Random Real Life: Part III

The boys made a terrific mess of the living room floor today. First it was the time and money flashcards from the math bin. Then it was an interesting battle with little plastic army men and firefighter people. I guess Dominoes make great walls and bunkers.

I really, really wanted chocolate chip cookies. I would have made them (even if I shouldn't be eating them), but when I went to my kitchen I saw the three thousand over-ripe bananas and remembered that banana bread has been on the to-do list for a week or more. I consoled myself by adding chocolate chips to the banana bread. Why didn't I try that sooner?

Lola hung out in her room for a while. Do you love that stack mess of clean clothes on the floor? I worked on organizing her drawers, taking out the stuff that didn’t fit her and putting in the summer rompers (will that make the sun come out?). She isn’t crawling yet (she rolls and scoots on her bum some), but while I was snapping pictures of her she fell over and managed to sit back up. That’s a new trick. She was pretty proud of herself. And she got on her hands and knees, but wasn’t sure where to go from there.

Poppy came to visit and love on Lola for a while. His house is a little quiet with Mom gone. We fed him banana bread.

Russ took Levi to swim practice and the rest of us headed to piano lessons. Lola got to check out the swing for the first time ever. She loved it. I experimented with the point-and-shoot. The timer was really easy to use. I think I'm going to ditch the perfectionism and use the little camera much more often now.

Changing the endless poopy diapers among the endless piles of laundry.

The boys went to bed at a decent hour (without too much complaining), and Lola only woke up once at 4 am. Let's see if I can cross two things off my to-do list today. Hmmm. Make dentist appointments (I hate making phone calls; I hate scheduling appointments; and I hate the dentist... been procrastinating on that one for far too long), and finish editing photos from a photo session. Very ambitious.

P.S. My best friend sent me the most lovely, encouraging email last night. I loved this quote:

“Life is busy, wonderful, hard, rewarding, thankless, slow, too fast, imperfect, and just right!”

I know I’ve been sharing a dose of reality lately, but I honestly know and feel that my life is wonderful and happy. Not particularly easy, but this is exactly where I want to be.

Random Real Life: The Children

Boy #1: This kid is wildly intense and emotional. Everything is directed outward. There is no black and white. There are no absolutes (except that he is absolutely ‘the most abused child on the planet’). If Myers-Briggs types mean anything to you, he is an ENFP. He is extremely social, but doesn’t get social conventions. He comes at things sideways (and intensely). He is extremely imaginative and non-sequential. He is adverse to anything that resembles work. Everything is negotiable, and every rule has an exception. He never stops talking (and arguing), and he doesn’t process things until after he says them. His impulsiveness is stronger than most consequences. There is a reason I call him Mr. Effervescent. Nothing concrete about this kid.

Boy #2: This kid is also wildly intense and emotional. Everything is directed outward. In many other ways he is his older brother’s complete opposite, however. Everything is black and white. Everything is measured in the context of (his idea of) fairness or his preconceived expectations. Woe to the person who messes with the way he thinks things should be. He is very stubborn, impulsive, and physical. His Myers-Briggs type is ESFJ. He is curious and must try everything for himself. He is a dare-devil.

Boy #3: This kid is extroverted and very interactive. Luckily he isn’t as emotional as his brothers. But he is stubborn, physical, and doesn’t have the imagination to play on his own. He also doesn’t have any volume control. He is so. loud. There is a reason I call him Mr. Exuberant/Emphatic. His happy is loud. His sad is loud. His sweet is loud. His excited is loud. His funny is loud. His mad is loud. He is also gets weirdly shy, stubborn, and/or embarrassed when he is faced with something new or that he isn’t sure about. He needs things to be predictable and consistent. His Myers-Briggs type is ESTJ.

Baby Girl: Lola is my doll-baby. I am so thankful for her and the joy she has brought to our lives. While she may not be the easiest baby ever, she has been my easiest baby. But there is no denying the fact that a baby takes a huge amount of time and energy. Her needs are often the priority. Going anywhere is logistically so much more challenging with naps, diapers, feeding, and my arms full.

