While I was doing the dishes (for one of the last times, as we are getting a dishwasher next week!! Hurray! more on that later) tonight I realized that this is probably the last day we have internet access at home, so I best update while I can! No pictures this time as I don't have time and last month we went over the limit for downloading and it cost a pretty penny!! Opps!!
Life continues to keep moving. Ellia is now 3 months old, she trys hard to lift her head up to sit up and she is enjoying the exersaucer for limited amounts of time. The bumbo is handy too, but again only for limited time! I am enjoying my babes more now then before, her smiles and coos and almost belly laughs makes me forget all the difficulties! Her hair still has some orange in it and her eyes still have not decided on a color! She reminds me most of Alicia now as she has the long face and petite features. Nursing is going well, I let her cry a few times last night as she sometimes gets up more the once a night and I am tired of that. She doesn't seem to even drink that much and then falls back asleep so I am going to try to stick to only once a night. She seems to be very sensitive to loud noises and sudden movements.......are all babies like that? I can't remember! She is drooling lots, more then I remember any of her sisters doing and she chews on her hands with a vengance! Makes me wonder if she is going to get teeth soon! I guess to sum it all up life is getting just a little bit easier as Ellia gets a little bit older!! :-)
We did start school, the girls love to do it! School usually happens at the end of the day just before supper, we just do a little bit of math, writing, and phonics. I am always amazed at what the girls remember and how far ahead they are. I can tell that Victoria's reading has improved and she loves to read all the time! I was talking to a homeschooling mom while we were camping and she mentioned that a speaker at OCHEC talked about how important reading the classics to our children is, how the language from the older books is so much better. I believe the speaker said to read 4 hours a day, but that is way too much for me so we are starting with a chapter here and there! I think the point of 4 hours is that you don't need to do history you just read about it and other subjects as well. I would love to go to OCHEC but every year something comes up!! Maybe next year!! We started Little Women and are really enjoying it! The girls are even acting it out!
We had a wonderful time camping.......okay, maybe I didn't find it so wonderful but the girls did! I love camping but this year I was ready to go home just a few days into it! If Bryan had been there I do think it would have been better! It helped so much to have my mom and sister there as I did no cooking or clean up I was always busy taking care of Ellia! The girls loved biking around as this year they were given the freedom to bike around our 'block' as long as the stayed together! My favorite part was talking to and getting to know some of the other homeschool moms!
We are heading to Port Burwell as a family the end of August for 5 days, I can't say I am overly excited I really don't think camping with a nursing baby is all that great! But this time Bryan will be there so that makes it much better! We woudl really love to sell our trailer, but with all the money we had to put into it, it will be hard to get the money out of it!
I just love our coutry place I love going outside at night to get the clothes of the clothes line or check on the vegetable garden and just enjoy the peace and space! The house is a little small at times but I continue to work at organizing and just getting rid of things to make space! My garden is doing really well thus far............we shall see what it looks like by the end of the summer!! :-) I have a habit of keeping up with the hoeing for the first few weeks and then letting go the rest! We have enjoyed our beautiful flower gardens with fresh flowers in the house for awhile! It is so sad that they don't last longer!
Bryan came home with sand for our huge sandbox today, but will have to go back for more as it is only 1/3 full!! I am hoping that the girls will spend lots of time in there this summer!
And on to the most exciting news................the dishwasher!! Yes, after all my, "oh, I like doing dishes", and "it really doesn't take that long", and " I don't need a dishwasher" I finally broke down a day last week.......it really was a hard day and I was so tired.........and I actually said to Bryan "honey, I think I am ready for dishwasher". I took it all back the next day and told him it really wasn't neccessary, but as always my husband knows me so very well that he went out and bought one telling me that it was all for him. He wants me to spend more time with him and he hates doing dishes! So even though I can justify getting a dishwasher a bunch of different ways and even though I feel guilty to be spending the money on one, I am going to enjoy it and take that little bit of extra time to enjoy not only my husband but my 5 little girlies too!
Well, it is past bed time for my two oldest who are outside helping daddy put wood chips around the trees (it is great to know Ontario Hydro people and get free wood chips) and in the gardens! But tomorrow night will be even later as it is our tradition to watch the fireworks in Blenheim on Canada Day. Maybe I will even remember to dress everyone in red and white tomorrow!!
