Starting Our Spring Term ║ Hang Out with This Homeschool Mom of 8 │ School Week 25

This week we're beginning our Spring Term so we spend our first day getting our school binders back in order, making new star charts, doing work evaluations to determine everyone's pay rate for chores, etc. We also get the rest of our PACEs in the mail so I check them in and get them all put away. We ended up getting two things we didn't order and we were missing four PACEs that we did order, so Christian Book is sending out the missing items and told us to keep the two extra PACEs.
We got a lot of packages from KZbin friends this week. Our pile of baby gifts is growing and growing! I'm amazed at how generous you all are with us.
My neck has been out this week and I spent half of Monday in bed because I had slept so poorly the night before. School went on without me, though. (As of today, it's almost completely better.)
We went to visit Grandma Fern this week and took her some fresh Jell-o eggs since she didn't join us for Easter.
We also had a nice trip to the park between snow storms. Another big storm is supposed to roll in tomorrow.
Baby Hannah is due today, so I'm trying to keep myself busy and keep my mind off of it just in case she decides to stay put for awhile!
We homeschool using ACE curriculum. Our kids are 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 5, 4 and 2.
www.andreamills.tv
Mills Family
P.O. Box 323
Moorcroft, Wyoming 82721
USA

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I should mention that we're still planning our Live Dinner tomorrow at 6:00 pm Mountain Time. (Because of Daylight Savings Time, that may fall at a different hour for you than in the past depending on where you live, so be sure to check a time zone website.) We just wanted to let you all know so you wouldn't think we were announcing a baby tomorrow when we go live! (Of course, all of this is assuming Miss Hannah doesn't arrive between now and then.)

[@ericawallace526]

Andrea Mills so nice for an update! I have been praying for you and baby Hannah for a safe delivery. Can’t wait for the live tomorrow and especially for the 1st live with the baby girl! 💗

[@Nightowlnursery]

Andrea Mills ty for reminder .. I probably would have thought little Hannah was here ! I keep checking my phone so I won’t miss her arrival ! Praying for you and Tom and for a quick and easy birth ..... Xxxx

[@kimr4610]

I was hoping y’all would still do have dinner with the Mills live! Either way it will be great!

[@babyvlad007]

Nightowlnursery I keep checking my phone, too! 😊🙏

[@LonestarHomeschoolMama]

Ha! You have all of us checking our phones for updates. Although I am sure no one is as eager as you. Blessings!

[@natalie5672]

Precious children. Asher helping Sophia down the slide. Andrea taking the time to sit and take interest in Grandma Fern’s stories. I miss Andrea SO MUCH.

[@cee6097]

I can’t believe it’s little Hannah’s due date. It really feels like you just announced you were pregnant a few weeks ago. Wishing you a safe and quick birth. Best of luck x

[@allysonk2819]

Hi Andrea & family! I'm normally a silent viewer but I watch every single one of your videos. I just had to comment and say how much you inspire me in multiple different ways; parenting, the way you run your household & more 😊 I'm a fairly young mom (26) & I have a 6 year old daughter and your organization skills and parenting styles have helped me a lot. You are always so positive & uplifting in your videos, but also so real with us viewers. I cannot wait for your new addition to your beautiful family♥️

[@lumpyspace9073]

That smile of Eden's gets me every time 😍😍😍 such a gentle soul.

[@lumpyspace9073]

What a special first girl you have Andrea ❤

[@sheilas1283]

kristen miranda Eden is very special, I think.

[@zainabhamad4936]

Seeing how much effort you put into these videos always makes me feel a little sorry that you are not getting paid for it, especially with all that you do for your family. I guess i can thank you for your hard work and the amazing videos

[@sarakeith5480]

I always enjoy watching the visits to Grandma Fern, such a special person!!

[@Mimsy827]

Andrea, thank you from the bottom of my heart for opening up your life for all of us. What a wonderful ministry you have! You have encouraged me, made me think more deeply about a variety of topics, and given me great home management, home school, and home life ideas. Thank you, my sister in Christ. Praying for you and Hannah ♥️

[@keshagurl]

I just had to pause and let you know the scene at the slide is hilarious!

