Two weeks ago we set off for Missouri - a 17 hour, 1090 mile trip. Here are our kiddos in the car, in no particular order. They're smiling because we hadn't yet discovered that the DVD player was broken

Emi's first road trip!

This one made me take her picture half a dozen times before I got a decent shot,

But this one posed willingly :)

And this guy couldn't get any cuter if he tried, IMHO :)

Our drive took us thru West Virginia, Kentucky, Indianna, and Illinois -4 states we had never been in before. At a Kentucky rest stop, the kids spotted out this cool looking moth:

It's dead of course (see the big piece missing from it's wing right above my thumb?) But I took a picture anyway, planning to look up it's name when we got home. Um yeah, haven't done that yet  If any of my illustrious readers can name it, they'll win, um...well,... something cool for sure . I'll spare you the pics of the dead cicadas littering the ground. Crunch, crunch.

We made it to Louisville, KY the first night, and after eating at The Old Spaghetti Factory  we went to the Waterfront Park  - it was so cool! If you're ever in the area I highly recommend it. There was TONS of playground equipment and a Splash Park all in one big area (probably an acre or more) with plenty of seating for parents. I know what you're thinking, but it was surprisingly un-overwhelming considering it's size and the amount of kids there. There are grown-up things too, if you find yourself sans children.

One of the playgrounds.

We did not feel like digging though our suitcases for bathing suits,

so we got a little wet.

Not the best shot, I know. But I have this thing for bridges and train trestles - I don't know why. The park is along the Ohio River (get it - Waterfront?), So those houses you see on the other side are in Ohio, a state we unfortunately didn't get to visit on this trip.

So that's it for day 1. Stay tuned for Part II - St Loius, MO here we come!

*Edited to add: good catch, Kathy D.! That is indeed the Ohio River, but that is INDIANA on the other side, NOT Ohio. And I'm sorry we missed you, maybe next time... :)

Not ours, but somebody's:

I'll post more pictures of our trip to MO tomorrow

Ooo, This is my 100th post! How exciting. To celebrate, I'm posting some pictures.

Here's one I should have put with the last post, but I didn't:

She's really reading to them!

Here's one for my Mom:

I couldn't get him to put his hands down, to show the 'Lakers,' sorry.  

Here's one for fairness:

The smile, the eyes, they never fail to bring a smile to my heart. :) 

And last, but not least:

Doncha just want to kiss those lips and squeeze her little arms? I think I'll have to go do it now, so Good Night! 

Remember that trip we took to California? While there, I scored these from my mother-in-law (yes, she had indeed been holding on to them for some 10-15 years! They look great though.):

I was so excited to get these (they were FREE people!) but the couple friends that I mentioned it to didn't seem to understand my enthusiasm.

"Couldn't you just get them from the library?"

Well, yes,  but it's not the same. I didn't want to force Arianna to read anything. I was not going to assign her book and say "you have to finish this, and soon too, because it's due next week." What I envisioned (and have subsequently done) was to scatter the books around the house - her room, the living room, the kitchen (where our shelf for current school books is) and wait until she picked one up and began reading it, which, I reasoned, was inevitable. 

So far, she's read:

Go, Dog, Go!

Small Pig

Ten Apples up on Top

The B Book

Biscuit's New Friend

Pedro's Burro

Alright, I confess, I threw in those last two from the library because I could see that she was getting frustrated with the length of some of the other books. These were much shorter, with the added bonus of being really cute :) I've actually 'caught' her reading every one of the books in the picture either to her siblings or during quiet time, I just haven't asked her to read them to me yet, to make sure she's got it perfect.  I'm a mean mama. But when we were reading Peter Pan this week, she kept interupting to point out the words she could read. I had to bite back the frustration and pour out the praise, because some of those words were hard!  

I'm so proud of her! She can read! AND she likes it!

