about us

hi, I'm Kathi ... an army wife, blessed momma of eight, challenged homemaker, children's literature lover, vanilla coffee drinker, tidal homeschooler, expert laundress, amateur photographer, sometimes blogger, library patron, and Jesus follower.

I'm happily married to Brian ... he calls me princess, cooks dinner sometime,s and teaches math to our kids. He works full time for the Army Reserves, and is attending Seminary in hopes of being a Chaplain.

We have eight children,

Zacharias Eugene ... born February 18th, 2012. Zach spends his days crawling, saying da-da ('say Momma Zach, say Momma'), nursing and eating bananas and only orange veggies, oh! and he shares his bed with me and Brian.

Judah Wayne ... the (almost) 3 year old. Jude spends his days wreaking havoc on our little homeschool, singing, reading stories, and playing with play doh.

Benjamin Richard ... the 4 year old. Ben spends his days putting paper in his notebook, escaping vegetables, wearing a buzz lightyear costume, and consuming as much sugar as possible.

Wesley Ray ... the 5 year old. Ray Ray spends his days trying to hang with the big boys, speeding through his school work, drawing baseball cards, and riding his bike.

Tyler Joseph ... the (almost) 8 year old. TJ spends his days sorting his baseball cards, memorizing sports stats, getting as many hugs as he can, protesting school work, and watching as much TV as his anti-television mom will allow.

Connor Scott ... the 10 year old. Bubba spends his days drawing, studying his college football preview book, neglecting trash day, dawdling through school work, and planning his weekend according to what football games are on.

Korinne Shea ... the 12 year old. Rin spends her days reading, and reading, and reading. She occasionally does school work (she writes stories well ... go figure), and she enjoys baking, knitting, and has a pinterest addiction.

Kylie Sierra ... the 15.5 year old. 'Sissy' spends her days loving on the littles, trying to get all her high school work done, practicing piano, quoting jane austen, and trying to stay focused. On anything. For more than 4 minutes.

... ... ...

I love my life, and pray earnestly for tomorrow. This little blog is our book of days, I hope you enjoy your time here as much as I enjoy sharing it.

daybook, october 4th

Outside my window... it's dark and cool right now. But the days are still warm. Too warm. Not quite Indian-summer-ish. But definitely still summer. I try not to think of the cool autumn temperatures that I'm sure our family is experiencing at home. Or the beautiful, colorful trees. Or the smile driving by Shaw Farms would bring.



i love that i caught Benjamin laughing at her

I am thinking... that it's for certain I'll never make it through this daybook before Zach starts stirring. He's been asleep since 7:30-ish. It could almost be a record. Sleep, little baby, sleep.

I am thankful... for our new, safe neighborhood. I met another neighbor today. A lady, about my age, who we thought *must* be divorced. No. She is a widow. And spoke of her husband, Jeff, with a sparkle in her eye.

In the kitchen... I made a chicken devan tonight. It was yummy. But more exciting was the little Recipe Notebook I made once the kids were all in bed. I've just been throwing recipes in a binder for years. Now, they are all organized. And pretty.

I am wearing... my sea-green moon and stars jammies. I am in bed.

I am creating... oh, I already said this. I'm pretty proud of my non-creative self, so I'll say it again. I created a Recipe Notebook. I also covered another composition notebook I'd been using to take down blog notes. They look so much nicer covered.

I am going... I will probably take all the kids to WalMart tomorrow. Judah got his birthday card from Mamaw and Papaw today, and I've pretty much decided he can spend his gift money on whatever he wants. Which will be a Hawkeye action figure. Or maybe Captain America on his motorcycle.



letters and phonics have proved to be a little much for the Kindergartner ... so we're not stressing, and spending more time on the fun things. things already mastered. so as to not overwhelm.

I am wondering... how that trip to WalMart will go with all the kids. Storytime Tuesday morning was enough to kill me. Really. I swore we'd never go back. And the library is my favorite place.

I am reading... Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life (excellent), Anne of Green Gables, Jesus Calling (for kids), and many different Read Alouds to the kids.

I am hoping... that Judah is able to ride the big wheel/trike/bike we bought him for his birthday. He wanted a Shark Attack bike, but we couldn't find it. So I showed him a few different Radio Flyers on Amazon ... and let him choose.

I am looking forward to... the weekend. Pizza and a movie tomorrow night. A birthday day Saturday. And resting Sunday.

I am learning... the planning side of homemaking. This house is so much bigger (more to clean, but easier), and our washing machine is so much smaller (more loads to wash), and our grocery budget needs scaled back.

Around the house... I still cannot find the box with all my autumn decorations and books in it. I'm hoping we find it this weekend, so we can makes things a little more festive.

I am pondering... "The week has this written all over it: God only allows pain if He’s allowing something new to be born" -AV

A favorite quote for today... as I was making my Recipe Notebook, I thought of all the time I've spent in the kitchen the last few years with my girls ... cooking the recipes I was going through and organizing, and I thought of my favorite Dolly Parton quote, “When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be in the kitchen because it was warm, and that’s where my mother was. You never lose that feeling.”

One of my favorite things... Friday night's easy dinner. Pizza. Sometimes the take out kind. Sometimes the frozen kind. Tomorrow night's is the frozen kind.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Judah turns 3 Saturday. *THAT* is all the (big) plans we need!

A peek into my day...
 




i'm sorry. snack time could not get any better when you're sharing with this guy!

autumn book basket

Storybooks:
Move Over, ROVER! by Karen Beaumont
:: The rain is pouring...it's a good thing Rover is snuggled up safe and sound and dry inside his doghouse. But slowly, one by one, some friends show up looking for a cozy place to wait out the storm.

Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor
:: Sylvie Ann sets out across her Grandmummy's cornfields to find "the very finest and largest pumpkin," so she can make a pumpkin moonshine (jack-o-lantern). But when she finds the perfect pumpkin, it's so very big, she decides to roll it home...which causes quite the predicament.

