Caribou Castle

Tools

2013-02-10T18:29:00.001-05:00

Often when my husband is doing some sort of "honey-do" type job he kind of has to rig it up because we don't have the right kind of tool for the job. I know this is frustrating. Usually you can still make it work, but it's not as good if you don't have the right tools. And sometimes having the right tool for YOU is important too (ask a lefty about using a righty scissors!). So, I want to take a moment to talk about a tool that is near and dear to my heart, and is really a million tools in one: My iPhone. I know things can get done without it, and I know mankind survived for a long time without them, but man, I love my iphone. I'm not a big game-player, so I have to say I really do use it as a tool. Here are my favorite things that I do with my phone on a daily basis:

Google Calendar: I use this on the computer too (as I do with many of my apps) and I don't think I can overstate how much I love Google Calendar. It helps me keep track of EVERYTHING going on in our life, I always have it with me, it gives me reminders, syncs inputs from the computer and phone, and best of all....it coordinates my husband's calendar with mine. This is so wonderful and amazing and has helped us communicate better and be more organized and found a solution to world peace. Okay, so that last part isn't true, but the other stuff is!
email...in emergencies...I don't like typing on my phone much
Reading/listening to the Bible (sooooo many different translations! And I LOVE the guy's voice who reads the NIV version. :)
online banking (I mostly do this on my laptop but my phone has gotten me out of some tight money situations!)
texting (duh) (I love that I can text my hubby a grocery list!)
calling people (duh)
GPS (driving directions)
randomly googling things (usually to settle a bet...my husband and I bet on LOTS of things!) This one is not a necessity, but it's very handy. :)
Occupying my kids in an emergency...and I'll say that I'm protective enough of my phone that I do this quite rarely, but when I ended up at the ER for a couple hours, I sure was glad to have it!
Camera--to catch all those moments when I forgot to bring a camera! And so handy for a quick pic of a serial number you need when you get to the store.
Video too...in fact, I don't think I've used our real video camera in years.
Listening material...music is great, but I looooove listening to podcasts and audiobooks while I clean my house! It makes me hate cleaning less...or it at least makes the time go faster.
checking the weather
of course...social media. Facebook and Pinterest are my faves.
contacts--this is extremely helpful! No more 3x5 card file of friends and family contact info!
Notes: I use this constantly. I have tons of lists on there, and you never reach the bottom of that yellow legal-pad page! It is so great for those quick thoughts I need to get down before I forget!
Voice recorder--for when I need to write down a note, but I'm driving! :)
My newest favorite app is "HomeRoutine." It is just what it sounds like...helps with home routines, cleaning, etc. I've only had it a short while, but I think it is everything I had hoped it would be! We'll see if it actually helps me be more productive and organized with home cleaning!
Allrecipes--need a recipe? Here it is!
Flashlight. I use this all.the.time
kindle...it's tiny, but sometimes I do read on my phone
Garden-planning app. I have one for my ipad that I like the best...but I have a different one on my phone too-- the Organic Gardening one.

Organizing on the move

2013-01-29T18:56:00.001-05:00

I'm over at my local MOPS blog today, posting about organization in the car! Click here to read about it!

I'm coming back!

2012-11-08T10:54:00.000-05:00

I have missed blogging tremendously, but have been frustrated about all the stuff with my foster kids that I'm not really allowed to write about! I process by talking, and my blog is one way that I "talk." I'm sure my husband is thankful when I have other avenues to do my processing and not ONLY talking to him! Ha ha! It always seems I'm ready to talk just as he's starting to fall asleep! :) Seriously, he does well listening to me, but I know it can be overwhelming sometimes. :)

Also, I haven't had time. But I'm working on making time, so hopefully there will be more coming soon.

I'm stepping down from my position at our church. I have run the Children's Ministry for the past 3 1/2 years, and I will miss doing that a lot- but I know this is what God is leading me to do. We are actually in the process of getting approved as a "group home"so we can take in more foster kids. You have to be a group home (not quite as daunting as it sounds) if you want to have more than 6 kids in your home total. We think we could take up to 4 more. We've got the bedrooms & beds, and the space in our big van. Plus, I feel like I've worked out a lot of the organizing-and-managing-a-big-family issues that I was suddenly faced with when we went from 3 kids to 6. So at this point, what's a couple more?! :) I've heard it said that once you pass 4 kids, a few more is no big deal. I think that's true. I'm hoping to share some of the things that we have done (the ones that have worked, anyway) on this blog as time goes on.

