Last week, we checked out the epic Little House on the Prairie movie from our library. It was stunning.  The cinematography was gorgeous, especially for a “children’s ” movie, although we all know that a book of this caliber is timeless and ageless.

The kids, were spell bound, and slightly horrified in all the good ways.  Our children our almost 7, a new 5 and a “brave” 3.5 year olds.  They did well with most of the film, and walked away for a few of the tense scenes. We are teaching them to walk away, if there is something they can’t handle yet. Even with good parental monitoring, children need to learn to manage their emotions within a given environment as well.  I understand that there will be times, that We can’t control everything they see, and they need to know how to walk away.  We stopped the film in a few places to explain some of their many, many questions, but mostly just enjoyed being together watching this as a family.

It was a huge clue to me, about how much our children loved this classic, when our 3 year old cried when we returned it to the library.   He asks each morning, if we can go back and borrow it.  I highly recommend this, even if you have “sullen” teens at home.  They may just be thankful for that ipod and having to do laundry when they see what Laura and her family really went through:-)

This fourth of July,Try this.

Trust me I am a guac snob and typically make my own, but when there is lack of ripe avocados, and you gotta have it, you must give this a try. I found it by chance in our refrigerator section where the produce is kept at our local grocery store. The avocados where hard as rocks and I was making fajitas.

No preservatives, no junk, just the same stuff I put at home with a unique vacuum packaging that keeps it FRESH!

Enjoy:-)

We will “school” through the summer. Let me explain. Life is learning and we never stop that, and our kids like to do things with me and with each other all the time, so I will keep doing what we have always done and some people may call it school. I just call it lifestyle learning.

So - we will work on building beautiful art together this summer. Develop team skills by playing tons of “together” games, that sneakily use math and reading skills in order to play. Learn a bit more about map reading with an around town treasure hunt and develop real world math skills be creating a small store and selling items in the store. We will find little objects around our house, price them and use play money to buy them from each other. Oh boy we may even do it under the dinning room table and add the fort component in. (People it is HOT here in the summer and we need tons of indoor things to do!) In addition we will reread some of our year one favorites out loud again, like Pinocchio and King of the Golden River, and work on our writing skills by corresponding with our compassion children. All fun, all learning, all school.

It is getting very hot and sunny during the mid-part of the day, so we need to do indoor activities to stay our of the sun. Anyone have any other ideas?

We are off to have our quiet time and then make banana bread this afternoon. The kids have asked me for the last time, “What are we going to do with these black bananas in the freezer Mama?”.

Peace to all bakers today!

I am becoming like my Dad!

There are 3 things we heard as kids growing up more than once from my dear Dad.

• I wish the house had a floor drain, so we can hose the house out after you kids eat.
• Just give me a yard of cement and paint it green. Yard work is the pits.
• Humans are not meant to live with animals. They need to stay outside.

I have on more than one occasion said each of these things to our children. Heck, we bought a townhouse so we didn’t have to keep up with a big yard. (That and we couldn’t afford a house here.) Weekends are for playing NOT doing housework or yard work. I do wish I had a floor drain or maybe lived on a house boat. Spills and crumbs would just be hosed right out and now, our daughter asks daily, several times a day for a dog and a cat. She even tries to pet our Beta fish, and all I keep thinking is “Humans are not meant to live with animals. They need to stay outside.” That and, I surely don’t want to add that into the work mix, at least not right now.

I will go take her over to our neighbors to walk their dog and see if that pacifies her a bit. Better yet, maybe I should send her over to Grandpas, because even though I never got it when I was a kid, Lord knows, he would run her down to the first pet shop around and buy her the first puppy she saw.

Anyone else out there, ending up to be just like their parents?

I got my new birthday present today, a Nikon D60. I had fun and here is the proof.

Chloe had her first ballet class today!

Jackson lost ANOTHER tooth!

Hudson was throwing up all morning and running wild all afternoon.

and the sunset was stunning.

Peace to all~

I am finding the more I am willing to submit to what God is doing in my life and be present to the season He has me in, the more fufulled and content I feel.  Let me “splain”:-)  Parenting young children 5 and under is a very taxing and physically intensive season of parenting. The more you have and the closer they are the harder it is.  There are days you wonder if you will ever have you body back and not be constantly doing something for,  or cleaning up after your young charges. 

But I am here to say that as your children grow and mature (mine are now 6,4.5 and 3) that exahustion disipates. I don’t want to send them away or have a break. You enjoy them and their little thoughts and games and songs and general sillyness.  We take walks together now and I don’t need all the parifianalia.  I don’t have to hold all three of them while we cross the street, they just stop, look and cross along with me of their own valition.  No more diapers or diaper bags.

I will say that some good family habits have helped me feel a bit more free.  All of us having alone time every day was  a great first start.  Mom’s night out everyonce in awhile after the kids are in bed, family walks and clean up time before bed helps me keep the house in order as a team and consistent dates with the hubby all makes for a happy, healthy, Mommy. So, now I don’t want to send them away, I want to learn with them and from them and enjoy this very litte slice of time that I have with them. 

Being Present helps me see all that God is doing in me, through me and around me.  I highly recommend it.  As soon as you stop thinking about that grocery list, or something you need to do next week, and start observing the space you are in and digging into what God has you doing at that particular moment, the better you feel as a Mom with young ones.

