Life of a Mom of 4 - Day 2 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge

So I am participating in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and today I want to talk about life for me as the mom of 4.  I am a wife and a mother.  I also homeschool our 4 children.  Obviously I have held the title of wife longer than mother or homeschooler.  Life is never dull being the wife of a military service member, nor is it dull with 4 children in the house.

Our oldest turned 18 back in June.  He has been our interesting child.  Since the day he was born, he has never let us have a dull moment.  From breaking our crib to driving our van into a fence at 4 years old (although our 2nd son was his cohort in crime for that little excursion).  He keeps life exciting.  He is the protector of his little sister and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.  He is the reason we got into homeschooling in the first place.  At 18 he still gives me tons of hugs and kisses along with saying he loves me.  He even does this in front of his friends (much to the friends' dismay and the friends' mothers disappointment that their sons don't).

Then along came number 2.  He's my one that arrived in the world before nurses or doctor were ready - or even the aunt who was my coach.  He  has a smile that lights up a room.  Although he quietly goes around stirring up trouble and leaving excitement in his wake.  I quickly learned to find him when things happened at our house.  This was also the child that at 2 years old assisted in the great minivan fence fiasco.  He is also an Eagle Scout and was the youngest scout in our troop at that time to have earned the rank.  He sets goals and achieves them!  He and his older brother earned their ranks of Eagle Scout on the same day and we had one fantastic Eagle ceremony, where their younger brother served as Master of Ceremonies.

Then came number 3 who took anything we might have thought we learned from 1 and 2 and made us throw it out the window.  This child had no fear - I repeat no fear!  He would jump into pools even if mom and dad were on the other side of the pool.  Because he knew we would race to the other side to get him.  At Busch Gardens Williamsburg, he went up and down the ropes area for kids and race down the slides only to jump up and race back to the top - sure that Daddy would catch back up with him before he reached the point where the attendants might make him stop.  And this was all because Mom couldn't keep up seeing how she was about 7 months pregnant at the time.  He's had the most stitches of our children- approximately 7 sets with the majority being in his head within a one year period.  We quickly discovered the only thing wrong was motor skill issues.  Fortunately we were able to take him to an amazing physical therapy office in NC. He was the only one to fracture a bone and other adventures as well.

Then along came his cohort in crime.  They are the dynamic duo and the Bobbsey Twins and quite a few other things rolled in one.  Our little girl quietly entered the scene and took everything in.  She moved with stealthiness that is hard to come by.  She is defended by her three big brothers.  She grew up with three brothers plus being surrounded by loads of boys thanks to Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts.  She has no fear either.  Anything the boys can do, I assure you she will say she can do better.  She is my little doll.  She is my sunshine.  

So needless to say, my life is never boring they keep me on my toes and I love every minute of it.  Often people tell me, "Oh I couldn't homeschool my children".  Well I say don't say you will never do something, because God has an amazing sense of humor.  So you might be surprised what you find yourself doing.  And #blogboost - 2 days down and 29 days to go!

Life, Moving and Homeschooling

So like most years, we started our homeschool year back in the middle of July.  We had stopped a little bit earlier than normal because we moved from one house to another.  This meant all of our homeschool materials had to be packed up.  So the idea was for the most important items to be placed either in the rooms where needed them; where we wanted them or where they could most easily be accessed.  Also all boxes were to be clearly labeled with what was inside and who the items belonged to or what rooms the items belonged to - i.e. kitchen, oldest son, daughter, my mom and so forth.  However this did not happen with us having our 3 teenage sons, one pre-teen daughter and some of children's friends.  

Don't get me wrong, they packed really well.  However, they failed miserably at labeling.  So now we are a couple of months into our school year, and many items I need are missing - meaning buried beyond a mountain of stuff or otherwise hidden.

Also the moment I say, "Where is such and such - I know person A packed it". I get the answer of, "I didn't pack that and I have no clue where it might be."  

Now top that off with a husband in the military and things get more interesting.  He has had two trips to take to other states.  Both of them allowed me the opportunity to go with him since he was authorized to drive.  So that meant 6 days we were going to be out of the house.

