Have you ever wondered what it is like for our family to homeschool? It is difficult to capture, but I did my best. One morning last month, I secretly set up the camera to record my five diligent students, hard at work. This does not include the living room, where someone else was working for a while, or the mayhem that is also called “lunch”. Yes, I ruffle my hair sometimes when I’m getting tired. Look for it. So, here you have it, in high-speed. ONE day in our life. Every day is different, so maybe I’ll do another video in the future. I hope you enjoy!
homeschool
From Kenya to Valley Forge
Yesterday we traveled to two countries. Compassion International has a mobile experience where you can walk through two lives of children and hear their stories through an audio tour. It was amazing.
It was difficult to hear of their circumstances, as Elsie’s eyes show so clearly. It was plain hard. But so good for them to experience life outside their own.
We highly recommend the Compassion Experience, and encourage you to consider sponsoring a child!
After a successful trip to the Dr. for Nadine’s toe, we celebrated its steady healing by having a picnic at Valley Forge. We have never been to Washington’s Headquarters before, so we really enjoyed exploring around his house.
Then Jack really wanted to see the “squirrel’s house”, so we headed in that direction. Yes, he did hand-stands along the entire way.
Elijah was such a good big brother, giving piggy-back rides to all his sisters! This one was especially hilarious.
Betty was hot and tired. And cute.
At last we found the squirrel’s house. (That’s what we like to call it). We knocked and knocked. No answer.
What a delightful day, overall. In the words of Elsie: “You wore us out, mommy!” I am so thankful for my children, and for each day we can spend together.
Life in Collage
With over two weeks of school under our belt, we have so many fun adventures already embedded into our memories. Since Nadine’s broken toe, five weeks ago, we have made several trips to the orthopedic dr. to make sure everything is healing as it should. The plus side to this, is we have been making celebratory stops at Valley Forge and enjoying picnics and fun there together on the way home. We love the history and beauty of the park. A few weeks ago we were at Washington’s Memorial Chapel and acted out Romeo and Juliet. We are learning about Shakespeare in school.
Other things included in our school days are much reading, taking walks, and going places. Notice Betty playing “Dr. Bosler” (that is our chiropractor). Nadine is making quite the impression on her. The injured digit of choice is the toe these days. The boys love to hang out together in their room and “talk”. Jack creams me in Mancala every single time. The score is usually seven to whatever number the pile of stones is on his side. Elijah is obsessed with the microscope. He took pictures of what he saw through the viewfinder, and made a collage of it for me.
Last week, we went to the shore house for the weekend. We played at the park, went to the beach, took naps in the tent, and watched the ferry come in one evening. On our last night there, Nadine stepped on something very sharp with her UNINJURED foot, and sliced the bottom of it open pretty badly. So, Matthew and I spent the next four hours at the ER with her.
At least she was able to get some fun in on the beach before it happened. Now the poor girl has a boot for her right leg, and a special shoe for the stitches on her left. Thankfully, she can put pressure on her broken toe foot now, so she doesn’t have to figure out how to walk without both feet.
This last collage shows just a glimpse of our past week. Another picnic at Valley Forge (more pictures of that later), beautiful sunsets, laughter in the car, many handstands, working on chores, reading, visiting Matthew at work, and how I often feel after a full, busy day of mama-ing these five amazing children!
I hope you enjoyed life from the point of view of my phone camera. Life is indeed beautiful.
Oh I Would Run 3 Miles or More Just To See You Walk Right Through That Door
Today was our “official” first day of school. Everyone dove in excitedly, and we got everything done that was on our schedule! We waited all day for Matthew to come home, because we knew he was driving home in something pretty special. If you heard the screaming from the West End, those were our children excitedly welcoming their Daddy home from his first day of work at Rittenhouse Builder’s. In his “new” truck, no less.
