My second son, Jack, who is 8, loves poetry. He actually jumps up and down and makes excited noises when it's time to read or write a poem. I never had that issue.;-) I'm glad he does. Here is his latest poem:
I have a chicken named Heather.
She has a lucky feather.
It is white.
She likes to look at it at night.
I have a weakness. It's a computer game called Chicken Invaders. A couple years back when my little bro was here for a visit, he got all of us hooked - except my husband, Darin. He thinks it's a silly game. But that didn't stop him from getting it for ME for Christmas this year. Oyve. What I think Darin has forgotten is that we have had this game in our possession before, and I puposefully deleted it from all the computers in the house. I just had to. I was addicted. If there was any sort of lull in the day - no matter how long or short - I always ended up drifting over to the computer to play for a bit. So I nipped the problem in the bud and deleted it. Game Over, man.But now it's back. I think I'm old enough to handle the challenge of the addiction now. We don't allow computer games during the week. Only during the weekends, with a time limit. I'm not allowing myself to pull out the "I'm the mommy, I can play whenever I want" routine. No playing during the week applies to me, too!
I'm a member of a Charlotte Mason yahoogroup. Really, I'm a huge lurker, but at least I'm an active lurker - I read and digest every conversation. So good. Everyone is chatting about "Habit" right now. One of the ladies wrote in today, and I just have to share with you a snippet of what she wrote because it spoke to me about all the good habits I'm trying to instill in my kids, and beat into myself in an attempt at proving that an old dawg can learn new tricks. Here goes:
________________________________________________________________
Quoting CM:
“It is necessary that the mother be always on the alert to nip in the bud the bad habit her children may be in the act of picking up from servants or from other children." (inserting my own commentary here. I cannot let the servants-thing pass without a sigh! SIGH)
How often do I hear "Why can't I? So-and-so does it!" Trying to be the child's ally and not just saying "Because I said so!" is challenging and really gets my brain working. When I take time and work with the child to find solutions, there is less friction and my mind does not persist in the same ruts and feel so tired of covering the same road.
Again, quoting CM:
"Tact, watchfulness, and persistence are the qualities she must cultivate in herself; and, with these, she will be astonished at the readiness with which the child picks up the new habit. "
Without tact, I'm a nag.
Without watchfulness, I'm inconsistent.
Without persistence, I'm weak.
________________________________________________________________________________
So good. Consistency is the key. Persistence is the only way to stay consistent. Asking God for passion for the job He's given me is the only way I can stay persistent. The ONLY way. Outside of God's inspiration, the only things I want to do is read, take naps and keep a perfectly clean house. Inside God's will - that passion He's placed in my heart - I want to "lay down my life" (John 15:13)for my husband and children.
Now that I have a handle on that Chicken Invaders has no hold over me. ;-)
As I was walking out of Target today, there was a woman ahead of me walking out with her son. She was probably in her 40's. She was also probably not in the same shape she was in when she first met her husband - kinda like me. ;-) But I couldn't help thinking, "Her husband loves her just the way she is. Her husband loves her BECAUSE of the way she is."
I can't help thinking thoughts like those because my husband does such a good job of loving me just the way I am - because of the way I am. When I first started feeling insecure about my flabby arms and thighs, there was Darin, reassuring me, and doing such a great job of it that whenever I see another woman with flabby arms and thighs, I think about how her husband loves her.
Sigh. God is good.
So much is going on around here in anticipation of Christmas that I must leave this blog until January. Can't wait to share all that we've been doing when I check back in!
Merry Christmas, ya'll.
Love,
Becca
Assignment: Write about your favorite ‘faith food’. Tell about the books of the Bible that you read that help to build your faith..nurture the seeds of faith inside you.
My favorite encouraging book from the Bible is Nehemiah. When God gave him the vision to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, he did not waver. From all sides, he was harassed, yet he never gave up. Instead, he made sure that "those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built (4:17-18)."
Nehemiah never forgot that God was his strength. He said, "Hear, O our God, for we are despised... (4:4)"
"Our God will fight for us" (4:20).
"Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands" (6:9b).
My husband and I were just chatting tonight about one of our harder-headed ones. There are times when we feel as if we are just talking to the wind with this one. Will we ever succeed in doing anything but pushing this one into the life of a criminal?
"O God, strengthen our hands!"
Parenting is not for the weak of heart, and I have to admit that there are times when I feel weak. There are times when I lay down the law about some issue and the kids look at me as if I have lobsters coming out of my ears. Sometimes I think, "OK, am I being the freak here? Is this the right path?" That's when I call my husband and have him reassure me that I am not the freak. ;-) And then together we say, "Our God will fight for us!"
Nehemiah never gave up. He never lost the vision of the job God gave him. He worked through the internal and external strife and overcame all as he relied on God for protection, help and encouragement. And what else can we do, but keep our noses to the grindstone and persevere in what we believe God is leading us to do with our family. And while we work, we will keep our "swords" (the Bible) at our sides to encourage us and "strengthen our hands" for the work.
Our pastor included a note of encouragement in this past week's church bulletin. It's so good, I wanted to share.....
May I share with you a word of encuragement - encouragement in a day when many are afraid at what the future may hold, fear at what the Bible calls the "roaring of the waves."
Christians are born (or reborn) for adversity. We are the ones with invisible means of support. We are the ones who bear fruit in times of drought. We know the perspective as to why our nation needs to be shaken to its foundations. We alone have the true God who is found through prayer.
