the homeschool blahs

In each of our six homeschooling years, I've hit a blah patch.  And I'm currently in the world of blahdom.  Welcome back to the blahs, Amanda... we've been waiting for you. 

It's difficult for me to explain my blahishness, mostly it's homeschooling boredom and laziness.  Mostly it's because my selfish nature kicks into over-drive and I realize there are so many other things my selfish nature wants to do.  When I give into my selfish side, homeschooling falls apart.  The kids go crazy, I grow impatient, and I wonder why they aren't just doing what they're supposed to.  Well....  I know full well it's because I'm not doing what I'm supposed to. 

I want to be homeschooling.

I love being with our kids. 

I love homeschooling.


Right now though, it just reeks of blahness.  (I love how I've made up new words using blah in this post!) 

We aren't led toward any other option right now.  Nor do I think we'll ever be led to any other option for schooling.  If God leads us to do something else, we'll visit that when it comes.  But for now,  this is it.  This is what we do. 

I'm realizing more and more that there are so many things I want to do with the kids, but I get so stinkin' lazy sometimes.  Too lazy to slow down.  Does that make sense?  I'm a go-getter type person, so I don't consider my self a lazy person... but I do consider myself a hurried person, that wants things done in an instant and doesn't fancy taking the time it takes to do a really good job on something.  I'm too lazy to stop what I'm doing and do something that would be meaningful to the kids.  Most of the time.  I have to give myself some credit and not bash myself too much.  I love doing things with the kids.  I just know myself and know when I'm fighting against it.  I have a much easier time with this on the weekends when Jeremy is home, but on our school days when he's working I really struggle to stop my plans and give of my time.  Selfish.  I know.  That's my problem. 

At the beginning of this year, we started in with a great school day schedule which I love.  We've all loved it.  But it has caused me to swallow a large unselfish pill and I think that is what has gotten me all out of whack, and caused me to ditch the schedule for a bit.  BIG MISTAKE.  Our days have been chaotic compared to normal.  I love doing what I want, when I want to.  And our school schedule doesn't leave much room for that.  My kids (and I) need routine, and one that I stick to.

 I have a really hard time doing the same thing for very long... that's why my blog background changes periodically, I have so many hobbies, and why it's hard to do the same thing EVERYDAY.  I get bored.  Now, this boredom doesn't apply to things like my marriage, my kids, church, family, etc... for me, it applies to the negotiable things that can be changed.  I change it up, because I can.  (I hope you'll notice that this rambling blog post, is for me... so that I can type my thoughts out and understand myself.  Feel free to stop reading at any time!)

But I'm realizing that in this life we've chosen, and this life God has blessed us with, a healthy dose of unselfishness is just what I need. 

My kids and husband have my heart.  I know you know that if you've read this blog for any period of time.  I desire to be doing my kids justice in our homeschooling.  I depend on the Lord for strength and wisdom.  I have a lot of great things going for me, and I feel like I've made great strides in SO many areas that go unnoticable to most. 

But this area is probably what I struggle with most.  My time.  My plans.  My.  My.  Mine.  I'm not some seemingly homeschooling saint.  I've been viewed like that in the past, and I always say,  "If you only knew."  I wanted my life to be not about me.  I know that's what God wants from me too.  And most of the time, I'm perfectly content in that spot.  Except when the blahs hit. 

My kids are great students, they really are.  They love to learn.  They're fantastic readers and read all day long and into the night.  They soak up what we're learning.  I love being with them.  Love seeing their eyes light up.  And I love that they want to be with me. 

Right now, for a book club I'm leading, we're reading Beth Moore's new book So Long, Insecurity.  Wowsers.  It's a good 'un.  I'm super insecure in my homeschooling.  No one has made me feel that way, I just am.  I've been praying that God would give me his joy in this.  He has numerous times.  I just feel like I slip back so easily into the homeschool crankies.  I'm insecure that I'm not doing enough, that they won't be good writers because of me, that they're getting the short end of the educational stick because of me.  But really, I know better.  They're fine.  They'll be fine.  I know I'm not ruining them.  I know all those things.  But Satan knows my insecurities, so he jumps on my back about it whenever he gets a chance.  And I feel it, and sometimes I tell him to take a hike - outloud. 

Another reason things have been blah is that I have five kids in a span of nine years.  Now, every appendage including my head has the ability to be held onto by someone.  And be pulled in a different direction.  My sister reminded me of that recently when I was recounting my blahs to her... "Well, you have a baby."  Oh yeah.  I had forgotten that that was supposed to throw things off.  I really did.  I'm such an eternal optimist that sometimes I forget that some things are just hard.  And that's okay.  It doesn't have to be hunky dory all the time.  I forget that my life as a mom is draining.  I mean, I forget that it's supposed to be.  Only God can supply our true needs and fill us back up.

See?  I'm learning and remembering things as I type.  Thanks for walking with me through this. 

I am purposing in my heart to not be a blahfilled mom.  Or a blahfilled wife.  I am a mom and a wife that is filled with joy.  God's joy.  It is one of the gifts or fruits that come along with his Holy Spirit when he comes to dwell within us.  Joy is ours for the taking.  Unending.  Can't be explained.  Joy.  Not related to my circumstances joy.  Can't be taken away from me except by my choosing.   Joy.  You want some of that?  It's yours.  All you need is to ask.  God'll fill you right up to overflowing.  He's done it time and time again for me.  And now if I could just stop dumping it all out without getting it filled right back up. 

I know what triggers me to dump all my joy out the window.  It's being unprepared, late, and in the midst of clutter and messes.  So tonight I tidied up the house so I feel ahead when I wake up, not already behind.  That makes such a huge difference for me.  And I'm gonna try to keep it up on our school nights.  I'm sure some or most of you do this every night... but once dinner is over, I usually check out of doing those kinds of things.  I'm just done! 

