Just to clarify my post from yesterday a bit, lest you think I am "super-wife" because I cut the grass for my husband!
I guess I really cut the grass for me. See, I always remember my dad having his yard nicely manicured. Beautiful flowers, hedges trimmed, sidewalk swept, and all the trimming done (by me with the little hand clippers, of course!).
Now, looking back on the way things were, I know we weren't well-to-do by any stretch, but in my little girl mind, everything was great if the yard looked well-kept. I always used to tell my dad after the grass was cut, "I feel rich!" Anytime the grass was starting to get a little shaggy, I would say, "I feel poor!"
So I guess I've been feeling a little "poor" these days, and just thought that cutting the grass would actually make me feel better. Weird, I know, but I do feel better now.
This morning when Carl looked out there, he said, "It looks good!" Yeah! That's all I needed. I might do it again sometime, who knows?
Well, it's been a long week. As if my dh isn't busy enough with his regular job, he took on a side job that took up about 30+ extra hours this past week.
It seems that if something is going to break, fall apart, or wear out, it's going to do it when dh isn't home to do anything about it, or at least when we don't have a minute to discuss what we're going to do about it!
First of all my van decides to blow a transmission. The jury is still out on the actual verdict, but it does seem to lean this way. Then I sort of broke the garage door tonight. See, I have been using dh's Ford Excursion for the past week to haul the kids around in. Let me just say that Excursions are big and I am not! So I look like a midget driving the thing. Not that I can't drive it, but it's a diesel and I feel like I turn heads when I drive it, not for my looks, but in anticipation of a Mac truck. Then of course they're disappointed (or laughing) when they see little 'ole me in there!
Back to the garage door. The "ripcord" (the red emergency cord) got stuck in the door when Brianna got out, so when I tried to shut the garage door....oops...it didn't shut! Well, I didn't want him to come home at midnight to a broken garage door, so I asked the neighbor to check it out. And he had it fixed in 2 minutes. Thank the Lord!
Since dh hasn't been home much, he hasn't had time to cut the grass. We have about 1/2 acre. Add to that all the rain, and we are about ready to bale the hay here. I asked dh if he wanted me to cut the grass a few days ago. But he said, "I'd rather you didn't". Well, I don't know what possesses me sometimes, but I saw our neighbor cutting her grass, and I thought, "If Betsy can do it, so can I."
So there I go! Now Carl has shown me how to start it and drive it, but cutting was one thing he hadn't shown me. Mind you, this is his Craftsman Bob Vila 21hp riding mower that he bought new just a year and a half ago. So I don't want to wreck it.
Well, after a few passes, I realized that it wasn't cutting (although I was getting great practice riding around!). So after a phone call to Carl to ask him a few technical questions, I was on my way with actually mowing the grass. Yee haw!
Oh yeah, I forgot to say that I mostly did it in the dark, so I guess I'll have to wait til morning to see how I did. You know, come to think of it, that's how I feel about life sometimes. I'm just riding along in the dark. I don't always know if I'm on the right track. Don't know for sure how things are going to turn out. But I know He holds my future and I can trust Him so that when the morning breaks, my life will have turned out according to His plan.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight" II Cor 5:7
I was trying to think of what to write, but it's been a bugger of a week, and I am battling a case of the blues.
Then I stumbled onto a blog that lifted my spirits and made me laugh! I highly recommend reading this gal's blog if you need a good laugh. So without further ado, let me send you right on over to www.homeschoolblogger.com/TC. Enjoy! I did!
I'll be back soon....I think!
Okay, I guess it's time to declare my self-declared sabbatical from blogging over. How can one need a rest after only doing something for 2 months? Beats me! But I seem to be the kind of person who needs to take breaks from things. It's not that I bore easily. Rather, I get overwhelmed easily.
The past month and a half were somewhat overwhelming. Schedules, homeschooling, children, hormones, physical issues, you name it, it threatened to overwhelm me.
I used to think of many "excuses" of why I might need to put my kids in school (ie, quit homeschooling).
