My list of thing needing to be bought is shortening. Yesterday I waited for the delivery of the bedroom furniture Stuart bought last week.. however they only brought a few pieces - which I now get to store until the rest of it comes next week. Then I went to the city and bought two fridges and a new bed for Janney, and clothes for Rourke, then went grocery shopping and came home too exhausted to eat - well, if someone else had cooked dinner, I would have eaten it, but really I was too tired to make dinner - that's the truth of it.
When I arrived home, Stuart and Trent were in the process of unloading water. Yesterday we hit the bottom of the barrel on the water issue. There's about 15 -20 minutes of water coming from the dugout each day. We pump it to the cistern, and then run the house off the cistern.. but that means there's not enough water for laundry - even with my new machines. So, Stuart borrowed a flat bed truck from Trent and Myles work, and used out little water tank and hauled in a load. Then Les called and said he had fixed his truck, so Trent and Stuart went to get it and brought home a BIG load of water. Today I can breath deep and get on with my laundry that has backed up. I sure hope Stuart finds a permanent solution for this water troubles. He's looking at buying a trailer and bigger water tank, but he's also looked at other trucks and thought about trying to dig a well, and thought about..... I'm getting tired of the thinking. It's hard to run a household when you have to conserve water.
AHH and lastly.. the phone just rang. The van - ... I drove home the other day, and as we drove in the driveway, the front drivers side tire popped. The boys changed the tire to the spare and Stuart took the van in to get the tire replaced (new tires! shouldn't have popped!!) turns out the rim was cracked, so we've ordered a new rim and it's in. I'll go back to the city in a few hours and get that rim and tire replaced. The guy there took a road test with Stuart the other day and suspects there's a separation in the drive train which is causing the wabble when we accellerate. I've tried 3 times to have this diagnosed! Spent a pretty penny on diagnosis that have come up empty. So I've been driving with this wabble for 3 years now. This guy says he knows what it is - but of course, he can't do the full diagnostic - nor the repair today. I'll have to make another appointment for next week.
I wonder if I can get a power nap in before I leave?!? Nope, I have to make some dinner prep so that I'm not to tired to eat when I get home - those boys are NEVER too tired to eat!
Woohoo, first assignment of Blogger Friend School Year Three! A whole new blog just for Blogger Friend School too. Check out the new assignment.
Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:19 KJV Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
OH WHAT A FEELING - being a homeschool mom.
In 1992, while still pregnant with Trent, my friend Sandy experienced her "BOX DAY" while I was there picking up my Amway products from her (Yes, I'm in Amway). It was her first year homeschooling and so her excitement lead to my curiosity. What was all this stuff in the box? Which of course led to the questions "Is that legal" and "What about socialization?" and "How many hours a day do you have to do that?" I got the whole rundown of what a homeschool family looked like over that year.
Well, that was interesting, but I was far from being in the market to become a homeschool mom, I was a working mom, and my son was just an infant. but 3 years later, as I longed to be a stay at home mum, and baby # 3 was on the way, I took a look at our oldest son, and realized he was above the curve on learning. At just over 3, he already had all the names of the letters learned and was starting to learn the sounds. He couldn't even go to Kindergarten until he was nearly 6 because of his birth month - he was going to be bored! Meanwhile, I had already been to the Dr to discuss Myles behaviour, and the concept of ADHD was brought to my attention and I was beginning to read those kinds of books. I knew I didn't want to drug him, and knew he
would struggle in school. I reached back into my memory and remembered Sandy's homeschooling - there was the solution to my problem for both of them.
I didn't start homeschooling for Biblical reasons, but for academic ones. I did jump in with both feet for kindergarten and just bought books from the dollar store and the book store. We used the library lots too. I remember that spring before Trent turned 6 preparing for grade 1, talking to other homeschooling mothers at a meeting asking "where do I buy curriculum" and "what do I buy. Of course Abeka was the first thing everyone suggested and later that summer at a conference, I bought thre Abeka subjects and the Five In A Row books. OH that first week of grade 1 was horrendous. I hated Abecka and by day 6 threw out the math and decided I'd plug away at the spelling and language arts. It took me a few months to find a new math program - Mastering Mathematics - and I love it still to this day.
