On Grass, Frog Spawn, and Lapbooks

Here I sit at 10 o'clock in the morning thinking that I really need to go put that exercise video in and get rid of those 10lbs still hanging on from my Micah pregnancy. Instead though, I'm sipping a Mt.Dew and listening to my boys set up the trap for robbers in the kitchen. (you'll never convince me that boys are not born with the natural tendency to preserve and protect their territory) This week has been the usual busy, but not terribly eventful kind. SO here is an update of the mundane that I love.

Grass: It is growing!! Matt even said we might mow this weekend. Lots of weeds have sprung up with the new grass, but my green hubby assures me that this is normal and can be remedied. The back yard is still pretty much dirt/dust/mud, but who cares, we have a front yard!! Speaking of back yards, I will share a very disturbing story from our back yard. Well...maybe two. First. Two nights ago we finally got rain. We took the tarp off our pool, so it wouldn't sink beneath the weight of the rain. Late that night we could hear the frogs. This is not uncommon in the woods (we have a creek running through part of our land). I mentioned to Matt how close the frogs sounded this night. The next morning to my disgust, I found FROG SPAWN in our pool. I have to admit I was slightly tempted to leave some, for there were hundreds, just so the boys could watch them turn to tadpoles. Then again, I think it can take close to a year for a frog to mature into it's happy singing-spawning final state. Anyway, I scooped the mess out of the pool and sent them to their demise. Then wouldn't you know it, last night the little boogers (frogs) were singing their heads off again. I flipped on the light and caught them red...well actually green handed. Matt promptly went out and scooped them from the pool. Imagine having your pool used as a breeding grounds... I feel violated!

Big Man: The next disturbing story comes from the very overactive imagination of our 2 year old. We were sitting at dinner the other night and Micah says, "The man came through the landscape and he got on our trampoline. " I said, " what?" He said this again several times. I said, " what man, did you know him? Was he a big man or a big boy?" I was freaking out. Then Micah said, "He jumped on the trampoline and then he rode Siah's tricycle." Now I'm starting to think maybe we are making things up. Then I asked, "Did you know the man?" Micah said, "no, he was a big man, and he held my hand in the pool on my shark!" Ok, so I'm totally relieved by now. I asked, "did you dream this?" Micah said, " yes."

I let the boys play outside alone, but rarely does more than 5 minutes go by that I do not check up on them. So either this big man who jumps on trampolines, rides tricycles and plays with sharks is really fast, or he is a Micah creation. He exists in that little two year old mind along with the little people who live on Micah's CD player and are often eaten by the big green frog.

Lapbooks: Yesterday we spent the day with our neighbor girls. It was a rainy day, so we decided to do an indoor project. We made Lapbooks.

These are so much fun to make. We used file folders to make Lapbooks we could take to Church Camp in a month or so. The girls are older so they made Lapbooks to use to take notes during services. My boys made lapbooks to keep them busy during services. We had a great time. (Sorry the photo is blurry, after several attempts to take a still photo of two boys I gave up.)

Well, there is more I could share about my week, but I hear you yawning so I will spare you the details.

Below you will find a photo of the inside of the lapbooks.

Tributes

This weekend was a busy one, so I did not have a chance to post anything about Father's Day. So here is my typically late- for- everything Father's Day Post.

When I think of the two most important men in my life(My husband and my Dad) several words come to mind, I'd like to share just a few of them with you.

Matt

Servant-Leader: This is the definition of what Matt is to our family. While he is a capable loving leader, he serves us continually. After working himself silly all day, he comes home ready and willing to serve. He is consistently pointing us to Jesus simply by the way he takes up the "basin and towel".

Thoughtful: The first thing that attracted me to Matt was his thoughtfulness of others. Not just me, but everyone. He is always thinking ahead of how he can be helpful. He sees all people as precious, because Jesus pronounced us all precious by giving his life for all.

Vulnerable: I am always amazed at how willing Matt is to become vulnerable. I was raised to very openly speak on any topic, no topic was sacred, but vulnerable we were not. Matt, is willing to open himself. Many times when my first instinct is to close up and "protect" myself, Matt pushes through that wall. I am so touched by how much he cares for my own lost loved ones. He steps beyond where I would be naturally comfortable and speaks to them from his heart, because he cares for them so much he's willing to "feel silly or uncomfortable" .

