EKjourney Backup

We bought our homeschooling curriculum!  Well, year 1 anyway.  It is called Tapestry of Grace and it incorporates many different subjects and teaches them through a history timeline.  It is a little advanced for our children but having it will allow me to get to know the program, find supplementary material to add, and ways to "make it our own".  I have had my eye on this particular program for about a year but didn't figure on purchasing it until the children were older.  After spending several days pouring over it, Phil was so excited, he downloaded the first year (there are 4 total). We are hoping to start our school year (officially Kindergarten) during the summer.  School for us will consist of FUN!  We will dapple in our new curriculum (can you say...mummify a chicken and make salt maps!), work on the basics, read together as a family, and mostly establish a routine of actually "doing school" so we can transition our family into a homeschooling l...

Yes, we are all knitting! LOL! Gotta love husbands secure enough in their manhood to sit around and learn to knit with us gals!

Front bed about to be dug up, replanted, and mulched Same for the side bed The new raspberry bed Three raised beds are now done! The chicken house is perched on one (and will taken apart and rotated to the other raised beds - clever, don't you think!). Gotta love all the Tonka toys in the fresh dirt!! I got some of those on Craig's list. They are the old metal versions.

This broody hen stopped laying! Our handsome rooster has started to crow!

A gigantic and hideous mess! Cats and their poop....the vain of my existance (did you think when you popped on this thread to see what the Kelly's were up to that you would have to view cat poop? Yes, it is unpleasant....at least you can't smell it over the computer! Anybody want a cat, we have several to spare!) Fresh deer tracks in the garden (already)....the other vain of my existance

Stretching This bird flew into the window at my parents and stunned himself Ericka, if you are reading, this lambskin picture is for you!

The Wii is entertainment for all, even those watching! Best Friends! Fun with stickers...incidentally, I have been cleaning these up constantly - they fell off and managed to stick everywhere Waking up

...our house is always clean and our baby is always happy!

I decided to hop in a tub for some much needed peace and quiet before taking a bath with Little Brighton.  I was in there for only a short time when Jubilee came in to use the potty.  She sat there for a good 15 minutes talking a blue streak about every topic could you imagine: Daddy's work, poop, bugs, Mommy feeders being "amazing", to name just a few.  She finally finished up and then Sawyer came in to use the potty.  He had an elaborate explanation of how going poop was similar to how the garbage truck picks up garbage (something about the arm of the garbage truck and poop muscles).  Then he began looking through the magazine (I foolishly thought I would read) and discussing what he saw.  He sat there a good 10 minutes before finishing up.  Incidentally, he makes the same dramatic poop face that he did as a baby!  Little B came in next and enjoyed kicking about in the water.  And there you have it, my "peace and quiet relaxing bath"!

I really enjoy cooking! I probably spend more time in the kitchen than any other room. With 4 little ones, cooking is an all day process. I start prepping in the morning and do bits and pieces here and there all throughout the day. For instance, for dinner tonight, we had pork shoulder steaks, baked potatoes, salad, Marionberry pie, and I made the cinnamon rolls for a treat. This morning, I made kefir, ground and measured flour and dry ingredients for the pie crust and dough and set out the Marionberries to thaw. Later, I made the dough and let it sit for the rest of the morning. At noon, I made the marinade and set the meat in it. After the children had gone down for naps, I made the dough into the rolls and baked them. At 4:30, I put in the potatoes and made a salad (I prewash lettuce, shred carrot and beets once a week so putting together a salad is easy). At 5:00, I browned the meat and then put it in the oven to bake. During the baking time, I finished making the pie cr...

Evening training with Claudia This morning, I hear Brighton crying, ready to wake up, and then shortly afterwards I heard the white noise machine turn on. Sissy came out and told me that she had made a nest for Brighton. She had indeed and he had fallen asleep (I did move the covers off his face a little more but she did a great job though, keeping his nose and eyes out!) Rock-a-bye-baby! All three children are so great with Brighton. Sometimes even the little people toys get hungry! Notice the pan in the background. I now have two, 16" electric skillets. I use one continually but a growing family really needs two!! Now I can cook eggs and hashbrowns at the same time. Make all the grilled cheese sandwiches, french toast, pancakes, etc.. at once. How handy!!

Lovin' those first smiles!