Attempting to keep the important things in life in focus. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:32:00 -0500 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:32:00 -0500 The kids have kept me laughing in school today. First, I was doing multiplication flashcards with Cael and he was using funny accents for his answers, switching from Southern, to French, to British. At one point, when Cael was in southern accent mode, Ellie walked through the room and exclaimed, "Great now he's speaking Farmer!" She was dead serious too and then wanted to know why my Aunt, who lives on an orchard, doesn't speak farmer. At another point as Ellie was again walking through the room during flashcard time (Cael and Ian each have about 100 flashcards to go through), I asked Cael what 7 x 6 was to which Ellie (6 yrs old) sighs and says 42- as if the entire world just KNOWS that. Even Cael was laughing at the way she said it. How she knows that- I have NO idea, other than just paying attention during flashcard time for her brothers. If she learns that easily, yikes! I have my work cut out for me!    Praise the Lord for days when I can see the humor in my Little Blessings! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/718401/ Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:32:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/718401/ There's a new blog that I just recently found and have been following, it's called Nesting Place (you can find it here: http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/ ).  I loved her post today about the new DaySpring tableware collection- Life to the Full. Not only are the dishes themselves beautiful, but who wouldn't love dishes with John 10:10 on them! Nester's post today not only showcased the new collection, but she also inspired a new idea in me. She made a comment about the variety of styles available in this new Life the the Full collection which should be able to match anyone's current collection. The thought suddenly struck me, you mean my "good' dishes don't all have to be the same design or pattern to "match"? As you can imagine, this single idea has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me.  Now to go digging and figure out all that my collection currently consists of, and decide how I could enhance it to make it uniquely mine! I know this seems crazy to some of you , but for me- the idea that I get to be creative with my dishes is thrilling. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/684720/ Fri, 1 May 2009 09:12:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/684720/ At the risk of sounding like a toddler- I mowed the lawn all by myself- first time ever!   All of it is done, the front yard, the side yard, and the weed patch (soon to be reclaimed as the back yard). I think that when my husband gets home he can have this job back. It's kinda' like the laundry or the dishes- you only do it...  so you'll get to do it again. Or maybe he'd like to trade; he could take over the laundry or dishes and I'll do the lawn. I think he'll like the lawn better- it's only seasonal; the other two are day-in and day-out F-OR-E-V-ER. Anyway just a quick update and a "pat myself on the back" moment. Now off to do the weed-eating; life is SO exciting around here.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/684460/ Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:28:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/684460/ I was having one of those days; I am fighting off some kind of stomach bug with a really bad headache. I am also feeling worn out, and I was feeling sorry for myself.... my husband is half way around the world, I'm not feeling well, and haven't heard ANYTHING on the adoption in about 4 months. I asked God for strength and rest, and to help me praise Him instead of complaining. The kids were quiet for about 30 minutes this afternoon and I slept through each one of those quite moments. Then I got up to go out in the sunshine to get the mail this afternoon and found a blessed surprise:  some very generous friends of ours sent us $1000 for the adoption! WOW!!! I am feeling a little better after that nap, and the money was a wonderful reminder that God is still working- even when it seems as if nothing is going on; God is still in control and He cares.  It was a wonderful gift to receive. I'm very thankful to our friends for their generosity and to the Lord for His provision and the reminder of His love! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/674266/ Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:15:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/674266/ This week's Homeschool Memoirs theme is our pets. We currently have two dogs who, though they are about the same size are as different as can be. Both are full of energy and around 2 yrs old. One dog, Sarge, is supposed to be a black lab mix, but he is extremely unfriendly to other dogs and to most people who show up at our door when I haven't had a chance to calm him down first. Though Sarge seems extremely aggressive to strangers and other dogs, he really only barks ferociously and then hides behind my legs or under my bed. We lovingly call him our neurotic dog, he is often very nervous, especially when our three children start running three separate ways; he has no idea what to do or which on to go after first.  His favorite spots in our house are right at my feet or in his "bed", which is his dog crate. Our other dog, Layla, is as friendly as can be. She is full of energy, but very good with the kids. She obeys very well except for when it comes to going to her "bed" (her dog crate).  She would much rather snuggle up with one of the warm children at night or leave the house with us. She loves people and attention. She is extremely jealous of Sarge getting attention. Our dogs can often be annoying, especially now, while all is wet and muddy outside; cleaning up after them is a chore. Though  they come with extra chores, they are such a source of comfort for our family. They help the kids to learn chores, patience, and gentleness. They are worth the effort, and an established part of our family... we love them and their unique personalities. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/664185/ Mon, 2 Mar 2009 11:30:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/664185/ I just joined facebook. I'm still getting used to it. I find it an excellent tool for getting in touch with people you knew "back when", or even people you know now but don't run into often enough. It will also be a great tool for my husband to communicate with everyone how he's doing and what he's up to without having to send out a hundred emails.  I 'm still learning my way around though, and wondering why anyone would be interested in "what I'm doing right now" all the time.  That feature eludes me somehow, but perhaps I'll find it more useful as I learn more about the site and more about my friends, old and new. