We love games!

This week has been a much more "normal" school week for us! It is good to be back in a routine before things get a little crazy again next week. I plan on resuming normalcy in November! Thank goodness for the flexibility of homeschooling....or my stress level would be jacked up just a notch. The rest of September and October will be an extremely busy.  This will be my last post for the next two weeks because the kids and I are heading on a road trip to Niagara Falls....and other spots still to be determined!

I don't know if there is a kid out there that doesn't like to play games...especially when it comes to things related to learning.  My girls would much rather play a game instead of doing a boring workbook page or me just talking to them.

This past week we have played many spelling related games.  In third grade the spelling words have gotten quiet hard for my little chickas.  One is a semi-natural speller and is good at memorizing words the other is not.  So hopefully by playing game after game with their lists it will help with the memorization process.

The first game we played was Candyland.  In order to move a spot, they had to get a word right.  If they didn't the other person could steal the word and turn.  It took a bit longer than a normal game of Candyland, but the girls still had fun.

We did the same thing with Chutes and Ladders.  This game seemed like it would never end...darn slides.

We also had a spelling puzzle challenge.  I had each girl lay out the pieces to their own 100 piece puzzle.  They would then take turns spelling a word.  While one was busy spelling the word the other would work on their own puzzle.  So the longer it took for them to spell the word correctly, the longer the other person got to work on their puzzle.  They loved this game!

Easton didn't play any games this week...I really need to spend more one on one time with him. He would rather play around with his little brother, so that is fine with me.  We continued to work on Hooked on Phonics and did a few puzzles.  He really likes puzzles!

Easton also worked on counting and matching numbers.

and he worked on spelling.

The boys also helped me make chocolate chip banana muffins!  Yum!

If you want to follow my upcoming trip...join Instagram and follow me @blessedw4plus1

Sporting a new top from Ellie!

I haven't been able to run in over a month....boo!  My IT band has been stubborn and my chiropractor has been working on fixing me all up for an upcoming relay!  He finally suggested that I get back to running and I was so excited that I could try out my new top from Ellie.  If you remember reading my post about Ellie  (HERE), I have been selected to be an Ellie Ambassador!  My readers are eligible for 20% off their first purchase from Ellie by clicking on the link at the right hand column on my blog or at the bottom of this post!

I received a third piece from Ellie and I absolutely loved it!  I picked out the Virgin Islands top. The first night that I tried it out, was pretty muggy, but that didn't matter!  The top is made out of moisture wicking, mesh-like, pre-shrunk fabric.  I wasn't wet and sweaty after my run!

Sorry about the poor lighting and wonderful hair do...I ran in the late evening!

I LOVE the back!

 It also had a two-tone blue striped built in bra.  Usually bras that are built into workout clothes, do not give me enough support while running, however this one was great!  I didn't find the need to wear an extra sports bra underneath. 

The side as well...great for air flow!

 Besides the functionality of the top, I loved the look! 

Ellie comes out with a new line of products every month.  Once the item is sold out...it is sold out for good!  So if you see something you like, don't wait long to purchase it, because when you go back the next day...it may be long gone! 

Update on our housing situation:)

Last week...well let's just say I am glad it is over!  I was on the road almost all week.  House hunting and house selling is kind of an exhausting process.  I really, really, wanted to sell our house on my own....and in the end actually brought a buyer to our realtor, however there is no way I would have been able to keep up with all of the showings and all of the kiddos.  We were on a whirlwind of showings the first few days that our house was listed.  Thank goodness for a great real estate agent!  After 6 days we received a contract on our house.  It has a contingency until October 25th, so hopefully they will remove it by then!  Until then, it is technically on the market.

Sean is getting a bit tired of the the 6:30AM-7:00PM days and 2 1/2 hours on the road daily, so we decided to seal the deal on a new house.  We didn't have an all out house hunt like we had anticipated.  We only saw two houses.  We really liked the first one and were ready to put in an offer.  I mentioned to Sean that there was this other house that was a bit out of our target price range, that I at least think we should look at.  He looked at the pictures and agreed.  We scheduled a showing and Sean got there a bit early to walk around the yard.  I was on the phone with him while he walked around...trying to get there as fast I could.  He knew right away...this was the one.  This was going to be our new house.  I agreed.  Yes with any house we will have some updates to make to make it our own.

We are hoping to close on October 15th and move in the following week!!

