Gotta Dash

I have RCIA this evening, followed by a trip to the grocery followed by mad packing and dashing and such. 

I wanted to let everyone know we are alive and unflooded, just lots of rain.  Further down the peninsula they are dealing with the flooding, and on into VA Beach. After a summer of no rain, this is quite welcome, although, maybe not so much all at once...

Lily received a mask from Lissie today.  She is now set for a Halloween costume.  Once more my Bit will be a kitty.  I'm going to hunt out some black velour shirts and pants and maybe find a tail of some such and we're done.

I finished sorting the tubs today.  I have a 2T and three 3Ts ready to go, and need to work on sorting out the rest of the 6-9 and 6-12 month clothes.  Originally I wasn't going to, but I've decided it will just be easier in the long run.

I know I have to pick up some jeans for Lil, and she would like a pair of "silverwares".  Ellie seems to be pretty set as well.  Me, I'm DONE.  I am SO happy to have that monkey off my back.  What a loathsome chore. 

Oh my, dinner is beeping and I need to dry my hair--why when it will be drenched within seconds, I don't know...

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone! :o)

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Okay, I missed on the flooding.  Brien's workshop is about to float away.  Seriously, he has about 1/2" of water in the shop right now.  I'm sure it will get worse as the night progresses.  We've probably had over 8" of rain in the past three days and it's STILL coming down.  Thank you SO much Nicole.

Silverwares? Yeah, I have NO idea where that came from.

Lil is actually in 4's now!  Hooray! The Bit is growing!! :o)  That said, I think we found one pair of fours.  Hmmmm...

The kitty thing?  Someone is going to be killed, and I don't know if it's Brien and me, or if it's Lil.  When the child crawls around on the floor meowing (rather realistically I might add), getting under your feet and rubbing up against you (and tripping you!) like a real cat, it becomes rather frustrating after about 10 minutes.  :sigh:  She just lurves kitties SOOOOO much. 

Lil's Behavior System

Christina asked about Lil's behavior system, how it works, and how we manage it, so I thought I would give a brief rundown.

It is a "ticket" or "card" system that is quite fluid.  You begin on a neutral color and there are three steps up from that color, and three steps down from that color.  In this case, we begin on yellow.  From there you can work your way to green, then purple, then gold.  However, it is also possible to move down to blue, orange or red, based on the choices you make.

If you enlarge the photo above, you can see the rewards and consequences of good or poor choices.  Please note, at no time are you ever "done" for the day, there is always the possibility you can move your ticket up or down.  That is the beauty of it.  It encourages good choices so you can continue to progress up and up. 

I had originally included a "points" system whereby she earned points to collect and then trade in for rewards.  However, for Lil, the joy is in making it all the way to purple or gold so we don't worry about the points. 

When she begins to have moments of whine/fuss/meltdown/I-don't-wanna I simply ask if she would like to move her ticket down.  I don't have to fuss, I don't have to yell, I can be calm and cool and she sees the consequences of the choices she makes.  Typically, a simple reminder is enough to stop her in her tracks.   However, she is in fact four, so there is some stubbornness and she will wind up pulling a ticket. 

All is not lost at that point, for the ticket color can be moved back up.  Likewise, just because you are on purple doesn't mean you are going to stay there.

She and I worked together to create rules for the house that we could both live with and understand.  I wanted to make sure that they covered any and all possibilities, so I made them broad.  For example, "Respect yourself and others" can mean "follow directions the first time they are given" or "brush your teeth and brush your hair" OR, any other number of things.

Then, I wanted a way to track her progress, some way she could keep track of how her behavior has been as a self-monitoring tool.  Hence, the chart.

To manage the tickets, I put them in a library pocket.  The colors themselves were cut from card stock.  As you can see, Lil is the one to manage the movement of the colors.  This makes it more tangible, and again, she's managing her behavior.  Additionally, she has a visual to tell her how her behavior has been and to help her monitor it. 

And, here we have the chores Lil is expected to do.  Once again, I wanted to leave them rather broad so they can encompass more than just one or two things.  Should Lil complain about the chores, not help, etc., she is breaking rule number one and will then have to pull a ticket. 

