Just Our Thoughts

Excuse the clutter.

These curtains were sooooo easy. We bought 10 blankets at 10$ a piece. We bought dowels and hooks. We were hoping to not do any sewing but it turned out that the dowels were too big to fit in the seam that was already there. So J ripped and I re-stitched. I put in the dowels and he hung them over the windows.

There were a number of reasons for this project. Our windows are single pane, 1930s glass windows. Some have cracks. The heat loss in the winter is incredible! Secondly, there was no way to block the sun, so often we couldn't see the tv or computer screens. Or at nap time the sun was often shining right in the eyes of the little one trying to sleep. Both problems solved!!

EDD: November 1, 2008
DOB: October 27, 2008

For about a week prior to her birth I had been having crampy, practice labor – an hour here and there, so when I woke Sunday, October 26th with contractions about 20 minutes apart I was not concerned. I got everyone dressed and we went to church. Through the service and visiting afterward, my contractions spread out to 40 minutes and petered out to nothing through the afternoon. Around 4:30 PM the contractions started again – about 40 minutes apart. I went shopping for a few grocery items that we needed; Jason kept the kids. When I got back I got stuff put away and made mac and cheese for supper.

While doing baths and bed routine I had the girls help get their overnight bags ready and Jason and I started timing contractions. They were odd. I never quite knew when one started or stopped or when they peaked. They varied in length and intensity and frequency – anywhere from 1.5 minutes to 2.5 minutes and 3.5 and 6 minutes apart. Between 9 and 10 PM, I called our midwife to get her input and to give her an update. She agreed that the contractions seemed more like practice than the real thing. She advised that we get some rest as best as possible and to keep in touch.

So I went and took a shower and got ready for bed. I slept fitfully on the couch while Jason watched TV. On one of my many trips downstairs to the bathroom we got the bed prepared for me to sleep there and then he did his evening routine. It was around 1AM. At about 20 after 1 I had a tough contraction that gave a kick or a pop. During this contraction Jason suggested that we do something more to cover the bedding in case my water broke. Well, when I stood to allow him to do so, I found myself standing in a puddle. I guess that pop had a purpose – to kick this lagging labor in the butt!

I called our midwife but got her voice mail 2 or 3 times and I got a little concerned that maybe she’d been called out to another birth or something. But I called her pager and she called back around 1:45AM. I told her that my water had broke and that she should come this way. She had a two hour drive ahead of her. The contractions were more intense, more regular and longer. Because she missed our last birth due to inclement weather and the speed of which he came into this world, she asked if I figured she’d make it. I thought she’d have lots of time; the contractions weren’t “that strong”. (I remember her telling me with my very first pregnancy, to call her when “it wasn’t fun anymore”. I wasn’t to that point yet!)

Well, Jason moved me back to the couch. Our little guy (22 months) wouldn’t stay asleep and wanted nothing to do with Daddy. So we decided we had better call the sitter to come and get all the kids. (Earlier we had discussed just letting them sleep and having the sitter run interference in the morning.) When she arrived the little man was sleeping on my tummy and I was well focused on each contraction. So while Jason and our friend did well collecting kids and paraphernalia I did have to direct traffic a little (well, I probably didn’t have to, but I did). They were gone by 2:30AM and it was just Jason and I again.

He positioned himself to help me and I remember saying to him, “I think I’ve stalled.” I had no contractions, no urges to push, nothing. I was just resting, and relaxed. And then all of a sudden a switch seemed to flip and I went full force into push mode. I continued to sit on the couch and got frustrated as it felt like I was preventing the baby from coming out – pushing baby into the couch cushion. I moved to the floor, kneeling on a blanket for warmth. Jason applied counter pressure with each push. I loved how we communicated. No anger or frustration. Just direction here and there. And questions like “Is that good?’ “Need more?” I was amazed at how quickly this seemed to go.

I was worried about tearing. I didn’t seem to be stretching fast or far enough to accommodate baby’s size or speed of delivery. Jason got hot ginger cloths to help soften and soothe, and we gently stretched the skin around her large noggin! I even asked Jason to check that it really was a head and not a butt coming first, but now we see that her butt is smaller than her head. I remember a couple of times changing position to slow her descent. Not that I tried to push her back in, but I just needed some relief and time to stretch a little more.

Finally baby’s head was completely born but the shoulders and body did not follow with the next couple of pushes. Baby was going a little blue. I changed positions a couple of times and still no change. I wasn’t worried but knew that we had to do something soon. Jason got active and right up in there to give a gentle tug. He must have missed the catch because there she was beside me. (We were expecting a boy; just a gut feeling and the way I was carrying her in pregnancy.) I scooped her up and started rubbing and patting to get her crying and breathing. It was 3:30AM.

She was beautiful pink all over in just a few seconds. Clear soft skin. And lungs! The girl has lungs!

