We are 21 days into our homeschooling journey and we're off to a good start. I think we've settled into a comfortable routine, which allows for A LOT of flexibility, and the boys seem to be enjoying the activities that we plan for the day. The boys wake around 7 and slowly, very slowly, get out of bed and head downstairs. I typically am up an hour or so before they awake and have started their breakfast. usually heads downstairs first and is the one who always asks if his oatmeal is ready? Some days it is, and some days I haven't started preparing it yet, but since we have it every morning, I have it made fairly quickly. Simon isn't thrilled about the idea of oatmeal, but I make sure that his is always ready to go when he comes down so he doesn't have time to think about something that sounds better to him. We wrap up breakfast pretty quickly and the boys get dressed. Ethan is pretty independent when it comes to getting ready and Simon is catching on. He still needs a little assistance every now and then. He has made the switch from diapers to underwear! I'm so proud of him and it was good timing! It was beginning to feel a bit overwhelming having two boys in diapers. We get ready, play for a bit and then sit down at the table for about an hour or so doing various subjects. We try to get Math, History, Language Arts and Handwriting done first. These take the longest and require my attention most of the time. We do some games, fun worksheets, or maybe some sort of craft that I can think of quickly that ties into what we're learning. Simon loves to sit with us and he stays busy either working alongside Ethan or working on his own workbooks. Samuel is usually sleeping at this time for his morning nap but if he's up, he's usually playing independently or on my lap, checking in to what we're doing. Around 10 or 11 we finish up and the boys play, usually outside, depending on the weather. They collect the eggs outside first and then are free to play however they would like. The boys could be out for hours! THey love being outside and if the weather is nice enough, we usually eat outside too! Following lunch is my favorite time of the day, story time. Sometimes, we'll read stories outside but more often than not, we'll be on the couch together reading books. I love this time and can't wait until Samuel is old enough and all four of us can read together curled up on the couch. Then it's quiet time and the younger one's nap and Ethan reads alone. When he's finished up, we work on reading. I enjoy all the one on one time I can get with each boy! It's so special when there's one on one time because I feel like I can really get to know them apart from their brothers. They love each other and oftentimes will act a certain way to go along with how the other is acting or playing so when it's just the one, they are truly themselves and I love this time. That's about it. The boys wake, we play, get ready for Dad to come home and start making dinner. It's a loose schedule, and I think it works well for us! Each day, I'm learning more about how they will best learn and I"m trying to adapt accordingly. It's going to be a trial and error type of year. This is the cake that I made to celebrate Ethan starting school. He wanted Batman on it.

We celebrated the first day by going out to Perfect Games that night. Thomas won the jackpot and won the boys 250 tickets!

Here are the boys playing in the backyard in a teepee that we built together! They love to pretend to be squirrels...or shoot squirrels...Boys!

Summer 2012

Today marks the 3rd of August!  How on earth did the summer fly by so quickly?  It always seems like just when you warm up to the idea of getting out and going to take the family to the pool, the summer is almost gone!  Time sure does seem to go quickly.  Despite the speed at which time seems to travel, our family does a good job at taking moments to enjoy each other, family and friends quite often.  We have had so much fun this summer and even though it does seem like our calendar is always full, the fullness and joy of what fills each day is priceless.  I really do tear up every often because of how blessed I feel to be married to such an incredible man and be given three amazing young boys.  They bring me so much joy and I love every minute with them.  I think every season of their lives has been wonderful, and I've always told them that, however this season right now...surpasses them all!  It just keeps getting better and better.  They are so much fun, each with their unique personalities, strengths and quirks, they all bring so much fun and excitement to the family.  Thomas and I comment often of the wonderful "gifts" that God has given us and how we can't imagine life without them.  Our journey into parenthood seemed to happen very quickly after we were married and not quite as we would have planned (originally) however, we are so glad we did!  Looking back, it's been the best thing for us.  Children have revealed in us where we need pruning and where we each need to strive to be better for the sake of each other and our family.

I love to read and have been reading like crazy ever since I was engaged to marry (I'm not sure why it wasn't really something I enjoyed prior to this however it became such a hobby when I could find a book that would serve as a mentor to me and help me be a better wife/mother) and I am reading a book at the moment by an author whom I adore.  Tim Kimmell writes how your children model you and you say you want to teach them kindness, servants to others, thankful, grateful, patient etc...then you be those things as a parent.  They watch and observe and too often our children see hypocrisy in our what we say and what we do.  Thomas and I are doing our best to be an example to them and then we pray for the rest!  They are in God's hands and we thank Him every day for giving them to us a gifts to love and teach and grow into young men!  What an honor and privilege.

