Heir-Raising Tales

10 and Other Happenings

2011-12-17T21:14:00.001-08:00

Not very long ago at all, I became a mom for the very first time and had a beautiful baby girl. I blinked a few times and suddenly she is ten years old.

Double digits. How did that happen?

Wasn't it just last week that she was toddler?

"When I grow up," she informed me when she was three, "I am going to be a garbage truck driver and I'm going to put a carseat up front for Caleb and we are going to have fun!"

She still has big ideas about going places. Only now it's on a horse.

She got some horseback riding lessons for her birthday and she officially loves it.

We were kind of afraid of that.

And in other news...

Spring fever is here and it's officially time to practice some baseball with Dad every night.

We recently participated in our first spelling bee,

met a new cousin,

and have been busy learning about the courageous men of the Reformation,

and the mysteries of astronomy. Did you know that it is quite possibly raining diamonds on Neptune?

For real.

We watched this video and tried to wrap our little pea brains around the magnitude and complexity of creation - and the fact that the Creator's mind is filled with thoughts of us (Ps. 139)!

Then we visited the symphony,

and - thanks to a sharp pocket knife and whittling job gone bad - visited Urgent Care.

I know. You don't want to see that. Neither does Caleb.

He is a tough outdoorsman who is always on the lookout to buy another knife, but he inherited Phil's queasiness about blood, etc.

As the doctor stitched him up, I asked him if he still wanted to buy another knife with his Christmas money.

"No," he said vehemently. But then: "Maybe I'll buy a sling shot instead."

Yeah. Then you can inflict pain and misery on someone else.

Thanksgiving Games

2011-12-12T11:53:00.000-08:00

They say that games were a big part of the first Thanksgiving feast. So we do our best to follow the tradition.

It can get a little competitive.

And some people take it pretty seriously.

We try to practice good sportsmanship and not rub it in when we win

...too much.

Date Night

2011-11-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite traditions from my own childhood is when my parents took us out for special dates. My sister and I each had a date with Dad on our birthdays and my Mom took my brother out. We always got to pick where we wanted to go, and for a family that rarely ate out, this was a special treat indeed.

Undoubtedly, my dad got the better deal. He usually ended up dining creekside in a favorite Italian restaurant, while my mom generally found herself sitting in a vinyl booth enjoying a Big Mac with my little brother (whose tastes, by the way, have improved dramatically over the years).

I understand this now, because Phil and I have continued a similar tradition with our family. Grace plans her dates talking about painting pottery together or shopping for jewelry.

Caleb plans a little differently.

"Mom, I want to go on a roller coaster and you have to come too, even if you scream and throw up."

Well, gosh, that's sweet, but lucky for me there are no roller coasters by us.

At least not that I'm telling him about.

We went rock climbing instead.

Joshua and I ended up going out to breakfast together.

"Joshie, wouldn't you like to have a yummy bagel at Einstein's?" I suggested hopefully.

"No, I want to go to McDonalds."

"Are you sure? For breakfast? Isn't there anywhere else you would want to go for breakfast besides McDonalds?"

"Well..." he thought hard. "Oh, I know! I want to go to Del Taco!"

I should have quit while I was ahead.

But it is, after all, the company and not the food, that make the date.

Fall Hiking

2011-10-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

It's not exactly fall in our neck of the woods yet, but we know where to find it.

A favorite hike from when I was a little girl is now something of a family tradition.

The creek crossings can get a little tricky and experience has taught me to pack extra socks for everybody.

You can see by the water line on Caleb that he needed a little more than extra socks.

But he didn't mind at all.

A Philosophy of Education

2011-10-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

"When a baby is picked up, spoken to, and loved,
he is starting his education as God planned it.
For all our lives we are human beings,
in an active state of learning, responding, understanding.
Education extends to all of life."

-Susan Schaeffar Macaulay, For the Children's Sake

Ideally, one would have a clear and detailed philosophy of education before beginning to teach. Such a philosophy would shape all of the planning and methods used and ensure more purpose in the teaching.

Or, if you're like me, you spend a few years teaching other people's kids and nearly a decade teaching your own before you really get a handle on what you're doing and how you want to do it.

Not that I didn't start with goals, mind you. My educational goals for my kids are simple: (1.) Be kids of character, courage, and conviction who love God and others will all their hearts (2.) Be the smartest kids in the whole world (3.) Do great things, including but not limited to: discover the cure for cancer, end world hunger, eradicate poverty....

Quite simple, really.

It was more the "how" part that tripped me up. The day to day. Early in my homeschool journey, it was suggested that everything should be hands on and exciting. I could build a model of a giant ear in my living room, a volcano in my kitchen, a rainforest in my bathroom, and a covered wagon in my backyard.

Or I could go to bed before 11:30pm each night and purchase all of the workbooks I could find so that my kids could fill in enough blanks to get into Harvard and I could still get the laundry done.

Recently I have been reading a lot about Charlotte Mason and her philosophy of education. I love it, and here are two reasons why:

Her emphasis on living books. She argued that it is in reading real, enjoyable, well-written books, that kids will learn and remember things.

If my kids ever left me and went to school down the road, I would probably not miss teaching fractions or diagramming sentences with them, but how lonely it would be to not share a really good read-aloud in the afternoon together.

Maybe I just subscribe to this philosophy because I am looking for someone to give me an excuse to read good books to my kids all day. But then, it has been pointed out that every time a student reads a book, the author becomes one of his or her teachers. So if my kids get to count C.S. Lewis, Laura Ingalls Wilder, E.B. White, the Apostle Paul, and King Solomon among their instructors, maybe they're not doing so bad after all.

Her emphasis on short lessons and lots of time for free play and exploration. Because I have other things to do in a day! But, oh yes, this isn't about me... Charlotte Mason believed in short (but effective)lessons and gave children the afternoons to play and enjoy being outdoors. She believed children would naturally ask questions about the world and find opportunities for learning and that free play was a very important part of childhood.

I agree and also feel that with so many entertainment options available now, playing and entertaining oneself is becoming a bit of a lost art. And if that is lost, so is imagination, creativity, and inventive thinking.

This is what I told my kids last week when the harshness of our summer weather let up and I shooed them away from the TV and the computer into the backyard. At first they groaned, but as the afternoon went on, shrieks of laughter and childhood delight came through the back door. Feeling satisfied that my children were experiencing childhood and learning in the natural way that they were meant to, I glanced outside.

Hmm, I wonder if Miss Mason's students ever spent the afternoon handcuffing each other to the garbage can? Or trying to start a campfire on the back lawn?

I wondered if perhaps I should call them in to do some more school work instead, something that would have more value in preparing them for Harvard. Was that little boy shoving a sock into his "prisoner's" mouth really going to discover a cure for cancer if he spent his afternoons like this?

But right about then, he came in looking for string. "We want to find out what will happen if we tie the cat up and throw her in the pool," he announced.

Well now, that's scientific inquiry about the natural world for you right there.

Dream Big

2011-08-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

So another school year is underway here and young minds are bursting with possibilities for the future.

While studying astronomy recently, Caleb had an epiphany.

I was reading the following words: "If you like astronomy and you like inventing things, you may want to be an engineer for NASA when you grow up..." when Caleb jumped out of his chair and grabbed a piece of paper.

"Wait!" he commanded, "I need to write that down."

(Penmanship is a separate subject and possibly not necessary for true geniuses.)

Anyway, I heard him discussing this with a grandma recently. "Well, God really gifted me with the ability to think of things to build and I'm really interested in astronomy so I think I might be an engineer for NASA someday," he explained thoughtfully.

At this point, Joshua walked through the room.

"And what you like to be when you grow up, Joshua?" Grammy inquired.

Without hesitation, he replied, "I want to be a king and live in a castle!"

Naturally.

The first week of school also coincided with this big guy's birthday. He and Phil had a conversation about this.

Joshua: "I not have to do school tomorrow 'cause it my birthday."

Phil: "Well, I don't know about that. Lots of people still go to school and work on their birthdays."

Joshua (considers, and then with a winning smile): "Not Chinese guys!"

Summer Days

2011-08-16T18:08:00.000-07:00

Church Family Camping Trip

2011-08-01T20:30:00.001-07:00

Charlie

2011-07-10T15:43:00.000-07:00

People are always asking us if we are ever going to adopt again.

Well,

after much deliberation,

the answer

is yes.

We officially added to our family yesterday.

He's a goldendoodle and his name is Charlie.

And he's a puppy.

So pray for me.

Anniversary Date

2011-06-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary last week with a romantic downtown boat ride. We watched the sun set over the city skyline, the full moon shimmer on the water...

and we discovered a stowaway...

Actually, a few stowaways....

These anniversary dates have gotten a little crowded over the years.

"Family life is a bit like runny peach pie...
not perfect, but who's complaining?"
Robert Brault

(It's not as bad as looks, okay)

Spring Evaluations

2011-04-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

'Tis the season for standardized testing and I'm often asked if homeschoolers are required to take tests each year to prove that their mom isn't just using them as cheap child labor for housework.

Well the answer is no, our state is very laid-back about this but, not to worry, Grandma has it covered.

She came to visit yesterday, holding what she called "a gizmo that measures your brain waves to see how well you can concentrate and pay attention."

She then proceeded to attach electrodes to my husband's forehead.

"Don't worry. It's perfectly harmless!"

Oh boy.

Grandma: "Joshua, concentrate! Concentrate harder. Now concentrate less!"

Joshua: "I'm twying, I'm twying!"

In fact, we all got to twy it.

And the good news is, we passed. We have brain waves and we can concentrate.

(Not to mention that they happen to be getting pretty good at housework also.)

What's Been Goin' On Around Here

2011-02-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

Our new year has had hiking expeditions...

And, really, I don't know what kind of people give their young child a sharp stick to play with..

But anyway, we've also done fun and special things like dissecting a cow's eye,

Afternoons at the zoo,

Things to make a mom a little nervous,

I think he might be saying, "Yeah, that big, scary jump over there. Go ahead, you'll be fine..."

But we've also been playing games with grandparents,

And even dragging some of them out to our trampoline,

Misbehaving for family photos (nothing new there),

And soccer!

Good News and Great Joy

2010-12-14T21:50:00.001-08:00

I've heard that some homeschool moms let their kids have the whole month of December off to focus on the joy of Christmas.

Not this mean old mom.

Our study of the Old Testament continued this month with all kinds of activities. We worked hard one Friday afternoon preparing challah bread to celebrate a Sabbath dinner.

The Sabbath dinner, we discovered, is a beautiful celebration and peaceful experience. A long and busy week ends at sundown as the candles are lit, a blessing is said over each child, and the family enjoys a relaxing meal together.

I don't know if my kids are learning anything, but I can now truly appreciate the blessing Shabbat Shalom, Sabbath Peace.

We have also been deep in the study of the creation of the Tabernacle and priesthood in Exodus.

I realize it's not very "Christmasy." While many families put their regular course of study aside in December to bask in the soft glow of the nativity stable, we have been standing at the foot of Mt. Sinai with the terrified Israelites as they encounter a fearfully holy God from a distance.