The Tale of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter
:: Because I have a Benjamin. Because I love Beatrix Potter. Because it mentions a scarecrow.

The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan and Jan Berenstain
:: Three little bears, with light, stick, and rope...do they dare go into the spooky old tree? (This is about as 'spooky' as we get here. I hear the audio book is wonderful...too bad it's only available in audio cassette, for $50!)

The Surprise from Frog and Toad All Year by Arnold Lobel
:: It's October, and Frog and Toad decide to secretly surprise one another, by raking the other's yard. They are both happy...to have done a good deed for their dear friend. I *love* this story.

Hush Little Baby by Sylvia Long
:: You can check the link to read my previous review of this sweet, little book. What Mama doesn't want to show their little baby the harvest moon?

and our new book, this autumn:

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams
:: "0nce upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . CLOMP, CLOMP, SHAKE, SHAKE, CLAP, CLAP. And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!"

Read Alouds:

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
:: The most fall-ish one in the series, in our opinion. It's been read over and over by my three oldest, and the boys all *love* to listen on audio book as they fall asleep.

The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
:: An easy, sweet little story about a very brave little girl, and her new friends. Sarah and her father finish building their new home in fall.

Poetry, Songs, and Nursery Rhymes:
Leaves by Elsie N. Brady
Gathering Leaves by Robert Frost
I'm A Little Scarecrow (I'm A Little Teapot)Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

:: Happy Reading in autumn! ::

circuses and evening sun

Today while reading My Book House, I discovered that TJ has a fear of circuses. He gets that from me. We do not enjoy Dumbo. Does anyone enjoy Dumbo? What *is* with that whole elephants on parade scene? Scary.

We didn't have tea time this afternoon, we had chocolate milk time. With graham crackers ... which we dunked into the chocolate milk because you do not have to use tea time manners if you're not actually having tea time.

We spent the late afternoon outside sledding down the hill on boxes again, playing with the kitties, and taking a walk (or road march ... whatever). When we got home, we moved to the back deck where I snapped a picture I love of all the kids, and then another one of the view of the neighborhood and beyond from the deck.

As we were getting ready to set the dinner table, I noticed the evening sun shining through the front windows. And it made me happy. The poor massacred flower on the table, however, makes me sad.

Happy Sleeping,
kathi

a full day

This morning we did bible study. Without Brian. It seems almost wrong to do it without him, but he needed to get ahead at work this week, so he left exceptionally early each morning. But tomorrow, he'll be staying for it. And it made my heart sing when he reminded the girls to get their reading in before going to bed.

Little Bitty is all over. And when you're frantically getting everykid ready to head out for most of the day, you need to put him somewhere safe. And stationary. Because he. gets. into. everything. And is super fast about it. *this morning, I chose his highchair. In the family room. Where he could watch The Lion King.

Our first stop was Storytime at our new library. Our library that is the size of a small hospital. The selection of material within the walls of this library is like nothing I could have ever imagined. They had absolutely every title that was looked for. (it is, however, missing that cozy feeling we still have for our library in Jonesboro) I took the Littles into Storytime. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, and If You Give A Moose A Muffin. Miss Kim, the new Story Lady, was excellent. And there was some singing and dancing too. And! ... at the end, they didn't do a craft. Oh no! They got a beanie baby moose. Really. And Miss Kim even gave one to the boys to give to 'their baby'. So, now we have four little mooses (?) floating around the Bailey Home. One is named Andy Dalton.

We left the library, and got lost. But I stayed calm and reminded everyone that getting lost in a new place is how you get to see all the neat things that are in the new place. It worked on everyone but my paranoid child, Kylie. Who kept reading the street signs to me. In a 'freaking out' voice. I texted Brian a few times, enough times to where he finally just texted me to meet him at the Chick Fil A by his work, and he'd get us all lunch. Good deal. Get lost, get lunch. It's one of those neat places that have outside tables, and the weather was perfect, so it was really nice and picnic-y. (and I hadn't told the kids that he'd be there ... so it was fun to see their faces when he pulled in)

We finished our day out with a trip to Sam's. Yes. We did. Me ... and eight kids. In Sam's. It went remarkably well. Until the end when some old man mistook Korinne for the older sister. Kylie is getting tired of that, and Korinne only just passed her up in height. Sorry chicky.

I made BLTs for dinner. Then we all headed outside to play a little before baths. I suggested a bike ride, but Connor reminded me that they hadn't played football all day ... so football it was. ... and some baby feet.

Sleep Well,
kathi

singing in the rain ::

 

 

The first few pictures are from Monday and Tuesday. It rained. A lot. And the kids were out in it most of the afternoons. So much so that our neighbor, Rhonda (who we just met for the first time today. Actually, she's the only neighbor we've met), said she saw them playing outside in the rain, and texted her husband that they HAD to come over and meet us. I'm so glad that she thought it was fun, and not terrible-crazy. She also invited us to church. But I think we're headed back to the one we visited a few weeks ago. We all loved it.

Today, I looked outside to find all the kids drawing on some of the eight million boxes still laying in a mountain-sized heap in our garage. Upon calling Judah and Benjamin in for their baths, I realized that they were all out there drawing with Sharpie markers. So, we will be visiting that church again, with colorful little boys. ... I also took a few pics of them 'sledding' down the hill on some boxes. But they were blurry.

I also snapped a few of Zach in the tub. He's a bathing maniac. I literally need a raincoat in there. I wanted to share his largeness with all of you. He is by far our biggest baby ever. I love him.