I'm gonna wrap this up, and am purposing to be up on my Bible Study, be a joyfilled mom, and be prepared for each day as much as I can. 

I feel better already. 

need some new inspiration... and my wreath

Tell me, what are your favorite blogs?

I love blog hopping when I get the chance, but I'm not up for searching for blogs right now... I'd love to know your favorites.

Please share!

Check out the new cranberry wreath that is beautifying my front door...

this is the third or fourth year I've made one and they turn out so stunning in my opinion...  all you need is:

12" styrofoam wreath (if you have a choice get a green one)

extra-long plain silver sewing pins (a few boxes, it takes more pins than you'd think!)

2 bags of fresh cranberries from the produce section

some felt, trace the styrofoam wreath onto it, cut it out and pin it on the back before starting

some ribbon to make a bow

That's pretty much it... make sure you smoosh those cranberries as close together as you can!

Our Bunko group took a break from playing this month to make wreaths at my house.. it's a fun thing to do with friends since it takes a while to pin all the berries in ~ it's a fantastic time to catch up on life! Enjoy.

and the stockings were hung....

These lovely stockings were made by my awesome stepmom, Marla Kay.  I got mine when I was a teenager, then Jeremy got his when we married, then Drew for his first Christmas, and so on...  I adore these stockings.  We received Gabi's this fall!  And I just can't believe we've filled the 5 hooks on our stocking hanger all with KIDS!  When I bought this hanger at a craft fair, we had just the boys, so we hung an ornament on the center hook.  Now, Jeremy and I are booted off the hanger.  We wouldn't have it any other way! 

Depraved Indifference

Quite possibly the best video I've ever seen. Finally, something that explains the way I feel in my heart in a way that I can't explain myself. You won't be sorry you took the time to watch this, it's 8 minutes - but so worth it.  WOW

This idea doesn't just apply to children halfway around the world, it applies to all children even those in our own backyards in state care.

my little fashionista

 A couple weeks ago, I talked about my little independent self dresser here...  and I thought I'd document a few more days of her outfits for you.  She will wear anything I pick out, and I appreciate that... but most days, there's no need to match so she picks them out.   She loves picking out her clothes and is very proud of her creations!

my first shirt sewing project

On Black Friday, I scored at the fabric store!  Patterns were .99 cents and I just couldn't pass that up since I'd been wanting to experiment with making some clothes for myself.  I've been sewing purses, pillows, curtains, and other easy things for years, but was ready to try something more challenging and something I'd actually wear.  So I found an easy shirt pattern, and some fun plaid flannel to make it out of that was already 60% off and then I got another 20% off of that price as well I think.  I could hardly wait to start it, and started on Saturday.  I learned the hard way that plaid is NOT ideal for a beginning clothes seamstress, and I didn't expect to have to line up the stripes.  But it turned out really well, and I learned a valuable lesson in the process. 

Here's Morgan making "outfits" for her stuffed animals and dolls out of my scraps. 

How did I fit in a weekend of sewing you ask with 5 kids running around?  Well, here ya go!  Most of my sewing those two afternoons were done when the littles were napping, but once they were awake I still wasn't ready to stop!  Plus, Jeremy was home and that made all the difference.

Here's the finished product! 

I only made one major mistake, which involved a major seam ripping job... but I learned to be more careful before I blaze ahead with the next step. 

I'm hoping to pass along my love of sewing to my girls as my mom did to me.

Thanksgiving 2010

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I was in too much of a hurry last night when I originally posted this, and didn't tell what we did for Thanksgiving!  We spent the day with Jeremy's parents Dave and Anita, his sister Heather, our brother-in-law Gerry, our little nephew Dylan, and a good family friend.  It was a wonderfully relaxing day filled with yummy food, board games, hanging out, and time to share God's blessings over the year. 

I didn't get the camera out again after I took these photos before everyone got there... we just wanted to capture Gabrielle's first Thanksgiving in pictures, and we're so glad we did. 

We are EXTREMELY thankful for all that God has given us especially his grace and mercies that are new each day. 

and of course for this little sweetheart too!

random life and all my girls

 I love wearing my babies when I get the chance.  I don't do it super often around the house nowadays, but Miss Gabi loves it whenever I do.  Yesterday, we tried her on my back while I got some dishes done and she was too fussy to play on her own and wasn't ready to nap.  She loved it.  And I did too! 

Saturday, we had a super lazy day around the house.  I was crocheting a baby gift for a friend and Morgan came up and asked me if I could teach her how.  I of course have tried to teach her to knit before (she's 6, so she's got a long ways to go...) and attempted a crocheting lesson right then, but ended up making her an impromptu hat for her doll Julie in the process.  She picked the colors and it took me 30 min. or so to make up whip up.  She was a very happy camper. 

What in the world?

This is Annika's treasured "Gog" and he had gone missing at bedtime.  So I went on a quick search around the house and told her I'd bring him down to her if I found him.  This is how I found her dear doggie... practicing his gymnastics skills by doing a perfect bridge.  His form was so perfect I had to snap a picture.  I can't imagine that she set him up like this on the bathroom floor herself.  I'd like to think she just dropped him and he landed with perfect form.  I love my life. 

And this here is a young eagle friend that came to visit a tree right off our deck this last weekend.  Cool!  We see eagles all the time, but it never grows old to us. 

Once again, I love my life!  



And look at my dolly girl - she'll be 7 whole months old tomorrow!

I can't even fathom that in a little over a month her adoption will be FINALIZED and in five more months she'll be ONE! 

how we roll - part 4: protecting our time

The next couple of posts in this series are going to touch on subjects that I’ve been asked to write about by some of you… I was needing suggestions, so thanks guys!



Also, I wanted to mention that I used Drew as an example several times in the Picky Eaters post and he knows full well that I tell people what a mess he was at 3 years of age. He laughs at his old self, and begs for me to tell him more stories about how he didn’t eat and threw huge tantrums for Jeremy and I when he was younger. He thinks it’s hilarious and crazy that he went over a whole day without eating because he was too stubborn. Twice. And thinks it’s so funny that he liked the food when he actually tried it after clamping his mouth shut at the meatloaf and mashed potatoes for 24+ hours.