So, yes, this summer has been busy.  Here's what we've been up to.  For 3 years now we have been taking a trip to Minneapolis and staying at a hotel that includes a huge indoor playground and gym with all sorts of balls and trikes.  The indoor playground is 3 stories high and has some of the fastest slides that we've ever been on.  Last year we actually went hiking one night before we stayed at the hotel however this year, we weren't as adventurous and just stayed an extra night in the hotel.  We played at the hotel and went to the Mall of America.  It's become a tradition now that the boys are really looking forward to each year.  The best part, in their minds, would probably be lego land where they can pick out a tub of legos and piece together any sort of creation they can think of.  They were in heaven!  The rides weren't too bad either.  We did end our trip with a dinner at the Rainforest Cafe (a personal favorite).  It's was unfortunate that we were just coming off of some virus (I'm pretty convinced it was the influenza virus) and none of us were that hungry.  Nevertheless, it was a good time and the kids loved all there was to see.

Me and the boys on the 3rd level of the play gym!

Ethan enjoying the fish at Rainforest Cafe

Simon and Daddy riding the Big Rigs!

Daddy and Ethan riding the big roller coaster in Mall of America

July 4th weekend was especially exciting this year because my cousins Summer and Shannon came out to visit with us.  They love the family and we absolutely love them!  We went to the pool, the mall, and did crafts together and played music.  They are amazing musicians and have really inspired me to ramp up my guitar playing and get some new songs in my repertoire.  It was so much fun having them here and time really went by all too quickly.  The boys are already asking when they are coming back next year.  Maybe a trip to Disney altogether would suffice?  Sounds like a good idea to me!

This last week we were in West Branch celebrating Sweet Corn Fest along with Samuel's First Birthday...once again, where did his first year go?  My goodness, my little one is turning 1!  It was a wonderful time with so many laughs and good memories made.  The boys were able to play with other cousins from out of state.  Owen and Nora were there, along with Daniel and Soren Schabilion and Ryker.  The boys had a blast picking and eating corn, playing at Grandma and Grandpas, visiting with Grace and Grant and eating Samuel's bear cake.  The cake was amazing, as usual.  Helen did such a great job constructing a masterpiece out of lots and lots of sugar.  The boys all helped Samuel pick apart the cake and eat every last bit of frosting off of it!  It was a pretty fun time for all the kids.  My parents were able to make it and take part in all the festivities.  We are back now and enjoying the ages 5, 3, and 1!  They are so much fun to watch when interacting with each other.  It really is amazing and wonderful to see the bonds that are beginning to be formed and strengthened.

riding in the covered wagon

picking corn with Grandpa

center stage at the cabin

another ride in the wagon with Daddy

The Birthday Boy with his family

"This is pretty good Mom!"

We are now looking at the last couple weeks of summer.  The sun is still hot and the Iowa State Fair is just around the corned.  My garden has needed watering almost every day due to the severe drought that we have been having.  It has been a good year for the garden.  The beans, beets, and dark greens have been abundant and the tomatoes are beginning to ripen.  Most of the ripe cherry tomatoes don't ever make it into the house because of the boys!  I love it though!  It's the main reason I have a garden!

Catching frogs in the backyard

The garden mid summer

Plantar boxes are home to herbs, peppers, chard, kale and cucumbers.

One more trip to West Branch in a few weeks for Samuel's surgery and then we will be kicking off our school year.  Ethan and Simon are pretty excited although it's not going to look much different from what we are already doing now.  I'm excited about the new schedule and staying inside a bit more to snuggle on the couch and read...especially with hot cocoa!

Spring 2012

I am currently typing on our new iMac computer that Thomas purchased for our family about 2 weeks ago.  We were trying to manage with a laptop with a broken screen hooked up to a monitor that didn't necessarily belong to us along with not having near enough space for all of our pictures.  We had filled up all of our external hard drives and there was no more room for taking pictures on our phones so we decided we could no longer put this purchase off. We needed a new computer otherwise we were going to miss out on taking all the pictures/movies that we wanted this summer!  That wasn't an option, so I am feeling very blessed right now with a lovely computer that will hold all the pictures we want to take and more!  I haven't been able to blog so I am taking the next week or two to try and get caught up.  This brings us to spring 2012.

