What He can do!

This is my son, Ty. He is almost 9 years old and is the most amazing kid ever! I may be a bit biased as I am his momma! LOL...I am just about bursting at the seams with joy for this kiddo! He has over come so much in the few years he's been on earth and only because of God! Ty is special needs and has "out done" himself according to the world's standards! When he was small he was very ill and had some serious intestinal problems, and developmental issues. when Ty turned 3 his Dr. recommended early intervention to assess him...we pretty much had to let them or else we wouldn't be doing him any justice, right? NO! I was too young and naive to know better...I had Ty when I was 21. So, we "had" to put him in a preschool for "special needs" children. while we were there the teachers had him in all sorts of therapy's and Ty cried EVERY SINGLE DAY...it was awful. He went to that preschool when he was 3. During that same year he started to talk. He did have some serious issues, I'm not trying to downplay that Ty is a bit different from the "norm"...but to us and to God he was and still is just right! anyway, he would do what I call tripple talk...it would go something like this...."I like to play, play, play. "....the therapists and pshycologists said it would never stop....he only does it once in a while now.. He also would just say off the wall stuff at off the wall times and that would frustrate people, he still does that sometimes..He would really "BE" whatever character he was in to...like Bob the Builder. He really thought he WAS Bob...to an extreme I still to this day have never ever seen in any other child....it was strange to say the least. He still does that some, but he DOES understand he is NOT that character, but he IS Ty. They told me he would never use the toilet....it took until he was 5 & 1/2...but we got it! They told me he would never hold a pencil...he writes! You can barely read it (his hands don't work very well)...but he DOES it and we don't encourage him to write sloppy...he works HARD to make his hands do what HE wants them to do! They told me he would never have relationships with his peers....he has a friend and even has short play dates with him. They told me we HAD to get diagnoses for him, it just wouldn't be "right" to not label him. We bought into it for a short time...we got in a short time...ADHD, Asperger's, and they were working on diagnosing him with OCD...NO WAY~ we were done! Not to mention all the meds! It was horrible! He was on one med that made him stay awake for 56 hours! Yup, and he CRASHED in the middle of the day and momma still had to go the rest of the day...it was simply terrifying! We were DONE! We pulled him out of school ( we were homeschooling through a cyber school, and he was in the special ed there...they had therapists and such come to us through the school)....and God has worked so much in his life! Ty is Ty. He has social issues...he doesn't enjoy many people or to be the center of attention...you never know what will trigger things for him...he is very emotional. But, he leads a "normal" life...we have never bought into this garbage about how he CAN'T! who are "they" to decide what he can and cannot do?? Doesn't God do that? and God has done a rockin' cool job! Ty has done so much with his little life! He even got baptized in our pool...he wanted to, but couldn't get in front of the church...so he asked me to ask pastor to come and do it here with our family and relatives....he knows his own limits and is ok with them. He gets by and makes do. His hands give him such a hard time, but he plays computer, cooks, and build with nails & a hammer! Stop and get a mental picture and you will respect this so much more...here is my son, crouched on the floor...using his core muscles...holding a small nail with his hands that don't work...and at the same time pounding with a hammer...with hands that don't work...and he also has coordination issues! What a kid...he NEVER gives up and NEVER says "I CAN'T".....he knows God made him in His perfect image, and never seems to wonder why he's different...he accepts his lot in life. I need to step back and look at Ty for the amazing example he is. He walks tall and is proud of who God made him, even though the world tells him he is imperfect. I love this kid more than words can say!

Who Will it Be?

