March 28, 2021

 Well, it's been a year. A lot has happened, but the world finally seems to be recovering from...you know...

So, what's been going on? A lot actually.

We are still part of our Classical Conversations community. I'm tutoring again this year and it has been a great honor to lead this wonderful group this year. We only have four more weeks before the end of the year. I cannot believe how time has flown! 

Let's get down to the important stuff: the kiddos.

Andrew is now every bit of two and has been since his birthday back in June. If you ask him how old he is, he will give you some random number and then smile innocently like he doesn't know it was the wrong one. "Andrew, how old are you?" "37. " It's hilarious and just shows his cheeky personality. He is so very smart and will take apart anything if given the opportunity. I have to be super careful not to change batteries around him or I will come back to find dismantled remotes or other devices with Andrew trying to reinstall the batteries he has removed. His favorite show is Mickey Mouse and he likes doing "schoolwork" when he can. Lately he's been using Francis's cousin's book Head to Toe (by Jessica Lawler) and loves feeling like a big kid. He is very big in fact. Andrew is already in 4T clothing and is quickly making strides toward Hannah and Robert in the weight department. He is so determines that being the 4th child will never be an issue for him. He knows how to get things done!

Hannah is our princess as always. While she would love a sister, I think she sees the advantages of being the only girl. She has learned to read pretty well and does addition and subtraction problems quickly when the mood strikes her. Hannah is pretty quiet in public places, but that's not true at home. I love hearing her thoughts about the world, princesses, and what she likes. Hannah loves to dress up. She has decided that she does not have to wear a skirt every day (thank goodness), but has developed a taste for shoes. We don't go into stores much anymore, but when we do, oh boy! She will tell me which shoes are beautiful and which are not. We don't always agree. She enjoys play ABC mouse on her tablet and reading Dragon Masters books (with help). She enjoys so many things and I am looking forward to seeing how her interests grow.  

Robert is as creative as ever. His "what if" questions can sometimes leave me stumped. Yesterday at the dinner table he asked, "If you could have your ancestors be born anywhere in the world different from where they were actually born, where would you want them to come from?" It took me a good 5 minutes to unpack what he was actually asking and then I didn't have an answer. I think he was disappointed when I listed countries I would like to visit instead. Robert reads whatever he can get his hands on, which con be difficult with four kids who like books. He's by far the most giving and forgiving of the kids and his three siblings always welcome him as a playmate. Robert's love language is physical touch, so he is also an expert hug-giver. You can count on his to give sympathy and a good squeeze no matter your problem. Robert is so sweet! I love to see how his intelligence and his compassion  work together to make him an expert problem solver. 

William is nearly 10 and he is definitely in preteen mode. He questions the validity of everything. Always wants to know why and generally has an idea of exactly how every task should be accomplished. He's so smart, that usually his way works. William is a crazy fast reader. I sat and read 115 pages in an hour the other day (I'm a fast reader) only to find William had read over 189 pages in the same span of time. We were reading two different books from the same series, so it wasn't even like I could claim his book was easier. Words come easy for him. I am happy William is becoming a critical thinker. He challenges me in ways I never thought possible, and makes me want to be better. William is getting tall and getting dangerously close to me in weight, so Francis is starting to take on more of the discipline. I enjoy seeing Francis lead William. Francis is such an excellent father, and William will listen to him much better than me when it comes to certain things. I'm so glad Francis and I are a team. William always leads us into uncharted territories as the first born, and I can only smile when I see him mature and grow into the wonderful adult I know he will be someday. 

Francis is still working from home. We moved back in September to a new house (that was an ordeal in itself) and now Francis is no longer working in our bedroom closet. We hope to build an official office for him soon, but for now he is in the future homeschool room. He coaches the boy's sports teams (currently soccer) and volunteers in AWANAS and doing the lights at church. He's mine and I love getting to see more than I ever did when he was away all day. So, I guess you could say I'm very content.

We finished official school work for the year before "Spring Break" (yes I'm aware of the irony) so we are doing some fun supplementary stuff before we pick back up in late April or May. We school year round and that means we can take time off any time we need to. I'm still working for VIPKID tutoring the most adorable students in China in the early morning hours. I still enjoy it, and I'm thankful I can work from home. I also tutor for Classical Conversations, and I wouldn't trade our community for anything. The most exciting thing about me personally is I accomplished something that has been a personal goal since I was a teenager. This past week I finished writing my first full length novel. It currently stands at just under 82,000 words and is the product of months (and years) of work. I don't know if anything will happen with it, but I am proud of myself for doing something hard and completing it. So far the only people to have read (or heard) it in its entirety are William, Robert and Hannah, but they seem to have enjoyed it. It's fantasy, which is William's favorite genre. I have now begun to edit and will be praying to see what (if anything) comes next. This book is technically in a series of 5, and my kids already are urging me to work on #2. It's nice to have them appreciate my work. After I edit, Francis will get a chance to read it too. So far he's only heard bits and pieces. I'll be interested to hear his impressions since fantasy is definitely not his thing. If anyone else might be interested in reading/editing/artwork, let me know.

That's all for now! 

May 13, 2020

It's been a while. Things are still moving along at the Phillips' household. Life's good but these kids keep me on my toes!

After nearly 6 weeks of no official school (we've been doing tons up other stuff), Hannah found the school curriculum for next year. She immediately demanded to start Kindergarten and would not lat up until we did. Robert also wanted to start. So after a week and a half of restarting school (William's started math because everything else is tied to the CC calendar for him), Hannah had finished 16 days of Kindergarten and Robert has finished 14 days of 2nd grade. The first 20 or so days are super easy or mostly review, so I am sure they will want to slow down after that. I like their enthusiasm because it means when we are able to go out, we can take some time off! Hannah is so proud to be a Kindergartner before she turns 5. She had a (very unrealistic) goal to finish all the work before her birthday in July, but I talked her out of it. Whew!

Andrew's potty training is coming along. We finished with his last diaper on Sunday and now are onto Pull ups and underwear. He's doing pretty well, but there is room for improvement. 

We've still been biking most evenings and have been visiting different friends on our trips. One family returned the favor by riding by our house on their bike ride. It was so fun! Other than that we went to a restraunt for Mother's Day. It was the first time the kids had been in a building other than our house for two months. It was surreal. The kids behaved well the whole time and didn't complain at all. Happy Mother's Day to me! 

Speaking of Mother's Day, we've been getting good use out to the new green screen. The kids made an adorable movie to the song "Skidamarink" for the grandmas and great grandmas for Mother's Day. They also worked with Francis and made me a special Mother's Day video as well. We are no where near professionals, but it's brought some fun family time. 

I wish there was more to tell. We are ready to see more people and do more things (I'm sure you are too!). We continue to pray together and hope for a brighter tomorrow. I love you all!

Till next time! 

April 27, 2020

Time is simultaneously flying by and going at a snail's pace. We've started to loose track of the days. We finished our last CC class of the semester over a week ago. While I'm sad to not see our campus online each week, the prep for hosting the classes was wearing me down a bit. It was all totally worth it, but I took a good 2 hour nap after the last class! I am still having Bible study online for the next couple of weeks. Mostly it feels like we are in a holding pattern. We go on bike rides in the evenings. We have started going over 3 miles in the evenings with the boys. They are getting good and have quite a bit of endurance built up. Hannah and Andrew ride in the carriage behind Francis's bike, so they just like the ride. We have been doing odds and end of learning since we already finished our curriculum before spring break. We've been working on typing, math, languages (william-french, Robert-Chinese, Hannah- latin (her CC work) and Andrew- English and signing), and today the big boys are taking an art class online while Hannah is working on learning to read. Never a dull moment around here. William did manage to complete Memory Master even amongst all the chaos. He memorized all of Cycle 2 and even recited it for his Grandad via Zoom. We are so proud of his hard work! Other than "school", we've been having a lot of outside time. The kids got a dome for Easter that has turned them into monkeys and we have been replacing their fort piece by piece so that it is slowly becoming brand new. Oh and Andrew got a water table from Nana and Grandad, so there's been a lot of water thrown about. Good times!

Speaking of Easter, we had a good one. This is only the second time in my memory that we haven't been out camping on Easter. We didn't let that stop us. We put up the tent in the backyard and the big boys and Francis camped out Friday evening. We still had an egg hunt (with a gazillion eggs thanks to my mom sending reinforcements) and gifts for each of the kids from my in-laws (Legos, Kinexs, Teenie Geenies, and a water table respectively). We assembled the new dome and a good time was had by all. I am loving the family time part of this adventure.

We've also been having movie nights on the weekends. We pick something we want to watch and picnic in front of the TV for dinner.  We've mostly been watching old Disney classics, but we spice it up with things like Lego Masters and Be our Chef as well as the occasional Torch-lighter biography.

The kids are doing well. They miss their friends, but get along well most of the time. Andrew is still potty training. He's doing...ok. He goes at least half the day with no accidents and has gone a couple of days with no accidents. When he does decide to go elsewhere, he happily brings me paper towels to clean it up and then he shows me where it is. So... progress. His language is exploding. He says a few new words every day and is beginning to repeat what we say as well. He's cute and he knows it. and he's a problem solver. He's got a strong will and doesn't like to hear "no". I love him so much and he is always challenging me to be a better parent and seek Jesus. You're a keeper, Mr. Andrew.

