Missy

A minute after Mr. D was born, Missy came to this world. Thirteen years and four months ago.

For the first eight years of her life, she was the only girl (besides mama) in our family, surrounded by boys who loved noise, action, and wrestling. For about five of those years she kept asking for a little sister.

And so, on her eight birthday, we signed the adoption papers for Little Miss, in China, and her prayers were answered. {{Ours, too!}}

Missy is a wonderful big sister, and a sweet sweet daughter. She loves arts and crafts, reading, homeschooling, and time with friends. It has been so special to watch her grow into a teenager (where has the time gone??).

We are so impressed how talented you are, Missy, and can't wait to see how God is going use your gifts and your life for His Kingdom. We love you, Missy!

I am linking this post to Stefanie's Sunday Snapshot. Check her blog for more entries!

I used our Nikon D-80 to take the pics, and edited them using PicMonkey.







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Missy on toiseksi vanhin nelosistamme. Hän syntyi kolmetoista vuotta ja neljä kuukautta sitten Mr. D:n jälkeen. Ensimmäiset kahdeksan vuotta hän oli ainoa tyttö kolmen veljeksen keskellä, ja pian hän alkoikin pyytämään pikkusiskoa. Kahdeksanvuotissynttäripäivänä, allekirjoitimme Pikkuneidin adoptiopaperit Kiinassa, ja Missyn rukoukseen vastattiin. (Meidän myös!)

Missy onkin ihana isosisko, ja suloinen tytär. Hän rakastaa käsitöitä ja taiteita, lukemista, kotikoulua, ja ystävien kanssa olemista. On ollut hienoa katsoa hänen kasvamistaan, nyt jo teiniksi! (Mihin aika on mennyt??) Jännittävää nähdä kuinka Jumala tulee käyttämään taitavaa tytärtämme Hänen Valtakuntansa työhön!

Otan tällä postauksella osaa Sunday Snapshot-kuvablogihaasteeseen. Pikkukuvaa klikkaamalla voit käydä katsomassa muiden osallistujien kuvia myös.

Firstborn/Esikoinen

Mr. D is our firstborn. He is older than Missy by one minute. He is older than Mr. A by two minutes, and older than Mr. T by three minutes. (If you are new to our blog, yes, we have thirteen year old quadruplets. I know. Crazy. Moving on.) He is older than Little Miss by seven years.

He totally has the firstborn personality. He is responsible, hardworking, and organized. He has leadership qualities, also, although all our kids tend to want to lead at times, making life very interesting, to say the least. He is pretty easygoing, but has a temper when his buttons are pushed (and oh, yes, especially his brothers know where those buttons are.)




Spring has finally arrived in Maine, too, and the lake looks so delicious without the ice. Mr. D wasn't quite ready to go swimming with me a week ago, but yesterday he jumped in, also. Today he decided a quick cooling head dip was all he needed.

What a nutty, silly, wonderful firstborn I have! I love you, Mr. D!

I am linking this post to Stefanie's Sunday Snapshot, for the first time with the new format and rules. Check her blog for more entries!

I used our Nikon D-80 to take the pics, and edited them using picmonkey (after picnik closed their doors this week - boohoo).

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Mr. D on meidän esikoisemme. Hän on yhden minuutin vanhempi kuin Missy, kaksi minuuttia vanhempi kuin Mr. A, ja kolme minuuttia vanhempi kuin Mr. T. Ja seitsemän vuotta vanhempi Pikkuneitiä. Vaikka hän on yksi nelosista, Mr. D:llä on täysin esikoisen luonne. Hän on luotettava, ahkera ja organisoitunut. Hänellä on johtajankykyjäkin, mutta valitettavasti kaikki meidän lapsemme haluavat johtaa monta kertaa samaan aikaan. Hän on rento, mutta osaa myös tulistua, etenkin kun veljet taitavasti tietävät miten se onnistuu:)

Eilen Mr. D heitti talviturkkinsa järveen, tänään totesi, että riittää kun kastelee päänsä. Kaheli ihana esikoisemme - rakastan sinua!

Otan tällä postauksella osaa Sunday Snapshot-kuvablogihaasteeseen. Pikkukuvaa klikkaamalla voit käydä katsomassa muiden osallistujien kuvia myös.

Ice Out/Jäät sulivat!