Oh, and I totally wasn't going to BUY those books. They're like $9 each! And even though you may have fond memories of The Cat in the Hat, I doubt you wanted to re-read it in high school. The children's books I buy are ones that I currently enjoy and hope to keep for my grandchildren :) 

Well, that turned out to be quite a break from blogging, though I assure you it was unintended. Do not fear, however, for I have been quite productive in my absence and have much to share with you, though I may break it up into several blog posts. First things first: I am learning to sew! I am so excited about this! I have wanted to learn for a long time. I (mostly) know how to quilt, and always thought it would be really nifty to know to how to make dresses and whatnot, but I was afraid to try.  I have a fear of doing new things. Is there a word for this? Like nouvephobia? Did I just coin one, lol? Anyhow, I finally talked myself out of it and pulled out a pattern for jammie pants and some material I bought eons ago (seriously- eons - like before I had kids!)  and came up with these:

I made them short because all I do is wear out the knees of my long pants and end up cutting them this length anyway! And for the record, that is my son's leg jutting out of my side there, and YES his big toenail is painted red - the boy would give me NO peace till he was just like his sisters.  As an added bonus to finally conquering my fear, I also learned, through a little trial and error, how to use the buttonholing foot on my sewing machine! Of course, once I figured it out it was quite easy. The only thing these pants really need to make them perfect is pockets! And now that I've done one pair, I am dreaming of a whole slew of jammie pants as chirstmas gifts, hehehe  Before that however, I am making some napkins out of old pillowcases, because quite frankly, I am tired of wasting money and landfill space on paper ones. THEN the big project - making dresses for my girls. I haven't looked at the pattern instructions yet, but  I am hoping that it doesn't involve fancier skills than I currently posess. There are zippers involved, so yes, I have been praying for patience and wisdom!

In all seriousness and honesty though, I am glad to be learning a skill that is useful and productive. Scrapbooking is fun, I enjoy it very much, but aside from preserving memories (which is IMPORTANT!) it is not as purposeful as clothing. Plus I always feel like there is so much I don't know - I am so in awe of the early colonists and pioneers who, when they wanted a thing, made it; simple as that. While I don't neccessarily want to live like they did (Thank You, Lord, for flush toilets!)  it is a nice feeling not to have to depend entirely on someone else for bread or clothes. 

So, my much younger sisters-in-law (both are currently 15) have boyfriends for the first time. I was discussing this with my MIL the other day when she sighed and said “This’ll be you with Arianna in 10 years.” Without thinking, I retorted. “No it won’t,” and then “Where would she meet such a boy?” To which my mother-in-law replied, “At church.” I could not argue this possibility, because I expect she will meet many boys at church, but also because it wasn’t the point I meant to make.

See, by asking where she would meet a boy made it sound as though we fully expect to be hermits, never interacting with the outside world, or allowing personal relationships to grow, and this is simply not true. We do not intend to keep Arianna or any of our children prisoners, or to forbid their friendships.  

What we do hope to do is to spend the next ten years or more teaching her to value and desire modesty, purity, integrity, and honor, in her own behavior and in the character of any she would consider as a life partner.

Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel – rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.  1 Peter 3:3-4

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Titus 2:6-8

I hope to model for them what a Christian marriage looks like (though of course I expect them to have none of my faults, ha!) I expect to help them develop a relationship with their Lord and Savior, and hearts which desire nothing less than His will in their lives. I expect that family will always come first, and that when we do socialize, it will be as a family. I do not believe in dating, the way it is defined and carried out in modern society – I think it is just practice divorce. And I hope that, by the time my children are ‘of age’ (so to speak), they will recognize it as such, and know that God desires so much more for them.

In the same way I feed my children good food and teach them healthy eating habits, knowing that doing so will help them develop a distaste for junk food; in the same manner that I read them great literature to nurture their minds and souls with “whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, [and] whatever things are lovely,” (Philippians 4:8) knowing that they will disdain television; in that way I hope to show them what is desirable in a mate by teaching, teaching, teaching, guarding their hearts and minds,  and by encouraging only those friendships with likeminded families (of which I know there are man!).

To many (ok, probably all) in my family this will undoubtedly all seem very strange, and at best a lofty, though unattainable, goal. I am not afraid of their disbelief J. Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:1). I know that this works and is a reality for many Christian families, because I read about them daily here and here and here. I have been blessed and encouraged by these godly young men and women, and pray for similar wisdom and godliness in my own dear children.

So now you know. And for those of you keeping score, this totally counts as a Serious Post.

Arianna came to me the other day looking for her hundred's chart. "Kirsten is having her lessons," she explained.

"Oh," I said. "Are you her teacher?"

She looked at me, puzzled that I would ask such a question.

"No," she answered simply. "I'm her mother."

Later that day Noelle was having  baby. I was unavailable to play midwife, so Arianna stepped in and coached her:

"Ok now, when the baby starts to come out, you have to scream like this: 'EEEK!'

