Thinking Out Loud

I am signed up to get a quote from Daily Learners.  Here is what they sent today.....

It is, in fact, nothing short a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom.

-Albert Einstein

more about Einstein

Sometimes I catch myself doing the things that might "strangle their curiosity" and I have to take a step back and remember that I whole heartedly believe in child initiated learning.  Occasionally I let other peoples standards creep in and scare me.  So far, they are faring well.  It (homeschooling) feels like an experiment sometimes, there are so many unknowns, but then again there is no perfect method of educating.  I think I'll stay in my current path.  We'll do catch up later if we have to.  After all, isn't learning a life long process?  

KKS

One Rough Week!!!

Sick kids everywhere, our house has turned into an infirmary.  I told Mike that he need not go to work to have patients, there are five here who need care.  

Caleb hasn't caught it, thankfully.  Audrey has been sick with a fever, stuffy nose and fussiness.  I took her to the doctor after four days with a fever.  They ran a battery of tests and everything came back negative and she is much better today.  Why is it that they always get better after you FINALLY break down and take them in?  You don't want to take them in because they aren't quite sick enough, then you decide to take them in and they are better the next day and you think "Man, I just put her through all of that poking and prodding for nothing, I should have waited one more day."  Such is the life of a Mom, right?

Liam started with the fever Wednesday, then the pukies started Thursday.  He hasn't been able to keep anything down for five days now, so we started to worry.  But like everyone else, he has a cough, too.  So I was wondering if he was puking because of the coughing.  I called the ped. on call yesterday, she said to bring him in today.  Well, this morning he got up perky, asking for toast.  I thought he had finally turned a corner.  But an hour later the pukies started again.  Another call to the doctor, she said bring him in, so a plan was put in place for that to happen.  R.E. came to watch the four older kids and B.H. came and got the baby.....thank goodness she takes a bottle!!!  I certainly didn't want to have both of the little ones at the E.R.  I have done that before and it is so hard.  So thank you everyone, for your kindness in keeping the kids today!  May the Lord bless you!

Liam did pretty good at the hospital.  He was much better after the I.V. I kept him entertained with the camera (it was in my bag) by taking videos 

of him, then letting him watch them.  I came prepared with plenty of tricks in my bag, I know that the E.R. is usually a bunch of "hurry up and wait."  So we played cars, listened to the iPod, read stories and played with the camera.  Oh, and made glove balloons, of course.  We stayed at the E.R. for about five hours.  He was discharged after all of the blood work came back negative and he had been pumped with lots of fluids.  Once again, we're hoping and praying for a better tomorrow.

Please keep us in your prayers.  Thanks.

KKS

Captured

Last Sunday I groggily handed over a happy Audrey to her doting big brother , Harrison, so that I could sleep for five more minutes.

When I got up, on my way into the bathroom, this is what I saw:

This was a moment I couldn't let slip by without recording it.

KKS

Audrey's Blessing

Audrey Madeleine was blessed on March 8, 2009 by her Papa, Michael Joseph.

"She is a special daughter of God and will touch many lives with her simple testimony of the Savior."  

She brings many smiles and much love to our home.  We love her soft cheeks and kiss them a million times a day.  Her smile lights up the room and her giggle is music from heaven.  We love you, Audrey and are so grateful to have you in our family.  You are our little PINK caboose.

KKS

Happy Birthday Liam!!!

He is loving and loud.  He loves to climb and snuggle.  He hates haircuts, cold hands and a wet shirt.  He talks cute and is building his vocabulary every day with words like "Lee me 'lone" and "Stop it Cayub."  His favorite songs are  "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by R.E.M. and "We Will Rock You" by Queen.  His favorite movie (this week) is "Finding Nemo."  His favorite toys are cars...he always has one in his hand, even when he sleeps.  His three amigos are "Raff, Turtle and Puppy."  He still loves to sleep in his crib.  His favorite shirt has a truck on it and his favorite jammies have race cars on them.  His favorite food is Mac-n-cheese and his favorite dessert is anything "Cholutt."  His favorite color is "yeyow" and he loves bananas, grapes and oranges.  He loves to play outside but cries when his hands get cold.  When he meets someone new the first thing he says is "eight seeeta van, Liam's.  I like it!"  He loves to help "keeenup" and is good at putting his clothes in the hamper and his dirty dishes in the sink.  He also loves to get a towel and wipe up the water that gets spilled at every (yes, 'tis true....no meal is complete without at least one spill) meal. He loves to dance.  He loves to use the older kids' iPods and knows how to work them.  He is fascinated by electricity (which has resulted in him being shocked many times) and loves to plug things in.  He knows how to use the toaster and the microwave (kind-of).  We love him, he blesses our lives and are thankful for the love, humor and smiles that he brings into our lives.