Just my 2 cents for the day!

Peace to all~

Just need to get our own GPS!

A week before we left, we hung a bird-feeder outside our kitchen window.  It was full of seed, and no little tweeties to be seen for the entire week.  We left it wondering if any little tweeties would find it.

The kids burning question about their home was…”I wonder if the birds found our feeder and if it has any food in it?”  Well, I am happy to report it was empty when we returned. Our feathered friends are making their way to our kitchen window for some grub. I hope to capture some good shots.  We also have some new duck families who just moved into our neighborhood pond.

In other news, we got all of the materials for our kitchen composter and the worms are on their way. Heavenly Days…I will keep you posted on that one.  Our family walks after dinner resumed last night.  I had this idea that I wanted the children to have a memory of walking at dusk as a family. On our walk, we cut several flowers and leaves around our neighborhood and made some pretty little flower arrangements around the house.    

Chenoa inspired me in Peru.  She always had fresh cut flowers in her home from her yard.  

AH yes, spring is in the air. The house is open, the wind is blowing the children are playing. Life is good.

Literally!  Today, the sun is out for the first time in  over a week.  It has been rainy and cold for the last week, which I am told is unusual here.  So, I am washing and hanging up a storm and getting ready to give the kids a hot shower fast.  You know, the little things in life.

Yesterday we went to the monastery.  That was interesting and a bit creepy at the same time. (Pictures) You really see how the people here, took their Inca “traditions” and idol worship and melded it right into the catholic church. Today we are going to a mountain park, so the kids can climb a mountain and see llamas. 

We are all feeling great again, and getting into a feeling of normalcy.  The kids have finally adjusted and finding “work” to do around the house.  Their normal play they used to do at home, is now popping up here.  I can get to the grocery and back fairly easily and we can maneuver around town in tekos and such.  Just in time to go home.  We knew that would be the case.  We wanted to feel what it would be like to live in another setting.   It allows you to appreciate what you have at home and be sensitive enough to pray for what God is doing around the world. Mike leaves for Chencha ( a very poor peublo hit hard by the earthquake) on Sat for a few days and then we are off to Lima.  Please continue to pray with us that God will give us a deeper vision for what He is doing in our local context that we may partner with him more deeply.

Peace to all!

When you take 1 suburban family of 5, who live at sea level (and at times with rain under sea level) to a city 9,000 ft in the Andes Mountains?

SICK!

Honestly, I have traveled all over the world. Cuba, Russia,  Nordic Countries, Europe and NEVER been this sick.

You take precautions everywhere but  even those precautions are not helping  here.  It is one thing when  it is just  you but when your kids and hubby  are sick too,well  it is just HORRIBLE!

OH MOMMY- pray for us!

Well this morning Mike came downstairs and there was a bird in our kitchen.  It was trapped and trying to get out, so Mike let it free.  There is tons of new wildlife here for us to observe.  The kids are really enjoying the news birds and flowers they see and the experience of climbing “mountains” (really, high hills) with the panoramic picture of the Andean mountain chain in the background.  We are picking new flowers most days and have them in our home.  That is the fun and beautiful part of living here. 

It is a hard life though.  It takes tons of work, just to gather food to eat here.  Cleaning is literally a full time job. You have to think well in advance of everything you do, definitely no drive-threws (sp?) here if you are hungry.  I have so much respect for the Styrons and the Williams who have sacrificed everything to live here among these beautiful people proclaiming the goodness of the kingdom of God and the life of following Jesus.  It is slow, unseen, hard work in any culture, but I think especially challenging when you add in the language barrier.  God is good and He is moving, so when you think of it please pray for our dear family in Peru who work hard and long with little thanks or acknowledgment. (That is the way of Jesus though isn’t it?)

Not to mention, the other day, as 24 of us sat down to eat lunch together in a small, quiet seemingly friendly spot, Grace got her purse stolen right in front of all of us.  I was trying to process what was happening, while she and a few others were up and running after the little, daring, punk.  Grace is 10 and speaks fluent Spanish and English and living in Peru is almost all she knows.  All her favorite birthday things, and special ten year old girl things were in there, including her birthday ipod from her grandparents.  So sad.  I just hugged her, and then a worship circle member gave her his ipod and she was blessed by God’s provision. 

At every table here, they have leather cords with little snap hooks on the end, so you can chain your purse to the table, so it wont’ be stolen, hopefully. Our friend Lucy had her pocket cut open when a man with a knife tried to steal her cell phone.  She fought him off.  Our friends, The Morgans (seriously cool people who I will introduce you to later) were jumped by 7 people trying to steal some of their legal documents and other items.  They fought them off too.  Although they say it was the Angels who did it for them. The week before we arrived, 3 different missionaries where kidnapped in Tekos, and accosted to get there money. 

So we are careful here.  We always travel together as a family and only take “approved” tekos and I don’t carry a purse.  If I would of thought about it enough, I wouldn’t of worn my wedding ring, but I just never take it off so I forgot about it.  It is very modest, but here it seems like royalty.  So keep praying for us.  The conference is underway and very fruitful so far.  New, deep, life-long, kingdom relationships are being formed that will be nurtured for eternity.  Despite the hardness of this trip, it is a beautiful thing

We decided to hire Lucy to give us language lessons while we are in Peru.  We thought it would be great to jump start our language study because I am weak with that at home with our little homeschool.  I figure if we get a good dose here, I may keep up with it at home.

