All Things Supercinski

December was a busy month of creating and crafting, enjoying one another and extended family, and celebrating Advent. For some reason (Pinterest), I decided to make many of the gifts I gave for Christmas this year. It was probably a bit much with having a fussy three month old who takes short naps, but it was very satisfying to make so many gifts. The garden took a hit after a big freeze and we lost our green beans just as they were starting to produce. The lettuce, spinach, kale, and broccoli have been very productive, while the cauliflower and brussels sprouts are still going slowly.

(I cannot take credit for the gingerbread house. A friend made those and had invited us to come decorate them, however, Sugar ran a fever the day before so we had to stay home. She let us take them home along with some candy and decorate. The kids had a blast! Thank you again, Friend!) We wrapped up our first half of the year of homeschooling. Bud is halfway through with our first grade math curriculum and reading much faster these days. His favorite book right now is, “Are You My Mother?” which he laughs out loud reading. Sugar is working on learning her letters, and I will post about some of our fun activities soon.

December marked the first ever Bryan-College Station marathon. While neither of us were up to running this year, we wanted to do our part to support it, so we made some signs and loaded the kids up in the freezing morning to go out and cheer on some runners. Our signs said, “Your feet hurt because you’re kicking so much butt” and “Chuck Norris never ran a marathon.” It was fun, but cold, so we only lasted a short while. This is how Speedy and I looked in the baby wearing poncho–floating baby head!

We spent a long weekend celebrating Christmas at my mom’s house with my siblings and their families, along with my grandparents in from Arizona. It was a special treat to get to see them, and I am so glad they got to spend time with my kids. Thomas and I organized some “Minute to Win It” Christmas games that I saw on Pinterest. It was fun and I think I will make us all do it again next year. Here is my baby brother holding my baby:

I sold our elliptical machine this month and used the money I made to buy some other exercise equipment for working out in the garage. Getting back to the gym seems a long way off with night wakings and nursing, so I am starting to do some stuff on my own. My dad welded me my own box for Christmas and gave me a bunch of weight plates to help me get started. It has been fun so far.

Advent was a good season of reflection for me personally as I was confronted with a lot of grief and sorrow around me as two friends lost children this month. At first, I felt terrible going about the fun preparations for Christmas while I knew these dear women were grieving deeply. In reflecting on Jesus coming as a baby, being God With Us, I could taste even greater what that meant through these sad times. It was a sweet time of rejoicing in His coming and though we have grief and suffering now, we have hope because He came and conquered death. I love the words to one of my favorite Andrew Peterson songs, “the man of all sorrows/never forgot/what sorrow is carried/by the hearts that he bought…”

We wrapped up the month with our yearly decluttering and reorganizing of cabinets, closets, and such. It has been a nice, relaxing end to a busy season.

November was a great time for us to enjoy cooler weather, a bit of a slower pace, and focusing on thankfulness. The thankful tree was a big hit again. Some of my favorites were Sugar being thankful for the color purple, and Bud being thankful for his baby brother almost each night.

We spent Thanksgiving at home with Thomas’ parents. We were so thankful they made the drive. We weren’t going to attempt traveling with our car seat screamer yet. I made a ham (well, HEB made it, I reheated it), sweet potato casserole, roasted veggies, salad (from the garden), and rolls. Thomas’ mom took care of dessert. I was able to keep my meal dairy-free, which I have been working hard to do to see if it helps Speedy’s reflux.

A sweet young lady from our church got married earlier in November, and the kids enjoyed their first wedding. This picture is fuzzy (the camera lens was dirty for the first half of November, I have since discovered), but the kids were so cute and excited. Sugar’s favorite part was the dancing (she and all the young girls from church were dancing up a storm), and Bud’s favorite part was the chocolate covered strawberry someone found for him (they were all gone by the time we let him go get one.)

I started crafting again! It started by making a monkey for Sugar for his class unit on Caps for Sale at CC. That turned out to be a lot of fun, so I dusted off my sewing machine and haven’t looked back. Thanks Pinterest! Most of what I have made is Christmas gifts, so I cannot show you just yet. You can see the monkey joining the kids for a picnic snack. She’s the one in the Bumbo seat.

I also made some onesie dresses for a friend who just had her first girl.

The garden is growing like crazy, with broccoli heads galore, lettuce and spinach big and strong, green beans and cauliflower coming in, and brussels sprouts still waiting. The garden and big kids have enjoyed the rain.

We also started getting the kids to do more chores at dinner time. They make everything a party as they clear the table and clean the floors.

And lastly, King Bud and Queen Sugar display their royal crowns. That was a fun little craft. Bud wrote his name on the side of his crown with an arrow pointing down, just in case you weren’t sure who his name was referring to.

Bud (top) and Speedy (bottom) at about the same age, perhaps a couple weeks difference. Speedy is definitely starting to look like his own person to me.

October was a busy, fun-filled month around here, enjoying the beautiful, somewhat cooler weather. The kids and I spent many mornings at the park and many afternoons riding bikes and scooters around the neighborhood.

