Queen of the Castle

My daily thoughts are shared with you so that the boys will no longer see me walking around the house talking to myself!

Friday, September 29, 2006

Tempering my "Home Improvement" Bone

Over at Suzanne Temple's blog, she has a great bit on home improvement dreams. As I started to comment on her blog, I realized that I had WAY too much to say on the subject, so I decided to link to it and post my bit here...

When my husband and I bought our current home, it was in great shape yet there were still some things about it that, while functional, were not exactly what we desired. Since we were in our specific price range, we decided to take the plunge and just slowly work on those things that we did not love.

Fast forward 7 years and 4 kids later, and we just have not done as much as we thought we would in this time frame. Mostly because, especially with kids, other things come up that are more pressing - and that is just fine. However, I do get a certain itch to finally dig in and start these projects (usually postpartum for some reason - hmmm). And we have accomplished some projects that we absolutely love - the tile in the kitchen, laundry, and eating areas, the boys rooms and bathroom, the new blinds and valances. Yet these successes just add to another desire to finish ALL of those other projects, some of which are not just a weekend job and will most likely be a bit costly (I'm thinking my kitchen cabinets and counters here...). Because then we can finally have the house of our dreams!

So that's where Suzanne's post comes in. I am so appreciative of her reminder that there are times to just sit back and be thankful for what you have now. To enjoy the moment instead of constantly thinking ahead to what might be. And to remember how we have been blessed compared to others in this world. There will always be that "next little project" that I would like to accomplish, but I think that the project I need to work on right now is the project within myself - that of contentment. After all, it is like Suzanne said "satisfaction is a choice"!

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Just another great thing about having an infant is...

That you really don't need a clock any more. Time to wake up...Jonathan cries. Meal times...Jonathan cries. Older brothers' bedtime...Yep, Jonathan gets fussy then too! And then we were at the park today enjoying the beautiful weather and I totally lost track of time. Jonathan began to fuss, lo and behold, it was past 5:00 - time for dinner!

See, people who complain about what a drain babies are (financially, emotionally, etc.) just don't see the up side!

Book Recommendation

This morning, as part of our unit study on autumn, we read "The Fall of Freddie the Leaf" by Leo Buscaglia. I love this book! It is about a leaf named Freddie who enjoys experiencing spring, summer, and finally the leaves changing colors in the fall. He becomes fearful however, when he sees the leaves falling down from the tree. A wise leaf named Daniel explains that there is nothing to fear from the unknown below and even talks about the purpose of life. It is such a beautiful way to introduce children to the idea of death. We have not yet had someone close to us die, but this would also be appropriate for a child who has recently lost a loved one. We have read this story each of the past 3 falls now, and it is my own gentle reminder of what my own job is in life and that some day, it too will come to a close, just like the life of Freddie the leaf.

Monday, September 25, 2006

When playing hopscotch...

I have often found that children love to pretend to be some sort of "hopping" animal. Most children choose a bunny or a frog but in a house of boys...

Brennan: Mom, look! I'm hopping just like a velociraptor! (complete with ROAR).

Sunday, September 24, 2006

And You're Out...Not!


Brennan had his 1st teeball game of the fall season yesterday. It was amazing to see how much better these 5 year olds are now than they were last spring. Brennan, for instance, knows to run to 1st base first (instead of 3rd) and how to wait in the general area of his position (instead of running from right field over to 3rd base for the ball, only to end up in a dogpile with 3 or 4 other boys!). There were even a few bonafide outs!

On one particular play however, Brennan was playing catcher and a runner was heading home. The boy at pitcher threw Brennan the ball, Brennan got the ball and ran it over to home plate. Amazed at their success, we parents yelled out to Brennan "Tag the runner". Brennan immediately threw the ball at the runner instead of tagging him with it. Luckily for the runner, Brennan's aim is still poor!

After a good laugh, the coach explained to our slightly perplexed Brennan what exactly tagging a runner means. I am not sure he got it, however...Tune in next week for more teeball blooper stories.

Oh, and in an attempt to try out pictures, here is Brennan playing teeball last spring. I still have to get the new pics off of the camera!

Friday, September 22, 2006

Apathy - It's not just for kids!

I love Dr. Ray Guarendi! I have heard him speak and one of his best topics is concerning kids and their talent for apathy in the face of parental discipline. Apathy is one of those things that drives a parent insane - you try to discipline the little one and he just doesn't seem to care!

