Jan. 9, 2007 - Elijah's Monumental Week
This has been a week full of growth for Elijah. His first tooth has finally broke the surface. He has not been feeling well. He has been running a slight tempt, runny nose, fussy, and very little appetite. I thought he was becoming sick; it was actually his teething.
He has also finally learned to crawl. He is so cute! For the longest time he would just rest on all fours and bounce forward and backward, or he would arch his back like a scared cat and come back down to the floor. Sometimes he would just tip over. He has now learned to put his little knee under his abdomen and push up. The obstacles he is now facing are his brothers and sister. They think his crawling is so cute that they all circle around him and egg him on. He cannot move anywhere for being corraled.
Elijah is also saying, "Mama." Of course he is just babbeling, but it is cute to hear him say it. He has "DaDa down very well.
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Jan. 3, 2007 - Peanut Butter Boy
I saw Luke walk by with what looked like a green rubberband wrapped around his head. I did not think anything about. I thought he had been playing Super Hero or something. As it turns out that green rubberband was really green gum! It was smack-dab across his eyebrows, and it would not come off by just pulling at it. It was hanging on for dear life. The only thing I knew to use was peanut butter. So I smeared peanut butter all around his head and let it sit for a while. It was futile; it was like I had not applied anything. Luke is screaming at the top of his lungs because he was scared and because he got peanut butter on his favorite Tigger shirt. When I was trying to whipe the peanut butter off, he screaming, "It hurts, it hurts!" In the background, Will is asking me a question about hair, Austin is terrorizing Hillary and she is piercely screaming, and the phone was ringing. Can you just see the stress? :0)
After I got the peanut butter of his face and out of his hair, the only thing I knew to do was use baby oil. Luke was scared of that too, so he was just wailing! After saturating the gum with baby oil, it came off quite easily. Luke was so mentally wore out that he voluntarily took a nap without any prompting from me.
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Jan. 3, 2007 - Thinking of the future
Here lately, I have been thinking about my departure from this life. I know that sounds kind of macob, but I have. I keep thinking that if I were to die today, what memories of myself would I leave my children? One of those memories would be of me in the kitchen.
One of the things I love to do is cook and bake. My children often help me prepare meals, bread, or dessert. I have been looking at the recipes I use, and I noticed that just about all of them are typed and printed from the computer. The thought hit me that this was very impersonal and did not show anything of myself.
I have been thinking that if something were to happen to me, I would want my children to have the recipes that we have used together and remember me as they cook. So I am in the process of taking all of the computer printed, impersonal recipes and copying each one by hand. I am hoping that my handwriting will give my children some sense of heritage and nostalgia. I am hoping it will be a legacy to be passed onto their children, as there are recipes that come from my mother and grandmother.
This seems like a monumental task, so I have vowed to copy at least one recipe everyday. Breaking it down this way seems doable. Surely over time I can have this accomplished.
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Jan. 1, 2007 - New Year Eve 2006
We had our own New Year's Eve party last night. We all wore silly New Years hats and ate party foods and drank way too much soda. We played games until about 11 o'clock. We played Scramble the States. This was fun and also educational. We also played The Chronicles of Narnia; which is a really nice board game. It was well worth the money we spent to buy it.
Around 11:00 we put the games away and took down our Blessings Jar. We each took turns reading the various slips of paper that I had written down through the year of God's blessings and provisions. It was really awesome to look back and see how God provided for us and blessed us just because he loves us. We then prayed together and thanked God for being so awesome and we prayed for the new, upcoming year.
We quickly straightened the house and zoomed on Times Square via the Internet. We had our horns in hand, confetti bags ready, and silly hats on; we were ready for the end of the count down. Hillary had passed out on the couch by now, but I thought she was a trooper to stay up as long as she did. When the clock struck 12:00, we were blowing our horns and confetti was flying all over the place. It was so much fun that I did not mind having to sweep up all the mess.
