The new fridge!

My in laws decided to get us all new fridges for christmas! I never dreamed we'd have a nice new fridge...we are all loving it! I don't know why the camera is doing the weird screen thing, it hasn't done that before....I apologize for my lack of digital camera intellect!

Quiet time

We are a reading family and love books! Here I caught Stephen reading to Kimberly. She has joined the ranks of avid book lover, just like her big brother and sisters!

Rebecca and friend

This is Rebecca's friend, Stevi Layne, from across the street. My m-i-l made the sock monkey for Kimberly and Rebecca claimed it! Actually, I've been too afraid to let Kimberly have it as it is very delicately made and I thought by the time she was 10 it would only have the main body left! They are showing off their new skates from Christmas.
I'm so glad Rebecca has made such good friends!

Old Navy is having a huge clearance that Megan and I stumbled on a few days ago. Her aunt Tara had given the older kids Old Navy gift cards so we went to use them and found some very good deals. Megan walked off with having spent only $7! Yesterday, Becca did the same with a new pair of sandals for the summer, shirt and gloves. Katherine, well as she put it, "feels the teenage blood for shopping cursing through her veins," what a drama queen! She went thru two gift cards! One from her aunt and one from uncle Geoffrey from three years ago! She got two pairs of pants, two sweaters, two tank tops, two turtleneck shirts and a t-shirt. She was so proud...the total was $47 and some change! I picked up a pair of shoes, slippers and a fleece jacket for Stephen for $11 and Kimberly I got a sleeper for $6--softest thing I've ever felt, 4 pairs of socks for 24 cents a piece, a hat for 1.49, tights for Megan for 1.49 and a knit dress that wasn't on sale, but was $16. I just love a deal!
The neighbor across the street spent the night with Rebecca on Sunday since they didn't have school on Monday. She ended up being over the whole day on Monday as well. Very sweet girl and gets along well with everyone. Sunday night we had both kids from across the street over for dinner as they'd been playing for hours here. I happened to have enough food for an army (for once), so the kids just invited them to stay. Afterwards, Stephen attempted to sleep over with Taylor from across the street, but that 9:30 phone call was him begging to come home. I wasn't sure it would happen anyway since he's really never stayed anywhere except with his best friend Raymond in Shreveport. He stayed one weekend with some friends of mine that have a ton of boys, but when I picked him up from that he cried for hours about us leaving him there for too long. He just likes his own stuff and even though he won't admit it...his family as well.
Well, I hear Kimberly stirring/screaming. I'm so glad that child finally decided to sleep past 6am! Now it is more like 7:30 or 8 that she usually wakes up.
Many blessings to everyone today!
Kris

How has five whole days gone by since my last post! Sorry for all those who check this regularly and I can't keep up! It has been a busy week.
Katherine goes in this week for her x-rays and molds for her braces. I don't know how long before the braces, but surely it is soon after. We got her progress report for English, 100/100. I don't know why that one teacher sends us progress reports, no one else does. She also had her gifted testing on Monday and we are anxious to see her results. She finished up rather quickly and she said it was easy. I just don't understand how when I tried to have her tested at four, they told me she was average (which is why we home schooled after that) and now all her teachers wanted her tested....life has a funny way of turning about sometimes!
Just when I thought we were over some humps with Megan, I get an email from her band director. She is holding up the class setting up and can't get herself together (getting her drumsticks, music out, etc.). He asked us to work with her at home, which I'm not sure how we can. Her academic classes seem to be going well. I see her actually doing her homework on a regular basis, although not always finishing as it takes her so long. She will be in her room for three hours and I will go in to check on her and she will just be staring at her books and I'll ask if she wants help and she always says no, but then her next words are, "I'm stuck on this one and I can't figure it out." I explain that she do as much as she can and then come to mom or dad and ask us to help figure it out with her....but she doesn't want help so we end up arguing and me leaving her alone...this goes on all night until she falls face down in her books and falls asleep. I think the tutoring I wanted to get her MONTHS ago would be helping, but Paul won't hear of spending the money. It was quite a bit and we'd have to pull all the kids out of all their activities, just for Megan to go to tutoring once a week!

I think the piano is doing several of them a lot of good focusing them and Stephen especially is getting a lot out of it. I can't believe how good he is. I watch him play and he is just mesmerized by the piano as he plays, and plays and plays. Last week Teresa told us that she'd probably only be able to teach him another two years, tops, and then we'd have to look into a tutor from the University of Memphis. They have their recital next Saturday. We had a practice this past Saturday and the kids really enjoyed it.

