We Bought a Farm: Lamb #5!

Lamb #5 is a girl, and she arrived sometime between 2-7pm today! I am really excited because when I did the 2pm check I told our volunteer, Daniel, that I thought "Brown spot" as we call the mom was going to be the next one to go! Not only did she do exactly what google said ... stopped looking pregnant as baby moved into the birth canal ... she also was really "swollen".

I have attempted to make some predictions about who is next on the list and who is pregnant with singletons and twins. Let's see if I am right!

Here's a few pics too:

We Bought a Farm: Some more fun lamb pics

Still only four lambs here on the farm. We have five Mamas that look they are about to burst, but they are hanging on. Nothing yet. While we wait, here are some fun pics:

I am a world-changer's Mama.

One of the best pieces I have read on raising strong-willed children! You can read the article in its entirety by clicking here: How to be the Mom Your Strong-Willed Child Needs You to Be.

After reading this article, I have decided, whole-heartedly, that:

“I am the brick-wall in Hannah’s life." My little girl might run a country some day, but she isn't going to run over her mom.

I will continue to stand firm even though I feel like I am standing firm so much of the day. Most days I feel like all I do is stand ... stand ... stand ... as my little Hannah runs into my wall over ... and over ... and over ... again. I will do this because I am helping her feel secure, and I will not:

1. Frustrate her with too many rules.
2. Focus on the negatives.
3. Label her.

I will remember that God chose me to be her Mama.

Hannah is a world-changer. 

And I am a world-changer's Mama.

Review: The Princess Twins and the Tea Party

I recently had the opportunity to review the book The Princess Twins and the Tea Party by Mona Hodgson and illustrated by Julie Olson. This is a level 1 I can Read! book which offers young children the opportunity to read on their own.

Generally this book is exactly what you'd expect. Two sisters having a tea party and learning that only God is perfect and their tea party doesn't need to be. I thought it was a sweet read without anything incredibly thought provoking or problematic.

But what I LOVED about this book was that one of the party guests is a young girl of a different race. I learned from a friend who had adopted child of a different ethnicity what a trial this is for her. Any girl book seemed to feature only white children. But this one doesn't. I was looking for this and was so excited to find it.

Booksneeze provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

We Bought a Farm: Meet the Puppies

I hope to update this later today with more pictures, but yesterday, I drove about 2 hours west in TN. I met my awesome friend Shea for the day, and then together, we went and picked up two little amazing pups from a breeder. (If you want the breeder's info, please feel free to contact me at: flakymn@hotmail.com)

Here is a video taken a few minutes after meeting the pups for the first time. (You will also see our very popular volunteer, Daniel, in this video. The kids LOVE him.)

The boys finally decided on the name: RITTER for the boy (he's the lighter one). It means KNIGHT in German. Abigail decided on ARABELLE (Beautiful Eagle) for the girl. They are right at about six weeks old.

Check back for more pictures. And below, I've answered a few questions I keep getting. If you have other questions, please let me know.

Abigail with Annabelle -- birthday was March 5, 2016

Sidge with Ritter -- birthday was March 1, 2016

1. How do you think Scrubs would have taken to the pups? He would have loved them. We actually hoped to get them before we had to let go of Scrubs so he could help break them in a bit. Scrubs loved ALL dogs -- even the tiniest of puppies. He probably would have gotten annoyed by them, as older dogs do, but he'd be happy having them around.
2. Will they be only outside dogs? They will. This bothers some people, but when you live on a farm, it is truly what would be expected. We don't live in the city where we are in our house all day. We are outside ALL THE TIME so they will be with people non-stop. In addition, this breed is a dog that likes the outdoors, and their job will be to protect and take care of our house and family and keep predators (both the human and animal kind) at bay. For city folk, outdoor dogs don't make much sense, and I get that. I wouldn't have an outdoor dog in the city either. But in the country, our life is outside. This is also why we got two dogs. So they will have a buddy. These dogs will not be relegated to a backyard. They will have the run of 120 acres of woods and pasture, and be able to be with our family or the grandparents all the time. In addition, our house is not very large. (The pictures are deceiving.) It is a 3 bedroom and our kids are still little and it feels too small. In addition, we have some wonderful friends in our life with bad dog allergies, and keeping our house pet free will allow them more freedom to visit us.
3. Has this helped ease the pain of losing Scrubs? Without a doubt. This was truly the best thing we could have done. Scrubs has left a huge hole in our lives, our farm, and our hearts. He will never be replaced, but we do believe we have a really wonderful and loving home and want to share that love with other animals. Scrubs taught me how wonderful it is to raise a puppy and that while hard work, totally worth it. 
4. Why Australian shepherds? Why pure bred? As JB and I really discussed what dogs to get, the chief issue for us is all the pasture-raised animals we have here. We have geese, ducks, chicken, pigs, sheep, and guinea fowl that any dog could kill in a second. We needed dogs to be raised with the animals from pups and we wanted to get a breed that usually does very well with these animals. We did not want to get in a situation where we had a dog that wanted to eat our animals, and we had to choose between the dog and our other animals. In addition, we wanted family dogs that would do a good job protecting our property. Everywhere we looked, it become obvious that this was a good breed for us.
5. Are they brother and sister? No. They are not. They are from two different litters so we can breed them. They come from a very long line of amazing AKC registered dogs. We will be selling the pups to off-set our costs IF it ends up working out that way. If the dogs are healthy and can breed and do breed, then great. If for any reason we can't, that is okay too. We've already had people interested in buying a pup from us and our pups are still pups. But if you are interested, feel free to contact me!
6. Why two dogs? They will be outside so we wanted them to have a buddy. We have four kids and a lot of love to go around. And we want to see if we can breed them. 

