Month: September 2010

Homeschool · Picture Post

September Homeschool Update

KristalLeave a comment

We went on a magical walk today.

There was a very light mist and a definite breeze and the leaves on the tree’s where swirling down all around us. Marvelous!

We started Miquon Math this week and we all are loving it.  17+17=34,  there are a few ways to arrive at this conclusion, my favorite and quickest is 7+7=14+20=34. Who knew math could be so easy? When I showed Katie this method she whizzed right thru a page that would normally have taken her hours of whining.

Although the younger children are going to continue with Miquon, Katie will be moving over to Singapore math starting in January, I am only using it as a base for her and Alice to restructure as best I can the way they utilize math.

We have been working on Creative writing this past week and having so much fun. The girls have been happily using both the thesaurus and dictionary, which of course makes me deliriously happy. We have started with a writing journal, listing only 5-6 words that describe something, today we chose rain and the girls could only use adjectives. I have been creating my own writing journal right along side them and it was fun spending over an hour  pouring thru the thesaurus and dictionary for just the right words. We ran across some words that where fun to say so we put them on a paper and pinned it to the fridge, the goal is to see how many times we can use the word by the end of the week, as you can imagine, grueling  is an easy word to stick in anytime chores are mentioned, Katie has taken to calling any and all silly remarks as zany and has announced that we should all be calling the dictionary a lexicon. Alice managed to use oratory after Joff finally finished his long winded speech on Cortes!

I discovered that the key to teaching Felicity reading is through spelling, she loves to write and breaking down words is really working for her! We are not using Happy Phonics as planned but we are using Explode the Code, which she doesn’t mind. Doesn’t love, but doesn’t mind.

We have taken a much more relaxed approach to school this year, not something I am not yet  comfortable with as I am still firmly entrenched in the “Busy Work” is necessary frame of mind, but by the end of the school day we usually have chattered away about all kinds of things and then my kids are surprised that school is over!  The only thing they are not loving all that much is copywork, I have been using scripture and after they are done they must read it or recite it back and we practice on tone and such. They don’t mind that part very much.

Actually Felicity had a small part on Sunday for the primary program and she did very well, looking at the congregation, pausing at the appropriate places and using question marks in her speech. I was very proud of her.

We start history Friday, New World Explorers. Something Everett is very excited about as pirates are (arrr?) involved.

We are having a great start to a new school year and the kids keep wondering when we really start school!

K~

Thursdays

Good times are ahead ! Or behind. Because they sure aren’t here. (Garfield, who else)

KristalLeave a comment

All those jokes about Monday? They apply to every single day of the week.

I wrote early this week that I felt like I was tossed out of bed and never landed.

Still haven’t landed.

I am dealing with so many things.

We drove to Portland and back yesterday to pick up a tub we found on craigslist only to find the tub gone, stolen according to the owner. Who in there right mind puts anything on the curb anywhere in the state of Maine? The guy claimed he was hoping to make a bit of cash selling it and yet he put it on the curb, everyone knows that means “free, please take it”. Our other Portland option bombed also and so we drove home. Nice waste of five hours of my life. I say waste because we didn’t have time to make it in to anything else. Even a run down on the beach would have been nice.

Caleb had a fun little birthday party and while he knew what he was getting he was so thrilled about every moment. At one point someone laid there hands on one of his new toys and he said “No! That is special, don’t touch!” . Around here we have living room toys and “special” toys and you don’t mess with it if it is special.

This morning I woke up with every single minutes mapped out.

What a joke.

I made bread, six loaves, actually it is rising right now.

I am fairly certain that I ruined every single loaf.

I neglected to pick up milk, eggs and other staples so I didn’t feed my kids breakfast. I had them dig out a jar of applesauce and wheat thins. Breakfast, go eat it outside. Thank you.

My house is a wreck. Didn’t I just clean it yesterday? The day before? Arggggg!

No tub and no washing machine.

No clean children, no clean clothes and lots of places to go, in oh, 15 minutes.