Hannah is progressing with her letter sounds and numbers. I actually think she is on the cusp of really reading, which is impressive at 4 and a half. She likes it when Robert teaches her things, which has helped her progress more than I could have hoped! She's sweet and missed her friends much more than her brothers, probably because she's the only girl. She has decided she wants to change her name to "Princess", which is what I tend to call her anyway. She has her own way of doing things and her room is a "boy free zone" about half the time. She loves her brother's though, and the restriction never lasts long. She is truly a princess-in-training.

Robert likes to teach as much as learn. He is always trying to teach Hannah, Andrew, or even William and me something. He's smart and creative. He helped make a video for Timothy and Gideon's birthday. When he learned we would have to attend their birthday party via Zoom, he came up with his own edition of "Some Good News" and got his siblings to help. It was so cute and the video came out great. While we were sad to miss seeing family, it is a sweet memory. Keep shining that light, Robert!

William is a jack-of-all trades. We've been listening to Andrew Peterson read the "Wingfeather Saga" live in the evenings, and it's been inspiring all sorts of adventures from William during the days. He's made his own version of "ships and sharks" (a game from the book) and is currently drawing his own fantasy creatures. His critical thinking skills are in high gear and his snark has reached pre-teen level. This makes for some humorous (and sometimes) frustrating interactions. It's a whole new ball game and I'm learning the rules as I go. William, you'll always be my first baby. I love you!

As I said we missed the twins second birthday, but did get to attend via Zoom. We decorated our house and had a cake ready to eat with them too. It was good, but not the same. I've been holding up well, but after the party, I lost it. I'm so thankful for a handful of friends who have talked me back from the ledge. I'm ready for this to be over, I tell ya!

We did have a family reunion with the extended Phillips Family last night. It was fun having a meeting of the minds from the US and Canada. I'm going to try to dwell on the positive and let go of the sad as much as I can. I will keep praying. If you need anything, let me know!

Till next time!

April 3, 2020

It's been far too long since I posted! I'll give a quick update what we've been up to.

William and Robert completed their 3rd and 1st grade curriculum back at the beginning of April. They were happy to be done before our "spring break" started, and so was I. Hannah has learned all her letters and their sounds and is beginning to use those sounds when she sees them. She is ready to read! She knows her numbers and is able to identify them. Robert is a reading machine and likes reading chapter books about animals and pretend adventures. William is still an avid reader, and over the past couple of weeks seems to have read all the books in the house at least once. Andrew is growing so much. He has quite a few words now and even some sentences like, "Are you?" ("Where are you?"). He says it mostly when we play hide and seek. He knows the routine and always tried to be one step ahead of us.

The end of the first week of March, my in-laws came and got the kids and took them back to Dallas. They spent Thursday night through Sunday at my in-laws' and Sunday through Wednesday at my parents' house. They went to the Perot Museum, Legoland, the Grapevine Aquiarium, Dallas zoo, went swimming and so much more! They didn't miss us at all. Francis and I got to go on our cruise! The cruise was an excellent time of relaxation and a chance to recharge. The sea was very rough, so rough that we were unable to dock in Costa Maya. The waves were literally washing over the dock. As a result we only had one port: Cozumel. We didn't mind though. We decided to take everything in stride and just enjoy the quiet. I read an entire book! In Cozumel, we visited the beach and enjoyed dry, solid ground. It was a good trip, and just what we needed.

We arrived back March 11 to a world that was very much unlike the one we left. Francis had to go back to work, and so I drove to Dallas from Galveston to get the kids. I had planned to stay until the weekend so I could see my family and have a mini spring break with the kids. Wednesday evening the whole Noble clan (minus Francis and Chad) had dinner together. We went to a place where there was a playground and we kept having to tell the kids to wash their hands before they could come back to eat. The TV announced that the NBA was suspending their season while we ate. That's when I knew what was coming.

Thursday we hung out with my parents and Dani and Kevin around my parent's house. We swam, watched TV and played board games. We decided not to go anywhere. Mom was on calls much of the day with the governor an others. Spring break got extended another week for public schools. After all that was announced, I decided to cut the trip short and head home on Friday. The kids were so happy to see Francis. Francis got the order that he needed to begin to work from home. We ran all of the errands we needed to including grocery pick up, getting me a new bike and getting Francis's bike repaired. After watching first hand what had happened thus far in China (via teaching my sweet students across the sea), we decided we needed a way to continue to exercise as a family. I'm so glad we did.

So then social distancing/general quarantine occurred and has been for the last three weeks. I'm still teaching in the mornings, and am now tutoring our CC campus online on Tuesdays. I'm doing my Thursday Bible Study via Zoom. I feel busier than I have in a long time and we aren't even leaving home! The kids are keeping busy. They love playing on the fort in the backyard. We are doing activities we normally don't have time for. Robert learned to ride on two wheels last week and William has gotten more confident in his bike riding. With Hannah and Andrew in the bike trailer, we have been going out on nightly rides. The first night it took us 45 minutes to go a few blocks. Last night we did our longest route ever and it only took us 10 minutes (the rain cut our trip short). I'm loving to see the kids grow.

Overall the kids don't seem to mind the change. Francis is home all the time (which they love) and they get time outside and get to explore on bikes. Because school is over at our house, we invested in ABC mouse.com and so the kids have been doing some "online school" like everyone else. They are loving the fun activities. Robert took his first Mandarin class online and William is continuing with his French. These kids are each other's best friends, and I am cherishing the growth in those relationships. And in other news Andrew went on the potty for the firs time last night. If we can get potty training accomplished during this time, words cannot express how happy I will be. But between the last two sentences, I had to change Andrew due to an accident, so it may be a pipe dream.

Life is not perfect here, but we are embracing the good and releasing the bad. Francis and I are sharing the laundry room as both of our offices (it's a big room and Francis also works from the garage and out bedroom). We are learning a new normal just like everyone else. I'm glad I have Francis. He makes everything better.

That's all for now!

Tha

February 20, 2020

It's been busy these weeks. Francis and I had a wonderful early Valentine's Day Dinner while the kids were at Parent's night out a couple of weekends ago. We had steak and it was AMAZING (the company was top notch too). My best friend since third grade, Ashley, came to visit that same weekend and got a dose of our crazy life for a couple of days. She didn't see the big boys much because they had basketball all day Saturday, but Hannah and Andrew loved her so much! We took her to the park and they made her slide over and over again. In fact Andrew grew so fond of her that when we picked him up from church class the following day (Sunday), he went to Ashley instead of me. He never goes to anyone but me. Ashley, the kids can't wait for your next visit and neither can I!

Last Friday was Valentine's Day. The kids have the best grandparents and great-grandparents. They awoke to sweet notes and cards waiting for them on the breakfast table. Each told them how much they are loved. They even got a small gift, a bit of candy and a new toothbrush (compliments of their mom, haha). It was a fun day. The kids had already had 2 valentine's parties, so they also had candy and cards from all their CC friends and Bible Study classmates. We ended the day with Francis and watched Lego Masters as a family on TV. It's really a show that has something for everyone in our family. It was perfect. Francis gave me a doozy of a Valentine's gift. We are going on a cruise! He knows I'm in need of a break and so he booked a trip for the two of us in March. I'm so excited! I've got a good man, and I know it. I love you, Francis!

This past weekend, we went to Houston to celebrate my nephew Jackson turning one. I cannot believe it has already been a year. Abby, my niece, was not feeling well, so we were sad not to see her much. The party had a bounce house, balloon animals, face painting, a ball pit and food. It was certainly a winning combination. We love being able to see and celebrate our cousins. I wish we could see family more often!

Francis had Monday off before heading to Maryland on Tuesday (he is on his way back as we speak). We enjoyed getting to have a little extra dad time! After taking Hannah on her date to get her nails done at the beginning of February, taking Robert to chuck E cheese last week, and taking Andrew to the park on Sunday, I completed my final date of the month with William Monday afternoon. He also chose Chuck E Cheese. I treasure these times with my kids. They get to tell me things without interruption that I might not otherwise hear. Next month is Francis's turn, and I'm already looking forward to my turn again in April. I think it's time well invested and something my kids will remember.

Well, life not all roses over here (I'm currently dealing with one kid who threw up overnight and another with diarrhea). I'm tired, not as patient as I want to be, and I never get as much done as I want. But if I'm honest, I wouldn't change it (we'll I'd change the throw up situation...) and I wouldn't trade it.

Till next time! 

February 2, 2020

It's been a while! Things are chugging along here. Things are generally going well. I'm still tutoring in Hannah's class at CC and I feel like I'm starting to get a rhythm. Of course, this is our week off, so who knows what week will hold?

Andrew is keeping me on my toes, as usual. When I picked him up last week from Bible Study, the teacher described how he climbed the shelves to get to the counter, and then proceeded to reach over the half door and push on the door knob to open the door (it's locked on the inside). When she called his name, he closed the door, climbed down, looked at her and smiled impishly. This pretty much describes my life with him right now. He's adorable and knows how to get into/out of anything. He's so smart and has things pretty much figured out. He's got quite a few opinions on the matter also. I'm looking forward to the day when we can discuss those opinions with words. He is sleeping through the night most night (cue angelic chorus) so at least I'm able to get a little sleep each night. I can't wait to see what is around the corner for my creative, athletic and strong willed baby!

