Posted in organization
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from Leann: wanta play??? What's in the... Oven? dirty dishes. Crockpot? nothing and it is clean! CD player? i don't have one. we must have 11 in the house, but i do not have one. i usu use the puter and it has a bunch of everything. * DVD player? i have no idea. we do no TV anymore, only dvd's n videos - lots of Barney lately much to Hannah's chagrin! The babies both LOVE Barney! *Sewing Room? excuse me? *Craft Basket? the what? * Music Folder? whatever the kids n hubby put there! Mailbox? lots of interesting stuffs half of which i never read. Review Hopper? not sure what that is. Stack for Reading? my bible, the Gracious Woman, A Woman After God's Own Heart, Study Stack? Recruiting Like Jesus Did, You Can Homeschool HighSchool Washroom? laundry - dirty and clean and various Roo leavings Glass? hot coffee Stomach? jelly bagel Back Yard? two black dogs and various cats Mommy's Lap? my keyboard and my bagel on a plate! I held the 22 mos old earlier today for his nap. |
Posted in ramblings
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"Hollywood is...about self: self-congratulation, self-promotion, and above all, self-protection. This is human and basic, but let's not kid ourselves. There is no greatness there in the Kodak Theater. The greatness is on patrol in Kirkuk. The greatness lies unable to sleep worrying about her man in Mosul. The greatness sleeps at Arlington National Cemetery and lies waiting for death in VA Hospitals. God help us that we have sunk so low as to confuse foolish and petty boasting with the real courage that keeps this nation and the many fools in it alive and flourishing on national TV." —Ben Stein |
Posted in high school
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High School Coordinators Launch Blog Join HSLDA high school coordinators as they share information via a new interactive format. Their informal, timely postings will be tailored to the specific needs and interests of homeschooling families with high-school age children. Read more about it at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=2897 |
Posted in question
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Hubby has been impressed to look into the online survey community. I have been a member of Pinecone Research for over a year now and get at least one $5 ck each month, sometimes more. Not a lot, but $5 is $5. I recently signed up for some other survey companies – none that pay regularly, but they do offer other compensations and opportunities for prizes. They are all asking me to refer a friend (Pinecone Research is also expanding at this time) – IF you would like info from any of the online survey companies I am with, please email me and let me know. I will not refer or send info to anyone who does not ask. Having been with Pinecone for over a year, I only signed up with those companies that seemed legitimate to me. If I feel any company abuses the privilege or misrepresented themselves, I will post that on my blog. I know all of us Moms are always looking for some way to make money at home. This is one way we have chosen for this time. If YOU have done any online surveying, I’d love to hear about your experience! If YOU know of any other good work at home plans – LET ME KNOW! I have always heard positive things about mystery shopping and we may be looking into that also. Jo out |
Posted in ramblings
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can you think of any other kind of grilled sandwich than tuna or cheese?
"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." e.e. cummings
The same physiological changes that occur with real laughter also take effect when you only pretend to laugh!
The average child laughs 40 times a day.
People are more likely to laugh in groups than alone.
Women laugh more than men, except when they are listening to women. - now, do men laugh at women more than women laugh at women? - or do women tend to gossip and whine with each other and not laugh? - or do men just not listen to women?
Less than 20% of laughter is in response to a joke.
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Posted in ramblings
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I got tagged by Leann who wrote: "Posted in Organizing Life at Home
TNMOMTOMANY and | |
Posted in organization
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wow! Dr. Dobson's letter for February sure goes along with my pondering!!!
What I have run into - well, let me go back a bit for my new readers. . .
6 children in 8 years, homeschooling, and lots of other activities at church, etc. The twins are now 5 and I am delightedly pregnant again with a long awaited little girl.
Soon after Zipporah's birth, God very clearly told me to do NO THING outside of the home. Fine with me! I scheduled one field trip (I thought he meant things like positions or regular committments) and sprained my ankle so badly the week before the trip that I could not walk for 3 weeks! I NEVER sprain anything!
