Jamin has a some great links for a Dr. Suess Day here. She has a TON of other homeschooling links and ideas on her blog, so take some time to look around.
Cullen has a TON of youtube videos, everything from felt stories to product reviews.
Preschool Sunday School central has Bible based printables and ideas.
Carisa and One Little, Two Little have some great ideas for "Tot" books.
The very lovable, Curious George
You must check out Christian Preschool Printables.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Monday Musings
Here's a little bullet point musing list.
- Bailey had her well baby check last week. She weighs 13 pounds 9 ounces and is 23 inches long. Mommy's little pork chop is in the 95 and 90th percentiles for weight and height and head circumfrence. And she laughed for the first time on Saturday.
- Thomas (on garbage day): "Mom! There's da garbage can twuck!"
- Sometimes Brooke says things a funny way. She wrapped up some ice and put it in the freezer and told me she made a "freeze bag" in case someone gets "bonked". Way to prepare for emergencies, honey!
- Last week when we were walking, my kids got introduced to honeysuckles. We lived out in the country when I was young and I always picked and licked honeysuckles. Did anyone else use to do that? My kids, nature deprived as they are, had never done that-or at least the older two might have long ago, but don't remember, and the younger kids definately hadn't. So, we picked some honeysuckles at the edge of the neighborhood, with a stern warning to NOT pick and eat anything else found outside unless they ask me first!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
A Contest-but don't enter because I really want to win. :)
Just kidding, of course. I am thinking about going with Apologia next year for Brittany's science. Everyone I talked to who has used it has liked it and I've liked everything I've seen. They are giving away copies of their Botany Notebooking Journals and the Astronomy Notebooking Journals. Check them out and enter to win!
Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: http://www.jeanniesjournal.com/
Each of the notebooking journals include:
A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
Review Questions
Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.
The contest ends on Friday, May 29th.
Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on their site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: http://www.jeanniesjournal.com/
Each of the notebooking journals include:
A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
Review Questions
Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice
Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.
The contest ends on Friday, May 29th.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Walkin' and Thumb Suckin'
Well, not at the same time actually. This week we are having GREAT weather so the kids and I have walked in the neighborhood for two days straight. We don't walk a lot, because we don't have sidewalks and well, 9 people takes up a lot of room on the road. But, with this weather we couldn't resist. And, I've got to lose this baby weight somehow. Yesterday we walked for about an hour and today we walked to the neighborhood park, had a picnic lunch with friends and walked back. (It was about a 20 minute walk there and a 20 minute walk back.) We had the big double stroller and the little umbrella stroller. I think we'll make it a regular thing.
Bailey has found her thumb. She has been sleeping through the night for about a week now (I'm talking at least 10 hours here) although she's always been a sleepy girl. I don't know what to do about that little thumb. Bethany sucks her thumb and at 7 years old she's still sucking away-but only at home. Poor thing will need some major orthodontic help in a few years. So, do I try and give her a paci, so I can take it away later, or just let her be? At 10 hours a night, I think I might just let her be.
She does look cute. And she is starting to "talk" to me and smile more. So. Cute.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Finally.... A Birth Story: Bailey Caroline
If you know me, you know that I push off going to the doctor as long as possible. I just don't like going to the doctor. Or the dentist, hair stylist, eye doctor, etc. Personal space, you know? So, I didn't end up getting to the midwives until I was around 23 weeks along. I did start out to have nightmare morning/all day sickness, but it only lasted about two weeks. I prayed to the Lord to have mercy on me with that. And, He did. It just stopped. I was so relieved!
When I was figuring up the due date I was thinking beginning of March, but at the ultrasound they said February 23, which was Tristan's Birthday. They calculated me being around 24 weeks, but I was thinking closer to 22. Everything with the baby looked fine. I did have a few small health issues. A breast cancer scare, which turned out to be only scar tissue from the incision I had with the mastitis from after Brooke's birth, also I didn't pass my one hour glucose test and had to go back for the three hour test, which I fortunately did pass, and my iron was very low. Other than that, and the stress from my husband losing his job, everything else was good.
All of my babies have been late. All eight of them. So, when my Monday, February 23 due date came and went I was not surprised. The following Monday, at one week late, I had an ultrasound and everything looked good with the baby. They wanted me in that Friday for a non stress test. I was relunctant to go in because everything had looked good on the ultrasound (and I was paying cash.) They wanted me to come in anyway, so Friday morning I went in for the non stress test. (They had gone ahead and tentatively scheduled me to be induced the following Monday which would have put me at 14 days overdue.) I was hooked up to the monitor for at least thirty minutes. The midwife came in and looked at the readings and said, "I'm going to go discuss this with the other midwife and I'll be back in a few minutes." I thought, "What's to discuss?" David had gone with me that morning and we both had not eaten and were starving. I didn't even think they'd make me do the non stress test.
