LA Arboretum and F.F.F

I've never heard the term 'forced family fun' before I saw my cousin use it in a facebook post this last weekend. It was exactly the way to describe how our Saturday activity went down. We had to go 'down the hill' to pick up a suit Johann had altered, and Johann wanted us to go to the Arboretum again before our passes expire at the end of March. I said I was for it but since we left later than we planned I was actually kind of cranky about it, and wasn't looking forward to getting back home with no time to accomplish some work at home. Once we got there though, it turned out to be a lot of fun, and unlike the last time we were there, there were hardly any geese around and therefore hardly any goose poop to step in. We had a good time exploring sections we had never been too. I think the herb garden is my favorite. It smells amazing, and is so beautiful. Glad Johann forced the family fun this weekend. I think it's his official job in our family. 

 We stayed in this area for a while and the kids played 'Little House in the Big Woods.' I was so proud. 

This sculpture is called, "Abundance." Poor California. 

Moving in: phase one

We officially moved in/started sleeping here three weeks ago today. I thought I better get pictures of what it looks like before flooring, and countertops are installed in a week. 

In no particular order, and definitely not photo ready: 

Master bathroom. Both bathrooms are going to need new tubs (there is a part in the center where water pools), and while we're at it, hopefully we'll retile the showers too. And the floors. And replace the vanities...

We need to replace this toilet soon because it's an old school one that takes a lot of water to flush. It also has a mismatched seat. 

The vanity is separated from the shower and toilet and there is carpet. If/when we retile the bathroom we'll do this area too.

In the master bedroom we have doors to the back slab, and yard. I think chickens must have exceptional hearing because these stupid fowl are always wherever I am peering in through the door. Uhg.

Ceiling in the master. I actually like the cut out, but we need to get rid of the popcorn (Johann doesn't mind it but *I* do), and get a new light/fan.

The master bedroom

Thea and Leo's room. Sorry for the dark picture, too lazy to go do another. 

Hall/kids' bathroom

Henry's room. Blinds should be coming this week. His bedding was being washed.

The fourth room, or 'the study' as Johann is trying to get everyone to call it. I keep calling it the storage room, for obvious reasons. 

Hall way. I actually have the bottom cupboards filled with almost all our linens, and blankets. I've been doing a lot of washing since they were sitting in the shed for three years. It's fun pulling out the quilts young women leaders made, and blankets, and quilts from baby showers gone by.

Entry way which will be getting tiled as well as the hallway above.

Living room. A tv stand is finally on it's way because I couldn't stand having the kids scooting right up to it all the time. I wanted to try to be awesome, and frugal, and find one at a garage sale but, it's been driving me nuts for three weeks. It's worth it.

 Family room/dinning room. Also to be tiled.

The kitchen. New countertops, sink, and tile going in. It's going to be so nice to not worry about what germs are hanging out in the grout! At some point I want a new range, and dishwasher to match. But since they're both new we'll use them as long as we can. I need to find another oven rack though since this one only has 1 for some reason. At some point we need to do recess lighting and get knobs/pulls on the cabinetry.

Finally, the garage. Once I see if Henry's blinds fit correctly I'll order a second pair for the garage. Eventually I'd like to do shutters throughout, but that may always be so far down the list that it doesn't happen. It'll be nice once I can move the kitchen stuff in (since most of it is in boxes still until the counter is done) and have a big open space in the garage.

Well, there it is. I'll get a picture of the yards at some point too, but those are also kind of on the back burner for now. I have to keep telling myself that everything we want to do doesn't need to be done in the first year or even first years, and that I need to breath.

Homeschool Testing

One of my least favorite parts about homeschooling through a charter is doing state testing. We got Henry's results today so I thought I'd talk about it a little bit for my homeschool post this month.

I always hated state testing growing up. I got nervous, and I never did exceptionally well. I was pretty disappointed when I learned it would be part of homeschooling Henry if we wanted to use the charter since I had never had a great experience with it. But now, two times a year, September, and January or February (the testing window was recently moved up) Henry has to sit for testing.

The first test he took for first grade was done while I met with his educational specialist. The last three he has done I've administered at home. It's great because we can test over a period of about four or five weeks if we want, he can stop for a snack or restroom break, and we can do a little bit a day if we want. It's horrible because I have to deal with all the whining and frustration when he doesn't know something, and wants me to help when I can't.

