I'm going to be working on adding one new habit to my routine each week and I'm going to blog about it here to keep myself accountable. 

This weeks new habit is keeping the bathroom tidy and clean...I gave it a major clean last week (removed all the old-almost-empty bottles etc from the cabinet, sprayed & cleaned the whole thing out with bleach, including behind the drawers!). 

Now I am keeping the bath towels, hand towels and bath-mat  in there and one small container to hold the shampoo & conditioner (we can't leave them in the shower because my toddler can reach them and squeezes them out!).

So my new habit is to change the hand towel each morning after my shower, and then use the old one to wipe down the basin, keeping it clean & shiny without needing a major clean (every now & then I will use a tiny bit of shampoo & wet the hand towel if it needs more of a clean).

This is what my bathroom looks like this morning:

I also decided to splash out and buy liquid soap from now on...regular soap is way cheaper, but makes a huge yucky mess. 

Next on my list of things to buy is a nice bathroom set (toothbrush holder, and liquid soap dispenser etc).

Love & blessings

Ang

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Here are the pics of my new baby boy Levi, born 21-02-04, weighing in at 8lbs 5oz and 59cm long (23.2").  That's pretty impressive for 38 weeks gestation!!

Levi the "bump" about an hour before the birth...hmm, I've really gotta work on my posture, and I'm really wishing I put on some make-up LOL!  This is the ONLY preggy photo I have of myself...I actually really dislike having my photo taken...especially when I feel like a whale LOL!!

Newborn (via c-section)

Big brother Jack (who gets his cheeky smile from his dad!)

Okay, so those are all newborn photos, he's actually 7 weeks old tomorrow!!  So here's what he looks like today:

One of these days, I might just have to make some time to start blogging again...for now though, it'll only be random blogs here and there, as it'll take awhile to adjust to being the mother of 4, especially having a two year old and a baby...now that's hard work!!

Love & God bless!!

Ang

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I know I don't get here very often these days (as in, hardly ever!), but I really felt God telling me to drastically cut down on my computer time, so I've given up my e-groups and blogging has taken a back seat to my "real life".   I was spending way too much time 'surfing', and not enough time on my children & keeping house.

My friend 40winkzzz, wanted to know how I was getting on (got sick of checking my not-updated blog for for the hundredth time probably!), so this is just a wee note to update anyone who might be interested.

Well, I'm doing fine...I'm 30 weeks pregnant now, so I'm big and hot (as in temperature-wise LOL, it's the middle of summer here in NZ), this is my first third-trimester-in-summer pregnancy (oh joy).  LOL, pregnancy is so NOT my favourite thing (but I do LOVE babies!!), just one of those ends-justify-the-means kinda things I guess!!  We are taking a wee break from school at the moment, but we'll get back into it next week...I don't want to take too much time off the 3 R's right now, as we'll be having time-out from that when the baby arrives.

Anyway, I must go...lots to do!

Love & blessings

Ang

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"Mike Teavee..."

(from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

"The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set–
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all the shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink–
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSES IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK–HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY...USED...TO...READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic takes
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy–Winkle and–
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How The Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole–
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks–
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something good to read.
And once they start–oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hearts. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.
P.S. Regarding Mike Teavee,
We very much regret that we
Shall simply have to wait and see
If we can get him back his height.
But if we can't–it serves him right."

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Woo hoo!!  I have just (last week) completed The Reading Lesson with my children and THEY CAN READ!!  Ds-8 had 18 mths at PS from age 5, and came away from that reading at his 'age level', but only able to read very basic stuff - lame early readers etc, and HATED reading with a passion.  So after I brought him home, we took a little over a year off formal reading and writing 'lessons' to allow him to learn to LOVE reading and writing again.  Dd-7-next-week had 2 months at PS and couldn't read much at all...I had got half way through Learn-to-read-in-100-Easy-Lessons with her, but she hated it.   

We started using The Reading Lesson in the 2nd week of July on the recommendation of my good friend Cynthia Hancox  (author of the awesome and FREE ebook Goodbye Chaos, Hello Peace) and they both just whizzed through it! 

