Here is a beautiful post on how to Learn to play piano on a shoestring over at Lindafay’s blog.  It is very inspiring.  I am a “do it yourselfer” so this really got me thinking about the viability of really teaching your kids to play piano.  I studied violin and piano for 8 years growing up at huge expense to my parents.  I loved it and it is so much a part of who I am now.  I have wanted that for our children and her post gave me the confidence to give it a go.  Isn’t blogging a beautiful thing!

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!

I had a quick update to our “intense play date” this weekend.  I figured out why they are so intense and competitive (in a sweet and enduring way).  The Mother and Father are Ukrainian and used to be competitive ballroom dancers for years before their son was born.  They stopped when they had him and now they are beginning to train again.  You don’t hear that everyday, now I get it. I pray our family is a blessing to them.  Me thinks we will be having them to dinner next week to see what God is up to.

The reason I asked about the cleaning thing on the previous post was because after we all played together, the boy “asked” (more like demanded) that we clean up his room and then left us to do the work.  It was awkward to say the least. The Mom apologized and said he has to keep his room clean for the cleaning woman to clean every Friday. (Taking clean to a whole new level I guess.) I never think to ask people to help clean up after they have been over to play so I was wondering what others did.  

Always use gentle words that give life.

Try new food, we may like it.

As we move along together in shaping our family rhythm, I am finding some things that I need to emphasise.  The family rules list has been so helpful as we move through our day.  We have it framed and displayed in our kitchen at their level.  Our youngest loves to run up to it and remind his siblings of their errors throughout the day. 

I am thinking through training children and how intentional you need to be with it. I am developing another piece on it that will be up next week, but I have found 2 things that I want tweak a little on our personal family rules.  They have to do with some things that are cropping up that need to be worked on.

One is the way our children speak to each other when they are frustrated. There is way too much yelling, which of course ends up with a domino effect around here. Our oldest is VERY dramatic and we are working on training him to control his outbursts. (Gee I wonder where he gets that?) The very first verse we taught them was “Gentle words give life” in Proverbs, so it seems appropriate that we tweak the “Be Kind” to “Use Gentle words that give life.”

And two, I have not been offering enough variety in what they are eating.  I am in a cooking rut and so I am working my way out of it.  Firstly we are creating a family recipes cookbook that we work on together using picaboo. I am offering different veggies other than broccoli and raw carrots.  Our daughter has become VERY finicky and that is not very becoming in a young woman me thinks, so we will work on it now when she is a wee woman.  That is where I came up with  “Always try new food. We may like it.”

I am finding that baby steps along the way pay off big in short order. For me I am working on following through…on everything.  Like using all the food I buy at the grocery store for each meal I planned to prepare, instead of getting board with one meal left and ether buying different things or going out to eat. Not very disciplined for a middle aged woman me thinks.(Is 33 middle aged? Yikes) 

So I am going to work on that too.  It all adds up to freedom.  Freedom for me, our family, our kids.  When we can tell our bodies “no” when we really want to say “yes” we can say “yes” to hard things when we probably would of said “no”.  Sounds like a good life skill to have don’t ya think?

 Di Vinci was depicting two very important people and he named this painting Virgin of the Rocks.

Mommy, what is a virgin?  (ummmmm deafening silence)…….

And why do those  babies have such big muscles?  (again crickets chirping in the background)

I am all out of bullets on that one! 

Let’s get our math books out kids!

 ”A wise woman builds up her house.” Proverbs 14:1

I remember when I was in my early 20’s and I was hanging out with a friend in her early 30″s she said something that I now can say is true. She said “Your 30’s are so much better than your 20’s.  You finally fit into your skin.”  I would have to second that! I gather that is more true the older you become. 

It it funny, I know less now than I thought I new then.  I am less idealistic, more introspective and have  more questions than I have answers. I was talking to my “homeschooling diva” friend (who actually home schooled back in the day when it was illegal) and she said “Isn’t God good, using the hardness of things to get at your heart.”  I am seconding that one too!

