And on the fourth day...

... they made ornaments! Paxton wanted to make a small, traditional, snowman.


Everett made a snow person with his own personal style.


Spencer's wasn't complete until he added a purple half-shirt and a belly button.


This is what happens when you leave a four year old alone with a Sharpie. Was he ever proud of his manicure!


And this is our latest box from Amazon. They come daily this time of year. The boys were in awe of its size, and wanted me to take a picture. To the left of the box, you can see the door jam that a poor scared Sophie chewed up the first time we left her alone in the house. We are working on gradually training her now, and praying that her separation anxiety lessens as her trust in us grows.

Pictures and Movies

Today we were supposed to take pictures of each other - and we did, lots of them - but we also made snickernoodles, launched a rocket on the back patio, and watched The Polar Express in 3D. I wasn't sure how well the 3D movie would go over. The boys were all excited to watch it, but the last time we'd tried a movie in 3D, we had to leave the theater just minutes into the showing. This time though, they loved it, and can't wait to watch it again when Mike is home.

As for the pictures... I have a lot of hams! I may take some another day for a Christmas card, but I'm thinking it won't be necessary. We're not a shiny, polished, Christmas card kind of family. But these are my kids - my funny, goofy, wonderful, happy kids - in all their glory, both behind and in front of the camera. All the pictures here, along with the rest of them, will of course be posted to Photobucket as well.

Heaven, and scared puppies

The boys and I have talked a lot about what dog heaven must be like for Ally. Ally's heaven, we decided, must be filled with FOOD. Not just dog food, or even people food, but all the things Ally deemed appropriate for eating.... including - but not limited to - cat food, cat litter, poop, crayons, playdough, and plastic bags. We have no doubt that she's a happy, happy dog now.

Today's picture, and note from the advent calendar, is of a place that's very much like my idea of heaven. Or at least a part of it. A place that's filled with BOOKS! More books than I could ever read in a lifetime. Fiction and non-fiction; books that teach, amuse, inspire, awe, entertain. I love the library!!!


It had been a while since we'd gone, and we made up for lost time with a gigantic stack of books and movies. We were all in great spirits on the way home, and were amusing ourselves trying to remember all the verses of the 12 Days of Christmas. Unfortunately, we came home to find a panicked and trembling dog, who'd managed to chew up the entire plastic tray of her crate, and bloodied her mouth in the process. She is petrified of being left alone, and so far we haven't found the proper way to deal with it. Left alone in the house she chews up the door jams and blinds. Gated in the kitchen she panics, jumps the gate, and again more chewing. My poor baby!! I'm sad and frustrated, and angry at the people who didn't give her the love she so very much deserved and wanted.

Deck the Halls

Last night I finished and hung the advent calendar that the boys and I have been working so hard on the past few days. We sewed all the pockets, brainstormed a list of ideas for fun activities for the month, and finally put it all together. Each day they'll take turns opening a pocket and reading the note, and hanging a little charm on it to count down the days till Christmas. They were very excited to start it today, and to officially enter the time of the advent. Today's project? Paper snowflakes. I took pictures - of course - and decided that I'd challenge myself, just for fun, to take daily pictures and post them all month long. I don't know who's looking forward to this month more, myself or the kids.

Another reason I homeschool...

A Little Boy By Helen Buckley

Once a little boy went to school.
He was quite a little boy
And it was quite a big school.
But the little boy
Found that he could go to his room
By walking in from the door outside,
He was happy
And school did not seem
Quite so big any more.

One morning,
When the little boy had been in school awhile,
The teacher said:
Today we are going to make a picture.
Good, thought the little boy.
He liked to make pictures.
He could make all things;
Lions and tigers,
Chickens and cows,
Trains and boats -
And he took out his box of crayons
And began to draw.

But the teacher said, Wait.
It is not time to begin.
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
Now, said the teacher,
We are going to make flowers.
Good, thought the little boy.
He liked to make flowers,
And he began to make beautiful flowers.
With his pink and orange and blue crayons.
But the teacher said, Wait!
And I will show you how.
And it was red, with a green stem.
There, said the teacher,
Now you may begin.
The little boy looked at the teacher's flower.
Then he looked at his own flower.
He liked his flower better than the teacher's.
But he did not say this.
He just turned his paper over
And he made a flower like the teacher's.
It was red, with a green stem.

On another day,
When the little boy had opened
The door from outside all by himself,
The teacher said:
Today we are going to make something with clay.
Good, thought the little boy.
He liked clay.
He could make all kinds of things with clay:
Snakes and snowmen,
Elephants and mice,
Cars and trucks -
And he began to pull and pinch
His ball of clay.
But the teacher said:
Wait, it is not time to begin.
And she waited until everyone looked ready.
Now, said the teacher,
We are going to make a dish,
He liked to make dishes,
And he began to make some
That were all shapes and sizes.
But the teacher said, Wait
And I will show you how.
And she showed everyone how to make
One deep dish.
There, said the teacher.
Now you may begin.

