You Don't See That Every Day

From our week

2012-01-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

How can it already be Friday? It went by fast. Maybe because I was not home very much. I put a lot of miles on our truck this week.
But here are some photos from when I was home:
Little K in the basket, one of her favorite things to do - climb into things and gather her toys around her.

My Christmas gift for G finally came in the mail. A very dear friend who went to Europe helped me out by getting this drink over there and mailing it to me - much cheaper than if I ordered online. When G went to Austria a few years back he had this drink and really liked it, so I hunted it down... and then surprised him in the middle of January with a Christmas gift!

We did a few "push-ups" with Little K.

And look what else came in the mail: woohoo!

K gave us a lot of good ones this week. She sat in the doll stroller to eat her breakfast at a makeshift table.

The Boy had a lot of basketball this week. 2 games and a scrimmage game and practices. His team went to OSU men's basketball practice today, and got to hang out with the big boys. He came home with a ton of autographs and good memories.

More sports on the way before the weekend is over...

A Party

2012-01-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

I threw a party and people actually came! It helps that they are all related to me, and that the party wasn't for me.

My sister's birthday is today, and I have not been very good in the past about celebrating her day. She however is Always good for the kids' birthdays and other celebrations and babysitting. So I thought it was high time I got a party going for her.
I only asked if she was available Sunday afternoon for cake and ice cream. No mention of other party goers. And thankfully she said yes, so I could get on the phone and invite all those local siblings to come on over. She was a little surprised when she got here and there were already a bunch of others here too!
Instead of cake - because really, who can figure out how much people will eat?? -- I made cupcakes. Easier, faster, and nicer to serve. There was one party-goer who didn't want to wait for the party to eat the cupcake:

But I made her wait anyway.

She did get into the swing of things later, and thoroughly enjoyed her aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents.

Here are a few of the visitors. Can you see how full our front room was? And that's just half the people in the house.

By the time the gifts were opened and cake was consumed, we were not done watching whatever football was on the TV nor finished visiting. The thing about my siblings and family - we actually like to hang out with each other. Most of the time.
So we got pizza and drinks and continued to talk on into the evening.
We did, however, miss those family members who are far away - and dear niece* - just for you, I'll make sure that you are a topic of conversation next time.

*you know who you are :)

In My Corner

2012-01-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

In my corner of the world this week ...
* there has been a lot of weather here. We had snow, lots of slushy snow. And now we have lots and lots of rain, and more on the way. We had a little scare of water reaching the garage, and the insulation sitting there waiting to be installed. Thankfully it did not reach that far. There are roads closed and many creeks and rivers flooding.
* School was cancelled for all students in our area. My son spent the day today filling sandbags with other friends downtown. He really surprised us, wanting to go, and wanting to stay as long as he could, even while cold wet and hungry. Made me proud to see the glimmer of growing up shining through.
* There hasn't been much progress made on schoolwork around this house. Since the Boy had Monday, and today, off from school, the girls did not get anything done either. And for some reason we spent more time learning in the kitchen, or playing in the front room this week than we did in the actual books. But that's just one more thing I like about home school - flexibility. Next week, we'll pick up the slack.
* I finished a book by a new-to-me author, Siri L. Mitchell. It was an interesting historical fiction about Italian immigrants in the early 1900s. I had no idea Sicilians were looked down upon by other Italians. And that Italians were looked down upon by other "Americans." So not only was I entertained, I learned something.
* I finally got another run in. My last run was a week ago. G took me down to the gym with him to work out on the treadmills together. Now I am glad we didn't sign me up for the gym. I really disliked the treadmill! I couldn't move! My arms kept bumping the bars in front of me; I had to keep changing the pace and there was nothing to look at but a TV screen. No passing cars to ponder, no houses to restructure in my mind; It was just very uncomfortable for me. I'm glad it works for my husband, but it's not for me.
* My easy runs are now at 4 miles. I went just over today and it felt good! So I think I will be ready to start really training for the upcoming half. We have about 12 weeks left, and my intense training will start in about 2 weeks.
And that was a glimpse of my week. How was yours?

Compartments

2012-01-18T14:25:00.000-08:00

Have you heard in the news lately about the possible shutdown of some post offices around the country? When I first heard I thought, no way, we need those places. But now I am not so sure.
Here is the saga we have been living through the past month.
One day my kids went to get the mail from our box, which is one in a cluster of boxes, a neighborhood unit. The door would not close. The lock would not latch. Our mail was open to any who walked by and looked. So I called the post office - the local one - to report it. The manager said he would send someone out to look at it. I don't think anyone came, because nothing looked different at all. This was a Friday and of course they are closed over the weekend.
So my husband went out to try and tighten the screw and see what he could do to keep our mail to ourselves.
And the box lock worked fine for a couple of days.
Then my kids went out again towards the end of the next week and could not open the lock. It was stuck tight and would not turn. My call to the post office ended with the suggestion - try some WD40. So my husband put a ton of graphite in the lock (b/c really, WD40? That just attracts the dirt and junk.) No go. Still can't open it.
So I call the post office again. The guy in charge told me to bring in my key to the box and they would take a look at what was going on. Of course he also mentioned that they now subcontract out this type of work and it would take at least a week to get it fixed. His suggestion was to put my mail on hold until then.
So we did all this.
And each day I would stop by the mail branch and ask for my held mail. And each day they would tell me, there's nothing back there. Yes it is on hold, but there is none for you.
Well, so happens that it is also a substitute carrier this week, not our regular carries .I don't know if that plays a part in this but.....we were not getting any mail.
After three days of "No mail" I got a little bothered - because we get mail EVERY day. Junk mail, credit card apps, and my beloved Netflix; Foyle's War was supposed to be here! I know because I got a message from them and they are very good, very very good about mailing me my movie.
Anyway, I finally talked to the guy in charge of the guy in charge on last Friday. He gave me a stack of mail that was ours, and the key to our now-fixed lock! What?! It's fixed? How nice of them to tell me. I went away thinking all was good.
Bwahahahahahaha.
I haven't received mail in my mailbox at all this week. Granted, there was a holiday on Monday. But none Saturday nor Tuesday nor today. So I called. Again. And the kind lady said, yes your mail is still on hold! So the man who gave me my keys, the one who had told me to keep my mail on hold UNTIL I got my box fixed ...had not thought to 'un'hold my mail.
Big Sigh.
Now I know this is not something to get all excited about. I know there are dying babies around the world I can be more upset about. But when people cannot communicate in their own workplace while they serve the public ...well, no wonder they are in a world of hurt.

