(Please read previous post)

I had Hudson recap the story to his Grandfather this evening and he revealed one tiny bit of info that he had not shared with me this morning. He exclaimed, as he jumped in mid air “To infinity and Beyoooonnnnnndddddd.” Wow -three year olds are literal, and maybe he has seen Toy Story one too many times, which trust me people isn’t that often.

Honestly, my parents are laughing their backsides off, because I am getting my paybacks. That is OK, it is only a matter of time, until I will be laughing my backside off watching our dear children parent their young ones through the maze of this life.

In addition to the now infamous jump, I found these.

I know, I now know better. I thought it would be cute and festive as well as a reminder to our children to eat healthy snacks by placing them in these super cute, orange bowls on our kitchen pass through. See them in the back of this pic? The only problem is, they can be easily reached by little hands without my knowledge. Let’s be honest, I know they are dong it. But hey it is fruit how bad can it be for them? If it keeps them busy while I am finishing up school, then all is well, or so I thought. As I cleaned up the mess of a room after the jumping incident, I found these 6 half eaten apples all over the place. Almost as if, little chipmunks had been eating them for sustenance during their rambunctious play. Then, being all hopped up on natural sugar they felt super human and able to overcome the affects of gravity. As they found out, THEY CAN’T!

So, no more chair, no more apples out in plane site (tomorrow we will make applesauce from the remnants) and a huge helping of laughter makes life interesting. Just as long as we enjoy each moment, laugh at ourselves, pray for grace to cover the inevitable gaps and keep falling forward, everything will turn out all right.

This morning, I was finishing up a narration with Jackson downstairs while the “littles” were upstairs “playing”. I hear Hudson, our adventuresome daredevil, say “la la (his nickname for Chloe) if I get in trouble with this, run downstairs and get help.” (At least he had the forethought to think of possibly needing help and that what he was about to do might tun out badly. I am still not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.) Before I even had time to find out what was going on, I hear a loud crash and Hudson crying hysterically, while they both run down stairs.

While I put ice on a slightly bloody, goose egg sized knot on his head, I found out that he put their desk chair on top of the dresser and then proceeded to climb on top of it and attempted to jump the three feet across the room onto the top bunk. It obviously failed miserably.

After he had calmed down he said, “Mom I have a good idea, we can go to the grocery store and show the cookie lady my bump and she will give me a cookie and then I will feel all better.” I decided I wouldn’t tell him about the time that Mommy climbed a tree and swung a garden hose over the limb in order to swing around like Tarzan. My youthful zeal had the energy and lack of fear to conquer said task, however my three year old mind didn’t have the logical thinking skills needed to know that I must grab both sides of the hose so that gravity wouldn’t have its way with me. I ended up in the ER with a sprained ankle. Good Times People. I am reliving my childhood.

One cookie later, we are all off for quiet time.

Peace to all furniture jumpers today.

I have been saying for 7 years that I wanted to take an adult ballet class. So I finally did it. I signed up at our local rec center. The other night was my first class. Our babysitter is super into ballet, so I asked her what she thought it would be like. She said it would be like free movement, so I showed up in a pair of jogging pants. I realized immediately that I was NOT prepared.

There were about 15 women in the class of all ages, rehearsing for a RECITAL! WHAT! I did not anticipate this. They had the full get up on, and the best dancers in the class where those who had been dancing all their lives and continue to do it to stay limber and in shape. I was comforted by the other Moms who never danced when they were little and wanted to give it a try too. I am not alone in my feeble experimentation. That is comforting.

So, they pulled out the bars and away I went, never having taken a ballet class in my life. I must say that more then once I thought, “What am I doing?”. I tried to stay in the back but they kept pushing me to the front. “You can see better up front” they said. “Yeah” I say better all right. I saw I had no idea what I was doing. The women, however, were so nice and encouraging. Around here, women tend to be a bit clicky. It is hard to break in, and when you do it is usually based on your neighborhood, your children, or your job. Within those circles the “keepin’ up with the Joneses” is rampant. This setting felt different. No one was trying to be the best or have the best kids or anything, they were just wanting to have fun.

So I did. I had fun. It is much harder than it looks. I think I will go back. So what do you think of that?

Yeap that is what the salesman said when he sold us our , then new, microfiber, brown suede sectional coach. That was 4 years ago, and it looks almost brand new, well kind of. OK let’s be serious, we have three little kids running around, nothing is brand new in our home.