1. another tough pregnancy
2. another pregnancy....period!
3. need to catch up on life (read: clean my house)!
4. toughie kids
5. feeling overwhelmed in general
6. did I say a dirty house?
You get the picture. Any excuse will do. Now I'm not one to quit, but I am one to get overwhelmed. And exhausted. And discouraged. Okay, enough of that.
But the more I go on following what I truly see as my calling from God at this time in my life, the more I marvel that each day spent with my children is precious. I am finally realizing how many wonderful things can be accomplished while we educate our children at home. In other words, if I did have a tough pregnancy, (I only said "if"!) my children would have the opportunity to learn how to run the house and help each other more. If I feel the need to "catch up on life", then the academics can certainly take a back seat to teaching life skills. If I am having a "situation" with toughie kids, then we have the opportunity to teach character and behavior.
I am realizing more and more that I am not so much having school at home, I am having life at home. And all these things are part of life. Sickness, tiredness, toughie kids (2 yos! tee hee!), being overwhelmed at times, in addition to the academics, and all the wonderful and amazing moments we get to experience as well.
Proverbs 14:1 says, "The wise woman builds her house..." I like to think as I teach my children that I am "building" my house(hold)! Be encouraged that He will strengthen you to keep on going and building those little lives for the Lord!
"I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down!"
-Nehemiah
I'd like to share my warm fuzzy moment with you today. On Fridays we usually have hymn sing time instead of a Bible lesson. I really felt it was important for my children to learn the old hymns of the faith.
Awhile back my mom had given me a book called Hymns for a Kid's Heart by Joni Eareckson Tada and Bobbie Wolgemuth. It gives the stories behind several hymns, the lyrics of that hymn, plus a CD with those hymns on it. Today, I decided that we needed something different for our singing time, so I reached for that. After reading the kids the story about Joachim Neander, we listened to and sang the song, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty", written in 1680, based on Psalm 103.
What a wonderful story about what God did in young Joachim's life. And what a magnificent hymn! Have you ever read all 5 verses? The music on the CD was so beautiful that my children could hardly contain themselves! Almost simultaneously, they jumped up and began dancing to the music.
As I sat watching them hold hands and flit around the room together, tears streamed down my face as I thanked God for the words to this wonderful song that lifted my spirit. Will you indulge me as I quote for you a few of the verses? Think of these words especially in relation to how God sustains you in being a parent and in your homeschool.
v.2 Praise to the Lord, who o'er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e'er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
v.3 Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper they work and defend thee!
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, if with His love He befriend thee.
Although I am weak and don't always have it all together (as some people may believe), He has prospered my work, because it is truly His work. I pray daily to be His instrument. I know my calling, that of homeschooling. But as I close in on the end of a challenging school year, I marvel at how it is God who has sustained me. Have I not seen how he has granted me my desires in what He ordains?
God, may I praise You yet all the more for giving me life and breath. If there's anything good in our homeschool, it is because of You. Thank You for guiding me and "staying" me. Many times my soul has been in grief this past year, yet You have been my Comforter. You have covered me with Your wings. Let the "amens" sound from my mouth daily. Gladly forever I adore You!
I highly recommend this resource to teach your children the great hymns of the faith, available from Focus on the Family. You will be blessed to hear your children sing these wonderful words of praise to the Lord!
The other day as I knelt down to wipe little 2yo Corey's hand's and face off, I happened to take in the view from down on his level. I looked out the window above my sink and I realized that being way down there, all he can see is the sky and the tops of the trees.
After that discovery, I went around with him and tried to check out his perspective on a few other areas around the house. He likes to go to the door that overlooks the back yard and look for "boubies" (birdies). If he doesn't see any, he informs me with his little finger over his lips, that "sss...boubies seeping".
Because he is just a "short stuff", he depends on me and his daddy to know what is going on "up high" in the bigger people's world. Everyday around 1:00pm I get him ready for his nap and he snuggles for a few minutes on my shoulder. At that height, he can see the street from his bedroom window, so he looks for "Ahnnie" (Mr. Evans) our across-the-street neighbor, who comes home for lunch each day.
