Looking Back on 2102

So, this is the time of year when we look back before looking ahead. So many changes always happen in a year - and so many things stay the same. Isn't it always that way?

The clan at the end of 2012
Buttercup - 4, Bruiser - 8, Chef - 10, Mr. Magoo - 22 months, Maestro - 13
and the White Knight

Happy Birthday, Bruiser! (and the give away winner!)

This post is late - his birthday was last Thursday AND I was supposed to announce my drawing winner long before now, but other bloggy things took precedence this week, so I'm playing a bit of catch-me-up! I know some are waiting for the drawing winner but my recent birthday boy gets first turn this post.

2007 - around 2 or 3 years old

Crew Review: SchoolhouseTeachers.com

The results of my drawing will be posted on Saturday along with Bruiser's 8th birthday note. That will give me time to put it all together so I can crow about take a picture of exactly what the lucky winner will receive! In the meantime, I'd like to give a bit of a nudge to a great new-to-me site that I've found...

For some time now I've been looking at various homeschooling websites for new ideas that might excite and motivate the older boys in their studies. I've signed them up for classes over the years, or brought out classical books to read aloud with them, or let them play around on various websites on their own. Sometimes the content of the sites, classes and books lures them in and inspires them to learn more, and sometimes it falls flat and we move on.

One of the sites that I've found more recently is run by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, called Schoolhouse Teachers and is geared towards Christian homeschooling families and has gobs of great stuff! The site breaks the topics out first by grade/level - Pre-school, elementary, junior high, etc. - then has topics below that. Because of how much the site offers, I had to really get specific about what I wanted to try out first.

29 Gifts - Day 26 - Buttercup's 4th Birthday (and a Give Away!)

This post was going to include a recipe for Sweet Vanilla Pecans. It was going to include my give away and an invitation (pleading?) to help get my numbers up by sharing my blog with those around you. It was going to be those things - but it's not.

With her Pop at about six months - wearing a dress that I wore as a baby

It's not because it is Buttercup's 4th birthday. She is spunky and clever and sharp as a tack. She challenges us at every turn - both delighting and... well, challenging us beyond what one would think endurable. With her three older brothers, our lonely-only girl often holds the reins. She comes by it honestly. She adores her brothers. She delights in being big sister to Mr. Magoo. Above all, she is Absolutely. Awesome. 

29 Gifts - Day 24 - Care Packages (and a give away)

In addition to Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, we have several events this time of year: Maestro, Buttercup, Bruiser and Jeff all have their birthdays in those weeks from October 31st to December 25th, and our anniversary is in that time as well. You can imagine it's a busy, fun-filled time!

Last year's birthday bash

On top of all that, this year Jeff has been away and I've been really working on changing the look of my blog - adding new pages, selling some things, etc. In short, I've decided to start working a little more "business" into my blog, without making it all-about-business.

29 Gifts - Day 22 - A Gift of Faith

There is a new Orthodox chaplain at the base near us. He kind of travels around from parish to parish for Sunday Divine Liturgy but he'd like to start holding mid-week services on base as well. His first effort at this has been to start holding Akathist services three days a week. Well, I took all of the kids on Thursday (day 21, for you who are counting). The Catholic church/chaplain gave him the use of a small side-chapel so we were able to be in a smaller, more close-in setting for the prayers. That is a good thing with restless younger kids around!

Actually this is a window from the back of our last church in Maryland, but it fits in until I can get a better picture of the little chapel.