Our previous coach we had moved from Gainesville, had been slip covered, reupholstered and finally left out for the trash. I wouldn’t dare give it to goodwill. So when we went searching for a new coach, the one requirement was it must be kid proof. This couch, like many of our possessions, is a pure workhorse. Don’t even get me started with our minivan and dining room table. I must be a horrible mother that I can not contain the mess, nor discipline, train, beg and plead the young members of our clan to stop being so messy. Oh well, it is what it is.

Dark trendy brown, not because that color is a hot color now, but because it hides the many stains

.

This microfiber can almost be hosed off, which in our case is a very good thing. A scrub brush, a bucket of soapy water and Folex cure all evils on this bad boy! (Trust me cats - BUY THE FOLEX! - it is worth every penny for so many reasons!) The cushions become a sailboat for hearty travelers many times a week much to our chagrin.

We store many, many, many little toys amongst its comfy cushions and underneath its carriage.

I have to vacuum it out often, because, even though we have a NO FOOD ON THE COUCH rule, there seams to be unending food product wedged between its cushions.

So, Lora asked me to join a group of moms who list some of their favorite things each week, and as I replaced the cushions once again, to this couch, I knew this was a definite favorite thing. Families with young kids shouldn’t decorate without it!

4:34

Chloe: “Mom, I want to take the training wheels off my bike.”

Me: “Well, honey the wrench is in the garage. ”

Chloe: “I know Mom, please I know I can do it.”

Me: “Well, the garage is such a mess, we may have to wait for Daddy to come home.” (I am stalling because I don’t want to do the running along side thing right now.)

Chloe: “Mom, I know where it is, PLEASE!”

Me: “Well, honey it isn’t like you are going to just get on and go like your brother does now. He had to practice to get that good. It is going to take some practice.” (I am still stalling)

Chloe: “I know that, I want to practice, right now.”

Me: “You really think you can do it?”

Chloe: “YES MOM I KNOW I CAN DO IT!”

Me: “OK - Let’s give it a try.” ( I finally get that there is no way we are not trying this, so I embrace it, and gear up mentally to do the run along side thing.)

4:45

The training wheels are off and we begin. After about three passes she has the balance thing, but we need to work on steering and breaking.

5:00 Daddy home, park the bike out front, eat dinner.

6:00 Family clean up time. I remind everyone that we need to put our outside toys away in the garage. She hops on the bike again and rides it around to the back alley where she sees another family with her friend, and then I felt it in her spirit. It was like “sea biscuit”. She said “Let go Mom I can do it!” and with all the force her little frame could exert, she was off. And not a casual pace, I mean I couldn’t even keep up running along side her, let alone stop her from falling. I gulped and said a quiet prayer and she rode away from me, like she had been riding her bike for years. (Wow that is a metaphor for parenting, isn’t it?)

6:15 All the other little girls in the neighborhood wanted their training wheels off too. (Way to lead by example Chloe!)

6:15 - 7:00 Riding, and Riding and Riding, steering and breaking are old hat.

Today we work on starting by herself and at 4 and three quarters our little Chloe is a dare devil on wheels!

Oh the days they are a flyin’ people! Next thing I know she will want the keys to the car!

Have you ever had a day where you wanted to trash the plan?

Maybe kick your shoes off and play in the sand?

Study your shadow…

Build sand castles…

Think quietly about the meaning of life…

or splash and play like there is no tomorrow?

I know….Me too! Life is short and I only have these moments once. I was rescued from striving to have it all.

I was spinning my wheels,

but then I saw the light. In the process realized I have everything I need.

and I never looked back!

and I am here to tell you, “Life couldn’t be any sweeter!”.

All photographs are original and taken during my travels throughout the course of our day. Thanks to Jordan for letting me share them and Lora and the Sisters for encouraging me on!

