• Oct. 26, 2006
computer woes

I'm at the library, because our poor computer is barely hanging on to life and I'm afraid to even turn it on until we get a new one, for fear it will implode totally and lose all our files and favorites lists, etc.  We are praying that my husband's bonus will come in good time around the middle of November and then it'll just be a week or two until I'm back online at home.  We have already picked out what we want, we are just waiting for the funds. 

So, my friends and anyone else who reads this, :), please pray for a bonus that will come in good time and cover the cost of a new computer, if that is the Lord's desire for us.  I guess we'll know if He wants the money spent elsewhere if some other major expense pops up between now and then, right? ;)

And I'll check in from time to time from the library, and be thankful that I can at least do that!

(1 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Oct. 12, 2006
Catching Up Part 2

She actually tried to bribe us to send the girls to public school.

Amazing.  It was our last day at the beach.  I'd brought the check for the rent, but had forgotten to give it to her until we were packing to leave.  When I handed her the check, she told me, "I'll give this back to you if you will send the girls to school tomorrow."

I can't really remember what I said, except to repeat some of the things I'd mentioned to her before.  My poor dh, who does not think quickly in situations like this, was silent for a few minutes.  He finally ended the discussion by reminding his mother that he had made his decision and wasn't going to change his mind.

She left the cabin to take the dog for a walk, but when she returned, I could tell she had been crying.

A part of me felt very badly that she was so upset about this.  On the other hand, after all the other "weird" things we do (more than 2 children, homebirthing, non-vaxing, non-circumsizing, extended breastfeeding, sheltering our children from most "kids" movies, no halloween or santa clause or tooth fairy, etc etc) how is it that this thing, homeschooling, was the thing she was most concerned about? 

In the month since then, we've continued our relationship much the same as it was before...except there is this area now that we avoid.  But our oldest dd, who is 7, loves to send Grandma the copywork she does and I did let it slip the other day about how fun our math sessions at breakfast are. 

Another interesting sidebar to this situation came to my attention recently.  My dh's cousin and his wife live nearby.  They have two young children.  His mom is the family schoolteacher...retired...but very anti-homeschooling.  My MIL stayed with them in Ohio and I'm sure discussed this situation many times.  (Remember, my MIL was in Ohio when dh told her he had decided to homeschool after all and she threatened to raise our rent.)

So, when that whole drama was unfolding, I happened to talk with my dh's cousins' wife and told her what was happening.  She was appalled.  It turns out that she told her dh about it, who told his dad (my MIL's brother) who promptly told his sister to "back off".  I'm sure he was a major factor in convincing my MIL to step back from trying to control us through the price of our rent.

Then, a few weeks later, the cousin and his wife, who have decided to send their oldest to a private school, turned down an offer from his parents to help pay the tuition.  She (the cousins wife) said:  "I don't want them to think they have any say in how we educate our children.  I'm not sure how we will afford this every year, but we will manage."

Hmmm, I guess this independant streak is spreading!

(2 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Oct. 4, 2006
Catching Up Part I

What happened to September???  It seems like it went by in the blink of an eye.  Didn't we just leave for the beach last week???

Here in WA state, fall has arrived.  Our trees are turning red and orange and shedding their leaves all over the driveway and the van.  The kids love watching the wipers throw the leaves off the windshield whenever we go somewhere.  Maybe this weekend I'll get out there and rake them up for the compost pile.

Where to start catching up?

The baby is doing great.  He is growing just right and making his presence known with kicks, bumps, turns and hiccups all day and most of the night.  This is my favorite part of pregnancy (I'm about 26 weeks).  Feeling the baby moving so easily is wonderful.  I can still take deep breaths, still wear some non-maternity clothes and the heartburn that will soon plague me hasn't kicked in yet.  But I have gained too much weight, about 25 pounds.  So I've gone on the low carb/low sugar diet that I do in the last trimester, just about a month earlier.  My son (#3) was 11 pounds...ouch.  So with #4, I did this diet and she was just 8 lbs 12 ozs.  With this baby being a boy and my weight gain so far, I'm a bit concerned.  So the diet starts early.

I've also started swimming at the YMCA.  I can swim laps in the large pool while my oldest children have their swim lessons in the small pool.  The toddler plays (mostly) happily in the playroom.  The first time, I could only swim for about 10 minutes before feeling like my arms were going to fall off, but it's getting better: I'm up to 15 minutes before arm exhaustion now.

There is much to report on the homeschooling front...that deserves its own entry, which I will try VERY HARD to do tomorrow.  For now, it's bedtime.

(0 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Aug. 31, 2006
Off to the Beach

It's finally time for our vacation out to the coast.  We stay in a cabin that overlooks the Pacific Ocean, it's so lovely.  This is the fifth or sixth year we've gone.  We'll be back on Labor Day, as Dean has to work the next day.  He's been off this week, though, and that has been wonderful.  It's his first real vacation in two years.

