This Week at Our House # 46

1. I think he had a pleasant Thanksgiving and weekend. He got to play a 5 hour nerdy board game with his brother-- which may have been the highlight for him. But everything we made came out perfectly. It was sooo yummy.
2. This year we decided not to go anywhere and not to have any company and it was lovely. Everyone old enough pitched in with the cooking. (Kate did the pie crusts.) Before we ate, we talked about the Pilgrims and Roger Willliams and what they sacrificed for religious freedom and how not one of the Pilgrims returned to England when the opportunity arose. We talked about how the Pilgrims had nothing, half of them died, and yet the first thing they did when things were getting better was to have a big feast to thank the Lord. John and the kids are descendants of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins and Edward Doty all from the Mayflower and we had some fun stories to tell about them too. I think it was our most spiritual Thanksgiving ever. And two big perks were the food came out the best ever and we only had enough leftovers for one more day. 
3. Ruth had school Monday and Tuesday and had the rest of the week off. I heard from Kate that Ruth complained about the vacation not being a vacation at all because we worked so much. But then Ruth had a pretty easy Friday and Saturday. She slept in past 11am on Saturday and declared that she finally felt rested. I think school is often too intense for teenagers. 
4. Kate had the full week of school off. This gave her a chance to catch up on her homework. She worked all day on Monday and Tuesday and talked about how lovely that was and how much she misses homeschool. I took Kate and Ruth to a Mindy Gledhill concert on Saturday night. I know that Kate loved it a ton. Mindy Gledhill is fun and always clean and Kate gets made fun of at school for not listening to or knowing about crass music. I am glad that she has made the choice for herself to keep her music clean. I am sorry that she gets teased for it. Ruth and Kate both confessed that they do not know a lot of the dirty jokes and phrases that all of their friends know and that they are considered innocent, but not in a good way, by their classmates. 
5. Johnny got caught up on his homework too. He had fun playing the 5 hour game with his dad, aunt, and uncle and just hanging out at home for the week. 
6. Adam enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner like no other nine year old of mine ever has. He tried everything and thought it was good. Adam is the only boy that came black Friday shopping with me. I think he had a good time. I did not leave super early, and I will not shop on Thursday, so it was not over crowded and crazy. 
7. Rachel has now finished off her last week of vacation. She starts school again tomorrow. She made the best of this three week break. She played way too many computer games, stayed in her pajamas, read her first entire chapter book, and played and played. 
8. Anya ate only orange rolls and chocolate pie for Thanksgiving dinner. At least she knows what she wants. Anya came black Friday shopping with me, and was quite emotional that I was not buying her everything she wanted. She'll have to wait until Christmas like everyone else.
9. Joseph was great all week until Friday. Friday, he had a bad day and it just continued and continued until Sunday. He broke several Christmas ornaments and a glass bowl. I think his two day accident streak is over and we only have 2 Christmas bulbs left to be broken anyway.
10. We put the Christmas tree up on Wednesday and decorated it on Friday. Josh has really been enjoying the tree and all the lights. 
11. I have 2 small nativity sets available for kid play. Arwen has been playing with them and setting them up a lot. It is so cute. Arwen got a pair of red boots on black friday and she just loves them!!! She cries when we take them off and cries for them to be put on when she sees them. 

This Week's Pictures

Josh was making car noises at this point. I am pretty sure his entire Thanksgiving dinner consisted of olives. 

trying to hide from the camera

still got her legs :)

John always wipes his hands on his shirt

Cat Thanksgiving

She may complain about the amount of chores-- I always do-- but she is always the first to volunteer to help

Cleaning a broken egg out of the fridge

This Week at Our House #45

1. Work has been a little tough for John. He is having to learn a lot to do his part. Several contract employees have left the company. I hope things go faster this next week. 
2. I had an average week. Nothing much out of the ordinary happened.
3. Ruth has been having friend drama once again. I like having her tell me how her days go, but it is always sad when she has a rough patch.
4. Kate had a regular week with lots of school. She has the entire week off for Thanksgiving break and is really looking forward to it.
5. Johnny didn't do/turn in a bunch of papers and a project. I made him stay up very late Thursday night to catch up, and we did not give him any help. We are pretty disappointed in him right now. Maybe he will redeem himself over the break, because I am going to make him do some painting in the house to make up for his laziness in school.
6. Adam finally had his birthday party on Friday. Eight of his classmates came. That was one wild party for sure. Adam had fun and got some cool gifts. John and I were relieved when all the kids went home. I am so glad I only made it an hour and a half party. I think another half hour would have killed me. I now know that I never want to be a third grade teacher.
7. Rachel had her second week off from school on her year round schedule. She is definitely taking advantage of the time off this time around. I have been pretty easy going on her too. She has been allowed to stay up late and play computer games when others have not. I let her watch "More the Merrier", an old movie, a few nights back. In the movie, one of the main characters continually chants, "d--- the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" Rachel really liked them and mistakenly keeps chanting "Down the torpedoes..." at first we told her to stop swearing. Then we realized she thought it was "Down the torpedoes and that's okay to chant around the house.
8. I got to volunteer in Anya's kindergarten classroom on Friday. She had a Thanksgiving Feast. I loved seeing her with her friends in her school environment. She is very careful to be good.
9. Joseph is learning his alphabet and writing his letters. He seems to be picking it up pretty quickly with the help of Starfall.com. Since his birthday is in July and he is a boy, I wasn't sure if I could have him ready for kindergarten next fall. I think academically he will be great. The challenge is going to be whether or not he will be able to sit long enough. 
10. I cut Josh's hair. It is a bit shorter than I meant it to be, but he was very pleased with the outcome. He looks more grown up now.
11. Arwen says, "yea" to almost everything I ask her. Sometimes she will tell me no or shake her head no, but it is refreshing to have a one year old excitedly answer "yea".

