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Jul. 2, 2009
Life at ElCloud Homeschool/Homestead this week ...
Today the sky is clouded with a soft gray layer, and a gentle rain is falling on the clothes I forgot to remove from the clothes line yesterday. (oh well) Our 23 chickens and 1 guinea hen are also getting a shower, since we still haven't fixed up the coop for them. Since the 13 Ameraucana hens were digging nesting pits in the dirt yesterday, they probably needed the shower anyway. I think the digging means they are about to start laying. I wonder if they will all use the same spot, as our guinea hen usually lays hers in the same location each day. If not, we'll be having daily easter egg hunts with the colorful easter eggs the Ameraucanas lay.
I have two boys sleeping on the couches in the living room beside me. They stumbled out earlier, said hi, laid down, and fell asleep again. Molly-dog did the same thing on the floor beside me. Although she didn't say hi.
The garden is enjoying the cooler temps and this morning's rain. We planted so many seeds and new plants this past weekend. Some are new to us, and we may be late on others, but it's worth a try. We planted pumpkins, spaghetti squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, watermelon, sweet potatoes, burgundy beans, and tomatoes. We already had wax beans, green beans, lima beans, and potatoes planted. We harvested the last of our peas, and half of our onions. I blanched and froze the shelled peas, but I am still in the process of chopping and freezing the onions. I like doing that, even with store-bought onions, because they are ready to use in many of my dishes.
Ahh ... now I am typing around the 3 year old, and she's decided it's time to have a conversation.  She's telling me all about our adult cats, and our baby kittens. Now she's telling me about the baby bunny we rescued from one of our outdoor cats yesterday, and put in a rabbit cage on our porch. I told her that this morning Daddy and I rescued another one, and put it in the cage as well. I guess I'll send children out to pick grass and clover to feed the baby bunnies today. We put lettuce in yesterday, but I remember when we had a house rabbit for awhile that iceberg lettuce isn't really healthy for them. We do have carrots, too. I'm not certain this was wise, but we really couldn't stand by and watch the cat eat baby bunnies. He's supposed to be catching RATS, not bunnies.
Speaking of our baby kittens, they are 2.5 weeks old now. Most are doing well, but one is definitely a runt. I should bottle-feed him more often, but I keep forgetting to ... or he gains weight and I hope that he's improving and quit, only to have him slack off again. Melody is a good mama, even though this is her first litter. For the first time in our cattery, we have a waiting list to contact first when they're ready to go to new homes.
There is no water running into the house today because the main pipe into the basement started spraying everywhere yesterday. We don't use many cardboard boxes in the basement, but the ones that we do use sit on top of plastic totes since the basement does leak when it rains. Unfortunately if it's raining inside from a spraying pipe, they can still get soaked and ruined. Two chairs, and 4-5 boxes are soaked. We'll see if any of it can be saved or not. I filled pitchers and buckets with water, and if I have to, I can turn the water main back on long enough to re-fill the pitchers. Life will be interesting today, and the laundry will have to wait another day or two.
The girls are still excited about their first 4-H judging event yesterday. They took their sewing projects in for judging in the Fiber Arts category. 13 yo A's 9-patch pillow received a blue ribbon. 12 yo R's striped drawstring tote bag also earned a blue ribbon. 10 yo C's watermelon drawstring tote bag earned a red ribbon. If you're not familiar with 4-H ribbons in KS, there is Purple first, then Blue, then Red, and finally White. I'm so used to thinking of blue-ribbon as being first place, that I usually forget that purple is best when we're at the fair. Now that we've been judged once, it's much clearer to me. I won't forget again. Since none of the girls earned purple ribbons, they won't recieve any of the grand champion or reserve champion prizes. But it was a good first year ... and a good first attempt at sewing with their sewing machine. They may not take sewing in 4-H again (they're undecided), but they will continue to sew.
8 yo J will be spending his evenings and weekend finishing his woodworking project with Steve. His judging is on the 7th. As usual, he dislikes the boring work of sanding involved in the project. I told him it was similar to his sisters not liking to iron their seams open or take the time to pin each seam in sewing. But those tedious details make a better finished product.
Our 2008-2009 school year is officially finished, but the TOS Homeschool Crew has also officially begun. Our first review curriculum (Grapevine Bible Studies) is shipping, and we'll start that soon. Our school year won't officially start until August 17, but we'll be doing light schoolwork before then.
Baby G is awake now, and snuggling in my lap for his morning feeding. He's crawling, pulling up, and cruising along the furniture now. Unfortunately, it also means he sometimes over-reaches and falls down. He has a bruise on his cheek from the coffee table at the moment. But at least he falls over backwards less often. He is our first baby in a non-carpeted house and it was hard to get used to the little bruises on the back of his head when he was learning to sit up. We actually used the boppy pillow with him while he was learning to sit, and I've never used it that way before.
The past several weeks Baby G was slowly cutting 3 more teeth, and ended up with an ear infection. They're finally all in, and he finished his antibiotics ... but now he has a summer cold, so he's still miserable at times.
More and more of my day lilies are blooming. The fair is early enough this year that I might be able to enter day lilies in the open class flower category. Usually all our flowers are gone when the fair gets here. I'll have to see what is still blooming next week. We don't really have any veggies to enter, and I'm not ready to try to enter our chickens. Maybe next year one of the kids can enter our rooster. I know I'm not practiced enough at bread baking to enter that category, so I may just fall back on my Grandfather-in-law's beautiful choice of day lily varieties he planted and enter those only. Next year we all hope to enter photography. Some of the girls want to pursue it as a project, and I enjoy it, as well.
I have a stack of books I'll be reviewing this month and part of next month. And then I really am going to slow down on book reviews. Curriculum reviews will keep me busy enough.
I've rambled on long enough, and I can't think of anything else to share ... so it's probably past time for closing this post. This feels like a chatty letter written to my friends, so I'll close with
Love,
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Jul. 1, 2009
You can grab an ElCloud button here!
I have had the worst time over the last week trying to get this blog button posted. The button wasn't the problem. The problem was trying to get the code posted so others can grab it and link back to me if they want.
If I posted the html directly, it would make the image appear twice. If I converted the html to remove the < > and replace it with the appropriate characters, it'd still sometimes make the image appear ... or it would just be a broken bunch of code.
