Monday, August 7, 2006
Summer pictures
Posted in Education
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We've had a pretty busy summer full of great projects for the kids. I thought I'd share a few photos from their recent ventures. Birdhouse building with Daddy:    Here are a few pictures from the Lemonade Stand that they set up during our Garage Sale last weekend    This is what I like to call, "Another Satisified Customer"  |
Monday, August 7, 2006
Our school year
Posted in Education
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I haven't been posting much due to the fact
that it has been blazing hot outside and I've been trying to keep these
little munchkins of mine from going insane. It's so much worse than a
rainy day because it looks like
it should be a nice day for playing outside...it's just sooo hot... So,
we are all very relieved at the opening of our neighborhood pool this
weekend and spent most of the morning there! A good, solid naptime is
almost a gaurantee... I've been anxious to get out all of the books that we've collected over the summer for our first "official" school year and start to get everything all ready and planned out. I thought I'd post about our plans here. Our homeschooling philosophy is a combination of the principles laid out in Teaching the Trivium, by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn with a Charlotte Mason style. Our Bible time is done all together and we will be reading a Proverb each day and working on their memory verses that Daddy starts with them in the evenings. We'll also use that time to work on any other memory work that I think would be good for them. At night we'll be starting Herein Is Love, by Nancy Ganz. Science we will do together as well. We'll be reading through The World God Made and the Christian Liberty Nature Reader, both from Christian Liberty Press. We'll also continue on with all of the bug catching activities that have pretty much characterized our summer. The boys built a birdhouse with Daddy a few weekends ago so I think we'll also spend some time learning about the various birds that come to enjoy the feast. For Travis (starting Kindergarten), he will be working through Horizons K Math workbooks (he LOVES workbooks and begs to do them!). We will also be sharpening his reading skills using our McGuffey readers and tons of reading aloud. We also going to work through the Drawing with Children book together (probably once a week?), which I'm really excited about. For Sam (3 1/2), we're working on letter sounds using the Get Set for School workbook by Handwriting Without Tears. He also really loves using his "letter lines" (the wood pieces from HWT) so we will continue to use those. We bought the Rod and Staff preschool workbooks for him to start and he can't wait to get into them! Caroline will sit with us during our hour of schooltime each day and color (now that she will do do without eating crayons!), play with playdoh, work puzzles, shape sorters, look at books...etc. I'll also continue to do activities with her from our Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready (June Oberlander) book. She enjoys most of those activities and I just skip any that don't seem like they would be fun. : ) She also absolutely loves being read to and is loving the books from the Before Five in a Row reading list. In addition to all of that (which I don't plan on spending more than and hour-and-a-half a day on), we will continue on with our reading aloud. One of the books that I'm most excited to get to is Little Pilgrim's Progress, by Helen L. Taylor. I think the boys will really love it. And, for those of you with boys (or adventuresome little gilrs!) we've discovered The Squire and the Scroll (Jennie Bishop) this summer. I anticipate reading that one almost daily for the next few years. : ) That pretty much sums us up for this year. We're all excited for our year to begin but, for now, we plan on taking complete advantage of these remaining lazy days of summer. We'll be back at the pool after naptime. |
Friday, July 21, 2006
A Helpmate Suitable
Posted in Marriage
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I've heard it said that nothing makes
your own selfishness more apparent than having children. I can see and
understand how this can be very true, but for me it was marriage that
brought all that yuckiness to light. It's taken me a while (we'll be
starting year #9 in just a few weeks!) to realize just how wrong I have
been in much of my thinking as to how marriage is "supposed" to be and
I have begun to see how much needless struggle we have faced because of
my faulty thinking. I am very blessed with a loving, gracious and
oh-so-patient husband (whom others would assume to be the stubborn one
of the relationship though in reality he is always most willing to
accept fault when he's wrong). Anyway, the point of this entry was to share a list that I read this afternoon while reading The Excellent Wife, by Martha Peace. It was encouraging to me so I thought I would share it. Eighteen Ways a Wife May be the Glory of Her Husband 1. Ask your husband, "What are your goals for the week?" 2. Ask your husband, "How can I help you accomplish these goals?" 3. Ask your husband, "Is there anything that I can do differently that would make it easier for you?" 4. Be organized with cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry and cooking. As you fulfill your God-given responsibilities, your husband is then free to do his work. 5. Save some of your energy every day for him. 6. Put him FIRST over the children, your parents, friends, job, ladies' Bible studies, hobbies, etc. 7. Willingly and cheerfully rearrange your schedule for him when necessary. 