Family Crabbing

Some may think we have a plush summer...but we work hard for our dinner...

proof that our day was productive

momma - caring for the children while daddy took his shift crabbing...or many he was lying in the shade on a beach chair taking this picture...I forget.

 

 

littles in training (There really was a crab in the cooler, he just was camera shy)

 

while mom and dad were busy throwing the crabbing net into the big blue, Benjamin found one by himself on the ocean...true story.

 

father & son working side by side

 

momma and violet showing the intensity of their labor by the sweat on their skin

 

our rough working conditions

 

 

home education SWR

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

This post is for anybody who stumbles upon my blog after googling something to the effect of "how the heck do I get started with my "Spell to Write & Read curriculum?" or "Why is SWR written so complicated!"  or my emotion 12 hours ago: "how do I use this to teach my child to read if I can't get through the directions?!?!" SWR is a classic form of education that uses 70 phonograms of 45 sounds and 29  rules to teach spelling writing and reading.  It's a beautiful concept but you need a degree to get through the manuals...but wait, I'll get to that later...

I write because there is hope!



I need to preface that I haven't started yet. So I actually don't know what I'm doing, but a light bulb clicked and I think that there is enough light to not only have hope that B will read (which I actually never doubted), but also that I might be able to use this curriculum successfully enough to help B excel...to love letters and language and learning!  (And that my friend was in serious question!)

So I bought this curriculum (which was expensive upfront, but super affordable long term,) because it made sense.  It had rules.  I love rules.  I like knowing what's expected. Cause and effect. I don't know a lot of answers, but I hate the answer "just because", and sight words and simple phonics are mostly that, "just because" answers...I feel stupid teaching that way, and my 1st born reacts to "just because answers with a "stop learning attitude".  So I fell in love with Phonograms and any teaching style that uses them.  There are actually few words that do break the rules, you just have to be patient enough to learn.   EEEEEKKKKK! stop everything.  "patient enough to learn."  Although I don't like stupid answers, I also don't like patiently learning.  The patience or the learning part.  And that's where I've sat the last month.  pretending to be a SWR user, drilling B with phonograms because I wasn't ready to learn how to do anything else...



So there are 3 books and two sets of flash cards that were spilling over me on my couch.  I knew if I threw them together I could come out with a little boy genius, but I had no idea how to do that.  I would start reading and it would refer to Reference pages, and the Wise Guide and then back to the SWR book, then the back of the learning log and then a different section of SWR and (I'm not lying), I would start to laugh at how socially inept these writers had to be, that they were so brilliant they couldn't relate to any other living soul...After flipping and flopping, I was no further post flop than pre flip.  Regroup.

I realized that there was a laid out progression steps 1 - 40 and I just couldn't retain them because the book was so ugly. so text heavy. so boring. in each step there were so many instructions and references that I would get lost.  So I grabbed some paper and wrote them out in simple form (Ok, I think I only got to #26, but seriously Bnjmn's 4 yrs old so I don't think I need to get much further than that right now!) ...I skimmed the hundreds of pages  explaining all the steps, but just for a minute or two on each step. I then went back and figured out how far along we were in the process. Having a simple visual was so helpful for me.  Now that I think about it, there's actually a Table of Contents exactly like the one I wrote out already written for me, but I needed to figure it out/write it out and briefly skim and understand on my own.  I needed to own it!



Then was the exciting/hard part of my discovery process.  I am seeking to teach this intense, less traveled road to reading and writing...with no teaching education...formal or informal.  Time out.  People spend lots of money and 4+ yrs to be able to successfully do this in the class room, and I was wanting to be able to make my little guy a rock star by opening a book and reading off a pretty colored chart, and do the same thing for 15 minutes the next day and voilà!  Light Bulb Moment.  I'm going to have to create the teachers edition log like they suggest.  I'm going to have to prepare for class.  I'm going to have to learn along side my little man about 12 hours before him, and think that its worth it to put in 15-30 minutes of prep...Otherwise, shoot! resell the material before it gets damaged and send him to school outside the home. 

