Dang Coyotes!!!

This morning I admit we woke up a bit late, and were having trouble getting the kids to get out of bed for scriptures. So Scott and I were along in the kitchen for a few minutes. I was getting some hot cereal ready, and Scott was making our daily 'green shake.' The kids still weren't down, and it was 7:30 so Scott had to take off to get to an 8am meeting.

I glanced out the back window in time to see what I thought was a dog, and then I saw Scott running and throwing a rock at the beast. He kept running then jumped in his truck and drove after the dog down the back dirt ally way. About 4 minutes later he called on the phone and let me know that he had just chased after two coyotes!! WOW!! Thank goodness we saw them. Too bad we had just let the chickens out 30 minutes before that, and the coyotes had killed our wonderful rooster!! His name was Course Hair, and he was the most protective little guy of his little band of hens. We are so sad!! I am not loving coyotes right now.

I guess we'll have to work a little funeral into our day. It will be a great opportunity to talk about death and life.

Sunday

I'm so excited about this upcoming week!! Why?!

1) Its NOT our first week back to school...which means the kids brains are fairly turned on and starting to think and learn again. So this week should be even more fun than last week, which is hard to believe because last week was fabulous.

2) I'm getting in the groove of making our daily schedule and chore sheets, and I've already made one for Monday!! WOO-HOO!!

3) Nicholeen Peck is coming on Saturday to teach her AMAZING parenting seminar. I CAN'T wait for that. Its going to be SO inspiring...just the boost I need at the beginning of this New Year. (If you want to find out more about it click HERE.)

4) I planned all my menus for the next 7 days, and went shopping on Saturday. So I've got TONS of food in the fridge and in the pantry. WOO-HOO!!

5) This week I'm going to implement mentor meetings into my schedule. Instead of trying to do them on Sunday which we just haven't been able to get to work. We're going to do them with on our family night...which this week is Wednesday (normally we have them on Saturday). Its going to be a great addition to our week.

6) My house and yard got cleaned on Saturday...so I'm feeling very zenful as I approach my new week. I think so much better in a clean orderly home. :)

Its going to be a Fabulous week!!

Friday!!

[Electronic Withdrawl]
So I have to admit...my kids have definitely been going through electronic gaming with drawl this week. A couple times I almost caved into their requests to play 'just once.' But I reminded myself of the way things go when I give in and I stayed strong. Like an alcoholic all my kids seem to need is just one Wii or Computer game and their imaginations and normal brain waves start to turn themselves OFF!! I'm so glad I stuck to it!!

[Our Family Standard]
One thing that helped with getting the kids off the gaming devices without a HUGE fight was the creation of our Martineau Family Standard. I got the idea from Nicholeen Peck who is AMAZING and I was so inspired that Scott and I drafted one for our own family. Our family standard is basically a document that outlines everything we do and do not do as a family. It covers TONS of stuff, and one of the things is covers is our family policy or rules on electronics. It covers computer time including its use for researching, blogging, gaming, etc... We presented and read the whole document to the kids at our New Year Dinner last Saturday. Then we had everyone in the family sign the bottom of the document as a sign that each of us will live by our family standard. It was AMAZING!!

So, my older kids knew what the Family Standard was on Wii, DS, and computer games. It was really interesting comparing the way my kids asked about playing electronics this week vs. other weeks. This week when my two oldest kids tried to ask if they could play a electronic device I would say something like, "What is our Family Standard on that?" or "No, you know what our Family Standard is on that." They would then say something like..."Oh ya," and drop it. My younger kids had a harder time with this logic, but realized that the older kids weren't pushing it and followed their lead. WOO-HOO!! What an amazing break through this was for our family. We've really struggled with the hold electronic gaming had on our kids and this simple, honest, straight forward approach has worked miracles.

[Chores]
One thing I realized I have been struggling with is holding my kids accountable for their chores. I have continued to do their chores for them, and then get frustrated with me and them. So, when we were writing our Family Standard Scott made sure to put something in about that. He wrote this section of our Family Standard:

"Work: People who know how to work hard have a much better chance of accomplishing their mission in this life. Doing your assigned chores will help develop your ability to work, and will also make the load lighter for others. Parent should allow children to develop the ability to work by not taking over their work jobs."