A few weeks ago, he was offered the position of a project manager at Rittenhouse, and after praying about it the Lord confirmed that this was the right next step to take! He even provided a much-needed new truck for Matthew, and medical benefits. We are incredibly thankful. We were not looking for a new job, but God fit Matthew for this perfectly. I’m so proud of him! Elijah is too, but he was just tired of smiling into the sun.
As for the teacher of those wild and amazing children… she needed to pound out some miles tonight. So, this is me, after running practically all uphill for 3 miles to go fetch Matthew’s old truck and drive it home. Because that is just something we like to do. Or, it might have something to do with the fact that I’m training for a relay race taking place in three weeks. I am slotted for 15 miles, split into 3 runs over the weekend. I’m pretty excited since Matthew and I will be doing it together with a team from Rittenhouse.
So, that was our day in a nutshell! I’m excited for new beginnings, overcoming challenges, and a gracious Heavenly Father who is holding us through it all. The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad! (Psalm 126:3)
There’s A Small Town In My Living Room
I think I just overheard a voting session going on downstairs, so I walked down to investigate. Right now the kids are playing a game called “Town”, in which they are all voting unanimously as to which jobs they will each have in the game. Elijah, who is the president, leads the way. He just told everyone: “The money will be returned to you post-haste.” Jack and Elsie are the mail men, Nadine is the store-keeper, and Betty is the pie-maker. Except for one problem: she doesn’t want to cook right now. So, Elijah called a town meeting where everyone offered their suggestions as to what she could do. “Who votes for Betty to be garbage collector?” Everyone said, “Aye.” The motion didn’t pass because Betty didn’t want to collect garbage. It was determined that she will help Nadine with her shop-keeping with jobs like: running to the bank (Elijah) for money, counting it, and putting it in the shop-keeper’s cash register. The post office is busy writing AND delivering mail. Mr. President is happily handing out money, calling meetings to order, and keeping things in order. “I have come to the decision that we need to have a police station and a police man for shooting, stealing and other suing consequences. Who should be the first annual police man? If something happens, you call the president and I will call the police. He shall remain in my jail.” After going through everyone’s names, and a resounding “Nay” for all to become policeman, except Jack, it looks like Jack is the official “new annual police man.” I think they are swearing him in to office. I hear: “Arise. And sit down.” No, actually this is court in session now. Nadine is speaking: “I am suing Jack Weldon. When I was sleeping, I saw Jack stealing my helicopter. It is worth 200 dollars and it is officially stolen.”
Elijah is calling Jack to the stand: “J-A-C-K,” he spells out his name.
Jack tries to defend himself. “Elijah, I was going to MAIL it to you!”
The questioning continues. “Is it true that you went into the store and took the helicopter without paying?”
“Yes.”
“Was it a helicopter?”
“Yes.”
“Was it worth 200 dollars?”
“Yes. Can I say something? I’m going to pay her 200 dollars when we’re DONE this meeting!” He gives a big sigh.
Elijah really is a kind soul. His verdict: “Since this is the first sue we’ve ever had, I’m giving this as a warning. You will not have to pay 200 dollars or go to jail or anything. You will have to pay 20. Meeting adjourned.”
Then, “I’m officially closed. I’m sorry I’m closed, but I really have to pee,” says Mr. President. “Please, hold your thoughts.”
I just might be laughing really hard over here. I love it when they imagine up games like this.
In the past week or more, our little “town” has had a ton of adventures. The biggest one began on the last day of July.
Nadine was running from a bee, her brother, or both, and she tripped going up the concrete steps of our front porch. I heard her crying and there was a deeper pain in her cry than a typical hurt, which kept going. A day and x-ray later showed her big toe to indeed be broken. So, last Friday we headed to the orthopedic doctor to tell us if there was anything special we should be doing, and to get a better idea of what kind of a break it was.
