Great Expectations

Well, I confess.  I joined a book group and was asked to pick the first book.  I was thrilled to be able to pick one of the many classics that I've been aching to read.  Charles Dickens is such an inspired author that I chose one of his masterpieces, "Great Expectations".  This was almost a month ago.  Two weeks ago, I finally got to the store and bought my own copy and brought it home to read.  A few days later, I was able to find the time to OPEN the cover.  Now, I am pushing through it and LOVING it, but I must confess that my "Great Expectations" of being able to read it, absorb it and dig deep have been squashed.  I'm not even half way and I have less than 48 hours to get through the rest of this not-so-easy book (along with the many other things on my "to do").  Well, here's hoping!  But somehow, I really just don't see me living up to my, well, Great Expectations.

Laundry Woes

Well, I just finished rotating load 6 into the dryer today.  Sick kids takes its toll in more way than one.  I was completely caught up in laundry until bathtime Saturday night.  Since then 6 loads have accumulated.  Seriously!

I think I may have found a culprit though.  As Jaymeson just changed into his 2nd pair of undies and pants today, I asked him if he should go potty in his pants.  His reply, "Nope.  I need to go in my undies!"  I was a little surprised as he usually says, "In the potty".  I said, "No Jay, you don't go in your Undies!!"  His response?!?  "But Mom, Wetting your pants is cool!"  I might have a long go ahead of me with potty training....

Excerpts from a letter to Kim. aka - some RANDOM from my life.

Have I told you the big news?  The South Calgary Costco has a GAS STATION now!!  We filled up there today - it was BEYOND exciting.  Amazing savings... seriously.  Okay... ACTUALLY Brittany (my favorite ridiculously tall sister that has been single until late) is ENGAGED.  I even have met the guy once (a year and a half ago) and really like him.  We might even get to meet him again over Christmas.  Won't that be nice?!?  I'm so excited for her taking this next AWESOME step in life.  Marriage has made me so happy because I found a really good guy who cares so much about me.  I'm so glad that Britt has found that too.  Congrats you two!!

 Baby Benson and Cousin Macy on Halloween

And now for something completely different - I have decided that officially going crazy (okay, maybe not that different, but just hear me out).  I have this new desire to learn everything and anything and read and read and read!  I simply have booked myself so tight with my "to do" list that I have spent all my spare time making the list and adding to it instead of actually doing things on it - sigh.  There's so many great books out there and great things to do with your time.  It's hard to rank them in the good, better, best categories sometimes.  We're reading "Great Expectations" right now for book club.  I'm hosting it at my house and leading the discussion on Thursday.  How far have I read?  Well, to be honest, I'd have to go find the book and find my spot to tell you, but I'm pretty sure I haven't made much of a dent in it.  It's a good 400-500 pages or so and I'd be surprised if I was past page 80.  Sigh.  It could be an interesting discussion ;).  Maybe I'll have some help by people who took the book club a little more seriously (Brian Regan pops into my mind her with - "I should've taken it more seriously - They don't call it a quiz").

The "Cahoon Cousins" on Halloween

Anyway, life is going well.  Jarett is working hard at work with my Dad and (hopefully) is getting more and more competent and helpful daily.  I'm finding that I'm enjoying home schooling more and more (although it does have it's hard moments/days/weeks).  I LOVE that my kids are getting better at their instruments and they are spending more and more time with me.  I feel much more connected to them than I ever have before.  It's fabulous.  I feel like I REALLY know them inside and out again - like when they were babies.  Plus we get to DO things together and have fun as a family again (outside of the summer).  We actually just started to read "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (you may have heard of it) for our Novel Study.  We're hoping to read a chapter a week and be done just before Christmas.  We might even be able to see the play downtown when it's done.  I'm so excited.  In MY humble opinion, the earlier you can start to read Dickens, the better.  Who knows, maybe we'll do it again and again and make it an annual thing.

I started selling Norwex and according to the kids, the best part is playing in the boxes!!

Actually, when we started the novel study, we just read about life in England in the time of Dickens (in the 1850's-ish).  Kaia actually was to the point of tears and asked if we could stop when we talked about child labor and chimney sweeps and all that.  Not to mention the Cholera outbreaks and the lack of sewage, food and clean water.  I'm surprised anyone survived to tell the tale.  I find that learning about how poor and destitute most of these people were, and how separate from it all the rich people were, has already made the characters in the story become more wonderful/terribly and powerful - and we haven't even started yet.  I'm so excited to read it now.  We read Chapter 1 on Monday!

