long day

this morning started out bright and early. too early for most of us.

the alarm went off at 6:30, and apparently i rolled over and turned it off...
6:57, 3 minutes before we were supposed to be out the door, i woke up and realized what time it was! i jumped out of bed, and raced to get kids up and ready. got everyone dressed, made my smoothie, and out the door we went. 20 minutes later than planned.
on the way out of town, the train crossing was malfunctioning. the rails were down, but there was no train in sight. traffic was backed up. we had to skip breakfast, and take the old highway to another entrance. we stopped in idaho falls and snagged some breakfast sandwiches. by the time we got back on the road, we were running nearly 40 minutes behind!

we got super lucky though, they have recently increased the speed limit on the freeway so, we were able to get there just in time!

elizabeth took the computer tests, and finished too soon. what should have taken her 2 hours or more, only took her about 45 minutes. she didn't get a score like we were hoping. even though these are informational tests, she failed them both. 12% and 28% so,  we attempted the paper tests again. she again refused to take them.

which means that we need to move onto plan b. the options are as follows: back to a regular school, back to k12, or a custom home school curriculum. i'm not enthused about the first 2 at all. so it looks like a custom curriculum for us.
(i've been able to find a lot of free math stuff online.)

we stayed and visited with some good friends for a few hours, and then headed back home. (if it hadn't been for that time i got to spend with friends, it would have been a waste of time and money.)

4 hours of driving makes for a long day, regardless of what else happens!

celebrate youth

last night was the big back to school party at the park. (i LOVE living just down the street! i don't have to fight for parking)

they have carnival games, and a train ride, and bouncy toys, and free dinner, and a raffle giveaway. the kids always have a blast!

 taylor, elizabeth, and shannon all geared up for the rock climb.

 ashley wanted to try also!

 shannon got about 6 feet off the ground before she came down.

 taylor climbed to withing 5 feet of the top.

 sitting on the train!
at this point taylor and elizabeth ran off on their own

 bouncy house!

 picking her nose....

 chillin in the wagon!

 face painting! a butterfly

 a spiders web

bats!

friends

there's nothing like finding out you are not the only one who struggles to make for instant friends.

my library partner showed up today. which means that i was able to go to relief society. this months lessons have been on gratitude. a sister got up and talked about her struggle with depression and anxiety. i felt an instant kinship with her.

we talked afterwards, and i gave her my phone number so she could call if she needed anything. i kept reiterating that she doesn't have to do it alone. when i got home from church, i went searching for her on facebook. when i found her, i realized that they were called as new librarians a few months ago!

i'm so excited to get to know her better!

potty training woes

i am trying to potty train michael. some days it goes really well, and some days not so much. 

case in point...yesterday, he stayed dry all day and let me know when he needed to go (it might have helped that we spent a good portion of the day away from home). today, he didnt make it to the bathroom once. 

i get really frustrated with the bad days. sometimes to the point that im ready to quit and just go back to diapers...

kitchen

this is what my kitchen floor currently looks like. right in the center, there is a hole that goes clear through to the subfloor.

the landlord decided that it was important to get that fixed. so, he's putting in new linoleum.
we finished getting everything moved out this morning. so, this is what my front room currently looks like. stove, fridge, table and all....

it's going to be 3 days before we can put the fridge and stove back in. that means eating out for a couple of days....not quite sure how i feel about that.

broken

my sister-in-law was participating in a wedding party. her dress didn't fit correctly. she needed it altered, so she called me. NO PROBLEM!

while i was sewing the alterations, i realized i really needed to clean my machine. so, i pulled things apart and cleaned out all the fuzz. in cleaning it, though, i dislodged a spring.
without the spring, my stitch length didn't exist.

shaun tore the machine apart and was able to put the spring back.

now i have my default stitch length, but it won't change. and it won't backstitch.

i had to call my sister to see if i could use her machine to finish my sister-in-laws dress. especially since i was sewing on satin, and chiffon. the stitch length needs to be longer for those.

now, i have all these half finished sewing projects, and ideas for denim quilts, and i can't do anything about them!

trees, and lack thereof

once again, i forgot to take before pictures!!

 the stumps in front. from between the windows.

 the "stumps" on the south side.

 the pile, from different views.

 the shaped burning bush.