Jason moved the two of us to the couch and started covering us with blankets. He had the temperature so high in the house that he was sweating like crazy but baby and I were so cold. Then the contractions for the placenta hit. OUCH! But no sight of it. Normal for me is within the first half hour, but being that this whole delivery was abnormal, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Our midwife called from the road about 20 minutes after baby was born. She asked if I was going to wait for her and I had to apologize saying, “I just couldn’t. She wanted to come out so badly!” She was another 20 minutes away yet. I still hadn’t delivered the placenta when they (she’d stopped to pick up a support /backup midwife) arrived. Our midwife had time to deal with the cord before the next contraction came. (Jason had gone outside and really had no interest in cutting the cord; he considered himself “off duty” once they arrived.) With that contraction the placenta arrived all in one piece; it was very large, almost like another baby! In fact, earlier while we were waiting and the contractions were so “brutal” I questioned whether there was another baby in there but after some poking Jason and I decided that we were parents again to only one more baby, not two.

I am so pleased to say that that I did not pass out this time. Not when they moved me to a more comfortable position, nor when I got up (was helped up) to pee in a bucket. And I haven’t since! My body “got it right” this time. Oh, I’m feeling the pain of sore muscles and such of the pregnancy and delivery, but nothing like after the last speedy entry.

I did not know the baby’s name. When the midwife was doing her paperwork and asked, I just looked at Jason. He named her and I am so pleased with what he chose. I got to choose the spelling though and I love the letter Y so of course that went in!

Rayna, Jason and I spent the day on the couch – in and out of sleep, watching TV, phoning family and friends. The other children came home late in the afternoon. Another friend brought supper and bathed all the kids. Then at bedtime a third woman and our sitter came by with gifts and to put the older ones to bed. We have been so blessed.

Baby Rayna is well looked after and loved. A new baby always shows me the older children’s personalities. K(7) is a little momma – holding and changing diapers, bossing the other children. CJ(6) thinks baby is just a live doll whose clothes need changing regularly. M(3.5) just loves to talk about her baby sister but can never remember her name. W(22mon and only boy) pokes and pats and hugs; he’s feeling the pinch of not being the baby anymore; this “baby sissa” is always in the way, in his spot beside or on mommy.

I’ve never gone into labor early, so that was a pleasant surprise. I was very glad I had done as much prep work as I had – packing bags, collecting supplies and buying things for the newborn. I had activities planned for the next couple of weeks to keep us occupied and have had to change those plans, but that’s okay. We are loving on this baby and taking the time needed to recover and adjust to her being with us now. And we are welcoming guests; we are far from bored!

I kinda missed this post because of our baby coming early, but here it is.

K is my biggest helper. She is motivated and loving. She's a little bossy but that will get her to go far when she learns to use it correctly. She loves to mother the other children and has been such a huge help to me in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

She loves to learn, but only what she wants to learn. She is learning to read and loves math, most of the time. I am always amazed at what sticks with her. She comes up with interesting facts every now and then that I don't remember or haven't heard that she watched on TV with her dad or something like that. Her memory is incredible. Just the other day I asked her about an incident I wasn't completely sure I remembered correctly. She absolutely confirmed my remembrance. The incident was almost 2 years ago.

Happy Birthday, K. I love you!

I received this in the same newsletter that I got the Wall Street Journal Article. I contacted the author and in her response to me she said she wanted as many people to know as possible.

THE AMMONIA/SIDS CONNECTION
by Joyce S. Duke, RN (retired)

10/7/2008: Joyce S. Duke from Joelton, TN writes, "After wondering about the cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome for many years and paying attention to all articles that I could find on it, I began analyzing and adding up the different things to see where they led. The following is my theory and how I came to that conclusion.

The parents of these SIDS babies stated that they showed no signs of illness prior to their death.

Most of these babies were sleeping on their stomachs at the time of death.

The first thing that started me toward my theory was when I read about a doctor being awakened one night and going to check on his baby to find it not breathing and was aware of an ammonia odor in the baby's room. He hastily picked up the baby and held him in an open window to revive him. Mention was not made of whether or not he used chest compressions or other measures beyond the fresh air. While reading this I remembered many times that I was aware of a heavy ammonia odor when changing the early morning diapers on my own babies. They never had it while awake and their diapers were being changed often.

At this point I remembered reading about a wife found dead in her bathroom who apparently died while cleaning it. After an autopsy failed to find the cause of her death, the theory emerged that she was using both bleach and ammonia in cleaning the bathroom; when combined these two chemicals form a deadly gas that caused her death, leading to the warning to never mix bleach and ammonia together.

One question has never been answered for me, but the latest information on SIDS deaths being reduced further by the use of a fan makes me wonder even more, if my simple theory is correct.

Were the parents of these children ever asked, or did any of the autopsy reports ever address what these SIDS babies were wearing when they died? My theory hinges on the kind of diaper these children were wearing. If they were wearing a cloth diaper, which has again become very popular and would have been laundered (by the mother or diaper service), was bleach used in the laundering of them? Another question that I have never seen published is: Were they wearing a plastic panty over the diaper at their death?