It was a very mild spring, beautlifuyl weather and early planting.  Thomas was pretty busy through March, April and May.  He did have the help from Andy and Logan which was awesome!  He worked so hard and we are so proud of him.  When Dad was gone, we hung out outside quite a bit in the evenings.  There were a few nights that we would walk down to the river by our house and skip rocks or find cool things to look at.  I would strap Samuel in the carrier and off we'd go.  THe boys love going down to the river and we have even taken their sling shots (from grandma and grandpa) and Thomas has showed them how to safely shoot a rock in the river.  They think it's pretty cool!

The boys and I at the river by our house

Yes, those are slingshots!

Ethan has a good aim!

Samuel loves the carrier!  I love being hands free!   

This spring Thomas and I have been talking quite a bit about homeschooling as Ethan is approaching his Kindergarten year this fall.  We have decided to take it on a year by year basis and give it try this year.  I attended the Iowa Homeschool Conference in June and learned so much and we're pretty excited about getting started.  I have purchased a curriculum that I think the boys are going to love.  The curriculum is designed to work with multiple skill levels and I think Simon will probably enjoy sitting in on some of the learning.  He already loves being apart of what we're doing.  The books that are included in the literature collection are some of my favorite classic children's books!  I don't really know how all the scheduling is going to work out, but I'm kind of in the "go with the flow" category when it comes to my homeschooling style.  We're really looking forward to creating some special bonds between all the boys and doing some special things as a family this year.  I have checked out almost every homeschooling book from the library and committed this summer to reading all that I can on the topic.  I'm learning a lot and ready to begin.

Working on handwriting!  Not sure what Ethan's thinking :)

This was our first year in a long time celebrating Easter at home.  We hid some Easter eggs for the boys and they had a blast hunting for their easter baskets from Grandma.  We spent some time with my family and all the cousins in Ames were able to get together and hang out.

Finishing up Easter Egg Hunt in our backyard.  Thanks Easter bunny for sending some goodies!

The boys love this park (Roosevelt School) and one night we decided to go and play in the puddles.  

Yes, we are proud soccer parents!  Ethan joined Ames Soccer Club this season and had a blast!  Simon is anxious to play now too!

Ethan in action!

Fun at the park.  He LOVES swings!

Veisha Parade

No caption needed!

Chickens!

So, about a year ago, I got a lot of requests to have chickens and raise them in our backyard.  I was pretty sure I did NOT want these birds in our yard as I didn't want the added responsibility and nothing really appealed to me about having them.  That was a year ago.  SInce then the idea has come up several times and after talking to a friend of mine down the street who has 8 chickens and loves the fresh eggs, I decided to look into it.  Thomas felt the same as I did a year ago and expressed that he didn't like the idea much either.  After we discussed it over a period of a couple weeks and after a few trips to Theisens to marvel at the cuteness of all those chicks, I was sold on the idea and Thomas wasn't far behind.  The practicality of it seemed a little daunting but we jumped right in and figured that the details would all work themselves out after we made the initial commitment.  And they did!

Here we are at Theisen's picking up 6, day old baby chicks!  Ethan was pretty excited to hold them.   Simon was excited about eating popcorn!

For the first couple weeks, we set them up in a bin in the garage.  

Our 6 baby chicks!

The chickens lived in our garage for about 2 months.  We periodically let them out in the yard when they were little so they could have some fresh air.  THe boys loved corralling them and keeping them in our yard.  They really do stay together and don't wander to far.  They have grown really fast and now, they are about 4 months old and almost full grown.  Grandpa Fawcett was kind enough to build us an amazing chicken coop out of some wood that he had.  The coop is beautiful and more than we could imagined it would be.  These chickens are very spoiled.  THey have a ton of space to live in along with their own nesting boxes and roosting bars.  They have a window that we can open and a door that let's us get in and out of the coop.  There is also a door that raises and lowers so that during the day, they can get out into the caged in run and at night can be closed inside to keep them safe from critters.  The other night, the top of their caged in run was caved in which was probably due to a raccoon trying to get them.  Luckily we had locked them inside, which occasionally we forget to do.  A good reminder that they need to be locked in every night!!!  We have had one causality.  The boys were playing with them inside the coop and one was trying to escape out of the chicken door.  Simon let go of the rope and the chicken was partly outside and got stuck under it.  Ethan tried to save it but unfortunately, it lost it's life.  THe boys were both pretty upset but we took the opportunity to teach them a lesson about death and as we buried the chicken the boys felt better that she was out of pain.