I got CPR/AED certified last night for the first time in many years...but honestly, with a few minor changes (30 compressions to 2 breaths now instead of 15 to 2) it all came back pretty easily. We had it drilled into our heads so hard when we were lifeguarding that I think the basics are stuck in my longterm memory. Anyway, I got certified because I'm going to be getting certified to teach group fitness classes again! I'm in terrible shape right now, and it may seem crazy that getting certified is the way to go, but I think for me, it is. I taught in college and really enjoyed it--and I think I was decent at it. I also need the accountability of people waiting for me. :) And I think it is my favorite way to exercise. I know some people love running or whatever, but I love group exercise--especially dance-y versions like Zumba, but I also love doing kickboxing and pilates and stuff. I feel like it really engages my mind as well as my body. Soo, hopefully I'll be teaching some group fitness classes once the new year rolls around. Also, I figure, if I'm the one teaching, then I get to decide when the class is! I can never go to the evening classes since we're busy with dinner, kids activities, homework, kids bedtime...so I'm hoping to teach morning classes. And if I can make a few bucks while I do it, so much the better. :) I am taking a weekly tap-dancing class, which meets late enough that I can get to it, and I love that! I wish there were more dance options around our rural area! I'd love to do ballroom dancing with my husband, but I don't know how we could possibly fit that into our lives at this point. :)

The Long Version

2012-05-21T10:11:00.000-04:00

Several weeks ago I posted a guest-post on Epicparent.tv about public school. Although the title of the blog post was about school choice, the blog post itself wasn't really about school choice, it was about the public school option. After the post went public, I had a few strong responses, which was not totally unanticipated, but I wanted to post a "long version" so I can explain better where I was coming from.

Let me first start off by saying that my intention is (and was) not to bad-mouth any school option, either directly or indirectly. Please do not assume that I am saying something "between the lines" that I am not saying. Picking a schooling option for your family is a very personal decision that needs to be prayerfully made. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit needs to guide each of us to make this choice for our children, and I firmly believe that He does not tell all of us to make the same schooling choice for our children. In fact, we may need to make different school choices for each child! My husband and I are committed to re-evaluating our schooling choice for each child, each year, and in-between if necessary. We want to be totally open to what the Holy Spirit is leading us to do for our children- and part of that is knowing our children well enough that we understand the individual needs of that child--educationally and otherwise. Just like God knows each of us intimately and arranges and allows circumstances in our lives to guide us on the path that we should go, and to help us grow and be refined in the ways He has planned for us, with His guidance, we need to do the same for our children.

The main point of making a schooling choice is not the specific choice you make, but the fact that you were intentional about your choice. I have many wonderful friends who have made many different schooling choices for their children, and I know them and love them and respect the choices they made.

My intention is to give people who may be at the point where they are considering schooling options, a different perspective on public-schooling. Often, public-schooling is the least intentional choice parents make. Either it's because they can't afford private school, their schedules don't allow them to homeschool, whatever. Public-schooling ends up being the less-desirable backup plan when nothing else works out. There is MUCH media that bashes the public schools--especially within the Christian community. When people (Christians) found out that we were sending our kids to public school, I often would get the "if-you-are-REAL-Christians-and-really-love-your-kids-you-would-never-do-that" vibe, and yes, it started to make me feel defensive about our choice.

When our oldest actually started Kindergarten, I started to question our choice. I suddenly became keenly aware of how much time she was away from me. I started back-pedaling and researching homeschooling and thinking about how it would work. I was confused because somethingI had always felt confident about, suddenly, I didn't. I also started researching people who intentionally and prayerfully chose to send their kids to public school. Surely, I couldn't be the only person who was thinking about this. Let me tell you, there is not much out there to help people like me! There is tons of information about why you, a Christian parent, should never send your kid to public school... and tons of information (and mommy blogs--which I dearly love!) about homeschooling. I began felt great pressure from the Christian community to homeschool-- that Christian schooling--especially homeschooling was the choice for Christian parents who cared about their kids and loved Jesus. Some people I talked to and much of the talk I saw online between mothers showed a definite fear of sending their kids to public school.