My Little Benson Puppy

My kids have all been team tagging the flu this past week.  Jaymeson had the croup SO badly that I was beginning to wonder if he had pneumonia.  Luckily, he didn't and he could even go trick-or-treating because he was no longer contagious and the doctor recommended being out in the cold night air.  It's a pretty good sign that the kids are sick when after only one street they are ALL asking to be in the stroller.  You know, because so many 8 year olds (and younger) just are passive about candy... Sigh - it's been a tough week with a serious lack of sleep, but we're all pulling through and *fingers crossed* it hasn't hit the adults.

Sheriff Jay

Kienna had us laughing with another mix up of words this week when we learned about Hammurabi and the Babylonians.  We talked about the first written laws and how it was enforced for equality, not power.  Quite cool stuff!  When I asked Kienna what city he was from, her answer was "Boo-ba-lee or something".  No one could say anything without laughing for a good 5 minutes or so.  She REALLY loves her Cello teacher and is actually wanting to practice for the first time in her life.  She DID just have her bow completely dissolve on her - which was fun (ugh) but she's excited about the Cello again and that is AWESOME.  I now just need to find a way for her to make it through a practice session without making it a stretching
session too.  Maybe Cello and Yoga go together?  Who knows?!?

Water Princess Kienna

Kaia has started to read the Harry Potter series (about 3 weeks ago) and is now on the fifth book.  You can tell she feels like SUCH a grown up being able to discuss the different curses and spells and which ones she likes.  I think it will end up being a hard series for her because she sees things in such a Black and White way.  It's hard to see how good people can do bad things and vice versa.  It'll be interesting for me to see how she processes Snape at the end.  Her quote of "But of course Draco could NEVER be good" is kinda proof of what I'm trying to say.  Trying to find her without a book in her hand would be difficult.  She just has gotten this fever of wanting to read NON STOP.  It's almost to the point of annoyance, but I'm really so proud of her.  I can't think of many habits that could be better.  She's also really working hard on her violin - especially because she's planning on playing "Silent Night" for the Christmas Program at church.

Rapunzel (aka Kaia)

Saryn has become an exceptionally fast learner in the violin.  I can't believe how naturally she has taken to it and how much she loves it.  I have learned, however, that you can NOT push her.  In fact, her teacher learned that last week when Saryn burst into tears, stomped across the room and said, "I'm just tired and I'm frustrating".  After giving her a minute, I asked if she'd like to do her lesson for two more minutes or if she'd like to do a half hour practice at home.  She immediately walked back to her very patient teacher and picked up her violin like nothing had happened and finished her lesson in style.  I WOULD like to say that Saryn's attitude towards school has been SO much better.  She's learning how to write her letters, numbers etc. and she's doing great in math and other general concepts.  She had a hard time, at first, sitting still and being so focused, but now she just dives in, gets it done and is really happy through it all!

Sweet Princess Saryn

Jaymeson has officially taken the crown for the sweetest little sick boy in the world.  My favorite moment of this whole week was possibly when I gave him his medicine.  In between his gasps for air and his coughs he mustered out "Tank.. oo.. Mom.  Dat.. makes.. me.. feel.. better."  It's moments like that which make you just fall in love with your kids all over again.  He was just so sick, and it nearly broke my heart, but he still was thinking about his manners.  How many 3-year-old boys do that?

Benson is almost ONE!  Can you believe it?  He's crawling like nobody's business.  If you look away from him for 30 seconds, he'll be across the house, climbing stairs.  He is SO sweet and just might be a little serious.  He sure loves his bottle though.  I'm a little worried that he's going to have a serious oral fixation.  He won't sleep without it or anything.  I think we'll wait until all the miserable teething is done and then we'll wean him off of it.  He sure is a little doll though.  He has a smile that melts your heart and so much dark hair (for my kids) that I just don't even know what to do with it.

Well, I guess that sums us all up.  Don't really know what more to add today.  I'm hoping to blog more often - and just write short brief deals instead of these essays.  We'll see..., but here's hoping.


More of my sweet little ladybug niece, Macy...

 and one of Benson almost asleep near the end of it all...

Mr Jay is 3!

Jaymeson woke up this morning, RAN into my room and said, "Mom, I had REALLY good seep!"  After reminding him that it's his birthday, he has been running around talking about how big he is ever since.  Apparently 3 years, is the big step into manhood.  He is so excited - he even told me he was done with pull-ups because he's a big boy.  Hopefully he sticks to it!

I realize that I just recently did a post on my Mr. Jay, so I won't go over it all again.  I did, however, want to say just a couple other things.