I struggle with staying calm in the face of misbehavior because I get so emotionally involved in the situation. So today I was determined to be calm - and Brennan was going to give me a test in this area (for those of you who know my children personally, I'll bet you are as surprised as I was that it was Brennan today and not Nicholas!). In order to keep calm, I gave him instructions to clean and then LEFT THE ROOM... this was the key. And it worked. I would have sworn that it wouldn't because every time I went in the room Brennan was playing, not working. But each time I just put him back to his task and left, which freed up my morning to play Go Fish with Nicholas and push Philip and Jonathan on the swings. Those 3 boys and I had a lovely morning...

Brennan finally finished his work about 12:30 and I was not stressed. Most surprisingly, neither was Brennan. We then went outside and played this afternoon while the others napped.

I knew that apathy worked well on parents, but who would have guessed that it would work equally well on children!

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Stick to the schedule, Mom!

You would think that I would know better by now...

We are not strictly a scheduled family, however we do have a basic rudimentary routine for getting day to day things done. Every once in a while, I have something that I am anxious to accomplish, or I am not feeling particularly well, and I give the boys a "treat" such as watching a video in the morning, playing outside before work is done, etc. And every single time, I get burned because instead of making my day easier, the boys all of a sudden become extra hyper and unruly - every time. The easy going day that I was hoping for becomes a stressful battle of wills where the boys end up in time out for most of the afternoon.

So what I have to remember is how important our routine is for these small boys. It is always better for us all in the long run if I just carry on with what we normally do.

I have heard it said that motherhood will help you build virtue by forcing you to break your own vices. I have to agree, because my biggest vice is procrastination!

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

I Love Fall!

Today was the first really fall day we have had. I love fall. Fall reminds me of some of my favorite childhood memories. So for today, I am listing my top 10 favorite memories of fall as a child.

1. Football games every Friday night

2. Hayrides with hot chocolate

3. The start of school - I was a total nerd!

4. Getting out our new school clothes.

5. Reacquainting with old friends after the summer break.

6. Thanksgiving is just around the corner - my family always got together for Thanksgiving. Good food is a central theme in my family.

7. My mom would start making brown beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread for dinner (like I said, food is BIG!)

8. Fresh pumpkin bread and eggnog become available for a few months.

9. I loved playing in the dried leaves and the smells of fall that are in the air.

10. The cool air in the mornings and evenings after those hot hot Oklahoma summers



Maybe tomorrow I can bake some pumpkin bread with my boys - I hope that they will have their own fond memories of these fall days!

Friday, September 15, 2006

Love is a Choice!

I was having a discussion the other day with someone on love. She commented that some days she just doesn't love her spouse any more, and wonders if they rushed into marriage. She felt that the marriage was just for the kids.

Many people talk about love. Some are of the view that love is an emotion, something that we feel. Others view love as a choice, something that we do. I have been thinking about this a lot lately and I believe love is a choice. Upon hearing this, some have said "Now wait. Don't put down love as merely a choice!" Yet I believe that love as a choice is something higher than love as an emotion.

Emotions are what they are - they come and go on a whim. The idea of love as an emotion implies that we are an unwilling victim when we fall in love, or do not have any personal responsibility when we "fall out of love". Love as an emotion strikes me as shallow, fleeting.

Love as a choice, on the other hand, is fulfilling. It is the kind of love that stands against all adversity and digs its heels in for the long haul (call it stubborn love). It is a love that thinks not about "making me FEEL happy", but showing others how to have joy. And ultimately it forces us to accept the responsibility both to love and not to love. Love that is a choice is powerful.

God IS love. Without God, we cannot know how to love completely and perfectly; we cannot make that choice. It is not always easy, but, with God's help it is within our power to do so. I ask you all to pray for my friend - she is going through a rough time right now.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

The Big Spill

This morning began with such promise. We had a lovely breakfast with all of us - my husband included. It was a pleasant morning with everyone in good spirits. After my husband left for work, the older boys began to get dressed and were even talking about tackling their seat work already laid out (they were eager to start this morning). Then it happened.

