Internet and kids' room

YAY!!!! We finally have internet!! Sudden Link was a no-go. Hughes Net offers satellite-based internet service, so that's who we ended up going with.

Kailyn and Korbin attended Soul In The City, an Anglican mission event that happens every summer here in Houston. It was an awesome week for both of them! This was Korbin’s third year and Kailyn’s first. We missed them so much and really enjoyed hearing all the stories when they returned. Korbin didn’t get much opportunity to share, as Kailyn gave us day-by-day accounts of all that happened. That’s one cool thing about having a girl, or at least a sanguine girl! She was so energized by this week away that she was ready and willing to spend the entire afternoon out with me at the homeschool convention and shopping afterward.

My favorite part of the THSC convention this year was the talks given by Reb and Bev Bradley. Those talks were all about the same thing, packaged a bit differently. The focus was on how a teen's compliance and obedience can be very far from love and acceptance of the parents. It seems great to have “good” kids on the outside, but so many of those kids grow up to want nothing to do with their parents. This has been something I have had on my mind for some time now and I have been at a loss on exactly what to do about it. I love my kids so much but my relationship with especially one of them has been strained for some time now, although I have been trying to repair the relationship. The seminars I heard last weekend were exactly what I needed to hear. The key points were that as a parent I need to represent love to them and be the safest person in their life. For them to trust me with their hearts, I need to be trustworthy. I am working on this. The good news is that God worked on both of us this week and we are both starting over and believing the best intentions. That is humbling. One thing I will add here is that the number one thing I struggle with is criticizing. I correct grammar, facts, opinions, actions they told me they did, you name it! Today I caught myself constantly with thoughts of correction. I would be so annoyed with me, too!! I share this in hopes that if you are struggling with your relationship with your kids, you would know that there is hope and I would recommend you check out the Bradleys. I even brought home CD's for Jeff to listen to. 

This week Jeff and I finished the second half of the goat fence. I know I’ve heard this, but we learned first hand how easily they get out. They aren’t getting out of the fenced area, but are going under the fence that divides the yard in two so they can be together. So much for separating the intact male so that we could milk the mama. We have a potential plan to remediate the situation, but that will take time, and maybe money. Mae is such a good mama. Here is a video of her following her kids to the new fenced area.

The most common question I get about our living space is how we do this with so many (human) kids. There are many full-timers who have way more children than we do, but it really is a small space for so many. I am loving it. I wonder if it will wear off, but for now I am very happy with the space. The kids share a tiny space, though, so the question is a legitimate one. Their bedroom has a door that closes, and has four beds- three bunks and one “jack knife sofa” that folds out into a full bed. If you have ever stayed in an RV, you would know that the mattresses are not adequate. The bunk pads that came on the bunks are more like a dog bed than a mattress. (My dog’s bed is made with better foam.) This week I bought Kailyn a really comfy 10” dual memory foam mattress. It is too wide for the bunk she chose, so she had to move to the floor bunk. Lacey moved to the upper bunk Kailyn had. Our RV has such small bunks that “bunk mattresses” that can be purchased at the RV stores are too big, so I may need to find an upholsterer to cut them down to fit, as I don’t think I could properly cut 10” foam. For now the mattress is ok where it is, but it is still too wide.

Besides mattresses, storage for the kids is a bit of an issue. Korbin and Kailyn have use of the closet in their room. They each have half of the hanging space, an upper cabinet, and one deep drawer. Maddox and Lacey have a smaller drawer and share hanging space in our bedroom inside the washer/dryer closet. We opted for hanging space instead of the washer/dryer since we have the ability to keep our full-sized washer and dryer in another building on the property. This arrangement allows me to monitor what they are wearing.

One thing the kids have that they have never had before is a TV of their own. This has been a fun extra for them. I have never thought TVs in the bedroom were a good idea, but since there are only 3 main rooms in the entire home, I thought it best to have a TV in each of them, allowing everyone options on rainy days. We definitely make use of them more than that, but it has been a good thing. 

There is also a half-bath connected to the kids’ room. I’m used to having 3 bathrooms, but having 2 in such a small space is really nice. It will be even nicer when the cat decides it is safe enough here for her to use the potty outside again. Fluffy is a great cat, but she was much better when she had a pet door and preferred going out to use the bathroom. She is getting there. Last time I put her out she seemed more at ease, a far cry from her terrified trembling in the beginning. 

I think another reason people are shocked to hear I have 4 kids in one room is that it is very common for siblings to fight with one another. For the most part, they all get along. The littles tend to squabble, but we are working on that now. I highly recommend the book, “Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends," written by the Mally siblings. This book is great for anyone with more than one child; it doesn't matter if they are brothers, sisters, or both. The book is for the kids. It isn’t a book to help mom or dad do things to help the kids get along, but a book for the kids to either read or have read to them. I read the book to Korbin and Kailyn when Maddox and Lacey were babies. It was part of our nap time curriculum. I am currently reading it with Maddox and Lacey. I haven’t even finished the first chapter and they have already started interacting differently with each other. It is the sibling equivalent of what the Bradleys are teaching parents to do. You would think that since I read this book I would be able to interact with my kids well, but that is not the case. A different relationship requires a different message. When people ask the kids about sharing a room they volunteer that they get along well. I am happy for them in this aspect. The relationships you have with your siblings have the potential to be the closest outside of a marriage, and I want that for them.

If you would like a tour of the kids’ room, check out our YouTube channel for a video walk-through. The iPhone memory filled before we could finish. I'll have to brush up on my movie making skills. :)