The Reed's

Derby cars

2012-01-19T20:49:00.000-08:00

When January began we had just returned to school after a two week break. I was ready to hop in the saddle again! I had intended on posting everyday this month. Really?!? lol We're on our third week back and I'm losing momentum.

The scouts will be having their pinewood derby soon. We stopped by the wood shop to cut the cars. We also sanded them. Keith doesn't have a car this year. I felt a little bad about that but there were only 2 extra so we gave them to Heidi and Annika.

Busy day

2012-01-14T23:57:00.000-08:00

I wanted to upload pictures today but I couldn't find my camera. I imagine it'll come up. I'm always misplacing it.

We spent the morning watching a local youth basketball game. Then in the afternoon some friends came over and had lunch with us. It was a great time. I had intended on blogging more but it's been a long day and I think I'll hit the sack. Sleep tight, don't let the bugs bite. ~Allison

Proverbs 14:4

2012-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

One evening I was particularly exhausted. It was a school day so I spent the morning instructing the older kids and attempting to wrangle a very busy toddler at the same time. It takes some coordinating but we somehow manage to get the work done. By the time I begin preparing dinner the sink is already overflowing with dishes and we've only got 30 minutes to be out the door for swim. Ham and cheese sandwiches with a side of carrots and apple slices? Sounds good to me! After we make it home it's time to shower and put the kids to bed.

I was tired and the only thing I had to show for all my work was a filthy bathroom, piles of laundry and a house in total disarray. I looked around at the mess and wanted to cry.

You what to know what my husband says to me?

Proverbs 14:4
⁴ Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.

What an encouraging man! Oh how I love him!

Atascadero

2012-01-12T08:20:00.000-08:00

Monday has finally come and the kids are back in school. I know how hard it is getting back in the routine so today consists of reading, math and a trip to the zoo. Dad is off for a federal holiday so he was able to join us.

I told Keith to be careful and not put his fingers in the fence. Guess he'd rather learn the hard way. That big old turkey nipped at his finger. Not enough to make him cry but it sure got his attention.

After visiting the zoo we walked around the Atascadero lake. I remember doing the same thing with the kids 2 years ago. I'll never forget that day. As we were getting ready to leave my phone rang. It was the social worker calling in regards to a 12 year old boy we had submitted for. He sounded like a great kid. Since he's older they let him make the decision. After hearing a little about our family and viewing a picture he decided he didn't want us. I was devastated. I cried all the way home. Over the next few days I realized that all of my happiness was tied up in our adoption. I wasn't myself anymore. It was consuming my life and I felt defeated. So I prayed. I knew that I had to rely on God and trust that he had a plan for my life. I finally felt at peace. I believe God used this journey to humble me and strengthen my relationship with him.

A week later the agency asked to place Keith in our home. What a blessing he has been! I can't imagine life without him. Thank you God for your wonderful gift and loving me despite all my selfish desires and sinful ways.

Decoration

2012-01-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

So I still haven't caught up to the New Years post. That's pretty characteristic of my blog though. I'm normally a few weeks behind.

As I was taking down Christmas decorations I decided to scan a few. The paper hangings don't last long in our house.

Annika

Heidi

Kolton

Kurtis

Little Artists

2012-01-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

The kids we're keeping busy on their day off. Heidi and Kurtis drawing along with a youtube tutorial.

Kurtis is very serious about his artwork. He spent a lot of time creating this next piece for me. I think it turned out marvelous.

Tortilla face

2012-01-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

This is Kurtis at snack time.

Christmas

2012-01-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas with my in-laws. On the drive down the kids fell asleep. Kolton and Kurtis looked especially adorable. These two are such great friends. All the boys in our house have so much fun together. They're such wonderful playmates.

I took a picture of the dining room table. Aunt Jennifer did a great job. It looked like a scene from a magazine.

Christmas Eve

2012-01-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

A week into Jan. and I've finally gotten around to posting about Christmas. This was the day before. We celebrated at home. Tomorrow morning we'll be going to church and won't have time to open presents.

Here is the bow and arrow set that Kurtis made for his dad. It even included a target. :) He used pencils feathers, paper, rubber band and an old nerf sword to make it.

Heidi bought this mug and decorated it for Kevin.