Good news on the home-front! Our house in Shreveport now has a 12 month lease on it!!! Praise the Lord!!!!! We desperately needed that financial boost! Now we can finally get the van that has been sitting and waiting for us! Our van scout found it a few weeks ago (it took him a little over three months to find what we wanted) at an auction and a dealer friend of his picked it up with the agreement to hold it until we could buy it. It shouldn't cost us over 18K! Paul put a call into him yesterday, so hopefully by the end of the month we can all ride comfortably (and legally) in the van!

Hopefully, I will get to publish more soon...just a quick note to catch everyone up! Have a blessed day!

Cold season

Well, Paul seems to have started the cold virus once again. He and Kimberly seem to constantly fighting it off. He's pretty versed now into what he needs to do, so I just have to superdose Kimmy and then give everyone else their "armor" to keep them from getting it. Years ago I stumbled into this immune booster for kids called "Sea Buddies." Works like a charm and the kids will eat the tablets without complaint. I feed to them like candy if they are actually sick and just one a day if there is something going around. That and the Zicam works very well to keep their symptoms mild...as long as I jump on it. Poor Kimberly's immune system is always on overload due to her urticaria pigmentosa, so she does tend to fall prey to everything that comes her way. She had the worse case of chicken pox I'd seen in all the kids...inside her mouth, eyelids, yuck! Though due to her age she didn't rub or scratch and has no marks to show for it! Not like Lauren who had a moderate case, but the pox got to be the size of one's thumbnail, became infected and she has scars all over her abdomen because of the infectious pus leaching out onto her skin..that was even yuckier! The poor child will never get to wear bikinis (maybe that is a good thing?!).
I can tell I am fighting it off due to the tiredness factor and waking up with mucus. Moms can't get sick though, right?
Hope everyone in your households stay well!
God bless!

report card time!

Katherine is starting down the trail to braces. She has an appointment today to take care of a few cavities and tomorrow gets her initial evaluation with the orthodontist school. After calling around we discovered that it would save us a ton of money to just go to the school. I've found out the going rate for braces is anywhere between 5-6K! The ortho school only charges 3K. Granted, we have to pay all that up front and wait for reimbursement from our insurance (they will pay half), but it is a heck of a deal! The only problem is that I now will have to drive into midtown in order for her to get care...and I always seem to get lost when I have to drive into Memphis!
Katherine brought home her report card, severely disappointed...she was just one point away from the principal's list! She is very bored with her "stupid, easy classes" that are required by the state and she isn't paying as much attention to things she should, hence the "B" instead of the "A" in that class. All the others are A's, but she still isn't happy about that B.
Megan was home sick with strep throat yesterday. She started with it probably on about Thursday or Friday, but I ignored her until Saturday she woke up and her throat was noticeably swollen. We started immediate treatment with the colloidal silver and her immune boost tablets. She recovered enough by about 10am yesterday that I knew she was ready to go back today. Guess we'll see her report card when she comes home.
Stephen got all A's as well. Surprise, surprise...in an attempt at trying to get Megan motivated for school we offered money for grades. I remember when I was in high school, I was so envious of other kids whose parents did this....it never occurred to me that my mom just couldn't afford it. Stephen overheard my discussion with Megan and announced that he was the richest person in the family!
Gotta run, have a very blessed day!
Kris

Another day...