Not very "Christmasy" at first glance but, to me, studying the sacredness of the tabernacle, the law, the priesthood, and even the sacrifices and the blood that must have been everywhere gives all that much more significance to the child in the manger.

When the angel broke through the ordinary night to announce good news to the shepherds, it was really, really, really good news. Not just a sweet baby, but the Holy God come to bridge the gap that we never could. He would be the Great High Priest and the Lamb whose blood would be poured out in the Ultimate Sacrifice.

The more we study the requirements for approaching a holy God the more I think that when the angel said, "I bring good news," it may have been a cosmic understatement.

But when I go the grocery store to pick out a Christmas card and find only three of the 60 or so cards labeled with crosses to alert me to the fact that they mention God, it seems like much of humanity has responded to the heavenly announcement by saying, "Gee thanks, but we don't need quite that much good news. We're quite happy with warm Christmas blessings and some eggnog thankyouverymuch."

But I am so thankful for all that Christmas is (and trying to remind myself to be thankful while standing in line at Walmart again...).

Merry Christmas.

It's Not That I've Fallen Off the Face of the Earth...

2010-12-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's just that I was using my small amount of spare time trying to compose the world's most profound Christmas letter.

But it didn't happen.

There are, after all, only so many angles you can use to subtly say: "I will now spend the next page and half bragging about all the amazing things my family did this year and about how adorably cute and impossibly intelligent my children are."

Not that we didn't do amazing things and not that my children aren't adorably cute and impossibly intelligent, I'm just out of new and clever ways to say it.

So, that leaves me compelled to share here the fascinating news tidbits from our house:

Another One Bites the Dust

Another pet fish, that is. Call me a "glass half-full" kind of person, but I am actually kind of amazed that three of the five fish made it for a whole year.

This particular fish met its untimely demise early yesterday morning.

I say "untimely" because my husband was at work and would not be home for hours.

You, of course, are entitled to your own opinions about gender equality and division of household responsibilities among the sexes, but I am a firm believer that "disposal of dead animals" is a job that belongs firmly in the man's column.

And yet there it was, beginning to decompose at 9 o'clock in the morning.

As I was contemplating the distasteful task ahead of me, my sensitive six-year-old broke into my thoughts.

"Mom," he asked in a quivering voice, "do you think we could pray for him? 'Cause you know how Lazarus was raised from the dead..."

I was about to point out that the other fish were already beginning to nibble on him and clearly all hope was gone, but I then I saw this for the opportunity it was.

"Yes," I said. "Yes, we can. And then we can wait until Daddy comes home to see if anything happens before we bury him."

I'm really not a good mom sometimes.

Another Strike Against Santa

"Another reason people should realize Santa's not real," Caleb informed me randomly over lunch the other day, "Is because of his toys. I mean, whenever you see that big toy bag, it never has remote-controlled cars or guns or anything expensive - just junky ole' stuff like teddy bears and blocks."

At least he's not spoiled or anything.

Letter Writing

But while Santa won't be hearing from us via parcel post, our kids did work on some pictures and letters to Jesus.

I watched Joshua intently work on his paper, his tongue moving furiously back and forth as he wrote.

"What are you writing?" I asked him.

"A letter to God."

"What does it say?"

Purposefully he climbed off his chair and walked over to me. He pointed slowly at each section of scribbles as he slowly enunciated each word: "It say, 'appy buh'day to God."

And in regard to my earlier, snotty remarks about Christmas letters, don't assume that means I'm not eagerly hoping to get one from you.

This year I am stealing an idea from my sister and so, as an added bonus, if you send me any kind of Christmas greeting, your card will be randomly selected at some point during the coming year to receive a free trip to Hawaii AND have your family be prayed for by my family for a whole week!!

(Except not the part about Hawaii - that was a lie).

The Very Very First Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

Our Grateful Tree

Since we are studying ancient history this year, I was having a little trouble trying to figure out how to fit the pilgrims in.

Many have suggested that the Pilgrims got the idea for Thanksgiving from the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. Since that seemed to fit in with our survey of the Old Testament, we built a Sukkot in our backyard.

(With apologies to serious Jews who actually know what this is supposed to look like.)

It was fun to learn about the traditions of this feast of giving thanks, what they represented, and how Jesus was the fulfillment of each tradition.

My kids know exactly how many days there are until Christmas and have already compiled numerous wish lists for gifts, but I wanted to make sure we took time be thankful and count our blessings too.

The other night as my big kids were getting ready to brush their teeth, I heard them doing just that.

"You know, we really are blessed. We have our nice beds..."

"...Oh and we can be thankful for our mom and dad."

"Yeah, and these cool toothbrushes"

"Oh yeah, I am really thankful for my toothbrush."

As a parent, it is so nice to know that my kids are thankful for me and that they give their mother a place of honor in their hearts.

Right up there with the Batman toothbrush.

Woodshop 101

2010-11-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

The boys have been helping their dad with a with a little building project....

so that our kids will have every opportunity to become...

....the nosiest neighbors on the block.

(Hey, we were tired of worrying if they were going to get hurt on everything else they were climbing up on to talk the neighbors.)

What We've Been Up To

2010-11-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

'Cause I know you're dying to know, we've been busy making masterpieces,

playing games with family,

and experiencing some living history.

Just so You Know....

2010-11-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

If you ever come to visit us, we hope you will find yourself welcomed warmly and that you are able to enjoy a peaceful, relaxing stay.

That it, once you get past security.

To promote that peaceful atmosphere, we have a rather strict code of conduct in our house. Just tonight, I found these family rules posted in my front room:

I especially like #5, as it pertains to "no jumping on tired guests."

Well-rested guests, however, are fair game.

Cousin Love

2010-11-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Moments

2010-10-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "We homeschool" quite like sitting in the front yard in biblical attire, waiting for your father to come home so you can bow to him.

We have just finished studying the life of Abraham. We learned about the hospitality he showed to the strangers who visited him, and we had a little Ancient Middle Eastern dinner of our own.

Despite the fact that we ate something a little different for dinner - lentil stew ("Esau really traded his birthright for this?"), it was a very enjoyable time.

I read aloud the story of the birth of Isaac to wrap up all we had been learning about God's promises to Abraham, and when I finished, there was just one question....

"Mom, what does circumcised mean?"

One Man and One Woman...

2010-10-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

Kids may stare at you blankly while you read Bible stories but that doesn't mean the wheels aren't turning somewhere.

It doesn't mean that four hours later while you're changing freeways in busy traffic your six-year-old won't suddenly yell from the back of the van: "Hey! Didn't Jacob commit adultery to have more than one wife?"

And after you figure out why the car with duct tape all over his windows is honking at you and you are fairly certain he won't shoot you, you too can try to explain about the practices of another culture and another time while looking for your exit.

I started to wonder why questions such as these seem to come up mainly in the car or the grocery-store check out line, but Caleb continued to fire questions towards the front of the van.

"Well do people have more than one wife in America?"

"No, it's against the law."

He ponders this for a few minutes and apparently his mind goes back to the previous night when we had attended a prayer meeting for our state elections. "I think I heard somebody praying about that last night. You know... they said about keeping marriage about one woman and one man... Is the government trying to make a law that we have to marry lots of wives?"

"Ummm...."

But he continued, leaning forward in his booster seat. "...Because I sure wouldn't want more than one wife. I'm not even sure I want one wife."

"Why not?"

"Cause then I'd look around and see all my kids and I'd be like, 'Oh MAN! Now I gotta feed all them.' And that'd be like a lot of laundry you know."

Where does he get this stuff? Have we not given him the impression that children are a blessing?

Home Again

2010-09-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

The road that we followed for seventeen days led us home at last and the adventures of our road trip are now good memories.

(Okay, I don't think Phil is actually going to remember that surrey ride with any kind of fondness, but everything else was fun.)

And so now we are home and our house is buried under a few thousand piles of laundry and camping equipment.

We aren't too worried about it though. In fact, I think I may just leave it alone for a few years and let it straighten itself up.

Every single park ranger and tour guide that we encountered seemed quite certain that if you factor enough years into the equation, lifeless disorder can eventually evolve into beauty, order, and vibrancy all on its own.

Seriously, the only disappointment on our trip was that at every point that we would see the most amazing thing that could only be the product of intelligent design, some paid park employee was right there to spout:

"And here you see this incredible (whatever). Truly it is mind-blowing how huge and complex and beautiful it is. Hundreds of millions years ago it just sort of happened. While it may appear to be purposefully created with jaw-dropping power and intricate detail, it was really just a random accident."

...they did not think it necessary to retain the knowledge of God.
Romans 1:28

Other than the sadness of repeatedly encountering such startling godlessness in the face of some of the most magnificent creation, we had a wonderful time together.

We had impromptu lakeside picnics, and we learned to make apple pie on a stick over a campfire.

We saw the summer wildflowers hanging on even as the turning leaves hinted at fall, and we learned that snow doesn't always wait for either of them to fade before it comes.

We hiked to the bottom of a roaring waterfall, and another time walked under a weeping rock and let water drip on our faces that may have been working its way through that rock since the days that the Columbus sailed.

We sat in a forest meadow at night in the middle of nowhere under more stars than we ever dreamed were hidden behind our city lights. We heard an elk's bugle call and - after sleeping together in a twenty-foot trailer for half a month - we learned who has a snoring problem and who sniffles the most.

And we learned to make it work.

We had time for relaxing,

and intellectual pursuits,

as well as enjoying the beautiful scenery.

We had a great time together as a family and are thankful for the protection, provision, and joy that God so generously gives us every day.

And now we just have to figure out where to go on next year's vacation.

Back to Summer

2010-09-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Zion National Park yesterday and found summer again. Playing in the snow just four days before seems a little unbelievable.

Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons

2010-09-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

Well, the bad news is that all of our children were partially eaten.

The good news is that it was done by annoying insects and our kids will live to see one more national park on the way home.

Yellowstone Park is huge and incredibly diverse in its beauty.

It seemed to be smoking, boiling, and bubbling just about everywhere we went. I was surprised to learn that there are actually around 350 geysers in the park, several of which are much larger than Old Faithful.

At the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone we climbed to the bottom of these falls:

A hike that is a mere 300 feet doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

Until you realize that is almost straight up and down.

The way back up was not without tears and protests, but there's nothing like a sudden downpour and deafening clap of thunder when you're on a metal staircase to get you moving.

For the first few nights in Yellowstone, we camped next to a very nice family full of little boys who were more than willing to participate in scooter races and football games.

For the next few nights, we camped here:

Our campsite at the Grand Tetons wasn't too bad either.

We took a boat ride around Jackson Lake,

and Joshua seemed to be thinking that the water looked nice enough for a swim.

We also took a beautiful hike around Jenny Lake and back into a hidden waterfall.

Our kids have hiked about ten miles in total and have seen a lot of wildlife to add to our list, including an elk family,

a moose with its baby,

but to everyone's regret but mine, no bears.