the pile still sitting under the apple tree. it started raining while i was trimming, and we didn't finish getting the limbs picked up.

trees

i have been wanting to do this since we moved in, nearly 2 years ago.

i cut down the bush in between my front windows. clear to the ground! when it rains it would end up covering my walkway.
IT'S GONE!

i have 5 bushes on the south side of my front yard. they have thorns and those bean-like pods that curl. 2 of them were cut down to stumps when we moved in. the other 3 were still intact. in the nearly 2 years we've been here the 2 stumps have grown 7 feet or more!
THEY ARE GONE!

in addition to that, i trimmed up the burning bush. i did some trimming on the trees out back as well. all in all, it's been a productive day!

time

it's time for any things, but there's no time for them.

it's time to go to the temple, but shaun can't take the time off from work to watch the kids so i can go.

it's the time of year to start canning. peaches and pears are ready...but there's no money to get them. money takes time to acquire.

i'm exhausted, but i have no time to rest.

brave?

hm, the cashier at the store told me that i look like merida from brave.

not sure i believe her....

baking

as the weather is cooler, it's now safe to bake!

i started with a double batch of boyfriend cookies. one of our favorites! i've even tried to make these and we eat all the dough before i can bake them! i always make a double batch of dough, with 1 part mix-ins. they seem to be better that way.
then a double batch of pretzels!

darn it! didn't get nearly as much done as i wanted to today! here was my list:
cookies
pretzels
goldfish crackers
muddy buddies
poppyseed muffins
rolls

i'm gonna start again tomorrow, though!

cooler weather

it's been raining for the last week, which also means cooler weather. i turned off the ac yesterday, and left it off today. i've opened windows, and doors. 

today, since we don't really have anything else going on, i'm baking!

lonely

shaun has been working overtime, and double overtime, and triple overtime to get a job finished. all that overtime makes for a lonely wife.

in the last 3 weeks, i think we've slept in the same bed at the same time, 3 times. he's been working nights because he has less distractions.

today, though, is the last day he has to get it finished. the client is coming over tonight to pick it up, and treat us to a celebration party.

plant explosion!

i separated my african violets today. i got 22 new plants! i was pulling out every "disposable" tupperware container i could find! 

i've put them up for sale on a local facebook group. i'd be happy to give them away, but the money helps!

car troubles

when the kids and i went huckleberry picking last week, the van tried to overheat on us. before we left, i checked the antifreeze levels and made sure they were full. even after that, i was still having troubles. on tuesday when we went down to idaho falls to do testing, it got a little to warm again. this time i got some oil and filled that up.

now i'm told that i put too much in, and that excess oil can cause as many problems as not enough. seems like all my attempts to make the van function are making things worse. (much like the time i put oil in the transmission fluid reservoir.)

shaun is going to take it into our mechanic and drain some of it off.

cleaning

wee been struggling to get kids to clean like they are supposed to.

when my family was out here in june, candice made up a chore chart for us. it has the things that kids are supposed to normally do. but this way, they have a chart they can refer to.

however, most days are still a struggle. elizabeth doesn't like to help out much. i get more cooperation from ashley, who's 4, than i do most days from elizabeth. i did her kitchen job 2 days in a row because i couldn't get her to do it. as a result, she owes me $2. 

my older kids are in charge of their own laundry. for some that might seem too early, but i need my kids to learn how to take are of themselves. laundry is a huge thing. 

for about 3 months, i've been trying to get the kids to clean out the van. taylor, for 2 weeks, was supposed to clean it out to get himself ungrounded. he'd get about 1/4 of the way done, and claim he was too tired to finish. 

i finally got fed up this week, and decided that i was going to get it taken care of myself. of course, once mom starts doing something, the kids want to help. hm, maybe there's a lesson in that for me... it's all cleaned out and vacuumed. i even put the kids to work wiping down panels and cleaning windows!

school plans

i'm having to rethink school plans for elizabeth. i still haven't figured out what to do. i was supposed to email the teacher last night and let her know what we were going to do.

most people have told me that i should put her back into regular school. i don't like the direction public education is going. (politicians who have no experience have no place making laws about my childrens' education) but, more than that, her anxiety gets the best of her so often, that i don't know that she'd be able to go to class half the time. (and no one will talk with me about getting her some medication for it!)

