Ocean Critters

So, this week we are going back to school.  I know it's Summer and all, but the Manic Fam has been on Summer break off and on for several months now.  Since Mahala tried to die on us back in late December we have never been the same.
Mahala helped me work with Kaden today.  He is learning about the seasons and now we are talking about late Spring and Summer.  Which prompted the beach/ocean.  And today we made a mural of the ocean.  We learned about different aquatic critters and temperatures.  He had a blast with Mahala gluing, cutting and sorting out the sequence and beads.
Here is the finished product.

Music to My Ears

Mahala has been taking piano lessons and loves it so much.  She sounds so beautiful when she plays and peaceful.  I enjoy hearing the sound of a piano in the background when I'm doing this or that around the house.  She does her homework that her piano teacher, Ryan gives her.  But, she fiddles around as she calls it more often then not.  So here is a portion of a song that she came up with while learning the notes.  I can't wait to see what it ends up becoming.    Hugs to all!!!!

Here is the link to my NEW YouTube channel.  It's soooooooooo new, so check often so you can take a look at it after it's all put together.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Proj3ct36

The Good Life

This is the life!  No worries, except what to play or eat next.  Just relaxing and thinking of another question he can ask.  HAHAHAH

Let's get this party started

After years of wanting to learn how to play guitar, Skylar has reached success.  Hallelujah, Amen!!!  He bought his first guitar over a year ago.  And it was like we were gonna get lessons....tomorrow...next week.  Okay, like when??  Well finally a year or so has gone by and I met this guy at one of our home school parent meetings.  He graduated from home school last year and has a band of his own.  There was something about him that I liked, he seemed like a really nice kid that put God first in his life.  So I asked if he would like to make a little extra money teaching Skylar.  Turns out to be a perfect fit.  He even comes to the house!!! YAY!!!

So, he has had 5 lessons now and I am kicking myself for not getting him lessons sooner.  He sounds amazing and he LOVES it so much.  I'm very proud of him!!!!

Vacation Time on the West Coast

Trying to plan our annual voyage to Malibu.  Was late planning this year, so it looks like we won't be going till late summer.  But, we can't imagine not going.  Love, love, love this place!!!  I could live on the beach forever, unfortunately this beach is expensive.  Just give me a small patch somewhere, without so many digits in it's price. HAHAHAHA
We have such a fun time camping.  It ranks up there with holidays in my book.  I do have it down to a science now.  With packing, organizing and planning what we are going to do when we get there and on the way.  I'll post tips later when it's closer to time.  We will be going to the Redwoods in early summer, so I'll post then.  Redwoods are beautiful too.  We didn't go the last 2 years....I don't know why.  Just didn't make it.  But, when you are there you really can see the beauty God has created.  These trees are amazing, will take your breath away.

Well, I'm off to play play-doh.......

Which came First......

We are studying the Ancients right now.  There is a lot to learn from the people of long ago.  Listen at me, I can almost hear the harps playing in the back ground.
I wish I could tell you that we have a strict curriculum that we follow, but then I would be telling you a lie.  And we all know President Abe himself could not do it, so I shall not as well.  That is a whole other era in History, let's get back to the Ancients.
I hated History, I couldn't tell you who came first Columbus or Ponce de Leon.  But, I wanted a different experience for my kids.  Our kids are a lot like us, so I have a good feel on what may bore them and how to keep their interest long enough so they can get the most out of what I'm trying to teach them. I have used different curriculums and I decided about a month ago that I am going to start from the beginning of time and move forward.  We are using DK's Definitive Visual Guide and this amazing and HUGE timeline in a book form.  We use netflix, Internet sites and the library for extra sources.  It's been great, I feel the kids have learned more in the past few months then in the last 2 years as far as History goes. 
We read, take dictation, watch a documentary, discuss, highlight important people with a short biography and throw cooking or a craft in where we can.  I just feel like it's rounded out.  At least for our family it works.
So we finished the Roman and Greek times. The craft was to complete an art piece.  They made Mosaic tiles from construction paper.  Here are their finished pieces.
He was so proud of his art!!!!
Mahala being the overachiever did two pieces!


Skylar took the longest....he used a ruler and cut each tile separately to fit each spot.  He takes his time and does it right the first time.  He is not as fly by the seat of your pants like Mom & Mahala.  He made this for Mahala, she loves Yoshi!!!
So, there you have it folks.  We have now moved onto the Ancient Chinese.  I'll keep you posted!

The Tongue

Quick question this morning.....
I have noticed many, many of my friend's kids pose for pics along with their friends with their tongues sticking out to the side.  Some have goofy faces and some not so much.  Did I not get the memo about this being the cool thing?  Am I realllllly that old now.  Back in the day you wouldn't have caught me taking a pic with my tongue all flopped out of my mouth.  What gives?????