So this is Lucy.  She will come to our house three times a week to teach us Spanish.  She was the first person the Styrons met here 4 years ago and lead her to the Lord.  She is a treasure.  She is now studying other languages and hopes to become a translator I think.

This is Chenoa.  She is one of those people who you meet and are instant friends with.  She was the person who gave me the courage and the encouragement to home-school. When Mike and I finally said ”yes” to homeschooling she was one of the first people I called. Her three kids are amazing and I love their family. (My kids love her kids too - in fact when we say “The Styrons” are coming over, the say yeah and name off their kids.)

I will be gathering other pictures during the conference of all of our friends so you can put a name and a face together.  More later!

Today we went to a Peruvian hospital.  Yeah!  Here is how it went.

Today we were inviting everyone over for dinner.  I began cooking in the morning.  I said we were preparing to have our Peruvian church family over.  Hudson wanted to help.  He started cutting oranges before I realized what he was doing and gave himself a nasty cut. 

I am thinking small cut, however there was a lot of blood and I was applying pressure and trying to calm him down, so I didn’t look at it very closely.  An hour later it was still bleeding.  Mike looked at it and felt like it was deep enough for him to get stitches for fear it would get infected.  A little side note - there is a reason we hide the kitchen knives at home. The child thinks he is Emeril Lagasse.  I was mostly nervous about the infection thing because Hudson is very allergic to 2 of the 3 strains of antibiotic.  It puts him in the hospital in the states.

My Mike and Mike Styron (our friend who lives here full time) took him to the hospital.   As they were leaving Chloe said, “I didn’t know they had Doctors here.” and Jackson replied “Chloe, they have Doctors in every part of the world even the most poor countries.  Everyone deserves a doctor.”  All I could think was “Where does he get this stuff?”

Everything went wonderfully.  The doctor cleaned out the wound and put antibiotic sutures on his cut and bandaged it well.  Now we have to have him keep it clean and dry (that is almost laughable) and go back on Monday.   Mike was very impressed with the care.  Chenoa kept me calm saying there was nothing to worry about.  I guess I wasn’t really worried about the cut or the care but the possibility of him having to go on antibiotics.  I can’t even describe to you how horrifying that who process was. (Discovering his allergy to antibiotics)

All I can say is, thank the Good Lord we decided to come 1 week before the conference begins.  Our family is acclimating to the altitude, the culture, the food and the hospital care, so now all of that will be out of the way before the conference begins.

Tonight went well.  The “littles” didn’t quit get it that our “American” church family would not be coming as well as all of our “Peruvian” church family. I made spaghetti in a pot the size of a thimble.  We ate and drank and laughed and prayed and talked about Jesus and the Kingdom of God. In the kingdom of God there are no boundaries, not even language.

Please pray that we don’t get food poisoning.  I am doing much of our cooking, so I am hoping to skirt that issue.  Mike Styron has been sick with a fever all week from eating “bad” food while out and about.  I started taking pictures of our “Peruvian” church family and will start posting them tomorrow.  You can meet some of our extended family. If you are reading this back home, please email me, so I can email you back.  I don’t have every-ones email addy’s saved on this laptop. 

Peace to all.  Wish you where here!

Shocking I know! Wow - just keep adding on to the typical experiences down here.  I am really living the local life.

Today, I went with the kids to a small “tienda” about a block from our home. Think of it like a 7/11 about the size of a master bathroom, dark and cramped. I  needed water and bread and didn’t want to take a taxi to go to the supermarket.  I don’t really speak Spanish.  I studied French for years and the two languages are similar, so I can fumble around a bit.  Let’s just say, I know enough Spanish to know I was being cheated and over charged for a silly piece of bread but not enough Spanish to stick up for myself.  Jackson consoled me by saying, “Cheaters never win Mama.”  Thanks bud!

OK - I am off to plug in the Rosetta Stone. 

The kids are cracking me up with the Spanish they are picking up.  Chloe walks around all day speaking gibberish with occasional Spanish words thrown in.  It is hysterical. 

Let’s just say we are getting the entire South American experience.  Like, they say we will be there on Friday at 2:00 to hook up Internet access and they really arrive Tuesday at 4:00.   Not much moves fast here, so I am enjoying the entire process.  I feel like this whole trip has been such a gift I don’t want to waste any of it.  I want to enjoy all of it.  So, no Internet, no biggie. 

Our flight went really smoothly.  Thanks to all those who were praying, we felt it every minute.  I was very proud of how well the kids did.  Today will be our first time with the entire “community” down here kids included, so we are all excited about that.  The kids are even picking up some Spanish.  I will post some pics later today  but for now I thought I leave you a little top ten list.

Top Ten Things to Know While Traveling to Peru:

1. LAN is about the best airline!  Whenever flying to South America, try using them. 

2. Traveling with young children in South America is a plus.  Everyone treats you like royalty.  Every where we went, in the airport, they just waved us through. No lines, no waiting. They even let us board the plan first, right after the elderly. Instead of getting dirty looks for having children who act like “children” like we do in South Florida, we got smiles and sweet gestures.

