Hair and Nails

For Gloria's special time this week we played beauty shop. She got her hair put up in a half french braid. Then we painted her toe nails red and her finger nails pink. She wanted to have her left hand and foot red and the right side pink, but I convinced her that it would look prettier this way.

She wouldn't take out the french braid for two days! Today she finally took it out, and I have to say it looked mighty cute with the waves that were left. I already wonder if she's not developing a fan club. The other day when the girls were sick one of the neighborhood boys, Garreth, knocked on the door and asked if she could come out and play. Just her, not Danya. Hmm... Maybe it's because she chases him, screaming like a happy banshee, when he rides his bike? She has such a bright, outgoing personality! She reminds me alot of her Aunt Toni.

Snuggle Bear

Grandma, this one's for you! Here's a picture of Kevin all snuggly warm ready to go outside in the adorable bear outfit you bought him before we moved to Colorado.

He liked it, but we learned a lesson. Always wash these kinds of outfits before wearing. When we took it off him he was covered in blue fuzz! Oh, well, lesson learned. He sure was cute, though!

First Snow in Colorado

This week we had unexpected early snow. The girls couldn't wait for the snow to stop. They ran out to play in the dark. They've been out in it every day since. Today most of the snow was gone, so they just crushed left over ice chunks. Danya got in trouble for sticking ice in the back of Gloria's hood.

Daniel and I didn't play in the snow, but we did go shopping. He bought me a digital voice recorder. I'm recording myself reading books out loud so that the girls can listen to them on their own. So far they really like it.

The Reading Mother

Another good poem about reading aloud:


The Reading Mother
I had a mother who read to me
Sagas of pirates who scoured the sea,
Cutlasses clenched in their yellow teeth,
"Blackbirds" stowed in the hold beneath.

I had a mother who read me lays

Of ancient and gallant and golden days;

Stories of Marmion and Ivanhoe,

Which every boy has a right to know.

I had a mother who read me tales

Of Gelert the hound of the hills of Wales,

True to his trust till his tragic death,

Faithfulness blent with his final breath.

I had a mother who read me the things

That wholesome life to the boy heart brings-

Stories that stir with an upward touch,

Oh, that each mother of boys were such!

You may have tangible wealth untold;

Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold,

Richer than I you can never be-

I had a mother who read to me.

-by Strickland W. Gillilan

Reading Aloud

We've been collecting these "Read - Aloud" books for the past couple of months as we find them on sale at various book stores. The girls like them and I've enjoyed all of them except the "Celtic Myths and Legends" stories so far. The other night we took a flashlight outside and read a short story in the dark excerpted from "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" by Judy Blume. I've also taken the "Children's Classics" book and recorded the stories onto a tape recorder for the girls to listen to. In honor of reading to our children, here is a poem from the "Read-Aloud Poems" book:

When Mother Reads Aloud
When Mother reads aloud, the past
Seems real as every day;
I hear the tramp of armies vast,
I see the spears and lances cast,
I join the thrilling fray;
Brave knights and ladies fair and proud
I meet when Mother reads aloud.

When Mother reads aloud, far lands
Seem very near and true;
I cross the desert's gleaming sands,
Or hunt the jungle's prowling bands,
Or sail the ocean blue.
Far heights, whose peaks the cold mists shroud,
I scale, when Mother reads aloud.

When Mother reads aloud, I long
For noble deeds to do-
To help the right, redress the wrong;
It seems so easy to be strong,
So simple to be true.
Oh, thick and fast the visions crowd
My eyes, when Mother reads aloud.

Grace Community Church

We've been checking out new churches for the past several weeks. We think we've found one that we like. So today we went back to Grace Community Church. It's a small church, 95% young families and tons of homeschoolers. Danya has already found 3 kids that attend this church out of the 7 kids in her little charter school class.

We invited our neighbors across the courtyard from us to go to church with us. They said yes, but then weren't home today. Their Dad has been in the hospital and he came home this morning. I'd say that's a pretty great reason to miss church.

Gloria tried to explain what she learned in church today and we all got mixed up thinking she said Cain when she was trying to tell us about Canaan. Speaking of grammatical and spelling errors, my sister Toni is encouraging me to offer my services at the local college as a proof reader for students. Daniel and I are considering all the details and may jump into this as a good small home business opportunity. Maybe my annoying habit of correcting my friends' pronunciation will finally pay off!