I've really tried to follow this counsel, and its been amazing. I have to admit sometimes, it takes us much longer to get the chores done than I'd like. But we're getting faster each day, and I know the kids will become more skilled and confident as they continue to practice their skill of working.


One fabulous accomplishment we've made in this department has to do with laundry. For some reason my kids have always been a bit overwhelmed when it comes to putting away their clothes. We've been working on this for a while. First I took out all the summer clothes and clothes that were too small out of their closets so it was easier to manage. Then I took time to teach them all what I expected when I asked them to put their clothes away. After a few weeks of teaching them what I wanted I pushed them a bit today. I asked Megan and Jarom to put their own clothes away, and help their younger brothers with their clothes. They did it...with only a slight sigh. I'll take it. So now my laundry room is clean, and it was a painless process. LOVING IT!!

[Loving the feeling in our home!!]
So even though my kids are having slight with drawls from electronic additions I know they are feeling good about the way their are feeling!! Its just awesome to have a house filled with kids who are happy, able to imagine and entertain themselves, and excited to learn.


One example of what this feels like is how spontaneous, happy, playful games are erupting like crazy all over the house. The kids did this before, but now its happening with increased frequency and its just becoming the way we live. Tonight while the kids were waiting for me to take care of the little ones so we could watch our family movie they started playing and laughing in the kitchen together...NOT fighting over the movie, complaining that it was taking to long, or something along those lines. NO they were happily playing in the kitchen and having a wonderful time. I just love how simple true leisure really is. I once heard someone say that true leisure or entertainment isn't about having something or someone outside yourself entertain you, but instead finding something within yourself that brings you joy and satisfaction. I love that!!


[Latin]
The kids and I are LOVING Latin. We don't know much, but we're learning together, laughing a lot, and trying something new. In fact we are having so much fun is CRAZY...yesterday the three of us got to laughing so hard that I almost started crying. What a hoot. After we finished the lesson I started thinking about just how lucky I am to have my kids home with me. What a blessing!!

My 7 year old is so adorable. She has a private blog where she writes down things she learns at school, or random thoughts she wants to share with her family. Today I just LOVED what Megan wrote on her blog about our Latin lessons...

"Here's a couple of things I learned this week. I changed my name to Claudia which is pronounce Clawdia. My mom's new name is Lavinia but you say it LaWEEneAAA. I think that is funny. Jarom's new name is Octavius, but you actually say it OctaWEEus. Isn't that funny. We are studying Latin this year, and so we all gave ourselves Latin names to call each other during our Latin lesson. We even put our Latin names on our Latin worksheet. SO FUNNY!!!"



[What a GIRLY GIRL]
My second to youngest is such a girl!! Tonight during her bath (which is also the big utility sink in the laundry room) she took a wash cloth and wrapped up her little Dora doll. She said she was putting her baby to sleep. Man I love her cute little girly personality. :)

My mornings and Custom Made Systems

[Hectic Morning]
So, today after devotional things got a bit hectic. My two little girls decided to wake up just as we were finishing up, my hair was drying (I have curly hair and so it has to be blown dry in a certain window of time or it goes frizzy), and kids were hungry. So, first I got my two little ones out of their cribs, and quickly buckled them into their high chairs. I presented them little bowls of applesauce hoping they would accept the offering, and forget about the fact that I didn't have any yougart (their number one breakfast choice as of late). Don't they look smashingly?! I just love Brea's hair. :) Luckily, they liked applesauce today, and started happily eating.


[Children?]
I then quickly helped the other kiddos get cereal, and rushed to my bathroom to start drying my hair so I wouldn't look like a total freak today. I kind of forgot about the four oldest kids for a few minutes as I finished up the blow drying process. However, as soon as I was finished I remembered them, and wondered what they'd been up to. I was crossing my fingers that they had started on their morning stuff, and weren't trying to sneak in a game on the computer. The house was surprisingly quiet, other than the grunts coming from my one year old indicating that she wanted more food. I refilled her bowl, and kept looking and listening for any trace of my big kids. I peaked around the corner, and much to my surprise three of them were all snuggled up on what we affectionately call our 'book bed' listening to my 7 year old read aloud a book. Of course my heart melted, and I couldn't help but document the little slice of heaven on Earth with a few photos.




