My twenty cents keeps moving!

Sep. 5, 2008

MOH 3 Week 3

Posted in Mystery of History

For those of you having trouble downloading week three, try these:

part one
part two

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Sep. 4, 2008

Counting the Cost-- Homeschooling

Posted in School

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?" Luke 14:28

When I was pregnant with Spenser, I didn't know I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. I know that sounds naive and short-sighted, but I don't remember ever thinking about it. Or having a conversation with my husband about it. I was raised by a working mom, and he was raised by a SAHM, but I don't remember ever having a discussion about which I would be. Then suddenly I had a baby in my arms, and I knew I wasn't handing him over to a daycare. I just couldn't (partly because I had spent the past three years working in a day care LOL.)

So I started babysitting at home, and later also sold things on ebay. When I started homeschooling, I still did both for a while. But eventually I realized I couldn't keep up the level of ebay sales I had been doing. I continued babysitting (and still do, although I don't have a regular this year for the first time.)

But I never sat and counted the cost of homeschooling; I just followed the path I was shown. I knew God was calling me to homeschool, and I obeyed. Sometimes now, I am forced to recognize the cost, and I have to count it quickly and move on lest I dwell on it and become bitter. (I'm kidding-- sort of.) For a long time, I thought we were ~~poor~~ economically challenged because we are in the ministry, but the truth is, we are ~~poor~~ economically challenged because I stay home with the kids.

This year, for the first time, I have 4 school-aged kids. I could put them all on the bright yellow bus and send them to public school. I wouldn't have to pay day care. I could work during school hours, and bring in a nice income that would help us so much... at least, economically. I could teach (you know, in a "real" school, and effectively double our household income.)

But I just can't do it. I recently drove by the school that would be "ours," and I thanked God that they weren't there. I felt overwhelming gratitude that they are with me, and a sense of alarm at the thought they could be there. They are mine, my responsibility, and I cherish every minute I have with them. I love being with them all day; I love watching them learn; I love the mess and the bickering. OK I lied about those last two. But I do honestly love homeschooling. I love that they are each other's best friends. I love that they mock me when I sing about Henry VIII. Really, I do. I absolutely love being at home with my kids...

even when it means we lost the remote and can't watch our 15 year old TV because the power button is broken. A $10 remote control may seem like nothing to some, but it's just not in the budget this payday. Probably not next either, but maybe it will turn up by then. (update 9/6: Macy found it and I gave her $2)
even when it means my brother cuts my hair because I don't have the money or the time to go get it done. (HE did a great job by the way.)
even when it means I can't buy my husband a nice birthday present. (It's ok honey I have something in mind for later...) Tinab knows what I mean :)
even when it means we give up soccer after 8 years and switch to tennis (much cheaper, who knew?)
even when it means we shop at thrift stores and eat chicken all week when it's on sale, and don't go on vacations very often, and skip going to Sonic after tennis.

I could go on and on but the point isn't to wail and moan about what we don't have. I am so thankful for a husband who is willing to make the sacrifices with me. He wears hand-me-downs and Goodwill shoes. (And sometimes they fall apart the first day he gets them, and they were a great European brand!) I am thankful for children who accept their plight (LOL) and work for what they really want. Reed saved her money for a year so she could go to drama camp at the Springer. Spenser works at the theatre to buy the games he wants. He and his buddy worked this summer and made $1000 for a youth trip. They are learning to make choices, and honestly they get an awful lot. Not as much as some kids, but they are not deprived. Sometimes we lose focus on what is really important, but then I stop and count the cost. And I realize that homeschooling is the best bargain I ever got.

So.. what are some sacrifices you have made to homeschool... and is it worth it?

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Sep. 4, 2008

Mystery of History 3 Lapbook-- Week Four

Posted in Mystery of History

Week Four of the MOH III lapbook can be downloaded here. I will add pictures to the album as soon as we finish the da Vinci lesson.

Go here for links to previous weeks. I am too lazy to retype all the links LOL.

Don't miss any MOH 3 lapbook updates!

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Sep. 4, 2008

More pictures from MOH 3 lapbook

Posted in Mystery of History

Sorry the pictures aren't great. My camera batteries are dead and I used my scanner. Click on the pictures to see a larger pic, and you can also see the whole album (thus far).

From MOH Lapbook

To make sure you don't miss any updates to the lapbook, you can

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Sep. 2, 2008

WFMW Backward Edition

Posted in WFMW

My kids have a dog; my dog has fleas. Does anyone have any remedies that are cheap and kid-friendly and easy?

Check out other Works for Me Wednesday posts at Rocks in my Dryer.

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Aug. 31, 2008

Would Jesus Wear Braces?

Posted in Church God Faith

This past Spring, our family was involved in the play The Magician's Nephew, which is one of the Chronicles of Narnia books. I remember noticing that Aslan, played by a 15-year-old-boy, had braces. I toyed with that seeming incongruence. Would Jesus wear braces? First, would He have crooked teeth? If He did, would He correct them? I don't mean WWJD -- should I get braces or should my kid get braces. I mean, would the God of the universe inhabit an earthly body that was imperfect.   Isaiah 53:2 says, He had no form or splendor that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him. So He wasn't spectacular to look at; maybe He had an overbite. We don't know for sure.