Moving on…


Let’s head straight to Protecting our Time.

A friend of mine has asked me to write specifically on this subject.  Where do you draw the line when it comes to doing too many things?  Even too many good things?  'Round here, we make this pretty simple.  We live too far away from town to do much running around.  And I refuse to live in my minivan.  Even though it's of the sweet-action variety.  (That's a joke, maybe someone who graduated in the class of 2007 will get this - if any of you are reading my mom blog.)

I'm digressing, but I really do like my van.  :) 

When I think about our homeschooling days, I just can't see myself running around from place to place taking the kids to different kinds of lessons.  We do school Mon. - Thurs.  and right now I don't schedule anything other than school time and Bible Study morning into that week.  Our evenings are clear too.  We know what life can look like if we do fill those days/nights up, and we just don't want that.  The kids have ice skating lessons that will be happening every other Friday.  They've only had one so far, but we're excited about that prospect.  And there are numerous other activities the kids want to do, but we protect our time here at home as a family. 

Don't get me wrong, we love doing things at night and on the weekends with other families.  Jeremy and I are very social.  We love having "plans."  We love hosting families here at our home, and we love to visiting other family's homes.  Now if we could just figure out our dining room situation!  ...  we're dreaming of an addition so we can use our table how it was meant to be used, or build a new, much longer table to spread out on ... but stinkeroni - that doesn't come cheap! 

Speaking of money...  The other reason we are home a lot is that going out just isn't free.  Gas costs money.  Eating out costs money, and it's not growing on trees around our neighborhood, so we stay put most of the time. 

Keeping to the topic...

Now, having 3 grade schoolers, they're bound to have things they want to try.  But we also have 2 babies which makes it difficult to go, go, go all the time.  So we do what we can, making the most of our time at home.  And making the most of our time when we go out. 

There are many activities that we've love for our kids to be involved in like AWANA, American Heritage Girls, Boy Scouts, martial arts, ballet, gymnastics...  but those aren't for right now in this season of life.  We are committed to not fitting too much into a small week. Over the years, the kids have tried swimming, gymnastics, soccer, basketball, art class, etc....  but they've yet to find something that sticks, that is their thing.   So we hop around, try new things until they say, "That's what I want to be doing!" 

Another thing we attempt to do is have the kids in the same lessons.  The boys, for example have always had lessons together.  With the exception of one soccer season each when they were younger.  They're just 20 months apart in age, so it's been a natural fit for them to take classes together.  Imagine how thrilled I was when I heard they wanted to learn to ice skate with Morgan! 



Another reason we stay close to home, is that Jeremy leaves the house at 4:00am on his workdays and that makes for an exhausted Daddy.  He's just too tired generally on his weekdays to do anything but work, eat, hang out with us and then crash into bed. 



Last weekend we stayed home all day Friday and Saturday as a family.  That used to bother me.  I wanted to GO somewhere after being mostly home all week.  But now I'm content to work on things I couldn't do when Jeremy was gone - and enjoy the slowness of a weekend with my family.  Most weekends, I fit in one excursion to town by myself.  Taking one kid with me still falls into the category of "by myself" so usually I'll take Gabi or one of the older ones with me.  And sometimes I actually go by myself for reals.  It's amazing how easy it is to have just one kid!  I just never appreciated that in my younger years.  I guess it's all a matter of perspective. 

Last Saturday, I caught Drew and Morgan like this at the table.  And it just made me so happy that they were entertaining themselves in a quiet and peaceful way. It's not everyday that I take a picture of kids playing peacefully. 

There's one more area I'd like to touch on, and that's ministry.  God has given Jeremy and I opportunities to be involved in ministry both alone and as a couple over the years.  We were youth leaders together for nearly 9 years for church youth group.  God moved us on after our "kids" graduated a few years ago.  He gave me the ministry of Mothers of Preschoolers 6 years ago.  And I adored my time serving and growing alongside my friends there.  But it became very clear that it was time for me to move on.  And now, after a couple years of us wondering what's next for us???  God gave us our church's new Adoption/Foster Care/Orphan Care ministry.  It is just getting off the ground this fall, and we're so thankful and excited to be a part of leading this much needed ministry into the future.  This will eventually take more of our time, and we are game for that.  It is a blessing to be used by God.  We are honored. 

We're pretty laid back these days.  We're trying to step back and breath deeply during this time with our young kids.  We survived our childhoods and thrived not being shuttled from place to place in our families and we desire the same for our kids.  We're not concerned with keeping up with everyone else.  It would be impossible, and it's just not what we want. 

We're hoping that teaching them the Word of God, helping them know God, and loving the ever-loving daylights out of them will be the most important thing we'll do with them during their time here.  So that's what we're gonna do.   

our snappy dresser

One of my daughters didn't want her true identity to be revealed. 

She picks out her own clothes and is known to pair red leggings with purple gym shorts.

She loves to wear fancy dresses, and most often I'll find her beloved purple gym shorts under those too. 

She picked out a hoodie this day because I was wearing one too. 

She picks out her own outfits each day when we aren't heading out in public.  (wink) 

She proclaims, "I do self!" 

And she does. 

Most shirts end up backwards, sometimes inside out and backwards. 

I don't change a thing, because it's too darn cute. 

Here she is posing for me to show off her snappy toddler style. 

how we roll - part 3: taming the media monster

It's taken me a few days to think of a topic for this next post about how our family does things. (And it's taken me a couple days to write it.)  After reading this, some would consider us crazy, weird, restrictive, uptight, yada yada... but we know better.  We're just doing what we feel called by God to do, and that's to be wise with our money, spend quality time together as a family, take control of our kids' education, raise our children in a way that pleases God, and work really, really hard on our marriage.  And I in no way intend for these posts to assert that the way we do things is the best way.  It's simply to share what works in our family. 

