Happy Birthday Jude!!

THREE YEARS OLD!!  I don't know if it is the fact that I have always stayed at home with Jude or that he is the third or that I am getting much older, but that fact that he is three is hard for me to handle!  Time has passed like a whirlwind since he was born.  It is amazing the grow and changes that I have had the joy and privilege of seeing in Jude.  Like the other two at this age, he still isn't much of a talker, but I'm sure that will change!!  As we celebrate his third birthday (or 3/4 to his first REAL birthday since arrived on Leap Day), we are so thankful that God chose Josh and I to be his parents.


So Jude, you're THREE!!  What kind of boy are you?

• You are WILD. You will climb, run, and jump on ANYTHING with NO fear.  You make me nervous.
• You are a ball of energy.  From the time you wake up until the time you lay down, you are moving (generally pilfering in something you shouldn't.)
• You do the "Old Man Shuffle."  When you wake up in the morning, your shuffle your feet like a little old man, then will crawl super fast until you reach me or Daddy.  It's so silly!
• You are funny!!  You already know what makes people laugh and your comedic timing is usually spot on!
• You love Mickey Mouse, pirates, cowboys, cartoons and nilk (AKA: milk.) 
• Tinkerbell and the Fairy Pirate is probably your favorite movie.  You affectionately call it the Fairy ARRR!!
• You're LOUD!  
• Although using the big boy potty is not even on your radar, you have been sleeping in a big boy bed for about two months...all night long!
• You love to do puzzles, both the wooden kind and little apps on the iPad.   It's AMAZING to watch your little brain work.
• Swinging is your absolute favorite outdoor activity.  
• Recently, you have started saying "Bwess you"  when people sneeze and it is so stinkin' cute.
• You love to give hugs!!  

You have filled our days with so much joy, love, energy, and life.  We are blessed to call you ours!

We love you!!

Mommy, Daddy, Abby, and Micah

Rachel

Happy 6th Birthday, Micah!!!

AGH!!!  I cannot wrap my little brain around the fact that today is Micah's SIXTH birthday....if life were a math class, I would be rounding up to 10!  Time is simply something that cannot be controlled.

Many "firsts" came when welcoming Micah into the world six years ago...my first son, my first c-section, my first surgery...EVER, my first time understanding the bond between a mother and a son, my first glimpse into the type of sibling Abby would be, my first time having to divide my attention between two kids, and my first EYE-OPENING look into how having a second child somehow equates to a quadrupling in laundry!!

Nevertheless, all of these firsts (save the laundry one) have magnified my quality of life. Micah is a gentle spirit, a gentle soul, and an easy child to be around.

So Micah, at 6, what type of boy are you?

• You are now in Kindergarten!! WOW!  Each day you are learning new things and excelling at each challenge you are given.
• You are unbelievably quiet in a vehicle...which is AWESOME!  You simply enjoy looking out the window and sitting still.
• Like your daddy, you are a hunter.  You look forward to spending days out scouting deer, hunting in the blind, or training the dogs to find quail. And your Daddy likes those days too!
• You melt my heart (still) when you just randomly say "Mommy, I love you!!"  Sometimes you come and find me just to say that.  Everyone in the family receives these kind words from you.
• As when you were a little baby, you STILL love to carry little toys around.  But now, you find the oddest places to keep those toys.  No longer does a baby fist clench a bouncy ball during naptime, but now you stick toys down in your footie pajamas at night.  Or you find little containers to keep things in.
•  You have discovered LEGOS....and I couldn't be happier.  I have enjoyed watching your confidence grow as you once watched daddy build the Legos to building independently...and being so proud.  (Although, there are NO words to describe the pain of stepping on Legos!)
• Your eyes and smile are simply magically...I pray you always keep this innocent charm about you.
• You bring an immense amount of joy, love, and happiness to each member of this family.  You are truly a BLESSING!

We love you and wish you a very happy 6th birthday!!

Love, 

Mommy, Daddy, Abby, and Jude


Note:  Micah did have a bowling birthday party at the bowling lanes at the Bass Pro Shop in Bristol, TN.    However, Jude had the stomach bug so I was unable to attend :(. Josh took the older two kids and Justin, Marta, and Kara Brooks and Troy Wilson went. I was SO sad to miss the first birthday celebration of any of my kids, but Micah was looking so forward to it, I hated to reschedule.  As a result, I have NO pictures.  

Happy Easter! Now What To Do With All Those Easter Eggs!