I used this system while teaching and was able to modify it for home.  It worked beautifully for K-2, as well as for fifth graders.  I NEVER would have predicted it, but boy those big kids LOVED trying to get purple and gold.  It makes me smile just thinking about it. :o)  Lily is just the same.  I cannot begin to describe her excitement if she ends the day on gold. :o)

This is a simple yet effective behavior management system that relies heavily on positive reinforcement.  I have NO idea why I didn't implement it sooner!

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  Tonight's salad:

B and I have decided we are going to have giant salads at least once a week.  This one was Southwest in flavor.  Red and green leaf lettuce, green onion, avocado, grape tomatoes, chick peas, black beans, light red kidney beans, and sharp cheddar.  I poached some chicken breasts in chicken stock with three cloves of garlic, a tsp of cumin and a tsp of chili powder and then shredded it.  I also fried some corn tortilla strips so we could have "crunchies" for the top.  We topped it with salsa and ranch dressing.  I'm STUFFED! :o)
2.  Ellie graduated to size medium gPants today.  She's growing so quickly!
3.  Speaking of Beans, her nose is better today.  In fact, I can tell she's feeling better as she's been in a MUCH better mood. :o)
4.  Beanie ate her cereal and some pears this evening.  Jaydee, I was thinking the same thing with regards to the stuffy nose and taste.
5.  MythBusters is back on!

No milestones

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I don't wanna, but I gotta...

The tubs of clothing have been taunting me for over a week now, and I've been putting off going through them since I HATE the chore so much.  Let's face it, with temps in the mid-upper 80's, I've had no impetus to dive into them.  Now, however, it's time.  It's been grey and rainy and I didn't really have anything appropriate to put on the Bean.  Additionally, the temps are supposed to drop into the low 70's this weekend and stay there, so it's time.  I know that...now to motivate myself to do something about it.  Ugh!

A Bit and Her Sister

 Ellie has been grabby Gertie with everything as of late, including food.  Last weekend, while we were having dinner with Grandma and Bill, she whipped out her little hand and snatched a slice of tomato off my plate and proceeded to snarf it with delight.  Um, well, I hadn't planned on starting solids until six months, but apparently Beanie-girl was ready. 

So, we started with the cereal mixed with breast milk.  Initially, she LOVED it and couldn't get enough of it.

 In fact, she loved it so much Lil asked if she could feed her.  Obviously we didn't have a problem with that.  Heck, Ellie gets so dirty anyhow when she's eating, what difference did a bit more of a mess make?

The trick is to keep her from grabbing the spoon when you're shoveling the food in.  Typically, I'll give her a spoon to hold while I use another to feed her.

That is, she was loving the food until she got the runny nose.  Now, she wants nothing (and I mean NOTHING) to do with it.  Okay, I'm good with that. 

Of course, she could be like Miss Bit who wanted nothing to do with baby food so we had to figure out soft "grown-up" foods for her to gum and gnaw into submission.  It's not that I object to that, it's just a bit hard to deal with in the beginning.  Once they have the hang of "people" food, I'm good to go.  Getting them there is the hard part...

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  Up only once with Ellie last night. 
2.  Lil's manners are so wonderful!
3.  Soup and grilled cheese for lunch on a grey and rainy day.
4.  I was reading to Lily and Ellie crawled across the floor to get to us so she could see the pictures as well. :o)
5.  The sound of the rain as I was awakening this morning.

No milestones. 

Ickies 'R Us

 The weather is grey, rainy and dreary, and as much as we need the rain (as I told someone else, I can count on one hand the number of days we have had GOOD rain this summer), the weather combined with the ickies has made it a rather blah sort of day. 

That said, the schoolroom was bright and cheerful this morning.  We're plugging along in the month of September and have had 12 days of school so far.  We have our morning calendar routine down pat, and a couple of songs we sing each morning. 

Lil truly seems to enjoy our time together, and I feel blessed to spend such a nice bit of time with her every day.  Right now we are working on autumn.  We created a circle map (the main idea goes in the center and you fill in all the info you know around it) and have been adding to it as we learn more. 

