The TWINS that CAN'T stay together

So, I don't know about you, but we have two sets of twins in our house.  One set loves to run and play together and the other...let's just say they can't seem to get along...they want to get as far apart as possible!

The second pair is really a pair...a pair of socks!  We can't keep any of our socks together, well I should say the kids can't keep any of their socks together.  So, I started doing what my mom did for us when we were little.  I purchase a ton of baby safety pins and about two Christmas' ago I gave my son a bag full of blue ones, and each of my daughters their own colors with a bag of  brand new socks.  They had fun with it for a while.  But, as all creative kids do, they started using them for tents, making dresses out of blankets and using the baby pins to hold them in place.  Slowly, the pins kept disappearing.

Now, my  kids have all done their laundry since they were 7, so I figured they would love the fact that they didn't have to search for matching socks when putting their laundry away.  That it would make it easier.  NOPE.  I would find socks all over the place.  I would ask whose it was...never anyone in my house.  Strange, don't you think?

So, I realized I needed to come up with a different way for my family.  What my mom had taught me was not working.  So, this week I purchase some new socks.  Each one in my family got a package.  And I did this to them:

On each sock, for the girls on the bottom and for my son on the toes, I put their name in permanent marker.  Then on each pair I gave them a number.  So, they know what socks go together.  If I find one on the floor they can not claim that it is not theirs.  I know.  It says so.  They each got a set for the whole week.

So, they SHOULDN'T have any problems.  

We shall see how this process goes.  I even did my husband's so the kids' can't say that they are his.  And when my new pack of socks come in the mail I will do the same to mine, since my son and I where the same size now.  My husband and I can prove to the kids that they are the ones leaving their socks everywhere...not mom and dad.

Now to prove that we aren't the ones leaving the toilet paper holder empty...hmmmm....

Daddy Daughter Date at Chick-fil-a

Jason found out about this event at Chick-fil-a and signed himself and the girls to go.  They were so excited they got all dressed up and even helped dad with his outfit. 

They looked great.  Ready for a night at Chick-fil-a and time with their favorite man (and mine too, of course.)

The girls with Chick-fil-a cow was adorable.  The excitement in their faces undeniable!  

I love those girls! 

Daddy and Kiley

Having more fun! 

Daddy, the cow and Karli

The tables were beautifully decorated.  They had reservations, a waitress that took 

care of all their needs and  they also got to go in...

Something that made their faces look this excited...

A LIMO RIDE!!!!  

OH THE EXCITEMENT!!! (Check out the video below for their reactions)

After the Limo ride...they enjoyed a Cookies and Cream shake for desert.  8)  

 Apparently, Karli adored the cow and wouldn't stop giving her a hug.  So they gave finally good-byes to end a fun evening.  

What an AWESOME DADDY!  

They can't wait to do it again!

(Video of their fun reaction)

Blessings of the Heart

So each night we bless our children, each one by one.  We have since this summer and being challenged by our devotional at family camp (Camp Grow).  Last week while I was blessing our daughter Kiley, God laid it on my heart to start praying every night for healing of her heart.  Why not, our God is an amazing God and can do ANYTHING!  And when I mean ANYTHING, He could say tomorrow that her heart is healed.  I believe it with everything in me.  I also believe he can say no.  But, He has challenged me to just ask.  I think part of the challenge is from studying Revelation and the magnitude of importance the prayers of the saints are to Him.
So, each night I hold my hand over her heart and pray.  Pray for healing. Pray that every single problem with her heart will go away and that it will be fully healed.

Tonight, as I prayed over her heart, she looked up at me and said, "Mom, could you add in there that He would allow me to have kids.  I really want to have kids."  She knows, that as of now, the next surgery for her will be when she is an adult.  She also has been informed that as of now the medicine she would have to go on will not allow her to have kids.  As of now.  We know that medical advances came happen at anytime, but she knows.  She also knows that we have a God who cares about our wants and wants us to depend on Him to have them.

Felt like sharing this tonight.  May He be your comfort with whatever you are going through today.  Remember that we have a God who is in control of EVERYTHING.  He cares.  He knows. And He wants us to trust and depend on Him.

My Organized Homeschool Schedule...yeah, right!

So, I saw this picture on Google and fell in love with it.  Why, because that is how I feel.  Especially at the end of our homeschool year.  At the beginning, yeah I had it all together (at least it looked that way!).  But, truly it is hard to be organized trying to teach four kids, in three different grades.  So, as I do EVERY YEAR at the end of school I search the blogs.  For what, you ask?  For more ideas on how to coordinate our schooling, to make it better.  I take what I learned from last year, and try and tweak it.  I ALWAYS get to March or April and start DYING!  Literally.  I drop all my good ideas, creative incentives and just push toward the goal we all have...to be done!  I have many different ideas I have done in the past: 
*Progress Report Night
*Revised Workbox Idea
*Summary of things learned a couple of years ago

This year I started out with a new idea and it was great, but hard to keep up.  So, I switched to another one during the year.  Here is what I learned this year.  Hopefully, it will help you, if not be entertained.