*warning* this post will most likely be very long...

The way our family deals with media in our home began to form 11 years ago, when Jeremy and I were newlyweds.  We had a fantastic little one bedroom apartment in a neighborhood that we loved.  We owned a TV/VCR combo and loved to watch TV and movies.  I grew up loving TV and watched a lot of it.  The shows back in the 80's and 90's were for the most part all family friendly and the commercials were G-rated. 

Jeremy, on the other hand, grew up with no TV.  They watched movies occasionally at other folk's houses, but not very often. 

So coming into our marriage, I had no qualms about TV. I was in my fifth and last year of college when Jeremy and I got married, and didn't really watch TV as a college student. 


In the evenings as newlyweds, Jeremy and I would flip on the tube and watch the brand new game show "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?"  We were addicts.  We loved it, and we loved our time together watching it.  If I remember correctly, it was on nearly every night.  We watched TV until our eyes dried out, so it seemed. 

Then something happened. 

We both realized how much time we were wasting plopped on the couch instead of really living.  Plus, in the late 90's the junk pile on TV was beginning to heap higher and higher.  So we decided to make the change and unhook the television.  We kept the TV though, because we loved to watch movies.  With movies you can absolutely control what's coming in.  No commercials.  This has continued to this day, and we've never looked back.  After our beloved TV/VCR combo died, we went without a TV entirely for years and only watched DVD's on our computer.  But two years ago, Jeremy got his dream:  a large flat screen TV that hooks up to our computer and serves as a ginormous monitor and movie screen.  We also have a DVD player hooked up to it, and get two  TV channels on it.  The only one we ever watch is PBS.  But the best part is that we get NBC for the Olympics.  And you bet we're camped out in front of it every 2 years for that!!!

I do have to admit though, last spring I decided to tune into NBC each Tuesday night for The Biggest Loser.  I watched an entire season TBL.  Then I realized after those few months, that it was available with no commercials online.  Plus, I was SO tired of sitting on my rear for 2 hours each Tuesday wading through commercials... I'm SO not used to that!  And commercials had to be muted or the channel had to be changed.  Jeremy and I both decided that was the last time we'd tune in.  Plus, some of the language that makes it through their censor is SO not acceptable for primtime television.  See how long I've been gone?  I cannot believe it.  Well, I can.  But it's such a travesty.  So now I watch it when I want by myself online.  And that's perfect for me, wish I would have known that sooner!

I don't miss TV.  I don't know when I'd ever even watch it.  It's enough just to get through the day with everyone fed, clean, educated, and loved. 

Movies
We are a big movie family.  We love good, wholesome, fun movies!  We have a DVD collection of our favorites and we subscribe to Netflix and get others in the mail.  We don't just watch any ol' movie though.  We are picky, picky movie watchers.  We always check the content out before renting or popping it in the player.  There have been times where we'll put in a G-rated movie for the kids without checking the content to be blindsided by ghosts, witches, etc...  Not a fan of those things.  Lesson learned.  We don't allow anything in our home that has sexual content or horror of any kind.  We guard our eyes and our hearts from things that would be harmful to us as a couple and as individuals.  We love checking the movie reviews at http://www.pluggedinonline.com/ and check reviews out there regularly.  They are reviewed by Christians, so we can trust their take on the films.  The reviews are very detailed, so we don't have to worry about them missing a scene and us accidentally stumbling upon it. 

I've never known a woman no matter what she believes in who is comfortable with her husband seeing a half dressed woman or undressed one for that matter flounce across the screen.  It's not okay for that woman to be in the same room with us in real life, and it's not okay in movies either.  My advice for you is that you stand up!  Stand up for what makes you uncomfortable.  Talk to your husband or whomever you watch movies with.  Society wants you to believe that it's the norm to see peole engaging in private behaviors or dressing in private ways on the screen.  Even though you wouldn't do that/see that in your normal life.  I'm not saying you think this is okay, but some of you may not think a whole lot about it.  Or you may think it's a lost cause.  Well it's not.  Good things are always worth fighting for.  And the media you allow in your home is a great place to start. 

Computers
As I mentioned before we have one computer hooked up to our TV, then we have a laptop.  I can't use the computer on the TV, it's just too big and too far away for my poor eyes.  I love my laptop! 

Our three biggest children get 30 min. each a day for their computer time.  They can either play:

Oregon Trail (computer game)
Lego Star Wars (computer game)
http://www.lego.com/
http://www.nickjr.com/
http://www.webkinz.com/
http://www.americangirl.com/
http://www.funbrain.com/
http://www.strawberryshortcake.com/
http://www.mylittlepony.com/
http://www.poptropica.com/
http://www.pbskids.org/

As with anything, if you are letting your kids play on these sites simply because our family recommends them, please check them out for yourselves first.  There are certain things we don't do/play on lego.com, pbskids.org, etc...  Make your own decisions for your family.  Don't take our word for it.  Some of the games on certain sites aren't bad in nature, they just don't line up with the values we adhere to.  Our kids know they aren't allowed to type in a web address.  EVER. They must only go to our favorites and choose a website out of their Games folder.  Those are pre-approved sites that Jeremy and I are okay with them playing on. 

That's how we handle computers and kids. 

Computer time is very important to our kids and at times they get it taken away for various reasons.  It is a great motivator for good behavior!  During the 4 days we do school each week, Morgan has hers at 2:00pm and the boys have theirs at 3:00pm and 3:30pm.  We have the time set so that they aren't asking for it earlier and driving their mama absolutely nuts. 

On the weekends, they get some chores done and if we aren't going anywhere they can do it early in the day as long as we say it's a good time.  Our life would be over run by computers if we let it.  We love the limits we have set, we feel it's plenty of time each day for them to have some fun on the computer and watch their brother or sister do the same. 