What an fantastic Easter our family had!!!  We enjoyed a wonderful, sunny day made by the Lord and had great time at church and with our little family.  What hope we all have knowing that our Savior is risen so that we may all have the opportunity at eternal life in Heaven!!  Praise God!!  It feels my heart with joy, but also with a great sense of responsibility.

All too quickly, the world will try to lure my children away from the Lord and His teachings.  It is imperative that as parents, Josh and I instill a strong foundation in the Lord each and every day, not just at Easter and Christmas.  In order to do that, we must have a daily walk with the Lord, not just at Easter and Christmas.  It is easy to become lax in the walk, but it must be our number one priority.  All of our thoughts, actions, choices, activities, and conversations should revolve around a Christ-centered life. Praise God that He has seen fit to give me more time on this Earth to strengthen my walk with Him, not only for my sake but for my kids as well.  We never know when our last breath will come, so walk with Him daily!!

Okay, I'm done preaching!!  So now on to some education.....plastic Easter eggs!  How many are floating around your house after opening Easter baskets on Sunday?  If your house is like mine, they seem to multiply at an exponential rate.  I know I only put 2-3 in each Easter basket, but the floor looks like a colorful hatchery only five days later!

So what to do with all those Easter eggs?  Something educational, of course!  I created some letter matching eggs for Micah.  On the top half of the egg, I wrote capital letters and lower case letters on the bottom half of the eggs.  This is a great activity for Micah.  It generally takes him 5-10 minutes to make all the matches, depending on how "extracted" (distracted) he is.

If your little one is past matching up letters, you can use the eggs to match up almost anything:  fractions, analog and digital times, numbers and number words, etc.  They can also be used for young preschoolers to help sort colors.

Rachel

Happy Birthday, Abby!!!

Eight years ago my life on this earth and the path I was following forever changed when a little red-faced, wiggly, tiny girl was placed in my arms.  Abigail Beth entered into the world at 3:42 am on March 13, 2006 and immediately became a thief when she stole me heart.  I remember during those early days of motherhood, I was so naive, so young.  If I made one mistake, I made a thousand.  But fortunately, children are resilient and I realize, that through the grace of God, something has been done right because I have the most precious daughter to call my own.

As I reflect back, I remember those early morning feedings, sitting in the quiet stillness, just listening to her breathe.  I remember praying for her future.  Praying for her happiness.  Praying for her to make positive choices.  Praying for a future husband that would love her like Christ loved His church.  I prayed for her to be strong, to be a leader and not always follow the crowd.  I even prayed for a sense of humor, because who doesn't like a funny person!

Eight years later, I am still naive and sometimes helpless when dealing with an eight year old.  I've never had one before.  Since she is the oldest, Abby hears me apologizing to her...a lot.  I make just as many mistakes now as I did as a young mother.  Some days, I see the worst in me come out in her when she emulates something I have done or said that I'm not proud of and it makes me want to be a better person.  Then she will act with such grace, maturity, and unbridled enthusiasm that I want to be just like her.  She is an amazing little girl.  Although she is growing up, I sometimes forget how little she still is...eight is still small and I try to cherish and hold on to those things she still does that are just plain little.

Independence, self-esteem issues, peer pressure, driving, and boys are lurking just around the corner and I'm not sure I am ready for it.  But I will continue to pray for her future.  I will continue to pray for God's guidance in our parenting decisions.  I will continue to pray for her happiness.  And I will continue to strive to be the woman my daughter thinks I am.

Abby, you are growing into such a beautiful young lady, on the inside and out.  But what kind of girl are you?

