Category Archives: Jonah

I’m sure they learned something today

Foster, homeschooling, humor, imagination, Jonah, Katie, Parker, Theodore February 11, 2014 Leave a comment

Sometimes with homeschooling you just have to roll with it.  You’re tired.  Or they are tired.

This morning right after breakfast, Parker (age 4) decided he would pull out a couple of his 24 piece puzzles and then couldn’t find a piece.

That’s really how it all started.  Then Foster started to help him find his piece in the puzzle cabinet and noticed that some of the boxes were falling apart.  Foster pulled out a 300 piece puzzle and put it on the bar to work. I got out my sharpie and big Ziploc bags and started cutting up the broken boxes to get organized.  Then Katie and Theodore decided they wanted to play with the beans…but then they wanted to do puzzles when Jonah wanted the beans…

And so forth and so on…then there was playing with Legos, watching Magic School Bus, popcorn and animal crackers for lunch and a story before rest time.

I’m sure they learned something today.

(Wanted to include the knocked over basket of cardboard, the basket of dirty laundry and
you can’t make them out but the sink is full of dirty dishes too.)

Jonah is 2

baby, Jonah December 21, 2013 Leave a comment

 

My last little guy turned two at the end of September.  I was struggling with him turning two, realizing I don’t have a baby anymore but now a lot of big kids and a toddler! I know there always comes a time in a mother’s life where she stops having children. I know many other women have felt these conflicting feelings of grief at what I won’t have again (to be pregnant and nursing) mingled in with a relief of sorts and an excitement about moving away from sleepless nights and diapers.  Jonah could not be more precious. He is a boy with his kicking and throwing and jumping but he is very gentle and loves to sit and cuddle with me.  He still has his paci, lovey and bear and since he is the last baby in our family, I don’t have any plans of pushing him to get rid of it.  I will let him be little as long as I can.

family day at the airbase 2013

daddy, Foster, Jonah, Katie, military, Parker, Theodore September 17, 2013 Leave a comment

dove huntin’ 2013

daddy, Foster, hunting, Jonah, Katie, Parker, Theodore September 17, 2013 Leave a comment

That little guy didn’t go…but hopefully next year!

first day of school 2013-2014

daddy, Foster, homeschooling, Jonah, Katie, Parker, Theodore August 28, 2013 Comments: 2
 
Jonah Amos (1 year 23 months old)
 
Parker Elijah (4 years old)

Theodore Reece (6 years old)
 
Katie Belle (7 years 10 months old)
 
Foster Owen (9 years 6 months old)
 
Christopher Brent (33 years old, but still 4 years younger than me.)
 
 
 
 

a moment captured

Foster, Jonah, Katie, memories, motherhood, Parker, Theodore August 8, 2013 Leave a comment
 

It’s not often that I catch a picture of all of my babies smiling these big, genuine smiles. I am not a photographer. The lighting is always wrong and their are weird blurry spots where there should be a child. The background is full of unflattering things no one wants to see, like dirty dishes, filled to the brim trashcans or toys randomly thrown about the yard.

I have a couple of friends who take pictures of my kids because we run in the same circles and I look at their pictures and think “that is the most beautiful child in the world” (not that I’m biased).  You’ve seen some of them, I post them on here and tag them on Facebook.

I always do feel a little proud that somehow my husband and I managed to give birth to these little beauties. Well, I feel proud briefly until I have to break up a screaming fist fight before someone ends up bloody. Then, I realize that pictures only tell so much.

I want to frame the pictures from the professionals. They are classy and elegant.

This picture, the one where all of my children have piled into a cardboard box, is the one I want to memorize.

The one I want to stare at and have the image burned into my brain.

I want to be able to smell the smell of summer and dirt. I want to hear the sound of giggling and laughing and jostling one another. I want to see the sight of Foster’s sense of humor, Katie’s desire to please, Theodore’s sweet spirit, Parker’s adoring look at Daddy and Jonah doing his best to imitate his big brother.

Only my pictures, the ones I took, the moments I felt compelled to pick up my camera and “capture” are the ones that can give me all of that. Imperfect as they may be.

reunited (and it feels so good)

daddy, Foster, gratitude, Jonah, Katie, memories, Parker, Theodore, vacation July 23, 2013 1 Comment

Yesterday Chris went back to work at his “real” job.  That’s what we call Daddy’s civilian job.  After he returned from 190 ish days out of the country, we desperately needed that time to adjust to being a family again.

Deployments effect everyone in the family differently. Each of the kids, Chris and I are all getting used to being together again. If your family has never gone through a long separation you could have the false impression that when you are together again it’s all celebration and fun. Most of the time though, the emotions are fluctuating and range from elation to confusion to frustration to joy. 

What I feel, what my kids feel more than anything is relief and security.  A family is meant to be together, separation for any reason feels chaotic and insecure.

I don’t have nearly enough pictures taken to chronicle the past month’s fun. I haven’t been grabbing my camera as often, or blogging. Hopefully, now that we are getting back to “normal” I’ll be able to spend time on those things.

 

 
 

 

field day 2013

Foster, homeschooling, Jonah, Katie, Parker, sports, Theodore May 2, 2013 Leave a comment

This is the first year we participated in our local homeschooling group’s field day. The kids had lots of questions but since I only had my past public school experiences to draw on I just shared what was important.

1. “Field Day was one of the best days of the year because it meant school was almost out for summer.”

2. “Field Day was great because we got to spend almost all day outside with our friends.”

3. “Field Day was my favorite because it meant NO school work (and usually NO homework either)!”

I guess you can gather by my responses that I am not very athletic. I didn’t mention trying to win ribbons or win races. I don’t remember ever actually winning anything at field day. I know I enjoyed the 3-legged race the most but I’m not sure why. It could have been my partner was a cute boy. Who knows?

It turns out, they did just fine even though they didn’t know what to expect.

 
We stumbled to the car 5 long, hot hours after we had arrived. We left talking about the ribbons everyone had won, our friends, the fun we had.
Foster said as we were leaving, “that was so much fun! Can we do this every day?”
 
 

smile it’s spring!

Foster, homeschooling, Jonah, Katie, Parker, siblings May 2, 2013 Leave a comment
Cheese!

 
“Are you talkin’ to me?”

 
 

 
So much to explore!

 
Where’s sissy?

 
“I don’t want to go for a walk, AGAIN!”

 
My princess!

 
Getting to know the neighbors.

 
Taking it all in!

spaghetti face

Jonah, motherhood, Toddlers April 14, 2013 Leave a comment

I am a brave mommy. I have always let my toddlers feed themselves. No matter how messy. Cereal, oatmeal, spaghetti…bring it on. It gets ugly, but it’s the only way they can learn!