So - after 3 years and another surprise baby (a boy we named Reuben which means "Behold! A son!"), God released me into ministry. I was very excited to see what He had in store for me and several things appeared at once but the ones not for me quickly fell through. (I think God is really good at closing doors!)
Long story short - after it all fell out, I am assistant to our Children's Ministry Director. And I like that.
However, what I am running into is other small things people are asking me to do which would be no big deal really, but I already committed to this. Now I am wondering if I should be doing anything outside. We try to do all things with excellence, and for me that means even a seemingly small thing (like a table for a ministry fair) can turn into a largeish thing in terms of time and energy. When I am brainstorming the ministry table, I am not brainstorming schedules, school, needs of the children, etc.
Even that would be ok, I think, but with hubby's life in such a state of flux right now with being unemployed and waiting on God with no clear direction other than "not that" - it seems there is too much on me. I am not used to having him home all day. It used to be I was very available to him for several hours each evening (in addition to a phone call or two during the day) and that was sooo doable since I had all day and all night to do other things. Now it seems he wants that kind of attention 24/7, and there isn't enough of me to do that. There is no sense making a big deal out of it right now because this is not the schedule we will ultimately have when God finally ok's whatever it is we are supposed to be doing. It is just challenging right now. I just feel like I never have down time and someone is always wanting me and feeling left out or alone. Whew! That can wear really quick!
This too shall pass. But it was really most telling that Dr. Dobson's letter was on that very subject.
"In closing, let me emphasize one more time that the trouble we are having with our children is linked directly to routine panic and the increasing isolation and detachment from you, their parents. Furthermore, boys typically suffer more from these conditions than do girls. Why? Because boys are more likely to get off-course when they are not guided and supervised carefully. They are inherently more volatile and less stable emotionally. They founder in chaotic, unsupervised and undisciplined circumstances. Boys are like automobiles that need a driver at the steering wheel every moment of the journey, gently turning a half inch here and a quarter-inch there. They will need this guidance for at least 16 or 18 years, or even longer. When left to their own devices, they tend to drift toward the center divider or into the ditch, toward misbehavior or danger. Yet 59 percent of today's kids come home to an empty house. It is an invitation to mischief or disaster for rambunctious males, and the older they get, the more opportunities they have to get into trouble. Today, when the culture is in a tug-of-war with families for control of our children, we can't afford to be casual about their care and training. Your task as a mother, in conjunction with your husband, is to build a man out of the raw materials available in this delightful little boy, stone upon stone upon stone. Never assume for a moment that you can "do your own thing" without serious consequences for him and his sister. I believe this task must be your highest priority for a period of time. It will not always be required of you. Before you know it, that child at your feet will become a young man who will pack his bags and take his first halting steps into the adult world. Then it will be your turn. By all expectations, you should have decades of health and vigor left to invest in whatever God calls you to do. But for now, there is a higher calling. I feel obligated to tell you this, whether my words are popular or not. Raising children who have been loaned to us for a brief moment outranks every other responsibility."
We have 5 boys. |
Posted in ramblings
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“Take all the words available in the human vocabulary and read them from the dictionary, and you have only a list of words. But with the creativity and imagination God has given human beings, let these words flow together in the right order and they give wings to the spirit. Every child ought to know the pleasure of words so well chosen that they awaken sensibility, great emotions, and understanding of truth. This is the magic of words—a touch of the supernatural, communication which ministers to the spirit, a gift of God.” Gladys Hunt Honey for a Child’s Heart |
Posted in writing
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Another great article over at The Writer's Nook! Do you journal? Should you?
I do most of my journalling on the computer anymore. In my life I keep losing my journals! I don't lose much on my computer - I can't say never, but seldom. Far more seldom than my print ones!! |
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I found the Focus * magazine, and here are the searing questions I referred to in "update".