• You love to sing.  All the time, everywhere.  It may not even be the right words, but you LOVE to sing.  In fact, the other day "Wrecking Ball" came on Pandora.  Instead of singing "I came in like a wrecking ball...", you sang "I came in like a radio...."  :)
• You are quite the event planner.  About once every two weeks, you organize "Family Fun Night."  There are signs (created by you) and everyone must get a ticket (also created by you).  We then come up to your room and rotate through stations that have different family activities.  We have played games, made book marks, drawn pictures.  One night we even had a talent show!!  They are always really fun and cause lots of laughing!!
• Hula hooping is your thing....and you are REALLY good!!  You have learned to start with the hula hoop around your neck, then you move it all the way down to your knees, and back up to your waist again.  All while smiling and making it look super easy....it's quite impressive!!
• You LOVE to draw!  You have all kinds of crayons, markers, colored pencils, and notepads.  You could draw all day long!  I don't know how many notepads you have filled up.  You may have brighten our world, but you've killed a lot of trees!!  
• You love to write.  If those notepads aren't getting colored in, they are being written in.  You have already written several little stories about a variety of topics.  In addition to this, your handwriting is really good too.
• You love your brothers!!  They are your biggest buddies and your biggest fan!!  Micah idolizes you and Jude thinks you're his second mommy because you dote on him so much!!  They are so fortunate to have you in their lives.
• Math is your best subject!!  You really like all things math and can catch onto new concepts really quickly (which is great for this homeschooling mama)!
• You are very helpful.  Every morning, you pick up your room and make your bed before school.  You help me clean the house, set the table before eating and clear it after eating, dust the furniture.  I may teach you to do the laundry and then all I have to do is cook.   I'm kidding...or am I?
• You have a cat.  I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  The cat is an awesome hunter.  In fact, she likes to line up the porch with her spoils.  But, she relieves herself in the garage....then you have to clean it up.  So that's not so good.  She is really pretty though.  She has also had three names, so she either is really adaptable or doesn't care.  She started out as Moonlight, then Sweetie Pie, and now it is Katniss, because of her superior hunting skills.
• You are such a wonderful daughter.  The whole family loves you more than you will ever know.

We love you,

Mommy, Daddy, Micah, and Jude

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

When I logged on today to write Abby's birthday post, I realized that I forgot to post Jude's second birthday post....so today is a two for one!!

February 28, 2014

Since February 29th does not exist this year, today Jude will turn 2!!!  (Or six months old, depending how you look at it...just kidding)  Anyway, these last two years have been some of the biggest for our family.  First, Josh and I became outnumbered when Jude arrived.  We both had career changes, mine was a resignation from teaching and Josh's was accepting a new position in North Carolina.  Therefore, we had to move seven hours away.  And to top it all off, I started homeschooling this year....and all along the way we had an infant that has grown and mature to a busy, little boy.

I should have known that Jude was really going to shake things up by the way things went the day he was born.  First, it was Leap Day....what was I thinking!  Next, there was a severe thunderstorm and tornado watch when we arrived at the hospital for a scheduled c-section.  Next, my surgery was a learning day for two nursing students so I heard every, single detail of that surgery...a little cool, and a little weird at the same time.  After surgery I was moved to recovery where I spent the next eight hours.  Why eight when the norm is two, you ask?  Because of MULTIPLE tornado sirens!  Our families had to continuously exit the 4th floor of HMH to wait in the cafeteria.  In fact, they didn't even see Jude until several hours after he was born.  Only my sister, with her top-clearance HMH employee badge, was able to breach the forbidden walls of the recovery room.  When we left the hospital on March 2, we didn't go home to our basement less house...we had to go our neighbors house to hang out in the basement while another line of tornado producing storms swept through the area.  When we finally went home, the vinyl siding on the west end of our house resembled Swiss cheese due to the hail.   (Our vehicles were equally mangled.)

Like the wild ride of those first few days of his life, Jude has continued to shake things up.  He is able to crawl and climb into spaces that I didn't even now children could access.  He is quick as lightning, stands his ground with his siblings, and did I mention LOVES to climb.  Just this morning, as I was unloading the dryer, he slipped in behind me and climbed in.  I went to unload the washer and found a surprise waiting for me, all smiles, in the dryer.

When Jude was about 14 months old, I mentioned to my mom on the phone about how he was into everything.  I mean, I've had two other children and they don't hold a candle to him.  So Mom, in an encouraging way, reminded me that Jude is the first child that I have been around 24/7 and that perhaps it was the being a SAHM that made it SEEM like he was more active.  Then she came for a visit.  My mom, super mom, stay at home mom of three, nana to 10, even admitted that he was quite feisty.  At least I know I'm not delusional:)

But regardless of his busy nature, Jude's existence has been a blessing to all that know him and it is my privilege to be his mommy.

So Jude, what kind of two year old are you?