Then I am…. The emotional introvert with a very low energy level. I need a huge amount of personal space, time to space off in my own little imaginary world, lots of sleep, down time, and silence (I don’t even listen to music). Yet in order to parent well, I have to be ON, engaged without fail 20 hours a day. Focused, consistent, efficient, and able to multi-task, compartmentalize, and delegate. I need to be 5 places at once. I need to be perpetually encouraging, inspiring, loving, strong. I need to fake be cheerful. But I’m not. I get weary and frustrated. My patience is non-existent. I find myself tearing down rather that building them up. Again, and again, and again. I let things slide and the snowballs become an avalanche.

Can I be the mom they need me to be?!

This is a perfect time to share a link to this article: A father's day wish: Dads, wake the hell up! @ CNN.com. Because I am BLESSED to have THAT dad for my children. Thank you, Russ, for constantly making it all about us. Here is a taste of the article:

5. Do things you don't want to do: It's easy to take the kids to the driving range -- because you want to be there. Now try spending the day having a tea party at American Girl. Or crawling through one of those wormholes at the nearby kiddie gym. Fun? Often, no. But this isn't about you.

(Are you sick of Lola love, yet?)

Random Real Life: Part II

It was the longest day of the year, and I was ready for bed by 7pm. But the weather was so gorgeous (finally!!) and the boys were having so much fun outside. I let them be. Which meant baths for four filthy, cranky children at 9:30pm.

My boys are such country boys. They hate wearing shoes. I’ve been reading Tom Sawyer aloud. It would be really funny….except I have a Tom Sawyer at my house.

It’s a good thing Lola doesn’t have dirty country-girl feet yet.

Have I mentioned how much the boys love their little sister? I find her pretty entertaining, myself.

Random Real Life: Part I

There are so many things swirling around in my brain. I am a perfectionist (a lazy one, which is the worst kind), and I put off posting pictures unless I can ‘create them right.’ I put off sharing unless I can ‘say things right.’ And yet I want you to see the real me here on this blog. I want to document my life. All the little details. The good stuff. The not so good stuff. That takes time. Especially when I have to do it ‘just so.’ Time isn’t something I have a lot of these days.

Then, there is the fact that I use this blog as a focus. A sort of thanksgiving for all the lovely blessings God has given me. (He has given me so many!) I don’t want to whine. But I don’t want you all to think that my life is perfect. My sister just laughs when people comment to her about my blog. She knows the real me. I am sorry if I paint my life inaccurately, or if anyone thinks I am something special… I’m just me! With lots and lots and lots of faults and weaknesses.

So for a few days, it is just going to be snapshots of real stuff. Unorganized thoughts. Unedited pictures. (A few edited for fun.) The not-so-perfect. (A few good highlights.)

I’ve been sick for a week and a half now. Sinus/throat/headache… and I’m weary. The house is so messy and dirty. There is so much stuff. Papers. Pieces of things. Toppling towers of books. Unfinished projects. Endless (and I do mean endless) laundry. I can’t seem to ever have it all put away. In a house this small with 6 people, that leaves no breathing room.

My to-do list is getting longer and nothing seems to get crossed off. I’m doing the bare minimum, here. Sometimes not even that.

Lessons are few and far between. I just haven’t had the energy. I also lack the skills to inspire my boys to greatness. Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? I so want to be that mom/teacher who inspires curiosity, cheerfulness, and honor in her boys. Instead, I find myself falling short. Dreadfully short. Again, and again, and again. I lack consistency and self-discipline. How many times have I told my boys something and realized that I should be preaching to myself!!

And my boys humble me again, and again, and again. They are such intense, active, loud boys with no sense of personal boundaries. I’m trying to find a balance between not being a control-freak mom, letting them be who they are, and making sure they are well-behaved, respectful young men. But I over-parent when I should under-parent, and under-parent when I should over-parent. Sigh.

Just yesterday morning, as I was close to tears trying to get us out of the house for a ‘thing’ (and not winning any mothering awards in the process), I’ll be honest and admit I questioned God’s wisdom in giving me these four children. I don’t have what it takes, people!!