Projects

2012-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

(Written on Monday, finally posted today. Sigh. It's that kind of week.)

I had time to work on some fun stuff today. Since there was no school for the Boy, the girls and I decided to make it an easy day also. Which gave me time to bake! I tried pastries on Saturday, so today was my attempt at cheddar goldfish crackers. But I didn't have a fish shaped cutter so I used a small heart instead.
The consistency probably should have been finer, and the dough rolled thinner, but overall they aren't too bad. They are more like cheddar biscuits than crackers. So I will have to play with that recipe a little. Doesn't seem to stop the small fry from eating them.

We also stirred up some graham crackers and then dove into the banana bread mix my daughter received as a gift.

Good stuff! Watching the snow fall, eating warm banana bread in front of the roaring fire - a beautiful afternoon.

What a great Monday!

2012-01-16T17:09:00.000-08:00

For awhile now I have been following a certain blogger - Mavis. I try to read her blog regularly, not just for the great couponing hints, but she has the kind of humor I can relate to. ((Although I think she thought I was kidding when I suggested her next giveaway should be her coming to clean someone's kitchen. I thought it was a brilliant idea (wink wink)))
So Mavis writes about how. she was able to feed her family of 4 on only one hundred dollars a month last year (hence the name of her blog). Now there is probably no way I could feed the 7 of us on that amount; but reading her blog has made me more aware of my spending and grocery buying habits.
AND THEN - cue the drum roll -
This morning I opened a wonderful email I had received from her. It made me hoop and holler and do a happy dance! The kids came running to see what was going on.

Can you see why I was SO excited? See that word WINNER? Woohoo!!
I did the happy damce because:
A. I never win anything. Or so it seems.
and
2. Now I have my husband's birthday present all ready
and
3. This will help SO much when we go to the store for more materials on our remodeling project.
I am still dancing inside hours later.
So if you haven't checked out Mavis' site, which she has rearranged since last year, and the new look is really nice, I urge you to check her out. If you are into free, or coupons or getting more for your money, dig around on her site, she has some great ideas. And sometimes some great giveaways.

Cold weather

2012-01-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

Views of our weekend:
I attempted my first try at homemade pop*tarts

They turned out de-lish-us! The head of the house commented more than once that they were a hit! Next time I am going to try and make them a little thinner, and smaller. Although eating a large one wasn't much of a problem.

We woke up to snow this morning. All last evening, weather reports were predicting the snow. My own local weatherman - aka. G.man - kept checking the radar and his bookmarked weather website(s) while keeping us updated on the progress. Just another reason I love him

Strangely, the kids did not wake up squealing with delight at the snow on the ground. Was it because there wasn't enough for sledding? (Which they did make plans for as we drove into town.) Or was it because we needed to get ready for church and they knew there wasn't time to go out and play? Or maybe they have outgrown it? I sure hope not. I think they are just waiting for some more pile up so they can really play in it!

Our dogs didn't seem to have any trouble. They loved it. For a little while at least.
And one more ... my 11 year old found the fun in the toy my youngest plays with. Might be using this one again in February.

Another

2012-01-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

Just another day in paradise-

loads of laundry to finish folding while chasing a runny-nosed toddler who would rather not wear clothes.

I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Time for basketball

2012-01-09T19:24:00.000-08:00

It's time for Upward basketball again! This year is the first time our son is not playing in this league. It ends after 6th grade, so he is on to middle school ball now. But we have another child in instead.

Our 6 year old started on the kindergarten team, with her first game this past Saturday. It was quickly obvious that she didn't know what the game was all about. But she was very, very good about what she was supposed to do - and that was to stay on her person. Each player gets a color tag, and they have to stick to the same color tag on the opposite team during defense.

But our girl played defense the entire time. It was pretty fun to watch her 'dancing' with the opponent. The photo is a blur, because that's what she was,. moving back and forth playing good defense the entire time. Even when her team had the ball. I think we'll spend a little time this week talking about what offense and defense mean.

Growing puppy

2012-01-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

From the day we got her

to almost 2 weeks later,

to another month past, this puppy is growing. She was smaller than our black dog when we brought her home. And now she outweighs her and is taller than her.

But black dog is still in charge and they both know it.

Yes, I am blonde

2012-01-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

Today I was very thankful that I married the man I did. He is quite good at helping me make my way through this confusing world.
Yes, I am a blond, and yes I see the world a little differently.
I went into a bread outlet store in our town hoping to find some good deals. We go through a loaf a day and with prices the way they are now, I was looking for some good bread at a good deal. And I found it! These loaves I bought are usually about $2 on sale at the grocery store. I found them at the outlet for $1! I piled almost a dozen loaves in my cart - I was pretty excited to see that price; but a little voice inside said, "Why? Why are they so 'cheap'?" I couldn't see anything wrong with them. And I looked!

I overheard some of the stockers talking about 09 and 10 ... so I decided to check the little tag, knowing there was expiration info on it. When I saw the 09, I thought .. well, they don't look old. I went ahead with the transaction, and brought them home ... thinking, how am I going to explain this to my husband. When i got home I prefaced my spending story to G. with the news of exceptional prices on the bread! And then I told him they weren't moldy even if they are a few years old.
Yeah, years. I though the 09 was for the year. Not the date. My dear husband had to point that one out to me.

Big Day

2012-01-06T17:59:00.000-08:00

When I tuck my kids in to sleep at night, I often tell them, "Go to sleep. Big day tomorrow!"
Well today was actually a 'big' day and I wasn't aware of it.

I got a phone call from our Boy tonight. G. had just picked him up from basketball practice and they were getting something to eat before they had to head back to the gym.
My son sounded pretty upset, like he was crying. And like any normal(?) mother, I started to get choked up also. Especially when he told me that they made the cuts for the basketball team today.
My mind raced ahead, along with his emotional state, and I was trying to figure out how to encourage him, how to keep my own sadness out of my voice, and what do I say now? running through my brain. So I tried to find out a little bit more about what happened.
And then he started laughing, and said, Mom I made the team!
My brain screeched to a halt. I couldn't even think! I just hung up on him. Because he was such a skunk! Getting me all upset like that and worried. His dad sat next to him the whole time, laughing - well, trying not to laugh too loudly and 'ruin' it.
Yeah, this is the family I am in. One of these days ....
But at least I don't have to comfort the Boy this time.
I did, however, remember to pray for the boys who did get cut from the team, and their moms.