She came back in and told us that the heartrate was not picking back up as quickly as they would like to see after contractions (I was only having those Braxton Hicks-or at least that's only as strong as they felt) and they would like to go ahead and send me over to be induced right then. Well, to say I was surprised was an understatement! I hadn't even brought my bag with me for "just in case". There was no doubt in my mind that they were just going to send me home and wait for Monday-or labor- whichever came first. With Tristan I was induced on the 11th day and on the 9th day, with my amniotic fluid low, they still sent me home to wait two more days to induce. I asked if I could go eat something and they said we could, so we went to McDonald's just down the street. I had a few nuggets and a side salad. I was afraid to eat anything really heavy as I do tend to get nauseaus.
We got back on over to the hospital and up to L and D around 1:00. They got me all checked in and put in the IV (which I HATE). It hurt terribly after she stuck the needle in, so she did it in the other hand. Ouch! I had to have it done twice! She said there must be scar tissue on my left hand from so many IV's with previous deliveries. I had to have the IV this time because I tested postive for Group B strep. I have only tested positive twice out of eight babies. They say that 25% of women carry this bacteria. I think the number is probably higher, because if you only have two or three babies, you might never test positive and just never know that you have it.
Anyway, so four hours of antibiotics before getting the pitocin. My friend Denise had gotten there shortly after we did, so she, David and I just chatted and had a good old time while we waited.
So, that takes us to 5:30. They started the pitocin. This is the only inducer they can use since I have had a previous c-section (less chance for uterin rupture). I had decided that I would go ahead and get the epidural since big baby+pitocin=OUCH. Remember, I am cheap but, I am not insane. The only problems with my epidurals is that they never take on one side and I always throw up. If I had just gone into labor on my own this time, I wouldn't have gone this route. So, I took the more bearable of the two scenarios. I told my predicament to the anesthesiologist and he said that it could be failure to get the needle directily in the middle of the spine, or maybe just my body. He said he would try extra hard to get it straight in the middle, and give that guy a raise, he did it! Epidural a success! The midwife also came in to break my water. There must have been gallons in there! No wonder Bailey always seems to enjoy her bathtime. That takes us to around 6:30.
I was joking with my midwife about a friend of mine who has ten kids and with the eighth, I think, there was a funny little story. This same midwife was also delivering her baby and stepped out of the room for a minute. Her husband came and got the midwife and said, "Can you come check things out? We can't find the heartbeat. The monitor must've moved." The midwife went back in and they see wiggling under the blanket. My friend had delivered the baby and not even realized it!
Denise and David were having fun watching the contractions on the monitor and many of them were going off the chart. Thank you anesthesiologist! Obviously this labor could have been much less pleasant. (I know from "no epidural" experience.)
Around 7:45 or so, I started to not feel well, and it felt like someone cranked up the heater. David asked if I wanted him to get the nurse and I said like a true labor veteran, "I don't know." He said he was going to go to the bathroom and he'd go ahead and tell the nurse to come check on me. The nurse came in and when I told her I was hot and didn't feel well, and asked was she going to check me, she said she didn't want to check because of the group B strep (didn't want to accidently spread the bacteria) and she would go get the midwife. The midwife came and said, "Well, let's take a look. OH! There's the head! Um, where's the dad?"
Someone went off to find David, the midwife quickly got her supplies together and after they found David, everyone gathered around. The midwife told me that when I was ready to go ahead and start pushing. So I took a deep breath and the midwife said, "Slow down!" And I thought, "But I didn't do anything yet." I know I had the epidural and all, but I seriously did not push. That girl was on her way regardless. At 8:30 we had a Bailey. She was mostly cheeks-so cute. Then there was a small debate between the midwife and my husband about cutting the cord. She was all, "Dad! You can cut the cord!" and he was all, "No." My husband is NOT a cord cutting kind of guy. He is a "leave it all to the professionals" kind of guy. But, I love him.
I think that if the midwife hadn't come in when she did, then Bailey would have been wriggling under the sheets! Unfortunately, the epidural did make me nauseaus, so instead of holding her, I was puking. So fun. Denise and David held her and she peed all over them. Several times. She's a generous girl.
The recovery went well. I have heard that stomach cramps get consecutively worse with each child. Yes, yes they do. Oh, my word, it's as bad as labor contractions. And that motrin they give you does NOTHING.
