100 Easy Lessons

Well, I have done it! I have started on a training program. It claims to be teaching my son to read, but it is really training me to be consistent and stick with a program.

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons is the book I am using and so far, it seems to be working rather well. I am sure if I spent 15 to 20 minutes each day with something he would be doing well, but I chose this one. My middle boy is reading! :) Right now we are 16 lessons in, but he can read simple words and is so proud of himself! I keep telling him that he is a Reader, and he just loves it!

Wasn't it just Christmas?

Oh boy. It happened again! I keep running to catch up with activities for the kids and then it is the next month again and we start another week, another day ...

I know this is a common problem with other families, because I hear this repeated by other moms.

Is there a way out? I have started reading the Elaine St. James Simplify books.

Happy New Year!

I think we had a lot of fireworks around us, but I wouldn't know. I went to sleep early as my parents had the two eldest children and I wasn't wasting any time with something like a celebration. Any parent still waking several times a night with a 18 month old would be doing the same thing.

Have a blessed New Year.

Merry Christmas - guess what - Baby Jesus is here!

Well, just about Happy New Year!

This year I feel successful ... my son walked up to the church ready to put on his shepherd's costume and saw Baby Jesus in the outside nativity. He just took off, running wildly up to the scene, calling out "Mommy baby Jesus us here! Baby Jesus is here!" His voice was the joyous peel of the bells celebrating that miraculous birth! And although he is still quite excited about Santa, I am overjoyed that he is also aware that the tiny Christ child is so important.

Also, I must apologize to the other people at church. I was one of those awful mothers that took sick children to church that evening - two of my children were in the Christmas program. Well, it turned out to be a wonderful gift to me, I hope it didn't impact anyone else.

We did no crafts, although we certainly made some food! After going to a Christmas Cultures around the World Celebration, we were thrilled to hear about some Scilian traditions we tried to incorporate into our own Christmas Eve. We ended up having way too much food.

Merry Christmas

Well, I have arrived in that classic position of mother frantic the day before Christmas. I finally finished my son's shepherd costume. Very simple, but made with much fanfare to show how proud we are of him and how special his role is. My daughter's angel costume was repaired from a year's use as dress up clothing. And now, I am attempting to finish a dress for her for tongiht's Christmas mass. We'll see.

We have relatives visiting, the kids are all thrilled, they were counting minutes, looking out the front window waiting for their Grandma and Aunt to arrive! Their idea of a long time involves many trips to the clock counting minutes.

I lost the box meant to send to my neice and nefew, so they will have a belated Christmas box coming in the mail. I remember that happening to us and just being overjoyed to hear there was one more gift!

I hear little feet! Have a wonderful Christmas - a joyous celebration and a miraculous Love that spans time.

All my Love,
Nicole

Happy Birthday Bro!

Today is my brother's birthday! Yeah. Instead of Birthday Cake, we will be having birthday Pie! (Apple Pie). Only an adult would be so crazy as to give up cake for anything, according to the kids. So, we celebrate in a crazy way! Who wants ice cream with their pie?

My brother is a great guy who loves and plays with the kids, is fun to be around and we all love him! Happy Birthday!

Thanksgiving Day

I am of the opinion that turkey guidelines exist soley to make a fool out of the guided. My turkey was a good hour after I had said dinner was to be. Hmmph. I guess that pop up button really was correct.

The kids had a blast. We made the day a memory day. They started out watching us put in the turkey (24 pounds). They traced each others hands on paper (while I did kitchen things), then both helped to trace mine. They wrote cards on what everyone was thankful for. As this was phonetic spelling, it was hilarious reading among the adults. They played outside with Grandpa, running and yelling for tag, swings and kick ball. Back inside they set up the children's Christmas tree with their uncle (Grandpa had some time off) and hung toys as ornaments on the tree. With a hour or so before dinner, the older two sat down and made place cards for each person with folded index cards and clip art they colored. They loved deciding who sat where. My daughter had a special prayer from school that she read and we said grace as well. After dinner and a walk down the street with the Grandparents, we wrote our letters to Santa Claus. We looked at last year's Christmas book and built snowmen with white & black felt pieces.

Only now I think I didn't get pictures.

Where the Dinosaurs Went

This morning, we have two down with sneezing and coughing. So oatmeal is on the menu. My son LOVES the dinosaur outmeal. I caught my husband explaining that there aren't any dinasaurs because we eat all their eggs in cereal. Poor kid - he is already used to that humor and told him that the eggs weren't dinosaurs they were food.

Love it! Dover Publications Free Sample

Before you think I am advertising for Dover, finish this post.

At the Dover Publications website (the little books at Cracker Barrel), they have a link to sign up for Free sample emails. I did that thinking I was going to get out of it the first email they sent, but I have found that I love them! I have printed out appropriate holiday coloring sheets and event little ones for welcome bags for hotel visitors. I am not comitting to a whole booklet of activities and the kids are so excited by the surprise. And of course, it is free. Yeah.

Thanksgiving Cards Today

I found some clipart that made good coloring items. The two older kids colored and cut them out and glued them to folded paper. We didn't have to do any more than 2 as there isn't the expectation like Christmas for cards for everyone. They finished their one card each and practiced cutting as well. On the back were the requisite Hand outline turkeys I remember from my school days. Their cousins will get a kick out of seeing the cards and comparing handprint sizes.

My mom and I are thinking about what to make for Thanksgiving. We had a menu from the Entrees Made Easy store, which all sounded great, but my husband cringes at the thought of anything less than a whole big turkey. And what do they do with the rest of the turkey anyway? Hot dogs?