So all that to say I've returned to my excited state.  I'm pumped to hurry up and slow down, and do the process like its written and stop pushing B to read.  I'm ready to go back to "night class" and study to be a teacher.  I can't wait to tell you how it goes!

In the words of B & V

Oh how I have failed!  These two loves are spitting out quotable sayings and funny "doings" so fast, and I have neglected to jot down a single one any of the million times I think, "oh, I don't want to forget that!"  So here I go, trying to remember...

"sometimes they do, sometimes they don't" - their phase for EVERYTHING: why planes crash, why worms die, why gum gets mushy, why babies cry, why its sunny, etc etc...

"Violet why...(are you crying ...did you hurt Benjamin ...did you disobey ...)?"  V -"Because I want to hold you!"

This is Violet's frequent respond when asked where she is going: "To pink school.  to learn about pink dogs and pink cheetahs.  But Nenin is going to black school.  He learn about black and orange tigers and they say Raoar! and they not nice, but pink puppies say that quiet and they so cute....."

B - "Oh! that is so so so so so so (beautiful/big/funny/great/awesome/amazing/delicious)

Imagine the sweet voice of Mary on "It's a wonderful Life" when she's sitting at the counter and he shows her the National Geographic magazine... Now imagine Violet (and sometimes Benjamin) being introduced to anything that they didn't know, haven't heard, didn't see or anything of the sort. A little voice pipes up, "Wow! I never saw that before/I didn't know that before/I never knew that."  A-dor-a-ble

Sometimes your kids surprise you with how much they are like you.  Sometimes we have that.  Then other times they are so stink'n 1940ish we don't know where they came from.  Like when you ask Benjamin to do something and he reply's, "Why sure I can Momma!" :) Melt.

Well, that's all I've got for now.  Stay tuned :)

bless the Lord oh my soul :)

Benjamin "Buddy" turns 4

Frugal Living

(sorry about the weird text/color issues with this post - I'm too lazy to fix it)

So - We're in Law School, and don't have a regular income, and only have X amt in savings, and are really quite in a tricky spot ("tricky" is the word I use with my 3 year old when I want to be honest but don't want to give off a negative vibe!) I know - It was our decision to come, we knew the #'s, my dad told me it didn't make sense on paper - But that's not the point of the story :)

The Point is. God said "come to law school", and specifically "Go to Regent", so we came.  We came, and his blessings have not stopped overflowing! So, yeah, we got unpacked and found out we were getting less in student loans than we thought - a lot less. And yeah, I wasted a lot of time pre-move  - getting excited for a Trader Joes to be semi-close and going all organic on my family...and yes, I wouldn't have sold my cloth diapers so early if I knew Violet was going to stay so tiny and still be in diapers for the first 8 months we were here...But seriously people, our cup runs over!

God is providing in so many ways...

• Generous(understatement) family and friends.  
• Hand-me-downs for my kids from sweet Anna back in Ames, and my neighbors daughter Sophie who is exactly one year older than Violet and has clothes in the exact season and size as her little self.  
• Two hair cut "clients" who pay me in lbs of Starbucks coffee...:)
• The lady behind me in a thrift store who didn't want me to use my bank card for a $.77 purchase, so she bought Violet some flip flops. And speaking of Thrift stores - There are TONS here!  We've been able to set up our home with 
• a $20 table, 
• a $7 coffee table, 
• a $40 sleigh bed(We bought this before the news about the smaller loan amount!), 
• $2 pants for me, 
• $4 suit coat for Joel, 
• $.50 books for B & V, 
• amazing rain boots to deal with the requent puddles on our sidewalk, and the Thrift list goes on and on and on.(We "pop some tags" often with much less than $20 in our pocket;) 

In food news...I don't get to do frequent trips to Trader Joes, or Harris Teeter, but... I do live down the hall from a dear woman who opens up her home multiple times a month for a Pantry of overflow from area grocery stores and restaurants.  This post was inspired by a tasty dish I made last night, and when I thought about God's provision of ingredients, I burst with gratitude of his love for me, and how He gives me more than I can ask or think. 

