Sunday, April 28, 2013

Curriculum Review: The Life of Fred Math Books


  I fought it, I really did.

  We've used MathUSee for a couple of years, and by and large I've been happy with it.  Changing curriculum is expensive and disruptive so I was trying NOT to learn about alternate math options.

  But...but...but...I kept hearing about a weird math curriculum called 'Life of Fred'.

 Then at a homeschool meeting earlier this year, I picked up a Life of Fred book. It looked interesting.  And I discovered that our local library has the Life of Fred books.

 So we got one out the first book, Life of Fred: Apples.  Joseph has been struggling with MathUSee so I gave him a break from that curriculum and had him work through the Apples book.

 It has so far been a success though Apples is very simple. We'll see how he does as he progresses through Butterflies and Cats.

  Ok, so what IS Life of Fred?

  The whole book series revolves around the mathematical adventures of a 5 year old professor named Fred who teaches at Kittens University.  He lives in the math building and sleeps with his stuffed animal, Kingie (who talks.)  He has various adventures, and all point towards math concepts.  The author (in the introductions) points out that many young people ask, "When will I ever use this stuff?" The Life of Fred books integrate math concepts with real life in a fun and interesting way.

  They are incredibly clever books, they really are.  Fred is cute and charming and NICE.  The author makes periodic references to obeying God and being kind to people...it's sweet.

  The books go all the way through Calculus, incredibly enough.

  Now, there aren't many practice problems at all.  Each chapter ends with 5 or 6 problems, all different from one another.  The concepts are being taught in a way that likely will stick, but the student doesn't get much practice. For practice problems, you probably will need another curricula or math program.

  However, I like the books SO MUCH that I decided to go nuts and buy the first 10 for $160.  I have to admit that when I opened up the box with them in it, happy little chemicals shot around my brain and I had a brief experience of "homeschool products high."  That's kind of like the high a shopaholic feels at a purchase, but hopefully in a more restrained way.

  So what is the plan?  I'm planning to have most of the kids switch over to Life of Fred books for the next few months. They will review concepts and, more to the point, think of math in a different way.  The LOF books do come at math from a different angle. We'll get back to MathUSee, probably, but this will pave the way for better math understanding.

Book Review: After the Fall by Craig DeMartino

I am not an adventurous, outdoorsy type of person.

My favorite leisure activities include reading a book, watching an enjoyable movie, and spending relaxed time with my husband and children. I have NO desire to shimmy up rock walls, ski to the North Pole, or climb Mt. Everest.

I mentioned books. I love reading, and I love reading adventurous books from the comfort of my Lazyboy couch.  I think one of the attractions is that reading about adventurous people helps me get into the minds of individuals who are very different from me.  What makes a person WANT to climb a 100 foot rock wall?  Why would anyone want to endure pain and turmoil to ski to the North Pole?  I have plenty of challenges in my life being mom of 8, but I have no desire to put myself into an uncomfortable situation for the sheer joy of living. But you know, some people do.  It is interesting to contemplate their personalities and worldviews.

After the Fall is about a rock climber who experienced a nearly fatal accident.  Craig DeMartino was a climber with 13 years experience and had successfully climbed many challenging routes.  One fateful day, he and his partner failed to communicate well and Craig fell 100 feet onto hard rock.  On the way down, he hit a tree which slowed him down just a little, and also helped him land on his feet.  The result was 2 nearly destroyed feet, a broken back, and a host of other damage.  By God's grace, he didn't have a serious head injury.

He survived to go home to his wife and 2 small children, but life was never the same again.  He experienced debilitating pain, depression, fear, and fatigue. After some time, he chose to have one leg amputated because it was so badly injured.

But in the middle of it all the agony and emotional trauma, he committed his life completely to the Lord Jesus.  He and his wife WERE Christians before the fall, but they had a rather lukewarm faith.  God was relegated to Sunday mornings and the occasional prayer at meals.  Both Craig and his wife had personal goals and looked on the Lord as more of a vending machine than their Master and Lord.

All that changed after the accident.  Both were thrown into a situation that was completely beyond them.  Both needed God's strength to walk through a new life of handicaps and money problems and disability.  Both needed God's power to forgive and be at peace with the bad choices of that fateful day.

