So, let again, I let two weeks slip before making the time to update our blog. And what a crazy two weeks it's been!!!
Spencer
Spencer has been home for most of the time. He only took a quick trip to Kansas City (Missouri, not Kansas). But it was COLD!!! Super cold. He was glad to return to the warmth of South Carolina!!!
He's really been getting super into our whole-foods diet. Meaning he researches a bunch of recipes on the internet and asks me to make them. But occasionally, he'll attempt the recipes himself.
This week, he made homemade yogurt!
Basically, you use a little yogurt, lots of milk, and then warm it up and cool it down carefully. And viola...lots of yogurt. The first batch was a little soupy, but good flavor. So, we're going to try again later.
The kids have also been helping him achieve his weight loss goal by providing lots of opportunities for exercise!
Rebecca
I've been having a pretty busy couple of weeks. Mainly keeping up with the housework, but also keeping the older girls on-track with their schooling. We've been doing good at taking little breaks when we need them and then getting back on track right away.
I've also been really enjoying cooking on our whole foods diet. The food tastes SO much better. And I'm cooking with good ingredients (rather than just reheating yucky ingredients). This week, I attempted to make homemade Lara Bars. YUMMY!!!
Makenzie
Makenzie is growing like a weed and doing great with her school work. Some days she's excited to work, some days not so much. She is still excelling at gymnastics (because she spends most of her waking moments doing handstands and cartwheels). I think I've forgotten what she looks lie right-side-up!
She is a voracious reader. She is always reading something. When she's not reading, she's asking for stories or listening to books on tape. I LOVE that she loves reading!!!
At then end of on book, it gave directions on how to grow mold. So of course, she started rummaging around the kitchen to conduct her experiment. Here is the start (finall pictures will be up in about a month.)
Hailey
Hailey is slowly learning the sounds the letters make and she is slowly starting to blend them together into words. We've currently made it through letter "H".
She LOVES helping in the kitchen. She asks to help with dinner almost ever day. We had some good friends drop off homemade muffins. Omm nomm nomm. They were so good!!!
So we decided to try and make our own. Well...they all got eaten. But they just weren't as good.
The girls get allowance at the beginning of each month. Makenzie usually saves hers (she's saving for an iPad or an iPod Touch). But, this month, both the girls wanted to go spend their money. Hailey bought three sets of rings with sticker earrings. And...decided to use them all at once!
Isaiah
Isaiah had a pretty tame week. Meaning he destroyed the house everyday, but only once a day. He finally got approved for Medicaid so we have two surgeries scheduled for him. One to get him tubes in both his ears. He has never had an ear infection, but he fails the tympanogram test. So we're pretty sure he's not hearing clearly. We're hoping the tubes will help his speak better. The second surgery is to dilate his stricture in his colon and try to get him pooping regularly/normally enough that we might be able to start potty training him.
Riley
Riley is still living life is fast forward. Spencer has taught her how to eat cereal. Most days it is wonderful to sit her at the table with a bowl and go do things. Other days...not so much...
On Wednesdays, Makenzie and Hailey have gymnastics at 3:30. On those days, I try to get Riley to stay awake until then, so she and Isaiah can nap in the car. Some days, she doesn't quit make it. Poor girl...sleeping by the door!
I've been crocheting lately, and Riley has been helping (?) me with that too!
Special School Stuff
Every Tuesday, we go to the Westside Library for story time. Mrs. Rebecca, the librarian, does a wonderful job. We've been going since Hailey was a little thing and Isaiah wasn't around!!! This week, they used the new puppets they just received. It was super fun!
For school, we decided to take a small break from our heavy-duty curriculum and focused on some fun-time learning. We used our American Heritage Girls badge work to form the outline for the week.
Hailey learned about the creation of the world, the nature of God, and caring for God's world. To show our love for God's creatures, we made "pine cone" bird feeders.
We've also started reading "The Hallelujah Lass" by Wendy Lawton. It is a historical-fiction biography following the life of Eliza Shirley, the young woman who brought the Salvation Army to America.
Makenzie read two biographies on Sacajawea and started another one on Betsy Ross. We also read lots of books about The Pledge of Allegiance and Our Flag. We've learned lots about both.
Super-Duper Family Fun
On Saturday, the American Heritage Girls held their first ever Father/Daughter Cake Decorating Competition. It was hard to step back and allow Spencer to do everything (including the planning and shopping).
He worked with the girls and baked a chocolate cake.
(FYI...if you pour batter into ONE 9" cake pan instead of TWO like the recipe calls for, the batter will overflow and you will need to run the auto clean on the oven.)
On Saturday, they brought their baked cakes and all the decorating supplies to the church. Then, they were given one hour to decorate the cake.
Fourteen families showed up!!!
After the time was up, they all placed their decorated cakes on the judging table.
The pastor of the church was the judge. The categories were Most Creative, Most Colorful, Most Unique, and Best Overall.
Spencer and the girls won Most Unique!!!
Then...they got to eat the cakes. YUM!!!
