Hi everyone! I missed you all for the past 2 weeks. The break gave me time to recover from my cold and pink eye, as well as get back on track with homeschooling. It’s also given us time to process and grieve the passing away of two of our relatives. They were both ill for about a year, but we did not foresee both of them passing away in January.
Life is unpredictable and I see how the cycle of life is filled with new beginnings and endings. This realization is becoming more stark to me as I get older and my parent’s generation are aging.
For our family of four, we’re chugging along. Coughs are still whirling in the home as Elliot and Chris still have residual coughs from their winter colds. Ellis had pink eye too, but that has healed. We missed a chunk of lessons last fall, and this semester we’ve been trying to squeeze in as many lessons without more disruptions. I want to finish our astronomy book by the end of this school year! We rarely go through an entire textbook and skip a lot of things, but the astronomy one is one I intend to complete.
Elliot and Ellis joined a 4H group and are now club members. 4H is a club that started over a hundred years ago allowing youth, rather than from researchers, to share solutions to agricultural practices with adults in farming communities. Now, kids engage in various projects (runs the gamut from animal care to technology) to learn hands-on skills and build leadership skills. I’m still learning about it, but I’ve been impressed with the friendliness of the kids and their parents. So far, both kiddos have sewn pillows, made a fruit salad, and created a digital art with an app called Procreate. It only started a month ago, and it seems like a good fit for us. We’re hoping to work with animals soon, if schedule allows and weather permits (fierce raining these days in the bay area).
I’m glad to be back~ thank you for your kind words, reassurances, and encouragements when I last posted about taking a break.
45 responses to “I’m back from blogging break”
Welcome back, Esther! Where I grew up in New England, 4-H was a very big deal.
Thank you, Liz! Good to be back.
4-H is new to us, but the people involved are friendly and welcoming. Excited to see where this adventure will take us. Yes, I did see how it’s well known in the U.S. Yay!!
You’re welcome, Esther!
4H group is a great idea.
Good for kids and their growth.
Please take care. I hope you are doing well.
Best wishes
Thanks, Devang! It seems like a great program for the kids and they can try different projects. We’re really hoping to work with animals soon. Too bad they don’t have anything about geckos. 😉
Hope you’ve been well too!
Speaking of gecko
How is dart doing??
How’s little E’s health now, is she doing well after coming back from hospital?
Dart is doing well…nothing has changed. He naps all day, eats crickets and mealworms, and gets warm baths to stimulate his bowel movements. lol. Surprisingly, he has not shed in the past month.
Ellis is doing great! After her bouts of hospitalizations, she’s doing much better. She recently had bronchitis and pink eye, but it’s nothing compared to her cyclic vomiting syndrome. I am armed with all kinds of medications if a trigger starts. I hope it doesn’t happen!!
You please take care
Best wishes to you to 3EC
Thank you!
🤗
Most welcome back,My friend 😄! I much miss you & kiddos ❤️! I hope you & Elliot are very well. You & kiddos have whirling choughs! Now feel better both of you.
Very sad you had lost of two relatives. I pray for,🙏! RIP!
Tack care my dear friend, Esther!
Life is unpredictable and you see how the cycle of life is filled with new beginnings and endings. Don’t very about.
Thank you, Raj! It’s been a rough winter with so many colds and coughs. I’m ready for spring…but I know that spring weather will bring spring allergies. oyyyy! It’s been raining all weekend here.
You are most welcome, Eshter!
I hoped Elliot is good.
Tack care!
🙂 We’re good! Thank you, Raj. Hope you are well too.
welcome back! I’m interested
Thanks, Launa!!
Good to get an update on your busy life, Esther. Stay well!
Thank you! Happy to be back here and catch up with friends.
Esther!!!! So happy to see you back in this space.
It sounds like it was a much needed respite – your health challenges would have been sufficient to put me out, plus you had all that was going on in your family and extended family. Our God indeed has kept you safe in His care.