I don't know if you homeschool or not, or even have children - but the combination of the cat being away (me - the enforcer of all rules and grandmother in the house since my mom lives with us) means the mice will really play.   The mice playing interferes with schoolwork getting done.  So I need to make a plan to get everyone caught up, on schedule, and on pace.  Stay tuned for our continuing saga.

Why I love my Online Bible Study

So instead of talking about homeschooling or my family today, I want to take a minute to invite you to join in the next Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study.  You can visit the Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study page to sign up.  The study begins on September 22nd and the book is fantastic!  While real life might be crazy, this Bible Study won't be.  You can follow along on the blog for daily posts or if you prefer you can participate in a Facebook Study Live for a different kind of experience.

I have been involved with Proverbs 31 Ministries OBS (Online Bible Study) for about a year and a half now.  I started off just doing the study and being in a Facebook Small group for Let.It.Go.  by Karen Ehman.  I absolutely fell in love with the study.  I love that I don't have to be at a certain place at a certain time every week.  In my Facebook small group or with the Study Blog, I can interact on my time around my schedule.  But every time I visit the study page or the Facebook Small group I am tremendously blessed.

Back in the spring, I took a leap and decided to volunteer as a Facebook Small group leader.  I helped lead our group for the study for the Limitless Life by Derwin Gray.  It was one of the best experiences of my life.  I can't wait for this study to begin.  Over the next few weeks, you can expect to see more posts from me regarding #TheBestYes!

So if you are looking for a Bible Study that gives you flexibility I invite you to take a look and to join us for #TheBestYes!

It's been a while

So it has been a while since I posted.  Life has been moving right along.  We are getting settled into our new home.  Everyone seems to really be enjoying themselves.  School is still going on at a reduced level.  However, this time next week, we will be back at full force doing all subjects.  We still need to add Literature, IEW-SICC, Latin. Art and Music to our day along with our Wisdom Books.  So Monday morning will begin that.

Our family labored on Labor Day Weekend.  We put up corn, beets, tomatoes, peppers, and worked on getting pickles done.  The pickles will get put up today.  I will try to post photos later.

This weekend Dennis will be attending a change of command ceremony.  The children will be working on school.

I will spend most of the weekend planning school materials and getting ready for the Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies new Bible Study - "The Best Yes" by Lysa Terkeurst.  I am really looking forward to this study.  It has been nice to take the summer off, but I am ready to get back into things.  In two weeks, Dennis will be preaching at the Salvation Army Corps.  I am looking forward to hearing him speak.

On August 22nd, Dennis and I celebrated 22 years of marriage.   We spent the day together.  We went to Carlisle, PA to get his DA photo done.  We ate lunch at the Macaroni Grill in Harrisburg, PA.  From there we went to the outlets at Hershey.  We took a ride through the Hershey Resort Campground.  We really want to take our family camping there.  Then we came back through Selinsgrove and spent some time looking around at some stores.  We found a refrigerator we fell in love with.  Then we went to the Outback Steakhouse in State College.  The service was not as good as we would have wanted.  But the food was pretty good.  One of the most enjoyable parts of the ride was seeing the countryside and all the Amish farms/people/buggies.  Well I guess that is enough for now.

Our Week So Far - Thankful Tuesday

Well, this week is a lot less busy than last week. Last week, we had VBS each night.  Dennis and I led the music and did the opening.  It was wonderful.  Our church did "Weird Animals".  Dennis did great playing Dr. Paws.  My oldest son was a leader for the 7 & 8 years old, and I went around with him.  My second son took pictures.  My third son ended up helping with the 5 and 6 year olds.  And of course our baby girl was in the 9 - 12 year old group.  

We had amazing people in charge of the various activities.  The crafts were fantastic.  Each night, we had animals brought in - including two snakes, a skunk, two dogs, some guinea pigs, a bunny and some other animals.  The children loved them.  