I had Steve look at it one night, and we still couldn't figure it out. He's a webmaster, and we're clueless as to why everything that SHOULD work, wouldn't. Maybe after HSB upgrades to the new software, it will work.
Our work-around solution is to post the code here, and have a link to this post in my sidebar. Today, it seems to be accepting my code in a post. So I'd better post it while I can.
If you'd like to grab this button and post it on your blog, just copy the code below it and add it to your own sidebar.
Grab an ElCloud Button! Just copy this code ... and remove the * symbols. Sorry, I don't know how else to do this, because EVERYTHING I have tried has failed. It will look great, I'll check it in HTML view and regular view, I'll preview it ... it will all look great. Then I post, and look at it, and it's messed up ... again!
<*br><*center><*a href="http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/elcloud"><*img src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii94/busyfolk/20090620010Small-1.jpg" /><* /a><*/center><*br>
Yes, that's Baby G's foot and hands in our yard last week. He doesn't like the grass and tries to keep his legs and feet up off of it. One day he fell over backwards, because he couldn't balance with both feet held up.
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Jul. 1, 2009
WFMW: An easy crockpot meal
I had another WFMW post all written out, before I realized there's a theme today. So, I'll just post that one another week.
We don't have air conditioning, and we live in hot humid Kansas. We do have a wonderful all-house fan and an attic fan. Those combined with lots of carefully positioned fans (including window fans) make life bearable. Now when it hits 100* there's no way around it ... we will sweat and we will look like it. But it's still better than nothing.
Why did I tell you that? So you'll understand why I do NOT want to use the ancient propane stove/oven in my kitchen during the summer. Even using the stove top heats up the kitchen. And I definitely won't use the oven ... it can raise the house temp from 88* to 92* in just an hour. I spend lots of time looking up crock pot recipes during the summer instead.
One of the easiest crock pot recipes I have is one from my Mom's repertoire. I don't know that it even has a name. Potato Green Bean Sausage Casserole maybe?
It has just a few ingredients:
Potatoes
Onion (optional, my Mom doesn't use them)
Can of Green Beans with juice
Sausages (Italian, Smoked, or Polish)
Black Pepper (also optional, since my Mom doesn't use it)
1. You can peel your potatoes, or leave the skins on ... whatever your family prefers. I like the time savings and health benefits of leaving my skins on. Just wash them, and then slice them into 1/4 inch thick slices. Fill the crockpot 1/2 full of potatoes.
2. Slice your onion in rings. Layer them over the potatoes. (optional but I like them)
3. Sprinkle with black pepper ... paprika would also work. (optional but I like it, too.)
4. Open a can of green beans (or two if your family loves them) and pour over the potatoes, juice and all!
5. Slice the sausages (any variety except breakfast sausages) into 1 inch thick slices. Place them on top of the green beans.
6. Cover and cook for either 4-5 hours on high, or 8-10 hours on low. (This depends on how hot your crock pot is. I have two, and the new one cooks faster than the old one.) It's ready when the potatoes are tender.
The sausages will flavor the potatoes and green beans quite well. It's delicious, and easy!
It works for me!
To read other Works For Me Wednesday tips, go to We Are That Family blog.
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Jun. 30, 2009
The Old Schoolhouse's awesome summer subscription deal!!
The Old Schoolhouse magazine has a great summer subscription offer right now!! You know it's my favorite magazine ... and it was even before I got to be on their Homeschool Crew.
So, what's the offer? 19 FREE gifts, including handwriting books, free software, gift cards, lapbook, art book on CD, and activity e-books! AND it's available to NEW and RENEWING subscriptions, when you buy a 2 year subscription.
Click HERE to view each of the free gifts yourself. Click through the arrows to see all 19 gifts.
But they only had 5000 available ... so hurry before you miss out!
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Jun. 30, 2009
Review: How Sweet It Is by Alice J. Wisler
Title: How Sweet It Is
Author: Alice J. Wisler
Publisher: Bethany House
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0478-4
I really didn't want to review another book right now. I had decided not to take on more books, but then the email from Bethany House arrived. The description of How Sweet It Is, and the cover art, compelled me. I wanted to know more about Deena and her new life in the mountains of North Carolina. So I requested the book to review.
This second book by Alice J. Wisler is charming southern fiction. I have not read much southern fiction other than Gone With The Wind. I didn't even realize it was a genre in its own right. How Sweet It Is was a good introduction to a new (to me) genre.
How Sweet It Is is written as a first person narrative, from the thoughts of Deena Livingston. Deena tells her own story of moving to a new community, trying to recover from her physical and emotional scars. She wants a new life, and her own cake-decorating business in the small mountain community where her Grandpa was so well-loved.
Deena is quiet, introspective, and remote. Trained to keep her feelings hidden, she even struggles to reveal them to herself. A journal gifted to her by her career mentor encourages her to open her heart to herself and to God. A note left from her grandfather and his well-worn Bible challenge her to trust God with all of her life, her heart, and her hurt. But it is the children she is required to give cooking lessons that teach her that it is okay to have scars, and to share them with others. While she tries to push her new community away, two men refuse to be pushed away. They work to pull her out of her self-imposed isolation, each in his own unique way.
Just as I have not read much southern fiction, I have also not read many books written in a first person narrative style. It is an unusual technique that draws you right into the heart of Deena. You are eye-witness to her melancholy, her pain, and her fears. You relive her memories with her, and you walk through her emotional recovery, as well.
How Sweet It Is is a gentle and melancholy book. The ending is happy, yet sedate. It reminds me of a slow southern drawl and a warm summer breeze. Although this book is not full of heart-pounding romance, adventure, or mystery ... I couldn't put it down. I wanted to keep reading and see how Deena would heal and reach out to God and others once more.
Alice J. Wisler has created a wonderful cast of characters, and an excellent story. She slowly reveals bits and pieces of each character throughout the story. The reader comes to know their stories slowly, just as Deena does. Although there is romance in this book, it is understated, and does not overwhelm the story or the character development. Most of all, the story is authentic; it isn't full of perfect lives and gorgeous women.
I fell in love with the characters in this story, and part of me hopes for a sequel so I can spend more time with Regena Lorraine, Jonas, Zack, and Deena. But then the mystery of the future would be gone, and so would part of the story's vibrance.
I definitely recommend How Sweet It Is to anyone looking for a gentle, inspirational, and authentic read.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 26, 2009
I love tabbed browsing!
