Two Little Pink Lines

(Photo: my favorite pair of Julia's shoes) We are going to be adding another pair of shoes to the family! We found out Monday night that - drumroll please - I am pregnant!

We're not entirely a surprised :D We're calling this one our Valentine's Day baby. Maybe that's TMI? Yes, this is something that I want - and I'm excited about it. No, I don't have a problem with the fact that it will be baby number 5.

This is actually my 6th pregnancy. Can't believe that I've been pregnant 6 times!!! Well, I mean I can, it just seems like MANY times. In between Josiah & Jedediah, I miscarried about 12 weeks. That was a tough time for me.

Rod asked when I wanted to announce it. I told him, right away. Get everyone over the shock and on with it! The reason I didn't tell everyone right away, is that we had to tell a few people first - family and my people - you know the people who you depend on who if they heard something through the grapevine - that they would be offended that you didn't take the time to call them specifically. What I didn't realize is that this time around, that I have many "people." Love you guys.

With family, many are on facebook. Uh - not going to announce it without letting them know first, they might get *mad* at us! Trying to wait to tell the world, until we've notified the fam. Love you too!

Today, I had a bad day. Or it begun that way and I planned to live in the mire of it. Apparently God had different plans. After I showered, I was so literally upset. Janet called. Not the type of mood where I answer the phone. I knew I was bad enough that I needed to talk to her.

One reason I was upset, was that even though I was upset, I needed to go over to EBC to make copies. Today. Friday school is tomorrow, and I need to have it printed for tomorrow. And I knew I didn't feel like schlepping the kids over there to copy in the mood I was in.

Janet & I talked for quite some time. She told me that she would come over & watch the kids while I went & made copies. So, after copies she stayed at my house & we chatted. Then Christina stopped by to say that dinner for tonight was off, Joy has a fever. Julia and Joy are good playmates then we'd get sick for sure. Reschedule for next week. Christina, Janet & I had the chance to talk about Running Start & teens - in general. Christina & Bobby left.

I talked Janet into a run for an espresso - where we got the chance to talk without our kids listening. God's at work and it's a good thing. Janet stayed til 4:30 when she had to go pick up Daniel from work.

Dad called, Garden Club was tonight & he was calling to make arrangements to pick up the boys. They are card carrying members. Proud to be in with their Granddad. So adorable. Anyway, since dinner is canceled, I made arrangements for them to go. While on the phone, I was telling him about the Souths and the fact we were supposed to go over there for dinner. Then I explained that they have 6 kids - 5 are theirs (2 bio, 3 adopted) and one foster who they are planning on adopting later this year. He said, "Are you planning on catching up with them??!!" Oh my gosh, we both laughed.

My parents seem to be genuninely glad - okay with the whole baby thing. I'm glad. They are one set of people who that I genuninely care about what they think. Even if they didn't, in time, they would get over it!

Dad then showed up about 5pm to trim my apple tree & we sat & talked for a half hour or so. So - I started the day off badly & had three guests in my house (plus three kids!). God has a sense of humor! Why is it that you cannot stay in a bad mood when you have company? True for me anyway.

I was reminded of a friend today who's husband is self employed & they are having a tough time. Something in my spirit told me that we needed to do something nice for them. The dust hasn't settled really since Rod's started his temp job - but we've been there - lived it. Friends were there for us - I really feel the need to be there for others. Instead of doing what "we were supposed" to do, we did what "was right to do." Taking my eyes off of our issues and putting them on others. It was very good.

Doctor's apt. on Monday - when I'll get a due date. As far as I can tell, it should be early November - late October. Will have em at the Skagit Valley Medical Center.

Know of ANOTHER good "J" name? And No - we probably won't find out what it is... it will either be a boy or a girl.

2009 March FCSC Newsletter

Click HERE to view the March 2009 First Class Skagit County newsletter. This is the newsletter that I am the editor of - for our local homeschool co-op.

♪Crickets Are Cricketing♪

(Ice Skating, FC Teens, Feb 2009)








My digital scrapbooking classes that I've signed up for have finally started! Yay! Not that I've had time in the last couple of days since they've been posted to work on them. First, I had to finish the FCHM ezine (which I just finished) and now I need to finish up our homeschool co-ops paper newsletter.

This month, I added two pages, because that's how many I can get away with adding without adding to the postage. One page is on homeschool testing - and our many options. The other page is on info for our First Class Skagit County Yearbook that quite a few people have diligently been working on. I helped collect pictures by email, if that counts :D

I haven't yet though, had inspiration to write the cover article. Maybe that will come tomorrow - then I can work on my two classes. My first class is an advanced Digital Scrapbooking class. The second, and probably more important at this point, is called OH SHOOT! It's a class where I will be able to learn the in's and out's of shutter speeds, aperture, what f/stop means, etc. all related to DSLRs! Good timing on that one, I think!

This weekend we are planning on going to a concert, driving to Portland to the FCHM retreat. FCHM has some exciting news! US Digital is giving them FREE space of conference rooms, copiers, etc... they have space & they wanted to give christian non profits a place to BE! What an answer to prayer! You can read all about it in the Ezine by clicking HERE.

(photo: Rod & I at the Lynnwood Ice Arena on 2/28/09. I made him retake this picture b'c he moved - but I still liked this one better....)

