SNOW DAY-Finally!!!

We were all surprised to see a winter wonderland when we woke up this morning. I love hearing the little ones squeal,"Yeah...it's snowing...can we go outside?!?" Of course this was at 7am...I assured them that after our morning routine they would be able to go romp in the backyard. An added bonus was that Daddy stayed home (worked from his laptop) since his commute is already over an hour each way, the news reports of multiple accidents were sobering, and the prediction was for a change to icy conditions later in the day. While I was preparing breakfast I heard the back door open and was shocked to see Odesco blissfully running around in the yard with boots (no socks), unzipped coat (at least he had a coat on!) and bare legs( his sweatpants were hiked up over his knees since he had just greased himself.) I convinced him to come inside (hearing there was available food enticed him!) and all 4 kiddos were back out soon after their last bit of breakfast was swallowed! I joined them for a little while and we attempted to make a snowman...the snow was not packing well and we settled on a 'snow blob' instead. The big boys helped dig out a few neighbors and received an unexpected reward in the process(money!) Daddy, who always finds opportunities to teach the kiddos to work with diligence, gave the 4 littles specific jobs to do as they are all trying to earn money for our church 'mission fund'. Also, L has his eye on a set of colored drawing pencils from the Timberdoodle catalog. (Since this catalog arrived 2 days ago, he has on numerous occasions very 'subtly' placed it next to me as he dreamily mentions his desire for better pencils.... funny thing is I saw them first and thought they'd be a great birthday gift for him in May....now to help him see the benefits of delayed gratification :)!!
Later in the day when a misty rain started to fall, the snow became quite 'packable' and all 6 kiddos went to work building snow forts in preparation for a snowball fight: 2 big boys vs. all 4 littles. I'm not sure who won but it was a blessing to see them all doing something fun together.
We ended the evening watching the Chronicles of Narnia dvd (this was after Daddy, L, Odesco and P trudged on foot to the library to rent a video only to learn it had closed early due to the weather). Midway through it, Odesco came to me and said,"Mommy we're having a family night!!" All I could see in the dimly lit room were his pearly white teeth as he grinned at me...I'm so grateful for these moments as often an 'attitude of gratitude' is not what always prevails in any of our hearts.
Enjoy the pictures!!
Love,
MamaB

Yeah...the first snow day of the season!

A valiant attempt at a snowman...we affectionately renamed him the 'snow blob'!!

A closeup of our 'snow blob'...the kids were just excited to finally get to use the 'snowman in a box' kit I bought on clearance last year!!

Little man L was given the job of clearing off the ramp to the shed...and he did a fine job! C thought it was cute how his little brother sighed and dramatically wiped his brow after working so hard :)

Odesco was given the job of taking wood from the woodpile to the back door for daddy to use in the wood burning stove...this little guy can work...here he is ingeniously moving that wood in the wagon with a rope around his waist. He moved 35 pieces of wood and earned a nickel a piece...shhh don't tell L who earned $1!!

Don't let their size fool you...they were in this to WIN and gave their big brothers a good fight.

Intimidating, huh??

Let the games begin....

Alls well that ends well...they're still smiling in spite of a few minor squabbles requiring the referee(Daddy) to step in :)