I have so much I'd love to share with you all, but our computer is having troubles.  It's an older one, at least 6 to 8 years old, not very poweful and frankly, I'm just praying it keeps working until tax refund time, when I hope we can get a new one.  Last week, this computer just about quit, I had to use the system recovery disk to get it going again.  The only thing we do with it is get on-line...adding any additional software causes it to get even slower than it already is.  The memory is maxed out, it's just old and not very powerful to begin with.

I'd love to have a notebook computer...our house is small and this one takes up a precious corner of our dining room.  I'd love to have a computer with a warranty and stable operating system and to be able to keep my checkbook on and use the homeschool tracking software someone bought for me and for the kids to use educational software on.  I'm starting to pray for this...if nothing "major" goes wrong between now and February, Dean is happy to spend the money for a new one.  I almost got one last year, but we needed to put a new transmission in the van.  Priorities, right? :)

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend...I hope to post about our homeschool year soon...and more baby updates...and pictures from the beach...so many things, so little time!

(2 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Aug. 15, 2006
We Trusted, Prayed and God said "Yes, I Will"

There will be no rent increase for us!  My mother in law has backed down from her stance on homeschooling (slightly!) to say that threatening to raise our rent just because we made a decision she doesn't agree with was "vindictive" and wrong!  This is a prayer answered with a great big "YES, I WILL" from the Lord!!

What a relief!  I'm so glad to now be focusing on preparing for the upcoming year and not have this concern hanging around.  It's also so awesome to see how quickly our trust in the Lord was rewarded...this whole "time of challenge" lasted about 2 months. 

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us...God is Good!!

(1 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Jul. 28, 2006
Sleeping Arrangements

It's one of those quandaries that you dwell on as you fall asleep at night.  Where is the next baby going to sleep?  Especially if you live in a small house and already have four children. 

We currently live in a three bedroom house, but room #3 is not a sleeping room:  it holds my sewing area, clothing storage (no garage, attic or usable basement in our 1914 home), diaper changing table/supplies and the dressers for the two youngest children.  Very very crowded.  So the three olders share room #2, the oldest 2 girls in a bunk bed and our only son in a twin.  Our current baby sleeps in a crib next to our bed.  When she was a newborn, we had the side rail off to make night nursing easier, but once she was mobile, we put it back on for safety during naps.

So, my thoughts went like this:  where should baby #5 sleep? Some of the issues surrounding the decision included the fact that #4 is a light sleeper and having her in the same room with the olders may be a problem, since she goes to bed first...when the rest come to bed, will they wake her or will she learn to sleep through it?  Will having to be quiet help the olders go to sleep easier?

One option we considered was keeping her in our room, in the crib, but moving it to the other side of our room and getting a bassinet or some other sleeping place for the baby.  But what about nap time?  Will one wake the other?  A crying baby in the next room is not as loud as a crying baby in the same room.

This quandary occupied my thoughts on and off for several weeks, but I'm glad to say we have decided on a solution!

Beginning the first of September or so, after we come back from our beach vacation, baby #4 will start napping in the "kids" room.  The tricky part will be getting her to stay put as she falls asleep, but that is a training issue, which I've dealt with before.  She is already quite confident in getting off beds and going up and down stairs, so when she is done with her nap, she can simply get up and come down, without having to be fetched. :) 

After a week or two, when nap time is going well, we'll move her in there at night, too.  At first, she will have to share a bed with her big brother, but it's a twin and he often sleeps on the floor anyway.  (why?  who knows?)  The twin is wedged into a corner and the bunk bed butts up against the other side, so with the mesh side rail thingie, she won't be able to roll out while she is sleeping.

When we get our tax refund in early spring, we'll buy another set of bunk beds and then everyone will have their own bed. 

Yeah!  Quandary solved!  Now if I can only get my 3 1/4 yo boy potty trained before the new baby comes, my life will be wonderful!  Two in diapers is do-able, three gives me the shivers. :)

(1 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Jul. 22, 2006
The Last of a Generation

Cecilia Dean was 93 years old when she went to meet the Lord this morning.  She had suffered a massive stroke a little over a week ago.  Her last days were spent in the company of her two children, Barbara and Ed.  Several grandchildren were able to come to her side and more called to say their last goodbyes.  She was the widow of Edward Dean, who died more than 30 years ago.  She is survived by her two children, her 5 grandchildren, and by 9 great grandchildren.  Greatgrandma Cecilia will be missed so much, but we know that we will see her again, soon.

(0 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• Jul. 5, 2006
My Summer To-Do List: Update

Let's see, how am I doing with my summer to-do list?????

