First Few Hours of Nemo

Posting twice in one day...almost a record.  ha.

While the kids waited for enough snow to play in, they busied themselves making forts, shooting Nerf guns and generally wreaking havoc all over the house.  

The snow started coming down pretty heavy in the afternoon and the kids wanted to go out to play.  It was already close to getting dark but out they went.

I followed and took some pictures from the shelter of the garage.  The snow is coming down so thick that the camera can't focus correctly. 

Building a snowman

Storm Nemo

We are battening down the hatches for the Nor' Easter on steroids that is baring down on us.  It is snowing now and we are as prepared as we can be.

Our area of New England is expected to get 2-3 feet of snow with hurricane force winds.   That translates into widespread power outages.

Noooo....say it ain't so.
No power means no toilets, no heat, and worst of all....no hair dryer.
HA!  A girl has her priorities...
Just.Shoot.Me.Now.

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE a good blizzard.  It's fun to be inside watching the snow come down and being snowed in.  It's fun to do puzzles, drink hot chocolate and sit by the fire.

So as long as we can keep our power, we will be snug as bugs in a rug.
If you don't get fun pictures from me tomorrow on this blog, you will know that the worst has happened and we are without power.

Praying that people stay safe, the homeless have a place to go, and that those impacted by Hurricane Sandy aren't hit again (although the weather man seems to think they will be).

Right now the kids are running amok with Nerf guns...yelling like hyenas as they race through the house.  The snow isn't deep enough yet to be worth getting all dressed for it, so they are biding their time.
I will be sending them out when my ears can't take it anymore...

If we really do get two feet of snow, I can hardly wait to see our dog attempt to go outside to do her business.  She isn't 3 feet tall herself.  haha
Photo op!

Let the adventure begin!

Saturday School

Homeschool - Week 2

We had several good days and one awful, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

Today--Saturday--three kids came and asked if they could get started on school.  I gleefully told them that it was Saturday.  They said, 'We don't care.  Can we still do school?"

Um....

I guess so.  If you want to do some work sheets by yourselves.
'Cause this Mama is NOT doing school today.

A few minutes later, I was telling Jeff that several of the kids requested to do school on Saturday, and Kate piped up,
"Not me!  I'm gonna be a slug today."

And there you have it.  I have some over-achievers and some not-so-eager achievers.
I'll let you guess which ones make mommy have awful, horrible, no good, very bad days.
Ha.

It has become apparent that a few of my ADHD/ADD kids are going to be a bit of a challenge.  And that is okay.  I just need to adjust to them and figure out how to keep all of us from having those no good, very bad days. 
Well...that...and a bit of daily chocolate bribery. 
I'm not above that.

Here are some pictures of the Saturday school team.

And a few from earlier in the week...

I have been asked what video curriculum we are using.  We are actually using two different ones.  The four oldest kids are using Abeka and the four youngest are using BJU.   The reason for that is that the younger kids were already doing BJU at their school and came home with several of the workbooks.  BJU was running a special on their streaming videos and allowing them to be ordered ala carte, so we decided to stick with the little kids curriculum and use BJU for the rest of the year.  Abeka is less expensive, so we may be doing all Abeka for everyone next year. 

Homeschool, WHAT?!

Anyone who knows me will know that I am a poor candidate to be a homeschool mom.
It's not that I don't like the idea.
It's that I stink at teaching school.
Part of the reason is that I just don't enjoy it and don't want to do it.
Nor do I like doing any type of 'kid' activity.
Hence...the poor candidate I am.

Not liking kid activities also makes me a poor candidate to be the mom of 10 kids.
But God wanted to show others that He is still in the business of doing miracles.
So He gave us 10 kids.
And they are reasonably well adjusted in spite of my weaknesses in many areas.
I do adore them.  They are the source of incredible blessing to me.

About a month or so ago, I was asked to share our adoption story with some of the women at our church.  I explained to them how I was not cut out to be the mom of a large brood but that God had stepped in a picked up the slack.  (Lots and lots of slack.)  I was encouraging them to step out in faith if God was leading them to do something that seemed crazy and it was on the tip of my tongue to say, "You know...like me homeschooling or something like that."

I'm pretty sure I didn't utter those words out loud.
I know from past experience that if I do say something like, "I won't,"  or "I'll never," it won't be long before God will say, "Oh yes you will."
He laughs when He says that.
It's not a mean kind of thing.  He doesn't force me.  He just invites me in a very persuasive kind of way.
And I can't resist Him.
Mostly because I have learned that if He asks me to do something, there is a ton of blessing involved and it's in my best interest to go along with Him.
So basically, it's selfish on my part.
I want the blessing.