Box

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Kolton couldn't resist playing in the box of packing peanuts. I asked him where he wanted to be mailed and he said Rome.

Hats

2012-01-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

I've been working on Christmas gift for the kids the last few months. Here are the hats I crocheted for them.

Keith likes to pull his hat down over his face and run around the house growling.

I also made one for my nephew Cale. I tried to make it look like his dog Shiner.

Here is a picture of the dog.

This last hat was made by my friend Rebecca. Heather asked her to make one for each of the Tiger cubs in our den. Adorable!

Sick

2012-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

The last week has been very hectic. Kevin's grandma has been very sick so we stopped by the hospital to say goodbye to her. A few days later she passed away and we attended her funeral. It's hard when someone you care for leaves but I am comforted in knowing she was a believer and we'll see her again.

Annika and I watched the funeral service from the car because we were both throwing up. On the way home Kolton also got sick.

Kolton threw up a few times in the van. We stopped to empty his bowl and he said he needed to get out. He threw himself onto the muddy ground in front of the van. It was very dramatic. My poor kiddos feel awful. They slept the rest of the ride home.

Church

2012-01-03T09:44:00.000-08:00

The children at our church dressed up and sang in celebration of Christmas. They were adorable!

Note: These pictures were taken by Jill Martin. She is such a wonderful photographer!

Village Dirtbags

2012-01-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

A generous biking group called Village Dirtbags has been giving bikes to military families in the Lompoc community for the past few years. This was the first time I requested to get on the list. Each kid chosen received a bike and helmet. I am so grateful they shared this wonderful gift with our family!

Scouts Christmas

2012-01-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

Yay for potlucks! We got together with the other cub scouts for some good food and a fun night of caroling through the neighborhood. Santa made an appearance and gave the boys pinewood derby race cars.

Sticks

2011-12-31T10:52:00.000-08:00

We've been letting Kolton play with a pocket knife and he has been in the yard carving sticks all day. Here is one of his creations. (He was using the cardboard boxes as his shelter.)

Nursing Home

2011-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

This year our homeschool group did a small performance for the Lompoc Nursing Home. It consisted of a nativity skit and a few songs that we sang and signed. Everybody did an awesome job.

Changes

2011-12-30T19:00:00.000-08:00

I made a few changes to the blog. Is it better? Worse? I'm still playing around with the layout so I'm sorry if things seem a little out of place. I've got some pictures from Christmas that I'll try to upload this weekend. Hope everyone has a happy New Years!

Haley's birthday

2011-12-19T21:18:00.000-08:00

Time to party!!

I took a few videos at the party but it was dark and hard to see. In this one Keith is the short kid in the red shirt waving his glow stick. Kurtis is wearing stripes.

Here is Kurtis trying to break dance.

Holiday cookies

2011-12-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

The kids were invited to Lilly and Kael's house for dinner and a movie. I decided to send them with cookies for dessert. They were more than happy to help make me.

Early Christmas

2011-12-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

I bought a wii for the kids this Christmas. Their old one was broken. A child stuffed multiple CDs into it at the same time. I kinda blame myself for leaving it in reach of a two year old. As a mom of five I really should have known better.

Anyway, I found it on Craigslist. For the same price of a new Wii at the store I was able to get it used with 6 games, guitar, drumset, controllers and balance board! Woo hoo! I went ahead and gave some of the stuff to the kids early. =) For the past few evenings we've been playing rock band and mario together.

Christmas party

2011-12-15T20:42:00.000-08:00

This year at the homeschool Christmas party we decorated cookies, made ornaments, ate and had a gift exchange. Time flies when you're having fun and the party was over before I knew it.

Happy Birthday

2011-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

Here we are celebrating the birth of Jesus with some of our dear friends the Pauley's. Every year we try to attend the birthday party held at their church. There's always great food and fellowship.

Adoption Month

2011-12-13T20:24:00.000-08:00

November was adoption month. We were able to go to the courthouse and see our friends finalize. It was a wonderful experience. I'll admit that I cried. A lot!

It takes a while to be seen by the judge so we made sure to pack games and snacks.

Since it was adoption month there were volunteers in the lobby with craft tables for the kids. (Nothing like when we went through the process.) They had sandwiches, chips, drinks and dessert. It was amazing to see so many adoptive families gathered together.

