"Mini" Reunion with Our Ethiopia Travel Buddies

Labor Day Weekend, twenty plus families met in Nashville, TN for the America World Africa Reunion.  Originally, our family was slated to be there for a portion of the weekend, but unfortunately, our plans changed.  I hated to miss out, but a Facebook message from Amy Vagnoni helped to make it not so bad.  She mentioned that her family would be stopping by Kentucky Down Under on their way home from the reunion and wondered if there was any way we could meet.  Hip, Hip, Hooray because the Wells had no plans for Labor Day!!!!

We pulled in the Kentucky Down Under parking lot right in front of our AWAA Ethiopia Travel Buddies.  It was great to greet Miss Amy with a big ol' hug.  The Vagnoni's got to meet Caleb for the first time, and we all got to see how much our Ethiopian cuties had grown.  It is obvious that John and Ryan are doing very well and are loved greatly as they love Mike and Amy lots as well.  It was wonderful to spend the day with this family.

Aside from the Mommy's catching up, getting a recap of the reunion we missed, and talking about all the goings on the past 6 months, we were a pretty active bunch.  Our day included: mining for gems, attempting to make the kookaburas laugh, bird-watching, bird-feeding, cave exploring, chowing down, kangaroo petting, watching a border collie round up sheep, seeing a cow being milked, learning about a turtle, dragon, and snake, and of course posing for lots of photo ops.  Be sure to check out all the pictures below.

Vagnoni's we miss you!  Can't wait to do it all again...  Grayslake 2011, right?

The Wells Family @ Kentucky Down Under

The Vagnoni's - Our Wonderful AWAA Ethiopia Travel Buddies

5 Cuties!!!!  Not a bit of mischief in the bunch..... hahaha

Mining for rare gems :-) AKA... getting dirty!

Did anyone know Jon was part pirate?  He always had a bird on his shoulder.

Tip-toe and REEEEAAAACCCCCHHHHHHH!

Caleb was OK until the bird started pecking the back of his head!

Taking a break before spelunking :-)

Warms my heart - we've come a long way baby!

Pit Stop - gotta refuel!  Where are the Daddies with the hotdogs?

Kangaroos are soooo soft... who knew?

A great day, super kids, and already wishing we were together again.

101 in 1001 for My Kiddos & Me

Another 101 in 1001????  No, I'm not certifiably crazy... well, at least not yet :-)  When I began making my original list, I found that over half of it was made up of goals for or things I'd like to do with my three little ones.  I decided it would be good to separate the two, since believe it or not, the children and I aren't one in the same. 

When looking at the list, you'll notice a lot of absences.  No zoo trips, hikes, game farm, Totter Otterville, church events, etc.  I have not included anything that the three kiddos have already done.  However, there are several things on the list that Caleb has already experienced or can do quite well.  I included these items still because I want to do these things with ALL the children. 

The list contains spiritual goals, academic goals, things to do, and places to go.  Some are quite lofty and others are just plain fun.  Remember we have 2.75 years to complete these :-)  Enjoy our list and try some fun things with your kiddos too.  They are only little once, and what blessings they truly are!!!  Every good and perfect gift is from the Father above.