3. Boil all your water. You don’t waste water here, it is too much work to get. 

4. It is as light as noon at 5am so we are starting our days early.

5. Everyone walks here, or take taxis. 

6. Anything imported is very expensive. Like a bag of chocolate chips is $10 US.  Other things that are “spendy” in the states are dirt cheap here.  Like avacados and whole fresh pineapples are under $1 US.

7. All clothes are hung out to dry.  I like this, however, we are in the rainy season.  It rains about 5x a year here and yesterday was one of them.  I am not sure if I need to rewash the clothes on the line?  It was a light misting rain.  Very different from South Florida rain.

8. Everything here can be “delivered” like water, groceries, food.  Really anything, just add the cost of the taxi trip which is usually about $1 US.

9. Solar heated water means hot water is also a luxury and baths are not typical here.  I never realized how hard it is to get three little kids clean in a shower instead of a bath. At home I used the soak and wash method, here I have to scrub.  I think their feet will be continually dirty here as it is very dusty.

10.  Children our kids age, beg on the streets as normal practice.  They will do a trick, try to sell some gum or wash a car with a dirty rag to make a little money for their family.  Jackson equated this to his lemonade stand.  Well, kind of but not really.  They need it to live and his lemonade stand is just for fun.  Big difference.

So those are a few little glimpses into life here.  We wish you could be here.

Blessings from South America!

I have been praying for deep friendship between our children.  That they would truly love each other, and be “for” each other instead of the typical bickering and fighting, although we do have some of that at times.  I think that siblings need to be together a ton, in order to learn how to love each other. They need to play together and have adventures.  Just like any friendship, it needs to be nurtured and developed.  These first interactions will shape how they deal with relationships their entire life.

I keep scheduled play-dates to a minimum.  Honestly, we would like our children to interact first with each other and our family and secondly our church family, after that we limit other play-dates.  I have been around too many other families that let their children at 5 and 6 watch HORRIBLE things on television that our children have no concept of.  The stories and conversations that we have had, after  the few play-dates we have had, are so shocking to me that I am left speechless.  I was unaware that most 5/6 year olds have seen Hanna Montana and High school Musical  and know about kissing boys, or have watched Transformers, Spider Man and Star Wars (the PG-13 ones)?   I didn’t know this, I was shocked.  Jackson came up to me the other day at the park. He said “Mom, that boy right there is only 5 and he has seen Transformers the movie.  What are his parents thinking?”  I chuckled and was half embarrassed because the boys mother, who I didn’t know, was sitting next to me on the bench.

This morning, we are listening to Yo-Yo Ma and enjoying warm porridge.  Our children are giggling and laughing with each other.  They are talking about doggies and veterinarians and we are getting ready to go to the post office for a field trip.  Life is good, the children are happy and the air is crisp. 

Sounds like a Hallmark card doesn’t it?…..well except for dirty dishes in the sink and the children who have colored marker all over their hands, other then that it is pure Hallmark.  Thank goodness for washable markers.

Peace to all Friends in the house today~

I found this great site that gives you step by step instructions on how to make ice cream at home. It is also a great science lesson.

I intend to do this once we are home from Peru.

Jackson has been putting some pieces together theologically speaking.  I love to watch God call our children.  Anyone who doesn’t believe God speaks today hasn’t spent time with a thoughtful child.  There are days you could knock me over with a feather with things that my children say to me concerning God and his overarching rule and reign. 

About a year ago, he realized that not everyone decides to follow Jesus with their whole life.  A few days ago he asked me, what happens to people who don’t follow Jesus when they die.  Let me tell you,  it was a fascinating discussion.  By the end he was completely perplexed at why anyone would ever choose to not follow Jesus. 

After our discussion he said “Mom, Satan walks around this earth taking on different forms, in order to trick people to follow him instead of God, like when he took the form of a snake in the garden.”  I said yes, he said that is why we wear our armour to fight him. I again said “yes”.  Then there was a long period of silence.  I wonder what he is thinking about and what God is showing him.  It keeps the mystery of our faith alive and exciting to me almost every day!

I left our children quietly carving soap at the dinning room table as I prepared our dinner.  As you see from the picture, the soap is setting next to our little fish tank.  I vaguely remember hearing Hudson say something about the fish being hungry.  I obviously never thought it would end in this.

 He explains that the fish were VERY hungry, and that is why you see the tablespoon in the fish-food.

The fish were gorging themselves on food. If fish do grow according to the amount you feed them, I should wake to find Shamu in our living room.

As I frantically try to recover the fish from suffocating on food, I absent mindedly poured them both into the same container. (People - You try to think clearly when you have the life of family pets on the line.  It is clear why I never went into the medical profession.) I move about my business of cleaning out our grubby little tank when I hear a sweet angelic voice say, “But Mom they are fighting fish. Now they will have  a war.”  I forgot they shouldn’t be in the same container so I frantically am trying to scoop “red fish” out of the way of “blue fish” with a 1/4 measuring cup.  I called my girlfriend “stat” who is well versed in such matters and she said “Be Brave and use a Dixie cup!” Note to self, “Buy a fish net.”