Ethan helped set up the chicken coop

Here is the chicken coop set up behind our house.  We have since built an outdoor run.

So we on on an adventure with our new "pets".  Ethan now tells people that we have "5 new pets".  We have not given them names as someday, they might be placed in front of us at our kitchen table.  This is what Thomas tells me.  I am not opposed to doing it however, I will NOT be eating chicken that night.   The chickens are fun to have around and the boys are slowly taking on more and more responsibility with feeding them and changing their water.  They should start laying eggs in about 1 month.  THat's exciting!!!

This is random, but Thomas just got his new truck.  We are very excited and it is beautiful!  We have already had a ride in it!  It's even a smoother ride than the toyota.  

Simon Turns 3!

Simon wasn't sure what he wanted for his 3rd Birthday so with a little guidance, we came up with an under the sea, disco party!  He was very excited about having a "Monstro" cake (Monstro is the blue whale from Pinnochio) and he absolutely LOVES balls so we bought a disco ball, set it on blue, and hung it in the basement.  We hung streamers all down the basement steps to look like you were entering the bottom of the ocean and I painted all sorts of sea animals and hung them all around.

The disco ball and cake table

I made a ball themed cake made out of m&m's

Grandma Fawcett made an amazing Monstro cake.  It even had edible teeth!

This is a picture of the basement steps, walking down under the sea!

All the cousins!

The Birthday Boy!

The Sanchez family was able to join us along with Troy, Leanna, Grace and Vincent, Jon and Hanna, and Gaga and Papa.  Gradma and Granpa stayed with us for the weekend as well.  We played games, read stories, made bead necklaces and danced under the disco ball.  It was a fun way to celebrate turning 3!  It's hard to believe he's growing up so fast.  He's a wonderful boy and we love having him a part of our family.  He continues to absolutely love playing with balls (basketball is a favorite) and he is adamant about wearing "soccer shorts"  He loves wrestling and getting dirty!  We love his personality as he is full of energy and loves his big brother Ethan.

Getting Caught Up!

Yes, March is quickly approaching and my last post was before Christmas! Yikes, so much has happened and there haven't been many nights where I don't lie in bed and think about the fact that it's been so long since I updated the blog! I thought the title would be fitting since this will be a post to get caught up on the past 3 months.

Sadly, this post and maybe a few to come will be without an photos because we have lost a computer to water damage and haven't gotten the new one set up for uploading photos yet. We should get this set up soon as I feel like there are so many events that have been so fun and need pictures to accurately portray the excitement that we've had.

Yes, we have lost a few personal items in our home and even though these were all accidents, Thomas and I are beginning to ask each other why it is that we continue to buy nice things while we have 3 little boys in our home. The computer was spilled on by a pitcher of water and our new flat screen television was cracked by some sort of flying object. The kids aren't aware of when this happened and how it happened, but we are sure that something happened and cracked our screen. At first what seemed to be a minor crack and black spot in the bottom right hand side of the screen has now turned in to a television that will not even turn on. We were all a little shaken up and disappointed but now realize that our next tv must be covered! We should have thought about that in the first place.

Ethan had his 5 year check up this morning and is growing right on track. He was a man of few words with the doctor but managed to be polite, answer all her questions, and pass all the tests! He did great and we are so proud of him. Simon was anxiously observing as he knows that his 3 year check up is coming up soon and wants to be well informed of how this goes. Ethan did not have any vaccinations today...Simon has 4 coming up! It's not going to be fun. During his last check up, the pediatrician was pretty impressed that he could say "no thank you" to all of her requests. I told her that he says no so much that I at least wanted him to be polite about it. We'll see how this one goes.

