sloansuburg: Update

Showing posts with label Update. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Life at an iPhone Glance

To say that a lack of photos and storyline on this little blog of mine makes me sad would be a tremendous understatement. I am back at the point of logging in once or twice a week, only to log out again, eyes heavy and mind mushy and the resolve to, "get to it tomorrow." Only tomorrow never comes. But I do love this space. I love writing and reminiscing and looking at years past and my babies. So I'm determined to press on, even if I do only end up writing in run-ons and the pictures are iPhone grainy because even though I've only been at this motherhood thing for just about six years, I'm wise enough to know that babies don't keep.

The following are my usual phone photo specials...just a few peeks into what has been going on around here lately. First up? Grace needs an intervention. Seriously. Light sabers are her newest thing. And have I mentioned she can hum the Star Wars theme song? True story. Anyway, two weeks ago, we had a couple of boys stay with us for a few days while their momma and daddy were visiting a sick family member.

That means I had five boys 9 and under and enough Legos and Nerf guns to choke Jabba the Hutt. It was something to behold. And the food? My word, the FOOD. Grace held her own, however, and often times was right in there with them.

My Dolly has also been quite the book junkie lately. Little Blue Truck, Goodnight Moon, and a color picture book are amongst her fav's. However, I had to laugh when her semi-pushy request to sit and "reed it" turned up this little gem. I have to say, with as intense as things can get around here at times, I am so grateful for moments of lightheartedness. I've been thinking a lot about what Proverbs 17:22 says. "A cheerful heart is good medicine but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Small as they may be, things like this certainly help encourage a happy heart.

In all seriousness though, Gracie is just as sweet as pie. While we have been having a few of the terrible-two's standoff's and mischief making (think toothbrushes in the toilet), she is just such a precious addition to our otherwise rough and rowdy bunch. She loves her babies and particularly tucking them in. In fact, the other day while I was getting ready I almost responded in great frustration at her taking down the bath mat for the thousandth time that morning. Instead I bit my tongue and casually asked her what she was doing only to notice that she had tucked a tiny doll in under the mat and was stroking its head and whispering, "shhhhhh." Such a little momma.

And just like her brothers, she is growing up sitting on the counter in a pile of flower. This was our only photo of making Valentine's Day cookies. Check out those delicious flour coated tootsies.

Does anyone else love the way their kids take shape and get comfortable when it's read aloud time? This is quickly becoming one of my favorite things. They just all pile in/on/around however they can. This night's reading time included auditorium style seating.

And now as a parting gift, I leave you with my most favorite-st four year old. Boy seriously has commitment issues when it comes to dress up. Today's ensemble draws from Darth Vader and a construction worker. It's his most beloved combo right now. To make it extra Judah, whenever he puts it on he asks me 749 times if he, "wooks wike a worker, mama?!" Oh, Judah.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Ahead

Somehow on this Tuesday morning I've found myself ahead of the day and with a half an hour to spend. Right now as I type, breakfast is finished and cleaned up and morning chores have been accomplished and so the big boys are outside playing and enjoying a sunshiny and cool September morning after a full week of rain. As for baby girl, well, she is wreaking havoc on their Lego creations and "guys" that they tried to stash away hidden in the Lego table drawers. Her favorite? Remove every single head from the mini-figs. Let me tell you, it thrills them to no end. It's fairly quiet though-an unusual state for this early in the morning {or ever, really!} and so I thought I'd post a mish-mash of pictures from what life has looked like lately in the Sloan household.

Ben's idea of dressing himself.

Apple tasting!

*Note Lego creation and mini-fig that are destined for destruction

What the living room looks like at.all.times.

*Note blanket, yet absence of blanket attendees. {Twentyonedayshaspassed!!NOW what?!}

Gladiators

Her first chocolate chip cookie

What the boys room looks like all.of.the.time.

What home schooled kids do with backpacks :)

Ben's PB and J drawing with a jar of "yam."

Our most recent visitor

One of these days, I'm hoping to drag out my real camera and take some decent photos again. But in the meantime, this mama to 4 littles is thankful there's any pictures at all! Until next time!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

A New Year

Kindergarten, folks. KINDERGARTEN!

Summer break has come to an end and we are back in the saddle with new curriculum and the excitement that comes with new pencils and notebooks and a new year in front of us! After much consideration, Jer and I decided that this year, the boys and I will work towards completing Sonlight's Core A with Kinder readers, Handwriting Without Tears, Math-U-See's Primer, and Outdoor Secrets.

The Deuce and I jumped in last Monday, trying our hand at our proposed school week, minus math and our weekly science. I hoped easing in slowly would give us all a little wiggle room. But even without them it was still NUTS. And some fun. But mostly NUTS. Just as with everything new that we try to introduce, I am holding fast to the "it takes 21 days to make a habit" theory and praying that the coming weeks look less like someone shook our beehive.

The boys are all very excited though and the new books that have been teasing them since our Sonlight box came in are finally making their appearances. This week's line up included the first half of The Boxcar Children and I must say requests for, "just one more chapter" have been on the lips of more than just the kids.

Beside curriculum, also new to us this year is that Judah will no longer be working alongside us for the entirety of our day. Instead, he now is Captain of blanket time. Since our darling Grace Girl only naps in the afternoon and we must work for a bit in the morning, she and Judah play with *toys galore* on a large blanket in the living room while we work for an hour after breakfast. If you're wondering how it's going, please refer back to the shaken beehive comment in the above paragraph. {Twenty-one days. Twenty-one days. Twenty-one days.}

Don't feel too bad for them though. Right after the big boys and I finish our morning lessons, Grace gets a package of fruit snacks and some book time and then Judah gets momma all to himself for some one on one time with his own little workbook. No interruptions allowed. And he makes sure everyone knows it too. Afterall, coloring the entire work sheet with a red marker takes mass amounts of of quiet and concentration, people.

{The boys on Box Day!}