I have a pile of stuff in my front room waiting for a photo shoot I’ve had planned for some time now. Finding a time when everyone is happy and fed and dressed right and the weather cooperates and the lighting is perfect... well, not happening. But it was GOING to happen this week. And then Luke got poison oak all over his neck and face. (He was just being silly in the first picture, but can you see the line across the center of his tongue? That’s where he bit a HUMONGOUS gash in it a while back. That was after the staples in his head, but before the stitches in his finger…)

We had a fairly quiet Father’s Day. We spent some time with my in-laws on Saturday evening and then had dinner and dessert with my parents on Sunday. My mom left on the train later that afternoon to spend some time with her parents in California. My grandfather has been battling a rare form of lymphoma recently, and then they discovered heart problems which led to open-heart surgery this past week. I’m glad my mom is able to be down there with them, but I’m going to miss her terribly! (And, Grandma and Grandpa, you are loved!!)

Sunday evening, Russ worked on our itty-bitty little garden. The boys ‘helped.’

The weather has been so cool and wet this spring, we have spent very little time outside. Lola is just now getting introduced to grass. She’s not so sure about it.

To sneak in a couple high notes, Leif started reading Magic Tree House books this past week. I wish I could claim credit for that. And here are a couple fun, edited Lola pictures that I took today. (These are for you, Mom!)

She’s had some really good nights of sleeping and some not-so-great nights. Last night was a not-so-great one. Tonight already doesn’t look so great, either. I made it 55 days without a Dr. Pepper, but this past week I was seriously hitting bottom being sick and Lola sick and not sleeping. I need another Whole30, because I’m having a heck of a time keeping myself on track. Add that to the list. Right now, I just need to go clean house and then see if Lola will let me get a few hours of sleep. I’ll try to refrain from editing my post 50 times. More tomorrow.

A Little Lola Love

While the boys were busy dissecting, Lola was hanging out with the ladies inside the house. See, she does smile!

And sleep!

Camp Laiyne (or From Glamour to Guts)

WARNING: Frog dissection pictures coming up. You might want to pass them up if you are squeamish.

Ilex Layne and Adelaine (my niece and her best friend, aka Bumble Bee and Butterfly) directed two learning camps for kids this week. The first was ‘Going Buggy’ (bug habitats), and the second was ‘Regurgitation Vacation’ (dissecting owl pellets and a frog). (Do I not have the coolest family and friends, or what?!!!)

(Notice the coats and hoods. Yes, summer in Oregon. Isn’t it lovely?)

Leif participated the first day, but he was feeling a little out of sorts the second day. He stayed inside and read (and had a nerf gun fight with Ilex's brother, Drake, and played on an ipad with Adelaine's brother, Conrad).

Ilex and Adelaine collected the owl pellets from the barn above, and the kids were able to see the owl fly out!

Glamorous (and Handsome)

All dressed up and ready for a night on the town…. This is my niece, Ilex. (She’s grown up *a lot* since I first started posting pictures of her here on my blog, don’t you think?) Shannon and Ben took Ilex, Drake, and a group of their friends (classmates from this past year of Classical Conversations) up to Portland for a fancy dinner and good, clean partying.

We couldn’t miss getting photos of all of the glamour. And we had to have a little fun in the process, right? Chickens and diva attitudes are a must for modeling. Ilex’s best friend, Adelaine, got in on the action. (Unfortunately, I didn’t ask permission to post photos of the whole group, but I thought you all would enjoy these.)

Here’s Drake. (I’m pretty sure you’ll agree he’s changed a lot, too. In fact, is this even the same person?!!)

Here's Adelaine. She helps add some drama.

Smokin’

Have you all met my sister and brother-in-law? Shannon and Ben crack me up. They are such a fun couple. And the fun aunt and uncle in the family. They took our niece Ilex, our nephew Drake, and their class (Classical Conversations Challenge class) to Portland for a formal night on the town to celebrate the end of their school year. I’ll share some of the pictures of the kids tomorrow.

At the Carousel...

...For a fantastic party. Happy birthday, sweet Monet!!
And since every post ends up being about Lola... I spotted her with Daddy outside enjoying some sunshine.