• Set up MOTH and MOTC and use them  *about half done*
• remodel attic space for storage (mostly dh's job, but I help) *access ladder being installed this week, then we will take down unused brick chimney this weekend*
• organize my sewing room (again!!) (need better fabric storage) *not yet, waiting to be able to move lots of stuff from here to attic*
• get all the flower beds weeded and maintain *DONE*
• choose math curriculum and purchase it  *no longer needed :( *
• purchase MFW (see previous entry) *no longer needed :( *
• reduce the amount of clothing my two oldest girls have by 50% *DONE*
• reduce the toys cluttering the house by 25% *DONE*
• switch youngest childs clothes to next size up *DONE*
• finish sewing projects:  cloth diapers (probably too small by now), headcovers, maternity skirts for me and summer skirts for girls *diapers DONE, the rest waiting patiently*
• find 5 new lunches and 5 new dinners that are healthy, easy to make and that the children will actually eat so we can end our reliance on processed stuff *found a couple, need a few more*
• spiff up blog (better background) *not yet*
• finish blogging about the women's retreat  *not yet*
• declutter dining room bookcases in preparation for hs'ing next year *DONE*
• find a bug/insect unit study to do over the summer *got a couple of books from the library, keeping it simple*

So, not too bad considering I have been slogging through the first trimester of a pregnancy AND dealing with the homeschooling/MIL mess.  (Please please keep praying about that)  PLUS I have accomplished another major task:  getting caught up on the laundry.  I spent a weekend literally folding clothes.  Load after load, it all got folded and put away.  What a joy to have that space back (the end of the couch, the over-stuffed chair and the area around them).  I think there were probably some 10-12 loads sitting there...my kids are still adjusting to the idea of having clean clothes in their dressers, vs on the couch! 

And I am thrilled to have my house be so tidy.  As part of the MOTH/MOTC item, we have started a system of twice daily chores, so the house gets tidied twice a day, the floor is getting swept/vac'd/mopped daily, dishes are done, too.

I am determined to "get my act together" in this area of housekeeping.  My husband's main concern about homeschooling is "handling" it all.  I want to show him that I can, I just didn't for a while. 

Next up is menu planning.

(3 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• May. 28, 2006
Are You Open to Being Blessed?

This morning at the end of church, instead of the usual closing prayer, the pastor asked us to huddle with the people right next to us, ask them what they needed prayer for and pray for them!  I happened to be sitting behind a woman, I'll call her Mary, and her husband.

Mary and I are somewhere between acquaintance and friend.  She and her dh have had some serious trouble this last year.  I have been able to watch their two children when they have various appointments, etc.  And when our car died before Christmas, they loaned us their extra car for 6 weeks until we bought a new one.  But I still didn't feel like I knew her well.  We've talked on many occasions, but their troubles tended to overshadow everything.

Then today, I asked them to pray to soften our families hearts as we get ready to tell them we are pg again.  And I prayed for their marriage and other needs.  While I was praying, the Lord put something into my heart and mind.  At first, I was unsure, because what I seemed to be feeling was that I should ask Mary if she would come help me clean up my kitchen!

I am one of those independant type woman who hate to admit that I'm not keeping up with things.  But my kitchen is really dirty...it was dirty when we moved in 20 months ago and I was too pregnant to do much than a quick swipe.  Since then, I've just never gotten around to it...the little things, like the inside of the door under the sink where the garbage is, under the garbage can, the inside of the fridge, the wall behind the stove...you know, all those places that catch yucky stuff.

And I've been stressing over the state of the kitchen, knowing that I have neither the energy or good health (I'm very sensitive to smells right now) to do it.  And while my dh is a HUGE help around the house, small details like this aren't his strong point. 

So, I asked.  And I was almost blinded by the joy shining from her face!!  She was so obviously thrilled to be able to help me!  So many times I've felt promptings like this and not followed through.  How many times have I robbed someone of the chance to be a blessing??

They are coming on Tuesday.  Her dh is off work this week and he is also so glad to help, he will watch their two dc and my three oldest while we work in the kitchen.  And they are bringing lunch!

All because I listened and obeyed...

(2 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)

• May. 18, 2006
Why isn't it raining?

As I sit at my computer, a slight turn of my head brings me a stunning view of Mt. Rainier.  For those of you the Lord blessed by living elsewhere, Mt Rainier is the very tall (about 14,000 feet) dormant volcano the lies southeast of Seattle, WA.  From Tacoma, where I live, we are less than 2 hours by car, so the mountain is even closer.  Don't confuse Mt. Rainier with Mt. St. Helens, the volcano that erupted 26 years ago today.  Mt. St. Helens is further south and nearly as visible due to its reduced height.

My view of Mt. Rainier is stunning in several ways.  It's about 6:40 pm and the sun is still fully above the horizon, but the shadows are lengthening.  About this time on sunny days like this, the mountain glows in the last rays of the sun.  

Mt. Rainier is snow capped year round, so on summer evenings, it hangs in the sky like a harvest moon.  It's great fun to drive up there in July and play in the snow.  Until a few years ago, there were wonderful ice caves to hike through, but it's my understanding that they've melted.

But probably the most stunning part of my view today is that I can see the mountain at all.  It's mid-May, the high temp today at my house was 84, and only a few wispy clouds danced across the sky.  This is the Seattle area, in May.  It's supposed to be raining.  Or at least overcast.  Maybe in the low 60's, if that.  This is our summer weather and it's only May.

It makes me wonder what kind of summer we will have if it's here already. Meanwhile, all I can do is sit back and enjoy the view!

(2 Comments) (Post A Comment!) (Permanent Link)