Chloe and Hudson hid their eyes for fear that I would squish them.  Jackson calmly played legos as the rest of us were in a “code red” situation. I prayed I would not drop them down the drain, in front of little eyes.  That would be tramatizing for sure. I can hear it now “Mom killed our first pet.”

            “red fish”                                   “blue fish”

Chloe rubbed my back after the episode was done and said “Good job Mom, that was a close one.”And people think stay at home, homeschooling Mom’s don’t lead an exciting life.  Hillary Clinton I dare you to do any better! On the up side, we got a clean tank out of the deal, and I REALLY needed to do that.

Hope the spaghetti’s good tonight.

Well, we have had no problem renting out our home as a vacation rental.  In fact, we have been able to be a bit “choosy”, as we are getting 4-5 requests a day.  Mike and I are still in amazement, although we are excited because it will allow a regular, old, normal (OK - not so normal), homeschooling, telecommuting, simple church family who holds fast to the kingdom of God, be missional, without having to raise support.

My posting has been light lately, not because I don’t have anything to say, but because I have no time to say it.  School was wonderful last week.  I am thoroughly enjoying “For the Children’s Sake“. We had a great Nature walk on Friday. I hope to record that on the nature blog…..soon.

Cleaning out the house, touching up paint and other maintenance projects are on the books for the day.  I am starting to think about packing…for 5 weeks and the problem is, unlike most women, I am a notoriously light packer.  I will tell you why in another post, but for now, my dear husband is encouraging me to pack for comfort…I am not backpacking around Europe but going to live in the same location for over a month. 

That’s all from the home front here!  I am cleaning and listening to “Over the Rhine”. Wish you all could go with us:-) 

So there are a few things I have been thinking about.  I will write a few more developed posts next week, but for now I just want to capture them here as I continue to think and pray through them.

1. Fostering an atmosphere where God is the primary and central theme of our day, without going into overkill and suffocating your children.  I am running into so many homeschool moms who are hyper frenetic about making sure their children are “getting the word” that I fear they may be smothering them over zealously.  I want to be mindful of this.  Charlotte Mason talks about this too in one of her volumes.  I need to go find that again, does anyone know off hand?
2. How to help your siblings be friends.  I have  a few theories on this.
3. Praying for the Holy Spirit to keep me soft to his leading in regards to training our kids.   Not too much and not too little.  It is a fine balance.
4. Starting early with your children in regards to how to treat the opposite sex and how to work in the home.
5. I finally have a plan for how I will tackle school in Peru and it feels so right for us.  I have been thinking through it for some time and the other day it all just came to me.  I am excited about it!

I have been reading through the past few posts and I realize I am writing about tons of training issues and not as much about practical home school ideas.  The reality is whatever year you start homeschooling, your first year is really all about getting down a rhythm.  I am taking as much time as I need to weed my little garden as far as family dynamic is concerned.  We are moving along with our readings etc., but I really feel like it is much more important to have good foundation in habits then it is to be hitting every cylinder with our curriculum.  

Ok - that’s it, have a great day!

Despite all of my pleading,  the last faint bastions of baby days with my big boy are dissolving, or should I say, falling out….out of his head.  Another baby tooth is gone. 

Here they are coming in!

And here they are coming out!

We have now taken to calling him the “Double toothless wonder.”  He thought of it himself. Turkey!  Chubby hands and diapers have been long gone, so I guess I have to wave good bye to baby teeth too.  Shhh! don’t tell anyone, but he still likes to snuggle.  I will take it as long as I can get it!

Shh, I will tell you a little parenting secret that Mike and I have stumbled upon.  But don’t tell our kids, because so far they don’t know it is happening yet.

I have a friend who has a degree in child psychology tell me that it only takes 15 minutes of one on one time a day with each child to make them feel extra special.  You just need to plan for it and work it in.  Mike and I are very good about having special dates with each of the kids alone, and date nights for each other as well.   Everyone gets their own time throughout the day to be alone, and I work on one on one time throughout the day too so I feel like I am covering the bases so to speak.

So here is our little twist.  Mike and I secretly keep one of the three children up after the other two have gone to bed for about ten minutes or so for special Mommy and Daddy time.  They all get ready for bed together, brush their teeth etc. and secretly one of us takes one down stairs and the other of us puts the others to bed. 

Give it a try….it is so much fun.

Our dear missionary friends from Peru gave us a hand made creche last year.  We will be staying with them for the month of February as we teach, train and serve God’s people in Peru. Please pray for us.

They found it up high in the Andes by Lake Titicaca in a city called Puno.  Yesterday the children asked why “baby Jesus” was in a little canoe.  I got to tell them how the people who live there lash reeds together to create floating islands.  The weather is hard and cold and the altitude is very hard on their bodies.  Imagine living in a cold wet environment your whole life.  Be thankful for what you have today and where you live.  There are people all over the world who live a very hard life.

The house is quiet this morning.  My husband and the boys went camping with our church family.  We have had some “princess time” and they are off roughing it.  I feel a family tradition forming.  Like once or twice a year the boys go off and be boys and the girls go off and be girls.  I also want to start a family night once a week where we make some type of dinner together like homemade pizza and homemade ice cream, play games and read out loud to each other.  I think we are getting to that phase so I want to start developing those memories.