Last week the lake was still completely covered with ice (as seen in the top left photo). Then the weather warmed up over the weekend, and all the sudden the ice was almost gone!

And that meant it was time for the First Dip of the Year! Which is becoming a tradition (see April 28th, 2011). Yes, it is crazy. No, we still don't have a sauna. But it is so amazing! Especially the feeling soon after you get out of the water - there is a rush that is hard to describe. You stop feeling cold, and actually want to go back in the water for a second dip. So I did:)

Mr. A came with me yesterday, too. No ice anymore - ice out was Monday for us, but it still gave us both a thrill. Want to join us? You don't have to be a crazy Finn to do it:)



Sunset last night. The loons have come back to the lake, too. We've seen them, and the Captain reports he has heard their call. I haven't yet.

Maine sure is a special place.

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Tulimme viikonloppureissulta kotiin sunnuntaina, oli lämmin päivä, ja jäät miltei sulaneet. Ei muuta, kuin uikkarit päälle ja heittämään talviturkkia pois! Aivan kuten viime vuonnakin. Aah, kuinka ihana tunne uinnin jälkeen! Menin kaksi kertaa veteen, ja eilen uudestaan Mr. A:n kanssa, tosin ilman jäitä, sillä maanantaina jäät lähtivät.

Kuikat saapuivat tällä viikolla myös, olemme nähneet heidän uivan ohi, ja Kapteeni on kuullut kuikanhuudotkin jo, minä en vielä.

Ihana paikka tämä Mainen osavaltio.

Spring Homeschool Update

Biggest news first: Little Miss finished her Kindergarten work this week! We read through What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know, and Little Miss completed her math and phonics workbooks. We used various online resources, and honestly will continue to use them, even though she is officially done. A lot of our work and fun are filed under 'Kindergarten' activities*, so we'll still be plenty busy. We'll continue to read, read and read, go to the library, do a lot of arts and crafts at home, and be outside as much as possible.

Our 7th graders keep working on Monarch, our online curriculum. We use Monarch for almost everything: Math, Language Arts, Science, Bible, History & Geography, and they each have an elective as well. We also tried using Apologia's Who Is God for Bible, but as great as it was, it wasn't a good fit for our students. I am learning they really do best having their subjects online. This year we have also tried various ways to do science, and one of our favorites has been Science Jim's online classes on CurrClick. (Any suggestions for online 8th grade science, anyone?)

We like Monarch for so many reasons. Just to name a couple: my students can each work at their own pace, and now that I needed to check where we are on school work, I was able to pick their last day, and reschedule all remaining lessons.

If Mr. T continues to work at the pace he has been working (six Monarch lessons a day), he can finish school by May first (yay!). If Missy, Mr. D and Mr. A work at the five to six Monarch lessons a day pace, they should be able to finish school by mid-June.

If Mr. T finishes that early, I am thinking he could pick an elective (possibly high school level?) he is interested in, and work on that while his siblings work on Monarch. Or maybe I'll have him work with Little Miss on reading skills ;-) Missy has been helping me do Kindergarten with Little Miss this past month, which has been a huge help.

Another nice thing about Monarch is that as a teacher (and admin) I can go and remove extra projects, and even review lessons if I think they are not necessary. Quite honestly I will probably need to go do that before we are done with 7th grade.

Fortunately we are finished with our extra curriculum activities, and don't plan to do spring sports this year because of our traveling schedule, which will help us complete our remaining school lessons. Missy did both tap dance and jazz dance this year, and loved both. We had the dance recital this past weekend, so we are all done with that. (It was beautiful, Missy did a wonderful job!) We are finished with skiing, also. We didn't schedule other activities, since up here in Maine our kids stay very busy with all the snow activities, plus our selection is somewhat limited:)



We are planning to be back in Florida this fall, and there we have trouble limiting our activities as so much is offered. Our favorite is definitely homeschool co-op at church - so many wonderful classes to choose from! The boys are looking forward to Forensics Lab, Outdoor Adventures, or Rocket Science classes, and being with friends, too. Missy loves their art and sign language classes, and this coming year Little Miss can join in, also - for first grade! So exciting.