The end result is that Craig DeMartino is a walking testimony to God's power and goodness.  Yes, he is still disabled.  He is almost always in pain, and sometimes it is debilitating.  BUT he has gone on to live a blessed life.  And amazingly, he is back to climbing!  He has become a champion disabled athlete.

This is a great book. 

Oh, and by the way, I got this book free on the Kindle from amazon.com.  It may still be free and if you have a Kindle or Kindle app, I encourage you to get it.



Saturday, April 27, 2013

Scripture on the Wall


The Word of God is living and active!  I've been reading the Bible for 30+ years now, and I still learn new things often.

We try to talk about the Bible, read the Bible, and think about the Bible in our daily lives.  Now let me be totally clear ... we are not 100% successful in having the Bible a part of every day.  I wish I was totally organized and that we had a daily devotional every day at the same time and that we memorized Scripture every single day and all like that.  But I fail.  We remember some days, forget others. Life gets really busy and we don't read our devotional one day, but I usually remember the next.

  The older kids are pretty good about reading the Bible every day, partly because we bribe them :-).  If they memorize a verse, and read the Bible, they get to pick a strip of paper out of a box.  The paper has some kind of prize on it...it might be a piece of candy, some money, some extra game time, etc.

  I thought of another way to get more Scripture in our lives, and you can see what I mean from the picture above.  I've started posting a Bible passage on the wall of our dining room.  I talk about what it means, and the children get a reward for memorizing the whole thing. I'm liking it.  I change to a new passage when I feel like we're ready to move on.

  I'm an organized person and its attractive to think of sitting down with the children every day and studying the Bible.  But...what we are doing has tremendous value.  Given the age ranges of our children, it isn't easy to find something that meets the intellectual and spiritual needs of everyone at once.  So we have kind of a piecemeal approach...we read the Bible individually, we memorize with the help of siblings or parents, we talk about a host of things, including the things of God. 

 My deepest, heartfelt prayer for our children is that they go through life loving Jesus and serving Him.  I don't have a deep desire for them to be doctors or lawyers or scientists or engineers. I don't ardently desire that each one gets married.  I don't ardently desire that they stay single. I don't feel like they all need to go to college. There are so many GOOD options in life and I don't know the best path for each child. But I DO know this. They need Jesus.  They need to know how much He loves them and how much He sacrificed for them on the cross. They need to know their sins are forgiven by Him. They need to submit themselves to His authority. 

I can't make them follow Him.  God gave each of our precious children a free will and each child will decide whether to follow Him or not. But here in our home, we want the Lord to be at the center of our lives. We don't always succeed, but that's our goal.

Tractor and Tiller


  We have a tractor.  It's red.    We have a mower for the tractor.  And now...

We have a TILLER!

We are the happy owners of 5 acres of land. The back 3 acres are mostly wild, though Kevin has mowed a path so we can walk around there. 

I've thought for a LONG time that we could get really serious about gardening. So far, Kevin has nobly done almost all the work.  Last year, with Daniel's birth in the middle of planting season, we had a relatively small garden.

We've talked for a while about getting a tiller for the tractor.  It makes tilling easier to use that big honking, stable machine rather than pushing along a walking tiller and letting it drag Kevin all over.

So this tiller showed up on Craig's list for an excellent price.  Kevin drove out and discovered he'd need to make some minor modifications for it to work on our tractor, but decided he could handle a "little project".  Fortunately, he was able to make the modifications relatively easily.

So now we have a tiller.  In the picture above, Kevin tilled out a new gardening area, and planted 6 raspberry plants.  Exciting.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Health Update

Mine, that is.

I'm fine.  Just fine.  But I have my stuff to deal with as I get older, like most of us.

First of all, I'm diabetic, Type 2.  I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes with my 4th pregnancy. Everyone thought my problem with diabetes would go away when I delivered but, that didn't happen.  Nope, I'm Type 2.

So let me back up a bit on that.  Most women in our country don't have 4 full term pregnancies, much less 8.  If I had NOT gotten pregnant with my 4th child, it is very likely that I would still be an undiagnosed Type 2 diabetic.  I don't fit the profile well in that most Type 2's have a higher than optimal weight. I'm thin, and always have been. Right now I'm 135 lbs, and I'm 5 foot 8 inches tall.  This is my normal adult weight.  

I'm probably diabetic due to a genetic problem.  My mother is diabetic, her only sibling is diabetic, my great-grandfather died of the disease.  It's out there in my family line, in spades.