Ahem.
Nursing went very well. I was nervous because since my mastitis/incision after Brooke's birth, nursing my last two babies was excrutiating for about the first six weeks. (on the left side only though.) But this time, it really wasn't painful at all. I was so thankful.
When I was figuring up the due date I was thinking beginning of March, but at the ultrasound they said February 23, which was Tristan's Birthday. They calculated me being around 24 weeks, but I was thinking closer to 22. Everything with the baby looked fine. I did have a few small health issues. A breast cancer scare, which turned out to be only scar tissue from the incision I had with the mastitis from after Brooke's birth, also I didn't pass my one hour glucose test and had to go back for the three hour test, which I fortunately did pass, and my iron was very low. Other than that, and the stress from my husband losing his job, everything else was good.
All of my babies have been late. All eight of them. So, when my Monday, February 23 due date came and went I was not surprised. The following Monday, at one week late, I had an ultrasound and everything looked good with the baby. They wanted me in that Friday for a non stress test. I was relunctant to go in because everything had looked good on the ultrasound (and I was paying cash.) They wanted me to come in anyway, so Friday morning I went in for the non stress test. (They had gone ahead and tentatively scheduled me to be induced the following Monday which would have put me at 14 days overdue.) I was hooked up to the monitor for at least thirty minutes. The midwife came in and looked at the readings and said, "I'm going to go discuss this with the other midwife and I'll be back in a few minutes." I thought, "What's to discuss?" David had gone with me that morning and we both had not eaten and were starving. I didn't even think they'd make me do the non stress test.
She came back in and told us that the heartrate was not picking back up as quickly as they would like to see after contractions (I was only having those Braxton Hicks-or at least that's only as strong as they felt) and they would like to go ahead and send me over to be induced right then. Well, to say I was surprised was an understatement! I hadn't even brought my bag with me for "just in case". There was no doubt in my mind that they were just going to send me home and wait for Monday-or labor- whichever came first. With Tristan I was induced on the 11th day and on the 9th day, with my amniotic fluid low, they still sent me home to wait two more days to induce. I asked if I could go eat something and they said we could, so we went to McDonald's just down the street. I had a few nuggets and a side salad. I was afraid to eat anything really heavy as I do tend to get nauseaus.
We got back on over to the hospital and up to L and D around 1:00. They got me all checked in and put in the IV (which I HATE). It hurt terribly after she stuck the needle in, so she did it in the other hand. Ouch! I had to have it done twice! She said there must be scar tissue on my left hand from so many IV's with previous deliveries. I had to have the IV this time because I tested postive for Group B strep. I have only tested positive twice out of eight babies. They say that 25% of women carry this bacteria. I think the number is probably higher, because if you only have two or three babies, you might never test positive and just never know that you have it.
Anyway, so four hours of antibiotics before getting the pitocin. My friend Denise had gotten there shortly after we did, so she, David and I just chatted and had a good old time while we waited.
So, that takes us to 5:30. They started the pitocin. This is the only inducer they can use since I have had a previous c-section (less chance for uterin rupture). I had decided that I would go ahead and get the epidural since big baby+pitocin=OUCH. Remember, I am cheap but, I am not insane. The only problems with my epidurals is that they never take on one side and I always throw up. If I had just gone into labor on my own this time, I wouldn't have gone this route. So, I took the more bearable of the two scenarios. I told my predicament to the anesthesiologist and he said that it could be failure to get the needle directily in the middle of the spine, or maybe just my body. He said he would try extra hard to get it straight in the middle, and give that guy a raise, he did it! Epidural a success! The midwife also came in to break my water. There must have been gallons in there! No wonder Bailey always seems to enjoy her bathtime. That takes us to around 6:30.
I was joking with my midwife about a friend of mine who has ten kids and with the eighth, I think, there was a funny little story. This same midwife was also delivering her baby and stepped out of the room for a minute. Her husband came and got the midwife and said, "Can you come check things out? We can't find the heartbeat. The monitor must've moved." The midwife went back in and they see wiggling under the blanket. My friend had delivered the baby and not even realized it!
Denise and David were having fun watching the contractions on the monitor and many of them were going off the chart. Thank you anesthesiologist! Obviously this labor could have been much less pleasant. (I know from "no epidural" experience.)