Hannah is learning and growing all the time. She is having to learn to get along with her brothers. This is very easy sometimes, but she cannot understand why they don't want to play ponies or princesses every hour of the day. She is discovering her own love of reading. She has to be tucked in every night with at least 3 books. She loves looking at the pictures, especially Fancy Nancy or all things princess related. She is becoming articulate in her thoughts and exceptionally expressive in her feelings and gestures. It is fun to imagine what she will be like all grown up. For now, I'm loving little tea parties and watching girly shows with her. She's my girl.

Robert is taking after William in the books department. I can't get them books fast enough. Fridays are library days currently, and they usually manage to hit the max number of books for my card and then read them all before bed on Friday. It's crazy. Robert is loving a set of Dragon books right now. His imagination fits perfectly in the fantasy realm, and he makes up new stories or different endings as soon as he is finished reading. We have started the process of getting him tested for speech therapy. He is still having some difficulty with his "r"s and "s"s (though he has worked so hard and made so much progress!!!), and we just want to make sure he is not in need of extra help. He has been playing his first season of basketball too. He is an excellent defense man. I mean excellent. He's tried making a few goals during the games too, but hasn't yet landed one yet. I can't wait to see it when he does!

William is also playing basketball in the next age group up. He has improved dramatically from last year and even made his first score during a game Saturday before last. I cried like he'd won a gold medal in the Olympics. I was so proud! Fortunately Nana and Grandad were there to celebrate with us. It was a great day! My Dad came the game before that and also got to see both boys' skills. We are very blessed to have awesome grandparents around. I am trying to prepare William for being a big kid. One of those skills is learning to take a test. I will be giving him the ITBS test in April both to get him familiar with testing (he doesn't have much "real" testing right now) as well as to gage his progress in what he knows. He's done well with the practice questions and talking him through a problem when he doesn't know the answer has been very interesting. I'm looking forward to seeing the result!

Francis has been assistant coaching William's basketball team and it looks like he will be head coach of the big boys' team come soccer season next month. He also teaches Hannah's AWANA class on Sunday evenings. He's a super dad and I really appreciate all he is and does. I've still = been working mornings teaching online (as well as tutoring Hannah's class on Tuesdays) and lately I've also been working early evenings. With the crisis in China and so many being home-bound, the need for online classes has risen dramatically for the time being. I'm happy to help ease some of the burden. I like providing an outlet for these kids who are bored, scared, or both. But I also look forward to when things can return to normal for them. Until then, Teacher Melissa is on evening and morning duty.

Till next time!

January 15, 2020

2020! I actually had to erase the year in the title to fix it. I haven't written since Christmas, and honestly there is no way to cover all that ground. I'll try to give highlights. Christmas did not go as expected. We headed to Dallas on that Friday and had a great celebration with my family on Saturday.  We made cookies, sang songs, had delicious food (and I mean amazing!), watched Christmas movies, had a little service and opened gifts. It was a very sweet time. By Saturday evening it was apparent that Robert didn't feel well and so on Sunday he and I stayed at my parents while everyone went to church (except Dani and Kevin who left to be with his family for Christmas). Saturday we also got word that my in-law's were sick and that my mother-in-law tested flu positive. We were planning to move over to my in-laws' house on Monday, so this put a large kink in our plans.

Robert was feeling much better by Sunday evening, so Monday and Tuesday (Christmas eve) we stayed at my parents and did some fun things around town. As Christian's kids had already opened all their gifts (which wouldn't have mattered if we had been at my in-laws), we got a couple of gifts for each kid so they all had something to open on Christmas Eve. I actually really enjoyed each kid opening two presents, because it meant they appreciated each gift and played sweetly with one another. It was a sweet memory.

Christmas Day we had breakfast with Francis's parents at IHOP and then went back to video skype with Cyndy and her family. We all opened presents via webcam. It wasn't the same, but it was necessary to keep baby Jackson safe. It was still much better than nothing! After presents, Fancis didn't look right. We got back to my parents' house, and rather than packing up the car and heading home, Francis took a 2 hour nap. When he awoke, we packed up the car. He told me he didn't feel up to driving. I knew something was very wrong. I drove us home that evening, and for the next 3 days, Francis was in bed sleeping. Saturday I finally woke him and told him he needed to go to urgent care or the emergency room. He had lot a lot of weight from not eating and his oxygen was low. He was diagnosed with pneumonia. After antibiotics and breathing treatments, he began the road to recovery. This led us into the New Year.

New Year's Eve, Francis finally felt up to leaving the house, so we went over to the Williams for food, games, and even some fireworks. The kids had a blast and it was SO nice to be around other people again. On New Year's day, I took the morning off of work and slept in. It was nice! We watched the parade, took down Christmas decorations and had a delicious fondue dinner and dessert. It's hard word but oh so good!!!

January we have had a few play dates (both at our house and other places). I've been working to try to spend time and invest in other people. I know it is worth it, and now that I am finally exiting the "baby fog" of the past 8+ years, I finally feel like it is doable. If you want to have a playdate, let me know! Everything either has started back up or is starting up in the coming week. I've taken over tutoring Hannah's CC class. We've had 2 weeks of CC so far this semester. This makes Tuesdays a little nuts, but it's a good nuts. Yesterday I taught 3 classes in China, got everyone ready to go, taught Hannah's class at CC, came home and did some prep, made dinner, had dinner and then taught two more classes in China before bed. I feel asleep tired, but genuinely happy.

What else? Andrew has become more of a kid/little person in the last couple of weeks. He understands most things I say and will actually wait for a moment when I say "wait." He sets the table for me before meals without being asked (he's 18 months old so it's mostly randomly sticking utensils on the table everywhere). He asks for things he wants and I even get a signed "please" most of the time. He finds his shoes when it's time to go and helps me put on his hat. I am overjoyed that he is finally understanding. He still has his own opinions about everything, but we are getting closer to having a conversation so I can understand him better. I look forward to that day.

Hannah handles being the only girl like a pro. She's gotten to have a few friends over lately, and I am struck by how different girls really are! Robert went to a friend's house and we took the sister of that family (who is Hannah's age) to our house. William spent the time reading while the girls played quietly and even included Andrew in their play. It was amazing. Yesterday we had two friends (both girls, 5 and 1) over. Even with the addition of two kids, things were somehow quieter! Hannah loves her brothers, but I am happy she gets to have girl time occasionally too. I'm trying to be intentional about spending time with her. Currently we are watching the series "Tangled" on Disney+. She loves curling up in my lap as we watch and talk about it. I love my sweet girl!

Robert's reading has exploded. Now William will finish a novel and hand it off to Robert to read next. Robert has also been reading books to Hannah and it's super cute! I am so proud of the kind and thoughtful child he is becoming. He is also eating a ton right now, so it's possible a growth spurt is on the way. He is almost always willing to lend a hand and this week he even helped sort the laundry without being asked!  Robert does not like being alone and loves it best when he is playing with a sibling or friend. He's definitely the most extroverted of my kids! You keep making friends everywhere you go, buddy!


William forges ahead as my firstborn. He loves and hates the experience of being first. I have to remind him that he is not the parent (he is very good at remembering the rules), but he is generally pretty responsible too. He saved up all his money and bought a Nintendo Switch right after Christmas. He didn't have enough money for the games so each set of grandparents got him a game and so did we. He has been enjoying the challenge of these new games, and has (mostly) been sharing well with Robert. I am proud he had the disciple to save up birthday, tooth and Christmas money to get such an expensive item. He's mostly completed his 3rd grade school work, so we are finding supplementary items to help him gain more knowledge as help him pursue his interests. He's a smart kid, and I want to help him reach his potential!

That's all I've got time for now! Till next time.

December 20, 2019

It's been equal parts quiet and busy around here. The second week of December was filled with play dates. We decorated cookies, played at parks and attended the science class at Lick Creek Park. It was so fun and pretty relaxing too. After all the fun, I started to feel under the weather. I haven't fully recovered and have been taking it easy. I've been having to take naps in the afternoon to keep up with my kiddos. I'm exhausted. I'm still teaching in the mornings (which I love), or I'd be sleeping in too. I'm so ready to be at 100% again!

Today we head to Dallas for the start of Christmas festivities. We'll spend the weekend with my family and then move over to my in-laws' for Christmas eve and Christmas day. It should be a wonderful time. May you have a Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our savior!

Andrew has been growing by leaps and bounds. He is in to everything, partially because he just has to know everything! He's giving me a run for my money, and I'm trying to remember it's a phase. He is becoming more aware of his surroundings too. This morning when he woke up, he saw all the presents under the tree were missing (they are packed up and ready to go). He checked every inch under the tree before pointing at it in confusion. He has also started to sit an listen to books being read. It's possible I'll have 4 little bookworms soon.

