soccer lessons

Chris had is first soccer game today. wow, that was an experience and I learned a few things: 1. we know nothing about soccer! 2. I could be one of those annoying, over picky, my child deserves more than yours parents. I promise I really am not that way and certainly never thought I would be like those parents yelling instructions to coach and child from the sidelines! While I actually did none of that I did have a few spoken quietly to my Honey thoughts like where is Chris, why isn't he playing right now, oh he looks upset why aren't you rushing to him, how does she decide who to put in and why was he taken out so soon? I understand that everybody needs a chance to play but number 10 (who was actually the best player on the team from what I saw) got to play the whole game so naturally shouldn't my Chris, #8 (who has never played soccer before) get to play the whole game too? lol, I don't mean it of course but was a little shocked to find those thoughts entering my head. :) 3. the weather man can always be WRONG! wow, it was so cold! if it is that cold again I am going to make Chris wear something long sleeved under his jersey! They made him take his jacket off bc they needed to see his uniform. 4. I enjoy "kicking the ball around" Cayden and I had a good time just kicking it back and forth while Keegan was digging in the sand and making a mess of himself! 5. some parents take this game VERY seriously! 6. somethings are worth getting up at 7 am on a saturday for! :) Everyone had a good time, Chris really seemed to enjoy playing (or trying to, lol), I had some bonding time with Cayden and I think I might actually be excited for next week's game! :)

McDonald's

Hmmm.....so I am typing and the title box is blank, are you proud of me? Haha OCD tonight I have conquered you! :) ok, yes, I know I am strange. Took the babies to McDonald's today for park day. They had a good time. I was thankful that other moms I trust were there bc within minutes of eating, I felt so sick! Hadn't had nuggets or sweet and sour sauce since my surgery. :( I used to know my body, now I feel so lost and like I could be sick anytime, like I can't really take cre of my family. and embarrassed, so embarrassed that others had to watch out for my babies today, thankful, so very thankful they were there but still embarrassed. it has only been 3 months will it get better? I just don't know. After a little while though, I felt better, we ended up staying at McDonald's so the babies could play till Glenn got of work. (typing one-handed is NOT easy! I keep having to correct ,istakes) cool thin is I met another homeschool mom and we talked, they live in hallsvillle too. (decided to stop correctin, more OCD conquering??) wondere if Ksyson is asleep enough to lay down so I can have two hands? brb..........ok, am back but have been told to go to bed and get some sleep, so I will obey! anyways I really shouldn't stay up so late bc I get the munchies about now!

OCD

ok, so the title is first on the page so I think I need to know what I am going to type about and name it before I type bc everything HAS to be done in order! Yes, I am OCD, not officially diagnosed with it but I know I am. So I will sit and sit and sit just staring at the blank spaces trying to decide what I am going to type about so I can have a good title bc whatever the title is that is what HAS to be written about. Tonight I was thinking it would be easier just to name the post after it was typed and I knew what it was about but I have to fill in the title blank before I can type but then I realized NO I don't HAVE to have a title first, it really would be alright if I typed and then went back to the title. I think that will be what I do from now on, starting......tomorrow! Not today bc I decided to type about this and knew the title should be OCD before I started typing so tonight everything was still done in order. Ironic isn't it? lol tomorrow, tomorrow I will see about typing and then naming! :) It is hard sometimes to live with it, I think different than others and I know it! Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed, to start the day bc I am always afraid of forgetting something important, afraid that I will do something out of order or skip something, sometimes I just can't make my brain think right, it's like a scratched CD that gets stuck and you can rewind it but it keeps getting stuck in the same spot and can't go forward. I run the same thoughts over and over and over in my head trying to make sure everything is just right, to make myself feel like it is right but it never feels right bc it keeps getting stuck. Most days I can talk to God about it and move on, I have learned that even when things are forgotten it still is ok, that if something gets missed it gets missed and that is ok but if I am very tired (as I usually am lately) I have trouble moving on, trouble getting anything done. Most of the time I can find some small area of my life to control just so and let other stuff go. So, yes, I am different, yes, I struggle with OCD (just call me Monk!) but I am learning to lean on God, to let Him make things ok, to listen to His words when he says "let it go, move on, go forward, what you are stuck on doesn't matter and you are wasting time, daughter, just live and rest me" This is me, Hollie, OCD mother of five.

another funny

Here's another funny about Keegan, last night (after the babies were in bed!) Glenn and I were watching Everybody Loves Raymond, the episode in the first season where they are at a funeral and Ray tells Robert not to make his funeral noise (a big honking type sound) and just as Robert makes the noise, Keegan comes walking in and crawls up in his daddy's lap and starts making the noise! We just busted out laughing, it was so cute! of course we promptly paused the show and returned him to bed bc that is NOT a kid friendly program. Keegan is so funny and so different from the other kiddos. It is amazing to me how different they are from each other, each one is so unique and just adds so much to our family. Keegan is at the stage where his personality is really coming out. He is also into everything, all the time. If he is quiet then you had better find him! He loves to take naps with his Marmie. It is nice that they live right next door, he goes over for a nap almost everyday. He has been so cute today with Kayson, making him laugh and wanting to hold him. He actually said, "hold". Kayson loves Keegan so much, he was just smiling and laughing at him. oh, and Keegan rolled over, tummy to back. He hasn't had as much tummy time yet as the others, I hope he still learns everything he needs to on time (you know, like, how to crawl. Well, I better go, he is waking up.