Trip Journals

2010-09-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

I made the kids special journals for our trip to keep them writing regularly. Here is Grace's account of our first day:

Winter in September

2010-09-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Garden City, Utah

2010-09-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Home of the sapphire-colored Bear Lake, green rolling hills, an idyllic climate for growing things (hence the name), delicious raspberry shakes (we can testify to that), and six-seater surrey bicycles. I cannot show you a picture, but you'll have to believe me that it was definitely a family adventure.

Each of our kids got a chance to steer us all through town and I for one am glad that we have at least seven years until any of them are awarded a learner's permit.

We had our much-needed day to rest, as we were beginning to wonder (a thousand miles from home) if we might have bit off more than we can chew with this trip. But the good news is, we have finally showered and so all is right with the world again.

We head for Yellowstone in the morning where adventure awaits and snow flurries are in the forecast. The high later this week will reach a balmy 45 degrees.

We may post again when reach the Grand Tetons, unless of course I get eaten by a bear first. In which case it was nice knowin' ya.

Bryce Canyon

2010-09-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

I have to be honest.

The day we went to Bryce was hot and we were tired from having spent about 4 hours in the car.

After a few good looks at the Canyon, I was beginning to agree with the kids: it was time to check out the pool at the campground.

But just as we were getting ready to go and decided we didn't really have the energy for any of the trails into the canyon, we got talked into one of them.

It was officially billed as one of the most spectacular hikes in the world, and this we had to see for ourselves.

One point three miles later we - with our limited hiking experience - agreed. Hiking down among the hoodoos and through the slot canyons was absolutely amazing.

And just so you know, this was not the easiest hike to take kids on, but they made it and did awesome. Near the end, some people behind us commented, "You're kids are incredible! I can't believe how well they are doing and not even complaining."

Their praise may have been just a tad too early.

But we are still very proud of them.

But while the kids will readily admit that was the coolest hike they've ever done, they are undecided as to what the highlight of the visit was. The one thing that could possibly top hiking into Bryce Canyon, the thing that got them really excited, was getting to ride the park shuttle.

(I hate to think we could have just stayed home and rode the city bus to make such fond memories for our kids.)

For Joshua it was really a treat because there were no carseats! Here he is living the wild life:

Wonders of the World: One Down, Six to Go

2010-09-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

And that, kids, is what you call a canyon.

A magnificent land form, filled with beauty as well as compelling geological evidence for a catastrophic, world-wide flood.

A testimony to the majesty and the power of God.

There is a hushed kind of reverence when you stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon at sunset.

Except not when you're with your kids.

Our kids had different responses to seeing the Grand Canyon. One of them took in the width and breadth and sheer beauty of it all for about four and half seconds then got back to work filling in the blanks to earn her junior ranger badge.

Caleb, who seemed to be born with the constant need to climb something, was in heaven. "Don't worry, Mom, I would never fall," he tried to assure me.

And yet somehow they managed to fill 367 pages in the book showcased in the visitor center: Over the Edge, Death at the Canyon.

Fortunately, he found some challenging climbs and adventures closer to our campsite.

Road Trip!

2010-09-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

We set off the other night, our truck packed full of marshmallows and bear spray, and our kids snug in the backseat.

"'Stuffed' is more like it," Caleb corrected me.

But our car rides have turned out pretty well after all. We drove through beautiful alpine meadows and aspen groves as we listened to Aslan sing Narnia into creation on The Magician's Nephew.

The audio book proved to be very captivating for most of us, although it was punctuated every two minutes or so by Joshua:

"Mommy, where going?"

and,

"I want outta here!"

Overall, though, that little boy has been a great traveller and a good listener. People we meet everywhere have made comments like, "That is one seriously happy kid."

We have had the opportunity to meet all kinds of interesting and nice people from all over the world. It's usually in the middle of conversations about where we are from that Joshua pipes up enthusiastically, "I fwum China!"

Here are the stats of our trip so far:

Days travelling: four

National parks visited: two (maybe more on those later)

Junior Ranger badges earned: three

Wildlife spotted: numerous deer, pronghorn (second fastest animal in the world), bison, blue jays, ravens, woodpecker, chipmunks, kaibab squirrels, and no bears!

Total miles driven: about 950

Total miles hiked: about 3 1/2

Showers taken: zero

Yes, we're having that much fun.

Looking forward to showers, laundry, and rest tomorrow...

Four!

2010-08-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Joshua,

I sometimes think that Webster's Dictionary ought to put your picture in to define the word "exuberant."

Or perhaps they should stick you next to "vivacious," "strong-minded," or "independent."

I watch you bounce and skip around all day laughing and singing, and I wonder how God could have possibly crammed so much enthusiasm, vibrancy, and pure strength into such a small package.

You are honestly one of the happiest people I know.

Except for when you're not (and then you're NOT, but we're not here to talk about that...)

God has clearly placed amazing talents and strengths in you, and if you walk with Him as you grow, there is no telling what incredible things He will bring from your life.

With an endearing smile and irresistible charm, you have a gift for working your way deep into the hearts of all who know you. Of all the words I could use to describe you, the most accurate would be this one:

Lovable.

Happy Birthday, Little Man!

Into the Wild

2010-08-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready to go on our summer vacation in a few weeks. Yes, I know everyone else has already done that. We homeschoolers just wait for the rest of you to go back to school so we don't have to elbow you out of the way to get to the good spots!

Many parents take their kids to Lego Land or Disneyland, maybe a zoo or a few museums, but not us. We'll be camping out on one of the world's largest active volcanoes.

(That would be Yellowstone - I didn't know that about the active volcano thing either until recently.)

This seemed like a good idea once upon a time.

Until I heard that the place is pretty much teeming with bears.

I, for one am terrified of bears. Apparently not everyone is. But I am.

"Oh, don't worry," my brother Chad says to me, "I'm sure they're more afraid of you than you are of them."

Yeah, except I don't think so. In fact, I highly doubt that any creature under the sun has ever been afraid of me.

I don't see any fear in the little bugs that scurry across my floor while I stand on a chair yelling for one of my children to come kill it for me, and it is unlikely that the 300 pound flesh-eating bears of Yellowstone are losing any sleep over me coming to visit.

I don't usually listen to the news, so my husband who does will tell me any current event that he thinks I would find interesting. For some reason, he decided not to tell me about the vicious bear attack outside Yellowstone a few weeks ago.

Not that I'm thinking about backing out of this whole adventure. We've been planning and looking forward to it for a few years now. I'm just sort of thinking maybe we should stay in the camper and play UNO the whole time.

I went to the Yellowstone website, which says, in essence, "Oh don't worry about the bears! You're way more likely to be gored or killed by a bison or an elk!"

Thanks, I feel so much better.

It goes on to say something like this, "And do remember to hold your children's hands around the geysers so they don't fall through the thin crust of earth into the boiling water."

Boy, this just keeps getting better all the time.

The educator in me wanted to get some books about Yellowstone so I did a little search at the library. The titles that started coming up looked something like this:

My Horrifying Encounter with a Grizzly

The Deadliest Fire

The Earthquake that Smushed 28 Campers

I'm beginning to suspect that maybe I'm just not a wilderness kind of girl. I mean, I generally like animals - at the zoo. When they're behind bars.

I recognize that life is fragile and danger is all around us (In fact, we've had a couple of escaped murderers in our area the past couple of weeks), but Lego Land is starting to look better all the time...

The only other thing that causes us just a teensy bit of concern over our Great American Road Trip is that it is A LOT of time on the road. Our kids will be crammed together in a pretty small backseat for hours and hours. And we're not taking a DVD player.

This one actually doesn't worry me as much. I mean, we never had DVD players when we were kids and our parents drove us across the country. We had to invent our own creative ways to ~~drive our parents crazy~~ entertain ourselves.

In fact, I'm fairly confident that my brother still holds many wonderful memories of when I resorted to reading the dictionary aloud to him on one of our trips to Nebraska.

But I haven't completely failed to plan. I did get a Radio Theater Program of the entire Chronicles of Narnia series.

And, I reassured my kids, they'll have plenty of schoolwork to keep them busy in the car.

At this information, Grace leveled a serious look at me.

"You know," she countered, "Most kids don't have their teacher go on vacation with them."

Yes, I thought to myself, and most kids' parents don't take them to a place where they might be mauled, gored, boiled alive, or smushed by landslides.

I just smiled at her and said, "Aren't you a lucky one."

Oh, and I just heard today that our escaped murderers are hiding out in Yellowstone.

Maybe the bears will chase them away.

Wealth, Riches, and a Puddle of Potty

2010-08-01T14:27:00.001-07:00

"Behind every successful man...
is the mom who potty trained him."

-Stephanie from This Blessed Life

Isn't potty training fun?

I especially love it how you get it all figured out with child number 1 but then each child that comes along later presents an entirely different set of challenges that call for new levels of creativity, courage, and perhaps even shameless bribery.

Oh, I know there are some people who have perfect potty training "formulas" that work like a charm for each of their kids in one day or less. (But I secretly don't like those people.)

And yes, I'm aware that my three-almost-four-year-old should have been potty trained long ago and that there are some people who have their children potty trained by age one. (I secretly don't like them either.)

As for us, our fun summer days have been punctuated by a regular timer reminding my youngest to go potty.

"But I not hap any!!" he insists vehemently, about a minute before a decent size puddle appears on the floor under him.

I always find it amusing at this point, because he usually gasps in total shock, jumps back, and points at the puddle with an expression that says, How could this have possibly happened?

So the other day we had only been home a few minutes before I noticed the evidence on his shorts that there had been another accident. I asked him where he was when he had the accident so I could clean it up, but I was met with a blank stare.

"I not know," he answered with careless shrug.

"How could you not know?"

He searched my face for a moment as if trying to figure out what the right answer to this question was, took a slow look around the room and then turned back to me with another shrug and a winning smile. "I not know."

A joint search revealed no puddle and gave credence to his claims of not knowing.

And so now there's a urine stain in my house just waiting to be discovered at what I'm sure will be a most opportune moment.

In other heir-raising news, we are coming to the end of our summer of fun and getting ready to get back to the business of official learning.

I have been busy evaluating and choosing new curriculum, planning chore systems and daily routines, and praying over goals and vision for the coming year.

I found that I started out praying about my kids and how I could get them to straighten up and stop doing the things that annoy me, but God kept bringing it back around to me.

I read this in Psalm 112:1-2

Blessed is he who fears the LORD, who finds delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land.

Not "he who makes all the right educational choices for his kids," or "he who picks the perfects curriculum," but he who fears the Lord - respects and honors Him, loves His word, and lives to obey it.

I, for one like the image that verse gives of the result of fearing the Lord. Children who aren't just okay, not addicted to drugs or thugs, but children who are mighty in the land. Strong, courageous, and effective. A force to be reckoned with.

The next verse isn't bad either for the one who fears the Lord. "Wealth and riches are in his house..."

A rich store of grace, love, peace, and the presence of God.

