I HEART the Fair!

Big Buddy, Nana, Mema, Uncle Dan and Aunt Jessica took the kids to the fair while Jim and I cruised in the Bahamas. Cousins make life sweeter!

This is round 2 of the Georgia National Fair. Jim, Dan, Jessica and I took the kids back to the fair Saturday morning.

Jim and I both get queasy on the rides so we decided to alternate. I decided that it would be fun to take the boys on a big ride, one that I loved when I was younger.

Oh boy, little did I realize that ride was much HIGHER as an older mother of four children! This was craziness. We went really high in the air and then they tilted us toward the ground. I just held on tightly to Judd because I knew he was going to fall right out, but look at him he is LOVING it. No Fear just like his daddy! I do have a side story about the this ride. 

Jake is going more afraid of heights like me. We were told that he was not happy about riding the Ferris Wheel, which I don't blame him. What is the point of being so high up? Jim being the good dad he is decided that this needed a "when I was a boy" story. The story goes a little something like this : When I was a boy I grew up climbing up and down the really tall grain elevators at Big Buddies business. There isn't any reason to be afraid.  Keeping that in mind, we were on this really high, tilting ride and a some point during one of the tilting moments Jake says "mydaddygrewupclimbingongrainbins." It was really cute that he was using that story as reassurance. 

Look we found more cousins! Hi Sunni and Mary Kate!

2 boys 1 sheep 6 seconds

On Saturday, we took the kids back for Day 2 of the Georgia National Fair.  The boys got to enjoy and fun opportunity. The previous day they saw that you could ride sheep for fun. They wanted to be Wooly Riders. Wooly Riders is open to any child ages 3-6 weighing less than 60 pounds. We decided to sign them up for the 1:30 ride. We arrived at 1:15 so they could get there gear on, weigh in and receive a few instructions before the race started. Jake weighed in at exactly 60 pounds. Both boys enjoyed the race, however, Jake was stepped on by the sheep so I am sure that he is glad that this is his last year to compete. On the other hand, Judd will be the first to sign up next year, maybe we will even get him a pair of chaps to wear. 

 Here goes Jake.....

 Here comes Judd.....

6:37 p.m.

A quick four-wheeler ride around the yard with Daddy always make the girls happy!

Good bye Summertime!

These are some pictures that I found tonight. I thought it only suitable that I post pictures from our fun summer on this first day of Autumn. 

This is one of the sunflowers that grew in our garden this summer! We loved seeing them grow so tall. 

This is Anna Kate's rotten face.

 Anna Kate was playing with Sadie's feet. Sweet 10 month old feet!

Thankfulness #377-385

So thankful for:


377. Finally finished the book, From Clutter to Clarity: Simplifying Life from the Inside Out ,
 that I have been reading for months.
378. Football season has hit the Perdue home
379. Our first week of Classical Conversations
380. A God who never leaves us or forsakes us
381. Hearing Jake quote Psalm 23:1-6 from memory
382. Memorizing and meditating on theses verses Psalm 40:1-3.

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.

383. The ladies in my Friday morning Bible Study are such a blessing. I am so thankful that we are studying the Word together.

384. Awesome staff and deacons who are willing to help change my flat tire as I was headed back to Crosspointe for Sunday evening services. 

385. 5 hours of kid free shopping while my awesome mom watched Sadie and Jim had the other three.

one...tooth...three

As is the tradition in the Perdue home the kids go to the dentist when they are three. For Anna Kate, August 17, 2011 was her first trip to the dentist office. At first she was very apprehensive about all of the little gadgets, but she did let our super awesome hygienist, Amy Kellum, clean her teeth. The funniest part was when Amy tried to put the suction in Anna Kate's mouth, Anna Kate was scared and jumped so quickly I thought she was going to get down out of the chair. I must admit Anna Kate did very well and I am proud to say that 3 out of 4 kids enjoy the dentist. Let's just hope Sadie keeps the record going when she turns three.

Anna Kate was listening very carefully to Ms. Amy as she discussed the teeth cleaning process.

She was a little nervous about all of these gadgets going in her mouth.

She LOVED the sunglasses and the mirrors in her mouth. 

She did such a great job as she got her teeth cleaned.

10 months

Walking, talking, signing, sleeping, and  smiling!!!

An Ideal Day at the Perdue Academy

I am sure that this isn't really interesting to anyone except me. I just want to remember how in the world I ever completed school with so many little ones running around. This is an ideal day and a rough schedule. I like schedules, they make me happy! 

However, this is my prayer for this year and maybe every year. 


We pray that God would be glorified in our school year. Our prayers are that  the kids would not only grow in their education but in character as well and that  through learning, many valuable teaching moments will be utilized. Also, that we would see learning as a joy rather than a chore and that we would be wise in how we give and spend our time. Honestly, I pray  most of all...for patience, for me! This is  going to be a great school year!

An Ideal Day at the Perdue Academy

6:30-Three mile run M, W, F

7:00 Daily Bible Reading & Shower

8:00
Breakfast/dishes/maybe toss in load of laundry and/or start/empty the dishwasher


9:00: School bell rings (no, we don’t really have a bell. Maybe I should get one.

9:00 – 10:00: Group time, (Sadie Naps) we all do the following together:

▪                Bible: Pray, Sing songs, do Bible study, discuss, review AWANA verses

▪                First Language Lessons:

▪                Story of the World

▪                Classical Conversations Memory Work

10am – Workboxes- I will explain them in another blog. All I can say is AMAZING! (It typically takes us 2 hrs or so to go through our 6 boxes)

11:00- Sadie is awake.

11:30-Noon: Lunch! Followed by independent play outside or in the playroom, and a few moments for me to do dishes and straighten the kitchen.