The Truth of the Matter

2011-12-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

When I was considering homeschooling I read lots of books to prepare myself . I was stepping into unknown territory and it was scary. I soon realized that I needed a goal. How was I to make decisions if I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish? Most people don't just take off in their car and drive aimlessly. They sent out with the intent to arrive to a particular destination, whether it be the gas station, grocery store or a friend's house.

Like most parents I decided I wanted my kids to be successful. But how do you measure success? As I carefully considered this I read something that really spoke to me.

"Would you rather have your child graduate at the top of his class at Harvard, become a Rhodes Scholar, win the Nobel Prize, and serve on the board of the Council for Secular Humanists? Or would you rather have your child be unable to make it through the local high school, become a garbageman, and be a godly husband and father?..... if we had to choose, and praise God we don't, there really is no choice." R.C. Sproul Jr.

Wow! R.C. Jr really put things into perspective for me. I highly value my children's academic education but I'm even more worried about their salvation. I want them to see God in the world around them. To know that there was intelligence behind their design, not chance.

God is the master of the universe and he has ordained all things into existence. I want my children to know his love and to share it with others. When they learn about the cells and the organelles that sustain them I hope they marvel at the complexities that God has made . If I teach them to build and use their hands I want them to desire to use those skills to help and serve others. I want them to know 2 + 2 = 4 because God created order. You can Him from the smallest of electrons to the vast galaxies. He upholds it all with his hands.

Get an education.

2011-12-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

Most of us know that Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor, scientist, and businessman who greatly influenced the world. Among his inventions are the phonograph, motion picture camera, electric light bulb, stock ticker, mechanical vote recorder, electric car battery, electrical power, and recorded music. He holds 1,093 US patents.

Did you know Thomas Edison was homeschooled? He was the youngest of seven children and only received three months of official schooling. His school teacher was overheard calling him "addled" and it's said that his mind often wandered. They thought he wouldn't amount to much. His mother knew otherwise and homeschooled him. Edison recalled later, "My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint."

(Portions taken from wikipedia.org)

Someone told my son that since he's homeschooled the only job he could ever have is at Burger King! I was speechless.

According to a the Homeschool Progress Report the average homeschooling student scores higher academically than children in public school. Not surprising if you consider the benefits a home education can provide.

My kids aren't in an overly distracting environment. They know they're loved and accepted. They aren't bullied or harassed. Not everyone can say the same. There was recently a stabbing at our local high school. Would you feel safe sending your kids there? How many of those students are really concerned with learning this week?

I know my children best. When she attended public school Heidi came home upset and unable to understand her homework. She had told the teacher multiple times that she didn't understand because she couldn't hear. When she asked the teacher to explain it again she simply sent Heidi back to her desk. My daughter had a concern and was dismissed completely. I know that Heidi doesn't complain much so I took her to the doctor. Turns out that both ear canals were completely obstructed.

Class size is reduced. The student to teacher ratio dropped from 30:1 to 5:1 when my children started learning at home. I wonder how the students can possibly receive the time or attention they need with such large class sizes. Kolton once told me that 11 of his classmates missed recess because of bad behavior. How can a teacher have time to teach if they must address 11 disruptive students?

I can adjust curriculum depending on each child's need and don't have a "one size fits all" approach. If my third grader is reading at a forth grade level I can assign material that is suitable for their abilities. On the other hand if my child doesn't understand division I am able to review the concept to ensure comprehension before moving to the next topic.

My kids never miss a lesson. If they're sick I give them the time they need to recover and then we pick up where they left off.

My children now have consistency. We're military and move often, by second grade my daughter Heidi had attended three different schools. When I started to homeschool her I began to realize the gaps she had in her education. Every state has distinct standards and different methods of teaching. This can be difficult for military kids to adjust to. By the time Heidi started second grade she had already attended 3 different schools.

My kids are accountable. They can't sit in the back of the classroom and pretend to pay attention. I do some subjects with them individually so they have one on one attention.

I may not have a teaching degree, but you'd be hard pressed to find a teacher that cares even 1/2 as much as I do for my children, or desires their success as strongly. I've only addressed a few of the practical reasons I keep the kids home with me, there are so many more. I haven't even touched on the larger more important issues. Maybe another day..... Right now it's late and I'm headed to bed.

