Its just so fun!

i got my camera, I love my camera, i want a new lens! Here are some good pics so far. I'm still learning how to use some of the functions. I never took a photography class or anything so its all new. Enjoy!

i cant wait!

Well Moriyah definately has whatever stomach bug we all had. Which translates into being awake much of the night. Yuk! She is now sleeping and i have tried to lay her down four times but she just wont stay asleep. i have given in and am just holding her. i started surfing the web and was looking at my new camera! Its the canon rebel xti, the digital slr! it was ordered last week and i keep thinking that i'm going to get a knock on the door and it'll be here. no such luck yet. im just sooo excited. this is what i remember feeling like for the couple weeks before christmas as a kid. my poor kids are going to hate me for the first couple weeks but i'll have to get some practice in. hee hee hee!

HELP!

This is the life of a mother. So far this week i've had 3 kids with diarrhea, 2 vomitting (with horrible aim i might add), two fevers, several upset stomachs, a runny nose and i think Hannah woke up this morning with the flu. All she's done today is sleep. Moriyah just got 3 shots, so i've ruined the only well kid. i don't want to have to deal with anymore bodily fluids, please just keep them to yourself.

I can feel myself starting to succumb to whatever has been floating around my house and all i want to do is go to bed. Sadly that is not a luxury a mommy gets when she is sick. Lucky for my kids that our screen restrictions will be very loosely enforced while i fight this bug.

We need a time out

This past Friday I substitute taught at the boys school for PE. I ended up having both the boys classes during the day. Here are a few things that I learned...

1. Every third grade girl will cry no matter what.

2. Boys need far less encouragement to play basketball.

3. Even if a game is not about scoring points kids will figure out a way to create a point system and therefore a winner.

4. When there is irrational crying nothing really helps, so just pray the forty minutes ends quickly.

5. Every kid wants to offer helpful advice about what is going on, even though you clearly have two perfectly good eyes and ears.

6. It really sucks when the teacher doesn't leave plans for you to follow.

7.Whistles are very commanding.

8. Blood gets everywhere and very quickly.

9. I have two of the best boys ever, and they're both good at basketball.

10. I never want to teach PE again.

This and That

My boys have been blogging lately. Many of you know of their old site, scurvy. They decided to go solo and get their own blogs. Isaac kept Scurvy and Andrew created a new blog called Meme. Check it out and look at the world through the eyes of two little boys. Please leave them a comment. they had come home everyday and checked their blog for comments. Only to be disappointed. I made a mental note to leave them one. Andrew checked his blog and said, "Yes! I got a comment!" Then I heard, "Oh, it was only mom."

Moriyah is seriously chubby. and we love it! I think that she's going to catch up to Hannah any moment. Hannah feels like you might break her if you squueze too tight. She just now weighs over 22 lbs. They are both darling and i love them very much. I would like to stop having the opportunity to love on them from the hours of 10 pm and 7 am. Hannah has very rarely slept through the night since september. Most nights Moriyah does better than her. I would love prayers for long uninterupted sleep.

We have been going to a church that is called SNC, it makes me think of SNL, saturday night church. They have a great band, the worship feels a bit like a rock concert. We are trying to get settled in their. the families pastor is very nice and a couple of the boys friends go there. The wolfgangs are doing pretty good over in very sunny and warm Redmond!

What is good for our children? Initial thoughts

Well when considering homework there are several components. First that it will help kids learn, or reinforce what is taught at school. Second that it helps them become more responsible. This is what I always thought the purpose of homework was. I guess I never thought about if homework really did do the things I expected it to.

My kids school district has a policy of 20 min a night. When we met with the teachers at the beginning I thought it was a great idea. That's not too long. Well Andrew is in 1st grade, each night he has an Accelerated Reader book he must read three times, a work sheet to do front and back, sometimes two worksheets, vocabulary words, spelling words and theme words for the week. Just recently she sent home books that have been photocopied to be read each night on top of the other stuff. Now any reasonable person can see that this will take a seven year old much longer to do than twenty minutes. Isaac's is not much better, time wise. But we have plodded along because, well i don't know. I guess because responsible parents make sure their kids do their homework.

My concern is that Andrew isn't enjoying any of the reading he's doing. Because his homework takes so long he no longer wants me to read out loud to him. He wants a chance to do other things. If kids spend all days at school then have to work for an hour or more they are going to miss out on some very important experiences. My kids like school and are able to do the work given to them, I can't imagine the home of a student who is strugling. Kids need the opportunity to do creative things that they think of on their own. Schools have been lessoning and lessoning the amount of time spent teaching the "less important" non tested subjects, art, music, pe.

There is a book that I am going to start reading called the homework myth by alphie kohn. Alphie kohn is notorious in the education world for being a bit extreme. He has written many books the only other one I'm familiar with is punished by rewards. He does not believe in any extrinsic rewards for kids. There is an article he wrote about this very subject here.