[@mcg267]

keshagurl I laughed so hard and then felt guilty. Poor Claudia LOL

[@kcmom2four]

Oh me too!!!

[@jcbmama5016]

I don't know what I enjoyed and laughed more with; seeing Knuckles on the merrier go round ,or Andrea shaking the camera with laughter at Claudia flopping off the bottom of the slide!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

You can't hear it, but Tom was a bit horrified saying, "I thought you said she'd be fine if I let her go by herself!" :)

[@heidiclarke2333]

I had stop watching to compose myself, what with Andrea laughing and shaking the camera and me laughing I couldn't see a thing, but was so glad she popped up ok.

[@crystalbaird4061]

I love that Tom had to keep stopping to let Knuckles on. So cute.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I missed it on video, but one of the times it was because Knuckles fell _off_ mid spin. It was pretty comical. :)

[@julietannOsfan1972]

I hope he was OK. x

[@kristinacacia9749]

My favorite part of this whole video is when Knuckles kept hopping on to the playground equipment to spin with the kids. Lol!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

He's always loves the merry-go-round. He also likes slides if they're not too tall. Twirly slides are definitely out. :)

[@bethanydunnum1505]

Knuckles on the merry-go-round made me laugh. My son is pulling our puppy around in a lawn mower trailer today. Silly puppies!

[@northtoalaska4325]

Watching these videos literally lowers my blood pressure. I started watching from the beginning to see it all in order and this is where I am currently. It's so neat to see all the things that happened leading up to present day. Love your family dearly!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Please leave comments on anything special you see stick out!

[@northtoalaska4325]

@@TheMillsFamilyVlog I definitely will!

[@catherineellis1200]

Thanks for sharing your joys and gift of family with us.💕🙏🏻

[@marluhoh]

I loved watching Knuckles playing the kids!

[@moda78z]

I loved watching you all have fun at the park 😃 but I think Knuckles had the most fun 😂

[@aliciafreak0007]

Eden is such a sweet girl and her smile is so genuine. She has your gentle nature. You can tell she really looks up to you Andrea.

[@lillierussell6699]

I'm still amazed on every video how much Claudia is growing up

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

It kind of amazes me, too. She's just saying so many new things and using all of thee big words that surprise me every time!

[@yvonnestyhr8308]

Knuckles is a crack up on the merry go round. Claudia is her own person and runs along side everyone. But her sliding on the slide alone and bouncing on the dirt was hallarious! Everyone is darling and I love every story and idea. Thank you!

[@glendaruff125]

Cherish the stories grandma has to tell.

[@esthers9140]

Solomon is reading so well, great job Andrea! Can't wait to meet Hannah.😊

[@SuperBamamama]

I have never seen Knuckles move so much! Claudia was really brave, that slide was so high. And I am still praying...

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

She was so determined to go down it, but then she'd get up there and change her mind.

[@SuperBamamama]

I don't blame her.

[@kcmom2four]

Your boys were so patient with her! That’s an old school playground like I played on. So much fun. Knuckles on the merry go round? So funny! 😂

[@Aggie_Fehr]

The part at the park was so funny! You’re such a joy to watch. One day I hope to meet you and give you a big hug. Your videos pick me up and are a great example of a godly woman. Can’t wait to see baby Hannah!!

[@DraKBC]

I keep praying for you and all the Mom's of the world! God bless!

[@jolene-vm8yg]

So sorry to see you cry Andrea looking forward to seeing baby Hannah such a beautiful family x best wishes from Redcar by the seax

[@rachelday9585]

You should do a video on work evaluations and how you do pay for chores. I'm interested in how it all works.

[@cynthiastauffer8012]

God bless you Andrea ♡ I am so happy my daughter in law found your channel and told me about your wonderful family. This is such a precious season of your life...i remember when i was being mom to littles as well as a couple of teenagers. They certainly always kept us on our toes. Makes me miss those days :)

[@janetsides901]

My oldest is 28,and I never thought to teach them to use scissors to cut their food! I'm definitely showing my grandkids this!!! My daughters minds will be bliwn!LOL

[@lauraweber1955]

Claudia is changing so fast! And such a sweet thing for Solomon to say!!