My husband was not struggling with this like I was. He was very settled and content with our choice--and it wasn't that I disagreed with him, but I did start to become fearful. Fearful that we were throwing our dear little 5-year-old baby to the wolves.

One of my favorite movies of all time is an obscure Australian ballroom dancing movie called "Strictly Ballroom." It has great dancing, but is also touching and funny and made use of the "mockumentary" style of TV and movies long before it was popular. One of the best quotes of the movie is "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived." Of course we shouldn't base our lives off of a movie quote, but I believe this to be true because Scripture backs it up. We are not to live in fear. Perfect love (God's love) casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

No matter what schooling (or parenting) decision we make, it should never be made out of fear.

I am not saying that everyone who doesn't choose public schooling is fearful. What I am saying is that there is a contingency of people within the Christian community who are fearful of public schools: the "bad" influence kids might be on their kids, the things our kids may be taught there that don't line up with the Truth, etc, and I believe there is a fair amount of propaganda, political and otherwise, that preys on those fears--encouraging them an deepening them. Public schools are not evil. Satan is evil. He certainly desires to have the hearts and minds of our children, but the influence we as parents exert over our children has a far greater impact on them than any other influence in their environment. Now, if we shirk our duties as parents and don't discuss challenging topics because we are embarrassed or fearful to bring them up, then yes- our kids will get their information from whoever they are around, but that of course, is why we need to be dedicated parents--proactive about discussing challenging topics with our kids and helping them to develop a Christian worldview.

For me--at that time--if I had made another schooling choice, it would have been out of fear. As I was struggling with all of this stuff and researching resources of people who intentionally and prayerfully chosen public school, I stumbled upon one book that seemed like it might be what I was looking for. The book is "Going Public" by David and Kelli Pritchard. It is the best parenting book I have ever read. Period. And I have read A LOT of parenting books. Even if you make another school choice I would recommend this book. On their website: pritchardministries.org, you can buy this book, and they also have some CDs of the parenting seminars that they do which don't really discuss school choice at all--just parenting.

Anyway- I ordered this book, and I was hoping it would come in time for me to take it with me to the MOPS convention. It did not. So- during the convention (which was awesome, btw) I spent a lot of time praying and worshipping- seeking God on this issue. The worship was amazing--having Matt Redman lead was a wonderful experience! During that time God really met with me and I came home feeling refreshed, re-energized, and confirmed in the choice we had made to send Naomi to public school. When I returned home- the book was waiting for me, and I devoured it. It was yet another confirmation to me of our choice. It has also helped me to clarify and define our goals in sending our kids to public school- and frankly, to define some of our goals as parents. David and Kelli Pritchard have raised eight children through the public school system (a few of them are still in school) and just adopted 3 more! They are Godly parents who have a lot of wisdom and excellent testimony to offer.

So let's take a look at some of the common concerns about public schools:

Academic Education: As parents, I think we are 100% responsible for the education of our children, regardless of what schooling option we choose. We cannot pass that responsibility off to the school any more than we would pass off our child's spiritual education to the Sunday School teachers. It's an additional support, but we as parents ultimately bear the weight of the responsibility.

With homeschooling, you definitely have the most control over what your kids learn and how they learn, and if your child goes to a Christian school, you at least know they will be educated in the Bible and with a Christian worldview in other subjects. Also- since Christian schools are typically smaller than public schools, parents often have more influence over the curriculum the school uses. I don't debate the advantages of issues, and there are times that those things are very appealing to me.

I'm thankful my parents took our education seriously. I joke that I was public-schooled and homeschooled, because I know that my parents made every effort to offer us educational experiences. Since my father was a teacher, he was home much of the summers and we traveled a lot--both nationally and internationally. My parents' interests and hobbies are many and varied, and we (my brother and sister and I) have been the beneficiaries of that. I went on many a rare-wildflower-finding hunt with my father so he could photograph them. I've seen the Fringed Gentian, the Painted Trillium, and the pink, yellow, and showy Lady Slippers up close and personal- just to name a few. And I could even identify them to this day. :) Wildflower expeditions were just one of the myriad of ways our parents enhanced our education. It is my hope and my goal to do the same with my own children.