8. Talk about him in a positive light to and around others. Do NOT slander him at all, even if what you are saying is true. 9. Do whatever you can to make him look good, to accomplish his goals. Some examples are to run errands for him, organize your day to be available to help him with projects, pray for him and make good suggestions. Give him freedom to not use your suggestion, and do not be offended when he does not follow it. 10. Consider his work (job, hobbies, goals, work for the Lord) as more important than your own. 11. think of specific ways that you can help him accomplish his goals. Examples are to get up early in the mornings to help him get off to work having had a good breakfast, take care in recording phone messages for him, anticipate any needs he may have in order to attain a specific goal, and keep careful records of money spent to keep up with the budget. 12. Consider the things that you are involved in. How do they glorify your husband? Ask his guidance. 13. Be warm and gracious to his family and friends. Make your commitment to him obvious. 14. Do and say things to him that build him up instead of tear him down. 15. Dress and apply your make-up in an attractive manner that is pleasing to YOUR husband. 16. When your husband sins, reprove him gently and privately, always giving him hope and pointing him to the Lord. 17. Encuorage him to use his spiritual gifts in ministry. Realize that just as God is glorified when man obeys Him, your husband is glorified when you obey your husband. A husband who is treated so respectfully and adoringly by his wife will have no choice but to adore her in return. It only takes one person to start practicing his or her intended role in a marriage to get the relationship in a "good circle"! |
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Our science project
Posted in Education
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Almost three weeks ago we stayed with my
sister-in-law and her family in their mountain vacation home in western
North Carolina. Our boys enjoyed the great fun of catching caterpillars
(which were in abundance - I've never seen so many!) and keeping them
in a water bottle. They carefully collected leaves for them to eat and
sticks for them to climb on and were so excited when, the very next
day, those caterpillars formed their chrysalis (which Sam calls their
"racoon" - I just don't have the heart to correct that one to "cocoon"
just yet!). They have been sitting here in our school room for weeks
now and every day we've been checking on their progress. I'll admit, I
didn't have much hope for a spectacular ending to this little project.
I was doubtful that we were actually providing the right environment
for them to actually live, much less grow into a butterfly. The
pessimistic side of me even came out as I was sure that even if they
did "pop out" (as the boys like to say) they would likely be moths
instead of butterflies. But not the boys. They were certain all along
that Hermie, Wormy and Squirmy would be beautiful. So yesterday, as the kids were napping, I sat down at the computer to check my email. That's when I heard the faint fluttering sound.... I looked over and, sure enough, we had a butterfly!! An actual butterfly! I ran upstairs to wake the boys (only something truly special would ever cause me to interupt naptime!). The looks on their faces when they saw their first butterfly (whom Travis said was definitely Hermie) was priceless. They were in awe. We took the bottle outside and cut the top off so that he could stretch his wings and fly out. The boys were so sweet about letting him go - they said they were sure that he was probably starving after all that hard work in there! As he flew through the yard they ran after him saying, "Goodbye! Have a great day! Your friends will join you soon!". Wormy was "born" last night and, yes, we got the boys out of bed again so that they could see him off. We're still waiting for Squirmy..... Here are some pictures from yesterday afternoon. I've been trying to find out what kind of butterfly he is. Any thoughts?    |
Thursday, June 29, 2006
The little things
Posted in Thoughts
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I've
had all sorts of subjects that I've wanted to blog about lately (maybe
since it's been so long since I actually wrote anything at all?) but,
now that I finally have a minute to sit here and write an entry, I'm
going to write about my three little munchkins. It struck me the
other day as I sat in the grass and watched them catching grasshoppers
just how very grateful that I was to be sitting there. It was a
Tuesday, in the middle of the day, and the kids were playing outside
and it was ME who was with them. It was me who got to laugh at them
waddling around the yard trying to catch the grasshoppers when they
jumped (they did finally figure out that it was easier to catch them
once they landed rather than in mid air). It was me who got to be the
Holder and Opener of the Bug Jar when they made a catch. And I was
still there when they raced outside first thing the next morning to see
if their predictions about how many would still be alive were right. I know that all sounds so little and, in the grand scheme of things not so important, but I realized how thankful I am to be here experiencing all of the "little" moments of life with my sweet kids. I can't imagine the regret I would have down the road once I realized what I had missed. Being home and taking care of my family really is my dream job and I'm so glad to be the one who gets to relay all of the sweet and funny moments of our day to my husband after they're all in bed. Someone else might not even notice all of the quirky little details that make the stories worth telling. It's a good life and I'm so thankful that it's mine. |
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Simplicity
