May. 2, 2008 - Saying goodbye to a friend

Posted in Graceful Homekeeping

Sep. 10, 2007 - Is it possible to live without a computer?

Posted in Graceful Homekeeping

I was just reading on the front page and found The Potter's Hand blog.  She was responding to another bloggers farewell blog.   She had some interesting questions on her blog and you should pop over to read them.  She linked the other blog if you would like read her farewell (or I guess it's more on an indefinate time away.) 

I can relate to taking a break from blogging.  I can relate to having an addictive personality that becomes obsessed with things.  And I am no stranger to blogging becoming an obsession (my words, not hers.)   The computer in general can take up so much of my time that I miss other opportunities to serve.  I have been thinking about this long before I read the blogs.  And it's interesting that it should come up tonight as I have been wandering if my life would run smoother without this computer at all. 

Can we survive this life without a computer?  I am inclined at first to say NO.  How many of us now pay our bills online?  Many of us run a business on line.  I do alot of shopping through ebay.  I am a bargain shopper and alot of times I can get a really good deal through ebay.  I use the internet to shop for supplements and my essential oils that we use for natural health benefits.  I blog.  I find alot of reading material through the internet.  I will often print article off my favorite websites.  I am using the internet right now to research a venture Underdog and I are praying about.  I communicate with my homeschool group and my care group from church through email.  I use the computer for school planning and printing certain assignments we need each week.  For all intensive purposes, I NEED my computer.  Or do I?

What would happen if this thing died tonight?  What would I really miss?  I have a phone list for all those people that I communicate online with.  Ebay?  Well, there are consignment sales that I can shop at. OR, how about I spend the extra time honing my sewing skills and sew clothes for my children?  I could also finish the Shonda Parker Healthy Families home study course that I have had for over a year now (longer I think.) 

Imagine how my school day would go if I never turned the computer on until everyone was finished.  Perhaps my children's inability to focus on their school work at times isn't their fault.  Maybe it's mom's distraction with the computer.  Then there are my preschoolers.  I could replace Blue's Clues and read to them even more than I already do.  We would have time for projects.  Or maybe even a spontaneous trip to the park or a special treat baked in the kitchen.  Or maybe, I would have more time to spend training them in the life skills I believe are important but there isn't enough hours in my day to focus on.  

My family is growing.  Their need for MY time is also growing.  It's got to be either the computer or them.  God hasn't commissioned me to raise up this computer as a warrior for Christ.  He's commissioned me to shepherd these little ones so that they will strong in the Lord.  Shouldn't I be doing that? 

Last week my email wouldn't open.  I have a Yahoo account.  In fact, I have two.  One I use for regular email and the other is for "extra" stuff.  I hardly open it though.  My regular email would not open on this computer.   It would open on Underdog's computer that he brings home from work.  My other junk email would also open on this computer.  My regular account would not on this computer.  It was really bizarre.  I still get really nervous when I try to open it.  The more I tried to open it today, the more ridiculous I thought it was.  I started to survey the contents on my box. 

a.  email about produce pick up tomorrow - Ok, necessary but only needs a brief moments notice

b.  10 newsletters (How did I get signed up for all those e-newsletters?  I never read them.) 

c.  5 yahoo groups - To my credit I am on digest for each on.  I don't participate in 3 of them.  I read through another and keep it around because it is support for my curriculum.  And the last one is one I have been on since I started homeschooling, but I don't participate as much.  It's through my local homeschool group which I am also finding I don't participate in as much.

d.  updates from THSC (the Texas Homeschool Coalition) - information but politics has never been my deal.  I keep those around just in case (in case of what?  Is something honestly going to happen to us that hasn't already passed through the hands of God?  Won't He still be in control if something did happen?) 

e.  let's not forget the vulgar spam that somehow misses the filter and that I have to quickly delete so little ones reading over my shoulder don't see it. 

f.  there is the occassion email with receipts of my online purchases.  I print those after my transaction anyway. 

g.  Forward chain emails - I HATE THESE!!!!!!!!!!!  i never send them, reply to them, and I am finally getting to where I don't read them. 