We want to be fully engaged with our children's education, and during the school year that means being in regular touch with our children's teachers (it helps that my husband teaches at their school) about their academics as well as their social development and following up with their homework and stuff at home. We, like my parents, look for opportunities to teach our children in all areas outside of school. In fact, I am planning to homeschool all of my children this summer. This has been an increasing need this year as the boys we are fostering are behind developmentally and academically, and we are going to take on the responsibility of helping them move forward in those areas.

Another academic concern about public schools is that children will be taught things (about evolution, sex ed, etc) that will be counter and even hostile to the Biblical worldview that you as their parents want them to have.

That certainly is something to be aware of- and will be even more so as they get older. It hasn't been an issue for us much yet. Every year I ask the teachers at open house about the science curriculum and the sex ed curriculum...so far I haven't come across anything I have issue with. We have tons of nonfiction books at home that are not written from a Christian worldview, and as we read them with the kids we discuss the statements made (usually about evolution or about the age of dinosaurs and things) and what the Bible has to say about that. I want them to learn to be discerning and critical- to be able to come home and ask about something and to research it on their own as well. I want them to know what they believe, why they believe it and be able to kindly, but firmly, stand strong when opposing views are brought up. We already practice this with them (role-playing and such) to a certain extent, but I know that will increase as they get older. I plan to review curriculum as needed, and I would not be afraid or embarrassed to pull my kid from a class I didn't feel was appropriate. I believe the Pritchards pulled their kids from the public school sex ed classes and covered that material at home.

Another academic concern parents have is class- size, learning styles and in general their child not getting the attention and/or taught in the way that is best for them. Again, if we are taking on the responsibility for our child's education, we can make sure they are having opportunities to learn in the ways that are best for them, and teach them to submit to the situation at school- even though it may not be ideal for them. We do and will continue to work on those things outside of school.

Learning to submit to authority--even when they disagree--is an amazing tool we can give our children. When my sister was in fourth grade, she had a teacher with whom she just butted heads all year. The teacher was not overly friendly or kind and my sister is genius-level smart, and had this innate need to be right--about EVERYTHING...and to make sure everyone knew she was right. The most memorable encounter was when the class was studying bromeliads-a type of plant. The teacher misspelled the name- "bromelid" I believe-- and even put it on a vocabulary (if not a spelling!) test incorrectly. When it became clear to my sister that the teacher had misspelled the word, she and my mom discussed how to handle the situation. They ended up printing off an article about bromeliads and Mary took it in to share. The teacher didn't get the hint, and Mary was just burning up inside to tell her she was wrong. She ended up taking the high road, but it was very difficult for her. That whole year was very difficult for her--but if you talk to her now, she realizes that she learned some really valuable lessons that year--not only not having to make sure everyone knew that she knew everything--but also being able to humble herself, and submit to an authority who was, in fact, wrong.

We know from the Bible that every authority that is in place is established by God. (Romans 13:1-2) We may not have control over changing that, and we definitely do not have control over what choices other people make, but we DO have control over how we react to them, and that is what God is most interested in--what is in our heart. God can change our circumstances in an instant, in awesome and amazing ways--he just wants us to have a pure heart. King David in the Bible is an amazing example of this. Even after he had been anointed to be king of Israel, and as King Saul was not serving God, and in fact, was being influenced by a demon and actively trying to kill him (David), he would not raise his hand against him. He was fully aware of his submissive role to the authority that God had put in place, and he humbled himself and trusted God to take care of matters, rather than taking those matters into his own hands. (You can read all about this in the book of I Samuel.)

(Of course, there are matters of moral ground in which someone should not submit to authority--I'm not talking about those! I'm talking about the many times we encounter authority figures on a daily basis who are less than perfect--and how easy it is, especially if they're not a Christian-- to disrespect them. We feel we are a "better" person, rather than praying for them and recognizing how much we ALL need a Savior.)