Stale urine often does develop a strong ammonia odor. A baby wearing a cloth diaper laundered with bleach, under plastic panties, sleeping on its stomach would be in a position that would tunnel any gas formed (from ammonia in the urine & bleach in the diapers) and escaping at the waist right into its nose. I don't think it would take as much gas to overwhelm a baby as it did the woman cleaning her bathroom. A fan would keep the air moving and dilute the gas thereby preventing the death. An open window would increase air circulation and dilute the gas also.

At least one reader I am sure remembers exactly what her infant was wearing at the time of the child's SIDS death. If you are reading this and can answer my questions above, please write to me. I would welcome any and all replies from mothers and fathers of SIDS babies. Only you can answer my questions and prevent future SIDS deaths.

Please start warning new mothers of the danger while waiting for the answer if the above conditions were present when your little one died."

Joyce S. Duke, RN
contact email: jsduke33@gmail.com

Here's a link to the original information: http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/SIDS.html#SIDSTHEORIES

The following article was sent to me through a newsletter called Earth Clinic. There was a second but I am waiting to hear back from the author to see if I can re-post here.

STUDY SUGGESTS FAN USE CUTS SIDS RISK IN BABIES

October 7, 2008

By JENNIFER CORBETT DOOREN
WALL STREET JOURNAL
http://wsj.com:80/article/SB122331625802208321.html

Using a fan while a baby is sleeping appears to significantly cut the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, according to new research.

Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., compared 185 babies who died from SIDS in 11 California counties between May 1, 1997 and April 30, 2000, with 312 normal infants from similar socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds living in the same counties. Mothers were asked several questions about fan use, pacifier use, room location, sleep surface, the type of covers over the baby, bedding under the infant, room temperature and whether a window was open.

The study, which is being published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found that using a fan cut the risk of SIDS by 72%. The use of a fan in a room with a temperature higher than 69 degrees Fahrenheit was associated with a 94% decreased risk of SIDS compared with no fan use.

SIDS, or a sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger than one year old, kills about 2,500 infants annually and is the leading cause of death in that age group. While the cause of SIDS is unknown, one theory is that babies re-breathe exhaled carbon dioxide trapped near their airways from bedding or sleeping on their stomachs.

Since the mid-1990s it's been recommended that infants be placed on their backs to sleep rather than their stomachs. That recommendation, along with others such as sleeping on a firm mattress and avoiding soft bedding, was linked to a more than 50% decline in SIDS deaths from 1992 to 2003.

The lead researcher in the latest study, De-Kun Li, explained that fan use increases air movement in a baby's bedroom that could protect babies from re-breathing carbon dioxide.

"If parents want to take an extra measure, they should consider using a fan," he said. Dr. Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist, stressed that using a fan isn't a substitute for placing babies on their backs to sleep.

Marian Willinger, Special Assistant for SIDS Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said the findings on fan use were interesting but need to be replicated.

"It cannot be emphasized strongly enough, however, that there is no substitute for the most effective means known to reduce the risk of SIDS: always placing infants for sleep on their backs," Dr. Willinger said in a statement.

Since 2005, it's also been recommended that infants use a pacifier. In 2005, Dr. Li released research from the same group of women used in the fan study, showing use of a pacifier cut the risk of SIDS by 90%. That finding helped back up recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics on adding pacifiers to the list of recommendations to cut SIDS risks.

The new study also looked at whether windows were open or closed. Babies who slept with an open window were less likely to die from SIDS compared to babies who slept with a closed window, but the finding wasn't considered statistically significant. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and Kaiser Permanente.

Write to Jennifer Corbett Dooren at
jennifer.corbett-dooren@dowjones.com

Here's the link to the original information. http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/SIDS.html#SIDSTHEORIES

As most people know, October is Breast Cancer awareness month. What many do not know is that October is also Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Unfortunately, there is no cure to be found. But those of us who have endured the loss through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or early infant death do share something as those experienced with breast cancer patients, and that is that we are all survivors.

In March 2004 I gave birth to a beautiful son, Harvey Richard. I had a normal pregnancy and was dreaming of holding my newborn baby, our third child. I went a little overdue but nothing serious and labor was long (long for me). Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong it seemed. My big boy got stuck on the way out - shoulder dystocia - and when he did get out we found that the cord was wrapped very very tightly around his little neck. Needless to say we spent time in the NICU at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta. After being there for 10 days and realizing Harvey was not going to have a life of any substance we made the decision to take him back home. We brought him and his sisters home to spend his last hours together as a family. He died at 12 days old.

We were incredibly blessed by our "families" - both extended families, our church family and our fire fighting family. They were a huge support to us in so many ways and for a long time but eventually, life goes on for them, even when we wanted life to stop and stay forever in that moment. My arms are empty, but I had to stay busy with two other little ones under 3 years old. There were the daily needs that had to be met. Life looked normal, but in my heart and mind it wasn't. When Harvey left this world and returned to heaven, he took a little piece of each of us with him. We all miss him dearly still, after almost 5 years. Life may go on, but it will never be the same.

