CELEBRATING ERIN

We had so much fun celebrating Erin's birthday recently. Here she is enjoying her birthday tiramisu!

IT'S ADVENT SEASON...

Advent is never as exciting as when you have 5 and under little somethings in the house... and when chocolate is involved. They adore receiving a chocolate kiss first thing in the morning.

CHRISTMAS TEA

I am all about traditions, and loved starting a new one this year. It's a Christmas tea party for the ladies of the family. We let Ian tag along, because Dad was at work, and also... he wanted to sample the sweets. Every lady contributed something, and we created a feast! Moriah provided some beautiful Bach piano music to set the mood. Even a Minnesota snowstorm can't keep us ladies from having a good time!!

"SLEIGH RIDE" AT ORCHESTRA HALL

It is true... we pour into our children what we ourselves are passionate about. And music blesses me so much, that I made sure the kids and I shared a morning of special music this week. The Minnesota Orchestra does some great concerts for children, and we went to our first one. I was armed with sweets and silent toys, if need be. My theory is, don't take out the needed props until absolutely necessary. It buys a little extra time. So the kids were content to sit for 45-60 minutes, while our ears savored beautiful orchestrations. I think we can never underestimate the profound, positive impact that quality music can have on young ears. I won't get all scientific or spew Mozart Effect data, but really. Little ears benefit from feasting on quality music!

THE TREE IS UP!!

There's nothing I love more than to watch my children, giddy with quiet excitement, gently picking up then carefully placing each delicate ornament on the waiting tree. Ummm... the excited part was true but the rest a bit of a stretch. I was grabbing the breakable ornaments like mad, ensuring that none of them broke into a million pieces on our hardwood floor as their little feet pitter-pattered amidst their joyful antics. Lots of happy noise. Their enthusiasm was making me nervous, so I confiscated all of the glass ornaments. Then Tom and I turned up the Christmas tunes, sat down with some pulla and hot chocolate, and let them go to town. The final result was stunning... if not a bit bottom heavy. :)

Finnish coffee bread, kylla!

I'm sure I do a pulla blog each year. But it's really that special. Li'l sister Moriah has been putting it away so quickly, I can hardly bake fast enough! Mmmmm... Christmas.

NEW ADDITION

I made an extremely exciting purchase on Craiglist this past week. It's a set of 3 bookcases that when set next to each other resemble a wall-to-wall bookcase! I am a book junkie and have stacks of books piled around, so our house is much more presentable since these bookshelves entered our existence. One nice little perk is that Nina gets my hand-me-down bookshelf in her own room. So now both of the kids have a bookcase in their room, which is just as I would like it. I want them to have books at their disposal all day every day; every

waking, breathing moment! Books that captivate, enlighten and enhance!! So I have age-appropriate books in each of their rooms. It can be a challenge for me to read when they are both awake and traipsing around the house, but I squeeze a bit in here and there (my most productive reading time is after they're in bed for the night). It is sweet music to my soul to see their little eyes delving into a book!

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

We had fun shopping for children the same age and gender as Ian and Nina. They were very helpful in picking out what they would have wanted, and then wrapping and handing them off to children less fortunate. We wish we could see the children receive them!

MY LITTLE HELPERS

One of the best parts of making homemade applesauce is the little munchkins who help. They are also surprisingly appreciative of the finished product. It turned out pink, and they were delighted!

HALLOWEEN 2010

Here is a photo of the kids at the zoo Halloween event, called HallZOOween, and really loved it! We walked around, looking at the animals while the zoo volunteers passed out some candy and small toys.

Then we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. It was chilly but fun!

FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

So.... I've had people inquire as to why Tom and I are choosing to home educate our kids. I have been mentally compiling a list of the reasons why. Some are foundational, but other are just perks now that we've made the decision! But mostly, it is the direction that we know God is leading us in.

When I was beginning to consider what type of schooling to do with the kids, a trusted friend said that she views parenting like a funnel - she keeps a protective grip on her children when they are young, then gradually loosens the grip little by little as they grow. It is a natural progression. Sometimes parents can attempt to do the opposite - overcommitting their children and letting them free more in their earlier years. Then they might tighten the grip in junior high or high school (out of fear of what their child will become involved in), just when their kids need freedom and to express individuality. I was really drawn to this analogy, and thought that having the kids with me more in their younger years was a wise decision.

I have also heard it said that to young children, time = love. I have a hard time thinking of letting Ian go to school 4-5, then 8 hours of the day. These are precious hours that I would love to spend with him! I am not saying that I expect to be with him all day every day throughout all of his schooling years, but I am just appreciating the extra hours that I get with him now!