Posted in Homekeeping
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My need for simplicity began
about a year ago. We were preparing for our sixth move in seven years
and after the uncertainty that comes with military life, we were
looking forward to settling down more permanantly. And I was ready to
get rid of stuff. My husband
accuses me of getting a high off of throwing things away and has become
accustomed to checking my "garbage" boxes before hauling them off to
the dump (he started that after a screwdriver fell out of one of said
garbage boxes as he was lugging it down the stairs. In my defense, it
was rusty and he has so many of them...). We have over twice the space
in our new home that we had in our last home and we have so much less stuff now. I absolutely love that everything has a "home" and things are orderly and organized. So once that project was done, I started to look for other ways to simplify. First, Jimmy and I looked at the ways that we spent our time. The computer was a big time-waster for both of us and we have cut back quite a bit. The TV also took a few nights here and there so we decided not to have cable installed since we moved in and haven't missed it for a second. We've also decided to cut back on the number of weekend trips that we take since that really adds to my load during the week (both before and after each trip). All of these things have enabled us to feel so much more free to accomplish more worth-while goals. We read a lot more, I have more time for creative projects, Jimmy has more time for work related studying, we play games together at night and our family play/worship times are less hurried in the evenings because there isn't anything that we're in too much of a hurry to get to (embarassingly, we used to hurry the kids off to bed so that we could catch our "show"). The next area that I really felt the need for simplicity was in my housekeeping. I lean ever-so-slightly towards perfectionism in that department and tend to become easily overwhelmed and frustrated if things are not being kept "just so". Over the last several months, the Lord has been allowing me to see that my responsibility as a wife is to HELP my husband. I am his helper. I am not helping him if my focus is on how I want the house or if my "need" for a perfect home makes me grumpy (which I sometimes allow it to do). I am helping him when I keep our home clean and tidy enough to be peaceful and relaxing. So, with that in mind, I've come up with a system that ensures that all of the major and necessary areas will be cleaned at least once a week and all at a specified time. With my "plan" in place, I know that it will all get done and I no longer need to feel like I am never caught up. For example, on Mondays I dust and vacuum downstairs. Tuesday is laundry day (and it all gets washed, folded and put away on Tuesday!). Wednesday we dust/vacuum upstairs and clean bathrooms. On Thursdays I plan a menu for the next week and make a grocery list and on Fridays we go to the grocery store. Now I don't have to worry about the dirty bathrooms on Monday and take time away from being with the kids to clean the bathrooms because I know I will get to them in just two days. After a month of using this system I don't know what I ever did without it. I'm still tweaking it (I had to fit kitchen sweeping in there a few more times and I clean the bathrooms during naptime instead of while the kids are doing their Wednesday chores since they need a little more training/guidance on those), but it really is working out great. In addition, I've also given the kids specific daily chores to encourage them in their work habits. It's amazing how much help little ones actually can be! They are quite efficient at their little jobs and it really does help me (especially since Sam has inproved so much in his willingness to work lately!). And beside the help, it's fun to work together. It helps me to not feel like they are being neglected while I do my housework. The proof was in the pudding when my new system was put to the ultimate test last weekend. My entire family was coming to our new home for the weekend. I normally would spend that whole day preparing for guests (read: cleaning like a madwoman) but, after a week of staying on task each day and accomplishing all of the major chores throughout the week, I only needed to spruce up a little bit here and there to be ready. Nothing major at all and it only took me a few minutes. I couldn't believe the difference it made in my pre-company mindset. I was relaxed! So that is a brief overview on my quest for simplicity. My next project is to simplify my recipe keeping/menu planning/cooking responsibilities. But for now, it's naptime on a Wednesday, which means it's time to clean the bathrooms. |
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
A glimmer of hope
Posted in Mothering
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Since I'm The Mommy, I have the honor
and priviledge (really, it is both. It just doesn't always feel like
it) of being the one to carry out most of the training that goes on
with our little ones. Jimmy and I will have our occasional Staff
Meeting where we will discuss the different strengths and weaknesses of
each child and come up with the "how's" of helping them to excell still
more in those strengths and work through those weaknesses (and