1. Visit the ocean
2. Collect Seashells
3. Build a Sand Castle
4. Go on a Dolphin Cruise
5. Fly a Kite
6. Putt-putt golf
7. Go fishing
8. Go bowling
9. Go skating
10. Ride bikes without training wheels
11. Swim without life jackets or floats
12. Ride a roller coaster
13. Jump rope
14. Ride a horse
15. Ride a trolley
16. Have an indoor picnic
17. Campout
18. Find shapes in clouds
19. Stargaze
20. Go to a ballgame
21. Go to a planetarium
22. Go to the circus
23. Go to the drive-in
24. Take a train ride
25. Stay in a cabin
26. Visit the Explorium
27. Visit the Louisville Science Center
28. Visit Dinosaur World
29. Visit Mammoth Cave
30. Visit Huber Farm
31. Visit the Creation Museum
32. Visit Holiday World
33. See a LCT Production
34. See VeggieTales Live!
35. Go to an indoor waterpark
36. Visit Indiana Children's Museum
37. Visit KY Horse Park
38. Visit a KY State Park
39. Visit Fort Harrod
40. Visit Shakertown
41. Tour the KY State Capitol
42. Tour a car museum
43. Tour an aviation museum
44. Take the Rebecca Ruth Candy Tour
45. Go on 10 hikes
46. Learn to recognize, identify, & draw shapes
47. Learn to recognize and write alphabet and know each letters sound
48. Learn to recognize, identify, & write numbers 1-20
49. Memorize address
50. Memorize phone number
51. Memorize birthday
52. Write first and last name
53. Learn Days of the Week
54. Learn Months of the Year
55. Learn Color words
56. Learn to Read
57. Learn to Count Money
58. Learn to Tell Time
59. Learn Basic Addition Facts
60. Learn Basic Subraction Facts
61. Learn to Tie Shoes
62. Read every book on Sonlight P/3 list
63. Read every book on Sonlight P4/5 list
64. Read every book on Sonlight K list
65. Complete Five In a Row Volume 1
66. Complete Five In a Row Volume 2
67. Read 1001 Books together with Mom
68. Complete 50 Books to Read Before Kindergarten list
69. Read a complete series of books
70. Plant something & Watch it grow
71. Complete 10 science experiments
72. Hatch Butterflies
73. Make 30 lapbooks
74. Fingerpaint
75. Tie Dye
76. Facepaint
77. Make a weekly craft for 3 months
78. Have a weekly game night for 3 months
79. Visit the library weekly for 3 months
80. Memorize the Books of the Old Testament
81. Memorize the Books of the New Testament
82. Memorize 26 Bible verses
83. Send cards to soldiers
84. Send cards to shut-in/sick
85. Send cards to missionaries
86. Make Operation Christmas Child Boxes
87. Play in the rain
88. Jump in a pile of leaves
89. Roast Marshmallows
90. Visit a pumpkin patch
91. Carve a jack-o-lantern
92. Trick-or-Treat
93. Build Snowman
94. Make Snow Angels
95. Make a Gingerbread House
96. Make a Christmas Countdown Paper Chain
97. Decorate Cookies
98. Make Christmas Gifts
99. Decorate Christmas Tree
100. Pictures with Santa
101. Visit Southern Lights @ KY Horse Park

My 101 in 1001

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon some blog posts entitled 101 in 1001.  I read a few random lists on some linked blogs and realized that this was a different spin on the tried and true New Year's Resolutions.  By allowing for 2.75 years, some more complex, more detailed goals could be added to the list.  In the extended time frame, these goals could actually be accomplished.  The difference... instead of me just saying someday I'd like to do such and such, I am actually able to begin holding myself accountable in order to make that someday a reality. 

The idea of 101 in 1001 isn't inherently a Christian idea, so I'm not endorsing all that you may find if you actually Google the concept.  However, after a couple weeks of compiling a list, it is definitely something I want to give a try.  On my list, I have goals that are currently in progress, some that will be easy to complete, and others that will take a large amount of time.  I have spiritual, missional, relational, organizational, educational, and just plain fun items on my list.  I'm excited to begin this journey.  To assist me in tracking my progress, I will be using The Day Zero Project website as well as this blog.  According to The Day Zero calculations, I'm starting my 101 in 1001 on September 8, 2010 and am slated to complete it on June 6, 2013. 

Check out my original list below. I will be placing this list as its own page on my blog. Click on the My 101 in 1001 tab anytime you want to check my progress.