And this my friends, is how one makes a delicious meal from pantry items.:)

*NOTE: One also succeeds at frugal living by knowing that having success in a meal that you substitute ALL but 2 ingredients is about a 1 in 4 chance...good luck :)
*Unrelated NOTE: My children might be running around outside now singing "10,000 Reasons" at the top of their lungs...and my husband is rocking it in a law competition, and my mom is coming next week...I'm kind of on a "lots to be thankful for" high. :)

Here's the recipe (and a "few" alterations/substitutes) :)
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken (seasoned chicken from Chipolte)
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup (I have a phobia of canned cream of chicken soup, so here is my substitute:http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/477573 )
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese  (omitt)
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Green Pepper (I didn't have one, so I left it out)
• 1/4 cup Finely Diced Onion ( I did part green onion part yellow onion)
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained (subbed for a jar of  marinated roasted peppers)
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot ( since I used the premade chicken I had no broth so I used boulion cubes)
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt (omitt) 
• 1/8 teaspoon (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper (omitt)
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste (omitt)
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

busy with what?!

I have no job outside the home, I take no classes, my only involvement at church is hanging out in the nursery once a month and have no yard or home maintenance to care about...what in the world do I do that makes it so I don't think about blogging for over a month, seldom carry on a phone conversation more than 5 minutes and get so stink'n tired even when I sleep 8 hours...

The answer is really quite easy.  She's 2, and he's almost 4. And they're crazy! :)

Violet is really into story telling lately and who knew listening could be so exhausting!  She stumbled into the habit of filling her stories with "um" until she could think of something to say, but we eventually made a rule against "um" usage.  However, she still tries and will stop her story to interject, "Momma, can I say um? 2 times?"  Her learning style seems to be quite a bit different than her brother, and right now, she has no desire to get an answer right, but rather to use as many words as she can and use her eyes to be convincing of the answer.  She starts most of her phrases with "because..." regardless of its appropriateness.   She loves dress up shoes, gum, string cheese, playing with hair, my little pony, and playing momma with her babies and animals. Forgive the hair, but here's a picture of the eyes she uses for various purposes :)

Benjamin is crazy.  He's all about playing his air guitar and singing all.the.time.  Lately he'd rather play inside than out, with Violet, or legos, or his animals or doing school.  He loves learning.  Its kinda crazy how his little mind works all the time...I'm actually kinda guilty of slowing him down.  I wasn't really ready for thinking through what to learn/curriculum, schedule, consistency etc...So right now, we do whatever momma feels like, work books, on-line, etc and finish school whenever one of us is tired of it or not trying very hard.  We have no expectations of how long he wants to do school - 5 minutes, 30 minutes, not at all...but if he wants to do it, he has to do it right.  I guess thats the only rule to our school day.  :)  Right now he's all about phonics/reading and its so fun to watch the light bulbs go on.  :)  Here's a sweet picture that I captured where I thought he was pretend reading, but when I slowed down and listened I figured out he was trying to sound out "David"...I wish I had it on video and not just a picture!

Besides running after these two, I have been slightly crazy about cleaning and sorting, doing hair on and off, playing the game of budgeting and thrifting, and because I'm trying to grow my hair out, and have stopped aimlessly re-arranging my furniture I have needed a new stress relieving hobby.   I have pulled out my sewing machine and tried to learn what sweet Mrs Blunk tried to teach me.  I have made some curtains, pillows, bow-tie, and altered a couple pair of pants...I still get flustered, I forget what I learn from project to project, and have taken out quite a few seems with the ol' seem ripper...but I'm hoping that if I keep trying, putting less space between projects, and maybe take a little more time reading vs winging it, that I will come out with some basic skills and more fun projects to show for it :) 

Here's some more pictures of my sweet babes to redeem this rambling blog entry :)

Ok, this picture I just threw in, because its the most successful I've been at growing ANYTHING :)
Yay for Mint, cilantro and basil!

