The wind has blown our glass storm door almost all the way off. What is it with the wind and our windows/doors?? First the van window now this! We have it secured so that it won’t fall and break everywhere. Pete will have to take care of it tomorrow…it’s more than this gal can handle right now! lol!!
I only had two kids show up for school today. The other two were tardy…one was VERY tardy. The VERY tardy kid didn’t get to do all he wanted to do today…hopefully he will not be tardy tomorrow! My Jake and Yellow were on time and ready to go…Belle came along about 30 minutes later.

Here’s what we studied today:

Nik…also known as the VERY tardy kid!
started a new section about reading for information
learned about matter and did a filtration experiment
started researching sheep
started reading the second Left Behind for kids book
copy work was the quote of the day
wrote chapter three of his story
fractions and review
Brief overview of “Firebrands”…Samuel Adams, Tom Paine, Patrick Henry
discussed Exodus 4:1 and a neat story I found from Beth Moore. I”ll have to post it later.
Jake: super-on-time kid:
fractions and review
listened to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Read 1 chapter of the Boxcar Children
practiced cursive writing using the word “hedgehog”
Brief overview of Firebrands
read about light and mirrors…will do experiments over the next few days
re-took a language arts test.
looked up the origin of different words…this was fun!
studied spelling words
discussed Exodus 4:1 and the Beth Moore story.
cooked dinner using our word-of-the-day in the name of the dish…Jake’s Crazy Coquilles…it was very good!!
Belle: better late-than-never kid:
practiced writing “M” and “m”
did an “M” worksheet
met “M’s” best friend “N”
listened to 5 books and started her list at http://www.allconsuming.net/
vaccuumed…without being told to do so!!! WoooHooo!!!
Yellow: refuses to bend in the morning kid:
had tummy time
practiced sitting on his own
practiced sitting in his Bumbo
listened to Eric Carle’s Animals book
ate these little puffy banana thingies that melt in your mouth….big big deal here because he won’t eat due to oral aversion!!!

Here’s a picture of the back of Yellow’s hair after the cut. I think his little head is so cute in the back…I love this new big boy cut!!

Copying and pasting again from Yellow’s Caringbridge site:

This is the post I just wrote for Yellow Dumpling Boy’s Caringbridge site. I’m running way short on time so I had to do the “copy and paste” thing!

We are still in the hospital…I forgot that we had to wait at least 3 days to see what grows in the blood cultures. We will be able to come home as soon as we find out what “cootie” it is and what antibiotic will conquer it. It is in his central line so if he can’t get on top of it his line will have to be replaced. So…please pray that the antibiotics that are being blasted through his central line will be effective.
Gus also had to have a potassium bolus because his potassium was “dangerously low”. His labs are starting to line back up and I can tell he starting to feel a little better. He is resting now…he was really struggling with “cotton mouth” earlier so we asked for more IV fluids to be hung. I am looking forward to tomorrow…I bet he’ll be feeling much better and will be smiling…I miss his smile when he’s sick!
Thanks for all the prayers…we have several requests right now:
for speedy recovery
for Gus’ transplant team as they figure out what to do about his TPN because he is losing weight
rest for Mom and Dad
Praises:
Johnson City Children’s Hosp. has given us ALL great care
Gus is doing better at “listening”
Pittsburgh, Dr. Strobel (GI doc) and the Doriots’ are all on the same page concerning Gus’ care!! WooHooo…I wasn’t sure that was ever going to happen! lol!!
Got to get back to Gus before he wakes up a realizes that I’m not there!

You can read about Yellow at www.caringbridge.org/visit/gusdoriot
One day I’ll get that added to the sidebar! lol!!

I’m going to go back to Yellow’s room now and quilt, watch Lifetime (yep, I get sucked in everytime we are in the hospital! lol!!) and maybe read a book….and hopefully sleep!

We have had wonderful weather today…which is nice after the horrible wind yesterday! The kids spent the afternoon in the backyard…riding Yellow Dumpling Boy around in the Barbie Jeep, laying out a new clubhouse design, cleaning the really cool aquarium we got through FreeCycle and a few other fun things! The aquarium is going to become a frog habitat. I’m not really sure what frogs need or even like, but I saw a plastic fork leaning against the side of the glass! lol!! Anyway, needless to say we are a smidge behind now on our readin’, writin’ and rithmetic but we’ll catch up sometime….the fun we had was just as important!!

Now…to explain the title. Belle and I were taking Yellow to his aural therapy (listening therapy) which is in a clinic at East TN State University….where it is impossible to get a parking space anywhere near the clinic! I told Belle that we needed to pray for a parking space right in front of the building…so we did. I pulled around the dorms and what do you think was waiting there for me?? You got it…the perfect parking space!! We thanked God…Belle thought it was “cool” that God had done that for us. Fast-forward to this evening…..Belle is studying “M” and we were thinking about things that start with an “M” that we could add to her museum (from Phonics Museum). She thought m&ms would be great (me too!). I Told her we didn’t have any here…big pause….I can see the wheels turning….then she blurted out “Hey! I have a great idea!! Let’s ask God to bring us m&ms just like we asked him to find us a parking space!!” So we asked God to bring us some m&ms! I love that we can ask God for even the smallest things!!

Wow! We had heavy winds last night and today. Our Christmas tree that had been tossed out by the road had blown back up in front of the house. Then this happened today….