So recently, He started in with the homeschooling thing.
Um...really?
Me?
You DO remember that I tried this once and was an EPIC FAIL, right?

Yes, He remembered.
But He had a different plan.
One that involved video teaching so that I don't teach the subjects...I just make sure they are doing them and grade their tests, etc.
But wait....I tried something similar and failed at that too.

Nevermind....

He continued to lay it on my heart and gave me lots of Scripture DAILY with things like, "Don't be afraid."  "I'll be with you."
He reminded me that our income had been shrinking lately and it might behoove me to find a way to cut our expenses.  (Thank you, Mr. Obama.  Not that I'm bitter...just speaking the truth.)

I asked the kids if they would want to be homeschooled.
They did.
Their response was enthusiastic, to put it mildly.

Everyone knows that once you mention something to a kid, you HAVE to do it or they will bother you incessantly until you follow through.
We parents just can't stand up to the reproachful eye of a 7 year old who says, "But you SAID you would."

So we took the plunge.
We ordered the videos and books.
They came in box after box.
And I wanted to cry.
I was so completely overwhelmed.
I sent a distress signal via text to Jeff...."We needs more shelves!"
We have an IKEA not far from where he works and he headed over there and brought us a bookcase with cubbies so we could put the incredibly huge amount of stuff away.  Love that store...cheap and decent quality.

By the third day we were crying.  I was so frustrated trying to figure out the schedule.  After I apologized for losing it, we all decided to soldier on and make the best of things.

And it got better.  I've been praying a lot.  God is amazing.  He always comes through!

Let's recap, shall we?
I am not cut out for this.
AT ALL.
But God is....
And He gives me what I need.

I realized at the end of every tiring day....
I had JOY in my heart.
The kind of joy that comes from God when we obey Him.  A supernatural kind of joy that makes no sense.
Because obviously, homeschooling 8 kids shouldn't fill a person like me with JOY.  {snicker...}

And the kids?  They LOVE it!  They have been telling me over and over how much they love being homeschooled and in spite of my pathetic attempts, they say they love having me for a teacher!  SaraGrace says she wants to be homeschooled for the rest of her life.   All I can say to that is that God is still in the business of performing miracles.

We have had so much fun together (even though we had those moments of crying)! 

I am so thankful that He has called us to do this!  I am looking forward to what He will do with ALL of us as we spend each day together.

I took some pictures of the older kids in their PJ's doing school but since they are party-poopers, they have forbidden me from posting any of them.

So here are some boring iPhone shots of the 'school room.'

All of their pencils, erasers, etc. are in buckets with their names on them.  They can carry them around the house if they are doing their work in a different room.  The older kids don't want the little kids in the school room when they are on the computer, so the little ones come down to the kitchen to do their workbooks.

They each have a cubby--which SaraGrace informed me was for kindergartner's--and I informed her that I didn't much care.  Baaahahahahahaha   That pile of paper in the right corner is a huge paper chain they made on Friday that stretches from one end of the house to the other.  We are going to try to hang it up.  The curriculum came with an art project for each week but since we are starting in the middle of the year, they can do the projects from the first semester.  They did one each day and had so much fun.  I think I'm going to have to find an art idea website for them.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller?

I will keep you posted on our adventure. 

Round Two of Sickness

Just when we thought that all the sickness was gone from our house...

Round Two.

This time, Chloe, Molly and Mommy succumbed.

I forgot how crummy you can feel with a fever and a cough.  I'm just glad I'm in my own house and not on a trip.

The doctor is sending Tamiflu prescriptions for SaraGrace and Kate since they have somehow miraculously escaped illness.  With their compromised hearts, it's not good for them to get the flu.

I would add a picture of Chloe, Molly and I sitting on the couch with blankets, but it would seriously disturb you and burn your retina's

So I will spare you.
You're welcome.

Update on My Dad

My dad had a biopsy yesterday on the tumor in his bladder.  It was not good news.  It has grown from the size of a quarter to the size of a softball since August.

The doctor is going to discuss things with the oncologists and come up with a plan.  There is a possibility that they can go in and remove the tumor but we won't know until next week if that is going to be a viable option.

My parents are both tired and my mom is very sad.  But they are hanging on to God and He is walking them through this.

My dad was able to write his life story for his grandchildren and presented it to all of us at Christmas.  It was so cool to read the stories--many of which I have heard--but some I had not.  We also spent some time reminiscing about my dad's sense of humor and the jokes he had played on people over the years.

