Homeschooling at McDonalds

Today I needed to get away from the chaos at home to get school done. We went to Micky Ds and we were done in 2 hours. Why do some days need a break? One great thing about homeschooling is the ability to throw it all in a box and head out. I’m lovin’ it.

 

How to undecorate a tree

I am slow at getting Christmas decorations up and slow at getting them taken down. For some reason, there is just so much going on that I just run out of time and energy when the day comes to a close. I was so excited when the tree was actually up and decorated the first weekend in December.

Each time I went into the living room I would find 10-12 ornaments scattered around the floor. I would put them back on the tree and go my merry way. The next day, again 15 ornaments on the floor. I again put them back on the tree.

I needed to figure out why the ornaments kept falling off the tree. I set up a sting operation thinking I would find the dog pulling the ornaments off the tree. Much to my surprise, I did not find out it was the dog but this little guy.

Before I jumped to conclusionsand yelled at him, I asked him “WHY” in a loud voice. He sweetly replied in his sweet 4 yr old way. Well, Mom, Batman and Robin were chasing the Death Star and Milenium Falcon around the tree and every time they ran into an ornament, it shocked them and it fell off the tree.

Batman, Robin, the Death Star and the Millenium Falcon are all ornaments on the tree. He had been playing with the tree ornaments and had a great game going. We just added a new componenet to the game, put the ornaments back on the tree when you are done.

 

An Empty Love Bucket

My mother coined the term “Love Bucket” when I was a girl. I don’t know if it was original to her but I have never heard it talked of outside of our home. A Love Bucket is that place inside of you that gives you the ability to love others. When someone else needs some love, you have your reserve from your bucket. Love buckets also have to be filled. A cuddle in mother’s lap, a hug from a brother, a kind work, a compliment, reading the Bible are all great ways to fill a love bucket.

Hop a Long (#3) loves to tell me his love bucket is empty when it is time for him to go to bed and he uses it as an excuse to stay up later. And I let him. What mother can resist that sweet little one curled up in my lap, letting me kiss and pet him. He won’t want that much loving that much longer as he will be 5 in a few months but I am going to take advantage of it even if it means staying up a 20 minutes later.

Butch (Twin A) just climbs in my lap at any time he finds me sitting down. He loves to sit there and watch TV, watch what I am doing on the computer or just put his head on my shoulder. He sometimes talks about his love bucket being empty but he has learned to just come on over and fill it up.

Sundance (Twin B) must have a slow release love bucket. He has a large heart and will share his care and compassion with everyone but he only comes for some cuddling about once a day and stays for 5 minutes. He loves to cuddle and he is getting big for my lap but I just let him sit whenever he wants.

Honey loves to have his head rubbed and this goes a long way in filling his love bucket.I think his mother must have put him to sleep that way because I can stay up reading as long as I want if I rub his head.

My love bucket is enormous. It gives me the ability to love many people and to have many friends. It allows me to take on other children and help them feel special. The draw back is that an enormous love bucket must be refilled on occasion. My mother was so good at just letting me lay my head on her and she would rub my hair. My boys do fill my love bucket but there is that give and take with them.

I am learning how to let the Lord fill me up so that I can share His love with others. It seems funny to say I have been laying on the Lord’s lap but that is sorta what it takes. I have to stop what I am doing and just spend some time with Him without trying to do anything else. THis is hard for a busy mom but without my love bucket being refilled, I am useless to fill someone elses.

 

It is not to easy..

My new phone has a tiny keyboard. I have to use one finger at a time. It is not easy therefore I can’t write very much.

 

Blogging from my phone

Now I know how they do it. Last week I had no idea how it was done. You know, the ones who have a blog post daily and 6.5 children and a clean house. Their pictures actually show up the same day as the activity. Last week I had an ipod, calendar, notepad, camera, and phone all in my purse. Today I have only the tool that let’s me blog, call my sister, check facebook , keep track of schedules and post pictures the same..I mean..next day: My Palm Centro. My life may never be the same and my purse is sure lighter.

 

My response to how I can be pro-life and a liberal.

This is a response to a friend who knows me in real life and who I care about. She and I have studied the Bible together. We have worshiped together. I am not trying to start an argument nor am I trying to get anyone to convince me to change political parties.

Here is my response:
I am pro-life and yes the two can coexist in my opinion because I truly believe it is between me and God what I do with my body. If I chose to fill it with nasty food, overeat, abortion, etc. But it is not my place to tell you or anyone else what they can do with their body. Sure I can tell you my opinion, advise you, even try to influence you but in the end, it is between you and God.

What I can do is not get stuck in just saying “abortion is wrong” and then doing nothing to try to get to the sourse of the problem. Preventing abortion begins not once a girl (or woman) is pregnant but preventing her (and the boy or man) from getting pregnant in the first place. Just passing out condoms or birth control pills is not the answer either. Poverty, lack of education, lack of proper health care, absent fathers…there are as many causes as there are women seeking abortions. I think all of these are Pro choice issues.

Repealing Roe v Wade will not stop abortion, it will just send it back to the closet or back room and will still be done in secret. I just think there are so many other ways we can influence Pro Life issues besides standing in front of Planned Parenthood with a sign and a fetus in a bottle. (and yes, I saw this in McKinney the other day).