Each day is getting better and better!! I feel like my house is in order, and as a result everything else is just falling into place. I am so blessed!!

[My Custom Made System]


I've been trying to figure out how to organize all the books we check out of the library. Not only am I concerned about keeping track of them, but also wanted to figure out a way to organize them so we actually used them. You see, some of our library books go along with what we're learning in history, others are cool science books (right now everything is about plants), others are just fun picture books, and then of course I have a few different categories of chapter books for my two oldest ones.

Last night an opportunity arose for me to have some free time to create my little system. My husband was so tired he went to sleep at 8:30, and so I headed off to Walmart to conquer my book organization/storage issue. After much looking, thinking, and calculating I found these $4 containers that seemed to work for now. Each one is labeled so that the kids, and I can quickly find what we are looking for. So far so good. We've had the books from the library for a few days, but I could definitely tell that today the kids read more of the books, and I've believe its because they could find what they were interested in.

Totally simple...probably totally lame, but hey it works. I just LOVE the power I have as a mother, to be creative and ingenious in my efforts to build a family culture that really works for our family. What a fabulous job I have!! Here's to more custom made systems for the Martineau family!!

I've got my evenings back!!

I have to admit today was even better than yesterday. It wasn't perfect, but things seemed to run a bit smoother. I think the kids' minds are starting to return to their bodies, and they are starting to regain the ability to think. So here's how day #2 went:

[TODAY]
7:10 morning devotional (its scheduled to start at 6:45)
7:30ish Breakfast (yummy Cream of Wheat made by Megan)
9:00ish we finally finished all our morning stuff and morning chores (I'm hoping we'll get faster at this)
9:00-11:20 School/Learning Time: (We only started an hour late...not too bad.) The best part of school today was when the two oldest begged me to read about history...they said they love it. WOO-HOO!! That's called inspire NOT require...baby!! I've just kept reading them out of our great Story of the World book all last semester when. Sometimes they were playing or eating or trying not to pay attention, but come to find out they were listening...oh yes and learning. It helps that we are studying a super fun time period. Ancient history is just plain amazing stuff. Today we read about Babylon, The Hanging Garden of Babylon, and Crete (the mysterious kingdom that seemed to just disappear)...so stinking fun!!
11:20-11:45 Outside time (The kids are loving this weather!!)
11:45-12:00 Lunch (Yummy Chicken Nuggets...not healthy but fast and easy.)
12:00-12:15 Lunch clean up
12:15-12:30 Load up for the drive to Knights of Freedom for Jarom
12:30-1:00 Drove and listened to Emlyn's Moon (its fun to make car time learning time too!!)
1:00-3:00 Jarom went to KOF, and the rest of us crashed a Fulton Home's subdivision park and played for a few hours.
3:00-3:30 More car reading/listening time
3:30-5:00 Dinner prep and kids playing outside
5:00 Dinner and clean up
5:45 Milkshakes for my clean up crew, and then I rushed off to take Jarom to scouts
6:00-7:00 While Jarom was out scouts the rest of us sewed bows and colored together!!
7:15-8:15 Bedtime stories and lights out.



I just have to say WHEW!! It was an AMAZING DAY!!

With this new semester we took a stand on electronic gaming and the TV. I've been limiting it for a while, but now its even more restricted. My boys just love the Wii, and I think its fun to play it as a family from time to time, but NOT on a daily basis (like we let them do during Christmas break). So, we've cut back to one movie a week, and a maximum of 3 hours of family electronic gaming on Saturdays (I'd like to cut it back to 2 hours, but I had to compromise). The electronic gaming can only be done during a certain time period, and only once chores and other assignments are completed. The kids are adjusting, and the proof is in the pudding as they say...or for me the poof is in the quality of our evenings. The last two nights I've felt like I have my evenings back. I just love how Dr. DeMille said "Evenings are for Inspiration!!" Amen to that!!