Quilt

2011-12-05T09:10:00.000-08:00

For Christmas I repaired an old quilt for my mom. It was a wedding gift that her and my dad received over 30 years ago. Many of the figures had fallen off. These are the before pictures.

6 of the girls are original and the other 6 I replaced. I had to restitch all but one of the squares. I didn't want to take the quilt completely apart because I wasn't sure if I could get it back together. Most of the stitching can be seen on the backside of the quilt. I don't think my mom will mind.

after

top half

bottom half

Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T16:12:00.001-08:00

I took a few pictures on Thanksgiving. They were all taken at the park. I was too busy eating all the delicious food to take any that evening.

When I was looking through the pictures this next one really made me laugh. I have no idea why Keith was chewing on a leaf. In fact I didn't even notice it when I was taking the picture.

Apple Pie

2011-11-30T08:09:00.000-08:00

Look who made her first apple pie. :) I'm horrible at making crust so Heidi found a tutorial on youtube. It turned out a lot better than any pie I've ever made. She's a wonderful little cook.

Christmas cards

2011-11-29T07:20:00.000-08:00

This week in art we're decorating paper sacks. They'll be used to deliver cookies to the airmen. Most of them are single and this is their first Christmas away from family.

Between classes I took the kids outside to play. We were near a bridge when I spotted some trash. I picked it up to throw it out and realized it was a plastic bag containing a lighter, pipe and marijuana. It was about that same time that Kolton appeared from under the bridge and said, "look mom, I found a highlighter." Oh, no! He had no idea what he was holding. Another homemade pipe. I took it from him and started to round up the kids so we could leave. A classmate hiding under the bridge said "There's a lot of markers under here. They must have been doing lots of homework." Definitely time to go!

The kids practiced their play as usual with the other teachers while I showed the cops what we had found and gave them a written statement.

That evening I explained to my kids what they had stumbled uopn. We talked about drugs and what happens if you use them. The base cops set up cameras near the bridge and caught the kids who had been smoking in that area. I pray I'm never the parent that gets that sort of phone call.

Soccer

2011-11-28T07:17:00.000-08:00

Our baseball unit is over and now the kids are practicing soccer in their PE class. Although our children all enjoyed playing, Kolton did especially well. He's a great runner.

Goodbye Rebecca

2011-11-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

I went to see the new Twilight movie with Heather and Rebecca. They're my best friends out here in California. It was bitter sweet since it's the last time the 3 of us are in the same place. Rebecca's husband is military and they are being sent to Alaska.

I let the kids have Monday off. I know Heidi was upset to see Gwyn leave. I tried to think about school stuff but all I could do was cry. Rebecca has helped me through a lot and I miss her so much already! I know this isn't a "goodbye" but a "see you later".

Keith's ear

2011-11-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

On Sunday we went to church. Keith was sitting on my lap when I noticed there was something in his ear. I got a closer look and realized it was the back of an earring! I showed Kevin and our friend Tim. He suggested using a pair of tweezers to pull it out. We went and retrieved some from his vehicle but they were too big.

I found a pair in my emergency kit but they were also too large. Tim works construction so he had an electric file in the back if his truck. He offered to grind down the tweezers so they could fit into Keith's ear canal. After washing them I gave it a shot. It was really easy to grab once we had the right tool. I just laid Keith sideways on a chair and Tim held his head. I was on the ground beneath both of them (I wanted gravity in our favor). A few seconds later it was out.

If it had gone any further into his ear canal I would have taken him to the emergency room. Fortunately it was close enough that we could get it out. The ear wax had kept it from going too far in.

Bike Rodeo and Cookout

2011-11-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday we had a cub scout event called the bike rodeo. The kids learned about bike safety and maintanence then they got to try an obstacle course. My favorite part was the trail ride at the end.

Kevin rode home with the kids and then put Keith down for a nap.

The other kids and I walked to the base theater to watch Real Steel. On the way home we collected sticks for a fire. For dinner we had macaroni salad with roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Afterwards we sat outside drinking hot chocolate and watching the fire.