We also created a KWL chart and Lil came up with some insightful questions.  She wants to know why the weather gets cooler, and what happens to animals in autumn. 

To that end, we've been reading a number of non-fiction texts (the child absorbs them like a sponge) and have viewed a couple of good videos through United Streaming.  The tilt of the earth on its axis and the revolution around the sun causing the seasons is going to be a bit difficult to explain (I've tried once already and need to find yet another way to do so), but otherwise, she has a decent grasp of how the seasonal change affects plants and animals.  Yay!

I have an art project planned for the rest of the week (torn paper autumn tree) as well as more journal writing (we do so every day) and a couple more video clips.  Then, it's on to apples! :o)

Lily's behavior with the ticket system has been absolutely amazing!  The grumpies, self pities and sassies have mostly disappeared.  She is SO anxious to get to purple or gold that we are able to head off most recalcitrant-ness before it becomes an issue.  All we have to do is ask her what color she is on and ask if she would like to move down a color or up a color.  :shakes head:  It works BEAUTIFULLY! :o)  (And, I've probably jinxed myself at this point, haven't I, lol?)

As you can see, though, she's been on either gold or purple since we started the chart.  She hasn't asked once about cashing in any points.  For her, the act of being on purple or gold is a reward in and of itself.  :o)

 Lil is definitely coming close to being ready to read.  She knows all her upper case letters, and most lower case (those stinkin' "d"s and "b"s give her fits) and now, through the use of the above chart, knows all her letter sounds, including long and short vowels.  We sing it at least once a day, and when writing in her journal, I help her stretch out the words so she can write the sounds she hears.  (Note: We changed "i-i-Indian" to "i-i-igloo".)  My goal is for her to move towards stretching out those words on her own. 

Ah, our chart from Salt in His Shoes.  In the story, Michael's father tells him he must practice, have determination, and always try his best if he wants to be successful.  We wrote those ideals down, and now, when Lil starts getting whiny about practicing her handwriting or reading, we look back at the chart.  It's amazing how much it helps.

So, that said, two weeks and two days into our schooling, I'm thoroughly enjoying myself, and I do believe the Bit is as well. :o)

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Below are some photos I took last Tuesday and hadn't yet posted.  There's not much to say, other than I just adore my girlies! :o)

 The socks really do make the outfit. ;o)

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Today's Sparklies:

1.  The rain.  It is SO needed.
2.  School with Bitty.
3.  Getting my chores done.
4.  Tonight's dinner:

Brien and I have been craving salads lately, so I've been throwing together these HUGE meals.  There is red leaf, green leaf and romaine lettuce, green onion, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, chick peas, sun dried tomatoes, munster and colby cheeses, ham, roast beef and pepperoni.  I think that's it.  I just keep adding stuff until I looks good.  It is so filling and tasty. :o)

5.  Making plans to be with family at Occoneechee State Park come Friday.  Woo hoo! :o)

No milestones.

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I've not had as much stamping time the past couple of weeks, and I'm anxious to get in the studio this evening.  With that said, I'm OFF! :o) 

So So Tired

 Well, it's been one heck of a weekend.  There was nothing but snot, snot and more snot pouring from the Bean's nose.  She had a low-grade fever, and is overall a slimy mess.  My shirts wind up looking like they have been attacked by slugs.  Oh my.

Lily woke up with a runny/stuffy nose as well.  Me? I have a sore throat, headache and cough.  B's not doing so well either.  I'm chalking it up to allergies for three of us.  I'm wondering if Ellie's problems are teeth related.  

 

 (I put these photos in here for Nana.  Ellie got a tutu too!)

My Hokies managed to pull out a win yesterday (hallelujah), but I stayed up WAY too late watching the rest of the college ball games.  Then, Lil was up in the middle of the night complaining about her "sniffly" nose.  Which in turn, awoke Ellie.  It was one heck of a night.  Ugh!

Today, we went to Jocelyn's birthday party.  I can't believe the little girls are all turning five.  Wow.  Where has the time gone? 

