Friday, May 22, 2009
Little wiggler #5
Baby is is very active. Paul took this video on 5/21/09, just 10 days before estimated due date. It's fun to watch a posterior child in the tummy, where their arms and feet are facing my tummy vs. facing my back with a properly positioned anterior facing child. Hopefully the child will turn to an anterior position in time for birthing.
Getting ready for baby
I'm planing a home water birth for this baby. My midwifes came for a home visit during week 36 and brought the birthing tub, which to my great surprise is really a trough they bought at WILCO farm store. We put it in my bedroom so it will be ready when the time comes. I've bought a foam pad, sheet and plastic liner to place in it come birthing time. My trouble may being keeping the kids out of it. It's their favorite "new toy" right now. They love to slide in it, bring their toys in it and sit there and play, stand on it and look out the window. I'm surprised no one has asked to sleep in it yet. Jolie asked me if she could get in her swimsuit when I'm birthing. Ought to be fun come birthing time!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Scripture Memorization
Our family has been using this system for a year and a half or so. We get the scripture box out each morning as part of our morning routine, and each evening as part of our evening routine.
Jaren has memorized the most scriptures. Jude (age 2) is now starting to join in. Jenea and Jolie don't usually actively participate, but it's amazing how they are familiar with the scriptures anyway.
To date we have memorized all 13 Articles of Faith. Now we are working on memorizing “Family, A Proclamation to the World”, http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html. It’s amazing in how just a few minutes two times a day we can learn and retain so much.
Step one:
Get an index card box with 41 tabbed dividers in it.
Step two:
Label the dividers as follows and place them in the box as follows:
• 1 divider — Daily
• 1 divider — Odd
• 1 divider — Even
• 7 dividers — Days of the Week (Sunday, Monday, etc.)
• 31 dividers — Numbered 1-31
Step three:
Copy onto index cards any verses your family already knows; place them behind the numbered dividers. Next write on index cards verses your family wants to memorize. Pick one to memorize first and place it behind the Daily divider. Place the rest of the verses in the back of the box.
Step Four:
Each day you will say together the verses behind four dividers. Remember, in the beginning you may just be saying the daily scripture until more are memorized.
• Daily
• Odd or Even
• Day of the Week
• Date of the Month
For example, if today is Tuesday, the 3rd, you will say the verses behind Daily, Odd (because 3is an odd number), Tuesday, and 3. The next day (Wednesday, the 4th), you will say the verses behind Daily, Even, Wednesday, and 4. Keep in mind that only the verse behind Daily is a new one that you are memorizing; all the others are just review.
Step Five:
As you master the verses behind the Daily divider, advance that card and move the replaced verses farther back in the box. So when you have memorized a Daily, move it behind either the Odd or Even divider. Move the verse that was in that Odd or even slot back to a Day of the Week slot. And move the verse it replaces in the Day of the Week slot back behind a numbered divider. You can then put a new verse or passage to memorize behind the Daily divider and you’re ready to go again.
In this way, you will review a new verse every day, and then graduate to every other day, once a week, and finally, once a month. Use the system every day of the month and you will review all the verses you know every month of the year!
When you have advanced enough verse cards that you have one placed behind each numbered divider, start at 1 again and add another card to each. Soon you’ll have several cards behind each numbered divider.
We really enjoy this system. It’s great fun to have a visual of how much we’ve learned. For more on this visit www.simplycharlottemason.com
Jaren has memorized the most scriptures. Jude (age 2) is now starting to join in. Jenea and Jolie don't usually actively participate, but it's amazing how they are familiar with the scriptures anyway.
To date we have memorized all 13 Articles of Faith. Now we are working on memorizing “Family, A Proclamation to the World”, http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,161-1-11-1,00.html. It’s amazing in how just a few minutes two times a day we can learn and retain so much.
Step one:
Get an index card box with 41 tabbed dividers in it.
Step two:
Label the dividers as follows and place them in the box as follows:
• 1 divider — Daily
• 1 divider — Odd
• 1 divider — Even
• 7 dividers — Days of the Week (Sunday, Monday, etc.)
• 31 dividers — Numbered 1-31
Step three:
Copy onto index cards any verses your family already knows; place them behind the numbered dividers. Next write on index cards verses your family wants to memorize. Pick one to memorize first and place it behind the Daily divider. Place the rest of the verses in the back of the box.
Step Four:
Each day you will say together the verses behind four dividers. Remember, in the beginning you may just be saying the daily scripture until more are memorized.
• Daily
• Odd or Even
• Day of the Week
• Date of the Month
For example, if today is Tuesday, the 3rd, you will say the verses behind Daily, Odd (because 3is an odd number), Tuesday, and 3. The next day (Wednesday, the 4th), you will say the verses behind Daily, Even, Wednesday, and 4. Keep in mind that only the verse behind Daily is a new one that you are memorizing; all the others are just review.
Step Five:
As you master the verses behind the Daily divider, advance that card and move the replaced verses farther back in the box. So when you have memorized a Daily, move it behind either the Odd or Even divider. Move the verse that was in that Odd or even slot back to a Day of the Week slot. And move the verse it replaces in the Day of the Week slot back behind a numbered divider. You can then put a new verse or passage to memorize behind the Daily divider and you’re ready to go again.
In this way, you will review a new verse every day, and then graduate to every other day, once a week, and finally, once a month. Use the system every day of the month and you will review all the verses you know every month of the year!
When you have advanced enough verse cards that you have one placed behind each numbered divider, start at 1 again and add another card to each. Soon you’ll have several cards behind each numbered divider.