We're Reading: "My Story" by Rosa Parks

Just another update on our current reading list. We finished "James and the Giant Peach" last week and watched the movie, which was rather disappointing compared to the book. The girls loved the book and wanted to discuss all the amazing things that happened to James and his friends. They didn't like the movie much at all. I didn't realize that the movie was made by Tim Burton whose films I've always disliked. He added things to the movie to make it dark and frightening, and I think they were really a mistake. The book was an exciting read, though. I definitely would recommend it!

Now we've begun reading a new book: "My Story" by Rosa Parks. I wanted a historical biography that was written simply enough that the girls would be able to understand it if I read it out loud. I searched for an hour at the public library before I found this one. I had intended to read about Abraham Lincoln since the girls have heard about him and want to know more. This book touches on similar subject matter and even mentioned Lincoln already in the first couple of chapters. The girls both like the photos of Rosa Parks' life, family, and home. They were shocked that black people would have to sit at the back of the bus or go to separate schools. I think this is going to be a really good book for them because it is meaningful in alot of different ways and is easy to listen to.

Sick or Not Sick?

We're confused. Yesterday Kevin broke out in tiny red spots all over his body. We figured it was a reaction to the Amoxicillin prescribed to him for his ear infection. So we called the Urgent Care place and told them about it. The doctor called us in a different kind of antibiotic. Today his eyes were watery and red and he seemed more miserable than before.

We called our insurance and found a different pediatrician to take him to (one that could see us now instead of a month from now). We only got to see the PA, but he said that Kevin's ears looked absolutely perfect. He said the bumps aren't a reaction to the medicine (which he didn't need anyway), but just an after effect of a viral infection. He says they will go away within a day or so and to stop giving him any medicine except the Ibuprofrin if he still seems fussy because he does NOT have an ear infection at all.

I'm not sure if he's right or not. Kevin has been pulling and scratching at his right ear. I wonder if maybe he did have an ear infection, mild though, and it cleared up. I know we've been praying for his healing, so maybe that explains it. It's frustrating and worrying when the medical people don't agree. We're going to stop giving him the antibiotics and hope for the best. I'm mad that we might have wasted so much money on them if he never did have an ear infection at all!

Kevin Behind Bars

I'm glad to say that my son is finally behind bars! He has been consistently, and contentedly, sleeping in his own bed this whole week. The last several days he even slept solidly from 12:30 am to 6:30 am. My body is still trying to adjust to the extra sleep I'm getting.

It's weird that he would sleep better the week that he's sick. What's even weirder is that the last two nights he has been scooting across his crib and sticking an arm or a foot out between the rails. I can't tell if he's doing it on purpose or not. Yes, I know he's sleeping on his belly and not his back in this photo. He just won't sleep on his back for more than a minute or two. He startles and thrashes and it wakes him up, furious. Worse than that, I'm considering putting in a bumper guard to keep his limbs inside the crib. I know, it's one of those "back to sleep" campaigner's nightmares. I think we may have to take our chances though.

The "Meat & Potatoes" of Homeschooling

We've been attempting to incorporate a little more "home" into our homeschooling lately. So the other day Danya got to help make meat loaf and Gloria got to help with the scalloped potatoes. No, it's not from scratch...nothing in this house ever is really. Gloria did get to see how the butter was divided into fractions and cut two tablespoons worth. Danya also gets to measure the water for hot cocoa.

Besides food, the girls have also been required to pitch in with housework a bit more. We filled a bag with little slips of paper, each one with a chore written on it. We each drew one, then had one minute to trade if we wanted to, and then ran to get the jobs done. Gloria washed the bathroom mirrors and made the beds. Danya swept the kitchen floor and took out the bathroom trash. Then they each took their little brooms we got for them at the school supply store and they picked a bathroom each to sweep.

It's still a struggle with them sometimes. I can send them to clean their room or the mess they made in the homeschool area and an hour later nothing will be done. They swear they can't do it without my help, but if we impose a time limit and a penalty it tends to get done quickly. I've been trying to get them to clear the table. So far all they'll do is throw away their dishes and leave the rest. I guess Daniel and I need to get a routine to better help them learn one.

First Ear Infection

It's hard to believe looking at this picture, but Kevin has an ear infection. He had a fever and was very fussy yesterday. We finally gave him a tiny bit of children's Tylenol. Then Aunt Jennie (our nurse on call, lol) said we could give him 100 milligrams of it, so we gave him a little more. It helped and he was able to sleep.

Today he would barely eat and was inconsolable. We called our new doctor that we just got through Daniel's new work insurance. Unfortunately they only book appointments for new patients a MONTH away! Who on Earth schedules an appointment for a 3 month old infant in pain a MONTH away?!! I was so mad I could spit! They gave us the address for the nearest urgent care and Daniel took Kevin there right away. They said he has an ear infection in his right ear. So now we're giving him an antibiotic and stronger Tylenol. He's doing much better. He's sleeping right now, which is a big relief. I don't know if Daniel's insurance will cover what is sure to be an exorbitant bill from the urgent care place, but I don't really care. It was worth it to help him, poor baby.