Well, 11 years later, I am completely fulfilled as a homeschooling mum. I've never looked back. I've had moments of wishing they were in PS during the frustrations of learning the times tables, or feeling like I was failing at teaching Myles to read - but they were fleeting. Our homeschooling is really just an extension of our parenting, it's just a small part of my daily job to get my kids from birth to adulthood. But as I realized that the boys were getting well on their way through our homeschool, I really started to think about those days when they would be grown and gone, and worried that I'd suffer terribly from empty nest syndrome. And that's when we decided to have more kids, a retirement job for me once the boys were educated and grown, a second set of kids to fill in the seats.. lol
Some people define themselves by what they do for a living. I guess I do too, though I don't do it for a living. I'm a mom - fully and completely a mom. Today someone said to me when they saw I had 5 kids "you have your hands full" I replied.. not yet, but almost. I love our life, I love the pace of my life, I love being responsible and involved in not just the academics, but in the character building of my kids.
This is my new schoolroom. It's in my livingroom/diningroom, but there is now space for two computers, and storage space all in one area. The boys will still use the diningroom table and their desks in their rooms, but it's all centralized nice and tidy now.
Favourite Verse
I've taken this from my Sidur, my prayer book
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Shema Israel, Adonai, Eloheinu, Adonai Echad; Baruch shem kevod malchuto, l'olam vayed.
Hear O Israel; HaShem is our God, HaShem is the One and Only. Blessed is the Name of His glorious kingdom for all eternity. You shall love HaShem, your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your resources. Let these matters that I command you today be upon your heart. Teach them thoroughly to our children and speak of them while you sit in your home, while you walk on the way, when you retire and when you arise. Bind them as a sign upon your arm and let them be tefillin between your eyes. And write them on the doorpost of your house and upon your gates.
Meanwhile, here's what's going on with the rest of the family.
Today, Labour day, Stuart hosted a department get together at our house. It was supposed to be outside, but the weather didn't cooperate, so we held it indoors which was fine, everyone fit and was able to sit. The kids all had fun with one department member in particular who is VERY kid friendly, the littles were being flipped and twirled, and the older kids played Dutch Blitz with him and his wife and another teen guest.
Trent and Myles will continue to work for another few weeks, so academics won't start in our home until October, so no homeschooling news, other than to say, I don't have to buy any curriculum!! We've got all we need.
Trent has been invited to go moose hunting with a friend - our ferrier - who is also a homeschooling dad. They'll go the last week in September, first week of October to Hudson Bay Saskatchewan. Trent doesn't get to shoot, but he's going as a companion for Jim, and of course, he'll be able to shoot his camera to his heart's content!
Janney learned to colour last week. She's gone from scribbling all over a page in a single colour like this
to this
Asher is learning to say some pretty long words, while he's trying to formulate sentences with proper sentence structure. This week he was saying to daddy "You buy me a bike to-morr-er? You buy me a new bike to-morr-er? A new pink bike to-morr-er? A pink bike like Janney's to-morr-er?" That "to-morr-er" is quite the tongue twister for him, he has to say it in three syllables, and then getting the whole thought out took 4 tries. We are planning on buying him a bike, his current trike is in complete disrepair, unrepairable, and bikes in this season are on sale! And he's very much enjoying being read to.
I'm back into my pre-pregnancy jeans.. and I've achieved pre-pregnancy weight, now we just need to get some tone back in those stomach muscles. Stuart and I have started to take walks in the evening, and the exercise equipment is going to take a more prominant place in Stuart's now empty office (empty...lol.. just empty of his presence, all the furniture and books are still in there.)
