Well, as most of you know, I’m now an “official” homeschool mom.

Whoa.

Even though I’m very familiar with homeschooling and know lots and lots (and lots!) of people who do it, I still feel very intimidated by the task and frequently question our decision to homeschool.

And, if you know me at all, you know that I’m the anti-crafty lady.  Crafts run away when they hear me coming.  They know I’ll butcher them and they will end up in the trash.  As much as I try to like scrapbooking, (and have heard-tell of the joy of scrapbooking retreats) it is my arch nemesis.

Cutting, pasting, finagling: I’m no good. (I do like to color, however.)

So, I can’t help but laugh when I see pictures of the science project (read: glorified craft) the kids and I did last week.  They loved it.  And I loved that they loved it.  Even though cutting that cardboard was some form of hand-in-scissor torture.

Now, my sweet Eliza could do crafts all day.  And she is slowly helping to redeem the craft cynical side of me.

She and Seth watched with great anticipation as we took our homemade weathervane out to the front sidewalk.  We set it on the ground and held our breaths.

Apparently the wind was holding its breath too.  Barely a breeze to be felt.  Finally someone must have exhaled strongly enough to cause the weathervane’s arrow to wiggle and look as though it might spin. Squeals of delight abounded.

So, with a weathervane under our collective belt, I now dub us a real homeschool family.  Which makes me a real homeschool mom. (OK, OK, enough snickering).  But seriously, what have I gotten myself into?!!

Elianna turned two on Friday.

We are so thankful for her life!  And to commemorate the event, here’s a little reminder of her life this past year.

The top ten things of Elianna’s year as a 1-year-old (from her mother’s perspective):

1) You speak!  In sentences, even!  (Sometimes anyway..)  Your vocabulary is exploding and I only wish we could understand more of it!

2) You’re becoming masterful at jumping and spinning, which you do whether the occasion warrants it or not.  You definitely have a streak of your father’s daring in you.  We’ll see if it lasts.

3) You’re quite attached to your daddy.  More so than Eliza and Seth were during their 1-year-old year.  I love this!

4) You love to smile.  Every so often you try to hide this fact, but just a little prodding and your smile can’t help but burst on the scene.  Your smile is beautiful.

5) You and your “nuk-nuk” have gone everywhere together.  We are slowly de-taching you from it.  Hopefully when I write this year-in-review for age 2, it will be gone.

6) You aren’t a big fan of going to the nursery.  You never put up any fuss during the first year and a half of your life, so I’m not complaining now.  I’ll just say that you would prefer not to go, but I always get a good and cheerful report of your time spent there.

7) You love animals.  You like to ride Bob-the-pony.  You hold chickens by yourself.  You ask dogs to lick you.

8) You motor around the pool independently (well, independently with water wings..).  You cry when I make you get out.  You love love love water.

9) You like to sing!  Yay!  However, you don’t like to be put on the spot; you enjoy singing when your by yourself, just playing and singing.

10) The overwhelming theme of this past year (and perhaps of much of the next few years?) is that you like to keep up with your sister and brother.  You really really don’t like being left behind.  You will try a number of new things, simply because your sister and brother are doing it.

So, Elianna Faith, our God answered our prayers when He gave you to us.  And we pray that you will call on the Lord and that He will answer you.  And His answer will be the gift of salvation.  We pray that your infectious smile and vibrant personality will be a gateway to sharing the Good News with those you meet.  We love you, Ya-ya.

A pox on our house, really.

Eliza has the chicken pox.  And yes, she had the vaccines, which is making this a very mild case (as opposed to the sometimes life-threatening cases that children used to be faced with).

So I’m thankful for the vaccine and hoping the other kids avoid it altogether.

I thought about posting pictures of the pox, but thought that might be kind of weird and child-abusive-ish.  So, I’m opting for some happy non-pox pics instead.

In their pj’s, watching the duck family swim around the pond one morning (I use the term “morning” loosely).

Seth and Elianna doing the afternoon snack thing.

Elianna’s attempt at giving her brother a smooch..

Dodds’ kiddie couch snuggle.

Snuggle’s done, time for  some goofy fun.

Sisters with shut-eyes and smiles.

And a second attempt to smooch Seth, this time successful, by Eliza.

So, unlike the Shakespearean curse, “a pox on your house,” (and unlike my title) I hope there is no chicken pox at your house.

My parents have a shetland pony named Bob, and a quarter horse called Gray.

We’ve been spending quite a bit of time with these animals.  The children’s interest in the horses differs quite greatly.  They all love being out at the barn, but only Elianna is really thrilled about riding them.  So thrilled that she cries when she gets taken off of Gray.

Doing it all by herself.

natural born cowgirl.

I was there too!

Seth is fairly indifferent.  He’ll do it, but would rather be digging in the dirt or chasing cats and dogs (both of which he is allergic to).

this is not our pony, but a really sweet one named Buddy.

workin' hard to keep the cooler handy.

he may not like riding, but he loves his boots.

And Eliza really does not like to ride.  Terrified is the word that comes to mind.  It makes her nervous and she’d rather just pet them or look from a distance and then go chase any other small creature she can find.  She’s scared of horses, but loves snakes and lizards!  

happy just to watch.

managing a smile, but can I get down please!

taking a break.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned on my blog before that I used to show Quarter Horses competitively.  It feels like another life.  But hanging around the horses and barn sure does bring back memories.  It was a large part of my life and it disappeared quickly, because of a back injury.

It’s fun to get back around horses and see the kids with them and their differing personalities.  God makes them each so unique with their preferences, fears and loves.  I’m glad that they all like being out in the country; I don’t care whether or not they like to ride horses, just that they enjoy horsin’ around!

peeking through.

…for baby milkDodds #4.

We found out a little over a week ago that we are expecting another baby.  Our due date looks to be March 1st, 2010.  

As you can see, the kids all have their opinions as to what the baby (or babies, as Eliza hopes) should be.  In Eliza’s words, “We have too many girls in our family.”  So, she’s hoping for a couple boys to even things out (or tip the scales really).

Seth has reiterated now, many times, that he’s hoping for a little girl just like Elianna.  Because, “I like Elianna.”

And Elianna kind of mumbled “brother” when I asked her.  Then I said, “So you want a brother?”  And she said, “Yes.”  There you go.

Tom and I couldn’t be happier and are thankful that the Lord has seen fit to bless us with a child once again.  We know that this baby is a gift right from his hand.  A gift that He formed and breathed life into.  It was no accident or fluke, nor are any other babies formed in the secret place.

PSALM 139:13-16
“For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.”

We are praying for the health of the new baby growing in the womb, and, more importantly, we are praying that this baby comes to know God and His Son Jesus.  And that God will unmistakably lay His claim on this child’s life.

We pray that we will be able to say this to our new baby and all our children one day,

2 Timothy 3:15 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Thanks be to God our Father who knows how to give good gifts to His children.

(Shameless idea theft from the Gammons Fam on how to share the news).