This blog is about our large family of nine children, as we home school, play, manage daily life, and live the military life, all while trying to give glory to God! It is also to help friends and family far away keep in touch and watch our children grow!
Ah, our summer has not gone as planned. After finding out I was pregnant our camping trip got canceled. As did the trips to the living history museum, zoo, mining museum and well....anything else involving action on my part. I was feeling bad for the poor kids and then I realized what they DID spend the summer doing.
They explored our new (5 acre) property.
Hiked/biked the horse trails behind our house.
Caught tadpoles, frogs and salamanders in a little pond they discovered close by alongside said trail.
They observed the growth and development of above mentioned critters through repeated visits.
Miss J taught herself how to ride a bike.
Boys mowed a fair bit of our property (repeatedly).
Mr. M moved a few trees that needed to be moved to provide more parking space.
Miss C got over her fear of chickens and even started caring for them; all on her own!
Kids explored interests and hobbies that they had not had time for during the school year.
Squirt gun fights.
Hours spent on the play set.
I saw books picked up that I wouldn't have expected to be read.
Some "camped" outside.
They worked in our garden and watched it grow. They've started reaping the rewards as well!
Yea, I'm not feeling so bad about those canceled plans any more. We've had plenty of busy, fun and exciting summers in the past. What a blessing to see all of the fun and learning that can happen just by letting kids explore a bit. They don't need to be scheduled and directed all the time (especially the older ones). Now that our days are getting a bit cooler and I'm feeling a bit better its time to get back to a routine.
Our first sign of our smelly pest was losing 5 chickens the night we brought them to the new house. After fortifying their home our remaining 2 chickens stayed safe, but we were seeing signs of that persistent pest trying to get to them too. Despite all of our best efforts of deterring the thing, it kept coming back. Our poor girls were stressed. We needed a more permanent solution. Mr. M helped with that.
*click on the "Summer School" button to see my other posts on summer break plans and ideas!
Like I posted earlier, I made quite a few batches of popsicles. Along with the "everyday" popsicles with spinach in them I made quite a few "junk" popsicles to be given out as rewards.
I made chocolate covered banana pops, with the help of Mr. S The chocolate on them is a homemade "magic shell" so we just had to pour the left overs over some scoops of icecream!
I found this great recipe for root beer float popsicles, YUM! I adapted the recipe to make orange creamsicles too!
Miss J requested rainbow popsicles, and Mr. S helped me mix up the colors (including choosing the colors for me!). I made these with vanilla pudding, and Miss J was quite pleased with the results.
Chocolate pudding pops were requested by a couple of children too, so I made up a bunch of those as well.
Now the kids just need to get going on their reading so I can start passing these out!
Please link up your fun summer treats, or just what you are up to this summer. I think I'll be posting on "do something silly" for next Tuesday.
*click on the "Summer School" button to see my other posts on summer break plans and ideas!
We've tried to cultivate servant's hearts in our children and set good examples of serving for them. We want serving to be a way of life for them, not just something that happens from time to time. That starts in our own home, teaching them to care for and serve one another. We also try to serve others, either friends, family, people in our church, neighborhood etc. whenever we can.
Some times are more conducive to serving though. With less school work to do the kids have more free time, allowing them to have more time to serve! With so much to do around here there are plenty of opportunities for them to serve their family, by helping with projects, serving one another, and just looking for ways to help mommy and daddy (a favorite way to serve is to watch the little girls while I work on a project within hearing).
It also happens to be "moving season" in military land. On our street we've had four families move out in the past two months or so. That also means four new families moving in! This has been a regular sight outside our home.....
Mr. R asked to make cookies for the first family to move in. He made them all on his own (well, it looks like he may have had a little helper!) and had them on a plate and out the door before I could get pictures! He did taste one to make sure they turned out, that was it. He plans to make more this week.
A good friend had a baby a couple of weeks ago. She had a c-section and Daddy has limited time off. Miss E has offered to go over and help out with the kids, and chores around the house so mom can have more recovery time (Baby was #5, the oldest being 6 yrs.). I'm so glad that though I'm really not able to offer this help myself (though Miss E and I did make a few meals), that my daughter is not only willing but truly able! She is not old enough to be left alone to baby sit, but she is an amazing "mothers helper" capable to keeping an eye out on kids, and keeping them busy as well as seeing to some simple meals and even some chores!
We are also planning to purchase some parachute kits from Voice of the Martyrs and put those together as a family. It will be a great ministry opportunity, and a great way to take action as we have been reading the VOM newsletter regularly the past few months.
