We survived week one

After a few months of free range summer kids, it felt good to try to resurrect some sense of routine and order.

Although that task doesn't come without some adjustment pains, an occasional threat of mutiny.

I'm teaching four kids at home this year (three officially registered for home education and the fourth is a tag along), and we have one doing first grade at a local public school.  

I couldn't really give you a great reason why we have one child in regular school, other than "If it ain't broke don't fix it".  We're doing what works for now. 

Elijah will be doing Kindergarten at home this year for a variety of reasons. 

Silas giving me his best first day of first grade "smile".  

Roman is doing Teaching Textbooks for math for the first time.  So far so good!  

Aili is going to stick it out with SOS for another year....even though I wish I had bought her teaching textbooks now too. 

Our Science textbook.  I like subjects that I can to together with, and adapt to kids ranging from preschool to Junior High.  The little ones color animal pictures, while the big ones learn more indepth zoology.

 Here are a few of the other resources we're using. 

Elijah and Cece are doing Kindergarten and Pre-K work with Handwriting Without Tears supplies.

I'm having lots of fun with my two little students this week.   Aili and Roman didn't start home schooling until 2nd and 4th grade and Silas went to public school Kindergarten, so I've never put any effort into PreK type of work.

Honestly I thought it wasn't really my thing....since I'm not all crafty and creative.

But it's been fun. 

It's a lot more fun than trying to keep toddlers out of mischief while teaching older kids. 

 I'm quite enjoying a toddler free school year.  Cece is only 3 1/2 she and Elijah are pretty much on the same level, so it works great to have them doing the same things.  Keeping little hands and minds busy is a good thing.

I need to go hit a dollar store and stock up on craft supplies, and fun activities to keep these little one's constructively busy.  

I feel so much more confident, and assured about educating our kids at home than I have other years.  Maybe it's the three years of experience under our belts, or maybe it's that the kids have gotten older, or maybe the fact that we're seeing the fruit of the decisions we made.  The first year or so all I could do was second guess myself, compare what we were doing to the public school, and fight nagging terror that I was wrecking my kids.   Since then I think we've found our groove, and we're really seeing the benefits of a home schooling, lots of time together, making education a part of everything we do, lifestyle.   

It is only September though....all that optimism will be all used up by March...or maybe October. 

\This is my homework.  Very encouraging, empowering, and informative reading so far.

Aili is now doing 7th grade!  Wow.  Hard to believe she's a Junior Higher now. 

One perk of homeschooling is you get to choose your location while you study. 

It's been a good productive week, but it's also been challenging.  The Hubster is still working long days in the field.  The kids see him for a quick hug goodbye at breakfast time.  He gets home long after they're in bed.  It's a change from Daddy usually being home for meals and in the evenings.

Change is always hard on Elijah....by Friday afternoon he was pretty much a basket case.  It's been building up all week with Daddy away, his "twin" leaving every morning on the bus, and lots of little changes in routine.  He's just wound pretty tight, and his hyper vigilance has switched into a higher gear.  Overall he's handling things better than he did during seeding season (which I think also corresponded with a natural post honeymoon meltdown phase).  

To finish the week off strong I found out we have mice in our house.  It's been several years since we've had uninvited pets so I wasn't really expecting scurrying visitors.  

We limped our way to the finish and ended our school week with popcorn and a movie. 

After the kids were tucked into bed I had my own little 

"we made it through the first week of home school" celebration.

...and tomorrow we attempt to catch up on the yard, house, and garden work that got neglected all week.

Playing in Dirt

A big part of my summer is my vegetable garden.   While it's not huge (I often wish I had more space so I could put more produce away for winter) it's big enough to keep us overwhelmed with fresh veggies all summer.  It's also plenty of work, but so worth it. 

There is something about growing your own food that is satisfying. 

It's very practical when you have a little money and a lot of kids. 

I also happen to love the convenience of having a produce section in my front yard.  If I need some veggies for supper I just go out and grab some.  That's a great thing when you live 50 km from the closest small town over priced grocery store.

They're extremely fresh, they're chemical free, and they are virtually free.

