Happy 9th Sierra!

Yesterday was Sierra's birthday, so we invited a bunch of her friends over from church and Options to help us celebrate.

They did a lot of playing outside, make believe, boys vs. girls, and chasing bubbles. Then it was time for cake and ice cream.



Sierra chose the design of the "cake". The strawberry was actually made out of rice crispies and frosting, and Sierra and Bailey made the cupcakes. Oh, and that green stuff is coconut.





Next up : Want to know how to get the wrapped attention of 14 kids? Tell them that someone is going to be unwrapping presents. (Sierra is hiding behind that small bookshelf opening her gifts).



And just as we were finishing with the presents, parents were showing up. Good timing! And lots of fun.

Thanks to everyone that came!

Latin Shmatin

We've been doing Latin this year, and it's actually going really well. I'm thinking that we'll be doing it next year too. But here is the reason: I love Rosetta Stone!

Oh, we've tried a few different curriculum for the subject.

The first, Prima Latina, a work book type approach, was rather dry. It would have been OK for Sierra, but it would have never kept Bailey's interest. Also, it required a lot of work on my end. Not the happiest thing for me.

Next, due to a fluke in ordering through Options, we tried Power Glide. This curriculum uses audio stories to teach words along with a workbook for visual learning. The girls loved it! They listened to the stories, picked up the words easily, and were able to do it with very little help from me. It was a good program, but there were some big draw backs. I personally found it annoying to listen to as the stories were very much aimed at kids and the voice acting was sub par. Not a problem for the kids, but I also wanted to learn Latin. The other was that it really didn't cover a whole lot. We finished the program in two months. It was a very nice introduction actually, but that's about as far as it went.

Finally, after the fluke order was fixed, I got my hands on Rosetta Stone, a computer program using both audio and visual. It didn't take long for me to be highly impresses. All of the stuff that the girls had leaned with the previous curricula was covered in about three lessons. Now, grant it, the girls would take a few days to cover each lesson, but they still learned it faster (in a couple weeks vs a couple months). And they were just getting into the program! (It will likely take them over two years to complete the first level.) Oh and I enjoy it too.

How Rosetta Stone works is, you look at the pictures and hear the words. Then you match the pictures to the words. Next, they give you a picture and the printed words, which they read to you. Again you match. For older students, they then give you the printed words, and you have to match them with the picture without audio. The only down side is that they never actually tell you what the words mean. You have to guess. A Latin dictionary can easily solve that though. Oh, and if you want to learn grammar, you'll need to either get their accompanying workbook or some other text to teach it to you. But still, for a 3rd grader and a Kindergardener, it's fantastic! And I'm learning a lot too with seemingly little effort.

Change of Pace

It crept up on me over a long period of time. It actually took me a while to notice. Things were not going how I wanted. I was loosing control of the situation, and it was stressing me out.

School was taking forever!

Why? Well, the biggest culprit was that the girls, Bailey specifically, would take forever to do their chores in the morning before school, sometimes a couple hours for something I could do in about 15 minutes. It would set the whole day off to the wrong start. They would be hungry (because it was almost lunch time) before they started doing their school work, making that take longer along with a lot of whining. Blake would be bored. I would end up chained to the kitchen, which also made me edgy. And so it went.

Then, one day while complaining about this to my spouse, he suggested that I do the cleaning last. I resisted at first. I've always done cleaning before school after all, but then I started seriously thinking about it. I decided it wouldn't hurt to at least try it out.

My husband was a genius! It has made a huge difference. We still start around 9, but I've added a short 15 minute workout (calisthenics or yoga) at the beginning of school. The kids like that. It helps get their wiggles out and helps them focus. Then Sierra is off to piano while I work with Bailey on reading and Blake heads out to play. When I'm done with reading, I fix a snack for the kids, which they eat, and then I busy myself cleaning the kitchen while they are doing their school work. I even make lunch. Then the kids are free to play until 2 when we have our afternoon school work. When that's done, they are sent off to do their chores, and they can't play until they are done.

It has made vast improvements to out family life. I, who am a control freak, can keep the schedule I want. I can also make a lot better use of the time that I am stuck in the kitchen. Both of these help keep my stress levels and annoyance way down. The kids get to do their school work when they are still energized and in a good mood. Blake isn't left alone for as long. Another surprising thing for me was that the house is nice in the morning because it was cleaned after all of the days activities are over.

As an added bonus, if Bailey wants to take two hours to clean, it doesn't bother me one bit. It's only her time that is being waisted now. Not mine. Not Sierra's. Not Blakes. What a relief. I think I'm going to like this.

Chatting with Dad

A couple weeks ago, my oldest became interested in e-mail. Oh, she has had an account for sometime now. I made it about a year ago when I had the idea that she could write e-mails to her Grandparents and stuff. That was a no go. She was still way too intimidated by the computer. However, after taking a computer class at Options this year along with learning typing, things have started to change. She is loosing her inhibitions, and what's more, now she has a friend who also has an e-mail account. Tada! Sierra now does e-mail.

Well, a few days ago, her friend set up a "google chats" date. I didn't mind. It was for after school and all, but Sierra had no idea how to do one. So, of course, I helped her out right before the "date".

"Huh? What?" Sierra whined. Anything new. . . .sigh. . . Really!

