Don't know whether to laugh or cry...

As I finished nursing Little Man, I noticed that Mighty Mouse and Little Bear, 2 &5, were quiet, too quiet.  I went to investigate.  I found them playing in their room...they were playing beauty shop with all the things their older sister left after her and her friend played dress up.  Instead of dressing themselves up the little girls had decided to work their magic on their stuffed animal collection.  Mighty Mouse armed with lipstick had painted several stuffed dogs and a frog, with pink stripes.  Little Bear armed with the scissors had given a horse and dog a bit of a trim.  I didn't know whether to laugh at the scene or cry at the mess.  I did neither and put the girls in the tub and tossed the animals into the washer.  I probably should have taken a picture but I was in too much of a rush to clean up the mess.

After bath time I read the girls a story, Amelia Bedelia, not sure how wise it was to read that to Mighty Mouse.  She was listening and studying the pictures intently. Little Bear gets the humor in it, but I'm afraid it might have given Mighty Mouse some more ideas.  Only time will tell.  At least for now they are tucked in bed and not making any messes.

Thankful Thursday

The last several days have been BUSY! Did you know that BUSY, is an acronym for Being Under Satan's Yoke? When life is whirling past at breakneck speed, I definitely feels like I am under the yoke of Satan. I definitely need the respite of stopping to count my blessings today.

1. I am thankful that today I have had a slow morning at home. Time to stop and smell the flowers, teach the math lessons, wash the laundry...
2. I am thankful that all the piles of laundry laying around my home are clean and some are even folded.
3. I am thankful that although pollen makes me sneeze and my head hurt, it produces tasty honey and comes from lovely flowers.
4. I am thankful that more flowers are blooming, to replace the ones that have fallen off, leaving green leaves in their place.
5. I am thankful for a large picture window in my living room, so I can see the beauty outside without breathing the pollen.
6. I am thankful for vision and how God connects the dots in our lives to show us His purpose and vision for us.
7. I am thankful for opportunities to grow and learn in areas that interest me and that tie in with the vision and purpose He has shown me.
8. I am thankful for friends who bless, encourage and nurture the vision God has shown me.
9. I am thankful for a daughter who couldn't sleep last night and chose to bless me by getting up and cleaning my kitchen spotless. What a marvelous way to start the day, greeted by a gleaming kitchen .
10. I am thankful for a son who works, diligently with the hands God has given him, tending to the beauty of His creation.

Now to dimish some of the piles of laundry.
Joining up here:

365/77 - Muffins

Baking time with Mommy

The closest thing I got to a Party of 7 picture for the week, this is our party of 6.

The lone muffin left after the party of 6 grabbed the rest.

365/76

I took these last week, and even uploaded them to blogger but never got a chance to finish the post.

I

I love to see the early morning sun flashing off the tin roof of the barn in our back yard. This particular morning it beckoned me to come out. I grabbed the camera...

and darted through the sun splashed path to the barn that beckons from my front window with sunshine reflecting.

I'm so glad I got this shot last week because now the leaves have replaced the blossoms.

Cool Smoothie

Now that the temperatures are rising we are all looking for something cool to drink. A favorite around here are fruit smoothies. My kids guzzled this concoction right down.

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups milk( I used almond milk, but rice, soy, coconut milk will all work.)
2 Tbs honey
1 cup of frozen mixed berries
2 cups of frozen mixed fruit medley

Blend and enjoy!

Thankful Thursday: Words

Last night I as sat listening to two children simultaneously reading out loud to me from completely separate and unrelated books, my brain attempting to comprehend the various words spouting forth, I reflected on the long journey of teaching them to read and I was thankful for all the words pouring off the page from their lips.  In celebration of having taught four children to read, today I am reflecting on how thankful I am for WORDS!  Perhaps tomorrow I will share more on our long reading journey, if you care to check back.

1.  I am thankful for the most important word of all, God's WORD.  It holds the truth; answers to our deepest needs and longings.

2.  I am thankful that through Jesus Christ, God's WORD, is alive and active in ME!  This makes me want to hallelujah dance around the yard.  All that power and revelation, alive and acting in this sinful person's life.