The van broke

2011-11-24T07:42:00.000-08:00

On our way home from vacation the van broke down on the 101. We were stuck on the side of the freeway with 5 kids and two dogs, half way between our house and the in-laws. Considering the circumstances I am grateful for how the day turned out. It could have been much worse.

For starters we were able to pull over fairly easily. Another mile and we would have been in a construction zone without shoulders. If it had been earlier in the day we would have been in a bad part of town. Yikes!

I was able to grab my GPS and cell phone before we left our vehicle. We walked down an on ramp and found a small shopping center. I had a few snacks in my purse for the kids and a bottle of water.

I called AAA and found a car rental within a few minutes. Kevin went with the tow truck to the mechanic shop and I sat on the sidewalk with the kids and dogs while we waited for the rental car. A man passed us and I greeted him. He was looking right at me and I'm sure he heard but he walked by without saying a word. He snubbed us! The way he carried himself and looked at us made it very obvious that he considered us beneath him. I have never had anyone respond to me in that way before and I was taken by surprise. When I told Kevin what had transpired he said that it's likely the man thought we were looking for a handout. I guess that would explain the weird behaviour.

Anyway, we made it home and Kevin was able to pick up the van the next day. The mechanic said that the fuel pump had gone out.

Museum of Natural History-Los Angeles

2011-11-23T13:16:00.000-08:00

We're staying at Fort MacArthur in Los Angeles. The second day we were there we took a trip to the Los Angeles Museum of Natural history. Military families get in free! It was such a nice place.

We spent some time checking out the bug zoo. Heidi wanted me to take a picture so that it looked like a bug was crawling on her head. Silly girl.

Gems and minerals. Oh yeah!

We had subway in the courtyard then let the kids play in the grass for a bit.

I think someone is sleepy. I sat and rocked Keith for a bit and he fell fast asleep. He's getting too big for me to carry around a museum so Kevin helped.

Knott's Berry Farm

2011-11-22T12:17:00.000-08:00

In November we decided to take advantage of Knott's Berry Farm's military discount.

When Keith went on the teacups he couldn't stop laughing. In fact he laughed so hard that he was drooling on himself. It was hilarious. We went on the ride a few times throughout the day.

The girls really enjoyed the dragon ride but Kurtis was not so sure. He hid his face in Kevin's lap.

Halloween

2011-11-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

Why am I posting about Halloween in November? Well, my blog is usually about a month behind.

We stayed with Kevin's sister for a few days. There is a pool but the water was cold. The kids would jump in for a bit then get back into the hot tub. They're still taking swim lessons and it's really paying off. In January I hope to start Keith as well.

Behind the house is a golf course. The kids look for golf balls in the yard every time we visit. Chuck donates them.

Decorating pumpkins with their dad. Otis watched through the window.

That evening we went to Grandpa Hart's house. The kids got ready for trick or treating. The kids like to play with costumes so we keep a box of them in the garage. We have a bunch and they play with them all year long. Kurtis was spiderman, Heidi an indian, Annika superwoman, Keith military, Kolton a gorilla then later GI Joe. Kevin dressed up as well.

Kurtis is a SPIDER MONKEY?

The kids laid down in the yard and waited for people to walk by so they could scare them. It worked a few times.

Happy Birthday!

2011-11-20T08:12:00.000-08:00

We haven't been to see Kevin's family in a while so we had to catch up on birthday's. To celebrate everybody meet at Chuck E Cheese.

Gymnastics

2011-11-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

We were invited to Autumn's birthday at the local gymnastics place. We've been a few times in the past and the kids always have a blast. Today was no exception. :) They have trampolines, balance beams, noodle maze, silly swing, sling shot swing, rope swing, parachute and so much more! I took roughly 200 pictures but most of them didn't turn out. The kids were moving so fast that they were just a blur.

Haunted House

2011-11-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

Every year a few of the offices on base create haunted houses for the kids. The kids dressed up and we headed out. Heidi decided to be an artist, Kolton was military, Annika a princess and Keith a dinosaur. Kurtis kept his Spartan costume.

This year there was candyland themed activities. I was impressed with all the decorations and costumes.

The kids participated in a blind skittles taste test. They all guessed the wrong color.

The Civil Engineering squadron had a "trunk or treat" event. They brought out their heavy machinery and let the kids climb all over it.

