Charlotte's Web

Levi made a friend while getting the hens their feed today.

Accomplishing a Lot in School Today

A Great American History Book

Natalie and Ethan are reading this book and volume 2 for United States History. It is excellent. I am reading it also. I highly recommend it.

Fall Baking

Our house is warm from May through September and we try not to bake too much as it heats up our house. We have an old oven that raises the temperature of the house when it is on. But when the weather turns, I get in the mood to bake. This morning was the first morning since spring that I woke up and felt chilly. So tonight, I made chocolate chip cookies. I also made up some dough in the breadmaker to shape into cinnamon rolls in the morning. Yum!

Charter School with the Little Boys

Today was the first day I needed to bring the little boys to school with us. I stay at the charter school each time the kids have class because a parent is supposed to be onsite unless your student is a high schooler. There is a nice large school room dubbed "the family room." We brought toys and snacks but 9 to 3:30 is a long day especially with no nap! At 2:30, after Nan and Ethan went to Spanish class, I loaded them in their car seats, tilted them back, and they after much protest took a short catnap.

My New Favorite Food

I love this bread. No one else in my family will eat it. (They like white.) But that's okay with me. I get the whole loaf to myself.

The Kids Like the Charter School

Double Yolk

Daisy laid an egg with a double yolk... and in egg folklore, double yolks are considered lucky. So if we put stock in those things, I would assure my kids that is is a sign that tomorrow, their first day of the charter school classes, is going to be great.

But if I did tell them that, Ethan would quickly correct me and tell me that double yolks are a sign of an unsynchronized laying cycle in a young hen. Levi would ask if he could be the one who eats the egg. And Natalie would then inform him that she already ate it which would lead to an argument about whose hens they are anyway and who gets to claim the eggs. So I think I won't mention the old wives' tale.

The kids are a little nervous about tomorrow. Levi has band, P.E., and a science class. Ethan has band and Spanish. And Natalie has her three: speech, literature, and Spanish. I have a friend watching the little guys so that my full attention can be on the older kids. (I will owe this friend big time...Cente and Marcos take a lot of energy and she's doing me a huge favor.)

Tomorrow will be fun. There's a Dutch Bros. right on the way to school. I will celebrate with a large Americano.

Lots of Boys

Natalie and I are feeling outnumbered.

Time to Contain

The chickens have had free run of the yard except when they are locked up for the night in their coop. But they are starting to drive us crazy so Todd and the boys built a fenced area for them last weekend. You can see the start of the frame in the background. It is working well. They only flew out of it 4 times the first day. So I clipped their wings and now they are completely contained.

Mud Wars

Guess who lost?

Beaver Game Saturday

I think this was my one game for the season.

Today

Mom and dad were in Portland for an appointment and stopped by for dinner. We had a nice evening with them.

My treat

I like little treats...like a piece of good chocolate with my coffee. My latest treat is Izze soda. I bought a case at Costco the last time I shopped there and I drink 1 each evening. After the children are all finally in bed, I go to the refrigerator and pull out a soda, (in a glass bottle which is part of the appeal), I put my feet up and open a good book and sip the slightly sweet, bubbly soda. It is a small delight to cap off my day.

My Alarm Clocks

Every morning...5:30 or 6:00. First I hear the creak of the crib and then I hear "MMMMOOOOOMMMMM!" And for some reason, they always want a banana. It seems to tide them over until everyone is up to eat breakfast.

Afternoon Break

We walked to a nearby gas station that has a Baskin and Robbins attached to it. The little boys loved their cookies and cream cones.

School Challenges

Levi and I were reading some history when the two little guys crawled up on my lap and proceeded to completely disrupt all learning.

Potato Harvest

First Egg

We have been anticipating the arrival of our first eggs and the hens finally have started to produce. Yummy.

Bathtime

Bathtime. Every night. I fill the tub up and put the little guys in to play and soak. If I have dinner dishes to clean up I'll assign one of the big kids tub duty.

If Levi has the job, he takes off his shirt, kneels by the tub, and supervises bath wars. If Cente throws a cut of water on Marcos's head, Levi will hand Marcos a full cup of water and direct him to throw one at Cente. The little boys love it but it makes an absolute wreck of the bathroom. I have to sop the floor up before I can get the boys diapered and pajamaed.

If Ethan has the job, he grabs a book and sits on a stool by, letting the little boys do whatever they want which usually involves throwing water at each other or out of the tub. The result is the same as with Levi: a mess.

If Natalie has the job, she shampoos their hair, repeatedly warns them to sit down and to not throw water. She will wash their faces and scrub their hands and feet. Then she gets them out, dresses them, brushes their teeth, and delivers them to me all ready for bed. She is going to be a great mom.

Evening Routine

The little boys go to bed pretty early...of course that means they wake up early too, ut by 7 pm I need them to go to bed. We bathe them each night and then sit in the living room. Ethan or Levi plays the guitar and we sing the songs the boys have been learning in their lessons. We have also added "Jesus Loves Me" and "Be Careful Little Hands" to the lineup. Cente and Marcos like it and it warms our hearts too when they try to sing. Cente was singing "My Redeemer Lives" on his way to bed last night.

First Game of the Season

Trying out the ROTC course. Levi climbed the highest.

Levi and Ethan with their cousin Jake.

Levi and Ethan enjoying Portland mascot.

Todd, Levi, and Ethan drove down to Corvallis Saturday to watch the Beavers play Portland State. Natalie and I stayed home with the little boys stayed home because it was raining in Portland and we are fairweather fans. Fortunately for the guys, it was dry in Corvallis.

"Do you believe in vampires?"

There are some strange people in this world...and one of them works at chain hair salon near here. I took Levi and Ethan to get there haircut there a couple days ago. The two stylist were busy clipping away talking about people who claimed to see Big Foot, when the conversation turned to vampires. They began discussing whether or not vampires really exist.

Levi was already squirming in his seat not enjoying the haircut, when the women leaned down and asked "What about you...do you believe in vampires?"

Levi put his chin down and mumbled "no." She shrugged her shoulders and said "Well, you just don't know...these days...I mean you see a lot of people who look like they could be. I think you just can't say." (And she was dead serious.)

Ethan was sitting by me having already had his haircut. I whispered "Did you hear that?" He grinned and said "Yah." So now when we want to bug Levi we look at him very seriously and ask "Do you believe in vampires?"

The next time the boys are due for a trim, I think we'll try out the Great Clips instead.

Things we learned the first day of school

1. An hour of work in the morning is worth 2 hours of work in the afternoon.

2. A pencil can write on the inside of a toilet bowel.

3. Timeouts are not as effective as spankings. (We are not allowed to spank.)

4. It is possible to block out the sound from 4 children in order to help 1.