Art Supplies Surprise!

Since we got the basement homeschooling area set up the girls have had access to their art supplies and have made some great creations!

Today Danya brought me these stick puppets she created all by herself. Each one is labeled: bear, lion, tiger, sheep, and pig. We played with them for Kevin's amusement. The girls have also made posters about The Three Bears and other stories. They even created their own cards and folders. The other day they brought me down to see what they'd been working on all morning. It was an art show! They had sculptures (from linking wooden sticks) and drawings. Danya was taping hand made paper award ribbons to them that said things like "2nd Place, Great Shapes!" on them. They are so creative!

Home School Supply Store

We were looking for a good school supply store locally the other day and found the 'mother load'! It's the Banks School Supply warehouse and it has more than we could ever imagine. We may have gone a little nuts, but it sure was fun!

We bought two chairs which had to be returned because they were two tall for their desks. We also got each of the girls a 4-in-1 easel. It's a dry erase board, magnet board, felt board, and an art easel that holds a big roll of paper that pulls out through the top and clips to the front. It also has a shelf with paint cups in it. Then we got them a balance scale with weights, math base ten cubes and rods, and a few other odds and ends.

They've already been playing with it all and they don't even realize that some of it isn't a toy. Gloria even requested that we 'play' with the balance scale measuring her toys and figuring out how many grams each of them weighs for her special time last night. Tuesday she and I played games with the new bean bags we got them. I wrote math and spelling questions mixed with silly motions like hopping on one foot onto small paper plates and had her toss the bags onto them. Then she did what the plates said and got a piece of candy for each correct answer. We also played Simon Says with them.

Kevin at 3 Months

I never did get a picture of him holding a sign at 2 months and this month we were a few days late, but at least we got it done. So what's new with Kevin? He weighs 18 pounds with his clothes on according to the doctor's office. He'll eat pretty much any mushy food we give him. He has a wonderful little chuckle that he lets loose with any time he hears someone else laughing. I guess he just wants to join in on the fun!

He likes to get raspberries, especially on his feet. He's fascinated with the valance over the living room window. He doesn't push up much and can't roll over yet. We think it's because we never give him a chance. We're always either holding him or putting him in his swing. He's basically wearing 9 month clothing. All the 3-6 month things are getting very tight. We're looking for a bigger car seat to upgrade to. He likes to suck his fists and pukes constantly. He's been sleeping for 6 hours at a stretch at night. I wish it was longer, but it's better than before at least. The best thing is probably how he "talks". He will take turns making sounds with me. It sounds like we're having a conversation, just with noise instead of actual words. I can already tell he's going to be a talker! Just like Mommy...I'm so proud!

Gloria's Photography

Have I mentioned what a good little photographer Gloria is becoming? She took this picture of us under a bridge on Dry Creek Trail.

She has a real eye for composition and always manages to center her subjects. I cropped this one slightly because she took a full body shot and my lower half just didn't look flattering, but I didn't change the photo other than that.

I got my first camera when I was in the 7th grade from my Aunt Kathy. It was one of those instant Polaroid cameras and it was one of the best gifts I ever got. I can just imagine how much better Gloria will be than I was since she'll have access to a digital camera from such a young age.

Dry Creek Trail

On the 6th of October we decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and take a long walk along one of the many nearby walking trails. The first one we found was Dry Creek Trail. It's a short trail that meanders along under two bridges and eventually leads to a large playground behind a church that we visited a few weeks ago.

We enjoyed seeing the little waterfalls here and there, creating echoes under the bridges, watching ducks float along the creek, and counting prairie dogs as they ran to hide from us. They make such a funny bird-like sound when they warn each other of danger passing by. We also took turns pushing Kevin (and sometimes his sisters) in the stroller and climbed a rock wall at the playground. The girls played in the sprinklers on a soccer field nearby. It felt like a long walk because we took a couple of hours to complete it, but really it was only a short distance. It was very pretty though, and worth the trip!

Exploring the Neighborhood

We took a family walk today and decided to head North. We climbed a hill so steep I didn't think I'd make it to the top! We spiraled up to the top of a bridge, crossed over it and spiraled down to the other side.

We decided eventually that our destination would be Abertson's grocery store so that we could get groceries. The last hill before we got there proved to be too much for Gloria and I carried her up it. That was it for me. We made Daniel run home and get the van. It was a really nice walk...just a little too far.