We'd love some new ideas for kid-friendly game sites if you have any! 

Also, I'm on the internet a bunch, but I don't ever just search and search for things or just surf... the Lord has convicted me about the use of my time and I'd much rather be enjoying life with my husband and kids. 

Jeremy doesn't use the internet at home and has no access at work.  Occasionally, he looks up something he's been thinking about buying like from Costco or a computer or something... but I'm thankful he has no desire to be on it.


Music
I guess I'll mention music too, even though it seems like a no-brainer to me.  We listen to basically three radio stations... all three Christian stations on in our area.  We have a gazillion CD's that we love and listen to , we also listen to our favorites online at Pandora.com.  It's so much easier to control music choices than it is to control what appears on the computer and television it seems.  Our favorite artists and genres are:

David Crowder Band
Chris Tomlin
Steven Curtis Chapman
Third Day
Casting Crowns
Passion Worship
Hillsong
Sara Groves
any many, many other Contemporary Christian artists!

Michael Buble' (or Michael Bubble as Jeremy calls him)
Norah Jones
Louie Armstrong
Harry Connick Jr.
Frank Sinatra
Ella Fitzgerald
Jack Johnson
Classical
Movie Soundtracks
Christmas music
Jazz/New Orleans
Swing/Big Band
Bluegrass such as Nickel Creek and Alison Krauss

The kids love:

Go Fish
Adventures in Odyssey (we have some CD's and listen online at whitsend.org)
TobyMac
Focus on the Family Radio Theatre - Chronicles of Narnia
stories told by Jim Weiss (we collect these)
Sing the Word

In other areas of media... 

We have one cell phone between the two of us.  It is an old-school flip open phone with no gadgets or even texting.  It's really just for emergencies or a phone call from the store.  If the kids and I are staying home, Jeremy takes it to work.  If I'm heading out with the kids that day, I take it.  Pretty simple. 

We don't own ianythings.  No ipods, iphones, ipads, or any other gadget-y gadgets.  Sounds fun, but they're not in the ol' budget. 

It's so interesting to me how media has changed our planet.  Well, parts of our planet.  Nearly everything is available in an instant.  And usually those are things that just don't really matter in life.  Instant news, messages, movies, conversations, shopping, you name it.  Almost anything is available to us in an instant.  I can't help but think that this has made us a more impatient people.  Since most people are available via cell phones and internet, we whine if they aren't readily available and accessible to us at all times.  I think some things like medical advances have been helpful to us as we grow in technology... but most others I feel are a hinderance to the good life.  Whatever happened to the good surprises and a little mystery? 

There are some really fantastic and handy things about the technology available nowadays, but I think the rest can just take a hike.  The things that are lasting and most important are the ones that we have to wait for.  Like growing love in a marriage and toward others, raising children, investing in other's lives, and growing spiritually.

Well, that's all folks... another blog post or two is coming in this series as I organize my thoughts.

just can't get over her... and never will!

Gabrielle is just pure cuteness. 

She is getting really close to the beginning of crawling... and scoots her little 6 month self around in circles! 

warm, stripey legs

When fall rolls around, the knitting and crocheting resumes.  I love doing it so much, I'm not sure why I don't continue during the summer.  I guess it's because I've got other things to do like playing outside and going to the park with the kids.  But nothing sounds better to me come fall/winter/spring than a hot cup of something, a movie, and a knitting project. 

Right now I'm working on these fun leg warmers for a special little figure skater I know.  I can hardly wait to see them all scrunched up on her cute little legs. 

It's my first run at leg warmers.  Easy right?  I was so confident that I started them without consulting a single pattern... I thought, how hard could it be?  It's just a glorified tube. 

Well, turns out, it's rather important that the leg warmers are not big enough to fit an elephant's leg.  So I turned the much too big start of the elephant leg warmer into a skirt for Morgan's American Girl doll.  Shhhhh... it's a surprise for Christmas! 

Then I decided to consult the internet to find out how many stitches I should cast on.  I was WAY off.  I laugh at myself often...  but I never learn. 

So now I'm inspired to make all sorts of stripey things.  I love stripes. 

Up next is a sweet crocheted beanie with a flower on it for a sweet one month old sweetie pie. 

how we roll - part 2: picky eaters

The following stats were taken from:  http://www.bread.org/hunger/global/

The world is facing a hunger crisis unlike anything it has seen in more than 50 years.



925 million people are hungry.


Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That's one child every five seconds.


There were 1.4 billion people in extreme poverty in 2005. The World Bank estimates that the spike in global food prices in 2008, followed by the global economic recession in 2009 and 2010 has pushed between 100-150 million people into poverty.


Picky Eaters

Maybe you can see already from the above stats where we stand on picky eaters.  In a world where hunger is a way of life for a large percentage of the world's child population,  we just don't see how we can allow our children to be ungrateful for the food they are provided with each day.  We don't feel as if food is a right or a privledge, it is a blessing and a GIFT.  We are constantly striving to teach our children to look beyond themselves into the world around us.  Not all children live like we do, this is not the norm.  We, in our little home with our used,  older vehicles, and hand-me-down clothes are rich.  But we didn't start out as parents doing the right thing about a certain firstborn picky eater.  He still continues to be our pickiest, but he has come a LONG way. 

Let's take a trip back 7 years ago exactly.  Drew had just turned 3, and our honeymoon as parents was about to end.  We had 1.5 year old Gavin in the picture now too.  Both boys were dream babies.  But then the big 0-3 hit little Drew.  And our success as parents (so we thought) came crashing down on us.  The 2's were pretty much a breeze with him, so we thought we were out of the woods.  But what we didn't know was that the 3's are the new and more terrible 2's.  We could think of many words to describe that year with Drew:  awful, gut-wrenching, pluck-each-hair-out-one-by-one, trying, grim, horrid, and shocking.  Sounds fun, eh?  Well, we were in for it, and he was not anywhere close to backing down. 