Rourke? Ya, he's still here.. but he's not doing much. Oh, did I tell you he got reading glasses? The optometrist tried to discourage me from getting him glasses at all, as he says his eyes will change as he grows, but he's not reading at all, so he got glasses, and now.. well at least he COULD read if he wanted to. LOL.
As a family, we're working on developing that discipline of prayer again. Last year we had a pretty good schedule of praying every morning. That kind of hit the skids as the boys started working and our daily routine left us. Now it's time to start getting that routine back on track.
Around the house - we're out of water again. sigh.. this time we're needing - well - more prayer - because we've been trying to buy a truck to haul water, or a trailer to put on the back of Trent's truck, but it's all taking time and energy we don't have.. but now we're having to conserve water: no baths, reduce laundry washing to absolutely necessary. A friend might be able to help us out tomorrow night, but that's not a long term solution. Digging a well would be the long term solution, but it's money we just don't have, and it could be very very expensive as who knows how deep the well would have to be to hit good, potable water.
We haven't bought the fridges yet. Stuart tried on Friday, but a glitch happened and we had to cancel the order. While he was out shopping though, he did buy a new bed and bedroom furniture for us. It looks like this.
Elias has his 1 month birth day this week and hit 5 weeks today. just before 4 weeks he hit 11lbs, yesterday he was 11lbs 10 oz.. 3 lbs growth since birth. He's got some pretty good head control, able to lift it off the bed when he's on his tummy, and holds it up pretty nicely when he's perched on my shoulder. Yesterday he was taking his weight on his feet and standing up when I held him under the arms. Nights are going pretty well, while it's sometimes hard in the evening, once he's asleep for the night, he only wakes enough to get latched on and then he sleeps.. no crying, no waking daddy, and I'm only latching him on and falling back asleep. He only needs a diaper change in the early morning, and for the most part, that's done silently to let daddy sleep too.
Trent took some photos of him on his 1 month birth day...
Cute toes
Brotherly love
Head control! (blurry, but you get the picture
OK OK, I know you all told me to take it easy, but I think I'm back up to snuff now. Of course the routine is different, but I am healthy enough to do what I can do again. My Naturopath told me I don't need to come back.
So when the guy who farms the land around my house knocked and told us all the horses were out and had taken off in his field when he drove past them with the swather, SuperMom ad to take action. Trent's mare was still in, and her foal was out, but had stayed near her on the other side of the fence. I got the foal in and sent Rourke to see if he could catch one horse and lead them all home. Meanwhile, I went back to Asher who had tried to follow me into the riding arena and was caught in the thistle bushes. I picked him up and carried him back to the yard, and went into the house, collected Janney and Elias and put everyone in the van, grabbed a lead shank and headed off up the road to see if I could find them. They weren't far. I pulled over on the highway and waded through the tangle of pea ready to be harvested, and as I approached them, they took off towards the house. I headed back to the van, picked up Janney who had waded in to the peas behind me...then picked up Rourke who was walking back down the road towards the house. A 3 point turn got me headed back towards home, and praise God, those horses were back in the yard trying to find a way into the pasture. We closed the gate at the driveway and went to let them in.
You see, it's that pesky back barn door again, and those smart horses who keep on pushing the door open and walking throught the barn. We have to tie the door closed every time.. and the ferrier had just left and Rourke hadn't tied the door closed.
Well, supper is being prepared, I'm nursing at the keyboard as I type this, Janney is getting Asher and herself some cheese... SuperMom's job is never done..
Trent was driving to work this morning, I'm in the passenger side, Myles and Elias in the back. We're driving down a grid road (dirt road) and we're looking at an airplane ahead of us - they're rare around here so it was exciting to see it turning etc). Suddenly, a hawk took off from the ground at the side of the road, and flew across the road, and we hit it on the hood and the windshield. It would have been fine, but it got caught in the radio antennae and was flapping around in the wind. Trent stopped and it fell off onto the road. I was pretty upset. Trent continued on to work.