I have been spending much time in prayer over my children's future spouses. I feel it is SO important to remember to pray for the people our children will marry! We don't know who they will be, our oldest child is 11...so there's not even a hint yet. But we need to pray that the Lord will bless them with good christian people as mates. along with praying we are also teaching them that they are not to be unequally yolked....they should not marry an unbeliever. We are also praying about what our guidelines will be for courting...we are explaining to our girls we would like for them to remain at home under their father's leadership until they become married. This matter is so important and our kids futures need to be prayed over! I am so happy that we have such a loving God who through Jesus hears our prayers! I pray my children will grow close to the Lord and that they will let Him mold their lives...even now...even though they are young. I pray they will not let LUST get in the way of LOVE, and they will look deep into the heart of whom they chose to be with...do they love God? I pray the mate my children choose will have a good work ethic...they must put their hands to work for the Lord. I pray that the people they marry will have a love for the church...that they will love to go and fellowship with other believers! There are so many things to pray about concerning your children's future...and this is a big one! We should pray specifically... not just the little "shoot up"...."Um...hey, God...I hope my kid marries someone who's OK"....NO WAY! My kids are better than that! They DESERVE to have a prayer warrior praying for them! Join me in praying for your kids and the future that awaits them....pray specifically...God wants to hear from us :0)

I've Been Tagged

My friend Andrea, from Rightthinker (http://andreamomm.blogspot.com/) tagged me for a meme about my kitchen :0) Sounds like fun!

1) Do you have magnets on your frig?

Yes, we have 3, I think. One is pretty and the other two are measurement magnets for baking that my mom got for me for Christmas.

2) Do you have a calender in the kitchen, and if so, what's the theme?

Nope, I don't have one in the kitchen...my kitchen is small and doesn't have much wall space. I have my calender in the dining room, and it's has pretty nature pictures and scripture for each month. Ashley got it for me for Christmas :0)

3) What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

My favorite kitchen tool is my pizza cutter! I use that sucker for almost everything that needs cut! It is so fast and easy to use...LOL...I would be LOST without it! Ok...maybe not LOST, but it is nice :0)

4) Are you lucky enough to have a pantry of some kind?

Yes, I am that lucky! LOL

I have a small built in pantry in the kitchen for baking supplies and then I have a large walk in pantry off of the dining room. It is a re purposed mud room...we have had to make rooms into other rooms....LOL...

5) What is your favorite appliance?

Hmmm.... I guess my coffee pot? I love them all so much! But I R.E.A.L.L.Y ...really....really....LOVE coffee :)

6) Do you have an eat-in kitchen?

No. Our kitchen is very small, but open. We eat in our dining room. It is right next to the kitchen...it's all open, so kind of maybe??

7) Do you have a breadbox?

We did, but recently we put it in the attic. we wanted the extra counter space. So, we now keep our bread in a cupboard. The breadbox we did use was one my husband made in high school!

8) Do you have pictures of your kids on the fridge?

Nope. My husband is a "neat nick" and can't stand "stuff" on the fridge...LOL..

9) Do you ever cook breakfast in your PJ'S

Not for the most part...but sometimes on the weekend I do :0)

Hey...taking it slow is a good thing from time to time, right?

10) Do you have a favorite cookbook?

Not a cookbook that I bought, but yes. When I was pregnant with my first child I took all of my MIL's cookbooks that had my husbands favorite recipes from when he was growing up and wrote them all in a notebook. This is the cookbook I most often use. But now, I mostly cook/bake from memory.

11) Are you lucky enough to have recipes that were passed down from grandmother to mother?

Some....

12) What's your favorite thing to cook?

I don't think I have a favorite thing to cook....I guess I would say anything that made my husband smile :0)

13) Is your coffee pot electric or stove top?

electric

14) Do you make your own bread?

I make bread often, but not for everyday. I make it to go with dinner a few times a week :0)

15) Does your kitchen have a theme?

Not really...It is very springy....it has lots of cream and light green...bright and cheery!

16) Is there a clock in your kitchen?

Yes...there are 4! One on the wall, the coffee pot, the oven, and the microwave! WOW!

17) Do you have a bowl of fruit on the table or counter?

NO! We have adopted 5 kids and one of them is a food hoarder, so we have a dead bolt on our pantry...all food is in there...and most leftovers get frozen to give away to another family right after dinner.

18) What type of canisters do you have?

none...not enough space!