Spiritual Education: I don't think a whole lot needs to be said about this. Like I said regarding academic education, but even more so for spiritual education: we are 100% responsible for this in our kids. Sunday school teachers, youth group, VBS, etc., can be wonderful supports to what we as parents are already doing at home, but they absolutely don't replace it. Kids who have gone to church all their lives, but whose spiritual development their parents have left up to the "experts" in Sunday School are way less likely to follow Christ as adults (or even as children!) than those whose parents have accepted that mantle of responsibility, no matter how inadequate they may feel. I think it would be tempting, if my child were going to a Christian school, to assume the school was taking care of my child's spiritual and Biblical education. The bottom line is- we have to take responsibility for it. Although I certainly want my children to succeed academically, their spiritual development is much more important to me. With regards to school- we spend much more time discussing and teaching about their interactions with others and how they are to conduct themselves than on their academics. That's not to say we don't discuss and work on their academics--it's just second. On this topic- I would recommend two books: Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions by George Barna, and a partner book: Revolutionary Parenting, also by George Barna. If you aren't familiar with George Barna, he is a Christian researcher, and these books are excellent!

Socially/Safety:

I love what Tim Kimmel (not to be confused with Tim Keller--although they are both excellent authors) says--"We want to raise strong kids, not safe kids." Even if we held our children on our laps with our arms around them all the time, we couldn't possibly protect them from any difficult or potentially harmful circumstance. Nor should we. I'm not suggesting that we throw our babies to the wolves, but, little by little, we increase their radius and dependence from us, helping them to attach to God, who they need to know as their protector and guide.

I was so impacted by something I heard on Focus on the Family--probably a year ago now. Jim Daly (Focus on the Family president) was talking about a time he was visiting some missionaries in southeast Asia, and he asked them what they prayed for us. They said that we would have increased persecution. Wow! What a statement! In our comfortable, contemporary Christian culture we have grown so lukewarm! We have no persecution to spur us to action--our lives are so comfortable that we sometimes feel like we don't need God on a daily, minute-by-minute basis! How wrong we are!

Public school is a microcosm of the real world. Because of that, children at public school have opportunities to face the same types of challenges they will face as adults-- but on a smaller, more age-appropriate scale. Not only that, but since they are still under our roof and primary influence, we can help guide them through the tough situations they will encounter, so they will be practiced at this when they are finally out on their own as adults.

With both difficult students and difficult teachers- our children need to learn to pray for them. (Matt. 5:44) A friend of mine has a great story about this--he and his mom prayed for their teacher and it changed the entire atmosphere of the classroom through that school year. A teacher who felt the world was against her realized this student (whom she had mistreated) was for her. What an amazing testimony! Isn't that the message we want to send to the world? Isn't that how we show Jesus' love? It's His kindness that brings us to repentance, and our kindness and love to others that will draw them to Christ. (Romans 2:4) In the book "Going Public," the Pritchards tell an amazing story of how they dealt with a bully--go read it! We as parents need to learn to pray for the enemies of our children too. Of course we need to protect our children, but also need to allow them to experience discomfort and trust God to guide us and guide them through it. There is no junior Holy Spirit--He is real and our kids need to know He is really there for them! We as parents need to also learn to trust God in the lives of our kids.

There are tons of examples of young people in the Bible who heard from God and were used mightily by Him--even in the midst of less-than-ideal circumstances. If we think about Daniel, Moses, and Joseph- and probably Esther (and more)--they were taken from where they belonged by force, and were thoroughly educated in the ways of the new culture--which probably even included witchcraft! Yet- in the midst of it, they were able to stand strong for what was right--and they didn't even have a family right around them to encourage them. God spoke so clearly to Samuel as a child that he heard an audible voice!

He can protect them too--and we can trust Him with their lives. It's hard to imagine, but He even loves them more than we do! And what is our purpose on Earth? Are we just here to live a nice, safe, Christian life, and make it into heaven so we can say "Whew!" we made it? No! We are here to spread the gospel! And sometimes the way that happens--usually through relationship-- doesn't seem "safe." To quote another book- in "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" the Pevensie children ask about Aslan the lion (who represents Jesus) "is he safe?" The answer they given is that of course he isn't safe--but he is good. I think that is such a great picture for us of our God! Our lives here are an adventure of trusting God as He leads us into his purpose for us!