our day

wake up, try to go back to sleep, baby wakes up, feed him, he's awake, doze off while trying to keep him entertained without getting out of bed, other kiddos start waking up, tell the 2 olders to start on spelling, get a phone call or 20! :) In other words talk to everyone on the planet! lol check tiny chef while sitting on the phone and also check FB, in between phone calls check spelling work, give a spelling test, yell at boys, change a diaper or two, finally, finally make your way out of bed, make sure teeths are brushed, hairs are brushed and beds are made, try to teach the babies a new game, check email periodically, loan sis little house season 5, get invited to Mama's for lunch, tuna! I love Tuna! hang out there till honey gets home from school around 9 or so, put babies to bed, do nails with daughter, watch everyone loves raymond (2 yr old walks out at the funeral scene where his brother is making this honking noise that he always does at funerals and the two year old climbs in daddy's lap and starts making the Funeral noise! laughing so hard he doesn't get sent back to bed immediately. lol) nurse a hungry baby, Honey goes to bed, 4 year old wakes up crying, he has to go teetee, walk him to the potty, take him back to bed, I think he was half asleep the whole time! now baby is hungry again and I am being ordered to bed oh yea and just realized forgot the daily switching of the laundry.

curriculum share

curriculum is such a funny word, but anyways (lol) in honor of tonight's annual curriculum share at our CHEC meeting, I thought I would share what we use and some thoughts. CHEC is our homeschool group.
ART: I try to have a "class" from time to time and I just sord of do whatever. I am thinking of trying to find someone who could teach Kirsten some things for next year instead of getting her in a sport bc she wants to be an artist!
BIBLE: I love the Bob Jones Bible Truth workbooks and we also use the Visual Bible. I like that the visual Bible quotes the Bible while they act it out. We try to watch a chapter every friday morning.
HISTORY: I really like Christian Liberty Press and Bob Jones. Kirsten will pretty much devour any history book she can get her hands on! :)
LANGUAGE ARTS: We love Learning Language Arts Through Literature. I don't start it till 3rd grade and haven't really decided what to use till then. Used Abeka but wasn't really all that impressed however it is colorful and exciting to look at for active younger boys. :)
MATH: can we just skip this subject and pretend we did it? and can I just say we hated Abeka's math! (for third grade) We have just started using A.C.E. paces and the kiddos really seem excited by them, they seem to explain things very plainly with clear instructions. They are thin books so don't seem as daunting, also they are very colorful. I love the fact that they learn a verse in every pace!
MUSIC: very simple! praise and worship DVDs! :)
P.E.: we alternate between wii fit, walks around the property, jumping on the trampoline and swimming when my parents pool is up and running. We also enjoy CHEC park days. We also want to let the boys do one sport a year. This year Chris is doing soccer and next year Cayden wants to play football!
READING: Kirsten reads ALL the time! like mother like daughter. :) however I still like to have some official reading books that I pick for them. They love the A Beka readers and I like the Rod and Staff or pathways and Bob Jones. I would love a set of the McGuffey readers but haven't been able to afford them yet. :( This subject scares me a little with Cayden, he will be the first I teach to read bc Kirsten and Chris knew how when we pulled them out of school. I may stick with the A Beka phonics program and use some hooked on phonics.
SCIENCE: before 5th grade I use Bob Jones but starting in 5th grade I love the apologia sciences! Kirsten is doing the astronomy this year and I got the notebook that goes with it and she loves to do science! I really think she is learning a lot! I did do purposeful design one year also and loved the layout of it and how much they spoke of God. I would not want to use a secular science program, I am so thankful for good Biblical sciences!
SPELLING: Bob Jones!
WRITING: last year we used a Reason for writing and I love it but this year we are using Bob Jones and I love it too. Chris seems to do better with the Bob Jones, last year he would get bored and take forever to finish one page.
As you might be able to tell my absolute favorite curriculum for most subjects is Bob Jones! :) some of what I use depends on what I find at the used book sales too. So I now need to start my list for next year......

what shall I write about today?

I had a brilliant idea of what to write earlier today and now it's gone. :( I sord of feel like I am in a fog right now, I hope I am not the only person that does that. I just feel kinda down tonight, no reason really, just kinda blah. :-P So, tonight I think I might just share some random thoughts. If someone follows your blog is it polite to in turn follow theirs? If only one person gets a smile or laugh out of mine, is it worth it? I think so! :) Keegan calls Kirsten "Meme" and his pacifier a "mouth". I am so glad he is finally trying to talk. oh and he signed "cup" today without being prompted! we started using some signs when he was refusing to talk. He still will use a sign or a noise to communicate sometimes instead of talking. It is so cute and funny! Like instead of saying "sleep" he will make a snoring noise or instead of saying "blow" he will just blow. I feel sometimes like I have to translate for him! lol It has been very very windy today. Is it ok to just right about whatever in my blog so then you never what I will say next or does it need to have a subject to stick to like always be about the babies or the family or something? see I am so random tonight. We got to church late today and I felt really horrible about it bc I teach the children's class. We just couldn't seem to get out of the house this am but hey we were all clean and in clean clothes and the babies were wearing their new boots! so it was all good right?