How we deal with a sick day

I woke up to Kayla’s pitiful voice last night telling me she was cold.  When I got to her, she was shivering and could barely hold herself up to walk, so I took her to the bathroom just incase.  It seemed to take forever to get her warmed up, even with her body pressed against mine under several blankets in my bed.  Eventually we moved to her twin bed, and slept on and off until morning.  Farm chores are taken down to "necessity only", so I let the chickens out, checked their food and water, milked and fed the goats, and filtered the milk for the fridge.  Feed the dog, the cats, and done.  I'm praying I do not get sick, because just these few things will be way more difficult when I am sick.

When the girls are sick, I let them stay in bed with books, Sparkle Stories, and an occasional movie.  (I wish I could do this when I am sick!)  Chelsey started feeling bad after breakfast, so she joined Kayla in their room for the Martin and Sylvia Sparkle Story, “The Crud”.  Appropriate, right?  Martin was sick in this story, and couldn’t do something special he had planned.  So thankful for our 15 day trial, we will be continuing it for at least a month after we finish the trial. 

After being up most of the night with Kayla, I didn’t have a lot of energy for detailed homeschool lessons, so Julia and I snuggled up on the couch in front of the Christmas tree with tea and blankets to finish our book, The Wishing Spell from the Land of Stories series.  It was a very good book, and once we finish some school related books we are going to move on to book 2 in the series.  We also started Meet Felicity from the American Girl history book series.  I love using these books in addition to our history curriculum.  Julia is currently learning about the end of the Revolutionary War and this ties in nicely.  She enjoys hearing stories that are written as if the person lived through it.  It is a much better way than the dry facts I learned (and promptly forgot) back in school. 

At lunch time, I went in to ask the girls if they were hungry.  Kayla was sound asleep, and I think Chelsey was as well, but heard me walk in.  Poor babies.

I guess if we are going to be sick, we picked a pretty good time.  The rain was relentless today, even the cats and dog didn’t want to go outside to play.  Lennon is our dog, whom we rescued from a shelter about 6 years ago.  He is a good, lazy dog.  Before my cat Daisy died, she tormented him constantly.  I’ve never seen a dog scared of a cat, but even without front claws, she had him terrified.  When Daisy walked in a room, Lennon would turn his head away and “hide” from her.  If Daisy came over to drink from his water bowl while he was eating, Lennon would stop and go to another room.  Up to the day she died, he was afraid of her and all cats.   When Miss Kitty came, she was such a different cat than Daisy.  She always wanted to rub against Lennon and he would yipe or run.  Today I saw this:

Is that not the most adorable thing ever?  It took over a year of Miss Kitty living with us for him to come around and not be afraid of her.  She will rub on him, and now even lay with him.  I had to snap a picture.  

Come dinnertime, I was so grateful that Kevin got me the Instant Pot for an early Christmas present.  There is nothing better than homemade chicken noodle soup when you’re sick, or in this case, turkey noodle soup I made with leftover frozen turkey from Thanksgiving.  I’ve only used the IP three times now, but I am impressed and looking forward to finding more recipes.  It took 20-25 minutes from starting cutting to finish for the soup.  Amazing.  Several of my friends have sung it’s praises for months, but I wouldn’t buy into it.  When Amazon had it on sale for $69 after Thanksgiving, we decided to take the plunge. 

The younger girls got to watch Rudolph while eating dinner, poor Julia was stuck with us adults talking at the table.  She wanted to watch Harry Potter, but it was already too late in the evening for that.  

It's been a long, tiring day.  I'm glad for it to finally be bedtime, and I'm crossing my fingers that everyone sleeps through the night tonight!  

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale.  Clicking through these links do not cost you anymore than you'd already be spending, and I greatly appreciate your support!

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What we are reading, our book of the week for November 21, 2016

Kevin and I switch off at night, one of us reading to the younger girls while the other is either reading to Jujubee or listening to her read to us.  This week, Kevin has been reading from Oak Meadow's Fables book to the younger girls, and I have been reading to Jujubee.  Normally, I post a picture book that is good for the whole family as our "Book of the Week", but we have been enjoying this so much that we wanted to share.

Our book is from the series The Land of Stories.  This is book one, The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer.

This is definitely a book for older children.  Jujubee is 11, and there are some parts I am unsure of as I read, and some small parts I skip that I just don't feel are appropriate.  The kids in the story are also 10 or 11, and their father has passed away in a car accident.  Before the accident, he and their grandmother often read many fairytales to them and they all loved that time they shared.  Now that the father is gone, it is just the two of them (they are twins) and their mom, who is struggling to make ends meet and works a lot as a nurse.   