Mt. Hope Academy 2011 ~ Weeks 20, 21, and 22

It’s Not About You by David Brooks at The New York Times

I found several gems in this short opinion piece. Go read it.

No one would design a system of extreme supervision to prepare people for a decade of extreme openness. But this is exactly what has emerged in modern America.

And:

Most successful young people don’t look inside and then plan a life. They look outside and find a problem, which summons their life.

And:

The graduates are also told to pursue happiness and joy. But, of course, when you read a biography of someone you admire, it’s rarely the things that made them happy that compel your admiration. It’s the things they did to court unhappiness — the things they did that were arduous and miserable, which sometimes cost them friends and aroused hatred. It’s excellence, not happiness, that we admire most.

And, then:

Today’s grads enter a cultural climate that preaches the self as the center of a life. But, of course, as they age, they’ll discover that the tasks of a life are at the center. Fulfillment is a byproduct of how people engage their tasks, and can’t be pursued directly.

Which reminded me of this quote I shared back in January:

"If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden or looking for dinosaur eggs in the Gobi desert. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator. He will not be striving for it as a goal in itself. He will have become aware that he is happy in the course of living life twenty-four crowded hours of the day."  ~W. Beran Wolfe

 

We didn’t do “much” in the way of focused academics these past few weeks, but I would say that we definitely have become aware that we are happy in the course of living life twenty-four crowded hours of the day.

Faith:
Bible Memory:
Sing the Word From A to Z (reviewed verses)
Levi: Day by Day Kid's Bible
Luke: The Action Bible
Hymns For a Kid's Heart (Praise to the Lord, The Almighty)
(Luke: weekly hymns on piano)
[patriotic hymns/songs (CDs)]

Math:
Teaching Textbooks or  Singapore workbooks daily

Science:
Inside Your Outside! All About the Human Body by Tish Rabe
Various science-related DVDs

P.E.:
Swim team practice (3x weekly for Levi) and a morning swim camp
Family swim night
Outside play/Park play with friends
Gym time with friends

Fine Arts:
The Importance of Emily Dickinson by Bradley Steffens (Levi)
Piano practice/lessons (Luke)
The Story of the Orchestra: Wagner by Robert Levine
Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera by Anne Siberell

Language Arts:
IEW Poetry Memorization (poems #11,12)
Handwriting Without Tears workbooks

Latin:
Song School Latin (review @ Headventure Land)

History:
CC Veritas History Timeline Cards (solidifying memorization, Creation-Pompeii)

Literature:
Dickens: His Work and His World by Michael Rosen (biography, Levi)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (unabridged, Levi)
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (unabridged, Levi read about half and decided he didn’t want to finish it)
Little Women (Classic Starts) Retold from the Louisa May Alcott original (Luke read most of it, anyway)
Little Women (Eyewitness Classics) (The classic story, plus fascinating background facts and photographs)
Invincible Louisa: The story of the author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs (biography, Levi)
Louisa May & Mr. Thoreau’s Flute by Julie Dunlap and Marybeth Lorbiecki
Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women (DVD)

Additional Reading:
Luke:
Snakes and Other Reptiles by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
Pirates by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne
Digory the Dragon Slayer by Angela McAllister
Digory and the Lost King by Angela McAllister
The Time Warp Trio: Knights of the Kitchen Table by Jon Scieszka
The Time Warp Trio: The Not So Jolly Roger by Jon Scieszka
The Time Warp Trio: The Good, the Bad, and the Goofy by Jon Scieszka
You Wouldn’t Want to Be Sick in the 16th Century by Kathryn Senior
The Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great by Gerald Morris
The Adventures of Sir Givret the Short by Gerald Morris
And a bunch of Magic Tree House Books
Levi:
The Copper Treasure by Melvin Burgess
Young Fredle by Cynthia Voigt
Bless This Mouse by Lois Lowry
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Plus a huge stack of other books which I haven’t kept track of….