3.  I am thankful for WORDS written in my journal...thoughts, prayers, blessings, revelations...the moments of inspiration given to me by God.

4.  I am thankful for WORDS sounded out, little ones discovering the hidden treasures on pages.

5.  I am thankful for WORDS of praise and encouragement set to music, ministering and lifting my spirit to the One who created the music.

6.  I am thankful that a WORD fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver, Proverbs 25:11.  What a beautiful WORD picture and how glorious are words of encouragement to our souls.  As a side note word/words is used 1179 times in the KJV.

7.  I am thankful WORDS of instruction in cook books that help me prepare tastier creations for my families enjoyment.

8.  I am thankful for WORDS spoken through a telephone, written through an email/letter that connect me to all those wonderful friends far away.

9.  I am thankful for the WORDS of authors in books, on blogs, etc. that bare their souls, share their burdens, and encouraging us to be real and transparent.

10.  I am thankful for the WORDS of toddlers however creative and messy they may be.

Click the button to join up and share what you are thankful for!

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:" Proverbs 15:13a

365/75 - Works(hopefully) For Me Wednesday

It is amazing how great I feel after 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep! Little man has now slept through the night for 2 nights in a row, hooray!!! Yesterday and today, I awoke at 5 am refreshed and ready to tackle the day. This morning since it was early and the house was quiet, I decided to tackle this pile of laundry.

Folding laundry in complete silence is BLISS! I could actually think a complete thought...here are my thoughts:


1. The laundry is out of control, taking over my life and my home.

( This normally occurs in the first few months after an addition joins the family. It takes time to rebalance.)

2. We have too many clothes!

(I was going to get really drastic and give each child 2 outfits, one for play, one for going out, and a pair of pjs and just wash every night. I did this one summer and it worked great! I reclaimed most of my time and could actually do something other than laundry. I may do it again. I am not going that drastic yet, but I am removing a large portion of their clothes, leaving them with about 5 outfits each of combined play and going out clothes. I'll put the excess away in bins in the basement, so as things wear out they can shop from their bin.)

3. I worked out the following plan, which will hopefully work for me:

-Boys throw their clothes in the washer every night after their showers and move to dryer the next morning.

-Girls start their laundry in the morning once the boys have removed their things from the washer.

(My past plans have imploded shortly after implementing them as life would happen, the kids would get behind, and I would take over trying to catch it all back up. Maybe this simple, daily plan will last and I won't have to remember whose day it is to do laundry, nor will I have piles of smelly things collecting in their bedrooms while they wait for their day.)


Once the plan was worked out in my head and I reflected more on how nice it is to get a good night's sleep, I spent the remaining time praying for whoever or whatever popped in my mind. Did I mention how blissful having actual QUIET time is???

365/73 - Sweet Shot Tuesday

 

I'm joining in for the first time. This last weekend I had some great camera time, and really had a hard time narrowing it down to my favorite shot. I really love the lighting and the sweet expression on my daughters face in this one.

365/72 Party of Seven

I've been wanting to attempt a party of 7 after reading, The Bonnie 5 idea of her party of three. Yesterday I did it! I would love to get a natural, non-posed shot, but since the 7 of them are very rarely compressed into the space of my lens I gave them the following directions. "You can do anything you want, as long as you are on or by this fence section." I really didn't care if they were looking at me or making faces or what, as long as they were in the shot. I got it!

Change of a Moment

Straining in despair, beneath the weight of all the tasks that laid before me; God opened my heart; jolted my mind with these thoughts of those far away, on the other sided of the Pacific.

Wives without husbands.
Mother's without children.
Children without parents.
Sisters without brothers.
Families...Individuals....without shelter, food, and raiment.
Hearts without joy...hope.
In a moment dreams, hope, joy, loved ones, material possessions...GONE!
All washed away in one sweep.