Lot’s of thoughts running around today in my head about my calling, child training and how it trains us, the freedom that comes from discipline and the absolute necessity for finding Sabbath rest in the midst of it all. 

 I am off to build my house~ Peace to all!

Eugene Peterson has said that being a well read person is as important to your spiritual formation as is, silence, solitude, prayer or any other spiritual discipline.  It is a way of letting words shape you, allowing yourself to here the rhythm and cadence of language so that the poetry of scripture can slide smoothly into your soul. 

 So I have been out and about and found a few good books that I will be reading over the next few months.  I want to thank Randi at Let’s just say… for a great beginning. I am pushing past the bounds of just homeschooling “fair” and letting words shape me. I will keep adding to this list as I progress. Let me know some of your faves.  I wonder were it will take me? Look around and see if you find something that interests you.   This is part of my “soul craft” so come learn with me.

I spoke awhile back about me learning how to have Sabbath in the midst of child training , homeschooling, house tending etc. etc. etc.  Finding daily quiet in my life for my own “souls formation.” This has been a process of learning something new.  I will say it has been very revealing.  I don’t presume to have this all together or even, that what God is leading me into is right for you in your current situation.  People who “know all the right answers and have it all together”, wear me out.  So you wont get that here, just an honest look at what I am now doing and how it is freeing me up and slowing me down. Firstly, let me start by saying that I see what I am doing in our home and with our children as my job or business.  Have no fear, I do not think of it that clinically. It is just one way for me to block things out in my mind.  I have the type of personality that really gives my all to the task at hand.  In business, you track and chart everything so as to improve your overall objective. So I am also, tracking and charting myself in this arena as well.  It is simply a way for me to have more information about what is exactly going on in any given day and where we can make slight changes to improve or be more free.  Read on because that statement will make since in a moment.

The first thing I addressed was the need for some “me” time without anyone else around.  Just me, my thoughts and God.  I realized in our family dynamic, I needed to wake early in the morning in order to carve that space out. Now I wake before the family at 5 to be exact. That means that my bedtime is pretty firm at 10 as well.  You may think that sounds intense or harsh, but the space it creates for my soul is crucial to doing well in every area of my life.  I now see this.  It is a good thing.

The second thing I addressed was my house work.  In order for me to think straight, I need to have an environment that is peaceful and non chaotic.  Three kids is chaos enough:-)  So I have gone to work on coming up with a system to better handle the chores of our home.  I affectionately call it the zone system.  I basically have found a rhythm of doing a small amount of laundry and deep cleaning 4-5 days a week.  It has taken all of the stress out of the upkeep.  It allows me to give around 30 minutes a day of my best to cleaning and then leaving everything else go until another day.  Teaching and training the children in daily household upkeep is part of our formation as a family who “stays home” together.

 The third thing I have addressed was my own personal “up keep”.  Working out has been the one “negotiable” spot in my life.  It always got pushed to the side in lieu of everyone else needs. It is no longer negotiable.  I have to work out 5-6 days a week, just for me.  Charlotte Mason refers to it as “mother culture”.  I call it just plain smart.  A cranky, out of shape, overwhelmed Mommy is no good for anyone especially herself.  This is where I see the daily consistency bear fruit over a long period of time.  It is an outward symbol of inner workings. 

These three things in combination open up the space in my life to just be.  Because I have already determined in my mind, when and how I will be faithful to daily tasks, I am open to hearing, being, moving etc. etc in line with what God is doing at any given moment.  This opens up the space for me to home school without stress or pressure on myself.  There isn’t anything else I should be doing.  I am not guilty or resentful because I haven’t taken care of me.  I am free.  This is where you will hear me say over and over.  FREEDOM WITHIN STRUCTURE!

So what does it look like you may ask?  Tune in tomorrow to see how it pragmatically works out in my life.

The past few months our family has been blessed in amazing ways.  We needed a second car and through someones generosity we were given one.  Last week someone bought me a few hundred dollars of much needed clothing and this week someone else purchased our entire families tickets to Peru.  (We are spending the month of Feb. ‘08′ there doing some training for church pastors etc.)