Hannah is doing well. She is in a testing rules phase, but is quickly learning that the reason for rules is mostly her own protection. We've had a few ice packs needed around here lately. She loves Andrew and all babies. She has developed a sweet group of little friends. You ask her who her best is, and she'll rattle off around 20 names before you cut her off. She likes most everyone, which makes her very likable. She's got down letters and their sounds and will point them out around town. It's so fun to see her mind at work!

Robert had taken off suddenly with reading. He is reading novels now (like over 200 pages!). This just started in the past couple of weeks. He's reading over my shoulder currently and nodding at what I'm typing. I'm so proud of you, Robert! "I can read that whole thing!" he just said. Robert is also proud to announce that he can tell time and add and subtract even the biggest numbers (mostly in his head!). He's also still sweet as sugar with a "mini-hulk" streak. I think I'll keep him.

William is still an avid reader. He checked out 6 novels yesterday from the library and read them all before dinner. He and Robert have been listening to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" at night. Books are an essential part of our house. William is working on his French also and with him wrapping up part of his schoolwork (already?!?), we are going to devote more time to it. If I've learned anything from teaching children in China English, it's that hard work and practice pay off! William is beginning to hear and recognize French with more consistency, and this can only help his language production. I'm so proud of him too!

Francis and I are doing well. Not much to report from us. Francis is the assistant coach for William's basketball team this year and games for both big boys begin in January. I managed to get the bulk of Christmas shopping done and wrapped before I started feeling bad, so I've been able to relax a bit in that department. The only exception was the three hours I spent helping the kids wrap the gifts they bought for their siblings and cousins. My whole body hurt by the end, but the kids learned how to wrap packages!

That's it for now! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

December 5, 2019

The last 3 weeks have been crazy exciting. Disney, Thanksgiving and Christmas activities have kept us busy.

We left for Disney the Friday before my birthday. Francis and I drove cross country overnight with all the kids in the car. It actually wasn't that bad! I took the middle 5 hour shift (middle of the night) and found it relaxing and quiet. I never just get time to think and pray, so I enjoyed driving for, like, the first time ever. Francis did the evening and morning driving and after breakfast, we arrived at Disney Springs. We shopped, relaxed and had lunch at Francis's favorite place (Wolfgang Puck Express) before our room was ready. We went to the room and *tried* to nap, but the kids were wired so we gave up. We ended up taking the bus to Magic Kingdom and then the monorail over to the Grand Floridian. It is beautiful there at Christmas time and they had their huge Gingerbread house up in the lobby. It was super cold outside (in the low 40s), but the kids were undeterred so we took the water taxi back to Magic Kingdom. Brrrr. We made it back in time for Francis to go get dinner and all of us to have an early bed time. It was the perfect way to ease us into a fun filled week!

Sunday we got up early and made it for extra magic hours at Hollywood Studios. We rode the new Skyliner, and I am sold. It is the best way to travel and so fast! We did Toy Story land (after walking through Star Wars Land...which was nuts). We found out Andrew is indeed 32 inches tall and was able to ride the new Alien Saucers. The boys did the Jedi Training and rode all of the intense rides with either Francis or me. Hannah, Andrew and I went to the Little Mermaid show and rode the more tame rides an additional time when the opportunity allowed. We had dinner at the Sci Fi Drive in for "Hannah's Birthday", which the kids really seemed to enjoy. Toward the end of the day, we ventured back into Star Wars land. It was still crowded, but less so. Francis rode the new Smugglers Run alone, and then the boys and I rode it together. It's a cool ride! The boys liked being gunners, and my personal favorite spot is the pilot. We finished off the first night in the parks with Fantasmic. It was a cold but great day!

Monday we headed over to Magic Kingdom. We made the mistake of trying to do the Jingle Cruise, but thanks to Fast Passes, the rest of our day was not nearly so stressful. Hannah met Cinderella, we rode all but maybe 7 of the rides (a few by choice), and had great timing when it came to the parade. that night we watched Anna and Elsa light up the castle. It was magical. We had dinner at the Crystal Palace for "Andrew's birthday" and got to add signatures to our book from Pooh and friends. We got pictures of ourselves in front of the castle and watched the fireworks show. I give Disney serious credit for giving compelling shows with lights and fireworks. It's amazing. After the show, extra magic hours allowed the big boys to ride some bonus rides while Hannah and Andrew slept in the stroller. William and I (and Robert the second time) managed to ride Space Mountain twice in a row right before park close. It was great! I am very proud of Robert. He went from not liking roller coasters to loving them in the span of one day!

Tuesday we did Epcot. We rushed to ride Frozen when it opened, and Hannah, Andrew and I rode it twice before the line got too long. The boys went to ride Test Track during our second ride. We met up and all but Andrew rode my favorite ride: Soarin! We rode all the ride, went home for a rest and swim in the mid-afternoon and still had time for dinner at Coral Reef (for "Robert's birthday") before the fireworks show. We walked over 15 miles (The kids took turns in the strollers), but it was still somehow both fun and relaxing.

Wednesday was Animal Kingdom. We were there at park opening (as we were every day). We got in line for Navii river Journey first thing and rode it. Then we rode rides, got wet (on the river rapids...thanks William and Hannah), and saw a ton of Animals. Before we knew it, my whole family arrived! That's right! My parents, Danielle, Kevin, Christian, Chad, and my niece and Nephews Alexandra, Issac, Timothy and Gideon all joined us at Disney World for my birthday. We watched the Lion King show, had an amazing dinner at Tucker House (for "William's birthday"), and had VIP seating for the Rivers of Light show. It gets better. We finished off the day with Fast Passes to Flight of Passage in Avatar. It is quite possibly my new favorite ride. The boys got to ride it twice, and I'm a tad jealous still. The ones who rode it on the first past pass went and rode the river journey before heading home. It was a fantastic day and I went home overflowing with excitement.

Thursday was the big twins' (Issac and Alexandra) real birthday. We started off the day in Magic kingdom and rode Buzz Lightyear a couple of times before riding most of the rest of the rides in Tomorrowland. We had a group picture with Cinderella and after a few rides (including Ariel), we had lunch at the Beast's Castle. It wasn't exactly as I envisioned (busy and we ended up in the beasts' room), but we got a free fast pass because my food took so long. We rode one of Hannah's favorite rides next: the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The Drakes headed back for a nap, and after riding a few more rides, the rest of us headed over to EPCOT. We rode more rides (Hello soarin!) and had a delicious dinner with the Princesses at Akershus. We were the last people at the restaurant (waiting on our bill) and almost didn't make it back on the Skyliner. whew!

Friday was my birthday (cue trumpets and confetti). It did not begin as planned. Francis had to go get medication for Andrew who was having trouble breathing, so I had to take all 3 other kids to Magic Kingdom by myself. Hannah had an appointment at Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, but we squeezed in a couple of rides beforehand. The Boutique was amazing and totally worth the price. Hannah had her hair, make-up and nails done. They made a big fuss and announced when Princess Hannah was done. She went and had professional photos done afterward in her Cinderella gown. It was a once in a lifetime experience that she will not soon forget. Francis and Andrew met up with us shortly after so we could ride all of the kids favorite Magic Kingdom rides one last time. The boys wanted Space Mountain (we had already done Buzz) and Hannah wanted Splash mountain (we had already done 7 Dwarfs). We had a spectacular lunch in Cinderella's Castle where we met more princesses, got some wands and swords, and ate delicious food. We met up with my family at Hollywood Studios afterward. We rode all the rides we missed the first time (William loved Rockin Roller Coaster). We had dinner at the outpost in Star Wars land. The food was great, the ambiance very special, and the company was unparalleled. In that moment of getting presents on the edge of the Galaxy, I could not have been happier. I wish I could put in words how much it meant to have all my family there at the most magical place on earth on my birthday. Thank you, family!!!! We rode Smuggler's run and Slinky Dog Dash in groups. The big boys and I snuck in a ride on Toy Story Mania before just barely making it to Fantasmic in time. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Our last day was at EPCOT. We got up early once again, packed up our room, and took the Skyliner over to the park. We rushed and were able to quickly ride Frozen. All 16 of us just fit in one boat together! We took turns riding test track, soarin, and the land. We all rode Nemo together and spent a short time in the aquarium. All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to my family. Some headed back to the hotel and others headed over to Magic Kingdom. The kids chose one last ride before we left. The boys chose test track and Hannah chose Frozen (complete with getting Anna and Elsa's signatures). We were in luck that it was the last night of the food and wine festival, because we were able to use our remaining snack credits from our meal plan to have a delicious dinner of poutine, filet mingnon, braised beef, and some desserts. It was so good and a perfect end to our trip. We rode the Skyliner back to the hotel and climbed in our car. The drive back home was not as exciting, but we made it back by lunch on Sunday. I'd go back tomorrow if someone offered!

