Raising Winners: February 2014

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Random Fun

Yep, Ace is tied up in masking tape.

He thought it was hysterical. We did take it off after awhile, but he was having a great time figuring out how to do things without his arms. He is such a fun loving guy, even this is a game for him!

Tyler and I had our first date night in forever in January. It was so cold we almost didn't want to go. But it was a fun night with dinner and the casino. Unfortunately, we did not win any money that night. They boys got to have fun with Grandma, Becca, and Eva.

Trying to stay warm on yet another freezing day.

Look at those muscles!

Big Dog is getting bigger.

Winter Wonderland, Outside and Inside!

I really hate the cold. So, in order to give the boys a chance to play in the snow and keep me warm this was our compromise. We filled the baby pool up with snow and let them go at it. It was a perfect way to spend an afternoon and the boys really got creative with it. And I was nice and warm! This winter is freezing, and lasting forever. I am going to need some more ideas of how to keep them occupied!

Adorable Ace!

Dad's playing in the snow is a little more adventurous. Leo was pretty proud of his giant snowman. They also made a house before the snowman, but it didn't last very long.

Leo pretending to shovel snow. I think he is a little like me, his favorite part is coming in for the hot chocolate.

Max working on his house.

Max is saying, "I'm so mad, I don't want you to take my picture. I'm working".

The little guys with Dad and their house. The snow was not working for them, but the had a lot of fun.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

The Many Faces of Squishy

Rex is a blast! He loves watching his big brothers and talking. He is always babbling and giggling. He has rolled over a few times already and loves tummy time. His only issue is he spits up all the time! His reflux medicine has made a big difference, but I am still doing a load of spit up laundry every night.

Rex at 2 Months.

Rex with his favorite animals, Doggy and T-Rex.

Leo took this pic of Rex and Mommy cuddle time. It was -2 outside and all he wanted to do was snuggle, darn. ;)

Winter Homeschool Activities

Tell me and I forget.

Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn.

I would be lying if I said we were doing fine with homeschooling this winter. In fact it's close to an epic fail. Rather than doing consistent, organized lessons, I have been throwing together random games, books, and songs whenever I can. Last year I kept every completed worksheet/activity and organized it in a binder. This year it goes on the fridge for a week, then...trash can. The only reason I am not freaking out about my lack of success is because even with my inability to get it together, the boys are right on track. Proof that prayer works!

Here are a few things we have managed to do.

1. Pointing out letters and numbers any chance we get. Also, asking the boys what sound each letter makes. We have done Letter Hunts a few times, but I really should do them more.

2. Read one book to each kid every day. I used to have the lofty goal of reading three books to each kid everyday, but I was never able to get there and it frustrated me. So, I lowered my standards. Kids still read, I'm less stressed.

3. Flashcards on the ipad. We use these for sight words, alphabet, numbers, and shapes. For some reason Ace hates the alphabet ones, so we do the sight words the most.

4. Tracing letters, lines, and dashes on large paper. With Leo last year I would sit him down and practically hold his hand for him as he attempted to trace each letter of the alphabet. Now I let the boys each have a large piece of paper and just go at it. I usually give them several letters to practice, but I don't expect them to do the entire alphabet perfectly.

5. About once a week I manage to do a lesson from Preschool Prep, ABCmouse.com, or Pre K Scholars. Lately I have really enjoyed the ABCmouse.com because the boys love playing on the ipad and computer. The lessons are great and involve music and science. Okay, I admit it, it's also a lot easier too.

6. We play games. All kinds of games. Made up games, board games, computer games, ipad games, and sports games.

Sometimes just deciding what to play is the hardest part for me. This little bucket of games and activities gets the kids excited, helps me decided, and lets Leo practice reading.

When the boys are driving me crazy and it's obvious they need to get out some energy, we pull out the cards. I have about 15 of them, and they each have a physical activity challenge. Amazingly easy and entertaining!

Max getting ready to throw the dice for his next move!

I found this game on Pinterest. Roll the dice, move to the next shape, say shape and do what the game piece says. The only problem is we need a bigger house to spread the game out more.

Leo loves building games. He enjoys following the directions to make specific buildings. Max enjoys creating his own buildings. Ace enjoys knocking over buildings.

Math and Tracing worksheets.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Keeping Faith and Family the Center of Hectic Holidays

As always, time is flying by in the Winner house. Turning into a house of 6 has brought many challenges, and it didn't help that we had Thanksgiving and Christmas thrown in there too. Not to mention we were robbed on Thanksgiving day. We were very thankful for homeowners insurance!

I go back to work tomorrow, so I feel all sentimental about the past 11 weeks spent focused on the boys and our newest Rex, whom we affectionately call Squishy. So, here are my reflections on being a busy Catholic family, with a newborn during the holidays.

Rex and Daddy bonding time.

Rex is short, fat, and adorable. He has been treating me very nicely by eating well and taking long naps. He does seem to hate the cold, which is unfortunate because this is the coldest winter we have had in a long time. When it comes to holiday travel he is a champ. We have been to Grandma Winners, Great Grandma Winners, and the Fathbruckner households and he just snuggled in with who ever wanted to hold him. Leo, Max, and Ace enjoyed playing with the relatives. They are finally at a point where I am not completely stressed about where they are every second, which is a little more relaxing for me. At Great Grandma Winners they run around in the garage with no shoes, pouring water all over the floor, and stacked up solo cups just to knock them over. At Grandmas Fathbruckner's they just went into the basement and did not return until it was time to leave, so who know what they did down there. Did I mind? Goodness, no. They were having fun with Andrew, Ike, Molly, Eva, Becca and the rest of the gang.

We have a big "gang" these days. Tyler and I have been sharing how much we enjoy our families and time spent with them during the holidays. Both of our families are fun, but what really makes them great is that they are both so supportive of our decisions. Lots of people think we are crazy for having the boys, especially so close together. Mention having more, oh man! But the Winner's and Fathbruckner's not only think it's awesome, they are always there to help. In fact, Grace and Anna have already named the next boy Gus.

The entire Fathbruckner family!

I love all that flannel!

The lovely ladies.

Squishy!

While our family is supportive of are crazy growing Catholic family, it reminds me that we need to keep "Catholic" as the focus of our holiday seasons. Keeping Christ in Christmas! We try to do homeschool lessons that focus on the religious aspect to the holidays, rather then the commercialism of them. We did this by focusing on All Saints Day more than Halloween, learning more about Santa as St. Nicholas than the North Pole Santa, discussing why we give gifts at Christmas, donating things to others in need, and celebrating Jesus birthday. We also have an advent wreath with prayers specific for children. I often wonder how much of this stuff will sink in with the boys, considering they are all so young. I hope they are picking up on these lessons just as much as they are enjoying their new trucks, cars, movies, and Legos.

This is part of our Saints lesson. We read scripture verses about holiness, then read the story of each of their Saints. Leo and Max then traced a prayer, which is in the middle. Then, we made pictures of the big boys Saints.

The boys helped me printout and cut the letters for our "Alleluia" and "Believe" banners. While we worked we practiced identifying each letter and the sound it makes. Then we talked about what each word means.