We are currently expecting our 6th baby and are so very excited about this new life. But each pregnancy and birth since Harvey's has been a little tainted with worry and concern. Will this one end the same or will we really get to keep this baby too? Yes, we've had two healthy pregnancies, two amazing births and two very vibrant children since Harvey left us, but life is so uncertain now. So very fragile. So very precious.

When a parent loses a child at such an early age, it is hard to know what to say or do. Nobody can feel or understand the pain any more than they can see the wind blow. The pain we feel and the emptiness that has been left in our hearts is real and we are always aware of it. But, we survive. We have to survive, if not for ourselves, than for the other children God has blessed us with in this world. As we continue to live life, day to day, and as the years pass, we find that life does go on; it's different, but it goes on. It gets easier to talk about and easier to think about and a little easier to say his name. The grief and the mourning are still real. The songs still make me cry but God is graceous and loves to bless those that trust in Him! We do survive through Him!

The website www.October15th.com is geared toward awareness, support, and education of pregnancy and infancy loss.

Another organization which supports grieving parents is Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Through NILMDTS, an affiliated volunteer photographer shares time and talent and provides the parents with remembrance photography of their baby who left the earth too soon. Volunteer photographers are needed in this community. For more information about joining their network of photographers, visit the Photographer's Page at www.NILMDTS.org.

If you have experienced such a loss, there is a wonderful support group for moms called Comfort In Heaven. I found a great support there and still visit from time to time. I encourage you to stop by and either receive or give your support. In my journey I found many many groups where the focus was so much on the negative of the loss and not focused on the fact that our little one was in heaven with Jesus. I found that at most of these forums and email groups that I was getting more and more depressed and more and more wrapped up in my grief and sorrow. That wasn't good for my family or my other children. When I found Comfort in Heaven, I found what I was looking for! A place of hope. A place to grief and yet a place to see that life does go on and it's okay to have life go on. Don't go through your pain alone!

Tonight my dh and I are going to our local Fireman's Ball. It's an annual event to honor our local volunteer fire fighters. In honor of this event and of our men, I wanted to share this video I found on YouTube. The song is by Bon Jovi and the video includes the Fireman's Prayer. Apparently, the maker of the video changed a word - wife to mate - in the Fireman's Prayer. I've copied the words of the prayer below from a tribute site I found online.




A Fireman's Prayer

When I am called to duty, God,

Whenever flames may rage;

Give me strength to save some life,

Whatever be its age.

Help me embrace a little child

Before it is too late

Or save an older person

From the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert

And hear the weakest shout,

And quickly and efficiently

To put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling

And to give the best in me

To guard my every neighbor

And protect his property.

And if, according to my fate,

I am to lose my life,

Please bless with your protecting

My children and my wife.

- Author Unknown

Pink Stinx blogger, Tammy has bestowed upon me two awards! I've put them at the bottom of my blog page. Check them out! So cool!!!! Thanks, T; I'm honored to be considered award worthy!

My second baby is 6 today. I can't believe she's that old already. She's such a handful but she's such a sweetie. She loves little things - bugs and beads and leaves and seeds. She's a collector, I guess. She likes books and looking after her siblings now and then. She is blossoming into a girl, not such a baby. My struggle with her is tantrums, at 6! And some other issues, but they are manageable. We get through day by day and encourage her to act like a big girl.

CJ, I love you! I hope that even though I'm sick today, that you have a special day anyway.

Well, he thinks he can do whatever he wants and whatever his sisters can do so up he goes! This time he got stuck and needed help to get down! Now NOTHING is safe! He's 21 months old, almost 22. He's such a busy boy at the best of times. He's so much fun!

I value these men and women! They are hard working and devoted individuals. They make sacrifices many of us would never dream of having to make. I mean, as a mom, I am up a number of times a night but I don't have to get fully dressed in a hurry after being abruptly woken from a deep sleep by a screaming pager. And then have to rush from home in all sorts of weather.

These men and women provide such a valuable service and are under appreciated. The volunteer fire fighters in this community are often the people you see volunteering at many other events in the community. They are givers in their day to day lives. Time. Energy. Resources. Families. And what do they get in return? False alarms. Minor disputes. Interrupted work days.

The fire fighters (and other responders, I'm sure) in our little town are tired! Some of them are sick (fall colds and flu). They need sleep to get better and responding to false alarms in the middle of the night does not allow for that much needed rest! They need sleep! Those who are well enough are responding and doing so without much complaint; that's what they do! What are they responding to these days? Legitimate calls - like vehicle roll overs. Grass fires, that are already out by the time they get there. False alarms, that are repeated at the same building! Petty neighbor disputes, in the middle of the night.

I am the wife of one of these overworked men. Men who have regular day jobs and families. I am a wife who makes sure her man gets out of the door in the shortest time possible each time we are awakened by the screaming pager. I love to see the dedication and loyalty my man give his fire fighting team. (He's missed one call this year!) I am supportive of his involvement and do everything I can to make his service and the service of the others has easy to do as possible. Because of this, it pains me greatly when I see and hear that these men and women are over tired and ill, and they are getting calls that could easily be resolved with a little common sense and without waking them from the sleep they so desperately need right now.

