Make a wish

 Take a penny and turn around, close your eyes then make your wish. Throw that penny over your shoulder, and look for the day your wish comes true. - Brandalyn

No he would not tell me his wish - "It won't come true!"

Teaching little Emma how to make her wishes. 

 "I hope it comes true, I hope it comes true!"

I think Emma wanted to go swimming with the fishies :) We had to keep an eye on her!

I too wanted to make a wish. So I asked Sam what he thought I should ask for. "Wish to be Wonder Woman!" 

Like New 2yr old to good home

Wordless Wednesday

Just Breathe

Wordless Wednesday

Garbage Monster!

Emmalyn wakes up extra early on Wednesday mornings. She hears the first pass of the garbage trucks, and my dream gets interrupted by this 2-year-old insisting we go see.

Sam had such a great time at his bday party! I think the highlight for him was shooting balloons with a Red Ryder BB gun. He also really enjoyed his Captain American suit that GaGa & Grandpa got him. I can't believe my little boy is 6! This is going to be an amazing year for Samuel! I've never known a kid so eager to start school. Next fall he will enjoy seeing friends everyday and learning to read and write. I'll have watch out for him searching for instructions on bomb making while on YouTube! :) Sam is so bright and charismatic, I can't wait to see where he goes in life!

Date night!!! Woo Hoo!

Happy 6th Birthday Samuel!

Happy Birthday, Samuel, you have big boots to fill now!

Happy 11th Birthday M*!

I am my kid's mom

This life of mine is crazy and hectic. My children all have different personalities and temperaments. I've learned and continue to learn each of them as they individually are made. Accepting them for who they are and learning the best ways to help them reach their full potential...that is my job as their mom. To be the best mom I can be I also need to be my husbands wife. Showing our kids I love and respect their dad, the head of our household.

I have learned to follow my instincts as a mom. I know my children better than anyone else, no one has their interests at heart more than I. I have so much power as a mom, and I know I am not perfect. I've made many mistakes! Therefore I have learned to keep an open mind and question everything, even things I think are right...because I may be wrong!

Nothing could have prepared me for being a mom to these 4 kids. It's a role that is sometimes daunting, scary, and very tiring. But it is also exciting, fun, and very rewarding. I am so blessed to have God always watching out for me, and the Holy Spirit guiding me along.

Kindergarten Roundup is TOMORROW!!!

Image taken from http://gladstone.k12.or.us/elementary/

I'm a little... Ok, a lot saddened by Samuel starting kindergarten next fall. We've held him back from starting this last year and I regret that tough decision. He longs for friendship and makes every kid he meets at the park his best friend. However, I am thankful for this last year! He and Emmalyn have become very close buddies!

He is an amazingly bright kid! His mind is always asking questions about the world around him. He'll seek to find the answers himself but knows when to ask for help.

"How does the stoplight know when the other light is green?" "Why does the bathwater go up when I get in?" "How do caps in my gun explode?" I use Google as my teacher's aide, as he can sometimes exhaust me with all his questions! I'm learning so much lately (ask what I know about grenades)!

Sometimes he gets a bit frustrated with concepts that he doesn't fully understand because of his maturity level. "Why does Batman not reveal who he is to the world?"

Today's self-made, self-organizing, and most importantly, self-initiated experiment! -

How long does it take for water to freeze?

Filled a cup with 1/2 water

Placed in the freezer

Marked time on a pad of paper (Knew half of the numbers, which too was self-taught)

Set a timer for his hypothesis - 1hr (So cute)

I will have to make sure his love of science and learning is not stifled by public school! And I'm sure like other kids, he'll grow to LOVE recess above all other subjects. :) However, I am confident he will never lose that ingrained love of learning! It is part of his personality. (the commander).

Time's up!  I hope he's not too disappointed it's not frozen! We'll need a new hypothesis. :)

UPDATE 

Sam is attending a new STEM school. Tonight he needed dates of events that have shaped his worldview (due tomorrow)!! I loved this assignment! He was having a hard time thinking of events...So to my blog, we went. Found this post Sam remembered that's when he met his future BFF. He's been in the same class with this friend for 13 years (minus last year when she switched to this STEM school). God once again took what I felt was a bad event and used it for his glory.

**I really should stop questioning God's hand in my life! Instead, just put my hand up and sing "Jesus take the wheel!"  😆

Dora the Explorer vs YouTube

Why does Sam sound like a mini adult? He is a sponge, a parrot, and super smart to boot! His language explosion can be attributed to his quick mind and time spent with adults and older siblings.
He also watches a lot of YouTube! TV isn't always a bad thing! Unless it's mindless shows like Dora the Explorer. That show makes my ears bleed.  How many times must The Map repeat directions?

Map - "Bridge, lake, tall mountain." "Bridge, lake, tall mountain." Bridge, lake, tall mountain." "Bridge, lake, tall mountain." Dora - "Where do we go first?"

Dora tangent over, back to quality entertainment! Sam has learned a lot about science and language from watching things that interest him on YouTube. But be mindful if he asks you for seemingly innocent household products. Don't assume he is planning on baking cookies! Dane and he watched a video on homemade hand grenades last night!

My not so clean house

I've got 4 sticky, messy, busy, don't care about the state of our house kids. My house is in a constant state of dirty chaos! Wait..make that 5 kids, Dane's a big offender! I'm learning to let go of the picture in my head of what a clean house should look like for the sake of my sanity.

So cleaning now consists of this...

I sweep daily. Because who wants dirty pirate feet from walking around the house.

I clean the bathroom floor ONLY when a tub full of water gets splashed on the floor. It gets cleaned often :)

My two littles LOVE spray bottles. So I let them do the dusting, just wish they didn't use half the bottle!

Dishes are much more entertaining with the help of a 2 yr old and BUBBLES!

Laundry is my never ending story!

The littles think that cleaning the litter box is like digging for treasure. HAVE FUN KIDS!!

(I can't believe I found this picture)

Clean counters, and clean toes!

I'm a perfectionist, but having happy kids is more important than a clean house! 

Daniel in the lions den / The hallways of highschool

This is one of my favorite stories in the bible. I love how God had turned the plan of corrupted men upside down! I can't tell you how many times I've felt like Daniel praying to God to deliver me!

No one outsmarts God! The enemies of Daniel thought they were so smart. They thoughtfully planned and executed a flawless deception and plan. Yet in the end even though everything had gone according to their plan, they did not have the victory they had foreseen.

HA TAKE THAT!

Ever feel like your're in the lions den?

Back from outdoor school!

As I waited outside the middle school with Sam and Emma, other parents arrived with cameras in hand. The first bus pulled up, empty of students, but full of packed luggage. The next bus arrived filled with students waving their arms out the window, screaming witty greetings to  loved ones. When all the kids finally got off the buses, it was utter chaos! Parents were hugging, friends were saying goodbye, and teachers were breathing a sigh of relief. The sound was deafening! Christian, along with several other kids, helped unload the luggage bus. It was comical to see how most parents had the same idea - sent trash bags for used clothing. Christian and his friends formed a line and passed luggage to the curb. Emma, on the other hand, kept whining that she wanted "Brubber". Eventually, she got her way with a big hug! All the way home, Christian chatted about the incredible time he had.