Our Family Project

Last night when we were doing our bedtime routine we came to a decision for our focus in 2015 in regards to our nighttime devotionals. From the time that Eliza was three-years-old we have had the same bedtime routine: read the scriptures, say the article faith of the month, sing the primary song being taught in primary that month, then pray and go to bed. (With the addition of use the bathroom, brush your teeth, and say individual prayers in there before actually getting in bed.) When it was time to say the article of faith last night, Jon started to say it in Spanish. That's when the light bulb went on, or I guess you could say inspiration hit. We decided that since we've been doing the same thing for almost 12 years (!!!!) we could change it up. Maryanne is the only one (aside from Nadine) who is still memorizing the articles of faith. So everyone else has been kind of bored.  In 2015 we are going to learn the articles of faith in Spanish! We are also going to add a hymn in S...

Just in case any of you wondered whether we love each other over here: Yes!  Yes, we do!

This last Saturday was our homeschool group's science fair.  Andrew decided to make a lava lamp.  He actually made it at the beginning of January, but didn't have his presentation put together until Saturday right before the fair. Jon sat down with Andrew in the morning and helped him to understand why his homemade lava lamp works: the oil not mixing with the water.  So, Andrew brought our kitchen scale and measured water into one water bottle, and the same amount of oil into another water bottle.  He put them on the scale to show that the same measurement of each liquid had a different weight or density.  Andrew's was the first presentation, and he did such a fantastic job!  You never would have thought that he was nervous. Eliza's and Kate's project had to do with what we've been talking about for science.  We've been studying plants this year, and they prepared a presentation about the parts of plants: the roots, stem, leaves, and flo...

Andrew got to participate in the Raingutter Regatta last week for pack meeting.  After the fiasco that was the Pinewood Derby, I was determined to learn all I could about performing well at the raingutter regatta. My first mistake? We didn't seal the trimaran until, oh, six hours before the races began. .... Did you know that polyurethane is supposed to cure for 24 hours before normal use??? I didn't. Weeks ago, Andrew brought home his trimaran kit and put his trimaran together without painting it or anything.  And, over the weekend we were so busy with extended family that I didn't even think about getting his trimaran ready. On Tuesday morning, I started to look online for tips and tricks to preparing the trimaran well.  Everything said to put the polyurethane on the pontoons at least 24 hours before the Regatta. Oops. We only had a few hours before our regatta. Oh well.  I took Andrew into the garage and we started painting the polyurethan...

In April we participated in our homeschool group's Geography Fair.  We went the easy route because we were throwing together our project at the last minute, and chose to do our project on Chile!  It was easy because that's where Jon served his mission.  So, we had a bunch of little items that showcased the culture there.  Jon and I traced the map on a long sheet of paper, and, okay, we colored it too.  We are such control freaks.  Oh well.  The children drew little pictures/icons of exports, produce, and other things that symbolized specific things we learned about Chile.  We got to the part and everything was set up trunk-or-treat style ... which was so great!  Although, our friends in the car next to us did their report on Argentina ... the sworn enemy of Chile! Then, came the presentation!  This was the fun part.  Eliza, Kate and I got together the day before the fair and wrote a rap for our presentation.  Then, we broke u...

Andrew participated in his first ever pinewood derby about a month after he turned 8-years-old.  Jon helped him cut the car, and that was all that Andrew would let him do.  Andrew sanded it, painted it, and put on the wheels.  When we got to the pinewood derby, we needed to add weight to it.  So, we went to the "adjustment" table and started to tape on some coins.  Real classy-like. As we were at the table adding weight to his car, Andrew spotted some graphite and asked me what it was for.  Being the rookie-mom that I am, I said, "I don't know, maybe someone used it on their car."  (In hindsight: Duh!  Of course they used it on their car!) Then, we walked away and checked in his car.  Oops! Notice Andrew's face in this photo?  This is after his car finished his first race.  Um, yeah.  There's a reason there was graphite on the table ... and I felt the shame each and every time Andrew's car was in a race.  Especially b...

In March, our son was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It was such a sweet moment for us all.  My in-laws were able to come down from Idaho for the baptism and celebrate his birthday with us.  It was such a fun time. About two weeks before his baptism, I took him out to a local park to get his picture taken for his invitations.  He was so great!  Andrew would stand there and look at the camera lens for minutes on end.  I just snapped away.  After about 10 minutes I had some great photos, but I just couldn't stop.  We walked around and I had him pose in many different areas.  In the end, I used the photo below for his baptism invitation, and the photo above for his birthday party invitation.  I forgot to include the date and time for his baptism on the invitation, oops!  So, we had to include a little paper with the pertinent information on it.  That mommy-memory of mine! Andrew had a S...

One of my goals is to challenge my children more; give them assignments that expect more from them.  The last three weeks we've been telling Eliza in her mentor sessions with us that we will give her a research project topic, yet I haven't done that yet.  How does everyone do it?  I mean, how do you find the time to get the information you need to make a good decision, as well as everything else you need to do? All of my children could be challenged more.  For example, these pictures show Andrew with his spelling lesson, All About Spelling .  I love this program.  It teaches the rules of spelling, not just memorizing, and it takes into account the three major learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic).  So, first I introduce the spelling rule.  Then, I demonstrate it with the letter tiles.  At which point, Andrew gets to use the tiles to spell his spelling list.  After he can spell all of the words with the tiles, he gets to writ...

I decided since I haven't posted about anything that we've done in the last few months, that I'd go back to Christmas time, at least for a little bit.  Eliza's and Kate's singing group, Shine Your Light Singers, sang at a church's Christmas Party in December.  Outside of the church, they had a small set up of a manger scene, with actors, and a small "petting zoo."  There were donkeys, and sheep, chicks, and bunnies. Poor, Adam stood by the pen for the bunnies waiting and waiting for his turn with a particular bunny.  Finally, when he was given the bunny, he was scratched and it startled him enough that the bunny needed to be put back down.  After that point, he waited and waited patiently for another turn, which he never got.  I was surprised by his persistence.  He stood there for easily 15 minutes waiting for another turn.  While, Andrew held a bunny for probably 8-10 minutes alone.  He sure got attached to that cute furry thing. Eli...

Our Christmas was so much fun.  In the past I've been ready well before Christmas, with present wrapped at the end of October.  Not so for this year.  I was shopping for presents the Saturday before Christmas.  And, after going out there in the masses ... I will not do that again next year!  Traditionally, our children have stocking stuffers and presents from us.  We don't do the Santa thing.  Just haven't ever wanted to.  Also traditionally, all of our children get similar items.  Most of the time it's because they all want what each other wants.  But, sometimes it's not the case.  This year, they all got lapdesks to use for school when we do our science or history in the living room.  (Of course, they each got their assigned color as well.) Traditionally, we all get toothbrushes in our stockings.  This year I got them all battery-powered toothbrushes.  I've never seen so many children get excited over a toothbru...