I'll be encouraging my kids to find other ways to serve others. I'd love to hear more ideas! Please link up with me with your serving others post, or just what you are doing this summer!
Next week I think I'll be posting on some of the summer treats we've been making!
Today was officially our last day of school, we're moving on to "Summer School." To celebrate I planned a fun day for the kids, Pajama day! Our day started out "normal" except everyone was expected to come to breakfast in clean (as in fresh out of the drawer) Pajamas instead of dressed in clothes. Once some very minimal morning chores were done we moved on to the fun!
I had a craft planned for the kids. Cutting holes/pictures in black paper and backing it with colored paper to make the picture. Miss E and Mr. S seemed to be the only ones that got the concept, but everyone had a good time!
Snack time was cereal. "Junk" cereal. I'm pleading temporary insanity on most of the food served today....
Since the kids were all hopped up on sugar I figured pillowcase races were a good idea. The kids enjoyed cheering one another on and challenging each other to races. Miss J ended up being our "champion" only by the special rules all of the big kids encouraged her to play by (turning back half way down). Mr. M was the clear winner of most races though!
Lunch was eggo waffle PB sandwiches, cantalope, and bananas; followed by cupcakes.
Forts were being built throughout the day. Everyone brought their pillows down for "nap time" and we watched Runner from Ravenshead.
I made a snack mix from some of the cereal left over from earlier in the day and gave that to the kids for their afternoon snack, they munched on it while finishing the movie.
It was a fun day, with way too much sugar. Everyone was ready for a nice healthy meal when daddy got home and they got to tell him all about their fun day. The weather has finally been consistently nice out, school work is done, we are ready for summer!
*click on the "Summer School" button to see my other posts on summer break plans and ideas!
Summer is not just for playing and messing around; it's a great time to get things done! Since we don't have to be so focused on school, we have a bit more free time that can be used for projects we have not been able to get to.
This summer it is all the more important that we be productive and not just sit around (or play around). I have plenty of projects that I need to work on such as planning school for next year, sewing, organizing, preparing for baby, and preparing for our move! Whew! I'm going to need some help to get all of this done!
- Every Monday until I have the baby we will focus on one room/area of the house to de-clutter, organize and clean. This should get the house mostly ready for the move. The rooms may get messy again, but at least it will be an organized/de-cluttered mess that the movers will be packing up!
- Rob has been working on some bookshelves, and our boys have been helping him where they can. They have been sanding and even staining the wood for us!
- I'm trying to remember to delegate some of the simple projects that I need to do to the older kids. They like being involved in the school planning process, and my older kids can help me put together some of the activities for my little ones.
Miss E noticed some simple sewing repair jobs that needed to be done and asked if she could do them. I had not even thought of asking her to help me with this! She did a great job, and it was something I didn't have to do!
- There are outside projects that need to be done to prepare for the move too, like cleaning off the outside furniture and playhouse/play set. My bigger kids can do these jobs closer to when we are ready to move, but the little ones will have a good time helping with this too!
What about you? What are some projects that you need to get to? How can you use this time to be productive, AND involve the kids? Please link up with your summer projects and activities! Next week I'll post on finding service opportunities this summer!
*click on the "Summer School" button to see my other post on summer break plans and ideas!
So, even the best made plans can easily get messed up. Weather man wrong about that beautiful sunny day you were supposed to have? Kids wake up sick? A friend has an emergency and needs you to watch her kids? So many things can come into play that can change everything about the day you were supposed to have. If you plan ahead a little bit with some back-ups disaster can easily be avoided, and everyone can still have a great time!
I have a couple of back up plans in mind for once our summer really starts. The first two are great for bad weather alternatives as well as for entertaining extra children!
Kool-aid play dough and Homemade GAK! My little ones love playing with playdough, and I like giving them home made stuff since I know (mostly) what is in it! The smell of the kool-aid makes these even more popular! Miss E loves to make this up for the little ones so this works for four of my kids! However; I wanted something that my older boys could have fun with too. I saw a few posts recently on homemade GAK and thought my boys would not only love playing with it, but making it up as well!
Sorting, stringing, patterns, and a snack too! This is a super simple activity, but one that can appeal to infants AND older kids! Just keep a bag/box of some sort of "loop" cereal on hand (I purchase the cheap stuff in the bag since I can see that the holes are big enough to get the yarn through. I've noticed in the past that some brands do not have large enough holes for this activity!).
-The littlest ones just like to sit and snack while they watch everyone.
-Toddlers and pre-schoolers can sort the big bowl of loops into smaller bowls of individual colors and string them on their yarn.