(Maybe that would make the slight smell of pee pee less noticeable....)

Summer Snapshots

2010-07-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a summer of swimming,

cousins,

road trips,

nature,

and adventures of all kinds.

A Year in the Life of a Homeschool Family

2010-06-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the end of our homeschool year this week by making a slide show of some of our activities. I share because I know you care, but try not to notice how messy my house is in every picture - we were busy learning!

And I'm off to get a pedicure because it's Teacher Appreciation Day : )

The Best Dad Ever

2010-06-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

So I sat down with my six-year-old to make Father's Day cards. In attempt to get the creative juices flowing, I asked him, "Why is Daddy the best?"

Thinking.

"Because...

(still thinking)

"...well because he's not a robber."

This is heartwarming stuff here, folks.

"Anything else?"

"Um, I don't know. Can I have snack?"

It appears that my son does not have a future with Hallmark.

I decided to shelve that project for another day.

We tried again today and apparently he had been giving it some thought.

So get your tissues out because here is the official list of Why Phil is the Best Dad Ever (as told by Caleb):

1. He loves Jesus

2. He gives me extra time at bedtime

3. He grills chicken for me

4. He teaches me cool moves on the skateboard

5. He fixes my dead light bulbs in my room

(I told you that you were going to need tissues)

6. He sometimes gives me too much candy

7. When we go bowling, he lets me win

8. He is kind

9. He lets me not brush my teeth when it's really late at night

(Hmm, I hope that's not on the days he gives him too much candy)

10. Sometimes he burps really loud and tells rude jokes at the table

(Umm, there goes his Father-of-the-Year award)

11. He reads me stories and reads to me from his Bible

(Not to mention that he once set Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego on fire in our kitchen)

12. He saves for my college account

13. He spins me around on the black chair until I get dizzy

14. He works so he can get money to feed us and give us clothes and stuff

15. On my birthday, he gives me Lucky Charms for breakfast

16. He plays games with me

17. He takes me camping

18. He is merciful

And, last but not least...

19. He really is not a robber

Summertime

2010-05-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

It's officially summertime.

And you're wondering why my boys are dressed so warmly for summer.

It's because in our neck of the woods, summer is so extreme and so long (like 8-9 months), that at the first sign of it, we head for the high country.

We don't even mind wearing jackets. We kind of enjoy it.

The fish in those mountain lakes, they shudder to see us coming.

Well, at least the crawdads do.

But you should have seen the one that got away.

Hope That Doesn't Disappoint

2010-05-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

I woke up the other morning into the ordinary.

Mental to-do lists rushed at me before I even got out of bed.

Pull the chicken out of the freezer, return phone calls, buy Mother’s Day cards….

I was wondering if I could put the laundry off another day, trying to remember what we were going to focus on in math, and suddenly peeved as I realized the drapes I had hung in my room the day before were too short.

The day was not an ordinary one, however. In a few minutes I would learn of a death in the family. We had lost a grandmother.

She had loved my husband when he was in diapers. He grew up making memories at her house and eating her infamous graham cracker torte.

She taught him all the good card games and what it meant to live a life that honors Christ.

I met her much later, when she was a white-haired widow being wooed by an old high school sweetheart who never forgot her and managed to track her down after so many decades.

They married after us, but soon passed us up in anniversary celebrations. Understanding that they wouldn’t have many years together, they decided to celebrate the months instead.

When our first baby was being born this grandma waited at the hospital (a long time let me just tell you) to hold her first great grandchild.

“We decided not to have kids,” her husband later confided to me with a straight face, “because Medicare won’t pay for it.”

She always laughed gently when he teased her.

And one morning this week, about the time I was waking up into the ordinary, she was waking up into the extraordinary.

As she was dying, the words of Isaiah 43:5 were read over her:

"Do not be afraid for I am with you," says the Lord.

Minutes later she closed her eyes forever to the ordinary and opened them to behold the smile of the One she had loved for more than nine decades.

The One who has loved her since before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4).

I don't say that she is in heaven simply because she was a good person known for a life of honesty and kindness. She put her faith in Jesus Christ, fully understanding that there is "no other name by which we are saved." (Acts 4:12)

And I don't imagine that she is in heaven just because it's a nice, comforting thing to say when somebody dies, something to take the edge off of the painful finality of it all.

I was so aware that morning that even as I was rearranging my to-do list for the day, she was tasting the exquisite pleasures of heaven.

I think mostly we lack the imagination to realize how wonderful heaven is. Either we secretly suspect that it will be boring, or we think perhaps it is impolite to think too much about heavenly rewards.

But neither of those views shows much understanding of our Creator.

Even through the sadness of that morning, I truly felt the deepest sense of joy that what God promises us through Jesus is really, really true.

I am convinced that a godly woman in my family met her Redeemer this week with great joy.

And as she found herself in a place of unspeakable beauty, I suspect that, like the Queen of Sheba who traveled to see for herself the splendors of Solomon's kingdom (2 Chr 9:6), this grandma exclaimed in awe:

"I was not even told the half of it!"

R.I.P. Cutie (And it's all Mommy's fault)

2010-05-02T15:53:00.000-07:00

I once heard it said that giving your child a pet fish is one way to introduce him to the realities of death.

And now we know all about that.

When we gave Caleb an aquarium filled with five fish for Christmas, we told him that they needed to eat three times a day - whenever he was eating a meal, he should feed his fish.

But, it is easy for a little boy to forget.

And that means that I was constantly reminding him. And his response was almost always, "Oh, Mom, I forgot. Can you do it for me?"

Pretty soon I decided that I had enough other responsibilities without always making sure that Molly, Orangie, Cutie, Frankie, and Frankie Jr. were getting their tummies full.

It was time to let my son carry the weight of his own responsibilities. And if somebody went belly-up, well, it would be a hard but natural lesson about taking care of things that belong to us.

And last night it happened. My husband came out of the boys' room with a grim look.

"We have a floater," he announced.

In the moments that followed, there was the shock of disbelief.

There was grief and despair. "Orangie was my favorite one!" Um, actually it was Cutie. "Well, Cutie was really my favorite one!"

There was a big sister who got right to the heart of the matter. "Caleb, did your feed your fish at all today??"

And in that moment when realization dawned on his tender face, there was a Mom whose resolve weakened.

Now I know it is important to allow children to have natural consequences, but discovering that you're guilty of negligent homicide when you're only six suddenly seemed a little extreme, so I rushed in to bail him out.

"Oh, buddy, I'm sure that it wasn't your fault. One day of not eating wouldn't kill a fish." I reassured him.

"Well," he said as the tears came in earnest, "I don't think I fed them yesterday either."

I continued to soothe his guilt anyway, trying to ignore the fact that I was enabling his irresponsibility.

But the ungrateful little child didn't even hesitate to throw me under the bus a mere two minutes later.

"Well, it's all Mommy's fault anyway," he sniffed from Daddy's lap. "Because she bought the cheap food from Target instead of getting it from the pet store like you're supposed to."

It makes precious little difference where you buy the fish flakes if you don't ever give it them, I wanted to tell him.

But I bit my tongue.

"Maybe now would be a good time to feed the other fish," I suggested instead.

But he was busy grieving.

"Oh, Mom, can you do it for me?"

All Dressed Up and Trying Hard to Behave Ourselves

2010-04-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

We had us a very special weekend, marrying off our last bachelor uncle,

and welcoming a lovely new person into our family.

I'm embarrassed to admit that most of my pictures from the wedding are of my own children.

But that's not going to stop me from shamelessly showing them to you.

Just so you know, it's no small feat to get several young children to cooperate for pictures and sit still for a ceremony.

But it does help if you have a purse full of candy.

And Joshua, who much prefers to be busy and helpful over sitting still, was kept busy as ceremony photographer.

All in all, it was a beautiful and special evening.

It's still hard to believe that my little brother - who used to beg to play Barbies with me - is now a mature family man.

...and speaking of handsome family guys....

Keepin' It Simple

2010-04-05T07:36:00.000-07:00

We celebrated another birthday here recently and started a new tradition. Everyone prepares a little something to say ahead of time about the birthday person.

At breakfast on Caleb's birthday we took turns reading what we wrote. It was a fun way to bless him.

My kids usually start making plans for their birthdays 8 to 9 months in advance. And as the birthday approaches, the plans get grander by the minute.

It's not that uncommon for me to be beckoned to one of their rooms after I thought they were asleep. "Hey, Mom, do you think that for my birthday we should take all my friends snowboarding, rock-climbing, or go-cart riding?"

What ever happened to Pin the tail on the Donkey anyway?

This year, in addition to those completely realistic ideas, Caleb mentioned that he would also consider celebrating his special day at Lego Land, one of those bounce places you can rent for a mere $300, or Glacier Bay.

Glacier Bay??

I attempted to steer the planning to an area I was prepared to put a little more into. The cake.

For a couple of weeks, I had been anticipating anything he might dream up for a cake plan. I had researched extensively and even printed out step-by-step instructions for making the world's coolest skateboard cake.

"Actually, Mom, I don't want a cake. I want to have a snow cone."

A snow cone?? What would he think if he looked back on pictures from his sixth birthday and there was no cake? What kind of mother would I be?

If a skateboard cake wasn't going to work, I was fully prepared to drive all over town looking for the perfect cake mold and stay up into the wee hours of the night making some elaborate creation so that my little boy would always remember that he was special and loved, for heaven's sake, so I pressed the issue.

"Of course, you can have a snow cone anyway, but don't you want something else in addition to that?"

"Well," he paused thoughtfully and then his face suddenly lit up. "Maybe you could put a gummy worm on my snow cone!"

Happy birthday, sweet boy!

What I'm Thinking About This Good Friday...

2010-04-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

....How long six hours really is.

Of course I know that Jesus hung on a cross, bearing the suffering of excruciating physical pain, the humiliation of nakedness and insults, and all the wrath of heaven that should have been ours.

I just never thought about the fact that it lasted for six hours.

As we had devotions this morning, I told the kids, "You know, this was about the time of day that Jesus was nailed to the cross."

Then we cleaned up the kitchen,

did our morning chores,

went for a bike ride,

had a snack,

and thought about the fact that only an hour and a half had gone by.

Then we did some school work,

took some baths,

had lunch,

and a rest time,

and another snack because my kids were starving,

and finished a chapter book together.

Six hours.

It's a long time.

A long time to think about someone else suffering for the sin I often take so lightly and excuse so easily.

"It was my sin that held Him there,
until it was accomplished...
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart:
His wounds have paid my ransom"

...I'm also thinking about how completely He was surrounded by insults and mockery.

They were heaped on Him by the Roman soldiers, the Jewish leaders, the criminals around him, and those who passed by.

Not that He ever lived for the approval of man anyway.

Hebrews tells us that He endured it all for the joy set before Him, and I wonder if He had any kind of vision at that moment of how many would come to the cross through the years, see it for all that it is, and be moved to say thank you with so deep a gratitude that words could hardly express it.