AMAZING: I know it seems squishy and romantic to say this, and as most of you know, I am not one that is heavy on the squishy side of things. When I say I think Matt is amazing I really mean it. I still am blown away that I managed to marry a man like Matt. There is no 50/50 in our marriage. We both try to give 100%. If the trash needs to go out and Matt's not home, I get it, but if a diaper needs to be changed and he's the one holding the baby, he does it. He is just a way above average Dad. When he gets home from work, after talking with me a few minutes he is all about his boys. He is continually teaching, training, and discipling them. I hear ladies say that their husbands are "babysitting" the kids and I think WHAT? Matt and I are partners in training our little guys and it's been that way from the day we found out I was pregnant, he's not just a helper that gives me a break occasionally and will start being involved with the boys once their old enough to do "guy stuff", he is a full-time Daddy. (And is practically worshipped for it)

Goofy: Matt makes us laugh. He does the goofiest things just for our entertainment. Life is never dull in our house.

Hard Working: Matt is one of the hardest workers I know. He never stops. After a long day at work, he will come home and meet our needs and work on his "honey do" list and yet, always finds time to help a friend who may need a hand. He lives out his values. He could be making more money elsewhere, but that's not really what we value. He sees the value of working in an environment that encourages his values. He looks ahead to the future and knows that eventually the boys will be able to be more involved at work with Dad. He sees that being loyal to an employer and a business is so important in his own life and a great example to our boys. He gets to be with us at lunch and sometimes the boys and I will even meet him at work while he's on break. We appreciate how hard he works and how well he provides.

Happy Father's Day Babe, we love you and appreciate the spirit of Christ that you live out for us everyday.

Dad

Secure: I never questioned for a minute that my Dad loved me and that he would keep me safe. My Dad is a truck driver so he had to be away from home often, I remember when storms would come and we'd be heading to the basement, the only thought in my head was, "If Daddy were here this would be OK.

Cherished: I always felt like I was very special to my Dad. I can't remember a Valentine's Day that I didn't get flowers from him. (I still do to this day)

Loyalty: My Dad's friends and family could always count on him in their toughest times. In times when other friends would walk away, or people were awkward and weren't sure how to be there, my Dad was there. Giving whatever support was needed.

Smart: My Dad always underestimates himself in this area. I have learned through my study of learning styles that there are different kinds of intelligence. Just because someone doesn't enjoy the "status quo" style of education in America doesn't mean they are not intelligent. (although, Dad wasn't too shabby even in this area) Dad has the ability to see and understand and remember things. He blows my mind sometimes with his intelligence.

Intuitive: I still am amazed that my Dad can read character so well. He is rarely wrong in his judgements of others. My brothers and I have talked often of the times Dad would warn us of someone not being trustworthy or give his approval on someone and almost every time he was right.

Fun: In the summers one of my brother's and I often got to go with Dad in the truck. It was so fun. Now I admit there were long hours of boredom, but if we had the chance Dad would take us somewhere fun on the trip. I still remember dragging him on a water ride at Busch Gardens over and over again.

My Dad spent Father's Day alone on the road, he's done that many times, tis the nature of his job. But I wanted him to know that I love him and appreciate all the sacrifices he has made for me through the years.


This Weekend with Uncle Dennis & Aunt Cathy!



Uncle Dennis and Aunt Cathy with the two most important boys in my life. And Grandma Helen with the boys

This weekend we spent the weekend with Matt's Uncle Dennis and Aunt Cathy. We drove to their place with Matt's Grandma Helen on Friday afternoon and we had such a nice time. Uncle Dennis and Aunt Cathy have been like a second set of parents to Matt as he was growing up. Now they are another set of Grandparents to our boys. The boys think they are great! Thanks Uncle Dennis and Aunt Cathy for your gracious hospitality, we love you!

Summer Fun

Summer FUNThe pool is still a big hit! The whole family has been enjoying it this week. Yesterday, when Daddy came home for lunch he surprised the boys by jumping in with them for a few minutes. "Moments made eternity" is the phrase that comes to mind, not that the pool is that big of deal, but the fact that Daddy took time out of his very busy day to stop and have fun with them.
The other day as I was out watering the seed & straw, I noticed the boys running around
on the porch. Josiah yelled something about a snack, but I couldn't understand all he said. I did the thing mothers of very verbal children often do, I said something like "really or OK." When I came back up on the porch I saw a table set up with the following items on it for the "snack": chocolate frosting, 4 bottles of water, butter, ham, cheese, english muffins, & yogurt. The boys were in the process of bringing chairs out for us to sit on. I was shocked at how quickly they had emptied the frig and set up our "snack". I adjusted the snack contents a little and then we enjoyed a snack.

