It is 3 days until I get to go to a Womens Retreat. 3 days until the day where I dont have to cook for 6 meals, clean up for 6 meals, do the dishes for 6 meals! Dont have to yell at anyone for not using their utensils (though Nate is getting much better about that now)

   But what is even better than that is the topic this year is "Thirsting for God"!  That is going to be awsome!  I cant wait to listen to the speaker, singing!  Worshiping! Oh this weekend will be a  blast!

  As much as I am excited about all that, and trust me I am, I am just as excited to spend the weekend with my Sister in Law.  we had such a great time last year .  (Jenn, next year, you shall go!!) 

   this week I am praying that God opens my heart and I hear what He wants me to hear.  I am praying I have a GREAT time with my sister and mother in law.  I am praying that dh has fun with the boys (which I know he will) 

So!! Only 3 more days!!  But SOOOOO much I want to get done before I go. 

  As I was saying yesterday before I was off to Bible Study. Actually to be technical, it was a pot luck. we had hamburgers, hot dogs and several yummy salads!!  Anyhooo

   I found a really great way (At least I think it is) It  works for us.  at the time being at least.  Ask me next week. I hope to say the same thing, to get the boys to clean their room, but I know that some times things work and then it gets old or somehting.  Anyhooo

That is the 2nd time i have said that.

   The boys room (they share a room) was horrid!  nasty and filthy.  I dont think we could have even see the floor.  Trying to get them to clean their room is not easy. they will either start playing because they get distracted or they move at a snail's pace.  Both involve me yelling and sometimes spanking. Just not any fun for us at all.  or i usually have to stand in the door way and tell them exactly what to do. I usually end up pulling my hair out by that time. 

Until last week. I just did not feel like dealing with the usual problems and was kind of cranky. 

First what I did was go into their room and took a mental note of what needed to be done.

So I took 2 peices of paper.  1 had Toney's name on it and the other had Nate's name. 

On each paper I put the number 1.  #1 for Toney was pick up all books.  And Nates was to pick up all blankets off of the floor.

I gave them 10 minutes to do this task.  if they failed to get it done, there would be 5 minutes of extra work around the house  and if they did their task with a good attitude I was give them 5  minutes of computer time. And when they were done with task #1 they would come tell me. 

 When that was done, they crossed it off their paper and started task #2.  Toney's was picking up trains and Nate's was picking up all superstructs. Man they have alot of superstructs and they are getting more for Christmas!  ack! what was I thinking

So they ended up having about 10 or so jobs each (if their room was really bad) and when they were done, they either earned computer time or more work.  so far  I have not had to have them do extra work.  I am not even sure what I would make them do  other than smash cans. 

sorry if this has disappointed you in any way, but it works well for us.  Right now anyway. 

What do you all think?  silly?  good idea? I would love to hear what ideas you all have that work for getting kids to clean their rooms well

    I have found a way for the boys to clean their room without me having to stand there in the doorway, or yell, or get mad, or anything like that!! I really feel like I have found something big! I dont know if anyone else has a problem with kids and getting them to clean their rooms or not, but I have and now I have a new system to get it done! AND KEEP MY SANITY!! Oh this is a happy day for me!!!!! 

    I willl explain how I do this in my next post after I get home. I just realized that I have to get 3 kids cleaned and ready to go for our Bible Study potluck that starts in 1 hour and my youngest is in need of a SERIOUS bath! LOLOL. I will be back later tonight and post my method!! 

   I can't believe that 3 weeks of school are done already!  It has gone by so fast.  I was really dreading this year because of the baby. But I think this has been the easiest and best year yet! 

   We are learning about the human body in science. They are reading, reading, and reading more.  We have reading time together. (that is my favorite) Social studies we took a break from what we were doing and did a little bit on Australia because of Steve Irwin. Now Nate says he will be just like Steve when he grows up.  The thing is, I can TOTALLY see him restling an alligator when he grows up.   

     For Bible we are doing our Chapter summery and learning about Abraham. 

All in all, school has been fun so far! 

I promised dh that I would work hard cleaning our room today. waaahOh why did i say that?????????????????

must go now.  sigh

This morning the boys were getting ready for school.  The news was on as we were doing morning chores.  They were talking about Steve Irwin.  And Toney asks me if we can go to his funeral!  ACK.. So tomorrow we will be learning just how far Australia is from here.

     Today last week I took a 2nd pregnancy test.  It was positive like the first one i took two days earlier.  It was even darker than the first one.  So I figured I was having a baby! LOL.  I then fell in love with the little bean (that is what I called the baby)  I told Jonathan that he was going to be a big brother.  I started going through names in my mind that I liked.  Jessica being at the top of that list! hee hee. 

