Well, thanks for all the prayers because our testimonies went very well.  We never did get a chance to practice them together, but maybe it was better that way.  People thanked us for being vulnerable and some said they could relate to our story.  The dinner was good, but I couldn't eat much --nerves and all.  Once I stood up at the podium I wasn't nervous at all though.  The dessert was an itsy-bitsy piece of chocolate cake.  DH grabbed my piece of cake when it was served.  I told him, "I am wearing nylons and heels.  I have on nice clothes and did my makeup.  I am at a country club having a great dinner with no children needing anything from me.  I am eating the cake."  And I did.  It was excellent.  And wouldn't you know that piece was just the right size.

     I went to a retreat all day Saturday.  It was very nice.  An old friend was the speaker.  I'd forgotten how she just oozes Jesus.  She is so real and so honest with God and so in love with God.  Her topics were very timely for me as I'm struggling with a person or two in these areas -- humility, forgiveness, and unconditional love.  God is always working on me in my weak areas.  Sometimes I just want a break.  I guess God is more interested in my character than my comfort.  And he should be.  I'm the lazy slug who would wallow in my sin sometimes if He'd let me.  I'm thankful He doesn't (most of the time).  

     My dd went on a youth retreat this weekend.  I only let her go because my dear friend was a chaperone.  So she was with her 2nd mother, so to speak.  I guess the speaker was phenomenal.  He called the children to breakaway from the culture and lean into Jesus.  We talk about that a lot at home.  I'm glad all the kids heard that this weekend.  He also really called out the young men.  He told them that how the men go, so goes the family, and how the men go, so goes the church.  Dd said that the  boys were gentlemen.  I'm glad.  Not that the boys and girls have much interaction on retreat.  Our youth leader keeps the genders pretty well separated.  Another reason dd got to go.   

     I have such a busy week ahead.  I know I always say that.  But it's always true!  Have a great week everyone!!

Ok, so my friend Ellen has been talking about some creative and funny blogs she's read.  Her mom told her that she should start a blog, too.  And she should.  She's got two very energetic toddlers that make for adventure throughout her day.  So I told her, "You really should.  I have one."  Well, that shocked her because I've never mentioned it before yesterday.  So, of course, I had to give her my blog address.  And she liked it! 

So, Ellen, here is your formal welcome to blog-land.  I hope you like it here.  And I hope I'll be reading your blog soon!!

     We were married in April of 1994.  And we'll spare you the stories from our wedding.  There are a lot of them!  Life was good.  We both worked the day shift, met at the gym after work, went home and made dinner together.  We spent the rest of the evening relaxed in each others arms.  That lasted about six months.

     That fall Glen got a promotion which meant moving to second shift.  I got pregnant which for me meant twenty weeks with my head over the toilet!  That marks the beginning of chaos.

     My brother-in-law moved in with us from March until June when I was due.  At that point my in-laws moved in with us for three months to help with the baby.  And also in June, due to a weird turn of events, we became the guardians of my twelve year old sister.  That fall I quit my job and became a stay-at-home mom and Glen began working longer hours because we really needed the overtime money.

     At this point I was really missing church.  (We hadn't found one yet.)  So for my daughter's sake we began attending a church on the recommendation of a friend.  I became involved in the Mom's group and nursery committee.  Two years later after the birth of my son I returned to Bible study after a fifteen year hiatus.  During this time Glen attended service when he wasn't working.  When he returned to the day shift, he became involved in church, too.  Even being on the deacon board.

     I thank God for the friends he had looking out for us during that time, because our relationship was a wreck.  Glen was working two jobs, money was tight, he wanted to go bowling rather than be at home, and when he was at home he wasn't helpful.  And I didn't win any awards either.  I was resentful, jealous, and exhausted.  At that point, I was nursing a baby that didn't sleep at night, chasing a toddler that didn't nap, and driving a teenager and all her friends to all their activities.  With very little help!

     Amazingly, though I didn't know it at the time, God was using this situation (and the worse ones that followed) to break me and teach me to rely on Him.  And I began to.  I would collapse onto the piles of dirty laundry and cry out to God!  I would lock myself in the laundry room and tell God all the ways I was hurting.  My toddlers would be on the other side of the door crying for me to come out.  And after my prayers of anguish I would come out with a little more strength than I thought I had. 