I love right-clicking on a link, and telling it to open in a new tab. That way I can finish what I'm reading, but still be able to refer to the link later.
It annoys me that I can't do that on my own blog, even though I know I disabled the right-click ability a couple years ago. I had done that as a way to protect my content from being copied and pasted, although I've still seen it show up in a few places it shouldn't have. "No right click" didn't really stop them.
Well, if you're like me and you love to right-click and open a link in a new tab ... now you can! I removed the code to disallow that right-click. Which means that in all future reviews, you can easily open links in a new tab.
I did it because I care about my readers  ... uh huh ... and because I was tired of being annoyed by my own blog. 
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Jun. 25, 2009
How I spent my day ...
I woke up a little late this morning, and rushed to get Steve's coffee and stuff ready before he needed to leave. Baby G woke up while I was doing that, and Steve brought him out to me. We said goodbye to Daddy and then I took him and my coffee to the computer.
It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep in my arms. I just sat there holding him, because they only sleep in your arms for such a little time. I can't think of when 3 yo L last fell asleep in my arms. It's rare.
I took him to bed when the kids woke up and needed me to do things for them. And then it was afternoon, and once more I found myself at the computer, with him sleeping in my arms. I love watching him sleep.
I haven't hung the laundry out to dry yet, but I've enjoyed my day so far.
Be blessed,
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Jun. 25, 2009
It seems like an innocent request ...
"Mom, can you get me more water and ice in my cup?"
"Sure, sweetie, where's your cup?" (the dreaded question)
"I don't know." (the feared response)
"Where did you have it last?" (somewhat hopeful)
"I don't know." (Of course not. Sigh.)
"Has anyone seen L's cup?" (usually not)
And the hunt is on.
Am I the only one traipsing all over the house looking for spill-proof sippy cups every day?
Often, we give up and start a new one, in a new color, and just make a mental note that if the purple one shows up, it goes straight to the sink.
Sometimes they show up weeks later -- which is really nasty!
And then there are the moments I notice her drinking from the wrong color cup, and I have to quickly try to recall how long THAT one has been missing as I call out, "No! That cup's old!"
It wouldn't be so bad if it were only one child. But, 5 yo M still takes a sippy cup to bed, and now Baby G has started using cups, too. Of course, 3 yo L thinks every sippy cup is hers, and will sample them all.
And then there is the milk cup, water cup, and lemonade cup situation ...
Surely I'm not the only one.
And yet, every time I help them track down their cups, I'm giving a sip of water to the little ones. If I do it patiently and lovingly, I'm doing it for Jesus.
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 26:40
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1-2
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 'Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross!' " Philippians 2:3-8
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship." Romans 12:1
Now, thankfully, finding a lost sippy cup isn't the same as being obedient to death on a cross ... but it does remind me that if Christ humbled himself for me, I can humble myself and serve my family with love, patience, and joy!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 24, 2009
Works For Me Wednesday: Clothes Pin Bags
I had a small clothes line in our old house; one of those trees you can fold up. I also had one green clothespin bag. You know, the ones you can buy in Walmart and lots of other stores.
When we moved to the country, we suddenly had a LONG clothes line with 3 lines. I needed more clothes pins, and another clothes pin bag. We bought another green one. Alas, it didn't last long.
The new one soon ripped out one of the grommets, so it dangled from one side of the metal hanger. The old one soon ripped right down the side. I put a plastic bag inside of it, but it was a nuisance to use.
I've been trying to think of how I could make a new clothes pin bag, especially a cute one! My biggest issue was trying to figure out how to re-use the wire hangers from the other bags, or figure out a new way to hang a bag.
I finally came up with a plan while helping my daughter sew a drawstring tote bag for 4-H this week.
I used heavy fabric to sew two totes. They have a large cuff at the top that a drawstring could go through. I then put two heavy button holes in that cuff, just the right width apart for the metal hangers from the old green bags. The button holes go through both layers of fabric. I will run some clothesline through the top of the cuff, above the button holes, to help add strength and keep it from ripping through the fabric.
Now I have two easily-hung, larger-than-before, and CUTE clothes pin bags! They took me less than an hour to sew both, complete with kids hanging off me.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 24, 2009
2009-2010 TOS Homeschool Crew Vendor Reviews
Jun. 20, 2009
Practicing Thankfulness
Today I am thankful for ...
~ cool breezes
~ shade trees
~ electricity
~ electric fans
~ a strong house
~ a safe haven
~ a loving husband
~ God's creativity in nature
~ colors
~ the sound of a gentle rain
~ flowers
~ chubby baby thighs
~ toothless grins (okay, he has a few teeth)
~ children's laughter
~ hugs
~ bedtime prayers
~ children fighting over who will say the mealtime prayer
~ family meals
~ dark chocolate
~ quiet times
~ God's provision
~ happy children playing together (yes, it does happen)
~ evenings with Steve
~ a great church family
~ a supportive homeschool group
~ a loving family
~ a blessed life
~ a godly heritage
~ intact marriages of our parents
~ my awesome, loving, hard-working, patient, and gentle husband
~ my Dad
~ my Mom
~ the great parents-in-law God gave me
~ being able to homeschool
~ the Homeschool Crew
~ friends, both in real life and "pretend" computer friends
~ the internet and the connections it brings
~ 7 healthy children
~ my health
~ a healthy husband
~ knowing my Father-in-law is worshiping Jesus, though he's mourned this Father's Day weekend
~ being connected to my husband's family heritage
~ country life
~ so many blessings from God I can not count
~ Christ's salvation
Thank You, God!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 20, 2009
I love my day lilies
I have loved day lilies for years. I first fell in love with the wild-growing spotted tiger lilies along the road sides in Maryland. I don't see those here in Kansas, but I still enjoy day lilies.
Our old home had orange day lilies all over the back yard. We just kept thinning them and moving them around. Here in our new home, Steve's grandparents' home, we have a variety of day lilies in colors I've never seen before.
The first to bloom last year and this year was this burgundy day lily. I love it, and have never seen one like it before.
Soon after comes the standard orange day lily I'm used to enjoying. Some of our varieties have color variations that differ from the ones we had before. We have the most of these orange ones, in a couple different places.
Apparently, I'm not the only one who likes them, as this little bug does, too. Grasshopper of some sort?