Sunday we had our graduation ceremony and everyone did fantastic!  We sang two of the songs - everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

We are also still doing modified school - meaning we are not back to full force on all the subjects yet.  We still need to add in Latin, Wisdom Books, Chemistry for my oldest two, Literature and IEW SICC-B.  I am getting most of the subjects entered into our online planner for the year.  Once I am done, all the children will need to do is log on to see what they need to do and they can mark it as completed.  Then I can go back and input grades as they finish.

I am reading Paperless Organization in the hopes of going digital for my home management binder.  I am also trying to get more into Flylady and utilizing her routines, Cozi, and the flight plans to help me stay on top of things at the house.  I am also getting ready to re-read Large Family Logistics to try and get some systems in place for living in our new home.

We have had some amazing meals the last few days - including our last quart bag of my father in law's pork bar-b-que.  We had fresh zucchini on the grill last night that our neighbor gave us (he also gave us some lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, mint and basil).  I love having the fresh vegetables.  

I am looking forward to a quiet weekend this weekend, since Dennis has drills.  Plus the children and I will hopefully get some things done around the house.  In two weeks, Dennis and I will be celebrating 22 years of marriage.  That is amazing to me.

So what's up with you today?  I would love for you to share!

Our New School Year so Far

So we are about 2 weeks into our school year.  We began on the 16th of July.  The first couple of days, we basically just covered math and language arts.  Then last week, we added in History and Science.  This week we added in the excitement of Vacation Bible School.  Dennis and I are doing the opening, the music and the opening skit.  I have to say, my husband is absolutely amazing.  He is doing a fantastic job getting into character.  Our oldest son is a co-leader for one of the groups (ages 7 and 8).  I am amazed by the gifts God has given him every time I see him work with children.  Our second son is taking photographs of all the groups.  Our youngest son is helping with the opening, plus assisting with one of the younger groups.  

I love the experiences the children are gaining by participating in VBS.  They grow in their faith, their ability to communicate and the ability to relate to others.  So school is somewhat slowed down this week, but next week we will kick it up into high gear.

For this year, I have one that would technically be in 10th grade, a 9th grader and a 7th grader.  All four children are doing the Advanced Training Institute Wisdom Book Language Arts, and Wisdom Books, Art, PE and Music.  The younger three are all doing Student Writing Intensive Course B, and Phonetic Zoo/Spelling Power.

The 10th grader is doing:  Alpha Omega Monarch Algebra and Geometry, First Form Latin,  Daily Grams 10th grade, Friendly Chemistry, Introduction to Criminal Justice, as well as Forensic Science.

The 9th grader is doing Life of Fred Math (currently preparing to start the Advanced Algebra book), but while we are waiting for the book to come in, he is doing Videotext Interactive Online Algebra.  He is doing Apologia's Exploring Creation with Biology, First Form Latin,   First Form Latin, and we are still working to pick out his electives.

Our 7th grader is doing Life of Fred Math (currently doing Pre-Algebra I with Biology), Daily Grams, Latina Christiana, and Exploring Creation with General Science.  

All of the children participate in Home Economics by helping around the house.  Some of the children are starting to be more involved with the preparation and cooking of our meals.  

Also since we just moved to a new home in the later part of June, we are still settling into the house - which means lots of unpacking, sorting, decluttering and such.

So  how are things going in your world?  We welcome comments.

So we are moved in

We are moved into our new rental home.  We only moved about 10 minutes away from our previous home, but it feels like we have moved into a different world in a lot of ways.  I am having to adjust to not having mail delivery - this is a first in my entire life.  No matter where we have lived, we have always had our mail delivered.  What is really ironic about this is that we have a post office.  

Now we just have tons of boxes to unpack and all the things to put away.  We have been doing a little at a time.  But at least we have made some progress.  As we unpack, we are also trying to get rid of some things.  The younger two love that they have a dedicated play/classroom.  

Everyone loves the home we have moved into.  We are in a quiet little town that actually is a village.  We are just a little ways from a State Park - although we have not really investigated that yet.

Of course the move made it necessary to suspend school, so my goal is to start back on Wednesday.  Fortunately we know where the children's books are, so starting should be relatively easy.