[TONIGHT]
Tonight, instead of feeling chaos it was peaceful. Which is saying something in a house of 6 little ones 10 and under. I knot that an earlier bedtime, and a longer bedtime routine (complete with lots of reading and bedtime songs) definitely contributes to this feeling, but part of it is the kids' state of mind. They are calmer and able to find quiet things to do to entertain themselves. While Jarom was at scouts tonight Cooper, Hyrum, Brea, Megan, and I just sat in the craft room and colored and made bows for an hour. Talk about peace on Earth!!


So I guess what I'm trying to say is that now that I've got myself organized, and back on a schedule things are AMAZING!! I'm so thankful for the evening I was able to spend with my kids tonight. It was an uplifting, quiet, peaceful, and inspiring experience. I pray to many more nights like tonight, and I know if the environment is right they will happen more and more often. I am so grateful for this new lifestyle I'm living. Its really quite a simple sift that's happened over the past 3 years, but that small shift has made all the difference. I live a simpler yet more intentional life now. I find myself focusing more on my family, and trying to be 100% present when I am spending time with them. I want to really know my children and husband...I mean really know and understand them. I want to grow in my personal development more than I've ever wanted to before. And its so exciting and empowering!! I want to serve more and get to know others more!!

I am so grateful that homeschooling found me, because for some reason this has been the change that has lead to a simpler more fulfilling life.

Spring Semester Begins

I was so excited to start school today with the kiddos!! I'd taken some time during our very relaxed Christmas break to plan, think, make some changes, create some new systems, and just get plain excited about learning and hanging out with my kids again. SO FUN!!

Here are the top 7 changes I've made to make the spring 2010 semester of my family's life AMAZING!!!

Change #1: New family wake up time!! I'm not much of a morning person...I really like my sleep, and need 8 good hours at night to keep me happy and awake. I've actually been trying to get myself up earlier to study, and have a few hours on my own before the kids wake up...but the thought of getting my kids out of bed early (when I could have a few more minutes of peace and quiet) just about killed me. However, it was time to just do it...and I know our family will be blessed. Today was our first day, and I think we did pretty good. We started devotional at 7:05, ate breakfast right after, did our morning chores, and started school at 8:30. I guess there is something to the saying 'Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise."



Change #2: MORE BOOKS!! With 6 kids its important to be prepared...I've been getting better, but I felt like with this new year it was time to step up my game a bit. So I requested books from the library that go along with what we're studying in history. Then I looked on a Charlotte Mason list and in the Read Along Handbook for books that my 4 and 6 year old would enjoy having read aloud to them, and requested a few from the library for me to read to them during school time and during their 1 hour of quiet room/reading time. Then I looked for books that would be fun to listen in the car. Then I realized I needed books from my 7 and 10 year old to read and/or listen to during their 1 hour of quiet reading/room time so I found some books for that. Then I thought about evening or bedtime books. I'd need two, one for my little boys, and one for my older kids. I ended up requesting over 50 books from the library. I picked up 15 today, and its been SO AMAZING!!! (I have 35 more coming.) We started reading/listening to Pinochio during our Mom story time, and I'm all set for the older kids to listen/read The Cay during their quiet room/reading time tomorrow. And I started reading the Trojan War to the older kids tonight for their bedtime book and they loved it!! I LOVE BOOKS!!


Change #3: A Family Binder!! I've wanted to create something like this for years, but for some reason never got around to it. Its seemed overwhelming, and I didn't think I could make it perfect. So, I finally decided what the heck...it doesn't need to be perfect...I just need to start somewhere. So over Christmas break I started putting something together that could hold everything we needed to make our family AMAZING.