Around 7:45 or so, I started to not feel well, and it felt like someone cranked up the heater. David asked if I wanted him to get the nurse and I said like a true labor veteran, "I don't know." He said he was going to go to the bathroom and he'd go ahead and tell the nurse to come check on me. The nurse came in and when I told her I was hot and didn't feel well, and asked was she going to check me, she said she didn't want to check because of the group B strep (didn't want to accidently spread the bacteria) and she would go get the midwife. The midwife came and said, "Well, let's take a look. OH! There's the head! Um, where's the dad?"
Someone went off to find David, the midwife quickly got her supplies together and after they found David, everyone gathered around. The midwife told me that when I was ready to go ahead and start pushing. So I took a deep breath and the midwife said, "Slow down!" And I thought, "But I didn't do anything yet." I know I had the epidural and all, but I seriously did not push. That girl was on her way regardless. At 8:30 we had a Bailey. She was mostly cheeks-so cute. Then there was a small debate between the midwife and my husband about cutting the cord. She was all, "Dad! You can cut the cord!" and he was all, "No." My husband is NOT a cord cutting kind of guy. He is a "leave it all to the professionals" kind of guy. But, I love him.
I think that if the midwife hadn't come in when she did, then Bailey would have been wriggling under the sheets! Unfortunately, the epidural did make me nauseaus, so instead of holding her, I was puking. So fun. Denise and David held her and she peed all over them. Several times. She's a generous girl.
The recovery went well. I have heard that stomach cramps get consecutively worse with each child. Yes, yes they do. Oh, my word, it's as bad as labor contractions. And that motrin they give you does NOTHING.
Ahem.
Nursing went very well. I was nervous because since my mastitis/incision after Brooke's birth, nursing my last two babies was excrutiating for about the first six weeks. (on the left side only though.) But this time, it really wasn't painful at all. I was so thankful.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday Musings
Beware of Thomas.
He may only be two, but he is tough.
Do not let the quiet, innocent look fool you.
A fly landed on his picnic table. He said, "You bug! You want a piece of me?"
A few weeks ago while I was typing emails, he came to me with a long serrated bread knife and a container of pudding and said, "Will you open this for me?"
Look out.
**Oh. And as a side note, he also calls 911 so that the police show up at your door. Really.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
He's baaaack!
My husband is home! My, how I've missed that man! He got home yesterday afternoon. He might as well have been gone for a six month deployment because that's how long it felt. Although it was really only 3 weeks. And one day.
He was tired and tanned from working on the roof for so long. And the poor guy had been sleeping on the floor at the house he was working on for three weeks. I'm letting him sleep in today. :)
Someone gave us a gift card to Macaroni Grill so we are going to go tonight. I've never been there, but had heard the food was good. It's all the way on the other side of town, so we'll make a night of it, and take Bailey with us. Yesterday was her two month birthday and I didn't even blog about it. I was actually going to do her birth story on her one month birthday and then I missed it. Then, I thought I would post on her two month birthday, and obviously I missed it. Maybe soon?
He was tired and tanned from working on the roof for so long. And the poor guy had been sleeping on the floor at the house he was working on for three weeks. I'm letting him sleep in today. :)
Someone gave us a gift card to Macaroni Grill so we are going to go tonight. I've never been there, but had heard the food was good. It's all the way on the other side of town, so we'll make a night of it, and take Bailey with us. Yesterday was her two month birthday and I didn't even blog about it. I was actually going to do her birth story on her one month birthday and then I missed it. Then, I thought I would post on her two month birthday, and obviously I missed it. Maybe soon?
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday Musings: A week in review
I was planning to post a Happy Birthday to Tyler last Monday, but before I knew it, it's already almost a week later. Tyler turned 12 and ended our birthday-o-rama. We get a small reprieve until my birthday at the end of June, and Brittany's and Timothy's in July and August. Although, we don't usually do much for my birthday. Celebrating your own birthday isn't as much fun when you are older. Especially when you have kids and you enjoy celebrating their birthdays instead. And especially when every birthday brings more wrinkles and gray hair. :)
Tyler got some birthday money from his Granny and Grandad, so of course, he bought books. This boy is always reading. Our friends invited us over for dinner that night and gave Tyler a Redwall book he didn't have.
Can you see the happiness?
The rest of the week brought on grocery shopping, bible study, park day with friends, another birthday party, a sleepover, and homeschool. We need to get done by the end of May so that I don't go insane can get some planning done for the next year. I also had an ingrown eyelash that was poking me in the eye for three days and made my eye water. Oh, and my husband is STILL gone, but will hopefully return by Wednesday. It has apparently been a long time for Tristan because he told his Dad on the phone, "We have a new baby named Bailey."
Yes, buddy, he knows. :)