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/659031/ Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:53:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/659031/ Basketball season is over!! It was crazy, even though my son sat out for three weeks with a broken wrist. It was crazy, but the last game of the season made all the craziness worthwhile. My son hadn't played much basketball before the season started, so he wasn't as “good” as some of the players on his community team. He also doesn't go to school with any of the players, leaving him sort of the odd man out. The coach kept my son on the bench through most of the games that he was able to play in, and sometimes the other players made fun of him, but his smile never left his face. His determination to learn the game grew, and he practiced harder, rather than complaining. While I noticed all that was going on throughout his basketball season, I prayed. I prayed that the LORD would protect his spirit, and not allow him to be crushed. God was so good, and answered my prayers. Not only did He help my son keep a great attitude despite the circumstances, He blessed him during this last game of the season. The coach of the team wasn't able to make it to the last game, so the dad of one of the other players filled in. My son got to play much of the game, even trying out positions that he hadn't gotten to play before. It was amazing! Playing some of the different positions gave him a new perspective on the game, gave him confidence on the court, and helped him to “get” how to play the game (he even made his first basket). It wasn't only him, but some of the other players who hadn't gotten much of a chance to play in games or try new positions were all encouraged to do so in this game. I also noticed before and during the game, my dear son laughing, joking, and playing around with all the other members of the team. He didn't change who he was to earn their friendship, but gained their respect through his perseverance and won their friendship from there. Can you tell that I am proud of him?! I am proud of his attitude throughout the entire season, and his strength in not changing or compromising who he is to be accepted. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/655889/ Sun, 8 Feb 2009 11:28:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/655889/ It's been a while since I've logged in and written. Life got a little out of hand for the last few months. It feels like life is starting to slow down a little, and I can think again. We are beginning to settle into a routine without my dear husband here, and looking forward to when he will come back. I had one of those mornings, where it took me an unusually long time to figure out what day it was. With my dear husband here, all I have to do is think, “Did he work yesterday?” The answer to that question automatically narrows down the options. I suppose that if I had been thinking clearly, first thing this morning, I could have just turned on the computer and looked. Alas, I am not one of those few blessed people who can jump out of bed with a smile and all my wits about me. It takes a few... well, a while. Though I do regret that I am not a truly morning person, like the rest of the family I was raised in, I am learning to be comfortable with who God made me to be. I may not wake up with a smile, but, once it shows up, it's usually there the rest of the day. God made each of us unique and I need to be thankful that He made me my groggy self in the morning. (Maybe that will bring the smile sooner; I'm not sure it will help with the grogginess though.) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/637980/ Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:53:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/637980/ Yesterday was a great day! My Hero and I were not looking forward to having to drop everything and go to the adoption seminar that was required for us to be able to continue with the adoption. We have been especially dreading it since my Hero got his deployment orders. The trip started out badly. The hotel I had booked for us for Friday night had been switched to one in another town (30 min in the direction from which we had just traveled). The night in the hotel room was not good either. Our neighbor came into his room around 2 am and called someone- we could hear the loud conversation in our room. Then despite the fact that all the rooms were "non-smoking", someone next to us was definitely smoking shortly after the loud phone conversation. Of course after all that we heard every noise around us (toilets flushing, snoring, etc.) for the rest of the night. When we woke up on Saturday, neither of us was planning for the day to go any better than our night had just gone. We were sorely mistaken. Praise the LORD!   Yesterday was great! It was not at all what we had expected. We are adopting through the African American Infant Adoption program. Part of the seminar was on hair and skin issues for our baby. Another part was gaining perspective from a birthmother who had chosen to give her baby to another family to raise. We also went through legal issues and so much more. It was fun to get out of the house and focus completely on something other than the looming deployment for a while. It was great to be able to express some of our fears about the adoption and hear from other couples who were feeling the same way. It was wonderful to get a more clear understanding of how this adoption works from the legal perspective. The information we got from the class on hair and skin issues was amazing and so valuable. I didn't think it was possible to get any more excited about this adoption than I already was. This seminar, that we initially felt dragged into, was great and fueled the fire of our passion and excitement for our newest family member. Now if only we didn't still have to WAIT an unknown amount of time.   I guess I need to practice patience and remember that the baby God has picked out to join our family is most definitely worth the wait! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/603546/ Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:48:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/603546/ This weeks Homeschool Memoirs assignment is to list the snack foods our family enjoys. Our snacks are not really all that grand. We are usually busy moving from one activity to the next. Let me think.... 1. Our favorite snack is fruit, whatever is fresh and on sale (Next year I'll try my hand at canning to save some money). 2.  Yogurt 3. Fruit smoothies 4. Applesauce or banana muffins 5. Celery with peanut butter 6. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and string cheese 7. Homemade soft pretzels 8. Popcorn with butter 9. Chocolate chip cookies 10. Homemade trail mix: cereal, pretzels, raisins, and peanuts That's about it. It isn't a very adventurous list, but it's what works for us. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/601154/ Tue, 7 Oct 2008 08:46:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/fivelittlefroggies/601154/