We also seriously need to go to the grocery store. For tea time today, we had to have plain tea with only sugar, no cream. You would have thought I was poisoning them. So, being the good mom I am, I suggested putting marshmallows in. And they did. ... we also had popcorn. Yum. Anyone want to stop by for a spot of marshmallow-y tea and popcorn tomorrow? Maybe it will rain again, and we can all go out and sing in it, while Rhonda watches from her window.

{ pretty, happy, funny, real }

{ pretty }

 

a South Carolina sunrise

 

 

{ happy }

 

tasting homemade chocolate icing for the first time

 

 

{ funny }

 

having tea time ... while college football is on the TV behind them

 

 

{ real }

 

'reading' Little Pea to Mr. Ribit ... reading, and reading, and reading to your kids makes READERS!

 

 

homeschool: how it's going, how it's not ...

You'd think I would consider myself a homeschool veteran at this point. But I don't. I actually still consider myself a homeschool newbie. Very much a baby homeschool mom.

I still struggle with the most basic of  homeschooling things ... like curriculum, schedule, lesson planning (what's that?).

However, I'm choosing to not focus on my lack of good-homeschool-mom-abilities. And instead, I'm trying to stay focused on our homeschool method:  a lifestyle of learning to love learning, and continuing to learn throughout all of life --- reading lots of  books (picture books, poetry books, history books, fun books, bible books) --- running and hollering and playing outside --- focusing on creation-based HisTory --- listening to music (Christian music, folksongs, classical music, toddler music, hymns) and drawing and coloring and cooking --- talking and arguing and discussing and praying --- and asking ... "What do YOU want to do? What interests YOU? Let's focus on a few of those things. Let's be productive. Let's live interestingly."

Some days have been full of academics, some days have been full of play and passion-following. Some days have just come and gone. I'm trying my best to ensure everyone is getting to and through the basics. Adding in just a few challenges. Throwing in some fun, some unexpected. Seeking balance in it all. Putting Him first, and throughout. Using what we have, letting go of what we don't. And breathing. And living. And soaking it up. Not taking a moment of it for granted. Grateful for this opportunity.

And praying I don't blow it. Lord, please. I don't want to blow it.

hello. from south carolina.

Hi. It's me. Popping in for just a moment to say all is well.

:: I am making a house a home.

:: I am establing routine.

:: I am doing double laundry in a tiny washing machine.

:: I am teaching a brand new kindergartner his letters.

:: I am deciding what's worth the time and money.

:: I am putting my family first.

:: I am making a house a home.

... things have gone slowly. But *finally* there are no boxes in view. School books have arrived.  Brian has gone back to work.

... and as I walked up the stairs tonight to put the kids in bed, I was tired ... but comfortable. Like I'm home. Finally.

* We'll talk more tomorrow.
Love,
kathi

ps ... I'm really too tired to upload any pics tonight, but you can check out my Instagram photos in the sidebar to see what we've been up to today.

7 days until the move { new home sneak peek }

We have just 7 short days left in the little town of Jonesboro. We're pretty much all set for the move. I have to set aside all our 'necessities' Monday evening, our packers will be here Tuesday, they will load everything onto the truck Thursday, we will clean our tiny, little house for the last time Friday, and then pull out for a brand new adventure in South Carolina on Saturday morning.

We have a new home waiting for us. God is so good. And He provides.

We've been invited to a sweet church by a new friend.

We have 'met' many families from the girls' AHG troop. We've joined a homeschool group. Brian has talked to his new Commander. And I've looked into the library, homeschool choir, YMCA (Homeschool PE?!), ballet class, Lego Club  ... ... and will prepare our 2012-2013 homeschool papers for the new district this week.

It's close.

I'm hoping to spend the week gathering memories and thoughts and life lessons learned while here, and sharing them if there is time. A goodbye of sorts. To our life here. That has been so full.

things my grandma taught me

my Grandma Faye and Baby Zach (notice the red lipstick and tissue in her L hand:)

no matter how far out the branch you are on the family tree, you will always look like grandma's brother or sister.

it's wasteful to throw away a perfectly good bread tie. and you should keep them in a bouillon cube jar in your silverware drawer.

a baby Bayer aspirin can cure anything. and so can red methylate.

it's ok to hoard cash, store it in your bra, and give it to your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren as you see fit.

red carpet is a home interior statement. not a home interior mistake.

it's possible to shop in a mall for 4 hours, shop only the clearance racks, emerge with only one formal pants suit (that may be a size too small, or a size too big) for the formal dinner (you may one day attend), and claim shopping victory.

in nursing school, you will learn that you do NOT put lotion between your toes. *and, it does not matter that you only attended nursing school for 3 months then quit to get married. you still went to nursing school.

a good place to store a package of 3 Musketeers is in the bread drawer. because ... who?! would think to look there. or in the extra bedroom closet. or the laundry room shelf.

it's not unsanitary to place tissues (used or not) in your couch cushions, in your pockets, and in your handbag. *and, if you don't have a pocket, no worries. you can just place them in your waistline.

plates of Butternut bread and bowl of Mott's applesauce should be placed on the table at EVERY dinner.

a bad hair day doesn't matter as long as you have a tube of red lipstick.

you will never be able to cook chicken and dumplings, swiss steak, or vegetable soup right.

singing is important. nursery rhymes are important. folk songs are important. *you can make any fussy baby happy by bouncing them on your knee and chanting 'Going Down Sailor' ... which you will learn in your mid-thirties ... is actually 'Going Down Cellar.' **you can also make any toddler giggle by playing 'This Little Piggie' with their toes. an extremely exaggerated 'Wee wee wee' only makes it better. ***all of this will also guarantee you will have beautifully talented singers as children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren

a rust colored, fluffy, paisley blanket makes little children feel cozy.

chunks of raw potatoes never hurt anyone. neither did chocolate cake for breakfast.

pink dove soap will get even a gruff, garage-scented grandpa clean.