A good holiday

2012-01-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

It must have been a good holiday season!
I stepped on the scales at my parents' house and saw that I have an extra 20 pounds hanging on. I saw the fudge in one spot, the nightly ice cream all around and the cookies in another area. Good thing I am running, or it might be an extra 40 overstaying their welcome.
I went home and wrote down my weight on several sticky notes and stuck them in the snack cupboard, on the refrigerator, and on the top of my secret stash (banana chips covered in chocolate.) I went to reach for some chips just a few minutes later, and thought about that not-so-little number there. And I realized I just wanted a new taste in my mouth. I wasn't really hungry.
So I brushed my teeth. Now, I'm not going on a 'diet'. I'm not going to starve -hahahaha, no way, not how I like food! But I am going to try and make better choices this winter, and especially as I train for a super upcoming race in April. I'll probably be brushing my teeth a lot. So not only will I be healthier, my dentist will be happy too.

Little Bursts

2012-01-02T11:23:00.000-08:00

My run this morning was not going as well as I wanted it to. I've gotten up to 4 mile runs in the past week; I thought I might make it 5 today, but then my running partner ~~chickened out~~ turned around and headed home, so I changed my plan and kept it at 3 miles. Even then I felt like I was trudging. The downhills were hard on my lower legs, and the uphills - well those actually went ok.
At one point after tying my jacket around my waist, I started running again, and a bicyclist on the other side of the 4 lane road, shouted to me, "You can do it!"
What a boost that was! What a way to make me feel better and actually smile as I run! I had a little burst of energy after that.
A few months ago, when I was running another trudging-kind of run, another man drove by and yelled out the window, "Go lady go!" which startled me at first. And then I saw who it was - that very sweet husband of mine, and that made me smile, and keep going. I was thinking of just turning into home, but that encouragement kept me going and helped me finish my run strong.
So maybe if you see a runner in orange going down the street, yell at her, nicely, and help her break through that mental wall.

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T21:29:00.000-08:00

(I wrote this on New Year's Eve but just found time now to publish it.)

We've celebrated New Year's Eve in various ways in the past 14 years of marriage.
Some years we have gone out to friends' parties - usually pretty tame, like Bunco parties, but still a lot of fun.
There have been years when we have been sick, or else some of the kids are sick, so we all stay in and get some sleep.
Some years, we have had friends and family over for games. As more and more kids came along, this just became easier for us - we host the party and our little ones can go to bed.
Some years all I want to do is go to sleep because I have a nearly-newborn and can't fathom the idea of not sleeping (3 of our 5 children are born in the fall, which means by New Years Eve, they still are not sleeping more than 2 or 3 hours at a time.)
Two years ago we spent the evening with a bunch of friends at the church community center, playing games and having a great time. All the kids ran around with their friends until well past midnight. And last year we invited a new family to hang with us at our home (another case of a nearly newborn in our household) and that was a great time to get to know our now-good-friends.
But this year has been a little different. We didn't go to any parties. We didn't see any family. We didn't have friends over or go to anyone's house. We stayed in, watched a kid-friendly show (Andy Griffith! do you remember him?) We cut and washed hair, and had a hula-hoop contest.
Living it up big, that's us. Actually we chose to keep it really really low key this year, because A. we are tired; and 2. We need to be up early in the morning to teach some kids in Sunday school. And I am a little relieved that it worked out this way. My one year old was in bed by 7:30, my next two youngest got to stay up until 9 pm! And the older two made their way to bed soon before G and I went.
But next New Year's Eve - I want to go dancing with my sweetie and dance the night away.

2011-12-30T21:30:00.000-08:00

Another year has gone by. Another year of ideas and things I want to do, and ways I want to live better. In the beginning of the year I called it my "What if" List,
Here's a look at the list from 2010

What if... I made G's lunch every day? Tried it, but it didn't last; sleepless nights and early rising husband don't work together too often.
... I stopped using a credit card? That has been a great thing!
... went to bed by 10 pm? Hahahhahahahha
... read my Bible every morning? I tried. I made it through most, well half of the year. Again .. that new baby ....
... made sure I walked 3 times a week? Yep, until it started to get really really cold.
... spoke gently to my girls?Still working on it. I feel I have made progress, but still there is always more to do.

And we'll compare it with my What If list for 2011:
What if ... I read through the Bible in a year? ((I'll try again))
... I ran at least twice, if not three times, a week? (( see next item))
... I trained for a 5k and a 10k race this year? ((we'll leave marathons for next year))
... I ate less cookies and more fruit? ((goes hand in hand with the above two))
... I was more consistent in my life - disciplining the kids, keeping up with grading the schoolwork? Consistency, that's the word for me this year I think.

How did I do for this year, 2011?
Well, I did not read through my entire Bible. But I am starting up again. We have also started - back in the summer - a family devotional that we do after supper each night. We are hit and miss, but mainly because we are busy on some nights, and we aren't going to be legalistic about it.
I have been running at least twice a week, and sometimes more. I have to really dig into this now, because I have a half-marathon coming up in the spring.
I am trying to eat less cookies and sweets and better fruits and veggies. But that is so hard. I think all my teeth are "sweet-tooth's"
And consistency? hmm ... I don't think I have it yet.
Now let me look at the list from 2010 and my progress -
the credit card - rarely rarely does it get used!
bedtime - getting better at that one.
reading - well, it's at night now, and so far so good;
walking? more like running, often.
gentleness? still working on that. I am reminded often that I need to be. "Cold-hearted" was once a term applied to me in the heat of the moment. It brought me up short and often echoes in my mind when I am faced with a difficult situation.

So what will be 2012 What If list be?
I need to train for the half.
I want to work on a book which has been percolating in my brain for a couple of months.
I want to be gentle and more active with my kids rather than "re-active". Some children know just which buttons to push and how to get me burning. I might be counting to ten a lot this coming year.
And I hope to continue in my Bible reading and writing through the year.
Oh, and I plan to floss more.
Not too many other new goals than that.