I'm sure I'll have many more thoughts on the subject as I make my way through the book. So stay tuned

Homework-opinions please

Well i was just wondering what you think about homework. Did you like to have homework when you were in school? Do you like homework for your kids? Why? Just trying to see what peoples thoughts are so if you ever had homework please leave your thoughts, i'll tell more about my thoughts later.

what i learned today

i just rediscovered how much i love teaching. i started substitute teaching in december. i just take 1 job a week on adams days off. so far i've been in a 2nd grade, sophomore english, middle school, and kindergarten. it was my latest assignment, kinder, thay reminded me i love teaching. i don't know exactly how to describe why but its challenging and new each day. it demands so much of you, which is good and bad. It has been such a blessing to get out and teach a little. i am hoping that i could work out a job share situation for next year. i guess we'll see how that goes.

My beauties

Moriyah today, what a cutie!
















so beautiful princess

Here's my goofball.

what puppydog eyes!

firsts

Well i have had several firsts this week. So here they go:

1. first day of professional teaching!
So I substituted in the second grade this tuesday. It went great. The kids were great, I made it through the day just fine. I don't by any means think that my actuall lesson teaching was of the highest quality, but hey I'm just a sub right?

2. first day to leave adam with both girls
He was just fine but both girls were coming down with a cold and Isaac was home sick that day. He really got a good first day with the kids! Moriyah did have a little trouble settling down and taking her baba, but in the end she will never refuse food.

3. first days of potty training hannah.
so i know that many people are thinking, isn't she young for that? and yes she is but its her idea. She's been asking for a month for her own potty. I finally got her one and she actually uses it. I thought surely it would just collect dust. We didn't get the boys trained until they were three. this girl is only 19 months. over the past several days she has told me she has to go potty and then gone. Last night she went from dinner to bed time with no accident, only in the potty! HIP HIP HOORAY! I hope she keeps it up. I got her princess pull ups today. Oh and when we were out and about she even told me she had to go. I am simply amazed by this child.

4. first time hannah has been weighed and lost weight.
she only weighs 20 pounds and 12 ounces, down from 21 pounds 4 ounces. this is concerning to the dr because she is now below the growth chart. She is going back in a couple weeks to get weighed and have her well child. since she was sick today they think, and so do i, that she lost that weight due to illness. I'm not really worried about her. she is developmentally just fine. infact she can talk your ear off, is potty trianing and won't let me dress her anymore. two's here we come!

5. first time moriyah played with her toys.
and by play i mean purposefully reach for them repeatedly. It was so cute. she is just adorable. I can't wait to show her off to our friends and family when we're in portland. I have the cutest dress for her.

well i'm sure i forgot something but i want to eat lunch before hannah and moriyah wake up and its a lost cause. I do so enjoy warm meals.

Identity Crisis

Well there is a bit of a war going on over the identity of this man:


The older ones call him Santa Clause, while Hannah insists that this is Noah. No amount of telling or reasoning can change her mind. No matter where we are she shouts Noah everytime she sees him. She gets her stubborness from me I must confess.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

Our whole family went up to a snow park just past the Santiam Pass Summit. We had a wintery, windy blast! We're going to go up again when we don't have two little girls with us and we have intertubes.

I hope that we have a white christmas. Just miss having a white thanksgiving! Now that I think about it, we'll be in Portland for Christmas, so probably not.

So Boys Whats on Your Reading List?

So what do you like to read boys, or I should ask what did you like to read as a young boy? What genre, author...

In doing a little reading online I stumbled accross this article, Matching boys with books.

I thought it was interesting, but I really enjoy educational research stuff. I know its not everyones cup of tea. This aricle is user friendly, not technical. It made me think about my boys, including my husband. I have always loved reading, it helps that I was good at it as a kid. Found it more difficult in recent years. My kids love reading. I have never worried about that. I know from our home that all my kids will be lifelong readers. Andrew complained the other day that I didn't get him a book from the library when I went, like I usually do. I didn't even realize that I did that. Isaac has to be pulled away from the latest Lemony Snicket book, The End, when its time for dinner. It came as such a shock to me that Isaac's teacher told me he has a hard time settling down with a book and reading at school. When wondering why that is I came accross this article.

Here are some quotes I liked from the article "Researchers and educators blame the gap between books and boys on everything from a built-in fidgetiness to low expectations"

Oh come on. Built in fidgetiness. How about unrealistic expectations for sitting still? I confess I am guilty of this, its so much easier to teach kids who sit and listen. But the next paragraph of the article cracked me up.

"But now more are suggesting that the problem may not lie entirely within the boys themselves. Some educators believe that the way schools teach reading tends to favor girls, both in terms of teaching style and reading materials chosen."

I thought it was funny that we would just decide to blame the problem on boys!! Oh that would be letting everyone off easy. "Why can't you read Johnny." "Well if you hadn't noticed I'm a boy."

I think, as an educator, that it is definately true that schools favor girls. Think about it. How many male elementary teachers did you have? I'm guessing you had more female teachers. A teacher naturally teaches to their learning style. Not on purpose but it just happens. So if most teachers are female it stands to reason that more of the time they are teaching a style that is more naturally female oriented.

"But it's not just the books, some insist. The classroom experience needs to be far more interactive...Boys are naturally drawn to action and movement, he points out, and teachers need to find ways of integrating their energy into the reading process."