Ya, it was something like that 

My [daughter], if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad; and my inmost being will rejoice, when your lips speak what is right. Proverbs 23:15-16

Please pray for my Grandma. This is her with Emily last month:

She has been in the hospital these past two weeks and may not return home. But she is seeking, searching for God, so please, above all else, pray for her salvation. And, if it isn't too much to ask, Peace for her daughters (my mother included) during this time. Thank you.

My kiddos are quite the fliers. First we flew out to California last month, and now this:

Isn't that cool? It's a teeter-totter / see-saw / whatever you want to call it, and it can seat 7 kids! Someday when we have a little more room, I'd like to add one of these. 

The obsevant among you might notice from girls clothing above, or lack thereof, below,  that it has been beautiful spring weather lately: warm, but not abominably hot or humid, and not too buggy yet.

I don't do humid and buggy very well.

Exciting things are happening around here lately, but that will have to be the news of another night! God Blessing!

Here's what "table work" looks like at our house:

If I were fancy and actually  knew how to use the Photoshop 4.0 that DH so generously bought for me, I would cover this picture with arrows and circles to point out all the interesting things going on. But instead, you'll just have to read this part, then go back up to the pic and play I Spy. This shot is from when we were between math books;  Arianna is working out addition problems on her chalkboard (this is apparently a treat, and much cooler than plain old paper-and-pencil) with the aid of an abacus. Can I just pause a moment and point out how great an abacus can be? There are 100 manipulatives right there on that frame - and they ain't going nowhere. They will not be lost, stepped on, vacuumed up, or swallowed. They are already in tens for those place value lessons, and of course are perfect for counting, skip counting, adding, and subtracting. Considering purchasing one if you have young'uns (it was way less expensive than those tubs of counting bears) because manipulative are the name of the game in early math.

The little yellow book is her handwriting book, and it doesn't get any simpler than this. She does a page a day, which probably does not take more than two minutes. If it strikes her fancy, she'll ask to do more, and I usually agree  I expect her to use her best hand writing for her weekly copywork and/or written narration too, not just for the book.  See the pattern blocks? Those are for the child who had finished her work already or is waiting for me to start with her. At four and five, they are so not at the independant study age yet.  

Noelle is working on one of those big workbooks of "pre-school comprehensive curriculum."  Blech.  I am so not a fan of these things: it is 540 pages and 500 of them (I'm not exaggerating) are just wasted trees. But I bought it for her last year when she was itching to "do school" and I did not think she was ready for much else. At the time, I figured it was worth my $8 to keep her quiet and me sane(er), though in retrospect, I can think of countless other activities that would have been a better use of our time, even if it had cost me some prep work. But it keeps her busy and the math sections are actually decent.

And where is Zeke all this time? 

Staked closely to the table too; with a couple cars, a bowl of Cheerios, and your family nearby, who needs to go anywhere else? 

Have I mentioned how much I love the ages my kids are at right now? I am having so much fun with them! I will be sad when there are no longer any preschoolers in my house...

So, we finished Singapore's Kindergarten Math last month. And to be honest with you, I didn't like it all that much. Before you read on, (if you do at all, I suppose my Mom's will skim this part at best to get to the pics) please note that this critique is for the kindergarten math only, it is the only level I have used. Furthermore, I have never used any of the supplements that you can buy for this program; perhaps if I had they might have addressed some of my complaints. My main complaint, well is not really a complaint at all, it is just that Singapore teaches in "blocks": a few lessons on counting 10-20, then one or two on fractions, then a couple on 1-1 correspondence, with NO review on lessons previously learned. I do not recall if I knew this before I bought the product, but in any case I have since found out that I prefer a "spiral" method in teaching math, and that it fits my daughter's learning style better. Here are a few other things I noticed:

• Despite the small size of these worktexts, there was quite a bit of 'busy work" and pages devoted to uneccesary demonstrations, especially in the first book.
• The teacher notes are geared toward the classroom.

So what are we moving on to?  Well, our new Horizons Math  books came in Friday and Arianna wanted to start right away! (Noelle got Horizons K, she is almost ready). I am tempted to write a positive review after only one lesson, but that is not really fair. However, I chose Horizons because it does teach spiral-y (each lessons introduces a new topic and reviews the previous ones). And, I have noticed that despite Singapore's reputation for being very advanced, the scope of Horizons seems more so, but we shall see. Also, they were inexpensive. I will mention that Horizons lessons are very busy visually, so if your child is sensative to visual stimuli, these may be overwhelming. Oh, and I did not buy the teacher's book.

