This photo says it all...

The OSU Beavers were humilated by the UofO Ducks yesterday. And we were there to witness it. The picture below speaks to the emotional state of the men/boys in our home.
No Rose Bowl now...

Civil War Game..

I know these past blog entries are not school related...but hey, we're on break. Today's, and yesterday's, and the day before's family obsession has been the Oregon State vs University of Oregon football game today. If Oregon State wins, the Beavers are going to the Rose Bowl which according to my husband is a once in a lifetime event. Last evening we were with Todd's family and he along with his two brothers were strategizing how they would get to Pasadena for the game in the event of a win.

So will it be the "thrill of victory" or the "agony of defeat"? Stay tuned. (I have my camera to document it.)

Natalie and Caitlyn

Natalie has been blessed with a very special friend named Caitlyn. Here they are a few years ago holding babies. I think they will both make wonderful wives and moms someday.

Memories from the past

I thought I'd embarrass my kids with a photo of them all in the bathtub together. It was no big deal at the time but now they are mortified.

A friend of ours just donated some of her hair to "Locks of Love" an organization that makes wigs for sick children who have lost theirs. It reminded me of the time Natalie donated her hair too.

Does one of these boys look guilty?

Organic Thanksgiving

Organic V-8 juice?

My mom was eager for us to come to her home for Thanksgiving. I think I know the reason why. She didn't want to have to eat my food. (Not that we eat bad stuff but there are probably a few more preservatives in my cubboard than in my parents' kitchen.) My mom is very particular about what she eats and what she feeds us. As we were getting ingredients out for our dinner tomorrow, Natalie and I noticed that everything was organic. We will eat a healthy feast this Thanksgiving.

Actually, we do like organic foods but they are sometimes too much for the budget. And occasionally the bad foods taste better. For example, we do not recommend organic marshmellows.

Afternoon reading

How many boys can fit in 2 chairs?

Five if they are in front of a computer game.

Christmas Cookie Girl

Saturday School Update

Saturday, a little boy sat at the dining room table with his work spread out before him, furiously working away to complete his assignments. I had to leave the house early to attend a Seminary Faculty Wives Brunch and when I returned home, all the school work for the week was completed. So we didn't exactly do Saturday School but all the work was done. We'll see what happens this week. I was too softhearted to take a photo of the child this time. Next time though... we'll document it.

Beaver victory

While Natalie and I were hosting a pre-Christmas event for the ladies, Todd and the boys were at the Smith's house watching the Beavers beat Arizona. Rose Bowl fever is now breaking out around our house. Todd is trying to figure out if he can use his free flier miles to get a plane ticket to Pasadena. He is insisting this is a once in a lifetime event. Hmmmm. The Beavers just have to beat the Ducks in the Civil Way game this Saturday to be PAC-10 Champs. We'll be there to witness it. I am thinking I might be able to come up with a persuasive essay writing assignment today for the boys.

Saturday Evening Event

Saturday evening, I hosted a casual get-together of some of my friends. Including Natalie and me, there were 14 women here. I meant to take a picture of all of us but forgot. My friend, Elee, made us all Egg Nog Lattes and we ate Christmas goodies and talked about our favorite Christmas carols, movies, gifts, and activities. It was fun to hear everyone share their family traditions. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did. I am always encouraged and inspired by being around other women in my church family.

The Court Jester

We watched "The Court Jester" last night starring Danny Kaye. It was a fun movies with lots of memorable lines..."The pellet with the poison's in the vessel with the pestle; the chalice from the palace has the brew that is true!"

"What manner of man is Giacomo? Ha ha! I shall tell you what manner of man is he. He lives for a sigh, he dies for a kiss, he lusts for the laugh, ha! He never walks when he can leap! He never flees when he can fight (thud) oop! He swoons at the beauty of a rose. And I offer myself to you, all of me. My heart. My lips. My legs. My calves. Do what you will - my love endures. Beat me. Kick me. (kiss, kiss) I am yours. "

Danny Kaye was hilarious and I highly recommend this as a great family movie.

Saturday School

Tomorrow I am instituting a new facet of the Miles homeschooling adventure. I gave the kids fair warning on Monday. If any student chooses to be less than diligent in their school assignments, a special place (AKA the dining room table) will be reserved for them to complete their work Saturday morning. AND... none of the usual Saturday only activities like games on the computers will be assessable the entire weekend. Regrettably, I think at least one, maybe more, of my offspring are testing mom's resolve to carry through on this threat. I'll post photos of our first session of Saturday School tomorrow.