This is the first time we've spread out the testing over more than a couple of days. I thought we would give it a try to see if it lessened the frustration and whining on Henry's part. It was somewhat successful. I didn't know the test would 'spoil' itself if it was started, and not finished within 22 days. We got to about 40 percent done with his language arts testing, went back to work on it some more, and it was gone. Thankfully, he remembered most of what he had already read, and redoing the first chunk wasn't as bad as I feared.

It's interesting to be able to see the test questions, and answer options. It reinforces by belief that standardized tests are not very helpful for finding out what a kid knows. Just one example: the literature comprehension passages were on the Trojan horse, and sirens. Henry already knew about both of those stories so he didn't really even have to read them to answer the questions. Subsequently his 'comprehension of literary texts' score is skewed really high, because while his auditory comprehension is really high, he sometimes needs to go over written passages more than once to understand them. I know if he had had to actually read that text he wouldn't have scored the same.

Then we come to math, which he is much more natural at than language arts, and he tested right at level on 'algebraic thinking' because the questions used specific jargon that I hadn't taught him because we don't learn math with a test in mind. It's frustrating because I can see how a teacher overwhelmed with so many students might have to go by placement results in tests, and Henry would end up in a group too low for math, and too high for language arts.

The moral of the story is, I'm glad that even though Henry has to test, I'll never have to use that as my end all, be all for what I should teach him. I have a way better understanding of what he does, and doesn't know because I am teaching him, and seeing all his work. It's also nice that I can tell him the tests are not the most important indication of his abilities, and he doesn't have to compare with other kids in his class, and somehow think he is better or worse than them. I'd be lying if I said I don't care about what his results are, but homeschooling helps me not to dwell on them, and to focus on the most important thing at hand, which is actually an individual, and his individual development, and growth.

Goals Update

I thought it would be good to start every month with a goal check to keep myself on track instead of just forgetting, and getting to the end of the year, and feeling bad I didn't do anything. So here is the check-in for February.

1. Attend the Temple 8 times

We haven't gone yet but are hoping once we've moved out we'll be able to convince my mom to watch the kids because she'll have actually had a chance to miss them. 

2. Make a monthly budget and keep a record of all spending throughout the month

I printed out some spending tracking sheets and we did really well for the first half of the month. Then it got crazy and I was pretty negligent. Starting off on the right foot this month but I know it'll be hard because of all the purchases we'll have to make with moving in to the new house.

3. Be more supportive of others' creative endeavors by subscribing to podcasts, blogs and webcasts. Be involved by commenting and contributing etc. 

I think I've done a good job with this one. It's slipped a bit towards the end of the month, again, because things got really busy. But I feel like I'm doing well here. Anyone need some creative support? I mean, I can't actually do anything except be supportive, but I can do that.

4. Make a family photo album

Haven't started

5. Finish transcribing my dad's first journal

I think now that the ward we will be in is at 9am I'll have time after church to work on this, and other family history stuff. I want to get one of those awesome scanners to start getting all our family pictures saved digitally. Let the money rain down.

6. Read President Hinckley's biography

Hopefully I'll start this during summer.

7. Have six lessons (one per month) on baptism for FHE to help prepare Henry

We didn't do one for January because I was counting the '8 is Great' baptism preview as his January one.

8. Buy a house (we're in escrow right now, but until we've moved in, I'm going to hold my breath!)

Done! We should be fully moved in over the weekend. We've just been taking a few loads every day or so with the van and actually have most of our stuff out, we just need the day to day things, and the beds and dressers. It's nice to finally feel excited about it after all the holding off, and waiting during a long escrow because the house was a foreclosure owned by Fannie Mae. 

I also want to make a note on the whole buying a house thing. We received help from our parents to make this happen. We've been with my mom the last three years to save, and pay down student loans, and Johann's parents provided the down payment for us. I feel it is important to acknowledge this firstly to say how grateful we are for supportive parents who still continue to sacrifice for us; and secondly because it drove us nuts for a long time when we felt like the only ones our age not buying a house. We thought we must be doing or have done something terribly wrong financially or otherwise. Then we thought, why are we living in California where even in the desert houses are so expensive?! (Answer-because this is where Johann has the most earning power and it's close to family) Then we would find out that in almost every single instance there was financial assistance from family. So we aren't awesome money wizards who have it all together. We could have found a place with a down from the money we had saved after living three years with my mom paying minimal rent and utilities, but it would have been a significantly less nice house in a significantly less nice area because most of our savings went towards paying down loans and then the van when we had Leo is 2014. So we are very thankful Johann's parents offered to help after we had started seriously looking at houses, and applying for loans. It's because of my mom we can even get a house, and it's because of Johann's parents we can be in one we feel we can make our home. 