Self-Assessment: As you evaluate your relationships and teach your children how to relate to others in a healthy, godly way, ask these questions: Are you friendly, a good listener, trustworthy, truthful, a giver, an optimist, and affirming of others? Are you amiable, forgiving, gentle, reliable, unselfish, flexible, sensitive, sympathetic, gentle, uncritical, considerate, others centered, open-minded, observant, diligent, and humble? Are you someone who encourages, speaks kind words, serves others, controls your anger, admits when you're wrong, keeps your promises, and submits to authority? If you struggle with any of these traits, ask the Lord to help you grow in that area so your relationships can show God's nature and unselfish love.
- Adapted from The 12 Essentials of Godly Success by Tommy Nelson.
Read the full article these questions came from.
*You can read Focus On the Family magazine online - just click here! You can also sign up to receive a FREE print edition by clicking the link at the top of the page. |
Posted in writing
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I went surfing on Leann's friends and found a great Q&A at The Writer's Nook! Lots of helpful articles also! |
Posted in health and wellness
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silver actually works! It continues to amaze me that dr's put it in babies' eyes at birth and it is also in burn cream - but yet they continue to claim it has no properties to heal and should not be used. wassup wid dat??
which brings me to another point - I've decided I like blogs waaay more than egroups! Cuz it is MY blog - and you can read it or not, but noone will tell me to stop posting about any subject. LOL - I like that. |
Posted in whinings
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I think I lost an entry?? about the tv and my new desk? I previewed it and then it disappeared. Still learning i guess. If I don't see it tonite, I will try to redo it. Need to keep a copy in word until I get it all figured out!
Ok so, next day and i think i've figured it out. To add an entry, you click "add entry". sheesh! |
Posted in ramblings
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I need more friends!! Leann is down there all alone by herself!! Any other large families?? Any other life junkies? Ragpickers?? |
Posted in question
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what are pings and trackbacks??? can i change the font i post in? |
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This is a very choppy entry as most of it is pulled from a letter to my friend – but it does update you as to what is going on in my life: we just spent 16 days together on vacation in Destin, Fla. I took many books, a new journal, and a brand new set of my favorite pens.
We did a HUGE purge about 3 ys ago. I got about 20 plastic bins and everything I had not used in 6 mos went in the bins. The clutter is back just as bad AND I had to get in the bins twice to find things. God blessed and I did find what I needed. But I have waaay too many piles right now and I hardly ever use anything in most of them – so it really could be put away. I ponder why I even have all this stuff! If I never use it I mean. AND if you have it but cannot find it when you need it, then do you really have it??? KWIM?? I feel some changes will be coming soon. Not sure if I am dreading them or looking forward to them or both. I think both! Being available to people provides a semi-organized chaos, but the kids learn so much!! It has been an adjustment for me – this chaos. Which we had little to none of on vacation – and I liked that, the absence BUT we did not accomplish a single thing either. Oh, I mean we did vacation things like bonding, laughing, and even some serving as the gparents were with us but no projects, met no new people (except the waitress at waffle house who loves our whole family!), you know – nothing to matter or last. We just vacationed.
