And HOLD...2, 3, 4

I'm up again. But at least it is for a reasonably exciting reason. How about 6 hours of straight, uninterrupted contractions at about 5 minutes apart? Even after a good walk to the mailbox at 10:00pm and four hours of here and there shut eye. That's something! Right? They're mild 1 minute plus contractions, but they have my interest now that they don't seem to be going away. Even though I'm really, really, tired, I thought I'd see if they'd die down if I sat up and moved around for a few minutes. Because right now, they are waking me up every hour. And so the girl, blogs.

Yesterday, I nested in high gear moving and flipping couches, ironing curtains and doing my best to make the playroom feel like home in our house. Because, I KNOW that the playroom is where I will live for the next 6 months of my life. After almost 8 years of trying to squeeze into an uncomfortable wooden kiddie chair or sit on a hard floor, I finally resolved to put some adult seating in the room and bought a cheap red gingham check couch on closeout. I should have done that years ago. Then I bought some ivory curtains, hung Mom's wedding quilt up in the room, blessed the couch with the cream colored blanket Ken proposed to me on, and hung one of our anniversary gifts to each other (my all time favorite picture) of a red barn in a wheat field right before a storm. I dare say the room looks "country".

The room tells a story. From the moment I said "Yes" to my Mr. Incredible, to the day we got married, to happy anniversaries. And surrounded by those four walls, is the chewy sweet center...our children. Don't let anyone ever tell you that the kitchen is the center of your house. The sweet spot in your house is where your children gather...the play room.

Escaping Alcatraz

It is early in the morning. Too early. The random contraction induced insomnia has begun. Part of it, I'm sure is that I'm still battling some sort of mild chest cold bug, but the other part is simply being uncomfortable and waking up to "Oooo...I wonder if that little number was anything to sit up about?".

I have an embarrassing confession: I simply have never experienced the early signs of labor before beyond evenly timed Braxton Hicks contractions. After three deliveries, I still have no cotton pickin' idea what uninduced labor is like. Hope will be my forth child, and I feel so inexperienced on this front. It is a weird feeling of disconnect.

Everyone tells me that labor on Pitocin is different. I even had a man at church tell me last week in full detail (father of four) how labor with Pitocin changes the way a contraction feels. I couldn't believe my ears! Even HE seemed to know more than me. I like labor on Pitocin. It's strong and unmistakable. So while I don't get overly excited over evenly spaced out Braxton Hicks anymore, I keep wondering if that "other" labor is around the corner. Or if I've become so dismissive over the years, that I'd even recognize it if we passed each other on the street.

As has become tradition in this house, I don't pack my bags. The clothes would grow stale if I did. I don't count days down simply because it is my little one's "due date". If my babies were library books they'd all emerge with overdue fines of at least $1.80 stamped on their noggins. And I can't say I get too worked up about pulling a blonde pregnancy move and entirely forgetting about my last OB appointment. I haven't seen the doctor in over a month. I know on Monday, he's going to look at me and say I'm as locked up as Alcatraz.

But I can't deny that there always remains a hope within me that one of these pregnancies will break the Knucker Hatch mold and arrive early. Maybe "Hope" is the one. She certainly is a rather quiet one. She's been flying under the radar this whole pregnancy; a mild womb potato minding her Ps and Qs. I would be surprised if she was the one that ended up kicking down the steel uterine door on the way out. If anyone ever does, I'm ordering them a trophy.

A Shower of Blessings

Yesterday, I hit a wall. Quite simply, I just felt like crud. My allergies were bad, while hot flashes, and a scratchy throat added to the uncomfortableness of my rotunda-ness. I had to prepare for leading my Women's Bible Study over the next two hours, despite my exhaustion and overwhelming desire to lay down. All of the voices inside my head were having a lovely pity party. The voices are familiar, and I know my weaknesses reveal themselves at about this week in my pregnancy. Knowing that it is not uncommon to hit that emotional and physical wall helps, but it doesn't remove the cruddy consuming feeling.