Diabetes is rotten.  Most people don't "feel bad" for quite a while.  It isn't like the blood sugar goes high and the person feels terrible.  Actually, most Type 2's can go along happily for years and even decades with high blood sugars and without obvious symptoms. But all that time, the high blood sugar is damaging body systems. And when the piper finally gets paid, its ugly.  Blindness, amputation of limbs, kidney failure, and a host of other unpleasant options can strike an out of control diabetic.

I'm one of the lucky ones in that once I did maintain lower blood sugars, I felt much better.  I used to have hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes ALL THE TIME.  I didn't know that was what was happening, mind you.  I didn't have a blood sugar meter so I didn't know I was dropping low.  I would eat a lot of high carb food, my blood sugar would go high, and eventually my body would catch up and release too much insulin. Then my blood sugar would crash and I would feel shaky and miserable and like I was dying of hunger. That happened so much that I thought the shaky feeling WAS hunger!  Once I started testing my blood sugars, I realized that feeling shaky was a result of low blood sugar, not actual hunger.

I've been eating a lower carbohydrate diet for almost 9 years now.  I feel much better on it than I did when I was in my 20's and early 30's.  I've always been quite self controlled about food and once I made the adjustment to a low carb diet, I've done well in keeping my blood sugars down.

Last week, I went in for a diabetes checkup.  My doctor checked my feet to make sure there are no signs of diabetes damage there, as feet are often the first body parts to experience damage.  Eyes get hit early too, and I had a full eye checkup 2 weeks ago.  Both feet and eyes are fine, praise the Lord.

 She also ordered some blood work to check my A1c.  A1c is a measure of the average blood sugar level over a period of about 3 months.  I also got a cholesterol check...my cholesterol was very high 8 months ago, but I had just had Daniel and was nursing and I knew that my numbers probably weren't normal.  I am not convinced that high cholesterol is as serious as the medical establishment says it is, but my doctor was concerned and I knew we might have the dreaded "you need to be on cholesterol lowering medication" talk soon.  Not that I'd take a med I've decided I don't need, but I 'd rather not argue with my doctor.  I really like her.

Anyway, the good news is that my cholesterol had plummeted to below 200, so my doctor is happy.

The bad news it that my A1c is higher than it has been since my diagnosis 9 years ago.  It was 5.8, up from 5.6 a couple of months after Daniel was born.

A non diabetic has an A1c of about 5, give or take a few tenths.

5.8 is considered by most doctors to be great for a diabetic.  But...there is evidence that even 5.8 isn't really safe.  It means some of the time, I'm hitting moderately high blood sugars.  My OB was not happy with anything above 5.6 during pregnancy.  I realize this is controversial in that, as I said, 5.8 is usually considered fine.  It used to be that an A1c of 7 was considered Ok for a diabetic.  Now some docs are saying no, it needs to be below 6.5.  Am I being obsessive to say 5.8 isn't all right?  Maybe.  But I think not.  It is NOT a normal blood sugar level, and there is a decent argument for trying to keep blood sugar levels close to what a non diabetic experiences. 

I know why it is a bit high.  I've gotten lazy.  I am TIRED of this.  I'm tired of avoiding wheat and white rice and potatoes.  I'm tired of avoiding candy.  I'm tired of never eating doughnuts. I'm tired of having to watch how much fruit I eat.  I'm tired of eating coconut bread all the time.   I'm tired of it.  I just want to be normal!

Now if I WAS eating normally, I'd have an A1c substantially higher than 6.   I'm still eating quite carefully, but I've been cheating more than usual.

I've also been having some tummy upset off and on, and Kevin suggested I stop eating dairy for a few days.  I did, and I felt better.  Yesterday I had some yogurt (sweetened with stevia) and felt worse again.  That's just a few data points but I may have a lactose intolerance problem.  So now maybe I can't eat my homemade yogurt with stevia.  That restricts my food choices even more. 

While I was thinking about all this a couple of days ago, the story of the Israelites in the desert came firmly to mind.  They were out there in the desert, the Lord provided manna, and they WHINED.  They whined and whined and whined.  "We're tired of this manna!"  "We want to go back to Egypt."