1. Read the entire Bible in 90 days
2. Memorize 100 Bible verses
3. Complete a Beth Moore Bible Study
4. Keep a prayers prayed/answered list for 3 months
5. Complete a Precept Bible Study
6. Speak, Lead Workshops, and/or Sing @ 5 events
7. Join a small group Bible study or life group
8. Attend a Deeper Still event
9. Hear my brother preach
10. Attend NACC
11. Read all of Karen Kingsbury's fiction books
12. Read all of Tom Davis' books
13. Complete Jeremiah & Rachel re-adoption
14. Research and Develop my "IDEAL" adoption/orphan care ministry plan
15. Start an adoption/orphan care non-profit organization, initiative, or church based ministry
16. Hold a Pajama/Book Drive for the Pajama Program KY Chapter
17. Speak at/or Attend 10 Adoption/Orphan Care events (outside of SCC Support Group & AWAA KY Board Meetings)
18. Become a mentor
19. Financially support 12 adopting families through their fundraisers or by donation
20. Attend AWAA Africa Reunion
21. Choose an organization to support through our Gotcha Day Celebration
22. Complete 4DLD book
23. Attend Weekend to Remember, Festival of Marriage, or other marriage event with my hubby
24. Date night with Jon at least once a month for 6 months
25. Join a MOMS group
26. Read 101 books in 1001 days (Books read to the kids don't count!)
27. Subscribe to 5 magazines
28. Watch the entire LOST TV Series 
29. Watch the entire Waltons TV Series
30. Play piano for at least 15 minutes 5 days a week for 1 month.
31. Enjoy a Girls Weekend Getaway
32. Treat myself to a Bubble Bath twice a month for 6 months
33. Get a pedicure
34. Get a massage
35. Get a facial
36. Get rid of dry cracked heels
37. Wisdom teeth removed
38. Take vitamins daily for 1 month
39. Take calcium supplement daily for 1 month
40. Complete 30 day soda fast
41. Bike/Eliptical for at least 20 minutes 4 times a week for 3 months
42. Run a 5k
43. Learn to play tennis
44. Wear size 8 jeans again
45. Reduce Christmas gift expenses by 10%
46. Go 2 weeks without drive thru or restaurant food
47. Try 10 new recipes
48. Bake & Decorate a cake
49. Make a monthly meal plan & stick to it
50. Regularly recycle for 3 months
51. Cut & Organize Coupons weekly for 3 months
52. Mail expired coupons to military overseas
53. Create a Master Packing list to use for family trips
54. Update Addresses/Phone Numbers in my Contact List
55. Compile list of Family/Friends Birthdays & Anniversaries
56. Organize Store Discount Cards in Business Card Holder
57. Purchase & Mount Family Bulletin Board
58. Develop a filing system for important papers
59. Clean/Organize Master Bedroom Closet
60. Clean/Organize Dining Room Closet
61. Clean/Organize Kids' Closets
62. Organize & Store Kids Clothes by gender/size
63. Have a yardsale
64. Get a Kitchen Island
65. New Flooring in the Kitchen
66. New Bathroom fixtures
67. Bathroom painted
68. Convert Dining Room into School/Craft Room
69. Organizer for Keys/Mail/etc.
70. Choose paint to have bedroom painted
71. Take carpet up in bedroom
72. Clean windows (interior/exterior)
73. Perform 25 Random Acts of Kindness
74. Donate to the food pantry monthly for 6 months
75. Send 12 encouragement cards to soldiers
76. Send 12 encouragement cards to missionaries
77. Complete Caleb's Baby Scrapbook
78. Complete Ethiopia Trip Scrapbook
79. Complete a December 2010 Scrapbook
80. Complete G-day Scrapbook #1
81. Complete G-day Scrapbook #2
82. Catch Scrapbooks up to current year
83. Create an Advent Calendar to use with my family
84. Attend Homeschool Conference
85. Attend 10 Homeschool events/field trips/meetings/functions (outside of FIAR Co-op & HYPE
86. Create Homeschool Calendar/Morning Circle Time Visual
87. Make 20 File Folder Games
88. Adapt a Homeschool Workbox system for each of the kids
89. Develop a working Family Chores System
90. Have 50 blog followers
91. Twitter
92. Complete 10 product reviews on blog
93. Organize My Favorites Bookmarks on Computer
94. Write/Submit 20 articles
95. Have an article published 
96. Write 52 devotionals
97. Take the Downtown Frankfort Walking Tour
98. Go Kayaking
99. Go to IKEA
100. Secret #1 To be revealed @ a later date
101. Secret #2 To be revealed @ a later date

 

Mama on a Mission!

What is better than a Mama on a mission?  Some accountability for the Mama!!!  I convince myself that everybody has one.... however, I know I have more than one.  A closet that is seriously out of control.  Of all the closets in the house, this Mama's is THE WORST!  It is by far the dumping ground and the easiest/best hiding place for anything and everything without a home.  Off the top of my head, I know I have Caleb's summer wardrobe from last year, some of my old teaching materials, Christmas presents, books, DVD's, items from a girl's retreat I led a couple years ago, pillows, purses, easter baskets, Halloween costumes, clothes of all shapes, colors, and sizes, etc.  Before you ask... no I don't even have a big closet, just a very cluttered one. 