     The darkest day were between 1998 and 2001.  We were in disputes with my mom regarding my sister, my biological dad was fighting cancer for the third time, I was constantly on the run and simultaneously trying to fight ghosts from my past, Glen's spending was out of control, and we hardly talked.  Our mentor couple decided to send us to a Family Life Weekend to Remember conference.  And not only did they pay for the conference, they paid for us to stay two nights at the host hotel and watched out toddlers!  As God would have it, one of my favorite authors was a speaker that weekend.

     That weekend Glen and I began to learn a lot of things  -  that our mate is not our enemy, conflict is inevitable-learn how to handle it, and that I can only change me, not the other guy.  I think that is when we both (without telling each other) quit praying for God to change the other and started praying for God to make us the best spouses we could be.  That was the spring of 1999 and things were bad!  One of the little "projects" you have to do at the conference is write a love letter to your spouse.  So, we went back to our room and I hid in the bathroom and cried because I didn't want to do it.  I hated him too much. 

     I would scream and cry after he left for work each day.  It got to the point that I wished one of us would die in a car accident so one of us could have a fresh start.  I was in a Bible study where every woman listed their husband as their best friend.  Mine wasn't.  We even tried counseling which at least made us talk.  The counselor said, "I can tell you guys love each other."  I was like, "Yay, somebody sees something hopeful in us!"  But I wasn't sure it would be enough.

     Through this whole time God was patiently drawing us and gave us glimmers of hope.  Some things I cooperated with -- like joining a deep Bible study.  I studied the gospel of Matthew coming face to face with Jesus.  he was so holy and I so wasn't.  I came home from Bible study each week sobbing, so ashamed of my sin and so in need of the Savior's touch.  Other things, like forgiving my husband, I didn't want to do.  Didn't that let him off the hook?  Didn't that send the message that it is okay to hurt me?  I was already hurt so much! 

     At one point I thought separation might be the answer.  Maybe a break is what we need.  I confided that to a dear friend and she began to cry.  She had been praying so hard for us.  That's when it hit me.  Our marriage affects more than just the two of us.  We have to make it work!

     I threw myself into Bible study that year.  We studied the life of Moses.  I sobbed through the opening hymns, I shared my heart in our small group time and I took oodles of notes during lecture.  God began to build me up and I shared with Glen all I was learning.  Glen joined the men's study and we shared our viewpoints with each other.  Now we had something to talk about.  Glen also began to show consideration for me and sometimes even in my love language (acts of service).

     We went to our third marriage conference that year as part of the ministry team praying for other couples.  I felt very challenged to show my forgiveness of Glen in a tangible way.  So even though I was harboring anger at the beginning, I got up at 4:30 every morning and made Glen's lunch.  When I started I was doing it for God through clenched teeth.  Eventually I was leaving notes in his lunchbox and packing special treats!

     In May of 2002, Glen and I were standing in the kitchen when it just blew my away.  I liked him.  He was my best friend.  We'd made it through.

     Of course we still have our challenges and always will, but we know God's faithfulness and trust His goodness.  And we remind each other where we've come from as a couple. 

     God continues to give all of us opportunities to practice forgiveness and to do acts of service.  Let's all cooperate to the glory of God!!

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that dh and I will be giving our marriage testimony in church in February.  I thought I would give a sneak peek to you other bloggers.  I'm sure I'll have to do it in parts 'cuz I wrote quite a bit.  Feedback would be great!

     Well, to give a little background on me could take a while.  I'll try to be brief.  But there's so much to tell.  My family puts the fun in dysfunction.  I was born into a Christian, but volatile home.  My parents divorced when I was about 18 months old.  When I was 3 my mom remarried and my new step-dad became a lasting source of stability for me.  A year later my father remarried and my step-mom added stability to that homefront.

     Each of my families added two girls and a boy during the following years and I continued to be shipped back and forth not feeling like I fit anywhere and missing each family when I visited the other. 

     When I was 15 my mom left my step-dad to start a new life and I chose to stay with him and finish high school living with my siblings.  During this time the insecurities I tried to bury rose to the surface and my life was an emotional roller coaster.  It was also during this time that I decided God's plans weren't that great after all and I wasn't speaking to Him.