Other participants in Jordan’s GWP are:

• in gratefulness by Lora LeBreck
• April Group Writing Project: Savoring The Season by Ivy
• In-between seasons by Michelle (The Beartwinsmom)
• Savoring the Season by phyllis
• A Letter To My Childless Friends by Mama Zen
• Savoring Spring by Daisy
• Savouring the season(s) by Jen
• April 2 by tiffany (threeringcircus)
• Savoring the Season: MamaBlogga March/April Group Writing Project by Julie Arduini
• ‘Tis The Season to Enjoy Some Mommy Time by Jenny
• to everything there is a season by boogiemum
• Makes-Me-Smile Monday: The best of times, the worst of times” by Jane of What About Mom?
• Purpose by Christy
• What a Difference a Week Makes by warillever
• Savoring Spring by Deb - Mom of 3 Girls
• Signs of Spring in Ottawa by Barbara (MomOnTheGo)
• The Sweet and the Savored by Ursula
• Savoring the season… by melissa lightfoot
• Spring Has Sprung by Jill
• Better Safe, Than Sorry by Jackie
• Savor the seasons of motherhood by Jordan (MamaBlogga)

Check them out!

Chloe upon waking~

 ”Mommy, Daddy prayed for me last night and it really worked!  I am going to have a much better day!”

 Ah - music to my weary ears!

Last Jan. about 15 months ago, God was gently leading me to lay down my striving and trust Him in a deeper way. The last 15 months have been an amazing, beautiful and hard process of dying to what I think is important and waking up to what He says is important for me and my discipleship to Him.

Yes, I love being home with our children and homeschooling them but it does not define who I am. I want to make sure I continue to work on me outside of our kids, because there will be a day that they are building their own life and if I haven’t spent time on me, then it will be tough sledding.

I can say I would not trade any of it. One of the unique things about me learning to rest and be still, has been deep, deep bubbling in me. Isn’t that a product of learning to rest, the real you can come out and play? One of those things is my artistic development. If I had to do it all over again, I would of gone in a completely different route in regards to where I put my energies, with high-school and college. So, I am working through the book The Artists Way.

I feel like for the first time in my life, outside of my call to ministry, I am discovering who I was made to be, what I love and what feeds me. It is funny, that it is almost as far away from what I had been working towards as imaginable. So I am putting together my Etsy page, thinking through what I want to paint and photograph and will spend the next 15-18 months digging into that. I am deeply excited. Kind of like a kid in a candy shop.

More to come.

Before you click the links see if you can figure out who I am talking about. 

I’ve been thinking about some of my heroes.  This is one of my all time heroes, interviewed on a rare you-tube video. If you know me well, you will already know who this person is. 

This person, to me, embodied incarnational living is such a way, that to be in their presence you experienced the peace of God.  Thanks to Tivo, and you-tube, my children know this person too. An activist, humanitarian and advocate for young people, their life inspires me to be “best I can be.”

Who are your heroes?

No, I am not dead…I have been sewing, and cleaning and generally getting some projects done that I am unable to get done without an extra set of hands.  My dear parents-in-law are here and, as always, they are such a big help. 

Let’s just say that I am not dumpster diving anytime soon, but I am making do with what I have, and not spending money on things I don’t need.  Making due with what you have is an art form, just ask Edith Schaeffer. Recently, I have become the proud owner of several friends and families gently used cast offs.  I was given several adorable pairs of curtains that were too short for our home, and a grocery bag full of upholstery grade fabric.  With a little quick stitching all the curtains work now and have a custom look.  It has been my goal this year to decorate and organize our home without spending any money.  Necessity breeds invention, and creativity.  So here are the first set of embellished curtains in our dear little girls room.  Martha Stewart…eat your heart out!

This is a little fuzzy but you get the overall affect. 

Here is a close up of the band I put at the bottom.

Well…It is official.  Our oldest can tie his shoes all by himself:-)

Jackson turned 6 in August and it was a “clue” to me that life as I had know it with him was shifting.  He wanted his own shoes and wanted to have “big boy” lace up shoes.  Thank goodness I had him with me when I was buying his birthday present so I could check for the right size.  I showed him what I had thought he wanted and he gave me this disappointed look, like I had picked out baby booties or something.  Instead, He wanted these “cool kicks” shown above. I acquiesced on the premise that he would learn to tie them himself, to which he agreed.

Well, He has had steps 1, 2 and 3 down for ever but the last step has been eluding him/frustrating him to no end.  I never made a big deal about it.  He just got as far as he could and then I finished up for him.  I noticed in the last 2 weeks or so, his fine motor skills have progressed rapidly.  The big clue has been his writing.  He just can do it now without a problem.