So....  thanks to Mama Jenn, I'm squeezing in at the last hour to be a part of this blog carnival.  I am now a Mama on a Mission, and my September Mission is to have an organized, uncluttered, pristine (Ha!) closet by the end of the month.  I've already lost 5 days, we leave for vacation on Friday, and we return a week later only for Jon to begin preaching an out of town revival.  Hmmmm... no excuses!  I'll post a picture of my "new" closet by the end of the month!

Rachel - The Birthday Party Princess!!!

Rachel will turn 4 years old, September 13th.  She is doing it in style too I might add - it will be on her very first trip to the beach.  Since we wouldn't be able to share all the fun with the entire family and we are leaving Friday, we opted to have her family party this evening.  We wondered how she would respond since she's not one for having all eyes on her.  There were a few "iffy" moments, but she did incredibly well.  She rocked the "Party Princess" persona and had a wonderful time. 

The Barbie (aka B"OH"bie to Rachel) birthday was a hit.  There were Barbie plates, napkins, cake, dolls, and the accessories.  Really, since when does Barbie drive an itty-bitty sportscar complete with moving rear-view mirror and GPS???  My Barbies drove a honkin' HUGE blue 57 chevy.  Not to mention now Barbies have a spa tub and toilet.... Jeremiah being the big brother that he is stepped right in to explain how that all worked.  Caleb was equally excited to get in on the toy action.  Poor Jon... watching his sons trying to get a hold of all the pink and dolls was a little much for him.

Rachel sang "Happy Birthday" to herself along with the entire fam and blew the candles out like a pro.  Yes, we have been practicing what we would do today, watching Little Einstein Birthday episodes, and talking a lot about birthdays.  All the while, we had to assure Caleb and Jeremiah, especially, that they too would being having birthdays.

Enjoy pics of My Birthday Princess at her very first ever celebrated birthday.  It warms my heart to see this special little girl so happy.  Thank you God for this blessing!  She brings me such tremendous joy :-)

PIZZA!!!!! Party, Deal, and GIVEAWAY!!!

Who doesn't love pizza?  Growing up, do you ever remember studying pizza in school?  I know I don't, but that is exactly what my kiddos did this week.  I'm thinking a YUMMY education is definitely the way to go.  Again, as a member of the Download N Go Review Team, I was given the opportunity to review the PIZZA PARTY DNG.  This product was given to me free of charge in exchange for my honest review.  Read others reviews and get more great ideas on ways to use this product HERE.

Amanda Bennett's, PIZZA PARTY Download N Go is a week long unit study for kids in K-4th grade.  The unit includes videos, web links, notebook pages, lapbook components, and an extensive list of additional resources that can be utilized.  For this study, I was extremely pleased.  We were able to find a large number of the books on the suggested list in our public library.  We read a considerable amount of fiction books with pizza themes including some of our favorite characters:  The Berenstain Bears, Bob the Builder, Curious George, Arthur, and The Boxcar Children.  We checked Pete's a Pizza and found a DVD as well.  It always fun to "watch" a book after reading it :-)

We had a blast creating our mini-pizzas.  It was a perfect lunch after a hectic morning running errands.  Not too messy, but lots of fun!  When we were finished, we enjoyed some family game time.  We pulled our Noodleboro Learning to Listen Pizza Palace game off the shelf.  We gave our listening skills a work-out as we really listened to the ingredients each of us wanted put on our pizza.  This was great for my two English language learners.  We have not played this game since coming home from Ethiopia, so some of the "silly" ingredients included were NEW words for us.  I love fun ways to add to their growing vocabulary.

Don't worry... this study isn't all fiction and food.  See the daily themes below.

Day 1: Pizza—What Is It?

Day 2: The Story of Pizza

Day 3: Types of Pizza

Day 4: The Science of Pizza

Day 5: Let’s Have a Pizza Party
 

 
We touched on history and geography as we studied Italy.  Using math, we did an elementary fractions lessons discussing how to slice a pizza.  Probably one of our favorite parts was learning about the process of making cheese.  We read Hold the Cheese Please! and the kiddos were so very intrigued that "Annabelle" the cow was the origin of cheese.  We read this more than once :-)  We looked at the lives of famous people including Marco Polo, Galileo, Michaelangelo, and of course my favorite Vivaldi.  Not surprising, this music buff loved the videos of "The Four Seasons" included in the Pizza Party DNG.  After watching them, the kiddos colored pics of each of the season as we listened to the music again.  It was so pleasing to me that they recognized portions of the music from their favorite tv show "Little Einsteins" and their "night-night" music that plays in their rooms.
 