Alpine Adventure

Last Tuesday our Alpine Adventure began before daybreak as we piled into the van at around 6am. Daddy courageously wanted to give all the kiddos the opportunity to ski with the homeschool group before the season was over. There's just one problem: M is the only one in our family who can take the littles down the slopes. I'm a beginner myself and of no help to an unsteady skier. We were quite a sight as we filed in to the equipment area and awaited fittings for helmets, ski boots, and skis. The friendly staff took pity on us and actually helped to fit the little ones with their boots and helmets...they didn't just hand off the equipment but came over to the seating area and made adjustments as needed. Since there was almost no other activity in the area, we were at a definite advantage and we were very grateful for their gracious assistance!! After the drama of getting everyone all geared up ( the big boys, thankfully took care of themselves!), we ventured outside where it had just begun to snow. Walking in ski boots was a new experience for Mercy and Odesco(L had done it a few years ago but was equally awkward!) and as you can imagine walking up a slippery hill with skis in their arms was a bit of a challenge. L decided then and there that he was NOT going to enjoy this...in fact before we even got the skis on him he was determined to head back into the lodge. So with a whimpering L in tow, we positioned ourselves on the level ground in the direction of the beginner's slope to get a little practice in before Mercy, Odesco and L attended a ski lesson. That's when the fun (well okay, chaos!!) began. P stuck with L who promptly threw off his mittens and declared after falling in the snow that ,"Skiing is the stupidest sport ever!!"... I tried to keep up with G while stopping to keep an eye on Odesco and C who were making their way down the mountain a little too fast for my comfort. Odesco did quite well managing to get back upright after his falls...for the most part he remained upbeat but at this point, he had little control and was quite the speed demon...
Meanwhile, L remained in the snow with P attempting to get him back on his feet-all while he is making his 'love' of skiing well known to all within earshot. Daddy was attempting to get Mercy to follow the instructions he was giving. Our sweet girl had quite a time keeping her skis in alignment and NOT facing down the hill when she finally was able to get herself upright again....she was a tangled mess and often met this with laughter but soon became quite exasperated. I confess those of us attempting to help her were equally exasperated :( We finally all made it down the beginner slope and after scrambling a bit managed to all get on the lift and back up the mountain. We took off our skis and walked over(what wisdom!!) to the area where L, Mercy and Odesco were to take lessons. Mercy and Odesco reluctantly filed into the line with the rest of the class but it was clear that this was not going to be a profitable use of time for little man, L. So, G and I went off to ski some more and L and Daddy gave it another try... the 1:1 time was fruitful and by the time we took a break for lunch, L announced that he thought skiing was his new favorite sport...what a funny boy!! At break time I attempted to observe Mercy and Odesco in their class but could not find them. We later learned they went inside with a few of the other student skiers because they were cold and tired...not sure how long they actually lasted(or how much was learned!) outside in the class but at least they were safe and sound!
Almost forgot to mention this(and if I don't G will tell you !) Before our lunch break, G and I had one mishap on the lift...I didn't get the safety bar down fast enough and she did not get back far enough on the chairlift seat... she began to slip off the seat...I attempted to scoop her up unsuccessfully and she slipped off the seat onto the snow...I hollered to the attendants who quickly stopped the lift. At this point I was 2 chairs away from my little girl who was sprawled on the ground (but thankfully unhurt!) Providentially, there was a ski patrol guy right there who helped her get on her one ski which had fallen off and rode with her to the top of the mountain. Let's just say she was not too happy with mommy and she decided it was time for a break!
After lunch, Daddy took each child (the littles only since P and C are able to go off with their friends) for a 30 to 45 minute session.The others stayed in the lodge snacking(always a welcomed activity) and playing with their non-skiing friends. Mr. Y graciously took Odesco out by himself and informed us that yes, we have a speedster on our hands. Maybe next visit we can work on control!!
By the time we got on the road for the journey home(after a quick dinner stop with some of our friends) , the roads were a bit scary. I am so grateful my hubby was there to drive 'The Bus' (our 12 passenger van) which does not handle well in slick conditions. It was a white knuckle drive home but God protected us. All in all it was a great day...in spite of how it began :) We had so much fun we're going to try one last time next week...I'm sure we'll have more stories to tell!!

Thanks for checking in,
Love,
MamaB
PS: Last evening one of the littles was 'digging for gold' (yep the finger was lodged up a nostril!) When asked what was going on, this child replied that they were picking in their 'honey hole'...oh, never a dull moment around here and always a laugh to be had!!!

Daddy and L doing the 'slingshot'. L holds onto the ski pole and Daddy 'shoots' him forward ..

Daddy and the 4 'littles'..Mercy and Odesco did not like wearing all of these clothes and the heavy cumbersome boots...Mercy started complaining of being too hot(it is a workout getting the boots on, carrying the skis etc) and we caught her just in time as she began to take off her coat and gloves etc in the boot changing area when we weren't paying attention!

Mommy and G after dropping Odesco and Mercy off at their ski lesson.

Daddy and the little man.

Mercy had lots of practice getting up from falls...she'd struggle to an upright position, 'ski' a few feet and end up in the snow again. Thankfully in this picture she is smiling...

Look at this crew ready to brave the cold...this isn't even the complete group--some of them were already outside. We are blessed to have such a great group to homeschool alongside of...no worries about 'socialization' here :)!!

What a different world this is from Odesco's life in Liberia....

There's always a party going on in the lodge with all the little ones who don't ski. This week they had homemade playdough to entertain them. Miss T. in the picture sadly broke her wrist the first week snowboarding so she now helps keep track of all the little bodies giving the moms a break and chance to 'chit- chat' :)

Mercy and her sweet friend, Hannah.

P in for a quick warm up.

Thanks Mrs. Di for helping to keep Odesco (somewhat) content while Daddy was outside with one of the others.

It's hard to see but can you detect a 'thumbs up??' Our little man's countenance and opinion about skiing changed dramatically after another try (1:1) with Daddy! By the end of the day he declared that skiing was now his most 'favorite sport'. Having a 'fickle pickle' in the bunch always keeps things unpredictable but fun:)!! And just to keep us on our toes, the kiddos often swap roles being the 'fickle pickle' of the day...you just never know who it will be until the situation presents itself!

Sweet Victory!!