Well...that's two weeks in our life!
Spencer
Spencer has been home for most of the time. He only took a quick trip to Kansas City (Missouri, not Kansas). But it was COLD!!! Super cold. He was glad to return to the warmth of South Carolina!!!
He's really been getting super into our whole-foods diet. Meaning he researches a bunch of recipes on the internet and asks me to make them. But occasionally, he'll attempt the recipes himself.
This week, he made homemade yogurt!
Basically, you use a little yogurt, lots of milk, and then warm it up and cool it down carefully. And viola...lots of yogurt. The first batch was a little soupy, but good flavor. So, we're going to try again later.
The kids have also been helping him achieve his weight loss goal by providing lots of opportunities for exercise!
Rebecca
I've been having a pretty busy couple of weeks. Mainly keeping up with the housework, but also keeping the older girls on-track with their schooling. We've been doing good at taking little breaks when we need them and then getting back on track right away.
I've also been really enjoying cooking on our whole foods diet. The food tastes SO much better. And I'm cooking with good ingredients (rather than just reheating yucky ingredients). This week, I attempted to make homemade Lara Bars. YUMMY!!!
Makenzie
Makenzie is growing like a weed and doing great with her school work. Some days she's excited to work, some days not so much. She is still excelling at gymnastics (because she spends most of her waking moments doing handstands and cartwheels). I think I've forgotten what she looks lie right-side-up!
She is a voracious reader. She is always reading something. When she's not reading, she's asking for stories or listening to books on tape. I LOVE that she loves reading!!!
At then end of on book, it gave directions on how to grow mold. So of course, she started rummaging around the kitchen to conduct her experiment. Here is the start (finall pictures will be up in about a month.)
Hailey
Hailey is slowly learning the sounds the letters make and she is slowly starting to blend them together into words. We've currently made it through letter "H".
She LOVES helping in the kitchen. She asks to help with dinner almost ever day. We had some good friends drop off homemade muffins. Omm nomm nomm. They were so good!!!
So we decided to try and make our own. Well...they all got eaten. But they just weren't as good.
The girls get allowance at the beginning of each month. Makenzie usually saves hers (she's saving for an iPad or an iPod Touch). But, this month, both the girls wanted to go spend their money. Hailey bought three sets of rings with sticker earrings. And...decided to use them all at once!
Isaiah
Isaiah had a pretty tame week. Meaning he destroyed the house everyday, but only once a day. He finally got approved for Medicaid so we have two surgeries scheduled for him. One to get him tubes in both his ears. He has never had an ear infection, but he fails the tympanogram test. So we're pretty sure he's not hearing clearly. We're hoping the tubes will help his speak better. The second surgery is to dilate his stricture in his colon and try to get him pooping regularly/normally enough that we might be able to start potty training him.
Riley
Riley is still living life is fast forward. Spencer has taught her how to eat cereal. Most days it is wonderful to sit her at the table with a bowl and go do things. Other days...not so much...
On Wednesdays, Makenzie and Hailey have gymnastics at 3:30. On those days, I try to get Riley to stay awake until then, so she and Isaiah can nap in the car. Some days, she doesn't quit make it. Poor girl...sleeping by the door!
I've been crocheting lately, and Riley has been helping (?) me with that too!
Special School Stuff
Every Tuesday, we go to the Westside Library for story time. Mrs. Rebecca, the librarian, does a wonderful job. We've been going since Hailey was a little thing and Isaiah wasn't around!!! This week, they used the new puppets they just received. It was super fun!
For school, we decided to take a small break from our heavy-duty curriculum and focused on some fun-time learning. We used our American Heritage Girls badge work to form the outline for the week.
Hailey learned about the creation of the world, the nature of God, and caring for God's world. To show our love for God's creatures, we made "pine cone" bird feeders.
We've also started reading "The Hallelujah Lass" by Wendy Lawton. It is a historical-fiction biography following the life of Eliza Shirley, the young woman who brought the Salvation Army to America.
Makenzie read two biographies on Sacajawea and started another one on Betsy Ross. We also read lots of books about The Pledge of Allegiance and Our Flag. We've learned lots about both.
Super-Duper Family Fun
On Saturday, the American Heritage Girls held their first ever Father/Daughter Cake Decorating Competition. It was hard to step back and allow Spencer to do everything (including the planning and shopping).
He worked with the girls and baked a chocolate cake.
(FYI...if you pour batter into ONE 9" cake pan instead of TWO like the recipe calls for, the batter will overflow and you will need to run the auto clean on the oven.)
On Saturday, they brought their baked cakes and all the decorating supplies to the church. Then, they were given one hour to decorate the cake.
Fourteen families showed up!!!
After the time was up, they all placed their decorated cakes on the judging table.
The pastor of the church was the judge. The categories were Most Creative, Most Colorful, Most Unique, and Best Overall.
Spencer and the girls won Most Unique!!!
Then...they got to eat the cakes. YUM!!!
Well...that's two weeks in our life!
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