When my boys were 3-4 they used to act out the story while I read it. They were completely engaged in the story just moving. It does present a management issue in the traditional classroom. When you have 30 kids its hard to read and track what they're doing, be it on task or not. When they're suppossed to be sitting and listening the movement can catch your eye. When I student taught we let everyone draw about the book. I think that is a good strategy but I also think boys need more gross motor movement than drawing provides.

My boys like non-fiction, especially when they were younger. Bugs, dinos, snakes, etc. Anything that is 'bathroom' humor(captain underpants). Adventure is big now. You should check out The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless by ahmet zappa.

To be Valued

I've been thinking the last few days about how it is people feel valued and what makes them feel not valued. Specifically how this relates to school. I was thinking we make our children go to school. Although my children have good attitudes about school, they are essentially there by force, captives for 6.5 hours. In that time they are forced to sit by people they don't choose, do things they don't want to do and then get scored on it.

I think boys have it worse than girls. Honestly most boys don't naturally fit into classrooms. In classrooms being quiet and still are valued. Boys, at least mine, are loud and never stop moving (even when sitting still my husband has to tap his leg, it drives me nuts when we're watching movies).

On top of all of this we are trying to make boys more neutral, pc or just trying to cover in case something happens. My son is no longer allowed to write in his own journal that everyone gets to write on their own topics about most anything that he is interested in. Nothing that involves violence. Just to let you know that means no: Yugioh, pokemon, star wars, heroscape, pirates...
The teacher then made two comments I found very funny.

1. We're just going to have to get him interested in something else.
Um, so to be in this class he has to completely alter who he is and what he likes. Well no wonder he doesn't like it. Maybe we could just sit down and draw up what it is that would be most convenient for us and let him know what he likes from now on.

2. When given a writing task it is hard to get him to complete it.
Duh! you just told him couldn't ever write about anything he likes. What did you expect?

All sarcasm aside I really am at a loss for how to deal with this whole situation. Its much deeper than what is said here and I feel ill equipped to handle it and make decisions regarding it. Please pray for Adam and I as we parent through this situation and for our children. I feel like this is the beginning of a long road for us and I'm so unsure of where we are headed and how to proceed.

"Get into my Belly"

Catching up

We have been settling in to a family of 6! Oddly enough being a mother of 4 isn't too much different than 3, just a little less sleep than the ideal. My baby girl is simply beautiful. She is doing great. Nurses like a champ, sleeps okay and is generally not fussy. Her siblings just adore her. Hannah's love is a bit squashy and I've had to say things I'd never expected. For example, "We don't lick babies."

I'm doing better than I expected. Physicaly I'm doing great but Adam starts his new schedule next week and I am so nervous about it. I love having him home for dinner each night. By that time of the day I can use the reinforcements. But beginning Wednesday he will be gone from 10-9. Leaving me the dinner hour, homework and putting to bed, plus attending to Hannah who can be an evening grump. I want to be a patient and loving mother and I'm afraid I'm going to be exhausted and get frustrated. It does help to know that it's only temporary, he'll have a new schedule in a few months.

Meet the newest wolfgang

Moriyah Jean
Made her debut into this world on October 5th.
7lbs 2 oz
20 1/4 inches
We are all doing well and came home from an interesting hospital stay today.
Thankfully our kiddo's are all still at their grandmas house and we can quietly get acquainted just mom, dad and Moriyah!

It's time for everyone's favorite game...

When do you think Moriyah will be born?
Date?
Time?
weight?
Length?

Here's a little info for a more informed guess.
1. I am officially due October 8th.
2. As of Friday I am 3 cm dialated.
3. She has dropped and is engaged at -2.
4. Here is a couple pictures my mom took of me today, 38 weeks pregnant.

5. As for my previous experiences, Isaac was a week early and both Hannah and andrew were a few days past their due dates.

The official Prize: complete bragging rights to being a genius as well as unlimited picture viewings on this very blog of the little darling.

I'm tired. so why don't you sleep? you may ask yourself

Well who knows. These days there could be lots of reasons. Mostly related to the minute by minute growth of my stomach area.

Tonight however i just can't shut off my brain. Does that ever happen to you? Its usually on a night where i really need some sleep. You know something important happening the next day. I can't think of anything that is out of the ordinary planned for tomorrow. But one never knows.

I am just feeling down today. I hate that I just can't fall asleep and wake up tomorrow feeling refreshed and ready for a new day.

What do you do when you can't sleep? I've run out of things. I've caught up on blog reading, read from my book, surfed a little on the internet... I should probably do some cleaning as I have been neglecting that but nah. Not tonight. Wish me luck I'm off to try again.

Kids say the darndest things...

This is a conversation that Andrew and I had the other day...

Me: "Andrew go get your glasses for reading your homework"
Andrew: "where are they?"
M: "on the computer desk"
Andrew runs and gets the glasses.
M: "we should take you to the dr and have your eyes checked to see if you need new glasses."
With a characteristic whine, Andrew: "Nooooooooooooooo"
M: "its not going to hurt. You just cover one eye and then tell them what you see."
A: " oh we just did that at school. The lady said I got 20 right and 30 wrong."