I'm not one of those meticulous, hyper organized, map and chart everything that is grown, plant in straight rows or lovely boxes kind of gardeners.  I'm a throw some seeds in the ground, forget where I planted anything until it comes up, replant what didn't come up...or I forgot to plant, keep the weeds down enough that I can find the vegetables, try to keep it alive, and then eat it all kind of gardeners.

Elijah has really enjoyed getting his hands dirty, and his clothes wet, to "help" me pick the vegetables. 

My herb box.  The drawer from and old entertainment unit didn't hold together quite as well as I had hoped.  But it has served it's purpose well for a year. 

I've restocked my cupboard with dehydrated herbs.

I grew kale for the first time...it produced a lot, and was much milder than the stuff I've bought in the store.  However it was more of an early summer green.

The garden in July.

Lots of stir-fry happening.

The closest thing I have to a flower garden is a few marigolds on the edge of my vegetable garden.  

The weeds have been horrid this year.  With the new load of manure, and all the rain the weeds have been hard to keep under any sort of control.   At this point in the summer I pretty much have quite trying.  There is a LOT of thistle this year...and because I let them all go to seed, there is going to be even more next year.  

My peppers and tomatoes did really well this year.  

I think I'm going to have to cook up, and can,  a big batch of Salsa! 

The garden in August.  The dill and the Coriander have created their own little jungle. 

What can you do with too many beets?

Pickle them.  Yummers.

My Daughter

This past weekend we celebrated Aili's 12th birthday.

It's wild and wonderful thing to see your little girl begin to become a woman.  

So much has changed, but...

I still see that same little face that used to ask me to rub her back every night at bedtime by pleading "wubby?"

I still see that impish little grin as she does her best to make us laugh.

I still see the same blue eyes that looked up at me, wide open, as I held her for the first time. 

 I vividly remember looking down and saying 

"hello, I'm your mummy"

It was a fearful, and incredible experience to hold my living, breathing, healthy, wriggling full of life child. 

A little part of me, a little part of her daddy. 

I can't quite figure out where the years went.

Part woman, part little girl.

A fascinating combination.

 Old enough for a budding friendship, and long late evening conversations with Mom...

and yet not too old to build forts, play house, and play play-doh with her siblings.

I'm so thankful for this beautiful young lady. 

She is such a good helper.  I honestly don't know how I'd keep all the daily tasks done with out her. 

I've heard the sentiment that fostering, adoption, or large families in general, aren't fair to older children.  They "have to" learn to serve others, to share what they have, and to be responsible long before our culture says they should.  Far from being a detriment it has helped to forge the character of this young lady.

Aili is the first one to suggest we adopt again, and ask for more siblings.   Although I'm sure she would love more undivided attention from Mom and Dad, I know she doesn't resent having four younger siblings...in fact it appears that she quite enjoys it. She day dreams (outloud) about all the places she's going to go, the work she's going to do, and the people she's going to serve.  I really can't wait to see what God's got planned for this one.

At 12 she can make meals, bake various goodies, and is neater at folding laundry than I am.   This girl is amazing at organizing the Little's into activities, games, and doing crafts with them.  She even enjoys "teaching preschool" lessons to them.  This experience has led to regular babysitting jobs, and her being a "mothers helper" one day a week for a neighbour who has three preschool boys. It's been fun to watch her develop from a scatterbrained adolescent into a responsible young woman who can keep track of her money, and show up at a job. She is quite the little entrepreneur.

She is creative, ambitious, and full of big ideas and dreams.  She loves to write, and has recently taken up sewing.  She keeps her Barbies outfitted with original custom designs.

12 years ago a bright eyed, pink faced, fuzzy haired baby girl was born.  She made her parents, who had waited so long, and been through so much heart break, the happiest people on earth.  

These parents were also confused because people told them to "sleep when the baby sleeps", and this baby just did not sleep.  She was convinced if she closed her eyes she would miss something important.

12 years later this beautiful girl still lives life with her heart and her eyes wide open. 

Aili, you are a delight. 

I am so proud of you, and thankful for you.

You are a gift to us, and a gift to the world that you are going to set on fire. 

You are lovely, and beautiful.

Happy Birthday Aili girl.  

Soli Deo Gloria,

A little Adoption Rant

Adoption Peeve Rant: 

My peeve is this, when someone, even 50 years later, still regularly introduces their son or daughter, as "This is my adopted son......" or "This is my adopted daughter......". 