I feel I am being liberal in my approach to this issue. I am not just doing what has always been done. I want to influence in new and innovative ways. I have friends who have had abortions and they need to know they are saved by grace and can be forgiven. I have teen age children who I influence and just preaching to them will go in one ear and out the other.

I hope this answered your question. Feel free to respond to this as I think open dialogue is the only way we can truly think and work through all the stuff in this crazy world.

 

I must be a liberal.

My friend Scott asked this question “What is so wrong with being a liberal? and I have been pondering for a little while. I looked up the definition on Dictionary.com and these are the many definitions of Liberal:

1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.
2. (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.
3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.
4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.
5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.
6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.
7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.
8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.
9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.
10. given freely or abundantly; generous: a liberal donation.
11. not strict or rigorous; free; not literal: a liberal interpretation of a rule.
12. of, pertaining to, or based on the liberal arts.
13. of, pertaining to, or befitting a freeman.

So then I looked up the definition of conservative and here is what I found:

1. disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.
2. cautiously moderate or purposefully low: a conservative estimate.
3. traditional in style or manner; avoiding novelty or showiness: conservative suit.
4. (often initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the Conservative party.
5. (initial capital letter) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Conservative Jews or Conservative Judaism.
6. having the power or tendency to conserve; preservative.

I have called my self a moderate as I love things that are traditional: Christmas traditions, antique furniture, college homecoming, family time but I also love progress. I love my neighborhood that looks like the United Nations. I love that I can buy milk in the middle of the night. I love penicillin and antibiotics.

I think I have been afraid of being called a liberal because it has been used like a curse word by the media and other groups. But Scott really has me thinking and if the above is the definition of liberal then yes, I am a liberal and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

Tomorrow is my Birthday and Honey’s too.

Honey and I have the same birthday. As we have been married 10 years and dated for two years, I have had to share my birthday. I exactly mind sharing but I think he does not work so hard to make it special since it is his special day too. I know I sometimes don’t make his as special.

Maybe we need to just alternate which year we get to be the “main” birthday person. When my mom was alive, she always made birthday’s special. My sister is good at making them special so I will just rely on her. I know she has sent me a package and I can’t wait to see it.

Tonight the boys made me some puff balls and homemade cards at church. My closest friend is their Wednesday night teacher so I think they were prompted.

I got some cards from the older ladies at church and from my insurance agent. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s mail contains.

 

Has it been that long?

So much has been going on this summer, I just didn ‘t feel like playing in the blog world. The real world had so much to offer that I stayed outside, reading up a storm and with the kids most of the summer.

We are back to homeschooling, AO modified Year 3, my own invention as the twins are not reading well enough for Year 3 and there were so many books we had not yet read so I just took all the books we had missed, added math, phonics and reading and off we went.

Why do boys take so much longer to become real proficient readers? I have racked my brain trying to find ways to get them to read but they would rather play Hot Wheels, build with Legos, play outside, ride bikes or go swimming. Maybe this is why young men in Victorian times did not get sent off to boarding schools until they were 9 or 10.

We are back to Community Bible Study this year again. I am a core group leader, the twins are in the homeschool class and Hopalong in the 4 yr old class. He loves it and they do too. We are studying Genesis and if the entire year is as great as the first 3 lessons, we are in for a treat.

The weather had cooled off and it is turning into a brilliant Texas fall, well early fall. Ike dumped a ton of rain on my yard and I am enjoying late tomatos and peppers from our garden. We have been shooting archery in the backyard the past few nights and I have the bruises to prove it. Where did I put my arm guard?

I have been trying to work on getting my fall/winter clothes together. I just can’t figure out what 40-something’s wear to be stylish, put together and yet comfortable to chase around three boys. I don’t want to dress like a teenager but definitely not like a 60 year old. Dowdy is not in my vocabulary. Dressing in style is improtant to me. I know some people don’t care about clothes and if this is you, just skip on down to the next paragraph. I really like classic tailored clothes but just can’t afford them. So I shop the sales, check out the local resale shop, make a few skirts and try to keep it all together.

I am going to try to post at least once a week and write something to keep my brain active and engaged. But I make no promices.

 

A really good writer with some really great blogs

As you can tell from the title, I have run short of adjectives for the summer. Life has been busy with all the things three little boys need to keep them busy during the long days of hot weather. We have been swimming (alot), playing video games (maybe too much), going to tennis camp, VBS, sailing with Uncle M’s new boat, cooking out, oh and fence building.

I sat down today for the first time in a while to read some email and a friend sent me the link to this bit of humor called Stuff Christians Like with posts like Donating Stuff to the Church or Father Abraham had many sons-the VBS remix version. You have to read the comments too. I think my sides hurt from laughing.

Then, I clicked over to another of Prodigal Jon’s sites and laughed and cried at the same time! Of course there is the main site at ProdigalJon. As I was reading, I kept thinking, I wish I had a book of this stuff to read late at night in bed after the kids go to sleep and I can think about it. It looks as if I may be in luck in the near future.