Oh, and just a little update on my dad! He is set for surgery to remove the lymph nodes around his kydney in September. And at that time the doctor will check his kidney for cancer and decide wether or not it has to be removed too. We were all very hopefull that maybe it was not cancer, but now it looks like it has to be. He is having a bunch of tests done to see if the cancer is anywhere else. He just started a special diet which is mostly fruits and vegetables. We continue to pray that the doctors would have wisdom and that mom and dad would have 'the peace that passes all understanding'. I still feel like this can't be so but I also notice myself perking up and listening whenever I hear anything about cancer. God is good and that is seen even more when we go through the trials that this life brings, what a joy it is to have a God to bring all of our cares to!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
pictures
Ellia at 9 weeks old. She is wearing one of my favorite outfits that Cassia received as a baby gift! One nice things about all these girls is that everything gets well used!!
Here is Alicia push Ellia in the baby doll stroller. Ellia is crying here but Alicia managed to get her to sleep by putting her soother in and a blanket around her head to keep the soother in place! She knows just what to do, just like mommy!
After the baptism, all 5 girls again all dressed up! Even Cassia had rollers in her hair the night before!
How do you get 7 people to look at the camera with a pleasant look on their face?
How do you get 7 people to look at the camera with a pleasant look on their face?Life...
Life has been busy, I suppose it will always be like that. I feel like we are really a large family now and it keeps me hopping. It took me a few weeks to finally get some energy and it sure feels better. Ellia is 9 weeks old now and weighs around 11.5 pounds. She is such a cutie with her smiles and cooing. She sleeps well at night going to bed around 8-9pm and is up usually once during the night but sometimes twice. She is pretty fussy during the day but I am learning that when she gets fussy she usually needs to go to bed. I feel like she is on somewhat of a schedule. Her eyes still haven't decided on a color looking blue or brown on different days. Her hair still has a little bit of orange in it which we hope stays but it probably won't.
The other girls are loving their sister and try to help when I let them. Alicia took Ellia for a ride in her baby doll stroller and loves to talk and read to her. They all love to hold her when I let them or lay and talk to her and put the soother back in Ellia's mouth.
We are loving the weather, going outside lots! My dad built a huge swing set for the girls and Bryan built a huge (9 x9 feet) sandbox on Saturday for them. Our drive way is nice and long for biking on and there is always the gardens to dig in and lots of flowers to pick.
I planted the vegetable garden on Saturday, I am trying to be faithful in watering it as we are going camping next week. The garden is huge too! Not sure if I will actually take care of it this year but I have high hopes!!
I am home most days as taking all 5 girls anywhere seems like a big job since Cassia is not as obedient as my other girls and Ellia gets rather fussy. I miss living in town and being able to run out to the stores with out any girls, but I suppose I am also getting use to taking Ellia everywhere. My mom has been having the girls here and there so that gives me a chance to get stuff done. I am also working on teaching the girls to help keep things tidy and do some of the cleaning. My standards are lower then usual but I still like things neat and tidy, and the toilet clean. I still enjoy our home and that it is small so cleaning up is easy. I am always surprised at how well the girls can clean up when there are some incentives involved, like going somewhere or watching a movie. It is nice to see them getting old enough to really help!
We are hoping to do some school this summer since we finished off already in March. I am hoping to do a little this summer so we can take Friday's off during the school year. The girls are excited about starting, so hopefully when we get back from home school camping we will start some school.
The girls and I are so very excited about going camping. It is always such a great time. My sister will be there with her kids and some other families that we are getting to know. Hopefully the weather will be beautiful too! We hope to get out with Bryan for a week sometime this summer too and then I am planning on taking the girls the week all the kids go back to school in September. My favorite camping is off season when the campgrounds are quiet. So we have lots to look forward to this summer.
Life is different here in the country, it use to be that Bryan and I would relax after the girls went to bed and they were always in bed by 8pm. Here the girls don't go to bed until almost 9pm and Bryan is working outside until closer to 10 pm. It is so cute to see all our girls outside raking grass, playing or trying to help. We are enjoying our outside time and I still haven't heard Bryan complain about cutting the grass yet again. He has a routine now for cutting he divides it into two evenings and does it about weekly depending on the rain and how wet things were. It has been so wet here that girls were pretty much swimming in our side yard running and falling and having a blast! Of course with rain comes mud, and extra laundry. I am trying to hang the laundry on the clothes line but sometimes my time is needed else where.