     This was the stage I was in when I met Glen.  The thing I liked about Glen (other than that he was cute) was that he was a gentleman.  I'd been dating guys who were shall we say "grabby."  And he made me laugh.  I hadn't done that in so long!  Not that I didn't take enjoyment in humor, but I didn't relax and let go of my self-consciousness.  And he brought that back into my life.

     After dating for 11 months we got engaged and began planning our life together.  Or at least I did.  I think Glen just wanted a warm meal, clean clothes, and sweet lovin'.  I wanted all my dreams to come true and all my needs met.  After all, people had been letting me down all my life.  Even God.  This was my chance to get everything I wanted. 

     It's interesting that during our engagement God was drawing us to Him.  Glen accepted Christ during that time and I had a renewed interest in finding a church.

(More to come......)  We'll be giving this more detailed version at the Sweetheart dinner, but we'll condense it for church.

Have a great day!!

Yes, much to my reluctance to do it and my daughter's reluctance to hear it, I gave her the "birds-and-the-bees" talk.  She's 12 1/2 and will be participating in talks on purity this year, so I figured she should know what everyone will be talking about.  (I rewarded myself with Oberweis ice cream.  Is that wrong?)

All of us here have sinus things going on.  I really am hoping that our chiropractor/allergist is covered by our new insurance.  We've all been on meds at one time or another and they don't consistently help.  Ds10's hands are breaking out or chapping or something, so that's a new weird symptom.  And I am so sluggish.  I'm sure it's the lack of sugar and caffeine.  I need to replace the bad stuff with good stuff.  The book I am reading suggests a good multi vitamin, vitamin c, co-enzyme Q10, and 5htp.  Anybody have any experience with these?  I have to do something.  Mom's must have energy.

Well, I'm looking forward to this week.  I get to connect with friends, both old and new!  And I get to finish my part of our marriage testimony.  That will be so encouraging for me!

Have a great day!!!

Wow.  How long has it been since I actually felt productive?  With the holidays, company, and kids activities, productivity has been lost.  I did sleep in, I do confess.  I did take too long in the shower.  But I was productive anyway.  I cleaned my room.  I counseled my sister by phone.  I talked a friend off the ledge.  I scheduled this next week.  I made bread.  Balanced the checkbook.  Went through ALL my piles and condensed them to 2 small piles.  (Still need a place for them.)  Did a little reading.  I made dinner and managed to get some laundry done. 

More importantly, I told my children how proud of them I am.  I snuggled my 3yr old.  I talked to my recently widowed mother-in-law and my recovering-from-hospital-stay brother-in-law.  I left a fun message for a sibling.  I listened as my daughter shared what she learned from her book.  I  rejoiced with my son when he got the Christlikeness star at this week's basketball game.  I didn't nag my dh.  I gave him the space to have some time to himself and be refreshed.  And the day was wonderful.  I wasn't a taskmaster and didn't try to make everything about me.  I let go and gave up control.  And it felt good.  I pray I continue.

Blessings!!!

That's right.  I went jeans shopping.  By myself.  I had one hour and a $50 Sears gift card.  It was torture.  (But not as bad as swimsuit shopping!!)  I tried on a bazillion pairs in different brands.  Does anyone make jeans for real people?  I tried 3 brands besides Levi's.  Then I tried on every number Levi ever made.  I even tried jeans from the junior department (I'm pretty small.)  I found one so-so pair of jeans (Levi's) which I snatched up like I had won the lottery.  I wore the jeans out on my date with my husband tonight.  (No, I didn't wash them first.  I was running late.)  They're ok.  Not perfect, but passable.  And I'm refreshed to have a pair of jeans that are nice.  I only had one pair of jeans and they were trashed.

My dh and I went to see a Second City performance tonight.  It was really fun.  We went with my brother and his fiance'.  We had a gift card to Second City from last Christmas that needed to be used before it expired.  Does that tell you how little my husband and I get out?  Oh well, it was fun and reminded us that we should "date" more!!

Have a great weekend!! 

Well, I don't know where I've been, but  apparently I haven't been here.  I've really missed it.  I love checking in with you ladies to see what you've been up to.  I guess I should give a brief "catch-up".

The holiday discussion with my family went south.  Luckily everything has already been planned for next year.  (We don't want a repeat of this turmoil!)  My ds10 was in a play at church.  It was great.  I watched a friend's 3 kids while they were in China adopting a baby.  I'll post pictures of her soon.  We had three Christmases and my ds (now 3) birthday party/open house. 