9. Blog 4 times a month, once about homeschool

I did it!

10. Take family photos!!!

We took some with the Simonds side when Johann's brother Derek was here over Christmas break but I want to get some ones probably this April right before all the kids have their birthdays of us and our kids. 

11. Exercise 3 times a week

Yeah, this was one I forgot about. I've mostly been trying to not eat junk since Thanksgiving through Christmas was basically having too many treats around all.the.time. I've been making an effort to be more active but I haven't had set working out time. Hopefully once we settling into the house. 

12. Read a book a month

I finished volumes 1 and 2 of "The Portrait of  Lady," by Henry James. I didn't like it as much as I was hoping, and sometimes the narrative was so bogged down, and frankly boring (this from someone who likes Russian lit, so that should say something) that I would go a day or two without picking it up. With that said, the parts that were not boring or cumbersome were excellent, and there were some wonderful characters like Ralph Touchett, and Henrietta Stackpool. It was also easy to hate two of the characters you were meant to hate. 

I needed something a little more simple so I picked up 'The Paris Wife,' and it's definitely much easier reading but I'm already depressed for this woman knowing how Hemingway's romantic life turns out. 

So overall, not failing. Whoop. 

Last Sunday in Ranchos

It was sad to say goodbye to the ward we've spent the most time in since we've been married. There are a lot of good families and good people we will miss. Hopefully we'll still see them around the stake, and now we have our own house, there too!

When I was talking to some of the young women last week I said I would bring them cookies as a parting gift, and when Henry saw me making them he wanted to bring some to primary, and Thea got on board with that idea. The next thing I knew Henry had made the little box below. Henry is pretty sure staples, paper, tape, and felt came create anything. It actually worked so it was a done deal. 

I passed out the cookies to the girls just after sacrament meeting, and gave them all one last hug good bye. Then it was off to nursery with Leo. He actually was less upset about it and adjusted much more quickly than usual. Hopefully it won't be all undone when we move, and I'll only need to stay with him a few more weeks.  

Henry and Thea's sweet primary leaders let them hand out the cookies and napkins to all the kids, and say goodbye before they left. Our kids have had some wonderful teachers and leaders. We're so grateful to the wonderful people who serve in primary!

Then this evening we had the Eight is Great meeting. While we'll be in another ward when Henry gets baptized, we didn't know if they already had their preview, and Henry wanted to do it with his friends he knows in the ward. They did a great job, and we're so excited, and in a bit of disbelief that Henry will be baptized this June. 

(Henry's doodle before the program began)

And with the end of that, we said goodbye to our homeward. On to a new chapter.

We bought a house

I'm going to be a little short on time with testing for Henry and the whole packing business, but I wanted to make sure to at least record this kind of big deal on the blog. It's doesn't have a ton of curb appeal but it's fairly well maintained, has a covered patio, lots of trees in the back, new ac and furnace, a tile roof, 4 rooms so we can spread out from our current 2, and most importantly (and most scary) it it ours!

I'll be taking pictures as we get things settled in but we have a lot of decision making to do, and we probably won't be truly settled until the end of February but I'm hoping we'll be living there in the next couple weeks. We have lots of ideas for what we'd like to do to the house and property but we know it'll take time, and we'll mostly be having to be very careful for the next few years instead of worrying about big housing projects.

Wish us luck!

Back to Homeschool

I thought now would be the perfect time this month to keep my goal to blog about homeschooling. Henry's charter allots three weeks for Christmas vacation, and didn't technically resume until today. I decided instead to take the week before Christmas off so we went back last Monday at the same time as all the other adults in the house.
Going back to school, even when it's done in your home, is hard after three weeks of just playing and having a very limited, and flexible routine. This past week was pretty pathetic, and Friday I basically said to Hades with it, and let them run wild. I told myself we would start fresh on Monday, and so we did!

It's been a struggle to figure out a schedule with Leo's sleeping habits not being totally consistent, and Thea's interests changing, and often coming back to bugging Henry or needing to have his attention and help playing. It's also hard because Henry seldom wants to do any assignments without my presence. I knew that needed to change so I went back to what I had tried at the beginning of last year, but hadn't worked hopefully because he was still just a little too young.