As I was meditating on that fact last night I realized how hard it is for me to receive things in spite of my need.  It has been an interesting week for me  addressing my pride.  I feel like I am seeing things in a new light.  I tend to rely on myself to “get things done” instead of resting in God and his timing.  It is a horrible habit that I am being forced to address.  Isn’t it lovely when God brings you to the mirror and gently  says, “Let’s look at this together.”.

I am repenting of relying on myself and trying to get comfortable with relaying on God and His working through others to meet our needs.  It is humbling to receive gifts when you know you don’t deserve them and that it is only God’s grace and Mercy that provides them.

We had new friends over the other night.  Wonderful, wise followers of Jesus.  They have successfully raise three boys in their thirties.  I called the wife the other day with a question.  I said “Knowing what you know now, after raising 3 children, what did you do right and what would you do different?”

 You know how hind-site is always 20/20. I really wanted to know what their experience has taught them.  They had some wonderful words of wisdom.  They were VERY encouraging.  I want to be like that in everything I do.

Firstly, they said to make sure that in the teen years, get them out of this country on a short term missions trip.  That is very important to their overall formation.  Especially when it comes to them having to work out their own faith apart from you as their parent.

They did home school for many years in the early years and then sent them to a traditional high school.  In retrospect, they wished they would of stepped in a bit more in some relational issues.  It is  a thin line of giving them the independence to deal with things on their own, and also take over when they weren’t quit old enough to  handle it on their own.

And the most important things was, their house was “the house” to be at for all the kids in the neighborhood.  They were raising kids during the ‘latch key” generation.  So most of their kids peers had 2 working parents.  So they were their neighborhoods stabilizing force.  Simple home made cookies and strong house rules for the “neighborhood” to abide by endeared them to their kids peers. 

Through this they were able to develop strong relationship with their boys and constantly show them the light of Jesus in the midst of everyday life.  It was a very encouraging story.  It makes me think about relationship and how it is the fabric of life.  For me homeschooling is more about the “being, knowing and training” our kids then it is about teaching them.  It makes me wonder about today’s culture that hops around and moves so much.  Isn’t it good for our kids to develop deep meaningful relationships too?  Isn’t good for us as parents to lead them by example of that?  Call me crazy but I think it is the most important thing to model to them.  Especially in a culture that values individualism so much.

 Their children live life outside of the box because they were raised that way.  I pray that for our kids too. I pray our children will know the value of being connected to a group of God’s people in deep and meaningful ways.  That what we have together is so special.  It doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t always found but it is a treasure that is worth digging for. 

Well, we all know that there are three to six degrees of separation between everyone.  I thought I would post this here and see if any of you all know someone who might want this!

 We have been holding 2 properties for a year now and it is rough sledding!  Please pray with us that God sells this property and that we will continue to wait on him.  Over the years we have had friends go through this and every time I would think, “How are they handling that? It would kill me!”  Well, I have news for you.  It has killed  me, in  a GREAT way.  I am back in a place of total reliance on God for everything in my life.

Maybe we wax and wain in this area depending on the circumstance in our life. It is a shame but true of human nature.  I have seen God move in amazing and unexpected ways over the years and after seeing such things, I always stand back and am shocked!  Why?  God always comes through in the least expected or predicted ways. 

 In the midst of “financial straits” I know we are right were God wants us to be.  Isn’t it interesting?  Tell me your stories.  Encourage me in how God has moved in amazing ways in your life.  Everyone loves a good story!  Post it in the comments or in your blog!

Peace to you~

Today I am participating in the “All Woman Blogging Carnival” over at 4fabmoms.  

We live in a small three bedroom town home.  Currently the two smaller rooms are occupied by our three young children.  One is a playroom and the other is a sleeping room.  As you can imagine there are some nights we have to split the three of them up in order to  get them to settle down for the night.