Later this summer, we'll have new varieties bloom, in shades that are almost pink. I'll have to share pictures of them later. They brighten our yard throughout the summer. I love how they just keep giving new blooms day after day.
Thanks, Grandpa and Grandma, for all the beautiful flowers you planted here!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 20, 2009
Hero Dads
Dads are heroes when they
- work hard to support their families
- work two jobs so their wives can stay home
- provide homeschooling materials for their wives and children
- drive old paid-for cars when everyone else at work has a newer one so their wife can stay home
- sacrifice daily in big and small ways
- come home and work hard in their off-time to take care of their home and family
- read to their kids at bedtime, even when they're exhausted
- teach their sons to use tools and their daughters how to drive
- skip the ball games and other costly hobbies
- take care of the dirty and messy jobs so their wives don't have to
- protect their family in every way
- protect their children's minds by being careful of what they watch
- know when their wives need a hug, and give it
- bring home a dark chocolate bar for their wife, just because ...
- think of their families first
- drag their tired bodies out of bed for another day at work
- bake with more helpers than Mom can stand in the kitchen
- hold a crying baby so Mom can get a shower
- change diapers
- take their families to church
There are so many ways that our husbands are heroes to us and our children, but these are just a few that have been on my heart and mind.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 19, 2009
ElCloud Homeschool Disclosure Policy
The more I blog, the more I learn about how I'm supposed to blog. It seems that as a blogger who is now doing reviews, I should have a disclosure policy. This post will be linked in my sidebar from now on, so it can be easily referenced at any time.
So here it is in a nutshell:
Companies send me free books and products to try out, then I write an honest review of the product.
They do not pay me with cash, trips to day spas, or buy me new wardrobes.
I write what I believe, although I try to be nice and polite about it if I don't like something or it won't work for my family.
If a product won't work for my family, I try to present ideas of who I think the product might work for.
If I receive a product I've agreed to review, then I will be posting a review of it, but I will be honest.
I try to choose books to review that interest me anyway, because my reading time is limited. So, if many of my book reviews are positive, that's because I chose wisely.
And now the formal disclosure policy:
ElCloud Homeschool Blog Disclosure Policy
This policy is valid from 19 June 2009
- This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact ElCloud (dot) Homeschool (at) gmail (dot) com.
- This blog does not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations.
- This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.
- The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
- This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.
To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 19, 2009
Review: God's Little Princess Devotional Bible
Title: God's Little Princess Devotional Bible
Author: Sheila Walsh
Illustrator: Meredith Johnson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
God's Little Princess Devotional Bible at Thomas Nelson
I am impressed with this little pink sparkly devotional Bible! My 3 year old daughter loves Gigi: God's Little Princess DVDs and this Bible will delight her! We already own the God's Mighty Warrior Devotional Bible and our 5 year old son enjoys it very much. God's Little Princess Devotional Bible didn't disappoint us, either.
Not only does this hardbound devotional Bible include stories from the Bible in the International Children's Bible translation, but it also has many other features.
- Down In My Heart promotes Scripture memory
- Beauty Secrets teach our daughters about inner beauty
- Bible Princesses shares about women of the Bible who made a difference by following God
- My Hero shares Scripture promises from God to us
- Take A Bow includes short plays that our daughters can act out as they retell Bible stories
- I Adore You! gives ideas for helping our daughters learn to worship and praise the Lord
- Princess Charming teaches manners and graciousness
- Worthy of Love encourages our daughters to show love to others
- Royal Truths focuses on character traits and values that God desires in us
As I read through this devotional Bible, I kept thinking that these were lessons all my daughters needed to hear. We all need reminders to love God, love those around us, and that our value comes from God's love for us. These are lessons I want my daughters to learn well before they leave our home. Teaching it early is important.
Although God's Little Princess Devotional Bible is written for girls ages 4 through 7, I believe that it would encourage older girls (and even boys) as well. It would make an excellent family devotional if you have daughters ranging from age 3 through 10. Older sisters will absorb truth while helping their younger sisters learn about being God's Little Princess. Perhaps you could alternate with the God's Mighty Warrior Devotional Bible, if you also have boys.
This devotional Bible has short lessons, colorful pictures, and a sparkly pink cover any girl would love! Most importantly, it has solid teaching for our daughters on what it means to be a child of the King. What better gift than one that teaches Biblical Truth, and sparkles while doing so?
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 18, 2009
Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin (from the garden, in the crockpot)
It was 90* in our house last night, after a day of upper 90's temperatures and the use of the stove for supper preparation. Today is supposed to be about 95* again, and I am NOT going to use the stove or oven.
So it's a crock pot night! And to make it even better, this meal is mostly locally grown. The pork cured bacon is from a local pig (not ours) and the peas and onions are from our own garden! The potatoes and everything else came from the grocery store, though. Maybe later this year we can try it again with our own potatoes.
Bacon Potatoes Au Gratin
(this is my own recipe, combining ideas from several other recipes ... my favorite way to cook!)
Ingredients:
8-9 medium potatoes
1 lb. ham cubes or pork cured bacon
1 - 2 cups peas
1 large onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cream of mushroom soup (10.5 oz. can)
milk
pepper
Directions:
Peel and slice 4-5 potatoes into thin slices. Layer in bottom of crockpot.
Chop onion and layer half the onion over the potatoes.
Pour half the peas over the onion.
Sprinkle half the ham or bacon over the peas.
Sprinkle half the cheese over the ham/bacon.
Repeat layers (potato, onion, peas, ham, cheese).
Pour 1 small can of Cream of Mushroom soup over it all.
Pour 1/2 can of milk over the soup.
Sprinkle the top with pepper.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or on low for 8-10 hours.
I have no idea how many this would feed. Six is probably a safe assumption. I'd like to take this to a potluck sometime.
I hope my kids will all eat it, but many of them reject potatoes in all forms except fried.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 17, 2009
Decorating my Schoolhouse Planner Cover
This morning I took some time to decorate my new Planning Calendar for July 2009 - June 2010. I made this personal planner from the 2009 Schoolhouse Planner I'm reviewing. I was re-using a folder that had once been used for Math, so I needed to cover the big SAXON on the cover.
I pulled out my scrapbook supplies looking for something both decorative and functional to use. I also wanted to try out my UHU Photo Glue Stick sample from the Glue With UHU blog. I had originally just planned to find something that would cover a 4 x 6 area of the cover, but ended up choosing a much larger picture, and embellishing it with stickers.