In the same way, I need God to lift me up to get His perspective of what's going on in the spiritual realm. From my vantage point, sometimes life looks so hum-drum. One day just runs into another. Things look tangled and messy. I can only see the sky and the tops of the trees. Perhaps my spiritually immaturity hasn't allowed me to see the finer details that God is working out in my life. Perhaps my perspective is limited simply because of my human-ness.
Now I still "see darkly", but someday I will see God "face-to-face". Then I will know, and be perfect in my understanding. I don't know if He will sit me down and patiently explain the all why's and wherefore's of my life. But I know that I can trust Him, as a little child trusts his parents, that the things going on "up high" are working out for my good.
Okay, so I'm getting cheap in my old age! I found another thing I can do myself....without having to pay somebody else to do it.
Cut my boys hair! Yippee! I have been taking the kids to a girlfriend of mine who is a licensed beautician. She does it in her home and only charges $6.00 a head. So it's not that pricey. But do that for 4 kids and do it every 6 weeks or so, and it starts to add up.
So I've been watching her very carefully the last few times she has cut the kids hair. I really couldn't decide if I wanted to try this myself or not, but there just hasn't been time to take them anywhere else to get their hair done lately. Well, tonight I took the plunge....or I guess I took the clippers. I figured that if I botched it really bad I could always resort to a "buzz" cut. Or as my 4yo ds says, "Are you going to bizz me?"
I couldn't have picked a worse time to do it, but it needed done. Tonight in the middle of all this, dh's friend from out of town, whom I've never met before, came over to pick up dh to go to a funeral home. So here I am covered in hair, I don't think I've touched my own hair since I left my room this morning around 7:00am. My glasses are all smudged, and I probably have baby snivels all over my shirt, too. (What's up with the little boys thinking my shirt is their kleenex?)
Well, it was a pleasant introduction anyways. And the haircuts turned out so cute! After their bath, I combed their hair, and kissed and prayed with them. Little Mr. 4yo told me, "Mommy, I look so handsome!"
Ah, they are still at that age when they think Mommy can do anything. I must say, it was actually fun. I love doing things for my family!
Ever notice how toddlers have no problem repeating themselves over and over again until they someone finally acknowledges what they're saying? If I had to say something 10 times for someone to acknowledge me, I think I'd give up!
But not a small child! I get such a kick out of my 2 yo because he repeats himself umpteen times in his own little language until someone responds. It sounds something like this: "Mommy, deeyah, deeyah, deeyah...." Until I finally say, "Oh yes honey, we did see a deer, didn't we?"
Then awhile later: "A lolly, a lolly, a lolly...."
"Oh did you want your water? How do you ask?"
Hand sign for "please".
"Very nice manners!" And hand him his water.
Or this in the morning: "Uh Daddy go? Uh Daddy go?...."
"Where does Daddy go everyday, buddy?"
Hand sign for "work".
"That's right, Daddy goes to work."
And on it goes, everyday. The communication barrier of a 2yo and his Mommy. (His bigger siblings understand his language better than I do.) And yet he persists in trying to talk to me, even when I'm not fully tuned in to what he's saying. Even when I don't understand a word he's saying. This little guy will even sometimes take my hand and walk me over to what he wants me to do or see. I have to give him a lot of credit. He doesn't give up!
Today a friend reminded me to press into God about a request that has been on my heart for quite some time. To be honest, I've prayed about it, but have I been persistent in prayer? I feel that my desire is a godly desire, and I think about it everyday. But have I been willing to ask and ask and ask and ask until I hear from God? My little toddler guy has taught me a lesson about asking.
Jesus told a story about a man who came to his friend's door asking for bread in the middle of the night. That man got an answer "because of his importunity". I need to be willing to ask and ask, and keep on asking until I know God's will.