The people of God flourish in adversity. It is prosperity that far more often has proved the weakening of the church. We may be brought back to the things most important. We may have to open our homes and means and tables to brethren in need. But remember...we cut our infants' teeth in the fires of Roman persecution and medieval crucibles.
So fear not, bring on the coming day...
We welcome the match and will call all men to observe our mettle...
So..."screw thy courage to the sticking place."
Our Prince runs full bore to hills of skulls.
"All things belong to You...things to come...all things belong to You..."
-1 Corinthians 3:22
Well, it's been a few weeks since I posted about my exercise progress. Didn't want you all to think I abandoned the cause! I'm still exercising. I've been getting up around 6 and doing a 30 minute walk with Leslie Sansone. This is a big, fat deal for me (HA! No pun intended...sigh). Getting up when it's still dark outside goes against everything I believe in, but my flabby thighs have won the day. I would love, love, LOVE to do more. I really enjoy exercising and looking my best, but this just isn't my time for all that. Hubby, homeschooling, kids, and house keep me busy.
If you're involved in an exercise routine, I would love to hear from you!
For Today...
Outside my window... it’s finally cold! For us, at least. The high today will be 57. It’s very windy right now. Gusty would be a good word.
I am thinking... about how kewl it is to be caught up with laundry. For the last year I’ve been constantly behind, but in the last two weeks I’ve made myself be ruthless with my time so I can stay caught up with it, and it feels great. It was such a drag to have to dig through the pile in the corner of my room to find something to wear. Darin especially hated that, so I’m glad to get that irritating thing cleared away for him.
From the learning rooms...Pretend you hear me bawling like a big baby here. Ben is officially doing his own science and history. We have always done science and history as one big, happy family. But he’s in 8th grade, and ready to branch out on his own and I really miss him. I think he’s secretly glad (he’s sparing his Mama) to be doing his own stuff. Not in a mean way, but simply because he’s old enough to do it himself. Why do they have to grow up?
I am thankful for...children (yes, I’m talking about Ben here) who grow up to be pretty good kids. Decently responsible, loving toward their parents and happy to be with their brothers and sisters.
From the kitchen...I need to make lots and lots of baby food for Sophia this week. She’s running low. I’ve got squash, blueberries, peas, will puree the leftover Chicken Pot Pie we have for dinner, sweet potatoes, applesauce, and peaches.
I am reading...same stuff I’ve been reading for ages, although I am adding the Charlotte Mason series to the stack. I’m going to focus on Volume 5.
I am hoping...to increase my reliance on, and trust in God. Always room to grow in this area (she writes through gritted teeth)
I am creating...a Christmas surprise for Sophia and Lydia. My mother-in-law is helping me out.
Around the house...we’re about to start moving the kids around. Ben is going to have his own room. Henry and Jack will share a room. Sophia and Lydia will share a room. First we have to paint the ceiling in Ben’s new room, then the walls. He chose GRAY. ;-)
One of my favorite things...working from home. ;-) I’ve never understood what’s to complain about as a stay-at-home Mom. I get to set my own hours, call my own shots, fix what I want for dinner.
A few plans for the rest of the week...Studying Egypt and NASA. Darin gets to take today off. His 5th day off in a row…we could get used to this!
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
the fam with Darin's grandfather, Pop. Don'tcha want to squish those babies?
To read other Daybook entries go HERE.
We got a new dishwasher yesterday. Our old one up and died about a month ago. We knew it was on the way out, but wanted to use every bit of life the poor thing had left. We suceeded!
Every time my Mom fills or empties her dishwasher (or ours, or anyone else's) she thanks God for it. Growing up without one, she knows what it's like to have to wash every little fork, plate and spoon. Now the Darin Beard family understands her thankfulness. A family of seven can generate quite a few dishes.
Back when we first had to do without our dishwasher, every single one of us approached it as a challenge. We were no wimps. We could wash our own dishes! Well, we did wash our own dishes, but we were not happy about it after the first few days.By the time Darin got home with the dishwasher yesterday, we seriously had to debate whether to install the dishwasher first, or put up the Christmas tree first. That's a big deal considering our kids start harassing us about putting up the tree once November hits.
Even though it's nice having a new dishwasher, I balk at the new thing in the house. For one, it's a different color and doesn't look the same sitting among our cabinets as the old one did. <sniff> For another thing, it's got a different set-up than the old one. How on earth are we supposed to load the thing? I'm SURE I'll never figure out a way. Lastly, the buttons on the front work differently and make a beeping sound. <gasp!> I'm 40 now....aren't I allowed to be boring and set in my ways? The thing that concerns me most is that our last dishwasher always made it sound as if we were going to be hit with a tidal wave at any minute. This new one is so quiet! I literally tiptoe by it while it's running. I feel as if I have to be quiet around it! Maybe I'm not only old and set in my ways, but a tad bit "off" as well. ;-)
On another housekeeping note, last week for school, Lydia had to write a short little thing trying to persuade me to let her do something I would "never - ever" let her do. I was very interested in what she would write about. Being the freaky, over-protective parents we are, there are a lot of things Lydia, who is 10, is not allowed to do. Just which one of those things would she choose to beg me to allow her to do? Here's what she wrote:
Please, please, let me iron, Mama. I wish I could so much. I'll work on ironing while you rest! Please.