Falling Into Autumn

I think it's fall. This is the beginning of October at least. There are beautiful colored leaves all over the ground that the girls are enjoying playing in. When I wake up in the mornings it's cold and at night I turn on the heat. So where are these 80 plus degree days coming from?!

Today the weather was gorgeous. Kevin and I sat out on our front step and watched his sisters ride around on the sidewalk. I turned off the thermostat and just opened the doors up to let the air into the house.

I don't know what the weather will do next. I do know, however, that we plan to enjoy every minute of it that we can. It's just too perfect to pass up!

Danya Helps Out

Danya is such a big help! She's always the first one to grab a burp cloth or offer to sit next to Kevin in the car so that she can give him his pacifier when he drops it. She'll sit next to him at home and take care of him while I get things done around the house. She's just a great big sister and I can't imagine taking care of Kevin without her help.

Grandpa's Boys

Grandpa and two of his grandsons just sitting back and relaxing in Grandpa's big rocking recliner. He just looked happy as a clam holding Jason and Kevin. I think Kevin liked the rocking motion because he was smiling away. Jason was teaching him the fine art of how to snuggle just right into the crook of Grandpa's arm to get maximum comfort and support. Jason also says he hopes that Kevin's hair continues to darken so that he'll have a cousin that looks like him. I hope so, too, Jason!

First Real Swing!

Saturday night we went out for bar-b-que with Daniel's parents and the cousins. We ate at Bad Brad's which is a good name for it since I didn't think the food was all that great.

Afterwards we took a walk at Boomer Lake stopping at the playground. Gloria excitedly pointed out the baby swings for Kevin. I started to say he was too little, then decided to give them a try. Kevin really liked it! He sat in this relaxed pose the whole time and just smiled and looked around.

The bugs were so thick that we sent the men back to pick up the vehicles and as soon as they arrived we all dived back into the van and headed home. Now that I know Kevin can handle it, I'll have to let him swing in the baby swings near our house. He's growing up so fast!

Mr. Taylor: Mentor and Friend

Mr. Taylor became my band director when I signed up for band in the eighth grade (eighth - yes, I had to google the spelling). I was disrespectful and not very interested in band. I was mostly there because it was easier than gym and all my friends were in it.

He straightened me out and taught me alot about pride, respect, commitment, determination, and success. I don't think I would be who I am today if it hadn't been for his influence in my life. We took this picture after the alumni luncheon on Saturday after the parade. He said he was proud of how I had turned out. It was really good to see him and talk to him again. I can't wait until the next alumni band reunion.

Charming Kevin

What is it about this boy that just makes girls of all ages go ga-ga over him? The blonde woman is my friend, Crystal, that played the flute in my high school band. Her daughter, Bella, is the beautiful little girl making goo-goo eyes at my son.

Crystal had a booth where she was selling hand made hair bows. Her daughter is wearing one of them in this picture. We bought a few for our girls. One has a princess bottle cap on it and the other two both have cherries on them. They're extremely cute. Of course, little Bella only seems to notice how extremely cute Kevin is. I agree!

Harvest Fest Parade

Even though the Alumni didn't get to play in the Harvest Fest parade, we still attended. It was a beautiful day (high of 92!) and we all enjoyed walking around looking at the different booths.

The kids climbed through a giant inflated caterpillar, jumped on the Jupiter Jump, and scaled the inflated rock wall. They also got free balloons and popcorn. When the parade started they ran out catching and picking up candy as it was tossed from the floats. A few times we thought they were going to get squashed by a float or vehicle. Grandma made them stay close to her when the horses passed because she was afraid they'd get kicked. There was a wild rush of kids to the Piggly Wiggly float when they handed out apples. We gave the kids two dollars in quarters each to spend, but they were so busy having fun that they didn't get around to spending it. Oh well! It was a good parade!

See Jessica Play!

If ever there were a posed photo, this is one! It was the only way Daniel could get a photo of me up in the bleachers at my high school, sitting with my band and playing. When everyone was actually playing I would just be one more bell in a sea of brass horns aimed at the field.

I sure had a blast playing my instruments and sitting among the other trombone players. Kelly, sitting to my right, was a senior when I was a freshman. His old handwritten slide position notes were still on the sheet music we played! There was a female trombone player there 16 years older than me and another one that was 12 years younger than me. I've always thought it was fun and unique to play an instrument that is usually dominated by male players.

We played the Notre Dame fight song and of course the National Anthem. We also stood up, just the trombones, and played a long sliding glissando following the path of the ball when it was kicked. It was alot of fun, and I still didn't understand a THING about what was happening on the football field. Just like old times!