One of these particular evenings, we put our tiny daughter (then just 3) on our bed so she could fall asleep.  Things were quiet and all was well for some time, until we heard noises up stairs.  I went upstairs to see what was going on, to see our daughter had gotten into my makeup in our bathroom.  It was all over her, the walls, the floor and the tile grout.  It was a beautiful mess.  I had to not only clean her up but the entire bathroom that night.

What amazed me most was that she was able to put on the mascara perfectly?  Thankfully I use non-toxic make up. In retrospect I should of taken a picture so I could remember the look on her face when I found her.  Now, I lock my bathroom door always, because you never know what mischievous little hands want to explore.

Emerging Grace gave me a great comment on my Eureka~I’ve got it post.  She has also created tons of beautiful posters that hit the nail on the head.  If you haven’t seen them yet, they are worth a visit.

This takes paying it forward to a whole new level.

wow!

I have been in a process of asking God to reveal our children to me.  Not what I want to see or what I think I see, but what He created.  I want to understand what He sees so I can partner with Him on it.  A little insight or glimpse of their calling.  Little by little He shows me things that stun me.  I am aware of the privilege of parenting them.  I’m humbled by the responsibility.  I am deeply thankful that God is using our children to shape and mold us as people as much as he is using us to shape them.   So it with this understanding that I will be working on crafting our “why home school” statement this week.  I will also be working on a series of posts on finding Sabbath rest in the midst of the daily grind.  Good things for me to ponder on this week.

So for those of you interested, the party was great! You can see for yourself! (Thanks to all in our local community who helped).  We took about 200 bucks and threw a “shin-dig”.  I met a new neighbor who just moved here to help plant a church. I also met a family form Peru.  My boys wore their Inca cola shirts and we meet Peruvians all over the place.  It is our calling card. They had all sorts of cool stories of how they are working towards helping Peru and the local Peruvian community. 

People were so thankful for the party.  The church planter actually asked me “Why did you do this?”  I was like “DUH” isn’t this what God’s people are supposed to do?  Be in the neighborhood, seeing what God is up to?  But I just said  “It’s what we do!”  Everyone couldn’t wait for the next one.  One family wanted us to put up a community bulletin board so we can stay more connected.  Another family suggested we have a little meeting to make sure our builders don’t leave the property without fixing everything that needs to be fixed.  Another neighborhood said “This is what makes a house a home.”

Overall good times.  Many baby relational seeds were sown and Mike and I look forward to seeing what God does through them.  So here is a challenge to  you.  Take some money.  Maybe your monthly tithe and do an experiment.  Take that money and plan a party and invite your neighbors and then invite your church community and see what God is up to.  You never know what you will find and others may just follow your lead.

Many of you have asked about our community bbq tomorrow.  So I wanted to give you all the “digs”.   Firstly, Mike and I had a “spirited debate” about the manner in which information should be broadcast in our community.  I wanted to have 4 signs made (that can be reused) similar to the  garage sale signs that you see that I would put at all of the entrances to our development.  I thought, “Oh we could just throw a quick webpage together describing the party and that we would love to see everyone there.”  To me that would of been the easiest for me, but it was too programmatic for Mike. He wanted the kids and I to pass out invitations to all of our neighbors.  Have it be more relational.  It would be like “oh yeah your the family we always see at the pool, or we bought lemonade from your son type thing”.  So being the submissive wife I am, I agreed to do it his way:-) So last night we made invitations and the kids and I rode our bikes around the neighborhood.  The kids were excitedly knocking on doors, chasing down people as they got in and out of cars  and telling anyone who would listen, “Come to our neighborhood party.”  Mike was right.  It was more relational that way.  At least for the first one, although I do think the sign thing would work after we have a few. And yes, for the record, I did get “Oh you are the family we always see around the pool”. and “We bought lemonade form your son” and “We’ve been hearing about this and are so excited” and “oh we were hoping you were still going to do this!” Shocking if you ask me.  They have heard about it?  I did speak to a few people I saw at the pool through out the week about the party.  I did try to focus on “connectors” in the community.  I did want the word of mouth thing to work in our favor….there are a lot of houses here.  Almost everyone that opened the door to us said…”Thank you so much. I’ve been thinking I should do something like this but I just never have.”  Hmmmm.  I wonder how many people think about connecting with others and then just don’t?  So Mike and I are taking it seriously the  whole “Jesus becoming flesh and blood and moving into the neighborhood” thingy.  