A couple of hours before Bible Study, I received a phone message from another leader stating that our study would be delayed a bit due to the church building being sprayed with insecticides. After an emergency order of pizza (I just couldn't do the grocery shopping that day), I headed into church. Feeling a bit better on a full stomach, I waddled into the building, praying that the smell of pesticides wouldn't knock me to the floor. A few deep breathes with my super sensitive prego nose, proved I was safe from sensory overload. I was surprised that I couldn't detect any chemical smells. Rounding the corner to meet the girls, my eyes quickly fell on the stacks of bags and pink tissue paper, along with all of the Women's Group surrounding an amazing spread of food. They all shouted a sweet, "Surprise!". I had been completely duped with the insecticide set up.


When you're on your fourth little one, you expect to have walked into the "Automatic Shower Exemption" zone. Especially when you were thrown a shower just less than two years ago, by the same group of ladies. I was completely surprised. After all of my preparation for the day, we never cracked open our books to review the week's lesson. Instead, I opened blessing after blessing for my little Hope. Some of them, homemade and knitted with love, works still in progress.

While I left the church that evening still feeling sluggish and yucky, my heart was at a full swell. And I was also entirely humbled. The Lord led me to this particular group of ladies four years ago. They have had such an immeasurable impact on my life. Rather than bringing me into an inner circle of my peers, He led me to a group of beautiful women beyond their childbearing years, with decades of God and womanhood under their belt. I have been soaking up their wisdom and experiences ever since. What a privilege it has been to grow and glean from the cream of His crop.

Fasting From Groceries

Grace in the middle of her nightly prayer: "...and I pray that You would help me choose something to eat tomorrow, because we have no food left..."

Guilty as charged. Behold, my fridge's mugshot.

Who says you can't sustain a family of five on frosting, a lemon, two onions, a bag of bagels, and diet Coke? And with a stack of cheese slices, the possibilities are endless! Tonight was "Finish It Monday". In other words, dinner is what is left in the freezer: Taquitos, Fish Sticks, Tater Tots, Peas and Rice. There is nothing quite like ketchup and sour cream on the same plate - let me tell you.

Truthfully, the thought of walking down aisles of groceries, pushing one of those mammoth carts with three kids inside, followed by a pelvis that I swear is being held together by a trembling strand or two of remaining muscle, makes me want to run to the fridge for a spoon full of frosting. Really, I think we could make it just a few more days on the corn, eggs, and bagels. Did I mention the 10 stale boxes of cereal? The cereal, peanut butter and Crystal Light packets buy me at least another week.

Down For The Count

How can one man look so stinkin' cute and at the same time have a 100+ fever? After a grueling week of travel and late nights, all of the loss of sleep caught up with my Tom Builder in a matter of an hour last night. Freezing to death, the man donned his "sick-wear" garb which includes: long underwear, fleece sweatsuit, tundra Russian mafia hat (stocking cap was MIA), and a carnival assortment of blankets.


Is he not absolutely adorable? And still smiling, even after my sister (who is staying in town for the weekend) and I had a good laugh at his expense urging him on to make Russian mafia/gang signs. Tom Builder doesn't reduce to a babied ball of mush when he's sick...he's still tough as nails...but he's sure fun to love on in such an Arctic state.

Ready Or Not?

For those of you who don't see me waddling around throughout the week, you may have wondered if my one week of silence meant the early arrival of Baby Hope. If that were true, it would have radically changed my position on global warming. True global warming might be the only thing that could successfully kick my cooker into microwave gear.

Most pregnant ladies have lovely convection ovens to bake their little buns. Some ladies, are lucky enough to have state of the art microwaves. I have been blessed with grandma's indestructable stainless steel slow cooker forever stuck on the "Low" setting. {{sigh}} You can't break me. You can't rush me. I don't even know how long the light would stay lit on my slow cooker without Pitocin.

The chickens and I are having a contest. We are both due to lay our egg in the same week. It's me against twelve chickens. Cheep entertainment around here.