Although it has been fun having Mother/daughter time I miss our boys.  The house isn’t the same without them.  I’ve been reading my husbands blog because I miss him.  I know it is silly but I love how he thinks and writes.  He just finished up a series on ethos that I love. 1,2,3,4,5, I love it when he pontificates deeply from the heart about theological matters.  It makes me swoon. 

You know that is how we fell in love.  We met in CCC at UF and just talked and talked about God.  Then one day I realized “OH - I think I have fallen in love with this guy.  Darn it! - I swore I would never do anything like that.  I was going to be a missionary overseas not some mushy girl who needs a boyfriend.”  We had the “DTR” talk at the Atlanta Christmas Conference and the rest is history! This time of year always makes me mushy remembering how the “us” started blooming. Well almost 15 years later my friends I am here to tell you, I need him then and I need him now.  I am so much better because of it.

There was a day I didn’t think I could have kids.  Mike and I tried for 2 years to get pregnant and then our first pregnancy sadly ended in a miscarriage.  I almost needed to be checked into the loony bin.  My whole world was rocked, and my ideas about prayer stretched.  It was a pivotal moment for me.  And then, in His time, our family was born. Life changing to say the least.   I cherish every moment with them. 

They teach me so much. How to stay grounded and in the moment, connected to what I am doing.  How to NOT “Have a care in the world” and not think of tomorrow or the next day just enjoy the time I have now.  The time I spend with them daily, keeps me young.  It is seriously good medicine for the heart.

Thanks Jordan for a great group writing project.   Here are some other thoughts on children.

Here is  a snippet of a conversation our children had amongst themselves while cleaning and reorganizing their toys. I wish I had it  on tape to play it back to them when I need it:-)

Jackson:  It is so fun to play with your toys when they are picked up.

Chloe: Yeah you can see everything you need and I know where all my babies clothes are.

Hudson: Silently stacking blocks on a clean floor.

 Jackson: Yeah you can’t think when everything is such a mess! 

OK - People I have been saying this for years!  I think they are starting to get it!

Step 1:  Be prepared.  It is a lot more fun if you do.

Step2:  We light a white candle.  It is a symbol.  It reminds us that Jesus is the light of the world and no man can come to the Father except through him.

Step 3:  We play classical music in the background.  The more senses we bring into play the more deeply the brain holds what ever information they are learning.

Step 4: We read the Bible out loud.  The King of kings moves among them, meeting them where they are at, teaching them his mysterious ways and sparking their imagination.

Step 5:  After I read out loud, Mommy stays quiet.  Shhhhh Holy work is being done.

More to come. Enjoy your day~

Have you heard of them?  As in…all of this Halloween candy MUST-GO!

They are my own secret invention to terminate many of these Halloween goodies.  We are chopping them all up and making them into decadent brownies and sharing them with our church family.  We told our kids they could pick their favorite 15 pieces and the rest we need to get rid of.  Does anyone else hear at 7am, “Mommy can I have some of my treats?”. 

Well, my husband predicted it accurately.  We had clear weather for the party and one trip around the cul-de-sac and then the rain cut loose.  Imagine a costumed group running in mass with candy, fire men helmets, tiaras and capes all a flurry.  Many ended up back at our house soaking wet sorting their loot.  It was a good time. 

I am happy to have our kids interact with the neighborhood kids in limited doses on our terms.  I have already discovered we need to come up with some family rules about it. Like letting neighborhood kids know when they enter our home, they are going to have to interact on our rules and not theirs. Every day is a learning process.  Enjoy the pics!

This is a good investment.  We borrowed it from a friend.  She calls it her portable play yard.

Food galore.  I made Swiss cheese fondue. 

Honestly, I am washing all our costumes and selling them on eBay next year in August.  I am sick of seeing them.  The tallest one is one of the kids Nannies.  Yeap - here they all have nannies, so the moms can work their high powered jobs.  Our neighborhood is a ghost town during the day.  Everyone at work or school/day care. 

Loot sorting has begun.

Our three tired, wet, candy hounds enjoyed the party.  They went to bed tired and happy.  As we all grow together, Mike and I will continue to make space for others in our home and teach our kids that this is what part of being “salt and light” is all about. Go throw a party.  You will have some fun and  just maybe some of your family will rub off on the world, which I am sure would be a very good thing!

a tropical depression darkened our door. 

Our poor weary travelers are ever so worried that treats and goodies will not be forthcoming.  A wonderful gala event has been planned for neighboring children and their parents at the gates of our humble abode and we fear that all might be lost.

Oh the scandal, oh the injustice, the travesty.  The earnest and humble prayers of three young saints have been on their lips since sunrise.  Me thinks there will be no “trick or treating” if 40MPH gail force winds persist but we believe that prayer does move mountains and in our case weather systems.

Please pray with us!

…that no one else in the North American Continent, dare I say even the world….

started their day with a 5lb bag of sugar being poured all over the floor, the couch and the carpet.

I found him after he started trying to clean it up. SIGH!  At least he was trying to clean it up. Honestly, people, don’t ask OK - School is postponed a few hours for some KP.