But our biggest battle with him was surrounding food.  We provided good and nourishing food for him and we just expected that he would see that, appreciate that, and gobble it up.  But dinnertime was almost always a disaster.  And we laugh at our mistakes now, and realize there is a much better way... but at most dinners when Drew was 3, Jeremy or I would end up trying to pry his clamped jaw open to force him to take a bite!  Ha ha, sometimes both of us were trying to hold him down, while poor baby Gavin sat there gaping at the three of us.  It didn't work of course, he would scream louder and clamp harder.  Not long into the jaw-prying dinner episodes, we decided that he didn't have to eat, but if he wanted to he'd have to eat what we made him and he had to sit through dinner with us.  We weren't going to cajole or force him, we were just going to sit and watch him.  And enjoy our food.  Sometimes he screamed his way through dinner, and he was removed from the table and sometimes put in Gavin's crib until he could act politely.  Sometimes he just sat there staring at us or his food.  We always reassured him that we loved him, but that this was his choice. 

But there was a catch....  if he didn't eat the food we provided him for dinner, we'd heat it up and present it again at breakfast.  Twice that year, he went over 24 hours without eating a thing.  He always had a plateful in front of him and the opportunity to eat, but he was that stubborn.  As with his crying phase as an infant, it was hard, it was grueling.  I cried.  I was weak.  But we stuck with it.  We're the parents.  We weren't going to let a 3 year old dictator rule us.  Our responsibility was to provide him with good and nourishing food to eat.  We realized it wasn't working to force him to eat it.  He had to choose it.  And we weren't going to provide anything else for him to eat.  Or make him his favorite foods.  Then he'd win.  And who wants to lose to a toddler?  We know that making his meals like a short order cook would have started a cycle that would be really hard to undo as he got older.  Trust me, it's easy to train a 3 year old, even when things get rough, than trying to undo years of  parental permissiveness in the future.  A very wise friend (the same friend who told me about the baby care book, thanks Chris S.!) told me a few years back....

"Look at your child's behavior and try to imagine what that same behavior will turn into in 10 years." 

Ooooh yeah... wow.  That opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking.  Am I okay with the way things are going, and am I okay with the way those same behaviors will magnify as the child ages?  A powerful 3 year-old not reigned in, will become an impossible 13 year-old, who is the despair of his parents.  You just can't expect that behaviors will correct themselves.  It takes time, patience, and consistency.  Even if that means you go through a wretchedly tough season with them.  It's worth it.  Hold fast!

So, once we recovered from Drew's 3's which also included daily tantrums for a variety of reasons, waking his baby brother up with his screaming, running out of his room like a lunatic screaming and banging on our door past bedtime, and just being extremetly irrational, we knew we were not done.  We had to continue to be consistent.  And now 7 years later, we see the fruits of our strenuous labor.  If you know Drew, you know that he is extremely curious, intelligent, a lover of learning and facts, bold (that's what Drew means), loyal, a leader, and is sensitive.  There are still areas that we are working on with him, but we finally feel like we are definitely on the downhill side of the hill we had to climb with him. 

So back to food and picky eaters.  Thankfully I had the support and help from Jeremy through these years.  He was the main proponent of getting our kids to try new and healthy things at the dinner table.  We expect that our kids try and eat the food that is set in front of them.  Generally in our home, I cook dinner Monday through Thursday, and Jeremy cooks dinner on the weekends.  That's just the way things turned out.  Jeremy is a fantastic and creative cook and makes things that I don't.  Like stir fry, burgers, stews, grilled meat, and a variety of other foods.  I'm more of the comfort food cook, so it all balances out I guess.  We both throw in the veggies to complement the food.  But one thing we've always been adamant about is that it's never okay to complain about the food you've been provided.  

It may sound harsh, but that will earn our kids a free ticket to sit on their bed until they've decided to curb the complaining.  Complaining is selfish and shows an ungrateful heart.  And once again, in a world where a crust of bread is considered a meal to some - there's just no room for complaining about food in any form in our home.

Do we allow our kids to have dislikes?  You bet.  I hate mushrooms in any form, and raw onions.  Our kids have dislikes too.  But it's one thing to say, "Mom, may I please not eat the olives in my spaghetti?"  or "I won't eat this food.  Nooooooo! Make me a sandwich!"  We know the difference, it's in their heart.  We aren't overly strict parents nor are we heartless.  We want our kids to grow up to be responsible, thankful, and flexible humans.  And I feel that being thankful for food and respecting your parents is a great place to start. 

Over the years, since we've been consistent with meantimes and the training of our kids, mealtimes have zero battles.  The kids know the drill, and really enjoy food.  Even Drew, who is sometimes known to still push the food on his plate around with his fork before trying a bite, often exclaims, "Wow, that was really good!  I didn't think I was going to like it, but I do!"  Sometimes  he still takes eons to eat if it's something he's not fond of.  But he doesn't complain, and he eats.  What more could we ask for? 

Our kids defnitely have opinions, and some of them have very strong opinions.  Our home is a safe place for them to share their thoughts.  But there is a fine line between being opinionated, and just plan rude and ungrateful.  We are consistenly working with our kids to help them find the proper time, place, and way to express their opinions.  One thing we teach them to help them remember what things are a good idea to say outloud or not:

The things you say should be all three of these things:  (this is a great lesson for adults too)

1.  kind
2.  necessary
3.  true

If it doesn't match all three criteria, it's probably better left unsaid.  A child might think it's necessary and true that they say that they hate the food in front of them, but it sure isn't kind.  And we know how deflating and frustrating it is to hear a child complain about the meal you've just worked hard to prepare.  But really, it has taken years to get to the point we are at dinnertime.  Years, I'm tellin' you.  But it's been worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears we've put into it.  It's so worth it.  You can do it!  Be the parent.  If you have your child's best interest at heart, you know better from your experience on this earth than your child does.  The book of Proverbs in the Bible says that "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child.."  And it's true. 

