Evening Update

I've found myself with a moment to myself. This is rare indeed, so what should I do? Read my school chapter, no. Read my novel, nah. Blog, sure. There's plenty to share!

EMT:
We were getting the kids down for the night, just finishing up the stories (tonight just happened to be Mama and Papa sharing about our baptism's) and Papa's EMT pager went off, long and loud. That meant that they meant business. Apparently there's a three car accident in Kanab and two cars are on fire. When you live in a small town, you can't help but wonder and worry that you know someone involved in the accident. So Leif's off to the accident hoping to help. The kid's went down really well:) So here I am.

HOUSE CHANGES (JAKOB'S LOFT):
We've remodeled the house again. We're really good at that here on the Baron Homestead. Caleb is now back in the nursery room. The computer is back out in the living room. JJ is in the boy's room (soon to be play room), and Jakob now has a loft in the rafters of the barn. We did it! And it turned out great! I still have some finishing touches to add before I put pictures up on the blog. But Jakob LOVES having his own space. And we Love that he has some space. They all do. Caleb enjoy's his own space as well.

INDOOR REMODELING IDEAS:
We're still trying to decide whether or not to build JJ a little room in the corner of the house and turn the bedroom into a full playroom/indoor jungle gym. We'll put a wall up for our bedroom as well. In my dreams I ponder the idea of repainting the walls a more neutral color and hanging nice decorations. I'd love to carpet the main room with professionally done carpet (although the carpet we have is extremely durable.) I would also love to put flooring down in the kitchen and entry way and in the different rooms. Oh, I guess a proper ceiling would be nice too;) Right now it's still butcher paper. However, that is holding up well, gratefully. I want to put the computer in a computer cupboard. And the dressers in the individual bedrooms instead of the living room. I hope for a flat-screen TV to hang on the wall. I need to figure out a way to organize everything so my clutter isn't out for everyone to see. I think I have enough storage shelves and such, I just need nice baskets and containers to disguise the stacks of things that need to go on the shelves. Ahhh, always something to work on. If there wasn't, I'd be blubbering about that.:)

KITTENS:
And then there's the Kitties. We still enjoy having them. But we do need to make a proper place for all of their necessities. It's just a matter of time and supplies. I think we've decided to build a shelter for them on the back balcony and put a kitty door in the door. Now we just need to do it. I think I'll ask Leif to cut the wood and I'll put it together.

SCHOOL:
Well, my schooling is no fun and not worth talking about. The boys' on the other hand is fun and worth a line or two. One of Jakob's favorite books that we read is our Daily Devotional book. It's called The One Year DEVOTIONS for Preschoolers. The short little stories are short and sweet and they really hit home for him. I'm thrilled! We started a daily exercise routine. Right now we're working out with the DVD, Kick to Get Fit. So far so good! Jakob started asking us to teach him Spanish (over and over.) So we took him up on the idea. However, we ordered an Italian language program because that's the 2nd language Leif speaks and it's very possible that we'll spend some time in Italy some day during Jakob's growing up years. So hopefully he enjoys it. We ordered the program off of Early Advantage. Caleb is progressing leaps and bounds lately. He talks in sentences for the most part and he is trying to draw and cut out more. He insists on playing with Jakob's math blocks (unifix cubes) during Math time every day. He also really enjoys his preschool. We've missed it this week since his teacher's out of town. We're so grateful for her love and talent!

THE DAY SPA:
I scheduled an afternoon at the spa today. WOW! I had a detox body wrap and had my legs waxed. Yep, it hurts;) But I think it will be worth it! Either way, just to be alone focusing on my well-being for a few hours was Amazing! Not to mention that I had the hottest therapist around (My hubby;);)

Well, that aught to get us up to date a little bit. I'm ready to climb in bed and read my book. Leif just called with an update. The accident was a terrible mess with two fatalities and all of them were tourists from out of town. So sad! Be patient when you drive and DON'T pass unless you are positive the lane is clear! Praying for the loved ones left behind tonight...

Loves! G'night!

Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4: School, Jared's Wedding, Fall Fondue

So much has happened this month! I will make mini blog posts in this post.

CALEB'S FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL!