*****Update*****

OK - I bagged the agenda and we got most of school work completed by dinner time.  I am also almost positive that no mom in North America ended the day by sitting on the stairs and having their 4 year old princess say…

“Mom you don’t look so beautiful, you look a little wild. Sit down and let me brush your hair”  She then proceeded to brush my hair and put pretend makeup on my face.  I said I was sorry for having a bad attitude today.  She said “It is OK - I understand.  I get really frustrated when my stuff gets ruined too” and then she gave me a hug. 

One bonus…..I have a REALLY clean house to start my day off tomorrow.

 You will be proud to know that I stopped riding my children’s emotional roller coaster.  I know enough not to ride any of  my peer’s emotional roller coasters but somehow the concept escaped me when it came to our kids. 

I had an epiphany 2 weeks ago and it has made all the difference. My attitudes, emotions and feelings are not dependent on or directed by their attitudes, emotions or feelings.  It is a beautiful thing!

Our kids that is.  We just completed yet another road trip to Oriental North Carolina (12 hour trip) for our friends wedding.  Mike and I were interested to see how our kids would do and were considering it a good dry run for when we are off to Peru in Feb.

They ate well, slept well, were fairly flexible and obedient.  Yesterday we drove the entire 12 hours straight through in order to get home in time for Mike to be at work this am.  I was dreading that part but they all handled it well.  The last 30 minutes resembled this but other then that it was good. 

Oriental is a sweet  little fishing town on the coast.  I think there is only one stop light in the whole town.  It had a nice slow pace about it.  On the way home we asked our kids what their favorite part of the trip.  Our oldest said the driving. Yes I know that is a bit strange.  Our daughter said the party after the wedding.  With a  Pinata and sparklers to see the bride and groom off, it was every kids dream.

Out littlest said, the ferry boat.  We got to ride a car ferry several times. He loves boats and the water so that was the highlight for him.  That is our grey van right up front.

For Mike and I it was deepening of relationship. We were able to take one of the teenagers who went to Peru with us along for the ride so those connections were deepened and also being with our Peruvian missionary friends strengthened those bonds too.  The change in weather was nice but unfortunately we didn’t see any leaves turning.  Our kids did find some good nature finds but we will have to go again when the leaves are in all the glory.

For us Florida folk, snow and leaves changing is a pretty big deal.

Peace to all~

We don’t get to see the leaves change, but we are going to North Carolina for a dear friends wedding and hope to catch the change. To celebrate I made sweet potato pancakes.  We are also off to Sea World for a week of fun and education.  I will be posting pictures of our time there throughout the week.

 So part of my whole process is letting my artistic side get back into the game.  Like I have said before I have been a little out of whack these past few years, so I am getting back into painting, experimenting with photography and learning how to build this dang word press website if it kills me. (Trust me it is a creative process too!)  So I am participating in a weekly photo hunt.  I have wanted to learn how to work with digital photography and I  am the type of person who does well with a tangible thing to shoot for.   All you Northerners, go run through the leaves for us!

Peace to all!

RELATIONSHIP! 

I don’t say that lightly.  I mean that deeply.  Maybe it is because pursuing relationship is extremely important to our family as a whole. Not just with our children but with real live people who walk and talk and have issues and need healing and need friendship.  Mike and I have always wanted our home to be a haven for anyone that God has in our life. The fabric of relationship that is woven here is more important than my routine or the things we have in our home.  The house is just a tool for the real living that is happening.

It is important for us to immerse our kids in a lifestyle of building into people in a natural, non-programmatic way. They don’t understand why we always have people over in our home, or why Mommy stops and talks to neighbors a lot or why we throw parties.  Lot’s of parties. It is just part of their life. 

Tonight we had our neighbors over for dinner.  This is the first time we have actually had neighbors that said “yes” to us.  We’ve asked before in other neighborhoods but no one would take us up on it.  It was lovely, relaxed, natural.   All of our children stayed up late playing.  Very late by our normal bedtime standards.  But I could do 2 things.  Stick to the schedule because it is more important than diving into people, or two, ditch the schedule in preference of relationship.  We ditched it!

Because of what it happening with the economy, none of use are moving anytime soon in our neighborhood.  For that I am thankful.  I am digging in and looking to build bridges all over in the neighborhood.  So our children will sleep in tomorrow.   I will start schooling a little later.  I will choose to have a lighter load tomorrow.  I don’t have to jump through hoops tomorrow to get them up, dressed, fed and off to school by 8.  Life is short!  Minutes pass too quickly.  People (even the little people who live with you) are too valuable.

We love the library.  We are on a first name basis with the librarian.  We check out our home school books for the week, a few Spanish children’s books and an appropriate DVD. 

Some time ago, we checked out Rescue Heroes for our youngest.  He adored it and I KNOW we returned it to the library. At least I think we did. He asks for it all the time.  The library can’t find it and we have renewed it 3x hoping it would pop up. It hasn’t.  We have torn the house and van apart looking for our lost item:-(  So now the library said, I could pay for it with them at the cost of 24.95 with a 4.95 processing fee. WHAT…do they think it was made of gold?

So I just reordered it today on Amazon for 4.91 with 2.95 shipping.  Once I receive it, with the shipping and late fees, that I can’t stop until I produce something to them, I will have about $9 in…$13 if they charge me the processing fee.  Much better than $30 don’t ya think.