i can try to test her again, and hope that we have better success. but, i'd have to go down to pocatello. with no "income," and a vehicle that's giving me grief, i'm not sure that we can make it down there.

i can find another program, or develop my own.
in the state of idaho, i have total control over my kids education. as a homeschooling mom, i don't have to prove anything. i don't have to prove that/what they are learning, we don't have to participate in testing, i don't have to justify anything.

until i can figure out what to do, i'm going to email the teacher and see if we can schedule her for a retake, realizing that i won't be able to guarantee we'll make it down.

scouts

taylor had pack meeting tonight.

he finally received his bear (after 6 months). and he also got 4 pins for his webelos. naturalist, athlete, citizen, and forester.

he received his communication pin last month.

now i just need to figure out what's left for him to get his arrow of light......

feelings

i am so past frustrated tonight, that the tiniest little things are setting my temper off.

the kids had entrance placement exams today in idaho falls.
shannon, did amazing. they said she was so far ahead of where they expect kids to be when they enter kindergarten. and she didn't even notice a speech problem!
taylor's tests were all on the computer. i won't know the results from those until thursday, but, he always does well.

elizabeth............, i'm ready to shoot. she did ok on the math part, but refused to take the reading part. i tried for an hour to convince her to do it, with no luck. i even told her i'd buy her a pack of gum if she'd just read the stupid test.

i have a few options, and i don't like most of them. put her back in a brick and mortar school, try to retest her next thursday in pocatello, or do a different program (or none at all).

wishing

around valentines day this year, i got a dog. without talking to shaun about it.
unfortunately, shaun is kind of dog phobic. there are pitches that dogs (and kids, sometimes) hit when they whine or bark, that make him feel like he's going to pass out.
the dog i got was a puppy that was used to being outside, and didn't like being kenneled. needless to say, i was unable to keep her..
recently, i got to the point that i've been thinking about getting another dog.
it will never happen, but i sure think about it a lot some days.

huckleberry or not

i want to go huckleberry picking again.

but, i'm still sore.
i tore a hole in my heel.
it would be just me, and 5 CRAZY kids.
i REALLY don't want the possibility of facing irate campers on my own.

school

the kids have placement testing tomorrow in idaho falls. i'm excited but at the same time sad. im ready for more structure, and learning, but sad because it means summer is nearly over. well, that, and it means that i have another baby headed to school. i'm not sure i'm quite ready for that.

i was able to get last years test results for elizabeth to see if she qualifies for a grade retention. she didn't finish quite half of last years assignments, and i'm not ready for her to go on to fourth grade subjects being as unprepared as she is.

i just got a copy of shannons iep for speech as well. as no one saw fit to give me a copy last fall, i went into the district office and requested one. she accidentally printed 2 copies, but thats ok. that means i have a copy as well.

we got a letter in the mail last week, informing us when ashley starts headstart.

in all, that means i have only 1 child not in school this fall!

huckleberry car snafu

when we got up to the spot to pick huckleberries, there were people camping where blythe had parked last time. we tried to park out of the way, and headed up to the bushes.

apparently, our "out of the way" wasn't good enough. we had ended up parking in front of someones trailer hitch. they were really upset. they stormed up the trail behind us, and got all possessive. (is there an unwritten protocol somewhere that says don't park in front of someone else's trailer hitch?) they demanded we move our cars, or they were going to move them for us..... um, what?!

we got the kids settled and went to go move the cars. we apologized and said we would move the cars. they continued to air their grievances. they couldn't just say it once, they said it like 5 or 6 times. i finally got a little fed up and asked them to drop it. then they were astounded that we were mad at them!

blythe and i decided that it was a good thing the guys weren't with us. it might have resorted to blows.

huckleberries

bright and early this morning, we packed up and went for a second attempt at getting some huckleberries. we went with blythe, cause she'd had luck in finding a spot.
the kids stayed excited for about 20 minutes. and then everyone was bored. shannon doesn't have enough of an attention span to pick. she sees one, and has to move on. taylor and elizabeth, who i thought were old enough that they would be a big help, weren't so much. taylor would pick for about 10 minutes, and then say he couldn't find anymore. elizabeth lasted about half that long each time. part of it was that they wanted to help blythe or her aunt, and not mom. as we weren't giving them that option, they didn't want to help at all.
while we were up there, 2 other girls came up to pick also. one of them had a little dog, and ashley pretty much stayed with them the whole time. as we were all withing talking distance of each other, i wasn't worried about her. michael kind of flitted between everyone. shannon and michael ran up and down the hillside multiple times.