When I drove back home, I stopped where the hawk was. Poor thing was still alive. I tried to turn it over so it was on it's feet, but I didn't want to get hurt by it's talons or beak. It's one wing was fine, the one that got caught is clearly dislocated. I moved it off to the side of the road so it wouldn't get driven over... but that poor thing will die anyhow.
Twice now, while driving down that road, I've managed to get an American Gold Finch caught in the grill. It's head is just big enough to get caught in there, and it can't get out.
It's so sad when you hit wildlife. I wish that hawk had died on impact instead of just been injured.
Sometimes on e-mail, you get some really lame pass-alongs, but every once in a while, there's a gem. Everyone picks their own gem.. my gem might be lame to you.. but I decided I wanted to copy my gem here. Yesterday i was talking to my BFF Susan - and we were sharing these thoughts - about being Invisible Mother's. This gem encouraged me, because my invisibility is really a blessing.
Invisible Mother.....
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this ? Can you tie this? Can you open this??
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.
At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Great Job, MOM!
The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
We're getting back into the swing of the academic year and Nancy and Tamara have organized a whole new year of fun assignments for us homeschooling moms to participate in. They've even created a new website at
www.bloggerfriendschool.com
to streamline the whole thing. New graphics have been created and new teachers are on board to help out with the class assignments. Remember that old slogan for Shake and Bake Chicken, a little girl calling out "And I helped" in a long drawn out way.. well guess what, "and I helped" with this years new BFS program.
OOH And Tamara has organized a giveaway. Here's how to participate.
August 25th - October 6th, 2008
In honor of BFS’s 3rd year together, we have put together a Nature homeschool package and want to give all our Blogger Friend School students a chance to win!
This package consists of two beautiful hardbound Nature books and a Nature Journal! We hope that this will give a homeschooling family a special opportunity to enjoy their family learning with implementing nature walks into your yearly homeschooling schedule.
Entering is easy! There will be several opportunities to win.
How to enter?
1. READ the Class Description page and ADD the Blogger Friend School Graphic of your choice in the sidebar of your blog!
2. Post an ENTRY on your blog and announce that you are enrolled in the 2008-2009 Blogger Friend School and are participating in the Back to School Giveaway!
3. Come back HERE and sign the Mr. Linky with the direct link to your post.
****This earns you 1 entry!****
Want to earn more chances??? September is our Back to School Month and will have 5 Homework Assignments to post on your blog. For each assignment that you complete and Sign Mr. Linky, you will receive 1 more entry into the drawing! This makes it possible to earn 6 entries/per Homeschooling Mom!
Drawing will be randomly chosen on October 6, 2008 from all qualified participating Homeschool Moms across the globe! Teachers are not eligible for drawing but I’m sure they will be promoting the fun!
Hint, hint: This is a class clue!!…..Staples would say, “that was easy!” hmm….another famous line, “many will enter only 1 will win!”
Have you recently purchased a new fridge? Are you absolutely delighted with it? Could you tell me about it in the comments?
I need a new fridge. We came home to the smell of burning wires, and found that one of our fridges wasn't working anymore. So, If I'm going to replace one fridge, I might as well buy a big one and replace both of them with one single unit. I'm thinking something like this:
This is a GE ZICP720SSS - Stainless Steel Monogram 72" I want two fridge compartments though, not a fridge on one side and a freezer on the other...I already have a big chest freezer in the mud room. Of course, I don't have ALL the money in the world to spend, but there is some money for renovating the kitchen/mudroom so.. I think I better think this through completely before jumping..
So, let me know if you've done this recently and your experience, and let me know what the make and model is please.
Header Banner photo - My ornamental crab apple tree in fresh bloom, in the middle of my circular driveway.~~~~
I am Sombra, and these are the stories from our house. We're a Messianic family where academics often take a back seat to the work and adventure of life.