-Kindergarden and Elementary aged kids can FIRST either draw or write out what pattern they intend to use and then string the loops.
*since we have VERY tight limits on the amount of sugar our kids are allowed just pulling out the bag of these loops causes quite the excitement!
While these first activities could be nice for sick kids too, having a special movie on hand that the kids have not seen could be just what the doctor ordered if the kids (or mom) end up getting sick or you just need some quiet time. **While we love using Netflix, and have for several years, we've started using ChristianCinema.com as well! I'll be posting a review AND a giveaway for them in just a few days, so watch for that!** Having some lunch or snack foods on hand that are special and easy to eat infront of the TV make this extra special for the kids.
Next week I'll post on being productive. Summers are not just for playing! Not only do I want to make good use of our summer, I really NEED to! I plan to get the kids involved in some of the things that need to be done around here, or getting them going on their own projects!
Ah, our first day that felt like Summer (for here)! It made up for many of us waking up feeling sick this morning. None of us are feeling too bad, just dragging and some stuffed up noses.
To make use of the beautiful day we spent the morning playing outside, including walking down to the tennis courts to let the kids kick balls around.
Miss E seemed to be suffering from a migraine (that had improved quite a bit since this morning) so she brought a book to read in the shade. Mr R took Miss C for a walk around the court a few times.
Mr. S found a dying bee and thought that was pretty cool!
FYI, we're back to the chilly, windy, cloudy days we had been having. Today's walk was not nearly as fun, and everyone was itching to get back inside once we did get home. Summer is on its way though (or so I suspect!). I'll be happy with what we have now though, knowing that next year by this time I'll most likely be wishing for days like this (we're moving to Arizona in September).
It is still quite cool here, and though we are all itching for summer to start most of us are not quite itching to spend too much time outside. In a few weeks it should warm up a bit and we'll be spending more time outside. While I intend to get us out and about a bit I must be realistic.... I'm in the third trimester and not really up to many big outings, but want my kids to enjoy plenty of fun activities outside. Here is a list of some of the things I'm keeping in mind for those activities. Remember simple and inexpensive are very important components of these plans.
1. Tennis courts- We have some tennis courts in our neighborhood that are often used by the school for the school children to run around on. We walk by them regularly and my kids have asked recently if we could go play there too. I'll plan on packing up a bunch of balls and heading down there for plenty of running and chasing balls around.
2. Bounce house- Ok, if you don't already own one of these it may not fit into the "inexpensive" category, but we purchased this for a child's birthday. He had requested that we rent one for his birthday, but we quickly realized that this request was bound to come up again with 6 kids and we would be better off just purchasing a smallish one. Our kids really enjoy this bounce house, and it is very simple to set up. At this point my husband just has to take it from the garage to the yard and the big boys can take it from there! When he gets home in the evening my husband just rolls it up and puts it away (I'm thinking the boys will be able to take over this job soon too!).
*There are many more inexpensive options now than there were two years ago. Here are some that I found that looked like fun. By clicking on one of these links (and then making your purchase through it), we will receive a small commission from Amazon.
3. Water play- Once it does warm up around here I'll try to involve as much water play as I can in our outside play. The sprinkler will be fun as well as the occasional water balloon fight. I've also found that the little ones love "washing" just about anything, and get quite wet in the process. My older kids love the job of washing the car. We also enjoy playing with these water bottle rockets, it is a contraption made up of PVC to pump air pressure into bottles that have water in them (2 liter soda bottles, and just about any other size drink bottle, the kids like to experiment with the sizes). This activity always gets them wet!
4. Parks- We have quite a few parks in our neighborhood we'll be taking walks to them regularly. Most of them have fields of some sort attached to them, so the older kids can take balls, bats, etc with them if they want.
5. I'm going to work on a scavenger hunt, things to look for in our yard or on our street. I'll have to have some simple ones for the little ones to do, but more difficult for the big kids. Since we have a couple of digital cameras that we let the kids use I may have them work in two teams for a hunt as well.
****A picnic with any of these activities makes them feel like an extra special day! I'll be picking up special picnic foods to make these days even more fun. We don't normally have PB&J, so my kids actually think that is a treat. We've found that fruit and yogurt make a fun lunch. Cheese, crackers, and salami make a nice lunch as well.
As I said, these are all very simple, but I've found that having directed play (even if it is simple) keeps the kids from getting bored with their regular outside toys and activities. Having a plan for these things means I will not have to think about what I should have the kids do each day!