This Week's Pictures

Management Monday: Miracle Discipline Trick

With some kids all I have to do is look at them funny and they feel punished, even if I didn't mean a thing. Others there just seems to be nothing I can do to persuade them. I have found a trick that is working like magic.

I call the child over to me. I make that child look me in the eyes. I tell them what I want them to do or to stop doing. I then have them repeat back to me what I told them. Then I ask them when they plan to do it. The kid then usually says, "right now."

It has worked every single time. I have never been able to punish or persuade little Joseph, and now I can always get him to do what I want him to do. I hope it keeps working. It makes me think that my failure has come in not getting the attention of my children.

2013 Family Photos

On November 2nd, my good friend Christina, from Hands Full Photos, took our family pictures. She did a great job! I love them and Can't wait to get prints.

My Awesome Family 2013

Seriously, I am so blessed. It is easy to be thankful to have all these wonderful people in my life Every.Single.Day

This Week at Our House #44

1. John keeps gaining weight. I am trying to figure out the why. He rarely eats dessert or junk food, so I think it is his favorite sugar cereal eating habit followed by not enough exercise. He eats a giant bowl of cereal for breakfast and before bed. We don't eat a whole lot of processed foods and only the boys in the family are big on the cereals. I mentioned to John that I thought cereal was his weight gaining problem. There is no way, as far as I can tell, that he ever plans to cut down on his cereal. I think I may take his "skinny clothes" to DI.
2. I had a pretty good week. I got in lots of time with the little kids in the mornings. I have finally found a way to discipline Joseph that is both magical and works. Life has been much easier since I employed this little trick. I will have to share the idea on a "Management Monday". Which reminds me. I have had all these great ideas for blog posts and have not gotten to writing them. I will try harder this week.
3. Ruth tells me that she and all of her friends are considered and called, "Molly Mormons". One girl really dislikes them for that. As a mom, I could not be more pleased. Ruth takes the gospel seriously. She keeps the commandments, is kind, and serviceable. If that makes her a molly mormon, I am so glad that is who she has chosen to be.
4. Kate had a debate in school this week. It ended up being between her and this one boy that sounds an awful lot like her. She says she does not like him, though, because too many other girls like him. However, that is the nicest thing Kate has ever said about a guy.
5. Johnny has another big history research paper due on Monday. This time, he finished it before the due date. I am glad that he learns from his mistakes.
6. Adam loves, loves loves soccer. I am always telling him no soccer in the house.
7. Rachel was off track and on vacation. She loved her first two days, and then was sick on Wednesday. Poor girl. She was last to come down with the flu that plagued our house last week. Rachel has two more weeks off.
8. Anya's such a good little beginner reader. She loves to try and read things and write things all the time. It is so much fun when reading comes easily for a child.
9. For several weeks, my laundry room trash can has been disgusting. I've been wondering what the kids were doing. Today, Anya saw the reason and told us. Joseph has been peeing in the trash can when he changes his clothes. Joseph will have a lot of cleaning to do.Yuck! Kids can be so disgusting!
10. Joshua has been lining things up and calling them trains. He has done this with books, chairs, and toys. 
11. Arwen is a climber now. She gets up on the table several times a day. I'm not a big fan of this stage. It is so hard to keep them safely on the floor.