Liam is three years old today.

Liam at two years old.....
Liam at one year old....


Liam at birth.....

We did have cake today, but we are actually going to have his party on Saturday.  Mike is still sick, I have Mastitis (again) and we just couldn't get up the energy for a party today.  So, Saturday it is, then.

Crazy, I Say!!!

For about two hours today, I knew what people always talk about when they say "I don't know how you do it.  Today, I wasn't doing "it" very well.  

Mike was gone for most of the day, he took the missionaries to zone conference and the two oldest kids to the Maine State Museum.

Liam had to go potty (and since this is day two of successful potty training, you know this can not be put on hold), the baby was screaming on the couch, Harrison was stomping around making loud monster noises (oblivious to me being overwhelmed by the chaos), the phone was ringing, the cable guy was knocking on the door, Lauren fell off the counter and bumped her head while trying to sneak into the treat cupboard, so she was crying and I had to pee and my milk was leaking......ALL at the same time.

So, I did what I always do in moments of high intensity.  I itched my face (my face always itches when I am overwhelmed), squinted my eyes, took a deep breath and thought of the song "Make Enough of Me."  And He did, as always.

KKS

Random Thoughts

Liam is being potty trained....today is the first day and he has done well.  Skittles are his reward of choice.  Oh, and the Lightning McQueen undies aren't bad, either.

We are getting cable for the first time in our married life.....wait, I take that back, we had it for a month a few years ago, then canceled it because we never watched TV.  I miss PBS so much (we don't get it anymore since they went digital), that I am willing to dish out the big bucks for DirecTV.  I have that option now that my husband has a job.  

I was (for a minute) sad yesterday about having my tubes tied.  Am I allowed to be sad even though it was a)  a prayerful decision.  b) I couldn't do it (be pregnant) again....emotionally or physically.  c) I know that our family is complete. d) I am maxed (spell check tells me this is not a word) out as a Mom.  and e) We can't fit an

y more in our house or our "8 seeeeta van" (as Liam calls it).

Audrey Madeleine was blessed on Sunday.  Her pictures will be uploaded to the Mac soon and I'll post them.

Melissa (here is a shameless plug) http://mbmphotostudio.com came to take family photographs last week.  She did a great job and we are so excited to get them back.  We haven't had them done (all together) since Caleb was a baby.  The collage is pricey, but we are going to get it....it's so beautiful.  Don't you agree? (see below)

Even though Liam is almost three, he is still content sleeping in a crib.  Should I move him to a toddler bed?  I hesitate because I don't actuall

y have a good place to store the crib until Audrey is out of the cradle.  That crib has never been stored (always had a baby sleeping in it) since the day Caleb started sleeping in it......eleven and a half years ago.

I think a few of them ducts are dried up....I still don't have enough milk for Audrey.  She gets two or three bottles of formula a day.  I tried pumping, but it yielded no increase in production.  Oh well, there are worse things in life, like not getting enough to eat.

Mike is taking the missionaries to zone conference on Thursday.  They will be there all day, so Mike and the kids are going to spend the day at the museum while they wait.

KKS

Thesaurus

Today Caleb was mad at me for insisting he get his chores done before turning on "Fiddler On The Roof" (which is the chosen movie right now).

I guess he thought it was too disrespectful to call me "stupid", so instead he said "Mom, you are so knowledgeless!!"

Audrey is Growing....more pictures for Grammie

Babies

Here are the kids in birth order, starting with Caleb (I found a picture of Caleb finally).  I have to admit....I only knew who was who because they are in chronological order in iPhoto.  I never realized how much they look alike.

KKS