What about you?

Run on

2011-12-30T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is the shirt I went running in this week - both times.
Yes, I had more on than just the shirt. It IS windy, rainy, typical Oregon December weather around here.
But I am a running billboard now. I make sure to run against the traffic, so that I can see what's coming at me, and so that they can see my shirt. It's bright and bold and beautiful. (side note - I'm starting to love the color orange. I now own two orange shirts, and wear them regularly. I often let my kids wear their orange shirts when we are out in crowds because 1. They are easier to find; and B. We are silently supporting our favorite OSU Beavs.)

- back to the story -
Does it make you wonder what it's for? What it means? I wondered when I first saw it. Let me tell you a little about it.

A couple we know is on the path of adoption. They want to bring home a sweet little baby from Ethiopia. And they are raising money to make this happen - one way is by selling these shirts! The minus one refers to one less orphan needing a home. There are 5 million children in need of parents in that country alone! None of us can bring home 5 million children obviously, but one at a time ... now that's a bit more do-able.

I have always, since I was little, wanted to take care of orphans. But God has blessed us with 5 of our own little babies, and not made it obvious that we are to adopt (yet?!). So when I meet someone who is adopting or has adopted, I just want to know their story and support them however I can.

And so I bring this couple to you - hopefully you can take a look at their story. And if you want some more information or feel led to play a part in helping an orphan come home, let me know and I can get you their contact information,

You can read all about their journey at this blog:
http://frostmansion.blogspot.com/

And I'll keep running, powered by orange.

The day after

2011-12-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

Today was spent looking, pondering, playing.

We relaxed most of the day, well some of us did. Some of us went upstairs and put up more sheet rock in the afternoon. But others of us had tea and watched a movie and played games.
I got some gunpowder this year. (Along with a boatload of other teas! Someone has been reading my blog it appears.)

G got some dynamite. Boy, that was a bit of a shock. Until we realized what it actually is.

My mom made this ornament for Little K. It's one of her first - K's that is, not my mom's; she's a pro at that kind of thing.

And my sister made each one of us a beautiful ornament also!

Little K also got a doll for Christmas from Grandma that had matching dresses - I mean the doll's dress and K's' dress from Grandma matched, not that Grandma has a dress that matches the doll.
K was pretty much thrilled by that gift.

really, she is thrilled, she just doesn't like to sit still for a picture.

The day after Christmas used to be not-a-favorite back when I was little. The letdown of the excitement, the piles that needed to be put away, and the trash that had to be taken care of - not so fun; plus that was often the day the relatives went home (my older siblings at that time.) So I didn't always like the day after Christmas. I wonder if that's why some people have Boxing Day ... another day to celebrate!
But this year, the day after was one of my favorite. Because we did relax, and have fun; there was nothing I had to do. There was no place I had to go or stuff I had to buy. G and I took turns sleeping. (!There's a whole 'nother story there with a not-sleepy baby at 2 am!)) And then I didn't' change out of jammies until after 10:30 - which for me, the get-up-and go-go-go type, is unheard of.
We finished off the day with me not having to cook, because that's what leftovers are all about!! And we played some games tonight with my sister and ate ice cream. All around almost perfect day.
Happy sigh.

Random

2011-12-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts from our weekend.

We're so in love, even our toothbrushes cuddle.
(Does anyone else think like this? Maybe it's just me...)

We're going for the Sally Brown look with our youngest.

Or we were that day.

Celebrating Christmas Day

2011-12-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

The morning started too early.

This is a.m.
Sigh.

Why is it that the children can leap out of bed before 6:30 on this holiday, but it takes an act of Congress to get them awake and out of bed on a school day?
Little K opened gifts from her grandma and aunt - new babies! She was so excited; she hugged them and kissed them and talked to them most of the day, carrying them here and there.

Our Best Neighbors Ever gifted us with a retro Pac Man game - which the Boy tested out this morning before church. I don't think the girls have yet had a turn on it.

And then after church it was time for photo op again. And again - getting the 20 month old to participate on my terms? Nearly impossible.

We had to do a little trick photography with my husband helping out in the background. See if you can guess where he is.

Finally Little K wanted to take a picture with her sister and their matching dresses.

While dinner was cooking the girls played their new game - Headbands. G calls it dummy poker .. you have to guess what picture is on your forehead.

And then my in-laws showed up and Little K was a complete sweetie for them.

We decided to break up our gift opening this year.
So, we opened some on Christmas Eve;
some more in the morning after stockings and before church;
some more after a snack when we got home;
some more after the grandparents arrived;
some more after we got dinner in the oven. And then I think we were done.
(But wait! there are more presents waiting for us at my parents home!)

I just remember one of us kept saying, "And now we're done?" and the kids reply, "Oh no, there are more!"

Swimmer girl got a long-awaited bean bag chair, which has seen all kinds of action today.

And what could be more fun than an empty box? Unless the empty box has sisters in it?!

And this picture is for his brothers. I just needed to share.

Tomorrow I think we will play games, maybe hang some more sheet rock - I'll have to update you soon on the remodel - a lot of sheet rock is up and it is beginning to really take shape - and we'll probably work on our family yearly letter, since I didn't get any Christmas cards sent out this year.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

After a day of preparing for Christmas - shopping, returning certain items, finding the right sizes, colors, shapes; making gifts and delivering goodies - I was able to sit down and relax after our traditional chili and rice supper.

And it was photo op time too. The kids were bathed and in their brand new jammies, so we had a little fun with it.

Getting 5 kids to cooperate was hard enough; getting a 20-month old to participate was near-impossible. So we tried some funny stuff.

It isn't as easy as it sounds to sit upside down on a couch.

But they managed to hold it for a few seconds. And then they turned the camera on us.

Of course my husband decided to goof around also.

The kids got to pick out one gift to open on this night, and then they were off to bed, a little late, and full of excitement for the next day!

Preparations

2011-12-21T14:15:00.000-08:00

We are getting ready for the upcoming Big Holiday. Christmas is upon us and my scrooge-ish-ness is not being tolerated! We actually went and got a tree.

For the past 6 years we have gone to the same tree farm - a tradition the kids look forward to every year. Sometimes we ride the "train" like we did this year, sometimes we just walk out to the field.

We took our time finding Just The Right Tree. And actually after hugging one and proclaiming it The One .. we found another which we liked better and took it instead.

