Well, in the Knipp house four out of five of us are ready for spring already. The one out of the five that loves the winter, is currently in Texas where the weather is: 46 degrees and sunny....the irony of it all.
Anyway, this week the rest of us have been sort of in a funk. Maddie woke up on Tuesday a.m. with a temp, and chills. I kept her in bed all day with plenty of fluids. She felt better on Wed. morning and during the day, to the point that she and I went to the gym for our workout.
Last night, as we were readying for Wednesday evening prayer service, Michael mentioned he was cold. I knew something was up. He's never cold. Then he said he had a headache. Marc chimed in and said, "yea and my throat has kinda hurt today too, but I wasn't going to say anything yet." I got out the thermometer and took Michael's temp. It was 99.9. Now that is not a high temp, but a temp and our ear thermomenter usually runs low, so I figured it was higher than that. Then I took Marc's and his was 99.7. Marc always run cooler than the rest of us. So I said, "That's it, you boys are staying home. " Maddie was glad because she could go, but I thought, I'd better check hers just in case. Well, she had a low grade, but she said she felt fine. Then I checked mine and it was 100.1. Now, I wasn't feeling sick, but off and on this week I haven't felt my best. Then Maddie reminded us that we had been around two people that had continued on with their normal activites even though they had ran temps last week, but because they hadn't felt, totally horrible were out and about with their regular routine, but obviously with some kind of disturbance in their immune system. I told Maddie we would all stay home. I didn't want to get exposed to something while my immune system could be compromised and I didn't want the same for her either. She was pretty upset. She really wanted to go to church.
(My kids enjoy going to church)
So, we stayed in last night. Today we are getting all our schooling accomplished, but just at a much slower rate. We're having more chicken noodle soup too.
I hope no one else gets this weird funk going around, and for heaven's sake...if you have a temperature, stay home! Don't spread the love.
Oh, how many more days until spring????
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The one about someone moving my trash cans...praise God!
I got up this morning to the ringing of my cell phone, that was saying, "Call from...the Love Doctor." Yes, Mickey programmed my cell phone to ring like that whenever he was calling me. It has been quite embarrassing at times, like in the library, when I forgot to turn the ringer to vibrate.... However, I do like to know when it's a call from my special hubby. So anyway, I got up and got ready for the gym and as I was heading out the door, realized that I could not find the little card carrier that held: my military i.d., my driver's license, my debit card, and my bank card. Needless to say I was quite panicky! I stood in the kitchen and just prayed, "Lord, I need Your help to find this... You know how much important information is on those cards, please help me to look where I need to look to find them." Now, I hadn't seen or used the cards since we went out to eat Sunday evening after church. We had gone to Moe's Southwestern Grill, what used to be one of my favorite places to eat...but that's another story. Anyway, I didn't want to have to go to Moe's again and I especially didn't want the people there, to have that kind of personal information. (that's part of the other story) So anyway, I checked the van, I checked my coat three times, I checked my purse, and I just kept praying, "Lord help me know where to look." Then I went upstairs and woke up Michael and asked him if he had seen it yesterday in the van. (I hadn't left the house since Sunday evening, so I hadn't missed it, but Michael had driven yesterday) He said he hadn't seen it in the van at all yesterday. I went into my bedroom to ask Maddie, (she was sleeping on an air matress on the floor....shes's sad because her daddy's is gone.) She hadn't seen the card holder either. Then I caught a glimpse of my jean jacket hanging on the closet door. I had worn that jacket also on Sunday night and had it at the restaurant. YES! the card holder was in the jean jacket. Thank you, Lord for the card holder not falling into the wrong hands! So, then I was off to the gym.
