22 Weeks!

Baby Poptart had his 22 week anatomy scan with the high-risk doctor today. Baby is looking great! He's growing well and the Gent and I had so much fun watching him dance around on the ultrasound screen. He will be our most photographed child before he's ever even born. We are oh so thankful that the antibody-E has not been causing any problems. Since the doctors are telling us we need to deliver early, we anticipate meeting our little boy in just 16 short weeks. EEK!!! I have so much I want to get done before then. Of course, I know all I really need are diapers and a car seat. :) Jacob felt his brother kick for the first time today and HE IS SO EXCITED. Can't wait to see these sweet boys together.

Living Room Re-Do

The pictures are dark because I took them before the sun was really up this morning, but you get the idea...

We decided to take our house off the market about a month ago and stay put for a while longer. In the meantime, I "needed" new living room furniture. Our old sofa was too low and squishy for this pregnant mama, and it never quite fit our living room (too large). I love the way this room has turned out! After living in our house for 7+ years, I feel like we finally did the living room right. Now we are getting ready to embark on some renovations (including a new master bath and closet) that we hope will help the house sell next spring. Until then, we will get to enjoy it! Glad we still have some love to spare for this old house.

20 Week Baby Picture

Here's baby boy's sweet profile at 20 weeks. He's growing well and showing no signs of anemia. Our anatomy scan is next week so we'll have lots more pictures then. His kicks are getting stronger and the Gent was able to feel one a couple of nights ago. Jacob touches my belly constantly--he (along with the rest of us) is so excited about his baby brother!

Poptart: 5 Months

Over half-way with this sweet baby boy! I am feeling good and baby's check-ups have been going well. We've been cleared to go from weekly appointments with the specialist to every two weeks. Not sure how long that will keep up but it is nice for now. I've been making a little baby registry and collecting fabric samples for the nursery. We're also getting ready to tackle some minor home renovations so I'll be nesting (and living in drywall dust) for the next four months. Never a dull moment around here!

Homeschooling in Real Life

I keep getting asked how I "do it all" so I thought I'd write a little about that.

For starters, I don't "do it all." Any type of schooling (public, private, home, or a combination) is going to leave something out because perfection does not exist in this world. And I have a housekeeper so someone else cleans my house twice a month.

But here's how our typical school day goes:

We start school by 9am. We begin with circle time: prayer, calendar, and during everyone's kindergarten year we say the Pledge of Allegiance so they all learn it.

Next is Nora's preschool. I read her a library book (usually off the Honey for a Child's Heart booklist) and we go over a concept. Right now we are doing letters. Some days we read an alphabet book; this week we are using large felt letters that she can trace while we say the letter name and sound.

Then Sophie and Nora play while I do math with Annie and Jacob.

Then Annie and Jacob do "sustained silent reading" (go read the Ramona books if you don't know what this is!) while I do Sophie's math and Nora plays independently.

After that we all do handwriting together, working on age-appropriate levels. Nora's goal for this year is to learn to write her name. Then we do memory work together (Bible verse, history facts, and poem). This is more for the older kids but Nora and Sophie can join in.

Then Annie and Jacob do spelling and grammar.

Recess for 15 minutes. Whew.

It is usually about 11am by this point. After recess, I do Sophie's kindergarten program (Five in a Row) with her. The other kids often want to listen in.

Next is one-on-one reading lessons with the older three children.

If we have time, the older two kids do history or science (we alternate days) to finish up our day. Then lunch. Sometimes we have lunch and then do history or science.

After lunch we read-aloud our literature book (medieval lit this year) and then our fun chapter book (right now, C.S. Lewis's The Silver Chair).

Then quiet time for two blessed hours. Mama collapses for about 30 minutes and catches up on email and other messages, then gets her chores done.

After quiet time comes tea time (snack and poetry reading).

Then it depends on the day: piano practice, ballet or gymnastics class, or free play.

That's pretty much our 9-5.

Of course, life never goes as planned. The first morning of school this year, the dog threw up. Then Nora was sick the second day. We have field trips about twice a month. A foster parent friend has a crisis. There are always interruptions. We just pick up where we left off and try to make it up by the end of the week.

All the little moments add up to lots of learning and I love getting to be part of it!

First Day of School 2018

Cincinnati!

Honey and the kids and I went to Cincinnati this summer to visit friends and eat Graeter's ice cream. We also enjoyed a fun-filled day a the zoo! Hurrah for summer!