The little boy looked at the teacher's dish,
Then he looked at his own.
He liked his dishes better than the teacher's.
But he did not say this.
He just rolled his clay into a big ball again
And he made a dish just like the teacher's.
It was a deep dish.

And pretty soon the little boy learned to wait,
And to watch, And to make things just like the teacher.
And pretty soon
He didn't make anything of his own any more.
Then it happened
That the little boy and his family
Moved into another house,
In another city,
And the little boy had to go to another school.
This school was even bigger than the other one,
And there was no door from the outside into his room.
He had to go up some steps,
And walk down a long hall
To get to his room.
And the very first day
He was there,
The teacher said:
Today we are going to make a picture.
Good, thought the little boy,
And he waited for the teacher
To tell him what to do.
But the teacher didn't say anything.
She just walked around the room.

When she came to the little boy she said:
Don't you want to make a picture?
Yes, said the little boy,
What are we going to make?
I don't know until you make it, said the teacher.
How shall I make it? asked the little boy.
Why, anyway you like, said the teacher.
And any colour? asked the little boy.
Any colour, said the teacher.
If everyone made the same picture,
And used the same colours,
How would I know who made what?
And which was which?
I don't know, said the little boy,
And he began to make a red flower with a green stem.



The Animal School: A Fable

by George Reavis

Animals in the Animal SchoolOnce upon a time the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of a “new world” so they organized a school. They had adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects.

The duck was excellent in swimming. In fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school so nobody worried about that, except the duck.

The rabbit started at the top of the class in running but had a nervous breakdown because of so much makeup work in swimming.

The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying class where his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of the treetop down. He also developed a “charlie horse” from overexertion and then got a C in climbing and D in running.

The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree but insisted on using his own way to get there.

At the end of the year, an abnormal eel that could swim exceeding well and also run, climb and fly a little had the highest average and was valedictorian.

The prairie dogs stayed out of school and fought the tax levy because the administration would not add digging and burrowing to the curriculum. They apprenticed their children to a badger and later joined the groundhogs and gophers to start a successful private school.

A boy and his dog

Spencer fell asleep while he was petting her. It was just what the boy, and the dog, have been needing.

Something kind of cool

Last week was Paxton's last ball game of the season. It was a great game, and a great season for that matter. We took Sophie along to watch, and she sat patiently and happily with us on the bottom bench of the bleachers.

After the game, the coach handed all the parents a letter, along with an individual assessment of your child. Paxton's first few sentences said this:

"Paxton improved the most out of any player on the team this year from start to finish. He should be very proud of himself. He always gives his best and his behavior was exemplary during practice and at our games"

Everyone knows how I feel about anything school-like in nature. I abhor tests and grades, gold stars and progress reports. But this was cool. He's found a sport he loves and he's working hard at it. He should be proud, and I'm proud too.

Sophie

Ten days ago we got up early, got dressed, and headed to PetSmart to be there when they opened. We got there around 9:30, a half hour after they opened, and a half hour before Noah's Ark Pet Adoptions was scheduled to start showing their dogs.

An hour later we left with a 20 pound bag of puppy food, a food dish, a box of biscuits, a bone... and oh yes, a one year old Shepherd mix who answers to the name of Sophie. Anyone who has heard me talk about Sophie has been told the same thing: She is just a gentle, gentle soul. For her first few days, she was quiet, calm and reserved. Now that she's more comfortable, her playful puppy is coming out. But still that gentle spirit is there. We fell in love with it as soon as we met her. She obviously did not have an easy life for her first year, which is hard to understand, as she is the sweetest, friendliest girl on four legs.

Sophie loves to chew (and being the puppy that she still is, she is still figuring out what is and what isn't acceptable to chew on) Thankfully, she's very apologetic and accomodating when she has something she shouldn't. No running away or playing tug-of-war. She loves to chase her tennis balls - a gift from the adoption organization - in the back yard. She loves to roll around in the grass. But her favorite thing? Gratefully following her new people from room to room, stopping and resting for pats, kisses and snuggles. She is a joy, and she is the perfect addition to our family.

My kids and the election

Oh, where to begin...

Two days ago, we as a country elected Barack Obama as our next president. It is, to be sure, the beginning of a new era for the United States, but also the end of a long and complicated campaign and election process. As always, we have involved the boys every step of the way. We've talked with them about the candidates, we've answered questions, we've shared our - at most times, very differing - views. We've discussed the issues. We watched the results as they unfolded.

And now here we are. This is what I hope my kids have learned, and will continue to learn, from this election:

First, I believe they already knew this, but I hope it cements for them that the color of your skin and the name on your birth certificate truly does not matter, that a black man, or white man, or asian man is no more or less capable of running a country. For that matter, gender doesn't matter either! This election brought Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin into their consciousness, and for that I am also thankful. Our kids are growing up in a time when racial and gender barriers are breaking down right in front of us.

Second, I hope they learned that it is up to them to research, to search their hearts, to form their own opinions. So that when the time comes they can vote their OWN vote, not someone else's. I hope they learned that even among family and friends (and at times, ESPECIALLY among family and friends) that this is one area that can prompt some strong, and vastly different, opinions and that that IS OK! I hope they learned how to respectfully disagree and to stand strong in their own beliefs. I hope they learned that they could support a candidate of their choice without feeling the need to disparage someone else's. I hope they learned that if something sounds too extreme - whether good or bad - then it probably is, and that the truth is much more likely to be somewhere in the middle.