Stephen is driving us crazy with the constant piano playing. I can hear him downstairs. I know Paul has heard him as I hear the water running now. It doesn't matter how many times we tell him to wait for everyone to be awake, it doesn't phase him. He plays and plays until he has exhausted his piano book, then he turns to his sister's assignments. He then goes thru those until his sister hears him and comes bounding into the room to snatch up her books and angrily tell him that he is only supposed to be practicing out of his own book! I need to get the piano corner organized so everyone has their own space for their assignment books and practice books....I've been looking for a five drawer shelf thing and as of yet have been unable to locate one.
Yesterday was First Friday. For us that means Mass in the morning, followed by co-op style classes and then prayers at noon back up in the church. It was such a small group that it seemed awkward. Usually I have about ten girls in my class and yesterday there was only five AND no one showed up for the Angelus at noon. Lauren is in my class of Little Flowers. The girls learn the virtues and saints who depict these virtues in class. They earn badges, just like the scouts do. They can also earn medals by completing assigned tasks from their books. All the girls work so hard to complete their tasks; it is very inspiring! Yesterday, the girls made spiritual bouquets for someone of their choosing. Lauren chose my friend's daughter, Grace. Grace has suddenly developed some liver problems and they (the doctors) are unsure of exactly what is wrong. Lauren made this beautiful little card, then we went back up into the church and she said her prayers...offering them all for Grace's strength during this time of struggle ("to willingly accept God's providence and find strength and consolation in our Lady"). We will send Grace her card today and I hope she finds it comforting.
Well, I hear the troops arising, so I'd better go down to make breakfast. The refrigerator was delivered two days ago, but the door was dented, so we insisted upon a replacement since they only would offer us a $10 gift card if we accepted it as is! Paul laughed and said, "if that is it, forget it, I want a whole new fridge. They are supposed to be delivering it this morning. We LOVE the new fridge!!!!!!!

To a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year!

What a year it is starting out to be! Paul's dad bought all the kids new refrigerators for Christmas! We are so excited around here! We've not ever had a good fridge, or even one that suited our needs! Now we will move our old 18 cu ft. one out to the garage and have the new 24.8 cu ft. fridge in our kitchen. It is like a new baby is coming!!!!! Just kidding!
We all had a fabulous Christmas this year. We homeschooled for only a couple of weeks and then spent time shopping, cooking, baking, wrapping and decorating. I got the house decorated, cards out and shopping accomplished with very little stress. This year was actually enjoyable, which is exactly what God envisioned!
We decided to make an annual event of our Christmas day open house. It was so wonderful to have guests wander in throughout the day to share the joy!
We all made jokes that anyone wanting to break in and steal gifts would be sorely disappointed as my kids are so happy with the simplest of items. Lauren's favorites, of course were the "chain with hooks" (everyone was joking about that one...but she wanted to hang her stuffed animals up and I told her about this, so this was the first item on her list) and of course her can of olives. She did put in a late request for a chocolate St. Nick. I did manage to find some10 inch ones at Walgreens.
Kimberly got a tricycle that she absolutely loves! It has a parent handle on the back that steers and pushes, so once it warms up we will take it outside. Thus far, she's just been pushing her new Barney around...that in itself is a story! He must be considered "out" now as it was very difficult to find him! I ended up having to buy him online after ToysRUs, BabiesRUs, 2 Walmarts and 2 Targets failed.
Stephen got a nice fishing pole and a bow and arrow, Rebecca a pair of skates, which the neighbor friend got as well, so they skated for probably the first three days after Christmas! Megan got a Hannah Montana doll, and Katherine got a new coat and bookbag...no electronics here!
My dad sent money so I picked up the kids and took off for Shreveport for three days. The kids got to see several of their old friends (as did I) and I also got the paint touched up, the air filters changed and the house cleaned and polished. Now, we just need to keep praying for the right renters!
Good news also came yesterday! Our van scout called and he found us EXACTLY what we wanted in Nashville at auction. He made a deal with a dealer friend of his to buy it and hold onto it until we get our house rented and can afford to get it. It is Pewter (not white), 12 passenger with sliding door, 2007 for $17,500! The kids are excited that soon they can spread out!
The kids went back to school today. They are all a little sad to be leaving their family behind again. Katherine will show up to a whole new schedule as we insisted last semester that they move her to a more accelerated program. All her teachers agreed, so the counselor was to be working on it on the last day of school. Stephen's testing will hopefully be this month and we can get him some challenging work. He is so bored and hates school. I keep hoping something will peak his interests so he isn't detesting school.
Rebecca and Lauren started back homeschooling on Monday and were really fighting me, but with everyone else back it should now be easier.
Megan is looking forward to seeing her friends again. She ended the year on a happy note as we found out she might just pass sixth grade.
Now it is time to gear up for the Pinewood Derby on the 26th of this month, as well as their piano recital....I'm praying the two do not coincide at the same exact time. In Shreveport the PWD started early and lasted ALL DAY, but if you lost you got to go home. Paul may end up carting Stephen back and forth; we'll see.
Well, I need to get some laundry going so I can heat up the house...yesterday it was just 10 degrees with wind chill...we ran laundry all day. Paul set up this little dry vent thing that vents the hot air back into the house. It is very effective at heating the house and restoring humidity.
Have a blessed day!
Kris