Especially someone in a high profile position, who makes that distinction regularly....and the introduction usually includes race, and place of origin as well.  

 It makes me all like "GAAAH!".   

Adoption is a PAST TENSE VERB, not an adjective!!  

Their culture of origin should be respected (and even embraced), they should know about their adoption, and their race is a part of who they are.  Those things need to be acknowledged and celebrated  throughout their life.....but our children are not the sum total of those factors.  Do they constantly need us reminding them, in front of others, that they are different?  A different sort of son or daughter?

The word "adoption" describes how that child came into your family it does NOT forever become their title.  It does NOT describe them as a person, or describe their position in your family. 

We don't go around saying stuff like,

"This is my caesarean section son" 

"This is the fruit of my loins daughter" 

"This is my IVF son" 

"This is my 'I pushed for four hours' daughter" 

...so why do we not find it strange when people do this with adopted children (especially into adulthood)?

I wonder how people would respond if we started introducing all our children by describing how they came into our family, or the situations surrounding their birth?  

Would you introduce your child as:

"This is my 'We got frisky in the back of a pick up truck' son" or

"This is my 'oops, the condom broke' daughter" 

Not likely.  If you do, you have issues. 

Would we introduce our daughter for 50 years as  "This is my premature NICU daughter"

Do you honestly think a person wants to be referred to as "my adopted son" their whole life? Do we not think that would make our child feel like a second rate heir?  Do we want them to feel like they get our second class love? 

I will introduce all of my children as either "this is my son" or "this is my daughter" because that's what they are, regardless of how they came into the world, and into our family. 


I'm proud of them, and love how God brought them into our family through the gift of adoption, I will continue to talk about and advocate for adoption.....but they are now simply and truthfully "my child". 

 Obviously two of my kids look nothing like me, and if someone wants to come up with their own conclusions (even incorrect ones) I don't actually care. If they are genuinely curious and want to inquire more, I am happy to give them situation appropriate answers. 

 I'm obviously not trying to hide the fact that a couple of my kids are adopted, from them or anyone else.  I see adoption as a beautiful thing, not as something shameful, or secret, or a second best attempt at being a parent.....BUT we have to be careful how our own kids view the word "Adopted" and how their identity is formed (or preferably not formed) around that.   Constantly referring to them as "my adopted son" is a great way to make them feel either indebted, or resentful.   


So here's the thing....

I am my kid's Mom.  I'm not someone merely pretending to by their Mom, or acting as a life long babysitter.  I'm just their Mom, no more, no less.  

They are "my child".

Hobo Town and Harvest Time

Every once in a while, all of my kids enter into their own little imaginary world

...together. 

Although their imaginary worlds tend to create all kinds of creative mess, 

it really is bliss (for me).

The Kidlets spent three whole days in the world they created.  I actually have no idea what it was they were playing....but it looked like a hobo town to me. 

A very well armed hobo town. 

One you wouldn't want to just sneak up on,

 hoping for a cup of coffee from their fancy, broken, garage sale coffee maker they had drug out of the garbage bin.

It looks like they also might be signalling for more small hobos to join their ranks. 

I'm not sticking around long enough to find out. 

They scare me. 

One year ago today, after several months of working, wondering, waiting, glitches, and set backs, this little face popped up in my email inbox.  

Our official "Child proposal". 

Our match.

Without a doubt in our minds we replied 

"YES!"

"We will pursue this child, we intend to make him our son. "

I think it was a miracle that we would even *know* or trust enough to sign those papers for a child we'd never met.

I can't explain how we both knew this was our son, but we did.  I can't even begin to explain it.

I was willing to go to the ends of the earth to find him, 

and I'm so glad we did.

It was nothing short of a gift of God's grace, provision, and providence...

in our life and his. 

A beautiful, life filled, joy bringing gift.

I still find it amusing that the name given to him in China was "Qiu" meaning Autumn/ harvest.  

Somehow this time of year is significant, marking not only his name but most major milestones and transitions in his life.  

(Including his birthday which is coming up in a couple weeks!)

His "birthday", 

his abandonment/ finding as a toddler, 

a couple different major transitions between foster care and orphanages, 

and his forever parents claiming him as their own

all happened during harvest season.