The week of Thanksgiving was spent mostly recuperating and resetting. It was nice to have a little down time. Thanksgiving day we went to Cyndy and Chris's house for a Phillips/Boerger Thanksgiving dinner. It was good food, good company, and the kids had fun with Abby and Jackson. Saturday, my in-laws, and the Boergers came up to our neck of the woods and we went to Santa's Wonderland. We've never been before (even though it's literally 5 minutes from our house), but it was so fun! We met Santa, jumped, rode a train, did a snow hill, played in snow and had hot chocolate. William and Robert also did the mechanical bull ride. My favorite part was the hay ride. We got to see thousands of lights in multiple displays ending in a light display about the life of Jesus. It was a very long hayride, but the second we got off, I was ready to do it over again. The lights were that cool! We hope to go again sometime. Everyone spent the night in town, so Saturday morning we had breakfast at Sweet Paris (crepes) and then went to Urban Air Trampoline Park. Christ, Francis and my father-in-law decided to jump with the kids. It was all fun and games until it was time to go and Francis took one last huge jump. He stepped wrong and fractured his foot. We already had a boot and crutches, so we swung by and got them. After an x-ray, it looks like he'll be in a boot for the next 3-6 weeks. At least it happened after Disney! We still made it to see Frozen II that afternoon. Cute movie!

This week we had our last CC of the semester and the accompanying Christmas party. The kids gave their tutors gifts and got some things too. Wednesday we went to Lick Creek homeschool days and the kids participated in an egg drop challenge. Their contraption was a bit unorthodox (straws sticking out everywhere), but it did the trick and the egg survived all three drops. Today was our last Bible Study before the new year. I am looking forward to a quieter week next week, but we'll see!

Till next time!

November 14, 2019

Friday night William went to his first sleep over and the rest of the kids went to parents' night out. Francis and I had food at a Pho place and got to talk and laugh together. Saturday, my in-laws came in town for the boys' last football game (we won!) and the kids played on inflatables and had pizza and snow cones. William got the character award and Robert got the Effort award. I'm proud of my boys! Francis had off Monday so we did a bunch of things around the house that needed doing and spent the morning playing as a family at a nearby park. I'm so blessed that Francis loves to just hang out with us. I know we can be a lot, but he just loves us and rolls with it. Love you, honey!

Yesterday was a fun day. Despite the cold, we went out to Newman's castle with our CC group. the kids learned about castles and pretended to be knights in a siege. They hunted dragons, and got a dragon tattoo for finding them all. "King William" released the trebuchet and was locked in the dungeon. It was a good day full of adventure.

This week has been a week of preparation. I've been packing and planning. I have confirmed the house sitter and made sure that I'm not teaching. Why? We are going on VACATION! Tomorrow at this time we will be in the car heading for Disney World. It will be a long trip, but I'm hoping we are able to keep the destination in mind. My birthday is next week and I will spend it with family looking at Cinderella's castle. I can not wait.

The kids are great and so ready to go! I will give a report when we get back. Till nest time!

November 6, 2019

Time flies by in this season of life, but I want to drop in and give a brief update. We are still doing CC, Bible Study, Science classes at Lick Creek park and going to the library. Things are chugging along. I want to mention a few highlights.

Francis's birthday was very special. We got to go hear 4 astronauts speak with our CC group on A&M campus. Afterward, we met Francis on campus and had lunch with him in the MSC. It was fun getting to have a birthday lunch with him for once and we'd never eaten on campus before. When I got home we made pineapple upside down cake and lasagna (both requests of the birthday boy). The kids always help make Francis's cake. It's one of my favorite traditions. everything was delicious and we even made it to church on time that evening! We took Francis to Casa do Brasil for a second birthday dinner that Friday. The kids love the all you can eat meat, and the food is so very good. Everyone left full and happy.

Saturday before last my parents came into town. My dad went with Francis, Robert, Hannah and Andrew to a trampoline park and my mom, William and I went to the A&M game. We got to meet Chancellor Sharp, Governor Abbott, some of the Bush family and many other state representatives. We went to the chancellor's tailgate and sat in the chancellor's box for the game. William loved the food (he ate at least 5 plates full) and cheered enthusiastically with the crowd. It was a great game. William received a special challenge coin from the chancellor saying to bring the coin and excellent grades to the admissions office upon high school graduation. He held it proudly all day and showed anyone who would look. After the game we were escorted to a special area and got to meet one of the players. It was so cool!

We did all of the candy gathering activities this year including "Wereworlf" creek park, Night at the Museum, Fall fest at our church and a party at a friend's house. The kids went trick or treating for the first time ever and really liked it. It helped that they were doing it with friends, but even when we got home, they wanted to do a few houses in our neighborhood (it was still pretty early). It was a fun evening for Jasmine, two Nexo knights and an elephant.

Andrew got his first haircut this Saturday. He's looking so big! He wasn't a fan of getting it cut but gave the stink eye instead of crying. He did great. I took the big boys on dates later in the day to get their hair cut and go shopping for different things we need. I have a funny picture of William holding an icee and sitting in the massage chair at Kohl's. He's got a rough life. Robert had fun perusing the toy section at Target with me. He loves riding in the top of the cart and he never gets to. It was a fun day all around.

Francis taught our science class this week for CC. The lesson was on rocket and he was asked to present. He did a great job teaching both the older and younger groups and finished his lesson by shooting off a model rocket. The kids were talking about it for the rest of the day!

Today the kids had their dentist appointments. No cavities! We also have been seriously beginning to prepare for our upcoming vacation. We are going to Disney World for my birthday! My whole family is coming. It will be a celebration to remember. We are driving so if you think of us, pray for us!

Tilll next time!

October 15, 2019

Life never stops around here. The last 3 weeks are no exception. We've had CC, bible Study, Library, science classes at Lick Creek Park, football practice and games. ice skating lessons, a trip to Dallas, trip to Houston, and a field trip. And that's just a few things. I'm still teaching for VIPKid and have a pretty steady schedule of regulars now. It is fun to get a peek into someone else's life and family across the world, and I'm honored that they let me in.

Weekend before last, the kids and I went to Dallas to go to the State Fair of Texas. Friday the kids and I got to go with Christian and her kids to the Dallas Zoo. WE had a great tine and it was a good practice for walking at Disney. We got to celebrate my mom's birthday with almost the whole family. The kids got some cousin time, were able to swim at my in-laws' and my parents' houses, and had a blast. Sunday we went to the fair with my in-law's and my family. The kids loved the animals, the fireworks and the shows. My personal favorite was the return of the bird show! We had front row seats. Hannah, Issac and Alexandra even got to hold the perch for the first bird to land on. It was so fun! Lest you think we abandoned Francis, he actually likes being home alone for a weekend to recharge. He's an introvert and I know we overwhelm him often, haha. He got to enjoy some peace and quiet. I'm not sure what that's like but it sounds delightful!

Last weekend Francis and my mother went to the ground breaking for Bush Combat Development Complex and then on to the A&M game. Francis met all sorts of important people including members of the Bush family. It was a good day for him. Francis's parents, my dad, the kids and I went to William and Robert's (very cold) football game. My in-law's, the kids and I went on to Houston. We had lunch with the Boergers and then got to watch my niece Abby play volleyball. We all then went to Blessington Farms for the pumkin patch. There was so much to do and the kids love doing it all! Midafternoon, I started feeling a tightness in my chest. I tried to ignore it, but by the time we left and started to head to dinner, my head was hurting and it felt like someone was sitting on my chest. Although I have fall asthma, I haven't felt like this in years. My gracious mother-in-law drove me all the way home where I was able to use a nebulizer and get things under control. I am so thankful for her! This week I've been *trying* to take it easy so I don't have another flare up. I'm secretly hoping for a freeze to kill off whatever blooms this time of year and causes me pain. Fall can be rough!


Yesterday was Francis's birthday! The kids and I had a field trip to A&M to hear 3 astronauts talk about their experiences in space. It was fascinating! Afterwards we met Francis on campus and had lunch with him. We never get to see him at lunch during the week, so this was super special. I spent the afternoon with the kids making an pineapple upside down cake and lasagna. My little helpers were excellent and the food came out delicious. We also managed to squeeze in Wednesday night church between all the festivities. Happy birthday, Francis! 
We are about to head out to Bible Study so I should end here. I will say the kids are all growing and changing before my eyes. Andrew in particular has turned into a kid and is no longer a baby. He plays with his siblings, understand simple command and even shares...well...once in a while. I am working with him on baby sign language because he really wants to tell me things. He's getting so big and running everywhere! 



Till next time! 

September 26, 2019

We've been very busy these past few weeks. I'll try an hit some highlights.

I've been working in the mornings and some evenings teaching English online. I'm still liking it and I have some regulars now that I really enjoy.

Nana and Grandad came in for Robert's birthday at the beginning of the month and we spent a  glorious afternoon at Chuck E Cheese with their all you can play all day special. The kids came home with some amazing prizes and the adults had a ton of fun too. The kids especially like riding in the back of Nana and Grandad's convertible. I mean, who wouldn't?

Robert's actual birthday was spent going to CC where he got to bring treats (cookies) for all his friends. He got to open his present from us (the Buzz Lightyear playset he's been wanting for months) and we had dinner at Burger Kind (his choice!). After dinner Robert decided he wanted to have his date with me while the rest of the kids and Francis went to Hannah's skating lesson. I was so honored! We went shopping and had rolled ice cream (William talked about how amazing it was!). He chose black forest ice cream. The workers found out it was his birthday and put a sparkler candle in his cup and sang to him. The whole place joined it. It was very special. There were a ton of college students there who all wished him a happy birthday. Robert loved the attention. Robert has hit the 33 inch mark and is still lean. He's smart, sweet and we love having him in our family. Happy Birthday Robert!