Fellow citizens, I call you to think! Please think before you make that prank or unnecessary call in the middle of the night. Save the energy of these fine men and women for the real calls, like your arena burning down, or your public schools, or heaven forbid, your home!

We finished the 10 Commandments "unit" that we were doing. And have nice poster to remind us of them.

The next Bible learning we are working on is The Beatitudes. I printed a lapbook (a freebie from Currclick) called B is for Beatitudes. I didn't do a lot of teaching while we were putting the lapbook together, so now we will go on to learn what the beatitudes are and what they mean for us today. Here's some pictures I took of the finished project.

White Snack Cake (pg 23 from Company's Coming Sweet Cravings)

1 tbsp hard margarine or butter (we used lard)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla (we used peppermint)
1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup flour (used whole wheat)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt

Beat first 5 ingredients together in medium bowl.

Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until smooth. Turn into greased 8x8 pan. Bake in 350F oven for about 12 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Cuts into 9 pieces as a dessert or 12 pieces as a snack. (We doubled and put in a 9x13. Ours took longer to cook because the oven wasn't preheated. Used our mixer machine to do all the mixing. Cut into about 20 pieces and i think it's all gone in about 25 min.)

Very easy. Very yummy and easy to change to add spices or other flavors.

Well, there seems to be something brewing. More and more I see sites linking to Day Zero or some form of this concept. DH and I have decided to tackle the following list. I've picked a start date of November 1, 2008 because that's easy and I didn't know when I'd get done writing the list. It took a while! So that makes our end date to be Saturday, July 30, 2011.

A lot of it is big projects - things I can't do on my own, some are to do with the kids, some are travel. I'll post the list and report back on it, just like I do with our homeschooling curriculum list. This could get quite lengthy as I plan to explain some of the items as a reminder to me why. Last updated March 31, 2009.

101 Things To Do In 1001 days

1. Start and finish bedroom loft. – Although not 100% complete, it is to a point where we can be in it and love it. We’ll work on the bits and pieces that are left – some electrical, flooring, a permanent railing. (01/29/09)

2. Raise rabbits for meat.

3. Start a worm composting box.

4. Maintain a regular home school schedule – we are starting this by starting a routine for the household. This is going well, most days. The children are loving it. (01/29/09)

5. Start the kitchen renovation. – (03/2009 Starting to think this process through. May use income tax return for this.)

6. Rebuild front deck.

7. Re-shingle front portion of the roof.

8. Place $10/month into savings account for first three months. NOV DEC JAN

9. Place $20/month into savings account for months 4-6. FEB MAR APR

10. Place $30/month into savings account for months 7-9. MAY JUN JUL

11. Place $40/month into savings account for months 10-12. AUG SEP OCT

12. Place $50/month into savings account for months 13-15. NOV DEC JAN

13. Maintain placing $50/month into savings account.

14. Walk three times a week. – I'm working on this; up to two times a week. (Dec) It got cold again. We're not working on this anymore, right now. (01/29/09) (03/2009) Spring is coming and we are getting out more.

15. Read an adult book a week. – 02/2009 - I'm not getting through a whole book each week, but I am reading a little each day. (03/2009) I’ve been reading more and have even started a reading list for the spring.

16. Read to the kids daily for half an hour. We are starting with one book each evening for bed. (Dec. 08) This has kinda fallen by the wayside again. (01/29/09)

17. Modify the suburban. J needs a vehicle to work like a truck. We have this and it's paid for. We'll make it work.

18. Work on riding lawn mowers to get at least one working for spring 2009.

19. Work on getting utility trailer licensed.

20. Insulate the windows in the sanctuary. Keep the cold out and the heat in, in the winter and vise versa in the summer. We are going to make curtains - roman blinds type things from heavy blankets. DONE

21. Grow and maintain a herb garden.

22. Write snail mail letters weekly. (03/209 – Working on this, sending bday and ann cards monthly)

23. Learn, use and teach more sign language to the children. – part of our Letter of the Week curriculum is to learn to sign the alphabet. (01/29/09)

24. Turn computer off by 4 PM 3 nights a week. – I'm not yet turning it off but I am walking away and not coming back from 4 until sometime after 7 PM. (Dec. 08) I’m working on this by just staying away more over all and especially during bedtime. (01/29/09)

25. Organize toy storage.

26. Learn to crochet. (02/2009)

27. Start sewing - a project a month.

28. Become more actively involved in local politics. (Needs defining. What do we want to do?)

29. Visit seniors' home twice a month.

30. Have guests from church or the community over for a meal once a month. – This is going well. We had company a few times this month! (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this continues to go well. We have people over quite regularly.)

31. Blog about our homeschooling weekly (or more). – This is getting more regular too, as I report with pictures what we do each week. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this too is going well.)

