Sleepy...zzzzz.....

I love my sleep...I really do. I know what the Bible says about being lazy...but I do value some good sleep.
Lately little Mr. Israel has been waking us up with "I can't sleep..."
Hmmm...funny...WE WERE!

Early this morning Roger put him back to bed with another song and a sip of water while I checked my phone to see what time it was. I had a new message from baby girl Marci who has JUST moved from Indiana all the way across the world (well...it seems like it....) to Seattle. She has downloaded literally HUNDREDS of pictures to facebook....so of course, I just had to click my way through them...in the middle of the night...or early morning. But it is a comfort to see their things all settled in their little apartment....

The next thing I heard again...was, "I can't sleep..."
Poor Roger...he said, "Pray that God will let you get some rest...."  (I am sure that my Roger was praying that EXACT prayer.....")  I think that we will need to start turning off the hall light which shines right into Israel's eyes. We'll need to get a nightlight for the hallway, I think....either that or earplugs for us.

On a different subject...we have a few really odd animals. At least their personalities are pretty strange.
"Harmony" is the schizophrenic cat. She can be sweet and loving one minute and attack your ankles when you walk by the next minute.
She also has a really odd way of eating and drinking. She will literally pick up her food with her paws and eat from her "hand." She does the very same thing with water! She will scoop it up and lap it from her paw. Seriously.
Sometimes I think I'M in charge around here and I'm finding out I am wrong. It's kind of scary. Harmony loves to drink out of the bathtub. Well...not when it is full, but she likes to have the stopper in place and then have you just put a little bit of water in it for her. I don't have the foggiest idea how we knew what she wanted, we just do...
Sometimes I will walk into the bathroom and there she sits, IN the bathtub LOOKING at the faucet and the stopper....WILLING it to fill up just a little bit with water...she stares, unwavering with great expectation and confidence of what will come...willing...willing.....willing.....

Somehow, oddly, I am drawn to the bathtub and I push in stopper and turn on the faucet...just a little. She rises and drinks.......she KNEW it would come...

And I thought I was in charge around here.......

Homeschool Daze!!

Yesterday was the first official day of school around our household.
Gideon went to school on the bus...he attends public school.
Becca went to the first day of her homeschool classes at our homeschool group. She will be involved with two different groups this year. Mondays and Thursdays she will attend her regular classes and on Thursday afternoons, she AND Israel will take some "fun" elective type classes to round out their education such as Sewing, photography and game programming for Becca and Israel will take Amazing Animals, Building Basics and P.E. (P.E. to wear him out a little bit for his Mommy....!!!!)
Becca will, for this year, be taking Geometry and possibly Spanish and Chemistry at home...throughout the year.

Israel's "first day" of classes started in an "oil change" shop...thank goodness for workbooks that can come with us! Roger's elderly aunt passed away and we had to drive about an hour and 1/2 to the funeral...which Roger had to give the eulogy. (He did a good job!! I was proud of him and his testimony! What a cutie!)

So, today was school at home for Israel! I'm not sure he was terribly excited about it but he was at least cooperative! We started out rather in a grouch because Mommy did NOT make turkey bacon for breakfast! How horrible I am!! I offered him multiple kinds of cereal...but.........well, let's just say that after about 2 hours, he had a little bit of toast and milk.

Later he worked on money and the values of 4 coins. He did a very good job! (He is quite interested in money...a.k.a. allowances and what they can buy!) Then we moved on to phonics online. I don't think he even realized he was "working!" He had a wonderful time doing that. In the month that we have had him in our home, he has not done video games but I have allowed him to play on PBS Kids and now this new site I have found.
Then he "wrote" a report about what we learned about snakes last week. He dictated it and I typed it on the computer for him. I found that this is a very encouraging way to help a child "write" what they know. I used that idea with my older daughter when she was little and it was AMAZING to find out what they really know and remembered!
Next is "art" class....Israel is currently taking a break from sitting still and is having some kind of a battle with "Captain America" in the living room. He's about to paint a wooden snake to make it his own artwork!

Things are going well...except for the occasional times when he wants to trade me in on a Mommy who will give him bacon, sausage, or hotdogs every morning for breakfast....

SHE'S BACK....AND ONE'S LEAVING!!!

I drove to Chicago yesterday and picked up my Jennie....she had spent 7 lovely weeks in England with her boyfriend's parents. (well...he was there, too...) She had a wonderful time and is kind of sad to be back.  However, she is happy to meet new nephew Parker and get to know her new little brother Israel a little bit better...or a whole lot better!! She did admit to having missed all of us...a little bit!! haha

So this Momma's heart was really happy yesterday when I saw her for the first time in nearly two months. She couldn't understand why I was crying!!

Now that sad news...my oldest daughter, Marci, and her husband Ben, are leaving for Seattle tomorrow. No, it's not just for a visit...they're moving there. Weep, sob, kick and scream on the floor....

I know it's part of the growing up thing...with her going off to do her own thing and live her own life...but it's sad. I will miss her intensely! Seattle is a long long long way from Indiana....

We're having a going away party for them tonight and I know there will be a LOT of tears on my part.

I'm happy for her....kinda....

Blessings,
Beth

Introducing....

Israel and Daddy and Mommy! I finally feel like I might be safe to show a picture of our little boy, Israel! He is so precious and one of our biggest blessings so far in our lives. But to be honest, we have a lot of blessings...children, grandchildren, in law blessings....etc. We are VERY VERY BLESSED!

One of our newest blessings is a new grandson!!!!! Baby Parker was born to Erin and Danny on the 24th of July....I know, I feel terrible about not posting about it earlier...but life's been kinda crazy lately. Parker joins big brother Liam....2....as much much much loved children in their home. God is good!

We had a "get to know you" picnic today with our newest homeschool group. We are still involved with Becca's classes that she takes with other homeschoolers but I'm having the kids become involved with another group as well. Israel had a wonderful time getting to know some children and they seemed to like him a lot, as well!

Israel's first soccer game is tomorrow!! He's on the "Chickenhawks" team!! (Only in Indiana.....)

I've started getting some school work together for his school year...I'd love to start with Saxon Math but I'm not quite sure yet. We have started working on math and reading already...just to get an idea where he is with his education. He kind of had a "scattered" year last year, so I'm going to be pretty laid back this year. We're going to work on BONDING more than anything else. We're also learning alot of Bible stories and playing games to learn with!

izzy israel   dfvszjk,yuikhntyuetrwpohghfchfgggffgfbbffbfbjfbdjfndjfngbdgvbnbnbvdffbdhrrbeggfscvsfdsdfdcfxfxdcsafscdvxffgcxfgxcvsgvgvcghdfvbhgdhfebfdbhhhjehi thgutbgjribjurgtnbuh hguehtuhturht ruhtr5 b bbhkjht bhbtr urhtg  ehbheh hhhrhuehuhuitrutti8yurujtjgmijrituijtuuhj8tf4urytutj rut  bh5jntt   uthrth bu5hjuh5t5thu  b hty6t b6tjuhtiojh

Ummmm.....that was from Israel. We need to work on his spelling....and grammar....and sentence structure....

Blessings!
Beth.....and Israel.....
(Gotta love this little guy!!!!!!!!!)