The party was at Pump It Up! and was fabulous fun.  It was also LOUD.  It's amazing how much noise five year olds can make. :oP

We got home around 7:30 and I had to head back out for groceries.  Let's face it, it's FAR easier to go to the grocery without small children in tow, and I REALLY didn't want to do it tomorrow.

But, here's where we get to the fun part...it seems my debit card has been potentially compromised.  B called our bank about the "fraudulent" charges (neither he nor I remember making purchases from these places), and they told him as soon as he hung up, they were REQUIRED to put a hold on my card.

Well, I was at the grocery store and B panicked knowing I would FLIP OUT if I couldn't make my purchase because my card was declined.  B kept them on the phone because he couldn't get in touch with me, and I made it by the skin of my teeth.  Whew.  And, the hold has been put on my card and they'll be sending me a new one.  Great. :sigh: 

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Weekend Sparklies:

1.  The Hokies won.
2.  I got six cards made yesterday.  Yes!
3.  Joss's birthday party.
4.  Thank GOODNESS for our awesome bank.  They are amazing.
5.  Ibuprofen.  Seriously.
6.  All the laundry is DONE.
7.  Grocery shopping is done.  I'm looking at a couple of cool recipes for the week. I'll keep you posted.

No milestones.  The little girls are quickly approaching the age Hannah was when we lost her.  Lil's next.  :sigh:

Busy Busy Busy

 

We spent yesterday driving to Jessie's, visiting, and coming home.  Yes, all in one day.  

I was in desperate need of a haircut and decided to take advantage of my sister. ;o)  We drove up shortly after Ellie's morning meal and visited until bedtime.  In between, I got my hair cut, I wrestled an alligator by the name of "Gabriel" as he got his hair cut, we refereed the fights between Gabe-man and Lily, we got Ella off the bus, and we watched as the kiddos played on the cul-de-sac. 

 

The girls were so sweet.  The little girl on the right is Ella's best friend in the neighborhood.  She and Ella are in the same class and ride the bus together.  She is a sweetheart of a child and I enjoy being around her. 

When Ella got off the bus, she and Lil immediately embraced and then began holding hands as they walked home.  The neighbor girl reached out her hand and Ella took it.  It was the sweetest moment. :o)

Meanwhile, I think I've figured out a BIG part of the drama between Lily and Gabriel.  Lil is overly sensitive to danger and staying safe.  If she's playing in the yard and hears a car approaching, she'll make a mad, panting dash for the front stoop.  If she's walking on a sidewalk and hears a car, she'll try to scale her daddy in an attempt to be "safe". 

Additionally, she does everything she can to be a good girl and do what is "right".  That said, Gabriel is a two year old boy.  Safety is NOT his top priority--fun is. :oP  The combination of the two children's needs/desires culminates in some screaming, squealing and fussing.  The last straw yesterday was when Gabriel wanted to turn on the TV and Lil prevented it.  Oy.  She was also trying to corral him from running into the street.  She is TERRIFIED someone will be hit by a car.  I have NO idea why.  I know I had the same fear as a child (I was scared to cross the street until I was almost in high school for pete's sake...) but have done all I can to keep from passing that on to her.  I guess I wasn't successful. :sigh: 

Jessie and I had a chuckle yesterday as we realized Gracie and the Bean are just about the same size, even though Gracie is about three months older.  Hee hee!  Gracie is just like Lil, a petite peanut.  This creates a bit of a problem since this means both girls wear the same size clothing and we both need clothes for fall and winter.  Oops!  But, after having five girls, and combining clothing from each other and some friends, I think we have it covered.  Hand-me-downs are godsends.  :o)

Speaking of which, I have to go through the tubs and sort in and out size appropriate autumn and winter clothes for both girlies.  I'm happy to have them, but loathe the actual sorting out.  The funny thing is, I used to LOVE this time of year as a kid.  Lissie would pull the huge box out of the closet and we would try on clothes to determine what fit and what didn't.  I'm guessing she didn't like it the way we did.  :oP  I suppose I'll get to it tomorrow...;o)

It's been a busy week.  I'm looking forward to a return to normal next week. :o)

The Day's Highlights

It was a beautiful day full of memories both old and new.  I awoke to Ellie trying to stick her fingers up my nose (don't ask) and she and I laid in the bed and played until B woke up.  He and I then pondered what we thought Han would be like as a nine year old.