Jaymeson is a gentleman-in-the-making.  He knows that it is his job to help the girls by carrying things and opening doors for them.  He does this, not because he wants to show respect for girls (which ideally would be why, but let's face it - he's 3).  Instead, he shows me his muscles and says, I'm a big, strong boy.  It's totally because he's strong and he can show it!

He is, however, incredibly darling.  My MIL read my last post and told me afterwards that she has never entered a house where he has been playing when he hasn't immediately dropped everything and run over to give her a big hug to welcome her.  Since she pointed that out, I've noticed that he does that to every person he knows.  He always wants people to know he loves them!

When I asked Jay what he wanted to do for his birthday (giving the options of the zoo or Heritage Park or going swimming etc.), he answered quickly, "Go for a ride in a car!! - a PINK car!"  Yes, my little boy is not only easily satisfied, but he's totally secure in his masculinity!  He still wants a Lightning McQueen cake though (his first answer was a pink cake, but he changed it quickly).

Anyway, I just love my Jaymeson.  He brings a special feeling in the house and he just makes everyone smile.  I asked my girls what they love about Jaymeson and these were their answers:

"He is SO cute and he always pretends to scare us.  He just acts like he's all grown up, pretends he's a monster and he's just so cute that I hope he never grows up - even though he already is." --Kaia

"He shares his car cars.  He asks us questions like, 'Can you play Hide-and-Seek?'  I'm excited because it's his birthday and he's really fun on his birthday!"  --Kienna

"I love him because he always plays with me and I love his voice and I don't think I know anything else." --Saryn.

Think he looks like his Dad much??

Mommy's Salon

Well, after many, many days of putting it off - and few too many comments about how my boys are starting to look like girls, I took the plunge and I cut their hair.  It's Benson's first hair cut and Jaymeson's - well, I've lost count.  Why do boy's hair grow SO much faster?  Anyway, enjoy these before and after shots!

Before

After

Before - Side Shot

After - Side Shot

Before - Front

After - Front

I'm kinda proud of myself, you can even see Benson's ears now!  (Although I cut the back of Benson's too short.)  Overall, things turned out okay!

Spare Time

"What do you do in your spare time?" is a question that is really REALLY hard for me to answer these days.  I forget, quite frankly.  What is spare time again?!?

In all fairness, I'm sure I have just as much spare time as the next person... I just waste it by prolonging the things I should be doing.  Like this morning, I TOTALLY laid in bed for like 20 minutes - LUXURY!

I know that we really shouldn't waste time.  I feel like I'm forcing myself to be more scheduled because of the lack of scheduling that home school brings.  I have no one else to tell me when and where to be but myself, so I really have to be on top of things.  I REALLY don't like being busy and super scheduled, so I make my "to do" list and get going until it's done.  By the end of the day, I usually have a whole lot of things left to do... but as we all know, "Tomorrow is another day" (and tonight I'm exhausted).

My goal is to be as good as my Grandmother who literally has only gone to bed ONCE with a dish in her sink and that was because she had just held a Family Dinner for her son's wedding at her house.  That's it!
I have learned from her and my mother's example how to optimize the moment and how WONDERFUL it feels to go to bed knowing that your house is perfectly clean and you have only to do tomorrow what tomorrow brings... now THAT is bliss.

But I digress... what do I do in my spare time?  Well, I learned what stops me from answering that question.  I don't do things in my spare time.  I do things while I do other things.  I have been binding a quilt while I practice music with the kids.  On the way to the temple last weekend I (finally) sewed the letters onto my quiet book.  I blog (in between math questions from the kids).  I cook, clean and teach as much as I can.  I don't know if that counts as spare time or not??  I do the budget while my blog pictures upload.  I watch my favorite movies in pieces while I fold laundry.  I suppose the true answer to the questions would be one word:  SLEEP!  That's the only time that I have just to myself and I'm too wiped out to do much else.

I just found this quote which sums up what I am TRYING to be better at:

Much may be done in those little shreds and patches of time which every day produces, and which most men throw away.
Charles Caleb Colton

I have loved being so busy with the things that I love.  I'm constantly doing things - but I enjoy (almost) every minute of it.  How lucky am I?  I'm surrounded by 5 of life's GREATEST blessings 24 hours a day and I get to choose what we do for every minute of it (although I admit... sleep is my kryptonite!  I could probably cut back on that and get to working out a bit more).

A couple more good thoughts on time:

Clocks slay time... time is dead as long as it is being clicked off by little wheels; only when the clock stops does time come to life.
William Faulkner

For disappearing acts, it's hard to beat what happens to the eight hours supposedly left after eight of sleep and eight of work.
Doug Larson

I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.
Golda Meir

Lost time is never found again.
Benjamin Franklin

After reading this over, I want to specify that using my time wisely has always been one of my greatest weaknesses... thus the reason I'm so proud of myself these past 2 months.  This is not meant to make me look good, it's just a step in the right direction - and it feels great! 