[@margaretbedwell58]

I loved watching Knuckles in the park and the go round thing. I would never thought how good a walk it would a dog. hahaha. Claudia loved the slide until she came off with a bump...looked like a little rag doll. So sweet.

[@Annette70able]

All the best for you and your family. Just thought: one simply has to love Knuckles, he had so much fun on the playground... :-)

[@Nightowlnursery]

😂🤣 Claudia on the slide was hilarious ! Knuckles on the merry go round was funny too !

[@catherinegipson4204]

Never so much of knuckles, but loved to see him enjoy the merry go round. And then when Claudia went down the slide I was rolling

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Knuckles always loves a trip to the park!

[@courtascot]

Knuckles on the merry go round is hilarious. Does he get dizzy doing that? But then he kept going back for more so he must like it

[@katcrafty]

The painting that Sophia made was not only beautiful, but it also had really nice composition. 👌

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I was surprised myself when I saw how nicely it turned out. She did a good job!

[@tonyamiles7934]

I like knuckles in the park. Him going around the merry go round was cute...I bet he done a lot of sleeping after that that..looked like everyone had lots of fun...thank you for video andrea you are awesome. Oh and you so talented with the girls hair..

[@anitatucker8812]

Your kids are so adorable. I got so tickled the dog running on the merry go round.

[@julietannOsfan1972]

Me too.:)

[@tribblelet]

Oh my, I just wanna hug Andrea so much when she gets teary.

[@amypearsall]

I saw Eden cutting up ramen noodles for Claudia; if 'you' break them up before you cook them, it would be easier and would not have to cut them up after. Just a thought! Nice how helpful your kids are.

[@Whisper.119]

Claudia cracks me up with all of her noises! She is such a doll baby!

[@CathyGoes]

LOL Knuckles looked quite proud of himself. Thanks for continuing to share your lives with us.

[@mommabear8673]

Knuckles loved the merry go round... That was so funny. Content is something we all should step back and remember. God blesses us daily and will provide our needs. Your family is such a blessing to me.

[@shay659]

You guys always put a smile on my face. I remember when you told us you were expecting and here it is Hannah's due date.

[@mcg267]

Grandma Fern is so sweet. I just love her.

[@judyhiller7344]

watching your family is so peacefully and amazing to see. It's nice to see a loving family that loves each other is so helpful. Can't wait to see Hannah grow and blossom.

[@lisalovatt7246]

Knack les running about on that roundabout was adorable lol

[@lyssamariev]

I love these long vlogs, I never get bored or distracted. Super mom, filming/editing, a teacher and making sure all of the kids are okay will 9 months pregnant!

[@catherinegipson4204]

That's right we raise them the best we can. Its all we can do

[@aliciafreak0007]

I loved listening to grandma fern telling stories

[@ellenbonham4520]

I love watching you and how organized you are with everything!! I also love that the kids are so good and know just how momma wants things!

[@joec783]

What a fun video,Andrea!I smiled from beginning to end.Thank you so much lovely Mills family,praying for you and baby Hannah and Tom,for a healthy happy delivery.Can't wait for baby,every time you post a video,I think,This is it!Soon and very soon,I'm sure.😚😚😚😚😚

[@TheKimmykimbo]

I love your videos !

[@christinagonzalez4303]

Those are such sweet happy tears.... I'm so happy for the mail you received xoxo

[@sandee1000]

Mr Knuckles stole the show!!!!!