eventually - prayerfully - out of them). Each of our children have many strengths and each of them have a few weaknesses... today I'm going to write about our Sam and I'm just going to say it out loud... Sam is lazy. Pathetically lazy. He just is. All the parenting books tell me to "Just give them jobs! Preschoolers LOVE to help!". Travis? Yes. Caroline? Can empty a drier like no other toddler. Sam? It takes him about 23 minutes, many reminders, a CD of silly songs, a CD of hymns and a few "reminder swats" to trudge through the cruel task of emptying the silverware basket from the dishwasher. All the while crying for someone to "Plleeaassee help me!". I feel like I've tried everything over the past month (since we finally allowed ourselves to acknowledge that it was, in fact, sin) to teach him about how we are created to work and how much our family needs his contribution and how much God loves it when we serve others with a happy heart... We pray together in the morning that God would give him cheerfulness and he really does seem to be ready and willing to be joyful. Then the time comes for the dreaded dishwasher (and it's not just that chore because I wondered if he just really hated that job - it's ANY task or job). After several weeks of the aforementioned routine, I honestly felt like just throwing in the towel and doing it myself. It would be so much more peaceful (and quick!). This past Monday was the real kicker. After they had all gone to bed I confessed to Jimmy that I felt like a complete failure with Sam and that, certainly, I must be doing things all wrong with him because not only do I not see any improvement but it seems to be getting worse! Like the sweet husband that he is, he reminded me to "not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." (Gal 6:9) It was encouraging (mostly just to know that he didn't agree with my self-evaluation), but I wasn't sure that it would actually be true for us.... Yesterday morning began just like any other. We snuggled, read a few books, got everyone dressed, ate some breakfast then, holding my breath and preparing for battle (a gentle and loving battle, of course), set out for dishwasher duty. Sam cheerfully got the chair that he stands on. Then cheerfully retrieved the silverware basket from the dishwasher. Then cheerfully (and quickly!) put it all away! And what's more, Travis had to make a pit stop in the middle of doing his part and Sam finished Travis' part for him before he got back! Cheerfully!! LAter in the day he still had some cheerfulness left over for washcloth folding (another dreaded event). He received much praise and many "thank you's" and I made a huge deal of telling daddy all about it over dinner, where he received even more praise. Now, I'm not going to count my chickens, but today brought cheerfulness again. There is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel. And isn't that just like the Lord to give us a little glimmer of hope, just when your "doing good" seems way too hard? I am very grateful. |
Thursday, May 18, 2006
And we're off!
Posted in Mothering
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So
here I am, my inaugural entry into my first blog. I thought this would
be an appropriate title since, not only am I kicking off what I hope
will be a long-running chronicle of our homeschooling adventures, but
we're also preparing to begin our home school (officially anyway,
though I maintain that we've been homeschooling since March of 2001!)
in just a few short months. We will have a kindergartener! The days of
his babyhood have certainly flown by. I'l start by explaining the title of my blog, "my401K". I'll confess that I'm not very creative when it comes to naming things (our first born is a "3rd" and I had a cat named Kitty when I was in second grade). So when I decided to start this blog I enlisted the help of a few creative friends and family members. My sister was actually the one who came up with this title for me and as soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect. Before I even read "Now, it might sound weird at first...", I had already taken it in the very same direction that she had intended. Let me explain... Since we were newly married, and especially since starting a family, it has become very important to us to challenge what is seen as societies "norm" and hold those things up to the light of scripture. Every facet of life, from the way men and women are to relate to eachother in marriage, to how many children they should have, how they should discipline them, and so on and so on, is challenged in our society. One area most commonly and most ferociously attacked is how mothers should spend their days. Society tells us that women are wise to plan for their financial futures by getting back to work as soon as those 6 weeks maternity leave are over. After all, families need two nice cars, a couple of fun vacations during the year and LOTS of great presents at Christmastime, right? And we need to be able to feel secure that we will be taken care of financially in our golden years, right? And the kids will be just fine in daycare. That's the way of life for tons of kids and they're turing out fine, right? Right?! So one of those notions that we challenged early on (before we were even married, actually) was where and how I would spend my time once we were blessed with children. Was it savvy for me to charge into the working world every morning right beside my husband so that, together, we could ensure our financial freedom? We decided that the most wise investment that we could make would not come by way of money. It would come by way of my time, my love, my patience, my diligence, my care, essentially my entire life, invested for the sake of our family. The payoff down the road will not be monetary, instead it will bring something that money can never buy. This investment into our family, into our children specifically, is "my401K". I look so forward to the day when our children are grown and walking in Truth; when they are wise, mature, godly men and women raising up their children - our grandchildren! That will be a sweet payoff, far sweeter than a few thousand bucks. |