I have been tempted this go around to see how long I actually would go. Just to see, you know? But by about this week in the pregnancy with just three weeks left to go, the pelvis begins to shudder. I may have a uterus of steel, but the rest of me is not bionic woman material. Each evening this week has tested my tolerance of pain. Everything hurts. By 5:00 pm, whatever junk is strewn around the floor (and there is a lot of that) gets an automatic pass. All I can do is growl at it or kick it.

I whine that Mama is ready for Hope to come out now. When I see little babies nuzzled close to their mothers, I surprise myself with how much I long for those days again, holding another beautiful blessing. It is a comfort to know that I still have that deep seated desire to gather up my new little baby girl and love on her entirely. Fully. After three children, the excitement is still new and fresh.

But then I feel a sadness sweep over when I look at the little girl babbling in front of me who is still so much a baby herself. She has all of my heart right now, as she stands on the brink of so many milestones. How distracted I will be in a month. How much our "Mommy-Faith" world will change. Are we both really ready? Faith tries so hard to sit in my lap and fit. She'll lay on my belly with her blanket molding herself around her tiny sister completely oblivious to Hope's kicks of protest.

We can do this. I know we can. All of us. All six of us. Which brings me to the masterpiece I stumbled upon last week. Grace had left this picture on the counter. A picture of our family, plus another unidentified woman that I'll assume is supposed to be Grandma or Nana. I love her drawings. Notice how she identified ME. I'm the bodacious one in the middle with all of the curves! So until less than three days pass before I find my way to a shower, this will have to do for an updated belly shot...

Homeschooling Hatchlings

The most frequent question I have been receiving lately is "How is the homeschooling going?". Second only, of course, to "When are you due?". While I don't lay out our schedule for every term online, I thought it might be beneficial this week for others to see how we "do school" in the Knucker Hatch house these days. So often I feel like I am completely inadequate in explaining to others how we homeschool - especially family. The Ambleside curriculum is unlike anything I have ever encountered for grade school level children. Add to that, trying to explain Charlotte Mason's methods themselves, and I feel like I barely scratch the surface in my descriptions of our schooling routines.

All that said, and out of the way, we tackle most of our schooling when time avails and the house is in happy spirits. Translation, Ms. Faith dictates when or how much school with the older two is done during her awake hours. I know this is a very difficult time for her to understand that Mom needs to sit down with the other kids for one on one teaching time, so I don't demand too much from her on this front. As she gets older, I will expect more from her in the patience and respect arena. So often, one hour is accomplished during her awake time, and one hour is reserved for when she is taking her nap. I save more difficult subjects and games/art for Tuesdays and Thursdays when Faith attends a Mother's Morning Out program. The kids and I really enjoy this Faith-free time (sorry sweetie), as it frees me up to relax and really focus on fostering a love for learning environment.

Typically we focus on copywork, math and assisted or independent reading first. However, the children are allowed to take a break after two of the three items are accomplished. I am a huge supporter of short lessons so each subject receives approximately 15 minutes of attention.

Below is what is on tap for our current term:

Artist: Vincent Van Gogh (once a week study)
Resources:
Vincent Van Gogh Sticker Art Gallery Book (I highly recommend these books for both Van Gogh and Monet)
Two sets of Dover Stickers and wood chips used to make a memory game
Dover Postcards for picture study

Composer(s): Gustav Mahler & Anton Bruckner (2-3 times a week study)
Resources:
CD: Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 / Songs of a Wayfarer - Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
CD: Anton Bruckner: Symphony No 4 "Romantic"

Foreign Language: Latin America Spanish (3-5 times a week study)
Resources:
Rosetta Stone Latin America Spanish Homeschool Edition


The Queen's Grace: Ambleside Online Year 2 / 3rd Term (modified)

RESOURCES:
Poetry & Copywork: Emily Dickinson - (read one poem and 2 lines from assigned poem copied daily)
Math: Math Made Meaningful - Year 2 Workbook (daily)
Bible: Selections from Trial & Triumph, AWANA, New Testament Reading from Children's Bible
History: Selections from An Island Story, This Country of Ours
Natural History: Completion of the Burgess Book of Animals, Third Liberty Reader (independent reading)
Literature: Unabridged Version of Howard Pyle's Robin Hood (Audio CD), Lamb's Shakespeare Paraphrased Plays that include Macbeth & The Comedy of Errors, selections from Parables in Nature

Daily oral narrations of selections read or listened to is required.