My mom came into the room and said, "Yeah....he pulled one on me last week at the hospital."  They have just started going to Cleveland Clinic for treatment, so all the doctors are new to them.  They have a doctor named, Dr. Stein.  My dad told my mom that Dr. Stein's assistant's name was Dr. Franken.  My mom, not expecting a joke from a very sick husband, thought nothing of it.
Until...
She came back from lunch one day and asked my dad, "Has Dr. Franken been in to see you yet?"
My dad gave her a look and then started laughing.
Yeah.
There is no dynamic-duo-doctors named Franken Stein.

We all went into gales of laughter imagining the look on the assistant's face if my mom had actually addressed him as Dr. Franken.
hahahahahahahahahahahaha

The little kids are completely impressed by my dad's ability to take a handful of meds in one gulp.  They all cluster around to watch the spectacle. 
My dad always says, "Down the hatch!" 
And the kids all chorus, "Down da hatch!"
They find this mesmerizing.

Here are a series of pictures of the morning event.

Getting ready to watch Grandpa down his meds.

"Need any help, Grandpa?"

This is truly fascinating.

"Down the hatch!"

Success!

"Good job, Grandpa!"

Oh Snowy Day!

 

We woke up to this beautiful view out our back door.

 

So pretty!

Most of the kids were feeling well enough to play (or so they said), so I let everyone except Jordan go out in the snow.  He just wasn't well enough to get cold and wet today.

 

After church, it was time to play. They were so excited they could hardly wait!

Miraculously, we had enough snow pants and boots for everyone.  They didn't necessarily match but they worked.  Zoey's boots were a bit too big for her but it didn't hold her back.  At all.  I did make a Target run so that she can wear something that fits better tomorrow.  Bless her heart for not complaining!

I know....if I was a better prepared mommy, I would have rummaged around in the basement to inventory their boots prior to today.

Gah.

When there aren't enough saucers and sleds for everyone, a summer surf board is better than nothing.

Wheee!

Jillian's mittens...she needs some waterproof ones.

Zoey:  Mom...can I take my leg off?
Me:  No.
Zoey:  But it already got stuck between two rocks and fell off.  And now there is a lot of snow stuck to the ankle part. {She had put it back on at this point.}
Me:  Oh, poor Zoey!  But you have to keep it on because you can't hop all over the yard in deep snow.

 

Sledding should always be followed by mugs of hot chocolate.

 

I had quite a line up of mugs to fill.

And yeah.... I put that first one there on purpose when I framed the shot.

 

Christmas cookies and hot chocolate.  YUM!  

Poor Jordan was still coughing a lot but maybe tomorrow he can play in the snow.

 

Rosy cheeks, static-y hair, and a mug of hot chocolate.

 

"So, Jordan.  Tell me what you did when we were outside.  I really want to know."

 

The aftermath of wet snowpants, coats, boots, hats and mittens.

Ahhh....childhood moments of sledding, building forts and being willing to have your feet frozen off just for the fun of playing in the snow.

Good times.

Well...that was interesting...

We had big plans to visit my parents and Jeff's parents over Christmas break.

But alas....the best laid plans of mice and men can certainly go awry. 
And they did.
In the form of sickness.
Apparently 3/4's of the United States is battling a nasty flu-like virus.
And now we are part of that statistic.

Jillian fell prey within hours of arriving at my parents.  She spent Christmas Eve day and Christmas Day pretty much quarantined and in bed with a fever.

We still had hopes of her getting well enough to soldier on to Iowa, but that was not to be.  The day after Christmas, she was fever-free but Jordan and Zoey were not.

We wanted to take ourselves and our germs out of my parents' house to protect them, but there was a snowstorm from Cleveland to New England. 
We couldn't go west to Iowa and we couldn't go east to get home.
We were goin' nowhere.

So we put the sickies in a room with a TV and movies and waited for daylight.
The kids were no better the following morning so we packed up and headed for home.
Thirteen and a half hours later, we were home safely.
But very bummed not to get to see Jeff's family in Iowa.  Wah.

God must have a plan that we do not yet see.

Tonight we have two more sick kids, so I guess it was a wise decision to shorten our trip and head back to the barn.

We DID have a wonderful time while we were there, though!
We saw Ryan!
We ate yummy food.
We spent quality time with my parents.
We ate yummy food.
We enjoyed seeing my dad's brother and his wife.
We ate yummy food.

I need to go to the gym.
I say that like it ever happens.
ha.
Or is ever likely to happen.

Here are a few pictures.  I tried to mostly get shots of my dad and the kids together and didn't get too many during the Christmas-present-opening and ensuing bedlam.

Singing Christmas Carols 

The three youngest kids sing a Christmas carol to Grandpa

Katie-bug opens her favorite present of the year.