I wore my sparkly earrings, Hannah bracelet and sapphire necklace, Lily wore her tutu (day 9 for those counting) a purple striped shirt, hot pink knee high socks with zebra striped hearts and hiking shoes (you have to see it to believe it) and B wore a Hawaiian shirt.  We were all sparkled and ready to roll, but couldn't remember how to reach Belle Isle.  Brien went to get our hiking book to look up the address, and when he did so, the book fell open to Chippokes Plantation.

Since B and Pop had taken Hannah and Miles there when they were about three or so, we knew it was a sign from the Monkey.  We loaded up the girls, headed to the "pixie boat" and went out to enjoy the day.

Chippokes is a wonder state park, a place Hannah would have LOVED.  We began our morning at the visitors' center with it's gorgeous views of the James River and moved on down the road from there.  In no particular order we:

• petted goats and a pig named Taz
• visited with workers at the petting zoo
• saw antique farm equipment
• the River House
• chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, llamas
• the mansion
• carriages
• gorgeous cedars
• a terrifyingly long snake skin (think 8'--I kid you not! Nagini anyone?)
• a gorgeous swallowtail butterfly
• a butterfly who kept me company on the pixie boat
• smelled the beginnings of autumn in the crisp leaves on the ground
• heard the birds singing and the wind whispering through the trees
• saw autumn croci
• saw loads of "surprise" lilies

SO much fun!  Then, we:

• visited with "ee gulls"
• handed out 10 "Sparkly Hannah Day" cards (Lil gave away five of them and had so much fun doing so!  Giving out gifts on Han's birthday--what a fabulous idea!)
• watched Han's favorite movie
• had birthday dinner with Nana and Pop
• sent Han some balloons
• had delicious birthday cake (even if it was one of the ugliest cakes I've EVER made)

And, here are the photo highlights:

 Lily and Floppy the goat.

How much do you love this outfit?  I think the socks are what truly make the outfit "pop".  Han would definitely approve. :oP

This guy followed us around the yard.  There were gumball machine-type food dispensers that you could purchase food from.  We had no quarters.  The fowl were not happy.

The flowers are lantana.  I'm thinking we must have some for the front flower beds next summer.

 

I LOVE this photo.  This swallowtail is simply gorgeous and really flaunted her stuff for Brien. :o)

We saw this part of the snake skin first.  Then...

 

...we saw the rest of it snaking around the tree (pun intended).  It was montekyooge!

Tip-toe through the croci.

I'd never seen autumn croci before, didn't even know they existed.  I can't help but feel the Monkey led us to this field so we could find them. 

 

Yellow, sunny and simply perfect. :o)

 Next, we saw this and couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Surprise!  They looked like fireworks to me.  I'd only seen these guys once before and had NO idea what they were.  I want to invest in these and the croci for next year as well. :o)

 We saw fields and fields of cotton.  Lil was intrigued to see how the cotton that made her shirt and socks grows.

Crab pots in the James.

The "ee gull" that hitched a ride on the "pixie boat".


To all of you who joined us in celebrating Sparkly Hannah Day, thank you for being a part of our lives.  Thank you for remembering my girl.  Knowing so many of you were helping us celebrate and lifting us in prayer made the day even more special.  Thank YOU for helping to make the world a more beautiful place.  :o)

Sparkly Hannah Day 2010

Take a gander at our beautiful Monkey the Dancing Queen:



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
Her birthday is Tuesday.  She would have been nine years old.  My sweet, sparkly, funny Monkey would be NINE.  How time flies.  Have I really been a mama that long?  Wow. 