"For God so loved the world
that He gave His only Son,
that whoever believes in Him
would not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

Passion Week

2010-03-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus - Heb 12:2

Here's what we'll be doing this week (in addition to enjoying our fair share of Peeps):

Easter Story Cookies

Resurrection Eggs

Mr. Independent Learns to Dress Himself

2010-03-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's a process.

Signs that Your Three-Year-Old May Be Giving Up His Nap

2010-03-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

The first clue is when he spends all of naptime knocking loudly on his door and yelling his version of, "Mommy, let me out!"

But in this house, rest time is crucial so I determinedly put him down the next afternoon, explaining that it is very important for ~~him~~ Mommy to have a rest time.

I enjoyed a peaceful, if a little strange, kind of quiet for the next hour and half, and I managed to convince myself that he must have certainly fallen asleep.

Not so much.

I later discovered that he was very, very busy during naptime. The entire bookshelf was emptied along with all of the toy bins. And all of Caleb's clothes - those hanging up really high as well as the ones in the dresser - were removed and stuffed into a hiding spot.

Not that I found any of this shocking. This is, after all child number three for me.

It takes more than a ransacked room to faze me.

But when I discovered that he changed his own diaper (rather thoroughly actually), left the used diaper and wipes in a neat pile for me, securely fastened a clean diaper on himself and resumed playing - that'll do it.

Yeah, I realize that it's way past time for potty training, and I'm gonna get to that tomorrow.

But right now I need a nap.

An Unexpected Source of Entertainment

2010-03-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

If you - like us - come across an old boom box in your closet that doesn't work anymore, you could toss it.

OR, you could give your kids a couple of screwdrivers and let them be engineers for the afternoon.

Seriously, don't underestimate the fun in this.

It also works for old keyboards, cell phones, cordless phones...

A few days later Caleb was heard saying about a toy, "This doesn't work anymore. I'm going to engineer it."

PS - It's a nice little bonus if you happen to have a real engineer at your house so your kids actually learn something.

Olympic Dreams

2010-03-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

With a little scotch tape and other random supplies, you too can make...

....your own snowboard!

Don't have any snow?

No worries, you can transform the ladder of your bunkbeds into the beginning of a half-pipe.

I realize that at this point, all the good moms are saying, "Shouldn't you put down the camera and stop him from breaking his leg? Shouldn't you discourage such dangerous activities?"

Probably. But truthfully, I'm just kind of glad it's not figure skating that he's fascinated with.

Make That Five

2010-03-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

Five surgeries under his belt, that is.

In surgeries like the one Joshua had last week, the chances are less than 1% that there will be a problem with major bleeding that doesn't stop from the surgical site.

We were awakened at 3:30am on Sunday morning to find that the odds were not in our favor.

Since the bleeding was off and on at first, the doctor told us to wait and see for a while. By about 9:30 am it was clearly time to go the emergency room, where we sat most of the day with Joshua, as an alarming amount of blood poured from his nose and mouth, soaking towel after towel.

So many people were praying for us that day, and in the middle of a potentially serious and frightening situation, I truly discovered what it was like to experience peace that defies understanding (Philippians 4:7)

Not that we weren't concerned, uncertain, and uncomfortable, but there was as definite and deep a peace as I have ever experienced in my life.

My little boy, uncharacteristically weak and lethargic, laid his head on my lap and I stroked his head with one hand and pulled nasty blood clots out of his mouth with the other. Phil read aloud from Psalm 91:

He will command His angels to take good care of you. (NIrV)

I couldn't really describe to you the way I could feel, almost tangibly, that there really were ministering spirits in the room with us.

But maybe I could describe some of the specific ways I experienced the kindness of my Heavenly Father.

It was in the friends we were about to call that morning for help with our kids who called us first to say they were praying for us and felt they should come and get Grace and Caleb.

It was in all of the hospital staff who showed extra kindness and attention to us.

It was in the parking attendant who came out of his booth and manually lifted the arm for my husband who forgot to validate his ticket.

It was when the surgeon, who had just told us that despite his best efforts, it would probably be hours and hours before we could get a spot in surgery, returned with a look of surprise. "I can't believe this but they're going to get us in in 30 minutes. You really don't know how amazing that is."

I do know how amazing my God is.

Most of the bleeding actually stopped on its own by the time he got into surgery and the actual surgical site that needed to hold was in perfect condition. It looks like he only popped one stitch - the one that was considered "extra" from the beginning.

Joshua has recovered well these last few days and his speech even sounds better than we expected it to at this point.

Everything doesn't always turn up roses and sunshine for us the way I think it should.

When we left the hospital last week, we were certain that we had at least 3 or 4 years before we'd be sending our son back into the operating room, not 3 or 4 days.

And there were a lot of other ways I would have liked to spend my Sunday besides watching asinine Sponge Bob cartoons while blood pooled under my child.

Those who trust in Jesus aren't promised a life without problems. Quite the opposite, the Bible says. But we have the assurance that He walks with us through every one of them and not one detail gets by Him.

He is before us, behind us, and His hand of blessing is upon us (Psalm 139:5).

We are so grateful to be His kids. So undeserving. But so grateful.

A Fourth Surgery Under His Belt

2010-03-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

We got up bright and early (actually it's not bright at 5:15am) and arrived at the hospital to find that there was a bit of a scheduling mix-up. Joshua wasn't taken back into surgery until 9:30. So we sat in pre-op for a few hours trying not to remember that we could still be under the covers at home.

Joshua, who is now a little too old to be fooled about what's going on, had ridden to the hospital wide-eyed and mostly silent. He softly sang along with some of his favorite music and then burst into tears as soon as we turned into the hospital parking lot.

In the pre-op room, though, he was introduced to Nintendo, and all his troubles melted away.

By the time the nurse came to wheel him back to the operating room, he was either completely distracted by the video game or resigned to the fact that there's no point in fighting things.

We are told that the surgery was successful, and after months of speech therapy there should be some major improvements.

He made it through the next few days with some very sad faces and big, quiet tears (Watching him cry so somberly makes me realize that I actually miss the screaming...)

But he started to perk up about the time his guests arrived...

And in the past few days has recovered pretty well and felt strong enough for a hike this morning.

Things Unseen

2010-02-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

We had a baby shower this weekend for a dear friend who is adopting twins from overseas. Celebrating these babies and watching her prepare to travel brings back so many memories for us.

As gift after gift was opened, I thought of these little children on the other side of the world, oblivious to the fact that they were the recipients of all these beautiful things.

These children have no idea that there is a room on the other side of the world all ready for them, a closet full of beautiful clothes, bins full of toys, and arms of a loving family waiting to embrace them.

How could they know they have already been given new names, and new identities as part of this wonderful family? They have no idea about all the effort that is being done and the miles that will be traveled to bring their parents to them.

From their perspective, life will change in an instant.

But the truth is that preparations have been underway for this event for years. While day followed day in the orphanage, seeming like nothing out of the ordinary was happening, extraordinary things were happening on their behalf that they were unaware of.

I think about all of this when I find myself tempted to think that nothing happens when I pray.

Sometimes in my walk with God, His word is so rich and He feels so close when I pray. Other times, it just feels like my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling.

I realize that, like these children living in Africa, like Joshua living in China, I only have a very small piece of the whole picture to look at. Though it may feel like every day is exactly the same, and look like nothing is going on in response to my prayers, I am choosing to believe that the Creator of the Universe is not sitting around idly in response to my prayers. Though the answers may not come as I think they should, I know that God is working for our good beyond our wildest imaginations.

Among other things, we continue to pray for miraculous healing for Joshua while preparing for the reality of surgery on Tuesday.

We have no regrets about not praying enough for a miracle or asking others to pray with us, and we have no doubts that God has heard our prayers. We believe that He could still heal our son, although He may choose to bless him through this surgery.

When I don't get the answers to prayer I was hoping for, I'm often tempted to say, Well, I prayed but nothing happened.

But this week, if Joshua goes under the knife, I will not wonder if maybe God is withholding something good from us.

"He, who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" (Ro.8:32)

In other words, if God - who is just as loving as He is powerful - allows my son to have surgery instead of miraculous healing, we can have confidence that, in the bigger picture of Joshua's life, that is absolutely the best and most loving thing for him to experience this week.

Taste and see that the LORD is good...those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:8,10

Valentine's Day

2010-02-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

Something I giving my sweetie is here.

Asking for Rain

2010-02-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Ask rain from the LORD at the time of the spring rain.

Zechariah 10:1

As you may know, we've been praying for a miracle around here.

And we're finding out that when you really start asking God for something and waiting on Him, it becomes more about what He does in you than the thing you want Him to do for you.

At first, it doesn't seem like all that big of a deal to ask the God of the universe for a miracle.

But then sometimes it becomes hard to see God for all of the "reality" around you.

The "reality" of looking at a big gaping hole in the back of your child's mouth after you pray every day.

The "reality" of being in the ninth floor surgeon's office again discussing procedures and possible complications, all while you're kids are watching expectantly, waiting for you to tell this surgeon you are expecting a miracle.

And the reality of having to pick a date for surgery while still believing God is able to do a miracle.

We scheduled surgery for March 2nd, because we are practical, and we have no formulas about how God works.

But we continue to pray, because the presence of God in our lives is the most powerful reality we have, and it becomes more real the more we pray.

We continue to pray because we believe that God heals people of all kinds of diseases and disabilities, and we are seeing it happen around us.

"Ask God for rain in the season of rain..."

We believe it is a season of God coming to touch bodies and hearts and He is going to do even greater things than we've ever heard of, so we are asking.

And the more we pray, the less it becomes about just keeping Joshua from having surgery again, and the more it becomes about wanting all the people around us who live in the hurtful realities of this world to see that God is very real and powerful and very concerned with us.

We are not putting God in a box to say that He has to show us His power and love in a certain way, and if He really loves Joshua, He will heal him in this particular way by this particular date.

Regardless of what happens, we are absolutely certain that God loves us all deeply and wants to touch each of us with His love and pour His power into our lives.

That is our reality.

The LORD is near to all who call on Him,
to all who call on Him in truth.
Psalm 145:18

An Update On Joshua

2010-01-24T19:23:00.000-08:00

From the lips of children and infants You have ordained praise
because of Your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
Psalm 8:2

While this blog may have evolved into me rambling on about myself and what I'm learning as a mom, I realize that you mainly started reading because of this cutie patootie:

We adopted him almost two years ago at 19 months of age. By God's grace, he bonded quickly to us and soon blossomed into a joyful, exuberant member of our family. He is an extremely smart, determined little guy who - for all he's been through in his short life - shows no delays cognitively, emotionally, or socially.

Speech, however, is another issue.

Despite having been through three surgeries so far (one in China, two with us), and 18months of speech therapy he is only able to make a few sounds other than vowels and has a hyper-nasal voice.

Not that God hasn't managed to bless him in the area of communication. He is extremely skilled in getting his point across, even to complete strangers.

Still - one can't go on playing charades forever...

We were told to try speech therapy for a while to see if there was any improvement, although we all suspected his palate was too short for normal speech and he might need surgery to add a flap in the back of his throat.