Big news delivered over the holidays:  my sister who lives out east is pregnant (first baby) and due July 15th and my brother and his girlfriend (who had the baby in September) announced their engagement on New Year's.

My current life:  I gave up sugar and caffeine for the new year, hoping to last one week.  I feel so much better I've decided to continue.  I'm sure I'll return to sugar (in more modest amounts, I hope).  But I don't plan on returning to caffeine at this point.  I'm joining several friends in reading a daily, chronological Bible this year.  My husband and I are preparing our "Marriage Testimony" to share with our church in February.  I'll have to post it here when it is done.  God has brought us quite far in our almost 14 years of marriage.  I am still stressed about money, so if you think about it would you pray for peace in finances for me?  This is especially timely as we have had over $1000 in repairs done to both vehicles in the past two months.  I'm actually getting a date night with my husband on Friday.  My little sister started a Facebook page for me on Christmas Eve.  (I really didn't want it!)  But through it an old grade school friend contacted me and we are having lunch together later this month. 

I guess that's all for now.  I hope to be here much more in the new year.  Happy 2008!!

Ok, having extended family and/or a large immediate family really complicates things.  We are trying to plan for the holidays, but running into roadblocks at every turn.  So, it looks like I'll be with my brother for Thanksgiving and with my sister for Christmas Day.  We won't all be together until New Year's when we celebrate my Dad's birthday.  It's making me a little crazy.  I knew once everyone got married and started having kids that things would change.  But, boy oh boy, getting everyone on the same rotation is going to be a challenge.  How do the rest of you do things?  I don't want to be that family member that everyone gripes about.  I just want (and my sister does, too) everyone together for whatever holiday we rotate for.

Also, my brother's girlfriend is getting grief from her company about her maternity leave.  She had a C-section and her Dr. requested an eight week leave.  The company denied the request.  Doesn't she have to have the Dr's permission to return to work?  Have any of you dealt with this before?  It doesn't seem right that they can force her to return to work after six weeks.

Does anyone want to "weigh in" on the Santa vs. No Santa argument?  Dh and I grew up with Santa and lots of presents.  We did Santa with the older two, but we also weren't completely integrated into a church or homeschooling when we started that tradition.  My little guy will be almost 3 this Christmas and it will be the first time he really remembers a lot about the holidays.  I'm not sure I want to do Santa anymore.  I think he'd be better off without it.  I know one side of my family will freak out if we "do away" with Santa.  How do you handle this in your homes?  What do you tell a little child so that they won't spoil Santa for other families?

On a lighter note, we are going on a back stage tour of the Lyric Opera in Chicago.  The tour is for children 3rd grade and up.  We will be going through the make up and costume rooms.  We even get to walk the cat walk.  If you live within a few hours of Chicago and have older kids this might be a good trip for you.  Check out www.lyricopera.org/education/backstage.asp .  The also have a student matinee in the spring for grades 7 and up.  Stay tuned for a complete report in a week or so.

Blessings to you!!!

I'm very excited to announce the paying off of the first two credit cards on our list.  We paid off the first card on Saturday afternoon.  It was a wonderful feeling.  I just made arrangements to pay off the second one on Friday.  I am so thankful!!!   I'm going to relish this feeling because it may be 18-24 months before you see another announcement like this.  Our other cards have larger balances.  If you think to, pray that we would have continued joy in our budgeting.  And pray for continued ways to keep expenses low.

God is so faithful even when what we offer Him seems like nothing.  He knows my heart on this money issue. I will "stress out" over money again and again and He will prove that He is what I need again and again!

Have a great day!!!

When I woke up this morning I had no idea what an exciting day this would turn out to be! 

It started out pretty much as usual.  We took dd12 to band at the local Christian school.  Then we got the privilege of taking my friend, Beth's, daughter to preschool.  We had a pretty productive day of school and I got almost all the laundry done and folded.  I talked my brother's girlfriend "off the ledge" as she was having a horrible day.  I watched some mindless tv while I got ready to go for dinner.  The original plan was for my sister and I to have dinner with my Dad.  Well, it turned into dinner for almost the whole family.  It was pretty fun!