... ... ...

there's more. believe it or not. but i must get back to my children, and say more prayers for my sweet grandma.

thinking of you today, Grandma Faye, and all the wonderful things you showed me, and fed me, and sang to me, and taught me. i love you.

mothering is a battlefield

The big kids were all doing math, Benjamin was napping, so I took three of my rowdy, little boys outside to blow bubbles, including the 2.75 year old. To some, three rowdy, little boys would be a battle. To me, it was like swimming in a lake of still waters. 

We tried to blow bubbles in the baby's face. "No, don't blow bubbles in the baby's face. The soap could burn his eyes!" ... "It's not soap Mom, it's bubbles!" (silly momma)

We got the hang of blowing gently, which created a thousand bubbles at once

 

We kept losing our bubble stick in the bubble bottle.

We puffed our cheeks big.

Then I decided we should put the bubbles up. They were half Benjamin's bubbles after all, and we should save some for him.

The 2.75 year old decided this was not such a good idea. And we battled over the blue bubble bottle. 

And the 2.75 year old won. 

And Benjamin's bubbles got dumped out on the driveway. 

And I stood there defeated. 

And realized that even with only 1/3 of my children ... if that 1/3 includes the 2.75 year old ... there is no such thing as still waters. Only a battlefield.

These wise (accessible) words for moms are on the way. My new battle plan.

"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious." - Vince Lombardi    

daybook, july 16th

Outside my Window ... mild, but storm-ready. Which makes me happy.

I am thinking ... how glad I am that we have absolutely NO plans today whatsoever. We need a good day of school work and chores.

I am thankful for ... a break from Seminary. Brian and I have been talking about life, watching our shows, and reading good books.

From the school room ... Brian put the kids back on track with Math just before he left for work this morning, Kylie is working through Analytical Grammar at a fast pace, Korinne is almost finished with Spelling 5, we have hopes that Connor will reach the end of English 2 by the move, and TJ is reading aloud each Mr Putter and Tabby this summer.

From the kitchen ... Coffee with caramel machiato creamer, *Daddy's chocolate milk (because he evidently makes it better), waffles. The blueberry kind.

I am wearing ... my faded, lilac housecoat over my yellow, butterfly nightgown.

I am reading ... finishing up The Mission of Motherhood and For The Children's Sake. Both excellent, every summer reads. Brian and I started Shepherding Your Child's Heart again. And he just finished What He Must Be yesterday, and asked me to read it too. I'm also still working on the Newberry Challenge. Slowly. Bridge To Terabithia.

I am hoping and praying ... my grandma is feeling relief from her pain today. And that my grandpa can get her surgery moved up.

 

I am creating ... an organized, move-ready home. I have 2 more big projects to tackle before our packers come August 9th. The attic, and all the kids' out-of-season clothing. We've decided to purchase each child a Rubbermaid Roughneck storage box ... hoping those will withstand the moving truck and many years of switching out.

I am going ... nowhere. But tomorrow we have spaghetti dinner plans with our friends, the Hutchesons.

I am hearing ... the dramatic music and anxious voices of the shark wranglers. We LOVE History Channel's new show.

Around the house ... packing, taking wall art down, spackling ... I'm also on a mission to teach some of the youger kids how to do some chores that the big kids have been doing for a few years. The girls are wanting to do more cooking and baking, and need some time freed up to do so.

 Some of my favorite things ...

Benjamin's new ABC and 123 Star Wars books. So simple. So big and sturdy. He loves them to0. Free Chick-fil-A. Such an all-around great place.

And Pastor Rogers on Sunday nights with my family.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... school work, chore training, packing ...

 

reminder to my (homeschool momma) self:

I would like to share just a few pieces of homeschooling advice with you. A few things that I wish someone would have shared with me back in the summer of 2007 when we started our homeschooling journey.

First bit of advice: just start the journey.

...if you have the tiniest inkling of a thought that you want to homeschool or the slightest tug at your heart that you want to homeschool. Do it.

Know it will be hard. Know it will be different. Know it will cause family friction. Know, even four and a half years into your journey, that there will be some days that you look at the big yellow bus with envy.

Do it anyway.

Having a relationship with your children, spending time with your children, and accomplishing with your children is worth the hard days. Worth being different. Worth the family friction (which goes away once your family sees the fruit). And as quick as the thought of putting your kids on the bus comes...it goes.

Second bit of advice: do not label your homeschool.

...do not claim a method. Do not claim a learning style. Do not claim a curriculum. Because as soon as you do, things will change.

Method does not matter. What matters is that you're spending time with your child, teaching them, and they are learning.

Learning style does matter (a little, not as much as they say)...but, from what I can see, learning styles fluctuate with subject material. Know how your child learns, and do your best to use your materials accordingly.

Curriculum does not matter. I repeat, curriculum does not matter. You can tweak ANY curriculum to suit ANY method/learning style (which you are not claiming anyway). ***this statement alone is my BIG reminder, as I flip out about History for next year!***

*If you are a large family I do recommend you buy non-consumable materials to save money.*

 

Third bit of advice: do not feel you must join a support/co-op group. or attend a convention/fair. or read all the books on homeschooling that have ever been published.

...I actually did this from the beginning.

We've never, in four years, been a part of a group. Thankfully. The compare game would have probably gotten the best of me. "Our curriculum is top notch." "Our Little Suzy is only six, but in 5th grade." (we do, however, know and enjoy the company of a few other homeschooling families)

I have also never been to a homeschool convention/curriculum fair. There is already an overwhelming amount of info on homeschooling to be had online and through snail mail. I would have outright heart failure and homeschool mom sensory overload upon walking in to such a fair.

I've read a handful of homeschooling books, a few gems, but most just push their own curriculum or homeschool style. There is no perfect curriculum, and thinking that your homeschool can look exactly like some other family's homeschool is just absurd.