[@christinag7971]

yay

[@jessXjessful]

Your family is so sweet and I love how Tom came back to check on you during the day! That is so nice of him you should keep him! Haha

[@janlovesmany712]

Another sweet family video thanks for sharing.. ☺ I so loved going through the garden catalogs when we had our family home....enjoy.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Since Asher was a tiny boy he's always loved the garden. I can still see him when he was about 3 giving my parents a tour. We had short planter boxes then and he'd go up to one, put his little foot on the box and say, "This is garlic," or whatever it was, in his tiny little voice. We ordered our seeds this week and he paid for an extra packet himself because he wanted to try some yellow watermelons. It's always such an exciting time thinking about all the garden possibilities!

[@silverose1209]

LOVE the real playground equipment, like we grew up with!! That slide looks awesome!

[@123mintjelly]

It just warmed my heart watching knuckles.

[@Hundefan123]

16:31 How to put all your kids on a silde :D

[@hearsthewater]

That was fun watching Knuckles run on the merry go round.

[@louiserobathan4819]

I laughed so hard when claudia cane if the end if the slide. Omg she is so cute.

[@grandmasewhappyhomestead187]

Your family I have to say are amazing. You and Tom have done a great job with the Lord. Can't wait for you to have Hannah, my youngest when she finds that amazing guy wants a large family..so that will be fun. My other 2 of 3 sons have 2 in one sons family and 3 in the other. Your such an inspiration to so many...if you can do it with your hands full the rest of us should be able to where we are or at least try. I wish I had your know hows when my kiddos were young..but I pass on to many where I live as I see your wisdom can be planted. God bless you Andrea and Tom and the family each one..hugs from Minnesota

[@shabbyshopper]

The little one on the slide.... Hilarious!! 😂

[@drwebster1]

we here in Minnesota are getting snow 'AGAIN", oh well the summer will be all the more sweet!

[@cassandraaleckson5144]

Dorothy Webster im from Minnesota also. In Minneapolis expecting lots here 😥

[@kcmom2four]

Kinder chocolate was one of my favorites as a child in Germany. I still love it.

[@lillyandrews8557]

At nine months you are active, I was on bed rest,u look amazing

[@Sweetzandmore]

Andrea it was sad to see you cry so I hope it was tears of joy...

[@teresametts1097]

Knuckles was cracking me up. Wanting to be on the ride but having to run! Looks like a good time.

[@whitneyking2779]

Sophia is a doll, I just want to squeeze her!!!!

[@sandramullen7804]

😁😁😁😁💜love how your dog loves the merry go round 😁😁😁😁. Lol x hot water bottle wrapped in a towel for your neck may help hope it's better soon .x

[@abcdefghij6029]

Can you make a whole video on how you pay your kids please!

[@elk684]

I think your good weather blew to Ohio. We had a glorious day today.

[@bunnilopez817]

Thought maybe it was a baby alert ding!😂

[@jeffreyphillips2000]

Have the kids herd of min. Wage? Praying for a safe delivery and a healthy baby.

[@brionybyrnes8334]

My kids love those haribo strawberry straws. They sell them in our aldi in australia

[@cassandraaleckson5144]

Omg! Raisins that are grape flavor that is hilarious! ❤😂 im so excited to see baby Hannah i am constantly checking my phone! I woke up this morning and remembered of yeah today is Andreas due date! I have literally watched every one of your videos just never commented. Best of luck on labor and birth you and your family are awesome!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Thank you, Cassandra!

[@ScousersWife]

I’m very happy the water came back on before Hannah’s arrival, but I’m sure you have a contingency plan - you are so prepared and organized! Prayers for a wonderful delivery and a happy, healthy Hannah and her mommy!

[@crocus1225]

Andrea, if it was possible I would vote for you as content character of the week. I know, I know, you are a grownup and have had time to work on these qualities but still you are a good example in a world of people who seem to want more to be happy. Also, Knuckles on the merry go round was so unexpected at least for me. I've never seen a dog do that before. He is looking so good these days and has more energy.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

He's such a funny dog that way. He loves slides, too. The slide at this park is too tall, but one of the other parks has slides just perfect for him. I think he's just always thought he's one of the kids. :) (On a side note, when I was a little girl, I sent my cat down the big slide at this park. He didn't enjoy it.)