We used stickers as a motivation & reward for completing lessons and mastering the accompanying words lists (which worked really well...it's amazing how much motivation a cute sticker can be!).

As well as getting a sticker on their progress chart for each lesson completed, they also got to choose a sticker for their sticker albums.

Now the children are each choosing a short story to read to me each day - they usually choose a story from The Aesop For Children - with Pictures by Milo Winter (also available here as a free printable online ebook) which is an excellent book that we also use for narration (I would have to say that this book - which I brought cheaply 2nd hand, is by far our BEST, and most used, educational resource - apart from the Bible of course!).  It has nice large print for easy reading with a great balance of words that they know and words that challenge them (without frustrating them).

It is such a good feeling to have both my school-age children now reading well!

Love & blessings

 Ang

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Here are my newly developed yearly planner and weekly homeschooling record form (Charlotte Mason Style). 

They are in pdf format, as I don't seem to be able to post a Word.doc...but if you would like a copy you can modify for yourself, I will be happy to email one to you.

 Ang

 Weekly HS Record Form

Yearly Planning Form Jan - Dec

Yearly Planning Form Aug - Jul

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Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God

Click here to enter:

http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/2007/10/giveaway-10-copies-of-passionate.html

 Ang

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Wow, it's been months since I blogged!!  And, no I didn't drop off the planet and yes everything is okay! 

The main reason that I haven't been blogging is because I'm 18 weeks pregnant (due early March 08) and I've been really, really tired.  I've been struggling to keep up with the housework (among other things!) and, sadly, blogging was the first thing to go!

I hope to get back to more regular blogging soon, I'm starting to get the house under control again now, so hopefully, I'll be able to put some time aside in the near future (now that I'm starting to get over the all-day tiredness...it's mostly only afternoon & evening tiredness now!!).

Oh, yes, and I'm also just starting potty-training with my 22 mth old (gotta get that kid toilet-trained before the next one comes!!), so that's taking up a fair bit of my time too!!

Anyway, must go!!  Got to fix breakfast for us all!!

Love & blessings

Ang

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In the beginning of this chapter Teri talks about how she NEVER - unless directly asked - reveals two particular things about herself, because of the ensuing turn in the conversation, and I'm sure you'll be all too familiar with the pattern of this conversation (paraphrased & modified by myself, from the book):

Average Mother asks the DREADED question, "so how many children do you have, and what school are they going to?"

Teri, "we have eight children and, actually, we homeschool"

Average Mother, "Oh my! You must be the most patient woman in the world! I could never do that, my two children drive me crazy!"

Ah huh. Well, I know what Teri means when she says that she is most certainly NOT the most patient woman in the world. She then goes on to ponder what it is then, that made her happy to have eight children and homeschool...her conclusion? An undergirding of a meek and quiet spirit.

Meeting with the Lord

Teri talks about how the Lord has shown her over the last 24 years the importance of spending time with Him daily, in His Word and in prayer. "Most homeschool moms start their homeschooling journey with a definite call from the Lord to homeschool, whether it is through their husbands direction or simply a burden on their own heart. They are stepping out in faith as they start to homeschool, knowing that in no way are they "qualified" or "capable" of homeschooling. However they are convinced that their God is bigger than any of their failings, and they cling joyously to 2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (KJV) They believe the truth of Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me".

She goes on to say how the first thing to be dropped from a busy homeschooling mom's life is most often her quiet time with the Lord. I certainly know from my personal experience that my days go MUCH more smoothly when I make time first thing in the morning to have my quiet time...even if that means getting up at 5 or 5:30am!! And if I'm having a particularly frazzled day, it's most often because I missed my quiet time, or just never managed to 'fit it in'. How else can we have our spirits renewed and refreshed each day, if we miss out this vital spiritual food??!! How can we commit our day to the Lord, and get his help and guidance, if we don't take the time to ask?

Martha or Mary?