I find that extremely frustrating and I guess that is where I crave outside work – cuz it stays done! I worked at the church 3 days before vacation and got SO much done!! I could not believe all I got accomplished in just a few days or hours even! And at home – honestly, no kidding here – it can take me four hours just to get one bathroom trash can emptied. WHAT IS IT with boys and overflowing trash cans????????? They will continue to put stuff on it until it is 2 feet above the top of the trash can. And when you say “(name)” they give you this blank stare like they have NO idea why you are upset! WHAT IS IT???? I say, “______, the bathroom is not clean.” In he goes, out he comes, in I go – still the trash can overflows – but it is moved into a corner and piled higher since he put what was on the floor up on top. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Something in my friend’s blog set me to pondering too. It was an opportunity to write for an e-zine (no pay, but hey – exposure!) and it made me think IF I am going to do anything outside of my house and family, shouldn’t it be something I really love and get excited to do?? And the #1 thing I love is thinking, writing, sharing. The things I do now I do cuz I am asked, but they seem like a burden sometimes. Writing never feels like a burden. So – if I am going to do something. . . shouldn’t it be something that fills me rather than taking away? I guess what I really feel I would like to do right now in my life is go back through my old writings and inspirational things I’ve saved. I want to do a special encouragement book for John for his graduation. I want my house cleaner. I want to be able to find things when I want them. I want the pics on my computer on a cd. I want to not have to worry about a computer crash becuz all my important things are on a cd safely tucked away. I want to scrapbook. I want to sew. I want to finish the cross stitch I started for my MIL. (I think I took that to Destin too but never even got it out!) I need to make some decisions! Living simply is anything but!! It seems so elusive and so difficult!! It is sposed to be s-i-m-p-l-e! ANY TIPS APPRECIATED. . . if you also have 8 kids. LOL! Do you think this almost two year old has anything to do with this??? I swear mine needs a caretaker! He has to be followed – literally – every single minute. He gets the strangest ideas! He got STUCK in a cupboard in the vacation house!! It was a very narrow one between the stove and the fridge and he got in and was holding a sippy cup and could NOT get out! I got pics on my phone – if I ever figure out how to download them to somewhere/something, I will post the pic of him stuck. He was like “cheese Mom, now could you get me OUT!” LOL – too hilarious! He never went in that cupboard again, but switched to the one under the sink where he could take all the trash bags out of the box! He is everywhere, into everything, exploring – looking – ciphering – etc. Loves plugs and push buttons. TOO MUCH!! Climber extraordinaire! When I DO find something he will do for 10 minutes – it gets lost or “snitched”. Zee likes to check out Roo’s favorite toy, but the only way to do that w/o him screeching is to take it quickly into another room. Well, then it is lost. I paid $7 for an Elmo lift the flap book for him for Christmas (I NEVER pay that much for books! I buy them all the time, but NEVER pay full price! I just thought that one was worth it – it is. He loves it!) I SO wanted it on the ride to Destin (9+hours) as it is a quiet sitting activity he will do for a lengthy period, but could NOT find it! Grrrrrr!!! We really need a home based business too. WHEN I would ever fit it in I do not know, but we really do need one. God has really laid it on our hearts – tho I believe it might be more along the lines of a ministry the way things are looking. It is waay more fun to WATCH someone live fully dependent on God than it is to do it! Nerve wracking at times to do it. Then there are times of such sweet peace that it is all worth it and I could not imagine any other way. I just keep flopping! Growing, growing, so much growing to go. . .
This was my devotional for today: February 24 The Delight of Sacrifice I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls . . . When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. Paul said that he knew how to be a "doormat" without resenting it, because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. It really spoke to me cuz I feel like I’m just being selfish. Then I went to the little girl’s room and read the Focus On The Family Magazine and it had an article on selfishness with some oh so searing questions! I brought it to the puter to post them on here, but someone else was at MY computer. LOL – so I had to go work and now it is 12 pm and I am back on my computer, but of course I have no idea where the book is. Anyway – Zee was really mouthy today because she wanted to go to her friend’s house and it ordinarily would have made me furious how awful she was being, but all I could think is that is how I must sound to God with all my whining and wanting. Oy! I pondered on that all day and realized I had no quiet time even tho I was on vacation. The only time I was alone – and even then I often had someone with me – was in the hot tub at 2 am. I really did enjoy the vacation, but I think I got a bit burnt out cuz I wasn’t getting filled. I really enjoyed driving down the road that ran by the beach. It was so calming to me but I spent a lot of time feeling guilty cuz I could never seem to make everyone happy. This one wanted this, that one wanted that, and hubby wanted me upstairs with him. I felt pulled a lot. Been feeling that a lot lately. Hubby is home due to unemployment and God just really has us in a holding pattern. It is a HUGE adjustment on my part!!!!! I swear I sound JUST like Zee! “Waaaah” “Whine” STOMP! |