As we drove to the appointment, Nadine and I were bouncing along in the Eurovan, windows down, enjoying the first day of August. I glanced down at the dashboard and it dawned on me that the gas was really low. Like, lower than the really low it was the night BEFORE when we were driving home from somewhere. I just had driven past my favorite exit for gas. Two more exits to go until a gas station was nearby. I wasn’t really nervous, but something inside of me just kept looking down at the dashboard and up at the exit, which all of a sudden seemed much farther than one mile away. Then it happened. Our van started to sputter. I’ve never been in this situation, but I was pretty sure we were running out of gas. Thankfully, Oceanus has manual transmission, so we coasted off the exit ramp and through one light. I tried to start her again, and we were able to get enough oomph to go through one more light before she gave up her last puff of fumes and coasted to a stop. In the left hand turn lane. Within sight of the gas station. Nadine was talking to her friend on the phone, and I told her to stay on the line with her until I got back. So, off I went with the keys, in my sneaks, running across intersections with “no pedestrian crossing” signs everywhere. After asking a few random strangers in the Wawa parking lot if they happened to have a gas can in their vehicle, I bit the bullet and bought a new can (to add to the three we already have in our basement) and filled it with two gallons of gasoline. Then a sweet lady drove me back to the van. Next thing I know, a friend pulled up behind us to see if we needed any help. It made me feel so much less like a crazy woman having her there with me!
Back on the road again, we filled her up with gas, and made it to the doctor only ten minutes late. The verdict is she has a fracture right on her joint in a tricky place. So he gave her a giant nifty boot to keep her foot flat and stable. She’s also gaining speed on a pair of crutches. Love her spirit. This week as a family we have been reading James chapter 1. She took the “falling into various trials” part very seriously, and now we’re getting all sorts of practice with “counting it all joy”.
Our week has been full of other things too! We started school, on a small scale. It is an opportunity to work out kinks and start slow. Seeing them eager to start has been encouraging! Nadine informed me, after just one day, that I have “improved so much as a teacher!” She makes me chuckle. On Sunday morning I had the honor of watching a sweet baby be born. That never gets old. On Wednesday we went to Marsh Creek with sweet friends to celebrate a wonderful birthday and to watch the sunset over the water. Beautiful! On Thursday we made an impromptu road trip to NJ to see more wonderful friends and played on the beach for the first time in years! I’m still picking sand out of my hair, and I only went knee-deep in the ocean.
I think the small town downstairs will be needing lunch soon, so I better take up the unwanted role of “cook” and whip something together. Hungry townspeople spells g-r-u-m-p-i-n-e-s-s in our near future. I hear there is a library now, and the police station is “officially open”. “Sometimes it’s open, sometimes it’s closed,” says Jack. Nadine counters with, “I just don’t think anyone is going to be bad! But, it’s good to have anyway.” Elsie is protesting her job as the mailman, but after some encouragement she just told the president, “I’ll still be the mailman, but when I get a new job, I won’t.” My, this is so fun. In the words of Mr. President, “I’m sorry I have to go. Please hold your thoughts.”
School Room Makeover
It’s been about a year since I gave a little tour of the downstairs of our home. The past month has been full of much rearranging, as we attempt to utilize our space in the best possible way. I’ve been waiting to post pictures when it was “perfect”. Then it hit me how this will never happen, so it was time to just take pictures. The biggest change is that we switched the living room and school room around. As you walk in, you are greeted into our cheery school room:
Each child has a locker, and we also store coloring books, craft items, and other untouchables (like tape!) in the top lockers. I recently scored an amazing deal on Craigslist which included six IKEA expedit shelving units for the price of one! The shelves under our chalk board contain all our schoolbooks and readers, divided by subject into each square. The shelf as you walk in to the schoolroom contains space enough for everyone to have one bin for their shoes. The flip side has squares and bins for my school books, clipboards, portfolios, and a few other things. Each person has a filing cabinet with six drawers, divided into categories by school subject.
Here is a blurry wide-angle view, as my wide-angle lens is not a precise fit.
Moving on to the living room… it is a tight squeeze to get a good picture.