So the one being hugged here - isn't actulaly the one in our front room today.

Plenty of supervisors and helpers to cut the tree and haul it to the truck:

The same evening after we got our tree the 4 older kids were dropped at my brother and sister-in-law's house and we didn't see them for 2 days and 2 nights. It was amazingly quiet around our home. I spent the time cleaning a bedroom; shopping for Christmas gifts, and hanging out with my husband and baby girl.

The kids played games and watched movies. They also spent a day decorating cookies and making houses from graham crackers and frosting.

And now that they are at home, they are eating lots of sugary goodness.

L..Kn.F.

2011-12-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

Little Known Facts
#1 I need Christmas music to be able to wrap Christmas gifts.

#2 I will run fast across traffic if there are people watching. And then I slow down when I am out of sight.

#3 I did not want to get a tree this Christmas. I probably won't even send out cards this time.

So now you know ...

It's the weekend

2011-12-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

And what a way to end the week. I took the kids to home school PE Friday afternoon. We don't go as often as we used to, mainly b/c it is in the middle of nap time. But since the Boy got out of school early, and my dear husband was working from home, I was able to take the 4 older kids in to play. (and Little K got a much needed nap at home.)
Part of me wishes I had not. It was sure fun to see my friends again and visit. But what happened next wasn't so fun.
Poor sweet girl's head met with another boy's knee. Ouch! See that bump on her forehead - that is not an optical illusion, nor is it her hand on the back of her head.

That is the goose egg she was left with!
It looked pretty bad, but thankfully she did not have a concussion, and she didn't cry very much either - she has always been a tough one. We monitored her for the evening and nighttime. And she came through with flying colors. I think we I may have 'over' monitored her.
I asked her, before I went to bed, (yes the two older ~~stinkers~~ girls were still awake!!) how she was doing; she said, "Better." So I had to ask, "Better than what?" And her reply, "Better than the last time you asked." - and a little impish grin on her face let me know I could go to bed without much worry.
We managed to keep the TV off last night also. Instead, we sat down and did a puzzle together. Sort of. Some of us worked on the puzzle while others read books to the youngest.

I've heard of March madness for many years now, often filling out brackets to play the 'game' with others predicting the winners. Well, this month is a first for me - the Bowl game picks. Our neighbors and our family have gotten together to fill out our picks for the upcoming days of college football bowl games. Our neighbor, with the help of his son, and our son, will be keeping track of the standings. I wonder what the winner gets ....

Update

2011-12-15T09:24:00.000-08:00

G has been plugging along on the addition when he gets time in the evenings after work and on the weekends.

looking into playroom

In between sickness and holidays he has gotten the garage ceiling nearly finished with sheet rock; he has put up sheet rock in the bedrooms upstairs and the playroom. He built the wall that separates The Boy's room from the playroom, and started the wall for the doorway into the girls' room

Looking into Boy's room

He rented a lift - which helped all of us out. It cranks the sheet rock up into place and holds it there while G attaches it. This lift saved the strain on his back and the strain on my arms and any strain on our marriage.

looking into girls' room from bathroom

This!

2011-12-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

This dog is where most of my time and energy have been focused lately.

This cute little stinker has most of us wrapped around her paw.

This puppy is helping us readjust our schedules. (She sleeps so weird)

Oh love

2011-12-14T10:36:00.000-08:00

I am in love with these! I've been sitting here editing some articles, and I cannot stop eating these dee-lish-us nuts. I got them as a gift yesterday, and I think I'll have to be heading over to Trader J this week for some more!
(I just asked my daughter to take them away and put them in a cupboard without telling me where.)

Gettin' Crafty

2011-12-06T12:56:00.000-08:00

Last night my oldest girl and I went down to the church for a fun night out. We learned some new crafts and got some great ideas for Christmas gifts. Hopefully I'm not giving any secrets away here ...
We started out singing Christmas carols, and then set to the work. All we used were simple household items and glue guns.
First for our group was earrings. We picked out whichever buttons caught our fancy, glued them together and added the backing. So simple!

After we had made a couple of those and burned our fingers enough times, we headed to the next demonstration - marshmallow pops. Many of you might have seen the cake pops craze going around the country. Well this is similar, but OH, so much easier.
All that we used was a marshmallow, candy cane, and some sticky powdered sugar/ milk mixture. It will be perfect to put in hot chocolate this winter.

After a short break time, my Girl and I headed to the next craft instead of the other food demo. We were short on time and chose accordingly.
This craft - an ornament - we made out of old sheet music! Add in some embellishments, and glue gun, and we were done! SO easy.

I am hoping to make a bunch of them for a certain Christmas gift. We saw different sizes on a nearby Christmas tree, along with garland made our of the same paper. It was so pretty, so Victorian looking.

Training

2011-12-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

There's a show I like to watch. Probably the only show on TV now that I watch, besides my netflix movies. It's a reality show about racing around the world and having to take on different tasks.
In my everyday world I like to imagine I am on that show, racing to complete certain tasks in a strange environment.
Today was one of those days.

It was time for our annual trek to Portland for an appointment and OHSU. My girl has scoliosis, like me, and we have to get it checked out every so often.

So we had to follow directions to get there, because I certainly don't remember from last time. And we had a time crunch, because it's OK for a doctor to be late, but not the patient. Then we had to find out which floor and area to go to. That last part wasn't so hard thankfully.
We were "training for the race."
And then The Girl had to answer questions - basic ones, but I wanted her to answer for herself.

There was a waiting period too. In various rooms - the lobby, the patient's room, the x-ray room, back to the patient's room. So we got to hone our intellectual skills with various medical terms sprinkled around the room.

And then The Girl got to model a highly fashionable medical ensemble.
I was quite envious. I don't think she was convinced of my interest.

Finally after a nice visit with the Doctor, we were on to the next leg of the training for the race.
Finding our way out of Portland.

At one point, we were ~~lost~~ exploring when we realized we needed a little help. I was able to call my sister in-law who gave me some direction. As I drove on I realized I just needed to go a little further down the road and I was where I needed to be. So I had been on the right track, just not confident of it after ~~wandering~~ exploring for so long. But we finally made it home, awake and alive.
Training for the race.

My Saturday

2011-12-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

I should be posting most of these over on my other blog. Maybe I will. Maybe I won't. You'll have to just check over and see.