Sometimes I am like the 2 yo. I don't always know how to pray. But God, my Heavenly Father understands me. He knows what I'm trying to say. And unlike me, who sometimes has tuned out one of my children, He always hears me each and every time I want to talk to Him.
Hi folks!
Sorry there hasn't been much action here lately. I've been bitten by a horrible sickness! The busy bug! Now I'm sure you've all been waiting with bated breath for my next post! (LOL) Well, I want to keep my readers happy, so here 'tis!
As they say, "Hindsight is always 20/20". So now in hindsight, I see that I overplanned for this schoolyear, both in academics and extra-curricular as well. Both last year and the year before we had a bit more of a relaxed approach to our schooling, although we definitely were covering all the important subjects. But in Pennsylvania, when a child turns 8 years old, you have to report to the school district and have your child evaluated and tested.
So what do I do? Jump in with too much, and try to make sure we "finish the textbook"! Aaargh! (I think that's what Charlie Brown says!) Anyways, now I see that I've made myself a little bit crazy. Also, we are on the run usually 5 days a week with extra-curricular activities. Where is the joy in that? We have done less "read-aloud" this year, and done more rushing around this year. Now some of the extra-curricular is music lessons, and that to me is worth the extra effort. Especially when I see my children enjoying it.
But you know it's bad when my 2 yo wakes up from his nap every afternoon and asks me, "Bye-bye Mommy?" Hmmm. What is wrong with this picture?
Well, I am going to let it be a lesson learned. I just needed to have this little chat with myself and remind myself that "Less is more." And now I know it to be true. In doing less, I will actually be able to do more and be more. Be a mom who is more relaxed, be more focused on training my children, and be able to spend quality and quantity time just being with my family.
Thanks for listening in as I gave myself a "talking to"! 
Just when we thought we were almost to spring, it turned cold and snowed again. Brrr! My dh came home early from work last night and surprised the boys by taking them sled-riding. (DD had music lessons.) Even our littlest guy (2 yo) went out in the snow. I bundled him up pretty well, put 2 pairs of socks on him, his snowsuit and his little boots, and he looked like the Michelin Man. He looked so funny! But he had a ball out there with the big kids in the snow. I think he could hardly bend at the waist with all that bulk on.
The kids are doing well with their schoolwork, but I feel that I am the one who has hit somewhat of a slump. I need to find a way to mesh the language arts subjects so that they are learning in a more natural way. It is so time consuming to teach all these separate subjects to 2 different ages. What will I do when I am teaching all 4 children? I have thought about looking at Learning Language Arts with Literature. If any of you have thoughts about this curriculum, I would appreciate the insight.
I have the tendency to always run back to the scope and sequence curriculums, but I can only do them for so long, and then I am longing for something more natural and something we can do all together. I think reading aloud is probably our favorite part of the day. It really brings a special bond between us all. Right now we are just reading a simple book of character lessons called Choice Stories for Children. These are stories written during the late 1800's, and every story has an important lesson designed to build good character. My kids really are enjoying them.
Well, I am hoping that the weather will break soon. I miss our walks together. In Pennsylvania, the month of March can be a bit of a bumpy ride, but I know that spring is just around the corner!
For the last 6 months, well, actually the last year, no maybe the last 2 years, I have been in God's workshop, where He has been trying to refine me and mold me into a more useable vessel for Him.
However, thinking back over the events of the last 2 years, I think I have been resisting His work, at least to some degree. This morning God used a seemingly simple event to drive home His point of how I need to walk in obedience to Him.
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I don't usually have a quiet time with the Lord on Sunday mornings before church. Actually, since I can count on a little more peace and quiet at nighttime, in the past few years I have had my quiet time at night. Lately, for some reason, I feel that the Lord has been calling me to have my quiet time in the mornings once again.
Various things will wake me up in the morning, early enough that I could get up and get alone with God. But I have resisted His voice, and rolled over and tried to catch a few more winks! Sometimes its the wind whipping around, or sirens wailing, or our neighbor in his diesel truck getting an early morning start. The other morning I even woke to the beautiful sound of birds chirping.