God bless us, every one.
No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it. – Alexander MacLaren [1826-1910], Scottish preacher)
Not to mention that our children are watching us every moment. They see the tasks we leave undone so we can go sit at the computer, or read a book, or.....
I mentioned to a close friend that I am constantly busy at home and the first thing off her tongue was that I needed to make time for myself. It made me sad to hear that. More than anything, I need to be encouraged to be more diligent. We were created for work, and I believe our work can be enjoyable - down to the poopiest diaper - if only we would approach it with the appropriate attitude. I struggle in this area! God is faithful, though. I constantly pray that He will give me the vision He has for my life as a mom and wife, and He keeps feeding me the passion I need to keep on keepin' on.
One of my biggest struggles is mending. Darin has too many shirts that need buttons replaced!
I never saw a moor,
I never saw the sea;
Yet know I how the heather looks,
An what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God,
Nor visited in heaven;
Yet certain am I of the spot,
As if the chart were given.
-Emily Dickenson
For Today...
Outside my window... sun and cool temperatures.
I am thinking... It seems there is always so much to do and I constantly think of all those little chores that so easily pile up, but God always brings me back to where I’m supposed to be when I hear the voices of my kids. It’s hard to swallow the pride I feel in a perfectly clean house as I make the kids the priority. I constantly pray for God to give me His vision for what He wants me to do, and the kids are it. J
From the learning rooms...OH MY GOODNESS. I ordered the History Through the Ages Timeline Figures on CD-Rom and LOVE IT. I’ve been waiting my entire homeschooling career for such a groovy resource. What I love best about it is that I can make the figures any size I want. And I love that I can print out as many of the figures as I need. And I love that I can pick and choose who I want to print. What is not to love about this thing???
I am thankful for...answered prayer about my sister-in-law’s mother, Darin is recovering from a nasty cold he had last week and no one else seems to be catching it, our warm, warm house.
From the kitchen...I promised Darin I would make him more Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies sometime this week. Jack took the last of what we had to give to his pals at Awana.
I am reading...Still the same things with each member of the family that I have been. Lots of other books and mags on the side. I should go through every room of the house and make a list and try to get what I’ve started finished!
I am hoping...that I can not sweat the small stuff this week. God is in control.
I am creating...order for Ben. Getting ready some new school things for him.
Around the house...we will be canceling our cable t.v. this week. Normally I would be rejoicing over this since I never really wanted it to begin with, but somehow I’ve come to appreciate its benefits and don’t want to give it up. But we’re cutting corners in the budget and t.v. is really the only “extra” we have to cut.
One of my favorite things...thinking about how God has given us our daily work not to weigh us down with a burden, but to make our lives interesting and fulfilling.
A few plans for the rest of the week...need to set-up a date for a friend and her son to come over to watch a show on NASA with us – a neat show we were able to record because of our CABLE TV. sigh. ;-)
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
Who wants to do school when there is so much fun to be had with potholder loops????
-From February, 2008
To read more Daybook entries, go HERE.
Check out the opportunities from Trivium Pursuit and Christian Logic, below. I love the Bluedorns, of Trivium Pursuit. Their book, Teaching the Trivium, clued Darin and me in on what homeschooling should truly be.
Special Offer from Trivium Pursuit and Christian Logic
Our readers have the opportunity to receive two free ebooks from Trivium Pursuit.
1.The 73 page ebook of the entire text of Chapter Twelve: Ten Things to Do With Children Ages Ten Through Twelve from the book Teaching the Trivium: Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn
2.The new 94 page ebook Ancient Literature: Significant Excerpts from the Books of Classical Authors Which You Can Use to Supplement Your History Curriculum - Volume Two: Alexander the Great.
You will receive both of these ebooks when you subscribe to the Homeschooling with the Trivium newsletter. This offer is only for new subscribers to Homeschooling with the Trivium and is good only through November 30. Go here to subscribe.
http://www.triviumpursuit.com/list/
In addition, if you subscribe to Christian Logic's Fallacy Detective News you will receive two lessons from the logic textbook The Thinking Toolbox by Nathaniel Bluedorn and Hans Bluedorn (Lessons 12 and 13, along with exercises and answer key). This offer is only for new subscribers to The Fallacy Detective News and is good only through November 30. Go here to subscribe.
As we were driving away from our campsite out in the boonies, we looked for cars that were going towards it. We didn’t see any and started to feel a little bit safer once we hit the first red light in town. It’s a small, small town and at the time I think there was only one choice of hotels. It was one of those little motels with the office at one end of a long building, with all the doors to the rooms facing the road. There might have been 15 rooms.
My Dad left us all in the car while he went to get a room. We all sat, waiting for him without speaking a word. I for one had eaten way too many marshmallows, and I don’t think I was the only one. That, combined with the feeling as though the boogeyman were going to jump out at us at any minute kept us thinking our own thoughts.
Dad finally came out from the office. We went into our room and collapsed where ever Mom told us to sleep. We all slept hard. Not one of us woke up until the sun was burning extra bright into our motel window. We were so worn out by the time we made it to our room we hadn’t even done something as simple as close the drapes before getting into bed. We got up and all took a shower in a real shower for the first time in over a week. We checked out and then headed back up the mountain to see what we could see.