With the money I saved on my math curriculum, I bought Usborn's First Thousand Words in Spanish (speaking of visual stimuli...). This, with my very rudimentary high school Spanish, and some help help from our neighbors, is going to be our Spanish curriculum for the next few years, until I can afford Rosetta Stone or it is time to start learning Latin. I also like these and books like Corre, Perro, Corre!  from the library.

Ah, what other book related news do I have? Are you tired of it yet? The thing is, that we have finished our school year for the most part, but since we school year- round I am having the fun of planning and starting a new "school year" right now!  Well, I think it's cool. And it's my blog and I'll bore you if I want to ;) Anyway, remember the art curriculum I mentioned in my last post? Well, we had our first lesson during a torrential downpour last night (yes, I know it was Sunday, but we hadn't gotten around to it on Saturday!) I really like the book, it is very straight forward witn no fluff. I was afraid the girls would find the first lesson a trifle boring (lines and shapes) - I felt they would want to skip the beginning stuff and get right to creating masterpeices. But they quite enjoyed themsleves, and I heard no complaints, except when the pipe cleaners wouldn't stay glued to the paper:

The assignment was to make shapes (geometric, symbolic, and free form) from different things; we used toothpicks, dry spaghetti noodles, embroidery floss, twist ties, and pipe cleaners. It was fun; don't mind Zeke in corner there - who taught that boy how to hold a crayon? And I could have sworn I moved that salt shaker before I took the picture.

We are also doing a little art appreciation - something I've wanted to do for a long time -  using A Child's Book of Art. This book is actaully part of Sonlight's Core B (which apparently has a new name this year) but I never purchased it before because I wasn't sure about it and, well, there are so many books and so little money. Anyhow, I saw it on display at the library and grabbed it at the last minute - and I am SO glad I did. The book is GORGEOUS - and the format is perfect for sharing with your kidlets.My girls asked for "more," (though that may have been because bedtime was to follow, lol); my conlusion being that I think we will have to purchase this one, because it is definately one we will go back to again and again.

Could you believe that I have more I wanted to cover? But I won't now. If you've gotten this far, you must be a homeschool mom of preschoolers :) 

Hi, my name is Veronica and I am a bibliomaniac.

         biliomania - n. a craze for collecting books, esp. rare ones - bibliomaniac n., adj. 

I prefer to think of myself as a bibliophile.

          bibliophile - n. 1. a person who loves or admires books, esp. for their style of binding, priting, etc. 2. a collector of books

See, doesn't that sound better? And it must be true too, because how else could I justify spending, well, I won't say how much, but a good amount, on these books, when I could have just gotten mass market paperback versions? (yuck, it even tastes bad to print it).

There are more, that is just one shelf. Sadly, we had to cancel our order on these books, and now my trips to the mailbook aren't nearly as exciting, but I hope to resume service in the future, when the budget is not so tight. It may take me that long to read War and Peace and Les Miserables  

However, we did recently come into a little money in the form of a tax return (Thanks, Uncle Sam!) and a birthday gift (Thanks, Dad!), and I knew what to do with it:

Do you see Raising Godly Tomatoes and Nourishing Traditions? Those are mine. Ok, to be completely forthwith, the others are children's books that we will use for school, so those are also mine too  It was quite exciting around here for over a week, because they were nice enough to send them in several shipments. There is also a book of poetry, biographies of St. Patrick, St. Francis, and Cleopatra, PLUS  new art and science curriculum.  I can't be the only one who is excited by this.

And, as if that weren't enough, yesterday at Costco I came across one of my all time favorite books, Tuck Everlasting (if you haven't read this book, you totally should). Hubby was kind enough to let me throw  lay it lovingly in our cart, along with The Children of Henry VIII just for fun. It's very interesting so far.

So, reading back over this, I'm thinking my condition might require a more serious intervention...