The boy, Conner, struggles in school, often falling asleep in class, even though he could easily do the work.  The girl, Alex, is an overachiever, and their teachers often ask why he is taking it harder than his sister.  Their mom ends up having to work on their birthday, so she asks their grandmother to come visit them as a surprise.  She gives the kids her cherished book of Fairy Tales, and that is where the adventure really begins.  

Jujubee and I are halfway through the book, and she looks forward to our reading every night.  The chapters are quite long, so sometimes I have to split them into two nights.  I am also enjoying the stories, however, like I had mentioned, there are mildly inappropriate sections.  For example, in one chapter, Conner makes a comment about a photo of Red Riding Hood scantily clothed and it being "memorable".  Nothing too risqué, but I felt it could have been left out altogether.  I'm hoping the incidents do not increase as we get farther into the book, but we are looking forward to seeing how it turns out!

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale.  Clicking through these links do not cost you anymore than you'd already be spending, and I greatly appreciate your support!

Poetry Tea Time, November 15, 2016

It has been a busy morning for us, which is unusual for a Tuesday.  After finishing chores, having breakfast and getting everyone dressed, we rushed over to a friends farm to watch her goat give birth.  That was truly amazing, and will be another post.  We got home just in time for lunch and nap, and though we didn’t have much time before we needed to rush off to book club, we needed the peace and calm of poetry tea time more than ever.  

Today, we read from Poetry for Young People, by Robert Frost.  For each season there is a selection of poems - I love books like that, ones that you can use year round.  

A favorite poem of mine is The Road Not Taken, which I was happy to find in this book and share with the girls.  Going for Water was also a nice poem, and one I hadn’t read before.  This is a library book, but I have made myself a note in my planner to check it out in future seasons for poetry tea time.  We all enjoyed the poems, but most of all the peace in the middle of a busy day.  I am so grateful that we decided to bring Poetry Tea Time into our homeschool.

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.  This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale.  Clicking through these links does not cost you any more than you'd already be spending, and I greatly appreciate your support!

Book of the week, November 7, 2016

Autumn is my favorite season of the year, so it makes sense that my favorite months are October and November.  The cooler weather is nice, but the beauty of fall is what makes it my favorite.  I remember taking fall in even at a young age, but now that I am older, I find myself marveling at it in a whole new way.

The book I chose this week does an excellent job of describing what I love about the season.  It is In November, by Cynthia Rylant.

I love so many of her books, so I doubt this will be the last time she is showcased on my blog, but I had to share this one with you.  Besides having wonderful content, I am in love with the illustrations.

Aren't they beautiful?  I am not sure what this "style" of painting is called, but I love the look of it.  This book does a wonderful job of portraying what November might be like for those parts of the country (like mine) who have all four seasons.  Let me know what you think if you check it out!  Do you have a favorite book for autumn?

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links does not cost you any more than you’d already be spending. 

Book(s) of the week, October 31, 2016

Happy Halloween!  It is so hard to believe it is the end of October!  Normally, I choose one book for the book of the week, but the girls wanted me to share all of our favorite Halloween themed books.  I keep bookshelves in the basement with all of our books, and rotate them as the season or events change through the year.  That way there is always something new to read, and the girls aren't overwhelmed with choices (and I am not overwhelmed with books all over the floor!)

Here are our Halloween selections.  The girls look forward to these books, and I usually add one or two each year. 

Some of these are my old books from when I was a kid.  My mom kept them all these years, and I was happy to take them when she cleaned out the attic library.  The first book the kids go for when I bring these books back upstairs is Mucumber McGee and the Half Eaten Hot Dog.  It's such a silly book and has been a favorite for several years.  

Last year I purchased Pinkalicious Pink or Treat, and Spooky Pookie.  It is kind of funny to me that my girls are generally very sensitive.  They get scared easily, but they absolutely love Halloween books.  I make sure they aren't super scary or gory.  I guess it is just enough of a scare to be interesting and different from what they read all year.  

Do you rotate your books?  What are your favorite Halloween themed ones?  

Halloween Costumes, through the years

I think it is so fun to look back at what the girls were for Halloween each year.  There are times they request to be the same thing as a previous year, and that's okay, but I do encourage a little creativity.

Kaybug's first year, she was baby Carrie from Little House on the Prairie, and her sisters were Mary and Laura.  It may be my favorite year so far!