Now the weather here is terribly cold again this a.m. and blowing snow is causing some snow advisories. Well, last night was trash night. so my trash cans were out by the road, but this morning when I opened the garage doors, my cans had already been put back by my garage door. Our trash men come very early...like at 5:30 a.m. so my cans could have been blowing all over the neighborhood, but one of my kind neighbors had already gotten them from the curb, or wherever they might have blown and brought them to the safety of my carport where they could be blocked from blowing away. It's really quite a simple gesture, but it saved me from having to bring them in or chase them around the neighborhood. I called our Pastor to see if he was the one who did it, but it wasn't him. In fact, he said he didn't notice them out when he left, so it had most likely been done earlier. I'm guessing it might have been Luke, the neighbor across the street or his father. Mickey has been talking about a lot of hunting strategies and what-not with them and they are buliding a friendship. Luke has been coming to church a lot more regularly and so I wonder if he didn't know Mickey was gone and did this kind deed for me. Whoever it was, I'm grateful that "someone moved my trash cans."
While at the commissary picking up a few items, after my workout at the gym, I got a call from Maddie and discovered that she wasn't feeling so I told her to rest in bed until I got home. I then went back around the store and stocked up on chicken noodle soup, juice, and gatorade.
Now, I have to cover AWANA for tonight. I do not want to leave her at home by herself with her feeling lightheaded and running a temperature. So I'm off to conquer another challenge for the day.
I feel good and amazingly envigorated despite the cold, which I have come to loathe this year while living here in Nebraska, and I can't help but think it has something to do with the exercise at the gym this morning. I have been exercising regularly for just a little over a week.
So, because of some advice from the doctor, I was able to find my card holder, my trash cans had been put back, I was able to go to the commissary this morning and get juice and things, and then was there when I got the call about Maddie so I was able to get soup and juice for her. Isn't it amazing at how the Lord had been ordering my steps to get me where I need to be today, and blessed me in many "little" ways along the path.
This is my God:
That same God is my God.
Now the weather here is terribly cold again this a.m. and blowing snow is causing some snow advisories. Well, last night was trash night. so my trash cans were out by the road, but this morning when I opened the garage doors, my cans had already been put back by my garage door. Our trash men come very early...like at 5:30 a.m. so my cans could have been blowing all over the neighborhood, but one of my kind neighbors had already gotten them from the curb, or wherever they might have blown and brought them to the safety of my carport where they could be blocked from blowing away. It's really quite a simple gesture, but it saved me from having to bring them in or chase them around the neighborhood. I called our Pastor to see if he was the one who did it, but it wasn't him. In fact, he said he didn't notice them out when he left, so it had most likely been done earlier. I'm guessing it might have been Luke, the neighbor across the street or his father. Mickey has been talking about a lot of hunting strategies and what-not with them and they are buliding a friendship. Luke has been coming to church a lot more regularly and so I wonder if he didn't know Mickey was gone and did this kind deed for me. Whoever it was, I'm grateful that "someone moved my trash cans."
While at the commissary picking up a few items, after my workout at the gym, I got a call from Maddie and discovered that she wasn't feeling so I told her to rest in bed until I got home. I then went back around the store and stocked up on chicken noodle soup, juice, and gatorade.
Now, I have to cover AWANA for tonight. I do not want to leave her at home by herself with her feeling lightheaded and running a temperature. So I'm off to conquer another challenge for the day.
I feel good and amazingly envigorated despite the cold, which I have come to loathe this year while living here in Nebraska, and I can't help but think it has something to do with the exercise at the gym this morning. I have been exercising regularly for just a little over a week.
So, because of some advice from the doctor, I was able to find my card holder, my trash cans had been put back, I was able to go to the commissary this morning and get juice and things, and then was there when I got the call about Maddie so I was able to get soup and juice for her. Isn't it amazing at how the Lord had been ordering my steps to get me where I need to be today, and blessed me in many "little" ways along the path.
This is my God:
For He is the living God and enduring forever, And
His kingdom is one which
will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be
forever. He delivers and rescues and performs
signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered
Daniel from the power of the lions."
That same God is my God.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
The one about Updates!
There are some (who shall remain nameless) who consider me to be a very "lame blogger" because I don't post enough. I'll say that up until the homeschool alert which I posted the other day, that I have been a "blog user". Ok, ok I admit it. However, I do love reading blogs as it gives me much to reflect upon as well as challenge my own thinking and opinions about different and varied topics. So I appreciate all you bloggers out there and your patience with me while I lurk. HAHA!