We drove to speech therapy every week, prayed for a miraculous lengthening of his palate, and hoped that we could avoid surgery this year.

And after a couple of months of this, the moment of truth arrived.

We drove to the big head-honcho cleft speech specialist so she could shove a camera up Joshua's nose to videotape what was really going on back there.

Good times.

Maybe some day he can write a book: All the Times I Screamed while my Mom Held Me Down So Strangers Could Poke Me.

Later, we sat at the picnic tables outside eating lunch and enjoying a beautiful, spring-like day. I contemplated the words I was just told: "There is absolutely no hope of avoiding surgery. You should quit therapy because there is no chance of improvement. His palate is just way too short."

There was a soft breeze, but I was thinking of the smell of the surgical recovery room. Angry and confused screaming, a little child in pain with a swollen, bloody face, weeks of denying him normal food...

A big suburban parked in front of us and a man got out and began putting together a complex wheel chair with an oxygen tank and all it's tubes. Gently, he lifted his daughter out of the car and put her in.

There was a stab of guilt as I realized that having a child with a correctable medical problem (even if it was only correctable through multiple surgeries) was not something to complain about.

I reminded myself that we did, after all, sign up for this.

And yet, as I looked at the building across the street where his surgeries are performed, a deep dread formed a knot in my stomach. Please, God, don't make us go back there so soon, I prayed.

I remembered hearing once that whenever you get a diagnosis from the doctor, you haven't really heard the final diagnosis until you've heard what God has to say about it.

As I drove home, I prayed for some kind of encouragement from heaven.

"There is absolutely no hope without surgery," she had said.

I realized that for several months we had been praying for God to do a miracle while holding out hope that therapy would help. Now that there was absolutely no chance of his palate lengthening without a miracle, it hardly seemed like the time to give up praying.

Should Joshua's palate suddenly be found to be long enough to make normal sounds, the specialist had just removed any other possible explanation than a supernatural touch from God.

But for some reason, I thought of the man I'd just seen with the severely handicapped daughter and I felt a little guilty asking for a miracle for a surgically-correctable problem.

As if God has a limited supply of miracles.

As if He doesn't want to be bothered with all our problems, so we should pick the ones we really need help with. Or the ones that He can handle, like making a cold better, not really crazy ones like making a palate longer.

We decided to plan for surgery in a couple of months but we also decided to keep praying for a miracle and ask others to pray with us.

And here - if you're still reading this super-long post - is where it gets interesting.

Several days after a small group from our church prayed for Joshua, someone attended a women's conference, where the speaker said that she believed God was going to heal someone on the roof of their mouth.

Does that mean we are one hundred percent sure that Joshua is going to be healed without surgery?

No, but it gives us a whole lot of encouragement to ask with expectancy.

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us no one can recount to you.
Psalm 40:5

How Busy Parents Get Their Exercise

2010-01-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

Also known as "How Cheapskate Parents Get out of Buying a New Battery for the Jeep."

Ditat Deus

2010-01-17T09:26:00.000-08:00

Arizona's state motto is Latin for "God Enriches."

Like other states, we have a major budget crisis here. Unlike other states, our governor has called for the people of the state to turn to God for help today.

Praying today that God would enrich our state financially and spiritually and watching in expectation what He will do.

Homeschool Fridays

2010-01-15T14:44:00.001-08:00

My favorite thing about homeschooling these days is Friday. Since we work hard all week (that's the plan anyway), we get to relax and have fun on Fridays.

I'm not one of those super creative moms that plans big creative projects all the time, and lots of days we work out of workbooks.

But on Fridays, we get to have fun. Recently, we made our bathroom into the steamy Amazon rain forest:

(Hey, not everybody in the Amazon jungle wears clothes either)

Today we celebrated the end of our unit on France with crepes for breakfast. Then we created an art gallery from the projects we've been working on.

Tonight, it's chocolate truffles and wine (sparkling cider). I know it may sound like overindulgence, but trust me, it's purely educational.

Snow Day

2010-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

My big kids had a fun day learning to ski and snowboard.

All the while feeling sorry for poor Mommy who was missing out on the fun because she got left behind.

By a cozy fire.

Having a quiet day almost all to herself.

Try not to feel too sorry for me.

When I saw this cute picture of them, I exclaimed, "Oh, you look so.."

"...cool?" they suggested confidently.

Definitely, cool.

A Man's Work Space

2010-01-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

I sometimes wonder how anyone could parent both boys and girls and not acknowledge the glaring gender differences.

For example, girls don't think it's fun to play in the garage. And it's not often that you find your daughter playing with a hacksaw, pruning shears, and hammer and nails.

Boys, on the other hand....

"But Mom," he protested when I caught him with all of the above items and a large cardboard box, "I'm making a boat and I need to hammer some nails in to make it stay."

As I took the all the sharp items away, I tried to explain that he would not want to play in a box that had nails sticking through it.

"Oh, I only used nails on the diving board," he explained.

My concern over him being lacerated by protruding nails shifted when I considered his intention to dive into a box less than three inches deep. Maybe I had better keep a better eye on this project.

"Caleb, why don't you bring your box inside to work on."

He looked at me. "Mom, this is my work space."

Right there next to the dead cockroach. Awesome.

Kid's Prayer Journal

2010-01-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

So I made a handmade gift this year -a prayer journal for my 8-year-old.

At first I didn't want to share because I hate to pretend I'm a creative, crafty person, when I'm about 83 years behind in my scrapbooks. But I decided the concept was worth sharing, so don't be looking at how I don't cut straight or coordinate my paper colors right:

We've been working for a long time on the different elements of prayer (Praise, Confession, Thanksgiving, Asking...), so there's one page for each. For the Praise page I used a step book to give her an idea of something to praise God for each day.

For example, if you lift up Monday, it would say:

Love
"How great is the love
the Father
has lavished on us
that we should be called
children of God!"
1 John 1:3

I found free lapbook templates that I used for the step book, and other elements like this shutterfold that holds a verse on the confession page:

For the page on Thanking God, I used a circle book that gives ideas of things to thank God for:

The next page has pocket folders to hold cards for anything she would want to pray about for herself, and another pocket with cards that have pictures of family members.

Now I'm not gonna tell you that my daughter did flips over this or that she locks herself in her room with this thing praying all the time.

I'm not even gonna try and tell you that she took the time to read the heartfelt things I wrote to her on the dedication page (I'm sure it will mean something to her someday...)

I've realized it's something we still need to do together. So we have all been going through this during morning devotions, stopping on every page to each say a small prayer. It takes about a minute and a half to go through the whole book and they usually enjoy it.

I sometimes wonder if it is worth my time to do this with them while they are still so young and fidgety during prayer time. Are they even getting this at all? I wonder when I have to extract a fistful of someone's hair out of Joshua's grasp while we're praising God. (You know my heart is just so in the right place at that moment.)

But I really do believe that my kids can have a special friendship with God now and be part of what He's doing in the earth now, not just when they're old enough to sit still and stop pulling hair.

Oh, and I don't want to forget the last page:

When we thought back over last years' answered prayers with the kids, it was an amazing list, including two people who we were told were dying that God healed.

I can't wait to see what gets written here this year.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

Our New Year's Day tradition is to take a family hike.

And don't underestimate the little guy. He's got a ton of charisma to make up for those short little legs and he likes to lead the way.

Getting Ready for a New Year

2009-12-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

Getting Organized

It's not my forte.

Sometimes, when I visit my mom or mother-in-law, I open a drawer or cupboard and I just stand there for a minute looking at all the neatly organized contents in bins and rows.

So this is what it's supposed to look like inside, I think to myself.

Which leads one to wonder what they think when they open drawers at my house.

ANYWAY...

Reading this article inspired me to make my own binder/daytimer. Free downloadable pages are here. They have calendars, to do lists, birthday party and trip lists, meal planning....organization geeks could really be happy here.

And I'm Reading...

I'm thinking about reading through the Bible in a year. Or two.

(Hey, man, it's kind of a big book.)

I don't really care for the way the One Year Bible is organized, but I found a chronological reading plan I like at Bible Gateway. They put the history in order and even stick the prophets right in with the history so you have some context instead of reading them all at once wondering what in the world they're talking about.

They also have shorter reading plans to survey the Bible in just a couple of months.

At this time of year, I also read through my journal from the year. It's amazing how quickly I forget all of the great things God does for me. This has been an amazing year of answered prayers and experiencing the goodness of God.

Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles...
Psalm 105:5

Happy New Year.

The Dad Who Saved Christmas

2009-12-24T19:44:00.000-08:00

It was a long ordeal that didn't look good at times, but he did it. I'll spare you all the details, but let's just say that the cedar chest will now be handed down through the generations without a lock.

I don't think my husband appreciated me blogging during the whole ordeal.

I say, "Honey, someday we will look back on this and laugh."

When Good Hiding Spots Go Bad

2009-12-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

I'm not very good at hiding gifts. My kids know all my hiding spots and have unfortunately found things in the past before they should have.

But this year I learned a few things about hiding gifts:

1. A cedar chest with a lock on it makes a perfect hiding spot for gifts.

Earlier this year, we were given a beautiful old cedar chest that had been in the family for years. Since it locked nice and tight, we stored the kids' gifts in there and congratulated ourselves that there was no way they could open it without the key.

And that brings us to the second lesson that we learned about hiding gifts:

2. It is not good to lose the one and only key to the cedar chest.

Just about the time Phil and I were congratulating ourselves on keeping the presents safely out of reach of snooping children, we realized that they might never get the presents.

(And I know what you might be saying: Christmas is not about presents, it's about Jesus. And you're welcome to come over and explain that to my empty-handed children tomorrow.)

We spent a lovely evening combing the house and digging through the trash until one am in the morning until Phil came to the conclusion that the only hope was to try to reproduce the key himself out of a piece of metal. (Fortunately he is really talented like that - remember the old TV show Macgyver where the guy can make anything out of duct tape and dental floss? That's my husband. Also fortunately, he always anticipates the worst, and had previously traced the key and it's measurements).

And so now he's off to Ace Hardware to save Christmas. Should his mission fail, I suppose we will be shopping again tonight. And the cedar chest will be passed down through the generations, its contents always to remain a source of curiosity.

I suppose someday, another hundred years from now, a resourceful descendant of ours will figure out how to get it open and they will discover an EasyBake oven and parts to a fish tank.

Fortunately, we hid the fish somewhere else.

8

2009-12-22T15:59:00.001-08:00

Eight years ago, this was our Christmas present:

It really doesn't seem like all that long ago that Grace was that tiny baby who needed us all the time. Although we knew it wasn't true, I think there was a part of us that believed she would stay like that forever.

We celebrated her 8th birthday this month.

Her brothers were busy making cards for her:

And her friends came to help make the cake:

How quickly the years fly by.

How nice it is to watch her grow into such a fun, beautiful little girl that is so enjoyable to know.

Happy Birthday, Grace!