Some skeptics of homeschooling say that socialization is an issue. Of course it is good for kids to get social interaction, but I think that much of the social climate in the public schools (and even private) is not always positive or productive. My kids have a homeschooling co-op that they attend twice a month, where they have time with kids their own age doing activities, and I also involve them in other fun pursuits, such as church, music lessons, swimming lessons, etc. I like that I can tailor the activities to what they are interested in and also what they are naturally gifted in. I think this has worked wonderfully already.

I also have concerns with how time is managed in schools. I personally remember lots of wasted time, and those are hours I would love to be spending with my children instead!

I love the idea of having control over WHAT my kids are learning (no, I am not a control freak)! First off, I want the freedom to integrate God's Word into my children's lives. Yes, I could always supplement if they were in public school, but I want the Bible to be a living, breathing, natural part of their lives. Not an afterthought, but the BACKBONE of their learning experience! I also have flexibility to choose what to study in each subject, and I find this liberating. There was much I learned in public school that was truly unnecessary and irrelevant to my life.

Some people feel intimidated by the thought of homeschooling, because they don't have all the answers. Do any of us?? I may not know all the answers to my kids' questions (especially Ian... he's fires them out nonstop), but I know where to find them, and I enjoy learning WITH them. It is exciting to be alongside them on their journey!

Lastly, I don't expect perfection. From any method of schooling. I know that most of my teachers had the best of intentions and did well teaching me and my peers. I just weighed the advantages and disadvantages of each method, and we came to the conclusion that this was a good fit for us. For now. That may change in the near future, or maybe not for 10 years. I am actually leaning towards having the kids in public school later.

Here is a photo of the kids on their first day of homeschool co-op (Ian in kindergarten, Nina in nursery). Cuteness abounds.

APPLE ORCHARD TIME!

BARTEN'S PUMPKIN FARM

Here are photos from a fun field trip I went on recently with the kids. It is our first official field trip with our homeschooling co-op, and the weather was simply perfect. I adore fall in Minnesota! This particular farm is a family-owned business - so cute and cozy. We had a hay ride into the pumpkin patch, a peek at the growing shittakes in their little wooded area, and a sample of some homemade pumpkin cake. So we'll take our pumpkins, gourds and beautiful mum plant home and enjoy the best of what Minnesota has to offer!

"CHEESE!!"

Do my kids like having their picture taken? Our little dears have a recent tendency to respond hypnotically whenever the camera is aimed at them. I hear chants of "Cheeeeeeeese" (this can last minutes, with only gasps for air) and their eyes wide and almost glazed over. It seems for so long I wanted them to at least SMILE, then to look AT the camera. Now, could they at least look a little more natural? Is it too much to ask????

Here they are on Ian's birthday, being their usual charming selves.

SPARKLE CONFERENCE

I was so glad this year to have my two sisters Erin and Moriah join me, and also my mother-in-law Carol! I loved hearing Priscilla Shirer's teaching, and the worship was amazing.

SPARKLE PREP

Here I am, with some beautiful ladies from my church, prepping for the Sparkle women's conference. Is it possible to have too much pink? Or sparkles?? I think not.

MORIAH IS NOW A MINNESOTAN!!

I am elated to report that my youngest darling sister Moriah is attending college in the sweet state of Minnesota. Who knew that half of our immediate family would eventually reside in the Gopher State? We now have a majority and will demand others to follow suit. Okay, maybe not... but they are coming here for Christmas this year!

Here are photos of when I picked Moriah up last weekend. Isn't her dorm fantastic?? A castle, really.

Ian had fun on her lofted bed! Almost napped for once.

FAMILY PHOTO

Wouldn't be complete without Ian's VW beetle.

BIRTHDAYS AND SUCH

September is birthday month around here. Quite easy to break the bank, if I do say so myself. Especially considering that our firstborn claims September as his birth month. This month he turns 5, and we did a dual birthday celebration with his Grandpa Tom, since three members of the family will be on a missions trip to Swaziland Africa on Ian's actual day. He had no complaints about celebrating early, however!

I couldn't resist tying a huge lollipop to one of his presents. We bought him a compartmentalized kid's money bank (save, spend, give), an atlas, and a framed car painting.

I'm not huge on buying toys. I'd rather buy a book any day!

I had fun making this "Slug Bug" cake (as it was called in the Kid's Cake Book). Whatever will I do when my kids are grown and want a normal birthday cake??

JUST BEIN' CUTE

I was going through my pictures, looking for blog photos and realized that these photos are quite cuter in progression than standing alone. My kids know how to ham it up for the camera!

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

One of my favorite things to do with my sisters is cook!! So I had a grand time when Moriah and my parents brought some Michigan blueberries for us to do with as we pleased. We used a recipe from Marilyn Savolainnen, a friend of my mother's, that had cardamom and cinnamon in it. I was skeptical at first, but they were delish!