A Few Good Laughs... and pictures

 

Those are pictures from our first Phys Ed class (hiking in Kananaskis Country).  I'll add some more pics throughout the post...

In Social Studies, we're learning about Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and the like.  We were looking at a Map trying to find where Mespotamia is and Kienna says (in all seriousness), "Well, I know that it's close to Chicken".  "What?"  "Chicken, remember?  Right by the Euphrates River!"  "OOOHhhhh..... Turkey!"

At a Home Schoolers Picnic!!

 We were reading Ether 9 today.  We were reading about Omer and Jared and Akish and all the secret combinations, killing the kings to get power and how it caused a billion wars etc.  Then it continues to the point where it wipes EVERYONE out of the whole Jaredite civilization except for like 30 people.  Then the good king was made king again, he confirms the kingdom on his righteous son, Emer, - and then in vs 16 you read: "And the Lord began again to take the curse from off the land, and the house of Emer did prosper exceedingly under the reign of Emer; and in the space of sixty and two years they had become exceedingly strong, insomuch that they became exceedingly rich—".  At this point, Kaia groaned, put her head down on the table and said, "Not again!!"  I laughed because most people are happy when other people prosper... but Kaia has noticed the pattern and KNEW that within a page, they would become prideful and then they'd be stupid again.  It made me laugh so hard!

Cute Brothers Picture

With our Friends, the Cranmers

Jay likes to sneak down to see what we're doing... this time he was a little tired and fell asleep on the steps.

Cute Benson shot taken by my niece.

After School for today was done, it was clean up time and Saryn was putting her book away.  She paused and asked me, "Mom, How do Indians hold books?"  I didn't really know how to answer that one.  I'm fairly certain they carry them with their hands like the rest of the world... but if someone else knows a different answer, please let me know!

Some random shots from around the house:

Benson has taken up the piano.  He's really very good.  Imagine what will happen when he can see the keys!

After finishing the book, "Secret Garden", we had a movie night to see it in motion!

Oh yeah, and Jarett had a birthday!  Happy 34th you old man!!

Oh Jaymeson...

Climbing a tree at the Grand Canyon

I've always heard that a mothers kiss could make anything feel better, but until Jaymeson came along, I had no idea that it could completely heal any hurt.  Jaymeson could be screaming in hysterics, but as soon as I give him a kiss, he can walk away skipping.

Jaymeson has long called his sisters his "guys"... but since he's been figuring out that I refer to the three oldest kids as "the girls", he's joined in.  He always helps me call them to dinner by saying, "Hey Goo-wals, comen EAT!!"

Every morning when Jaymeson walks in my room he announces, "Hi Mom... I had nice seep!"  Then asks, "Can I have Deckfas?"  Of course, this is only if he hasn't already snuck into my room and fallen asleep in between Jarett and I without our noticing.

No Peeking

Jaymeson also can completely navigate a iTouch like nobodies business.  He is able to flip through the pages, select the appropriate app and then select the right language/buttons and levels to get to the game that he wants to play.  He also really seems to LOVE doing these puzzles that I have on there.  He would sit quietly for hours if he had that to play on - I have no doubt about it.

Jaymeson has so much energy!  He loves to ride, wrestle and tease Benson, but Benson seems to love it and can't stop laughing when Jay plays with him.

Jaymeson LOVES to play with cars.  He loves to drive in them, he loves to make them jump off of tables.  He loves to color them, he loves to talk about them, he love to see them, he loves to make sounds like them... you name it.

Jaymeson really gets sad if Benson is sad.  He'll run and get me if I haven't heard him yet and drag me there.  He needs the crying to stop!
Jaymeson is super smart too!  He's picking up his letters now and he's just learned all his colors and his shapes.  He always wants to learn more!

Jaymeson LOVES music and he LOVES LOVES LOVES to dance!  He turns on the piano and can navigate the menus to play his favorite demo song, "Candyland".  He also loves to pick up the guitar, violin or cello or sit down at the piano and play whatever comes through his fingers.  I think he'll be a great musician one day!

Jaymeson is my little man and he makes me so happy!  He's actually about 90% successful with his potty training now too!!













Did I mention that he's just as cute as can be too??

Riding on his brother!

Big Brave Boy jumping in Arizona!

Watching a frog in Arizona

Stealing a kiss

Watch out - he WILL get you!

Pulling handcarts at the Children's Museum

Building a "city wall" to keep out the Lamanites.