• You are busy.  Very, very busy.  You were born weighing 9 pounds and 7 ounces and at two only weigh weigh 22 lbs.  Now before anyone gets concerned, this is not from lack of eating.  No, you eat CONSTANTLY (ask anyone that has been around you for more than two minutes).  It is from being busy!!
• Since your last birthday, you have mastered the skill of walking.  Although it was the latest of all three, you went straight from army crawl to sprinting.
• Like the other two, you are a late talker.  You have a pretty limited vocabulary...in English.  But in Judanese (your very own language), you are quite proficient.  You will call for "Mommy" or "Daddy", we will say yes Jude, and then you continue to tell us a long, elaborate story with all appropriate hand motions in a language that no one understands.  But it is SO cute!!  I wish I could translate what you were saying.
• You call Abby "Nanny"!
• You pretend to be a horse.  I will hearing you neighing all throughout the day.
• You love puzzles and you're really good.  You have mastered all of them at home and have now started on iPad puzzles. 
• You love books.  While I am teaching the other two, you spend time looking at books (sometimes reading them in Judanese).  You also love being read to.
• You like to dance.  It is a specialized dance invented by you.  It starts out in a squat position, add some bouncing to the beat of the music, and raise the right elbow (in bended position) above your head.  Sometimes it switches to the other arm.  Super cute!
• You LOVE Abby and Micah.  They are your snuggle buddies and your playtime friends.  Although you love hanging out with Micah, Abby loves to dote on you, so you love to snuggle with her.
• You sing a "sleepy song" when you get tired!  So sweet!  As soon as I put in your pacifier for bedtime, you start humming and feeling of your ears.  We call it your sleepy song:)
• In addition to your sleepy song, you are obsessed with feeling of skin when you get tired.  My face, ears, but your favorite, is down my shirt....we are hoping you outgrow this before you start dating!
• You love to smile and you have quite a handsome one at that!!
• You are a lefty!  Great for baseball, but Daddy is concerned about teaching you to shoot a gun!
• You have made all of us better and complete our family.  We are so thankful for you and are blessed to call you our son/brother.  We love you!!!

Love, 

Mommy, Daddy, Abby, and Micah

Hello, my name is Rachel and I am an Olympic nerd!

It was 1994. Winter.  I was in the fourth grade at Lynnvale Elementary School.  A student in Mrs. Karen Bland's class.  By my side were those class mates that had been a part of my world since Kindergarten.  I LOVED school, regardless of the classroom activities.  But when Mrs. Bland announced that we were starting a unit in honor of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, I of course was excited, but had no idea that a love for all things Olympics that would blossom from that unit.

In order to really connect with the games, I portrayed myself as an ice skater.  Two classmates and I would choreograph "short programs" during gym, recess, and any other moment we had to "train."  We perfected our jumps...of course instead of triple axles, we were throwing down half axles.  Nancy Kerrigan was our idol, which meant Tonya Harding was our arch nemesis.  We were totally engrossed in those winter Olympic games.

Then there was class.  Athlete reports, recreating the flags of participating countries, critiquing events from the previous night, updating medal counts each day, learning about new sports....sigh...to be in fourth grade again.  It was so much fun!!!  But all too soon, the closing ceremonies were over and the Olympic flame of the XVII Olympic Winter Games was extinguished.

But my love for the Olympics still burns today.  I LOVE the Olympics!!  I love the fierce competition. I love learning about the host country. I love the stories on the athletes.  I love Olympic trivia and history.  I am a true Olympic nerd!!!  If I had a bucket list, going to the Olympics would definitely be on it....maybe I should start one (but after the Olympics:) ).  Although I enjoy watching both the summer and winter games, my heart has a special place for the Winter Olympics.

Josh and I began dating in the fall of 2002 and were married by the summer of 2004.  In that time, there were no Olympic games, therefore Josh had never actually seen me as a spectator of the games.  In our vows we did not specifically mention the Olympics, but just eight short weeks after the "I do's" were exchanged, the summer Olympics began.  He was only a little afraid of my devotion.  Since then he has faithfully watched each and every Olympics (although I have noticed he's not much of a figure skating fan.)

Now we have offspring....someone I can pass the "torch" to when it comes to loving the Olympics.  So what better way to instill a love and appreciation of the Olympics and the level of competition than be creating a Winter Olympic Unit.

So much can be gleaned from the Olympics...understanding the significance of tenths and hundredths when comparing speeds, geography and the history of those countries, the history of each winter sport, witnessing the commitment of athletes, a lesson in the culture of the host country.  It is a great platform for learning!!!

So I created a pack that has both 2nd grade and preschool activities.  The pack includes Venn diagrams, a medal count sheet with questions for after the Olympics, craft activities, a timeline of Olympic history, a writing prompt, and much more for the 2nd grade level.  For the preschoolers in your life, the Letters G and S are highlighted.  There is also shape review, math activities, a fun matching game, and more.