The drive back up the mountain was as quiet as the drive down the mountain. When we got to our campsite, we did see that some of our things had been gone through, but there was no real damage to our set-up. It was freaky and weird to walk through our campsite knowing that someone had been there while we were gone. My Mom had one of those screened tents that housed our food. It was open, and some of the food that had been put away was out on the table. Our lawn chairs were moved around and next to one of them was an empty bag that had held our marshmallows just a few hours earlier.
Later, Dad told us about his conversation with the owner of the motel. As he was checking out, he said, “Didja year what happened last night?”
“No. We went to bed as soon as we got here, and haven’t heard the news since waking up.”
“Some boys broke into the pharmacy last night and stole some things and did some damage!”
Gulp.
Like I wrote earlier, as a 13 year old, the whole episode just plain creeped me out. Then as I arrived to my 20’s and thought about it, I thought, “God must have some huge plan for me, to save me like that.” (Ahem. ;-)
In my 30’s I calmed down a bit and decided that God must have had some big plan for one of the other people in my family, or even my best friend, to save us all like that.
Now I’m 40, and I finally realize that God doesn’t have to have any world-changing plan for any of us, to save us as He did. What He has for my Dad, Mom, two brothers, best friend and me is a never-ending love for His own creation. Above that, He has His own counsel. Certainly, God saving my family and friend were not meaningless. But I don’t have to know why He did it. God asked Job, “Who is this who obscures my counsel without knowledge?”
Job replied, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know (42:3).”
Skipping a verse, in verse 5 Job said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.”
Amen, Job. Amen. God is Real.
To read Part 1 of this God-story, go HERE.
So there we were, camping out in the middle of practically nowhere with my Dad acting weird. He is a quiet guy anyway, and hard to read if one doesn’t know him well. There have been many times when my Dad made a joke and it was obvious the person he was talking to wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. Very dry. Very quiet, but mostly with a smile to reassure us all that he was with us in spirit, if not verbally.
Now there were no smiles and he was doing that thing he does when worried about something. He puts his hands in his back pockets, slowly paces and looks down. That was my Dad for the entire first week.
It all came to a head on Friday night.
In honor of it being Friday, my Mom, who was not big on junk food, pulled out the marshmallows. We all got into our jammies, settled into our lawn chairs in front of the fire and gorged. There’s nothing like the burnt, gooey goodness of a marshmallow. Dad had helped us find some good roasting sticks and made sharp points on them for us with his pocket knife, but when offered his own stick with a marshmallow on it, he turned it down and just stood there watching all of us.
After listening to us argue over the merits of mildly toasted versus flaming, burnt marshmallows for about 10 minutes, Dad finally broke his silence. Even though he is the quiet type, he can be very emotional. So when he finally spoke, we could all feel the relief he was feeling at finally letting go and letting us know what was on his mind. His voice quavered, and without beating around the bush, he said, “We’ve got to go.”
Whaaaa? Go? Because we didn’t really understand where Dad was coming from, all we could think about were logistics. We were in our jammies. We were practically ready for bed. We wanted to continue eating marshmallows. We were 14 hours away from Buffalo. It was almost 10 o’clock. We had friends that lived close by, but did we want to go disturb them that late?
My Mom said no. “We can pack up and leave in the morning if you have a wild hair, but not tonight.”
All of this conversation took about two minutes. When we finished saying our pieces, my Dad just picked back up where he left off.
“We’ve got to go. 20 years ago, I had a dream that I was reading a newspaper and read an article about a pastor who was from Buffalo, NY. He and his family had been murdered while camping. In the article, it said a group of boys had broken into the local pharmacy…stolen some drugs. They went out, away from the town and came across the pastor and his family sleeping. They butchered every family member with knives. They were high on the drugs they had stolen from the pharmacy. I saw my picture in the paper, but never connected the story of the pastor with myself because at the time I wasn’t a pastor and never imagined that I would ever be from New York.
I have had that dream again for the last four nights. I have been praying, and asking God what to do….where to go…for Him to help us, but all I see is His back, and I hear Him say, ‘I’ve done everything I can do for you.’”
At this, my Dad totally broke down. To think that God was turning His back on him was more than he could bear. But I think it was what he needed to hear, cause Dad was pushing us all to the car so we could get out of there and go find a hotel room for the night.
My two brothers, best friend, Mom and I were wide-eyed and dumbfounded. Without much ado, we quickly went into the pop-up camper to grab our suitcases. But it felt as if it was taking us way too long to get out of there and we kept listening for cars coming our way. Dad put out the fire, Mom hurriedly put away the food, and as we all finally got into the car and started to drive away, my pal and I were hugging each other and crying.
More later.
For Today...
Outside my Window...the temps are getting lower, with highs in the low 70’s. On Wednesday, we will go down to highs in the 60’s! LOVE IT. Today it's overcast. Love that, too.
I am thinking...that I am so excited about homeschooling. I LOVE IT. I get to be with my kids EVERY DAY! My oldest is 13 and I keep pinching myself – how many other 13 year olds will still hold their Mom’s hand on the way into the library, or put his arm around her on the way out? Sigh.
From the learning rooms...I’ve gotten to the point where I understand that I cannot focus on history and science at the same time. So we now alternate between them. We study one chapter from science (we’re using Apologia’s Zoology II – Swimming Creatures of the Sea), then we move back to History and on and on. Works great for me. I feel I’m being more consistent this way.
