ready for a family room make over.....

So we have lived in our house for 3 years. Sadly I figured, we would only be here all of 3 or 4 years. We thought that even with all the huge houses landing in foreclosure the smaller 3 bedroom "starter homes" seemed to be OK. So that is what we backed down to 3 years ago figuring we could fix up some, resell and move on up to something better suited in size for a family of 5-6. Well Turns out even the "starter home" size market is totally shot, and we still have a good portion of work to do to even make this place compete with the flooded market. We have been tempted to up and move west... and back down with in a day... too much family, friends and such here... though gee the adventure would be pretty neat.. any ways.

Alright about a year ago we got a mini family room make over, sold off our 9year old oversized couch and love seat w/their denim slipcovers for $50, and inherited a green, navy, and maroon couch, and a cocoa colored chair, and I had bought a white/light blue glider. My mom passed on a Green rug, and my sister a green and maroon sash like things for the windows. and a few well decor items. This is not my style at all.. but it was a nice change from the super sized stuff in a tiny space. The $50 got another throw rug and some other misc house items.

I have a new addiction to Pinterest, and now with the truth of we are here for a good long time, I am motivated to find ways to update the look of the house and add some functional pieces that can serve as storage and function with out looking thrown together. Slipcovers much cheaper than new and machine washable.. (wonder if I can get 2 of each??) lol they are still pricey but a spare set makes for nice when a spill happens right before company is due to arrive. :o) Think I have the hubby on board with some of my ideas, not to budget, shop, and work.

Wonder how long it will take to get started?? as in out of the idea stage.

2nd & 3rd Grade English

Loving Primary Language lessons for English!!!! It is for 2nd & 3rd grades, the girls love the simple & short lessons. So does their teacher. The school book originally printed in 1911!!! Love it!! :) We

Simply do this 3 days a week.

Bits of history in our back yard! Well this is not really in our back yard, but our state is full of fun history to enjoy!

So we will enjoy all that we can especially those that only cost a little parking fee :)

Preschool and Baby too!

This year we have a collection of Lauri developmental toys for T, her baby sister is enjoying the stacking pegs too! I have my eyes on the toddler collection of things offered through My Fathers world! Though it is for ages 2+ she had fun! And with close supervision they could be something fun for baby girl to play with only during school & in her chair. Less worry as to what she may be crawling off to get into.

A little test out on the mobile blogging! Loving my iPhone and it could be a fabulous tool in keeping this up! Took the girls to a little park down the road from their dance studio since we had an hour to kill between one Childs class and the other! It was a true hidden gem. I believe we will visit regularly! This was the view from the picnic table we had our snack time at. Awesome!

Our Homeschool 2011/2012

So last year lets just say I totally fell off the face of the earth, with new baby, making us a family of 6, working A LOT, and homeschooling, there was not much time for anything else.  My goal this year is to keep this flowing some how some way.  Especially for far away friends and family.

So here goes.  We started our full time school year this Monday September 12th, being our 4th year of homeschooling....  WOW!!  A little history, 1st year aBeka K (hated it), 2nd year BJU K & 1st (started out ok.. then hated it), 3rd year Alpha Omega lifepacs 2nd & 3rd grade (fabulous..  hit a few bumps with Molly she did Time4learning reviewed K and restarted AO lifepacs 1st grade.... )  So towards the end of our 3rd year I was still not happy with the curriculum, and how homeschool flowed for us.  So I looked at some school house classics from the early 1900s and then made a post on fb about how maybe I would just go with the classics.   A fellow homeschool mom responded with look into the Charlotte Mason method....  interest peaked and I began to research and read.... and read some more....  I wanted homeschool to be fun and for the kids to want to learn.

We attended the homeschool convention and for the 1st time not to just mull over curriculum to buy and score free shipping and 20%off for ordering at the convention... we actually went to listen to some of the speakers.... me as many about homeschooling with toddlers and babies, and Stephan those on the fathers role.  We came out encouraged and ready to totally change the way we would homeschool our girls.  I had been eyeing the My  Father's world curriculum because it is designed around the Charlotte Mason method, and for children of multi grade levels to be taught together.  So we went with it!!!

SO our curriculum this year is Adventures in My Father's World for bible, history/geography, science, art, and "music" we will learn about Tchaikovsky.  Then for Language arts we are using Primary language lessons for 2nd&3rd, then spelling power for 3rd & spelling by sound and structure for 2nd,  Teaching Textbooks for math  Chloe tested @ 4th grade so we went with it, and Molly will begin 3rd grade math in a few months via teaching textbooks as well.  We went with some preschool developmental toys, and she will be working on learning letters and numbers, so far so good.

Looks like we will do lots of fun reading, hands on projects, nature walks, and all in the hopes of making learning though it is tough at times fun!  We added incentive "no complaining" chart to the mix this year, each girl has a card with 25 blocks on it, for each day with no whining or complaining about what is being done for school work & not causing drama during the school hours, they get a little sticker and once the chart is full it = a kids meal at chic fil a!  Talking MOTIVATION!!!!

Mom's view each morning!  LOVING IT! 

and I will do my best to keep these coming!  :o)

Laura Ingalls Wilder

The girls and I have been enjoying the little house book series, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The older 2 really enjoying learning of what life was like for little girls in Laura's childhood. I am too fascinated with the era. Personally would love much of the simpler ways of living and thinking, but with a few of the modern conveniences! I personally never read the books until now and we are only though "Little House in the Big Woods" and have made our way onto "Farmer Boy" . When the kids ask for TV I suggest if I have the time that I read to them.

Below is a link to a blog article I stumbled across just educating myself on Laura Ingalls Wilder, found it interesting. Makes many great points, if you'd like to read. :o)

http://www.the-spearhead.com/2011/01/24/the-lesson-of-laura-ingalls-wilder/

This is my life...... am I who I want to be??

While mass producing pancakes and waffles for our freezer for the kids breakfasts, I had pandora radio playing, and this Switchfoot song came on, This is your life. It is a favorite song of mine, and I haven't heard it in awhile. The song touched me and I was nearly in tears, as a washed up the dishes, the kids dancing about, baby girl a little fussy and ready for a bedtime min snuggle with mommy. Have a listen... then read further.




Then I realize... as totally exhausting as some of my days can be, this is my life and I am who I want to be, a wife to my wonderful husband, and a mother to my 4 girls and it doesn't matter what I drive, how big our house is, or how much money my husband makes. God has truly blessed me, and though things don't always go they way I planned or hoped they would but in the end the road we are on only adds to our character for the better. I can stand for improvement on "who" I am, but over all I'm mighty please with where we are going, and with the folks that we are traveling with. We have a fabulous family, and great and awesome friends that might as well be family too (in many ways they feel like family).

Sweet baby girl

Sierra
She is such a little love, full of her own personality

Back on track!

Seems having 4 children, leaves little time for mom!! I have been slacking in the realm of keeping up on this blog, and in reading those that I had once followed and where encouraged by. But am determined to have a little mommy time, and get back on track in so many areas! Stephan got me a new camera for Christmas, and I am determined to figure out how to up load photos from the thing!! :o) 4+ months into 2011 and I've not posted since October of 2010!!! WOW! That time have been filled with much activity and accomplishment! Plan to attempt at getting back to having some kind of daily blip from this Rouze House!