Through the living room, is the kitchen. Earlier this month I woke up one morning and decided to paint our kitchen! There was a new can of paint (bought for Nadine’s dresser makeover), and all the kids were sleeping. What is a girl to do? So, a quick makeover was in order. It is super happy now. We added a book shelf to store some larger items we use often but would love to not be on the counter-top. Nadine painted the mirror and everyone helped to spray paint the chairs. Matthew was pretty surprised when he got home that day!
My favorite decoration is my “new” vintage hanging scale. Eventually we will move it in front of the window so it’s a bit easier for everyone to pull fruit from its base. But for now there was already a hook in the ceiling in the corner.
Up next: a tour of the upstairs! We now have an office and sewing room, thanks to Nadine giving up her personal space and sharing with her sisters. It is still in the organizing stage, so I will post pictures when it is finished. Hope you can stop by sometime!
The Wind is Blowing Our Faces Into a Smile
There are many lost journal entries this month, as I’ve either been too exhausted to sit down and write, or I’ve been too wiped out by the end of the day. One of those two. Starting with tonight and working my way backwards, however, I will attempt to do a brief overview of our May Days.
The weather today has been awesome. Matthew experienced hail the size of small golf balls where he was working, and we experienced sunshine and dark clouds, changing back and forth all day. I had to explain to Betty five times tonight where all the snow went.
Elsie is my helper. I told her if she wore goggles while she chopped onions, they wouldn’t sting her eyes as much. The other day when we were driving and smelling cow manure which wafted through the open windows, she said: If I could pop my nose off whenever something is stinky then put it back on when something smells good… Well, that would be great. Speaking of smelly, Nadine had this descriptive offering of armpit odor: they apparently reeked of rotten chemicals with hotdogs dipped in mayonnaise. Yum.
Right now my dad is in Africa. In fact, this week he was able to visit the station where I was born and raised. Partly because I was feeling especially nostalgic, and partly because the kids have been begging to pop into our “old house”, I decided to do just that. We stopped in, and it is now a dentist office. Everything is bright blue from the outside. The downstairs is completely different, but the upstairs was just the same. It’s hard to believe I stood on those stairs in my wedding dress over 12 years ago! In my old bedroom, the inside of my closet door still had the glow-in-the-dark paint signatures of my siblings and friends, from back when I was a teenager. There were even a set of my nephew’s baby footprints, glowing in the dark when we shut the door and stood inside the closet. The same day, my same nephew, had just flown his first solo flight!
School is winding down, with our last week stretching out before us! I have learned way more than the kids, I’m sure. Nadine has become a much more confident reader. Elijah has improved in his math skills. Jack is reading and writing. Elsie is also reading and writing. Betty loves books and can write a few letters of the alphabet. She told me the other day: I don’t want to take it easy. I want to take a break. They love games, and have really improved in so many areas. I have a nice-sized list of things I am changing for next year. As my ever-wise husband has told me: this teacher and mama must keep a tight ship. This week Betty also overcame some of her fear of bugs. She managed to pick up fuzzy “calipitters” for hours on end with her second cousin, and she also willingly let an ant crawl onto her hand. She told me very excitedly the other day: Mom! Mom! Guess what? Lady bugs climb on trampolines.
Besides book work, we are out and about for so many activities. Nadine’s horse club has been a huge blessing for her. Elsie & Jack have even gotten a turn to ride when we pick her up at the end of the day. Field trips, archery, friends, blowing bubbles, picking flowers, and riding bikes leaves mama pretty exhausted some days. I am no longer the endless source of energy that I see in my children. I remember having it. I know it once existed. But it has been sucked out of my veins and into their own. So now they just borrow my phone to take pictures of their tired mama.
We do have a lot of fun around here. The beautiful moments of this month I think can be summed up in this one picture of Jack:
Our windows are down. The wind is blowing our faces into a smile. Summer is just around the corner.