 So today we went over the ”tying procedure” again.  We figured out the problem and within precisely 1 minute and 26 seconds he was tying his shoes as if he had done it his whole life.  I wish I had the video camera going, but I didn’t think it would happen that fast.  His little happy dance at the end was too cute.  I would of shown it to his wife one day if I had it on film.

So tying shoes has been like every other thing.  Potty training, riding bikes, swimming, reading….if I just wait until he is ready and try not to push it too early, he does it in like nano seconds.

OK - I am going to go shed a happy tear.   

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.

In the car, the kitchen and in the stair well.  These seem to be places I end up with the kids, that I fall into “quit fooling around and do it mood”.  I need to remind myself that time is short.  Kids need love and direction more then they need a clean house.

• “You can be busy and not be hurried”
• “Your kids are only this age once~enjoy it!”
• “Build them up with your words.”
• “Have you given them something to love, something to do and something to think about today?”
• “Call out what you see God doing in them.”
• “Discipline consistently in love.”
• “Take a picture~one day you will smile at this mess!”
• “Savor every moment~it is a gift”
• “You have  a beautiful life”

My days are wonderful most days but there are days that at 4:00 I loose my sanity.  I am shoring myself up for those 4:00 moments when I have lost site of the goal.  Little sign posts that will point the way and help me stay grounded in reality.

Peace to all~

OK - so I have taken your thoughtful comments to mind and have been inspired. 

 Of course I will be purchasing books.  I consider those “hand-made”.  It is like buying an author’s art and as I said before I am “down” with that. I am purchasing the Tales of the Kingdom Trilogy. Holy Moley you need to read these with your kids if you follow Jesus and love allegorical tales  plus some Christmas classics like, The Other Wise Man and The First Christmas Tree.

For Jackson, I will be making a quiver and new bows for his authentic bow that came from Peru.  It only had 2 arrows and one of them was broken by his little brother.  One arrow is a bunch of work so we need a few more and a quiver to hold them all.  And I think a target too.  I am not sure how to pull that off, but I will think on it.

 I will get Chloe a full size tea set.   It is store bought because making one from scratch would be crazy expensive and time consuming.  The idea being that she and I will make and have tea together with special guests.  That to me is where I am at with gifts.  I strive to make things experiential so this qualifies. 

For Hudson I will purchase him a small starter set of real tools.  I know I am not making them, but we will make things together.  He is forever pulling out Daddy’s tools to work with.  I think I will make a small work bench for him with screws and things he can work with.  I had a small tool set with a had crank drill when I was his age and I still remember how much I loved it and how much I worked with it. 

Then if I have time and am adventurous enough I will make them all swords, shields and capes.  We have been learning the Armor of God and of course reading the 50 Famous Stories so we fight many battles around the home.  I may regret it, but I thought it would be fun….. if I can get them to not whack each other with them.  Hmmmmm, I will have to think of soft sword material.

They will have plenty of “store bought things” from extended family, so the store bought toy thing will be met there and I can start making the toys that we will enjoy and then in time when they grow past them I will keep them for the grand kids.  (OK - now I am thinking too much but we are creating a legacy right?:-)  These are hand made wooden items people. If I am spending the time to do it I am making them to last! Or at least I hope I am but you never know with our youngest.)  

I was thinking that on Christmas morning we could have a scavenger hunt with clues to find their gifts.  My mom did that one year and my brother and I had a blast, so I thought it would make a nice memory.  For advent we will beginning reading out loud together each evening and working on delivering gifts to friends and neighbors.  We like to put the tree and decorations up Thanksgiving day after we eat.  This year we may even put lights on the house - heaven help us all.

OK~ now sound off people!  What say ye?

Vacation was nice, but it is good to be home.  Hudson is 100% potty trained and dropping naps so my life is a bit different these days.  Because they share a rooms right now, they don’t have individual places to have quite time.  I have been experimenting with different ways to have them quietly working and playing together during the mid day so #1 they have down time and more importantly #2 I have down time.  We live in a townhouse with no yard so we have limited space. 

I came to a realization this week.  Because our kids are super close in age, they all feed off of each other and it may be this way for ever I don’t know.  The youngest wants to be like the oldest, the oldest wants to be like the youngest, the girl wants to be like the boys and the boys want to wrestle so the little peanut of a girl is always getting bumped too hard. They all fight to sit on Mommy’s lap for family reading and the reality is they all can’t fit at once anymore.  When a “take turns” policy in enforced, crying commences for what seems like hours. I can’t be three places at once and three children speaking at once for some given food product, even in quiet voices can be deafening.  