Friends at D'Mario's

We had a whirl wind dinner with Glenda's family at D'Mario's before heading to the football game. It was planned very last minute, but I'm glad we got to see them.

Daniel's parents were supposed to join us, but were delayed. You can see little Qorban in the picture pointedly NOT looking at me. I tried all my tricks to make him smile. I acted silly, even crossed my eyes, but everytime he'd look away with his adorable little shy routine.

Every time I see Glenda looking all slender again, it makes me want to hurry up and join her. Daniel and I have had a rocky start getting back to counting points with Weight Watchers, but at least I'm still down to 183. Seeing Glenda gives me hope that I'll eventually get there. If she can do it, I can do it, right?

Cousin Rhema is 7!

Rhema and Jason surprised us by spending the weekend with Grandma and Grandpa while we were down this weekend. Rhema just had her 7th birthday, but Grandma gave her an extra little cake and we gave her a card with $7 in it.

The girls loved getting to spend time with their cousins. Jason came even though he had to miss out on one of his soccer games to be there. He didn't want to miss the chance to spend time with Gloria and Danya since he won't see us again until Thanksgiving.

The kids played Foosball and got dirty outside together. You couldn't ask for a better time at their age! (Oh, Nancy and Wayne are babysitting the boy in stripes after school for a couple of weeks for some friends of theirs.)

Alumni Band

Daniel took the time off from work this week, so I get to go to my Alumni band reunion! We are heading out today after he takes a nap and should arrive at his parents' house sometime tomorrow. Tomorrow night my high school is having it's homecoming football game. I'm not sure if we get to play at that or not. The next morning we get to join the Old Settler's Day parade. I've been practising playing my trombone this week, but I'm still not sure how well I'll do playing actual sheet music. I'm mostly just excited to see my old friends and my band director, Mr. Taylor. My girls think it's great when I play the trombone and have each taken a turn blowing it. They haven't gotten to do that since I brought my t-bone to Danya's Sunday school class a couple of years ago.

First Foods

I know, it seems crazy. My three month old (okay 12 weeks), is eating baby food. It's my fault. I gave him some applesauce I was eating the other day and he loved it. So Daniel bought him some bananas and sweet potato. He's eating the bananas in this photo.

We've got a video I took on the camera that shows him laughing and cooing and snatching at the food. These last few days he only drinks a little milk first thing in the morning and then ignores me until I give him some baby food. We didn't start our other two kids out on 'solids' until their fourth month, but Kevin seems determined to do everything early.

The New Library

We finally found the local library here in Westminster! It's really big and has a giant playground beside it. The librarian helped Danya find an entire section of "Cam Jansen" mysteries that she hadn't read before. She's been reading them non-stop since we got home.

Gloria got a few beginner reader books. We got Kevin some Usborne books that he can feel, like "That's not my puppy!" (in Spanish). The dogs have fur and paws and ears that you can feel with different textures.

You can see the books I checked out in this photo. I love reading books about homeschooling. I think you can always learn something new. Their section on homeschooling in this library was great, much bigger than the one in Owasso, but the librarian apologized to me for the small selection and said that their sister library at a college a few blocks away has a much larger selection. Whoo hoo!

Daniel found the new Terrby Brooks book. I've read some of his other books and liked them. This one sounds kind of 'dark', but I'm going to try to read it this weekend.

Work Hazzard

I've been reveling in 'girl power' lately and decided to borrow Daniel's tools and take over some of the construction of the new modular shelving, drawers, and cabinets. I've had a lot of fun doing it and was surprised at how easy it all was to assemble. Daniel and I even had a race on one set of shelves that were identical.

Unfortunately, certain hazzards come with the job. You might notice that I am barefoot in this picture. Shortly after this photo was taken I was unpacking boxes of scrapbooking supplies into my newly built storage units when I accidentally knocked a hammer off a desk and onto my foot. Daniel heard the screaming, rushed down the basement stairs, stepped over me (gasping and crying on the floor), started a load of laundry, and then came to help me up. No, he will never live that down.

Big Blue Eyes!

WHAT?! What did you say?! I KNOW you didn't just make fun of these cool glasses my big sister Gloria let me wear.

Admit it! I look like one cool guy. Yes, even in Little Mermaid glasses from McDonald's I am STILL a ladies' man! Why, just the other night in the women's restroom at Woody's Pizza I was flirting with a waitress. I smiled and batted my long eyelashes at her then babbled in smooth cool guy baby talk to her. Yeah, she couldn't get enough. But hey, that's just the way it is. It's not easy being this suave.