I am thankful for...the Victoria Botkin’s Curriculm Advice chat. Since Sophia was born I’ve been struggling with just everything. I felt like I might be doing too much schooling because with three in full blown school, I have to work like a dawg to keep up. But I’m doing all the things that she recommended! I sat down to listen to it on my iPod (I downloaded it from Behemoth.com) thinking I would get up with a long list of changes I needed to make. So it was a huge punch in the arm to know that according to a mother of 7, I am right on track. What I took away from it was that I need to get a grip and buck up! Being the Mom of a large family IS hard work.
From the kitchen...Every Sunday I make a shopping list and Lydia and I do the grocery shopping for the week. This week we went shopping, but I had no list! I was not inspired and the only plan I have is for Ben to make meatloaf tonight. After tonight, who knows what we’ll eat for the rest of the week…..grilled cheese? PB & J? Eggs and bacon??? Wow. I didn’t realize it, but our options are practically without limit.
I am reading...World mag, St. Bartholomew’s Eve with Darin, Ishmael with Ben, Elsie’s Children with Lydia, and The Trojan War with Jack.
I am hoping...to fold the huge mountain of clothes in the corner of my bedroom TODAY.
I am creating...order. I love organizing and planning…..what a geek. January is not my time for cleaning out clutter and reorganizing. Fall is my time. I know it’s the time of year when everything is turning brown and dying, but there’s something about fall that inspires me to begin anew.
I am hearing...Sophia breathing. I love that sound.
Around the house...I need to catch-up on making baby food for Sophia this week. I’m running low. She’s 11 months, but still only has her front four teeth!
One of my favorite things...praying for something and waiting to see how God will answer.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...my biggest brother’s birthday is on Thursday...Putting together plans for a class for newbie homeschoolers that I will begin teaching in the fall – I’m excited about that...Darin has to work tonight – our date night. Waaaah. ;-) At least he can do his work from home...Spending as much time as possible outside with the kids while the weather is warm enough to not require a coat.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
My little Dress-Up Queen from four years ago.
To read other Daybook entries visit The Simple Woman.
My Dad was what the Southern Baptists call a Home Missionary. He started a Baptist Church in Cheektowaga, NY called French Road Baptist Church. Cheektowaga was 95% Roman Catholic. We moved to New York from Tennessee. Everyone in Tennessee acted as if we were moving to Africa. Come to think of it, when we got to New York, all our new friends acted as if we had moved from Africa.
I was in 3rd grade, and it was a struggle for me. There I was, with my East Tennessee accent, and the daughter of the guy who started that “new church” on French Road. And by the way, yes, we did go to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and various other times when something special came up. That right there put me in the oddball category with my fellow 3rd graders who only went to church on Saturday nights.
The timing of our move couldn’t have been worse. We moved in April – just missed the Blizzard of ’77. It was the end of the school year. It was just plain weird and hard. I started having “stomach aches” that kept me home from school. My Dad finally got a clue when he drove me to school one morning and I pulled out the ol’ stomach ache as he pulled up to the curb to let me out. He told me I had to chill, and I never used that excuse again.
I eventually settled in, made lifelong friends, and cried like a big baby when we moved back down south when I was in 10th grade. But to scoot back to that summer before 8th grade….
Every summer my parents loaded up us three kids still at home (I am 5th of 6) and we made a trip to Tennessee to go camping. We went to my parent’s home town. We did not camp at the local KOA, or whatever you call those campgrounds with showers, toilets and a plug. We camped out in the woods. We carried our toilet paper as far as we thought we needed to go for privacy and did our thing. When we needed to bathe, we jumped in the water hole to get wet, got out and lathered up, then jumped back in to rinse off. Real camping. At this point, I have to say God Bless My Mom. We camped for up to two weeks, and she had all the food we ever needed while we were there and she cooked everything over the campfire. What a woman.
That last fateful trip – oh yes, we never went back after this trip – my parents let me bring my best friend from across the street. She was a city girl all the way and had never done any camping so we were having a lot of fun together. The only thing that dragged down our trip was my Dad. He was being weird. As a 13 year old, I could only think, “how embarrassing.” He was very detached. Very emotional, and constantly wandering away from the family unit to go do….ummmmm……what? None of us knew.
I've been doing a lot of exercising with DVDs at night after the kids go to bed, but I wasn't getting anything else done. So I am now dragging myself out of bed (or is that Darin's foot in my back?) every morning to get in a good walk with Leslie Sansone. So far, so good.
I got a good boost of inspiration this past weekend when I went clothes shopping. Oh man, did I ever need to go clothes shopping. I just didn't know how to fit clothes shopping into the schedule, so I've been wearing the same ol', same ol' for too long. Not that it was just old, but it was obvious I needed to invest in something new. ;-) So in spite of the baths that needed to be given, the dinner that needed to be served, and the laundry that was all piled up in the living room, I snuck out of the house and went to JCPenney. There is nothing like a full-length mirror - that reveals every inch of flab - to inspire the desire to be faithful to a workout plan. I'm good now for another few weeks before that wears off. ;-)
The excitement over this Exercise Challenge has absolutely cooled off, so rather than signing-in with Mr. Linky, just leave a comment with your link if you've posted your own exercise update.
For Today...
Outside my Window...it’s a bright, bright, sunshiny day, man.
I am thinking...that it’s good to be blogging again. I took all of last week off and got a bunch of stuff done! Well, maybe not as much as other people might have gotten done, but compared to…….ummmmm…….someone who’s just been knocked unconscious???? I got a lot done. I feel better.