Brien and I were trying to decide what we wanted to do to honor our sweet angel and came up with what we thought would be perfect.  In fact, we've done it before (as have you all), and we're asking, if you're so interested, to please join us in doing so again.  We are going to sparkle ourselves up (just a bit, nothing TOO over the top--maybe a sparkly necklace you haven't worn in a while, that perfume you are saving for a special occasion, those funky flip-flops that have been hanging out, waiting for you to remember them, that toe ring you bought at the street fair two summers ago but never got around to, whatever) and perform a random act of kindness (RAK) or two.  It doesn't have to cost any money, it just has to be done from the kindness of your heart.  That's it. 

RAKs are SO quick and painless, and they leave me feeling so warm and fuzzy inside. :o) I'm planning on creating some anonymous cards (no "hand stamped" on the back) and leaving them for neighbors as a "thinking of you".  I'm contemplating a few envelopes with a dollar or two in them, left under windshield wipers in parking lots, with a note to buy a small treat for themselves.  Something, anything.  What is something you wish would happen to you?  Can you make it happen for someone else relatively painlessly and inexpensively?  If so, why not just do it?  :o)

We're planning on having a birthday dinner for the Monkey as well.  Lil and I are making a birthday cake tomorrow (a chocolate blackout cake), and then we will have some of Hannah's favorite foods for dinner--red meatloaf, death by potatoes, green beans and salad. 

Will it all be bittersweet?  You betcha.  But, what better way to remember the Monkey than to have a dinner in her honor?  I'm hoping that by planning a day spent doing wonderful things for others, a day spent looking for all that is right and good and beautiful in the world, that my yo will be up instead of down. 

I confess, I'm rather looking forward to it. :o)

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Weekend Sparklies:

1.  Lil's first Hokies game. See post below.
2.  The Hokies won! Yes!  Now, to climb back up in the polls...
3.  Eating at all my favorite local places (Mm, Carol Lee, Mike's and more).
4.  The Bean hanging in there until the last thirty minutes of the ride home.  She LOATHES being restrained so the car seat is torture for her. 
5.  Nan and Pop took care of the pooches for us, so they were here to greet us when we got home.
6.  Fall is coming, I could see it in the trees.
7.  Cool evenings--I do so adore the 'burg.
8.  I got all the grocery shopping done for the week and kept WELL under my budget.  Woo hoo!

No milestones, with a HUGE one lingering on the horizon

My Little Hokie

My girl went to her first Hokies game today.  She was ready to go by about 11:00 and kick-off wasn't until 1:30.  She couldn't wait. 

 

B and I went to Volume II this morning to pick up an Orange Effect shirt for him, and some face stickers and a pom-pom for Lil.  

 

As you can see, both were hits. :o)  

 

Daddy took this one in the stands.  He said she screamed when we were on offense and was so "decided" she could hardly contain herself.  In fact, the folks that sit in front of us turned around to look at her a couple of times, impressed with her enthusiasm.  We've raised her right. :oP

As much as she loved it when the Hokies were on offense, it seems she wasn't so keen when they were on D.  She didn't like it when Lane got loud--which is a hallmark of our stadium on D.  We pride ourselves on our volume.  

She was also inconsolable when we were doing poorly and ECU was scoring.  B said she would curl up in the fetal position in her seat.  Funny, that's what I wanted to do. :oP  The first half was pretty ugly and by the time half time rolled around, B asked Lil if she was ready to leave and she was. 

They walked nearly all the way home. Holy cow!!

Meanwhile, I was spamming my FB account with posts about the game because, suddenly, we looked like the VT of old--our O and D both came out to play.  Thank you thank you thank you thank you.  I can't remember the last time we were unranked, and boy how the mighty have fallen.  Hopefully folks will see that we are on the way back after the second half performance today. 

We still need to do a better job wrapping up on tackles.  Their offense often resembled pinballs as they bounced off our D.  It was quite frustrating.  The D does still need some work, and we lost Ryan Williams (OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!), but still have Darren Evans and David Wilson.  Whew.  I think things are on the up.  :fingers crossed:

As for Lil, she gets to go to another game in a couple of weeks, and I know she'll be more than ready. :o)

Still has her impeccable sense of style--note the socks.

 

Me? Well, I may not have been in the stadium, but I got to see the entire game. Ha! ;o) 

P.S.  Still playing with the "new" posting.  I'm SO not liking it right now...