First I had to figure out what it was that would make our family amazing. I came up with the following things (so far):

• A Family Mission Statement
• A Family Theme
• A List of Monthly Scriptures we wanted to memorize as a family that went along with our theme for the year.
• A Family Standard that spelled out what our family does and does not do and why these things are important to us.
• A Family Default Schedule for the next Semester
• A list of the books we are reading or going to read for the next month or so.
• A place for our goals as a family.
• A place for our goals as individuals.
• A place for our mentor meeting reports
• A place for our family meeting agendas and notes

I presented the binder and its contents to the family at a special New Year Eve candlelight dinner on Saturday. The food was simple, but the impact was HUGE. My kid's whispered the entire time, and haven't stopped asking when we're going to do it again. I think we're going to start doing a candlelight dinner once a month to celebrate our accomplishments for the month!! Oh...I'm excited already!! Now only if I was a better cook. :)



Change #4: School Time and Quiet Time Toys!! A lot of my friends have figured this one out...but not me. FINALLY I have learned that everything will run smoother if there are toys that can only be used during quiet time and toys that can only be used during school time. All I can say is...MAGIC!!

We even moved the new kitchen set into our school room, because my little ones stay so happy and busy playing with it in the school room. That way I have time to help my older ones with their stuff. Now everyone is happy.




Change #5: A De-cluttered School Closet!! In order to fit my school and QT toys into the school closet for safe keeping I had to get rid of some junk. It was like a breath of fresh air when I had open space in the closet for the special toys, activities, and puzzles. I also simplified each kid's school stuff and fit it into one container that they can pull out during school time. I am LOVING IT!!!




Change #6: Green Shakes!! In 2010 I wanted to start eating healthier and exercising!! I have to admit I'm terrible at fitting in my daily servings of fruits and veggies. So, Christmas all I wanted was a powerful blender that could make me healthy Green Shakes. Thanks to a wonderful husband my Christmas wish came true. Scott and I are loving the new green shakes, but the only kids that have given my new green creations a shot are Cooper and Becca!! Rebecca helped herself to my shake this morning and LOVED it. Isn't she cute?!



Change #7: A Customized Daily To Do Plan!! This I know seems super simple, but I was creating more of a weekly plan last semester, and this semester I've tweaked it, and have decided to take a few minutes each night, and type up a customized plan for each child. I could do it once a week for each day of that week like I was trying to do before, but I'm not that organized yet.

It was great to have it for today, and then when I created my Tuesday plan tonight I was able to think about exactly what was going on tomorrow, what house work needed done, and where we left off in school so that their sheets for tomorrow really reflect what we need to do tomorrow.

I am super excited about taking it a day at a time. I've planned what I want to accomplish this semester, and gotten the materials I need in my house, or have requested them from the library. However, I like planning the specifics on a day to day basis, I think it will help me work out the details so I actually accomplish my year long plan.

Halloween

This last 5-6 months has been quite the adventure for me personally, and I really had to take a step back and simplify my life. So blogging kind of vanished in my day to day list of 'To Do's.' However, I am ready to blog again!! I feel like I've reached the calm that follows the storm. This Christmas break has been especially rejuvenating for me. I've taken time to relax, think, and plan for this upcoming semester. As I think about Monday I feel balanced, organized, and peaceful...and stinking excited about life. WOO-HOO!!

I've grown so much over the past 6 months, and I'm super grateful for all the lessons I've (unfortunately) learned. I know that someday I'll understand why it all happened, but for now I just pray that I've learned the lessons I'm suppose to learn so that I can become who I'm suppose to become, and fulfill my mission in life.

[HALLOWEEN]
My computer crashed 2 or 3 months ago, and even though I'm pretty sure all my photos have been recovered they are very unorganized, and in a big folder with photos from the last 3 years. Its going to take me a long while to re-sort and organize all of them since I have oh about 13,000 photos in this one HUGE folder of chaos. I'm highly motivated though...I want to create some fabulous family digital photo books before 2010 is over!!! I'll get it done!!

So, tonight I randomly ran across our Halloween pictures from this year. We did a cowboy theme and I think my four oldest are SUPER cute all decked out in their western outfits. My two little girls were so tired and sticky from suckers that they didn't even make it into their costumes. Oh well!!

Jarom sporting a HUGE hat and an even BIGGER grin. :)


Megan is just about the cutest little Cow Girl I've ever seen.


Cooper was a very handsome cowboy if I do say so myself. He was so excited to trick or treat this year!! I love this guy.


Hyrum was loving his big hat, all the candy, and dressing like all his older siblings.