Again, I ask, can we live without the computer?  I am beginning to believe that I can answer YES.  What if I scheduled a day that was strictly my computer day?  I have a sheet of paper that I made and print that I use only for errand days.  It has boxes to write my list for every place that I need to visit that day.  What if I did one of those for my computer day each week?  I would have 30 minutes (set the timer - I LOVE my timer) to check email each night AFTER the children go to bed.  There is also a website called bloglines.  I could narrow my favorite blogs down to 3 or 4 and put them on bloglines.  Then all I need to do on my computer night is go there to catch up on my favorite blogs.  If I wanted to blog, I would need to have it all ready to type and know the exact pictures if needed.  (That reminds me, I told Underdog I would upload a picture for him. . .hold on.) 

Ok, job done.  I had that whole submission thing hanging over my head.  LOL!!!!!!! 

Well, anyway.  I am thinking outloud with my fingers tonight.  But I sense the Spirit is moving me in a very specific direction.  And I just may take some of those ideas I mentioned and do something with them.  As I mentioned before, Underdog and I are researching a venture we may be taking together.  This is going to mean more of my time most be given toward my family, home, and homeschool.  I can't just be a slave to this computer anymore.  Just like other things in my home, the computer needs to be a tool for me to use.  I must control it.  And if I don't, as we have seen evidenced in my own life, it will take over as rule me. 

I just had these two scripture verses come to mind.

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.   1 Corinthians 6:12

and

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.  Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 

1 Corinthins 10:23-24

I think that these verse are very fitting for the use of the computer.  For one thing, the computer is not evil in and of itself.  It can be beneficial to have it around.  (Althought I do believe the TV is evil.  Just ask my children.  LOL!!!!!)  But depending on the circumstance, the computer isn't always helpful.  Dear reader, if we are allowing this machine to get in the way of our service to family and the church then we have a serious problem.  I speak to myself with all this.  I am so guilty of doing all of this.  Probably more than anyone I know.  Something must give.  The question is whether I will follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit to begin to limit (or even turn it off for a long while) OR if I will seek my own way and try to make this work.  I am just not sure I can keep this up anymore. 

I have much to think and pray about as I go through my week.  I was inspired by The Potter's Hand post and the others that she referenced.  I had been thinking about this some anyway.  I guess the only thing left to do is obey. 

This is not a post to say I am quitting.  Not yet!!!  Over the past several weeks I have stopped posting on a regular basis anyway.  My issue is in other areas of the computer.  Those are the things I need to resolve in my own walk with the Lord. 

One finally thought.  I have often found myself lamenting that we have even moved to computers as much as we have.  Remember "the good ole days" when we used paper calendars.  Or when all we had was snail mail.  Does anyone use the telephone anymore?  Do you remember the old dial phones?  My mom still has one of those and I still love to use it.  Remember when phones has a cord attached and you couldn't walk around the house unless the cord was long?  Even then you had to stay in the room.  Remember when the computer didn't distract us from keeping house?  We would get up and plan our week on a simple pad of paper.  For many there was the notebook that was filled with notebook paper versus the preprinted stuff off our computer now.  There was no computer to distract you so you read to you child when they brought you a book and said "Ead to my momma."  (STAB in the HEART!!!!!!  That is what Pee Pooh does to me while I am checking email in the morning.  OUCH.  There it goes further in.)  Remember when wives knew how to keep house?  They didn't have a computer to tell them how to keep house OR WHY they should keep house.  They knew they were called to that.  If they didn't know how to do something they either CALLED someone on the phone OR they just simply used trial and error to learn.  Some might not consider those the good ole days.  I sure do.  I miss the days of watching my grandmother keep her house.  She would piddle all morning.  Then around 10am she'd sit down to sew.  She would sew while LISTENING to "Price is Right" and "Young and the Restless" (that is part of my past that I don't do though.  HA!!!!)  Her house was clean.  My grandfather worked graveyard and she took care of him.  His "lunch" was packed before he left.  And I didn't make a peep when he was sleeping or she would blister my behind.  She took care of things.  Now those were the good ole days.  And I sure do miss them.  

