FOR TODAY

Outside my window…

dripping of melting snow… lovely

I am feeling…

restless… wanting the next stage (moving) the next season (SPRING) a new schedule (… but what will work?) Knowing I must live and enjoy the NOW… He is my PRESENT help… now.

I am thinking . . .

how I miss my husband and sons.  We all belong together.

I am thankful that…

I still have my little girls to keep me company

From the learning rooms…

books everywhere.  The world map is falling off the wall from getting touched so much. GREAT STUFF!

From the kitchen…

NOTHING except some dishes that need to be finished and soaking pinto beans.  Its nice not having so many to cook for.  For dinner I had the two left over pieces of pizza from lunch that my sister-in-law and MIL brought.

I am wearing…

slippers, jeans, old t-shirt and fleece hoodie.

I am creating…

nothing.  I’d really like to start being able to pout something in this spot… really!

I am going…

nowhere.  Home all weekend.  Bryan accidentally took the keys with him camping. Its nice KNOWING I can’t go anywhere.

I am reading…

Leadership Education and Thomas Jefferson Education – that’s where most of my thoughts and brain power are going lately.

I am hoping…

for a less interrupted sleep tonight.

I am hearing…

only the hum electric stuff in our house.  The silence is lovely.

Around the house…

dark and quiet, semi picked up, most of the laundry caught up, and warm enough that the windows were open a couple hours today.

One of my favorite things…

quiet…

A few plans for the rest of the week:

implementing more of the Thomas Jefferson Education principles.  Drinking  more water.  Less researching and finding inspiration on the computer and more implementing what I know so far.  More quiet time to evaluate and pray, etc.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

Our children and the Spirit

My friend and cousin-in-law Cate posted this on her blog… so incredible true…

A Daniel Generation

We are reading the book “Here Comes Heaven”  with our children.  (Thanks javamamma and Cate for the recommend.)  We are only a couple chapters in, as we are reading it as part of our family meeting while Talia is sleeping and distractions are at a minimum.  All of us are doing the exercises at the end of each chapter.

We got a little dose of the spiritual eyes of children a few weeks back when Shand, our almost-3 yr old became suddenly  terrified of her room.  We prayed and she still wanted nothing to do with her room.  It wasn’t the dark.  it wasn’t just bed time.  So we moved her bed into the boys room until we could figure out how to move past this.

It hadn’t occurred to me to tell her to look for her angels.  It says in Scripture that our children have angels with them that see the face of God.  So we went into the room with her the next night, and prayed again and told her about the angels with her all the time, and Jesus would never leave her, and we asked her if she could see the angels.  And she could! 🙂  Soon after that she was fine.

Later that day, out in the kitchen she suddenly turns to me and says,”Mama, where’s my angel friends?” 🙂

Its been an education for us and beautiful to see our girl experience God and his protection.

Anyway, all that to say… I want our children to know of God and KNOW HIM experientially.  It must be more real than the Babylon we live in.

A Simple Woman’s Daybook

Outside:  Overcast and Foggy, AND snow coming down. again. As it has the last entire week, and stinkin’ cold.

In the Kitchen: Handwashing from the last two days… those big soup pots from the last two days – Mulligatawny Soup and Winter Veggie Chili.  What a mess!

In the learning department: Reading a book on Helen Keller, playing w/ an ear model, making secret codes with their spy kit, chores and routines

Reading with the Kids: Complete Adventure of Peter Rabbit, The Jungle Book, The Year of Miss Agnes

And I’m Reading: Double Take, Leadership Education, A Thomas Jefferson Education, Fresh Encounters, Created to Be His Hellpmeet… that ‘s a lot of books at one time…

Preparing for Lent: Reading of The Exodus with the Kids, Read Isaiah 40 to the end on my own

Picture Thought: Here are pics of Shand dressing… jammy pants inside out, one sock, purple scarf and the boy’s sunglasses…Dancing to Keenan’s Christmas music, wearing the apron mom made her, underwear and Christmas socks.

Dress-up dress, A Rachel’s cast off purse (I think it was hers?) socks and her fancy heels (Thanks A Rachel!)

Talia’s tights, Grandma’s hand-knit hat from her infancy, beads and a foam sword…

Is it she lovely?  This girl is full of surprises and frustrations and laughs and tantrums… She is so much fun and I pay for it when I ignore her and get too distracted!! 🙂  Next time… some pics of Talia.

Family Meetings

It took us forever to find sunday morning to be the best time far a family meeting… why did it take us so long?  After breakfast, we discuss stuff and then play games or something.  Today’s ended with the chicken dance… shouldn’t every family meeting end in the chicken dance?

A few new things we are doing… the bean counter… family excursion when the pretty bottle is full of the glass beads being transferred in for ‘good deeds’ – this being a very loose term.  We can put beans in for whatever we feel like… some silly things even.  The kids are very excited about it, as you can imagine.  Especially since our first family excursion will be to the new Star Wars exhibit at the Museum.

Mornings.  I just MUST  be up unless I have a very VERY good excuse!!  which happens often enough to get me into a bad habit, but it just wreaks havoc with our day.  And Keenan had a brilliant (and I mean brilliant!) idea to give me breakfast in bed 🙂 so, I guess we won’t start that tomorrow.

If you do not have your own family meetings, whoever you might be reading this, you really should!!  It is so bonding and unifying, and is a great place to bring grievances, etc.

Recently, God has been so gracious and abundant in giving Bryan and I wisdom in our parenting, opening our eyes to view our children as he sees them.  Its good…  very very good.

compliment of the month from Keenan: after  a discussion on why he is too young, and who he can or can’t marry, etc.

Mom:  Why do you want to get married so badly, Keenan?

Keenan: Well, you and dad are married and it just looks so… joyous!