To update on a few things:
Marcus and I have finally started using the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech (LiPS Program) and Seeing Stars books in our attempt to beat this dyslexia challenge. I've had to take Marc back to some foundational things that to many of us just come naturally. I still need to read the book, Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level - Sally Md Shaywitz. However, I did get the training to implement the LiPS and SS programs with Marcus, and so we have begun. I went through the training in early November. It was an intensive two day session with a few other ladies and our educational therapist. I am not trained to do this teaching with other children or certified in any way, but I have been taught, so I can teach Marcus.
We decided to wait to begin this instruction after the many breaks that would have to be taken during the holiday season. It's best to have consistency for this. So, now we have begun and are progressing a long. So far it has been so good. I would covet prayers as I teach and as Marcus.
Dyslexic chlidren are smart, but their brains are wired a little differently. So, many things that come naturally with the "run of the mill phonics programs", do not click with dyslexics. We have learned that Marcus doesn't have phonemic awareness. So we are going back to the very basics. This is a multi-sensory program. We introduced parts of the brain and how different parts did different functions. Then transitioned to using the different parts our of our brains to learn these sounds. We use our eyes as well as our ears. The way we form the sounds we hear...what our lips and tongue are doing as the sounds are produced.
Tomorrow we will be tracking sounds and tracking a lot as we progress through the program. It's actually primary if I am going to teach Marcus to decode words.
What is so amazing is the great amount of research that has been put into putting this program together. I am almost overwhelmed as I learn about new things; to discover so many things that people have really put into their life's work. At times I feel very inadequate at knowing a little bit about several different subjects, but not knowing a lot about any certain subject.
But I digress....that is the update on where we are with Marcus and our journey to teach him to decode words for himself so he can learn to read fluently.
Boy! that was longer than I had originally intended it to be.
A few more updates...
Michael was hospitalized with salmonella in October. Our pediatrician was excellent in flagging that it was something that needed to be dealt with and not put off until later. Mickey was gone, and the Lord through L-3 brought him home just when I needed him. Praise God!
Our dear friends the Wilsons came to visit at the same time and they were wonderful to have around. Oh to live close to each other again ....maybe someday!
We had a wonderful Buckeye Christmas celebration in Ohio and besides celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas, we celebrated my niece Karis's graduation from high school with everyone. You can go to my facebook and see pictures of all the fun. We even taught my family how to play Mafia at this time. What a hoot! They are addicted as I am. LOL
We also got to see the new Knipp editions to the family. Little Aubrey and little Noah.... the new neice and nephew. Aubrey was born to Mickey's brother Paul David and his wife April. Noah was born to Mickey's sister Ruth and her husband Nick. They are too cute!!! Parker and Malachai are both being good big brothers to their new little siblings.
The new year has come and the we are still doing school and serving at Heartland Baptist Church, HBC. We love our church family and friends here and are so thankful for them.
OH yea, and I've had a few little medical "issues" that have also kicked me in the rear and I am now back on a regular exercise/eating program. Maddie is the best gym partner and has kept me going. Yea Maddie!
Also, for those who know me well, you know that I am about 50-75% gray as far as haircolor goes. Well, I was letting all the gray come out, but I grew tired of people asking me if I was tired. I am convinced that the gray hair was not helping, so I have colored my hair once again. It has been interesting to hear the comments that have come from this. I enjoy them. My husband's comment was the funniest, as he said he thinks he will grow a ponytail now. We'll see.
So, to anyone out there who reads the blog... you have been updated. I will try to do better at posting. I am not a great writer or even a great thinker but I will pour my thoughts and ramblings into the pot. I hope we can all make life a little more interesting and fun for each other.
Grace to you!
~Mary (Ann)
To update on a few things:
Marcus and I have finally started using the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Reading, Spelling, and Speech (LiPS Program) and Seeing Stars books in our attempt to beat this dyslexia challenge. I've had to take Marc back to some foundational things that to many of us just come naturally. I still need to read the book, Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level - Sally Md Shaywitz. However, I did get the training to implement the LiPS and SS programs with Marcus, and so we have begun. I went through the training in early November. It was an intensive two day session with a few other ladies and our educational therapist. I am not trained to do this teaching with other children or certified in any way, but I have been taught, so I can teach Marcus.