EXTRAS:
Three full days of learning camps for all three boys:
(Levi: Trig, Luke: Geo Drawing, Leif: Fine Arts/crafts)
Homeschooling Practicum (three days) for me (wahoooo!)
Math Monday at the park with friends
Library visits
A trip to the beach with family
A birthday party for Luke (with friends)
Park play with friends
A visit from out-of-town friends
Children’s Museum (outdoor play with friends)
Visited a swim meet (and friends…)
Fishing with friends (Luke)
Birthday party for a friend at the carousel

(P.S. Please don’t tell me homeschoolers aren’t socialized…)

(P.P.S. And now we’re all sick and spending the day in bed. Fun times.)

Hi, There!

Heidi, here. I haven’t chatted with you all for a week or two.

How are you? How is life? Anything new happening in your world? Do you have fabulous summer plans?

The past few weeks are a blur. I really prefer to stay home most of the time. Maybe a little outing each week (preferably on my own agenda).

But we’ve had multiple park days related to ‘school’ activities. Book club (wouldn’t miss it for the world). A big birthday party for Luke. Russ took the boys to the beach. There were the routine piano lessons, the haircut, and the endless cooking. A fabulous visit with friends.

Levi joined the swim team. Add three practices each week and swim meets here and there. This is an era I assumed would be coming, and I really am excited to have Levi participating. I’m thankful that Russ is taking on most of this commitment. He’s been out of the swim world for a few years, but it is an arena he is more than familiar with and is diving in again with enthusiasm. He’s swimming laps with the team and looking into renewing his coaching certification as well as becoming an official. Luke may join his brother in the near future.

I made ambitious plans for this week. Our local Classical Conversations community hosted a parent practicum with student learning camps. I bravely signed us all up: Levi in the Trig Camp (even though he was the youngest in the class (with a large age range) and math is definitely not his favorite nor forte), Luke in the Geo Drawing Camp (even though he dislikes map drawing and has serious wiggles and the attention span of a gnat), Leif in the Play Camp (even though he has been going through a weird shy/stubborn phase), Lola in the nursery (even though she has never been left with anyone other than Daddy or Grandma for short periods of time), and myself for practicum sessions (even though I’m, well, shy, and usually need a nap after a couple hours of socializing).

We had to be there with bells on at 8:45 am. Until 4 pm. Three days in a row.  Yep, definitely the most ambitious thing I’ve attempted since… I don’t know when. Does that say something about me? Wimp, maybe.

I could share bunches about our time. Leif did awesome (and learned about Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell, some parts of a plant, and the moon)! Luke loved the camp (whether his camp leaders felt the same is another question). Levi survived (and really enjoyed the social time during breaks and lunch). Lola did really well, though was progressively less happy to be handed off as the days wore on (which could have something to do with the nap disruption). I loved every minute of the practicum. I’m inspired. Smarter. Full of ideas. Many acquaintances richer. In fact, I think the social aspect was one of my favorites! I enjoyed catching up with old friends, making new friends, and having great conversations! There is something to be said for a group of intelligent women with passion for their families and education. It made me overflow with excitement for our upcoming year at CC.

(As an aside:  I need some serious credit for the amount of quality socializing I’ve done lately! You all would be proud of me.)

I just love how things come together. My sister and I had been talking about starting a parent/child book club for our grammar-stage students (with literature analysis a la Deconstructing Penguins). We were also thinking about practicing literature analysis in our book club using excellent picture books. Teaching the Classics was on our must-have list. Would you like to guess what was scheduled for the afternoon practicum sessions? Teaching the Classics! After three afternoons of watching the DVDs and enjoying Socratic dialogue with the practicum leader and other adults, I’m feeling more excited (and prepared) than ever.

I have so much I need to post here and so little time. The boys (and Lola!!) are due for another photo shoot. I have months worth of fine arts resources to share. I haven’t done our weekly report for a while. My sister tells me I’m due for another ‘reality check’ post for all of you who think life is quiet, organized, clean, beautiful, productive, or anything close to perfect around here. I should post pictures that would make the hair on your toes curl. {exasperated grin} But another day. I desperately need some sleep, so I’m heading to bed. Have a wonderful week, friends!