Later that week was the first Bible Study and first JAM (parents night out). For the latter, Francis took me to Christopher's steak house and we finally celebrated our anniversary. The food was amazing and the company unparalleled. We rarely get to celebrate our anniversary in August, but I'm happy we still try to do it. I love you, Francis!

I took Hannah on her Mommy date the next day. She wanted to do the same thing as brothers, but for shopping we went to Barnes and Noble. She looked at nearly every item in the toy and children's sections with great care. This girl knows what she likes. She chose cherry rolled ice cream and loved it as much as her brothers loved their flavors. I love one on one time with my kids! That night we had our Life Group social at a friend's house. The kids got to run out in the area behind the house and the adults got to eat, watch and talk. It was a great evening.

This past weekend, my parents came up to see the boys' first football game. The kids played hardand had fun. Afterward my mom and Francis went to the football game while the kids, my dad and I went home and watched the game. My dad is amazing. He managed to play chess with William, hold Andrew, read to Hannah and have a conversation with Robert simultaneously. Everyone loves Papa. Mom and Francis had a good time too talking to all the big wigs and eating yummy food. I hope to go with Mom one of these days!

Robert and William led worship in church on Sunday as part of the children's choir. Robert even recited John 1:1-2 before the whole congregation. It brough tears to my eyes to hear them sing. They will be performing in December a full concert and William and Robert both have speaking parts. I can hardly wait!

We've gone out to Lick Creek park 3 times now for their free homeschool science class. The kids have learned about the scientific method, insects and birds, and volcanoes. It's been pretty fun and it's free! Afterward we've been going on short walks around the park. We even moved library day for it, so you know it's a big deal.

We got to check out the library renovations on Tuesday. They reopened on Monday. I love the renovations. They put a glass wall around the children's area which helps with both sound and containment. They also added a play area and activity tables, and the kids did not want to leave when it was time. We'll be back soon!

Andrew had his 15 month check up today. He is still super long (33 1/3 inches) and average weight (24lbs). He's getting so big. He's trying to keep up with his siblings and abandoned his high chair for a regular (booster) seat at the table. Don't tell him, but he has slept through the night 7 out of the last 10 nights. I don't even know how to process that. In fact all of the kids slept through the night last night. I got up this morning and made sure they were all alive before I started work. I'm hoping this is the beginning of a new era. Sleep is needed in this house. Hopefully it sticks around!!

Till next time!

September 5, 2019

September is in full swing at the Phillips house. We've had two weeks of CC now and start Bible Study next week. Hannah started skating lessons and the boys started foot ball practice. Hannah was hesitant at first but seems to be liking it so far. The boys are on the dame team and enjoy practicing in the evenings with Francis who is their assistance coach. We have been getting a lot of friend time too which has been good for kids and momma.

Weekend before last we had the big boys family party. The whole Noble and Phillips clan got together to celebrate with Ninjago, Pokemon, Star Wars and PJ masks (some of the boys favorite things). Thankfully we already had most of these decorations! I tried my hand at face painting and we played pin the tail on the Charizard. It was good to see everyone and get loved on by those we hold dear. Shout out to our family for driving to see us!

Back to our first day of CC. It was Hannah's first day in class. Her class is pretty even boys and girls (unlike William and Robert, who both have boy heavy classes). She was a little shy at first but by the end of the morning, she wanted to take a turn just like everyone else. She did her first presentation and shyly told everyone her name, age and that she loved ponies. Some kids won't speak at all the first time, so I was very happy she was brave enough to speak. The kids and I all had lunch together and then had recess. William is now in the "older" group when the kids split for recess (they trade playing outside and at the indoor playground), so he doesn't get to play with his siblings. It was an adjustment, but it wasn't long before all the kids had found a friend. We love our CC group. It's going to be a great year!

In my new job (with VIPKid) I have now taught 16 classes, and 10 of them were in the past 5 days. My morning schedule is becoming completely booked most days. I thought taking a week off last week (Francis was in DC and had the laptop) was going to ruin my momentum, but God is good and I'm making progress in getting students to both book and rebook me. So far my favorites are the littlest ones (4 years old), but I also like how older students are more able to hold a conversation in English. I could write a novel here about all my experiences so far, but overall I'm enjoying both the flexibility and the actual job. I have also found that I can find almost any prop to teach among my kids' gigantic store of toys. So rather than call them hoarders, I can now call them my resource center managers, haha. It's all about perspective.

This morning we went to the Lick creek nature center for a homeschool science lesson. It was fun and afterward Hannah got to play with her friend while the boys caught and identified bugs and spiders. A good time was had by all!

That's it for now. Till next time!

August 23, 2019

The last couple of weeks have been a blur. I applied for and started a new part time job with VIPKid. I am teaching children in China English online. I set my hours (though due to the time difference that is only morning or evening). I'm still getting my feet wet and there is a learning curve with online teaching, but I think I'm getting better. I never thought I would be doing this, but here we are! I think it will be a good experience and the children are seriously adorable!

The boys had their friend birthday party last Tuesday at Grand Station. One nice thing about summer birthdays as well as most of your friends homeschooling is that you can have a party during the week and take advantage of weekly specials. The kids got to bowl and play laser tag and had the best time. They all want to play laser tag again soon, so hopefully we can set up a daddy kid night with our life group soon.

The end of last week, everyone but Robert was sick. Between cleaning up the ick, taking care of tired kids and feeling bleh myself, I was worn out. A friend, not knowing the extent of our exhaustion, found out we were sick and secretly dropped stuff on our porch during her lunch hour. I got a text from her to look outside and there in my door step was soup, a bag of Sonic ice (the good stuff, yeah!), Gatorade, sprite,  crackers, activity books for the kids and Kleenexes. I started bawling. It was up there with one of the sweetest things that had been done for me. She's the friend I want to be. It inspires me to be better.

We had CC orientation on Tuesday. The kids all met their tutors and had fun with their new classes. I think it's going to be a great year!!!

I don't have much more to say. I've been spending every "spare" moment working to get a handle on the new job, and we've been going through our routine when we haven't been sick. Playgroup eneded for the summer as we tried out the new Fun for all park with friends and now that public school has started, things have settled down a bit. Not for long though! Ice skating (Hannah), football (William and Robert), AWANA, Bible study and CC start up over the next couple of weeks. It's going to be great!

August 8, 2019

Life has been slightly less hectic the past couple weeks. We went to a physics show at the library which the kids LOVED. It included all sorts of experiments and at the end they got to use a leaf blower to pretend to be astronauts blasting off and blow bubbles into a tank of dry ice. We have still been doing playgroups on Friday. The weather should hit 100 degrees at our house for the first time all summer so the heat in the mornings haven't been too unbearable. Last Friday after playgroup, we went to to opening of the new Fun For All playground at Central Park. I even spotted one of my former students. He's a teenager now and that is just crazy to think about. Anyway the new playground is very cool and even has a splash pad. there were hot dogs, cookies, cake, snowcones and a ribbon cutting ceremony. It was hot but good. We will be going back tomorrow for the last playgroup of the summer and will enjoy it when it is less crowded (hopefully).That same day we also went to the last family movie night of the summer at church. We had pizza and watched How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. It was an interesting movie and concluded the series nicely. Other than that we've had promotion Sunday at church which means William is officially in third and Robert is officially in first grade. Hannah is starting her last year on the preschool side. How did that happen?! We had our annual churchwide pool party at Adamson Lagoon to celebrate. The kids look forward to this day all year and it did not disappoint. We are so thankful for a church that invests in families and loves Jesus too.

Andrew is walking everywhere. No more crawling, but plenty of CLIMBING. If there's a way to get on top of something, he will find it. If you see his busted up chin, know it's from multiple tumbles and will probably be a constant condition for the time being. That's not even counting all the times I catch and save him. He's turning into quite the monkey. When he isn't climbing he's getting a hold of something he probably shouldn't have. He likes his toys just fine, but forbidden things are so much more fun (or so he thinks). He's a ball of energy and a joy to be around. He has quite a few words, but distinguishing between them is a little hard sometimes. Mommy is still his favorite person. I only edge out Francis by a small margin now, and seeing him run for the door when Francis gets home gets me every time. Andrew loves taking things apart and trying to put them back together. I think he will love puzzles pretty soon. He's growing up so fast, and it is so fun to watch!

Hannah is four now as she tells everyone she meets. She loves ponies, princesses, pink, purple, blue, Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy, skirts, dresses, unicorns, and singing. There's so much more to this smart, spunky, beautiful little girl. She's a negotiator and won't settle for less. She is kind and helpful and generally a good cleaner of her room. She has so many friends and I love to see her play and use her imagination. She can write her name, is learning to write the other letters, and is beginning to connect letters to their sounds in a meaningful way. She loves doing puzzles and solving problems. She loves being a big girl and doing her "schoolwork" while her brothers do theirs. Her vocabulary is impressive and her memory and comprehension are exceptional. She's go so many skills at her fingertips. I can't wait to see how they develop. She is starting her first year in CC in a couple weeks, and I know she'll shine!