Suddenly, the squabbling children, piles of laundry, dirt specked floor, lego explosions, unfinished lessons, dishes piled high on the counters, damaged airplane, court hearing....all these things that had moments earlier seemed like a crushing burden, didn't seem as significant anymore.  Indeed my entire attitude shifted in that moment.  Praying for those an ocean away, reflecting on the blessings of the moment, remembering to not take it for granted, but to thank God for each and every breathe...moment...they are all a gift, a token of His grace.  There in that moment my heart and mind were transformed by His goodness.

Scripture & A Snapshot

I love that our Father will take the trials and sorrows of this world and use them for His glory, our good and turn it into dancing and cover us with His gladness.

365/71 Mystery of Bokeh

The late afternoon sun, peering through the trees gives off some beautiful light for photos. This afternoon I headed out with the camera to get some photos of the blossoms on this tree off my back deck. I positioned myself with the light behind the blossoms, attempting to get some nice bokeh.  I got nothing spectacular.

This bee came to gather pollen, so I captured a shot of him, but over exposed it a bit. 

Then I moved to the front yard and  I tried this tree.  The lighting was better and I captured a bit more of the bokeh effect.

Then I returned to the back yard and decided to focus on the children and that is when I got great bokeh and didn't even realize it until I loaded them onto the computer.   Here is my unintentional bokeh shot!

Project Simplify:Week 1 After

This week I participated in Project Simplify , a five week campaign to help us declutter.  The first assignment was my closet/wardrobe.  My closet wasn't in too bad of shape since I removed most of my maternity things a few weeks ago.  I did find a few a missed and cleared them out.

Before:

This is what I have left.  This project reminded me that I really needed new shirts, so I hopped online this morning and ordered  them.  I had been procrastinating because finding a t-shirt I love is a challenge.  The waistlines keep dropping and the hemlines rising making it very frustrating to find a shirt that is long enough, not to mention how flimsy the fabric is of most.  A friend suggested I order tall shirts, after shopping around, reading reviews I went with these.  I'll let you know how they are once they come in.  I'm really hoping they fit so I can purge the maternity shirts I'm still wearing(they're longer) and throw out the too short shirts.

Here is a pair of shorts w/ tags still on I found hiding in the bottom of the closet.  I don't know what my husband was thinking when he bought these for himself.  They have found a spot in the Goodwill bag.

Here are my beloved Birkenstock's, falling apart, smelly but I just can't seem to part with them.  They are so comfy.  I've searched and searched trying to find a pair to replace them.  I will hang on to them until I can find a sandal/flip flop that I love just as much.

I posted earlier this week, here, with more photos of  the closet. 

This project got me in gear going through things and preparing for spring.  I'm now going to tackle the kids clothes over the weekend, so that I know what I need as I hit consignment sales the next few weekends.

The Homeschool Mother's Journal -5

 

In my life this week...
Life was a bit chaotic again this week.  Hubby was on travel.  Tuesday we had an unexpected trip out for the entire day.  Wednesday was rainy and dreary and left me feeling very unmotivated especially since I was tired from being out the day before and I don't sleep well when Hubby is gone.

In our homeschool this week...
We are still sticking to our schedules, although I'm finding it hard to make sure everyone get the MOM time they need.  My 8th grader has 6 weeks of his once a week classes and we are both counting down the days.

Places we're going and people we're seeing...
We did get to spend some time at the park on Tuesday.  The week has been gray and not very enticing for outdoors activities.

My favorite thing this week was...
Making scones with my ten year old daughter.

What's working/not working for us...
Clutter is driving me crazy!  I am going to have to put some things on hold and get the house back in order.  I am joining in Project Simplify and will be posting pictures later of my project this week.  I'm hoping this will keep me motivated and give me direction.  I will be spending the weekend sorting through the children's clothes and making a list of needs so I can hit the upcoming consignment sales.

Homeschool questions/thoughts I have...
In our area many families seem to be sending their children to what equates in my mind to part time schooling.  Those 2-3 day a week programs.  Someone told a friend recently that she was the only person left who actually homeschooled at home.  I find this disturbing.  I'm also wondering about high school.  I don't feel driven to put my son under an accredited umbrella type program.  I know the taking one day a week classes outside of home really didn't work for us.  I'm really pondering these things and praying for God's direction with our oldest.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share...
Here is the scone recipe we made this week.  Sorry no photos, the kids scarfed them down too quickly.