We decided to wait to begin this instruction after the many breaks that would have to be taken during the holiday season. It's best to have consistency for this. So, now we have begun and are progressing a long. So far it has been so good. I would covet prayers as I teach and as Marcus.
Dyslexic chlidren are smart, but their brains are wired a little differently. So, many things that come naturally with the "run of the mill phonics programs", do not click with dyslexics. We have learned that Marcus doesn't have phonemic awareness. So we are going back to the very basics. This is a multi-sensory program. We introduced parts of the brain and how different parts did different functions. Then transitioned to using the different parts our of our brains to learn these sounds. We use our eyes as well as our ears. The way we form the sounds we hear...what our lips and tongue are doing as the sounds are produced.
Tomorrow we will be tracking sounds and tracking a lot as we progress through the program. It's actually primary if I am going to teach Marcus to decode words.
What is so amazing is the great amount of research that has been put into putting this program together. I am almost overwhelmed as I learn about new things; to discover so many things that people have really put into their life's work. At times I feel very inadequate at knowing a little bit about several different subjects, but not knowing a lot about any certain subject.
But I digress....that is the update on where we are with Marcus and our journey to teach him to decode words for himself so he can learn to read fluently.
Boy! that was longer than I had originally intended it to be.
A few more updates...
Michael was hospitalized with salmonella in October. Our pediatrician was excellent in flagging that it was something that needed to be dealt with and not put off until later. Mickey was gone, and the Lord through L-3 brought him home just when I needed him. Praise God!
Our dear friends the Wilsons came to visit at the same time and they were wonderful to have around. Oh to live close to each other again ....maybe someday!
We had a wonderful Buckeye Christmas celebration in Ohio and besides celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas, we celebrated my niece Karis's graduation from high school with everyone. You can go to my facebook and see pictures of all the fun. We even taught my family how to play Mafia at this time. What a hoot! They are addicted as I am. LOL
We also got to see the new Knipp editions to the family. Little Aubrey and little Noah.... the new neice and nephew. Aubrey was born to Mickey's brother Paul David and his wife April. Noah was born to Mickey's sister Ruth and her husband Nick. They are too cute!!! Parker and Malachai are both being good big brothers to their new little siblings.
The new year has come and the we are still doing school and serving at Heartland Baptist Church, HBC. We love our church family and friends here and are so thankful for them.
OH yea, and I've had a few little medical "issues" that have also kicked me in the rear and I am now back on a regular exercise/eating program. Maddie is the best gym partner and has kept me going. Yea Maddie!
Also, for those who know me well, you know that I am about 50-75% gray as far as haircolor goes. Well, I was letting all the gray come out, but I grew tired of people asking me if I was tired. I am convinced that the gray hair was not helping, so I have colored my hair once again. It has been interesting to hear the comments that have come from this. I enjoy them. My husband's comment was the funniest, as he said he thinks he will grow a ponytail now. We'll see.
So, to anyone out there who reads the blog... you have been updated. I will try to do better at posting. I am not a great writer or even a great thinker but I will pour my thoughts and ramblings into the pot. I hope we can all make life a little more interesting and fun for each other.
Grace to you!
~Mary (Ann)
The one about an Update...
I just re read some things on my blog and wanted to update a few things.
In January, when we started back to school, we started working on Marcus with his phonemic awareness. We are using the Linda Mood Bell and Seeing Stars program to do this. I took an intensive two day training from our Educational Therpist in November to be able to teach Marc. Because of the holidays, we waited until January so we could have consistency and no interruption.
So far, things are going ok. We are going back to the root of things of how our mouth is positioned as we make certain sounds. The placement of our lips, tongue, teech, etc. He is catching on. He really is a bright little boy. I'll update further as we move along.
Buckeye Christmas was fabulous. We went to Ohio and had a great time. We were able to see all of our siblings and the neices and nephews on both sides. We have two new "Knipp" additions. PD and April have a new baby, Aubrey' Ruth and Nick have a new baby, Noah. They are both precious. We got to see an ultra sound picture of my neice Mariss's new baby. She and Adam are expecting in May. The first "Jayne" great grandchild. Woohoo!