So on Saturday our little Princess M had her very first basketball practice with Upward Basketball. You may recall the BOY playing in this league for the past 7 years. The two older girls also had a chance to play a few years ago.
Now it's her turn
She was so excited! And I think she did rather well. I might be a little biased, but she dribbles really well, and she even made a basket - an amazing feat when you're only about 40 inches tall and the basket is about 6 feet in the air.

Our puppy is getting easier to handle. She loves to be outside romping with the other dog. But she also really really enjoys the nice cozy warm indoors. Her sleeping positions are hilarious .. although this one seems rather comfy.

Princess girl also had a cousin sleep over this weekend! Add this in to basketball practice and she was so wound up on Friday and Saturday!! The emotional fallout on Saturday night however wasn't pretty.

I managed to get in some baking time. I used my grandmother's green bowl. I really like this bowl, I known I've written about it before...

and I tried a new recipe - Irish Soda Bread -and it came out pretty well. I think I will have to try a couple more times to get it just right. It seems a little too 'wet' when I put it in the pan.

Oh, and I was able to fill my cookies craving. I made a batch of Loaded Cookies, and might even save a few to send to a certain college student.

My husband and kids and brother got nearly all the insulation put up in the addition. AND the garage has most of the ceiling Sheetrock in place. AND the upstairs has a board of Sheetrock in place too!
Overall, a productive day.

Score!!

2011-12-03T13:20:00.000-08:00

For the past few months I've been following this one blogger, who has an amazing knack for getting groceries and paying pennies (onehundreddollarsamonth).
But as much as I read her (funny yet informative) blog, I still pay a lot of money every month for groceries.
But then great things happen, like what I am about to share, that make me "see the light":
Our boy's birthday was this week. So of course we went shopping the night before for birthday presents. We picked up an OSU T-shirt, blanket, and some Nerf darts, along with some air freshener (for our house, not a birthday gift).

The 'original' total was $37.55.
But then ..., I whipped out my gift card I received from listening to a bid on gutters (something we needed at the time) - bing - minus $25
and then I showed the clerk my rewards card, and the 2 coupons I had from a flyer - bing - minus 4
and then I laid down the Money Off coupon I got from the store for being a rewards card customer - bing - minus 6.12
Now my total was $4.43; but then the girls contributed $4 for their brother's gift!
Score! I paid 43 cents!

I love it when this math stuff actually works for me.

Joke of the week

2011-12-03T12:24:00.001-08:00

This week I have to credit my husband for The Joke. As we sat around the dinner table one night telling jokes, he came up with this one:

Why did the chicken cross the road?

(scroll down for answer)

Because it was Catholic.

Jane stop this crazy thing

2011-12-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

It has, without a doubt, been a crazy week here at the homestead.
On Sunday we got a puppy. A 10-week old puppy is like a brand new baby.
I already have a baby, an 18-month old human baby.
Nevertheless, I was up at 0-dark-hours of the night trying to comfort this new baby. Every night since then, little puppy likes to be up at least once, howling and whining in her crate. We still run her to the tree once and then back in the crate she goes. But the whining continues until she falls back asleep. So a little lack of sleep once again in our household.
And then on Monday night we had some strange flickering of the lights; the refrigerator kept audibly switching on and off, like it was struggling to work. So the next day I cleaned the coils, and thought that would help things. Nope.... Later I was trying to make dinner and every time I switched on a burner the rest of the house lights dimmed. A lot. At one point I turned on the clothes dryer and all the lights went out. What?!
So my wise wonderful husband went to check the breaker box and other wirings. Since we had a lot of electrician-work done last week, we wondered if something was loose, or screwy. But G. didnt' find anything. So we turned everything off and called the electrician, who came right out to see what was up, because it didn't sound good to him.
And oh boy, what he found.

A melted aluminum bus bar. (ooh, another new term for me to learn!) There was enough arcing and heat in there to melt the aluminum; (which my son informed me, has to be about 1200 degrees to melt). Yikes!
So we were without power until the next day when the electric company could come out and fix our breaker box! Nearly 22 hours without ... makes me appreciate even more the benefit and ease we live with everyday: lights, hot water, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, curling irons, radios....

studying by candlelight.

Of course in the midst of all this, I am trying to school the girls, watch the puppy so she doesn't have an inside accidents; keep the cranky 18 month old from being too disturbing (boy has she had a cranky week!) and do the 'regular' weekly stuff.
We took the pup into the vet today and it wasn't until after lunch that it hit me - we hadn't done ANY school work for the day. Oops. I have been thrown for a loop with all that is going on.
Today is my son's 13th birthday,
sigh, a teenager. He has finally hit that mark.
So far the attitude hasn't been too bad. Yes, difficult at times for a mom and a son to get along. But overall, my boy is still happy to talk to me about most everything.
And I can still make him smile, with a Jacquiz Rogers card:

Or an original ice cream "cake"

Our latest addition

2011-11-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

Announcing the newest member of our family:

The yellow lab.

She is 10 weeks old and so much fun!

We're still working on names. We'll try out one today, another one tomorrow - Taffy, Cookie, Tiger, Lolo, Hunny, Sunny ...

She had a little trial in the middle of the night - fussing for 2 hours in her crate. Our other dog suffered through it without a sound. We've had a few accidents in the house so far. That has been one of my biggest worries. Thankfully we are replacing the carpet she uses, with our remodeling project.
And on that note - we have a garage door! It was installed today! Hurrah! And the electrician is almost finished! Each little piece gets us closer to 'being done'.

No garage door this morning

Starting to build it

Almost there

Done! A bright shiny new, quiet, garage door.

2011-11-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

Today is my sister-in-law's birthday. We had cake. My s-i-l was nowhere around our house, but we had cake anyway.

And someone definitely enjoyed her chocolate cake (besides me!)

She was quite a sight.

And then she wanted to play peek-a-boo

Once we got the camcorder out she really started hamming it up.

So a big thank you to the dear friend, LH, who brought over the 'chocolate turtle' cake. It was delish! (we all thought so)

Our Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T14:28:00.000-08:00

We had a leisurely morning at home, the 7 of us, then headed over to my brother's house an hour away. We actually made it early this year - a first time for us. Early enough to help in the kitchen! I'm the one in orange, peeling carrots.