We are continuing our vacation this week and taking a break from our more academic lessons to practice a little tomato staking and obedience training (if you haven't read Raising Godly Tomatoes you totally should). Anyhow, even though I know we want to and do live a lifestyle of learning, it sometimes still jumps out at me just how much we learn with out even trying to! Here is a little of what we learned yesterday:

• We had nature study observing a cute little bunny in my tulip bed. It ended when Emi hollered and the bunny quickly scampered under a holly bush. Isure hope that wasn't her mate or baby that we found in the backyard earlier this week. He was, well, he is not scampering anymore.
• We learned the definitions of "law breaker" and "delinquint." (Don't ask, lol)
• Papa explained why a shark's belly is lighter than his back.
• Mama explained why a rattlesnake rattles, and why it deosn't REALLY want to bite you.
• In the life skills category, the girls (4 &5) showered by themselves (though they didn't wash their hair).
• As part of our obedience lesson they practiced following me: walking when I walk, stopping when I stop, keeping their hands off the merchandise, not wandering off to look at something, staying with the cart/stroller while I look at something...We got to practice this both at home and in a Real-Life Setting when we ran errands, where we also learned that -
• When you are going to the auto-parts store, it is a good idea to bring along the piece you are trying to replace

My bags are packed.

Our boarding passes printed.

My house is clean picked up.

My refridgerator is nearly empty.

My appliances are unplugged.

By this time tomorrow, I will be in California.

Don't be jealous, it's not anywhere glamourous (did I spell that right, Mom?) only Moreno Valley. I know you've never heard of it, that's how you know it's no where you want to be... Anyway, I'll write.

Catch you on the flip side.

"Potty. Potty."

"OK, do you want my help?."

"No, Me do. Me."

I'm not even allowed to turn on the light.

After teh light you move the stool over to the toilet;

and lift the lid, 

and the seat,

and pull down your britches (ok Mama, I need a little help with that)

You didn't think I was really going to go there, did you? Well, I didn't. But buns are okay, right? Everyone loves baby buns. If you're wondering about his strange posture, well it's because he had just informed me that he needed to **ahem** sit down, but like a good photo journalist, I asked him to let me get this one picture first...

Anyhow, at least he flushed AND put the seat back down. He'll make a fine husband someday. See how tolerant he is of a woman's whims: this face is clearly saying "I'm tired Mama; why are you taking pictures of me in the bathroom again?" And yet he went along with it like the sweetie he is...

What a big boy.

Ahh, spring. I suppose those of you who have always lived in climates with noticable season changes don't really think about it too much. I bet seasons come and seasons go with hardly a nod from you, except maybe to grab or shed your coat. I bet some of you even complain about your weather!

But I, I think it's lovely to have seasons that noticabely change. I spent my whole life in southern California, and there were but two seasons there: HOT, and slightly cooler ( I was inland folks, you know the desert?). Though I did spend several lovely years in the beach cities of Santa Barbara and Monterey, which were, like I said, lovely. Well, SB was, and if we were a six figure salary kind of family, I'd live there still, but I digress. But even lovely weather gets a little dull when it's. always. the. same. On a warm day in Monterey it was 72 degrees. A cool day was 66.  It was always partly cloudy, with a chance of drizzle. Always.

It is nice to have seasons to look forward too. It is hard to teach your kids about God's creation when the leaves don't change color and there is never any frost or ice or chance of snow. What do you mean birds come back in the sring and flowers bloom and bugs and other critters wake up? They've been here all along.  I know honey, but try to imagine they haven't...

So we planted some tulip bulbs. Some. I have discovered I am not one for gardening, though I do like to pull weeds, so go figure. We had 100 tulip bulbs (Costco, of course) and I planted maybe 30. BUT the important thing is that they are blooming - which may make them the first thing I have ever successfully planted. Though I suppose there is still plenty of time to kill them off. We saw the first flowers on Easter morning, and of course I pointed out the parable to the kids. It's all part of living and learning you know. There are many more flowers ready to open, and still more shoots poking through the **ahem** soil, but these are the ones we saw Sunday.

I totally **need** a new camera. Because I'm sure it's that, and not me.

Sometimes, the conversation gets quite deep around here:

Arianna:        Mom, did Adam have to go under the water to name the ocean animals?    

ME:                 I...uh. well, I don't - Um, what do you think?

Arianna:         (thoughtfully) I think they poked thier heads out and came to him.

ME:                (nodding intelligently) I think you're right honey.

Phew, that was close. I almost lost  my reputation there! :-)

And for those of you who think Noelle came from somewhere way out in left field, here is proof that she has inherited her mother's deep thinking genes and her father's practicality. We were reading Aesop's fable about the farmer with the goose that laid golden eggs. I think the moral was lost to her, but it inspired the following conversation:

Noelle: Why him want da golden eggs Mama?

Me: Because he is greedy and wants to be rich, honey.

