Last Monday Brian asked if I would like to go away for a couple of days and of course I said yes   So I looked up Children's Museums in our membership and found one in Clinton Iowa (we live in Clinton Illinois) that looked interesting.  So we packed up Thursday night and left Clinton to go to Clinton! 

We traveled over the Mississippi river and had some interesting disscussions on that.  Part of the trip was driving about 20 miles right next to the river, so we had lots of time for an impromptu lesson.

Friday morning we headed to the Felix Adler discovery museum.  Felix Adler was a clown with the Ringling Brothers Circus for 50 years.  The kids enjoyed seeing his clown costume and various props, but the favorite exhibit for Rachel was the Kapla Blocks.  They are very simple, just small thin blocks of wood that you stack together to make buildings, but sometimes the simplest things are the most interesting!  Here is a picture of Rachel and Brian building an airplane.

Brian is an electrical engineer for an architectural firm, so he had as much fun as Rachel!

Jadon enjoyed taking a cruise.....

The museum was small, so we were done by lunch time.  We looked for something else to do and low and behold there was another children's museum about 30 miles away.  So we were off to the Family Musuem of Art and Science. 

Matthew was thrilled with the firetruck:

All the kids (and adults) loved the music rooms:

The best part of this museum was magic mirror room.  Do you all remember the fun house mirrors we loved as kids?  This museum had a room that had a computerized version of that.  You stood in front of the camera and screen and then pushed different buttons to get different views.  It was hysterical!  They did have a couple actual mirrors, and one of them made you look very tall and slim.  I reallllly wanted to bring that mirror home.  My legs looked great!  LOL

I'm always amazed at the comments I hear from parents about their children.

"I can't wait until they are in school all day!"

"I dread summer vacation!"

"How can you stand to be with your kids all day?"

However, the one that amazes me the most is " I could never homeschool, I don't have the patience!" 

WOW.  This one really gets me.  If you, who brought your children into this world, don't have the patience to deal with them, how on earth can you expect an outsider to do it?? 

It saddens me to hear how some people talk about their own children.  Everytime someone says they don't have the patience to spend all day with their children, I feel sorry for them because they view their children as burdens and not blessings. 

I can't help but think that someday the children will view their parents the same way; as burdens.

Love your babies.  They aren't babies for long. 

I'm not sure why  some restaurant's think that a three foot high wall with a fern on top is going to magically separate the smoking section from the non-smoking section.  As if the smoke will just stop and hover at the imaginary wall, not daring to cross lest it offend my delicate nasel passages.  Some of restaurants are kind enough to put the smoking section in the back, however, the bathrooms are often located at the back also.  If nature calls, you best hold your breath and walk fast!!

For some of us, it's not just a matter of being bothered by the smell.  For those of us with asthma, being even 10 to 15 feet away can set us off.  If you don't have asthma, the only way I can describe the feeling is this: take a straw and bend it in the middle and then try to breath through it.  Not such a good feeling is it?  Oh, I have inhalers to use in these situations, but have you ever used inhaled steriods?  They tend to make me feel like I'm jumping out of skin.  The shaking and the teeth chattering are enough to drive me crazy! (crazier for those of you who know me!)

I know smokers have rights, but what about my rights?  The rights of the elderly?  The rights of small children?  Do we ban smoking althogether in public places or do non-smoking asthmatics just eat at home?  

Don't even get me started on leaf burning!

Just thought I would show you my children:

Here's one I put them up to for something called "we put the fun in dysfunctional!"

Don't let the little one fool you....he may look innocent, but he's very sneaky!  LOL

In Webster's 1828 dictionary, immodest is defined using such words as: unchaste, lewd, impure, indelicate and obscene.  Those words so perfectly describe 90% of the clothes now offered for our young ladies. 

My daugher is just three weeks shy of her eighth birthday, and we have decided it is  time for some new clothes.  Last night we made the trek to the mall only to leave after two hours with one lone turtleneck.  The problem wasn't lack of clothes to pick from.  On the contrary, there were racks and racks of clothes, including some fabulous sale racks.  The problem was the racks and rack of clothes that, when worn, wouldn't accomplish the one simple function of clothes: to cover the body.  I'm not sure who came up with the idea that a girls mid-section should be hanging out for the whole world to see.  While we are at it, why are shirts that show rear ends cute considered cute and appropriate for little girls?  I don't consider them cute and appropriate for anyone! 

1 Timothy 2:9 tells us: In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.

I know some would say perhaps this is old fashion and doesn't apply to modern day, however, the Bible is just as applicable today as then.  We should apply care to our daughters dress so that they don't cause others to look at them with lust.   As the old (and crude) saying goes, don't hang it in the window if it ain't for sale!

As for my daughter, I guess I'll be visiting some "modest apparel" site online to build her wardrobe.  Perhaps I should learn how to sew also!

I've negleted my blog this week because I have been laid up since Sunday night with back pain (sciatic nerve...not sure if that is spelled right)  Brian has been home all week taking care of me, bless his heart!  Last night DD Rachel (7) began throwing up.  We are praying that no one else gets it.

With all this "free time" I have finished reading "The excellent wife" by Martha Peace and began reading "Created to be his Help Meet" by Debi Pearl. 

From reading all these "how-to" books on marrriage, I'm seeing that I have a long way to go!!! 

What a day!  My dad came and took the older two kids to a pancake breakfast this morning, DH Brian headed off to Habitat for Humanity, and baby Jadon went down for an unexpected morning nap.  The quiet was almost scary.  I was actually able to get some long overdue projects completed!! 

We decided to take the kids bumper bowling this evening, and we discovered we needed the bumpers more than the kids!  LOL  I scored a pitiful 83.  Yes, 83 with the help of the bumpers.  In my defense, I was holding the baby in the sling while I tried to bowl.

I think the best part of the day was the long (25 minute) drive to the bowling alley.  It seems like Brian and I have our best talks while the kids are straped in the car watching movies or listening to music.  We had a long discussion on the place of women in the leadership of the church.  I'm thinking about cutting down on my church commitments because they are taking  too much time from my family.  The decision is just a hard one because the work is much needed, however my family needs me more.  Oh, and I have a TERRIBLE time saying no!

Good Morning all!  Brian and I had a date night last night and say "End of the Spear" It was an excellent movie, although I would caution letting some children see it because the spearing scenes were graphic.  The story line (which is based on a true story) is about five missionaries and their widows who brought the Gospel to a vicious tribe in the Amazon in the 1950s. You can read the whole review at www.movieguide.org  I managed to hold it together, however the ending scene was very powerful to me.  That kind of forgiveness is more than I can express in words.

If you all have a chance to see it this weekend, that would be great as Hollywood looks at opening weekend figures when determining if a film is successful.  Brian and I hope that more Christians will start supporting these types of movies to show Hollywood that Christians want clean entertainment.  We need to send a message with our wallets that enough is enough with the immoral movies of our times.

God Bless!

Wendy