Fall Festival

2011-11-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

We had a costume party in typical homeschool fashion. What does that mean? We added school work to the party. lol! The kids have been preparing for quite some time now. They all choose a character and had to research about who they were and what they did. One by one they got up in front of the group and gave their speech. I'm wishing I had taken a video.

Kurtis was a Spartan Warrior, Annika was Zenaida Yanowsky, Kolton was Martin Luther, Heidi was Lucy Maud Montgomery and Keith was Elvis.

I volunteered to do crafts. We had watercolor and bag decorating. I couldn't have done it without Heidi. I bought fabric markers and we made all the fabric bags ourselves. The party started at 6 and we didn't finish sewing until 5:30.

Catapults

2011-11-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

This morning we had a therapist over to evaluate Keith for speech therapy. Now that he's 3 the Regional Center no longer provides services for him and we have to find another organization. It was a long morning and I was glad we had a fun activity planned that afternoon. We built and painted catapults. I liked seeing how far we could launch things and which objects went furthest.

Babysitting

2011-11-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

My best friend went to the ER today so I watched her kids. (By the end of the day she was at home and feeling better.) They came over just as my clan was finishing their schoolwork.

It was a "class" day so I brought our friends along. Once a week we attend PE, Art and Sign Language. Today we're learning to play baseball. I let the little kids toss the ball around a bit and participate in warm-ups then I took them to the park while the big ones played.

It was such a beautiful day that we practiced our signing outside. California weather is so nice. The kids are learning a few Christmas songs that they plan to perform in December. On the way home we stopped at the park.

This is their candy corn decoration. Perhaps I should have taken a picture of the completed projects. They turned out pretty cute.

Sleeping baby

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-08:00

Keith has asthma and has to take medication daily. Last night he curled up under his blanket and fell asleep during the treatment. He looked so cute that I couldn't resist taking a picture. Oh, and if you didn't notice he's recently had his hair cut. I didn't mean for it to be so short. Looks like Carson cut it. ;)

Avila Valley Barn

2011-11-13T22:17:00.000-08:00

This post follows yesterdays. I decided to break it into two since there are so many pictures. After leaving See Canyon we headed to Avila Valley Barn. We go there every year with the kids to pick out pumpkins and feed the animals.

Hay ride to the pumpkin patch! Keith was very excited about the tractor pulling us.

Where is Keith? lol! Little man thinks that if he can't see you then he's completely hidden. In the picture below he was hiding from me.

See Canyon Fruit Ranch

2011-11-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

Here we are at See Canyon Fruit Ranch. The kids are learning to glean apples. It only took a few minutes for them to fill the bag.

Here is a picture of the group we went with. They're all part of our homeschool group.

Everyone got to taste the different varieties of apples and some cider.

We got to discuss the importance of bees and their role in nature. The kids were very interested and learned so much!

Here's a part of the hive. The kids were able to feel and smell it. The honeycomb was so perfectly formed! When I look at it I can't help but marvel at God's wonderful design. Bee's truly are amazing creatures.

We all pretended to be trees while the bee flew around to pollinate us.

Susan, our tour guide, discussed the local wildlife and afterwards we had a picnic lunch and tried on some veils. See Canyon is very beautiful and often hosts weddings.

Santa Barbara

2011-11-11T18:12:00.000-08:00

Spent the day in Santa Barbara with one of my best friends. She had a doctor's appointment and afterwards we had lunch and went shopping. Since she's moving to Alaska we were on a mission to buy boots. We had a hard time finding the store and when we finally did they were locking the doors right as we walked up. Bummer!

We made a stop at the craft store. We've both become yarn junkies. lol I needed some grey for a hat I'm making Kurtis. I plan to make one for each kid as Christmas gifts. So far I have 3 of 5 made.

Anderson Pea Soup

2011-11-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

After picking blueberries we went to Solvang to visit Anderson's pea soup. We don't eat at restaurants very often so it was a real treat.

Picking Blueberries

2011-11-09T17:35:00.000-08:00

Kevin isn't usually able to go on field trips with us so it was exciting when he said he was taking us blueberry picking.

Annika is wearing "fashion" glasses. She doesn't have a prescription. She bought them with her birthday money so that she could wear glasses like Heidi.

I was picking berries and putting them in Keith's bucket. Most of them found their way to his mouth! lol Delicious!