Is he really that old?? My sweet Caleb started preschool this month. We are so blessed to have our good friend Jeana teaching Caleb. She is AMAZING! Caleb struggles with the moment of separation. But he loves all of the fun that they have together. I Love that he has some special preschool time with a great teacher and friends! Thanks Jeana!!

JAKOB'S FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE!

Jakob started First Grade Home School this month. I think he's really enjoying it!

UNCLE JARED GOT MARRIED!

Uncle Jared married Heidi and she brings two little sweet hearts into the family. We drove up to the Spruces in Cottonwood Canyon, Utah this month and celebrated Jared's wedding with my parents and my other brother Nate. It was a beautiful wedding!

FAMILY TIME BEFORE THE WEDDING

Before the wedding we were able to take some time to explore as a family. The leaves were changing and the animals were gathering their food for the winter. It was a beautiful time to be together in the mountains that I explored as a little girl.

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

FIELD TRIP WITH GRANDMA + GRANDPA HUNT

Before and After Jared's wedding we spent the time with Grandma and Grandpa Hunt and Aunt Trena. We also had a great visit with Grandma Pat. The evening that we met up we spent the time visiting and watching Davy Crockett (A sweet birthday gift from grandpa and grandma to Jakob.) The day after the wedding we went to the Heritage Park in Salt Lake City. We were able to take a little train ride through the town that they've set up of the historic homes of Salt Lake City. We also enjoyed the petting zoo with pony rides and the old school house. Not to mention the yummy ice cream. That evening we visited with Jared and Heidi while grandma Hunt played a game of Go Fish with the kids and Grandpa secretly passed around M&M's to the kids... and me;)

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

AN EVENING WITH AUNT LARISSA

The last day of our trip was spent visiting Aunt Larissa and her kids. We visited for a while and then headed to Brigham City to go to the Cemetery and then to the Baron Family Canyon Home for dinner. It was a great  visit! 

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

THE EVERYDAY JOYS!

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

FALL FONDUE 2011
We had our annual Fall Fondue Night the last weekend of September. It was a a great feast! Lots of yummy fondue dips. The favorites are always the Blue Cheese and the Pumpkin Spice fruit dip. This year we had left overs for Conference Weekend. YUMMY!

From Foto Friday September Weeks 3 and 4

Pinterest Ideas Please Come True!

Is there anyone out there who can make some of my Favorite Pinterest finds a REALITY! So many ideas, so little time and money. How much would this corner bunk bed set up cost? It just looks Awesome!!

Right now though, THIS is Exactly what we're looking at doing for Jakob! An attic bedroom down the center of the barn. We use all the space we have. And we mean ALL of it!

And This is how he would get up to his bed. It might just keep JJ from climbing up there... for a few months;)

There are a few that I just might MAKE the time for. Like this: 

First Grade Home School September Review

What a fun month filled with great subjects to learn about and explore! Here is a list of what we covered this month and a few thoughts and favorites. 

September: 

The Revolutionary War - Liberty - The Declaration of Independence

Favorites: Liberty Kids episodes on Netflix, Magic Tree House Revolutionary War on Wednesday, Documentary The Revolution on Netflix, Art project Making the Betsy Ross Flag

Habitats and Their Animals

Favorites: William Beebe, books, books, books, Beavers IMAX on Netflix, Field trip to Cottonwood Canyon in Utah, March of the Penguins on Netflix, Art projects from Animal Habitats by Judy Press

The Middle Ages - King Arthur - Knights 

Favorites: History's Mysteries: Knights of Camelot on Netflix, Sword and the Stone by Disney, the book In the Time of Knights by Shelly Tanaka, the book A Hero's Guide to Warriors by Deborah Murrell, Paper Model Castle and Knights, More art project ideas

Courage

Favorites: The book A Child's Story of the Book of Mormon

Manners

Favorites: A We Both Read book The Well-Mannered Monster

Alphabet

Favorites: The book Alphabet Mystery

Classic Literature: Favorite Fairy Tales around the World
Favorites: Jack and the Beanstalk (the original story)

Gospel Studies
Favorites: The book A Child's Story of the Book of Mormon
General Conference Activity Packet by www.Scriptures4Kids.com