VDAY

Valentines Day was a couple day celebration around here and although my kids could have had Feb 14 pass without any fanfare and not know that they missed anything, I decided to make a medium sized deal out of the this lovey day.  (the only way to have any excitement and anticipation next year, is to start with a great day this year, right?)

Joel and I were in desperate need for a little QT, and because our need for connecting fell on the 2nd week of February, than why not call it a Valentines Day date :).  We dined. We talked. We thrifted. We DIY shopped.  It was glorious.  Our priceless friends watched little B & V so we had a few hours to just hang out.  Happy Day.

Thursday morning came like all other mornings and we had some sparkly red pancakes, with heart shaped place mats, delicious strawberries, and coffee.  Then Daddy was off to school looking dashing in his Docker sport coat thrift find. :) We had some tears at breakfast when Benjamin realized Reuben wouldn't be at his Valentines Day party, which caused some tears for momma, which resulted in a great morning skype date with our cousins, and then we were off to our Village V-Day party. We read and snuggled with our stuffed animals, we sang and danced, and had a great snack mix with some dear friends here in the Village.  Then after a frantic/lengthy key search, we met up with Daddy at chapel and got to have lunch with him before coming home for late and slightly disastrous naps (not completely...but close).  We had a slightly weird afternoon, full of brief interactions with friends, and terribly timed ironing, and then we had yet another supper with dry chicken (it seems to be a common experience for me), baths, bed time for the littles, and some kitchen hair cuts. Last but most definitely not least, the night concluded with Downton Abbey...and then more Downton Abbey...because who can stop at just one episode ;)

We still have quite a few valentines that didn't get sent or handed out, and my littles still don't get this slightly weird obligatory holiday, but it was still grand indeed. :)  here are some picture highlights...

"Hey momma, check out my moves!"  - direct quote :)

Tell me she doesn't look like a future Dowager Violet  :)...or maybe Lady Mary...

Happy Valentines Day boots to me :)

my weeks project - curtains and lampshade DIY

January

Well, January came and almost went, and here we are.  I have typed about 3 paragraphs worth of quite beautifully descriptive glimpses into Lewicki life this past month, but all has been deleted because they failed to give any sort of accuracy into what the whole of life has actually been like!  I have written about the love I have being stuck in my nest with my littles, and the claustrophobia of sickly people in snow storms in a small apartment.  I wrote about peaceful school time with Benjamin followed by both loves napping while I tidy up, and then thought about Violet's three sleeps in a row of continual trips to the living room followed by reprimanding worth (in a 2 yr olds mind) many minutes/hour of tears.  I think about telling you about how great my law student is doing, and the extra things he has had the opportunity to be a part of this semester, and then doubt what I know about any of his last month, and how time together has been sparse to  say the least and then I get antsy and impatient for multiple date nights to begin to catch up on life and feelings etc.  

Can you tell I'm feeling all sorts of emotional tonight?!  

I do love this stage of life so very much, in spite of my slight crazy person speak.  Benjamin is all sorts of fabulous right now with an imagination that is vivid, innocent and nonsensical.  He loves God's creation with such a pure curiosity and awe.  I feel that we have limited media time until I think about our sickly last 9 days and the amount of time he gets to watch BBC Planet Earth and PBS Wild Kratts.  He loves them, and I love that he loves them.  He also loves differentiating between boys and girls...What him and daddy do, what violet and I do, what violet can't do because its a boy thing, what he won't do because its a girl thing...etc.  I remember very little specifics about Bringing Up Boys, by Dobson except that around 3 and 4 the pride in being a boy starts, and although they still love their mommas, they can't wait to be just like their daddy...and thats where we are!  He is a social guy who can't wait to play with all his friends in our little village, but his innocent world is being marred by the harsh reality that people can hurt with words and actions and he's not sure how to handle it.  Neither is momma.  How to help mold the character of an individual who is strong in their identity, sensitive to others feelings, bold about right things, and willing to walk away from wrong...The thoughts consume me, and I'm going to have to drown myself in a good read about these issues soon before I go crazy.  Suggestions are welcome. :)