We've spent the first few years of our homeschooling journey paving our own homeschool road. It looks like no other family's we know. But it's us. It works. Everyone is thriving.

Now that we see OUR ROAD clearly...we are thinking of joining an area homeschool group for fun (not academics)...I'm still on the fence about a convention (probably not)...and I've tried a few homeschool books (borrowed) in the last month, and can't get past the first few chapters, because I just know that the author is not talking about us.

 

Fourth bit of advice: live life first. homeschool second. keep plugging away at academics.

...take days/weeks/months off when you need to. Sometimes school just won't get done when there are doctor appointments or grocery trips. Sometimes everyone just needs a vacation (to nowhere). Sometimes a new baby comes along.

School year round. All day. Don't try to fit it into nine months. Or 180 days. Or 4.5 hours.

Enjoy your children, while you mark out your path. 

why we are raising homemakers

We are prayerfully raising our daughters to be homemakers. I'm making sure to teach them how to manage their homes and families. The Art of Homemaking.

Does this mean they won't go to college? We don't know. But, we won't be paying for it (nor for the boys). If our girls do go to college, we hope they will attend one near home, more preferably attend at home like their Dad does now. And if they do go to college, we hope that it will be for a skill that will be useful to them as Homemakers. Like Teaching or Nursing.
 
Does this mean they will never work outside the home? We hope so. Their Dad will provide for them until their husband does. I've been on both sides of this fence friends. I know plenty of working mothers, and I've heard MOST of them say, "I wish I could be home with my kids."

Does this mean we think they are "door mats"? No, absolutely not. It means Brian and I believe what the Bible says,

"Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. " - Titus 2:3-5

*I have found freedom in this verse. But only recently. We hope and pray our daughters never have to fight for the freedom to be homemakers. It is right here in the Bible, and we are training them in it's ways.

I have also learned, from my own experience, that maternal instinct is strong. Leaving our little ones in the care of others while we go to work, can make you ill. I am much happier and healthier here at home.

But by far, the biggest lesson I have learned in gaining the freedom to be a homemaker, is that it takes skills and knowledge (that I didn't even know existed) to run a home. It is constant, strenuous, heartbreaking work. I've had to research and try and work and cry my way through it. And it's hard. But a million times more rewarding than any job I've ever had outside our home.

 

top ten {tuesday}: favorite read alouds

This Tuesday's Top Ten is about our favorite school subject, Read Aloud. I still read aloud to all my kids. Together. At one time. From our History spine, or Science text, our Bible Storybook, a Poetry book I love. It's not easy. There's a lot of, "Settle down." And, "Let's choose a quiet toy." And, "Pay attention." But it amazes me how much of my interrupted reading aloud the kids retain.

But this list is of those books that we actually refer to as 'Read Alouds.' Fun books. The books that are saved for just after lunch and afternoon chores, while the little ones are falling asleep for their naps, and the big kids are hanging out on their beds drawing, or knitting, or staring out their window at all the entertaining folks and their dogs walking down the sidewalk. ... while I, the Read Aloud-er, sit criss cross applesauce on the floor in the hallway (sometimes nursing a baby).


Top Ten Favorite Read Alouds (in random order):

1.  Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo     *an excellent movie

2. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

3. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson (in December, of course. EVERY December.)

4. Boy by Roald Dahl

5. Madeleine Takes Command by Ethel C. Brill

6. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

7. Jotham's Journey:  A Story Book for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide

8. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (or Sign of The Beaver or The Bronze Bow and I'm sure Calico Captive too, but we've not read that one aloud. Yet.)

9. The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill

and

10. Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John     *also an excellent movie

the first of may { may's book basket }

may day. lei day. may first.

...whatever you wish to call it, it's time to flip the calendar. Time for new poetry, celebrating fourteen years together, a new folk song, being four, the sea shore, and warmer - sunnier - outside days (we do the least amount of school work in spring, when the weather is most bearable here in lovely Arkansas).

I don't really have a May Book Basket to share, I tend to focus mostly on Easter in the spring, and then skip right to summer. But here are just a few titles off our own shelves that will do the trick:

Growing up in Cincinnati, May is Zoo Baby month. (I used to have the coolest Cincinnati Zoo Baby poster ... I wonder what happened to that?) So here are a few baby animal selections:

 Baby Farm Animals, illustrated by Garth Williams ... This classic–full of piglets, kittens, calves, and bunnies–is one of his best. Simple, humorous text identifies each fuzzy, furry, or feathery farm animal capering about the farm.

 Baby Animals by Margaret Wise Brown ... A classic bedtime story--out of print for over 40 years--returns, newly illustrated by Caldecott Honor Book winner Susan Jeffers (we love here Nutcracker).

May is the perfect time to get back into Nature Study:

 Wonders of Nature by Jane Werner Watson ... a rare nonfiction book that’s also a simple, beautiful poem. In this gorgeous Little Golden Book from 1957, Eloise Wilkin’s stunning and realistic artwork is accompanied by gentle text that brings an awe of nature to the youngest readers.

We all know that our birds come back, ready to raise their babies:

 Birds by Kevin Henkes ... Birds come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Birds are magic. Birds are everywhere. If you listen very carefully you will hear them, no matter where you live. And if you look very closely you will see them, no matter where you are. And if you can't go outside right this minute, you can always read this book!

 Birds, Nests, and Eggs (Take Along Guides) by Mel Boring ... A fun, informative take-along guide that will help children identify 15 birds. Kid will also learn how and where birds build their homes and all about their young.Invites young naturalists to spot wildlife. (I mentioned the Take Along Guides to someone recently. My kids LOVE them. We own almost the entire series.)