Now I know we are all familiar with the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42, where Martha receives Jesus into her home, and then asks Jesus why he doesn't bid her sister Mary to get up (from Jesus's feet) and help her to serve...he goes on to tell her that Mary has chosen the better thing, to sit at His feet and listen, and rest in Him. I know that many (or most!) homeschooling mothers would fall into the Martha category, rushing around trying to DO everything, and not making time for the most important thing...I know I often do!

There are so many more things that I want to talk about from this chapter, but (as this post has become very long!), I will have to leave it for next week! I've been very naughty sitting here at the computer instead of cleaning the house! ;-)

I would love for you to share your thoughts and experiences!

Love & blessings

Ang

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"...I deeply desired a meek and quiet spirit to replace the irritable, impatient, sometimes even angry one I was displaying."

In this chapter Terri talks about her early years BH (before homeschooling) when she was one of those mothers who just couldn't wait to get her 3 children off to school (yep, been there!) to her first day as a homeschooling mom, sitting down to help her 7 year old son with his reading, which he had been struggling with at school..."By the end of those first 15 minutes of my dream homeschooling life, I had become a very frustrated mother.  I was close to tears.  Rather than being patient and loving, I had been short and irritable.  I expected my son to sound out the very words he had struggled with at school!"  Do you relate?  I do (much to my chagrin).  After all, one (of the many!) reasons we started to homeschool, was because it (public school - PS) was not the best learning environment for our son (now almost 8, he spent 18 months at PS before coming home) and yet, I allow myself to get frustrated and irritated with him at times, because he is still struggling with his reading...on the one hand, I am happy for him to come along at his own pace, his love of reading being far more important to me than being able to "brag" that he is a great reader...and yet...

Terri goes on to say how the Lord showed her that her reactions during these reading sessions where sinful...

"Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

I know I am not showing love (mine or the Lords!) in my speech and actions, when I allow myself to become irritated, short and sometimes angry at my family (whether I may be "justified" or not).

I also feel convicted that I need to say many more positive things to my children (and my husband!) I am very quick to point out the wrongs of others and, at times, I have a critical spirit.  I am also very hard on myself.  I know (and freely admit) my faults (most of them anyway ;-) but I need to have more grace, both for myself and for others, and I need to remember to praise the postitive things far more than I point out the negative.

I know that I cannot change on my own.  But I can change with the help of my Lord Jesus Christ, by whose blood I am cleansed from all sin, and who can help to overcome my sinful nature.

Let me share with you a couple of verses that I am clinging to, as I endeavour to change myself:

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"...for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:6

Love & blessings

Ang

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I've just received my copy of "Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit" by Terri Maxwell of www.titus2.com and I just can't wait to dig into it!  Terri has struggled with many of the same things that I have (anger and depression being the main ones) and I have been so blessed by reading some of her articles, that I just knew I had to read this book as soon as I saw it!

Here is an excerpt from the preface (read full version here):

I think homeschooling moms are a wonderful group of women! I am most pleased to be numbered among you. There isn’t a more determined, dedicated set of women in the entire world! You have chosen an unpopular, difficult path that comes with little outside encouragement. Yet, you have set your face on obedience to the Lord and what you know is best for your children–no matter what it costs you personally!

Even so, there are issues homeschooling brings up that I find are very common to most of us who homeschool. These common issues speak of what happens inside our hearts when we become fully responsible for our children’s education, when they are home with us all day every day, and when we add several hours’ worth of homeschooling into a full schedule as a wife, mother, homemaker, and Christian.

Sadly, if we don’t meet the challenges of homeschooling with a meek and quiet spirit, we find ourselves discouraged. This is the very last thing you or I need to have to deal with! We can cope with the myriad of daily difficulties and decisions that a homeschooling lifestyle brings with it, as long as we are having the right responses to them. Let us be fearful, worried, anxious, frustrated, irritated, or angry, and we know we are undermining all we want to accomplish by homeschooling. We do not like this!

Because I have walked the homeschooling path for many years, I know first-hand the struggle for a meek and quiet spirit. The memories from my early homeschooling years of often being worried and angry rather than having a meek and quiet spirit are unpleasant for me. My prayer is that as I share the work the Lord has done in my heart, mostly through homeschooling, you would be encouraged that He can do the same for you. I also desire that you could learn from the lessons He has taught me so that you would begin to have a meek and quiet spirit long before I did.