How to Cope

I have a lot of stress in my life right now. I felt it today. The worst days are when I wake up and I just don't know where to even begin. Do I change the diaper, the cat litter, or my pajamas first? Do I make the bottle, the oatmeal, or the Chex first? And what about the phone calls, and the emails, and the discussion questions, and the text book reading, and the paper writing, and the exam study guide, and the diaper changing, and the story book reading, and the math DVD monitoring, and the art project finishing, and the scripture reading, and the conference planning, and the party planning, and the library book gathering, and the diaper changing, and the rabbit feeding, and the dead chicken gathering, and the chicken water feeder scrubbing, and the bruise kissing, and the lunch food finding, and the bottle making, and the clothes sorting, and the dinner food making, and the forgotten paper due in two hours. What about all of that!?

That was all today. So what did I do? Well, I prayed a lot. I only swore once.;) But it wasn't a four letter word, only three. Forgive me. I found myself completely fatigued around noon. I prayed sincerely for a suggestion on how to find more energy. I distinctly felt permission and encouragement to just lay down. So I did. While I was laying down I tried to ignore the kitties and kiddy's climbing on me and I practiced diaphragmatic breating. I actually felt a sense of deep relaxation while using the technique. Today while at the library, I was trying to gather the many many books needed for next months home school curriculum. I had all three kids. It became impossible. So, I asked for help. I called my friend and she kindly took the babies. Tonight when I sat down to "relax" and cruise the internet, I discovered that I had a paper due tonight. Luckily not a long one. But my head was already heavy and tired. So, when Leif asked what he could do to help me, I asked him to bring me Grapefruit and Peppermint essential oils to rub on my neck. I realized that my mind was clear and alert within 15 minutes of applying the oil. And finally, I took the time to write tonight about my stress and how I coped with it. This is a great stress management tool for me.

I feel better now. Tomorrow is another day, all is well!

Mama Bombed Her Test

One of the most valuable experiences that I glean from being a college student at the same time as being a mother is empathy. An understanding of another's burden because you have experienced it. Well, I can now empathize with my children (when they are in college) about how it feels to fail a college level exam. It's no fun!

I studied as much as possible. I filled out all the answers to the Study Guide questions. And I took the test. The test was a proctored closed-book exam. Unfortunately for me, I really Really need to be able to use my notes. My recall skills are very weak. This grade showed me just how weak they are. In fact, I'm actually going to be bold enough to ask my professor for mercy. I CAN NOT fail this class!! Leif suggested that I offer to write extra papers for extra credit. I would be happy to do that. I learn so much more if I have to research and write about it. Tests are pointless for me.

So anyway, life will go on. And Yes, this class was my STRESS MANAGEMENT class. The Irony!

Confessions of a Home School Mom

I home school, take classes myself, run my home, and try to care for our animals and yard when I am needed. I'm really really busy. I am not alone, I know. But I am often asked how I keep up with everything. Well, I have a few confessions and answers for those of you who wonder.:)

I don't know about you, but when I started thinking about home schooling I felt like I didn't fit the image. My image of a home school mom was someone with half a dozen (or more) kids, a clean house where everyone had their chores and did them willingly, the laundry was washed - folded - and put away daily, and a healthy home grown all organic freshly made dinner was spread on the table daily . Well, frankly, I was worried at this image I had created. Let me tell you how it really is for me.:)

I Confess: This is how I keep my kitchen sink and it's contents from overflowing into the front room. This also gives me one extra hour or more every day to read and explore the world with my kids.


I Confess:  This is where we're at with our veggies these days. To everything there is a season, and right now our season consists of 5 minutes in the microwave to get a plate of veggies. I do have a basket of fresh fruit available at all times to help me feel better.


I Confess: These are my best friend when I need to do a quick clean up. 5 minutes and the bathroom is sanitized.

I confess: That my house is merely sanitized, my family eats using all disposable eating utensils, I only do dishes when I have to, I grow a garden with only a few different plants, I feed my kids a lot of microwavable foods. I don't fit the image that I created of the perfect home school mom. But that's okay. And chances are, YOU are too! We love our kids. We sacrifice a lot to bring a unique joy into their lives that they don't even recognize yet. And though we might not fit the mold we think we should all the time, chances are the mold we have created is pretty darn good! Keep up the great work!