The UHU Photo Glue Stick is a wide, oval-shaped push-up glue stick. It was easy to use, but it may not have been the best choice for this project. It is a permanent glue to use on photos and paper projects, but this planner may get more use than the photo stick's glue can withstand. We'll see.
Here's a picture of my Planning Calendar. Currently, my school planner is in a 3 ring binder that can't be decorated easily, but I'll look for a different folder for it, because I'm in the mood to organize, and to decorate!
Although I'm not sure if this UHU Photo Glue Stick will withstand all the use my planner gets, I am sure it will be great fun to use when I'm scrapbooking! My children put their scrapbooks through quite a workout as they read them over and over, but I use page protectors that should help minimize the handling of the photo itself.
(UHU is discontinuing its Photo Glue Stick, so now would be a good time to check your local craft supply stores to stock up on it. To see what other crafters are using UHU for, check out the Glue With UHU blog.)
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 17, 2009
2009 Schoolhouse Planner
One thing I often hear when meeting someone, or discussing our family size is "You must be so organized!" I've been known to laugh at that comment, because I'm just trying to keep 100 plates spinning without dropping them. My husband assures me I am organized, but the plates often feel ready to come crashing down. When I get too overwhelmed with the 100 spinning plates, I start making lists. I like my calendar, and I love my lists!
Last year, I reviewed the 2008 Schoolhouse Planner as part of my application for the Homeschool Crew. As a certified "list maker", I really enjoyed the Planner, and was glad to find forms I hadn't even thought of creating. I knew many of the forms would be helpful ... either now or in the future. I printed the forms and wrote directly onto the paper, not really understanding the data entry capabilities of the planner.
Once again, I'm blessed to review the 2009 Schoolhouse Planner. The Old Schoolhouse has made some great changes, and added over 40 additional forms. There are 12 new articles from homeschool leaders and authors, and 24 new recipes. In addition to last year's 14 helpful lists, there are 12 new lists of important information. The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner has 375 pages, compared to last year's 247 pages.
Some of the new forms that have been added since last year include:
- high school transcript
- book report forms
- preschool activities list
- preschool planning sheets
- weekly and daily schedules for different numbers of children, up to 5 children
- attendance chart
- alphabet copywork sheets
- co-op planning sheets
- home repair list
- home project organizer
- car maintenance forms
- Bible study notes form
With my 13 year old entering 9th grade this year, I was thrilled to see the new High School Transcript form, as well as the high school hours tracking sheet, and the 12 year planning sheet. Those forms, along with the test grade record sheets and progress reports will help me keep track of our high school years. I know I need to keep more detailed records now that we're beginning high school, and the 2009 Schoolhouse Planner will make that so much easier.
I was also excited to see the 3 different homeschool co-op planning forms which are new this year. I will be working with another lady in our homeschool group to plan the co-op classes and meetings next school year. This is a new role for me, and I know these forms will help keep me "together". These forms will be helpful in organizing my thoughts, and communicating them to the other homeschool moms in our group.
There is so much information, and so many different forms in the 2009 Schoolhouse Planner, I know I will be referencing it for years to come. I appreciate the data-entry capabilities that will allow me to print a "finished" copy of my calendar, school records, report cards and especially our high school transcripts. My husband is making plans for us to start printing quarterly or semester reports for our high school students and file them in the fire-proof safe. That type of record-keeping appeals to him, as well.
The 2009 Schoolhouse Planner is a product I recommend for new homeschool families and veteran homeschool families. The lists, essays, and forms make it useful for more than just one year. Most of the forms come in more than one variation, so you can choose the style that works best for you, or try a new method each year. You can custom design a planner for Mom, a planner for your older students, and even one for Dad. It's a $39 value that will be long-lasting.
I've already typed our birthdays, holidays, and important events into the calendar, and printed it out. Now I'm set to take my folder with me to appointments and meetings ... after all, I have to keep up my "organized Mom" persona. I'm still working on organizing my 2009-10 school planner, but my personal planner is ready!
Click the TOS Homeschool Crew banner at the top to read more reviews on this product by other Homeschool Crew members.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 16, 2009
The multi-purpose school room ...
We're a large family, and we live in a smaller home. We have always had to use our dining room as our school room.
In our old home, we had 8 people in a 1200 sq. ft., 3 bedroom home with an eat-in kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room. There were no other rooms. The kitchen area held the dining room and the laundry closet, as well as serving as our school area. We had two bookshelves in there, and we used plastic file boxes with hinged lids on top of the shorter bookshelf.
In our current home, we now have 9 people in 1800 sq. feet. We still only have 3 bedrooms, one bathroom, and one (blessedly large) living room. But we now have a dining area separate from the kitchen, and we can do our schoolwork in the dining area. The dining room is connected to the living room, with a built-in buffet/shelf between the two areas. This was our second school year in our new home.
We have a large dining room table, which has plants, a napkin box, and Daddy's paper stack on it. At the moment, it also has schoolwork from the older two kids at the end by the window. We have a clear vinyl table cloth protecting the table from pencils, scissors, glue, markers, and tape. (Yes, my walls need to be repainted. We wanted to do it before we moved in, because we knew once we were in, it would be much more difficult to accomplish. But, it didn't happen, and it still hasn't.)
We use the buffet top on the dining room side to hold plastic boxes for each child to store their schoolbooks in, as well as several smaller baskets for pencils, pens, erasers, etc. The built in shelves under it hold school supplies, some textbooks, coloring books, and other craft supplies. There is even a cupboard that is the perfect size for paper-back books. (Of course, we also have to occasionally look in the cupboard to see what the 3 year old might have stashed in there. She calls it her closet and is always losing things inside there.)
Under the window, we have a long thin table that holds file boxes, magazine files, and a big file drawer. This organizes paper, answer keys, and several other things. The shelf under this table has more boxes of craft supplies. The stack of stuff in the corner is my scrapbook supplies and other projects.
There are 4 bookshelves in the connected living room and two in the hallway. Every single bookshelf holds schoolbooks of some sort. Reference books, historical books, literature books, currently unused textbooks ... many of which are double-shelved. There isn't just one shelf for school books; they're everywhere!