But this morning, my 4 year old son came into our bedroom around 6 am and announced that he had wet the bed and needed help. So I got up and got him cleaned up and changed, then stripped his bed and put a new sheet on for him. As I was getting him back into bed, the thought struck me that God wanted me up so that I could commune with Him. At first I resisted and actually jumped back in bed. But knowing fully that I was ignoring His voice, I got up, borrowed my son's little flashlight and read while I huddled under the covers keeping warm.
Yes, I did hear from God this morning. His Word is alive, and He spoke just what I needed to hear. Want to know what He said? "Obey!" So simple, but so profound. I am so thankful that God is such a patient Heavenly Father, and that after all the time that He has been trying to get my attention and I did not heed His voice, that He did not give up on me.
Please dear Lord, may I walk with You today, one step at a time, and obey You. I know it is time I stopped listening to the "culture", to my own way, and to everything else that is not in accordance to Your will. It is time that I asked You what is Your plan. Help me to hear Your voice in the early morning hours and respond in obedience.
Psalm 5:3 "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up."
Psalm 63:1 "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: My soul longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."
Isaiah 50:4,5 "The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back."
Monday, my dear Sis used her day off of work to come with us to the Science Center. We went just to watch the Omnimax movie "The Mystery of the Nile". In our study of ancient history this year we have enjoyed studying a great deal about Egypt.
This movie was very interesting. In the Omnimax cinema you feel as if you are in an airplane flying right over the Nile River or in the raft getting tossed down the white water rapids.
The expedition in this documentary made their way from the source of the Nile in the Ethiopian highlands all the way down to where it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. It never occurred to me that the Nile didn't flow south. It flows north, down out of the mountains. And I didn't know that travelling down (or up!) the Nile was so dangerous. The expedition had to face fierce windstorms, the most dangerous crocodile on earth: the Nile crocodile, bandits, rapel over a cliff next to a waterfall, travel through 115 degree weather (in the shade), in addition to rafting down fast moving rapids with lava formations all about.
The scenery was breath-taking, and the story was exciting. The 45 minute docu-drama held the attention of my 4 children ages 8 down to age 2 (with a little help from some Scooby snacks!) the entire time.
This field trip was a great way to break up the winter doldrums! Now back to work!
To the few of you (thanks for reading!) who have found my blog, I have to explain why I changed my template. This fall picture looks just like the field behind my parents house.
I picture myself standing about halfway up the hill by a cluster of trees where my sister and I used to climb and play together. I am looking down into a small valley onto my grandmother's property next to ours and feeling a million miles away from civilization.
From about 10 years old on, I grew up on this little farm and had the privilege of living next door to my grandmother. What a treat! (More on that later.)
The countryside was, and is still so beautiful. One of my favorite times of year is the fall when our family convenes to celebrate my sister's birthday. The leaves are at their peak of autumn beauty at this time, and it is fun to walk up the hill and reminisce with my sister about "old times".
Now if I could only figure out how to add other things to this blog! Hopefully I won't waste too much time in the process. I'd rather stick with the writing than mess with the technical stuff.
Told you I was the biggest bump on a blog!
Debbie
Yes, you read it right...applesauce in my face, in my hair, on my glasses, on my shirt, etc. It's a great way to start my day. In fact, it really did give me something to think about.
You see, our 4 year old son has had numerous health issues since he was an infant, and after trying many avenues, it seems as though the nutritional route has helped him the most. So each day after breakfast, he has a regimen of vitamins and supplements that he takes.
Some of the supplements are in capsule form, some are tablets that we crush up. Then all of the above goes into some applesauce which we stir up, and voila! A spoonful of applesauce helps the supplements go down! But not always in the most delightful way.
I'm sure it doesn't taste good (it doesn't smell so great either!). But with many promises of "treats" afterwards such as raisins, he will usually eat it without too much protest.
Today was not such a day. I tried to get him to hold his nose. But after one bite went in, it came right back out....yes, you got it! In my face! At the speed of about 40 mph since I was so close to his little face.