I find myself extra tired these days without Hudson napping.  He is all boy and a mile wide and can wear out a Saint.  Let’s just say at Sea World he WALKED most of the day, all day, and didn’t nap and had the energy that my older two together don’t have.  So I am getting geared up for the week with a trip to the Planetarium with our local PEC group.  Hopefully a good nights sleep and a good dose of vitamins will give me the “umph” I need. I will post picks if I have the energy.

Any thoughts, tips and encouragement would be appreciated:-)

Peace to all~

1. Weekly scheduled times of silence and solitude.  Lately I have found that if I don’t get this, I get all out of whack and take it  out on my family.  Serious bad deal all the way around.  Willard and other theologians have said this is one of the most important spiritual disciplines for western Christians because  of the frantic pace of our lifestyle.  In my humble opinion I tend to agree.

2. Daily scheduled time to work on me.  Whether it is working out, reading or painting, if I don’t get this I start getting resentful.  This is not a good deal ether. Charlotte Mason called this “Mother Culture”.  How can a mom stay balanced and offer her best to her family when she is strung out and never gets ant time just for her?  

3. Discipline to think of what the other person is saying and not what I want to say. The first two disciplines help me to relax and “center down” as the Quakers used to say. This allows me to actually get “outside” myself when I am with other people.  Have you ever thought about how many times you interrupt someone when they are talking before they are through. (Think of the little people in your home too!)

Make a choice today, to be right where you are and not three steps ahead.  Let people finish their own sentences and don’t think of how you will answer them before they are through speaking. Go “pencil in” some time just for you to work on you and then practice being still and silent.   You will be amazed at what you might hear!

This piece is inspired by Mommy Zabs group writing project.

For the linky love here are the other entries for your reading pleasure:-)

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!

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!

Honestly, I don’t know how I will top this today, but give it a read and see for yourself.  This Diva is “off the chains”. She is on my reader now!

I am in my third week of homeschooling using the Ambleside prescribed curriculum.  This week both of my boys were sick.  I thought for sure we would bag school.  That was what I had planned to do because I was cleaning up vomit all day.  (That was fun!)  Anyway, I digress.  I realized between the cleaning and the rocking and the laying on the couch (they did watch a video that day) and the not getting out of their pj’s until noon, and the no real prescribed “school time”, they finished ALL of their lessons in 15 min segments throughout the day. 

It was incredible to me that 1) they asked for certain lessons by name 2) they did them in short increments and then went back to throwing up 3) they had fun and it kept their minds off of the sickness thing.  Can you believe it?  I still can’t.  They ask for lessons every day. What do I say…. no?  I don’t think so but what do I know, I am knew to this.   They don’t know  a weekday Monday from a weekend Saturday, so they just keep going.  At this rate we will be done with the math book by Christmas. Jackson is half way through his phonics and it is only the end of August.  I only read the chapters/selections that are slated for the week so they have to learn to think on that one piece for a week before we move on, despite their begging. (Can you tell they love the books?)

Really People….is this normal?  I am thrilled they are enjoying it but I am kind of shocked.   The other day, Chloe said I go to “Turtle River Montessori”  (her old school) and I said, “No honey you go to home school. ” She said “I do?  Where is that?”  I said at home with me and your brothers.  She said “I never have to leave you again?”  I said “Nope” she squealed, I smiled.  It hadn’t even occurred to them that all of these months we had been schooling. 

So what do you think of that?  I guess I just go with it….right?!  OK this is where all the older wiser homeschooling moms jump in and tell me whats up.

 I am adding and building the content of this site on an ongoing basis.  One of the things I will be providing for my readers is a “book of the week recommendation”  I love to read.  I have always loved to read and in fact sat in elementary school bored to tears every day reading books inside my desk as the teacher droned on and on.  I would stay up late at night after my parents had tucked me in with a flashlight under the covers.

Reading is one of my favorite past times and so I thought I would post here what I am currently tackling.  Check back often as I will always be updating and growing my knowledge base. 