The big kids spent a weekend at Nana and Woody’s house, and Thomas and I enjoyed a very quiet weekend at home with Speedy. You would think we might get a lot done, but no, we did not. We took some naps, ate out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and enjoyed spending time with Speedy without many distractions. The house was eerily quiet without them, and we were glad to have them home again.

We spent one Saturday morning at Weinerfest, a local festival to benefit the animal shelter. Weiner dogs abounded in some hilarious costumes, and the kids really enjoyed the weiner dog races.

Thomas and Bud spent a weekend camping with some of our good friends from Waco. Their first ever “boys only” camping weekend was a success. Bud had a blast and crashed on the couch as soon as they got home.

We put our garden in the end of September, and it is growing quite well. Speedy and I enjoy going out to water it in the afternoon while he is in the Moby Wrap. He falls asleep before we are done. I think that is why everything is growing so well–consistency! We have broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, green beans, lettuce, spinach, onions, carrots, peas, tomatoes (hopefully we get some before a freeze!), and bell peppers and basil still growing from the summer.

In school, Bud has really come along in his reading. It is as if something has clicked in his brain and everything is coming a little quicker than before. We spent some time learning about Lewis and Clark’s expedition and Davy Crockett. Bud was a huge fan, and dons his Davy Crockett costume everyday, wearing it all of the time we are home. A sweet friend gave him a coon-skin cap, and he made his own shotgun out of a stick, duct tape and paint. We aren’t gun toy people, but how could we resist such creativity?

The kids have been really into dressing up (Davy Crockett especially), and are getting more and more creative as they delve deeply into the dress up box. They also chose to dress up for pumpkin patch pictures, they really love dressing up.

Thankfully, I grabbed the camera on our mad-dash rush to Austin before Sugar’s surgery. Here are some of my favorite pictures from that time.

This is right before her surgery on Monday midday. It was an agonizing morning of waiting for surgery to begin, and I cried a lot. I sure love this girl! (This is the last picture of me pregnant, too.)

This was on Wednesday after her surgery (no pics of Monday afternoon or Tuesday, those were rough days), and enjoying her first taste of popsicle, but she only wanted the orange and red parts.

Taking a ride in the wagon on Wednesday. Nana brought Sugar that baby with long hair and lots of outfits to change into for being so brave. It really helped! She took her first steps on Wednesday night.

Speedy was born on Thursday morning, and we were released from the hospital on Friday at one. We went to Sugar’s hospital for dinner and to celebrate my birthday with some cake. Sugar was eating pizza. Her yellow bracelet says “Fall Risk” on it. That cracked me up.

Bud getting some time with his little brother:

I never got around to posting a June update, so I will attempt to include it now. June was a fun month of swim lessons for the kids, lots of trips to the pool, splashpad, and library for their summer events. Sugar is quite the little fish in the water, attempting to swim underwater without floaties all the time. Bud is more cautious, but they both have a great time. We went to our city’s summer concert series a few times, and the kids enjoyed running and tumbling in the soft grass more than the music (some nights, who could blame them?) We enjoyed a visit with our friends, the Culpeppers, and getting to meet their little boy.

The kids spent a weekend with my mom and Woody while Thomas and I enjoyed a lot of rest, relaxation and ethnic foods (mmm, Fadis) while staying in a nice hotel in Houston. Later in June we attended a parent practicum for Classical Conversations. It was a great time to play with friends and prepare for the coming year, while being encouraged in homeschooling.

I managed to can 7 quarts of tomatoes for the summer, but that was it. The garden languished under the heat and drought, though we did manage to get several cantaloupes, a few watermelons, many cucumbers and just a few zucchini.

July was a bit slower of a month with many more visits to the pool, fewer trips to the splashpad (I cannot handle the heat anymore), and more trips to the library’s summer programs. I attended three baby showers in July, and one of them was for me. We have been very productive around the house, making preparations for the baby and the coming school year. Thomas pulled everything out of the garden except for the bell peppers. Everything else was dead. This has been the worst summer garden ever, but since it has only rained three times all summer, it isn’t a surprise.

The kids finished up gymnastics for the year (below you will see Sugar’s favorite ensemble to wear these days.) She spends much of her time picking out new outfits that she creatively matches together and pairs with jewelry.

There once was a little bunny named Backyard Bunny. It lived in the backyard and neighboring yards and flower beds of a certain Old Mr. Supercinski. He was a wee little bunny, but he possessed amazing powers of speed, agility and squishiness (in squeezing under tiny holes in the fence that Old Mr. Supercinski continually tried to block, only to find a smaller hole that the bunny could squeeze through.)

Old Mr. Supercinski spent many evenings hunting the bunny by flashlight, many early mornings rummaging under melon leaves, and many a time chasing Backyard Bunny around and around the backyard. He researched making snares, considered purchasing a pellet gun, borrowed a rabbit trap from a friend, and prayed that the little bunny “would be delivered into his hands.”

Poor Backyard Bunny. All he wanted was to eat the fresh blossoms and leaves off the melon plants, green bean leaves and nibble on tomatoes!