Jun. 14, 2007 - Laundry Soap

Posted in Graceful Homekeeping

Mar. 21, 2007 - Trying New Things with my Homekeeping

Posted in Graceful Homekeeping

          One of the things that I like most about having a new baby (in other words - getting the pregnancy over with :) is that you get to develop brand new routines.  Everything before the baby has been smashed to pieces because of feeding schedules, cranky (and sometimes jealous) toddlers, and older children who are very eager to help (and we must take advantage of that eagerness.  LOL!!!)  So I have been writing and revamping a new schedule for our family.  So far it's worked pretty well this week. 

          If I get up on time (5am) I have my quiet time, exercise (hasn't happened yet), and I drink my hot lemon water.  I start the oatmeal cooking in the crockpot.  I usually soak my oatmeal over night in the crock pot and then warm it up in the morning.  The other day I added apples and cinnamon.  That was the best oatmeal I have ever made.  :)  Then I do some laundry (as quietly as possible.)  Then I am ready to get bathed and dressed for the day.  If I time it right then I am out of the bathroom by 7am doing my morning routine (making my bed, dressing toddler, supervising Morning Chore Packs, and nursing baby.)  that has only happened once this week but not getting it done hasn't effected the day. 

          We eat breakfast between 8-8:30am.  After that we sit down for devotional time.  That is very new for us.  I would always forget the devotional time when it happened at the start of school.  For some reason putting it right after breakfast has helped me get it done.  Right now we are studying obedience and working on memorizing "The 21 Rules of This House" by Gregg and Josh Harris.  After our devotional time we work on our daily chores.  Now I don't have these set up right now.  Mostly I am just assigning work as needed.   If the kids finish their work they get free time.

          We have our morning snack at about 10am.   we only eat our fruit for the day during snack and sometimes with our breakfast.  Usually it's an apple eaten outside (now that's getting warmer.)  This is also my time to nurse Josiah.

          We start school at about 10:30am.  This is the time I assigned the seat work to my older children.  This includes handwriting, spelling, math, grammar, and their writing assignments for TOG.  They do it independently but I am available to help them.  I spend this time with my preschoolers.  I was using "Little Hands to Heaven" preschool curriculum but I have found that I don't like that either.  I don't like doing preschool stuff with my kids.  I believe the children learn best by playing and being read to alot.  But my 4 yod gets into trouble if she doesn't have things to do.  And she really wanted to have something to all her own.  I have put the preschool curriulum away and have decided to follow my heart's desire and the Lord's leading with her.  We're going to make lapbooks and start an ABC notebook.  I am very excited about her "All About Me" lapbook.  I have it designed on paper but it's not quite ready to go.  So right now we are just reading alot.  

          I am really making efforts not to feed my children any kind of fast food (whether I buy it at a restuarant or in the freeze section of the store.)  So this week I have made homemade bread for sanwiches and left overs.  I used to hate leftovers but I have grown to LOVE them.  Especially for lunch.  The best part of this is that allergies are better because I got the wheat out of the diet and my younger dd no longer has dark circles under her eyes from the wheat (at least they decreasing.)

          Right after lunch the Bigs get ready for afternoon school, my 4 yod gets her books and play item for quiet time, and my toddler gets ready for his nap.  I remember back to when jen was a baby that she thrived on routine.  Making transition in our day really helped if we had a routine to go with them.  So I developed a naptime routine for Drew.  It involves reading, a song, and back rub (and a few swats on the bottom when he screams at me not to leave the room.  But hopefully that part of the routine will end soon.  LOL!!)  So far my usual fall back books are working to help him sit for longer periods of time to read.  Since my first child, every two year old I have ever had in the house loved "Junior's Colors" (veggie tales book) and "My Big Boy Potty" (or girl potty.)  LOL!!!  He would let me read those to him all day if I would let him.  And I must proudly announce that he is actually learning his colors.  He just turned two.  I am so impressed and I think he's impressed with himself as well. (Oh, he can also count.  That I didn't know.  He learned it listening to the other kids help me count my grain when it's time to mill it for bread.)