19) Name one thing you have hanging on the wall in your kitchen?

I have a large cream colored metal heart from Hobby Lobby.

20) What's for supper tonight?

Not sure yet...we are kind of sick...maybe meatballs in the crock pot?

21) Do you have enough cabinet space?

We manage just fine. We don't have much...but I think if I had more, I would just fill it p with more stuff!

22) Does your family use paper plates?

On occasion....like when we get them free with pizza or something...and sometimes for picnics...but we don't buy them.

23) Do you have a good set of china packed up?

no...sadly, I do not.

24) Do you wear an apron to work in the kitchen?

Not as often as I should...but yes sometimes I do :0) I have the cutes apron made mt the Amish :0)

25) Name one thing you would change about your kitchen if you could?

Nothing :0) My husband and I just made over my little kitchen....so I am pleased with it!!

Don't Trust Them!

Rob and I were laying in our big King size bed after dinner with some of our littles, I think 5 of them were there...I had to run downstairs and do some things, but Rob stayed there. He was pretending to sleep...not a good idea! The kids look innocent and cute....but that's just a show...here's what happened to my poor husband...LOL....he was getting "tickled" by all sorts of little fingers...but it was really the equivalent of your skin getting torn off your face...lots of giggles and talk of "tickling Daddy's beard"...that should wake him up...nope. They move on to his feet...he just about tore his toe nail off, it's really sore...more giggles about how this would really work!....nope...he's a strong man....then "it" happened....the giggles got really loud, he was probly sweating bullets by now, wondering what they are gonna do next...Kyara (she's 6) says to Cyle (he's 5)..."go on Cyle, just put it right in his eye...that should do it!"....YIKES! They were right!! To save his eye, my loving man "woke up" and was the "tickle monster"! What fun!!

Proverbs 17:22

"A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones "

I thank God for these fun and light moments, I NEED them...for my health. There are so many things right now that are heavy on my heart...we just figured out our oldest adopted daughter suffers from RAD (reactive attachment disorder), she's so hard to live with...I LOVE her SO much, but her little self is so broken...she needs God but HATES Him...that's enough for a broken mommy heart...I have been trying to get pregnant for a year with no succsess...ouch...especially after have a reversal done...lots and lots that I could let "get me down"...but my God is good...all the time! There is so much to be joyful about...and it's ALL from Him...what WE see as good and bad, it's ALL allowed by God..we just need to trust Him!

Today's Thoughts

Today I am thinking and learning much...also a few things to watch out for!
1. Thought: Blue painter's tape is NOT my friend....AT ALL!

2. Thought: Maybe home improvements should be left to my husband....lol...

3: Learning: We watched a video about astronauts and space ships!

4: Watch Out: We learned that to get to space the astronausts wear adult diapers....I made a mental note to hide ALL Pull-Ups!

5: Watch Out: There has already been talk of getting bikes to go fast like a rocket...

6: Learning: I need to always have Band-Aides on hand...this could get messy! LOL

Have a blessed day! Hope you are learning much & loving much along the way!! :)

Singing My Husbands Praises

I LOVE my husband for so many reasons...one is that he is so handy! He can fix just about anything! Our washer is old...about 14 years old. My husband used to work in a foundry and would come out B.L.A.C.K. from HEAD to TOE....and he also worked on a farm in the mornings for years...so our washed has taken alot of abuse. Our clothes were stinky right out of the washer and it was driving us crazy! He checked the whole machine and could find nothing wrong...but he is so frugal minded and resourceful he looked more into it and figured out that the inner drum needed a good cleaning....it was gross....so all that yucky stuff was getting in my wash every single time! YUCK! So, Rob worked for a few hours....spent $0...and fixed my washer :0) I now have great smelling wash....all thanks to the talent God has given my husband! I thank God for him ALL the time! What a blessing my husband is! I love to let him know just how much I love and appreciate him ;0)

More SNOW...are you kidding!