Why am I wasting valuable time blogging?

I am coping here people and eating wheat thins, I have been so wretchedly busy I can’t recall the last thing I ate. Oh I think I had potato salad yesterday. I think.

One more thing.

Dear tourists, If you cannot even manage the speed limit, stay out of the fast lane. Please. Signed a resident who has meetings and appointments.

I feel so much better. I promise to have a happier post up sometime soon. I have Homeschool updates:D.

K~

Birthday · Kids · Picture Post

3! Oh 3! Yippee!

Kristal1 Comment

My darling little Boy is 3.

He is sweetness and snuggles.

He is never solemn, this is his ” Am I in trouble” look . And of course he never is. How can my sweet baby ever get into trouble?

Caleb is adventurous, always ready to go off and explore! He is not afraid take on the world or make new friends. He is so certain that he cannot not be loved! He might be a little bit spoiled:D

But mostly he is silly and fun. He is full of crazy antics and even though he keeps me on my toes he brings me absolute joy.

 Happy Birthday Caleb, I love you♥.

K~

Natalie · Photography · Picture Post

sigh, does there always have to be a title post?

KristalLeave a comment

It takes me all of a minute to edit any single photo that I take. This is something that I am very proud of, not only have my photoshop skills increased but my photography skills also. Get it right in camera and you are all set to go!

I am feeling thankful today.

At TOFW one of the presenters said, “You can choose to be strong or you can choose to be weak”. Simple but powerful.

Something I have been thinking about this past couple of days. Instead of the lovely week had all planned out, I feel like I woke up and was flung out of bed and I haven’t hit ground yet.

I can be strong.

I can be strong.

I am grateful for that strength, the strength I would not have known I had a year ago.

“For an impenetrable shield, stand inside yourself”
~ Henry David Thoreau

“Strength is the ability to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of those pieces”
~ Judith Viorst

I am not that strong, I will never be that strong!:D

 

K~

Kids · Photography · Picture Post · Trips to somewhere

“I am a zizzer zazzer zuzz as you can plainly see…..”

KristalLeave a comment

Dr. Seuss!

I sometimes think I spend more time on post titles then the posts themselves!

I tried out Wal*mats new photo thingy, you know, photo’s in a matter of minutes!

I don’t like it at all.

Of course I very rarely print at Wal*mat so I suppose that it doesn’t matter, but still.

I went to Time Out For Woman  with Cindi, Sis.A, Patty, Chelle and Susannah on Friday and Saturday.

(That was a mouthful!)

It was so much fun and exactly what I needed both emotionally and spiritually.  It was also nice to know that I am not the only one with laundry issues:D.

So many times you hear the fluff, the cheer, the good stuff and you walk away feeling discouraged, how can I ever relate to these people? They don’t sound as if they would ever recognize a bad hair day, let alone the really stressful stuff that makes up a large portion of my life! But this weekend I was so relieved to hear that they have been there and in some cases gone through some really terrible experiences and yet there they where, saying that it was okay to hope, to have faith, to live and be happy despite our challenges (and the laundry!) I left feeling like I could plunge back into my life with a renewed sense of Hope. And since Hope was the theme I would say they did an excellent job:D.

They promised to come to Portland Maine and I am so very excited!

Time Out For Woman Hartford, Connecticut  (list of presenters).

Today is the last Monday that I will have a two year in the house. I have been reminding Caleb all day long and  he is becoming quite annoyed with me. Tomorrow will be the last Tuesday with a two year old in residence………It will be a long week for my baby boy:D.

Oh! Oh! Oh! ME! ME! ( No I am not asking for a hall pass:D) I have a new watermark for my pictures, I never liked Kristal Photography, this, in my opinion, implies that I am a photographer, which I am not. I am merely a Photography Enthusiast. Very Enthusiast:D. The word Lark has a very dear, special and personal meaning to me and Photo is just um Duh. Joff designed my lark and for your information is a Crested Lark, cocky little fellow but I love him dearly. He needs a bit of tweaking but I am now bringing him out of the Adobe Illustrator closet, so to speak. Nothing fancy or special but I love it. I have a watermarking obsession, but I am not greedy if you would like a photo without the watermark (family and friends) just email me and I can send one right along!