Homeschooling is such a joy and also challenge. I am so happy that E&E are part of a community that affords such exciting opportunities. And it also plugs the gap for social interaction. This last challenge was one we had to work very hard to meet, so I am very happy to hear of this good news.
Ju-Lyn. I’m so happy to be back too and the warm welcome from friends is adding to my happiness!
I so needed the break to catch my breath and just putter around the house. You are right…God has kept me safe and blessed us even through the storms. He is a good God.
I was having some doubts about homeschooling in December when Elliot mentioned in passing that he heard someone tell him that homeschoolers are unsocialized. This is a common comment but it took me on a wave of doubts and fears. But God helped me find this community and got us plugged in quickly. I realize that homeschooling is my ministry…although the day to day stuff doesn’t seem too exciting.
And so happy to be Duolingo friends with you.
Please don’t feel pressured to reply to this long comment. Just in a chatty mood now! 🙂 Have a great start to a new week.
Oh, we had so many points of doubt while we through this homeschooling journey. I think it became easier as the children took increasing responsibility for their learning and education.
It’s a faith journey! I realize how much wisdom and direction I need from God each day. Maybe December was a transition for us, because both kids seem to be more settled into homeschooling and enjoying it more. Elliot is beginning to take more ownership of his learning and doing more on his own without all constant reminders.
Are you still homeschooling your younger child?
Our younger has Downs Syndrome so her schooling continues even though she is already 23. I guess we thought it was even more critical for her as our institutional options for kids with Downs Syndrome are not great in Singapore.
We explored schools for her when she was in her teens because she was quite keen to try, but her IQ was too high for some special schools, and too low for regular school. So, it was a bit of a quandary. She has been at a Kumon centre since then – although not school, she likes going somewhere for an hour or so each week.
I thought your younger was still in high school. She has a youthful look. Schooling is wonderful, no matter the age, as long as the learner is motivated and wanting to learn. Happy to hear that you were able to find a way to continue education for your daughter in your own way and finding a regular place to go like Kumon.
If I remember correctly, is your younger the baker who took orders for Christmas bread?
Welcome back! I was glad to see your mention of 4-H. I was a member all through high school, and loved it. I was in a town group, which provided for experiences not entirely attached to cattle barns and chicken raising, but it was great fun. My memories are a little hazy — except for the apple pie and Swedish nuts that I entered in the county fair one year (no ribbons, but good food!) The kids will enjoy it.
Thank you, Linda! It’s good to be back. Oh yes, I get so encouraged to hear about others having positive experiences with 4-H. It[‘s wonderful you were part of the club all through high school. They have a variety of projects to choose from and it seems the summer county fair is a big event. Kid’s sewing teacher said they could take their sewing projects and show it there. First time…will be fun to see how it goes.
Ooo! Cool pillows! Welcome back Esther! We went fabric shopping yesterday and I’m hoping to help the children sew pajama pants… 🤞
I’m so sorry for the loss of 2 of your relatives in January.
You and your daughter inspired me to start sewing! The pineapple plush that K. made Ellis is so cute that Ellis wanted to start sewing. We got a sewing kit from Amazon and started and when 4-H had a sewing project, we went for it. Please tell you daughter that her pineapple inspired us!!I can’t wait to hear about the pajama pants’ project.
Thank you for your kind words. My uncle had illness for about a year from terrible asthma and had low lung capacity. He passed peacefully. The other relative was Chris’ cousin and cancer. He leaves behind a wife and 2 young kids. So when I read your post about your cousin’s passing from cancer last winter, it resonated with us.
Ugh 😑 cancer. I’m so sorry for your losses. I’ll pray for Chris’ cousin’s family. So sad.
I’m “sew” happy to be a sewing inspiration! I grew up with my mom sewing constantly. I’m certainly not great but I’m working on developing my skill set! 🥰 K enjoys hand sewing so much as a hobby. She’s super crafty! She had a lot of fun making the pineapple 🍍
Thank you for your prayers. It is very sad and teaches me how fragile life is.
