Our Littlest Jedi

Some of you may remember the epic battle between Selah and Darth Vader. I'm proud to say that Vader was overcome by Selah's proficient skill in the Force (drool, in her case).  Well, our young padawan has entered the next stage in her training ...

... the lightsaber.

She picked it up at Joe's birthday party and immediately began terrorizing the boys.

And then she pulled an Obi-Wan Kenobi on Darth Maul (Kaity).

The best part was that the whole time she wielded her 'saber, she was making "whoom ... whoom" sounds. Such a sweet sound to our nerdy ears.

Homeschooling with a Toddler

Many homeschooling moms throughout the ages have dealt with the same conundrum: It's not easy to keep a toddler busy while schooling your older children. Considering toddlers have the attention span of a gnat and older children aren't much better, it's no surprise there's an ongoing battle! One way I've handled it is to come to terms with letting Selah make a mess in a somewhat controlled environment if it buys me some time to focus on her siblings.

One day, I set her up in the kitchen with dry Kix cereal and various cooking utensils and just let her go at it!

She spent over half an hour pouring the cereal from one container to the other, dropping them in the funnel to see them fall from the other end, scooping them up with spoons ...

... and every good cook knows that you taste along the way!

Joe's Birthday Party

For Joe's birthday this year, his gift from us (along with a Star Wars Legos Wii game) was a birthday party. I chose a Mad Scientist theme because Joe loves Dr. Doofenshmirtz from Phineas and Ferb. When his guests arrived, I gave them each a bag of party favors which included a lab coat, vinyl gloves, a pocket protector, glasses, a notebook, a magnifying glass, Nerds, Smarties, and other stuff. The boys dressed up in their scientist gear, and then had a blast! The video below is a montage of pictures from the party.

Beautiful Gift Idea

I have a baby shower to attend on Sunday and I've been pondering what I could get this sweet couple and their new little girl. I finally found the perfect idea on-line the other day. I took the shower invitation and cut it into thin strips. Alternating the strips with pretty pink ribbon, I stuffed a clear glass Christmas ornament full. To finish it off, I replaced the top and tied it with more of the ribbon. It was a simple project that turned out beautifully! This would be perfect for a wedding invitation, a milestone birthday, anniversary party, anything special!

A Poverty Of Chocolate

It's the fourth day of school, and I already have funny/sweet stories to share! Homeschooling is definitely never boring!

Day 2 - Joe sighs and says, "I miss summer vacation."

Kaity was reading Dr. Seuss to Selah and without breaking rhythm she handed the book back to the baby and said, "I am bored with reading now, you can do it - you know how!"

And now, a cool story about capturing teachable moments:

One day, the kids were hard at work at their individual tasks. They'd been diligent and quiet for several minutes (surely a record!) so I went to the kitchen and grabbed two peanut M&Ms for each child. I gave Kaity's to her, complimenting her on her hard work and focus. When I turned to Joe, he was lying on the floor pretending to sleep. I got his attention and showed him the M&Ms. His face lit up, then fell because he knew he'd been caught. I told him I would give him ONE because he had been working so quietly and well earlier, but that I would get to eat the other one. 

Later in the day, we were going over some scripture to establish some principles of our home school. We discussed topics like being teachable, obedience, and love, with accompanying verses from Proverbs, 1 Corinthians, and Ephesians, among others. When we got to hard work and integrity, one of the passages we read was Proverbs 6:6-11 (go read it if you're not familiar, I'll wait.) I pointed out to Joe how perfectly that matched what had happened to him earlier: "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you ..." I asked him what he had lost out on because of his "slumber" instead of working. Kaity giggled and piped up, "You had a poverty of chocolate!"

Self-Portraits

So, yesterday was the first day of school! I like to get the kids to draw self-portraits at the beginning of the year, just to see what they come up with.

"I like to read and play video games. I also like playing on the computer, sewing, singing and drawing and writing."

I had them draw themselves and two things they like/enjoy doing. The sun, soccer, and dogs are on Joe's list, along with his friend Eli who played soccer with him last year.

Selah got in on the action, too!

In fact, Selah is so talented she used different media to express herself, including her potbelly.

I plan on submitting these along with their transcripts to the college of their choice.

Consignment!

Recently, our littlest princess gained 4 pounds in 3 months. Though thrilled with her progress, I was less-than-thrilled with the fact that she outgrew all of her 18-month clothes in one fell swoop! I made a trip to the consignment store in our downtown to see what I could find. All of the summer clothes were on sale either half-price or for one dollar. I bought three outfits for $8.50! And best of all, I had a credit in the store for $9 from clothes I had consigned.

Church dress, leaving-the-house/play dress, play outfit

I love the detailed embroidery on this dress, and the swooshy fabric is so fun! Selah wore this to church and she loved swishing the skirt.

In other news, we started school today! It's already been a long day at 10:00 a.m.! I'll update with pictures and more details tomorrow.

Yogurt is Delicious!

I know, you just had a "Selah Post", but there's no such thing as too much adorableness.

Our little toddler has become increasingly independent - a necessary evil. It's wonderful, because it gives me more freedom, plus it means she's growing and learning ... but it's awfully messy.

Especially at mealtimes:

She insisted on finishing off her Greek yogurt BY HERSELF.

I promise she actually had a spoon in the beginning.

Look! There it is! (And please take note of the fact that she is wearing sandals and no pants. Thank you.)

Selah in Pigtails

Prepare yourself for extreme cuteness ...

Selah's little pigtails don't last long, but while they do, they are just too much!

New Jewelry

There comes a time in every woman's life when the young man she loves gives her a very special gift. A gift she'll cherish, because every time she looks at it, she's reminded of how much he loves her. I received just such a gift on Sunday, a beautiful, unique piece of jewelry that features my favorite color ...

My sweet little Joe made a bracelet for me! **

I love that he chose to put "Jeni" on there instead of "Mommy".

** (And just so you know, my hand is resting on the arm of the recliner: that is NOT my leg!)