Any other questions? Please let me know by leaving a comment.

Friday Funnies

Hannah and I were sitting on the couch early in the morning. I was trying to warm her up with a blanket.
Hannah: "What are you doing?"
Me: "I am trying to warm up your toes."
Hannah: "That's not how you say it."
Me: "What?"
Hannah: "That's not how you say it."
Me: "Okay. How do you say it?"
Hannah: "You say 'I am trying to get you some candy."

*****

The three olders were playing Monkey in the Middle. When Abigail had to take a turn in the middle, she started crying, and I heard her yelling, "I am young. But I am young. But I'm too young."

*****

Hannah grabbed her underarm and said, "I've got a headache right here in my armpit."

*****

Sidge asked, "How can you punish us for sinning when you tell us it is impossible not to sin?"

*****

Hannah was outside with Mr. Daniel on our front porch. She swung a flower waterer and hit him in the foot which was in flip-flops. He turned to her and said, "Oh. That hurt. What are you supposed to do when you hurt someone?"

Expecting her to say "I'm sorry," we all stood dumb-founded as she bent down and kissed his toe! That is what Mommy does. Kisses boo-boos! :)

The Past We'd Like to Forget

By Wendi Kitsteiner

Reflection hurts. And I have a few spots in my past that make my heart hurt when I think about them.I imagine we all have something like that in our lives. Memories that cause us pain. Either because of something we did or something we didn’t do or something that happened to us or something that we caused to happen to others.

I imagine we all have something like that in our lives. Memories that cause us pain. Either because of something we did or something we didn’t do or something that happened to us or something that we caused to happen to others.A sickness. A betrayal. A death. A disappointment. A mistake.

A sickness. A betrayal. A death. A disappointment. A mistake.

After two years on an Air Force base in Turkey, our family was relocated to a nineteen-by-twenty-one-mile island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Part of Portugal, Terceira Island in the Azores was, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. Picture Ireland surrounded by water. Greener than anything you can imagine. Rolling hills. Beautiful volcanic rock coasts. Cows meandering through the streets. Bullfights. A café in every town.

But despite the beauty surrounding me, my heart and body were in unspeakable pain.

After years of infertility treatments, we had a few remaining embryos that we wanted to give a chance at life. I had undergone IVF four other times, but this time, the medications I was on caused me to spiral into a depression. I lost twenty pounds and found myself pregnant and terribly sick .....

You can read the rest of my post at The Glorious Table. 

My life

Everyone said that young children are physically exhausting. As they age they become mentally exhausting. Problem is, I'm currently stuck in both worlds. 

But these older kiddos are majorly outwitting me. Regularly.

We Bought a Farm: The Chess Teaching Volunteer

Mr. Daniel, our current volunteer, has been here for about two weeks. He is a fantastic addition to our farm. He lives in the apartment above our garage and joins our family for meals.

And Chess.

He's a Chess teacher.

When he first arrived, I could handily beat both my boys in Chess. I'm not a good Chess player in any sense of the word. But they are seven. So I could beat them. Playing Chess when you win is no big deal. Games take just a few minutes. Not too painful.

Enter Mr. Daniel the Chess player. Chess teacher. Informal lessons begin.

Today I played Isaac two times. He beat me twice.

Then I played Sidge one time. He beat me.