I like your pun…good job with that!! Yes, K. did a great job on the pineapple. It’s sitting on Ellis’ desk and it’s named “Pat.” Our girls would have lots of fun crafting together.
I’m glad you’re working on your skill set…always new things to learn and little steps make a big difference. I too grew up seeing my mom sew but I rarely attempted.
Let’s sew this year! I don’t know how much I’ll progress, but I’d be thrilled if I could make a tote bag.
Tell me more about the pillows… do they have zippers? I’m afraid the pj pants might be too adventurous for a first project…???
Supposedly, the sewing teacher uses the pillow as the first project for all the sewing beginners. She takes a piece of fabric and the kids can either make a square or rectangle one.
Just have enough fabric for the front and back. She had the kids put pins around the sides of the edges, and the kids sewed along it and too the pins out as they went.
You leave about a 6″ opening to stuff it with the stuffing. Before you stuff it, you put your hand in the pillow and grab the corner and pull it out to the front of the fabric is facing out. And the kids hand sewed the rest of the bit.
The next project is pajama bottoms and she said the kids will use fleece. We were supposed to work on that this week but we missed due to sickness. So that’ll be our next project.
I think you may have an easier time with pillows as a starting project. Starting with an easier project would be more rewarding for the kids and you! Girl, I am not a sewer and I was able to make one at home myself. That’s all I know how to do for now.
I recommend the pillow as a first project! Let me know what you decide. Would love to find out.
That all makes sense. I will keep you posted about our sewing adventures!
Please do! I’ll keep you posted too on our adventures. My goal is to make a tote (that doesn’t fall apart) by myself this year.
Welcome back, Esther! Glad the break was good for you. My condolences to you and your family on the loss of your loved ones. The 4H program will be very beneficial for Ellis and Elliot. I’ve always heard good things about the program.
Prayers to you and your family for quick healing of residual coughs and for improvement in your weather. Will send some sunshine and 50 degree temps your way from Northeast Ohio. Sun and 50’s is not normal February weather here.
Thank you, Michele! Good to be back. You have mild weather there for winter. We are getting fierce rain and winds this weekend, along with a flood watch. Some friends have power outages. Thank you for the sunshine. Can’t wait for spring. 🙂 I’m so encouraged to hear positive things about 4-H. It was a God thing, because I didn’t really expect us to join this quickly. I felt behind in all of their homeschooling studies and activities with all of the hospitalizations from the past 2 months. God is good and His timing is perfect.
Thank you for your kind words. Appreciate it.
Good to hear your break went well, Esther. Elliot and Ellis seemed to enjoy what they were doing.
Thank you, Miriam! Good to be back.
Yes, they had fun making those pillows. The sewing teacher wasted no time and had them use a sewing machine on the first lesson. Kids were shocked at how fast the machine worked.
I’m glad they had a good time especially Ellis.
Thank you, Miriam! We even got out our sewing machine and made some pillows by ourselves. Trying to reinforce what we learn from the sewing teacher at home.
In trying to catch up in Reader I went backwards (I was four days behind). That is some admirable hand sewing Esther – something I am not good at doing. I may have mentioned that I used to make all my own clothes since I had long arms and legs, but my mom would do all the hand sewing like buttons, hemming, basting in sleeves or a zipper. She’d say “I guess you go to school and tell people you made this yourself!” (Well, yes I did just that.)
Glad you’re back Esther. Hope the rest helped with healing and rejuvenation. We all need a little break sometimes, glad you were able to take the time for yourself.
Thank you so much!! The break was helpful for me to get back on track. Appreciate your kind comment and encouragement. Hope you are doing well at this tail end of the winter!
Yes, Esther … that’s what matters. Yes, by God’s grace.
God’s grace…good stuff we need everyday! Take care. 🙂