Thursday, May 27, 2010

On-Line/In-Life Friends

One of the joys I've had for the past several years is meeting my on-line homeschool friends in person. Some of them I've met at conferences like CCA Symposia, or a pastor's conference's that our spouse's attend and we tag along, and some at Mommapalooza weekends like this one, and some who come to stay at my house.

The past two nights I've had the privilege once again of hosting an on-line homeschool friend and her children (unfortunately her husband had responsibilities which kept him at home). Karin and her children first enjoyed some camping and visiting another friend in Duluth for a few days before visiting us. Our home made an easy place for her to "set up camp" while during the day she took the children to visit an uncle who lives nearby.

Even though I've met Karin in person before at a CCA conference and at her church last May when we stopped to worship there on our way home from Washington D.C., I had not met all of her children, nor had the opportunity to sit and visit with her for an extended time. What a nice treat it was for me to have this opportunity!

Her oldest three children had the unexpected treat of seeing friends at Bethany and staying for their choir concert, while the younger siblings either attended Nathan's Little League game or played at my house whether outside or inside or both.

What a great blessing the Lord gives in friends! All praise and glory to Him for blessing us with such good, Christian friends whom we can love, share our joys and sorrows, and above all pray with and for to our Heavenly Father in whom we learn what true friendship is.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Boys Need to Play

Homeschooling sure keeps me on my toes. When I taught history to the oldest two, both girls, when they were younger, they loved to color a picture or draw one, write a summary and be done and ready to move on to the next thing.

Not so with this next set of kids, two of whom are boys with a girl sandwiched between. She, like her sisters, is perfectly happy to draw and color and write. The boys not so much. Oh they'll color and fill in the map-work, but they want to hear the story.

They want to be engrossed in the action of the battle, the decisions of the emperor, the secrecy of the catacombs.

And when I finish reading and help them to write some summary, they don't want to move on to the next thing.

They want to play.

They want to play what they just heard.

And I've realized that is a very good thing.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Revival -Looper Style

Last weekend several of my homeschool friends descended on Melanie's home for a weekend of food, laughter, and no kids (well, except for one nursing cutie-pie). It was a tremendous good time, one that I won't soon forget.

We stayed up late not wanting the chatting to end and on Saturday we made a delicious French meal ala Julie and Julia (which we attempted to watch, but our chatting and laughter got in the way).

We enjoyed a few drinks over the weekend:
Everything was so tasty! If you wish, you can see more pictures and read more about the fun weekend here and here and here.

Blah blah blah blogging

Feeling a bit uninspired to blog lately.

The weather is warming which is so nice. I love all the greens - trees, grass, plants, etc.

Nathan is in Little League and has had practice. All last week it rained and he thought he would "NEVER HAVE ANOTHER PRACTICE AGAIN." Ha Ha. This week he's had three practices and he's complained, "It's hot." (rolls eyes)

Two kids are done with Math for this year, a third has one or two days left and the other two? Well, lets just say that they're now lying in the bed they've made.

My chiropractor is encouraging me to change my diet, by eating less to no sweets and drinking more water. I'm trying real hard, but when I crave something it is always something sweet, like cake or doughnuts. Plus my husband doesn't mind drinking ice tea made with out sugar, but me - yuck, I'd rather do without.

The brick and mortar school in town listed the class motto in the newspaper this week; "To live our life in our own way...To reach for the goals we have set for ourselves...To be what we want to be...That is success." Sounds like a textbook example of narcissism to me.

Summer activities are filling up fast. My goal is to spend the summer mornings doing our work and the afternoons at the pool. I'm going to work hard for that to happen.

I have the desire to start running again, but so far it hasn't been strong enough to overcome all the obstacles I throw in front of actually starting. I should deal with my own narcissistic self and get moving.

Marshmallows soaked in milk is what the boy asked to eat for a snack...........and I let him. He's all smiles.

Planning for next year is swirling around in my brain and crowding out thoughts of how to finish the current stuff.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

"I Don't Like That!"

All parents know that is a very, very common statement heard at what seems like every meal. My ears have had their share as well. The more that gather round the table seems to increase the likely hood of hearing that every, if not multiple times.

But I'm realizing there is another side to that coin and I like those words; "Oh yummy, I love that!" And often, if not always, they are said at the same meal. Which means my policy of cooking what sounds good to me is met with as many "yums" as "yucks" if not more.

So take heart dear mothers of young ones! The day will soon arrive that you too will experience the delight and joy of hearing your offspring be so excited for the meal set before them.*

*This is only for familiar meals. Any and all new meals you introduce will still meet with more yucks than yums, but be steadfast and persistent, eventually after seeing it and forced (I mean encouraged) to try bites again and again, they'll realize finally that this too tastes yummy.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The Joy of My Kids

My children are quite good to me. Please remind me of this when I'm feeling at my wits end with them.

On Mother's Day, they enlisted Dad's help to get me to stay in the basement after dinner. That wasn't too hard as that is our "family room" and I enjoyed watching the Twins game and snoozing while snuggled up on the couch next to my hubby. All throughout this time, I kept hearing noises and could not figure out what was going on and none of the five came down to watch the game with us.

I found out when I walked upstairs at their behest nearly 3 (+) hours later. The entire main floor was clean! I mean everything in its place and a place for everything! And the dining-room table had a new tablecloth and clean napkins and at my spot were two beautifully custom-made Mother's Day cards and a freshly baked and decorated cake.

So they cleaned all the dinner dishes, then made and decorated a cake (from scratch, not a mix), washed, dried, and put away those dishes, all while cleaning the rest of the main floor - together without major arguments or breakdowns - and me sitting on my duff, dozing, enjoying the Twins' win.

It was a Happy Mother's Day indeed and a gift that I will always remember.

Friday, May 07, 2010

Turkey

Every May, the ladies group at church hosts a supper for the group with the honorary members (those 70 and older) as honored guests. This year I was part of the planning committee for the dinner and I volunteered to find some poems on Spring to read aloud as part of the program.

In searching for poems I found at the library the book Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies selected by Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. It really is a lovely book with beautiful paintings by James McMullan. My children enjoyed my reading out loud many of the poems included. One of our favorites, though, had nothing to do with Spring, but I included it at the dinner anyway. I knew that all the ladies would enjoy it as much as we did.
For your enjoyment, I reprint it here:

The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven

The Turkey shot out of the oven
and rocketed into the air,
it knocked every plate off the table
and partly demolished a chair.

It ricocheted into a corner
and burst with a deafening boom,
then splattered all over the kitchen,
completely obscuring the room.

It stuck to the walls and the windows,
it totally coated the floor,
there was turkey attached to the ceiling,
where there'd never been turkey before.

It blanketed every appliance,
it smeared every saucer and bowl,
there wasn't a way I could stop it,
that turkey was out of control.

I scraped and I scrubbed with displeasure,
and thought with chagrin as I mopped,
that I'd never again stuff a turkey
with popcorn that hadn't been popped.

Jack Prelutsky

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Confirmed In Christ


May 2, 2010
Hannah's confirmation verse:
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24)