32. Drink half my weight in ounces of non-diuretic liquid daily. (2/2009) I am drinking less coffee and have upped my water, not quite up to half.

33. Have "coffee" with a friend twice a month. (Dec 08) (02/2009)

34. Give monthly to the food bank. (Dec08)

35. Put in a main floor bathroom.

36. Put a shower curtain up around the tub.

37. Get the wood furnace in working order by winter 2009. (03/2009 – we have had an inspection done. Just a few things that need to be done before it can be approved.)

38. Schedule yearly dental check ups for the family. (02/2009 appointments scheduled for the children)

39. Schedule yearly optometrist check ups for the family.

40. Read or listen to the Bible daily. – I added this to my morning routine. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this is not going well.)

41. Cut TV time for children to two hours of their programming a day. I try to leave the TV off. I want them to have no more than two hours but would certainly rather less. However, the TV is J's thing to do to relax, so if the children are still awake in the evening when it is on I'm not going to fight the battle to keep them away from their dad while he's watching TV and interacting with them at that time. Getting closer, most days. For a while there, after R was born they were watching a lot, but we're cutting back again. Now, they are watching more wholesome programs - DVDs from our collection - and TV. (Dec. 08) I’m working on this too; they still watch too much, but we are more selective of what they watch. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this is not going really well either.)

42. Actively move away from plastics to glass or stainless steel. With all the scare of stuff in plastics, this feels safer to me. I haven't done a tonne of research but I want to get away from them anyway and also get away from using the microwave. So that's kinda a two in one here.

43. Start making my own yogurt. This means I need to get a yogurt maker or go WAY out on a limb and try it without! Scary thought. I found a great recipe for doing this in my crock pot. I have yet to try it. (01/29/09)

44. Start growing our own tobacco. I know, I know, smoking is terrible but without all the pesticides and sprays it should be healthier. Plus it's homeschooling for the kids!

45. Find a small whole Bible to carry with me like I do my cell phone. I read a blog somewhere that this woman was challenged or challenged herself to do with her Bible as she does for her cellphone. So if she forgot her Bible she'd go home for it because that's what she would do if she'd left her cellphone. Or if she turns her cell on first thing in the morning, to read her Bible then too. Our society has become so dependent on technology and we need to get away from that a little and get back into God's Word and be dependent on that instead! I never saved the blog and I don't know how she did, but I'm going to give it a shot.

46. Write M's birth story.

47. Write baby #6 birth story.

48. Learn to quilt. This will be a winter project.

49. At least once, go away overnight without the kids, just for us.

50. Make each 29th of the month special as a reminder of our wedding anniversary.

51. Clear out brush and trees.

52. Build a sandbox.

53. Fix clothesline. Spring 2009.

54. Do belly dancing workout video at least twice a week.

55. Learn to dance.

56. Go on a picnic a couple times during the summers.

57. Take day trips six times a year to museums or local historical sites.

58. Go sledding a couple times each winter.

59. Paint the snow with food coloring.

60. Build a snowman.

61. Weekly coffee or date with DH.

62. Institute and stick to the "something in = something out" rule to keep down the clutter.

63. Visit Camrose and New Norway a couple times.

64. Change kitchen towels to waffle type towels. Flylady has good ones!

65. Organize and figure out good storage for craft supplies.

66. Organize homeschool books and supplies better.

67. Set up our homeschool area. This will have to be done after the lofts are done. – Homeschool area has just recently been moved to the stage. This is working. Just have to get it more organized now. (01/29/09) (03/2009 – this got more organized.)

68. Re-write master/monthly grocery list.

69. Organize shed to make it usable as a workshop.

70. Learn to use power tools to make things for our home such as decorations. (02/2009 – we bought me my own drill, and I’ve used it.)

71. Learn basic electrical.

72. Journal daily.

73. Review The Hidden Art of Homemaking six times a year to add to our home.

74. Create a woodworking area.

75. Become more actively involved in provincial politics. (Needs defining. What do we want to do?)

76. Become more actively involved in federal politics. (Needs defining. What do we want to do?)

77. Start a woodworking project.

78. Make the guest room an actual guest room that is warm and welcoming.

79. Decorate the main room / sanctuary.

80. Completely deal with current work issue. – This current work issue (current at the time of writing the list) has been dealt with COMPLETELY!!! (01/29/09)

81. Clean out front porch area. Put things where they belong. Get rid of what we don't want or need. (02/2009 -We did a good chunk of this project this month, but there is still a long way to go.) (03/2009 – done, until we start kitchen project.)

82. Re-decorate / Get a new entertainment center.

83. Get new glass or fix the glass table some other way.

84. Jump in puddles with the children.

85. Play in the rain.

86. Build or obtain shelving for the basement. (03/2009)

87. Put a door on the basement bathroom and enclose it even if it is temporary. This will make it more comfortable for everyone - guests and residents!!