To my amusement, my husband chimed in from the next room saying that he would help out. After all, he was in the middle of google chatting one of his friends. So, Sierra went over to Daddy's laptop and watched as he showed her what he was doing. Then I pulled up a chat box with him from Sierra's account and had here come back over. She got it this time.

What fun! She was chatting with her dad!

They kept at it for almost an hour. He sent her song and video clips from shows that she likes, telling her from the next room how to view them, and they bantered back and forth. It was a slow moving conversation, but they both had a lot of fun.

Oh, and her friend that set up the date? Well, she forgot. Oops. Oh well. Next time Sierra will be ready.

It Has Begun

The biggest project I will probably ever take on in my life (other then my kids that is) has finally begun. It has been three weeks already, and it's showing some progress. But it is going slower then hoped for.

What am I talking about? My basement. I am currently in the process of adding/finishing two bedrooms (including closets) and a rec room to that large space down there. I'll finish the bathroom and laundry room some time later (probably in another year or two).

So far, I have yet to finish the framing. Oh, the walls are put in, floating ones and all, but I still have the ceiling. (I have to lower it by 2 inches with furring strips to avoid all of the pipes running along the beams). Of course, part of the time consumption was because I had to fix a number of issues caused by previous owners, mostly improperly framed doors. I have discovered that fixing a problem takes a whole lot longer then simply doing it right the first time. Oh, and I hate nails. They are so annoying to pull! Screws are much better.

After the framing, of course, comes all of the wiring, then insulating, then the wallboard. I was hoping to be done with all of this and be painting by Spring Break, but it looks like it might be as late as mid-summer. Oh well. At least it's getting done.

Christmas Pictures (a little late)

It's so hard to get three kids to sit still all together and look good. Oh well, we had fun trying, and some of them actually turned out pretty well.

Family Christmas Letter 2010

Greetings to all,

This year has been a rather eventful one in the Rogers household. We finally bought our first home, the one we had been renting for the past four years. Sierra turned eight and was baptized and confirmed as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. Seth and Misty had their tenth anniversary (spending a “second honeymoon” in Breckenridge CO during the off season-very nice). We added a new addition to the family, a wonderful, black, male cat names Kasper. Bailey officially started school. Blake moved up into “the big kids bed”. And, saving the best news for last, everyone in the house is now toilet trained.

As far as individuals go, Seth’s practice is going along at a good clip. It keeps him busy most of the time. During his “down time” he has continued his work on interfaith dialogue through bloging and fielding email questions about the LDS Church for FAIR. He is also currently serving as the ward’s executive secretary and singing baritone in the ward choir.

Misty has been busy this year. She has tiled the main bathroom floor, resurfaced and painted the bathroom walls, painted the exterior of the house, learned the sopranino, soprano, and alto recorders, started learning the clarinet, typing, and Latin, and continued in her endeavors to homeschool the kids. She was finally released from teaching in the ward and is now on the Enrichment Committee for a short rest. Misty has once again picked up jogging and continues to read, crochet, walk, and plan.

Sierra (8) is now in 3^rd grade and in her second year at Options (a once a week public school for the homeschooled child) where she is taking Computer Skills, Piano 2, Art, Math, PE, and Drama. At home she is learning Math (including multiplication, decimals, and very soon, division), Grammar, Typing, Spelling, Cursive, Dictation, Chemistry, Latin, and Renaissance History as well as reading some abridged classics including Gulliver’s Travels and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In her spare time, she has also started to learn the soprano recorder, and she really wants to learn to play the guitar. Sierra continues to be very artistic, using everything from tin foil and plastic grocery bags to cardboard and watercolors for her projects. She is a very happy, responsible, creative, obedient, and social child, though she still has some problems when confronted with anything new.

Bailey (6) is now officially in Kindergarten, though she is doing a lot of first grade work. She is thrilled to finally be able to go to Options where she is learning Reading Skills, Math, Music, PE, Art, and Science. At home, she is doing Reading at a second grade level, Math, Handwriting, and Spelling at a first grade level, and Chemistry, Latin, and Renaissance History along with Sierra. She continues to be interested in whatever Sierra is doing, a quick learner (especially in anything language oriented), attentive to detail, stubborn, astute, manipulative, charming, and cute as a button. Things are never boring when she is around.

Blake (4) is starting to learn his colors and ABCs. He loves watching Leap Frog’s Letter Factory whenever the girls go off to Options. He has also started drawing (on everything, including the couch and walls), cutting (luckily on mostly paper and cardboard), putting puzzles together, and creating things from Legos, bristle comb blocks, and Trios. He is surprisingly good at looking at the pictures and building what he sees. He also likes sword fighting, posturing, grunting, and all of those other boy things. Blake knows what he wants and is very capable and independent for a four year old. He also keeps the cleanest room in the house. Go figure. Logical, methodical, pragmatic, perfectionistic, independent, and sweet. That’s our boy.

Kasper (8 months), our furry black cat, is a bundle of fun. He loves the outdoors, staying out as much as possible. He is also a very social kitty. He will say “hi” to anyone he sees: the mail lady, kids walking home from school, random guys walking by. Anyone. He’ll even search out our kids to play with, even when they aren’t so nice. His favorite places to sleep are on Seth’s office chair, Seth and Misty’s bed, and snuggled up with a sleeping Bailey. We’re really glad to have him.

It’s been a good year, though stressful at times. We hope all of yours have been good too. Best wishes to all, and Merry Christmas!

Lots of Love,

The Rogers Family