2014 Winter Olympic Pack

In addition to the pack, we have or plan on completing a variety of other activities:

•  Create our own medals
• Create a large medal count chart for the USA
• Create a garland of flags
• Compete in our own "games"
• Olympic Party

So I realize that my love of all things Olympic may not be hereditary, but I will not be deterred in trying to force pass it on to the kiddos through a really fun Olympic theme unit!  Happy learning!

Penguin Unit

Penguins.....Just typing the word reminds me of the cute little birds that act like a fish. Their little legs and their little waddle....just so stinking cute! I mean, who doesn't love penguins.  They are interesting little creatures that provide entertainment and learning for all ages.

I decided that the kids would enjoy a penguin unit during the winter months of January.  Plus, I could find or create activities that address both preschool and second grade.

For Micah, I used the penguin unit as a way to introduce the letter P.  The penguins were also used as a way for continued exposure to numbers, shapes, and colors.  I created this packet for the preschool age.
This packet includes a letter maze, a color matching game, pattern play, shape tracing, letter tracing, and more all with the penguin theme throughout.

Preschool Penguin Pack

In addition to the Penguin Preschool Pack, I also used the following activities:

Color by Number
Penguin Number Dot-to-Dot
Penguin Letter Dot-to-Dot
Other Fun Penguin Activities



For Abby, my second grader, the penguin theme was used to teach math, literacy, geography, and science (habitat, predator/prey).  So I turned to the Internet for sources that I could use for instruction at the second grade level.  And here is what I found:

Math
Mathwire --  This site offers a TON of penguin themed math activities.  The area that I liked the most for Abby was the problem solving section.  In addition to math activities for Abby,  this site could be utilized for preschool as well, although some activities may require some minor modification.

Penguin Grid Activity -- A fun coloring activity that also focuses on plotting points.

Literacy
I found several different short passages with comprehension questions for Abby.  Since reading is an area of concern for her, we generally spend 3-5 days on a passage to ensure comprehension and to improve reading skills through repetition.  However, there were a couple of these that she just read 2-3 times in one day and then answered the questions.

Penguin Passages --  Read Works is a great website that has reading passages for all different reading levels. They offer fiction and non-fiction choices as well as a wide variety of topics.  PLUS each passage has corresponding questions.  You do have to be a member to download the passages and activities, but it is a FREE membership...and what's better than getting something for free.

Peter the Penguin --  Another great website for reading passages is Have Fun Teaching.  The reading is divided into grade levels and each come with comprehension questions as well.

Penguins Reading Passage

After reading the passages, Abby would generally complete a journal entry as well.  With several of the passages, she simply summarized the passage.  However, we also made a deliberate attempt to identify the who, what, when, where, why, and how of each passage as well as discussing the differences in fiction and non-fiction.

Science

Playful Penguins -- This is a great free packet that highlights six species of penguins.  The habitat, food, predators, appearance, and facts about each species is covered.  There is also a neat graphic organizer for each species as well.  Also, when we studied each penguin, we used a map to highlight where each species lived.  It was a great way to discuss Northern and Southern Hemispheres, continents, the equator, and other geographical facts.

In addition to the provided activities, we did a measuring and comparison activity, which the kids loved.  I cut out a strip of paper (actually it was three that I pieced together) that measured to 48 inches and marked off inches and feet.  Next, I cut out nine read arrows (six for the penguins, three for my kids.)  I wrote the names of the kids on three of the arrows.  Abby cut out the little circle images of the six penguin species discussed in the Play Penguins unit.  So using the measuring strip, we marked the height of each penguin and the kids. They LOVED seeing how tall they were in comparison to the penguins and thought it was so funny to learn that emperor penguins are pretty much the same size as Micah (who is five.)  We referred to this activity several times throughout the unit.

Books

Once Jude is down for his afternoon nap, we have story time, just me and the older two.  It is such a fun time for me because everything is calm and I can simply enjoy my kids without having a 22 month requiring CONSTANT supervision.  These are a few books that we read that correlated with this unit.  Judging from the questions and discussions that stemmed from story time, I would say the kids LOVED these books.

Antarctica by: Helen Cowcher

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester

Penguin Chick by Betty Tatham


In addition to the activities above, we also finished some fun art projects:

Penguin Glyph
How To Draw a Penguin
Penguin Paper Plate Craft

All in all, this was a really fun unit for everyone.....including me.  Happy learning!!