From the learning rooms...plugging away! Starting to turn a corner with Ben. He wants to be a writer, so I’m doing all I can to encourage him. He’s learning that writing is WORK. We’re considering enrolling him in the Christian Writer’s Guild writing course for kids ages 13 and up (thanks, De’Etta). It’s a big commitment, so we’re waiting to make sure he’s really serious.
I am thankful for...sleep. Doesn’t it feel so good to sleep? Love it.
From the kitchen...Marlboro Man’s Favorite Sandwich. ;-) I discovered this recipe last week, thanks to Farrel. We loved it. YUM. I received a request for us to have it again this week. It’s so easy to make…who am I to say no?
I am reading...World mag, St. Bartholomew’s Eve with Darin, Ishmael with Ben, Elsie’s Children with Lydia, and The Trojan War with Jack. Henry loves the books we checked out from the library for him. They are all by Donald Crews. For a 2 year old boy, these books are the grooviest. Titles such as Freight Train, Sail Away, Harbor, School Bus, Truck....you know exactly what I'm talking about. I’ve got a couple other books that I'm reading on my own floating around the house. If I ever get a minute and am in the same room with them, I try to get in a few pages.
I am hoping...for the election to turn out the way *I* want it. ;-) Darin and I voted early last week and the line was HUGE! Usually when we vote early, we walk in, and there’s no waiting. We each waited 40 minutes this time around. One of the ladies who was working at the polling place said that 2,000 people had voted on every day of early voting. Unheard of.
I am creating...lists! One of the things I got done last week was to hang a big white board above my desk in the kitchen. Every night I write down chores I need to get to, chores the kids need to get to, schoolwork they need to bring to me ASAP, kitchen cleaning assignments…..whatever we need to put there to be sure we accomplish. It helped so much! I tried carrying around a little notebook with the same info, but it didn’t have the same effect as the white board does, since everyone can see it. What’s so funny is that the kids kept asking me, “Mom did you do blah-be-de-blah yet??” I had to draw a line at nagging me to get my stuff done just so they could have the joy of crossing it off. ;-)
I am hearing...Jack pretending to be a character from The Lord of the Rings, spoons in bowls. Cheerios this morning.
Around the house...I got so much laundry done last week, but the fun never ends in that department. Ben is staining the shelves we bought at the unfinished furniture place and he’s taking longer than I wanted, so *I* will be nagging him this week. ;-) I’m ready to move stuff into it! My new favorite piece of furniture is definitely shelves.
One of my favorite things...sleep. I already mentioned that, didn’t I….
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...nothing this week, but staying home where we will stay busy! I’m always amazed at all the work and play we can create for ourselves here on our little suburban plot.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
I can never get these boys to stop rough housing. God bless 'em.
To visit other Daybook entries, go HERE.
Back when we just had one baby boy, we lived in an apartment, and I used to take him for a walk in his stroller in the neighborhood behind us. It was made up of three streets. I walked up and down each street and after awhile, got to know the houses and the people who lived there. Since we lived in an apartment, I would day dream about living in one of those houses. Now I look back and think that our family could never fit in one of those houses – they were on the smaller side. How times change. I get a bit frustrated going for walks with our current two year old. ;-) He is not content to ride in a stroller. He likes to ride his “bike” while I push his younger sis in the stroller. The frustrating thing is that he likes to stop for “red lights” quite a bit. I’m not exaggerating when I say that he sits there for at least two or three minutes. He is content sitting there, looking around, while I’m about to boil over because my goal for our walk is to WALK. And me calling a “green light” does not work because HE decides when the light turns green. We make it around the block eventually and it’s more exercise that I would have gotten, so I try to calm myself with that thought. It’s also good exercise for my older kids. They get their scooter or bike out and go around the block about five times to mine and the little’s one. ;-)
Darin and I have been walking in the evenings together. Its really nice to do that because we’re away from the computer, t.v., and chores and can find a lot of interesting things to discuss. Last Wednesday, he was at a hockey game with Jack, so I went on a walk by myself after I got the littles in bed, and the olders set up with The Lord of the Rings. On the last half of the last lap, I was completely freaked out! Some guy was following me. Luckily, I had our little yipper dawg with me and she barked and barked and barked. I picked her up and scooted out to the middle of the street and nearly ran home. The weird guy followed me the whole way. He was not a neighbor. Bleh. Praise God for His protection! I’ll never go without Darin again!
Anywho…..I hope you all have had marvelous success in the last week! Sign-in with Mr. Linky so we can go read your update. Leave a comment so I’ll know you were here!
For Today...I am thinking...that I can’t wait to have a minute to listen to Curriculum Advice by Victoria Botkin. As our family grows, my approach to school has to change. There’s no doubt about that. I’ve been praying about which way to go, and hope that God has led me to this resource!
From the learning rooms...Ben is working on a research paper this week. I was an English major, so you would think that I could get him through it with no sweat, but man, is it a struggle. He has his own ideas of how he thinks it should be done, God bless him.
I am thankful for...our growing family, which humbles me. I used to think I was in control of all aspects of my life. Now that I don’t have the time I used to have to exert that outward control (keeping a perfectly clean house), I’ve chilled a bit in the back patting. ;-)
From the kitchen...chicken pot pie. I try to cook things these days that I can puree into baby food for Sophia. I puree the leftovers and freeze them in ice cube trays for later. I was able to get some applesauce and peaches made for her this weekend.