Here's a verse that says it all:

Philippians 2:14-16 (New International Version)



14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[a] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

We make decisions all day long as parents.  It's inevitable.  But life becomes so much easier if some things are just set in stone, leaving no room for a child to beg, scream, intimidate, and guilt you into doing what they want.  It's just not healthy for anyone. 

Mealtime can become a pleasant experience for everyone, but it doesn't always happen by osmosis.  It takes work, work we were willing to put in.  And we still have two girls who are 2 and under... who knows what battles will still ensue with them?  But whatever our girls bring to the table, we are armed and ready.  Bring it on, picky pants! 

how we roll - part 1: caring for babies

I've always enjoyed blog posts I've read that line out just how families do things.  Particularly large families.  I like reading their methods for organizing their home, how they care for babies, how they deal with picky eaters, and how they just plain ol' stay sane.  So here goes my version of this... I don't have it planned out at all.  And I'm sure this post will come in parts.  But all week, things keep popping into my head that I want to share.  So here goes, this is how we roll:

(Also, if you have a question, or are curious about something, please ask!  I'm not sure how many of you will actually be reading this, but who knows, one of you might be dying of curiousity.)

Let's start with Caring for Babies

This topic is at the forefront of my mind because I've done it 5 times, and because I have an adorable 6 month old to care for right now.  I've constantly got babies on the brain.  No matter how your babies come to you, they've got to be cared for.  We don't do this perfectly, but we've found what works with our family, and what both Jeremy and I are comfortable with.  Being on the same page is key.  Your family may be completely different, but it works for you.  Yay for you!  It's great to come to that place.

When I was pregnant over 10 years ago with Drew, I was absolutely clueless about how to take care of a newborn.  I grew up babysitting and LOVED it.  I love kids.  I love making little friends and making them laugh.  But, I had never been solely responsible with Jeremy to keep one alive and thriving...  and asleep!

A wise friend suggested a book to me that I read about a month before our firstborn was due to be born.  And boy did it help line things out for me.  (The book was On Becoming Babywise.)  We didn't follow it to a "T", because you need to flex and bend with life, but the principles of the baby feeding right after waking, staying awake, and then laying down awake but sleepy when naptime or bedtime comes have saved us YEARS of sleepless nights.  The thing we've learned is that if you nurse/bottle feed/rock a baby to sleep and never let them learn the habit of falling asleep without aid, they will always wake up and wonder where that nice, warm person went.  And they think they need them to help them sod back off.  But laying a baby down awake from the time they're itty bitty teaches them that they can indeed relax and drift off without help.  Then if they stir in the night for some reason, they can easily fall right back to sleep without really waking. 

The only time we ever had to deal with a baby crying themselves to sleep was with Drew.  (Those poor firstborns are usually the guinea pigs.)  He loved his pacifier as a newborn, and fell asleep without a hitch.  But around 4 months of age, that pacifier would fall out during his nap... make a sound as it hit his crib mattress and it'd be all over.  Naptime that is.  Well, this mama and papa became very frustrated at that pacifier and took it away cold turkey.  Nothing was going to stand in the way of his and our sleep!  So the paci had to go.  He cried to fall asleep for his naps for one whole day, then to go to bed at night.  (We would go in and assure him he was okay...) Then for a nap or two the next day.  And then BAM - he didn't miss it at all.  But truth be told, even that day and a half was tough on this new mommy.  I cried.  I was weak.  But I was also determined.  And it paid off.  For all of us. 

Ahhh... sleep!  All the other kids slept like champs on this method.  I think 4 months was the latest it took any of our kids to sleep all the way through the night.  We don't attribute it to anything except God's grace and using this eat/awake/sleep method with our babies.  Babies are just a way of life for us right now, so there's no messing around with the care and training of them for us.  We love, cuddle, and cherish our time with them when they're awake, and boy do we cherish the sleep too. 

A book I would really recommend, that was suggested to me when I was pregnant with our 4th baby, Annika is Secrets of the Baby Whisperer, by Tracy Hogg.  The author is british, no-nonsense, and funny too.  She reminds me of Super Nanny for babies.  Her method is the same one we were already using, but it was a fun way to brush up on doing the newborn thing since it had been 3.5 years since Morgan was born.

What in the world do our babies do when they're awake?  Well, they get lots of attention, that's for sure.  With the arrival of each new little one, there is one more face to adore them.  Right now, Gabrielle takes 3 naps most days.  When she wakes up, she eats of course, then either sits with one of us, or plays on the floor with toys, or sits in her Jumperoo or Exersaucer.  At this point though, she doesn't last very long in either.  Rolling around on the floor with her toys is still her favorite pastime. 

We begin to introduce solid food around 4-5 months, but usually they aren't good at it or interested in it until 6 months we've found.  Gabi is so good at it now.  :)  It wasn't until Annika came along in '08 that I tried my hand at making her baby food.  I really enjoyed it, and plan on doing the same with Gabi.  I steamed, mashed, and froze in cubes lots of different veggies.  Butternut squash and yams were Annie's favorites.  That saved a bunch of money for very little time put into it. 

We're all about saving money around here, so with Gabi, we dived right into cloth diapers and haven't looked back!  They're so stinkin' cute on, and truthfully for us?  It's all about the money for us.  We'd love to say that we're so green and all.  But we're not.  I love that it helps the environment, that's great.  But it's not our main motivating factor.  Two kids in disposable diapers, was a real bummer on the budget. 

What else?  Oh, and I have a fear of finding my babies with blankets wrapped around their faces while they're sleeping.  I've found a couple of them this way, and it terrifies me.  So for our last two babies, we've used velcro swaddle blankets from newborn size until they refuse to sleep in them anymore.  Gabi still loves hers, so we bought the next size up to give her legs more room.  I never have to worry about her getting caught under covers or getting cold at night.  Her room is the coldest in the house, and I like to know she's always covered.  Later, we'll switch to a sleep sack that zips up the front and has her arms free. 