Little Ones

Simple things made us happy when we are kids.  A new box of crayons could have put a smile on our face at 4 year olds, like a hundred dollar bill in our hand would today.  Kids see joy in things that older people just walk right past.  A cardboard box gave Kaden days of enjoyment while my husband couldn't wait to toss it out on recycling day.  By the way I snatched it out of the garage before Skylar could put it in the bin.
It's fun watching Kaden focus on the ladybugs on a rose bush, foot prints he has made in the dirt, or hearing him count the clouds as he munches on a grilled cheese sandwich.  Having a little one around is wonderful!!  I know they are messy, loud and it calls for a ton of work. But, I learn a lot from him.  I learn how I should slow down, life is short.  Do, the things I want to do.  Don't fill my day full of stuff that doesn't make me happy.  Eat only when I'm hungry.  Learn constantly, never stop downloading new info.  And be willing to learn from others. Be creative and funny, smile at everyone...it's free.  And don't be afraid to fail.  Stop worrying yourself to death!  There are so many things my little man has taught me. So much love comes from him.  He is growing up so fast.  That's the thing, they are little for such a small amount of time.  I'm thankful we home school, because I can squeeze out as much time as possible with all three of my kids.  It's precious time.  

What I do Best

I think this has been like the longest time between posts ever. I have sooooo missed my spot in blog land. I just haven't stopped long enough to put together my thoughts.
Since my last post I have spent more time worrying and crying then not. Mahala went back in the hospital for surgery. Hip to hip....33 staples. They took the 10 inch mass, her ovary and tube. Thank God it had not reached into her uterus. Recovery was slow, but successful. She started softball last week and finally back at her girl scout meetings. We are doing school work full time and I feel like we are normal again. Or what we call normal, there is no normal. We were worried it was cancer, the doctors were thrilled to make that call to us for us to rush to the office. I finally could sleep again. I am grateful that she is cancer free. Now we just have to deal with the intestinal problem that she is still having.

Deflated

Yesterday Mahala went for her ultrasound.  The technician found at least 3 more masses around her right ovary. I want to call them cyst, but they haven't called them cyst yet.  Maybe they are fibroids, who knows yet.  All I know is that they cause her pain and when she feels pain I feel pain.  And my pain is in my gut, no medicine can help/  I'm freakin' crazy as it is.  Now I'm so anxious and worried that I can hardly focus on one thing at a time.  I feel I have so much too do, but all I can do is go over and over in my head what I heard during her ultrasound and what the pics looked like. And over analyzing where each pain is when she rocks herself on the couch in pain.  Worried with each meal she passes up and when she starts sweating I check her fever.  I don't want to leave her side even when she goes to the bathroom.
I have turned this situation into much more then it has to be I'm sure in my he.  Meaning that I think mentally I am that 12 year old little girl trying to save her sick Mother.  I failed back then and I can't fail now.  Now, I know this is all crazy talk and I could not physically save my Mom way back then.  But, that is what I actually believed when I was a young girl.  Kind of like if I clean my room, do all my homework and wash the dishes I can go hang out wit my friends mentality.  I knew that if I gave my Mom all her meds precisely the right amount and on a schedule she would get better.  If the house smelled like the inside of a Lysol can and pine trees she would live.  It says all hospitals trust it right on the can.  I tucked her in each night, even fluffed her pillow.  It made me feel better when she did that for me.  I made sure to give balanced meals, even if she couldn't eat and fresh water glasses every 20 minutes.  Fresh was better, it would heal her.  She could then be my Mom again.
I was so angry when she died, what did I mess up on, what more could I have done.  I FAILED!!!!!  I lived live with those words still.  I wish I could say that when I turned 25 I came to realize that I was just a child.  Part of me knows that, but deep inside I know I torture myself everyday, with everything I do.  This with Mahala is no different.  Which is why I am "on call" 24 hours a day.  I feel in my heart I control it all.  But, in my head I know that's not true.  And then I feel deflated, because I am just 1 person.  I realized that I do not control all, even if it is my own life I am trying to control.  No matter how perfect, good, precise, methodical, or clever you try to be, you can not change what is to be.  You can only prepare yourself to embrace the changes that will inevitably happen.

It's No Fun

,

So, she is home from the hospital.  What does that mean for us?  Well we sit and wait.  We wait for this foreign object that's deep inside her body to grow again.  Will it grow back?  We don't know.  So we sit and wait.  And life goes on.  That is the weirdest thing.  We think life should kind of stand still, like when a loved one dies.  We are almost shocked when we see someone laughing or a new movie comes out.  We tend to be stuck grieving or worrying.  Denial, I think is the emotion mixed with anger and grief. 

I walk around this house unable to think, I can't focus on a damn thing.  I don't want to do anything, yet I'm board. My kids need me and I feel so out of control because I am not able to protect my baby girl. 

When we left the hospital they still had No idea what this was growing inside her body.  All 6 Doctors said they had never seen anything like this.  Maybe that's why I feel so miffed.  I am a person that has to have an answer and if I don't have it then I find it.  On top of it all she has been diagnosed with colitis, so that's no fun.  I know, because I have it.  If you have it and you say otherwise you are full of shit.  HAHAHA  that's funny to me. :-)

So, I am thrilled she can be home right now and recuperate, I'm just worried that this is not the end.  I have been praying for all the parents out there who have children with illnesses that require hospital stays, drugs & tests.  The uncertainty they deal with everyday.  The struggles they face inside and outside the hospital.  Just know that I am one person, but I am praying for you.