In October, Michael got sick and was diagnosed with salmonella. Our pediatrician did an excellent job of knowing he needed to be hospitalized. It was a hard time. Mickey had been gone for about two and a half months, but he was able to come home early because of the hospitalization. Thank the Lord! Michael has been recovering quite nicely. He still hasn't regained all hs weight, but is very close!
I'll try to do better at updating. It is good for me to write. The Lord is so patient and merciful to me, if anything, I need to proclaim that more!
Have a wonderful day in the Lord. We are off to church!
In January, when we started back to school, we started working on Marcus with his phonemic awareness. We are using the Linda Mood Bell and Seeing Stars program to do this. I took an intensive two day training from our Educational Therpist in November to be able to teach Marc. Because of the holidays, we waited until January so we could have consistency and no interruption.
So far, things are going ok. We are going back to the root of things of how our mouth is positioned as we make certain sounds. The placement of our lips, tongue, teech, etc. He is catching on. He really is a bright little boy. I'll update further as we move along.
Buckeye Christmas was fabulous. We went to Ohio and had a great time. We were able to see all of our siblings and the neices and nephews on both sides. We have two new "Knipp" additions. PD and April have a new baby, Aubrey' Ruth and Nick have a new baby, Noah. They are both precious. We got to see an ultra sound picture of my neice Mariss's new baby. She and Adam are expecting in May. The first "Jayne" great grandchild. Woohoo!
In October, Michael got sick and was diagnosed with salmonella. Our pediatrician did an excellent job of knowing he needed to be hospitalized. It was a hard time. Mickey had been gone for about two and a half months, but he was able to come home early because of the hospitalization. Thank the Lord! Michael has been recovering quite nicely. He still hasn't regained all hs weight, but is very close!
I'll try to do better at updating. It is good for me to write. The Lord is so patient and merciful to me, if anything, I need to proclaim that more!
Have a wonderful day in the Lord. We are off to church!
Friday, January 25, 2008
The one about the New Bill that threatens Nebraska Homeschoolers...
Well the homeschool email tress having been posting info all week on a new bill. Our state organization sent out another email today that I will post. Please pray that we can get this bill defeated in the unicameral...or even before. This is part of an alert we received from NCHEA (Nebraska Christian Home Educators Association)Here are the details:
The bill contains the following:
- standardized testing with Nebraska Department of Education oversight
- certified teacher oversight
- home visits from your school district
- school work/project portfolio review
- lesson plan review
Any change in Nebraska's home education statutes that restricts or reduces home education freedoms in Nebraska is unacceptable to the NCHEA's directors, officers and representatives.
We request that you take the following action.
Pray that God would grant wisdom to the NCHEA representatives as they attempt to persuade the senator from introducing the legislation.
Pray that God would work on the heart of the senator resulting in a decision not to introduce the legislation.
Pray for wisdom for NCHEA leadership and staff as we monitor the legislature and carry out our duties and responsibilities in NCHEA leadership and as spouses, parents and employees.
Pray for God?s protection of Nebraska homeschooling freedom.
Pass this message on to as many homeschoolers as you know and encourage them to pray.
The bill contains the following:
- standardized testing with Nebraska Department of Education oversight
- certified teacher oversight
- home visits from your school district
- school work/project portfolio review
- lesson plan review
Any change in Nebraska's home education statutes that restricts or reduces home education freedoms in Nebraska is unacceptable to the NCHEA's directors, officers and representatives.
We request that you take the following action.
Pray that God would grant wisdom to the NCHEA representatives as they attempt to persuade the senator from introducing the legislation.
Pray that God would work on the heart of the senator resulting in a decision not to introduce the legislation.
Pray for wisdom for NCHEA leadership and staff as we monitor the legislature and carry out our duties and responsibilities in NCHEA leadership and as spouses, parents and employees.
Pray for God?s protection of Nebraska homeschooling freedom.
Pass this message on to as many homeschoolers as you know and encourage them to pray.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)