Robert is still my best cuddler. He always knows when I need a hug and kiss. He feels strongly and deeply and says things that reflect he is in some ways mature far beyond his years. His imagination is also very present and active. Robert can tell an entertaining story any time of the day. He is reading very well and is about to make the real leap to reading novels independently. Right now he mainly sticks to graphic novels or shorter books because it is more fun and comfortable to him. He is doing well in math also. While he doesn't always want to sit down and do school, when he focuses, he hits it our of the park! His cursive is coming along as well. He can sign his name in cursive, so I call that a win (hello life skill!). He's a good organizer who also has the patience to sit and do puzzles even when I don't. He is an amazing listener. You can tell him almost anything and he will retain it. I can't believe he'll be 6 next month. I can't wait to see what the coming year holds!

William will be 8 in a few days. He is such a critical thinker and wants to know the how and why of everything. When he thinks I'm wrong, he challenges me (though he's gotten better about doing it respectfully). I'm coming to enjoy our more grown-up type chats. It's wonderful that he lets me into his world and how he thinks. He's not too cool for me yet, and I'll take it as long as it lasts. He will still hold my hand and hug me without a second thought. He still devours books. He read at least 4 books and a novel and a half yesterday after we got home from the library. He's starting to clue in when to listen before you speak, but is always eager to share what he knows. He's a great big brother most of the time and a ring leader to most of the mischief. He is also not one who loves to sit down for school, but does it with excellence when asked. William is good at weighing the cost to benefit before doing an action which has been interesting to watch recently. He's also good at trying to negotiate rewards for completed tasks (and sometimes succeeds). He's gotten in 4 of his adult teeth now and looks so much older. He is just brilliant. Happy almost birthday, William.

Lest you think our family is perfect, I feel like I need to point out that it isn't. Some days are rough, others are impossible, and some are amazing. I generally choose to remember the amazing and let the rest fall away as a place for room to grow. I am not perfect and I am humbly reminded of that daily (sometimes hourly). It's easy to get caught up in what is lacking, so I refuse to do that here. If you are reading this far, know that the grass is not always greener over here, but I do have a loving Savior who gives me grace and hope each day. I'd love to talk with you about that.

Till next time!

July 26, 2018

Lots going on around here. Last week was busy! Hannah had ballet camp Monday through Thursday with many of her friends. They dance, made  crafts, played games, had a tea party and fun snacks and did so much more! It was seriously adorable to pick her up after an afternoon of fun and hear about her day. She can't wait for next year. We also had Hannah's friend Hadassah over on Monday, Bible Study Tuesday morning, time with friends at the library with a story teller, and then the second Summer Fun Days on Thursday. Whew! Friday we went to playgroup in the morning and family movie night at church that evening. Never a dull moment around here, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

Saturday we went to Houston to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday at Cyndy's house. We went swimming, did water balloons, had cousin time and had dinner. Cyndy did a wonderful job decorating! The kids were sad to go when the time came, which is always the sign of a great time. We gave my MIL updated canvases of each of the kids, so her staircase is getting a picture upgrade!

This week we had our last Bible Study of the summer on Tuesday. I studied 1 Corinthians this summer; it was both good and challenging.

Wednesday was Hannah's 4th birthday! I can't even believe that is true. We started off the morning having a party with friends at our church playground complete with cookie cake. When Francis got home, she got to open a present from us and little things from her brothers. We had dinner at Hannah's choice: Golden Corral. Everyone ate their fill and the staff even sang to Hannah. We came home and let Hannah blow out some candles (we were already full of dessert), before letting her play with her new things. She said it was the best birthday and I'm so glad. Hannah is smart, spunky, sweet and sassy. She can write her name, count, communicate well, and is a delight to our family. I look forward to what the next year holds! Happy birthday Hannah!

Thursday was the last Summer Fun Day and today we have already had playgroup. I've got a million things left on my to-do list today in addition to playing with the kids and doing school, so I'm going to have to leave this post short.

Till next time!

July 12, 2019

Two Fridays ago, the kids and I left for a 10 day stint in Dallas. Francis came for both weekends and the 4th, but had to be home for work Monday through Wednesday. The kids and I got to my parents' house around lunch and spent much of the rest of the day swimming in the pool. (This was an ongoing activity throughout the trip.) All the kids had passed swim lessons, but Robert had yet to try to swim without holding onto the side of the pool (the instructors held onto him or gave him a kick-board to practice strokes). Well, I told him to jump in from the side and swim to me. He was nervous, but went for it, and he made it! So we tried again and again, each time a little longer. Before he knew it, Robert had made it across the pool. Since then, there's been no going back. I'm so happy for him and he loves that he has graduated from the need to use a floatie.

Saturday was busy. Francis (who came Friday evening), the kids, my parents, Danielle, Kevin, Christian and her kids all went to a celebration in downtown Wylie. They had activities for the kids (including horseback riding, much to Hannah's delight), music, food and bounce houses. We stayed until after lunch, then hung out in my parents (where the big boys played video games) and ended the evening with Alexandra sleeping over and watching fireworks from my parents' yard.

Sunday we got up for church and in the afternoon we went swimming and took family photos. The clouds (and Hannah) were only somewhat cooperative, but we managed to get a few good pictures.

Monday Christian had to work, so Danielle, Kevin and I took all 8 kids (Christian's and mine) to the Dallas zoo. It was actually really fun! William loves the gators, Andrew had a particular affinity for the apes, Hannah loves all the stature and Robert loved the animatronic dinosaurs (I don't know why they are there either. We even managed to get everyone fed and left right at nap time. After another evening of swimming, we got up Tuesday morning and all (kids, sisters, Kevin and my mom) went and did the Crayola experience. We learned how crayons are made, created artwork of various kinds, played with the huge screens, made our own crayon and played in the playscape. My kids could have spent all day there, but we finally left to have lunch with Papa and play at the mall playground. We ended the day back at my parents to swim.

Wednesday was more low key. Cousins came over and the whole crew (minus Francis and Chad) enjoyed the nice weather outside playing and swimming. That day I packed up all my stuff (and the dogs and moved over to my in-law's house. Andrew and Robert (who wanted some quiet time) stayed with Nana and Grandad while Hannah, William and I got to march in the Sachse parade with my mother. Danielle, Kevin, William, a few others and I walked the whole route passing out candy and necklaces while Hannah rode in a convertible waving with my mom (something Princess Hannah was born to do...she told me afterward she wants to grow up to be a princess at Disney World) and my dad drove his decorated truck behind which held all the candy. It was really fun! I was amazed by how much William walked. He's a trooper!

Thursday was the 4th of July. We (Francis returned the night before) got up early and staked our claim on the Plano parade route with my parents, the Drakes, the Aguilars, my in-laws and us (aka our whole family minus the Boergers). Danielle's friend Erin also joined us. The parade was a good length and the kids got a lot of candy. We then went and had BBQ at my parents' house, followed by Hannah's 4th birthday party. She really wanted her party on the 4th so we could swim and have a snowball fight (a tradition at our house). We had cake, opened presents, swam, snowball fought and before we knew it, it was time to head to fireworks. The parking lot with out traditional spot was closed off (Boo!) but we found a spot and didn't let it spoil our fireworks enjoyment. Overall it was a perfect 4th and even the weather cooperated!

Friday was Danielle's birthday. After meeting up with a childhood friend for breakfast (Candace), Hannah and I joined Danielle, Kevin and my parents at Studio Movie Grill for lunch and to see Aladdin. It was so cute. We Francis and the boys at my parents house for, you guessed it, swimming, games and eventually Chick-fil-a dinner. Francis and I then dropped off the kids at my in-laws (thank you!). The two of us met up with Danielle, Kevin, Christian, Erin, Sierra and my parents to do an Escape Room. I had never done one before. This one was themed Stranger Things--a show which I have not seen. I decided to read the synopsis in the parking lot before going in, and I'm glad I did so I could appreciate the references. We escaped with 17 minutes to spare (out of an hour). It was fun but stressful for me, haha.

Saturday we had Andrew's first birthday party. The family in town all showed up, and we swam, had cake, did a pinata, had a delicious hamburger lunch and even played some board games. Andrew was not a huge fan of his smash cake. He smooshed it around like playdough, then pushed it off the high chair tray. He loved the swimming. He hung out in the pool with Nana until he fell asleep. He's a water baby; that's for sure. He's grown so much over the past year. He is walking more than crawling all of a sudden (since like Monday) and he is communicating more, playing more interactively and still constantly discovering. I cannot wait to see what the next year holds!

Sunday we went to my in-law's church, had lunch at Arby's and headed home. We were ready to be in our own beds again, but it was a truly special trip. The week of the 4th is generally my favorite week of the year and it did not disappoint.