Still Loving That Tie

2009-12-21T16:46:00.000-08:00

Just the thing to dress up jammies a little...

The Recital

2009-12-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

I'm told that some kids experience their first piano recital in an informal way - a small gathering at their teacher's house perhaps.

My kids' mom however, enrolled them in an arts school where the first piano recital was held in a 2,000-seat auditorium on a great big stage (gulp).

Pretty intimidating stuff when you're only five years old (or eight).

But they were brave and did an awesome job. We are super proud of them.

Grace even volunteered to play a solo.

To help them feel confident, they were both given something new and "grown-up" for the performance. Grace got her first "long" earrings:

And Caleb got his first tie, which he was totally thrilled about:

Is there anything more endearing than a sweet little boy in a tie who also happens to have a rubber snake in his pocket? (You just never know when the right opportunity may present itself...)

Let's see, have I posted a totally obnoxious amount of pictures of my kids yet? You are welcome to refer to the section under "It's my blog and I can post as many pictures of my adorable kids as I want to." : )

In fact, here's a video for your viewing pleasure:

Look, Ma, No Training Wheels!

2009-11-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

Field Trip

2009-11-14T20:06:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it means more when you can hear the President's words in person.

Sometimes reading about the battle isn't as exciting as watching it...

..and hearing for yourself the boom of the cannon.

Laundry can actually be fun on field trips.

Studying can is a little more fun in a pioneer school

And it isn't every day you get to join up with the militia...

...And beat the red coats!

No Tricks, Just Treats

2009-11-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of different opinions about celebrating Halloween.

Recently, I was having lunch with a group of young children. One young boy turned to me matter-of-factly.

"If you go trick-or-treating, you are worshiping the devil," he coolly informed me.

Hey man, don't be afraid to tell it like it is or anything.

As for us, we have been all over the board on Halloween celebrations, and have gone trick or treating in past years.

This year, we have been praying through various cultures of the world with a wonderful book and it has been very eye-opening to learn about how many belief systems are based on fear. Since we have been set free from fear through Christ, we saw no reason to celebrate fear this year.

So we celebrated the treasures (or treats) that belong to those who are children of God.

Armed with flashlights and ready for adventure, our kids made their way through a darkened house to discover a treasure chest in the kitchen

They opened it to find jeweled papers with verses about the treats enjoyed by children of God:

Attached to each "treasure" was a map or riddle to solve for the location of a bag of treats to enjoy.

It was a night of mystery and adventure, with flashlights bobbing wildly around the house, squeals of delight, and maybe just a little (okay a lot) too much sugar. And overheard was the exclamation that, "I never knew Halloween could be this much fun!"

"The thief comes to steal, to kill and to destroy, but I have come so that you may have life and have it to the full." -Jesus Christ

The Heir-Raising Home Tour

2009-09-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Do you ever visit those lovely blogs where they show you beautiful snapshots of their cozy homes that are just full of inspiring ideas? I do.

I sometimes look for the fingerprints on the wall (because I find it very difficult to have time to blog and clean house), but I never find them.

Instead, there are usually pictures of the kitchen cabinets that the author painted herself or the the beautiful centerpiece she made for 17 cents with items she found from Goodwill, or the gorgeous wood floors that she just happened to find buried under her current floors.

Sprinkled in between these photos are lovely quotes about the beauty of life and family, and soft classical music plays all the while in the background.

Inspiring. Which got me to thinking. Perhaps you would enjoy a tour of my beautiful home. Now, you need to know that Martha Stewart most certainly does not live here, but maybe you will enjoy the tour and find a little inspiration anyway.

So, welcome to my home.

(cue soft classical music)

Aaacck!! Don't go in that room!

Really, it doesn't always look like that and really, I am trying to train my kids to keep their rooms clean (but the truth is, it looks like this an awful lot more than it should).

This is the room where two boys who look nothing alike have become brothers.

Thick as thieves they are.

This is the room where they wrestle and sing pirate songs at the top of their lungs and whisper conspiracies against their sister. When it gets too quiet in there, I check in to find that they have stolen some yarn and set up a zip line from the top bunk to the dresser or some other activity that will most likely earn them another speedy trip to Urgent Care.

Late into the night, you can hear them talking to each other in their beds, and even though very few people can understand Joshua's words, Caleb says, "I have learned his language."

Now, I have to tell you that sometimes, really, my house is nice and clean and beautiful.

Like when the kids are in bed.

"Picking up your house while your kids are still growing
is like shoveling the walk while it's still snowing."
-Phyllis Diller

Moving right along... here you can see that I like to decorate with photos, mostly because I have such good-looking kids.

Notice, though, that my kids are babies in those pictures and Joshua isn't even in any of them. Bad mom. Every time I look at this I tell myself that I am so going to update those pictures. Tomorrow.

This is a (non-professional, non-inspiring) picture of the corner of my couch:

It's where I sit every morning to spend time with God and refocus on what life is all about before I get up to my elbows in diapers and laundry and bloody noses.

Lately, it's also where I look at this:

...and I think about how wonderful my husband was to climb waaay up there and do the difficult part of painting the really high stuff for me.

...and I wonder if I should wait until he is finished before I say that I might really not like that color at all.

And this is our kitchen table where so much of life happens.

We sit here many times during the day together and pray and laugh and argue. This is where my kids have learned to read and add and subtract and eat their vegetables and respect each other.

If you look closely, you might see little fork marks in the places our toddlers have sat and you will most certainly see crumbs and glitter and dried play-doh on the rug underneath.

But I like to think that kingdom things happen at this table.

And last but not least, this is where I spend a lot of time each day washing the same dishes over and over and over.

I hesitate to even show you my sink because it is scratched and stained and has a poor, plain little leaky faucet that so wants to be a beautiful bronze faucet.

But this is what I will tell you about my unappreciated little faucet: When I turn it on, I get safe, clean water. Right here in my house. I don't have to walk several miles to get it and worry about danger along the way. I don't have to watch my children getting sick from parasites or die from water-born diseases. And I don't even have to boil it before I brush my teeth.

From a global perspective, I think that makes me rich. Filthy rich.

Life is good in this house.

Yard Work

2009-09-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

With a slight dip in the weather, we've been getting some work done outside, and we figured, why pay big strong men $25 an hour to move rock, when you've workers who are eager to do it for a much cheaper rate?

Hope we're not breaking any child labor laws here.

Seriously, don't report me. They loved it, the satisfaction of hard work and a job well done...

and the thrill of learning to do "manly work."

Do not try this at home.

'Cause I Know You're Dying to Know..

2009-09-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you end up finding that perfect paint color and a whole empty weekend to spend painting and it all comes together beautifully.

And sometimes, the rest of your family begins to hint that it's high time to wrap this project up, so you find yourself digging through your garage for any paint can that still has a good amount of paint in it - any color will do at this point - and getting to work.

It was late Saturday afternoon when I got to work on my living room with some leftover paint from our bedroom. Everything was going fine until I was mostly done and then found out Home Depot no longer makes that color and the color match was iffy. Another lesson in learning to let go of perfection...

Phil was repairing the drywall in the kitchen where we had cracks from settling and a hole created by one of our kid's heads. The kids were in the backyard doing all sorts of things that didn't look good, including climbing into the play pool in their clothes. It seemed like a good place for them to be though, since Phil was spraying something out of a can that was surely killing our brain cells at a rapid rate.

I was getting seriously sick from the fumes, which normally don't bother me too much. (I actually like the smell of paint - a friend suggested I title this post: "Hi, My Name is Angie, and I Like To Sniff Paint.")

ANYway, the toxic fumes forced me outside several times, but my focused husband steadfastly stayed at his job, spraying away and probably getting himself high in the process. Really, I'm sure he's fine, except for the fact that he didn't sleep at all that night, and one of his eyelids continued to droop more than the other for a day afterwards.

"Housework, if done properly, can kill you."
-Unknown

And as I ramble on about my paint saga I'm trying to find a point to this whole story but to be honest I'm having a little trouble. So, I'm going to suggest that maybe your time would be better spent reading something more edifying and encouraging, or perhaps walking away from your computer altogether and playing a game with your kids, spending time with your husband, or going through that huge pile of mail on your counter.

Come to think of it, I think my time would be better spent that way as well (and I haven't actually got around to painting the kitchen yet...)

Hi, My Name is Angie and I Can't Make Decisions

2009-09-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

I seriously think there should be some kind of support group for people like me. People incapable of making even the simplest decisions. I'd give you some examples, but then you'd probably just have to confirm what I already suspect. That I have a mental disease.

I think it is because I am equal parts perfectionist and lazy procrastinator (okay maybe not equal - maybe mostly the lazy procrastinator part).

So my current indecisive turmoil is over what color to paint my kitchen and living room (and I KNOW what your thinking - "It's only paint!" and I'm telling you, it's paint AND hours and hours of my time hanging off a ginormous ladder with a bum shoulder while figuring out what to do with my kids.)

When we moved into our house, there were these cutesy stencils I didn't care for and I began to think about what color I should paint over them.

That was seven years ago.

Which just shows you how deep procrastination runs in me. But now it's time. Really. I have been to Home Depot so many times the last couple of days that I think the paint counter people suspect that I have some kind of obsession with paint chips and am secretly hoarding them at my house.

But I'm learning a few things about decorating:

1. There are jobs that really involve hard work and meaningful contributions to society and then there are people who get paid to name paint colors.

I mean, not to downplay another person's skills, because really, there are some names that are almost poetic and you just want that color to work.

And then there are names like Elephant Skin (although, when it went on the wall, I personally saw more of a resemblance to elephant poop).

I sometimes wonder what type of creative exercises a person needs to do when they squint at the 517th shade of beige for the week and say, "To me that just says Cotswald Breeches."

See, these are the things I stand there thinking about while you pick your color, paint your walls and move on with life.

2. When redecorating, it is not a good idea to look through magazines for ideas and collect pictures you like.

Oh, I know the real decorators all suggest this, but this is what happens: You start with a simple goal like oh say, repainting your kitchen, and once you start perusing decorator magazines you suddenly become aware of all of the other 723 things that would be nice to do to your house.

And then you find yourself, not only looking at paint, but also fabric and furniture and faucets and doorknobs, etc. etc. and suggesting all sorts of woodworking and masonry projects to your husband who is slightly less than thrilled and dragging your kids to all these stores while they say things like, "But aren't we supposed to be content with what we have?"

Must they listen to everything I say?

3. Those little $3 samples of paint you can put on your wall from Home Depot may not be as helpful as they seem.

And maybe they are helpful for normal people, but for those of us who have trouble with decisions, they can cause problems. Because now, instead of just having to look at cutesy stencils on my wall, I now have to look at cutesy stencils and a whole bunch of random splotches of crazy colors, including but not limited to elephant poop.

4. I have a serious procrastination problem.

As evidenced by the fact that I am sitting at the computer writing silly blogs and inventing other things to do while my kitchen is an eyesore. I realize this doesn't help things at all.

Unless of course a professional decorator and/or painter stumbles upon my blog and decides to come to my house and donate his or her services (no serial killers, please).