Where oh where is our little van window…oh where, oh where can it be?????? Pete and Belle went back to the hospital (Pete’s work) and school but no sight of the window. Ya gotta laugh..it’s always an adventure!!!

Today is Yellow Dumpling Boy’s Birthday!! He’s one now and I just can’t believe the journey he has taken us on this past year. I was hoping for a liver/bowel transplant for his birthday…doesn’t look like that will happen but there are a couple more hours left in the day so you never know!! You can read more about Yellow Dumpling Boy at www.caringbridge.org/visit/gusdoriot Please, Please, Please sign the guestbook…it is a real encouragement for us!!

Here’s what went on in school today:

Nik:
decimals
wrote an action story…actually wrote 2 chapters!
aced a spelling test
wrote descriptive phrases about David (from the Bible) and two characters from a story he is reading
described a scene from I Samuel 16
copywork was the quote of the day
practiced reading “Green Grasshopper”
No Chemistry or History today because the books are MIA. I have a very bad habit of “moving around” with our school books.

Jake:
long division and multiplication and review
took a spelling test
studied vocabulary words and alphabetized them
read 2 chapters of the first Boxcar Children
quote of the day for copywork
practiced reading “Sally and Mandy”
began researching Mario Batali ( Malto Mario on the Food Channel)
Belle:
Made apple prints…which didn’t turn out right and I can’t figure out why!
finished letter Aa in Phonics Museum
Read Caps for Sale . We discussed Proverbs 6:10-11, talked about handlebar mustaches, looked at the beginning and ending scenes, tried to balance things on our heads. Lots of fun!
Started our We Can Hear book by taking pictures of Lydia the cat, Princess the dog, Daddy snoring, Granny singing and Yellow crying. We also got a picture of Yellow pulling out his hearing aids…that page will say “Gus can’t hear!”
Tomorrow we are going to catch up on Chemistry, light experiments and the Firebrands for History. We are also going to surf some Olympic sites. Of course, we’ll do all the other “stuff” too….I want them to work like dogs tomorrow! lol!!!

to school. Things went fairly well. I’m just going to give a quick overview of what everyone did today…I’m tired and we have to take a road trip to a dr. appointment tomorrow so I need to go to sleep. I’m no fun! lol!! Hopefully we will not have to check into “Club Med” (the hospital) while we are there…but just in case I’m going to pack a change of clothes for everyone…and much to their dismay their school books! lol!!

Here’s a bit of our day….

Doodle:

• started his new Alpha Omega language arts lifepac…I should have done this a long time ago! lol!!

• worked on dividing fractions

• read the first lesson in Chemistry and did a quick data-gathering exercise

• started reading Johnny Tremain

• read The Baroque Marble and we talked about “inference”

• copywork was Matthew 7:7-8 and he drew a picture depicting the first chapter of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I’ll have to post a picture later…it was funny! lol!!

• discussed the Road to Revolution…The Stamp Act, Townshend Act, Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.

• worked online jigsaw puzzles

• read to Jake this evening

Bounce:

• also started his new Alpha Omega LA lifepac.

• worked on equations and long division

• did several experiments with light. We need to finish up the other experiments on a sunny day!

• started reading the first Box Car Children book..can’t think of the title.

• started reading The Race

• copywork was also from Matthew 7:7-8 and a picture

• discussed the Road to Revolution

• learned how to clean the microwave

• changed Gus’ diaper several times!!! Impressive!

Ippy:

• started Phonics Museum…letter Aa
• cut up fabric into teeny tiny pieces
• created beautiful art with her new art supplies
• practiced ballet with her Bella Dancerella
• played outside with a new friend!

Yellow Dumpling Boy:

• took a walk…or rather a “carry” outside to see a dog
• practiced sitting up
• slept a lot!!

Me:

• worked on my Pink Madras quilt that I’m still trying to name
• cleaned off my big drafting table
• only drank one cup of coffee!! lol!! Now that’s a big feat for me!!

off to bed….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I think I must have gotten sucked into “Christmas”!! It seemed like a whirlwind!

We are still on break right now…I’m waiting on our Phonics Museum workbook and our new chemistry book from
Bright Idea Press to get here. I went ahead and ordered
Alpha Omega language arts lifepacs for the boys. I’ve never been one to just buy the “boxed” curriculum….but I’m there now! LOL!! I need something that takes less planning on my part. We are going to be going to Pittsburgh for Yellow Dumpling’s transplant sometime here in the future and I thought it would be easier with less school planning. We are planning on relocating for the year following the transplant so all the kids will be with us…and we will continue to homeschool which is freaking a lot of people out!! I can’t imagine going to Pittsburgh and leaving my other children behind in order for them to go to public school….it’s too easy for us to all move there for a year. I’m about to step up onto my soapbox….but….maybe another day!

I’ve decided to try to make cloth diaper’s for Yellow Dumpling Boy. We go through about 1 pack of 48 diapers in 2 days. Since Yellow is a “short gut” baby, he stools often and it’s very acidic….I tell you this not to gross you out but to give you the background on why his butt is RAW!! Sooo…in my search for a better “environment” for his buns, I’ve decided to make the diapers and doublers/soakers…ok, ok…the real reason is that I don’t have enough laundry to do! lol!! I would appreciate any advice concerning cloth diapering…I’m a newbie!