Most of the time, you can find children doing their schoolwork in the living room, as well. The couch, love seat, and even the floor also serve as school areas. If the girls are reading, they're just as likely to take their history and literature books to their beds, or outside.
It's crowded. It's not always pretty. But it's our school area, and we're thankful for it. I often wish I had extra money to spend on some really great organizational tools for this area. I'm sure over time, we'll continue to revamp the area.
But today, this is what it looks like.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 16, 2009
What did your son learn at church on Sunday?
Mine learned how to do the "arm fart" from a fellow homeschooled boy. At church. On Sunday.
Today he's perfecting his skill, and rejoicing in his success.
Ahhh ... boys!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 15, 2009
"Full and By" -- my Homeschool Crew unit
As a TOS Homeschool Crew First Mate, I've been assigned the four new Crew Members I'll be mentoring.
We've decided to name our mini-Crew "Full And By" which is an old sailing term. From Wikipedia's article on nautical terms:
"Full and by – Sailing into the wind (by), but not as close-hauled as might be possible, so as to make sure the sails are kept full. This provides a margin for error to avoid being taken aback (a serious risk for square-rigged vessels) in a tricky sea. Figuratively it implies getting on with the job but in a steady, relaxed way, without undue urgency or strain."
As a relaxed homeschooler, that is exactly how I want my homeschool to be ... "getting on with the job in a steady, relaxed way without undue urgency or strain." In other words, just do the next thing without stress or panic. Don't sweat it! Relax!
My four "Full And By" crew mates are:
You'll want to check out their great blogs, and be watching for their reviews through the upcoming year!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 10, 2009
The number one reason TO fold your laundry
In March, I had posted the number one reason NOT to fold your laundry ... but last night I was reminded of the number one reason TO fold your laundry. Once again, it involved 3 yo L.
She came to me in the kitchen, where I was sitting on the floor talking to Steve. She leaned on me and said, "Mommy, I peed." I hugged her and said, "Did you? Okay, we'll change your diaper." I was just thinking about how sweet she was leaning in on me like that.
Then my hand moved down her back to her bottom. She had on her pajama shorts, but there was NOTHING under them. I thought to myself, "Aha ... so that was why there was an unused diaper next to the potty chair!" I had thought it was from earlier.
I asked, "Where did you pee?" (I'm sure you can see where this is going.)
"In the laundry," she said with a mischievous grin and a laugh in her voice. She knew I wasn't going to like that answer.
"The laundry!?!?! Argh." I laid my head on the floor and started laughing and pretending to have a little temper tantrum. All the kids ... and Steve ... laughed. You see, I had 2 baskets of laundry out there, and a pile on the couch ... waiting to be folded.
So, I get out there and the couch pile is now spread across the whole couch. I assume that is where the wetness will be found. And it was, but it took some careful searching to find it while Daddy helped her get re-diapered and re-dressed in clean pajamas.
Thankfully, I only had to return about 5-6 clean items to the laundry. She'd had her accident on a thinner section of laundry ... and thankfully it wasn't into a laundry basket.
But I was reminded of the number one reason TO fold laundry ... it's safer in the dressers and closets. I've had laundry get puked on before, and have had spaghetti spilled on it. Now it's been peed on, too.
So even if it does make a handy bed for a sleepy 2 yo, I'll remember last night's lesson and get it folded more quickly from now on. Like right now.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 9, 2009
One of these things is not like the others ...
One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?
I'm fairly certain there's a rooster in my pullet cage. What do you think?
 It's not real clear in this picture, but his comb is taller, redder, and he is getting wattles.
That is not a Buff Orpington Pullet, but rather a Buff Orpington Roo.
Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?
If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you're absolutely...right!
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 8, 2009
Easy Crockpot Baked Beans
I made baked beans for the first time yesterday. Usually, I either serve plain old Pork And Beans from the can, or I buy Baked Beans pre-made in a can.
But we needed to take a covered dish to our 4-H barbecue yesterday and I decided to use my crockpot to make something. I started looking for ideas in my Fix It And Forget It cookbook, but ended up tweaking the recipe to suit me.
Here is my tweaked variation for Crockpot Baked Beans
Ingredients:
6 cans (15 oz. size) of Pork And Beans
1 large can of French's Cheddar Fried Onions (the secret ingredient!)
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp. mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
Mix all together in a greased 5 quart crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
I received several compliments on this yesterday and the entire pot was eaten except one very small serving which was finished off at lunch today.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 8, 2009
Join in 30 days of prayer for your husband
Jun. 8, 2009
Frugal Fun ... yard sale shopping!
Saturday was our city-wide yard sale. The children popped out of bed and dressed quickly on Saturday, eager to be included in the yard sale shopping. Our oldest two missed most of it because they were helping at our church's sale to support the teen camp. But the rest tagged along. As we set out, I specifically prayed for God to help me find organizational items, and we did successfully find some.
Some of our great finds:
- $1.00 silver purse that matches the silver shoes I bought 2 weeks ago for the wedding I'm in this summer ... for use at the reception
- $0.25 brand new white dress sandals for 3 yo L to wear as flower girl in that wedding
- $5.00 bike we'll add training wheels to for 3 yo L (we have training wheels in the garage already)
- $0.50 two stacking cobalt blue cubes for organizing ... plan to use them in our school/craft area -- see update 1 below
- $1.00 big plastic file drawer to use to organize our school area -- see update 2 below
- $0.10 each for 8 spill-proof Playtex and Nuby cups (we use these alot with our 5 and under crowd and some of our old ones can stand to be replaced)
- $1.00 each for two packages of 6 brand new crew socks for the boys
- $1.00 pink and white cowboy boots for 3 yo L to grow into
- $0.50 brown and denim cowboy boots for Baby G next year
- $1.00 pair of super soft quality fleece footed pajamas, size 4T
- $0.25 books, including a hardcover copy of one of my Teashop Mysteries I enjoy, a hardcover book I put away for a kid gift, and a hardcover copy of Why ADHD Doesn't Mean Disaster, which I've been wanting to read
- $0.25 for a set of two blue plastic magazine boxes (you know the type you use on a bookshelf)
- $0.10 each for 3 new Coca-Cola glasses, because mine keep getting broken
- $1.50 box of yarn for the girls to weave and knit with
- $1.00 each, several VHS movies -- including a new copy of Twister since ours is damaged and it's a family favorite.