Violet eyes make it impossible to have tragic days.  Bad moments and tired days, but no bad days.  They are oh so blue with incredible power...power that she controls every chance she can get :)  She is so verbal, not to mention expressive.  She repeats even when she doesn't understand it, and especially if it gets a reaction.  Her attention span for DVD's and TV is about 3 minutes and her desire to create is much less than her longing to destroy.  She loves pretending with Benjamin and has started to sing - mostly Jesus loves me so, but also random thoughts and words which is my favorite.  Thankfully she is enough of a follower that her early morning wake up call is being matched with books in bed till the timer goes off.  It's not perfect every morning, but I would say 80% of the time, is a pretty good success rate :)  She is still the master of cuddling, and giving Benjamin competition in his title of best hugger.  His 2 yr old hugs were tighter for longer, but she gives a great squeeze and gets her points by her "I wuv you" proclamation followed by giggles. swoon.  She still is not a good eater, and her size is still peanutish, but she still is rolley polley despite lacking girth...Lastly, much to her father(and kind of mother)'s  dismay, that blue eyed beauty loves mirrors, she loves getting her hair dried, loves chap stick, loves shoes, and is not afraid to tell you that anyine, including herself is "sooo pretty".  oh dear.

Well that about sums up January.  We had snow for 2 or 3 days, and since we were struck by a sinus bug, we only managed to catch some play time the last day before the melting floods took over.  I have gotten antsy and since I'm trying to treat the ants in my pants less with personal hair alterations and more with...anything else, I've managed to whip out some crafts.  Most people set up their homes and then live in them,,,I tend to live in my home so I can continually set up differently :)  Here's a little January - pictures style.

Benjamin Leon and Violet bundled up on the last day of snow

One of my favorite views of the house.  Those sweet little feet in those sweet little boots! 

I was waiting to put two canvasses behind my couch, but then I got impatient and convicted that when I had money for two large canvasses I just use it for something other than canvasses...So I whipped out these trusty shelves, stole some pretty vases from my mom, bought some frames for less than $10, and went to the forest for inspiration.  I'll be honest that I've never liked a picture I've taken of this wall, but in person, I think it works :)

This was my last craft project.  I have developed an infatuation for these forest finds and cant get over the texture they give to my paint-less apartment walls.  The frame was a thrift store find for $3.89(I might be the queen of bartering) and although the wall isn't finished, I don't hate it anymore :)  Oh, I also took down those dorm decor looking squares above the kitchen cabinets and it is like a breath of fresh air in that tiny space!  I still don't know why it didn't work...but it didn't ,so down they came!

Good Bye January.  See ya next year.

Things my littles say...

V - " Whatchor eye balls doing?"

Both - "Can I be excused? I'm full up to here!"

V - "Nenin not talking to me, momma! Nenin you talk to me? Nenin! Nenin!"

B - "No Vidowet.  Only me and Daddy do that!  Only boys, Vidowet!"

V - "I do it all by myself, Momma." (about EVERYTHING!)

V - "Oh My Goodness!" (about anything exciting)

Both - "Thank you God for all these people Jesus name amen"

B - "I so tiwerd, momma. [Eating] makes me so tiwerd!"

V - "You no say that to me." - so funny, but so snotty

V - "I brush your hair? Oh its soo pretty!"

B - "Daddy, You need to erase that!" (while he pets his stubble on his face)

B - "Oh, I just so shweaty!"

Snapshots of Christmas 2012 - back in Virginia

Cookie prep with Daddy

This buddy loves to cook/bake

...and she loves to eat...at least when she's not supposed to :)

"a kite I can fly like the big kids!"

all ready for the beach

teamwork

Violet lacked no enthusiasm and expression that night

Tools to help Daddy

break from the unwrapping

:)

:)

Spiderman water bottle!

LOVE em!