Oh the fun to be had with a box!

Here are some cute pictures of the kids enjoying a box. And some other random shots of all of us. The one of Ava and I makes me smile...we look so much like each other.

Recess!

I heard a comment the other day that homeschoolers don't play outside, they have recess! Here are our little bugs enjoying a beautiful Fall day. Ava and Jillian teaching Eli how to ride in a wagon and her proudest accomplishment, she made a hopscotch board!

San Francisco Zoo

We went to the San Francisco Zoo with our good friends to celebrate their daughter's birthday. We were blessed with some beautiful cool weather and a great day. The kids all had a lot of fun and little Eli got a chance to see some animals he had only previously seen in books. He fell in love with the zebras and giraffes and had a great time getting up close to some farm animals. We took a train ride as well which Eli wasn't too sure about. He enjoyed it until the conductor surprised us with bubbles in the tunnel which for some reason freaked Eli out. Oh well, maybe he'll just stay a car/airplane lover!

The girls consider whether or not to actually touch the goat

Ava the Fearless charges forward

Eli figures he'll use the same defense mechanism he uses at home: hiding

Future zoologists

Finally, animals just his size!

Our train ride

Eli was quite concerned over what was happening

The four of us!

Everyone's favorite part, posing with the "animals"

Going green, with worms!

We decided to try our hand at vermicomposting which in layman's terms means feeding worms rotting vegetables and waiting for them to poop them out to fertilize your gardens. I attended a workshop and brought home our worm bin complete with a pound of red wigglers. While Jon hid far, far away we put together our worm bin and put the little guys in their new home. The girls had a great time and its been fascinating watching the process. Next up is planting our vegetable garden in the new raised garden bed that Jon lovingly made for me!

Sisters! Sisters!

Nothing brings me more joy than seeing my children loving and enjoying one another. Of course they have their moments, but overall these little ones really love each other and love being with each other! And I love watching them love!

Jillian and Ava playing dress up

Really, they're holding hands while watching TV

Ava pushing "the baby" around

Our little tap dancer!

Eli's First Birthday

We celebrated Eli's first birthday with family. Eli had an animal themed party complete with a turtle cake. He enjoyed all the attention and the presents but mostly the attention. I can't believe a year has gone by already. What a wonderful addition to our family. Eli brings us so many smiles and so much joy. Happy birthday, Mr. Man!

Eli's first hot rod!

Ava made a birthday card special for Eli!

Happy First Birthday, Little Man!

Eli's turtle cake

Eli enjoying his dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free banana cake!

All the cousins enjoying cake...or frosting!

Our little guy, all tuckered out

...and the entertainment arrives!

Eli's first birthday gift

Eli received his first birthday gift in the mail from friends Chris, Tanya and Finn in Portland. He was very excited to rip open the bag and find a...box!

So the sisters get involved to show Eli what a birthday gift is and that there is actually something IN the box!

And he is thrilled with the end result. Thank you Auntie Tanya, Uncle Chris and Finny-Finn!

Eli-12 months

Eli waves hello

Eli and his best buddy, Ava

Eli's favorite part of the day--mealtime!

Hey, everyone needs some morning cartoons!

More fun

Jillian enjoying that she can finally reach the pedals on her trike!

Uncle Andrew and Eli

Uncle Andrew and Soon-to-be-Auntie Nataly enjoying time with the kids

Jillian's 3rd Birthday

We have a tradition of having a clown ice cream cone and opening up family gifts on the birthday child's actual birthday. Here is Jillian enjoying her strawberry ice cream!

Jillian with her siblings and cousins

And this is what it looks like when your friends start having babies. We used to have a handful of little ones who came to our birthdays and then they all had two kids...then three...

And here is her rainbow cake. Happy birthday, Jillian!

Postive Ponderings-Part 3

Tool #3
Act, don't talk

The first concept I took from this rule was that its disrespectful to nag, threaten or lecture. I was thinking about this today as I started to yell out to Ava over something. I began to think on how I would feel if someone came at me like that and realized I would completely turn inward and would, honestly, be crushed. We're working on respectful relationships and those rarely include threats and nagging.

Other concepts related include:
Give up counting to three-ACT!
Ask once, then move
Don't ask, tell them what you want done
Make sure you're in the same room before you make requests of children

In my quest for a mutually respectful relationship, I asked Ava how many times she wanted me to ask her to do something. She told me three and so I countered with twice. Once more than Dr. Nelsen recommends. I'm okay with this since it was previously ten to twenty. Ha! I was just happy to make Ava a part of the process so I could remind her it was her idea, not mine, to be asked only twice.

I have also started re-phrasing my requests. Instead of "Ava would you please go brush your teeth" I offer, "Ava brush your teeth and show me when you're done". Asking assumes there is a choice. I'm not offering a choice.

The last concept, being in the same room when making requests, simply insures that the child has indeed heard you and is moving to get it done.

Postive Ponderings--Part 2

Tool #2
Decide what you'll do and do it.

Ah, yes. The infamous "mean what you say and say what you mean". I struggle with this one. I've really tried to focus on what I'm promising is going to happen, good and bad. I've been caught a few times saying things like, "If you don't stop right now you won't get to go to the birthday party!" Really? I'm going to skip a fun time with adults and kids alike because they wouldn't follow through? So I'm getting better about that and creating consequences that I am willing to actually follow through with myself.

This also applies in a positive sense. We use potty rewards, Jelly Belly jelly beans actually. Its so easy for me to postpone the jelly bean distribution but when the kids see that I don't follow through in a positive sense they are more likely to assume I won't follow through in an authoritative sense as well.

This rule also relates to the "mutually respectful relationships" concept Dr. Nelsen speaks of. Its not respectful to promise something (postive or negative) and not follow through. The potential is there for the child to learn that you cannot be relied upon and that your words don't match up with your actions. Children thrive with boundaries and security and what can be more secure than people who follow through?

Homeschooling: 1 point

So I get a kick out of spelling and grammatical errors. You probably wouldn't know it from my blog but hey I'm typing this stream of consciousness with three kids pulling at me...

Anyhow, we were driving by the local elementary school today and there is a HUGE sign on the chain link fence that was probably about 12 feet long by 4 feet wide and it read:

WATCH FOR KID'S PLAYING

There is just a certain irony in the location. Ha!

Can it be climbed? Kicked? Thrown?

Those who argue that there is no difference between the sexes clearly didn't have one of each gender living in their homes. I never would've believed that boys were really that different than girls until Eli entered our lives. This morning was a prime example. Eli climbs. A lot. On everything. Today he climbed onto the top of the kids' chair and then tries to climb the back rungs. I tell him, "Sit on your bottom", and he smiles at me and squats down so that his little cheeks almost touch and then bounces right back up and tries again. He's discovered he can push the kids' chairs against the counter and then climb up the chair and if the drawers are just so can scale those until he reaches his destination. Counter tops, dresser tops and the like are merely plateaus on his journey. He is also starting to walk but the walk isn't as interesting to him as the kicking. I think for him walking is but a means to an end. He wants to kick a ball: soccer balls, baseballs, beach balls. He doesn't care but he wants to kick it and today he discovered batting. He grabbed my kitchen broom and played with it for a while swinging it around, tapping the floor with it. Then he saw his ball. I knew right away by the glimmer in his eye what he was about to do. He picks up the broom and SWINGS it toward the ball making contact and the ball went rolling. Success! Needless to say he was very pleased with himself.

Then Jillian walked in and said, "What is Eli doing with the broom? Can I sweep the playroom?"

Yes. Very different.