Working on a Full House

Dec. 2, 2007

Hundred Dollar Holiday

My mother-in-law let me borrow this book she got from the library. Hundred Dollar Christmas: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas is what the title proclaimed. I'm thinking, can ANYONE accomplish this in the world of commercialism and materialism? Wow, a great thought, but not possible.

But, then it hit me.

That IS what we are doing this year. Not by choice, but due to financial circumstances. Being content in this has come slowly, as you look to the gift-giving idea of Christmas and think of all the people you are "letting down" due to your uninvolvememt. How can Christmas be the same without showering everyone you know with fancy Christmas photos of your children, long-winded letters of the years happenings, and expensive gifts from the heart? Isn't THAT what Christmas is about?

Well, we all know better. No, it's not. But, isn't that what Christmas has become? Bill McKibben says in his book, "..the story of the birth of this small baby who would become our Savior, a story that should be full of giddy joy, [can] hardly break through to our hearts amid all the rush and fuss of the season." How sad! The TRUE meaning of Christmas is hidden behind filled stockings, under wrapped presents, and in print too small to read on our Christmas cards. And, we still keep telling ourselves we are celebrating Christ's birth. Are we?

McKibben talks about how 70% of Americans who make more than $30,000 year would give up a day's pay each week for a day off work. That 69% of Americans would like to "slow down and live a more relaxed life." He then says, "What that means to me is simple: time is in many ways our most valued commodity. If we could buy more of it from some store, the line outside its door would stretch to the horizon. Our strategy with Christmas, then, has gone slightly awry. We've gotten used to spending more money to make it special. But if money's no longer as valuable as time, we are offering each other a devalued currency." Wow, harsh!

So, in the spirit of celebrating the gift of a Savior from our Lord, we are giving each other our drained pocketbooks. Doesn't sound like it really fits "the reason for the season" to me. So, how do you really celebrate the birth of Christ when the world tells us to focus on the cards, decorations, and gifts?

I don't know. But, I'm learning. And I'm sure this year of circumstance will help me better understand. For us, we are celebrating by making hand-made gifts, shopping for thrift-store quirks that will make our siblings smile, and opening our home for family gatherings. You can't forget the meaning of Christmas as you sit with your family and knit a scarf, shop with your friend laughing among the fifty-cent isle, or playing games with the people you love most.

So, maybe this will be the year we change. Change for the better, not for the worse. Change for truth, not for the world. Maybe we can accomplish the Hundred Dollar Holiday, not just this year, but all the years following. Maybe if we keep having childen, this will never be accomplished again. *smile* But, this will be a year I remember. I am looking forward to a Christmas like one we have never had before. I'm looking forward to a Christmas spending ample time with my family and with my Savior. No hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping here. It's Nov 30th and I won't be at the stores again! I will thank my family for their love and thank my Savior for my family, and His everlasting love.

I hope all of you can find Christ amidst the holiday chaos, too.

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Apr. 19, 2007

Poem: What Do Women Do All Day?

I'm reading a book by Barbara Mang called Help Wanted for Busy Moms, and I love this poem I read the other day. I think it will put a smile on any mother, young or old...

What Do Women Do All Day?

Every minute, to and fro,

That's the way my hours go.

Bring me this, and take me that,

Feed the dog, put out the cat.

Standing up, I eat my toast,

Drink my coffee, thaw the roast.

Empty garbage, make the bed,

Rush to church, then wash my head.

Sweep the kitchen, wax the floor,

Scrub the woodwork, clean the door;

Scour the bathrub, then myself,

Vacuum carpets, straighten shelves.

Eat my sandwich on the run,

Now my afternoon's begun.

To the baseball game I go,

When will there be time to sew?

[Be] the teacher, stop the fight,

See the dentist, fly the kite;

Help with homework, do the wash,

Iron the clothes, put on the squash.

Shop for groceries, cash a check.

Fight the crowds, now I'm a wreck!

Dinner time it soon will be.

"What's for supper?" Wait and see!

Dirty dishes crowd the sink,

Next there's popcorn, then a drink.

Will they never go to bed?

Will I ever get ahead?

"Bring me water." "Get the light."

Turn off TV, lock the bike.

"Where's my pillow?" "Hear my prayers."

"Did you lock the door downstairs?"

At last in bed, my spouse and I,

Too tired to move, too weak to cry,

Bet e'er I doze, I hear him say,

"WHAT DO WOMEN DO ALL DAY?

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Apr. 10, 2007

The Curriculum Craze

Oh my goodness!! I never expected preparation for homeschool to be so insane! Between choosing a method, narrowing down curriculums within the method, and incorporating what I understand about the learning styles of my four-year-old (which at this point is very little), I am going to be planning for his kindergarten year for the next 10 years! I am so overwhelmed! Did anyone else feel this way? Seriously, how to do settle for any curriculum? I want to pick the BEST one in EVERY subject. I have a education background, and have knowledge of the curriculums used in the classroom and their positive and negative aspects; but I am struggling with finding homeschool curriculums with a good balance of a curriculum appropriate for home, but paced similar to school, but still flexible and thorough. I wish I had the time to create my own, which I am sure I will be doing as I go and fill in as I dislike curriculums these next few years, but this is just insane!

Does anyone have an suggestions for me? I know you all can bombard me with a million curriculums, but I really want to know what has work for different families. I don't mind preparation; I even crave doing school work things because of my teaching background. I am looking into the Charlotte Mason method mostly. Keep in mind I have a four-year-old who is reading at a mid-first grade level, a two-year-old who knows her alphabet and phonics, and a 11 month old who needs moderate attention throughout the day. I plan to homeschool through jr high and plan to have 3+ more children. My husband will be a big help, as he is a first/second grade teacher. I have looked at Math-U-See, Moving With Math, Singapore math, and Horizons for math. MUS and MwMath seem slow and don't cover as much as I would like in the younger grades. Horizons and Singapore lack manipulatives. I have looked at the Five in a Row curriculum, but haven't gotten much further with reading because there are so stinking many! I want to do spanish, art appreciation, physcial education, and bible from the beginning. Oh my goodness, I am overwhelmed typing all this out! Anyway, I need HELP! Thanks girls..(and boys, maybe?)!

Helpless and confused,

Ashley

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Apr. 1, 2007

First Time Blogger

Hello new blogger friends. This would have to be my first time on a website like this. I'm actually excited about starting to get to know some of you homeschoolers. I have lots of ideas and lots on questions. I currently have a four-year-old, two-year-old, and 10 month old. I plan to start homeschooling in the fall and am not sure what exactly I'm doing. My mother-in-law homeschools her two youngest, so I get lots of ideas and input from her. Can't wait to get to know everyone!

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