The culminating activity in the Pizza Party DNG is planning a Pizza Party.  It just so happened that due to leaving on vacation next weekend, we had Rachel's early birthday today.  Our original "taco bar" plan got changed to a pizza party, and on our to-do list for tomorrow is making a fruit pizza to share. 
 
Are you craving pizza yet?  Would you like to have a PIZZA PARTY all week long and learn lots of delicious things in the process?  If so, now is definitely the time...  usually a DNG is $7.95, but in celebration of tomorrow's National Cheese Pizza Day the Pizza Party DNG will be on sale for $5.00!!!  Click here to take advantage of this sale.


Even better than a sale...  FREE!  Courtesy of Amanda Bennett and The Old Schoolhouse, I am afforded the opportunity to giveaway one Pizza Party DNG.  Hooray.  The winner could be you.  There are several ways to win.  Please be sure to leave me comments for each of the items you complete below.  Obviously, the more you do the better your odds of winning. 

1.  Leave me a comment telling me your favorite pizza topping.
2.  Follow my blog or remind me that you are already doing so.
3.  Follow my blog using Facebook's networked blog or tell me you are already a follower.
4.  Blog, Twitter, or Facebook about my Pizza Party DNG.

Due to the fact that we are leaving for vacation next Friday, I will end my giveaway, Thursday, September 9th at 5 p.m. EST.

HYPE

What's all the HYPE about??? Well, now we know.  Yes, the Wells trio made our very first appearance at the YMCA's Homeschool PE program.  My rowdy bunch gets to work off some steam for a couple hours every Thursday afternoon with tons of preschoolers and the very patient and brave YMCA staff.

Considering that HYPE begins at our normal nap time, I wondered if my kiddos could hack it.  We began with swimming.  My three were separated so each had a different teacher.  It was probably a good thing for them, but hard for Mom to watch and acknowledge each child's amazing aquatic feat.  Jeremiah virtually had a private lesson as he was paired with a kid who didn't want to get in the water and one teacher.  He enjoyed every minute and loved jumping in.

Rachel's teacher had 6 little girls to keep track of and guess who was the first one in the water.  Yep... my little Miss Priss.  I was shocked, but she was all smiles the whole time.  She kicked, splashed, and even jumped in the pool.

Caleb's teacher had a harder task.  He was entrusted with 8 kiddos.  (I'm not really sure the YMCA's system of distributing children!?!?!)  Caleb, being the giant of a 4 year old that he is, towers above the 3 feet of water.  Honestly, he is quite self-sufficient at this depth.  He wasn't overly content to sit on the side of the pool and kick his legs.  He got in and out several times on his own, showed off his bubble blowing skills, and kept dunking his head under.  When supposed to be waiting in line to jump in the pool, he just decided to jump in on his own.  Both his teacher and I discussed how that wasn't a safe thing to do.  Hmmmm....  could be a challenge for my water rat, but he enjoyed his pool time very much.

Next on the agenda was basketball.  The kiddos did fairly well, but some of the directions were lost on Jeremiah and Rachel.  They hung in there though.  I don't predict any of my kids becoming whizzes on the court, but they've got a couple more opportunities to try it out before moving on to a new sport.

We took a short break, and it became quite evident that my crew was fatigued and in need of a nap.  They had "checked out."  I know for next time that it will be important to bring drinks and a snack for this time.  The kids survived the fitness portion of the day... barely. 

We had a good time at HYPE.  Minus Mommy forgetting their flip-flops/sandals when we left, we managed quite well.  Hopefully, they will still be there when I go to retrieve them tomorrow.

On a side note, I'm actually really HYPED up by our awesome adoption support group at Southland Christian.  Wow - God really showed up tonight!  Attendance was great and there were LOTS of new faces.  My heart is burdened for some little ones in Haiti tonight, but I'm trusting that God will work mightily in this situation.  How blessed we are to be adopted by the Creator of the Universe.  The ONE who holds everything in the palm of His mighty hand!