And even though those April Showers are over ... the occasional thunderstorm still pops up:

Thundercake by Patricia Polacco ... Grandma consoles her frightened granddaughter by telling her that the dark clouds of the impending storm are nothing more than the ingredients for a Thunder Cake. (I LOVE THIS BOOK. LOVE IT)

Tasha Tudor's 1 is One has very May-ish verse/illustrations ... "There will, of course, always be children who must learn to count. Teach them also to enjoy the process and to count those things that are most important to them. Eighteen stars twinkling in the sky and twelve baby birds learning how to sing are an excellent start." - Tasha Tudor

Since Wilbur is a spring pig ... why not start Charlotte's Web in May?

It looks like I have a May Book Basket after all. What other springtime stories would you include?

:  happy may reading! ::

storytime: ten seeds

Ten Seeds by Ruth Brown

A simple, preschool-ish (Earth Day) story about subtraction and plants. Ten seeds starts out with just that, 10 seeds. All snugly planted in rich, black soil. An ant lifts out the first seed, a pigeon picks up the second just as it's beginning to grow roots, and a mouse digs the next as it grows even longer roots. A slimy slug eats one of the seven remaining seedlings, a mole burrows under one of the six shoots, and a cat claws up the next one. Four tiny, little plants are then destroyed by one ball, one rowdy puppy, and too many greenflies. Then, one lonely sunflower blooms, producing 10 new seeds.

An added bonus to the story is it's true-to-life, two-page watercolor (my favorite!) illustrations.

A perfect and beautiful introductory math book for preschoolers.

All 5 of my older, Rowdy Boys sat, listened, and interacted as Miss V read this story. And then could recall (narrate for all you CMers) the entire story back to me during lunch. Now, that's a story book worth checking out with your Library Card.

daybook, march 19th

Outside my Window ... birds swirling, loudly, trees budding, pollen laying

I am thinking ... I should've prepared better for the week. I'm pretending I did ... we'll see how far that gets me today. Mondays are NOT my thing

I am thankful for ... a husband who leads Bible Study at 6AM in the morning. He could rush out the door for work, and not think twice about the hearts of his family. But he doesn't

From the school room ... Week 2 of Ambleside Online Years 1 and 6. I did ALL the reading for both week 1s. I'm hoping to do the same this week for both week 2s. I also hope to find the time to purchase SCM's Module 1 History Guidebook today. BUT! ... we will not rush through these next 11 weeks to go to it

From the kitchen ...coffee, chocolate milk, rice krispies

I am wearing ... jammies. If you're a nursing momma, you have to get to WalMart and get yourself a few of these nightgowns. They have 6 buttons down the front ... perfect for nursing (and a lot cheaper than Motherhood Maternity!)

I am reading ... the only book I'm reading besides our AO lists is Calico Captive. I have J. R. Miller's Homemaking in my bag, but I haven't started it yet

I am hoping ... for a good week. I do love that each Monday is a fresh, new start. I just don't love Monday for itself

I am creating ... a Pinterest Board ... loving it! Now, if I can just find some time to carry a few of the projects out. First on my list:  our Calvary Hill/Resurrection Garden, which we did two Easters ago, but didn't get around to it last year

I am going ... to get out tonight to get the fun stuff for the kids' Spring Baskets! The first day sort of crept up on me

I am hearing ... Martha Speaks (the kids' favorite) and my grunting baby. Brian said he's going to start calling him Switchblade, he's that grunty (edited:  Brian texted me to let me know it's Swing Blade NOT Switchblade. And the grunter in the movie is named Karl. We saw it a long time ago. Sorry. ...He also texted me a pic of what I thought was a crack in the highway, and asked me what it was from, to which I responded, "earthquake," to which he responded, "It's a stick caught in the wiper blades." to which I responded, "Oh." ... "The boys then." ... he's getting a good laugh out of me this morning. Boo.)

Around the house ... so much to do. Spring Cleaning with the constant thought that my Mother-in-Law will be here Saturday. She'd say, "Don't worry about your house." Like she made sure to tell me, "Don't worry about dinner." But! I'm going to worry nonetheless, and scrub my little house til it sparkles! I like a Spring Cleaned, Sparkly Home anyway

 One of my favorite things ... my homeschool binder with all my articles, booklists, and scope & sequences in it. Even though I don't Lesson Plan, having my binder always with me makes it seem like I do

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... Spring Cleaning, catching up on grading English papers, enjoying the last week of free nights without Baseball, and planning Wesley's 5th Birthday Party (camo ... not barbie)

daybook, march 1st

:: outside my window ... a warm evening

:: listening to ... David Crowder Band, and folk songs on YouTube. Really. Thinking of giving this a try...because this makes a lot of sense. (and not just because it starts out talking about Baseball:)

:: giving thanks for ... twelve days of baby bliss

:: living the educational life ... finishing up Zoology notebooks through Lesson 6, studying the Passion Week, reading aloud The Bronze Bow (again) ...we've been lite schooling with Baby Zach, and Daddy being home so much

:: wearing ... a blue nightgown from WalMart ... perfect for nursing and tucking baby into at night

:: preparing in the kitchen ... I made a quick Spaghetti Dinner tonight, we finished off a pan of brownies the girls made yesterday, lunch meat samiches and leftover mashed potatoes for lunch

:: creating by hand ... I have lamps that need spray painted, and our St. Patrick's Day flowers need some TLC (or replaced)

:: following these links ... Why Would We Observe Lent?, Destruction-proofing your family  or ALL of LMLD's Reading posts, or ALL of Cheryl's 31 Days to Make a House a Home (so good)

 :: turning pages ... Shepherding a Child's Heart (again), Calico Captive, and the AO website

:: finding rhythm ... not quite yet

:: keeping house ... I super cleaned our bathroom tonight for the first time in two weeks (Kylie had been doing it for me). Felt good. Smells good. I like clean.

:: finding joy in ... my life. It's not too hard.

:: praying ... for an easy weekend.