- $1.00 Greatest Ever Mexican Recipes, large hardcover cookbook in great shape
- $1.00 The Wedding Collection: 52 solos arranged for medium voice ... because I have a medium-range voice and maybe someday I'll sing solos again (my daughters also fall in that range, though)
- $2.50 for an electric Christmas train ... which we really didn't need, but the boys were drooling over. So, for $2.50 I decided to spoil them a little.
- $5.00 bread machine with instruction booklet that I'm promised works and is nice and clean and the pan inside is unscratched. It's a 1.5-2 lb loaf size, and I'm looking forward to testing it this week.
I began making bread with a bread machine 8 years ago, but after awhile it quit rising as well as it first had and I was frustrated. Instead of replacing the bread machine, we bought me a Kitchenaid stand mixer and I moved on to making bread by hand ... but I found it rather time-consuming and began to do it less often. I think I've baked bread once since we moved here, partly because there wasn't a convenient place to put my mixer which was too tall to fit on my kitchen counter. I now have it on a table beside the fridge, but we use the oven very little in summer since we have no air conditioning. I've been wishing I had a new bread machine to make the process of making bread faster and easier. I hope this bread machine solves that problem. Look for an update on that later.
But back to the frugal fun -- my kids love yard sale shopping. For a few dollars, we can find things we need, spend time together as family, and pick up a few new toys or fun books and movies that make the day worthwhile to them. Yesterday we were home by lunch time, because we had plans for the afternoon and evening already, so our only additional cost was 2 Kolaches from one yard sale (pastry I've never had before) and a couple lemonades from a lemonade stand.
If you want to see what bargains others are finding, then join Molly Green at the Econobusters blog for her Weekend Wonders post each Monday.
UPDATE #1 -- The cobalt blue stacking cubes wouldn't work for my scrapbooking supplies in the dining/school room after all. I then tried the bathroom, but they wouldn't fit under the vanity there, stacked or side by side. Then I thought of two other areas ... both would have been a great use for them. One was beside our deep freeze where we tend to stack things up, including two old ice chests we use to store jellos, pudding mixes, and packages of things like sunflower seeds. But that wasn't the winning solution.
Instead the cobalt blue cubes (I love that color!) went into my bedroom. Steve's chore clothes for yardwork and automobile mechanic work were stored in a cardboard 4 drawer chest that was getting lopsided. It was hard to open and shut the drawers. Now his chore clothes are stacked in the two cubes right next to Baby G's dresser. It fits perfectly, and will work so much better than a lopsided cardboard dresser.
UPDATE #2 -- The big black plastic file drawer fit nicely on top of the buffet table in the dining room that we use to store boxes of craft supplies and school items. I'm still trying to decide what will best be stored in there. But in the process, I am also taking the time to clean up the area a bit. I'm afraid my kids have taken to tossing stuff up on top of my file boxes there. It was rather haphazard looking.
UPDATE #3 -- Yes, the bread machine works. We enjoyed a loaf of bread Tuesday night, fresh from the bread machine. The top of the loaf was not smooth, but it was good. We'll enjoy having a bread machine. It can't really provide for all of our family's bread needs, unless I run it daily or several times each day. But it will provide a yummy and healthy treat on a regular basis. Maybe it will inspire me to resume baking bread by hand once the weather cools off.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 5, 2009
Review: The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World by Jack Hanna
Title: Jungle Jack Hanna: The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World
Author: Jack Hanna
Photography by: Rick A. Prebeg
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Format: Hardcover with DVD of animal bloopers
Do you know what animal smells like popcorn? Do you know what animal has three hearts? Do you know what animal can hear a worm underground? Jack Hanna does. He shares these interesting facts, and many more wild and wacky things about 30 different animals in this book.
The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World is a large hardcover book with durable cardstock pages. Brightly colored and full of quality photographs of animals, it immediately grabbed the attention of every child in my home. The book not only contains interesting facts about the animals, but also includes interesting stories of some of Jungle Jack's experiences with these animals. A DVD showing some of Jack Hanna's animal bloopers is included.
My children loved this book! Both the book and the DVD were hits in our home. I appreciate that this book proclaims God as the creator of the animals and does not reference evolution at all. It contains exactly the type of trivia that intrigues children, and teaches us many interesting facts about God's creation and His awesome design. The photography is excellent, providing large, clear, close-up pictures of the animals.
The book is also well-constructed. The cardstock pages allow for hours of page turning without rumpling or ripping pages. The hardcover also makes it easy for children of all ages to handle. Even though they can not read, my 3 and 5 year olds enjoy looking at the pictures of the animals.
This is a quality book children will love!
The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World -- Thomas Nelson
The Wackiest, Wildest, Weirdest Animals in the World -- at Amazon
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 5, 2009
Better Homes & Garden Junior Cookbook
10 yo C is always checking out cookbooks from the library's juvenile non-fiction section. So for her birthday this week we bought her the Better Homes & Garden Junior Cookbook, the original version reprinted. She loved it ... and last night she made us grilled cheese sandwiches for supper.
It turns out that my wimpy large burner that won't let a pot of water boil, is just perfect for making grilled cheese sandwiches without burning them. She did a great job.
The girls are requesting that I follow through on my original plan of having different kitchen helpers and letting them help with or cook supper different nights of the week. I really need to.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 5, 2009
I'm only pretending ...
Did you play house as a little girl? I did ... longer than most of my peers.
Sometimes it feels like I am still playing house ... pretending to know what I am doing. I am so far from perfect, and today I am feeling it more than most days.
I sometimes bicker with my husband over petty little things. The honest truth is he tries to get me to bicker at times, because he finds it funny to make me angry. He laughs then and tells me I am so Irish, and I am cute when I get angry. (Something I am sure that Irish people everywhere are now angry about.) I usually look at him and tell him he is as stubborn as he is Swedish.
I lose my patience with the kids. I raise my voice at times. I let too many little things slide, until the house is a mess and then I am frustrated by it. I say "just a minute" too often.
We watch too much TV. Really, we do. We play on the computers too much. We love to read, but we also spend lots of time in front of "screens". Sometimes we do both ... read while watching TV.
I am perpetually behind in laundry ... either the washing of it, or the folding of it. I have conquered this bad habit several times in my adult life, but I have slipped back into it again.
I let the math grading pile up for weeks sometimes. Um ... lots of times. I say "just a minute" when the kids need math help ... and it usually is longer than a minute before I get there.