Rodney and I went to bed around 1 o'clock and I was up this morning at 6:45. I had to keep 'Lijah on schedule. Luke was up at 7:30; Austin up at 8:00, and Hillary was up at 8:15. I will never understand why children wake so early ~ especially when they have been up half the night. I thought they would at least sleep in until 9 o'clock. I just hope they are sweet and well behaving today; though I have my doubts! :0)
My one New Year resolution is to eat healthier and exercise. So many times I am in too big of a hurry (or lazy) to fix good, nutitious food for myself. I will just grab something quick. So I am really trying my best to eat more Whole foods, fruit and vegetables. I am not doing this to lose weight; though I believe that will be a benefit; I am doing this so that I have more energy so that I can give more of myself to my family. I cannot reach the goals and visions that I have for my husband and children if I am always tired, so I am doing this for them.
Finding time to exercise has been a real challenge because most nights Rodney works late, and I am too tired by the time he gets home to even think about exercising. So the perfect solution was to use our mini trampoline. I am letting the kids watch a video while I jump on that for 20 minutes. This is the perfect solution for me. Nothing could be more convenient and simple. I don't have to get dressed, drive to the gym, pay gym fees, or hope that Rodney comes home in time. I am exercising Monday thru Friday and I take the weekends off. I could tell a difference in my energy level in just one day! It is well worth the effort.
As for healthier eating, I am limiting my carbs and trying to eat more protein. I am also trying to drink more water. I have a omlete baking in the oven right now. Here is the recipe:
Oven Baked Omlete
12 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen, thawed and well-drained chopped spinach
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 TBS. butter
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage
Beat the first 6 ingredients with a mixer until well blended. Melt butter and pour into a 9x13 pan; add egg mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with tomatoes, cheese and bacon. Return to oven and bake about 25 minutes more or until set.
My oven timer just beeped and I am hungry. I will sign off for now and enjoy my omelet and cup of coffee ~ which is something I need to give up too. Perhaps that will be next years New Years resolution?!
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Dec. 31, 2006 - Christmas 2006
We really had a wonderful Christmas this year! On Christmas Eve had our own Christmas party. We listened to Christmas music and ate party foods, and we let the kids exchange the gifts they bought for each other. Will bought Luke a Thomas the Tank book; Austin received a book on spiders and Hillary received a Barbie coloring book. Will bought me a new stainless steal strainer. He knew I needed a new one. What a sweetheart!
Austin bought Will a nice ink pen. Hillary received a pink furry diary. She is using it for her copy work! He bought Luke a new box of crayons. For me he bought a memo pad because he knows I use sticky notes all the time. What a perfect and practical gift!
Hillary bought Will a large box of mix & match earasers; Austin received a hand-held earser that lights up. He thought that was totally cool. For Luke, Hillary bought a box of washable markers. He went to using them right away. Hillary earned her Christmas money by doing chores around the house. The boys have a lawn care business and they earned their money that way.
Of course we woke up early on Christmas morning and opened our gifts. Will's favorite was his Lego Action Contraption kits that I ordered from Timberdoodle. He has been creating some newly engineered thing everyday.
Austin's favorite gifts were the fifteen Hardy Boys mystery books that he is collecting. He is a reading machine!
Hillary's favorite gift by far was her new Barbie doll complete with accessories. I ordered Taylor Angelique from the Only Hearts Club doll collection. I LOVE these dolls; they are so wholesome! I think I am going to get her another one for her birthday.
By far, Luke's favorites were new Thomas the Tank trains. He received serveral new battery-operated trains to run on his track. He plays with them constantly. I bought him a plastic Rubbermaide basket to carry them all in. The poor kid was trying to carry them all in his arms wherever he went. He is a sight! Now he piles his trains in the basket and totes them all over the house or wheels them around in Hillary's doll stroller. The basket even goes to bed with him at night! We simply MUST take him on a Thomas theTank train ride.
Rodney's favorite gift was his new pair of lounging pants with matching shirt. The pants I bought for him are a black paisley print, and the shirt is solid black. He looks very handsome in black. I think it is his best color. Rodney has been wearing these every day, so I think this must be the gift he liked the best.
