Joy dare

Sometimes when things in life make me step outside my comfort zone it's hard for me to find joy, in the midst of my insecurities.  Things around here have been past uncomfortable.  Without boring you with details I will just say I'm reminded of wise words from two dear friends.  The first one taught me "Jesus is my defender".  That alone has really changed my tone.  I no longer have to take on the burden of proving my innocence over any given situation because I know He loves me, and will defend me. 

The second friend opened my eyes to Ann Voskamps book, "One Thousand Gifts". It encouraged me to just slow down, quit seeking perfection in everything, but find joy in all things.

 

Funny thing right now.. each time I try to type "things" the word "thugs" comes up instead.... Okay, back to the story.

Here are some recent joys:

• Plentiful sunshine.
• Turning the heat off for the season (those electric bills just pain this frugal momma).
• A body healthy enough to take walks with my family.
• Seeing the absolute delight & pride on the neighborboy's face as he learned to ride his bike without training wheels.
• My precious children improving their social skills as they eagerly engage with their neighborhood friends.
• My view from the kitchen window, a sandbox full of kids.
• A messy van and no time to clean it, yes even in this there is joy.
• A warm uninterrupted shower, rare but blissful when it happens.
• My husband "the builder", and our boy following him around anxious to help daddy, as long as it involves tools. 
• The baby snuggling into my chest when she's sleepy.
• The big girl, the joy she finds in sports.  Something I wanted to do as a young girl, but it felt out of my comfort zone. 

Oh the things I've missed because of this make believe zone I've created.

• A refrigerator so full its a pain to put away even more groceries.  We are blessed.

Friends, where are your joys found this week?

Breastfeeding

My baby is 6 months and 1 day.  I never thought we would come this far.  I had a rotten attitude & no faith in myself. 
Thank you to everyone who believed in me and offered up kind words, shared their stories, and helped me pull through.
I love you guys.

Jesus, thank you for designing our bodies to feed our babies.  What a gift. Amen.

A successful fail

A Successful Fail, or is it a failed success?  I have not been baking much.  I figure while I'm trying to lose this baby weight it's healthier to stay away from baking all together. So when I do make some kind of treat I try to add my own little healthy twist to it.
Well, I added spirulina to our cookies last time... If any of you are familiar with this green goodness, you know that it is kind of famous for it's nutritious value... oh, and its fishy taste! 

A little bit goes a LONG way.. I mean a really long way!  We're talking a teaspoon will do... for the whole batch!

I made cookies again today and this time I decided rather than substituting honey for the sugar like I usually do, I'd go ahead and use the sugar, but only half the amount.
Well... That was a fail.  These things aren't delicious and addicting at all!  Or wait, is that a success? 

I mean they taste okay, but they don't leave me wanting more, more, more!  Both times that I've screwed up I decided that it's really okay, because I did achieve my goal, to have a healthier treat option.  And sometimes, healthier just means having less.

Go ahead, have your cake and eat it too.  I mean, what's the point if you're miserable about it?  Might as well enjoy it!  Just try to enjoy LESS of it.

She said: gluten free?

Feb. 6th 2013
At communion the Princess listens to the pastor carefully.  She then leans over and whispers in daddy's ear: "They have gluten free wafers".

However, Mr. Awesome heard her say:
"They're giving away free wafers".

He leans over and tells me, we giggle.  I write down this funny moment.  Two months later, I see the note & share the story with you. {Smile}

School Days: Friday!

It's Friday! Friday is my favorite day of the week lately.  Sometimes because it merely means I survived another week of homeschooling my boy, and sometimes because I'm looking forward to the weekend.  We don't have much for weekend plans, which is fine by me, since next week is SO crazy busy for us. 

 

Today I am taking a few guilt free breaks to do some research. 

 Here is what I'll be reading:

 

Playstar swing set pamphlet, and the new Timberdoodle homeschool catalog.

 

I'm also printing out worksheets to fill our workboxes.  I'm enjoying the word searches from this web-site, for my sort of kindergartener.

 {I really don't know what to call his grade level, he's past preschool, and even  most of the typical kindergarten type work, but if we send him to public school in the fall, he'd start with kindergarten... yeah, I'm not worried about a label.. He's doin' just fine here}

 

I have also printed several multiplication sheets and some fun language arts sheets for my 4th grade brown-eyed beauty.  She is in public school and has an amazing teacher there, but I still like to give her a little work at home too.  And I really do try to only give her a little, since she is pretty burnt out after a full day of school work.

 

She will homeschool with us through the summer, just like we've done in past years.

 

They're only things

WARNING: I am obsessed with being closer to Jesus, and making my home a happy place.

I've read some great books lately that have really changed the way I feel about "stuff".  First was Organized simplicity, then at the suggestion of my former sister-in-law, I read Almost Amish. 