the spot blythe had found was a treasure trove! we picked for about three hours before deciding to call it quits, and i brought home a quart!
we will all sleep extremely well tonight.
next year, i'm going to go up and camp, and pick all week. i'll go up monday afternoon and get camp set up. tuesday, wednesday, and thursday i'll pick all day. we'll get camp packed up friday morning, and have the weekend to get chores done at home and the berries put up.

summer reading lists

taylor
   the giver
   charlie and the chocolate factory
   a tree grows in brooklyn
   the adventures of huckleberry finn
   james and the giant peach
   number the stars
   the indian in the cupboard
   gregor the overlander
   the candy shop war
   the sisters grimm

elizabeth
   the giver
   charlie and the chocolate factory
   a tree grows in brooklyn
   ella enchanted
   the sisters grimm
   james and the giant peach
   number the stars
   the candy shop war
   the indian in the cupboard
   into the land of the unicorns

shannon, ashley, michael
   are you my mother?
   brown bear, brown bear, what do you see?
   good night moon
   the grouchy ladybug
   the little engine that could
   the very hungry caterpillar
   where the wild things are
   caps for sale
   the giving tree
   1 fish, 2 fish, red fish, blue fish
   alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

spider

last week, i sent ashley (4) into gather up all the dirty laundry in her room. i hear, "mom, there's a spider in the laundry!"

shannon (5) runs in, "where's the spider?" 

"we can't find the spider, mom!"

a few minutes later, micheal (2) comes out with a shoe. "look mom, i killed the spider."

indeed, there was a smashed spider on the bottom of the shoe.

one of the funniest conversations i've heard between my kids in ever.

f-word

elizabeth, age 9, reading a book, "mom, this book has the f-word in it"

freakin' 

satisfaction

elizabeth, age 9, reading a garbage bag....

"to avoid satisfaction..."

it actually reads, to avoid suffocation.

foray into the woods

this morning, we attempted to go huckleberry picking. i packed snacks, and lunch items, and packed the kids into the van. our trip didn't result in any berries, but it did make a mama sick. all the winding twists and turns made me sick.

either i went too far up the mountain, or not far enough up the trails i was taking

or, (and this is most likely) i don't know what i'm looking for.

on the plus side, though, we did see a wild turkey family. mom and dad, and 3 babies.

long time

clearly, i suck at this right now.

so much has happened since march, when i last published a post.

taylor finished 4th grade in homeschool. he did great! i was hoping he'd make a little more progress than he did, but considering this was our first year, i'm ok with it. taylor earned his wolf, but has yet to be awarded it. he has completed the first percy jackson series, and cant wait to read the next one! his summer book list is almost complete!
elizabeth didn't complete 3rd grade. i'm upset about it, and frustrated that she fights it so much, but i'm hoping this year will be better. elizabeth got reacquainted with an old friend, and they are too funny! she also attended a summer camp the school district put together. she had 2 bloody noses within 3 hours one day.
shannon finished her final year of head start, and is already starting to read! she attended the same summer camp elizabeth did. she taught herself how to ride a bike (i can't remember if she did it this spring, or last fall though). shannon got glasses at some point in the last year, and has managed to break 6 pairs, and lose 2.
ashley finished up her first year of head start, and can't wait to go back! ashley found a dead bird at the park one day and was playing with it.
michael is attempting to potty train! he had a thumb get infected. he had his tonsils out, and had an allergic reaction to the septra he was taking for his thumb.

we are changing schools in the fall, and i'm so excited! i think this one will be a better fit.

i broke my toe in april.. i started throwing kids who scream in the shower. i got a garden in this year, but apparently, i lack a green thumb. i broke my kitchenaid mixer in june when my parents were here. i went through the temple. i discovered the magic of massage therapy as a solution to migraines! i got some strawberries and was able to get almost 25 pints of jam. i discovered a tea that is all natural and helps with energy specifically for women. we had a flash-flood. started a new job chart with the kids, with the help of y sister. started a new grounding rule, and a new rule for if i have to do their jobs when they won't.
i managed to clean my room, and sort ALL the socks!