          After he goes down, I read to Allison (and nurse Josiah if he's ready.)    Right now we are reading Charlotte's Web.  After we finish reading I set her timer to read and rest.  Once the time goes off, she is free to play quietly in the front living area.  While she is resting I do read alouds with Bigs and we work on projects or our lapbooks.  I am going to write more on what we are doing for school on another day.  Let's just say that I am even more excited about it since I figured out just how much planning ahead I need to do.  Allison spends the last 30 minutes of this time working on something quietly at the kitchen table.

          After school is over and Drew wakes up, we clean our stuff up and get another quick snack for the afternoon.  Then we have mommy time.  Each child is given one day a week to spend 30-45 minutes with mommy.  I am using this time of my day to disciple my oldest dd as she grows nearer to her preteen years.   I play games with my other two bigs.  I don't do a mommy time with Drew because he considers his naptime routine mommy time and loves it.  I think giving him that 15 minutes a day all to himself really keeps him connected to me and less willing to fight me. 

          The 4 o'clock hour is the newest part of my day.  It's something I have been dreaming about doing for YEARS.  Yes, I said years.  I split my home up in to zones that I work in.  It's kind of like flylady zones but I made my own.  For instance, Monday and Tuesday of this week I deep cleaned my room.  It look and feels so awesome in there.  I even flipped the mattress and vacuumed all the pet hair up from under the bed.  Today (which I just realized should be starting right now.  I already made dinner so I can just take my dinner prep hour to clean) is the playroom and computer desk.  Every day of the month has a small room or portion of the house assigned to be deep cleaned.  My Fridays will be dedicated to doing My House Blessings (which I did borrow from Flylady.)  If I can maintain the cleaning like this, then my dh will not have to help me on the weekends to clean house.  That will free us up to enjoy my ds soccer games and to work outside. 

          The 5 o'clock hour is spent getting the house ready for dad to come home, dinner prep, and free time in nthe backyard while mom gets a breather.  This is especially important if dad is out of town.  We eat dinner at 6pm and then start our evening routines.  If they work hard at their evening routines they get tons of time to read with daddy after Drew goes to bed.  This is my time to sit back and take a breath.  I would really like to spend this time working on a developing a handicraft skill while I listen to him read to the kids.  So far, I haven't developed that habit but it's on my list of things to do.  LOL!!!

          I read something this past weekend that really got me thinking.  I don't even remember the context of what I was reading.  It simply said "Stop pouting over what you are called to do and do it."  Stop pouting.  I tend to do that alot.  But the Lord has been working in my heart to encourage me toward praying to Him for strength to keep going when I am tired and exhausted.  That was especially an important lesson as I went through the last 2 weeks with sick kids.  Especially when my dh was out of town for most of that.  Running to the hospital all day Saturday made that habit especially important.  Now Underdog is sick and can't help me much.  And I leaning even more on the strength of the Lord.  I am not pouting over having to do this.  (Ok, so I do catch myself pouting.  But it just drives me to my knees even more.  I am such a baby and I need the Lord to change me desperately.)  So I am working on not pouting anymore.  I am accepting the job He's given me and I am actually learning to enjoy doing it. 

          I am planning to write more about my plans for the rest of the school year.  But I am still working on some of those plans.  Until later. . . 

Feb. 24, 2007 - Wind, quietness, and decluttering

Posted in Graceful Homekeeping

          Man , is it ever windy today.  My dh put my 4 oldest in the backyard and my 2 year old screamed at the door the whole time.  I think I would probably scream that much as well if I had to play in the all the wind.  The wind makes it really chilly. . .compared to the beautiful spring like weather we've had here this past week. 