My favorite was my gift card to Christopher and Banks! I cannot wait to spend it! I LOVE and drool over their clothes, but I hate their prices. You can easily spend over $100 dollars on just ONE outfit. Yikes!!!
Rodney's parents joined us for Christmas dinner. I served a turkey with all the trimmings. We ate by the light of our Advent wreath. We had a nice visit.
I am looking forward to Christmas of 2007 and I am all ready in the planning stages for that! Yesterday I hit Dollar General and loaded up and their 50% off Christmas sale. I bought silly Santa hats and reindeer ears for the kids to wear next year on Chrismas Eve. I bought several packages of bows and ornaments too. I am planning to begin my Christmas shopping for next year this very month! I know...I am a planner by nature. I like to think and plan ahead. Buying all through the year makes Christmas much more affordable and we don't have the mad rush of buying for everyone all in one month or two. I even bought some extra Christmas wrapping paper so that I can wrap as I buy ~ great time saver!
Anyway....I am rambling. Luke has asked me to help him set up his train track, so I better go help him.
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Dec. 28, 2006 - New Christmas Tradition
The kids have always decorated ginger bread houses at Christmas time, but this is the first year that we turned it into a contest.
The kids were having such a good time decorating that Rodney decided to print out award certificates. He catorgorized the awards based on what the kids' houses looked like. He had certificates for the best engineered, most candy used, cutest, and best decorated.
He had all the kids line up while holding out their houses. He walked by and carefully inspected each one. The he formally announced the catagory that was being judged at the time and then announced the winner. Everyone was all giggles and wiggles. Each one of the kids received a certificate and a prize. I just used candy that was supposed to be placed in their stockings. I had those plastic, see-through candy canes that were filled with Sweet-Tarts. The kids just loved that!
We all had such a blast doing this that we are going to make it a family tradition from now on. I would post pictures of our grand event if I could just figure out how to do that!!!!
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Dec. 22, 2006 - Brag Alert
I just have to brag on Hillary this morning. She will only be 6 years old in March, but she is the BEST helper a mom could ever have! She always voluntarily does things around the house to help me keep it straight.
The night before last I had insomnia so I was up most of the night. I was tired all day, but I made it through; however, when the sun went down the remainder of my energy was spent. I'm sure it showed because on my way to bed the mirror revealed that I looked like Scary Mary. :0) Anyway, earlier in the evening, Hillary told me to just sit down and relax. She would take care of Elijah and the house ~ SHE DID! She played with Elijah to keep him entertained. When he became fussy she would get his binkie for him or a teething cookie. But the thing that totally shocked me was this: I turned around and I see her unloading the dishwasher! I said, "Hillary, that is sweet of you, but you don't have to do that right now. I'm too tired and I am heading for bed." She said, "You go ahead Mom. I will just finish this because you need my help." Right then and there, I said a prayer of thanks to God for giving me such a sweetheart of a daughter.
This morning when I came into the kitchen, sure enough. The dishwasher was completely unloaded and everything seems to be put in the right place. Hillary is such a blessing and a joy. I simply adore her! What a sweetie she is. I would take a dozen just like her!
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Dec. 21, 2006 - Adoption
Adoption has really been on my heart lately. So much so that my heart is aching and my eyes are swelling with tears as I type this.
The Lord has really been speaking to me about this. I feel strongly about adopting siblings ~ 3 brothers to be exact. I know this has to be a God thing, because if it were me, I would want to adopt girls ~ I already have 4 boys and only 1 girl. No, it is 3 brothers the Lord has placed on my heart.
In the natural this seems so impossible. Especially in the financial department. We would need a larger income. We would need a larger house with more bedrooms and atleast one more bathroom. We would need a 15 passenger van too...just so many loose ends.
I want to also give birth to at least one more baby, so that would make 9 children. How could I afford it? How would I manage 9 children? How would I homeschool them all? How could I keep a half way decently clean house? How would I....? Hmmm...I'm seeing a pattern here. Too many "I's" Obviously this is something I cannot do by my own might.