 More thoughts from…..Death By Suburb.  I know, I know, I can’t help it. 

Mending is the key image for  embracing the Sabbath in the suburbs, letting us “experience the depths of Jesus Christ,” as the classic work by Jeanne Guyon puts it.  The trick for the lover of God is to learn how to become better at mending ones life, making small adjustments on a regular basis to avoid the speed and clutter of modern living.

Mending is a verb.  An ongoing action that is consistent and small.  Mending is a thing that reverses the affects of the fast paced business of suburban life.  It is a bridge that leads you to the thicker life.  The deeper life of Jesus Christ.  It is obedience in the small mundane things.  

Now this may seem bizarre to some, but for me right now, home schooling is mending my life.  Our family rhythm is decidedly slow.  There is no rush.  There is no fire to put out, no hill to conquer.  Just deepening of roots and building of relationships.  This is my Sabbath YEAR!  It is a lovely, yummy, comforting thing.  God is moving deeply in the quiet.  Maybe hovering is a better word.  Yes….I think hovering describes it well.

Find the Quiet today!

You never really know how much you love your mom and how much she really does and did for you until you are a Mom yourself!  Thanks to Mammablogga and her group writing project for July, I get to expound on what makes my Mom so special.

Most Moms are biased of their children. (i.e. our kids are the best, brightest most talented children alive)  In healthy parent/child relationships, I think the thought holds true for adult children of their parents.  My mom is the best Mom in the whole world.She’s not perfect, none of us are, but she is generous, and funny (man can she make me laugh) and smart and encouraging,not to mention supportive.  There isn’t anything she couldn’t do if she put her mind to it.  I think she passed that on to me.

Growing up she worked hard, (she still does)  She went back to school for her masters when I was in high school and has had a very successful career. My brother and I learned the value of a dollar early, and we always had chores and responsibilities around the house.  Our family worked as a team and I am so thankful now as an adult for that chance to learn how to do real things early.  We grew up in an environment that honored God and followed Jesus.  She and my father instilled that in me.  I remember sitting at the desk in her bedroom one summer and teaching myself to type as she guided me along.  I just got to replicate that with my own son.  It is funny how times fades away in an instant inside those memories.

The neat thing is…she always gave me room….just enough room to hang myself if you know what I mean.  She let me sit with my choices and loved me through the bad ones. Now as a parent I KNOW how hard that is.  Even today she encouraged me to take 100% responsibility for myself.  She keeps me grounded with her parental experience.  She wishes she could of been home more, and constantly tells me time flies and that this time is so short.  Do whatever you have to to be home with the kids.  Take family vacations…build memories you’ve got one life with these little buggers.  Cherish it!

She is still a better cook than I am.  She can fix or sew anything and at 33 I still call her first when I am unsure about what temp to cook something at or if one of my kids has some medical issue I am worried about.  She still parents me, in a healthy way even now.   Maybe that is the way it is supposed to be.  Maybe we get to be the kid for a lifetime and even into the next.  Always having that bond that grows and changes through the years.  Will we ever stop worrying as parents, or stop wanting to help or stop wanting to deepen relationship with our children?  I hope not.  I hope I get to ask her advice when I am 55 and she is 78 and I want to know how to be a wonderful grandparent, or that just right ingredient to keep my skin soft.  She will know…and be sure of this…I will ask. 

