The 2013-14 School Year

A lot of people have been asking what materials we are using for school this year.  For reporting purposes, our schoolwork is divided into six disciplines: English, Math, Science, History, Life Skills, and Special Interest. Below is what we are using for each child for each discipline.

Mary--2nd grade
English:

• Spell to Write and Read (Fall)
• Vocabulary from Classical Roots 4 (Spring)
• Writing with Ease Level 2
• First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind Level 3 
• McCall Crabbs Test Lessons in Reading
• Handwriting Without Tears Cursive Handwriting

Math: Saxon Intermediate 4

History: Story of the World Volume 3: Early Modern Times

Science: Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals

Special Interest:

• English from the Roots Up Volume II
• Draw Write Now Books 2 and 3
• Reformation Heroes
• Maps Charts Graphs Book B
• Critical Thinking Level D
• Atelier Art Level 1

Maggie--Kindergarten

English:

• Spell to Write and Read
• Handwriting without Tears Letters and Numbers for Me

Math: Saxon 1

History: Story of the World Volume 3: Early Modern Times

Science: Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals

Special Interest:

• Draw Write Now Books 2 and 3
• Reformation Heroes
• Maps Charts Graphs Book A
• Critical Thinking Level A
• Atelier Art Level 1

Additionally, the girls are taking a physical fitness class that meets once a week (on Thursdays) in Santa Ana.  There is a Target close-by, so I usually take the three boys shopping while the girls are in class.  I am enjoying being able to leisurely shop the clearance at Target.  So far, I've found a new towel for Mary, a clock for the boys' room, super-soakers to go around, items for our next car trip, butterfly nets, and a parachute!  Yep, before long, David is definitely going to have to pull on the reins!

The girls also practice their computer skills by doing math and reading lessons at i-Ready.com.  Maggie also practices math on IXL.

Additionally, we spend quite a bit of time reading books together.  This year, I am taking a new approach to read-alouds and am reading the girls the books which correspond with Mary's writing lessons.

I know it sounds like an awful lot, but it's totally manageable and fun.  There is even still time left over for soccer, riding bikes and scooters, going for walks, flying kites, knitting and sewing, piano lessons, princess school, fencing and chores!

Mama's Bootcamp

Josiah sure is a cutey, but it has been a big struggle for me to lose those extra pounds I gained while pregnant with him.  Josiah is now six months and my most comfortable clothes are still either maternity or what I consider my "fat" clothes!  The primary reason it's been a struggle to get rid of the extra pudge is that it has been really challenging to figure out a way to fit exercise into my schedule with five children. I do get some exercise--I take the kids for a walk every day.  The girls ride their scooters; the twins ride in the double stroller; Josiah rides in the Ergo. Walking is good, but not enough for me. If I could get myself out of bed early in the morning, I would certainly be able to get a workout in, but this is really difficult because Josiah still wakes up to feed at least twice in the night. Plus, my kids are early birds, so I would have to be up and ready by 5am in order to work out and shower in time to wrangle the troops.  Another possibility would be in the evening after the kids go to bed.  But, by that time, I am really exhausted, and I fear that working out would only energize me and keep me from getting the rest I need to fulfill my mommy duties.  On Monday of this week, though, I got desperate enough and started to think outside the box.  I realized that, while I don't have a big block of time, I do have small pockets of time throughout the day that I could use to exercise. So, I googled Boot Camp Workout and found some exercises at Women's Health Magazine.  I am now doing each of the following exercises for 30 second intervals twice throughout the day.

Squats
Pushups
Bicycle Crunches
Jumping Jacks
Back Extensions
Walking Lunges
Squat Jumps
Close-Grip Pushups
High-Knees
Mountain Climbers

An added bonus is watching Mama exercise is really, really entertaining for the kids, especially the jumping jacks.  The kids like to join in, too: Jonathan sits on my back for back extensions and Josiah rides around with me for squats and lunges.

I am really trying to keep my focus on being fit for the glory of God rather than looking a certain way. My goal is to take care of the body God has given me so that I can continue to honor Him by serving my family and my church.  

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  1 Corinthians 10:31

Happy 5th Birthday, Maggie Moo!

This past Wednesday, Maggie turned five! It was a crazy, crazy week with the plague being passed from one person to the next, so poor Maggie didn't even get to pick what she wanted for breakfast or dinner:( Sweet Maggie didn't utter one complaint, though! We chose not to have a party with friends this year, so our family just celebrated this milestone at home. Now that she is a big five-year old, Maggie has been fastening her own seatbelt, can almost do a perfect somersault, and plans to begin to cut her own food!  Below are some pictures of Maggie with her gifts from loved ones!

A beautiful hat handmade by Mary.

A new princess dress-up from Aunt Alicia!

A new Hello Kitty shirt also rom Aunt Alicia!

A set of colorful dishes from Nana and Papa!

Eagerly awaiting Mrs. Sheryl's Chocolate Pie!  (By the way, in case you are wondering about the blanket sleeper, I think these girls have acclimated to Orange County.  If it gets below 75, it's COLD!)

A pink swim cap and goggles for the little fish from Gramps and Grams!

A Disney Princess towel and washcloth from Grandma Nancy.

A kick scooter like Mary's from Mama and Daddy.