[@terrynorman1222]

Hi Andrea n family👋🏾👋🏾👋🏾I love watching ur videos , still so active during this time😊😊😊I really laughed out loud watching Claudia go down that slide finally alone!!! Knuckles on that merry go round was hilarious !!!! Praying for all, and can’t wait for Hannah to make her entrance🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾. Love hearing Gmom Ferns stories!! Does she still live alone?? Have a great week!!!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, Grandma still lives alone. She has Senior Citizen meals delivered on week days, a woman comes to help her bathe once a week, and someone comes to help clean a couple of times a week, which is nice. My aunt lives nearby and helps her most days, unless she's out of town. (My aunt is in Arizona right now and Grandma's hair looked pretty frightful when I arrived on this visit, but we got it all combed nice before we sat down to visit.) The meals grandma gets are really nice, so I'm glad she eats well. She was so tickled because she says she doesn't generally care what they bring, but the other day she just had a craving for a cheeseburger. She was going to call my nephew who waits tables at a local restaurant and have him bring her one, but then they delivered the best cheeseburger with all the fixings for her senior meal that day. She really enjoyed it.

[@terrynorman1222]

Andrea Mills that’s really awesome for her🙏🏾🙏🏾GODs Blessings

[@laurafitz3868]

So nice to see Knuckles having so much fun....Claudia's launch off the slide made me giggle. I'm going in for an elective cesarean section on Tuesday so I wonder how close my arrival will be to baby Hannah. Best of luck Andrea and hope everything goes well Xx

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Maybe we'll end up with Birthday Buddy Babies!

[@Grace-th7bn]

Sophia at 40:52 was the cutest thing ever 😂💕

[@joec783]

Rosemary essential oil mixed with coconut oil,great muscle pain remover.

[@hannahcrabtree599]

Would you please share the kids' "Work Evaluation" with us, maybe a link to it on your blog website? or just pan over it slowly with your camera? I stopped the video to see the sheet on screen more clearly and it looks FANTASTIC! An awesome tool for those of us with large families to help our kids with character growth, attitude, as well as doing their chores responsibly. Blessings to you as you await baby Hannah's birth!

[@Mmolesy]

Ive been very jumpy everytime ive gotten a new notification from you tube thinking a blessed event had taken place. But no such luck. 😢😭

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I know; I don't want to excite everyone by putting up new videos that _aren't_ about a new baby arriving, but I _also_ don't want to worry everyone by not posting anything at all. It's just a waiting game from here on out!

[@Mmolesy]

Just enjoy the last few days. 😊 She will come in Gods timing.

[@oviedo2912]

My goodness! She landed like a rag doll.

[@brionybyrnes8334]

Andrea do you have a pdf for all the charts you make and the focus on the week etc. I absolutely love them and could really use then in our house.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I might try to make them available one of these days. I'll let everyone know when I get to it.

[@amybeth2379]

I love your playground equipment. Where do you purchase from?

[@debbieomi]

ewww I remember well cracking open an egg that had been fertilized! It put me off eating them for probably six years. My mom kept chickens off and on over the years so it happened to all of us kids, I think. lol ick! I was wondering if Claudia was ever going to make it down the slide and boy, did she ever! LOL I bet Knuckles was more wore out than the kids after all that playtime! What a fun video clip at the park. That is quite an ice scraper! We have another snow storm on the way here in northern Michigan this weekend, too. Guess my scraper will be coming out from the back end of my van. I should know better and just wait until mid-June to put it back there. LOL Will there be a live Dinner with the Mills if Baby Hannah has not yet made her appearance?

[@debbieomi]

LOL I no sooner pushed to post then I saw your comment about the dinner! oops

[@ashlieleavelle]

I am waiting to hear that Hannah was born.

[@steph3471]

I’ve noticed how Eden and Justus and Sophia and Solomon each look like eachother, so I wonder if Hannah will look just like Claudia! Cant wait to find out :) good luck my love!

[@steph3471]

(PS I hope I’ve spelt their lovely names right! I’ve watched almost every video of yours so I should know by now! But just incase, i apologise)

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

You got them all right!