UGHHH....and know I hit those keys kinda hard...lol...we are going to be getting another foot of snow! We already have 6 inches since last night and the storm is supposed to last through the day and into tonight....SO SICK OF SNOW! There have been years we have had our garden tilled and peas in already! We are praying for no more snow! LOL

Spring Cleaning Has Begun!

I have started with my spring cleaning! I love it! I just hope i can actually get through the whole house this year! LOL...usually I fizzle out. I almost always start with the kitchen, but we just re-did our kitchen...so besides some minor stuff, it's already done! I finished the kitchen today and am on to the dining room :0) I have made a detailed list of things to be done and even some projects that I would like to do. Some rooms will get painted and re-decorated...so this could take me all of the summer. I am not one who enjoys being without a "home" project going...so this is fun for me :0) How's your spring cleaning going?

Menu

I have been really not doing very well with my menu plans as of late...so this tells me I must go back to writing them down...my brain is kinda fuzzy and not so creative right now...this was the best I could "come up with"! LOL

Breakfasts: cereal
fried eggs & toast
cereal or baked oatmeal
french toast & apples
dippy eggs & toast

Lunches: meat sandwich, applesauce & chips
toasted cheese & tomato soup w/ crackers
pb & j, fruit & crackers
spaghetti & garlic bread
some kind of sandwich, fruit & crackers

snacks: cookies (twice)
brownies
graham crackers
pb toast

Dinners: Shepard's pie & fruit
grilled hot dogs & hamburgers w/ fried potatoes
homemade pizza w/ veggies
homemade mac & cheese, biscuits, veggies
casserole, homemade bread, applesauce

Dessert: whoopie pies
mock apple pie

I need to organize my favorite meals and get some new and fresh ideas...any good ones??

Don't miss it!

I just had a conversation with my good friend today about her oldest son...he's doing "man" things on the farm now...he's growing up...FAST! Just the other day it seems as if he were 2 years old and telling me all about tractors and begging for pb & j....time goes by so quickly. It has hit me like a ton of bricks today....my kids will grow up. The days are now full of potty training, runny noses, teaching kids to share....but soon it will change. I want to REMEMBER to be intentional about holding tight to all of these moments, these memories....before they are gone. Someday they will not need me as much...someday they will make their own choices about important things....someday they will have more dangerous activities (like farming, hunting, mechanics...etc..)....my boys will grow and gravitate towards these things...with their father...I am so glad he is a good christian man who will train them in the ways of the Lord while teaching them these trades...and my girls will gravitate towards me and the skills I can teach them. Am I up for the job? Soon enough I will have to find out...these younger years matter and the training we do is just building up to when they are big...and independent....just mind blowing...who would have thought....I don't want to miss it!!