My Bookshelf

We started school this past week, which means that we have a new daily schedule!  With this new schedule, I was able to build in some reading time for myself.  YIPPEE!  I found that Matthew and Jonathan go to sleep faster and sleep longer if I sit in their room until they fall asleep for their nap.  (Of course, I do have to remind them to be quiet, lie down, and close their eyes!)  So, now I sit in their room and read to myself while the girls are reading in the living room.  It's a good thing because I have a huge backlog on my bookshelf.  This is what I am hoping to read in the coming months during my reading time:

A Letter to my Grandpa

My grandpa is turning 95 in just a few days. For the occasion, I sent him our most recent family photo along with this letter about our family. After reading it, my husband thought it was worthy of a post, so I really hope you enjoy reading it, too!

Dear Grandpa K,

Happy 95th birthday! Boy, 95 years sounds like a really long time! The girls and I put exactly 95 heart stickers inside the numerals. It took us a long time, so we concluded that 95 years is indeed a very long time!

We are really enjoying living in our new home in Orange County, California! Would you believe that we have lived here for more than a year and have not used the air conditioning once??? Although it does get hot during the day, we live close to the ocean so it is cools off considerably at night. There are also very few bugs here, which is, for us, a welcome change from mosquito-infested New Orleans. I do, however, miss the fall colors and the winter snows that you get to experience! Every time I fill up the gas tank, I find myself wondering if perhaps we should relocate!

David enjoys his job teaching and researching at UC Irvine. He will be applying for tenure this year, which is actually a year-long process. I really enjoy homeschooling the children, although I never imagined myself as a stay-at-home mom, let alone a homeschooler!

Mary is now seven and has so many interests I can’t keep up! She loves to play soccer, sew, knit, and read. Her favorite subject is history; her favorite games are chess and Scrabble. Right now, she aspires to be the first woman president!

Maggie will turn five in just a few weeks. She is such a bubbly little girl and wants more than anything to be a mom! She loves to play with her baby dolls and help me with the cooking and cleaning. Even though she’s only five, she does an excellent job folding laundry! She is also very excited about her first soccer season this fall.

Matthew and Jonathan are two years old and certainly keep me running. I often marvel at how you raised my dad and Uncle Jim because I now know what a handful they must have been. The twins like to speak to one another in their own language and get a bit frustrated with the rest of us to whom it remains a mystery. They are the best of friends and can get into a lot of trouble in a hurry. They have been known to raid the refrigerator early in the morning, unload their dresser drawers during naptime, and bail water from the toilet. Even so, they are a bundle of fun for which we are ever grateful!

Josiah is now five months old and is learning new tricks every single day. He smiles for just about anyone who crosses his path and is a pretty easy-going little guy, except that he still wakes up a LOT at night. He’s a toughy and doesn’t even cry for shots or nail trimmings! As the youngest of five, he also tolerates thousands of kisses and whacks!

We hope that you have a wonderful 95th birthday celebration surrounded by your loved ones who are close. Our family is celebrating this milestone with you from sunny California.

Much love,
David, Maura, Mary, Maggie, Matthew, Jonathan, and Josiah Mobley

Update on 2013 Goals

Just when I was feeling pretty accomplished in the goal achievement department, I fell behind!  My goal for July was to revamp our Christmas devotions.  It's now almost the end of August and my progress is still hovering at zero percent!  Why did I let this happen???  No good reason!

Lame Excuse #1: I was too busy deep-cleaning the house.

Lame Excuse #2: I was too busy shoveling road base and transporting retaining wall caps and pavers.

Lame Excuse #3: I was too busy feeding Josiah, who has yet to realize the benefits of sleeping at night.

Lame Excuse #4: I was too busy playing Scrabble with Mary.

Lame Excuse #5: I was too busy playing Imaginets with Maggie.

Lame Excuse #6: I was too busy cleaning up after my two tornadoes.

Lame Excuse #7: I was too busy planning our school year.

Lame Excuse #8: I was too busy watching Call the Midwife.

Lame Excuse #9: I was too busy comparing the Vitamix to the Blendtec.

Lame Excuse #10: I forgot.

My goal for August was to go through The Child's First Catechism with Mary and Maggie.  We started going through the questions and answers at the beginning of the summer but somehow ran out of steam.  I am ready to pick it up again this week!  

I was feeling pretty crummy about my progress, but then I noticed that my goal for September was to transfer Matthew and Jonathan to toddler beds.  YAY!  This goal, which I totally forgot about, has been completed for some time now!  The transition has not exactly been smooth sailing, but I think we finally have things figured out.  Nighttime usually goes really well, but naptime is tricky.  Left to themselves, the boys will talk to each other for a long time, like two hours, and then eventually fall asleep.  Then, they wake up groggy and famished and really, really grumpy!  So, I have found that it works best if I bring a book I am reading into their room and read silently until they fall asleep.  Whatever works, right?  

Park Hopping

After many a frustrating morning, I finally figured out that the day goes so much better if we start it off at the park! We are very fortunate and have lots of parks within walking distance.  This summer, we have been taking advantage of each and every one!  The park is such a happy place for me.  I can sit and nurse Josiah.  All the kids play happily with squabbles requiring parental intervention being few and far between. The pictures speak for themselves:)

Urey Park

Lower Pool Park 

Vista Bonita Park

Gabrielino Park

The Secret Park

University Park--this one is actually not within walking distance, but it is right next to the public library.  The library doesn't open until 10 am, so we usually go and play at the park and then head over to the library.