At dinner my "baby" sister announced that she was engaged!!!!  I'm so excited !!! Her fiance is this super great guy!!  They hope to get married next fall.  She looks so happy and her fiance looked much more relaxed than I've ever seen him. 

We all "fought" over holding my niece.  She's soooo cute!  She's started gaining weight and I think that is helping MBG (My Brother's Girlfriend)  calm down a little. 

Anyway, after dinner (which my Dad bought--Yay!) my brother and MBG asked me to be my niece's Godmother.  MBG is Catholic and the baptism is scheduled for 11/11.  I was so shocked to be asked.  And so excited!!!  I started to cry.  Now I'll never be able to sleep!!

Have a great night!!

The phone call we got was from my brother-in-law.  He called to tell us that my father-in-law had a heart attack.  He didn't have any other information.  So my dh called his Mom.  I could tell by the look on his face that things weren't good, but when the tears came I knew Dad was gone.  It's interesting that as much as my dh and I disagreee about certain things, we made the next few decisions quickly and agreed immediately.  He would go to Arizona and I would finish the week in Alabama with the kids.  (Remember--we're on a cash budget, so we didn't have enough money to fly the family out.)  Dh flew out of Nashville the next morning.  When he got to Dallas for his connecting flight, he found out it was cancelled.  They offered to fly him out the next day, but dh was insistent that he needed a flight ASAP.  They put him on another flight and 12 hours after he had left Alabama he arrived in Phoenix.  It was a long week for his family.  All the siblings were together Tuesday -Sunday and the other two spouses were there as well (which made it so hard for me to be away from dh).  They had a family viewing (Dad was going to be cremated).  They planned the Memorial Service for the end of the week.  They helped Mom (who never managed the finances or balanced the checkbook) figure out her finances and cut expenses.  And dh spoke at the Memorial service (I have a cd of the service that I haven't listened to yet--I'm still in denial).  Dh hubby flew home with his brother Sunday evening and had to head back to work Monday morning.  I don't know how he did it!

Those of us left in Alabama fed the ducks, went swimming, did a tiny bit of school, went to an Amish settlement, and watched TV (with Mommy having periodic meltdowns).  I drove the kids back alone and they were so good.  I guess they knew I was stressed out.  Besides, we had borrowed all the cds of Jonathan Park, so that kept us pretty busy.  We got home in time to put the house together and get groceries before dh arrived.

Our family and friends have been so supportive as this is the first time we've had to walk through a death in the family as a couple.  We have received so many cards and calls.  Two friends made meals for us our first week home which made coping so much easier.  My Mother-in-law is doing extremely well considering that December would have been their 60th wedding anniversary.  We won't have enough money to go visit her next year like the rest of the family, but we hope she'll be receptive to the idea of us paying for her to fly here for a couple of weeks. 

Sorry for the delay in posting.  So much has been going on that I have neglected blogging.  That reminds me, ds 2 3/4 has started potty training.  Yeah!!!!!!

Well, I figure I'd better stick some current info in this entry before it is old news.  So, here goes:

              On September 14th, another one of the cutest nieces in the world was born.  Madeleine Brooke weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces, 20 1/2 inches long, arrived at 10-something in the morning.  I hope to post pictures (as soon as my friend, Gena, shows me how--hint, hint).  My dd12 quit gymnastics after 8 years of lessons and five years of competition.  And ds10 got one of the main parts in the Christmas play at our church.  My husband and I are going to training next weekend to learn how to mentor couples.  And earlier this month I neglected to announce that we have been on our cash budget for SIX MONTHS!!!  God is soooo good!

We now resume our regularly scheduled blogging.

At church this morning I ran into a friend in the lobby.  She said, "Hey, I found your blog.  And I've been reading it."  She found me through one of you.  She's been very encouraged by what she's been reading on the blogs.  Keep up the good work! 

So "Hi AmyJo!  Thanks for visiting!  I hope you keep reading (and even comment or start your own blog--I know I could learn from you!!)

Saturday morning was very nice.  Once I got out of bed, that is!  My Mom sent the kids in to wake me (read jump on me) at 8am because she was taking me to breakfast.  She's a diabetic and needs to eat at regular intervals, so no sleeping late for me!  We went to the Shoney's breakfast buffet.  We had a good time which really surprised me and started our time off well.  (My Mom and I have had a strained relationship since I was 15.  More about that another time.)  Meanwhile, my Mom's husband, Charlie, and my dh went golfing. 