I am reading...same stuff I’ve been reading, only I added an online book of short stories. It’s titled Across the Years by Eleanor Porter.
I am hoping...that I can make the right choices when confronted with frustrating situations. I have a tendency to want everything to go my way, and when it doesn’t, I like to let everyone know. ;-) The last few years I’ve been working on my self-control in this area. Yesterday the kids and Darin all agreed that I was the most patient person in the house. It was nice to hear that, but I don’t want the praise to make me lax.
I am creating...organization, inspired by Emilie Barnes, and a plan for getting the skirt done that I started with Rachel is simmering. Seems that every time I decide on a night to work on it, other issues come up!
I am hearing...Darin reading a book to Henry. Henry's laughing because Darin is using a funny voice.
Around the house...laundry, pumpkins to bake, puree, and freeze or make into Pumpkin Butter, still working on getting the kids clothes changed over for fall. I’ve finished with Jack, Lydia and Henry. I’m half-done with Sophia, and need to get started with Ben.
One of my favorite things...baking. Unfortunately it makes me fat.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...my cute little niece will be hanging out with us on Thursday. I’m trying to work out a time to get together at the library with my pal. Not sure what else the week will hold – plenty, I’m sure!
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
Assignment: Post your favorite fall recipe/recipes to share. I love trying new recipes, do you?
I absolutely love finding a good recipe. One of my favorite resources for this is Tammy's Recipes. Her family eats just like mine. I think we've only made one recipe that my family was lukewarm about.
Last October, a friend gave me some Pumpkin Butter she found at a little shop somewhere. I grew up eating Apple Butter, but had never heard of Pumpkin Butter. It was SO GOOD. So this year I am going to make some for gifts, and for us to eat here at home.
I don't have any pictures yet because I just started today. I found a great pumpkin at SuperTarget for $4.99! It was a good, dark pumpkin. The dark ones are the best for canning and other recipes. In the past, I have cooked the pumpkin in the pressure cooker, but today, I had my husband just cut the pumpkin into fourths. Then I wrapped it in foil and baked the pumpkin. Tonight I will puree the pumpkin in my food processor, then tomorrow I will make the pumpkin butter. Here is the recipe I will be using:
Pumpkin Butter
3 1/2 cups fresh ground pumpkin or canned pumpkin purée
2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 lemon, juice and grated rind
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
If using fresh pumpkin, mix with sugar, lemon, ginger, cinnamon and allspice in a large bowl. Let stand at room temperature 8 to 10 hours
Transfer to a heavy saucepan, add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat, stirring often, for 40 to 60 minutes, to desired consistency. (With canned pumpkin, mix ingredients in heavy saucepan; bring to a boil and simmer on low about 20 minutes, to thicken.)
Pour mixture into hot, sterile, 6-ounce canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal with sterile, 2-part lids and rings, as manufacturer directs, processing 10 minutes in boiling water bath. Cool; adjust seals.
Makes five 6-ounce jars.
To find some other good recipes, go here!
I love being organized. Helps me feel semi-in control and on top of things.
The last time I remember feeling semi-in control and on top of things was probably when we had only two kids. Seems the third started a whirlwind that hasn't stopped yet.
Since we welcomed our fifth into the world, it seems that most days I'm running from one fire to another around here. I'll say to myself. "As soon as I finish feeding Sophia, I'm going to read Henry that book." Then Lydia will need help with her Math. Then I realize it's time to fix lunch, then I say, "As soon as lunch is over, I will read Henry that book." Then we eat lunch, then Henry has a stinky diaper, then Ben and Jack have taken the horseplay too far and someone has hurt feelings, then Lydia can't fit all the dishes in the dishwasher, so I go help her work it out, then Sophia gets into the cabinet with the plates and pulls them over and scares herself, so I go love on her till she feels better......and on and on and on. This running here and there leaves me little time to THINK. Doesn't that sound silly?
But it's true. My creative juices are as slow as molasses these days, so I'm turning to Emilie Barnes for inspiration. I came across a copy of her Creative Home Organizer. Emilie is a woman after my own heart. She has a chapter for each section of our lives that is likely to need organizing. She's got General Organization, Food Preparation, The Kitchen, Storage, Cleaning, The Garage, The Laundry, The Automobile, Finaces, Time Savings, Raising Children, Good Health, Sewing and Crafts, Plants and the Garden, Beauty, Moving, Our Wardrobe, Safety. In each chapter, Emilie has used bullet points to list her tips. LOVE bullet points. It's very satisfying to me to be able to read her short, 2 -3 sentence point and decide if I need to tackle that particular tip.
I've started off with the General Organization chapter. I made a list of the items that I feel I need to accomplish around here. Of course that list is currently in limbo somewhere, so now I've decided to make another list and post it here where I can't lose it. ;-) When I finish this list, I will move to the next chapter and so on until I've finished the book and then probably will need to start at the beginning again. No, no, no.....surely not! ;-)
Here's my list of things to do:
1) Provide yourself with a notebook - either loose-leaf or spiral-bound, and small enough to carry around with you. This notebook will become your "master list" - a single continuous list that replaces all the small slips of paper you're probably used to. Use the notebook to keep track of all errands, things to do or buy, and general notes to yourself about anything that will require action.
