Christmas Time

 We had a peaceful Christmas. I love when Jacob goes down for a nap, he looks so angelic.

 The girls watched A Muppet Christmas Carol, and when we opened gifts for one another we sang Christmas hymns between each one. We also read Luke 2 and Monta was Mary, Jacob was Joseph, the big girls were shepherds and sheep, and Ryan’s grandma on Skype was the angel because as Amy said "It’s perfect, because she has white hair." We had a German Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve. Rouladen, Rotkohl, Potatoes and mustard, Yum!

Big Horses

We got to see some really big horses the other day. They were beautiful!

We are doing alright

Sometimes I wonder if I’m doing enough with homeschooling, but here are two recent quotes that make me feel like maybe we’re doing alright:

Lena, 5 yrs old, at breakfast "Eww, Mom. Lily is masticating her eggs and spitting them out."

There’s a cabbage butterfly in our house that we’ve enjoyed being here. It’s so cold outside, we’ve kept it as a pet. Esther, 7, asked me "Mom, why is it (the butterfly) touching my skin with its proboscis?"

If you can use those two big words correctly, then maybe we are doing well. ;)

Cute Kiddos

 This little guy is started sitting up. He is growing up so fast.

 Esther loves to do creative things with LEGO blocks, and making messes tuckers Monta out. It’s exhausting making messes.

Henry W. Longfellow

 We read Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" and these are the pictures the girls drew to go with the poem.

 I thought Esther’s details were great.

 Lena drew the Sommerset man of war, complete with bearded captain looking out.

 Monta's picture came from Longfellow's "A Psalm of Life" where he says "Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime, And, departing, leave behind us footprints in the sands of time."

I have been very impressed with Longfellow’s life story, having recently read a book about him. His tragic experience of losing his dear wife Fanny in a fire, and being very burned himself (forever after sporting the bushy beard he was known for because he couldn’t shave over the scars), and his ability to still look to God with gratitude for the time they had together rather than be bitter, make his poem "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" so much more poignant. He showed amazing faith when he writes "Then peeled the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead nor doth he sleep, the wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth good will to men."

10 Reasons I am grateful to be a homeschooling mom

People often tell me they think it would be overwhelming to be homeschooling. Several reasons I love it:
1- I don’t have to wake up babies prematurely from naps to drive the kids to school.
2- I don’t have to wait till 4pm for the kids to get off the bus. (Because we live in the country, it takes a long time for the neighborhood kids to get dropped off)
3- I get to watch my older kids teaching their younger siblings, and playing with them.
4- We get to go at my children's pace, taking more time where necessary, and going faster when they understand a concept.
5- We can take vacations during off season times.
6- I can include things into the curriculum that interest my family.
7- They get to learn a foreign language (German), bake, do lots of art, and play with play dough.
8- I don’t have to worry as much about picking up nasty colds from the school to pass around the family, and we can still learn on sick days. We also get to avoid bullying and the silliness that sometimes gets in the way of learning.
9- They get time to learn about running a home, cleaning and cooking. They also learn about taking care of the animals.
10- I can answer my children’s questions when they have them, for example, just the other week after watching a nature film Amy asked "How do humans mate?" I was glad I was the one to answer that then some 5th grader. I could address it at her level.

Now revel in this cute fella!

This weeks happenings

 We had a "class party" Thursday morning because the girls had been so stellar about doing their homework. We made gingerbread cookies and watched Tangled.

 I sometimes think my girls would love to walk into a Laura Ingels Wilder book, they love the bonnets Oma got for them. They are getting pretty reliable about taking care of the chickens and cat. I am adjusting to having a cat. Everyone says you need one out here, and considering the mouse Ryan saw in the garage last week I believe it. I just wish she wouldn’t do her business on my porch.

Christmas Season

I love the Christmas season. I love my Savior and the love He has shown us all. I hope that we can raise the kids so that they remember Him, and treat others as He would. I love this song by Hilary Weeks. She sings of how Christ loves us wherever we are at. I know this is true. He understands us, our hopes, fears, doubts, and his love is infinite. What a wonderful thing to remember this season, and always.

They think they are part of the family

Our hens definitely think they are part of our family. This is not an uncommon sight at our home. If we’d let them, they’d come in and make themselves at home. I don’t know if any girls loved their chickens as much as these girls.