Saturday afternoon my sister, Amber, and her family arrived.  They stayed 'til Monday afternoon.  I hadn't seen her in two years, so it was nice to see her.  Our two families had a great time in the pool.  Uncle Shannon was awesome, making huge waves in the pool and dunking the older kids.  We had good meals together, too.  There was a little too much drama that carried on during their stay.  They were having a relationship issue that definitely needs to be solved, but they weren't able to put it aside to visit well.  I hardly saw my sister and that truly was a bummer.  She was always going up to her room or going outside or staying inside when I was out.  It was a little irritating when our time was so short. 

Sunday morning dh and I went to church with my Grandma.  She goes to a very lively and friendly church.  We attend the Seniors' Sunday School class with my favorite teacher, Jack Hilliard.  We also went to the church service.  Everyone was so welcoming.  If I ever move to Florence, AL I'll attend Highland Baptist Church.  Grandma took us to Country Boy's for lunch.  I had chicken 'n dumplings, cornbread and fried okra.  Yum!!  When we got back to the house my mom was watching ds2 and my niece, Atlanta, in the kiddie pool.  They were having a blast!  My mom filled the pool inside the dog's run so that neither kiddo would escape.  It was quite an ingenius idea.  I have video footage of the three of them "in the cage."  We just spent the evening watching TV and looking things up on the computer together.  I found an old friend of my Mom's.  She's really excited to write to her after losing touch about 25 years ago.

Monday we were invited to my cousin's house on the river to go boating.  We had a great time.  The kids went tubing and ds10 learned how to drive (is that what you call it?) the waverunner with my great uncle.  He is 71 years old, but he was out in the water with the kids having a great time.  I got sunburned (not good for someone with a melanoma family member).    That is when we got the call that changed our week..........

I say Part 1 because I know I'll get interrupted before I get through the whole trip.  I say trip because it wasn't a vacation really.  We are all tired, not refreshed.   Not that it wasn't a good trip, it was.  Just not a restful one.  

The week before we left was enough to try anyone's patience.  I was trying to get school, laundry, and packing done before we were to head out of town the Friday of Labor Day weekend.  Instead the five of us had Dr. appointments.  We all either had a sinus or an ear infection, and lucky Dd12 had both.  Also, for four of us our allergies were acting up pretty intensely.  So five Dr. visit co-pays and 5 SETS of med co-pays.  Our flexible spending is gone.  The air conditioning went out on my van that week as well.  My van is the one we travel in and we were headed to Alabama, so we had to get that fixed.  It was quite an expensive week and we hadn't even left town yet. 

Friday dawned and we got up and loaded up.  We were only 30 min behind schedule when we left the driveway at 6:30am.  We blew through the city making record time and making Dh very happy.  On vacation we all take turns choosing cds to listen to, so I think we listened to the Gettys, the States & Capitols,  Voddie Baucham, High School Musical, and hours and hours of borrowed Jonathan Park.  My husband asked, "How long does this trip usually take you?"  (He's never come with us to Alabama before.)  It usually takes us 10 1/2--12 1/2 hours depending on the number of stops.  Well, we set a new record.  After spending 2 1/2 hours stuck in traffic due to bad accidents and stopping for one meal in Munfordville, Kentucky.  (We like to stop at the Country Fixens Restaurant.)  It took us nearly 14 hours to drive to northern Alabama.

Our family was thrilled to have us there and my children had the run of the property.  My Grandmother had food and goodies waiting for us.  We chatted and chatted and barely got ourselves off to bed by midnight.

(Ahh, here is the interruption I was waiting for.....)

     No, don't worry.  I won't be logging my school day count every day.  I'm just excited about school because I went to our co-op meeting tonight.  It was so great to see all those people that you have so much in common with but you don't get to see all summer.  I'm also excited as an answer to prayer, I'm sure.  I asked my small group during prayer request time this morning to pray for enthusiasm, energy, and commitment for our homeschooling.