:: planning the week ahead ... we're back to school full-force Monday. I'm so glad we're year round schoolers. Makes life easier.

in 10 days

In 10 days, I will add another photo to this collection. A family of 10 ... in 10 days.

In 10 days, I will wake up (if I sleep at all) with one thought on my mind, "Please, please God be with me today."

In 10 days, I will be cleaning an already clean house in the wee hours of the morning. I will probably be starting a load of laundry while the sun is rising. I will be reminding everyone that, "There is this to eat. And that to eat. And extra milk in the storage fridge."

In 10 days, I will forget all about the terrible morning sickness (if Baby weighs just 6 pounds, I will weigh less than I did the day I got pregnant with him). I will have permanent pregnancy battle scars, motherhood in the trenches with beautiful spider veins. I will no longer have a love affair with Tums.

In 10 days, I will leave my home, and it's making, in the hands of my two daughters. They will care for it, and their brothers, in much the same way I would...because Nana will not load the dishwasher, or do the laundry, or know the flow of our routine like they do.

In 10 days, I will kiss my seven oldest children good bye for a few days. And I will cry. And I will have to make myself walk out the door.

In 10 days, I will be reminded how steady, caring, and responsible my husband is. As he goes back and forth from hospital to home, looking after me, a new baby, and making sure our children and home are in order.

In 10 days, I will give birth to our eighth child, our eighth blessing from Heaven above...our sixth boy in a row. Zacharias Eugene Bailey.

In 10 days.

daybook, december 12th

:: outside my window ...dark and cold, each morning there is frost, and I find myself straining to see out the sun porch door. Is it snow? (it has been. twice already.)

:: listening to ...Christmas music. Oh For Joy and Christmas are our new favorites this year.

:: giving thanks for ...the mildness of Benjamin's little mishap with the piano yesterday. An emergency, true. But a small one.

:: living the educational life ...we're staying pretty on track with language arts and math. I suppose you could call this month Christmas School. Christmas read alouds, Christmas poetry, Christmas copywork, Christmas scripture memorization. More Christmas read alouds.

:: wearing ...plain long sleeve tees, comfy sweats, my beloved gray sweater jacket, Christmas socks, slippers. All day. Every day.

:: preparing in the kitchen ...a french toast breakfast, with extra vanilla and! powdered sugar. Sandwiches and chips and! leftover Christmas sprinkle cake for lunch. A spaghetti dinner (with meat sauce, requested by Connor), made by Kylie.

:: creating by hand ...I've made my little Christmas Craft List. And we're happily creating our way through. This week:  Cinnamon Christmas Tree Ornaments, Yarn Angels, and Paper Snowflakes.

:: following these links ...mostly Christmas crafts. And I'll share those as we go on Fridays. I'll admit, I find myself with less to say when I do more blog reading. Although I realize everyone probably wonders where I am... I'm here. Capturing my family, our moments. Which I was doing less and less of before. But this feels right for now. And good.

I did, however, start using a new comment thingy. In order to be more personal in this space. I think it's working from my side. But I have noticed less comments, which doesn't bother me so much...but I wonder if it's hard to use(?)

:: turning pages ...Simplicity Parenting. A very slow start. I'm so tired right now (30 weeks)...I blog a little, read less, and sleep more.

:: finding rhythm ...in less structure. Which is hard for me.

:: keeping house ...we're taking a more relaxed approach in this area too. Everything is still clean, it's just not perfect. It's comfortable. "A place for everything, and everything in it's place." is not a motto I want to carry around with me anymore. An atmosphere of love, and creativity, and safety is more what I'm after right now. ...I don't have a quote for that.

:: finding joy in ...my camera again. Capturing the normal, everyday, little moments. It's a gift.

:: praying ...for an old friend who is in the hospital, while her husband is at home with their children. For my brother-in-law. For JP, who seems to be always sick...I wish we had more day to day details about our little compassion child.

:: planning the week ahead ...Storytime with Santa on Wednesday at our little library. Knitting Club is on hold for the holidays...but wait! there is another one on Thursday nights, do we want to go? My friend (and her entire family) are performing in A Christmas Carol this weekend, and I hope the girls and I get to go.

monday.

Mondays are hard for me. Always. Every Monday. I don't know what it is, but it never changes. This Monday I woke up in a fine mood. Well rested. Yes, you just read that. I slept through the night. I mean, ALL my children slept through the night. Which means so did I. I was determined to not rush, not watch the clock, not hurry the morning. And things went pretty well, flowing along very smoothly. We did chores. We did school.

TJ finished his second book in the Pathway Readers series, and will start the third book Wednesday. It was one of those I did it! moments. But he grumbled his way through Copywork. Which is a lovely Christmas poem by Henry W. Longfellow. I think it's that it repeats the last line of the stanza so much. ...I thought it would be a nice break from his Copybook, now I'm not so sure. He's also doing What Child Is This? and Isaiah 9:2-7 this month. Maybe. Connor and the girls all kind of sailed through their school work this morning. I wasn't even really needed. Good for a Monday.

We had lunch, then I read the first few chapters of The Bird's Christmas Carol. Then is when the day started to turn into a real Monday. Babies not getting naps out, math was blah, then, since The Flood was still going on...my Rowdy Boys were stuck inside. No good. I can't wait to give them their new boots for Christmas. I'm going to send them out in all kinds of weather.

As it was, they played 'Restaurant' while I started dinner. The Happy Henry Restaurant. Where everybody gets a free hat on Monday (see Ben is donning the free hat/Christmas Stocking). BUT...who will be the Chef? Who will be the Waiter? Does steak cost $30 or $15? Was it a 5 Star Restaurant with a Walkie-Talkie Drive Thru Window? (and YES! these were all real arguments I overheard from the kitchen).