Gloria the Locksmith!

Daniel was holding Kevin and I was busy down in the basement, so Gloria got to single handedly replace the doorknob to our room.

Daniel gave her instructions, but she did it all by herself. She removed the old one using Daniel's screwdriver, then put in the new doorknob (that has a lock, yippee!).

She's quite the handy little girl! She and Danya have also gotten to help assemble some furniture. Daniel was so proud of her, he was about to bust! That's why I thought it was so funny when he got annoyed with her the next day for repeatedly breaking and fixing a pair of cheap glasses she got in a Happy Meal. Before she can fix something it has to be broken, right?

Getting Settled

There is so much involved in a move, it feels like we'll never get it all done! This week we finished assembling the new storage cabinets and book shelves. We also found a good bank. We spent a few hours (yes, hours!) getting paper work filled out and setting things up to get debit cards, checks, direct deposit, and making the girls' godmother our beneficiary. What an awful thought, to have to decide who will claim our money, insurance, and property if we should both die at the same time. I'm so glad that we have friends that we can trust to handle everything and take care of our kids. This week we plan to go buy some software to make our will, since we've been neglecting that important step.

We also need to change our insurance to a local State Farm and get new driver's licences and plates for the van. We have to forward our subscriptions and change doctors. The list goes on. Where does it end?!?

James and the Giant Peach

This is what I am reading out loud to the girls right now. We started it just yesterday and they asked me first thing this morning to keep reading. The beginning is a little harsh as the author talks about how horrible James' two aunts are, but the girls are riveted to the story already. I made sure that the first reading time together we read up to the part where James meets the mysterious man and receives the magic bag. That kept them interested to read the rest of James and the Giant Peach.

I plan to have them write about the book, the characters, and what they think will happen next. I'll also have them draw pictures about what we've read and maybe even memorize one of the silly poems in the book. Gloria only has to write one small sentence when we do this, and I help her spell whatever she wants to say. I expect a little bit more from Danya, usually two or three sentences. I want them to practice their handwriting, but I don't want to make them hate writing since it's still hard for them at this age. It may take a while to finish this book since we may only be able to read it when I'm feeding Kevin.

Three Little Monkeys

When I saw the girls being sweet and snuggling Kevin trying to make him laugh in his room the other morning I just had to grab my camera! They were so cute! Kevin just kept smiling away!

Today Daniel held Kevin in front of him, with Kevin sort of sitting on Daniel's belly. Then Daniel would go up and down really fast, bending his knees. Kevin kept chuckling and yelling happily! It was great! We've never gotten him to laugh that many times in a row before. The girls and I were having breakfast and I almost spit milk it was so funny!

Kevin sure does love his daddy! I have to agree. He's a funny guy!

First Day at the Charter School

Danya went to her first day at the homeschool program provided by the Woodrow Wilson Academy charter school last Tuesday. She really liked it and has been counting down the days until next Tuesday. She was excited to get to pack a lunch. Gloria was feeling left out so we got her a lunchbox, too. They are on sale at Target right now for about $2 each. I took Gloria to the apartment playground and we had lunch there. We called it recess so she would feel like she was doing something special just like Danya.

Danya liked the music class. She said she got to sing them her favorite song. She asked me if it was okay that she sang a song about God since public schools aren't allowed to do that. I told her that the students can sing any song they like, it's just the teachers that can't.

She also learned part of the Spanish alphabet which is something I hadn't planned to introduce to the girls yet, so that was good. I'm really hoping that this school covers things that we don't at home. She brought home leaves glued to a piece of paper for science class, which is something she's done plenty of times before, so I hope that class gets a little more interesting for her. Danya also said she was embarrassed in drama class because she had to say her name and then do a motion. I told her that she was learning to be confidant in public and that it was just like the way we practice reciting poems at home. When reciting she has to stand up in front of her Dad or me, look us in the eye, and speak the words clearly and confidantly without fidgeting. Hopefully she'll be so used to this by the end of her school years that she will be an excellent public speaker.

Closet Homeschoolers

Okay, so it's not a closet, but it still feels a little strange that all our homeschool things are in the basement. It sure looks good, though!

We haven't finished it all yet, but it's coming along nicely. Daniel and his dad built the new white storage cabinet and shelves along the back wall. We got them from Lowe's for a good price. The colorful collapsible fabric drawers were only six dollars as opposed to the eight dollar ones at the local scrapbook store, Archiver's. I got the posters, border strip, and dry-erase calendar from Target in the dollar spot. Daniel's parents gave us the desks. We still need to find chairs the right height for them. The wooden drawer unit on the left came from Big Lots.