88. Re-build the back entrance to make it safer and harder to break into.

89. Copy all audio / mp3 files to disc to get them off the computer.

90. Build a fence.

91. Buy supplies for solar and wind power. Move towards getting those things installed.

92. Take fire course S-300.

93. Take fire course S-500.

94. Take fire course S-600.

95. Take fire course S-700.

96. Take fire course S-800.

97. Take fire course S-200.

98. Take fire course S-400.

99. Take fire course S-1000.

100. Eat supper at the table, as a family at least three times a week.

101. Support Stollery Children's Hospital.

This month we have two birthdays! (Maybe a third, depending on when this new one comes.) So here's a cheesy song for that.

Eye Spy Colors by Debbie MacKinnon M loved this book!! She ooohhed and aaaahhhed over every brightly colored page. We'll read this one again.

I See the Moon and the Moon Sees Me by Jonathan London The girls said that this book was too short, but it could have been because they didn't want to go to bed. I loved the repetition and the simple poetry and the illustrations are beautiful.

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes and illustrated by Doris Barrette The illustrations are so very busy and yet simple and real to life. The kids loved to see the people interacting. We talked about what we were thankful for and whether it was the same or different as what was mentioned in the book, like we had ham and ice cream while the people in the book had turkey and pie. I had actually forgotten that I'd got the book from the library! So glad it was here for our Thanksgiving dinner day.

The Eye Book by Dr. Seuss / Theo LeSieg This is a simple reading book. My 7 year old can read most of the words. Now that I've read it to them once or twice she will pick up the others quickly.

Look At Your Eyes by Paul Showers This is a science book. In very very simple terms the author tells us about our eyes, our eyebrows and eyelashes and about how our pupils move and change. My kids really enjoyed the easy flowing words descriptions.

Kittens are Like That by Jan Pfloog Simple descriptions of the things kittens do.

"Slowly, slowly, slowly," says the Sloth by Eric Carle A book about the differences in the way animals (people) go about their days. And maybe a reminder to be like the sloth and slow down.

Draw, Write, Now! Books 1, 2, 3

We haven't looked at this for a few weeks now. They are more interested in coloring with M at this point and learning about what she is learning about.

ACSI Mathematics 1 & 2

CJ's new book is still not here. K is on Chapter 5 right now, I think.

Canada, My Country

I looked through this book and I love it! I bought some of the recommended titles - books on Canada - and am waiting for those to come in. I think this may be something we'll work on after baby arrives.

Canada-opoly

Haven't played this in a long time. Maybe when we start the above unit and when my parents come to visit. (That's when they played it the most before.)

Bug-opoly

Haven't played since my last update.

Penpal letters

The girls are still loving to get the mail! And they love sending it too. We are running into issues with them wanting to print their own letters, but they have so much to say to their new friends and so little patience to get the words on the paper. I'll probably help more by having them dictate to me and drawing pictures and such. We are still using cool pens and stickers from the dollar store. And a few other treats - including post cards of Canada.

Various Unit Studies

We never did get back to the Bee Unit. But have moved on to a couple of other things. We learned about the 10 Commandments and have started a lapbook about the Beatitudes. It seems to be going over well.

Lapbooking

Copywork, as needed (using penpal letters for most of their writing stuff)

Internet and computer programs / games

We are slowly introducing this back into our schooling. One way I've got them back into this is visits to the library and having them use the computers there. The desks are clear - no extra papers. They get earphones so it's quiet. And doing so keeps the older girls busy while M and W are in their library class.

UB David + I'll B Jonathan (Mailbox Club type program)

We have a couple little sheets waiting for us to do. Maybe in the next day or two.

BOB Books for learning to read

All About Spelling

I printed off the list for Grade One and posted it, but that's as far as it got. Because they don't seem to be interested in printing or anything, I'm not pushing these things. Soon they'll just pick it up and run with it.

How To Teach Science

They are asking to learn more about the periodic table again. We only ever did Hydrogen but we'll get into that too. I found a new cool site with YouTube videos that explain the elements in greater detail. I can't wait to get into them. They look very well done.

Come Sit By Me

This is mainly for the younger ones but K likes to listen to a story too. I don't know that I'll do all or any of the activities but it gives us a good list of books to check out and read and talk about.

I've found another way to introduce new books and new content into our home. We are using the Prepatory Program from Letter of the Week. Every week has a new theme and new books and new letters, numbers, shapes/colors, poems, songs. It's fun for them. We've really modified it though as I was having trouble keeping caught up with the planning. Right now I order the recommended books and read them when they come in. I print off sheets to do with the theme and letters etc each week and they color and cut and paste those. I make sure we read the poem or get a book from the library with that poem in it.

Also we are working on the holidays as they come up. Just recently was Thanksgiving. Halloween is coming up and also we have a couple birthdays so I'll see about books for that too!

A post with our story is coming. Just wanted to get the reminder out to light a candle tonight.

Well they aren't done yet, but there are a lot more of them in the freezer! Here's the latest photos (I've put more away since these were taken):

We're down to what is on the table now and should have those put away by the middle of the week.

