Stitches

Well we have had our first set of stitches as parents. I honestly thought that I could sneak through this parenting thing without any. 5 kids+no stitches=slim chance. Last night during a game of freeze tag outside, for family night, Bergen ran into a bird feeder, while running away from Darren. I, of course stayed cool and calm and collected, ya right. I screamed and cried and I panicked all the other children who were up until this point not screaming and crying. It is quite a sight to see your child bleed from the head and although logically I know that head wounds bleed ALOT, reason doesn't always register when it is your child. After we all calmed down and the bleeding stopped, Darren and Bergen headed off to the Emergency room and I knew that I wouldn't be seeing them again for quite some time. 3 hours, 2 stitches and an orange gatorade later, he was as good as new. Now we have a couple of very cool blue stitches and a great story for a little boy to tell when he is asked what he has been up to lately.

Book Worms

My kids LOVE books and I love to read, so together we can have all sorts of adventures through books. Since coming home in January we have read more books than ever before. Along with all the different books we have read we have completed 3 children's novels.
The first one we read was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. I have very few wonderful memories of school, but the one that stands out as my best elementary school experience was when my 3rd grade teacher read us Charlotte's Web. I fell in love with that book then and have continued to love it ever since. It is rewarding to be able to share that with my kids and no matter how many times I read it, I always cry when Charlotte dies. I know how hokey that sounds. I think, as I am approaching that part of the book that I won't, but as I get closer and closer my voice starts to crack and I do. The words, "No one was with her when she died", breaks my heart every time. That is when you know it's a classic.
Next we read The Tale Of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo , lent to us by our friends the Schafer's. I was not familiar with this book at all, so I was excited to read it. If a book is hard to get into, chances are good that I won't finish it. This book had me from the first page. I love how the author writes as if talking to the reader throughout the book.
Third book we read was James And The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. I love Roald Dahl's writing. Some people think he is very strange, but I like him. I think that his books have some pretty good messages if you look for them and I love his poems within the books.
I love seeing the kids think, cry and even laugh out loud at the funny parts. This is definitely one of our favorite things to do as a family and I hope that this will instill a lifetime of book loving and reading in my children, that they will associate reading with excitement and fond memories of their childhood. I know that for myself I will always cherish these times.

A Family Education

I have started a new blog about the happenings of our homeschooling. The purpose of this blog is so that I have a place to document all the things we are learning and doing along the way and for anyone who may be wondering what we are up to as we seek to educate our family. www.afamilyeducation.blogspot.com or the link is in my list of family and friends.