I am ALWAYS finding myself stuck on Lindafay’s home school blog Higher up and Further In.  It is very comforting to read through her many years of home schooling experience for tips, ideas etc.  I have been slowly reworking my blogs organization.  It is becoming my home school dashboard.  Thoughts, wonderings, resources and other inspiring people to read found in my blog roll.  Jackson is on it as much as I am tooling through the resources.  He LOVES THIS! My hope is that one day this site would be an encouragement to a brand new home schooling mama who is excited and nervous and wondering if she can ever pull this off.  And then voila, she will find this blog and she will say to herself, “Oh my goodness if SHE could do it I will have no problem!”  So keep watching the links come in.  (I hope you find them as helpful and inspiring as I do) I will soon begin adding book reviews and the kids and I will be starting a nature blog here soon.  Their sketches are still scribble and I want them to have a place to see what they are recording.  I taught Jackson how to use the digital camera and he routinely goes out and snaps shots of local wildlife.  Mostly flowers and trees.  Yesterday we went to a little park called “Peanut Island”.  During the summer we go every Monday night with my parents in their boat.  We saw a spotted manta ray with a 5 foot wing span and 2 mini hermit crabs walking along.  I wished we had our camera.  So now we wont leave home without it.     Speaking of blogging…I wish other really experienced homeschoolers I know (not to mention any names, Chenoa Styron and Carolyn Hanson) would start a blog like Lindafay’s so more newbie’s can bask in their wisdom.  It is such a gift.  I am thankful for their encouraging words along the way.  Anyway….no pressure, I was just thinking how cool it would be if I could scroll through their brain and not bug them all the time with calls and emails.

Mommy Zabs has tagged me for a web surfing MeMe! So here goes another MeMe! I think it must be MeMe week   Have you ever heard the saying, show me your 5 closest friends and I will show you who you are. Maybe the same is true of blogs.

Do rest, every Sabbath. 

Don’t run around like a chicken with your head cutt off.  Even if it seems like fun activites. 

I am really resonating with Death By Suburb - David Goetz’s comments on the Sabbath rest.

“This is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord.”  He quotes Heschel as saying “spiritual life begins to decay when we fail to sense the grandeur of what is eternal in time.”  Sabbath is “eternity in disguise”.  It’s a day not for furthering our opportunities and those of our kids but to liberate ourselves from the pursuit of such things.  He points out that this is a space, where all of Gods people, regardless of economic position enter as equals.  Able to feast on eternity one consistent day a week without a care in the world.

This is my space right now.  Slowly, steadily working with God on the small space of soil in my heart that has to do with time.  It is as if there is enough time in the world for things to “get done”, and yet such a small sliver of time to really purchase those things worth working hard for.  Namely relationship.

Mike and I are really thinking about all of this in regards to our home schooling decision.  We really want our children to grow up in a slow, easy, expectant of amazing things, joy of life type of way.  A deep since of wonder. Not shuffling around from play date to over done birthday party.  We are not even pursuing organized sports for them. Maybe one day, but not now.  Mike and Jackson did T-ball last year.  Mike had the opportunity to coach, and it was a way for them to be together, but we knew no one on the team.  Jackson was mildly interested, and the other kids and I stayed home because it was too much for them.  Not a way we want to use our time again, any time soon.   Even home schooling is a relaxed, gentle rhythm.  You only have to read a few lines of Charlotte Mason’s philosophy to begin to unwind and dig in. 

Deep roots come from deep rest.  Deep rest is a choice.  It is a discipline regardless of the debt, or the schedule, or the lists.  It is a decision to stop one day a week and really reorient yourself around the kingdom of God.  In His kingdom there isn’t a care in the world.  The joy is knowing God and being known  by Him.

So get off the computer.  unplug the phone, go into your room shut the door and be quiet, with the one who made you.  With no need, or question to be answered.  Just listen, and make room for his inner workings.  I promise you will feel much better when you do.

It is a great word picture for my life this year.  I am in a process of calming down, simplifying, and learning all about how to REALLY be and not do.  I completely believe that there is freedom within structure.  So I am shaping up my housework, finishing up that “decorating” that I never get to, lacing up those running shoes and hitting the gym with consistancy, nurturing my artistic side, and feeding the need to read “deep and wide”.  A general overall weeding it taking place.  Bad habits (like too much TV and rewarding myself with sweets) haven’t formed over night and they will not be gone in a day ether.  Day by day, I move onward and upward and I hope I inspire you to do the same.

Here are some things I have recently reintroduced into our lives.