I can't believe I'm looking at starting our fourth homeschool year in the fall. I'm sure anyone who knew me a few years ago can't believe it either ;-)

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* A random list of our Kindergarten activities:

- Atelier Art with Missy
- Mrs. Brown's Art
- Library visits (wherever we are)
- Weekly K-2 Library Club up North
- Reading books daily: (favorites: Berenstain Bears series & Mercy Watson series)
- Going through book: What Your Kindergartener Needs to Know
- Sunday School at church (wherever we are)
- Explode the Code online (not a favorite for Little Miss)
- PBSkids.org, freshbeatband.com, nickjr.com, disney.com, starfall.com, readingeggs.com, K5learning.com
- PE our daily walks + almost weekly hikes in the fall
- Winter PE: sledding, playing in the snow, skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling
- Learning to ride a bike
- Our school workbooks
- Playdough
- Various puzzles at Aunt S', including patterns, short words, maps
- Alphabet stamps
- Paper dolls (cutting)
- Cooking and baking (math, measuring)
- Field trips & travels

 

Linking this post to Hip Homeschool Hop.

Happy Resurrection/Hyvää pääsiäistä!

Jesus is risen! He is risen, indeed! The empty tomb is so significant - without it, we would not have the hope we have. Jesus conquered death as He took our punishment on Himself. We are free! We are free to come to God, our sins have been washed away, as we have been redeemed by the Son of God. Thank You, Jesus!

Our family traveled down to southern Maine to spend Resurrection Sunday with family. We had a wonderful day, as we had Bible study and a meal all together. (Thank you!)

The cousins had baked delicious pumpkin pies that were decorated especially for Easter (so special!). The deviled chicks I put together (mostly with my left hand) made me realize I better not quit my day job to become a caterer. Even the cupcakes had a second batch of chocolate in them as I burned the first. Oh well. Still yummy.

Most people have been posting pictures of their children, cutely dressed in frilly dresses and t-shirts, looking for eggs in the midst of beautiful spring flowers. Well, not here. This is northern Maine on Saturday. Are you ready?



Yes, still cold and muddy in northern Maine. The lake is still iced over (it snowed again, today!). Be careful where you step as you look for eggs, and what you pick up. (The first picture below has a pile of deer droppings on it.)






Happy Easter 2012 from Our Mothership Adventures!

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Hyvää pääsiäistä! Jeesus on ylösnoussut, ja kuolemalla kuoleman voittanut! 
                              Sinun ja minun puolestamme.


Meidän perheemme vietti pääsiäislauantain täällä pohjoisessa, ja perinteisesti teimme munajahdin lapsille. Onneksi oli sen verran kylmä päivä, ettei ihan joka paikassa uponnut mutaan.. Sunnuntaina ajoimme etelä-Maineen. Vietimme kivan pääsiäisen sukulaisten kanssa, ja illalla ajoimme takaisin pohjoiseen.

Good Friday

Mud Season/Mutakausi

There are hardly words.

 (Name that movie!)

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Ei sanat riitä... Mutakausi on alkanut.

Last Day of March in Maine/Maaliskuun vipa

March in Texas was all delicate and beautiful, with blooming flowers and trees. March in (Northern) Maine is made of melting snow, mud, ice and dripping water, mixed with sunshine and blinding light, reflecting off the whiteness. Beautiful, too, but in a different, more rough way. Temps are below freezing at night, but most days warmed by the sun during the day.

Big news at the Mothership Adventures: our washing machine and dryer are hooked up and working, as of today! Only cold water for now, but it beats the laundromat visits. Five loads today, washed, dried and folded! By the one-handed housewife of Mothership Adventures:) (Yes, the kids helped - they washed dishes, cleaned, and hauled the loads back and forth.)

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Teksasin maaliskuu oli herkän kaunis, tämä Mainen maaliskuu enemmän raakaa, voimakasta kauneutta. Öisin on vielä pakkasta, päivisin aurinko lämmittää plussan puolelle.
Tänään vihdoin saimme päärakennuksen pesukoneen toimimaan, tällä hetkellä ei tule kuumaa vettä, mutta pesen mieluiten kylmällä kuin lähden pesulaan. Tämänpäiväinen saldo oli viisi koneellista pestynä, kuivattuna, ja taiteltuna, yksikätisen kotiäidin saavutus. Lapsetkin auttoivat, he siivosivat, tiskasivat ja veivät kuormiani ees taas.

A Trip to Dallas

A beautiful spring day at Dallas Arboretum.

Pictures mine, except for the three hotel photos from their website.

