germany!

Finally her own American Girl Doll-Mckenna, a gymnast.  She was so happy, I was just happy to have it delivered in time.  Hopefully now we don't have to listen to whining about not having a doll to play with Becca's Kanani!  I love Becca's bow, totally her.

 A barbie princess cake-per her request.  The entire cake devoured in one sitting...we needed two with all the hungry mouths!

MICHIGAN VACATION

Just a quick recap before things get crazy around here.   Once again the trip back to our beautiful home in Michigan was filled with lots of fun and lots of family!  The kids played from the moment they got up till they dropped into their beds.  They had sleep overs and played endless dolls, tea party's.  The first week the water was like bath water and every day was spent soaking up the sand and water.  We were never so happy to get out of Oklahoma.  We had finally reached out limit with the heat and summer bleakness that comes with being cooped up inside.  We were spoiled with every type of baked yumminess possible, cakes, pies, candy, chips, fruit.....the list is endless.  Brayden had his share of Penguin attack, gator driving, target shooting, fort playing, fishing.  With only two days of some much needed rain our time was perfect.  It is amazing to look back through pictures and see what we did as the days seem to just fly by.  Seeing baby kitty's, riding ponies, campfires, smores, baby goats...amazing what you can fit into a vacation.  Now it is on to work, school starts and the house work seems daunting after a week of laying around.  Just a couple fun shots of the kids with all the cousins.

 A visit to some goats and chickens was a lot of fun on once raining day-these goats loved to run and jump.  Can you catch a goat?

 The fort built to perfection....Although the girls seemed to enjoy it more than the boys.

Week old kitten...what a find!

Ron did lots of sailing after dealing with broken mast, ripped sail.

 The kitchen was always full with activity...mostly for yummy desserts, purple cows, chocolate cake, peaches and ice-cream.

 Tie-Die shirts was  fun activity one one rainy afternoon. Everyone had a different idea on how they wanted their shirt to look.

 Best lake day ever, sun, warm water and HUGE waves.  My suit was loaded with sand after being tumbled a little too much into the sand bar.

 I think the smiles say it all.  Dan and Jody arrived and the kids couldn't have been more happy to see everyone and be on the beach together.