One early Saturday morning, Backyard Bunny was chased around and around Old Mr. Supercinski’s garden and yard, but he noticed that Old Mr. Supercinski had much more vigor and pep, little did he know that he started working out again. Old Mr. Supercinski chased Backyard Bunny into the neighbor’s yard (they were out of town), with Old Mr. Supercinski jumping over the fence, back and forth at least three times. Backyard Bunny was frightened so he ran to his favorite hiding place, between two of the compost bins. Unfortunately, Old Mr. Supercinski called in backup, the ladies of the house in their pajamas. After another rousing chase around the yard, poor Backyard Bunny got caught in some bird netting around the tomatoes. There were no birds nearby to implore him to exert himself, so he was actually delivered into Old Mr. Supercinski’s hands, deposited into the trap, fed apple slices and pet by the children.

The Supercinskis loaded up their Backyard Bunny and deposited him in Independence, Texas, a good 30 miles away. (The Supercinskis were on their way to Burton to pick up their side of beef from the processor, so it was a nice pit stop.)

The End.

May was a nice, restful month around here with our normal activities all taking a break for the summer. The kids and I enjoyed the slower pace by doing more school, playing in the sprinkler and splashpad, and being under-budget on gasoline. We took the kids fishing one chilly Saturday morning, but in spite of using live worms, did not catch anything. The kids had a great time with the worms.

I started teaching two concurrent Bradley classes (15 couples!), which gives Thomas and the kids more time together and me opportunity to really hone my material as I repeat it twice each week. I also picked up a wonderful breastfeeding video and some new books.

The garden was giving us more broccoli than we could handle, along with our first cauliflower, carrots, onions, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and green beans. We pulled our potatoes and got about 25 pounds from the 4-5 pounds that the kids and I planted. We used a different variety this year since my favorite was sold out, and it was definitely lower-yielding, but still good. The harliquin bug war still rages on, and I’ve officially listed Thomas as a fellow soldier to fight those things with me as the heat is starting to get to me.

Since summer time is here, it is time for a “year in review”, homeschool edition. We had our first year in our local Classical Conversations campus, and we loved it! I learned so much about how to better teach our children, and Bud learned so much as well. We will definitely be in CC again next year.

My goal this year was to take it slow since Bud was not technically kindergarten age, but to ease into school and spread things out gradually. We tried to do school 3 days a week, some weeks we made that goal, and some weeks we did more. It was a good way for us to ease into things. Over the course of the year, we went from doing school for 45 minutes each day to now almost two hours many days.

This is what we did, and my opinions on it:
Math - Saxon 1 – I planned to stretch this out over two years, but we will likely finish this before our new baby arrives. Bud loves doing math, and I really appreciate the way Saxon does things. There is so much repetition that he really knows the material well by the time we are done with it. Some people don’t like Saxon for the repetition, which is the very thing that makes me like it so much.

Phonics - The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading – we started the year off with Explode the Code, but I realized that it wasn’t working for us, so I switched to this curriculum. There is a ton of repetition and review with this curriculum, which is needed at this age. Bud is doing well with it, and enjoys the games and optional activities with many lessons. We will be sticking with this since we still have a long way to go.

Handwriting - Handwriting Without Tears – Bud was very interested in writing his letters, and I just let him figure it out on his own for a long time, but then I realized he was doing things the hard way. I got this little workbook and it has helped a ton. He likes working on it a lot.

Science, Geography, Timeline, History, Latin, Grammar, Fine Arts – Classical Conversations – we both had a great time learning these subjects together this year, and I am amazed at how much he (and I) learned–from all of the presidents in order, Ephesians 6, to the three laws of thermodynamics, to how to play music on his tin whistle, to identifying the continents, oceans and scores of countries on the map. While many of these things are not applicable to him yet (like the laws of thermodynamics), they are stored away in his brain on memory pegs for later, just waiting for more information to hang on it.

I feel like April is often one of the busiest months of the year, and it was certainly a fun and busy time for us. Our homeschool group wrapped up for the school year, which was bittersweet, but I am enjoying the break. We finished off the year with a live concert from our kids’ favorite musician and some ice cream. I am enjoying leisurely planning and preparing for the fall for both kids, and slowing our pace down a bit. This is Bud with his partner for his egg protector project (the egg broke):

I wrapped up another Bradley series full of great couples (I think one of my favorite things about teaching is meeting all these neat people), and I just started another series. Actually, I have two series going on now, demand was so high that I have two full classes. Since this is my last time to teach this year, it works out well, but we’ll see how teaching twice a week goes for our family. I’m shopping for some new birth and breastfeeding videos, so if anyone has a recommendation, I would love to hear it. I also got to give a lecture on breastfeeding basics for an OB class at the nursing school at A&M. That was quite the experience, I was so nervous, but it was fun.

Our garden is in full-swing. We have been eating broccoli at least twice a week (Thomas is loving this, no, not really), and we have a lot of green tomatoes and a baby cauliflower out there. We will be harvesting carrots, onions and potatoes soon, Lord willing. I think our garden is really aching for some rainwater these days, everything is about sick of all this tap water.

I like this picture which shows the fun that can happen when planting with little ones. You will notice a cucumber plant and a carrot or two growing in the midst of our onions.