I started this, but like I wrote, I can't seem to find that blasted little thing. So I guess an addendum to this task would be to find a place to keep it so that little hands have no access to it. This notebook is replacing that "mental list of things to do" that I keep telling everyone about. ;-)
2) Keep a daily "to do" list. Make up a new one each morning and include tasks you specifically hope to accomplish - deadlines and appointments, as well as items from your master list. Give each task a priority number - 1, 2, 3. Do all the 1's first.
I've been working off that "mental list." Thing about that is that sometimes that list gets 'misplaced' as I'm running around putting out fires. Then when I remember it's usually too late to do what needed to be done. I hope having something written down keeps me more focused. Of course, since I lost my little notebook with this written in it, I totally forgot about doing this until now.
3) Buy a plastic bin for the coat closet and in it, put gloves, scarves, winter hats and other small but important items.
I've kept these things in my bottom dresser drawer but have always hated that. I've bought the bin, and just need to make the transfer. This will be a good thing because I will have to get rid of some VHS tapes to make room for the bin. Woohoo! So long, Lion King. LoL
4) Set up an emergency shelf out of reach of small children. Equip it with flashlights, candles, matches, a first-aid kit, and an index card with emergency phone numbers.
I have all this stuff, but it's scattered throughout the house. Time to bring it together! Something I want to add to the list is an address book. The only address book I have now is on my computer.
5) Emilie writes, "I have kept a mini-notebook for several years which I call 'The Lord Provides.' In it I've listed everything that has been given to us as gifts and from whom. Also listed are things we have found and items donated to us. It's beautiful to see how the Lord leads others to meet our needs and desires."
6) Make sure you have copies of all birth, and marriage certificates.
I need to get the kid's birth certificates!
Still exercising and keeping sugar to an almost zero existence in the house. Last week I made brownies for the kids (yes, yes, yes - I had one!) when Ben had a friend sleep over, and last night I threw some of them away! Brownies never last long enough to get old enough to throw away in our house!
I don't know if I've lost any weight. I haven't gotten on the scale, and really don't want to. I do know that my clothes aren't falling off of me yet, so I still have some work to do. ;-)
My next goal is to get to bed earlier so I don't drag around and become unproductive. Sometimes when I'm tired from staying up too late, I have the tendency to gravitate to the computer and stare at my email. I would like to not have days like that. Not only am I tired, but I get less done, which affects my "wig-out" levels. Less wigging out over minutiae would be a good thing. ;-)
This exercise challenge is good, and I appreciate you ladies that are still huffing and puffing along with me. I don't know if I would be making so many other positive changes in my day-to-day life without the encouragement.
Sign-in with Mr. Linky so we can read how you did last week.
For Today...
Outside my Window...we’re walkin’ on sunshine around here. It’s cooled down nicely and twice daily walks are becoming the norm. I love being spoiled in this way. Texas is so HOT in the summer!
I am thinking...about Sarah Palin. My thoughts go in so many directions. I disagree with her life choices, but as a sister in Christ, I cannot be completely turned off by her. We are all on the road to sanctification – we are all on different parts of the road. My prayer is that God would reveal to her His plan for the family and her role in it. I didn’t always get it. It took me awhile to understand it. A friend sent me the link to a really good article. It’s a long read, but REALLY worth it. It cuts "the Deborah argument" down at the knees. Here it is: But What about Deborah? Why the Example of Deborah Does Not Support the Candidacy of Sarah Palin
From the learning rooms...lots of praying and questioning going on right now as I consider our future direction. Am I putting the emphasis on the correct areas? That’s my big question for God lately.
I am thankful for...my husband and children. Without them I would not call out to God as I should. Their presence in my life has made me a better person.
From the kitchen...looking forward to see if I can sneak Creamy Cauliflower Soup by the fam this week. I’m going to puree the cauliflower and see how it goes.
I am reading...the same stuff I was working through last week. ;-)
I am hoping...to be able to “do it all” this week. (as De’Etta from Choosing Joy would say….::SNORT::)
I am creating...a plan for when some friends come over to hang out at our house on the 31st. It’s a yearly event that we all greatly look forward to. Chili, hot dogs, flag football. Fun.
I am hearing...Ben cleaning out the silverware drawer, Henry hacking away with some scissors on a piece of paper.
Around the house...we had Darin’s family over on Saturday evening for some birthday celebrations and I feel so good about some cleaning I was able to get done before they came. Darin took Henry, Lydia and Jack to the Fire Department’s Open House Saturday morning and while Sophia slept and Ben mowed the lawn, I was able to get some deep cleaning in a couple of rooms done. What a relief that was! The good news: as I was cleaning, I realized that things weren’t as bad as I had been imagining….not including my bedroom and master bath. ;-)
One of my favorite things...getting enough sleep so that I wake up bouncing around the house accomplishing things. I am a nightowl and tend to stay up too late.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...trying for the Pumpkin Patch again this week. We had to cancel last night because one of our sweet friends was sick.
Tonight is mine and Darin’s date night! One of these days we’ll get to actually go somewhere on a date night. For now, we rent a movie and eat some ice cream and crash on the couch. No computer, no chores, no organizing school stuff….just making time for each other. It’s nice when I can stay awake for it. LOL!
Here is a picture I want to share with you...
My Mom cuddling with Sophia after she was born.
is where my documents live! 