We really enjoy this system. It’s great fun to have a visual of how much we’ve learned. For more on this visit www.simplycharlottemason.com
Morning Routine
I don’t function well with out organization and structure in my life. I’ve found that in our home when mommy’s not functioning the day doesn’t run smoothly. Each morning I get up before the children and prepare juice and cut up and peel apples for them. After all 4 are up and comfortable in the living room I hand out the juice and apples so they are occupied and quiet while we do our “morning routine” which includes the following:Calendar
Child of the day
Talk about the day’s agenda
Read a scripture that goes with our monthly theme (this month it’s gifts and talents)
Read and discuss an article out of our churches children’s magazine
Memorize scriptures
Have family prayer
Choose chore responsibilities for the day
We break for getting dressed and making beds while I get breakfast prepared. Ahh, the day is off to a good start.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Happiness is a form of courage
This quote by Holbrook Jackson describes Jude perfectly. I'm amazed at how happy and courageous he is. This picture was taken on April 17th very shortly after I brought him home from the ER. He just broke and badly cut his thumb (a wheel barrow that was leaning against the house fell on his finger) and received 5 stitches. He did so well in the ER while being X-rayed and stitched up, I think I was crying more than he was. I'm also inspired at how strong he is and quick to adapt. He is left handed and easily switched to eating with his right hand, and is carrying on almost as if nothing happened.
sick, sick, sick, sick, sick
This last week in a half 5 of the 6 of us have been/still are sick. Jenea showed symptoms first, now the other 3 kids and I are going through the flu.
I prefer to use natural means of treating illnesses if at all possible. I've just started learning about essential oils and their healing properties. I lower their fevers and ease their nausea by putting a couple drops of peppermint oil on the sole of the kids feet, and stopped them from coughing by placing eucalyptus oil on the feet soles. Amazing.
I just ordered a bunch more to have on hand. I had no idea that oils could do so much! Here's one site full of information about the many uses of essential oils http://www.doterraoil.com/.
Here's a funny video about one way to prevent spreading "sick" germs around.
I prefer to use natural means of treating illnesses if at all possible. I've just started learning about essential oils and their healing properties. I lower their fevers and ease their nausea by putting a couple drops of peppermint oil on the sole of the kids feet, and stopped them from coughing by placing eucalyptus oil on the feet soles. Amazing.
I just ordered a bunch more to have on hand. I had no idea that oils could do so much! Here's one site full of information about the many uses of essential oils http://www.doterraoil.com/.
Here's a funny video about one way to prevent spreading "sick" germs around.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Bean Jar
I'm one who believes in the importance of catching children behaving, and making a special effort to give them positive attention for it then. The idea is to give them more attention when they are behaving well, instead of what is often easier to do, ignore the child till they are behaving badly and give them negative attention then.
A tool that we are trying out in our family right now for this purpose is what we call the bean jar. It is just a bag of beans (we use pasta, anything dry and small will work, rocks, marbles etc.) and a jar to put them into. Simply stated, how it works is; whenever Paul or I catch a child doing something correct or admirable they get to put a bean or two into the jar. I keep this in the kitchen bay window so it's within easy reach.
We all have character traits and behaviors that need to be improved upon, and things we need to learn. For example I have one child who is mostly whines when speaking, another who is struggling to share their bedroom with a sibling and another who is struggling to experience new activities. I specifically watch for those behaviors which my children are currently struggling with (they don't know this of course) and recognize when they are improving upon those things by giving them a bean or two, verbal recognition and sometimes a little hug.
As an example, today my son whom I've not required learn to make his bed yet, proudly showed me how he made his bed. He got to add to our bean jar.
Sometimes I get silly and give them beans for putting their shoes on the right feet, using their spoon to eat their cereal, or hanging upside down on the monkey bars, just to keep it light, a game.
The children are on watch, catching each other behaving, and reporting that to me. We are all working together to reach our goal as a team.
When the jar is full we do something fun as a family that we have previously decided upon. This last month the reward was a day at O.M.S.I. (see slide show) Ideally I would add to that some kind of family service project to do so that we are not only rewarding ourselves, but blessing others as well.
This also works well for encouraging children to learn things that they may not be so interested in. In our family with such young children, some examples are memorizing scriptures, praying, reading, writing, dependability, service to others, and developing new skills.
I'd love to hear others thoughts to what you have done or how it can be improved upon.
Love and blessings!
A tool that we are trying out in our family right now for this purpose is what we call the bean jar. It is just a bag of beans (we use pasta, anything dry and small will work, rocks, marbles etc.) and a jar to put them into. Simply stated, how it works is; whenever Paul or I catch a child doing something correct or admirable they get to put a bean or two into the jar. I keep this in the kitchen bay window so it's within easy reach.We all have character traits and behaviors that need to be improved upon, and things we need to learn. For example I have one child who is mostly whines when speaking, another who is struggling to share their bedroom with a sibling and another who is struggling to experience new activities. I specifically watch for those behaviors which my children are currently struggling with (they don't know this of course) and recognize when they are improving upon those things by giving them a bean or two, verbal recognition and sometimes a little hug.
As an example, today my son whom I've not required learn to make his bed yet, proudly showed me how he made his bed. He got to add to our bean jar.
Sometimes I get silly and give them beans for putting their shoes on the right feet, using their spoon to eat their cereal, or hanging upside down on the monkey bars, just to keep it light, a game.
The children are on watch, catching each other behaving, and reporting that to me. We are all working together to reach our goal as a team.
When the jar is full we do something fun as a family that we have previously decided upon. This last month the reward was a day at O.M.S.I. (see slide show) Ideally I would add to that some kind of family service project to do so that we are not only rewarding ourselves, but blessing others as well.
This also works well for encouraging children to learn things that they may not be so interested in. In our family with such young children, some examples are memorizing scriptures, praying, reading, writing, dependability, service to others, and developing new skills.
I'd love to hear others thoughts to what you have done or how it can be improved upon.
Love and blessings!
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