In a moment of brain lapse, I sat my full coffee cup down on the bookshelf in Brennan and Nicholas's room. I went into the next room to get Philip's clothes in order to dress him. The next moment I heard Brennan saying "Mom, Philip spilled your coffee". I dashed into the room, hoping for only a small spill, only to see Philip standing in a huge puddle of dark coffee that was already soaking deep into the carpet. As with past coffee spills, I immediately begin to blot it out. Only this spill is so deep and so dark, blotting is not about to get it all. I remember something about club soda and carpet spills. I berate myself for not having it on hand and instantly find shoes for everyone and load them into the car for a quick Kroger trip.

We get to Kroger and buy LOTS of club soda (I have now decided this is a good thing to have on hand with small boys). We get home and treat the stain with most, but not all of it coming out. I know we needed new carpet in the living room and study, but I guess that now I need to add Brennan and Nicholas's room to that list.

The morning wasn't a total loss, however. Jonathan fell asleep in his car seat and stayed asleep while we finished our lessons. And with my morning coffee soaked into the carpet, I was justified in picking up that Starbucks Raspberry Mocha from the kiosk at Kroger - Starbucks can make anything better!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Playground Safety

I came across this article today while checking out the news and it got me to thinking about playground safety. More and more I am starting to hear advocacy groups speak up on childrens' play and I feel that while safety is in general wise, too much is certainly stifling. I look on this issue much the same way that I look on safety scissors. I definitely am not going to give my 4 or 5 year old my sharp scissors (especially not my sewing ones! ), but at the same time I have seen some "ultra safe" brands that are so dull that they are not fit for the tasks which my sons need to accomplish.

It's the same with play. There are certain physical skills each child needs to master and oftentimes playground games and equipment do a remarkable job of aiding this process. I am all for safe surfaces (the rubber mats and etc.) but I am not going to throw out swings, monkeybars, tag, and running altogether as a few loud extremists would like. (I had the experience when I was teaching in which a parent was angry that we let them run at recess because her son had fallen in the field, hit a rock, and bruised his knee.) Some are astounded that we let our 5 year old climb trees - we have a few ground rules and it is done under supervision, but it is not forbidden. I think that if parents supervise in general and have a little common sense, we can achieve a healthy balance in this area. Accidents will still happen, but even more so we will have physically capable children who will thrive.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Time to share...

Over at Testosterhome, Rachel is requesting help with meal ideas. She mentions how she can organize and keep things clean, but isn't as comfortable with cooking and meal planning. I think that I have the reverse problem. I can cook. I can play with the kids. Keeping the kitchen and bathrooms clean every...single...night..., well that's another story! I am constantly amazed at those with small children who can keep such orderly homes all of the time. I would settle for our house to be moderately clean about half the time. I often beat myself up for my inability to motivate myself in this arena.

As I thought this over, I remembered that each of us has our strong suits and our weak points - which brings me to today's post. I am going to share with you our family's absolute favorite recipe and if you feel so inclined, please leave me tips on how you keep yourself motivated in the cleaning area (or better yet some tips to make things easier!).

Chicken Divan

Boil 4 Boneless Chicken Breasts in water about 25 minutes. Cook 1 and a half bags frozen broccoli per package directions. In 9x13 pan, layer broccoli and then chicken. Mix 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup mayo, 1/2 tsp curry powder, and 2 cans cream of chicken soup and pour over chicken. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and seasoned bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve over cooked rice. This freezes well and you can even mix the casserole ahead and just pop it into the oven before dinner. Enjoy!

Anatomy 101

I was walking into the family room when I noticed my 23 month old chewing. Since he likes to put legos and other small objects in his mouth, I asked him "what's in your mouth?".

Philip gives me a wide grin, points to his mouth, and says "teeth".

P.S. - there wasn't anything in his mouth!

Friday, September 08, 2006

NBC is at it again!

Okay, this post is because of my political side.

Our family LOVES Veggitales. In fact my (at the time) 20 year old brother is the one who got my husband and I hooked back in 1999 (before kids). Our 3 oldest boys love the videos and are anxiously anticipating the next ones about Gideon and the Lone Stranger (story of Moses). So imagine my pleasant surprise when I heard that NBC would be showing the Veggitales cartoon on Saturday mornings this fall - finally, something Saturday that my boys can watch!