Things I am really excited about:
~~Sean will be only 3 minutes from his work.  Since we have been married he has had a 1 hour daily commute to get to work.  This will save a ton on gas and time!
~~We have a yard with a fence!  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love our yard now, but I have
always wanted our dog Maggie to have a place to run around!
~~Sean gets his man room!  We have a large storage area that is already framed in 1/2 way.  He is going to hire a contractor to finish that off and will have a room to put all of his "man" stuff!
~~The kids have their own sinks!  The girls will have one and the boys will have another.  Do you know how exciting that will be at teeth brushing time?  No more pushing and shoving to get to the sink!
~~We have a putting green!?!  Yes you read that right!  I am seeing a little temporary pool on this lovely fake grass.  Won't kill the real grass in the process!!
~~It is a perfect neighborhood for a garage sale and lemonade stand!  I am already planning a spring sale!  I am sure I will have a lot of home decorations to sell!
~~A place to store my brooms/mops!  I love the kitchen!  I tend to spend a lot of time in there for some reason.  But there is a tall cabinet where I can slide a broom and mop into and they will be out of view!  I don't have to walk to the garage anymore!!  There is also a place to hide a trash can!!
~~It is close to stores!
~~There is a running/biking trail one block away!!

I could go on.  I am just ready to get into the house...start painting, decorating, and get settled!  But until then...patience!:)

Here are a few sneak peek pictures!  We will definitely be having a house warming party in the spring...so mark your calendars!

I absolutely love the front porch!  I can't wait to sit there and watch the kids ride their bikes on the side walk!

 Another view!  I love the low maintenance landscaping!

Lots of natural light!  This is the view out to the back patio!  This will be our living room area.

Not super crazy about the wood trim, but it will have to do because the entire house is this color.   But I like the nice staircase.  There is a balcony that overlooks the living room.  This leads up to the kids rooms and bathrooms.  The upstairs....not pictured will need a MAJOR paint overhaul!

We plan to tear out the oak around the fireplace and TV an replace with a stone finish.  Too much wood!  Love the built in book case!  Not sure what to do with the upper areas...right now they have ugly dead looking flower arrangements.  My guess is that they come with the house....lovely.

I LOVE the kitchen!  They just completely remodeled it!  There is even a little fridge under the window to hold wine.  We don't drink wine, so it will be nice to keep some water cold!

 My future sanctuary!

Look at all the green!

Golf anyone?!

Pray that everything goes smoothly with this move!! Thanks!

Edgerton Science Center! Such a fun place!!

Yesterday I shared with you about the homeschool class that we took at the Edgerton Science Center in Aurora, Nebraska. We decided to go back the following week to see what the actual museum had to offer.

What a fun place!  The museum isn't very big, but oh my goodness was there a lot to do...and most of it was very educational.  I even learned quiet a bit!  Some of the things were too advanced for my little guys, but they were pretty content with the train track exhibit. 

They rotate their exhibits every so often, so we can't wait to go back!

Bubbles!

The largest game of  Operation I have ever seen!

My friend's son tried out their flight simulator!  So cool!

I wish I would have gotten a better picture, but the girls had a ton of fun with this...a strobe light would take a picture of their movements...they tried all sorts of fun jumps and poses!

Spinning balls!

The train of course!

Donating pocket change and watching it go around and around....

Can't remember what this did...but Kate had fun!

Building machines!

Learning about chickens!

This museum is well worth the drive!!  Go check it out!

Tagging Butteflies....who knew?

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  This has been a busy week with getting our house on the market...leaving for showings...and searching for a new house.  We have a contract on our house and we found a new house!  Long week, but very productive!  I will share with you more about our new house sometime this week!

Earlier this month we ventured to Aurora, Nebraska.  My friend Rebecca has lived there for over a year now, and don't ask me why, but we have never been to this cute little town.  It is only a mere 50 minutes away from our current home.

We signed up to attend a homeschool class about butterflies at the Edgerton Science Center.  I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was well worth going. 

The kids learned about monarch butterflies.  They are a fascinating little creatures.  Did you know that scientists actually tag them and others find these tagged butterflies so they can track where they migrate to?  Craziness!

The kids job that afternoon was to catch some monarch butterflies and then the teacher would tag them and send them off.  Unfortunately there were only a few butterflies caught during this VERY HOT adventure.  My kids were a bit bummed, but maybe the butterflies were all scared from all of the kiddos hunting around.

Before we headed out to the prairie...the teacher showing everyone how to tag the butterfly.

Our kids hunting!

The teacher looking up the type of butterfly that he found.

The kids also gathered seeds and put them in buckets.  These seeds would then be planted to grow new prairies.

Such a fun, fun afternoon.  I also met some new moms that live in the area where we will be moving too!

For more information on what homeschool classes are offered at this museum you can click: HERE!  It is worth the drive if you are looking for a fun opportunity for your kiddos!

