Mormon Market Ad

One of my readers has asked that I mention their website www.mormonmarket.com .  They didn't give me any incentive to do so except some nice comments on my other blog when I was complaining about stuff.  Anyway, they don't have a huge selection, but they seem nice and I want to support anyone who is trying to do a good thing, and I think they are.  We all have to start somewhere right?  Go check it out at least!!

Thanksgiving Week

We had 2 good full days of school.  #3 passed his 3B math test- Yay!!.  The girls are moving much too slow through pre-algebra so we're going to have to speed that up although, they seem to understand it fine, they have a hard time staying focused on it and finishing in a timely manner.  They had another Latin class since their dad was extremely busy at work they got a little break, but the NLE is in March, so they will have to hustle there also.  #1 needs to focus on reading the scriptures on her own.  She reads a lot and enjoys it, but it's about time to move on to harder stuff.  I think scripture reading will help her make that leap.  Once the Latin exam is over I will have her start reading some classical literature as well as the Gateway to the Great Books series which consists of several papers on all different topics.  One thing I need to make sure I do with her is either have her write a paper on what she read or talk to me about it.  Academics just don't come easy to her.  I have to follow through with her better than I have been.  I don't think she's getting much out of her American History book, because of my lack of follow through.  In character, art and music, I couldn't ask for more of her.  We all have our weaknesses I guess.  #2 is super easy to teach and moniter academically because she gets things so quickly, but character wise we really have to work on especially when she's tired.  She's grown up a lot though and has been very helpful.

We pretty much let the kids stay up late and watch movies and play the wii all weekend long.  We all needed the break.  The boys are moving along just fine in their workbooks, it's so much easier to teach them since I've been through it with the girls, I know what things will be helpful to add and which things are probably not as worthwhile.

We got our Christmas tree on Saturday and it's all decorated.  We've got most of our Christmas stuff out and we've been enjoying the music on the radio.  We also got our main Christmas gift-- a mother and baby goats.  They are really cute and the kids love playing with them.  I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I think it will be easier than driving to milk daily and it will be cheaper than buying the goats milk.  Is is worth it?  I don't know yet.  I was having some serious anxiety about it the other night, but if it doesn't work out, we can sell the baby and keep the mother at our friend's house and still milk her like we were before, so I think it will be O.K.  I've been doing a cleanse though, and I'm really tired of it and ready to be done, so I don't think my mind is quite as straight as it should be.  Good luck to me this week!

Life-- what's been going on

This week went fairly well.  We were better at cleaning up after ourselves which always makes the days run smoother.  The kids all finished their assignments for the week.  We only had an official group time once.  I read scriptures with them and had them recite and practice our Christmas song in the car while we were waiting for #4's eye appt. to start, so I feel a little bad about that but we had some fun things going on this week.  I'm proud of all the kids for working hard and finishing their assignments.  We even got piano in again- except for #1-  I'll have to do it first thing in the morning. 

Also, one morning I was doing aerobics right before lunch-  I've decided that in order to keep my sanity I have to exercise at least 20 min. a day-- if I can't spare 20 min. for myself to do that- then I'm doing something wrong.  So anyway, I felt like doing an easy aerobic workout of which there are a few on netflix- so I was doing my 10 min at a time workouts and all the kids were just sitting around watching the T.V. so I made them do it with me and told them it's part of school.  It was a fun active workout- we turned the volume up high and I think everybody had a good time even though they complained at first.  I'm going to try to incorporate that into school- just 10 min. worth-- we should be able to make time for that right?  at least a couple times a week.

We had a fun party at the Classic Fun Center for #2's birthday Tuesday night.  All the girls, but 2 she invited were from our new homeschool group and ward.  I am so thankful for all the new people we've met.  I love our homeschool group.  Everybody is very nice and I just  like being around them all.  They've all done a great job with their various assignments and my kids all feel comfortable and welcomed.  I'm so thankful for my girls to finally have some good friends.  They both love it.  The driving is getting to be extremely difficult- it is just so far and so hard to keep everybody happy that long- and we are still uncertain about even getting our lot still after 3 months!!!  Anyway- it's hard to keep positive and to keep faith and hope that our house will actually work out and that we will be able to move because things just don't happen for us.  Anyway, that is topic for my other blog.  But we are benefiting by going and being around these new friends we've made, and #2 had a great party.