     Dd12 got a 93% on her first Chemistry test today!  It was such a confidence builder.  I hope that is a preview of things to come.  She also bathed ds2 for me while I went through piles of paper.  The library reading program is over on Saturday, so she is still reading every free minute she has.  Ds10 did better on his bookwork.  (Is there any program that will ever help him understand prepositions?)  He also found the answer for patching our bathroom door.  So, this afternoon we made another trip to Home Depot where we found the nicest associated ever!!  She helped ds find everything on his list, made suggestions, and answered his questions.  When we were done she shook his hand, told him that she was proud of him, and that she thought he was a hard worker.  He was a little embarrassed, but proud, I think.  He came home and completed step 1 of the repair.  He also matched the stain color to a color card.  Today's trip was a little more expensive, right around $10, but the learning is priceless.

     Tomorrow we probably won't get any "school" done.  We are visiting the local senior center to do crafts and play games with the people there.  Then we are babysitting for a friend while she has a doctor's appointment.  She's invited us to stay for lunch and swim which I think that we'll do, since there aren't that many days left to do that.  Then we need to make a trip to the Farmer's Market to get meat and honey and whatever else looks good.  The evening will find dd at the gym, me at Bible study, ds continuing to repair the door, and dh trying to keep up with ds2!

          Have a great day!!! 

     A couple of posts ago I mentioned that my dc had asked to start school early.  So we did--lightly.  Today was the scheduled first day.  (I like to get in 16 weeks before Christmas.)  It went very well.  Ds10 rushed through some of his bookwork, but settled down when he was called back to redo some of it.  Dd12 seems to be getting a good grasp of her chemistry.  Now if Algebra 2 was only that easy.............  Ds2 occupied himself pretty well when I was "engaged" and was fascinated that his name is in the Bible book we started reading through.  I'm prereading the gospels with dc to prepare them for BSF this year.

     The best part of the day happened when book learning was over.  Dd12 scrubbed my shower.  Yeah!!!!  And ds10 began the project part of his school year.  He is a hands on learner and my "gadget-guy", so he gets to use his afternoons for practical projects.  He researched online to find solutions to fix our doorbell and a loose towel rack in our powder room.  He found diagrams for doorbell trouble-shooting and a video on tightening  towel racks.  We spent $4 at Home Depot and he was able to fix both.  He was SO proud to show Daddy this evening.  And I was thrilled to see him having so much fun.  I can't wait to see what he works on tomorrow! 

     I am usually organized but not structured.  (Does that make sense?)  But lately have felt unstructured and unorganized, so this afternoon I began a little planning "catch-up" time.  I planned this first all-subjects school week and filled out a weekly chore chart for each child.  The chore chart is a new idea, but I am combining it with my use of the motivated moms planner.  We'll see if I can keep up with everything.  I discussed with dh how I'm going to need a few hours each week for planning and organizing time.  He seemed receptive to the idea.  If he sees the house running more smoothly, I'm sure he'll even be more supportive.  One change we've made with the older dc this summer and will carry into fall is giving each child "kitchen duty" two days in a row.  That way if something doesn't get clean we know who needs more practice.  Also, when we have those nights where we have to rush out to get somewhere, the dishes aren't left for someone else. 

     I was hoping to get through my pile of papers today, too, but it was not to be.  I did make bread, clean out the pantry, read, plan, do five loads of laundry, make a grocery list, help dd make baked oatmeal, check email, pick up dd's math book from a friend's house, and babysit for a friend.  And now I'm off to bed so that I'm not the straggler for Monday mornings lessons!! 

Well, you take kids' TV away, and they just about lose their minds.  My kids came back from a fun-filled week at Grandma and Grandpa's and decided they wanted to start school a week early!!  Can you believe it?  Dd12 said, "Well, we were gonna start school next week anyway..."  So, they are directing themselves this week.  I am trying hard to just be a resource as we transition into school.  Leaving my former stressed out way is hard, but God is allowing me to be "hands-off" as we begin.

Dd12 has started her chemistry book and has organized her notebook very well.  She has also been doing word studies in scripture.  She has practiced piano and flute and continues to read (she still wants to win the summer reading program).  She began a study skills "course" which she hopes will earn 1/4 credit for high school.

Ds10 has started reviewing his math facts.  He is reading a little and practicing piano and bass.  He is getting a lot of opportunities to practice his life skills.  He also is working through books of electronic projects and paper projects.  He knows that writing and grammar begin next week!!

I am so happy to have this time to begin school without fighting the kids.  We are addressing attitudes and arguments immediately, so as not to contiue the bad habits we sometimes fall into when I am pushing to get things done.

Happy Schooling!