Ethan building a small motor

Nan in the Kitchen

Natalie has been begging me to let her start a new blog with a cooking theme. I finally let her and I am a little concerned it may turn into a "First Aid in the Kitchen" blog. This morning she was grating cheese for dinner tonight and some how grated her elbow drawing blood. Hmmmm? Not sure how that happened.

Sitting in the hot tub...

Levi was my only family member who would sit in the hot tub with me last night. Natalie tried to take a picture of us but unfortunately Levi thinks it is hilarious to make faces right before the picture is snapped to frustrate Natalie so these are the photos we got.

My kids and me...

I pulled out one of my kid's cameras to take a few photos. Guess who didn't want me to take picture of his siblings with his camera?

Chex Mix

We always make Chex mix around Christmas. We are getting a jump on it. Ethan made it today following Grandma Miles's recipe for "Gizzies" (Miles family name for this snack).

Early morning reading on the heating vents

Fencing big guys...

Here is Levi fencing on Tuesday. The beginning class is for ages 8 up to adult. Here is Levi in one of his duals.
Here is Ethan fencing an older student too.

Arguing...here, there,...everywhere

My kids have all entered the argumentative stage. They thrive off disagreeing with each other. They can debate anything. On the way to Bible study tonight, they were arguing over whether Ethan could be a great cook if he wanted to be someday. Natalie said his food tastes were too narrow. Ethan insisted he could cook anything because he doesn't have to taste food to prepare it. Levi said that Ethan would be a way better cook than Natalie.

"Why is that?" I asked him.

"I'd hire him mom. He would make me pancakes for every meal."

Natalie chimes in "THAT IS MY POINT! He would NOT make a great chef...He only eats about 5 things."

And they were off... arguing the rest of the way. At one point all three kids were talking loudly to each other at the same time.

When we got back in the van after Bible Study, they picked right up where they left. I asked Natalie if she would make cookies for me on Thursday....and Ethan said "I should be the one to make the cookies..." and they all started talking again. Time to put them in bed and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Time goes by...

I picked up the kids portraits from Walmart today. When I went to put them in their frames, I found a portrait of the kids from 4 years ago. Oh, the difference a couple years makes. Mommas, sit down and hold your sweet babies (even if they are 9 or 10).

Greek Cusina

Natalie's friend, Hannah, celebrated her 14th birthday last night at a restaurant called "Greek Cusina" in downtown Portland. I went with her to visit with Sharon, Hannah's mom. The food was delicious and the entertainment fun. There was live Greek music and someone teaching the girls and other patrons Greek dances (similar to dancing in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".) I was thinking it would be a fun place to take Todd and the boys....until the belly dancer came out.

At the end of the evening, the girls got to break plates. I am not sure the tradition behind that but they loved it. At the count of 3 in Greek, they threw white ceramic plates across the room and they shattered to pieces and everyone cheered.

I love my kids!

I have been writing up this week's lesson plans at the dining room table and was just thinking how grateful I am to be at home with Nan, Ethan, and Levi, to know them, and to teach them each day. I have a great life. And I have a great husband who works hard so that I am able to be at home. God is good.

Cheerful attitudes

I put the boys to work raking what we are hoping are the last of the fall leaves. If you click on the picture I think it will open up a new window with a larger view...and you can check out the expressions on the boys' faces. It reminds me to make a longer chore list this week so we can work on these attitudes.

Go Beavers!

We went to the Beaver game on Saturday and watched OSU beat Cal. It was a pretty exciting game to watch. Even Natalie was cheering.
It took me a while to get the above shot. I wanted to get the kids reaction to a touchdown... I finally caught it. If you ask Natalie, she'll tell you the games kind of bore her...but I am not so sure. She's cheering pretty loudly in that photo. (That's her mouth nearest to the camera in case you missed it.)
A quiet ride home!

Friday Dinner

Our friend Stacie came over and cooked a wonderful Thanksgiving Feast on Friday. She had never eaten turkey let alone bake one, so we had a great time preparing the meal together. She made 4 pies and they all turned out delicious. The rolls, potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, and stuffing were delicious too.

A table full of friends.
Natalie wanted to get in on the cooking fun. Here she is showing Stacie how she cuts onions without crying. I don't know anyone else who uses swim goggles so Natalie really thinks she has invented something.
Here's Stacie with a cherry pie... It reminds me of a song I should teach my kids..."Can she bake a cherry pie Billy Boy?"