I feel like I am in a constant battle with STUFF.  I've always sort of thought that it just comes with the territory of having children.  But then I realized it doesn't have to. {I wish I knew this 10 years ago, don't you?} 

My children are spoiled.  That's not a bad thing.  But it isn't a great thing either.  I remember being at a party a few years ago when a little boys rubbery outdoor ball popped.  He was angry and upset.  So to stop his tears, the mom quickly responded with "oh don't worry about it, we'll just buy you another one".

WHAT?  Did you really just tell your kid that you would buy another one?  I mean even if you fully intend on replacing it... don't make that a default. 

We live in a world where everything, and lets face it, everyone is perceived as replaceable.  Our landfills are full and our divorce rates are out of this world.

I am to blame for this catastrophe also.  On more than one occasion I've replaced toys, and even muttered the word "divorce" a time or two... 

Our family is getting better about not getting our kids so many toys.  And I want to get better about this too.  You see, my kids still have so much STUFF.  I don't want to raise children that expect gifts at each birthday and holiday. 

We had a garage sale a few years ago where we sold 9, YES I SAID N.I.N.E, totes FULL of toys.  Big huge totes... at like a quarter a piece... it was craziness.  All of our shoppers were thrilled at our great deals.  Towards the end I even started filling paper sacks and boxes with toys and marking them FREE. 
It made me overjoyed to not be picking up or telling my daughter to pick up her toys all of the time.  But, it also made me sad.  I was sad to think of all the money our family/friends (and us) had spent on those toys.

There are so many things I'd love to ask for, for my children.  School supplies, like printer paper (you have no idea how much paper we go through here), tape, markers, pencils, and workbooks.  They wear clothing everyday, and they actually enjoy getting clothing too.  But those aren't "fun" gifts.  And really, I'd love to see quality time given as a gift.  And even more so, I'd love to see money donated to a reputable charity, in their honor. 

I feel like I don't get enough quality time with my children because we are so consumed by things.


We will be having another garage sale this year.  This time, I am NOT holding back, and I am not going to feel guilty about letting stuff go.  Thankfully I have my practical, sentimental husband to help balance this process out.  But I hope to downsize greatly. 

I'm tired of being depressed because I feel like our house gets smaller by the day.  I want my children to be creative and having too many things actually makes that much harder to do.  They never have to come up with ways to improvise or use their imagination, because everything is already there for them.

It is my hope that in doing this, we will live a happier, more peaceful, God centered life.  Sometimes I struggle to connect with God when I'm so consumed by the materialistic things of this world.


And just to be clear, I'm not saying our kids need to only play with rocks and sticks (although we did this earlier in the week, and they had a blast).  There are some toys that I love.  Like Lego's.  Both the boy and the girl like them, and they play with them together.  They can be passed down to future generations, and they are really fun for all ages.

Have any of you done this?  Or wish you could, but don't know where to start?  Or are you just cool, calm, and collected when it comes to stuff? 

School days: Greater than & less than

Watch "Alligator greater than by Peter Weatherall" on YouTube

Videos like this cheesy one really help my little guy to learn.  Videos like this also make me think I should be making educational YouTube videos.

I can talk all day long about what we are working on, but sometimes (most times) that's just boring.

What fun (or not so fun) videos have your kids watched lately to help them better understand a concept?

School Days: My response

I almost always respond to homeschool questions with grace, kindness, and honesty.

It's the right thing to do, and it's what I genuinely want to do.

 I try not to go too far into detail, because I've learned that most people don't want the details. 

There are times though that I feel hurt by the never ending questions that seem more like accusations that I'm somehow hindering my child by even considering educating them at home.  I keep a smile on my face, respond kindly, and in my mind, feel like a total failure.  Sometimes I even have a good cry when I think about how rude people can be. 

People, I do NOT know everything there is to know.  But I do enjoy learning, and I know how to learn.  I want to teach my children how to learn as well.  I feel led to do this, and I have nothing against anyone else who doesn't feel that way. 
My homeschool choices do have a whole lot to do with God, as do all decisions I make, the decision is not based on religious reasons alone.  And it's not an easy decision. 

I'm sure you aren't able to read this from the snapshot, but please do click here to read this post, and if you homeschool and face the same struggles that I do, I hope you can find humor and some comfort in words.

What I heard: Birthday Party Plans

The little 5 year old boy, who is also the house comedian, just came to tell me all about his plans for his birthday party.  And although he's a funny boy, and it is April fools day, he's not kidding!
He often refuses to eat candy, and even throws fits if it's offered to him twice.  I suppose this is a good thing... sort of, I mean it wouldn't be so bad if he would simply say "no thank you".  But he thinks everyone is plotting to make him unhealthy or something.  Weird, huh?  Yeah.. I'm trying not to over think it, as I'm sure it's just a phase.  So, I'm documenting this here so I can show it to him when he's older, and wondering why we never got him a birthday cake. 

He says:
"My birthday party is only going to be about healthy food.  No sugary stuff, no cake.  Just meat, and peas and rice, and no milk. 
And no marshmallows, and yes fireworks.  Just remember to bring fireworks."