As they are playing they are asking me why I did a certain move. They are telling me that opening that way is not a good idea. They are calling out names of moves. They are advising me not to bring my queen out that early.

Huh?

Sidge wanted to play me again. I told him no. He asked again. I told him I just couldn't. I just couldn't play one more game.

"It's because we crushed you, isn't it?" He asked.

Yes.

It is.

Review: Talking Fingers Inc

Normally I wouldn't be excited that I have two reviews due in one week. But when the product is a review for Read, Write & Type by Talking Fingers Inc., I really don't mind at all.
This program is exceptional. Truly amazing. And if you have a child between the ages of 6-8 you will want to read this review. (Or if you have a child with a learning disability or in need of ESL work, there really is no age limit!) 
You will want to try out the free demo. And you will want to buy Read, Write & Type by Talking Fingers Inc.
When we first got tasked with reviewing Read, Write & Type I spent some time browsing the website, but I honestly did not understand the full scope of this program. I really thought it was mainly a typing program. We received a one year subscription for two users: Isaac and Sidge (both in first grade.)
I purchased a new keyboard (since the one I have been using for years has no letters on any of the keys!) and was excited for my first grade boys to get some experience with a computer and a keyboard. So much of learning is done on an iPad in this day and age, and therefore typing isn't as readily available.
But this program was SO much more than typing. I mean SO much more. I can't emphasize that enough. Let me say it again. I mean SO much more. And I honestly think I'll have trouble not getting up on a soap box as I explain why.
To understand the vision behind this program, I encourage you to read the biography of the developer of this program, Neuropsychologist Jeannine Herron. Seeing the alarming reports that reading instruction in our country was failing an alarming number of students, Dr. Herron took her belief that children needed phonics as well as whole language to master reading skills to a new level.
Dr. Herron explains her vision by saying:
“I want to change the way kids learn. Parents and teachers need to understand that reading and writing go hand in hand. In fact I think writing is the most powerful, the most active, and the most interesting way to become fluent at reading. Students often see writing as a chore. They have so many things to say, but the mechanics of writing slows them down and stifles their enthusiasm. Read, Write & Type makes writing easy. And seeing kids boost their reading scores time after time with this program convinces me that writing is an absolutely magical route to reading!”
We had access to the program for about one month before our review was due. I had my boys get on and use the program many days of the week -- every day if I could. And enticing to do so was easy. They enjoyed the program. In fact, when I asked my son Isaac what he thought of Read, Write & Type he actually said, "I like it. It's good. It's fun."
This might not seem like a big deal to you, but honestly, it is a HUGE DEAL for my son to say this. My boys do not readily say they like any aspect of education. No matter how fun things are, their responses are usually. "It's okay. It's not horrible. I don't like it very much. Do I have to? I hate that program. I don't want to do it. Please can I take a day off of that thing?"
But with Read, Write & Type they never gave me one bit of back-talk. And in fact, they argued over who was going to get to use the program first. Not exaggerating! Really!

The program basically takes part in a "town." Here, there are a bunch of places for kids to learn. Learning sites include:

• Video Store (Identify middle sounds)
• Fair Booth (Identify ending sound)
• Movie Theatre (Identify beginning sounds)
• Power Foundation (Practice speed & accuracy)
• E-mail Tower (Write & receive virtual e-mail)
• The Park (Blend sounds together)
• Story Tree (Type a story)
• Hall of Fame (See certificates of progress)
• Fandasa's House (Left handed storytellers)
• Jack's House (Right handed storytellers)

Each time your child logs in, the program remembers where they are and simply picks up at the next place. In addition, they can browse the town and play different games as they would like as well. In our case, I received two licenses for the program, and each of my boys was given their own unique username and password. I am able to check in on how they are doing through my teacher log-in and see what they are accomplishing, struggling in, or excelling at. I can even control the time period that they are on each day or the days of the week they can play). You can set up your own pass level percentage as well and change it at any time.

So how does the program work? Basically Read, Write & Type is a revolutionary reading software which includes phonics, spelling, keyboarding, and word processing. They have special features for students with learning disabilities (LD), reading difficulties, or ESL. (We did not use these aspects of the program.) 

The program is designed to help children learn to hear individual sounds in words and associate those sounds with a finger stroke on the keyboard. In addition, children are using their eyes, ears, mouths, and fingers. As homeschool moms, we are all about different learning styles. But do we really know how to reach our children with their particular learning style? The colorful characters, games, animations, and music help keep students engaged and motivated. (They really do!) 