Well, I could go back to Egypt. I could go back to eating "normally" and mess up my body in the process and having hypoglycemic episodes again.  I could eat like I want, and experience serious diabetes problems in my 60's, if I really wanted to be grumpy about this "eating well" thing.

Or, I can be thankful.  And I am.  We live in a country and in a time when I can buy broccoli and salad any time of the year.  I can buy coconut flour and make coconut flour banana bread. I can use stevia for a sweetener.  I can buy dark chocolate for a treat. 

So I'm giving myself a talking to, and I'm going to climb back on the wagon. I'm going to start eating more carefully again. I'm going to make sure I take my metformin (I've often forgotten the second dose in the last few months as dinners around here are busy.)  I'm going to be thankful to have food that I can eat.  I'm not going to whine.

In closing, I'm linking to a blog post written recently by a friend and fellow diabetic. She's been exercising hard, eating very carefully, and has lost 30 lbs in the last few months.  She feels much better and is an inspiration to me, particularly in the exercise department.  She has great things to say about the barriers to eating well and exercising, with some encouragement about how to make it happen.   Go, S.B.!

http://growingforchrist.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/blogging-through-the-alphabet-d-is-for-diet-and-e-is-for-exercise/







Sunday, April 21, 2013

Of Books and Movies based on Books

Last night, Kevin and I watched about half of the new Hobbit movie.  We got it from the library so can keep it for a glorious week, though I hope we'll find time to finish it tonight.

So far, I'm quite pleased with it.  The filmmakers have taken liberties with the plot and added some rather peculiar things, but the overall story is relatively true to the book.  (I did think it was a bit lame that they dragged Galadriel into it.  She is NOT in the original book.  Yes, she's pretty, but it seemed so obvious they were just hauling her in because she looks attractive, not because she is needed for the plot.  So far, at least...we've not seen the whole thing.)

I was chatting with a young friend yesterday about books and movies based on books.  It is interesting to contemplate how well books translate into movies.  At times, the movie is awesome.  Fairly often, I'm just plain annoyed with how the makers have changed it.    Of course, the filmmakers usually need to make a few changes. But sometimes they make SO many changes that the entire film is altered negatively.  When the book is truly glorious to start with, that downright upsets me.

Then, VERY occasionally, a film is actually better than the movie it is based on.  And that's cool.

We watch relatively few movies so I don't have a million examples to throw out, but thought I'd discuss a few book/film combos out there.


Book:  The Princess Bride.

  Ha, I bet you didn't even know there WAS a book called the Princess Bride.  Yes, the book came before the cult classic film, the Princess Bride.  And amazingly enough, this is one of those rare cases where I think the film is WAY better.  The book is cynical and actually quite gloomy!  The film follows the plot well, but there is so much humor and charm that is missing from the book.  The narrator is much grumpier in the book (and isn't the grandfather and grandson.)  So I don't recommend anyone run out and get the book unless you like cynical books.

Book:  The Scarlet Pimpernel

  I'm stacking the "movie is better than the book" movies near the front.  The book is a bit overblown and the writing style has its tedious moments.  It was written a long time ago, so perhaps that is why it palls on me.  There are actually several movies based on the book, and I thoroughly enjoyed the black and white one with Merle Oberon, and a miniseries from 20+ years ago with Jane Seymour in the female title role.  I checked out a more modern version a few years ago and it was really icky.  I watched 20 minutes, gave up, and returned it.

Book:  Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH 
The movie is called The Secret of NIMH.

  This is a case where the movie is almost a crime against humanity.  OH MY.  OH MY MY MY MY MY!!!!  The movie is SO BAD.  Ok, maybe it isn't.  Maybe it is just that the book is SO SO SO SO GOOD.  It is a brilliant and fun book (for kids) and the movie makers messed it up in a way that makes me want to roll around and scream and beat the ground.  Ugh.

Book:  Pride and Prejudice

  There are many versions of Pride and Prejudice.  My favorite is one from the 1980's, but there is a great one from the 1990's and even the Keira Knightley one from the 2000's (which compresses the plot a great deal) is charming.  I haven't seen the black and white version, not sure about that one and how good it is.  This is a case where I love the books and thoroughly enjoy the movies too.

Books:  Agatha Christie Miss Marple and Hercule Poroit movies

  I've usually thoroughly enjoyed the movies based on the books.  We're currently watching some Hercule Poirot movies that are free on Amazon Prime.  There are sometimes substantial plot changes, but I think not to the detriment of the movie.  They do a good job of catching the atmosphere of the time, and David Suchet and Joan Dickson, who play Poroit and Miss Marple, respectively, do a fantastic job.