The kids played and waited for the feast. We had snacks out to keep us going - crackers, cheese, donut holes.

The cousins re-met each other and seemed to enjoy each other; a number of spontaneous hugs happened between these two.

And as I was holding the latest member of the family - the 3 month old - my little one was a wee bit green-eyed. She climbed up beside me and watched the baby. And then stuck out her arms to hold him! With a little help, she did, and certainly enjoyed it.

The meal was consumed. Oof. My waist expanded; maybe because of the deeeelicious sweet potato-with-pecans casserole that my sister in law made. Oh, the second (or third was it?) helping made me longing for elastic waistband!
And then there was dessert!
Before I could even eat more, I had to take a walk. So a few of us bundled up and braved the torrential downpour of rain to get in a long-short walk. It was short enough for us to feel good without being tired, and long enough to completely soak our jeans. (And a good excuse to put on sweatpants with drawstrings!) Then I felt free to taste the pie, cookies, and apple crisp.

Looks like my sisters did too:

Some of us had naps ... ok most of the grown-ups I think, and four of the little kids.

We played games;
Besides this one at the table there were some ping-pong tourneys going on, and dart games. The younger girl cousins found their aunt's dollhouse and had such fun with that, along with coloring in their color-books.

We enjoyed our holiday this year, visiting with family members we only get to see occasionally. And eating plenty of delicious food.
I am so thankful for all of it!

Eventful weekend

2011-11-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Last Friday we had the sheet rock delivered. Some was put down in the garage, the rest was hauled into the upstairs. They had a really cool truck and 'swing' that carried the bundles over to the window, and then the guys hauled them in and set them in one of the rooms.

On Saturday G and his brother, G., worked at getting some insulation in the garage ceiling, and even managed to get the time to hang one board of sheet rock! Hurrah! It begins!

While they were working hard on installing a window, and stuffing insulation,

the kids and I were shopping. For puppy supplies!!

We found a crate we think will work for awhile, at least until Puppy is much bigger. For now, the kids find it a fun place to read, and play in. Little K. really enjoys hanging out inside of it!

Last night - Sunday - our church held a Talent Show. And what talents we saw!
There was an older lady who played the saw! Yep, like one you would use to saw a log in half. Well, you might not use it, but someone logger-type would use it. I've actually used one, although not to make music on. It was pretty cool. We heard the accordion played, and the harmonica. People told jokes, played out some funny skits, and sang some great songs. One little girl - about 5 years old - got up and 'hula hooped' to a Hula Hoop song. She just kept going and going and going. It was pretty cool to see how long she kept it up! And the ending finale was quite unforgettable. A group of older folks showed us their line-dancing skills, and then invited the pastors and staff to come up and join them. So the whole gang was up there attempting a line-dance to the song "Elvira." What a hoot!

Today was parent-teacher conferences at my son's school. Which means there was no school. Which means I got to sleep in until 8 am! What a glorious day! I got enough sleep and did not need a nap in the middle of the day.
The conferences went well too.
G and I met all of our boy's teachers. And all the reports were very positive. We were told he was doing well in his classes, getting good grades, interacting well with the other students, and was very respectful! That last comment, that was one that I really enjoyed hearing. We have spent a lot of time discussing and trying to instill respect in our kids, especially respect for anyone in authority. So it is nice to hear when it takes root and that others notice.
So I have much to be thankful for this week - for brothers in-law who come out from Montana to help; for husband who works hard to keep us all going; for kids who find the little joys in life; for a church family that can worship and play together; and for teachers who like having my son in school, just as much as I like having him home for the week.

Semantics

2011-11-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else catch the irony of this sign?

Cutie pie

2011-11-17T21:27:00.000-08:00

Apple of her daddy's eye.

This is our little 18 month old. Every time I see this picture I smile

She likes to make us laugh, and she seems to know when she is cute, or doing something cute.
Her favorite words now: "Cars" "Puppies!" "Babies" "Books" "Cow" "Horse"
She makes the sound of a tractor when she reads about them in her books. And she is constantly asking to read books.
What a fun stage we're in - most of the time

Thanks

2011-11-16T16:50:00.000-08:00

We're trying a new project this month, in honor of the Day of Giving Thanks.

We cut out a bunch of leaves in various autumnal colors. And then scattered them on the table. (with verbal instructions on what to do)

Everyone is able to write what they are thankful for on the leaves. We will do this up until Thanksgiving Day, when we will sit and read them. Or else we will read some each night for a few days after Thanksgiving. Because, really, we can be thankful any time, not just on a holiday.

So far, the project is going well. Each day the younger girls ask, did anyone write on a leaf today? And I am pretty sure at least one of them is writing one 'thankful' note a day.

Another new thing this week - I decided for the first time ever, to send a little note in my son's lunchbox. Just a little ray of sunshine, a note of encouragement, a 'hey kid!' kind of thing. And maybe just possibly it could be source of embarrassment,. NOT that I would want him to be embarrassed. No, just want to remind him we care.So I hid a cute little card in his lunchbox.
Andwhen I picked him up from school he asked if I had done that. And then he said, "It was weird! Today 2 other kids at my table got notes in their lunch from their moms too!"
Must be something in the air.
My first thought - moms are seeing the need for encouraging their boys. What's up with that?
My second thought - I'm glad I did it. His smile was worth it. That, I am thankful for.

What day is it?

2011-11-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

Wow what a long weekend that was!
What? It's Tuesday?
The Weekend has been over how long already? Oh yeah. that stomach-bug induced fog I just came out of ... that has really thrown me off.
The above picture has nothing to do with our weekend, our stomach bug, or my sickness induced emotions. Actually it might. It's a picture of my dad holding the hand of my youngest. Back when I was a kid my dad was gruff and tuff y'know. Working hard to keep the family afloat and educated. With 10 kids it took a lot of work. With 7 of them being boys, it probably took a lot more on his part than I will ever know.
Not to neglect my mom's role in all of this. She cooked and cleaned and canned amazing massive amounts of food to keep us fed and growing and educated. There must have been pretty good teamwork between the two of them to get all of us where we are today.
As far as I know, 8 of the 10 attend church faithfully, 7 of us have children which we have raised and are raising, to be Christ-followers, and responsible adults.
Each year as many as can make it come 'home' to see Mom and Dad and the family.
Whenever a 'call for help' goes out, any who can make it come help out.
I think it's a great testimony to my parents to see what their kids have become.
But anyway, Sunday was my parent's anniversary. 57 years of marriage. Wow! I mentioned this to my kids and they were quite impressed with the big number. My son says we should throw a big party when they get to 60 years. I think we should throw a big party with every passing year.
Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom!