Also, we're not an everyday bath family for the kids.  It's every couple days and that includes Miss Gabrielle.  And usually, they all get one in the same morning/evening.  Girls upstairs, boys downstairs. We don't have a set schedule, even though I tried to implement one... it's just whenever the girls hair gets ratty and the boys get stinky.. it's time.  :)  We're a modest family and don't do boy/girl baths unless they're wearing their swimsuits. 

Wow, this is turning into a bunch of information that was not solicited.  But I guess it's my blog and I can post what I'd like.  Feel free to stop reading if you're boring yourself to tears.  But somebody might actually be interested, so I'll keep trucking along. 

One thing that Jeremy and I have always wanted for our family is that a baby (or any child of any age) will never rule the roost.  I've always known I didn't want that for my family.  I've seen examples of it that were painful to watch.  All of our kids have boundaries laid out before them, that have taken years for some to fully grasp and follow.  Babies are a joy to us, an absolute joy.  They always know they are loved and cherished members of our family.  But even they need a foundation of boundaries.  Like a bedtime when a parent decides.  Like the amount of food a parent feels is healthy for them.  Or a type of food a parent feels is healthy for them.  And like time on the floor playing with toys even though they demand to be held. 

Sometimes I think that the people that say to me, "I don't know how you do it!" are just making parenting too hard on themselves.  Among the joys, it is grueling, heartbreaking, and exhausting to be a parent but there are things you can do to ease the load for yourselves.  Be proactive.  Set expectations, and stick to them.  Parenting isn't for weenies... Be the parent.  I find myself thinking that at times.  And I find myself reminding my kids that at times.  I'm the parent.  You are the child.  God made parents older than kids for a reason. 
Kids don't always (rarely) know what's good for them.  Some things just aren't for them to decide. 

Okay, I've gone down a bunny trail... and I'm gonna wrap this one up.  BABIES.  Love them. 

Stay tuned for another topic soon... how about Picky Eaters?

king's meal

A year or two ago, Jeremy made up a meal he started to call "king's meal."  Our kids have always loved castles, kings, knights, etc...  and a meal with an intriguing title definitely drew them in. 

We eat with our hands, just like they used to.  We dip our homemade bread in thick, yummy stew and eat slices of cheese and raw almonds with a glass of milk.  Our kids have never complained to eat like kings.  Try it!  Oh, and we all share bowls for dipping.  Yes, we double dip. 



My husband is so creative with food.  And I'm so thankful for that. 

10 years old

It's a strange feeling when your firstborn reaches double digits... the years fly by and in no time he's gonna be a teenager --- STOP time.. I'm not ready.  I want him here forever.  Sigh.  Well, I can't stop time, so we just need to maximize the time we have with him.  I don't want to take any moment for granted with this boy.  I love him so much!

Drew was born at 12:06am on November 8, 2000 after a LONG day of induced labor. (Which I don't recommend!) He weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and had the chubbiest cheeks, even right out of the womb. The nurses were prepping the operating room for a c-section when things started happening.  I'm so thankful and was SO happy to finally hold him in my arms the next morning after 8 hours in the nicu.  We were both pretty beat up, but we survived and started a beautiful relationship.  It was a jolting introduction to motherhood for sure, but I made it through stronger and with a new appreciation for life and for my newborn son and for my growing family. 

Drew is curious about the world around him. 

He loves his family fervently.

He is ready for new adventures in life, and is always thinking. 

He loves to be a helper, and is so proud of his mac 'n cheese dish. 

There are so many things I love about Drew.  But most of all, I love how he has a sensitive heart for the Lord.  And he wants to live his life to glorify God.  That makes Jeremy and I so proud of him. 

Drew Aaron, you are LOVED. 

got my head on straight

I'm a little in shock right now.  I'm sitting here with my head on straight after 17 years of it being shifted off to the side of my spine.  I saw an amazing chiropractor (and so much more) yesterday and he's the first one after years of seeing so many others that actually fixed the source of all my problems.  I AM SO THANKFUL!!!  I have so much hope. 

I was in an awful car accident as a teen, and the force of the school bus cutting my car in half shifted my head off to the right.  I didn't know it, nor feel it at the time.  But 4 pregnancies and 17 years of life have made it known in a BIG way.  I know God spared my life that day in November years ago, and I always knew God kept me alive for a purpose.  I know now what that purpose is, but I never thought the actual accident would affect me this far out.  Since I amazingly and miraculously wasn't "hurt" in the accident, I didn't even think that my neck/back troubles could be from that.  But they are, and they're gone! 

I didn't sleep last night because my head was still getting used to being centered on my spine, and it was a bit painful.  But I can deal with that...  it's the years and years of pain that wouldn't go away that were hard to deal with.  I still can't believe it. 

When he realized what bad shape I was in, he just shook his head.  I knew he really cared about me.  He spent 2 hours on me!  Unheard of.  He was so happy to get me put back together that he actually cried tears of joy that sent me into tears of joy too.  He called his receptionist in to see the change!  I had been overcompensating for a crooked body for so many years. 

You know?  I always wondered why my glasses were always crooked on my face.  I never once gave it any thought that my head wasn't on straight and my left ear was tilted down.  I was so excited to try on my sunglasses when I got back into the car!  Viola! Straight!

Another thing he realized is that my pregnancies had mashed my stomach up into my ribs, which is normal in a pregnancy.  But it never came back down!  My back has been so tensed up that the muscles just held it up there.  Ouch.  No wonder I've had stomach issues and shortness of breath.  No wonder.  He got my stomach back down to where it needed to be, and oh the room!  Crazy, huh?

Well, that's all for now.  I really am still in shock that that's all it took for this misery to end.  And I'm praising God for his leading my to this amazing guy.  He's in his 70's and I'm already hoping he's got a replacement lined up after he's retired.  He's THAT good.