I feel like the Lord is directing us to the country of Romania. I have been researching adoption and right now Romania is closed to adoption. They will only adopt to immediate family. Which I totally cannot understand. Romania has the most horrendous orphanges in the world! You would think their government would be eager to adopt to anyone who wanted their children. Okay, God. Where are you going with this?!
Rodney and I have been discussing this, and he is open to it, but as the finacial provider he is also looking at the reality of our situation. All I know to do is pray for miracles and let God be God.
I need to go get some tissue now.
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Dec. 20, 2006 - The Beauty of Homeschooling
The time during our Christmas break is when I begin to plan the curriculum that will be used for the next school year. So, I am doing just that. While looking at curriculum for Will, who will be in 8th grade next year, I realized that he has naturally worked himself into high school level material. He would be taking 4 courses that were high school level, so the thought occured to me, "Why hold him back doing middle school material for everything else?" We are forging ahead and he is officially beginning high school!
For most homeschoolers that is probably nothing earth shattering, but for me it is a realization that my first born is entering the teenage years! We are not fearful of rebellion because he is such a great kid. We count our blessings for him daily! I don't know....it is just unfamilar territory I guess. Perhaps I am a little intimidated with teaching high school. There are little doubts that surface, "Can I really do this?" Obviously the answer is a big fat YES because thousands of homeschoolers have done this before me.
This is one of the many things that makes homeschooling so beautiful. For several years now, Will feels that God is calling him to be a doctor. So this is the way we are leaning in choosing his high school courses. The fact that I can cater to my son's learning style, interests and academic level is just inspiring. Also the fact that I can curtail his studies to fit in line with his calling from God and "train him in the way he should go" just blows my mind sometimes. If he were attending public school or private school, he would have to fit into their mold and his God-given drive would not be fed. With homeschooling I have the capability to "light that fire" of learning and watch him soar; it is just thrilling! In the state of Kentucky the minimum high school requirements for graduation will not even prepare a student to meet college entrance requirements. That blows my mind!
Anyway, these are some of the courses Rodney and I have decided Will would enjoy. We have discussed these with Will and he has given us thumbs ups.
History - Ancient Civilization by Diana Waring. (This looks REALLY great!)
Math - Geometry (Math U See)
English - Literary Lessons of The Lord of the Rings. (Will is SO excited about this one!)
Science - Physical Science by Apologia
Science - Robotics using Mind Storm programming (He actually gets to build a working robot that is as tall as Rodney.)
Health - CPR and First Aid course through The Red Cross (I need to look further into this because he maybe too young. I think there is an age requirement.)
World View Training - Starting Points by David Quinne
Science Roots - Vocabulary Vine - This is study in Latin and Greek biology root words. Science Roots is the 2nd level after Vocabulary Vine's Latin and Greek root words.
Grammar - Writing a Step Above - Will still needs grammar reinforcement. I am ordering this from Rainbow Resource.
This is as far as we have gotten. We may add another elective or two. I'm not really sure. I have to do some more thinking and research. Right now my brain hurts from thinking about this so much. I need to take a day or two off and let it rest. :0)
It also surprises me at how fast the cost of homeschooling jumps once you begin high school courses. Most of these courses are $100 and up! We spare no expense when it comes to our children's education, but looking at what one year of high school is going to cost is rather shocking compared to what we have been spending. Using Five in a Row really had me spoiled!
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Dec. 17, 2006 - No Higher Calling
"I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." ~ Helen Keller
I came across this quote the other day, and I thought, "My...how true that rings with motherhood." I think a lot of times (okay, ALL the time!) the world treats the occupation of being a wife and mother just a little higher than being a full-time toilet scrubber. So at times we feel pressure to strive for carreers that help us to feel accomplished. The reality is that there is no higher calling than to be the molder and shaper of our childrens' character. After all, our children are our future, and from where I sit, our nation ( the world) is in dire need of leaders who are strong in character.