The girls have been playing down there daily since Grandpa and Daniel installed fluorescent lights in the ceiling. We will officially be starting homeschooling down there tomorrow. We're all looking forward to it. We still need to hang our dry erase boards and we're going to store scraps of construction paper and scrapbooking paper in Gloria's old desk and let them cut and paste to their heart's content.

PT Cruisin' Home

Daniel rented a PT Cruiser from Thrifty to take his parents home in this weekend. He drove down with them on Friday and drove back on Saturday. We found out while calling around trying to rent a car that rental places require you to return it to the same location you rented it from. It's not like a U-Haul truck that you can drop off in another state once you get there.

I'm glad that Daniel and his parents got the opportunity to spend some time together since I know they will miss each other so much now that we live 10-12 hours away. Daniel really liked the car and drove us around in it today. We drove it to the new church we were checking out this morning. It was a nice church, good music, good sermon, okay children's church. We want to try some others though and wait for God to tell us where He wants us.

Visiting the Rockies

Daniel and his parents got the bug this week to get up close and personal with the Colorado Rockies. So Nancy packed sandwich supplies and we headed towards Black Hawk, CO.

It was absolutely beautiful! The mountains were all shades of blue in the distance and covered in changing fall leaves. Our ears popped as we went up and down the twisting mountain roads, taking pictures of the gorgeous scenery. Wayne particularly liked all the little mining areas we passed.

The girls enjoyed a walk collecting colorful leaves and exploring through all the different kinds of trees. We even saw a stooping hawk and buffalo! I took this picture on our way home. Colorado is so pretty in the fall. I think we came in the perfect season despite the rain that comes almost every afternoon.

Woodrow Wilson Academy

We found out about the homeschooling program offered by The Woodrow Wilson Academy when we were researching homeschooling groups online before the move. It's a charter school that offers a one day a week program for homeschoolers practically free. It's $30 for the whole year!

On Wednesday we signed Danya up. Every Tuesday she will go to the Family in Christ church (which hosts the WWA homeschool program) about five miles from our home. She'll be taking Art, Music, Science Lab, Spanish, Creative Writing, and Drama classes. This picture is of Danya in front of the actual charter school, not the church.

The program is for 1st through 6th graders. The sad thing is that even if Danya really likes the program and we like it, too, Gloria misses the age cut off by 27 days. So she wouldn't be old enough to enroll until the year after next. Who knows if we will be here that long. I'm looking forward, though, to spending time with her homeschooling together while Danya is at her extracurricular classes. I think she'll like being the center of attention.

Checking Out the Cuisine

Since we have almost no food in the house and have been to busy to do the grocery shopping we've been exploring all the local restaurants. I finally have a Perkins restaurant near me! We used to only eat there when we got a chance to visit Stillwater.

There are two McDonald's with indoor play lands within about a mile of our home. The girls got to play at each of them already. We also found a Chinese restaurant and a Mexican restaurant that have free delivery! We tried the Chinese place and their food was great! There is a big mall and all the accompanying places to eat right near our house. We're going to have so much fun trying them all out. There is even a Chicago's pizza like the one we went to in Kansas for our anniversary trip!

Making New Friends

I thought that when we moved here we might have to hang out at the playground for the girls to make new friends. HA! We met Rachel (in the blue shirt) the first day we arrived. That day lots of neighborhood kids close to the girls' ages just showed up and started sharing chalk with the girls and riding bikes and scooters with them on the square of sidewalk in front of our house.

So far we've met two brothers; Sean age 6 and Garreth age 10 and their sister Brittany. Also a 4 year old girl named Anna lives across from us and comes over to play almost every day. We have to tell her no after 7:30 pm because our girls are getting ready for bed while she stays up until close to midnight. Then we met Zoe (in the pink shirt in the back of the photo) at the playground.

It's actually a little overwhelming how many kids have already been stopping by almost daily! The girls are loving it! In one week they have more friends than they had in our whole neighborhood before! Grandma Nancy says that these kids might just be our mission field. I think God is definitely giving us an opportunity to be a positive influence in these kids' lives.

Mattress Trouble

We decided to say goodbye to our old mattress and buy a new one when we got to Denver. We got a new mattress and box spring and a new mattress for the new bed we bought Gloria. Hers is the kind with the drawers built in, so it didn't need a boxspring.

The problem began after the guys got the mattress upstairs to our new bedroom. They couldn't get the box spring up the stairs. It was just too awkward of an angle. They tried everything they could think of. I finally asked for help at the office. The manager brought her son over to help us. He couldn't figure it out either, but by now there were gouges in two walls and one had a big hole punched in it, all caused by trying to shove the box spring upstairs.

