More of the Botanical Gardens

Box 'em up and ship 'em out!!

Most of you know my children's facination with boxes. For years Jakob would rather climb into the boxes than play with the toys he got for Christmas or Birthdays. I have so many pictures of him trying to fit into boxes that were WAY too small and grinning like he was in heaven! I guess Hazel inhereted the same trait. Sunday after church, she found an empty diaper box that we had and climbed on in! Jakob then played "choo choo" with her pushing her around the house like the Queen of Sheeba! Ah to be that easily entertained!
Notice the "Oh Too Cute" Piggy tails I was able to her All of her hair into for church! I might just get the hang of this little girly thing yet!

Painting the Patio

Now that I have my camera again, I can catch up on some picture sharing. The day that Mike left to go to VA for school, the kids and I decided that we were going to try out the new sidewalk chalk paint that I had gotten from Big Lots a few days earlier. Seeing that it was really thick I had the bright idea of adding water to it and boy did I make a mess! The kids still had fun though. Hazel was playing more in her little pool than painting, but Jakob wanted to make hand and foot imprints to show Mike when he got home. He was a little frustrated with how much paint he had to put on his foot since mommy had made it so watery, but oh well.


This is the best picture we were able to get of the imprints. Jakob took it because he was afraid it would rain and wash away before Mike came home! How sweet!

Yes as you can see in this picture I was completely taken off guard by Mike. Not for the fact that he was taking a picture of me while I was trying to get lunch on the table after church this Sunday, but the fact that he was taking this picture with MY CAMERA!!! I have wrongly accused my daughter of disposing of my digital camera, when in fact it lay at the bottom of a pretty extensive pile of MIKE'S CLOTHES! I am a mean wife and refuse to put his clothes away for him and while he was doing it he found my camera. I had apparently laid it down b4 I started on out mountainous amounts of laundry and piled his stack on top of it. So yay! I have tons of pictures to share, but that will have to wait for a latter time. Tons of homework!

Just when all hope was lost

For some of you whom I talk to or e-mail on a more regular basis, you know the personal and literal struggle I have been going through these past few weeks concerning Jakob's class. As of Saturday night I was intent on finishing my volunteer hours and pulling him out of school to wrap up the school year at home. After two completely sleepless nights of looking through curriculum and trying to figure out how in the world we would pay for the needed materials, I was left with no answers other than to pray. And so I have feverishly, for an answer, some peace concerning my newly decided venture and the strength to do it all.
I went to Jakob's school today to help with science time and .. well honestly I was shocked. I get there during recess and the kids are usually loud and fussing and hitting and generally out of control while the teacher feverishly tries to put together homework papers into folders and go over behavior charts to send home to the parents. This is where I spend the majority of the time instructing the chilren to not throw things at eat other, to use their communication skills instead of tattling, and generally being a zoo keeper for lack of a better word. The playground had an erie quietness about it and I saw eight children sitting on benches in timeout. I walked up to Jakob's teacher and asked her if they had a rough morning and she just smiled and nodded. So I sat down expecting once the "timeout kids" had served their time I would be back to my normal routine. Nothing! I was astounded.
Back inside the classroom we were preparing for the experiment and getting students together and their attentions to the front of the class where they needed to be and I watched in amazement as Jakob's teacher was able to command (with very little distraction) the classroom into following directions, an on topic discussion of the subject at hand, and an excersise in making a hypothesis! The kids worked through their experiment fairly uninterrupted and with good behavior and seemed to really understand (for the first time since I had been in the class) the topic of conversation.

As I left the class this afternoon I felt as though the biggest anvil had been taken off my heart. I realize it was only one day, but to see the class being conducted like a class and see the realization of learning in the kids eyes made me so happy I cried. I know in my heart that this was God giving me the strength and courage and ability to stay strong and stick with it a little longer. I pray that this continues, not only for me to not have to pull Jakob out of school but for the other 18 children in his class that are good kids and deserve to learn. Thank you God!!!!

Check your Trash

I know this is a weird title for a blog, but after searching my entire house for my camera I have come to the conclusion that my darling daughter had to have thrown it in the trash earlier this week. Of course now the trash has been picked up but I am still holding out hope that I will happen across it. Maybe when we move again! In the meantime Grandma is sending me one of her digitals to use until I resign myself to having to buy another camera. I thought Mike would be more upset about it since he just bought it for me this past Christmas but he just said, "Oh well, start looking for deals, we have to have a camera." It's amazing how a piece of technology becomes so necessary.

Missing Technology

Ok so, somehow I have lost my camera! I have looked all over the house and can't find it anywhere! I know I had it last since the kids and I painted the back patio with chalk paint this past Sunday and Jakob and I were taking pictures of it. So unless I find it soon, the next few posts will be just words. Sorry.