Next week I'll post about back-up plans! Even the best plans can hit a snag, what are your back-up plans?
Please link-up and share your "Summer School" or just summer fun ideas! Be sure to link back here, and grab my button too! If you don't have a blog I'd still love to hear from you in the comments!
Mr.S and Miss J enjoyed sticking right next to me to watch the whole process, while the other kids were involved in chores and finishing up some school work. We're getting in the mood for summer and ready to be done with school. I figured this would be a bit of excitement and encouragement to help us keep going for a couple more weeks.
Miss C watched me put it together from the playpen. She was absolutely thrilled with the end result and let us all know it! She told us all about it with plenty of giggles and enthusiasm!
*Because I'm just that kind of a mom I skipped the blue jell-o and swedish fish that the original post called for. I wanted the kids to eat the watermelon and blueberries instead. They were perfectly happy to gobble it up just as I made it!
Oh, and the kids had a great time destroying him when Daddy got home!
Part of summer fun (and even education!) is getting out and about, exploring your own area, or going on vacation. These days it seems we are all needing to be a bit more careful with our finances, which could take a bite out of these fun summer activities. With a little thought and planning though, there can be plenty of free/inexpensive activities right in your own area!
My goal for these sorts of activities is not only that they be free/inexpensive but simple too! While I want to have fun and enjoy these activities with the kids, part of the purpose is also that on our "off" days they will be excited to just get to play at home with their toys. This will allow me the time I need to work on the projects I need to do to get ready for the baby and the move. If these activities are too tiring for me, then they go against the purpose for which they were planned.
1. Go to that local fun park in your area that the kids always want to go to but you rarely make it to! There is a park just a couple of miles from our house that my kids just love, but it is HUGE so it is hard to keep an eye on all of the kids, and I guess it just seems silly to get in the car and drive to the park when we have quite a few we can walk to! This summer I'll be making the point to get us there a few times.
2. Check out the local attractions in your area. Nearly every place has something going for it; take the time to check into these things. We live on the coast in a tourist town. Going to the beach would seem a logical choice for us, however 6 young kids + 1 very pregnant mommy = a bad idea (both because of my energy level and, most importantly, the safety of the kids!). However, there are a few places near the water that are good for spying wild life. I'm going to make an effort to get to one or more of these places. These places are located in areas that would make it easy to spend $$$$ on lunch and treats; planning ahead by packing a lunch and maybe picking one small treat to purchase there can keep this sort of outing fun for everyone!
3. Go to the farm! Plants are growing, baby animals are growing up, and this is the perfect time to check out farms in your area if you have any. Not only do the kids usually like to visit farms (and if the space is available, run and play), but it is a great opportunity for kids to learn about where their food comes from (both plant AND animal). Some farms have a better set up for visiters than others, so ask around. We have one that has a children's garden all set up for exploring, including chickens and rabbits roaming around!
4. Tour a local factory. Many factories/businesses offer tours. If you are unsure just check out their web site or give them a call to see if they do tours, or would be willing to do one for your family/group. We've done this for chocolate shops, the Jelly Belly Factory, and a sticker factory! If you don't have one local, is there one close enough that you could combine with an errand that needs to be run? Is it a good halfway point for meeting up with friends and family to do together?
***Summer Safety tips! You will notice in some of the pictures that my kids are in matching outfits. That is not just for the cute factor (though they are awfully cute, aren't they?), this is so that they will be recognized as a group and/or I can spot my children quickly in a crowd. My mom has blessed us with some wonderful outfits like this in the past few years, but simply picking up T-shirts in a bright color will do the trick as well (Michaels has them for just a few dollars each). The other thing we have done is to write my name (or my husbands) and phone number on a piece of duct tape and tape it on the inside lower hem of the dress/shirts the children are wearing. That way if they do get lost our contact info is with them!****
These are just a few simple ideas, I'd love to hear what you are planning for getting out and about this summer. Please link up to share your ideas (for any summer fun), and be sure to link back here from your blog! Next week I'll post on fun outside activities at home!
I want this summer to be fun and relaxing, not just for the kids, but for me too, so I'll be trying to keep everything simple and frugal!
Not wanting my children's brains to go to mush, or to hear "I'm board!" through the summer, I'm setting some simple goals for my children to accomplish, and setting up some incentives to help get them excited. Since it is still cool around here (60's) we're not really itching to get outside too much yet, so they are just happy for a change of pace.