Noelle:  Is him going to eat the eggs? 

Me: No sweetie, you can't eat golden eggs.

Noelle: Oh. [She ponders this more, then perks up and asks -] Is little golden baby chicks tan tome outta the eggs?

Me: No honey, nothing will come out of them, they are just solid gold eggs.

Noelle [pondering, and a little preturbed my now]  Mama, WHY him want the golden eggs for?

Ahh, that's our little country girl.

And finally, since it's been TWO whole posts since I last had a picture, here is one of Zeke, treating his First Ever Bloody Nose. I know it will not be his last, and frankly, I am surprised it took him this long, considering that he alternately stumbles or hurls his way though life.

And no, the tissue didn't last long after the picture. :-)

And on a totally unrelated note, I have decided to challenge myself to post one new entry each night this week, and to make it even more challenging, I will try to get it in before 10pm EDT, because that is the cutoff I have given myself for turning off the computer at night. 10 might be late for some of ya'll, but I have been known to be on the computer till 1 am, and when I finally wake in the morning the dinner dishes are still in the sink. (How embarrasing, I can't believe I shared that. If you are totally disgusted with me, please keep it to yourself, lol. ) But let's focus on the good news people - there will be lots of posts this week!  Did you catch yesterday's serious post?  We may not get another one of those till next week. I can only be so serious, you know?There will be more cute kid pics too, but you'll just have to come back and see, because right now it's 10:08 pm and I have a date with the dishes.  

About two months ago I picked up a book at the library called The Christmas Letters by Lee Smith and just got around to reading it lat week. I first I really enjoyed it; it chronicled the life of first one woman and then her daughter through their yearly Christmas letter (like the kind DH says I should write, but I never have). But then, after 24 years of marriage she divorces. Tragic as I think that is, it is still not what bothered me so much.  What bothered me was that, from that point on the novella became just another example of the popular literary theme of a woman “finding herself” outside of her marriage. “…this was the moment when my self came back, or when I came back to my own real self again.” (pg 87) The protagonist realizes that all those years she was alive, but not ‘really living’. “I was alive, if that’s what you mean. But I missed the Sixties entirely, as a matter of fact. I was just too busy having babies and Tupperware parties.” (pg 82).

            I just think it’s sad. Why is it that if a woman devotes herself to or works at or stays at home to marry or raise a family the perception is that she must “lose herself” to do so? Why must this be so? Do you understand what I am asking? Why can’t a woman be herself while raising a family?

            What is it that is meant when it is said that someone has ‘lost herself?’ It seems to entail some degree of denying or sacrificing ones own desires to meet the needs of ones family. Well I admit I do that on a daily basis: I get up before I want to, prepare three (semi)healthy meals at (somewhat) regular intervals, read Harold and the Purple Crayon (again) when I’d rather be reading Jane Eyre, and go to the playground when I’d rather be scrapbooking. And yet, I feel I am myself.

            If I were young and single, or a brilliant career woman, would I be able to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted?  Certainly not, and furthermore the idea is rather childish: “When I grow up I’m going to stay up ALL night!” In any other role the only thing that would change is the people whom I am sacrificing for; my time demanded by a professor or employer or client; probably someone who in reality I care very little about, and yet whose opinions or desires would have enormous influence in my life. Free from ‘the shackles of family life,’ I still would not have much time for Jane Eyre or scrapping. Would I be more myself then?    

            I know the idea is not a new one. The Awakening, first published in 1899, depicts what happens to one young woman who determines to ‘discover her own identity’ and ‘define her own life,’ through selfishness it seems: "Every step she took toward relieving herself from obligations added to her strength and expansion as an individual.” (The result is rather tragic). I suppose the difference lies in the fact that Chopin’s novel shocked readers of the day, whereas the very same ideas today are looked upon as common, the natural order of things, to be expected even, a truth. That, to me is the sad part. That a woman, especially a stay at home mom, is almost expected to be unhappy; that a marriage is almost expected not to last, and that these ideas are being fed to us as truth in our literature and in our culture.

            I am me. How’s THAT for profound? ;) I am the only me I know how to be. I am happy. I suppose the difference is Jesus. I know what I was, and what I am now – that I was blind and now I see, that I have new life in Him. How could I not be happy? There is freedom and fulfillment being in His will. I am happy because I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. I am not fighting God. Please note: I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Do I believe marriage (or kids) is for everyone? No; but I do believe that God has a plan for each of us, and that no one can be happy outside of His will. And that, I suppose makes all the difference.  