I'm not one to read too much into things like that,

but this time of year does cause me to pause, give thanks, remember, and celebrate all that the Lord has done in his life....and will continue to do. 

It's that time of year again.

Harvest 2013 has officially begun.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Just Cece

My beautiful Miss Cece, growing up too fast.

Seriously, she was the baby...and now she's a full fledged little girl. 

This little one has kind of gotten lost in the mix lately.

She's still the youngest but was bumped from the "newest"...

and in many ways even "youngest" position.  

That might be easier to handle if you lose your "baby of the family" position to an actual baby.  

When you're bumped by a brother who is bigger than you, who plays with your toys, takes a lot of mom's time, and doesn't always fight fair...

it can be a lot for a little girl to handle.  Not that she and Elijah don't make great play mates most of the time, and I know she adores him....but my princess has had to re orient herself a bit, and get accustomed to having some competition. 

This year my super compliant, easy toddler has morphed into a naughty mischievous, high maintenance three year old.   I don't know if was the change in dynamics or just a natural phase she's going through....like hitting the terrible twos a year late, but this little one keeps me on my toes these days.  

She is a spunky little sweet heart.  Even under the frequent grumpy attitude is a girl who loves to "mother" her brothers, to snuggle, and to show affection.  She has a soft and tender heart.

And really gorgeous eyes.

My biggest daily challenge with her health right now is her chronic eczema.  It's just always, always there...all over.  I lotion her from head to toe about three times a day (even her ear lobes and eye lids) and apply heavy duty medicine twice a day.  Her itchy, scratchy sores are made more complicated by other chronic health issues.  Constant vigilance can leave my nerves a little bit ragged sometimes.  Even in the heat of summer she is usually wearing leggings with socks, and often a long sleeved shirt as well.  

Words like "high viral load" and "elevated liver enzymes" weigh heavy on my heart some days, because there is nothing I can do about it.  It seems there's nothing anyone can do about.  Increasing fatigue, moodiness, excessive skin problems....all signs of an insidious virus making her body and liver work so much harder than it should.  That and so many other "unknowns" stacked against her, can leave me struggling to lay down my fears.  Despite it all I know she is here, and alive, and in our family for a purpose....even affliction has purpose, even though I may never fully comprehend why. 

I know that it is doing a work in my own heart though.

Trust, fear, control, letting go, frustration, patience, selfishness, grace.

Despite it all, she has a smile like no other, and a giggle that bubbles and overflows like a bottle of champagne being opened. 

She is my Lovey.  

I am so thankful for this little Princess, and the privilege of being her mommy.  

She most certainly still has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger.

She is a precious little treasure, and I sometimes still can't believe that she's forever ours. 

Soli Deo Gloria,

It's that time of year again

The combines are all ready to go.  The fields are ripening more each day.

I'm trying to psych myself up for busy season, which isn't working so well since it kind of feels like all of life is busy season.  It's all perspective though, in a couple weeks I'll think this was pretty slack.

I'm not sure how many hours, if any, I'll log into farm operations this year.   I wouldn't mind trading a day with the howler monkeys for a day sitting in the utter quiet, boring ,solitude of a combine cab.  

Either way...

single parenting season is upon us. 

Just lone Ranger me and the Kidlets. 

Good times....good times. 

Peas waiting for harvest

My best little raspberry picker, and notorious berry thief.  

 Crab apple jelly, and strawberry/ rhubarb jam.

I'm so thankful for my biggest girl and the great helper she is.  

Here she is enthusiastically, begrudgingly snapping beans.

...well, where she may lack in consistent eagerness she makes up for with quality of work accomplished.  

It's that time of year again.

The garden is in full production.

The days are getting slightly shorter.

We are starting to wrap our minds around another year of home schooling three kids, and buying supplies for one child in regular old public schooling.  We're an eclectic, odd mix as far as education goes right now.  Which is ok, because my kids are a pretty eclectic and odd too. 

Harvest season is upon us.

There is something about harvest that I love.  All the momentum, the focus, and the nostalgia of decades filled with the same sights, and smells.  There is also something that I dread about this harvest season....

the signal that summer is pretty much done. 

...and I will not speak of the season that comes next. 

*shudder*