I suggested they flip the thing over and try it that way, but the guys said that wouldn't work...until the maintenance man came in and said the same thing. Sure enough, that fixed it and it went right up there. At least we had a bed finally! (and I get to tease Daniel mercilessly!)

Unpacking

We got everything unloaded and moved into the house on Monday after filling out all the paper work to make this place ours. Everything you see (of the house) in this picture is ours!

It was raining Monday afternoon so we got everything in as fast as we could. We even had unexpected help from our new neighbor, an 11 year old girl named Rachel. She climbed into our truck, grabbed some stuff and took it into our house. We were a bit surprised.

We've been doing our best to get unpacked while taking lots and lots of little trips to various stores to purchase the myriad things we need for the house. It turns out that this house doesn't have overhead lighting in the bedrooms or living room, so we had to buy lamps among other things. We also got the girls new Disney princess and Tinkerbell bedding. Then we got curtains for all the rooms. We bought and hung our first ever living room drapes!

Wayne and Daniel were amazing. They hung curtain rods, carried the washer and dryer down to the basement, assembled furniture, all in record time! It was really great having Wayne and Nancy here all week. Daniel and I would leave for a couple of hours to buy more house stuff and when we returned a whole room would be put together. Nancy pretty much single handedly unpacked the kitchen and the girls' room! They just made the whole moving process easier and less stressful. Thanks, guys!

Cowboy Kevin!

Kevin got to Cowboy up the other day. This is one of his adorable little outfits that he has pretty much outgrown before he even gets to wear it more than once. He sure has dealt with all these changes well. He didn't even mind letting Grandma and Grandpa sleep in his room all this week. Next week we are going to try to convince him that he'd really much rather sleep in his crib instead of in the little swing in our room. Like his clothes, he is quickly outgrowing his swing.

The Elliotts in 3D!

We're here! Our apartment number is 3D, a fact which Daniel just loves. We hadn't actually seen our house until we arrived. It's a three bedroom, one and a half bath, townhome with a basement. I really like it. It feels like a home, not an apartment. Outside is a different story, though.

The sidewalk makes a square around some bushes right in front of our house. All the neighbors' homes face toward the square and they all like to sit out on their porches. So everyone just sits and looks at each other. Also, they let their kids play out there til all hours of the night. Worst of all, they chain their dogs out front on long chains so that you can't go down the sidwalk without having to go around their dogs.

The house is great, though. I love having an upstairs room. All the bedrooms are upstairs. My room faces the front of the house which has a view all the way down to the pool. The dining area is bigger than our old one. The basement is fantastic. Once I get it finished I'll take a photo and blog about it. We are calling it the "Activity Room". Danya named it. The 21 x 25 square foot basement will be used for homeschooling, a play area, scrapbooking, and of course laundry and storage. It really is a neat home!

Blogging Along the Way

Stopping along the way to Colorado we were able to get hotels that offered free wireless internet access. It became a family affair.

I got to update my blog, the girls got to play games online, and grandpa finally got to use the laptop for a few minutes while I was busy nursing Kevin. Okay, the truth is that I sort of hogged the laptop most of the way. I edited my photos in paint because I haven't gotten around to loading the better photo editing software onto the laptop yet. Then I read a disturbing article about homeschooling from an Indiana newspaper. That particular article (Courier Press) and the responses it got had me up reading the screen way past bedtime.

Truckers!

Wayne took the tough job of driving the 26 foot truck all the way to Hays, Kansas. We took a brief stop in Wichita to visit the girls' godmother, Christina. She and her mom were running a booth at a scrapbooking craft sale. I got there as it was closing, so I only got to look at their booth and one other.

Afterwards everyone played at a school playground that was next door while I fed Kevin in the van. Danya and Gloria have just loved taking turns riding in the big truck. Grandma has lots of things for them to play with and they get to be so high above everyone. Daniel is hoping to take a turn driving the truck for a while today. We should be in Denver this afternoon, but we just found out that the Broncos have a home game today so traffic and finding a hotel may be harder than we thought. Tomorrow we get the keys to our new home!

Goodbye, Oklahoma!

Here's a picture of the last day we lived in Oklahoma. Along with the help of Glenda, Eric, Daniel's parents and their church home group, we loaded up the Penske truck.

We got a good deal on the truck; four days and unlimited mileage. I was worried that the Penske seemed to have less space than the U-haul, but since it was flat inside and didn't have bumps over the wheel weels it actually worked out better. I still can't believe my entire life fit inside one 26 foot truck..with a little room to spare.