Sometimes It's Too Much

Sometimes it hits me like a ton of bricks....sometimes it seems too hard to even handle...I never expected to feel such grief...about the adoption. I am grieving so hard for the families lost to my kids. It may seem crazy....why aren't I just happy they are MINE? I am broken....right to the core. I mourn for my kids, I mourn for their birth parents...I worry about the future.... I wonder what REALLY happened to them....why are they scared, why are they mean...why are they hoarders...WHY? I feel torn up inside wondering what will come to be of their birth parents?? What will they feel if they get saved and finally realize what they had...and simply let slip right through their fingers?? What will happen when my kids are grown and want to see their birth parents again?? Will I lose them? Why....why do they blame us for being taken away? Can't they see we are just trying to help, love, and keep them safe? Of course not, they are children...and there's no place like home...good or bad. I wonder who they will look like when they grow....like their birth parents who abused them...will it be a constant reminder of what once was? Will they feel hurt and rejected as they learn the truth about their past life? will they FORGIVE? I pray they do...do I? How can I honestly forgive the pigs that hurt my babies?!? How can I forgive the selfishness of parents who neglected to change or feed my children?!? I simply can't. God can. My heart is a mish mash of emotions...some days it doesn't even seem real...the adoption. But, it IS real...these kids are my GIFT....the Bible says in Psalm 127:3 " Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." It didn't say "birth children"....or "easy children"....or "mentally stable children"...or "well behaved children"....but simply CHILDREN are a reward....this means mine and yours...ALL of them. I wonder why their parents couldn't see that...I wonder what was more important than taking care of them? Surely if those thoughts run through my head, they are also running through my kids' minds as well. I don't have the answers to those questions for them...so they are left there...weighing us down. We need to leave those with God. Most of the time I can....sometimes not so much. they can't yet...the kids are too young, and it's too raw. Some of the kids have been upset lately because their memories of their families are fading...outsiders may see this as a "good thing"...being those memories are not safe and healthy ones...but they hold on to those...they hold on to the memory of "the one time we played"...in their little minds they can replay that memory and make it "feel" or "seem" like that was the normal for their family....in reality it was not. they convince themselves it was a "good" life and they had enough to eat...their bellies are not hungry now, so that feeling is a distant memory...not real anymore. They convince themselves that the sick "love" was not that bad...the pain is healing now...they convince themselves that it was OK to be left alone in the night or it wasn't so bad when mommy and daddy fought...but in reality there was blood and bruises galore...our minds are interesting places to be...as much as my kids are doing this type of thinking so are their birth parents. To hear them talk, everything was great and they were doing a stellar job of caring for the kids, and it's OUR fault the kids aren't with them. These thoughts can at times be all consuming...to me...but thankfully they don't consume God...He's so good. these are the thoughts and prayers of my heart...which are now being left at the foot of the Cross.

Rip Off!

ARGG! We are re-doing our floor in the kitchen....it's a LOONNGG story...but this is the second time in 3 days our flooring has been torn up...our sub-floor fixed and we have had to buy flooring twice! EEK! anyway....the rip off is this...I went to Lowe's in a rush...the floor guy is coming tomorrow to lay the flooring and we still have repair work to do...another LOONNGG story...lol...so...I go to buy a gallon of floor patch for $25....they had none...but they did have quart size containers of the stuff I needed...for $10 a pop! WOW! I needed 4 of them to get the job done...so instead of paying $25, I had to pay $40! Makes me mad...such a rip off...same stuff...same amount bought....NOT the same price! UGH....Can't wait to have this project done!

Simple Things

It was time for me to buy new clothes....yuck! This is not my favorite thing to do...AT...ALL! I am not a "thin" woman....I'm not rolly-polly either....just "plump"...I am also particular about how things fit and how they look...not meaning trendy style, but modesty. We have a few rules about clothes here in our family...no shoulders, no knees, and nothing tight. Trying to find clothes in today's world is not so easy! I can't stand it when my pants gap at the waist or when they fall down when I bend or squat...ARGG! I am always very prayerful about where God wants me to be as far as dress is concerned...and I do not feel led to wear only skirts...there...I said it. Each and every one of us needs to do what we feel the Lord is telling us to do, and that's what I feel. Either way, we are to be modest and feminine in our appearance.
Little man had another Dr. apt last night and he still is very sick (pneumonia)...we had to go to Walmart and wait for 2 more meds...while we were waiting I had time to do a bit of shopping. I tried on about 700 pairs of pants and finally found two that I liked :0) It sometimes takes me months to find pants I like, so I was happy...then I found 6 shirts that were modest and feminine. I also bought 2 pair of shoes that were cute and servicable. This may sound like a shopping spree...but I had already been to our thrift shop and found nothing. I only spent about $100...so it was OK.
My title of this post was "Simple Things"....what I mean by that is this.... no matter what you wear (pants/skirts) you can be feminine and pretty...weather you are large or small, it can be done. Yes, I would LOVE to be thinner and healthier...we are always working on this...but right now I am not. So, just by wearing pretty colors, cute but functionable shoes (meaning for me, cute sneakers..lol...)and doing a little something different with your heair each day ( just small variations make you feel better, I think) makes you appear and feel more feminine. We are women and it's a gift. I want to teach my daughters to love pretty things and embrace who they are. Sometimes I see young girls who want to act like boys. This bothers me. Yes, my girls and myeslf ride fourwheelers and camp and garden and cut fire wood...we have poopy boots and take care of animal chores...just like the boys do...but we need to try to have a feminine "way" about us while we do these things. We have cute work gloves, I teach them to sit like a lady...yup, we can sit on a tree stump or fallen log with the best of 'em....but they will keep their legs closed while doing so! They catch bugs and frogs...but they "act" like ladies while doing it. Where did it come to be that being girly was bad? My oldest daughter had a very hard time embracing her girly-ness...she hated being a girl...and at times still does. It wasn't until recently she understood all the teaching she was being given...she was playing with a boy and he kept roughing her up and she hated it! She told him to stop and that she was a girl and to not hit her! LOL...she loves American Girl dolls, tea parties, and being pretty. I'm not talking vanity...but taking care of ourselves.
So, these are the things that are on my heart concerning the simple things :0)