Saturday night, Rod, Christina and I took 17 First Class Teens Ice Skating. (Uptains - I heard you were supposed to be there... WHERE WERE YOU???!!!) We had a terrific time of course. No one made fun of the fact that I hurt myself so badly last time. Up until we actually got to the rink - I wasn't afraid of skating AT ALL. But, once I got on the rink - I was extremely insecure. After some time, I mellowed out and began to enjoy myself.

I really enjoy the time we have with others when we do things like take the teens ice skating. Rod & I often chat about how exciting it was to get one on one time, with different kids. I got to catch up with Christina too. It feels like it's been awhile since we've chatted - I guess it's been about a month! Gotta do better there!

A couple of the teens and I decided that our next *thing* is going to be a Lord of the Rings, extended version, all three movies, marathon. I talked to the Mom where we are going to do it (they have a large screen tv). We have yet to pick a date though! That's going to be a fun, long, snack-filled, whole - day!

At the moment, the crickets that we bought to feed to Oscar, are sitting in their baggie on top of the fish tank, cricketing. Or whatever it's called that crickets do to sing. Rod says it's to attract a mate. Is it? It makes me feel like I'm outside at my parents house - which is the only place I normally ever hear them sing♪.

Good Friends & Good Times

Today was Friday school. And that in itself was great. The fact that I didn't sleep well last night - wasn't. Last night I was such a big ol' grump. Felt bad about it too. Here Rod was - at home and I didn't want to spend time with him because I was mad at him. I knew it, I just didn't know what to do about it! I'm still struggling with the fact that he's at work. I miss him.

One of my issues, is that he took part of the load while at home. Now that he's working - it's all back to being mine. It was an adjustment for him to be home, now it's a adjustment for him to be working.

Talked to a couple girls at Friday school. Got lots of great feedback and support. I am truly thankful for the community that I have there. The love for one another that we have. I know most of that is what you personally make of it, and I have put a lot of effort into loving the people that the Lord has given me there. I truly value them and am thankful that they are a part of my life.

I was trying to get out of my grump-age this morning when I saw Jessie and she told me that she was really missing Nick. He's deployed for a couple more months in the Navy. I was struggling, and had to reach my hand out to help someone else, that it got the focus off of myself.

Made espresso - kissed Rod off to work - hung out and ate Safeway chicken in the gym - helped with lunch cleanup - loved on friends - got bag of clothes for Julia!! - Josiah went to Cade's for the night

Later I came home and took a really long nap. Amanda called to see if I remembered that Jessie wanted to take me to see a concert in Bellingham tonight. I was asleep, she finally got ahold of Rod. Rod & Amanda figured out that if we got a sitter, and if Amanda watches Jessie's kids.. that Rod could take Jess & I to Bellingham! So that's what we did.

When Rod talked to me about it, my first inclination was that I didn't want to go. I haven't seen Rod all week and when I do he's doing homework. My bad, my first thought wasn't to take care of a friend who really needed me! I'm glad that the Lord had plans despite me! I'm always learning.

When Rod came up with the solution that he would go with us.. I knew that Jessie would be okay with it. Jessie gets the concert and some adult time, Zindra gets Rod. We're all good!

We had a fantastic time of course. It made me realize that I need to get out and do fun things more often with good friends. It was good for all of us to spend time together and have a few good laughs and talk about old times. Talk about current issues. Be there for one another - hold one another up.

I am constantly amazed at how much easier life has been because of the love of my friends! It doesn't make the issues easier - but knowing that there is someone there who really truly cares, really truly loves, really truly supports me, my family.... I feel blessed. And I am so grateful when I get the opportunity to return the favor.

All About Spelling Review

Over the last few months there have been different posts on our google group related to spelling curriculum, asking these types of questions: Which program do you prefer? Which one really works? Which one have you been successful with?

Many of you know that my 10 year old son, Josiah, has finally got the hang of reading. I love to read and sincerely want to pass that particular love on to my kids!

For ages, despite multiple reading programs, I was having a hard time teaching him to read. Now, he IS reading. Josiah is finally at the point where there are times I think he's gone to bed, and he's in bed reading!!! After years of struggling teaching him to read, I was almost ready for a hallelujah breakdown. That was, until, I realized that just because he could read - did not mean that he could spell.

I'd looked through and tried other spelling programs. So many of them are list oriented. Yet with a child who wasn't reading well, I was having a hard time. He couldn't read the lists to learn how to spell! He was more or less doing copywork. More often than not, I just gave up.

Then as a TOS homeschool crew product reveiewer, I received the All About Spelling (AAS) program to test! It has probably been the most exciting and life changing product that I have reviewed as of yet!

All About Spelling does a few different things:
*The kids use little tiles to spell on a magnetic board - which is fantastic for the tactile learners
*It's interactive
*It's a program that is easy for the parent to learn how to teach
*It's homeschool friendly
*They have great customer service
*It's affordable ($25.95 to start)
*AAS has a one year 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!

All About Spelling is a spelling program that REALLY works! I'm not alone! I personally have friends, Sandi & Traci, who use it with their kids - and they love it too!

Visit the AAS site to order or to get your free report on "The 20 Best Tips for Teaching Spelling."

All About Spelling has recently come out with materials on homophones - look for my review on that in the near future.