Anyway, what do you think of my new watermark, hmmmmm?

Its Autumn time, Its Autumn time (hum, hum, hum, da, dee, dum)

Evs, is not thinking sweet little boy thoughts. Boys don’t think sweet things. That is what he tells me anyway.

I had something very interesting to say about touch screens and there role in modern society but I really can’t remember what on earth it was. Probably something not very nice.

Most likely not at all nice come to think of it.

Think of what?

I’m off to bed:D

K~

Picture Post · Random

Sometimes my mind wanders; other times it leaves completely.

KristalLeave a comment

1. 3rd day of school. Done. We had our first lesson in creative writing today and I have a feeling that CW will be my favorite part of the week.  I am leaning heavily on the books, If you’re trying to teach kids how to write and Complete writing lessons for the primary grades, Both by Marjorie Frank. I have recently found the blog Small World at Home  to be immensely helpful and full of wonderful suggestions. 

2. I live in a smallish space and I like it. Most of the time.

3.

4.The weather has been utterly lovely, chilly but not too, rainy and sunny almost at the same time.  I have been cleaning up my yard, which was sadly look rather ratty around the edges. I love sweater weather:D.

5.“He is your beloved Heavenly Father, who seeks your good, your happiness. He desires with all the love of a perfect and pure Father that you reach your supernal destination. . . . All you have to do is trust your Heavenly Father. Trust Him enough to follow His plan.”

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Your Happily Ever After,” Ensign, May 2010, 127

K~

Homeschool · Kids · Natalie · Picture Post

School!

Kristal3 Comments

Today was the first day of school for my babies and they where so excited. They worked really hard and even went to bed on time so they could get up and do it all again tomorrow!

We will see how long this lasts:D.

Instead of the regular old back to to school pictures, we tried something a bit different.

(Natalie would be 36 weeks this week. I saw the tiniest little baby in the store this morning. I wonder so many things about my Natalie. I need more time. I still wish I could hold her again. I am terrified of babies. I know that I would not be able to hold it together.)

Back to prepping for tomorrow……

K~

Kids · Picture Post · Trips to somewhere · Uncategorized

Labor Day Fun.

KristalLeave a comment

For Labor day we went to the York zoo and amusement park and then Old Orchard beach.

The traffic wasn’t too bad and the day was perfect!

The Wacky Mouse, all of the kids LOVED this ride! Towards the end of the day when the lines had disappeared the rode it over and over and over and over!

The ducks where everywhere! I love quackers♥.

Caleb carried this little pink lip gloss case all over the park, it is his camera, he would say “click” when he finished taking his shot:D.

By the time we got to the beach it was 8:00, but we had the beach to ourselves and the water was surprisingly warm.

We all got soaking wet and ended up walking back through Old Orchard carrying our shoes and making off with half the beach in the cuffs of our jeans:).

K~

Picture Post · Random

The random ranting continues……

KristalLeave a comment

1. I haven’t used a VHS player in years and I have been completely spoiled by DVDs. Can we say fast forward, rewind, fast forward, just a little, just a little…….oops to far!

Arggggggg!

I am such a modern brat:)

2. I have three kitties and a dog snuggled up on the couch, where they do not belong, but I am such a pushover for the furry ones♥.

3. Off for one last summer jaunt tomorrow, we are headed to the zoo and the beach, YEA!

4. Homeschool plans part two, coming soon. I have amended a few of my plans thanks to a great homeschool seminar I went to Saturday morning. It was so great I managed to keep my mouth shut for more then ten minutes:).

5. Hot and then Chilly. Summer was all September take that! and September is all take this!

6.

 His eyes really are that blue♥.

K~