Does that speak to you?? 

It sure does to me!  Oh, I just know the Lord has plans to change me through this book!

I'm going to be sharing my thoughts, trials and triumphs here on my blog as I go through this book, so please feel free to join me!  I'll try to blog at least once a week (if not more!).

Love & blessings!

Ang

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Oh wow, how sweet is that?  Someone nominated me for "Best Thrifty Homeschooler"!!   Makes me feel a little bad that I haven't posted in so long!  I didn't even realise until some left a comment about stopping by here because they were checking the nominees!

So I've been racking my brains for the last few days trying to think of some more frugal tips to post (after all assumably people will be checking out my blog with the purpose of seeing why I have been nominated as a thrifty homeschooler!) but I haven't come up with anything yet!  So I'm afraid you'll have to be content with checking out my old frugal tips posts!

Oh and I also changed my RSS site feed thingee (I didn't even know what that was) at the request of Jimmie.

Love & Blessings

Ang

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I have had some amazing spiritual experiences in recent weeks...I attended our churches women's camp a couple of weeks ago and I had the most amazing time...but it's so discouraging when a couple of weeks down the track, you feel like you're right back where you started from, and God feels once again distant and somehow removed from your everyday life.  I know that it's not God that's distant, but me.  It's hard not to let the little everyday things rob you of your joy...I guess that's the result of living in a fallen world.  It's hard.

"The Christian has a great advantage over other men" said C.S Lewis, "not by being less fallen than they, nor less doomed to live in a fallen world, but by knowing that he is a fallen man in a fallen world."

I know God is real, I've felt Him, so why am I still plagued with doubt?  Because I'm human, I guess.  I know that my faith is not perfect, and never will be.  I hate that.  I hate that I'm not perfect. 

So what does it mean to have faith? 

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (KJV)

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (NIV)

 1-2The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd. (The Message)

In the words of Philip Yancey (I just LOVE Yancey's books!) in his book "Reaching for the Invisible God";

"The only thing more difficult than having a relationship with an invisible god is having no such relationship".

Amen!

Love & blessings

Ang

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Now I had managed to cut my grocery bill down by almost half, but I have been frustrated with the amount of mince (ground beef) and sausages we have been eating, as well as having to fill up on bread, rice and pasta.

I decided that I need to get more raw fruit and veges into my diet (hmm...I haven't been doing so great with my salads this week!  I had huge salad every day for lunch for 2 weeks straight and sometimes for dinner too, but I just can't seem to face them this week!), but I wasn't sure that we could afford it on our budget!? 

Well guess what?  Last week I came $10 under budget and I brought HEAPS of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and dried fruit!  It did help that I have a freezer full of meat, from buying in bulk when things like mince, chicken breast, chicken pieces and sausages were on special!  So I didn't need to buy any meat last week...nor do I need to this week (actually I could about a month without needing to buy any more meat!), unless of course, there are some great specials!  I have resolved to never buy meat that is not on special!  And you don't need to when you buy in bulk.

More about Meat...

We have cut down on the amount of meat we use, like having homemade tortillas (a family favorite) with meat and salad...I find you only need about half the amount of meat as usual when you have tortilla's, so I usually make enough for about 4 meals and freeze the rest in meal-sized portions to whip out of the freezer (along with the pre-made & frozen tortillas) for a very quick, easy meal on those days when you might otherwise be tempted to grab take-out!  We have things like Mexican Mince, Teriyaki Chicken or Sausage & Lentil Casserole in our tortillas...the possibilities are endless!  It's a great way to use up leftovers too!

I doubled the quantity of our mince spaghetti bolognaise (ground beef, tinned tomatos, tomato paste, onions, garlic and herbs) the other night by cooking a cup of red lentils and adding it in...it did give it a slightly different taste, but it wasn't bad and it meant I could put another nights dinner in the freezer!  Boy, do I LOVE easy meals! 

Love

Ang

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