[@jo_silver90]

It was me who sent the window scraper! Unfortunately I had to use mine today :( hopefully you won't need yours for quite a few months.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Thank you! I'm sure we'll get to try it out after the storm tomorrow. I appreciate you thinking of us! I'm sorry I couldn't thank you properly in the video. I read your note, but apparently it fell out of the box.

[@jo_silver90]

Andrea Mills You're welcome. Wouldn't it be nice if spring decided to stick around?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, it would! It's looking pretty gloomy out this morning, but no snow yet. Over the last week the storm has downgraded from expecting 18 inches to expecting 1 inch, so maybe it's not going to be that bad after all.

[@jeffreyphillips2000]

Claudia still rules

[@amoliveira]

Great video! You guys are a beautiful family! Quick question: why was Solomon wearing a different colored shirt?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

We don't have a rule that the kids _have_ to match, so if they choose to wear something else, that's fine. Solomon got that shirt from one of our KZbin friends and likes to wear it sometimes. Also, as in Asher's case, sometimes someone is wearing something different because they didn't get their shirt in the wash or there's some other mishap.

[@amoliveira]

Andrea Mills Cool! I had noticed it in other videos and wandered what were the rules as to the color of the day. Thank you for the clarification!

[@blessedmamahen]

Andrea. Do you have a video or blog post explaining how you do your chore system & pay? I only have 2 children. Ages 6 & 8. One soon to be 7. Trying to develop a chore system has just not worked for me.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Maybe these videos might help. I can't remember exactly what I covered on them. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2jRfYeoftt2mNk and kzbin.info/www/bejne/jYnVkHevdtqogMU

[@BrunettewithBeardies]

You guys should do a video about your dog!! I’m assuming that’s your dog 🐶😂😂

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z32bdoBqhbCCg8U

[@kayhicks8869]

Eden is so sweet and beautiful

[@MrsDigiot]

Your dog is so kewl! Watching him run on the merry go round...wow! That child Eden is growing like a weed right out of her clothes!

[@mimikels9443]

I have a wordbuilding question. What do you do when your child doesn't do well on his spelling? He gets frustrated because he can't remember how to spell ai, ui, ow, etc. I've had him do copywork, use a wipeoff board, use scrabble pieces, & so much more but it hasn't stuck. He missed 5 today and I don't know if we should keep going or spend extra time on them.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Judah really struggled with spelling. One year, we drew a picture for every single spelling word. We didn't do the PACEs in the same order, necessarily, that they were laid out. One day we'd do all of the ai words. I'd draw a colorful ai in the middle of a piece of paper. Then Judah would draw a picture for each word and write the word on the page. He'd also write the words in the PACE. When it was time for the Self Test and Test, I'd regroup the word list and say, "Now we're going to do the ai words." I'd have him spell all of those words. Then I'd say, "Now we're going to do the ui words." Sometimes I'd even remind him of a few things that were on the picture page for those words to get him thinking of the correct words. After that year, he'd work the PACE as normal, but anything he missed on the Check Up, we'd go back and draw pictures. The year after that, he was doing the PACEs as normal and now he's been getting 100%s! We did all of that because he's very creative, so spelling in his mind isn't a "one right way" kind of thing and he'd feel very stressed trying to remember. We tapped into his creativity to help him enjoy the process more, regrouped the words to help him shift his mind to the new spelling and set him up as good as we could to get things right. I wasn't sure if it would really help or not, but in the long run, I'm so glad we did. I don't know if you can glean anything from our experience, but maybe it'll get you thinking of some new things to try.

[@mimikels9443]

Andrea Mills I have not grouped them together. I've always mixed them up. We will try that. He can read just about any word he comes across but the remembering how to spell it has been a bit discouraging for him. We will definitely try your ideas. Thanks. He missed 5 on his self test and just at a loss of whether or not to keep going, start next pace and incorporate them in.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Five could be a lot or a little, depending on the test. If there were 20 words total, I'd practice before moving on. If he had 50 words total, I wouldn't worry about it.