Book:  Jurassic Park

  Yep, this one was a book first too.  I think...I prefer the movie more but perhaps that's because I saw the movie first.  I think.  The book is really complex and sometimes a tad difficult to follow. Another annoying thing is that Crichton, the author, is a rather aggessive atheist type and goes on and on and ON about evolution in this book and the sequal, the Lost World.  In the latter, I remember being annoyed when the main character was talking about how the dinosaurs were miraculously "designed" to survive and do cool things, and then the same main character (a famous scientist) says (essentially), "Of course, there is no god who made it happen, because the idea of a god is unscientific."  That is a common fallacy among some people, especially some scientists, that "good science" throws out the possibility of God existing.  Um, why?  If you can PROVE God doesn't exist, well and good. But to make that a basic assumption before you even evaluate the data is ridiculous. THAT is unscientific! 

Caveat on Jurassic Park. Scary in some spots.  Definitely not for younger children.

If I think of some more books and movies, I'll mention them. 

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Hmmm....

What's going on around here?

We're healthy. Thank you, Lord!  I got really sick 2 weeks ago and was expecting the kids to go down like ninepins.  Sarah got sick one day but other than that, we had a few complaints of hurting tummies but mostly everyone was fine.

This is a busy week with eye appointments, picking up eye glasses, and the last homeschool skating party of the academic year.

Friday night the older 4 girls are making cookies for Kairos, a prison ministry, as part of an American Heritage Girls project.  It'll be fun!

Daniel is climbing stairs, bless his heart. And he still shoves small objects in his mouth with monotonous regularily. He especially likes paper!

I am wondering if Daniel will walk soon. He likes to cruise by holding onto couches and chairs.  He pulls up on everything.

Sarah has maybe been a bit calmer lately?  She is a full blown 2 year old, though.  She changes her mind frequently, and gets irritable (Ok, more than irritable) when I don't allow her to change her mind multiple times. Sorry honey, I've had 6 kids before you and I know ALL the toddler games.

Our kids have been playing outside a great deal. Temps have been lovely and they enjoy riding bikes and scooters up and down our long driveway.

There don't seem to be enough hours in the day to do all the chores, complete all the schoolwork, read all the great books, and play outside for hours and hours. That's Ok.

In a month or so, we can open up the pool!

Friday, April 12, 2013

One of the Hardest Things about Homeschooling...

One of the hardest things about homeschooling (for me) is that the path to the future is so foggy.

Most of us did what I did.  We went to public school.  We attended classes.  We did more or less well. We got grades.  We decided whether or not to go to college.  I realize that schools have different philosophies, but as far as I can tell there is not a ton of variation between typical public schools.  In fact, probably less so now as "Common Core" has become prevalent and testing is forcing many a teacher to focus on teaching to the test.

Homeschooling is different.  Homeschooling varies tremendously depending on the parents and the children.  Some families largely "unschool" and encourage the children to pursue areas of interest.  Some families are fairly regimented, using textbooks and tests like "normal" schools.  We're probably in the middle. I certainly assign worksheets and require the children to complete their work in a set period of time.  However, I very much alter my teaching and requirements depending on the child. 

I also have very limited tolerance for "checking the box" teaching.  If my kid reads through an American History text, passes some tests, and doesn't remember a thing a few months later, then I have failed as a teacher and my child has failed as a student. I want the children to really LEARN about the things they are studying.

Let me put it this way.  I would far rather that we spent an entire year learning about the Revolutionary War (or the Civil War, or the Civil Rights movement, or the Vietnam War) and really LEARN about it, learn about the people and the politics and the background realities and the worldview, than to spend a year on American History and just hit numerous vague highlights.

That puts me in a dilemma, of course.  It is good for the children to learn American History, the grand scope and sweep, not just a few specifics.  So how do I manage that?  I'm thinking we'll use a basic textbook as a spine, and then we'll delve into specific interesting topics in more depth.

That question of what curricula to use is not an easy one.  Back in the early days of homeschooling, most publishers wouldn't even sell to homeschoolers.  Homeschool parents either cobbled something together themselves, or they found something at a 2nd hand shop.

