B is for BUSY!!!!!!!!

During the time when the "olders" are doing their LA on the computer----

The "littles" have been "studying" the alphabet ...

Last week we did A and a.

We did apple crafts.

We made "A Alligators".

We had an "A" scavenger hunt.

Cute...

This week we started B and b.

Today we made "Banana B's".



We made Band-Aid Butterflys.

We made BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIES for a snack/math lesson.

AND were making a BAT mobile.

The kids LOVE it.

They are totaolly ABSORBED in the letters and sounds.

AND the big kids cant seem to let their little brother and sister make the crafts ALONE!!!


They say they are "helping"....So cute!

One HAPPY Day!!!!!

I want to thank EVERYONE that made Zeeks Birthday so AWESOME!!!

I asked him if he had a good time and he said " That was the BEST party of mylife!"

Sweet Boy..

What a great day!!!!

Blessings and Love...



Psalm 128
1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in his ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table.

4 Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD.

5 May the LORD bless you from Zion
all the days of your life;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

6 and may you live to see your children's children.
Peace be upon Israel.

Baby Boy.....Kind of.

Can it POSSIBLY be 9 years later ???????

October 12, 2000.

6:19 pm.

After a LONG labor and birth....

He was born.

Ezekiel Jahson Vallone.


He was my SUGAR BEAR,

SWEETIE,

BOO BEAR.


I knew from the moment I saw him that he was SPECIAL.

He was GOLDEN(seriously).


He was so sweet.

So Precious.

Words could not express how IN LOVE I was.


And now as if in some sort of TIME WARP,

here we sit...



9 YEARS LATER.

9 YEARS.

WHAT?????

And just as I KNEW he would....

He has turned out to be THE SWEETEST CHILD I have ever met.

He is CARING, LOVING,TENDERHEARTED, and PASSIONATE.

He is an AWESOME leader.

And he is SOOOOOOOOOOOO Exact when he speaks.

He has an AMAZING memory....He will say things like, "Mom, don't you remember that time 3 years ago when we went to the movies and you were wearing that BLUE shirt?"

REALLY?????

Seriously...an amazing memory.

He DOES NOT get that from me...

Maybe Jay.

He is a BLESSING to us all and LIGHTS UP my life!!!

What an AMAZING journey ...
from THERE
to
HERE.

9 FUN years behind us.

A LIFETIME ahead of us(God Willing).....

Today as I watch this boy in front of me,

I FEEL so blessed.

So blessed to have been given THIS child.

So Blessed to be his Mother.

So blessed to share THIS life.
Happy Birthday Zeek!!!!!!!!!!

Life is REAL........

So Far...This week!

What a week this has been a CRAZY week.

I should really just SCHEDULE in my "monthly" days as TEACHER Work/rest Days.

One day I will learn that it is better to schedule 2 days of "easy" art, computer and reading...

Than to

Subject this family to a Mommy who is so OVERWHELMED by the CRAZINESS in my own mind that I cant even remember where the SPELLING SPIRAL IS!!!!!!

I run around in the morning for a few days like a woman who has NO IDEA what is going on.

Everywhere I look there is dirt
a bill that needs to be paid
kids arguing
dishes
clothes to fold
school to be taught

Oh sooooooooooo Overwhelming.

I need to remember THIS: Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.



I need to remember that there are days when I NEED a "breather".

Not a day when I just get soooooooo frustrated that I CANT do anything.

Days that are PLANNED to do "nothing".

No school(formally) anyway.

No shopping trips w/ 4 kids to Wal mart.

No 9 year old boys ZOOMing around me in there new Heelys(Thanks Papaw and Mimi Suzy! LOL)

No refereeing children.

Only....

Quiet times filled with soft music
or
movies
or
chocolate
or
drawing
or
napping.

I want to be MORE in control
not LESS in control.

Iam praying today for CLARITY today.

I am praying that God gives me the CLARITY to look ahead and be more PURPOSEFUL in the way I schedule my days.

Oh...and for a little patience..
AND a little chocolate would be nice.

More Famil Driven Faith....

This COMMING week.........

I am going to TRY something new from now on.

I said ...TRY.

I am the "Queen" of TRYING.

I try all kinds of "things", "ways", and "schedules".

Sometimes they work...
ALOT of times - They DON'T.

Anyway...

I am going to TRY and make a list of things we DID in school for the week.

THIS week...
Since it is SUNDAY night and I am already in "THIS WEEK" mode...
I am going to write about NEW/FUN things we WILL DO:



Bible Study:were continuing our "Lost Books of the Bible" Adam and Eve

LA/Reading:The Lil' ones are starting the ALPHABET themed project.
Were going to CONCENTRATE on 1-2 letters per week.
Projects, crafts, food...all centered around the letter.

Math: Wednesday were selling bows at the farmers market in town...
I plan on letting the kids take the money(if there is any)LOL
count it, and give change.

History: After MUCH consideration...I think we are going to stay IN THE US
(for the most part)...Maine this week. Boats, fishing, northern US, etc.

Art: This week we are STARTING our Posters for the Farm Association.
Our HS group is doing a poster contest in 4H...due in a few weeks.
I plan on having them PLAN and Brainstorm this week.

Science: Were making Friendship bread tomorrow(Again) ...Thanks Lara!
And...Were going to make "Jupiter" cookies for HS co-op on Friday!!!

Whew!!!!!!!

Just TYPING that makes me tired...
LOL

Actually...It helps me to PLAN it out in my head.

Hope this helps SOME of you HS moms that are reading!!!

HAPPY TEACHING!!!!!

New Signature......

Lesson Learned.....

Maybe I'm just WAY too emotional....
But
This morning I woke up to THIS story on CNN while having my coffee:


By the time it was over ...
TEARS were streaming down my face.

How Inspiring....

It makes me soooo proud to be a teacher...
someone who CAN affect the lives of MY youth.

It makes me want to be a little more STRICT

AND

a little more PLAYFUL.

It make me realize that life is too short for "Neutral Colors" in the classroom.

And "GLOBAL AWARENESS"???

What an amazing school.
What a amazing environment for those kids.
What a blessing...

Makes me want to write a MULTIPLICATION RAP....
Makes me want to take the kids to an AFRICAN DANCE CLASS....
Makes me want to start our day with a SLIDE!!!!!!

"Fabulous Book" Friday........is BACK(again)!!!!

A few weeks ago I actuall WON this book on my friend Heathers blog.

She ia an AMAZING writer and had AWESOME things to say about this book.

And to my AMAZEMENT...I won the drawing and she sent me the book.

ALl I have to say is ...LIFECHANGING.

If you are a parent who is CONCERNED about raising children in a "modern" world, this book is

LIFECHANGING

And I am not even done with it!

Here are the names of SOME of the chapters:
A God with no rivals
Learn to Love
Teach the word at home
Live the word at home
Mark the home as God's Territory
A Radical Departure from the Norm

From Marriage thru Child Raising.......

Page 39:
"Time is precious, and you only get one chance to raise your children. They are only young once, and they are only in your home for a short while. Once they are born the clock starts ticking, and there is nothing you can do to stop it or slow it down.Your only hope is to make the most of the time you have."

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

THIS is my favorite part...so far.

"If our homes are to reflect our position as the people of God in the midst of the opposition of a pagan culture,we,like the Israelites, must learn to LOVE.
Our homes must be rife with the aroma of love. Those who visit should notice immediately that they have left the world of self-serving,egocentric narcissism and have entered a safe harbor where people value and esteem others above themselves. Outsiders should enter our homes and NOT WANT to leave."

AMAZING.........

Im sure I'll post MORE as I finish reading!!!!

Happy Reading.......