When It Comes to Five
Maybe it’s the way her hair curls to beautifully, or the way her smile has always been exceptionally bright. Maybe it’s her ability to make people feel special. Maybe it’s a little girl trapped inside a woman’s body, that comes out when she’s excited or playing a game. Nadine loves creatures with fur, especially the ones that neigh. She has friends she calls on the phone, can clean a kitchen well, and loves to write letters. A woman of habit, she sleeps in the exact same position every night. Her little sisters adore her, and the other day Nadine said something funny to Betty: You know English fully now, don’t you? When we were eating bacon the other day, Nadine discovered she actually liked it and said, I think I’m finally coming to my senses about it. You got that right! Today she started back doing a special homeschool girls’ horse club with a few girls her age. She proudly donned her helmet she’s been dying to wear since Christmas, and I left her happily basking in the environment where she thrives.
Maybe it’s the way his bright blue eyes haven’t changed since he was a baby. Maybe it’s the way his body is swiftly changing into a young man. Maybe it’s the way I look at my phone and see a note from him telling me I’m the best mom ever… usually on a day when I’m feeling anything but good. Maybe it’s the way we both connect through music. The other day he walked into the kitchen and “Don’t Stop Believin'” was playing on the sound dock. He sighed and said, I love Journey. His peace-loving soul hates conflict and strives for resolution. Right now he is taking archery lessons and is one of the best shots in his class. He is counting the days until he can drive a car, and I have to remind him how awesome it is to be a kid. His feet are bigger than his mama’s. Today he was looking for the peanut butter in the cupboard. He poked around a bit then said, Maybe you can see it, because you’re taller. He paused and looked at me, then added, Well, not that much taller, and chuckled. He is a good observer. Once he saw how Elsie had dressed herself. I don’t remember the exact outfit, but generally it has to do with stripes, polka dots and flowers combined. He said, Mom, I always thought Elsie would be good trend-setter. When I asked the boys why they had their shirts off the other day (when it wasn’t hot outside) Elijah said, Because it makes us stronger!
Maybe it’s the way he is always catching up to his growing body. Maybe it’s the way his giant puppy paw hands will one day match the rest of his muscular body. Maybe it’s the way he leaps over three stairs at a time in his roller-blades and makes this mama’s heart beat very fast. Maybe it’s the way his heart tips the scales of my own when he wraps his arms around me and tells me he loves me. Maybe it’s in his smile that’s so big it makes his eyes squint closed. For Jack, an umbrella becomes a parachute, taking him to another world where there are things to fight and conquer. He is okay with going to the store wearing a button-down shirt, soccer shorts, boots with no laces, a holster with gun, and a cowboy hat. The other day said something very funny: Mom, I just have a question. If you pick your nose at night do you need to brush your teeth again? Today we reviewed our neglected chore charts. Orange marker in hand, Jack checked things off one-by-one. A few minutes later, I heard someone mowing, which is still a rare sound, after such a winter. For the longest time I thought it was our neighbor, then I poked my head outside to check on the boys. There was Jack, in his pajama pants, clip-on “pirate” earring, and flip-flops, mowing the grass for the first time this year. I didn’t even know if the mower would start. Elijah was right behind him, weed-whacking. They took the “yard work” part of their charts very seriously, and I think we’ll be keeping those chore charts handier. 
Maybe it’s the way she likes two little strands of hair un-tucked from her ponytail, so she can smooth them behind her ears. Maybe it’s the way she wears stripes with polka-dots on most days. Maybe it’s the gaping hole in her smile where her tooth was knocked out last year. There’s something about Elsie that makes me chuckle whenever she walks into the room. She loves friends, changing outfits, and monkey-bars. If all three are included on any given day, it’s pretty much the best day ever. She loves to sleep with her stuffed bunny under her head, just so. 
She also sleeps in a different position every night. She likes to do her own hair these days, and she likes to “babysit” Betty. She’s a terrific helper and does things almost always with a cheerful heart. Currently, she is wearing a purple shirt, red vest, shorts, striped socks up to her knees, and sparkly shoes. She sings hymns and songs and says the books of the Bible with lightening speed.