EThan had a carnival party in December for his Birthday. He shared his day with Ava and we all had a blast! We had face painting, ball tosses, crafts, a trampoline, and Thomas stole the show! He performed a magic show and juggling act for the kids which in my opinion, made the party one of a kind! It was awesome! I did take a few pictures and will get them posted when I can. Grandma Fawcett made Ethan and Ava's cake. It was a clown cake that THomas had when he was just a kid. It was pretty nostalgic for him and Helen did a great job with the cake and cupcakes to match! What a fun party!!!

January was a warmer than usual month. We were actually able to play outside several afternoons and despite the fact that we have had very little snow, the boys have still enjoyed bundling up and being out in the cold temperatures...as long as they know that there will always be a cup of hot cocoa waiting inside for them! I love treating them and it's become such a sweet time with them as we come in, sip on cocoa and read a couple books together on the couch. There is something so precious about it...moments I will cherish forever.

The time really is going by fast. Samuel is already 6 months old! He is doing great! He loves to smile and giggle, is quite ticklish, loves his older brothers, especially when they jump up and down and has recently learned to blow bubbles! He is sleeping much better and really loves his bed! He loves baby cereal and so far has expanded his diet to include squash and sweet potatoes. Next on the list...peas, or maybe green beans! I'll never forget Ethan's first reaction to green beans. Hilarious and it would be pretty funny to see a similar response from Samuel. What a blessing he has been and such a wonderful addition to our family. THe boys love him so much and his smiling just melts our hearts!

Ethan is now pretty engaged in a kindergarten curriculum and enjoying all that he is learning. I am learning quite a bit too! It's been so much fun teaching him new things and watching his mind take off. He loves all things science and we have been enjoying finding information of certain topics at the library or online together. He is also beginning to read! He is pretty excited that there are a few books in which he can complete on his own. We have started with BOB books and he has already finished the first set! We are so proud of him and love that he absolutely loves to read and be read to. I have developed a new love for books as well. It is definitely a favorite activity that we do together.

Simon is now covering some preschool material. He joins us at the table and oftentimes will even join the discussion or activity. He is very quick to pick up on things and oftentimes, when I think he's not even listening, he will fill in the blanks! He loves shapes, colors and is beginning to write some of his letters. He is meticulous and oftentimes I might have to give him a bit of extra encouragement to complete something that doesn't come quite so easy to him. He is very creative and very articulate. He continues to love balls. Anything that is round and rolls or can be bounced. He loves marbles, rocks, any kind of sports ball, and super balls. He pretty much has a collection of every kind of ball you can imagine. THis year, for his third birthday, we are having an under the sea ball party (he also loves blue whales). I will continue to post about the party as I think it's going to be a great one! We have some great ideas on how to transform our basement into an under the water experience. It should be fun!

Thomas and I are oh so busy, but feeling more and more blessed every day. We have found new ways to create special times together. ONe of our new favorite things to do together is have a date night in! When we combine our efforts, it's worth the all the hard work to make it happen. I tidy up the basement, set up a nice candlelit table, prepare a special dinner while he puts the kids to bed. We wait to eat until the kids go to bed and enjoy an uninterrupted meal together oftentimes with a glass of wine and soft music playing. The basement seems so serene and quiet and there are no toys in sight! It's a wonderful way to enjoy our time together and reconnect in a way that is practical for our season of life. We do try and get out together once a month though as we both value the kids being used to a babysitter.

There is so much going on but so much joy in it all! We love our family. We feel so blessed by each of the children and love them so much. God continues to be faithful to guide us and extend grace to us. We are so unworthy of His love and grace and find so much fulfillment in living daily as His servants!

Christmas 2012

A lot has happened since I blogged last. In my defense and what has been the biggest contributor to my lack of posts...Simon spilled water all over my laptop and it is now sitting on a desk in the basement, opened up, drying out and completely fried! Yes, we were able to recover the pictures and some other data and unfrotunatley, this isn't rhe first time our household ahs ruined a cpmuter. So now, we are set up in the basement at a desk with a nice large monitor and a Mac that Thomas used to use until it flew off the hood of his car! It works fine but the screen is shattered. ANyway, it's working great for now and I'm actually liking the fact that it is immobile and can't get spilled on, sat on, jumped on, spit up on, etc...Now, here we are, a month later and I do my best to get caught up with where we are at in life!

Christmas came and went so quickly but not wihtout a lot of laughs and good times! The boys had a blast in West Branch prior to Christmas Day with cousins, friends and family.