But with 2 million homeschoolers in this country, we now represent a decent wedge of economic pie.  The companies are out in force with wonderful curricula that can make my head spin.  Really, there are too many options :-). I say that with a smile, but it can be overwhelming.

One of my best friends in the world, and a homeschooling mentor, advised me not to stress too much about specific curricula.  Pick something that looks like it'll work, and don't obsess about getting 'the perfect curricula'.  That is wonderful advice and I need to repeat it to myself often.

I find myself leaning more and more on the Lord as I teach our kids.  They have different abilities, personalities, weaknesses, and areas of interest.  It is beyond me to teach them well without the Lord's help.  I depend on Him for wisdom to see this through to the end of our homeschooling journey.

James 1:5-6

New International Version (NIV)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Last Week in Pictures

I know this is a bit late but... better late than never.

We had 3 separate egg hunts on Easter afternoon -- one for Sarah alone (with Daniel crawling around interestedly), one for Miriam and Angela, and then one for the older 4 children.  We filled plastic eggs and then Kevin's mom brought a big bag full of more eggs so the kids got a lot of candy.  They didn't mind too much.
 
 I guess this was a couple of days earlier...Kevin planted a bunch of asparagus.  We love asparagus (most of us, anyway) and we have a large family.  So now we have 60+ asparagus plants over by the barn.


Have you ever tried to do stretching exercises with 3 little girls "helping"?  It's an interesting experience.
 
 
 
Little plants coming up...
 
 
Sarah got sick one day.  You know she's sick when she just lies quietly on the couch in the middle of the day.  She is close to normal again, thankfully.

Kevin spent hours and hours this weekend working on our tractor.  He welded something together and now is painting various accessories.  What is this?  It's... an S shaped doohicky.  It will be used to get rid of weeds.



Last, but not least, is a shot of the latest candy exchange.  Not surprisingly, the children have favorites in the candy department.  Since they just got Easter candy, their candy bags are bulging.  One day this week, they transformed our table into a pit at the stock exchange.  There was much yelling of "2 little rabbits, what can I get for 2 candy rabbits?" and that kind of thing. It was cute and everyone seemed pleased with their exchanges when I called a halt.

Los Pollos

I  know it has been WAY too long since I've mentioned our wonderful chickens.

We obviously still have them. They are revelling in the change of weather. You can see in the picture above that they LOVE being out in their yard, pecking at dirt and any bugs daring enough to poke their snouts out.

During February and March, their egg production was down.  They were probably tired of the weather and of not having quite as much light as they wanted (though we do have an artificial light in their coop that goes on every morning while it is still night.)

The last couple of weeks have seen a substantial increase in egg production. We were getting 7 or 8 a day, and now get a dozen or more.  Hooray!

I'm thinking about raising more chicks this summer.  One option would be to raise 15 chickens for meat, and another 6 or 7 laying hens.  The latter could be introduced into the main flock in the fall.  By that time, they'd be close to laying and hopefully WOULD lay in the winter to increase our egg production during the cold, dark months.

We'll see.  It's something to think about.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Lemme Out!


Daniel. Behind a baby gate.  Poor little guy -- sometimes we just won't let him crawl around eating all the bits of paper and other strange things he finds on the floor.  Sometimes we do, but not always :-).

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Sick!

The lowlight of this week was that I got really sick on Tuesday evening.  Stomach flu.  It hit me like a ton of BRICKS!  I was fine at 2 p.m., had a bad headache by 4 p.m., and was throwing up by 6 p.m.  Fortunately, the really bad spell was only 2 hours long.  Yesterday I was tired and had a headache, but didn't feel nauseous.  Thank you, Lord.

When I was feeling really awful, I was struck anew with how much courage cancer patients must have.  I know many are terribly nauseous when undergoing treatment.

I know of women who spend most of their pregnancy feeling very ill.  That takes courage.

I still don't feel 100%, but I feel SO much better than Tuesday afternoon!

No one else has gotten violently ill...so far.  Naomi and Lydia have both had illnesses but not stomach flu.  Lord, please protect everyone else.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Kids in Easter finery

We just got the younger 6 as Naomi and Lydia were still in bed when I grabbed the camera.

I love the expression on Daniel's face.  He looks as sweet as he is.  And Sarah is being the "big sister" by taking care of her baby brother.