Fall Gathering

2011-11-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

Once a year the homeschoolers gather together and have a big sale. The kids sell things they've made. A few of the things sold this year were hot dogs, cupcakes, necklaces, root beer floats, brownies, cake pops, play dough, soup, lemonade, soap, candles, bookmarks, bags, fresh eggs, homegrown vegetables, and wallets.

Heidi sold bracelets, headbands, hair bows, pot holders and a doll blanket. She made $15. Kolton had a plant booth. I was sad that he didn't sell anything. He potted all his plants and has been caring for them the last few months. He didn't seem to mind though. He told me "Nobody wanted to buy the plants. Maybe I could sell something else next year." I guess it wasn't a total loss. He learned an important lesson about having a business.

The boys taking a break from selling.

Blind Quilter

2011-11-07T20:51:00.001-08:00

I found this video on the internet and thought I'd share. What an inspiring woman!

Colorado house

2011-11-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Since we last visited our Colorado house there have been lots of changes. Dillon has painted! It looks great! We also had a new deck built in the back. It's something we've been wanting to do but it took a while to save up the money. I think our next project will be fence repair and a step under the front door.

Before

After

Look who has glasses!

2011-11-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

Every year when school starts I schedule eye exams and physicals for all the kids. Heidi has been complaining of blurry vision so I wasn't surprised to hear that she needed glasses. She picked the frames by herself and was very excited to wear them. That lasted about a week. I guess the novelty has worn off. I don't make her wear them as long as it doesn't effect her ability to complete school work. I figure shes old enough to decide when she needs to use them.

Heidi's comics

2011-11-05T16:16:00.000-07:00

Heidi really likes to draw. Lately she's been checking out books about drawing comics. Some of them are really funny. I'd like to post more, but this is the only one I can find at the moment.

Annika's art work

2011-11-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here's some of the artwork Annika recently gave me. Her and Heidi both really like to draw.

Our Town- critics review

2011-11-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

We went to the local high school to see a performance of "Our Town". It's a play by Thornton Wilder about a town in the 1930's.

Heidi- "I thought it was really cool. Most parts were funny. My favorite character was Emily Webb."

Kolton- "I liked it but I thought it was boring at the end when the girl died, that part was confusing. The choir director was funny."

Annika- "It was good. I liked the hand motions when they pretended to do things."

Kurtis- "It was good."

Art class

2011-11-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

Once a week the kids and I attend art class. This week we did an owl mosaic. I thought it was great because we recently discussed mosaics in history.

Kurtis

Keith

Annika

Kolton

Heidi

Haiku

2011-11-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

We're studying Japan, China and Korea in history right now. As our English project I had the kids write and illustrate Haiku's. I think they turned out wonderful!

Heidi

Kurtis

Kolton

Annika

Mosaics

2011-10-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

The kids are I have been discussing the Byzantine Empire. One of the things we talked about was their beautiful Mosaics. We decided to make our own with construction paper.

Kurtis made a lion mosaic. He's wearing his tiger mask that he made in cub scouts.

Annika is working on her pig and Heidi made a ladybug.

Look at that cute giraffe!

Keith's clothes

2011-10-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Keith has been dressing himself. I really should take more pictures of his crazy outfits. He's so stinkin adorable!!

I also wanted to talk about his harmonica. If Keith is being bad while we're doing schoolwork I send him to his room. He sits in there and plays his harmonica. It cracks me up. I like he's in jail playing the blues.

Annika's tooth

2011-10-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

Annika is growing a new tooth behind her baby tooth. Yikes! I was worried because it was so far back and the baby tooth wasn't even loose yet. A few days later the baby tooth fell out. Yay! The dentist examined her and reassured me that her tongue will probably push the other tooth forward.

While she was getting her exam I asked Dr Bill if he could pull Annika's "big tooth". What I'm referring to are the two teeth directly left of the one coming in. Those two teeth are connected. I'm not sure why, but that's how they've always been. My concern is because one tooth falls out before the other. I'm afraid the baby tooth won't fall out and the adult tooth will be grow really far forward or really far backwards.

Since Dr. Bill was adamantly against pulling it I asked if he could cut them apart. Dr. Bill took an xray to see how much of the teeth were connected and if they shared the same root. It was hard to tell from the picture. We'll wait another year and reevaluate the situation then.