5. It is after all, just a house.

Okay, maybe a little perspective is helpful here. Better Homes and Gardens is not going to come knocking any time soon. While I want my home to look nice and promote a welcoming and peaceful feeling, these are really not earth-shattering decisions I'm making here.

In fact, the more I look at it, I kind of like the color that the kitchen is right now. Those stencils aren't the worst thing in the world and maybe I could live with them a little while longer and put the whole stressful thing off.

I feel better already.

Except now I have elephant poop on my walls.

Just Hangin' Out

2009-08-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much excitement around here to post about.

Things have been quiet and we've been taking it easy while Joshua continues to recover from surgery.

I'm not exactly sure where my children get the need to fly through the air.

But I have a pretty good idea:

When Good Inventions Go Bad

2009-08-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

We were so impressed with the little catapult he thought of and built all by himself....

...but we maybe should have helped him think through which direction the rock was going to end up flying...

First Day of Kindergarten and Birth Order

2009-08-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Even though we homeschool, our kids attend an enrichment school one day a week, so that gives me at least a tiny bit of authority to comment on what the first day of kindergarten looks like as you go through the years with your family.

Child #1:

Is slightly exited but mostly apprehensive about starting school. This is due in part to the mom's repeated melancholy comments about my baby growing up and leaving me!

But let's not put all the blame on mom. This child, having no other siblings to blaze the way ahead of her, really has no idea what to expect. Eagerly picks out a new lunchbox, but then worries that perhaps it is so cool that someone else will steal it. Declares that she is now "really too old for playing" and will spend recess guarding said lunch box.

On the morning of the first day, she bravely comes out to the breakfast table, but then thinks better of it and runs back to hide on the covers.

After a pep talk from mom, which may or may not degenerate into bribery and threats, the first born is deposited at school, looking just a little white-faced and terrified in her "first day of kindergarten" pictures.

You, the mom, drive away crying, thinking that of course you have made a terrible mistake and contemplate going back in to get your baby and bring her back home. After you call your husband and he talks you out of it, spend the rest of the day imagining your child scared and nervous and worry that maybe the school will catch on fire or some other equally terrible scenario will play out.

Arrive at the end of the day to find your glowing child who happily reports that, among other things, there is a nice little spot for lunch boxes to remain unmolested during recess.

Child #2:

On the first day of kindergarten, arrives at the breakfast table with his backpack on and ready to go. It has never occurred to him to be nervous. Having heard about all the fun of kindergarten from child #1 while he was busy running errands with Mom, he can't wait to go.

Take him to school where all the mothers of the first borns are snapping pictures. If only you had remembered your camera.

Watch your child eagerly walk into class with barely a glance your way.

Spend the day worrying that you might not wake up from your nap in time to pick him up.

Child #3:

Arrives at the breakfast table with his backpack on two years early. As lunches and water bottles are passed out he continues to insist, "Me! Me! Me!"

Though he is barely three years old on his big brother's first day of school, he wiggles into the kindergarten line, pushing several big kids out of the way. Flashes a charming smile at the teacher as he marches past her into the classroom and picks out his desk.

By the time you the mother get into the room, he has deposited his backpack and is now comfy with a book in the reading corner. Inform child that he gets to spend all day with Mommy - "....just the two of us. Won't that be nice?"

His face falls. "Aw, man!"

Drag him kicking and screaming from the room.

And what in the world would I spend my day doing once I actually do drop him off?

To be continued...

Getting Back into the Routine

2009-08-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

Give Away at This Blessed Life

2009-08-11T13:13:00.001-07:00

Help bring an orphan home and enter to win a cool T shirt at my sister's blog.

Back to the OR

2009-08-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Joshua headed back to the operating room this week to have some more work done on his nose and palate.

My dad showed up the night before bearing homemade lasagne and ready for a Rummikub marathon with the big kids.

We were almost ready. I had a little talk with Joshua about everything, wanting to prepare him a little bit, without giving too much information. I solemnly informed him that, due to doctor's orders, he would not be having his morning banana the next day.

Joshua looks forward to a banana every morning almost as much as I look forward to coffee, so this was news was not received very well. The next morning, though, he decided it was rather exciting to be plucked out of bed and put straight into the car to go somewhere with Mommy and Daddy. Maybe we're going camping again, he may have decided. As we drove down the freeway, he looked out the window with the anticipation of a new adventure, giggling occasionally.

Cruel, I know.

At the hospital he looked around with vague suspicion, which slowly grew as more and more people in scrubs came to talk with us.

Most of our questions were answered with, "The surgeon will discuss that with you when he comes."

We had our doubts about that. Joshua's surgeon is widely recognized in our area for his excellent work. However, his interpersonal communication skills, in my opinion, leave much to be desired.

I did get my hopes up, though. Since, after all, he was rearranging the contours of my son's face, I thought he might take a little time to discuss that with us. We had even acquired and brought along some pictures of noses from Joshua's birth city.

But true to form, he shook our hands, briefly glanced at the photo, mumbled a few cryptic and unintelligible comments, and disappeared through the surgery doors again just as I was opening my mouth to say, "I have a few quest... "

"What about...wait...hello?...come back!"

I turned to my husband, who looked as bewildered as I felt.

"Did you catch any of that?" I asked him.

"Something about, 'He's going to look a lot different.'" He looked at me. "When he comes out to talk to us after wards, I'll hold him down and you ask the questions."

As for Joshua, we learned that he was not going to get any "happy juice" this time to ease his transition away from us into surgery. The nurse, who clearly understood preschoolers, had a better plan.

"Come with me, Joshua," she said with excitement as she held out her hand. "You get to come with me and push a button to open these big doors!"

He fell for it, and taking her hand, he eagerly went to push the button. We had one last glimpse of them walking down the hall to surgery, she gushing over what a good job he did pushing the button, and he marching off with a swagger of self-importance and accomplishment.

Cruel trickery, he would soon discover.

Everything went as planned, though, and less than four hours later we were home, trying to catch a glimpse of his new nose under the bruises and blood and stitches.

Fortunately, there are no arm restraints this time and his diet restrictions are not as strict as they were after his last surgery. Our biggest challenge now is to explain to this rambunctious little wild child who refuses pain medication that one is supposed to take it easy after surgery, not jump off furniture and race through the house and throw trains in the air.

We just have to get the stitches to hold a few more days...

A Few of Our Favorite Things

2009-08-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

I thought about making this a post about my favorite homeschooling resources, but I realized that I didn't really feel all that excited about discussing expensive curriculum and textbooks. And when I thought about it, most of my favorite resources for my kids aren't officially "school" stuff.

So here's my unofficial non-exhaustive, in-no-particular-order list of favorites resources for kids - for learning, for entertainment, for character-building, for whatever - it all overlaps in real life anyway.

Sensory Bins - I filled a large tupperware container with rice (you could also use dried peas or beans) and threw in a few measuring cups and spoons. Joshua loves it (Actually, Grace and Caleb do too) and it keeps him out of trouble while I make dinner.

Okay, yeah, it can be a little bit messy, but I've never exactly been known for pristine floors anyway. And fortunately, Joshua can be kind of a neat freak:

Books on Tape - And not just the kind you buy, but the ones you make yourself. Our kids often fall asleep at night to a recording of Grandparents reading stories or Mommy and Daddy reading from the Psalms.

Our library also has lots of books on tape (or CD, I guess people don't really use tapes anymore...). Anyway, on days when I have a lot to get done - like laundry and unpacking from camping - I have them color or do play dough while listening to a recorded book. I'd like to think it inspires the imagination a little more than television.

Walmart Placemats - I'm talking about those $1 laminated educational placemats (such as parts of a flower, layers of the earth, etc.) Maybe it's because we love to eat and end up spending so much time at the table, but these really do create educational discussions and contribute to learning at our house. Their favorite is the map of the world and they have contests for finding different countries.

Pictures from Proverbs Cards - These cards use put pictures to proverbs and ask a question on the front, like this one:

On the back is the answer and complete proverb, along with a story about a person from scripture that illustrates this proverb. These only take a few minutes to do and come with a coloring book that kids can color in while you tell the story.

Just FYI - these are written in King James English, and unless your kids normally talk that way, you may find it necessary to translate them into normal, understandable language.

Room Time - for a detailed description see here. For some reason, I resisted this idea with my first two. But by the time child number three came along, it was much easier to put the gate up and give myself a break for 20 minutes or so. To my surprise, he didn't protest at all. In fact, he thoroughly enjoys room time. It seems maybe he needs a little break once in a while too - who knew?

Really, really good books to share - You knew I was going to say this, right? I'm not talking about the books you give your kids and send them off to read quietly, but the kind you read aloud and enjoy together. Some of the times my kids and I have most enjoyed together have been spent on my bed giggling at the predicaments Henry and Ribsy get themselves into, or biting our nails in suspense to see if Sarah Whitcher will be found or if Almanzo Wilder will survive his dangerous journey to save a starving town.

Recently, we were reading a passage where the main character was sliding across a frozen pond at night under the moon. As it told how her heart swelled within her and she felt as if she were flying, Grace interrupted me.

"Oh," she exclaimed, "I have felt that way before!"

"Oh, yes, I have too," Caleb chimed in earnestly, "when I was at the ocean."

Biographies - I am a huge fan of biographies. I think they not only make for interesting and exciting reading, but they give kids heroes and role models that really stand for something worth while. I especially appreciate Little Lights Biographies, because they bring some of the great biographies (Corrie Ten Boom, Amy Carmichael, George Muller...) to a level that is interesting and appropriate for young children.

For a little bit older kids, we are looking forward to reading the Ten Girls/Ten Boys series by Irene Howat.

Our family has also enjoyed reading Hero Tales by Dave and Neta Jackson.

Music - If you're hoping for a discussion of the best type of classical music to play while your children are painting, you're going to have to go somewhere else. I'm talking about when it's 115 degrees outside and you don't have a pool and your kids are doing stuff like this:

I'm talking about getting some dancing music good and loud and letting up on the "no running in the house" rule. Let your kids run wild for a little while so they'll sleep tonight, have some fun dancing with them, close the blinds, and try not to let your spouse take your picture.

And last, but certainly not least...

The Recycle Bin

Seriously, nothing else in my house has kept my kids entertained longer, and nothing in all of the expensive boxed curriculums I've bought has ever inspired more imaginative play in my kids.

Imagination is the true magic carpet.
Norman Vincent Peale

Going Campin'

2009-08-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

We city folk, who can barely see stars for the all the city lights, know that when you have to Google "big dipper" to show your kids what it looks like, it's time to head for the Great Outdoors.

So we headed for the hills to let our kids experience the adventure of camping, the treat of roasting marshmallows over the fire, the softness of a forest meadow in the morning, the joy of going to the bathroom in the wilderness...

Okay, that's enough about that.

We came:

We saw:

We conquered:

And we played hard, got real dirty, and made lots of memories:

"There's so much beauty around us and just two eyes to see..."
-Rich Mullins