Here are a few more screen shots to hopefully show you what you are missing!

I'm not really sure why, anyone, would choose to not take advantage of the free demo for this program. Your student can do eight lessons completely free. In addition, there is a demo for adults too so that you can get a crash-course on what this whole program is about.
I review a lot of things that I like. Things that I think are good. But our homeschooling curriculum could easily replace it with something else. This is not one of those programs. We will be using this, daily and even through the summer. It will be an integral part of our curriculum, and I feel so lucky to have given the opportunity to obtain this program.
Read, Write & Type by Talking Fingers Inc., is a five year subscription. The online versions can be purchased without downloading any software!It is $35 for a single user, $55 for two users, $70 for three users, $85 for four users, and $100 for five users. (There is also an option to purchase CDs instead of doing it online.) This company also produces other programs that I am not familiar with but will be looking into.
I hope you will take the opportunity to try it out for yourself. I promise you. You will not be disappointed, and your kids will like doing it!

Why dogs don’t live as long as humans:

“Well,” said a 6 yr old boy, “dogs already know how to live, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Live simply.

Love generously.

Care deeply.

Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:

• When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
• Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
• Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
• Take naps.
• Stretch before rising.
• Run, romp, and play daily.
• Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
• Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
• On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
• On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
• When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
• Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
• Be loyal.
• Never pretend to be something you’re not.
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
• When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.  

Truth.

Thinking of you pup

Thinking of my puppy today. What a dog.

Review: Homeschool Copywork

Another day and another fantastic product to highlight on my Blog. This time I am reviewing the Lifetime Membership from Homeschool Copywork. This product allowed us to review scriptures about the Armor God or lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner while practicing handwriting!

If you have young children like I do,  older children who are still working on their printing, or if you have decided to teach your children cursive and are trying to help refine that, then you know writing isn't easy to teach.

How do you teach writing? Once they know the letters, you observe and make slight corrections, but a lot of what you are doing is simply ... practice. I am really hoping that handwriting is less painful with girls than it is with boys. My dear, wonderful first grade boys, find the idea of penmanship a concept that they have no desire to discuss. "I wrote it. It's there. Good enough. Can I go play?"

Enter Homeschool Copywork. The concept is so simple.

Use their website for a myriad of quality products for your children to practice copying. 

That's it. Such a simple idea! They provide an assortment of links. You choose the one that your children would like to do. You click on it. You print it. You staple it. And your job is done!

I actually decided to use this program for my boys (first grade) and my daughter (she'll be in pre-K next year but has really taken to teaching herself her letters.) I got on the Homeschool Copywork website, picked a product to start with, printed it off, stapled it in a packet, and handed it to each of my three children.

For the next few weeks, approximately 3-4 times a week, I told them it was time for their Homeschool Copywork. This was so simple. I didn't have to do a thing. They simply went and grabbed their packet, found a place to work, and began copying. All I did was peek in to see that they were working diligently and to the best of their ability. I also gave them feedback on how well they did when they finished the page.

In the course of the three weeks, I got through three products with my boys. The first was the Star Spangled Banner Copywork. I had them both work through this packet. I then had my son Elijah do the Armor of God Copywork packet while allowing Isaac to get started on the Character Building Copywork. With my preschooler, Abigail, we only got through one packet: Animal Alphabet Copywork Pages. 

Here is a picture of my kids on the first day we got out our packets. Abigail decided she wanted to start with the letter Z. She loved trying to write the letters and to color the picture that went with it. With Abigail, I didn't worry if she was using a pencil or how she was doing it. I simply let her have fun with the packet. In the background, you can see my son Isaac starting on his packet.

You can see that Abigail's letters are still very much in the beginning phase. She would copy the words and then get to color a picture that went with it. She absolutely loved these packets and would usually do 3-4 pages before getting a little tired and wanting to move onto something else.

Isaac working through one of his pages. I actually told the boys that if their handwriting was their best effort, they could just do one page. If they were struggling that day, they would tackle multiple pages.

A close-up of the work required.

There are dozens of different products to use and you can choose which page in each packet you want to use. For instance, there are pages that use tracing, pages that do printing, and pages that do cursive. Sometimes all three of these were included in one packet. I would pick which pages matched my kids' ability level and print those out. If you wanted, you could take a few pages from each packet and make your own packet. 

What I love about this product most of us all is the quality of the things my kids are copying. Bible verses, Vincent van Gogh, Abraham Lincoln, Willian H. Taft's Inaugural Address, quotes by Charlotte Bronte .... high quality quotes and concepts for your children to practice their handwriting with.