Sir Bugga-Lot : Ambleside Online Year 1 / 1st Term (modified into a 5 term program)

RESOURCES:
Poetry: 3-5 Poems a week from A Child's Garden of Verses
Copywork & Phonics: Starfall Book / Starfall.com. Jack just finished his Starfall workbook, so I am in the market for a new workbook. We are currently going to be using the Walmart type workbooks.
Math: Math Made Meaningful - Year 1 Workbook (daily)
Bible: AWANA, Children's Bible reading
History: Buffalo Bill
Natural History: First Liberty Reader (independent reading)
Literature: Paddle to the Sea (counts also toward geography), James Herriot's Treasury, Just So Stories, Aesop's Fables

Daily narrations of selections required.

Yesterday I Turned Five

Because when it is your 34th birthday, the rule is you get to pick any age you want to be for that year. I decided, I would be five again. The Queen's Grace asked her mother, "Is that the law?". Of which I promptly replied, "Yes, it is sweetie."

Originally, I had decided I wanted to be nineteen again. And since Daddy had turned thirty-four this year too, the children wanted to know what age he picked...naturally the grown man picked the blessed age of retirement, sixty-five. After some thought, it seemed wise to claim another, less believable, age for myself, in case the kids went around spreading the news that their Daddy was 65 and their mother was 19.

I had a lovely birthday on Sunday, in which, I chose to do absolutely nothing. I sat on my tail, on a couch for half of the day, and it felt great. Daddy changed two messy diapers yesterday, made our dinner, and together the kids and Dad baked a fresh cake complete with sprinkles and bonfire equipment. While I sat on my duff, enjoying my new tender age of five.

Had I not been also celebrating one month left of pregnancy, I might have been a more exciting birthday girl. But since roller coasters, beautiful hikes through the wilderness, and go cart racing were out of the question, I went for the "sit on the couch and watch some long missed football" option. My Fantasy Football husband, could hardly conceal his agreement in this decision. The evening was filled with invented party games like who could keep their party horn unfurled the longest with one breath.

Just when you think getting older isn't exciting anymore, your kids and husband remind you that they still think having a birthday is pretty special. From morning till evening they plot little surprises and whisper secrets. And even when you choose not to, they count down the days for you, until your big birthday day. There is a sweetness in that love, that exceeds all of the cake and ice cream one pregnant thirty-four year old can eat.

Little Surfer Girl or Nina

I'm not sure what seems more out of place: A 1 1/2 year old surfing like a professional on the Internet, or a laptop computer at a kid table in the playroom. I caught Faithy browsing through the chicken forum, scrolling and clicking away this afternoon.


I don't normally do my Internet surfing in the playroom, but we've been trying out our first week of Latin Spanish using Rosetta Stone (we bit the bullet). The entire family has committed to learning Latin Spanish together to justify the cost of the software. Mommy and Daddy too! I'm a five years of French girl, so after three weeks of trying to stay a day ahead of the kids on Spanish for school, I threw up my hands and took the Rosetta Stone plunge. Has anyone else out there used this program successfully in their homeschooling endeavors?

The Well Visit

There are some of you out there who know that one of my least favorite things to do in life is take my kids to go see the doctor. So naturally, this Mama doesn't DO most of the "Well Visits" our clinic would love to have set up. After your second child, you begin to arrive at the realization that well visits go against all motherly instincts. Probably because after attending a "Well Visit" at least one child shortly thereafter becomes very unwell due to the germ-athon that takes place in a doctor's office. Again, I stress, this Chick doesn't do well visits.

But, I have recently discovered that there is a point where a clinic begins to refuse to treat your child for a very real illness, because you have neglected to take him or her to two years of well visits. Hmmm....maybe the John Edwards Healthcare plan is already in operation? Go figure. Things get busy in this household, and the last thing I want to do is induce illness on my children just so the clinic can check some wellness visit box off on their chart. However, I did have to face the hard earned truth that my avoidance of wellness visits has put us a tad behind on the vaccinations. So it was time to face the music. A LOT OF MUSIC.