The Captain and I took a trip to Dallas last week, which was a perfect mix of work and fun. My first time in Texas! One of our highlights was walking around the Dallas Arboretum, but really, going anywhere with your husband (and when homeschooling - without kids) is definitely a treat. Not having to do cooking and housework is great, too:)

Our kids spent the week with Grandma, Grandpa, aunt & uncle, cousins, and Nanny, working on homeschooling, yard work, and going on hikes, walks and picnic. (I love how my students didn't fall behind on school while teacher was gone, and how I was able to keep up with their Monarch homeschool lessons and grading assignments from Dallas!)

We are now back in Northern Maine, all cozy in our little cabin - watching the ice melt. Stay tuned for pictures of the lake!

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Kapteeni ja minä käväisimme Teksasissa viime viikolla. Työn parissa meni melkein koko aika, mutta perjantaina kävimme Dallasin kasvitieteellisessä puutarhassa. Meillä oli oikein onnistunut reissu!

Lapset viettivät viikon isovanhemmilla, sekä naapurissa asuvien serkkujen kanssa. Kotikoulu onnistui opettajan ollessa poissa, koska oppitunnit ovat netissä. Heilläkin oli ollut kiva viikko, mutta nyt on ihana olla yhdessä koko perheen kesken!

A Peek/Kurkistus

A quick hello from Our Mothership Adventures to announce a break to our regular programming:



I dislocated my right shoulder this week by slipping on ice in our yard (probably the last bit of ice in the midst of mud), and get to wear this lovely accessory for the next six weeks. As you can see from my excited expression, I'm super thrilled about this whole thing.

I will try to put together a few collages at least in these next six weeks, so there won't be a huge gap to our digital scrapbook. This one is from today as we enjoyed summer like weather here in Maine.




Remember to be careful on ice...!






  
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 Mothership Adventures-blogi hiljenee joksikin aikaa, koska joudun yötä päivää kuuden viikon ajan pitämään tällaista kaunista kantoliinaa oikeassa kädessäni. Tällä viikolla olkapää meni sijoiltaan, kun kaaduin pihassa jäällä. Yritän laittaa kollaaseja aina silloin tällöin, mutta kirjoittaminen (ja kaikki muukin) on liian työlästä vasemmalla kädellä. Ylläoleva kollaasi on tältä päivältä kun olimme ulkona nauttimassa kauniista kelistä (kuin kesä Suomessa:)!

Spring/Kevät?

Has Spring arrived to Northern Maine? It looks like.... maybe.



Our cross-country skiing was more like water-skiing yesterday. Snowmobiling on Sunday was kind of like dirt biking.

And the mud. Oh, the mud requires a post of it's own.

Yet the locals tell us there is still a lot of winter left in Maine. It's too soon to tell if spring has sprung. Which reminds me how last year we still had an ice storm on April 20th, and the ice out didn't happen until May 4th.

Looking at the weather report this week, I'd say we are done with snowmobiling. At least for now. Maybe not cross-country skiing, yet. We can still snow shoe in the woods, too, and today the kids are skiing. As the snow melts we just need to get a little more creative with our homeschool PE ;-)

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Paikalliset sanovat, että on liian aikasta kertoa onko kevät tullut pohjois-Maineen. Vaikea uskoa, jos katsoo ulos... Sunnuntain moottorikelkkailu oli kuin maastopyöräilyä, ja eilinen hiihtoreissu vesisuksilla liitelemistä :) Mutta viime vuonna saimme jäämyrskyn huhtikuun 20. päivä, ja järvestä ei lähtenyt jäät kuin vasta 4. toukokuuta.

Six/Kuusi!

Someone had a birthday this weekend! On her wishlist she shared she wanted cupcakes, bowling, skiing, and wii. Well, we were more than happy to oblige:




Also added to the celebrations: presents, homemade pinata (by Missy), lychee-candy (yum!), fortune cookies, balloons, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Grandma & Grandpa arrived at the bowling alley party, also. What a fun day celebrating our special Little Miss, six years old!





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Viikonloppuna meillä juhlittiin Pikkuneidin 6-vuotissynttäreitä. Oli kaikenlaisia herkkuja, niin kotitekoisia, kuin Aasiasta tulleita myös, oli lahjoja, kortteja, ja sankarin toivomaa ohjelmaa: wii-peliä, laskettelua (omassa pihassa), ja keilaamista. Ihana päivä juhlia meidän ihanaa Pikkuneitiämme!