Spoiled Cat

A Claws update is needed!  

Yes.  This cat is still around.  It is truly a miracle.  In my eyes and the kids eyes.  Mallory will sometimes say, "I can't even believe we have our very own cat."  

It is starting to get really cold at night and we had to figure out what we were going to do with Claws.  We didn't know where he slept, but we wanted him to have a warm place if/when he needed it.  He basically uses us for food.  He seems to show up at meal times every day.

Jesse and the kids spent approximately 4 hours building/installing a cat door into our shop.  They built a ledge on the outside of the window and the inside of the window.  So he could lay in his bed and look out the window!!  Spoiled!  

While they were building this luxury cat spot... Claws was outside and he heard them sawing metal and he flipped out!  He did not like that noise at all!!

When they get it all done they want to show Claws his new home.  So they go and get him and they can not get him into the shop.  He won't go in.  He heard that awful noise and wants nothing to do with it.  Oh yeah... he isn't deaf anymore.  He is really good at ignoring us!  Like super good!  He hears!  The kids and Jesse tried to carry him and he meows and paces and stresses out.

Every day for about 5 days they would slowly try to get Claws into the shop.  They would only allow him to eat if he came in there.  Well they eventually won and he now likes the shop.

This is just a boy who thinks he is one cool kid with his jacket and bomber hat!!  

Doodle Bug

If I get a pencil in my hand and I have paper... I am going to doodle all over that!  My bible study books are covered in doodles.  So much so that a few weeks ago I decided to just take a notebook.  This is one bible study session of doodles.  

Then it branched into recreating signs I was seeing.

Now I am hooked!  I am filing this notebook and it has been so relaxing.  I had no idea this creative side of me needed to come out more.  

A Peek at the School Table

Some day I may want to look back and remember what it looked like doing school.  I took a couple snapshots a week ago.

We all sit at a table together.  Which might sound all warm and fuzzy and sweet.  But one of these kids (cough-Mallory-cough) likes to spread out over the whole table forgetting that the rest of us need to sit here too!!  So we have moments of "who's sheet is this?"  "Mallory where is your math sheet?"  "Please put your done sheets into your folders!"  "Do we need 16 pencils on the table right now?"

A look over Max's shoulder.  Here he is working on his handwriting book.

A look over Melanie's shoulder.  She keeps asking for homework and I haven't been good about it... but this week I happened to print off a bunch of sheets to see if she could do it.  I need to give the girl more credit!!  She did everything with a breeze!  And wanted more!  My only child right now who asks for more work!  This was actually her first day of "real" work.  She was beaming!  She showed everyone who came over her folder of work!  

(See Mallory's homework creeping over Melanie's homework.)

A look over Mallory's shoulder.  At third grade it seems as if I don't teach her much.  She is very independent!  I type up a daily assignment sheet and she just works her way down the sheet.  She even is amazing at teaching herself new things!  As a third grader she gets to do cursive.  She can never wait for me to help/show her so she just teaches herself!  And she is pretty darn good it and I think it might be a pretty good quality to have.  Don't get crazy though - we go over everything she does, correct it, and then do certain subjects together.  

This is a look over my shoulder.  At this point in the day it was Max's turn to be with me.  Now again this is not all sunshine and roses either!!  There are moments and days where this is super hard!  Three kids.  Three kids in very different learning ranges.  Three kids trying to talk to me at once.   

But the days that go so well, where you see the light bulb click, when you see the progress... that's the magic!!!  That is what pushes me to keep going and fighting the chaos!    

Big girl school was exhausting for this one!!  She takes her quiet time/nap in my bed and I have a rule that you don't get to sleep past 4pm.  So I woke her and I could tell she just wasn't ready to wake up yet, so I carried her out to the couch and was cooking supper and trying to talk to her and next thing I know she fell back asleep.  She still had marker on her face from the morning of school work!!