General Conference Prep Week for Children

I usually print the Amazing General Conference Activity Packets from www.SugarDoodle.net for my kids to use during general conference. However, they never really use them the way they are made to be used (following directions to make great little projects.) So this conference we are going to use the packets in our Home School curriculum during this week leading up to General Conference. I'm so grateful for these ladies and their willingness to share their talents with us! I am using the packets from www.Scriptures4Kids.com  

HERE is the link to the General Conference Packets for all ages.

Fabulate

Fabulate: That is the word that just came out of my 7 year old son's mouth.:) I Love it! He was getting ready to play a computer game with Leif and he said, "I love this game it fabulates me!" LOL!  My guess is that fabulate is a combination of fabulous and fascinates. I Love It!

Stress in Review

Does that post title make any sense? Oh well, who cares right!?

Well, I'm looking back on the last few days and I really need to get to bed right now. So I'll make this short. I'm feeling upbeat right now, but WOW I have a lot I need to do!! We have a trip we're getting ready for. My brother is getting married this week and I'm REALLY glad that I'll be able to be there for the wedding. I'm really looking forward to the trip in general. But anyway, I'm getting off subject. Stress: Ummm, well, I had a Massage this week and a Foot ZOne treatment (a lot like reflexology.) I'm sure those both helped. I'm also trying not to stifle any laughter that I feel. If it's there I just let it out. That feels good.:) I also got caught up on my meds. That's always a good thing too. I think that will help with my recent body pain issues too. I think my serotonin levels effect my pain levels. Anyway... I'm trying to find balance with everything happening in my life and how I cope with it all. I REALLY need to fit in my exercise and yoga. I'm not doing very good with that. Honestly, I wonder if I need to look into different coping strategies other then those. Because failing to do those adds to my stress.:) Ahhh, the joys of trying to take care of ourselves...

First Grade Home School: First and Second Week Review

When I Home School I spend months planning and preparing and then I take the first week deciding what will work and what won't. We started school the Tuesday after Labor Day this year (last week.) The night before our first day we all went to bed excited and feeling great. Jakob and I both woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep. We eventually started our school day and to be honest, it ended up being rocky. But after making some adjustments it has actually gone great from the second day on. What was the biggest change? I decided to pull back on my Moving Beyond the Page lessons. I really enjoy their program and it's content. But Jakob really really dislikes them this year. I will try to add some in, but I'm not going to force them. They were a filler anyway.  Jakob doesn't like to discuss, write, and color. MBTP has a lot of creative expression in their lesson's and Jakob would rather read about something and discuss it instead of hashing it over and over again. He shuts off pretty quick. So I have certain theme units for each month and we read A LOT.

The themes help us cover everything from social studies to history to phonics. Every day I try to read a new book as well as finish up some of the books we're in the middle of reading. Our on going books include a book of fables and fairy tales and A Child's Story of the Book of Mormon. I'm thrilled to say that these two books are the books that Jakob enjoys reading out of the most. How cool is that!? They are both very well written and entertain my seven year old boy as well as touch his imagination and his spirit. I can't ask for more.

We enjoy history in our family. One of the fun ongoing activities we have is our time-line. I printed off a time line that wraps around our living room. I have a page per 1000 years for a while (starting from the creation) and then goes to every 100 years up to 2000. Every time we read a book or watch a documentary about a certain subject that has a date to it that's interesting to us we print a picture about the subject and glue it to the proper year of our time line. I LOVE this activity!

There is so much to tell about home school this year. But the best thing right now is the fun that we're having. It's not easy, but we're all learning and moving forward. Good things are surely in the future. I'll keep you posted. I will also try to get photos us ASAP.

NOT HOLDING BACK - BE GENTLE AND FORGIVING

September-December: I will be taking a Stress Management class with Utah State University. One of the requirements for the class is that I journal at least two times each week about how I am coping with stress and how I am applying four different stress management strategies along the way. I will be even more open with these posts then I already am and I won't be holding back anything. It is required and I don't want to divide my thoughts between different blogs. So My Stress Management Strategies for the semester will be: Yoga, Massage, Exercise, and Comic Relief, among other things.