We can trust Him in our children's lives. God showed this to me in a neat way a couple years ago. Our daughter Naomi had been praying for a playground for our yard. I wanted us to have one too, and I was trying to figure out how to make it happen financially. I really wanted her prayer to be answered, but rather than trusting God, I was trying to "help" Him by figuring it out myself! Only a week or two later, we had a friend ask us if we wanted their large wood playground! Their kids had outgrown it and they were tired of mowing around it! So they took it apart and brought it to us--and even helped us get it all set up in our yard! What a blessing! I know God was showing me that I didn't have to do His job for him. :)

The influence of other kids is often another concern in public schools--that our kids will "fall in with the wrong crowd" or get pressured to do things they shouldn't do. Just like we cannot possibly protect our kids from pain and discomfort, we cannot protect them from sin. As it says in James 1:14-15, sin comes from us giving into our own evil desires. Rather than insulating our kids from those we would consider "sinful," we should spend our time and energy developing self- control in our kids, and encouraging them to hear from the Holy Spirit. Certainly "bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor 15:33) and I'm not suggesting that our children should only surround themselves with non-Christians. In fact, I think it's even more important if our children are in public school, that we pray for one or two close friends (or a whole group!) who are strong Christians and who will help encourage our children to make wise choices. We can teach our children to see their relationships with different types of friends in different ways. If we diligently pray for our children's friends, I'm sure we will be amazed at what God can do. I've already been surprised by the friends He has brought into my daughter's life.

Being the parent of children in public school also offers me opportunities to build relationships with people who wouldn't normally be in my sphere of influence. As I get involved in the parent-teacher organization, meet other parents through birthday parties and school events, and get to know the other students in my children's classes, I will have increasing opportunities to put my faith into practice and influence people for the Christ. Most people who accept Christ as their Savior, do so as a result of a personal relationship they have with someone who is already a Christ-follower. It's very humbling and awe-inspiring that God chooses to use us in that way.

In the beginning of this school year, I had planned to get involved with our local Moms In Touch group (now called Moms In Prayer), but because we ended up getting 3 foster boys, I put that on hold. I am planning to do it this coming fall, and I am excited about it. What an awesome way to be involved with praying for your school! You can listen to Focus on the Family's radio broadcasts about this at www.focusonthefamily.com. Here is one of the broadcasts about this from 8/17/11: The Power of a Mothers' Prayers.

My husband and I have already talked about how we want our house to be the hang-out house as our kids get older, and we are willing to make efforts to make that happen. I want my kids to know that their friends are always welcome at our house. We want to be able to influence as many kids as possible--showing them how a Godly family operates, and building relationships with them so we can have influence in their lives! I've had the privilege of experiencing several homes like this growing up and it was so attractive to me that even as a young child I knew this is what I wanted my home to be like as an adult. Now that I am an adult- I'm learning how to make this happen--and a lot of it has to do with letting go of all the issues I may have about having people over...the house isn't clean enough, we don't have "good" food for dinner tonight, I'm tired, etc. Ultimately, those things aren't what matter, and I need to humble myself and trust God to make me the hostess He has created me to be..not some ideal I have created in my head. (If you're interested, I recommend the book: A Life that Says Welcome, by Karen Ehman).

So, the bottom line of all of this is that we need to seek God and listen to the Holy Spirit when making parenting choices, and I simply wanted to share the unique perspective the Lord has given us on public schooling that has, in fact, changed the way our family views our Christian walk and helped us to define our goals as parents as as followers of Christ.

1 John 4:4 (NASB) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Notes:
As I was looking over my collection of parenting books, I realized that there are a lot of great parenting books out there. I've included this list of my to 10 favorites.

Going Public by David and Kelli Pritchard
Revolutionary Parenting by George Barna
Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
Raising Kids who Turn out Right by Tim Kimmel
Raising Kids for True Greatness by Tim Kimmel
Raising a Forerunner Generation by Lelonnie Hibberd
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Ted Tripp
Discipline that Connects with Your Child's Heart by Jim and Lynne Jackson
Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours by Kevin Leman
Family Fragrance by J.Otis and Gail Ledbetter

I Spy

2012-04-05T18:40:00.000-04:00

I'm so glad to be back on my laptop with a new (bigger) hard drive! Unfortunately, because I never back up my stuff on our external hard drive, I lost everything (pictures included) since December 27, 2011. Boo. It would have been WAY longer ago than that if my husband hadn't backed stuff up on that day!