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1. Reading- Summer reading programs are common all over the country, libraries often offer one that includes goodies, prizes, and activities through the summer. We've done those in the past, but not this year. Instead I'm having each of my big kids choose one book per month (subject to our approval, these will not be easy reading books) that they have never read, to read and then do a book report on. This may not seem like much, but it will give my avid readers some direction (and give them a writing assignment), and my not-so-excited-readers the push they need to sit down and read!
*both Mr. R and Mr. M have chosen "Lamplighter" books for the month of July. We LOVE these books, and I'll be doing a review and giveaway on them later in the week. In the mean time check out their web site. We like these books so much we decided to become affiliates recently, if you decide to buy any, please do so through one of our links! Lamplighter.com
While this is something my "big" kids can do on their own, I want my little ones included in these goals. My beginning reader will pick a simple book to practice and read to me, besides his regular reading lessons. My pre-schooler and toddler will be encouraged to ask each of their older siblings to read them a book every week (besides the ones I'm reading to them).
INCENTIVES for reading- I think I'll do a weekly treat (most likely of the frozen, homemade, variety) on Friday or Saturday if each of the older kids have read to each of the little girls, plus a bonus treat for finishing their chosen book and report.
2. Math- I'll be having the kids do drill cards daily on either addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division to help them keep their skills up, or fine tune them. I'll also be doing some placement testing with them since we are switching curriculum and I want to be sure to be putting each of them at the appropriate level.
*these cards have been around for a long time, I used them when I was in grade school (homeschool)
INCENTIVES for math- Once they can show me that they can do their assigned card(s) in 2 minutes or less with 95% accuracy they will get to drop down to just once a week. I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to add in some other sort of reward.
3. Geography- We will be working on identifying more of the states. Each child will have a goal set for them by me. Even my 3 year-old will be included in this, though my expectations will be fairly low.... Four states, that's it.... Specifically Oregon, California, Colorado, and Arizona. No, these were not chosen at random. These are states that have some meaning to her (she has lived there, will live there soon, or visits often), so she will be interested.
INCENTIVES for geography will involve baking and decorating something using this.....
The goal will be that they must each have their states memorized (and I will test on this) by the end of July. I want them to work together and be encouraging one another on this, so this will be an "all or nothing" one. I've set realistic goals for this, with something I know they are excited about. I'm certain they will get this one!
If all goals are completed before I have the baby (mid-August) I'll add in the bonus of getting to choose to watch a video during quiet time twice a week (which is big since this is not something we regularly allow).
What are the goals (and incentives) you have for your children this summer? Please link up to this post with your "Summer School" goals, or just a post on what you are up to this summer with the kids. Please be sure to link back to this post, and link to a specific post on your own blog. If you don't have a blog I'd still love to hear from you, please leave a comment here!
Oh, and grab my button for your blog too!
UPDATED TO ADD: Next week I'll be posting on "out and about" ideas that are free or inexpensive. Our area has limitations, but special attractions too... I'd love to hear about what you are finding to do out and about with your kids this summer!
Though we will not officially be starting our summer break until July, we are winding down our school year and I'm starting to plan for our summer break. I was thinking it would be fun to do a weekly post with a link up for moms to share their ideas for summer break.
I tend to school year-round, but I like to take some time off during the summer to re-evaluate what we are doing and plan for the next school year. We all like some extra free time, however, kids left to manage their time themselves for a month or so can go terribly wrong! I like to plan a craft, activity, or "field trip" at least two days a week. Besides having a toddler, preschooler, kids, and tweens that I would like to include in all activities my challenge is that by the end of the summer I'll have a new baby and we're moving! I'll need to apply the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Sweetie) method, and yet still keep it interesting!
I'll be sharing what I come up with, and I'd love to hear what other mammas are doing this summer with their kids!
I'll let you know every week what I plan to post about the next week. It would be great to hear from others on similar topics, but anything is great. I thought I'd run this series through the end of August, on Tuesdays.
Next week I'd like to start off by sharing some of the educational goals I'm setting for my kids. It will not be much, but I wanted to give my older kids some focus for our quiet times in the afternoon (when the little ones, and mommy, are napping), and keep them in the habit of doing some math and reading regularly. I'll be finding some ways to include some of my younger kids in these goals too.
The chocolate on them is a homemade 
Miss E seemed to be suffering from a migraine (that had improved quite a bit since this morning) so she brought a book to read in the shade. Mr R took Miss C for a walk around the court a few times.
*Because I'm just that kind of a mom I skipped the blue jell-o and swedish fish that the original post called for. I wanted the kids to eat the watermelon and blueberries instead. They were perfectly happy to gobble it up just as I made it!