Is God a baritone? We are in the process of casting a play based on the book of Jonah called God and the Runaway Preacher. We need God. Oh how we need Him, but in this case, I mean we need someone to be His voice. In the play. And I have very high standards about what kind of voice God should have. Not too high, not too nasal, not too Southern. (I know, I shouldn't admit it, but I don't think God has a Southern drawl. Shoot me.) I live in Georgia, so it won't be easy LOL. It is silly, I know, but I have certain expectations when I hear someone portraying the voice of God.

Clearly I won't be called on to cast "God," as that role has already been filled, but it does make me ponder my expectations. On a deeper level, I find myself confronting other "expectations." When my first son was born and in the NICU, I fully expected God to heal him. In all honesty, I could not conceive of a God who would let my baby die. And yet, 13 years later, I know that unspeakable tragedy happens. Moms lose their children.. Good, Christian, faithful, loving moms.   Being a Christian does not inoculate us from heartbreak. At some point in our Christian faith, God is going to not live up to our expectations. (I know I split my infinitive, but it makes the emphasis in the right place in the sentence .)

I just finished reading a book about John the Baptist, and his death. Here he is, the cousin of Jesus, the one who sacrificed his whole life for his calling, the one who lived in the desert and ate locusts, and he is in jail, about to be executed. He sends a message: "Yo, Jesus. You're the one right? You're the Messiah, the one we've been waiting for, the Deliverer?" The subtext here: Help, come deliver ME!!!!!!!!!!"
Jesus response?

Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me

The subtext: Yes I am the Messiah. Yes I am the One you have been waiting for. But no, I'm not coming. I'm not delivering you.   I am the Deliverer, but not this time.

Blessed is he who can worship a God who doesn't live up to his expectations.

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Aug. 31, 2008

"Labor" Day Meme

Posted in Memes

How long were your labors?

Kid #1, 3 hours (I was shocked-- especially since we lived an hour and a half from the hospital. Funny thing is, that night, the drive only took 40 minutes LOL. I honestly thought I was in early labor, and my husband had to force me to get in the car. I wanted to shower. My contraction were 5 minutes apart and we were an hour and a half from the hospital, and I wanted to wash my hair. Clearly my priorities were in order. )
Kid #2, 4 hours (She was late and big-- as in 10 lbs 11 oz.-- so they induced)
Kid #3, none-- scheduled c-section
Kid #4, none- scheduled c-section

How did you know you were in labor?

Kid #1, water breaking. Very strong contractions, 5 minutes apart. Apparently I started at the end.
Kid #2, I was induced
Kid #3, c-section
Kid #4, c-section

Where did you deliver?

With all of them, at a hospital. The first 3 in NC; the last one in GA.

Drugs?

#1-- none (and he was 10 lbs!!)
#2-- a shot of something like Demoral-- didn't help much (remember she was 10 lbs 11 oz.)
#3-- spinal for the c-section (nice)
#4- epidural for the c-section (didn't work 100%-- ouch!) To clarify: there was one spot in the incision that was burning like fire. The anesthesiologist (who was a friend of mine in high school) gave me something else to help. Still, I liked the spinal much better. :)

C-section?

Yes-- numbers 3 and 4 were breech. Sydney (#3) was a gymnast-- she was breech, then she wasn't then she was. So they scheduled a c-section, then tried to induce, then sent me home, then brought me back to induce, at which time she was breech again. Since this time, the cord was under her, they did the c-section. Fun, fun, fun.

Who delivered?

I had great doctors all 4 times!

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Aug. 28, 2008

Labooks We have Done

Posted in School

Here are some pictures of the lapbooks we have completed over the last 2 years. Some very very small, like The Story of Ping, while others like the Thanksgiving one and the Heart one were huge. Some were worked on by mutiple children (the big ones) and others, like The Courage of Sarah Noble were done by only one child.

I have pictured here:

Thanksgiving lapbook by Live 'N Learn Press

Christmas Symbols by Hands of a Child ( I don't think we did the whole lapbook)

The Human Heart by Knowledge Box Central (we did this while we were doing Christian Kids Explore biology)

All About Me from Live 'n Learn Press

The Story of Ping I think I made up as we went by scouring the internet (I did this one with the younger girls)

The Moon by Hand of a Child (Reed and Sydney did this one while using Christian Kids Explore Earth and Space

The Courage of Sarah Nobles Reed did this one for literature. I used TCR's guide for using The Courage of Sarah Nobles in the classroom.

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Aug. 27, 2008

Sydney's Rite of Passage

Sydney has her first loose tooth and she is so excited! All of her friends have already lost teeth, so she has been awaiting this day for a while.

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Aug. 27, 2008

WFMW Chicken Spaghetti Recipe

Posted in recipes

I made chicken spaghetti the other night for the first time, and it was delicious! And easy! And fast! I made a huge pan of it, so you can always cut it in half for a smaller family.

2-3 c. cooked chicken, shredded or diced or however you like it (SAVE THE BROTH)
2. c chicken broth
12 oz. dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cans Cream of chicken soup
1 sm onion, diced
3 c. cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp but hubby bought mild and it was fine)
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil the spaghetti in the chicken broth. (I forgot to reserve 2 cups and dumped my broth and had to thaw some from the freezer LOL) Don't overcook it because it has to go in the oven and I hate overcooked noodles. Drain it and mix with the chicken, soup, broth, onion and 2 cups of cheddar. (Save one for on top.) Put in a casserole dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes-- I covered mine with foil until the end and then let the cheese brown.

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For more great ideas head over to Rocks in my Dryer

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