Well, lo and behold it was too good to be true! At first the Veggitale producers just said the Bible verse would have to be cut, but now it appears that NBC is ransacking the cartoons of ANY mention of God whatsoever! While I am not surprised, I am DEEPLY disappointed! I am planning to send NBC a letter just to let them know. This is the network that defended free speech and "change the channel if you don't like the material" for Will and Grace, but now Veggitales (which I suspect will offend a WHOLE LOT fewer people than Will and Grace did!) is so offensive that God must be edited out.

This was a huge opportunity for NBC which has just backfired on them totally. I think I am ready to boycott the entire networks lineup over this!

*hat tip to Mark Shea*

You can read more about it right here.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Always Listening...

My husband came into our room last night and said "I can't find my cell phone anywhere.".


Brennan promptly replies " Did you leave it where a little boy could get it?".


Wonder where he has heard that before...

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Let them eat cake!

I have figured something out! Nicholas (my 4 year old) is my picky eater. I have not yet made a huge deal out of his refusal to eat anything outside of his personal list of chicken, rice, chocolate, fruit, and milk - even though it has bothered me tremendously! Tonight, as he suspiciously eyed his pork chops, cheesy potatoes, broccoli, and cornbread, he picked up the bread and asked "what's this". Now we have made cornbread before and Nicholas has refused to even take a bite. But tonight, after I replied "It's corn cake", he ate 3 pieces. He then proceeded to ask if the broccoli was really little trees and ate 2 helpings. He even felt adventurous enough to try a bite of pork chop.

So as long as the name has cake, pie, or cookie in it, he will try it. Got it! Or maybe he was just feeling brave....

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Speaking of homeschooling...

Several others have posted their curricula on their blogs, so I will share mine. Much of it is the same as others, so you will probably start to recognize some of it.


Brennan is 5 years old and is a Kindergartener:

For Reading, we started the Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. We actually started this in January, doing a little bit at a time. Brennan thrived with this program and is now practicing with the Bob books and Little Folks readers from Catholic Heritage Curricula. We supplement the phonics with Modern Curriculum Press's Phonics Program. We started Level K in March and are almost finished with it and will continue with Level A. Brennan also has been memorizing poetry as suggested in Laura Berquist's kindergarten syllabus, complete with making his own poetry book.

For Math we use the Horizons Level K. I love it! It provides lots of useful teaching tips and ideas for using games and manipulatives to teach concepts. Brennan is already counting so much better after just a few weeks. He has also figured out his left and right just from playing Simon Says each day (as the book suggested!). I also have Mother Goose Math, which is a book of reproducibles and activities to reinforce math concepts.

For Religion, I use the Who Am I program 3 days a week and spend the other 2 days reading Bible stories from the Golden Children's Bible. We also have been making a Bible book of those stories per Laura Berquist's syllabus.

For Science I am using the Scienceworks Learn about... K-1st Series (on earth, weather, and plants). So far we have really enjoyed the Earth series. It is a set of lessons that teach concepts through simple experiments, observation, and various picture books. The reading list is fabulous and we have found all the books so far in our library. Each student keeps his own "log book" of his observations and truly learns through experiences.

For Art, I am using a combination of Baby Lambs (for learning to draw and learning about colors, perception, etc.) and a few art projects out of the Little Saints preschool program. We never followed the Little Saints program completely, however some of the art projects are fantastic!

We have several Music Masters CDs, as well as some music CDs from Vacation Bible School and Veggitales that the boys enjoy. I also plan to start Brennan on piano lessons in a few weeks via the Alfred's Basic Piano Library Prep Course. I'll let you know how that turns out!



For Nicholas (my 4 year old) I do a few Little Saints art projects, lots of math manipulatives (Three Bear Counters and so forth), the Who Am I PreK book, and we are starting to learn to read via the Little Folks Program from CHC (it seems to fit his learning style better than 100 Easy Lessons). We also practice our handwriting a little each day with Write Stuff cards from Discovery Toys. This is what I used to teach Brennan to write last year as well. It has some great writing drills you can practice in addition to writing practice for each letter and number 1 -10. Brennan will still drill with these cards if I notice a particular letter needs the practice.

Well, there is our School year! It is so much fun to get started!

What I am grateful for...

There is a great discussion on Danielle Bean's website concerning gratitude. As I started to ponder what I am grateful for, it hit me. I am grateful for yesterday.

For Labor Day, we decided to take the boys out to see the Battleship Texas and the San Jacinto Monument. We thought that the oldest two boys were probably old enough to appreciate this. Little did we know that the 3 oldest boys would have a great time.