I guess it is bound to happen, but it irks me!  I guess we do borrow hundreds of dollars of books a week from them, so one missed item isn’t a bad track record.

It has been a long week!  Tons of crying, whining, fighting and complaining….and that was just me!

Lest you think I have this all under control….I don’t! I am ready for a “do over” and a start of a fresh week…get this train back on track.   Or at least those were my famous last words! Funny thing is, the “school work” is completed, it is the inter-family dynamic that was all out of whack.  I had to be on the phone more than usual this week with some stressful financial things.  Maybe the kids picked up on that?  Maybe they were just off, who knows?  I am waving the white flag and heading for the hills,  I am “tagging” my partner, I’m calling the reinforcements… well you get the drift! 

I am lovin’ the Daddy unit right about now and will be relying heavily on his loving diversion this evening and weekend and will need some  extra special attention from said Daddy unit. (”a hem” - that is a hint to the wonderful Daddy unit who reads this blog, who has yet to comment on this blog but never the less reads it) 

WOW two subversive hints in one blog - how did I get so good?

 Peace to all~

Yesterday our oldest spent about 2 hours with his G’Pa building a rocket. When he came back….he was somehow older.  I saw it in his face and his continence.  He had picked up little words my Dad uses and started using them in his vocabulary.  Our youngest is almost out of potty training and our daughter is teaching herself to read. Life is fleeting.  Why worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself.  Enjoy the day, right were God has you.  Even if it is hard because the older I get, the more I understand that “hard” is usually “good” being birthed in your life.

I loved kids from a young age.  I was the church “child care helper” and the resident babysitter growing up.  I have worked with young children it seems all my life.  Non of it has compared to being a Mom. Now that I have my own wonderful children, it seems that they have met that need in me that seemed to be there since I was very young.  I use to gush at other peoples kids, and now I gush at my own.

I have owned my own business for the better part of 10 years now.  I also love building, thinking, promoting etc. my own business.  The idea of seeing something go from an idea to reality is very fulfilling to me as well.  Now that I am fully into the mothering role, building business isn’t even as fun anymore.

I have found myself fulfilled in a way that nothing else could by becoming a Mom.  In this season I get to leverage myself like no other.  In leadership or business you are supposed to duplicate yourself over and over again to advance your cause or mission.  I sounds great but is very hard.  Weather you think about it or not in parenting you are doing just that. With parenting you are creating little versions of you.  The good and the bad.  The philosophies and the cleaning skills are all absorbed by our little charges.  It is a revealing process that challenges me to be better and to pray that God blesses the work of my hands especially where it concerns our children.  Putting my hand to this task has been the hardest and best thing I have ever done.

 This post was inspired by Mamma Blogga’s September Group Writing Project.  Feel free to participate if you feel inclined!

So our 4 year old is still in 2T’s.  She is in the 25%.  She is healthy and thriving, just small.  So her jeans still fit everywhere but the length.  My friend recommended putting some ribbon on the bottom to give her another year out of them.

 Aren’t they cute?

One of the tips I picked up from the book I just finished had to deal with weekly meal planning.  I want to try and prepare something new each week for us to try as a family…to  help me out of the rut I spoke of earlier. I think this will help me out.  

Annette actually prepares, plans and shops, for an entire month at a time.  Wow that is intense, but hey she is the one with her housed paid for so who should be talking….right:-)  I am throwing this into the mix this week.  I will let you know how it is!

Cuban Shredded Pork

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork chops
1 pint water to cover
1 lime, juiced
1 sprig fresh thyme
8 black peppercorns
1 tablespoon garlic powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon onion powder
salt to taste
 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, combine water, juice of one lime, thyme sprig, peppercorns, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Bring mixture to a boil. Add pork chops, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender. Add more water as necessary to keep chops covered.

Turn off heat and let the chops rest in the broth for 30 minutes. Remove chops from broth and shred, removing excess fat; set aside.
In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shredded pork and fry until it is almost crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is just tender yet slightly crisp, about 10 minutes more. Add the juice of one lime, mix though and toss with cilantro. Serve and enjoy.

It is an interesting word. Wikipedia defines Training as the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and competencies as a result of the teaching of vocational or practical skills and knowledge that relates to specific useful skills. It forms the core of apprenticeship. Isn’t that a wonderful way to think about working with your children, apprenticing them to be fully formed adults?  It keeps the big picture in view during the day to day grind.  It also helps me remember that I am to be the “master” trainer (being trained by the ultimate Master)and that I need to continue working on me as I am working with them.  I am choosing to view it as “team development”. 

We are currently “apprenticing” our children in the skilled art of eating whatever is put in front of them without “whining or complaining”.  Let me say for children 6, 4 and almost 3…..it is a skill to be learned.  It is also something I need to be intentional about by offering a wide variety of foods and at least something new each week.  I realized, when we go to Peru for a month in Feb. my kids are going to be miserable if I don’t tackle this picky issue now. We asked the children, “What happens when you are grown ups and someone invites you to their home as guests, and they present you a beautiful plate of food that you have never seen before, and you don’t know how to act or  are too scared to eat it?  Whose fault would it be?”  They thought for a moment and Jackson said “Yours?”  We were ab