This Week's Pictures

Chair, bench, and stool train

This Week at Our House #43

1. What a crazy week it was!!! Hardly anything happened as planned because we got this slow moving flu. John worked from home a few days this week. We are grateful that his employers allow that. This week he will probably just go into work. But it is nice to have him around when we have a bunch of sick people.
2. We pretty much had to cancel everything this week, so we finally relaxed and got a little more rest. Illness isn't the best rest, but it kept us from running around crazy. I even got sick this time, which is very rare. I usually just take care of everyone and stay healthy. By Friday night I was pretty sick. John and Adam were well enough to do the pinewood derby, so Kate stepped up to the plate, babysat the two youngest and cleaned the house.
3. Ruth came home from school sick on Friday. She was so distressed that her friends would think she abandoned them and she missed her chemistry test. She will probably have a stressful make-up week this week.
4. Kate was sick on Thursday. She missed a math test and will have to make that up asap. I knew she wasn't feeling well when she decided to miss a math test.
5. When Arwen was first ill, I needed to take Adam to the store to get his birthday stuff. Johnny really stepped up to the plate and did something that I am sure is extremely hard for him. Arwen puked twice while I was gone. Johnny cleaned up the puke while Kate cleaned up Arwen. Johnny missed a field trip to the symphony that he had been talking about for a couple of weeks. Poor kid. He never has much homework or make up work. I have no idea how 8th grade has ended up so easy for him.
6. Adam had his birthday on Monday. He is 9 years old, and the sweetest kid. He's a hard worker at home and at school. He is one of the only athletes in our family. Adam was supposed to have a birthday party at the skate rink on Thursday, but he threw up in school on Wednesday and was pretty sick for the next 48 hours. I lost my phone the same day, so it was really hard to cancel the party. I guess we will try and make it up again at some point.
7. Rachel seemed to be the only member of the family that didn't get sick at all. She's been healthy and energetic. She goes off track this week. She has through Thanksgiving off from school. John was saying how great that was for her, and I mentioned how I thought it would be better if they all had the same vacation schedule. Then I explained how it will be nice to have some time off now, but will stink when she has school the whole month of June. John then said, oh yeah, it is like spending all of your Christmas money on candy-- you enjoy it now, and regret it later. I really hate year round school.
8. Anya was sick with a fever and cold on Monday and Tuesday and the stomach flu on Friday. Last night she woke up crying with leg pain. Poor Anya, got it worse than anyone.
9. Joseph hasn't had the stomach flu yet, but he has had a bad cough and a fever. It's been such a weird week.
10. Josh didn't eat for about 4 days but never puked so I think he was sick. By Saturday, he had the fever and the cough.
11. Arwen was the first to get the stomach flu. I think she is the reason so many family members picked it up. Baby's just put their germs on everything. I kind of knew that would be the case and braced myself for a lot of laundry. I just didn't expect to get sick too. We will be happy to leave this week behind us and hopefully do a make-up birthday party for Adam.

This Week's Pictures

This Week at Our House # 42

1. Work went well for John this week. I love saying that. I hope it continues. He works for a start up company that hasn't launched their website and doesn't have customers yet. So every week we are grateful he has a job.
2. I have been so busy lately that the scripture “Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means." (D&C 10:4) Because I sure feel like I am doing more than I am able. This coming week promises to be at  least as busy. I am very tired.
3. Ruth had a party on Halloween with all of her friends that aren't allowed to Trick or Treat. She's been pretty busy with friend stuff this year. She has good friends too. Last year her friends were very dramatic and caused her a lot of grief. Ruth started the school year determined to make new, happier friends. She has done so and is much happier.
4. Kate ended the week with less homework than usual. She is getting better at doing her work quickly and getting used to her tough math class. She is getting good grades and is a very conscientious student. Kate had the most Halloween fun when we went to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point. That place is a ton of fun. Next year, we plan to go earlier in October when it is warmer.
5. Johnny trick or treated as Darth Vader. I let Johnny, Adam, and Rachel go for the first time without parents. They got way more candy because they did not have to go at toddler pace. In fact, I think they got double from the little kid group in less time. 
6. Adam had a fun Halloween week. At school for Halloween they did a Roman day. They made and exploded volcanoes and built the Coliseum out of sugar cubes and frosting. Adam had a really fun day.
7. Rachel dressed as a Fairy Witch for Halloween. She had a fun party and Halloween Costume parade at school. 
8. Anya had a Halloween party in her class. She had fun trick or treating and visiting with the neighbors that were serving doughnuts, cookies, and hot chocolate. Anya was a butterfly for Halloween.
9. Joseph was a dinosaur for Halloween. On Halloween morning, Joseph put his costume on and wore it all day. He was crazy excited all day. He has been on a constant candy binge since then. I just let my kids eat at will until it is gone. I like the candy binge and mess to be over as soon as possible. A whatever you want policy seems to accomplish this.
10. Joshua actually did wear a Dragon costume and he went trick or treating and had a fun time. In the beginning of  October, I bought Josh a Thomas the Tank Engine Costume. He was so excited about it until we got it home and I tried to put it on him. He wouldn't wear it and said he hated Trick or Treating. Needless to say, I brought the costume back and we just didn't worry about it. On Halloween, I offered him Johnny's old Dragon costume and he put it on. 
11. We dressed Arwen as a baby hobo with a sign that said "will work for candy". She meant it too. Arwen loves sweets!