We got to see some old friends this week.  One of our favorite homeschooling families who left us came over for a little bit on Saturday, and that was a joy.  I got to visit with some old high school friends on Wednesday, and my old neighbor brought her sons over to play on Saturday too.  I love having people over- not only for the nice times, but also for all the picking up and cleaning help I get.  I almost got to mop the kitchen floor-- maybe this week!

So overall, it was a good week.  We have to keep on going.  We are a little behind in pre-algebra and latin for the girls.  We will take Thurs. and Friday off for Thanksgiving, but we should be able to get a lot done the other 3 days.  I love not having commitments-- this week should be commitment free-  I'm looking forward to just having time to work with the kids and get stuff done!!

This was a boring, but very good week.  The kids finally got all their schoolwork done.  We didn't have any outside obligations especially since little #7 wasn't feeling well so all we had to do was work.  We started Miracle Music again which really is a lifesaver.  It's awesome to watch all the kids running to make their beds in time for the music.  I exercised Mon., Tues. and Wed.  I always miss Friday because our co-op is so dang early in the morning, and I was planning to run on Thurs. but I never made it out the door, but I felt much more in control this week and things moved smoothly.  We even had piano lessons and science experiments.  I have to take those 20 min. for exercise.  I'll try to get up earlier this week which of course begins the night before.  Also, it is clear to the girls that instrument practice should be done before or after school hours, and 5 hours a day are set aside for academic subjects.  So far so good!

The kids went to their first football game on Sat. It was cold, but fun for them. They were bundled up good.  The girls made a short film with our co-op on Friday based on Home Alone.  It was pretty funny.
On Monday night they dressed up like pilgrims and indians and performed with their ukelele class for a retirement center.  I was very proud of them all.  Life is good!  

We've got a lot going on this week.  I hope it all goes well and that we'll be able to do science and piano lessons and all the regular stuff again.  We are definitely going to have to get up earlier in order to do so !

Review of the week-- good and bad

We had group time 4 days this week and starting learning time of day and time telling vocabulary for Spanish.  We all love group time, we've been reading Chicken Soup for the Soul series and the kids love that the stories are set in modern times and it gives me an opportunity to explain a lot of things that are just common knowledge, but not to these little ones.  I also enjoy discussing the scriptures with them, and they are really learning a lot.  We had some fun singing time games to make it go quicker and it was good. 

The boys finished most their assignments.  We've had some trouble keeping track of our books this week, but I think we'll take away wii minutes for not having them.  The girls did most of their assignments but they didn't finish.  I told them that they need to be working for at least 5 hours a day not including piano, but including group time which is about an hour for them, then I send them off to do their work and keep going with the boys a little later.   When I see them talking to each other I tell them that that doesn't count, and it has helped some, but they are not as far along as I had hoped, so we're really going to have to buckle down this week and get started earlier.

We went to the Bean Science Museum at BYU where they have all kinds of real stuffed animals.  The kids really enjoyed it and I think they learned some new things about animals and living things.

The twins were really hard this week, the non-climbing twin would not stay in his crib to sleep, so not only did he not sleep, taking away my precious 2 hours of not taking care of them, he got his brother to get up and he was super cranky and just wanted to be held all the time.  So we put the side back up on his crib and I think I will feel much better and actually get some things done!!  Not a bad week week considering we had Halloween and a birthday celebration.  I was pretty cranky, but my husband took me on a date, helped organize the kids to clean the house and gave me some time to crash.  I feel rejuvenated and ready for this week.  Also, I love daylight savings.  And I have to exercise-- I only do it for 20 min,. a day, but it is 20 min I take for myself and when I don't get it, I am cranky!  Priorities!!!