I hope they learned the difference between good, honest campaigning and mud slinging. I hope they learned about sportsmanship. I hope they learned what a heartfelt and gracious consession speech sounds like, and why McCain was right in quickly shutting down the "boos" from the crowd.

Finally, as we move into the next four years, I hope that my kids see that this is a time for HOPE and not fear.

October: The Good, The Bad, and The Painful

It is 7:30 AM at the time of this writing. Mike has left for work, and all four kids are still sleeping. I think this is the stillest the house - and by extension, myself - has been in weeks.

Everett is on his fifth day of antibiotics for walking pneumonia. He was diagnosed after an early morning urgent care visit last weekend. He'd woken up in the middle of the night, crying that his back and chest hurt when he breathed. It was the first full day of Mike's 3 day business trip to Boston, so I was solo with the kids. Thankfully he's feeling like himself again, but has now developed a related rash. It's not bothering him at the moment, so I'm taking the wait-and-see approach, to decide whether or not I want him to be seen before his follow-up on Monday. I just had to get him a new pediatritian, since their old one is not covered under the new insurance.

Monday night Paxton had a baseball game. Tuesday night was a scouting event: trick-or-treating and halloween activities at a local nursing home. Yesterday we shopped for the perfect pumpkins and the boys spent the afternoon gutting and decorating them. Last night was baseball again. Tomorrow, God-willing, we're off to the State Fair, followed by trick-or-treating in our neighborhood at night.

And so has gone October. For better and worse we haven't stopped moving. Today, today if it's possible (is it ever really possible?) I'd like to rest. But before I do...

On October 9th, we made the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye to our Ally. She was 14 years old and severely crippled by arthritis. In her final few days she was unable to stand, and we knew that prolonging the inevitable was purely selfish on our part. The most humane and loving thing we could do was to put her down. The vet who did the euthanasia was wonderful and kind, and even had us laughing through our tears at times.


In my mind, and in a perfect world, I would write an eloquent memorial to Ally. Something that would put into words what I've been feeling the past few weeks. Somehow though, I still can't. Simply put, I just miss her, as acutely as I did the day we left the vet's office without her.

Because this is not a perfect world, and because we're not the ones in charge of timing, the very next day after losing Ally, we dried our eyes and turned our focus to a happy distraction: good friends visiting from New York for the first time. The best way to describe the visit, aside from saying we had a wonderful time, is through pictures! A few things you won't see in the pictures - their introduction to the wonder that is Wii Fit, the talking chihuahua movie, the mountain road we led them up that threatened to demolish the rental car, their first visit to our huge church, our end of the day run to Cold Stone. And of course, the laughter. Lots and lots of laughter.

They stayed for five days, after which we returned to life and reality. We mourned Ally. We took the kids to the butterfly exhibit at the Botanical Gardens..





We watched Paxton get his first (and second and third) base hits during a game...



We celebrated with Tegan as she learned to crawl and pull herself up unassisted...




And so it goes...

Church and Baseball

Paxton has been playing baseball for a month now, and I don't think I've ever seen him more excited about something. He loves everything about it - loves the game, loves the practices, loves getting into his gear. He's happy. They've had one game so far, and he played both second and third base. He was proud of his successes, undeterred by his mistakes, and can't wait for the next game. It was a big adjustment for the family for him to start the sport, since it meant saying goodbye to family dinners three nights a week, more juggling with Spencer and scouts, and an overall busier week. But I think we'd all have to admit it's been well worth it.

In other news...

We've been going to a new church for a month now. I realize that going to church for four Sundays in a row is not remarkable, but it's remarkable for *us*. I honestly can't remember the last time we were going to church regularly as a family. I know it wasn't in Everett's lifetime, possibly not in Paxton's either. Yeah, it's been a long time. It's always difficult to make a long story short - or at least readable - because it is a long story. We left the church we'd been attending because we were burnt out with intolerance, judgement, and hypocrisy. A lot of people view leaving a church as "falling away', and I'm sure at times it is. But we left church to FIND God, not walk away from Him. Our faith was strengthened over the last several years. It was a process, and like everything else in life, a journey. That journey eventually led us to Phoenix. While we tried various churches over the last few years, we never found the "one", and the timing was never right. So we waited. And then a month ago, we tried Christ's Church of the Valley.

Mike and I loved it from the first day we visited. But since this was to be a family decision, our feelings were just a small part of the equation. The kids had to love it too. And love it they did! They can't wait to go back every week. *I* can't wait to go back either, and despite having grown up going to church (or maybe because of it), I don't think I've felt that way about a church ever. I think people should be excited to go to church. I think they should go because they want to, not because it's what they think they're supposed to do. After our last negative experiences with church, I always said I'd only go back when 1) it was the right church and 2) it was for the right reasons. It only took 34 years.