I have been re-reading some books by Teri Maxwell on scheduling and homeschooling and it has inspired me in my house keeping and child rearing. She is more scheduled then I want to be but I am learning some great things from here writing. I get really inspired well reading, but the putting into practise is a little harder! :-)
The girls are waiting on me for a craft they want to do and the baby just woke up from a nap and I haven't even thought of supper yet, so I best get back to life! I am really trying to work on stopping what I am doing and enjoying the girls like talking to Ellia and playing with the older girls. They are all so special and so different and they are growing up so quickly. Bryan and I have noticed lately that things are changing in our home we no longer have all these toddlers or little girls, they are becoming big girls. It so much fun seeing them growing and understanding more and hearing what they have to say. Victoria has some interesting things to say that she hears from her friends! They are so cute!!
I will try to post some pictures soon!
The other girls are loving their sister and try to help when I let them. Alicia took Ellia for a ride in her baby doll stroller and loves to talk and read to her. They all love to hold her when I let them or lay and talk to her and put the soother back in Ellia's mouth.
We are loving the weather, going outside lots! My dad built a huge swing set for the girls and Bryan built a huge (9 x9 feet) sandbox on Saturday for them. Our drive way is nice and long for biking on and there is always the gardens to dig in and lots of flowers to pick.
I planted the vegetable garden on Saturday, I am trying to be faithful in watering it as we are going camping next week. The garden is huge too! Not sure if I will actually take care of it this year but I have high hopes!!
I am home most days as taking all 5 girls anywhere seems like a big job since Cassia is not as obedient as my other girls and Ellia gets rather fussy. I miss living in town and being able to run out to the stores with out any girls, but I suppose I am also getting use to taking Ellia everywhere. My mom has been having the girls here and there so that gives me a chance to get stuff done. I am also working on teaching the girls to help keep things tidy and do some of the cleaning. My standards are lower then usual but I still like things neat and tidy, and the toilet clean. I still enjoy our home and that it is small so cleaning up is easy. I am always surprised at how well the girls can clean up when there are some incentives involved, like going somewhere or watching a movie. It is nice to see them getting old enough to really help!
We are hoping to do some school this summer since we finished off already in March. I am hoping to do a little this summer so we can take Friday's off during the school year. The girls are excited about starting, so hopefully when we get back from home school camping we will start some school.
The girls and I are so very excited about going camping. It is always such a great time. My sister will be there with her kids and some other families that we are getting to know. Hopefully the weather will be beautiful too! We hope to get out with Bryan for a week sometime this summer too and then I am planning on taking the girls the week all the kids go back to school in September. My favorite camping is off season when the campgrounds are quiet. So we have lots to look forward to this summer.
Life is different here in the country, it use to be that Bryan and I would relax after the girls went to bed and they were always in bed by 8pm. Here the girls don't go to bed until almost 9pm and Bryan is working outside until closer to 10 pm. It is so cute to see all our girls outside raking grass, playing or trying to help. We are enjoying our outside time and I still haven't heard Bryan complain about cutting the grass yet again. He has a routine now for cutting he divides it into two evenings and does it about weekly depending on the rain and how wet things were. It has been so wet here that girls were pretty much swimming in our side yard running and falling and having a blast! Of course with rain comes mud, and extra laundry. I am trying to hang the laundry on the clothes line but sometimes my time is needed else where.
I have been re-reading some books by Teri Maxwell on scheduling and homeschooling and it has inspired me in my house keeping and child rearing. She is more scheduled then I want to be but I am learning some great things from here writing. I get really inspired well reading, but the putting into practise is a little harder! :-)
The girls are waiting on me for a craft they want to do and the baby just woke up from a nap and I haven't even thought of supper yet, so I best get back to life! I am really trying to work on stopping what I am doing and enjoying the girls like talking to Ellia and playing with the older girls. They are all so special and so different and they are growing up so quickly. Bryan and I have noticed lately that things are changing in our home we no longer have all these toddlers or little girls, they are becoming big girls. It so much fun seeing them growing and understanding more and hearing what they have to say. Victoria has some interesting things to say that she hears from her friends! They are so cute!!
I will try to post some pictures soon!
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