To tell the truth I REALLY just want to pull it. I didn't persist because Dr. Bill is such a great doctor. He's very knowledgeable and I trust his opinion.

Happy Birthday Heidi

2011-10-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the pictures from Heidi's birthday. I had taken more but a child photographer accidently erased them. Oops. When will I ever learn?

Annika and Heidi wanted to plan a birthday party themselves so I gave them each a set amount of money. They reason they celebrated together was so that they could pool their money and get a bounce house.

A few weeks before the party the girls made pinatas. Annika had a monkey theme so she made a coconut pinata. Heidi made a ladybug.

I helped Annika make her cake. It was a beach scene with little monkeys. Yahissa helped Heidi. They made the cake and fondant from scratch! Not only was the cake beautiful but it tasted delicious.

For dinner we had salad and lasagna that Annika helped me make. The kids played pin the tail on the donkey and had egg races.

Stranger Danger

2011-10-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Heidi saw a small stray dog running around outside. She asked if she could return it to the owner and I told her she could. The dog was friendly and the owners didn't live very far away.

On her way home Heidi passed through a park. The only other person there was an adult male. As Heidi walked by he said "It's a beautiful day outside. Do you want to come to my house and hangout?" Heidi didn't know the man and was scared when he said this. She replied "No thank you." The man looked at her and said "Not you." It was at that moment Heidi realized that he had an earpiece and was talking on his cell phone.

Heidi thought she was about to be abducted and she politely declined! What ever happened to running away! Ah! I thought we talked about stranger danger! Guess we'll be going over it again. I'm just grateful that she knew to say no and she's safe.

An ordinary day

2011-10-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Just a normal evening here at the Reed house. Sometimes Kevin watches t.v. with the kids before they go to bed (usually Star Trek). I saw them snuggled on the couch and had to take a picture.

This is Tascha sitting on the stairs.

Hard Drive

2011-10-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have 3 storage devices for my pictures and they all failed! Seriously!! I thought I was prepared! I'll spare you the boring details and just say that I was VERY upset! Every picture that I had taken since 2006 was gone. I cried.

A few weeks later I was referred to a friend of a friend. He was highly recommended. Somehow this man was able to retrieve my pictures. I couldn't believe it!! I plan on making more backups this week.

Pack meeting

2011-10-24T08:29:00.000-07:00

We had a pack meeting with the cub scouts. It was a pot luck! My favorite. :) Kevin played baseball with the boys while I cuddled with Rose. Then we broke the pinatas and had lunch.

Kevin and Keith were playing with the broken pinata pieces. Can you find what's wrong with this next picture?

Plastic canvas

2011-10-23T08:18:00.000-07:00

Heidi has been working on plastic canvas with Keepers at Home so I bought a few supplies and tried it out with the other kids. We haven't made anything too complicated, just a few bookmarks.

Weapons of war

2011-10-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

In history we're always talking about war. We discuss specific battles and weapons of that period. When the kids went on break they decided to make their own weapons. They had swords, mallets, daggers, and an atomic bomb.

Cleaning house

2011-09-23T09:21:00.000-07:00

We were cleaning and I asked Heidi to get rid of her doll house. The girls have another and they never play with the old one anymore. Heidi started to get upset. I convinced her to part with it and I would take a picture to remind her. She's had the house as long as I can remember and has many wonderful memories of it. I hope another little girl can enjoy it as much as she did.

Baptism

2011-09-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful Sunday! Three children in the church were baptized! Finley, Hope and Christian! The first few pictures were taken by Jill and the last one was me. Mine didn't come out as well. lol

Cub Scouts

2011-09-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

The kick off for cub scouts was at the pool this year. Kolton kept making funny faces when I tried to take his picture. I'm posting it anyway. Hope he laughs when he sees it in the blog book. ha ha!

2011-09-18T23:06:00.000-07:00

The spouses club on base had an event to promote their clubs and programs. Kevin was TDY to Texas so he wasn't able to go with us. The kids and I enjoyed the wonderful food while we listened to the band. They even had a hula dancer. Cameron and Gabriel ate with us while their dad manned a booth. It started to get foggy and cold so we left early.