Christy over at ShaketheSalt is hosting a giveaway by Boca Beth. A gift worth $50 that includes a bag, cds, coloring book and more. Go check it out!

We bought these skulls for decorating for Hallowe'en when we went to the city last and they've been sitting on a window sill until sometime here after Thanksgiving.

Well, today K asks, "where's the ears?"

I said, "Well, they are soft; they're not made from bone."

"What are they made of then?"

"Cartilage."

"What's that?"

"It's a soft tissue that makes up parts of our bodies, like noses and ears."

"WHAT? You mean my ears of made of Kleenex??????"

Okay, J and I were laughing soooo hard! I tried to hide it at first but then she goes, "I bet you laugh until you cry!" Well, that was the end of me. I laughed to very hard that my tummy hurt and I was crying! She just laughed with us until I got control enough to explain to her that there are a few definitions of tissue and in this case tissue meant our skin and muscles and stuff!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

We took it easy in the morning. DH slept until after lunch. He's been so incredibly busy and stressed with work and sleeping in is one thing that he loves to do from time to time. We let him sleep until he decided to get up. We just carried on as if he were not here. We played and watched TV and spent time on the computer. Once he was up and going we got busy! What an afternoon and evening!!!

J started by running over to work and borrowing an old washing machine that he'd removed from one of the homes. He set it up outside with the garden hose and a very long extension cord. We let it wash through once or twice with nothing in it to get the soap residue out. While that was washing we started picking carrots from the garden. We topped and filled up the wheelbarrow with just carrots.

When the wheelbarrow was full we started loading the washer. We did this twice and then took a big break to eat and run to the store.

When we got back CJ and I started the second step of the process while K and J continued out in the garden to wash a third load of carrots. Each load filled a Little Tykes wagon!!! J figured we pulled in and processed 3 bushels that night.

The second step was cutting the end off and putting them through the food processor to slice them to freeze! Ready to eat. So I got a knife and started topping while CJ put them through the processor.

Once we had a very large bowl full of sliced orange yummy-ness, she started bagging. Bagging was I think the hardest part of the job! Once we had a bag full, we handed it to W (20mo) to take to the freezer. He'd hop up on a little red chair, open the lid and drop the bag in! He was SOOOOOOO proud of himself! He would run back for the next one and if we didn't have one ready, he was so impatient!

By this time it's getting close to 7 or 8 o'clock at night and the third load is still outside. I had CJ put the littles in the tub and she got in with them while K helped me slice and bag. We got a lot done before I sent her to the tub too. I got the littles and CJ dressed in jammies. Then we pulled out the milk, strawberry and chocolate sauce and protein powder for milk "shakes" (no ice cream though). So, they drank their suppers, watched Dora the Explorer and then I headed them off to bed.

J and I continued working on loads 2 and 3 until close to 11 o'clock! Some hints, if you want to give this a shot:

1. When pulling them out of the garden, have lots of "runners" - little kids with buckets to run back and forth to the wheelbarrow. Even the littlest can have a job.
2. Knock a lot of the dirt off and all the tops before putting in the washer, especially if you are using your normal day to day washer!
3. When cutting ends off, pick large carrots and lay them all the same direction. It seems like you are wasting time sorting but really it goes a lot faster! No sorting through little ones to get a decent sized carrot to cut.
   
4. Place carrots into feeder (food processor) big end down.
5. Don't slice the little ones! They are bite size anyway. Just freeze them whole or save for snacking.
6. Don't pull more than you can process in a day. Take lots of breaks if you start to get tired! After 7 hours, I was wiped!
7. Snacks, besides what you are "putting up", are great too. We had chips and dip, pop, coffee and chocolate bars (those mini ones).
   
8. For a family of six (with little kids) one medium ziploc bag is perfect for a meal. That's the size we freeze in.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

We didn't go to church this morning. We slept in, all of us. J and I actually were in bed until close to 11AM. It was great! The kids just watched TV and played. We took it easy for most of the day and only started on the carrot process around 3PM. That process started with re-organizing freezers.

Saturday night we just threw the carrot bags in wherever they would fit. We have two little freezers. One will be for only carrots at this point and the other for everything else. So I had to remove what was in the "carrot freezer" and lay the carrot bags nicely to get the best use of space.

Part of this process was to clean out the build up of ice on the edges of the freezer. I, being 37 weeks pregnant, could not get the ice out of the bottom! So, I put little M (3yo) in the freezer with a dustpan to get the ice out!

Saturday's work filled the freezer a little more than half full. And the "everything else freezer" is 3/4 of the way full with other stuff.

The cutting and bagging part of the process started around supper time on Sunday. With all the help that we got from K and off and on from the other kids we were done in an hour.

We have WAY more carrots than we have storage space. We are not set up with a cold storage room so freezing is the best option for us.

Also, we're taking a box over to a neighbor and we've found a family whose garden did not do well this year and they are coming over to help pull up the other half of what we planted. That's Monday's job. We'll see if that gets blogged about or not!