Mom's Tools

I have a few things that I use ALL the time...they are my favorite things....the things I couldn't "live" without...LOL...
1. My Bible....of course to study, grow, and teach!

2. My Muck boots....they are so tall, warm, and dry! They are the best chore boots ever! I "share" my pair with my two oldest kids...really they just steal 'em from me! LOL

3. My pizza cutter....I use it to cut pretty much everything the kids eat! I can cut up a pancake, waffle, fried egg...etc...in no time at all!

4. My "jump rope"... I have a bright blue jump rope that has funky polka dot ribbons tied on...one end of the rope has a big loop to go around my arm or just to hang onto...then the littles hang on to the loops and we are safe and sound as we shop...the rule is to not let go of the rope...no matter what...and we have really made out very well with this method :0)

5. Mt timer...I use my timer for TONS of stuff...fixing the coal fire, kids reading, kids math, my computer time, chores, cooking...etc...it's so very handy!

Those are only 5 of the things that make my day easier and more organized (at least in my head!)...what are your favorite "tools"??

God's Deliverance!

The little man pictured in my last post is so sick...and God is so good and delivered my young son from death yesterday. Little man always gets respiratory problems when he gets sick...and we give him a few nebulaizor treatments and all is well. Yesterday was worse that it had ever been...his eyes were purple underneath and pouring water...he could barely breathe. I was doing his treatments and praying for healing over him...then he couldn't breathe...AT ALL! It was terrifying! I tried for over a minute to get my Little man to breath again...finally by taking him out in the cold air his airway opened enough for him to breath. Later I took him to the Dr. for further treatment. As soon as they saw him they were concerned...taking his pulse, it was RACING...he had a fever...and still could barely breath! Right away they gave him steroids and 2 heavy duty breathing treatments... The Dr. told me it was very serious and I should take him to the Er...then decided against it. They sent us home with 4 Rx's! The Dr. told me to stay awake all night and watch him, and to give him breathing treatments every 3 hours, as he could stop breathing. It was VERY scary until about 2 am....he would sit straight up in our bed and try to scream and grab at his throat because he couldn't breath well. At about 2 am his fever broke and he settled in...he seems ok toady. The Dr. called before 7:00 am this morning to make sure he was Ok....talk about a great Dr!! She told me to expect bad nights for a short while as she thinks his breathing will get worse at night. So we are going to continue to watch him VERY closely! It was the most scary mommy moment I have EVER had...when he couldn't breath..I was screaming out to God to spare my son...it's not like he was choking and we could dislodge something....his airway was shut...to see his little face looking at me with wild eyes....it seemed like it was FOREVER! It was a long time though...it was long enough for me to scream, cry, pound his back (pointless, I know, but it was a reaction) and get him outside and then it wasn't right away that he was breathing...in this time my daughter had enough time to call her dad at work! Talk about seeing God...He gives and He takes away. I really do see this for the truth that it is.. there was no rhyme or reason to why He spared my Little man's life...He could have brought him home...but He let him stay with my for who knows how long....I see now we have no time limit...or no unlimited time to spend...His sovereignty is amazing....He shows me little by little who He really is...and it makes me stand in awe! I thank God .