Gah!  How adorable was she?  She was about 4 months old in this picture.

Kay's second Halloween, she was an owl.  Cute, right?

Coco was Lalaloopsy and Juju was her first scary costume - Dracula.

On her third Halloween, Kay was a chicken, by her own choosing.   I couldn't help but allow it.  Sorry for the blurry picture.

I added a white boa to her costume to add fluffiness.  

J & C were Native Americans, because they were studying them in Social Studies and wanted to dress like them.  I can't find my pic of C, oops!  

Last year Coco was a cowgirl sheriff, Jujubee was Harry Potter (don't comment on my horrible costume making skills.  It was last minute!) and Kay was a princess.  This may have been their first time ever having cotton candy.  

And this year, they all wanted to be from a book.  C was Mary Poppins, J was Hermione, and K was Carrie from Little House again.  

Book of the week, October 24, 2016

The girls are feeling more festive this week, with Halloween getting closer.  A Rattle of Bones; A  Halloween Book of Collective Nouns by Kipling West is our "book of the week".  It is Halloween themed, but I wouldn't say it is scary.  You may want to look at it prior to reading to your own kids, of course.  It is a great review of nouns for Jujubee (11), and an introduction for Cocobear, who is 7.

The skeletons look more happy than scary, and there are plenty of nouns, but it would also be a great book to discuss adjectives, verbs, etc.   Here is a peek inside:

Do you have a favorite fall or Halloween themed book?  I'd love for you to share it in the comments below!  

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This means that if you purchase something from that site after clicking over from Journey Through Love, I receive a [tiny] percentage of the sale. Clicking through these links does not cost you any more than you’d already be spending. 

A Halloween Tradition

For the past five years, we have gone trick or treating at camp where my mom has a site.  We didn't think we would be able to go this year, but we made it!   Here are my trick or treaters this year:

Cocobear was Mary Poppins, Jujubee was Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, and Kaybug was Carrie from Little House on the Prairie.  When Kaybug was 4 months old, she was Carrie also.  We love Little House.  

We had a good time, got way too much candy for the Sugar Plum Fairy, and got to visit with my mom and nephew which was the best thing of all.  The weather was perfect, unlike past years where it was either cold, rainy, or both!  I am so glad we were able to go, and the girls were, too.  

Book of the week October 17, 2016

Adventures of Barefoot Critters by Teagan White

We found this little gem of a book at the library last week and just got a chance to read it.  The illustrations are beautiful, and it isn't the same old ABC book where just a random list of things start with each letter.  Instead, it is a story about a few animal friends and the letters are incorporated.  My favorite part is that the story is told in a seasonal way, with events for each month of the year.

Aren't they such sweet illustrations?  And look at this adorable cover! 

Kaybug's favorite winter story

We have a lot of books (understatement?), and I feel like leaving them out all the time can be overwhelming for little kids - and can turn into a big mess!  So I rotate books out every so often, especially for holidays and season changes.

We have our all-year-round favorites like "The Great Gracie Chase", "Goodnight Moon", etc. But for winter, this book has been a favorite among all three kids at some point. Most recently being Kaybug. 

She requests I read it nearly every day for nap, and I'm happy to be a part of it, occasionally changing "Sam" to "Kaybug" which always gets a smile. 

It is called "You Can Do It, Sam" by Amy Hest. The story is about a bear and his mama who bake cakes and then deliver them to their friends on Plum Street. Sam - the very brave bear that he is, walks to each door "all by himself". It's such a sweet story, and always makes me want to run to the kitchen to do the same. If you are looking for a good book to put under the tree for your little ones, Kaybug would like to recommend this one. 

My Little Planner

People often comment on how much my oldest, Jujubee, looks like me.  Though she is tall and thin like her father, she has tan skin, brown hair, and brown eyes like me.  Even more than looks, she is much like me in personality.  Quiet, shy, very timid, embarrasses easily, is quite emotional, and...

LOVES to plan.  

  

This was her desk when I went in to her room to find her.  Her current book (Magic Tree House - Thanksgiving on Thursday), planner, spelling list, scissors, and lots of colored pens.  (And that adorable mushroom fairy artwork?  My friend Paige painted it.  Isn't it adorable?)

She color codes the subjects like I do.  

I gave her one of the planners I make for this school year, and she was so excited I thought she might cry.  She immediately broke out her pens, her syllabus, and her dry erase board.  Also like me, she has to plan before she can plan.  Don't want to mess up your pretty planner!