We visited the museum again a few days later and had a ton of fun exploring the exhibits!  I will share more about that tomorrow!

Pleygo! A Net-flix like lego service!!

I love hearing about new business concepts!  I came across a company called Pleygo...somewhere...I can't remember where....looked it up and posted a link on Facebook about it.  My kiddos have started showing an interest in Legos and I thought that this would be perfect for an upcoming birthday or Christmas gift from a family member.  

Pleygo is a Net-Flix like service for Legos! You can subscribe, rent, play, and exchange sets of LEGOs unlimited times per month. Shipping is always free both ways and sets are sanitized when returned. They offer a convenient, quick, and inexpensive solution that relieves clutter and saves space at home while saving money.

 Co-Founded by influential parenting blogger and creator of A-List mom Elina Furman, Plegyo is the perfect way to supply your child with endless developmental tools and allow for that much needed quiet time at home! 

Three levels of subscription starting at just $15 allow you to find the plan that best suits you. They offer credit towards your account for sets and mixed bricks that you donate to them, and they provide the shipping label too! 

Pleygo is a perfect gift for a family friend, loved one, or birthday They are constantly expanding their inventory with more sets! 

As a reader of my blog you can receive your First Month FREE by clicking:  HERE!   or directly at www.Pleygo.com to register!

I can't wait to try their service!!

Wordy Wednesday....

A lot has been going on in our neck of the woods...so this post is just some random happenings...which no one will find new if you follow me on facebook....

1.  My life in the past few weeks consists of this....cleaning, school, yard work.  Cleaning, school, yard work.  Cleaning, school, yard work.  Ok, I have thrown in a little variety here and their, but that pretty much sums up the last few weeks.  With 4 kiddos and 40 fingers and 40 toes things get messy fast.  For example, I cleaned the entire house...again today and I just finished washing the windows...and I see my 6 year old just standing there making finger art on our back patio door...I probably went way overboard bizerk...but really??  I know she didn't mean to smear up the door, but she could have found another extra curricular activity don't ya think.

2.  Yard work.  Why on earth could I have not gotten my rear in gear and cleaned up our outside at the beginning of the summer...say Springtime?  I am now waiting until crunch time to get some well needed yard work done.  My husband is typically the keeper of the yard and does a pretty good job when he has time.  He has just been plain busy though.  And why on earth do we NOT own a power washer yet?  You should have seen me standing around for like 10 hours hosing down our back driveway last night.  Seriously...I am sure it was quiet comical. But it looks nice...until the kids are turned loose...which they are not allowed to go outside today...baths early and lots of TV watching today.  I am trying to contain them a bit.

3.  School.  I love homeschooling my kiddos.  Love it.  You should come along with us out in public during the day sometimes.  It is usually a hoot!  We were all around town last week and had quiet a few conversations about why my kids were not in school.  Were they all sick??  We must be out of towners since they weren't in school.  Do they like their new teacher this year?  You should have seen the looks they gave me when they were asked that.  I had to encourage them to say YES you do LOVE your teacher this year....since it was ME!!  Duh?!  That should have been a no brainer.  My kids handle the homeschooling questions quiet well and most love hearing about our little school life.  We rarely come across a negative response anymore....at least in person.

4.  Starting our journey westward.  No we do not have a new house yet.  No we haven't started our house hunt yet.  We are hopefully going to get our current house listed before the weekend starts and praying that it sells fast.  I am gearing up for a weekend of a million showings.  We shall see.  It would be nice to have at least one to make me feel that all of this immediate work has paid off.  I just know that if someone who is in the market for a house comes to visit...they will fall in love.

Back to our journey westward....the kids are starting a class at the Science Center about an hour west of here tomorrow!  I am super duper excited because a friend will be there with her kids.  She moved out that direction last year and we will soon be closer to her!  Yay!  AND next week I am hoping to go to a Mom's Night Out with a new co-op group that we are joining.  Can you say...I am extra super duper excited.  This will be a well needed night out for me.   Even if it is just a night a church listening to homeschool veteran mamas! I just hope the hubs can be around to watch the kiddos.  Another friend from my old MOPS group is going to be there too!

5.  Potty training.  I hate it.  Enough said.  I have tried this maybe like 500 times with my littles.  Now is just about the worst time to be starting it again.  I think it is all me and the lack of consistency.  But I still just hate it.

6.  My hubs.  Started his new job.  Finally.  He is on info overload, but had a good first day yesterday.  I miss him.  He leaves before we get up and gets home right before the kids are heading to bed.  He is already off to some weekend event, so he is excited.  Can't wait until we are back to normal.

Well a poopy child is calling my name....loveliness...did I tell you how much I hate potty training?