This week we've still been busy, but less so. Monday I had to take Lucy to the vet. She's ok, but goodness it was expensive and stinky. Tuesday we had Bible Study in the morning and Cow Appreciation night at chick-fil-a. All 6 of us dressed up in masks and got a free meal (we had a couple extra coupons to make that happen)! Wednesday we did some pictures in the morning and the headed off to the library for Star Wars Day there. They had all sorts of activities (pin the bun on Princess Leia, Star Wars bing, light saber training, Darth Vader blasting, etc), music and people in costume. My kids' pictures ended up in the paper as they used their sabers to pop bubbles! Thursday was the fist Summer Fun Days. William and Robert did "Fear (is not a) Factor" at church and Hannah and Andrew did "cooking through the Bible" all morning while I caught up on errands and things at home (like making the kids' school year book). I even got to have lunch date with Francis where our meal was, get this, free! Two free meals in one week. That's crazy talk. Today we had a morning playdate at McDonald's and we are about to do school. The kids enjoyed a 10 day hiatus from school, but I know they also enjoy the routine.

I guess that's all for now. Till Next time!

June 27, 2019

My last baby turned ONE on Saturday. I can't believe it. We celebrated first on Friday with friends at a splash pad with Shipley's donuts and a ton of water play. The donuts were great, and I'm now very popular with my kids' friends. Andrew loved the fountains and didn't seem to mind being sprayed in the face. Friday evening we went to movie night at church with pizza and popcorn. We watched How to Train you Dragon. It was a good last day as and 11 month old for Andrew.

Saturday we were up early, had breakfast and went to see Toy Story 4. Andrew slept through the first half, then woke up to eat popcorn and then hung out with Francis along the back side wall of the theater near the exit. He was very good as was the movie. We had lunch at one of Andre's favorite places: chick-fil-a. After eating, he got to go in the play area for the first time. He had a blast even though he didn't climb very high (to my relief). His siblings thought it was the best time and cheered him on. We went home for an afternoon rest and regroup. For Andrew's birthday dinner we went to a new baked pizza place in town (Howdy's) and he got a free shake that we were all able to share.  We came home, sang, and had a (little) ice cream and cake. Andrew was a little confused at first, but after I had him taste the icing, he was all in! Over all it was a great first birthday. As I held him before he went to sleep, I thought back to how hard that day he was born had been. The following week was even harder and we've had trouble since then, but it's all been worth it. he is worth it and I'm so glad he is part of our family. We love you Andrew!

This week is the second week of swim lessons so our evenings have been spent at the pool. The kids have been learning and tonight they get to show that off and have some fun. In the mornings we have been home some with the exception of Bible Study Tuesday and a trip to the library on Wednesday. Last Wednesday they had a famous story teller come and do stories. This Wednesday they had the inflatable planetarium from Houston come so the kids could learn about constellations. My kids can now find many constellations, name them and find the north star.

Yesterday afternoon Andrew had his one year well check. He is 32 inches (which is even more off the charts long than he already was) with a big beautiful head that matches. He is just shy of 22 lbs and is just above average. So he's long an lean. He's met and exceeded all of his milestones. When the nurse asked is he was able to stand independently, he actually stood up and tried to walk off the exam table right on cue. He's talking quite a bit and lets his opinion about everything be known. He's currently contemplating how to climb out of the baby swing instead of taking a rest which he needs. If he would sleep better and drink out of a cup (he eats like a champ), we'd be batting 1000. I can't wait to see what this next year holds. I have a feeling there will be a lot of adventure.

We are coming up on my favorite week of the year: 4th of July week! The kids and I (and Francis for a few days too) will be up in Dallas playing with family. Please pray for safe travels and good weather.

Till next time!

June 19, 2019

We've been back from Canada almost a week and have been resting, resetting and trying to get back on schedule (with the addition of swim lessons at 7pm..what was I thinking!?).

Friday before last, the kids and I headed to Dallas in the morning and met the whole Noble clan at Grapevine Mills Mall. It had been far too long wince we've seen them and the 4 hours there playing and having lunch were not near long enough. The kids got some cousin time and we even managed a group picture before the kids and I had to head on. We drove over to the airport around 3 and met my in-laws who helped me get unpacked, bags checked and get through security. We were joined a short while later by Francis, but, much to our dismay, Cyndy, Chris, Abby and Jackson just barely missed joining us on our flight (their connection was delayed). The 8 of us made it into Canada and finally in to bed at our hotel around 2 am. It was a long day, but we made it!

Saturday we got up and had breakfast with some of the extended Phillips and Cotnoir family (while the Cotnoirs are not technically related to Francis, they are Francis's cousins' cousins...so close enough!). It was s fun breakfast and everyone did years of catching up. Andrew got to meed Nana Phillips for the first time. He gave her a huge toothy smile and I got a few photos as they got acquainted. He even let Nana Phillips hold him! Finally after breakfast/brunch, some of us headed back to the hotel for a nap (ok I napped!) and then we got a snack and headed to Nana's house to play before the birthday party. More family time, and the kids finally got to play the games in Aunt Melo and Uncle Vic's basement (they'd been talking about it for months). They have air hockey, pinball, Foosball, pool and a few other things down there that entertained my big kids for hours. Finally we headed to Nana's 90th Birthday Party! All of her 4 kids and 10 great-grandkids were there and all but 2 great grandkids (and one spouse) were in attendance. We were a large and jolly group!  We did get a picture of Nana with her great grand kids. It was the first time they were all together and ranged from 8 to 3 months. It was a special time. We ate and then returned to the house for cake and presents. Nana talked about her life and what God has done in it. I'm not sure there was a dry eye when she was done. She is such a special lady. Thank you God for her!

Sunday morning we were up again and went to the church where Francis grew up and where some of his family still attends. The church is French-speaking so I got to use my (somewhat limited) skills and the boys did great with the French they have been practicing. They tried to sing along in church and William kept pointing out words he knew. The three bigs decided to go to class when the children were dismissed. I was a little hesitant, but they did great and could even tell me the story that they heard in class. Thankfully at least one teacher in each class knew English, but the class itself was in French. The kids didn't seem to mind and came out all smiles. Made my heart so happy! We also got a picture with a podium the kids' great great grandfather built for the church. That was a pretty cool find! Francis had to go home in the afternoon, so his stay in Canada was short but sweet. He was missed, but needed to get to work on Monday. After church and lunch at St. Huberts (where the kids love the clown ice cream), we went to Nana's (and Aunt Melo and Uncle Vic's) for a swim and a BBQ. It was a good, relaxing evening.

Monday the kids and I were up again and off with my in-laws, Cyndy, Chris, Abby, the Lawlers, and some of the Herons over to Upper Canada Village in Ontario.  Outside were the grave markers of the kids' great great great great great grandparents who were the ones who left Pennsylvania and moved to Canada around the war of 1812. It was a cool day learning about life circa 1850. Robert loved the old bakery, William loved the blacksmith, Hannah loved the houses and horses and Andrew just wanted to explore. We got to eat all together in an old hotel turned restaurant. It was the highlight of the day for me as I could almost place myself there while eating "period food" (or an attempt at it). Monday was Nana Phillips's actual birthday so we all went back to have dinner with her and just enjoy her company. It we lived closer, I think we would definitely do it more often.

Tuesday after breakfast, we explored old town Montreal and the port. The big kids and grandad, Cyndy and Chris climbed and ziplined over a huge pirate ship, while Nana, Hannah, Andrew and I rode the carousel and played in the jump houses. Uncle Jim joined us a for a while and we had a nice chat. In the late afternoon we walked around old town and ended up in front of Notre Dame. They had horse carriages, so Hannah, William, Robert, Nana and I took one around. After a short while, it dawn on Hannah that we were riding in a carriage like a princess and her smile got so big I though her face might break. the kids even got to feed the horse (names Princess) a carrot at the end). We ate at a swanky restaurant before heading back and finally getting in bed before 10 pm.

Wednesday morning we were in no hurry to get up. The Boergers had headed home (as had all the other travellers) so it was just me, the kids and my in-laws. We ate breakfast at the hotel, made a trip to Toys R Us (they still have them in Canada!) for the kids to spend the birthday money from Nana Phillps and then spent the rest of the morning and afternoon with Nana Phillips. It was a sweet time and hard to say goodbye. Andrew even showed off his walking skills! We had dinner at St. Huberts and got to bed early knowing a long day lay ahead.

Thursday we got up at 5:30 and packed into the car to head to the airport. We made it in plenty of time and even though our flight was an hour and a half delayed, we still made our connection and got to Dallas that evening. The kids and I were all exhausted, so rather than driving home, we stayed at Nana and Grandad's and headed back home Friday morning.

So there's our trip in a nutshell. We had a wonderful time and made so many memories. We can't wait to go back.

Friday evening we had our Life Group's pool party. My kids are becoming quite the fish! Sunday was Father's Day. The kids made Francis pictures and he got a special board book from Andrew (all the kids have a "daddy and me" picture book I've written and had made). He also got Les Miserables in French. We went to church, had lunch at BJs, had a quiet afternoon and then had family movie night where I made Francis's favorite: homemade Lasagna. We watched Ralph Breaks the Internet.

This week we started swim lessons. The kids are in Level 2, 1, preschool and parent/child respectively. I can't wait to see what they learn. Other than that, Summer activities are in full swing. We had started Summer bible study on Tuesdays, library generally on Wednesdays and playgroup on Fridays. I'm trying to soak in the moments. I know September will be here all too soon.

Till next time!