I CAN do it!

These are the pictures my oldest daughter (11) took of her little brother while she was "helping" him get dressed after breakfast....that explains the messy face..lol....He insisted...." I CAN do it!"....not yet, little man! Good try!

You Know It's Time...

You know it's time to buy new socks when your 4 yr old daughter comes and says to you that her sock has too many holes and she can't move it around so her heel doesn't come out! LOL...

Confessions and Repentance

Proverbs 28:13

" He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."

God gives us just what we need when we need it...during my prayer time this morning I was asking God to forgive me of my sins, but I seemed to just "lump" them all together...things have been busy and I realized that I was not confessing and asking for forgiveness at the TIME I committed sin....you know, snapped at someone, had a mean or judgmental thought...things like this...I know how wrong it is to not confess right away and ask forgiveness...but have fallen out of the "habit", so to speak. God brought me this verse this morning...and I am thankful :0)

What Kind Of Wife Am I?

Proverbs 21:9
"Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."

I have asked myself this question lately..."What kind of wife am I?" I pray daily that the Lord will show me how to be a better wife to my wonderful husband. Recently we have been having a hard time with some of our adopted kids and I have been a bit in the "dumps"...he said to me last night, that he NEEDED me to be OK, that he NEEDED me to be happy and not upset or even depressed...he NEEDS to be able to come home to a cheerful wife, not a perfect home, or well behaved kids...but a well behaved ME! WOW! He even offered to cook dinner, do wash, care for kids so I can have a break...of course, I will not have him do those things...he just worked HARD for 10 hours! But, my point is, that's how much he NEEDS me....he really does, it is important to him to have my attention, for me to have a joyful attitude, and not a selfish way about me. I can no longer go around thinking how "hard" things are for ME....my eyes are to focus on God and what He has blessed me with. I get so wrapped up in my own life and just brought my husband down too! It really opened my eyes as to another part of my role as wife...he needs for me not to just "do" things...be needs me to "be" something...and that is a Godly wife! Yes, we still have issues in life and always will...but I need to put them where they belong. This wife has learned her lesson and will make sure my husband has what he needs....a cheerful wife!

What Our Day Looks Like

It has been a few weeks since we started back with trditional homeschooling, after doing a charter school at the beginning of the year. Our days are running much better now :0) We were having a lot of issues with timing and getting thngs done and keeping kids on task. Another big problem I had was knowing what to do with all the little kids...they were mostly running "wild" while I was trying to get everything the charter school required done. We are much happier now. I thought I would give you a peek at what our new schedule looks like.

8:00 breakfast
8:30-9:00 chores
9:00-9:15 or so is devotions as a family
9:15-11:00 the big kids all have folders with the work they can do on their own (spelling, grammar, writing, math, and reading) During this time I have all 6 small ones with me...we do circle time where we sing and read books, then we go to the table and we all do lessons together and on special occasions we all watch a PBS kids show and then do a coloring sheet to go with it.
11:00-11:30 lunch
11:30-12:45 break time
12:45-1:00 clean up time for all
1:00-3:00 little ones rest/nap while big ones sit at the table with me and I do a read aloud and then a comprehension sheet we make up ourselves, science (M & T) and social studies and civics (W & Th), during this time we do other things we "want" to do...at the moment we are doing a poetry unit. We watch movies that go along with our subjects and read lots of books and take notes...we draw tons of pictures in our notebooking...
Things are going SO much better, I really like the "schedule" we are on! things happen and we don't always stick to the time of everything...but most days we do!
Fridays are different...we do art, gym, spelling tests, library trips, cooking/baking, and any field trips...things like that! I am working on fitting it "all" in, but feel so much more freedom at what to teach and do...it's great!