Christmas Past

I wonder what my kids' favorite Christmas memories will be?

My favorite ones are 1) the Christmas my family made all our presents. My dad made stilts for my sister and me out of 2x2 pine boards. My mom sewed us teddy bears. I sewed my dad a tie which I think he did wear once and then has treasured since. I shellacked a picture on a small wooded box for my mom. I keep mentioning this idea to Todd and the kids and they moan. I still think we'll try it...maybe next year.

2)Another favorite memory is spending Christmas with my Uncle Tim and Aunt Charlotte in Alaska. We lived in Eagle River and they lived in Tanacross, a remote Indian village near the Alaskan/Yukon Territory border where they were missionaries. Sometimes they would come to our house and sometimes we would go to theirs but it was always loud and crazy. I was always a little scared of the Indians, but I think that was because my cousins told me stories (that probably weren't true come to think of it.) That is all of us pictured above. Do you know which one is me?

3) When my family moved to Oregon when I was in the 8th grade, we spent a lot of Christmas days with my Aunt Lib and Uncle Wendell. They would always put up a huge tree and there would be tons of presents...almost all gag/joke gifts. It was always fun to watch everyone else open their presents, but when it was my turn, I'd be nervous not knowing whether I would think the gift was as funny as everyone else would.

I think I'll add the telling my kids these stories to my list of things to do this season.

Christmas Plans

The kids and I made a long list of all the Christmas/Holiday activities that we want to do this year. Here is a partial list:

• Make and frost Christmas cutout cookies.
• Make fudge, divinity, popcorn balls, toffee, peanut brittle, and chocolate nut clusters.
• Make gingerbread houses.
• Put up and decorate a tree.
• Make food gifts for our friends and deliver them.
• Sleep under the Christmas tree.
• Go ice skating.
• Read "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever".
• Drive around and look at Christmas lights.
• Watch "It's a Wonderful Life", "Miracle on 34th Street", "A Christmas Story", "A White Christmas", "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and all the old TV specials like Rudolf and Frosty.
• Read "The Gift of the Magi".
• Go to the Christmas Eve service at Church.
• Go to the mall and watch people shop while drinking coffee or hot chocolate.
• Make Christmas ornaments.
• Make paper chains to stream throughout our entire house.
• Hang lights from the boys bunk beds.
  
• Invite our friends over whenever there is a free moment.
  
• Play all of our Christmas CDs over and over until we are sick of them.
• Go to the Nutcracker. (Actually, I am the only one who wants to go to the Nutcracker. I did find a Jazz group who is performing the music from the Nutcracker. I might get them to go to that.)
• Go to a Sing-Along version of Handel's Messiah (Actually, I am the only one who wants to do this too BUT fortunately, I am the only person who gets to decide. "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, haaalleeeluuujaaahhh!" I am already warming up my vocal chords. The kids won't forget this.)
• Address and mail Christmas cards. It is kinds of a joke around here. I have several batches of Christmas cards I have addressed in past years but never mailed. I wanted to write personal notes in each one and by the time I actually could have got around to the personal notes, it was Valentine's Day and much too embarrassing to mail them. Natalie told me I can just mail those out this year. Hmmmm. No one would know the difference, would they?

Does anyone have any more ideas for us? We love this time of year.

Memories of a Christmas 9 years ago...

Earlier risers or late-to-bedders

What to do about our schedule? That is my quandary.

I would love to be a get up early, have the kids at breakfast table by 7:00, and begin school by 8:00 right after having finished all our chores. BUT... our lifestyle does not seem to be suited for this. I planned on this schedule when I began the school year in September but it is not working and I keep feeling guilty about not managing it.

We just cannot get into bed at a time that fits us for an early morning. Last night was youth group and AWANAs. We were not in bed until 11. After church, we still had to eat and I went ahead and read to them, talked about our day and the next days plans, then sent them to bed.

If it was only Wednesday we still might be about to swing early mornings, but Monday night we have BSF. Tuesday Todd is out until 10:00 at Elders meetings and Nan sometimes babysits and gets a ride home with her dad. They get home at 10:30. We are up late on Friday because...it's Friday, of course. And the weekend doesn't count. Right? Every other Sunday we have small group and that tends to go late. On lots of Saturdays this fall we went to OSU games and often got home late.

I keep needing to skip the bedtime routine they love in order to rush them into bed by 10. But that can't be good. I think I may just say our bedtime is 11. And we don't get up until 9:00. We probably will be in bed earlier than 11 and up before 9, but at least it will help my guilt.