1:30pm: Fun stuff, or finish any workboxes not completed during the morning.  I usually save crafts, art projects, science type experiments etc for this time. (We may also run errands if needed.)

2:00- Sadie Naps

3:00-Everyone has QUIET TIME. I need at least 1 hour of quiet.

4pm: Chores like laundry, we have LOTS of laundry.

5:00pm: Start Dinner…

10 Minute Tidy: This is where I set a timer and everyone runs around like maniacs cleaning up anything can they find so when Daddy comes home the house is a clean and serene oasis, and he thinks its like that all day

sorry honey, the secret is out…please don’t come home any earlier than 5:30 unannounced or my reputation will be ruined forever. Ha! HA!

5:30 pm: Kids meet Dad at the driveway to ride in his truck.

5:30ish Dinner/dishes/sweep kitchen floor

7pm-7:30: Bath, family devotions & bedtime – Clean up living room, take baths.

8pm: Go to Bed. Unless there is a good Georgia sports team playing!

Free time for mom and dad….sit down, sigh…blog…laminate… and praise God we made it through another homeschool day.

August Update

Now that school has started back I don't feel like I have time to update this blog and it is driving.me.crazy! To be honest, I haven't even downloaded pictures off of my camera in a week. Guess I better go do that before I continue. This will be an update of pictures, which is what you want to see anyway. As you maybe able to tell by a few of my pictures, I have joined Pinterest.

Thankfulness #361-#376

361. Homeschool blogging moms that have so many wonderful ideas

362. Family time

363. Songs that minister to my soul

364. God’s perfect peace

365. God’s faithfulness even when we are so unfaithful

366. Never once do we walk alone

367. Dt. Mountain Dew

368. Mexican cheese after 8 months of a dairy free diet

369. Running three miles three times a week consistently for three weeks

370. A first grader who make teaching school so easy for me

371. A preschooler who is SO eager to learn how to read
372. Summer rain showers
373. My mom getting a good test result after a heart cath
374. Books that remind me of my ministry of motherhood
375. Hearing Jake sing "Never Let Go" during Sunday night worship
376. Jake's hunger for learning God's Word

The Dirty Three Doing the Dirty Dig

This year we are reading through Story of the World Volume 1 together during our Circle time. I am not doing all of the activities in the workbook. We are just doing the things that are age appropriate and fun since I am planning to go back through this volume again next year.

This week we read about history, archaeologists and archaeology. One of the activities in the book was to recreate your own archaeological dig, or "Dirty Dig" as they so cleverly named it.

Our three "archaeologists" were very excited to learn more about the "Ancient" civilization of the peoples of Mount Perdueian.

To begin our dig we sectioned our digging area into a 3 by 3 grid so we could record where we found our artifacts. Here are a few of the artifacts that we found: a battery, screwdriver, comb, two bracelets, coins, a cup, and a chicken bone. We figured they were a pretty advanced civilization because we found a battery which lead us to believe they made their own power. The screwdriver was also an advanced tool.  We know that they used currency because we found coins. We believe that they were hunters since we found chicken bones. Lastly, they liked to look pretty as we found two bracelets and a comb. Although, they seem to be advanced we aren't sure how they communicated since we didn't find any communication tools such as pencils. 

School Dayz

Perdue Academy officially started on August 1. We thoroughly enjoyed our summer break, but we were ready to get back in to more structured routine. This year we have two students: one returning and one new. Judd is in Pre K/K and Jake is in 1st grade. This is going to be a great year!

9 months

Baby Sadie

It baffles me when I check on her in the night and find a big baby in her crib.  My mind flashes back to, what feels like yesterday, when she was a tiny floppy head, swaddled infant. I feel like she has been a part of our life forever.  She is so curious. 

Her personality various every day; she can be the happiest baby on the block OR she can me the hardest baby on the block. When she is happy we have so much fun together. When she is cranky she spends a lot of time on my hip!  However, she smiles all the time and it is just a beautiful sight that I pray I never forget.  

Sadie Grace completes our family, she is dainty little tiny girl that we needed and all adore! Jake, Judd and Anna Kate love her SO much, it makes me so happy to see them playing together so much lately! Sadie is doing new things everyday, she is talking so much (we can understand one word so far, "Dada." She is now walking when I am not holding her and she loves to drink out of a sippy cup.  

She has one bottom tooth and more coming soon-the drool is a sure sign, wearing a size 3 diaper, 6-12 month clothes. She is in the 90% for height and 25% in weight.

As of August 1, she was completely weaned. It was time to break away from this special bond that we shared for 9 months. My body helped her grow inside me for 9 long months.  I then provided food for her, for another 9 months.  It is a very bittersweet ending to an enjoyable path we shared. I must admit that we are both doing quite well with this adjustment.

I love you so much, Sadie. Thank you for teaching me daily how to give more of myself and to love with a love that is deeper than I have ever known.

Thankfulness #346-#360

346. The quiet weeks that sickness bring to the Perdue home.
347. We enjoy lots of TV when we have sick kids.
348. I published the first two years, 2006-2007, of my blog into a book using the blurb website.
349. Playing Yahtzee, Uno, and Skip-Bo MANY times a day with Judd.
350. Watching Jake read multiple chapter books each week.
351. Hearing the song Blessings
352. Cleaning out school room drawers.
353. Our first day of school at the Perdue Academy.
354. I have a first grader.
355. I have a pre-schooler.
356. Receiving a surprise, a new pair of shoes, in the mail.
357. Little watermelons growing on our vines.
358. Watching Sadie take steps throughout the house.
359. Popsicles. Popsicles. Popsicles.
360. I love this journey that God is allowing me to live out each day with Dr. Jim Perdue!

* hope to edit with pictures soon.