Yesterday, Mercy had a scheduled check up with the pediatrician. She woke up in a bit of a funk but did share that she was fearful of the 'jukes' (the dreaded shots). We were able to pray together and I did give her the incentive of a 'special treat'(of course, it was food!!) after it was all over if she had self control. Mercy wanted G to come along so we had girl time... she did fine until the doctor stepped in the room and she began to panic. I had her look in my eyes and reminded her of what we discussed....praise God our little girl made the right choice and was completely cooperative during the exam. When the nurse came in to do the shots, Mercy began to whimper but then totally pulled herself together, looked the opposite way just like we instructed her and didn't even cry or say a word...4 'jukes' in all!! After she chose her 5 stickers (the nurse told her to take this many because of Mercy's great self control) we went to Wendy's for a quick lunch.
What a contrast from her early visits...what an opportunity for the Lord to shine forth His glory.
Even though there was some 'fence rattling' in the afternoon, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give God all the glory for the great things He has done. He truly is at work and I don't want to be like the lepers who never showed gratitude to Jesus after He healed them. God is at work ...to Him be the glory.

Thanking Him with a full heart for this visible reminder that He is indeed at work in our midst!!
MamaB
PS: Mercy has gained 12.4 pounds and grown 5.25 inches in the past year!!!
Oh, and she is actually excited about going to get the chickenpox vaccine in a few weeks so that she can go first and show Odesco how to be brave...go figure ?!?

Redeeming our Tuesdays

Tuesdays are homeschool ski days around here for the big guys . It is always a challenge to prepare the little ones' hearts for some of their siblings to be leaving with Daddy at 6:30am and not returning until 8:30 pm. While I want them to be able to enter into the joy of their siblings, I also recognize the challenge it is for them to feel 'left behind'. I have decided to be somewhat purposeful with these Tuesdays attempting to make them special without creating an 'entitlement mentality'( a demanding expectation!) in the ones staying behind. Below are some of the memories we made together while the big boys (and G went along last week) were 'hitting the slopes!' I must admit it has been fun to have a break in the winter routine... fun to take the time to visit the library, read aloud on the couch (non-school related!), and visit with friends. Today we had a 'picnic' in the living room followed by bike riding to our neighborhood school so that I could vote in the Presidential Primary. I brought all 4 in the booth with me...I had visions of Odesco enjoying all the fun buttons(remember the fire alarm incident?!) We had a little chat before entering the building that only Mommy touches the machine-Phew we made it out of there without incident! So, we had gym class and a civics lesson without any effort :)!! Right now, the littles are having 'quiet' craft time at the kitchen table. (Quiet and craft are 2 words that don't go together in our house- !!) Anyhow, they are decorating paper plates, covering them with waxed paper and convinced that they will be able to eat off them, wash them and reuse them....I'm not sure why or how they came up with this idea since we have plenty of kiddie plates in the cabinet but it has kept them busy long enough for me to post this and they are insisting they will clean up the mess, so I'm not complaining :)
My heart was full today as I sat outside in the mild weather watching the 4 little ones riding their bikes around our cul-de sac. I truly am grateful for the privilege of staying home with this gang...in spite of the challenges, there's no place I'd rather be!
With a grateful heart,
MamaB

Week#1

On the way back from an errand, I commented on what a cold day it was...just perfect for hot chocolate :) I had a Starbucks gift card from M in my wallet and decided to treat the kiddos. We were surprised to see a friend from church behind the counter who gave us a discount, labeled the kids' cups and even custom cut little straws to keep our visit as mess free as possible. The visit ended with a bang as Odesco let out a rather manly belch... Mercy found this absolutely hysterical and squealed all the way out to the van. I think the well dressed businessmen pounding away on their keyboards were only too glad to see us leave so that they could continue getting their work done in peace. One thing is for sure...our inconspicuous days as a family are over :)!!!

After Starbucks we headed to the library. The kids filled this rolling cart with a load of books before I even had a chance to see what they were tossing in. Thankfully, they all made good choices and we made it home just in time for lunch.

After lunch while the other 3 kiddos perused their library books , L had the opportunity to go back to the library with our friend Mr. D. Mr D. and L selected books of interest to L (airplanes, artillery etc!) and then using these resources, Mr. D gave L drawing lessons. Our little man was thrilled as he had been asking if we could get him a 'tutor' to teach him how to get the pictures in his head down on the paper!! Thanks Mr. D for making our little guy's day! He has been practicing !

Week #2
Week #2
My friend Jen takes 'purposeful' to another level...I thought just getting the kiddos together was planning enough but she actually prepared a craft for all the littles...Eric Carle style( author of many books-The very Hungry Caterpillar is probably the most well known)... that's what I love about homeschooling alongside of all my wonderfully gifted friends...I learn and glean so much and often my kids directly benefit :) Thanks, Jen.

Just look at these masterpieces...

Jenkins joined us for the fun too!

Yes, the kids did have free time too...these guys always find something to occupy them .

Our day ended with our dear friend BAA joining us for dinner. L and Mercy really enjoyed her drawing tips and they spent a bit of time creating at the kitchen table after dinner.


week#3

'Picnic' in the living room...I love this age where simple things excite these guys!!

The bicycle brigade to the voting booth :)