                                    And do not be conformed to this world, but be

transformed by the renewing of your mind, that

you may prove what is that good and acceptable

and perfect will of God.                 Romans 12:2

Ok, so JenIg is having this contest that me and everyone else wants to win, but I really hope I do, because my MIL is moving to Spain and was JUST talking about getting this program, so I'd love to win it for her. Anyways, here's the lowdown:

Rosetta Stone has been the #1 foreign language curriculum among homeschoolers for a while -- next week they are unleashing a brand new curriculum, and you can WIN the *all new* Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3… FOR FREE! 

This is a $219 program (and believe me it's worth every penny!) and the winner gets to pick from any of these 14 languages: Spanish (Spain or Latin America), English (American or British), Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Hebrew, or Russian.

This will also include a headset with microphone, and students will participate in lifelike conversations and actually produce language to advance through the program.  Rosetta Stone still incorporates listening, reading and writing as well, in addition to speaking.  Many homeschoolers requested grammar and vocabulary exercises, and with Rosetta Stone Homeschool Version 3, they're included!  For parents, the new Parent Administrative Tools are integrated into the program and allow parents to easily enroll students in any of 12 predetermined lesson plans, monitor student progress, and view and print reports. 

To win this most excellent program -- in the language of your choice -- copy these (blue) paragraphs and post it in (or as) your next blog post -- then to enter the contest, go to the original contest page HERE: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/JenIG/501132/  and leave a comment with the link showing where you blogged about it.  And please make sure the link works to get back to the original contest page when you post it.  And good luck!  The winner will be picked randomly on March 26, and will be notified thru the link they left to their blog pg.   And if you have more than one blog, you can post them and enter those separately for more chances to win.   Yay for free stuff!

Well, this isn't a serious post, although I do have one I have been thinking about, but I am hesitant to post it because it is SO serious. But it's really a non-issue right now, since I haven't typed it up anyway, and don't feel like it tonight, lol. Instead, I am going to do this TAG from an extremely talented, comically inclined bloggy friend Cristina. Here goes:

Four jobs I've had:

1. referee
2.lifeguard
3. swim instructor for people with physical/developmental disabilities
4.library page
(when I read this to DH, he said "Have you HAD four jobs?" Ha ha wise guy; I've had EXACTLY four thankyouverymuch; see above :)

 
Four movies I've watched over and over:

1. Disney's Robin Hood (though I could list Beauty and the Beast too, Cristina!)
2. Ever After
3. Fiddler on the Roof
4. Apollo 13

Four places I've lived:

1. Santa Barbara, CA
2. UWI dorms in Barbados
3.Monterey, CA
4. my current house
(and yes, for those of you who know me, I am purposely & totally ignoring my ghetto connections in favor of the more glamorous places.)

Four TV shows I watch:

1. I don't. But I have been known to enjoy episodes of
2. Monk, Psych, & House, as well as
3. MLB & NFL games, and
4. various programs showing me other peoples birth stories or how they makeover their homes :)

Four places I've been:

1. Barbados
2. Juneau, Alaska
3. Seattle, Washington
4. The Little House on the Prairie in De Smet, SD

Four people who e-mail me regularly:

1. Mom
2. M.O.M., Marilyn
3. Rachel
4. Steph (well, maybe not THAT regularly )

Four favorite foods to eat:

1. ice cream
2. enchiladas
3. lasagna
4. cinnamon rolls
(only 4? I'd like to add granola, and chicken & potato chowder, and tortilla chips, and...)

Four places I'd rather be:

1. Home
2. at the beach
3. at the bookstore
4. on (our own) homestead

Four things I look forward to this year:

1. Getting to know Emily
2. Zeke using full sentences
3. Arianna learning to read
4. Noelle making me laugh!

And that is the end, except for the "tag four people" part. I'm not sure four people even read this blog, so I will simply pass it along and say, if you want to do it, go for it!  But I had fun, more than I thought I would. Except really, I am looking forward to so many more things this year: doing pilates more regularly, possibly maybe moving to the country and beginning to build our own house (SO exciting!), going to California in, YIKES - 2 weeks! Ezekiel ditching his binky, the books I ordered from Amazon and CBD arriving soon, buying more books....ah, praise the Lord, but I could go on and on!

I am so blessed.

Look for the serious post soon.