          My dh has now taken my crew (minus the baby) to Goodwill.  It's his first run.  LOL!!!!  He filled the Suburban up and there is still tons of stuff left to take.  That's right!!  We are decluttering.  The last place I am working on this afternoon is the kids room.  I have been avoiding it all week.  When we decluttered the playroom we filled a wicker basket full of odd toys and things that need a home.  I am tempted to throw it all in a trash bag but I have a strange feeling there might be something valuable in there. 

         Well, I am off to finish the boys room.  What a lousy room.  The closet is long and narrow and it makes it very hard to store toys and such in there.  My girls room won't fit the boys but they have the biggest closet.  Hmmm, I wander if I COULD make all three boys fit in the girls room and switch the girls to the boys room.  Of course, I would need another set of bunk beds and a new dresser for the boys.  Unfortunately I don't have $500 lying around (which is what I have figured I would need to make it work.)  Oh well.  Josiah is sleeping so I better get off the computer and go declutter the boys room. 

Jan. 2, 2007 - Nesting in Overdrive

Posted in Graceful Homekeeping

          I am doing some very serious nesting in my house right now.  I had a false alarm on Sunday but no baby.  It turns out that I was dehydrated.  Well duh!!!!  I should have known that.  I thought I was getting plenty of water but I guess not.  Right now I am storing large cups of Sonic ice in my freezer and filling those cups up 2-3 times a day.  And with the baby lying so low, I am in the potty room at least twice on hour.  URGH!!!! 

          ok, back to nesting.  Yes, that's right.  The classic nesting has begun in the Tryon household.  The kicker is that I am overdrive.  You see, I LOVE the beginning of a New Year.  To me it's kind of time simply to start over.  My dh and I decided to move the beginning of our school to January because we just get such a drive to start new things about this time.  So not only am I nesting before the baby gets here but I doing my typical New Year's organizational type work around the house.  Tomorrow I hope to post pictures of what I am doing with my school/play room.  I am really excited about where that is going.  

          I think I did about 2000 loads of laundry today.  I ripped apart my school room and closet.  I gathered all school supplies that I had all over the house (closet, office, kitchen, school room) and I organized them into $.99 clear shoe boxes from Walmart.  I LOVE CLEAR PLASTIC BOXES!!!  January is a very dangerous time for my dh.  I go nuts when they put plastic storage boxes on sale.  hehehehe!!!!!  Anyway, I think I filled about 12 of those boxes with supplies that I had in surplus.  I am glad I gathered all the supplies.  I don't think I will need to buy anymore for a long time.  LOL!!!!! 

          The laundry is still not done.  I bought the last of my cloth diaper this past weekend and they arrived today.  Now I am in the process of washing them so they will fluff up and be absorbant.  Drew is officially in cloth full-time (except this weekend when we got behind on everything.)  He is even sleeping in them.  Nothing will humble a parent more than having to clean a poppy cloth diaper.  <>  It's a good thing he's regular.  LOL!!!!!  I must the diapers on top of my boy's laundry tomorrow.  That should be another 2000 loads right there. 

          Tomorrow I will tackle the rest of my school closet.  I have several items in there I want to prep for sell on ebay.  There is also the aftermath of it being ripped apart to find all the extra supplies that I own.  I will need to move some of them back because they won't fit in the file cabinet where I put all our construction paper, card stock, and colored paper for school.  I am also planning to get into my storage closet under my stairs to straighten it up.  I need wash the bouncey chair cover and pull out the box that holds the cradle.  I also need to clean up coats and reteach my children that ALL coats must be hung on the hooks when they take them off.  The training is never ending.   

          It feels so good to be getting this stuff cleaned.  It was not in my plan to do any of this before the baby came BUT I need the distraction.  We'll see what happens over the next few weeks as I get more organized and then get a little further into school.  We are starting a new curriculum this month.  Tapestry of Grace is sooooo awesome.  It really fit smy personality.   But it's going to take a little while to get used to it.  Not to mention getting back into the swing of school in general.  I was hoping and praying the baby would come a little early simply so we didn't get too far into school and then need another break.  I don't think that is going to happen though. 

          Stay tuned for my next post on New Year's Resolutions!!!!