1. ABSOLUTELY NO TV UNTIL 5PM DURING THE WEEK. In the past I have used TV to medicate my kids when they have no clear direction on what to do next.  Bad habit…I admit it.  I started pulling way back in April.  I didn’t think we watched TV very much.  The sad thing is, in reality we didn’t, but it was how I was using the TV that was not the best.  Mike and I had no TV for years before kids.  Once I was pregnant with the second, and “sick as a dog” we reintroduced it to help me out with escaping the reality of my life. Now I don’t want to escape anymore.  Embrace the race is my motto. So now the kids only watch about 30 minutes of monitored TV a day.  We even drove all the way home yesterday (4 hours with only a 30 minute DVD) We played site seeing games and counting games the rest of the way. ( and they slept some too.)

2. Early morning exercise. ( Me time before the rest of the family is awake.)  Thanks to a great work out buddy and good old endorphins, I can’t wait to wake up early. - This is a big switch for me.

3. Reading at least 2 new books a month. - I used to read like a nut.  I think I piggybacked through seminary on Mikes old Theology books.  I got through second grade by reading all of the Nancy Drew series once I finished my work. (I was soooo bored, another reason I was drawn to home schooling our kids - bored kids are kids who get into trouble.)

Those are the first few.  I will keep adding to the list as I am inspired. 

Grace and Peace to you and all you love!

This is from my friend Betsy. I thought it would be a way for some of my readers to get to know me.  If you read this and feel the need, then consider yourself tagged.  Let me know in the comment section so I can get to know you too:-)Simply cut and paste these questions onto your blog, answer them and then find other blogs to tag! It’s fun and easy and something a little different!You can only answer each question with ONE word. I did use some hyphenated words, so maybe I cheated a little.  Give me a break it is early!
1. Where is your cell phone? Charging
2. Relationship? Married
3. Your hair? short
4. Work? Home
5. Your sister? none
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? None
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream car? paid-off
10. The room you’re in? Foyer
11. Your shoes? None
12. Your fears? little
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? wise
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Leah
15. What are you not good at? golf
16. Muffin? none
17. One of your wish list items? family-travel
18. Where you grew up? Florida
19. Last thing you did? slept
20. What are you wearing? clothes
21. What aren’t you wearing? Make-up
22. Your pet? none
23. Your computer? HP
24. Your life? fun
25. Your mood? Good
26. Missing? Nothing
27. What are you thinking about right now? Family
28. Your car? Mini-van
29. Your kitchen? Clean!!!
30. Your summer? Relaxed
31. Your favorite color? ALL!!!!!!
32. Last time you laughed? Thursday

33. Last time you cried? unsure
34. School? UofFlorida
35. Love? Mike

Tag - You’re it!

Today, I got to pretend I was a Mom of 5 who were 5 and under. It really wasn’t bad at all.   I do so much better with out all the birthing, and nursing and sleeplessness etc. etc.  That and I have a rhythm down and I am not trying to figure out the whole “how to be a mom thing”.  So that has some to do with it.

I am off to Gainesville to have  a week with my girlfriend from college.  She and I knew each other before husbands and kids and our friendship has survived and thrived with the addition of both.  Bonus is her van can fit all 6 car seats without a problem!  

Pray for my drive tomorrow.  4 hours is a hike by myself, but I am timing it over nap time.  Hopefully that will take some of the bite out of it.

I wanted to leave you all with one quote form Death by Suburb before I go.

“Mature Christian faith discerns God behind all the circumstances in life that conceal God - from the mundane to the tragic.”

He quotes Bonheoffer (One of my favorite Christian theologians)

“It is good to learn early that suffering and God are not contradiction but rather a unity, for the idea that God himself is suffering is one that has always been one of the most convincing teachings of Christianity.  I think God is nearer to suffering than to happiness, and to find God in this way gives peace and rest and a  strong and courageous heart.”

Peace to all! 

The Following is a conversation between our 6 and 4 year olds! (enjoy)

 #1 Biggest misconception about Home schooling:  That you have to be a gifted and trained teacher to do a great job at home schooling your kids.