Currently Reading:

• Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
• Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Burns -I snagged this off ot Truevyns site.  If she is reading it it must be good:-)
• Confessions of an Organized Homemaker: The Secrets of Uncluttering Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life by Deniece Schofield

Just Finished:

• Death by Suburb by David Goetz
• Hints on Child Training by H. Clay Trumbull

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.

Our oldest is six as of and hour ago.  Where has the time gone?  I was a bit melancholy yesterday thinking “It’s 1/3 of the way over all ready.”  Mike chuckled at me.  My Mom said “It’s never over honey”.  But you know what I mean. 

 As I have been praying with God over our children, little glimmers of His handy work peek out at me.  Like watching  a seed sprout.  Jackson is a passionate and determined (slightly perfectionist) thinker.   He observes things for long periods of time and then jumps in with gusto, He loves to “experiment”.  My prayer is that he will always  ask healthy questions and that he will continue to love learning like he does now. 

I’ve spoken in other posts about how important is is to us to name our children with meaning.  Jackson’s name means “Yahweh is gracious”.  After 2 years of trying to get pregnant and a miscarriage before Jackson, I was unsure I would ever have kids. Looking back now, it was all about timing.

His middle name is Caleb. The meaning of the name is faithful, intrepid, and victorious — a great description of the Old Testament Caleb, who was one of only two ancient Israelites (Joshua was the other) who set out with Moses from Egypt to finally enter the promised land.

So today, sweet boy, Mommy and Daddy pray many blessings over you.  May you be a blessing to the world with your God given, curiosity, passion and thoughtfulness.  Grace and Peace to you dear one. 

The other night I went out with some women from our church. We were discussing our favorite movies.  I love small independent films that have a deep story. 

I think I will check out this one with my Blockbuster coupon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVcdo24gaiE

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. 

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.

It has only taken me 12 years of marriage, 11 years out of college, 9 family moves, 6 years of parenting to 3 amazing children, and 3 self owned businesses for me to finally find a rhythm of keeping up my home.

In college, I was a neat freak.  It was very easy to keep my chores up to date when it was only me making the mess.  Then I got married (while still in college) to a wonderful husband who had a different version of “clean” than I did. (I know that is a shocker.) It was a good 5 years of working full time and trying to find out how to keep my house together..and how to let go of unrealistic expectations.  Then kids came into the picture.  Well, as you all may of guessed, the whole “cleaning thing” went out the window. 

So how , do you ask,  have I cracked this nut? Firstly, Laundry.  Less stuff to wash is helpful.  I gave away 60% of our families clothes.  Now I do a load of laundry every day and put it away right when it is done.  That has helped tremendously.  No stress in the morning looking for clothes in laundry baskets is a very good thing!

With this little bit of experience I had a thought the other day.  What if I clean a little bit every day?  How would that work? Not picked up and straightened up but actually cleaned. So I have broken our house down into 6 zones for 6 days of the week.  Leaving the 7th day free for Sabbath rest.

So now I wake an hour before the kids to have my own time to workout and start the day with a God centered frame of mind.  The freedom within structure is holding true in my own life as well.  I have a plan to slowly and steadily do my work in a God honoring way, while including the children.  I must say it is very satisfying.  It is actually inspiring me to write something on our typical daily rhythm.  So look for that soon!

So what is your daily house keeping rhythm?  Consistent or nonexistent.  Feel free to tell on yourself in the comment section or let me know your thoughts on your blog.

Peace to all~ 

The July Mama Blogga Group Writing Project has ended with 28 exceptional entries! Feel free to click on the links below to read other bloggers giving their mamas a little sugar.  This was a great process for me.  I suggest you process through this yourself.  You’ve got one life and you don’t want to wait until your mom is gone before you think this through.

Peace ya’ll

• No Market For Used Teenagers by Robin
• Thank you Mom! by Michelle Buck
• July MamaBlogga Writing Group - Thanks Mom! by Jennifer Hitchcock
• Thanks Mom! by Mama Zen
• To my mom by Deb
• If She Were Alive Today by Mommy Zabs
• Danke Rot Koph by Kymberlyn
• Will she ever say it? by Lisa
• Thanks, Mom. by Kulia
• Thanks, Mom! by Laura Spencer
• Thanks Mom - Group Writing Project by Amber
• Dear Mother…Thanks Mother! by Corey
• Thank you, mom by Lynnae
• My Mother, My Mentor, My Friend by Jill
• GWP - Thanks mum. by Amanda Regan
• Thank