    I knew that I was pregnant for 2 days before I lost it.  I was happy. I was also nervous.  mostly about not having a car that would fit 4 kiddos.  I am a little sad that I miscarried.  I was only 4 weeks and something days. But it is amazing how one can get attatched so easily. 

    sigh...  So that was a week ago.  why am i still so bummed?  Things are so stressfull around here right now. we spent too much at the fair.  We spent over our budget for groceries. I totally UNDER budgeted for gas this month. ack.  oh well. I am trying to look on the bright side of things. 

School is going well. This is going to be a great year.  I am looking forward to some of the projects we will do. 

I should be cleaning right now, but I just  dont wanna! LOL

I just wanted to pop in and tell you all that we serve such an awesome God!!  He is doing things in my life right now that were not expected but are happening anyway! LOL..  I am just praising God right now!! 

Ok, gotta get back to school

  I was reading other blogs tonight and ran across this.  Have thine own way Lord.  Someone had written the words to this song in her blog.  It got me thinking about my life. About what is going on with me right now and how I need to say that to our Father. it is so easy for me to say that in some things. I can give parts of myself, my life to my God, but there are areas that I am having a hard time giving to Him. I am not sure why. 

For the longest time I did not give over my frusterations and failures with cleaning and keeping house.  i did that recently.  I grumbled and complained about cleaning.  I grumbled and complained about how hard homeschooling is for me.  I grumbled and complained that I dont have the 1 thing I have alwasy desired. 

I realized that it is NOT about me.  about what I want, about what is easy or hard for me.  IT is about HIM. It is about how can I glorify my God today?  How can I give him what he wants from me. 

God is showing me that I am here for HIS purpose.  For HIS happieness. NOT mine.  I have been way selfish.  I have been way disobedient. 

Right now I am turning over every area of my life to my savior.  That includes the hardships of homeschooling.  ( I feel alot like Moses when he told God he could not do somthing)  I am turning over the housekeeping to HIM right now.  every area.  the family problems.  the problem that I have right now that is not actually a problem, but i am making a mountain out of a molehill.

Now I am going to find ways to honor my God. as I have not been doing.  Like the song "In all I do, I honor you"  At least I think those are the words. 

I need to do some soul searching and attitude changing. 

Well, I am really frusterated right now.  not sure where to turn.  Well yes I do. I will turn to God!  as I am supposed to. I will run into his arms and tell him my problems and ask for His peace.  I will ask Him what I am to do??  And then I will be silent and listen.  that is a good start yes? 

sorry if this is wacky.  It is perfectly understandable to me.  =)  heehee

One thing that popped in my mind last week.  I was working on my Bible Study wiht my boys.  We are doing Exodus 32 where they people ask Aaron to make them a Golden calf to worship while Moses was on the mountain.   The first thing that crossed my mind was how dorky these people were because God showed himeself to these people and how soon they forget! And then it occured to me that wow!!!  that is me.  I am like those people.  How soon I can forget and start going my own way!  How quickly I can forget what God has done for me.  I am a dork too!   I have this bad BAD habit of running to God when things go wrong.  When things are the least bit upsetting. but when things are going well, hmmm....I dont spend as much time wiht Him as I should. I dont pray as I should.  It was a very good chapter and I missed the study because I was sick.  oh well

    Today would have been Almanzo and Laura Wilder's 121 wedding anniversary! But you probably already knew that.  And tomorrow will be 16 years sinse T asked me out for the first time. it is hard to believe that it has been that long. It has gone by so fast!

We are finishing up the first week of school. It has gone very well. Jonathan has been awake every day while we do school. Last year we waited until he was sleeping to get it done. 

nothing else exciting has been happening. I think I will go eat breakfast!

   We just finished our second day of school.  I bought a fold up table and we are schooling in the living room.  MUCH easier that way with a baby.  Right now I am in one of my panicy  "oh my gosh, I hope I am doing this right" moods!  that usually happens when we start. 

    I bought a test to see where Toney is and how he is doing in school.  He did the test and we sent it off.  Now I am just awaiting the results.  He did very well on the test. The hardest part for him was in the math part.  Place value. I think that is what it is called.  Both him and Nate need help in that area. 

    School took us just over 2 hours today. Not including the break.  That is not too bad.  Jonathan did very well during that time.  The only issue with Jonathan today really was when he walked up to Toney and says "Baby" Which we think he means "Brother play with baby" when he says that to his brothers. It happens usually when they are not paying attention to him and he likes attention. 

     Now that school  is done for the day, now I need to clean this living room!  It is unbelievable how fast this room can get cluttered!  So I will spend the next 20 minutes cleaning and MAYBE just MAYBE it will stay that way for 20 minutes! LOL!! 

    What are you all doing in shcool this year?  I need some creative ideas!