I see examples of this on a daily basis. No where is our sin nature more evident than in our children. My childrens' sin nature rears its ugly head all too often; however, I see this as being a very good thing. Why is this a good thing? Well, when their character flaws (sin) surface, those issues can be dealt with immediately. I shudder when I think, "What if they were in school all day and I worked full-time pursuing my accomplished career?" Those sin issues would go unnoticed and would not be dealt with ~ they would continue to grow and take root and become a large part of my childrens' character!"
With as hard as homeschooling is sometimes ~ especially on days when the discipline seems never ending; I am SO thankful that I am able to stay home and educate my children. There is nothing more accomplished than to raise children who have a heart for the Lord and who are living according to His purpose for their lives. This is my higher calling. This is why we homeschool.
It is just thrilling to know that God has tremendous plans for our childrens' lives. There is so much riding on them! God's plan for Will's life is now being revealed. It is so neat to be able to "train him in the way he should go." An accomplished career? Who needs it?! I'm doing something that is far greater and more noble than any career I could ever have.
Well, it is exactly 7:01 a.m. I can hear Elijah babbling in his crib, and Luke just walked in. His eyes are barely open and he is bringing me his train set ~ the ones he sleeps with every night. He is a train fanatic. He LOVES Thomas the Tank. He is hungry and is asking for his breakfast. It is time to clock into work and get started with my day.
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Dec. 16, 2006 - The Christmas Season
I love this time of year! Christmas is absolutely my favorite holyday. The kids and I are taking off three weeks for Christmas. We are having such fun! For the first time this year, we have incorporated a Jesse Tree into our Christmas celebration. I had never heard of a Jesse Tree until this year. Basically what you are doing is tracing the family line of Jesus. You read scripture pertaining to a certain family member and then each child makes an ornament to represent that relative. The oranament is then placed on a tree that is specifically for your Jesse Tree. It has been fun tracing Jesus' family tree. We have learned a lot doing this and things seem to tie together a little bit better in our minds.
I am letting the housework go by the wayside. We are only maintaining. The dishes are being washed, bathroom cleaned, laundry done, and floors swept. We are neglecting everything else. I just want us to have fun. In fact, I think I am going to adopt this philosophy while the kids are growing up. Time with them is just too precious.
So for our Christmas holydays, the the kids are sleeping in later ~ well, what they consider to be late. Will is sleeping in until 9 o'clock or so, but the younger ones are up around 7:30 or 8 o'clock. I am an early bird. Sleeping in late for me is 6 a.m.!
We have been doing a lot of reading! Something none of us can get enough of. One of the best books we have read this year is The Christmas Doll by Elvira Woodruff. It is a very sad story, but it has such a happy ending. Will and Austin even enjoyed it.
We have also been baking Christmas cookies. Our traditional cookies are: Thumbprint, Russian Tea Cakes, Christmas M&M cookies, Peanut Blossoms, and Sugar Cookies. We always make peanut butter fudge too. We are going to try some new recipes for Bon Bons and Chocolate Chip Peanutbutter Ball Surpise.
In the late afternoon or evening, we are sitting down to watch our favorite movies. Some of our favorites are: The Polar Express, The Christmas Box, Time Piece, It's a Wonderful Life, and Little Women. We also have a movie marathon and watch The Lord of the Rings from beginning to end. We munch on popcorn, eat Christmas candy and drink soda. We are so enjoying ourselves!
In the evening, after Luke and Elijah have gone to bed, we do our Advent Celebration. This year we are celebrating while reading Jotham's Journey. It is written by Arnold Ytreeide.
I also purchased The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel. While using this book, the kids and I have had so much fun learning about Jesus through our holyday traditions.
Did you know that when we say, "Happy Holidays" the original wish was for "Happy holy days?" It was a time that was specifically set aside for worshiping God. Sometime in the sixteenth century, the term started referring to any day off from work and it was a time set aside for rest and pleasure. Slowly over time, the word became holiday, and now the phrase seems to mean "Enjoy this time of year~ no matter you are celebrating!"