You can browse all the products together or search based on the age your child. There is a section for early elementary, upper elementary, and junior high/high school. 

What's even better is that you can try five of these products absolutely free. Simply visit the: Homeschool Copywork page and click on "Become a Member" at the top of the screen to see how easy it is. I strongly suggest any homeschooling mom reading this post at least takes a look and uses the five free products. 

The company also offers a One Year Membership and a Lifetime Membership for very reasonable prices. You can learn more about Homeschool Copywork by visiting their social media accounts here:

• Facebook
• Twitter @Amy Blevins
• Pinterest
• Google+
• Instagram

Last Day of Co-op

Today was our last day of Co-op for the year. Our homeschool group meets for ten weeks in the fall and then ten weeks in the spring.

When we started back in September, I did not know if Abigail would ever make it through a class. But then today, I saw this on our Facebook page. Her teachers had put together a before and after of Abigail on the first day of class and on the last.

It really does say 1,000 words. She has come out of her shell! The Abigail we see at home is now flying in school and getting more and more comfortable at church. It is so wonderful to see that smile!

Another great Scrubs gift

When I lived in Minnesota, I became friends with a fellow teacher. She and I were traveling through infertility together, and she had two beautiful Rhodesian Ridgebacks that were the light of her life.

We haven't stayed in great touch, but when Scrubs passed away, she sent me this book in the mail, well aware of the grief I was dealing with after having lost one of her Ridgebacks a few years prior. 

Whether Scrubs is in heaven or not, this book provided such a beautifully comforting thought about the beauty of dogs. If you have someone in your life who loses a pet, I strongly suggest this book as a gift. I plan to get copies for people in the future!

Thanks so much Jodi!

School Pictures (Hannah added!)

I LOVE our homeschool co-op. I love that even though we are schooling at home, we get the opportunity to do the things that "normal" kids going to "normal" school do -- like pictures!!! (Hannah's was done on retake day and I don't have it yet!)

"With You Always"

I'm not sure I can even write this post without crying. Our amazing friends, Shane and Linda Jones, had someone they knew in Germany do this painting for us. Her name is Sharon Graham Smith, and I am linking to her here because she does these paintings for people who want to pay tribute to their special pets.

Not only did they have her paint this, but Shane sneakily had us send him some barn wood from our farm. We thought it was for something he wanted to build for himself and didn't ask any questions. But it was the frame for this picture.

The caption says "With You Always."

Incredibly moved. It looks just like Scrubs, and I am truly in love with this picture. So blessed by such wonderful friends in our life who are supporting me during something that would seem not that big of a deal.

It has been a huge deal to me and how wonderful it has felt to be held up by wonderful people. 

Review: Night Night, Mommy

I go the opportunity to review Night Night, Daddy last week, and this week, I get the opportunity tor review the companion book Night Night, Mommy by Amy Parker and illustrated by Lee Holland. Instead of a father, this story tells the story of a mother and her little kit/cub/pup preparing to finish off their day together. As nighttime prepares to set, they decide to eat spaghetti, have a bubble bath, put on their PJs, dance, read a book, pray, sing, and finally go to sleep.

I hear the thump-thump of your heart

While you sing soft and slow.

"Please, Mommy, one more lullaby?"

Then off to sleep I'll go.

I love the sturdiness of this book, the hard (but slightly cushioned cover) and the beautiful and peaceful colors. I am a huge fan of peaceful books that a parent loves to read before bed. In addition, the little kit is never given a sex, so this book could truly be used for boys or girls. 

I received a free copy of this book from booklook.bloggers.com in exchange for my honest review.

Reminder

From Shea

You know that friend that is always sort of "hanging" out next to you? Not in a physical sense. You may be very far apart in distance. But that friend that doesn't miss your struggles. They are there when you need them. Okay if you don't need them for a while. They are loyal. They won't let you down. You may not talk for awhile, but if you called, they would come. Without a moment's hesitation.

That's my friend Shea. Shea is one of the most loyal friends a girl could ever have. We met as freshman at Western Kentucky University in 1995. We've been friends ever since. She loves the Lord and has two beautiful boys now. 

Shea sent me the picture above. Needless to say I sobbed opening it. It was absolutely perfect. Absolutely the most perfect thing someone could sent it. 

It is on my list of "things to get out of my house in case of fire."

I love you Shea.

Shea and me with little Isaac in 2008. (I'm about six months pregnant with Sidge here.)