I started this year with a chart (thought I had a picture, but can not find it. Will have to post when I do.) that my kids could move over a subject tab (that had velco on the back) to the done section.  I did this so they could keep track of their progress and then they wouldn't keep asking me if they were almost done.  This worked great, but I only got two done in time for school to start and the other two never got one...yeah, remember I am only semi-organized. 8-)  So, since I didn't have ones for all the idea went by the wayside.  So, I also found that one of my students (I won't label which one) kept saying he was done with his work, but would not complete all said tasks.  I would not figure this out until I would grade everything at the end of the week.  So, then I had to come up with a new system.  They all had a notebook and I would write the assignments in the notebook and then as they accomplished the work I would grade it and check it off.  Then they could get a sticker at the top of the page, should this happen they would get their three school dollars for the day.  At the end of the week, the school store would open and they could buy items (priced differently) at the store.  This worked great and if they didn't listen then I would take a school dollar away.  This worked great until March...then I just wanted to plow through and didn't enforce it so much...I paid for it.  We will do this next year. 

These are some of my ideas, and I have been researching some more.  I am always open to hearing new ideas.  Please let me know yours.  I will be posting soon about how I scheduled things.  It wasn't perfect, but maybe it would help you out in your scheduling.  That is what makes us all better picking ideas from others to work.  Now, if I could just finish what I start I would be on the right track!  One day at a time!

Building Character

"The world of the [very] young...[is] a place where good and evil are clearly stamped. It's a place where the better part of human nature triumphs over tragedies, and where innocence rides high." --Rosemary Wells

Building Character, it seems so hard these days. I recently was skimming for more information in A Well Trained Mind (I book I have come to love, I don't use everything in it, but it has helped me a lot!) when I got to the chapter about building character. There were a few books that caught my eye. I researched them and found this one. So I have taken it along with me to the library. It lists different books that, through the stories themselves, build character. The author discusses how some of the books are a great starting point for discussions, where as others are ones that the stories speak for themselves.

"The growth of the imagination demands windows--windows through which we can look out at the world and windows through which we can look into ourselves. The old stories were windows in just this way." --Katherine Paterson

The book is broken into different categories. I have started with the Picture Books. It is funny how there are some really great books out there you didn't even know exist. I strongly suggest if you don't have this book, get it. Here are a few that we have come across that have a really liked:

Brave Irene by William Steig

The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown

Someone has reminded us...

So for those of you who read my blog from a couple of days ago: http://theplatt6.blogspot.com/2009/06/constant-pulling.html
this little article on another blog might be of some comfort to you.
It was encouraging to me, and I wanted to share it with you. I have come across this blog before in searching another topic and found it amazing. I haven't checked back on it for a while, until today when my friend Jennifer sent me to it. I think I just might have to add it to my link list as I have really come to find it a refreshing place and a encouraging one as well. Check out this cool ariticle:
http://blog.bravewriter.com/2009/06/15/the-crush-of-young-kids/

A New Favorite and the Wisdom Wall

My new favorite book that has helped me out with train my kids is Parenting with Scripture by Kara Durbin. It is a great book that is divided by different topics and gives verses that go along, as well as, discussions for you and your children to have regarding the topics. Then it gives you an action to do to reinforce those values. Click this link to see an inside view of this wonderful book. We have been using this as a great bible time at the beginning of our school day. When I am instructing the kids it is a great reference to what God has to say about different issues that they are dealing with. And since I don't have the book with me at all teaching moments, I made my own wisdom wall that I can glance at whenever I need it. I can also have the kids come over and read a definition of what they have done and the the corresponding verse. Depending on what they have done they can copy it out for me. It has taken me seven years to figure out how to handle my scatterbrain self and with disciplining my kids (they even have to remind about their punishments sometimes, sad I know!)! Post notes everywhere!!! The verse I am working on James 1:19, "Everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." Is laminated and posted on my bathroom mirror. All the cards on the Wisdom Wall are laminated so that I won't have to do it again! 8-) They are taped so I can easily take them off to have a child right it out and then stick it back on the wall. Now, I didn't do all of the topics, just ones that they are working on right now...that seem to be a problem. As you can see, there are enough. I have had to use the wall from time to time for my attitude too! So, it has been a great reminder for me as to what God really wants me to do! Check out this book, it has been such a great resource for me. I just "stumbled" upon it, although I think Someone much bigger than me actually tripped my feet to find it! I hope this book encourages you, as it has me. Happy Parenting!