Once I managed to tune out the restaurant drama...I got into a fight with the can opener. The brand new can opener. The $10 can opener. Grrr! Does anyone else have can opener issues? Or is it just our family? Well, I informed Brian there would be no more dinner, unless we got an old-fashioned plug in the wall, stand up on the counter, zoomer-can opener like my Grandma Faye had. He informed me we would just stop buying canned goods. I finally got the green beans open, added them to what was supposed to be Vegetable Soup, but was more like Kinda Vegetable Stew. Judah got about half way up into his chair, glared into his bowl, then scowled at me. Really.

After Dinner, Brian went over Math with the kids. Mostly Kylie. Algebra really gets her some days. It really got her this Monday. She doesn't like Monday either. Her excuse for anything that goes wrong on Monday is, "It's Monday." Hmmm...maybe I should express my dislike for Mondays a little less.

The boys, who had been cooped up all day, cleared the family room floor, and had Hot Wheel races. A lot of them. Little metal cars were zooming everywhere. And my furniture kept being moved in order to find the little metal cars that were zooming everywhere. While they raced, I snapped a few pictures of my Christmas Mantle. And still, after two years with this camera, I cannot take a good picture indoors. Especially at night. But at least my mom can see what my mantle looks like this month. (that's my Elf Church on the far Left. do you like it?)

So now I am tired. And the house is cold. All that rain brought the cold again. I don't mind cold, but I do mind all that rain. I wish it had all been Snow. That would have made my Monday better. The title of this post could have been Snowy Monday. Not just Monday. The house is also quiet. Which makes me wonder...what was I so worked up about? It was just a day. And now it's done.

A Goat and Two Chickens, Please! (a guest post by our daughter, Korinne)

As I look through the World Vision gift catalog, my heart breaks, and I get tears in my eyes. There are children with no food, or shelter, or clothes, or drinking water, and many other things. Hundreds of kids die every day from not having these things.

 

As I look through the catalog my parents encourage me to raise money to get something. I decided on a goat and 2 chickens.

 

Goat milk has protein which helps a child grow. They can sell extra milk,
yogurt and cheese for other things like medicine or clothes.


Two chickens provide eggs. Extra eggs can be sold for other needs. And soon
more chickens will hatch which means more eggs!

Please help me raise $100. I already have $3.72, so I only need to raise $96.28 more by December 17.

 

Thank you.

Love, Korinne

"for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave
Me drink..." - Matthew 25:3

continuing to pour

It has been one of those mornings. One where I find myself living out the verse of this place,

"...At the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like
water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of
your young children..." - Lamentations 2:19

 

I speak here often of how my life is beautiful. Of how my husband and children are tremendous blessings. Of how we strive to be deliberate. Consistent. In the moment. And it is all real, it's truly who we are. But this morning has been a reminder, to my slightly too comfortable soul, that living fully, consistently, and deliberately is not easy.

I had nothing left to do, but lift my hands toward Him. With lifted hands, and an overwhelmed heart, a heart full of the tasks He had laid before me, I poured.

When it takes the nine year old over an hour of precious time to do a simple copywork assignment. When the toddler rips through the pages of yet another overdue library book. When there are tiresome and tedious disciplinary issues that need constant, immediate attention. When children seem weary (didn't we just wake up?).

I may feel hopeless. But I'm not hopeless. Praise God.

When the chaos of the morning was finally fading, when the book work at the kitchen table was finished, once hungry tummies were full of peanutbutter and jelly, and we were dropping the oldest off at a sweet friend's house to help out... I smiled, for probably the first time in hours, at my daughter and said, "Enjoy your opportunity to serve." She smiled back, knowing everything was okay, and answered, "I will."

I'm grateful to know that I don't have to walk through these hectic mornings alone. I'm grateful that I can repent and be forgiven of negative feelings, harsh talk, and terrible mothering.

I'm so grateful that all I have to do is lift my hands, and He sees, and takes them.

my thoughts on picture study

As the weather gets cooler, and we're spending more time indoors, it's a little easier for this homeschooling momma to fit in some "extra" studies.

For the past few weeks, we have been enjoying the art of Grandma Moses. In October, we studied and narrated Halloween. As the month changed, we moved on to Joy Ride, for the second part of November, we are fittingly using Catching The Thanksgiving Turkey. Then, for the short month of December, we'll be enjoying Christmas At Home or So Long Til Next Year. ... Grandma has so many that I love, it's hard for me to choose. We may just stick with her work until March!

 

We are pretty simple in our approach (as with all our school subjects anymore). We google for a short, easy-to-read biography on the artist, and I read it aloud to the kids. We then look at the picture together, on the computer. The kids then narrate (tell me) what they see in the picture. I don't correct at all. I use our current picture as my desktop background, so they see it everyday. I've also been thinking of buying a few frames from the Dollar Store, to hang our artist's works in on the dining room wall, as we enjoy and study them for a few months.

We don't "copy" like we have in the past anymore. There is just too much creative, original, priceless-to-me artwork being made by little hands in our home everyday, that I don't feel assigning "Art" is necessary.

My goal is exposure. Appreciation. Of good art, that instills good feelings. That's all. (if the picture is sad, or inappropriate...we don't look. there is enough of that going on in real life. no thank you.)

 

We do own a few "Art" books here in our home, that have been well-used and loved. We've never 'scheduled' them into lesson plans, they are just on our shelves. My little artists pull them off when they're feeling creative:

The Usborne Book of ART ideas

(a current favorite of both Korinne and TJ)

Usborne Playtime I Can Draw People

Usborne Playtime I Can Draw Animals

Wesley's Bible coloring page is from our Gospel Light's Really Big Book of Bible Story Coloring Pages(I love this, because it's non-consumable...we've owned it for 4 years now. And because the drawing are very simple for little ones.)

Katie Meets The Impressionists

(part of a series of Picture Books that introduces young children to great artists and their works. I hope to be able to purchase more in the series soon)

***More thoughts on Picture Study***