Ryan's present to Chloe.  They have been best buddies since she was a baby.

 

Bedtime stories

The photos below are courtesy of my Uncle Jim.

Ryan helps his younger cousins put their new toys together

Cousins!!

Group shot!  (Jillian doesn't even look like she has a fever...)

 

Sadly, we did not think to do a family picture of just us with Ryan.  wah.
In fact, I have no decent pictures of Ryan because he is so camera shy.

Now we are home and thankful that we were able to see Ryan and spend Christmas with my parents.  Looks like we will hunker down and use lots of kleenex and cough medicine for the next few days as we ring in the New Year. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My Dad

I really have neglected this blog lately.  Life just seems to get away from me.

I wanted to post an update on my dad.  He has been having a lot of complications and bleeding that have landed him in ER numerous times.   He went to Cleveland Clinic this week to see if they had better ideas to try to stop the bleeding.  They did.  We were encouraged and optimistic.

They did a surgical procedure today--thinking they would cauterize the tumors in his bladder that are bleeding.

The doctor was not able to get to the tumor(s).  There was too much scar tissue and cancer.  So...this means that he will have to live with the frequent bleeding episodes that cause incredible pain.

He does have the option of one more procedure that might possibly make him more comfortable but it would involve a major surgery. 

I know my parents would appreciate prayer as they decide what to do...and just prayer in general as they walk this road of cancer.

We will be with him for Christmas and are going to try to make it a very special one.

In Her Own Words...Molly on her trip to Haiti

 My life-changing event.  (My trip to Haiti)
      "So, what did you do?" That was the first question my mom asked me when I 
walked into the door from coming home. I actually was thinking about writing 
this down, as the first question that anyone asked me after coming back from my 
first Missions Trip. Well I guess this kind of counts. I felt like saying, "mom, I 
went to Haiti there's a lot of things I did."   
     Well here's how it all started...our trip starting from when we landed into 
Haiti.  When we landed I knew that there was no turning back. This is it, the 
moment we've all waited for. When you look out of the window right then 
you know that it's not the same in America, of course.
       That day we took a little tour around the area.  That little tour just 
that alone would change a person's thought of  what poor meant.  What we saw 
were houses broken down, kids that weren't all the way dressed, some of them 
were even naked. They also were dirty, they looked like they haven't eaten for a 
long time, but they weren't complaining at all. They all had smiles on there 
faces and it was also hot out, and they didn't have any air conditioning. It was 
heart breaking.  When we came back we talked about it a lot, but that was still 
the first day, the day that we landed. We went to church the next day, and there 
was A LOT of people there. We went to three different church services that day, 
all before lunch time. The people there worship God almost all day, think about 
it, they don't really have anything and they sing their hearts out, plus it's 
also really early in the morning.
     I also worked with kids for three days. Every day they would all line up 
outside and sing their school song, it was really cool.  We acted out Bible 
stories, and sang songs in Creole and in English. They loved it we did crafts 
with them, they would sort of pull your arms and say 'sheeta' which means sit down 
down in Creole. They really liked it when we would sit by them we would sing 
with them, and they would just look at you right in the face and smile. Their 
smiles will just melt your heart. I also worked with the medical team.  I helped 
out with the reading glasses, we would give them something  to read, and if they 
said that it wasn't clear, we would give them a pair of reading glasses. The 
last day I helped with the construction team, we helped build walls around a 
high school. We hauled concrete. It was a lot of work to haul buckets of 
concrete all day. This is what the Haitian men have to do just for one high 
school. They didn't have any of those fancy machines, let's just say they didn't 
have all of those special equipment to build a high school. So, we helped them. 
      Our last full day in Haiti was our "day off" we went up to the mountains 
and to a restaurant and we had American food and went to gift shops .  
     The day we left was a Saturday and the sixth graders came to school to 
study for their test. A few of us went to the church and hooked up a piano and 
started singing worship songs, the kids came out for recess and came to the 
church, and sang with us. They didn't know what they were singing, because we 
were singing in English. But the kids would just come up hold your hand and sit 
by you, and sing with you. Then it was time to get all your stuff together and 
go to the airport. We said good bye to the kids and hugged them good bye. A 
couple of the kids would come up to you and hug you good bye and say I love you. 
That was like the one of the only things they knew in English. Then we left to 
the airport. When our plane took off I looked out of the window, and said good 
bye. When I looked out of the window I knew that I won't be seeing anything like 
this in a LOONG time. I hope to go back to Haiti another time. This trip was the 
best trip I've ever been on in my entire life, and it changed my life forever.

Molly - age 12 

 Molly, a friend, and Jillian