Many weeks I plan our school week on Monday ... sometimes even on Tuesday. They do the basic textbooks and catch up last weeks reading on those Mondays where I have not planned yet.
Yeah, I have a garden and chickens ... but I usually wait until the weeds are overwhelming the plants before I go weed it. Steve is keeping me accountable this year, but I tend to huff and puff and drag my feet until I get out there and discover it isnt that bad after all.
(This entire post is without apostrophes in my contractions because I somehow messed up my keyboard and it is using that apostrophe key to pull up a "Quick Find Links" panel at the bottom of my screen. Oddly, though, the quotation mark works. Should I keep using formal "is not" or should I just leave them without apostrophes like isnt? It is driving me batty and I can not fix it!)
Back to previous paragraph ... dragging my feet, procrastinating, etc.
The same thing is true about folding my laundry. I keep putting it off, and then once I start I wonder why I waited so long ... it doesnt really take that long, after all. (sorry for the no apostrophe thing ... again)
I am always looking for the easy way. What is the easiest way for ME to teach this to my kids?
I have chickens now, but I still do not have a good chicken house built. I have never killed a chicken, never plucked a chicken, and I usually handle my meat after it is "packaged" by a processor. I hope my chickens live good long lives ... I am not looking forward to killing or gutting or plucking.
I do not bake very often. I quit baking my own bread several years ago. I use more paper diapers than cloth diapers most weeks. The "shoulds" still hang over my head, though. I "should" bake more often, I should bake my own bread ...
We have not started our 4-H projects ... pre-entry is next week, and the fair is in a month. I am not cut out for this.
I am lazy. I procrastinate ... obviously since the 4-H projects are still not started. I am impatient. I do not plan my menus unless we are having company.
I only look like I have my act together. Sometimes I feel like I am pretending. I am still playing house. Surely I am not the wife of 15 years, the mom of 7 kids, the homeschooling mom raising chickens and planning to start canning!?!? Am I really a mom of a new high schooler? How can that be me?
But it is.
So now you know ... I am real. I have faults. If I sound like I have my act together, remember I am just playing house.
Trusting in Him,
April
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Jun. 4, 2009
The blessing of a busy schedule ... reminiscing on a path chosen
Ten years ago, I sat in a hospital ... holding my newborn Baby C. She was so tiny and precious ... but she had kept me up the entire night before ... and it had been a long hard pregnancy ... the worst of all. I threw up 5 times a day for 12 weeks. I had a 3.5 year old, a 2 year old, and was running a home daycare.
As we neared 30 weeks, I began to have pre-term contractions that would last for 5 - 12 hours. We ended up in the hospital for monitoring to be sure it wasn't pre-term labor several times. Thankfully, despite being tired sore from the "false labors", I never dilated. During one of those visits, we discovered her cord was around her neck and being compressed during each contraction. Then began several weeks of non-stress tests to be sure the cord around her neck wasn't causing her distress. They finally concluded she was fine, and then we had to wait for her arrival.
She was finally here ... but we had decided she would be the last! I told Steve it had been the worst pregnancy ever. "They keep getting worse ... what would the next one be like?" (The answer is that none of my pregnancies have been as bad as that one.) We'd hoped to have 3 or 4 children, but we agreed to stop at 3. Steve had already met with the surgeon, and we just needed to schedule his appointment.
Soon she was 4 weeks old, and I was so in love with her. I was mourning that she would be our last. Steve had been too busy with work to make that appointment. I debated telling him I'd changed my mind, but I didn't want to seem fickle. I asked Steve about his surgery ... if he'd called the surgeon yet ... he hadn't. We talked and decided we were just too young to take that step. (Now I'm sure if it had been really important to him, he'd have found the time ... but he even postponed hernia surgery two years later until it fit into a vacation time ... although I was sure his hernia would strangulate and become abcessed. I'm a caring and concerned wife, you know.)
Now I look around at the ones who almost weren't. 8 yo J ... our first boy and C's best friend. 5 yo M, the one who looks like my Dad. 3 yo L, the cute and funny toddler who brightens our days. 8 month old G ... our sweet baby boy who brought comfort when my Father-in-Law was dying. Three wonderful boys and a bundle of sunshine princess ... I can't imagine what life would be like without them. I know it would be drastically different.
I know that having 7 kids instead of 3 does shape our life. If I only had 3 kids, ages 10, 12 and 13 ... I might have gone back to work. If I only had 3 kids, ages 10-13, we'd spend differently than we do. If I only had 3 kids, we'd have a different family dynamic and viewpoint. If I only had 3 children, we might use a different homeschool curriculum.
Having 7 kids isn't necessarily better than having 3 ... I'm not playing the numbers comparison game ... but it does make life different. We made a choice 10 years ago that has changed our life dramatically. I recognize that who I am today and where we are as a family is very different from what it might have been if we'd stopped at 3.
I don't regret it at all. Each one of these "almost wasn't" children is a blessing in our life. They are unique and bring a different flavor to our family. They each have a future chosen by God that I can't see yet ... but I pray they will follow Him and make an impact on the world around them. Just by being here, they have changed my world.
It isn't always easy. C and M have been the most active of the children. M and L made a needy combination over the last 3.5 years. J stretched me as I adjusted to being a mom of boys, and not just girls. Sometimes the number of children to keep track of, disciple, and nurture is just tiring. Sometimes the laundry pile seems like a mountain I'll never conquer.
Like any mom of any number of children, I get discouraged at times. Sometimes I am sure that I'm failing and they are all little heathens bound for a life of crime (don't we all have those days?). But my life isn't marked by discouragement ... that isn't my focus. I am blessed, and these children bring me joy.
We stood at a crossroad ten years ago ... we had to choose a path. We made our choice, and I don't regret it. At the time, I was just thankful for Steve's busy schedule that kept him from making that call while I had time to reconsider. Looking at it now, I'd say it was God leading me through my husband.
Ten years ago, did I imagine I'd have four more children, including 3 boys? Not at all. But, I praise Him for each one of these blessings in my life, entrusted to me to raise and nurture in the ways of the Lord.
Trusting in Him,
April
PLEASE know that this post is not meant to be making any statement about those with larger or smaller families. I really am not. I'm merely pondering the difference in our life because of the path we chose ... and the "what could have been" aspect of it. That is all.
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