So today I made a list for Henry of all his 'morning work' and told him it needed to be done by 10 and any time left before then once he finished was his. Thankfully he was game and he did some phonics, math, reading, and piano (this one I helped monitor a bit but less than usual) by himself. It was so nice to be able to get some cleaning up and organizing done for that hour! Thea and Leo even played together in Thea and Henry's room which does not happen often. Hopefully I won't always have as many things to catch up on in the morning and I can dedicate some of this time to more direct play with Thea and Leo. Afterwards we read 'Little House in the Big Woods' together then pulled out the watercolors and paint until Johann got home for lunch.

After lunch Thea put herself down for a nap in her bed, I did a little folding while Henry worked on his own book about one of the characters from this cool book we got them for Christmas. Then Leo decided he wanted to help me fold which meant it was time for me to put him down for his nap.

Once Leo was down, Henry and I got to finish up a lesson we had started last week from Moving Beyond the Page and then read another chapter in 'Little House in the Big Woods.'

Hopefully we can follow this basic schedule from here on out on days that don't involve morning routine changes:

*Breakfast-get dressed-brush teeth-comb hair
*Henry independent work-Thea & Leo time with mommy for half-half mommy time to organize (or you know, shower, on those days when it doesn't happen earlier)
*Some free time-reading together-art projects
*Lunch
*Nap for Leo-more in depth lessons with Henry-busy bin or other activity for Thea
*'School day' done!

If I could have things my way, we would get all the school work and lessons done first thing after breakfast and not have to worry about anything after 12pm every day, but I've realized that's just not realistic with two small ones that are not being formally schooled yet and will not just play quietly while I teach Henry. It also doesn't work with doctors appointments or trips to the store in the morning etc. This way I'm hoping to protect the one on one time for teaching Henry so that when we're going over an important lesson or concept there is consistency because we need to be home during Leo's nap time basically every day anyway. Day one down, here's hoping day two goes as well!

New Year's Goals

My brother was telling us that while on his mission he and his companion made wrist bands with the letters "WWGBHD" which stood for "What would Gordon B Hinckley do?" We talked about how much we loved and missed that incredible Prophet of God. A lot of the goals I've been thinking about making are right in line with a GBH mentality.
Last year when I was often frustrated I would remind myself of what his father told him, "Forget yourself and go to work." Too often I thought of that as just working myself down until I had little left to give, but I think I've realized now it's more about forgetting your ego than ignoring your feelings, sense of identity or level of stress. So for example, I shouldn't worry if I can't or don't bring nice home made cookies, I should just pick some up and know the work I did will be enough even if the work doesn't reflect on some ability of mine. I think this also has to apply to other people and their work-I can't sit there feeling wanting, out done or envious of someone else's work that may have involved a skill they have that's being praised.
With those things in mind, I think I like this GBH quote for the New Year:

What I am suggesting is that each of us turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good among those with whom we associate, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears. When I was a young man and was prone to speak critically, my father would say: "Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, doubters do not achieve." 
'Words of the Prophet: The Spirit of Optimism,' Ensign, July 2001

This especially hit home to me while I was at Glen Ivy for my mom's birthday. I was getting a massage and the massage therapist was talking about religion, politics, ecology and was negative about almost all of it. Even though I'm probably more of a Debbie Downer than not, even I had to finally say I felt like there is always hope and that I've seen the evidence that there are many good people who are trying to do right. It's also amazing how much harder it was to relax with all that talk going on. I don't think it means I plan to ignore the reality of things this year, but to see in those situations how I can contribute, create and achieve. Here are some of the goals I want to accomplish this year.

1. Attend the Temple 8 times

2. Make a monthly budget and keep a record of all spending throughout the month

3. Be more supportive of others' creative endeavors by subscribing to podcasts, blogs and webcasts. Be involved by commenting and contributing etc. 

4. Make a family photo album

5. Finish transcribing my dad's first journal

6. Read President Hinckley's biography
7. Have six lessons (one per month) on baptism for FHE to help prepare Henry
8. Buy a house (we're in escrow right now, but until we've moved in, I'm going to hold my breath!)
9. Blog 4 times a month, once about homeschool
10. Take family photos!!!
11. Exercise 3 times a week
12. Read a book a month

Happy New Year, wish me luck!