Last week Josiah started his Summer Violin Lessons. He will only
be taking 4 lessons this summer so Micah has been coming with us. Mondays are special days since the boys enjoy getting to watch videos on the way to lesson and then getting to have lunch at McDonalds. Not to mention, they get to be with some of their friends before and after lessons, so that is a real treat.

As promised, here is a little blurb on chore charts. My dear friend just got home from a Home Educators Convention. She was sharing some of the great ideas she got there. She mentioned chore charts, which is not a new concept by any stretch, but it refreshed the idea for me. I searched the Internet for a printable chore chart that would be free and fun, I found several, but none that fit our needs. Since we have pre-readers I needed something with pictures. I got the idea to take photos of tasks the boys do and print them at Wally World. You can go to the Kodak Kiosk and print 9 little photos on a 4 x 6 for $.28 a copy. I went to a web-site and printed a chore chart, and then cut it apart to make a chore chart with photos.(I can replace the chore section weekly.) The boys have certain chores that must be accomplished before they can go out and play. This saves me "nagging" to get things done. I just say, "are your chores done, so you can go out and play?" It doesn't take much time at all, once they get started (since chores for little ones our boy's age, aren't too intense), however, it does ensure that we get things done that are important, teaches them to be workers, and makes the household run more smoothly. Not to mention, the boys LOVE marking things off their charts. If they have a completed chart at the end of the week they get to choose to go on a date alone with Mommy or Daddy. This reward also gets alone, quality time for each boy with either Matt or I. BTW, our "dates" are nothing terribly time consuming or expensive. This week Josiah wants to go to the wood shop with Matt and start on a project. Other options are going out for ice cream, going to the park, or for a walk.

Well, I need to run. The boys are up from their naps now and I need to start dinner. I hope you all are enjoying your summer as well.

Little Things

Well it has been a very full week! Nothing over-the-top, just busy. Last night we took Matt's mom and her husband out for dinner for Mother's Day. I know we are a bit late, but she works at Wal-Mart now and is a busy woman. We had a nice time. She, in typical Grandma fashion, came bestowing gifts. She picked up a kid's swimming pool for the boys on sale at Wally World (it's nice to have a Wally World Employee in the fam.) I spent a good deal of this afternoon filling and setting up the crazy thing. It's one of those 980 gallon kind that you have to level the ground add sand etc... The boys will love it, and I'm sure I lost 980 lbs out there in the hot sun setting it up. (do I hear moans of compassion and sighs of "what an amazing woman that Julia is?) OK, it wasn't that big of deal, but I felt like quite the martyr setting it up. :) The boys and I will try it out when they get up from their naps. (Go ahead laugh, I am getting in the kiddie pool!)

Another, real chart topper this week has been the spreading of top soil, planting of grass seed and spreading of straw. Not a big deal you say? Oh I beg to differ. I can't tell you the joy that floods my heart as I gaze out upon the straw in our soon-to-be-front yard. We are the kind of people who get ill if we have a lot of debt. (seriously, my stomach actually hurts if our debt to income ratio gets a little out of whack.) So we do things slowly. We just bought our first pieces of new furniture last year. Until then, we had been living perfectly fine with hand me down and yard sale furniture. You can't know the joy a couch will bring you, when you've been using a couch cover to hide tweed. It is the same with a yard. For a year now we have been living with mud and dirt. In Illinois we either have too much rain or not enough, it seems. So we were either tracking through mud or swimming in dust. So Monday night at 11pm Matt and I finished spreading straw on our front lawn and down the driveway sides. I am one excited Momma! I spent an hour and a half watering it this morning. I am considering blaring classical music out the windows to encourage it's healthy development, it can't hurt right?

I got an idea from a friend this week concerning chore charts. I have been surprised at how excited Josiah gets to "mark things off" his chore chart. I'll have to post more on that later. Well, that's all for now. Nap time is almost over, I hear the pool calling. (Don't laugh!)