Anyway, have you ever seen the "I Spy" bottles that are available at toy stores for OUTRAGEOUS prices? Well, I decided to make them myself. The kids helped and are excited about using them in the car tomorrow as we travel.

The bottles I used were VOSS water bottles (plastic ones, not glass) and they were perfect. The labels were pretty easy to peel off.

I collected these items for them to put in their bottles. I only actually purchased a few of the things for this project, mostly, it was just stuff we had around the house. Here is a list of the items:

Tiny frog, penny, button, "growing" capsule, paperclip, lego, puff ball, bead, plastic gem, large goggly eye, tiny letter stamp (with first letter of each kids name on it), miscellaneous game piece (I knew those would come in handy if I kept them!) and a marble (shown in the lid of the bottle, so it wouldn't roll away).

I set up each kids stuff on white paper at their "spot" at the table, and using as much of their color as I could find...yes, our kids are color-coded. I should write a post about that...it has been a lifesaver.

This was one of those projects (like so many) that I think will take me forever to do. It took me about 10 minutes to gather the items (I had made a list previously and purchased the ones I needed to purchase). We used rice as the filler. Then it only took the kids a few minutes--or 1 minute--to put the items in the bottles. We then filled them with rice (using a funnel), and then I put on the lids and had them shake them up. My advice: don't fill them too full of rice. The ones that seemed to work best are only about 3/4 full.

I put the kids initials on the lids and hot-glued the lids on (I put it in the threads of the lid and then quickly screwed it on).

They turned out well! I also took pictures of each kids items to find before they put them in. I plan to print them out and make them available, (like an I Spy book) but I'm not sure how to keep them with the bottles. If I tape them to the outside, then they won't be able to see inside the bottles! Oh well, maybe they don't need them. :) It feels good to get a fun project in with the kids!

MIsc.

2012-03-31T18:34:00.000-04:00

I had a few strong reactions to my post on public schooling, and I plan to write a "long" version soon so I can make myself clearer, but it's going to have to wait a bit. Mostly because my laptop hard drive has crashed and I don't like doing a lot of writing on our desktop (where I am now). Hopefully by the end of this coming week my laptop will be fixed.

Life with the boys...things are still...as they are. Hopefully we will find out more definitive information about their (and consequently our) future soon. I.don't.like.waiting. I wonder where my kids get it from...

Anyone else participating in Earth hour tonight? I think it is officially from 8:30-9:30 at your local time, but since our kids will be way asleep by then and we wanted to talk about it with them, we are moving it up...and then we will participate at 8:30 also. As soon as everyone is ready for bed, we're going to turn everything off (except perhaps for the dryer that is madly drying bedding that was peed in at naptime), sing some songs together and Jon is going to read from one of the "Little House on the Prairie" books from candlelight.

Maybe this will encourage them to start turning lights off. Our (budget plan) electric bill went up again. I won't shock you with the outrageous number, but trust me, it's outrageous. Every day I feel like every single light in our house is on. And that is a lot of lights, my friend. My mother has suggested getting motion sensors put in, which is a wonderful idea, and we are hoping to start room by room (because it's expensive), but I also want the kids to learn to be responsible enough to turn OFF the lights when we leave a room. And me. I want to learn it too.

Easter is almost upon us and I haven't done any of the clever Easter activities with the kids I had planned on. Since the boys' visit schedule changed again, for the second time in two weeks, I may be able to fit some in this week since we won't be schlepping them back and forth during the week.

I also have this awesome "I spy" bottle activity that I've wanted to do for a long time...and I'd like to get that in so they can use the bottles as an in-car activity as we travel next weekend. Sigh. We'll see. The last couple weeks have been stressful in a lot of ways- and emotional stress just adds to the other stress. I'm very thankful this weekend is pretty uneventful. I think we all needed some down time. We've got another several busy weeks ahead of us until the blessing that is the month of May comes. I feel like it is the light at the end of my busy tunnel and I'm looking forward to it. Not that we won't be busy- but some things will lift, and it will help tremendously.

I'm thankful that I have a God who is bigger than my situation- whatever it may be. I had a poignant conversation with Phoebe today about some "hard" things in life, and how often God calls us to do hard things, but He equips us to do them.