Thankful Thursday - Springtime and Friendship

I find it so amazing how my attitude and perspective changes when I stop and count my blessings and give God thanks for them.  God has richly blessed me and stopping to thank Him for the small things really opens my eyes up to the marvelous things He has given me.

1. I am thankful for enduring friendships.  Those special friends whose hearts remain close despite the distance that may separate us.  Over the weekend I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with one of my highschool friends and it was such a sweet time of fellowship.  I have a few friendships that have endured from each season of my life.

2. I am thankful for new friendships.  God has placed me in a new season with the opportunity to make new friends and encourage other ladies in learning to be transparent and cultivate deeper relationships.

3.  I am thankful for opportunities to strengthen my relationships with each of my children.  Just yesterday afternoon, as my daughter and I stood in the kitchen mixing up scones, baking and cleaning we had the opportunity to bind our hearts through deep conversation and sharing.  Life can be chaotic and noisy around here, so I treasure these opportunities for one on one time with individual children.

4.  I am thankful for park fellowship.  I always manage to find some other adult to converse with when we are at the park and I am always blessed and encouraged by these conversations with strangers.

5.  I am thankful for phone conversations and texting with my hubby when he is on travel.  I am thankful for bedtime conversations when he is home.

6.  I am thankful for the vision of future ministry opportunities God has given me.  I love to be a vessel He works in and through!

7.  I am thankful for the encouraging ministry of so many Godly women who have written their stories and God's redeeming work in their lives.  Beth Moore, Angie Smith, Ann Voskamp, Sally Clarkson, Elizabeth Elliot, Joanna Weaver, Jean Fleming...just to name a few.

8.  I am thankful for the heart change that a soft answer can bring and a gracious God who is nurturing those soft answers in my soul.

9.  I am thankful for the opening blossoms on the trees.  Springtime fills my heart with fresh hope as I see all of God's creation bloom and reflect on how His work blooms in me.

10.  I am thankful for voices full of laughter and song that fill my home with noise, shoes of various sizes that scatter every room in sight, laundry piled several feet high, toppling onto the floor, dishes and crumbs canvasing the counters, and piles of clutter screaming to be sorted.  In a home full to brim with children and things I see how truly blessed I am.

 What are you thankful for today?  Join us over at Curious Georgi  as we give thanks each Thursday.

Project Simplify:Week 1 Before

Since my home has gotten incredibly cluttered over the last few months and I've been a bit overwhelmed with all the tasks I have whirling around me each day, I decided to join the Project Simply in hopes of gaining focus and momentum as I work through the clutter in my home. Our first assignment was our wardrobes/closet.

I just pulled most of the maternity items out of my closet a few weeks ago, so my portion of the closet is not too bad. I will be going through the remaining items tomorrow and hopefully make it down to the basement to go through my bin of spring/summer clothes.

My sons keep their dressier clothes on the bottom rack in our closet.  I went through their things over the weekend and purged what they didn't like or had outgrown.  I just need to get some matching hangers.  I loathe unmatched hangers.

My husband purged his portion of the closet over the weekend as well, he filled a 13 gallon trash bag with his cast offs.  This is what remains and again I need to get matching hangers.

Now my drawers are another story.  See I can't even get it to close.  This morning in desperation as I looked for something, I dumped it and sorted and put most of it back neatly.  I think it is safe to move all but one pair of cuddle duds to the basement.

Tomorrow I will finish going through my clothes and make a shopping list of what I need besides matching hangers.  I know I need some new t-shirts.  Anyone know where to get good, thick t-shirts that are longer in length? 

365/66- Swingin'

Yesterday we had an unexpected change to our schedule which gave us the opportunity to spend a few balmy hours at the park. I had my camera on hand, sporting a 35 mm lens which although it gives some distortion it is super quick and performed well capturing plenty of shots of Little Man in his first swinging experience.  Since I had the camera in hand I decided to capture a few shots of the older children swinging.