Other notes from the weekend -- well, something about that stomach virus made me all emotional. I mean I was crying over truck commercials! Which some might see as normal, but I am not really an emotional-display kind of girl. All I know was that on Sunday night I couldn't stop weeping. I wanted my family (the 7 of us) back together in one room. I wanted everyone to be talking or squabbling or playing together again - instead of spread out in 4 different rooms and bathrooms. I kept thinking "I've made the wrong decision, I should've kept my son home for schooling. What was I thinking?!" I looked over at my husband in the kitchen. He was getting some soup for the healthy ones in the family, and I became a puddle. What a great guy I married, trying to keep up with the sickies laundry, while trying to stay healthy and take care of the rest of the family, including a cranky 18 month old! Weeping puddles, I tell ya.

And now it's Tuesday you say? Time sure flies when you're having ... um .. well, even when it's not so fun. There's plenty to do around here though. It is amazing how much laundry and dirty dishes accumulate with sick people. And then there are the usual chores which were neglected and the school work to do also. It looks to be another busy week - and that's good. I get emotional when I sit around and think too much.

Fall colors

2011-11-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

I love the sunshine. Really. Love. It.
Even if it is cold outside. When the sun comes out, everything just looks better (except my dirty windows. but that's another story)

So I set aside the school books for a little bit this morning, and took the girls out to play in the sun and the leaves.
'Cause really, what's better than brisk fresh air, sunshine and crunchy leaves in autumn? Maybe ice cream, but not much else.

Can you see the joy on their faces? I told them to just throw a bunch of leaves in the air, and this is what I got. Love it!

Do you know how hard it is to get an 18month old to stand still, look at the camera and smile pretty?

Didn't happen quite like I wanted it too.

But the others were willing to oblige me with plenty of posing. I've got some ideas for Christmas gifts from all of this ... but I won't spoil it in case the recipients are reading. I'm pretty excited about though. I love taking pictures and my girls seem to enjoy getting their picture taken (all except that little one!)

Eat your supper!

2011-11-09T22:40:00.000-08:00

Eating habits are fascinating. I'll bet some scientist, psychologist, psychiatrist, or some-iatrist could make all kinds of connections between the way you eat your food and the way you view your life.
But around our dinner table we just like to talk about it without drawing conclusions. Some in this family eat one food at a time. Some eat a little of this, a little of that. Some start with the same food group each time. And everyone has their own reasons for the way they consume their supper.
For example, we usually have a meat, a grain/starch, a vegetable, and a fruit. Sometimes bread. So, let's say it's chicken, rice, bread, applesauce and carrots for dinner. I will start with the chicken, taste some applesauce, mix my rice with the carrots, go back to the chicken, maybe nibble on the bread. In this way I will taste all the foods, going back and forth until I am done.
A child of mine will start with the one item least preferred and finish with the 'best'. So he would eat all the carrots, then move on to the rice, next finish the chicken, eat up the applesauce and finish the meal with the bread. My husband seems to eat like this also, going from least liked to favorite part of the meal.
My girls are a mix of eating habits. The youngest... well she's just picky and eats what she likes most until we cajole her to try the other items on her plate. She's a grazer.
The other three girls will either taste and try various routes of eating, or start with their favorites and end with the least liked food. I have not had as much chance to observe them since I sit at the other end of the table. Something I will have to remedy for posterity.

How about you? Which way do you eat a meal?

Rural Living

2011-11-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

You know you're not in the big city anymore when you see signs like this above the drinking fountain.

books

2011-11-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

I have a bunch of books from our homeschool stash that we are not going to be using again. They are mostly ABeka and Singapore. Here's the list from my craigslist post:

Home School Books for Sale. I have a lot of Singapore Math, and Abeka, some brand new! along with other various titles.
If you have questions, feel free to contact me
*Singapore Math -- Primary Math series
6A Textbook, brand new $6
6B Textbook and Workbook, brand new $6 each
Home Instructor Guide 6A and 6B, brand new $10 each
5A Intensive Practice $5
Textbook 5A and 5B $5 each
Home Instructor Guide 5A and 5B $10
4B Textbook $5

*Apples 2, Daily spelling drills for secondary students -- two copies, brand new $6 each

*Sequential Spelling Vol. 1, and Student response book $5 for both

*Super Science Activities for grades 2-5, by Teacher Created Resources: titles include Stars and Planets, The Human Body, Weather, Plants, Rocks and Minerals, Insects, Magnets and Electricity, all brand new, $3 each

Bob Jones - English for Christian Schools 5, writing and grammar $5

Abeka books:
*Widening Horizons (teachers edition and students edition), Adventures in Nature, Of America 1, Windows to the World - $1 each
*Science and Health 5, - curriculum and lesson plans (copy 2000); student textbook; "Investigating God's World"; answer key to text questions; quiz key, and test key $5 each
*Enjoying Good Health 5, test, quiz and worksheet key, answers to text questions, $5 each
*History and Geography 5, curriculum and lesson plans (copy 2008); students textbook "Old World History and Geography", test key; quiz key; maps and activities key; text answers key; $5 each
*Grade 3 Our American Heritage tests and quizzes key; (4th edition) $5
*Health Safety and Manners 3, student text (2nd edition) $5
* "Exploring God's World" student text grade 3 (3rd edition) $5
*Language arts 5 curriculum and lesson plans, brand new 2011 $25
*Reading 5 answer key, brand new 2011 $6
*God's Gift of Language B writing and grammar work-text answer key $10, and quiz /test key $15, grade 5, brand new 2011 (3rd edition)
*Language 4-6 Chart, brand new $20
*Spelling Vocabulary and Poetry 5, Teacher edition (with CD) $16 and test key $8, brand new (2011)
*Arithmetic 5, curriculum and lesson plans $20; Teacher quiz, test, and speed drill key $8 and student book $5; work-text answer key $16 and work-text $10; Arithmetic charts 3-8 $30; AND Arithmetic Concept cards 5-8 $22; all brand new 2011