No, not really, if you can read, you can do it.  You just have to be willing to work on yourself in the process.

This was my BIGGEST fear about home schooling.  Now a few months into this I have “seen the light. ” All of my veteran “home schooling diva” friends are chuckling at me.  Lovingly of course.  One of the reasons we are home schooling is to help our children think.  Think critically.  I am sorry no matter how you slice it, that is more important than grade point average, extra cirr. activities or anything else.  If they can think they will thrive wherever God has them.

Lynda says it so well.  “I don’t know about you, but I find this to be freeing for me as a mother who must wear many hats in daily life. I don’t have to be ‘gifted’ in teaching in order to adequately educate my children.”

(For my parents in law you can read till your hearts content on her website about Charlotte Mason method)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma98wzazFlQ]  (Thanks to Dolly Mamma for this!)I live in the “best little” planned community this side of Disney world.  People here drive fast, live large and have little time to really get to know anyone.  Of course this is a huge generalization, but the prevailing thought here, is stick to your self, buy your plasma screen and consume until you can’t feel any pain.   I just spoke to someone on the phone the other night who found our church website.  We related experiences and he said “It is good to hear I am not crazy and that we are not alone in feeling this way!”  

Bev tagged me for a top 8 game, so I thought I would play along.   

Here are the rules:

A. Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.

B. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here we go:

1. I love to travel.  My husband and I want to take our kids on a home school adventure around the world.

2. I love to read.  I was  history major in college.  I learned to read “fast and furious”.  Right now I am reading Graham Cooke.

3. I love/hate to run.  I ran a ton when I was younger and I am just now picking it back up.  Wow what a difference 10 years make.

4. I love our church.  Me familia. 

5.  I used to hate laundry, but for some reason now I enjoy it.  I think I enjoy the order of having laundry folded and put away not so much the process.  I also think, it is due to the fact that I purged our clothing inventory to 1/4 of what it used to be.  Much easier to stay on top of!

6. I hate being pregnant.  It was pretty much “hell on wheels”.  You know how some woman say “Oh you forget.” Not me!  I don’t think I will ever forget.  Kind of like POW’s who are tortured.  It just stays with ya!  All I could think the whole time is “Dear God, how do women in third world countries go through this, and still have to do manual labor, in the heat and sleep on straw mats?”

7.  I love being a mom.  That makes the pregnant thing bearable because we have three beauties out of it.

8. Painting.  I have not picked up a brush in 3 years and I will do it before the year is out.  I need to get some canvas going, but you wait….just when you least expect it, the paint will start to fly.

Now  I need to tag a few.    Mammablogga, Mommy Zabs , The Day of a Mom ,

I think I will think a little bit and tag some more tomorrow.  Have a good night!

….at least I am big enough to admit it!

So for all of you out there who don’t know….never leave a pair of children’s scissors unattended with a 2.5 year old around.  Bad things happen.  My homeschooling diva friend (who is starting home-school high-school this year) said last night.  “It’s OK.  things will happen.  You can’t control everything.”   Good advice form a veteran. 

 In other news, my cell phone was thrown into the pool and is inoperable.  Nice!!! I have tons of numbers on that phone that I did not have anywhere else.  Hope the SIM card still works once the new phone arrives.  Thankfully it was free. My computer is doing something weird and only opens in DOS, so I have strict instructions not to touch it until my husband can look at it.  I am writing from his lap top which is like driving someone elses car.  The seat and windows are all out of place.  I am still working on my list that Bev tagged me with.  I will get it up soon.

Peace to all!

I wonder? ……….Most Homeschoolers need to pinch their pennies.  I was just turned on to a great idea from a new friend I just met through my buisness forum.   Buying Coupons on ebay!  I remember seeing this when my kids were babies but I never purchased any coupons for myself but I am rethinking the idea.  The Grocery Game is another tool that you can combine with eBay coupons and save significantly.  I am just now looking into this to really make our dollar stretch.  The woman in front of me at the grocery store wa