All three loved to see so many guns! An old battleship is a boys dream - everywhere you go there is a new gun! On the Battleship Texas you can actually sit on the gun seats and move them around, much to the delight of the boys! They were also fascinated to see so many places that were familiar to them - a dining area, kitchen, beds, and a barber shop! The engine room was my 4 year old's favorite, although my 5 year old wasn't as sure about climbing down into such a dark place with all of the gears. My 23 month old loved watching the other boats and barges passing by on the Houston Ship Channel. Our 3 month old slept through most of it, which is saying a lot since he was draped over my arm the entire time (no strollers can fit up and down those narrow stairways). I am amazed that they had about 1600 people on board back in the days of operation. It reminded me of all that some men and women endure in order to insure our own freedom and safety. That is one thing that I am grateful for - our country. Because of the sacrifices of others, I am able to live in freedom, security, and opportunity that others in the world cannot fathom!

As we headed home, we passed several large oil refineries - the ones that I had the opportunity to work at when were first married (I am trained as a chemical engineer). I thought about how different our lives might be had I taken one of those jobs instead of teaching in private school before children. How we might not be on a tight budget. How we could afford and probably would be sending the boys to our parish school. How I would miss the time spent with the boys and abhor the hustle and bustle that our life would entail. So I am grateful for the opportunity to stay at home and homeschool the boys - to get to see them grow up a little more each day.

My thoughts then turned to my wonderful husband, who sacrifices so many of his own desires in order that I may stay home with the boys. I am so grateful, more than he will ever know, for him. My husband doesn't complain when dinner is late or is leftovers. He doesn't complain when the house is a mess and I am too exhausted to pick up. He has been so supportive of homeschooling the boys. He is a great role model for them, and I pray that each of them will have the faith of their Dad. He has provided so well for us, and I am afraid that because I complain at times he may not realize how appreciative I truly am.

Yep, I tend to complain - way too much! So most of all, I am grateful that God never gives up on me and continues to show me how much He has given me that I need to be grateful for!

Friday, September 01, 2006

Amnesia

I feel that I need to preface this post with this - I love children! Ever since I was a teenager, I loved babysitting and could hardly wait until the day that I would have my own family. It is also because of this love of children that we have had 4 boys age 5 and under. I would love to have a large family and like having them close together so that they can grow up with each other.

I have heard it said that sometimes when God gives you a deep desire, that may just be His way of letting you know what your calling is in life. It is because of this deep desire I have for children (along with a willing husband, bless him!) that I believe that God has called our family to be open to life so many times. I also believe that God has purposely given me a wonderful gift in order that I may carry out this calling - amnesia!

Yesterday was one of those days that I must forget if we are to remain truly open to another life. It started early, with my 23 month old pulling me out of bed with "Mom - bekfast!" No sooner had I left the side of the 2 month old than he woke up earlier than he should have - screaming. I tried to get him back to sleep but to no avail. The moment that I would put him down he would jerk back awake screaming. This would replay itself MANY times during the day. Bless his heart, he just wanted to be held - all day long.

Meanwhile, there were the other 3 boys being their normal selves. They needed breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We did the minimum school lesson with the 5 year old (his math lesson, Bible story and drawing, reading booklet, and phonics workbook). There was the fighting that on occasion had to be broken up - a lot of toys were put in Mom's closet yesterday! In fact, it actually made toy pickup a breeze last night! Dinner consisted of frozen breaded chicken tenderloin, boiled corn on the cob, and canned peaches, not quite the meal that is usually put together since I love to cook. Little to no cleaning got done. As I lay exhausted last night about 9 pm, I nursed my finally sleeping little one and thought about the others falling asleep in their beds. I thought "what is going through their minds - were they as stressed at the end of the day as I was! What was I thinking having them so close in age.".

Within 15 minutes, there was peaceful quiet. My 2 month old had the most content look on his sweet face. The others were asleep. And I again remembered that if we hadn't had them this close in age, we wouldn't have THEM. We wouldn't have this specific soul that we have grown to love and cherish. Look at all that we would have missed out on - their unique personalities that make each one of them who they are. As I fell asleep, I was very grateful that we had been blessed as we had and I found myself thinking "what will the next child be like?".

My amnesia had already begun!