Maybe it’s the way she cocks her head and smiles. Maybe it’s the way she says, Bless you! whenever she sneezes. Maybe it’s the way her hair is still uneven from the perfect haircut she gave herself many months ago. Maybe it’s the way her brown eyes pull me in with their sweet chocolaty-ness. There’s something about Betty that makes me scoop her up and cover her in kisses whenever she walks into the room. She loves her dollies, taking care of people who are hurt, baby spoons, and the color yellow. To emphasize something of great importance she will say, “So bad”. For instance, I want to button my shirt so bad! I need a banana so bad! Sometimes she will say, Mom! I have a secret! Then she’ll whisper in a voice loud enough to hear all around, Please, I want a chocolate chip! I mean three chocolate chips! She still loves receipts as “taggies” to hold while she sucks her fingers. The other day she exclaimed: I found them all! Seriously! After finding a pile of receipts in her little purse. Seriously. Her vocabulary is hilarious. There aren’t always darling moments, but there are many funny ones. Like today, when I laid her down for her nap… for the fifth time. Without a word, I carried her back upstairs, put her in her bed, tucked her covers around her and walked out. She cried behind my retreating back: I’m not a baby! I’m not a baby! To which I chuckle. In fact, you are. You’re my baby. When she’s not a baby, she is doing her own schoolwork, and already knows how to make an H, B, and E. You’re still my baby, Betty.
Maybe it’s a combination of five hearts, all with their own special places in my own. Whatever it is, I love these beautiful children. Seriously.
Italian Surprises
Surprises are the spice of life.
We had a surprise brewing for a few weeks now. I kept it from the kids, excitement building in my own heart. It had been almost three years ago since we saw these sweet faces, flown straight from Italian soil to our side of the ocean!
One night previous, Elsie had just been in tears for her cousin, Hannah. She missed her so badly.
Few words are needed. It was a blessed week and a half. So thankful we were able to see them a few times and cousins were able to connect over dress-ups, dance-parties, and sidewalk chalk.
In the between days when we weren’t at Matthew’s parents house visiting, we kept busy with the usual school and business of life. Soon I will post pictures of our entire family together. What a beautiful week it’s been.
Going to Space & Down Here on Earth
The past two weeks have been so full of life and surprises and furniture renewal. Matthew bought me a new chair for my birthday. As I sunk down into its beautiful grey comfort, I stared at my dresser. Ugly couldn’t describe it fully.
So, in typical head-long fashion, I set off to remedy this problem. I’ve been stung by many a bee in my bonnet. The finished product:
Five birds flying from the nest, represent our five kiddos, with Matthew and I sticking together for life. The tree has our initials carved in it, reminiscent of the tree at our old house where I carved our initials, about four years before we were even married.
Soon I will post pictures of how I didn’t stop at just the dresser, because once I saw how clean and new it looked, I thought the walls needed a face-lift as well. This turned into a full-fledged makeover, which in turn led to another purging throughout the house. Life multiplies in so many ways.
Our girls are growing up so quickly.
Last weekend our family went rock-climbing. The last time we went, those little feet belonging to the orange shoes were inside my belly!
This time, they scaled the walls!
A couple of weeks ago we had a medieval feast with some friends from school. We are finishing up studying medieval times in history. So we ate chicken and potatoes off of our trenchers, and drank sparkling grape juice out of our goblets. Wooden bowls, no utensils (except spoons) and costumes made our feast super memorable.
Other fun school activities included going to the Franklin Institute last week. Our friend did a great job demonstrating an astronaut’s suit on a budget:
Elsie was chosen to shoot off a bottle rocket. Her little self was so cute up there on the stage.
We had an amazing surprise that afternoon after our field trip. More on that later. Someone needs yogurt. “Seriously, Mom,” she says to me. (She’s three.) “Just a little bit?”
Grow Old With Me 