My first reaction was shock, and yanking my glasses off. He immediately apologized. So after a little talk about "I know this doesn't taste good, but it's good for you" kinda thing, we proceeded.
A while later as I was cleaning the applesauce out of my hair and changing my shirt, the thought hit me that it's how I treat God at times. He feeds me "food" that is good for me, but sometimes I don't like how it "tastes". So I spit it back out. I complain. I fuss. I don't want what He gives me in life, even though it's for my good.
I have always loved Psalm 34:8 "O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." Today that verse took on new meaning as I asked the Lord to help me to go ahead and taste, even when things seem "yuck". I know I can always trust Him!
Wednesdays are a busy day for me in my household of 4 kiddos. I pile my 4 children and our neighbor girl in the van and drive the girls to gymnastics. Then I usually hit the grocery story (since I'm out!) for a few things, then it's home, cook dinner, run back and pick up the girls, home again, eat dinner, etc. You get the idea. Planned chaos.
Well, last Wednesday my neighbor offered to pick up the girls from gymnastics, so that was a big help. But alas, my dinner planning was lacking that day, and all had not been peace and harmony in our home that day to boot. So at the last minute I called my husband on his way home from work, and asked him to save me with a pizza. He was willing, so that was great.
At that point, my situation which was looking bleak just a few minutes before, was now starting to look up! I rushed around the house throwing in some laundry, cleaning the powder room, and mopping the floor. Couldn't have been better! I was starting to feel on top of things again.
But then the fateful doorbell. I answered the door, and it was my kind neighbor returning my daughter to me. I took a few moments to howdy with her, and in those few moments, unplanned chaos ensued!
While chatting, my daughter ran around the yard playing tag. I have to admit, it was unseasonably warm for Feb1st. Then behind me in the kitchen, my 4 year old son decided to "help" me and mop the floor. He soaked the floor with the mop, then my 7yo son ran in, slid into the bucket and knocked it over, spilling about 3 gallons of dirty water all over my brand new clean floor.
"Gotta go," I said to my neighbor. I called my daughter in and she proceeded to walk all over the now wet floor with her muddy shoes. Three minutes later the doorbell rang again. This time it was my husband, just arrived home with pizza in hand. I told him that he should really come in the front door, since the other side of the kitchen is soaked.
Uh oh! Did anyone ever tell me that plumbers don't like leaks, especially in their own houses? Oops. Yes, the water did go under the tile floor and drip down into the basement. Lovely. But after wiping it up with many towels, and mopping it a few more times, we were able to calm down enough to sit down to our cold pizza dinner.
After many deep breaths, I realized that it truly was something that I would look back on and laugh. Life is like that sometimes. Just when we think things are going pretty well, you get thrown for a loop. I have to constantly remind myself that someday I will look back and have a different perspective on my present circumstances. Some of them I will laugh about. Some of them I will not. But if I can remember to roll with the punches a little better next time, perhaps I can even smile in the now & now, not just the by & by.
Hi everyone!
After reading the Winter 2006 edition of TOS, I decided to take the plunge and start a blog! Now for me, that's a biggie. Which is why this site is called "Bump on a Blog". I am such a bump when it comes to this kind of stuff. I am not a techie kinda gal. But I do like to journal, and have always been a wanna-be writer. So here goes!
We are the Patricca family. Or as we like to call ourselves, "The 6 Patrix". Sounds like a good vanity plate anyways! I have 4 precious children, ages 8, 7, 4 and 2. I am so thankful that we are able to homeschool them. It has been a joyful journey, not without it's struggles, but there is joy in the journey.
I am here to encourage others as well as just have a place to ramble about our homeschool happenings. I have often thought that I should be keeping a journal of our days. I have so many funny moments and treasured times stuffed up in my head that I am about to burst. Well, I will try my best to be faithful to this.
I am excited to join the rest of you in "Blogland"!
From the biggest bump this side of the blog (well, I'm not that big!),
Debbie