Today was vaccination make up day at our house. It was a day for much prayer and beseeching before setting foot in the doctor's office. Determined to set off on the right foot, I set out an hour ahead of time making sure hair was brushed, teeth were sparkling, and socks matched. What I forgot to do was an underwear check. So imagine my surprise when during Sir Bugga-Lot's inspection the doctor and I both discover together that Jack has decided to go commando for the day!

But really, everyone was in great spirits, and the visit went very well considering the odds against us. Sir Bugga-Lot even had to pee in a cup that his mommy held with two sisters looking on, and he did it to perfection. Now that is tough to do!

After a two hour long visit (another reason why I hate taking three kids into a doctor's office), it was time for the dreaded shots. My poor little man had to take FIVE shots in the legs, while the Queen received 3 whammies in her tiny little arms. Never in my life have I heard the Queen scream at such astronomical decibels. With both children shrieking for mercy, the littlest Princess began to live up to her name and wailed in terror over the other two tortured souls. And I'm quite sure that if I could have done a womb check, Baby Hope was also beside herself in fear. The shrieking, OH my friends THE SHRIEKING... it was impressive.

But really, we had a great visit. The kids are a bit stiff, but otherwise survivors. Next week will I'm sure be a different story when three out of five of us will have our heads in sick buckets because we succumbed to the WELL VISIT.

New Carpet Vs. Four Dogs

On Friday, our new carpet was installed. Praise GOD! I can't even begin to tell you the difference that it has made in the house. No more mystery stains and smells in the carpet left behind by the previous owners who lived with an indoor zoo. No more hee-bee-jee-bee feelings. We are finally over the hump of disaster and on our way to moving in completion. It feels good, not to mention super squishy soft on the toes.

With just over a month left to go before Baby Hope arrives, Tom Builder has discovered that I will move heaven and earth (or king sized mattresses) singlehandedly with or without his help to finish the job indoors. I will not be stopped. Unless it comes to rebuilding the closets, and then I am admittedly at his mercy. But I can make the grand announcement that nobody is sleeping on the floor anymore. After five months, The Queen's Grace and Sir Bugga-lot have their bunk beds and can say Adieu to sleeping with mattresses on the floor.

That's the good news in the cleanliness department. The bad news, is for ten days we have inherited three additional doggies. They're good girls, but included in the bunch is a live wire puppy on a course of destruction through our house while my brother and his good wife are on a Carribean cruise. I'm beginning to realize how good we had it when Maggie, our beloved now in doggie heaven Golden Retriever was a puppy. Since Saturday, Ms. Sadie the Bloodhound puppy has sought out and destroyed:

1 Pacifier
3 Markers
1 Red Uniball Pen (which of course exploded all over the hardwood floors)
3 Strips of weather stripping for the doors
3 Stuffed animals (with stuffing carried throughout the house)
2 Wooden Beads
1 Window Screen
1 Baby Gate
1 Bowl of Mini Wheats

And that is only a short list of things that were left behind with a remnant for evidence. I can't imagine what foreign objects lie within the bowels of this canine...

We're on Day 4 or 5 of the trip. I ALMOST put them all in the outdoor shed after the Red Uniball explosion as that was the result of a third escape from the sunroom at 6:00 am. The escape was accomplished by pulling at the weather stripping underneath two closed doors, which then pulled the doors open and released the hound to do her bloody red business...so to speak. Her life would have been extinguished if she had decided to carry the ball point pen over to the freshly carpeted side of the house.

The first escape took place sometime during the morning hours of Sunday, when all three dogs busted through a window screen, and then busted a hole through a baby gated deck. Dogs are much harder than kids. I don't know how my sister-in-law does it. But I can tell you that 4 dogs, plus 3 kids, plus toys and homeschooling supplies strewn around the house is a disaster from the get go. You just can't win with that formula.