School Choice

2012-03-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to be guest blogging over at epicparent.tv about school choice...come on over and check it out!

Ribbons!

2012-02-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

This is just a great Pinterest idea that I did and had to share...with scrapbooking (which I haven't done in ages) and other crafty things, I had tons of ribbon bits that were all tangled up and annoying. THEN I stumbled upon this fabulous idea...check it out! (It works like a dream! And looks pretty too!)

I have been working to organize my craft stuff in this weird room we have upstairs. It used to be a (tiny) kitchen when previous owners had the back part of the house turned into an apartment. We opened it up and use the whole house, but this room had a kitchen sink and a few cupboards in it. DH uses it as his sink area to get ready in the morning. Since he has recently started making his own beer and has to have a warm place for the beer to sit and turn into beer, this room is also the spot for that--mostly since it is warm and not a place where the kids go. So his stuff only takes up a little tiny part of the room. I have usurped the rest of the room as my craft space. So far, I'm liking it a lot. :) I've done a few projects that I'll try to take pictures of and post. Mostly it's just nice to have a place to put all this stuff. Apparently ribbon has been a thorn in my side for awhile, because I was also deliriously happy to work this out for the spools:

It's not a great picture, but you get the idea. The bar and the hangy things are from Ikea (LOVE Ikea!) and they are SUPER cheap...I think the bar was $2.99 and each of the hangy things was $1.99. Not only are they organized, but now I can just neatly thread them down without even having to take them out!

I love to organize things!

Boxes

2012-01-21T14:46:00.001-05:00

One of my goals for 2012 is to stop just thinking of great activities to do with the kids, but actually do some. I love, love, love Pinterest and have found SO many wonderful things on there. It's like reading all the great ideas people post on blogs all at once, and actually being able to remember where they are when you are ready to do them! I've even started a "Done!" board so I can move over things that I have actually done! (If you need an invite to get started on Pinterest, just send me a message!)

Anyway, today was one of the days I decided to DO something with the kiddos. We had tons of boxes left over from Christmas, so I decided we would make box-houses! Got the idea from here (through Pinterest, of course).

The kids had a great time with it. It took some time on my part with a blade and some duct tape, but it was definitely worth it! The kids really got creative with them and were well-occupied with a great activity!

"Mom, don't freak out"

2012-01-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

Just what every parent wants to hear.

Side note... and this is to MY mother...Mom, don't freak out.

Naomi and Phoebe have started piano lessons with Jon. The girls were practicing piano for a bit and suddenly Naomi came running in. "Mom, don't freak out when you see this, but I thought of a GREAT way to teach Phoebe this song!" I went in to the piano.

What did I see? Stickers color coding some of the keys.

What did I do? I freaked out.

You have to understand the piano situation in my life. My mother is a professional pianist. The piano we currently have is an upright Steinway that my mom got from her aunt when she turned 16. It has traveled with my parents back and forth across the country as they moved. It has traveled with us (when we inherited it after my mom got her baby grand) back and forth across the country as we moved. It has come close to demise in an apartment building stairwell more than once, but has survived.

And I know the rules well.

The piano has to be on an inside wall, but not by a heater.
No food or drink near the piano, and definitely no food or drink ON the piano.
You wash your hands before you play the piano.
No decorative items or tchotchkes on the piano.
The piano is not a toy, it is an instrument.
You don't just bang on it, you play it.
You gently dust the keys- all use of cleaner of any type is prohibited.

And certainly, certainly... no stickers on the keys! That one doesn't even make the official and oft-repeated list because it is SUCH an egregious and flagrant error that it is just known that no one, unless they were some type of insane instrument-torturer would even conceive of the idea of doing something so horrific. But back to the story...

To my credit, I didn't TOTALLY freak out. I said "OH honey!" in a horrified voice and put my hands to my face. Just like my mom would have. Immediately Naomi started crying, and I knew even that had been to harsh. I took her in my arms and hugged her. I told her that it was a wonderful, creative idea of a way to teach Phoebe a song, and I was so glad she'd thought of it, but no, we couldn't have stickers on the keys. As a peace offering, I told her we would pull out the old keyboard ($4 at Goodwill) and she could put the stickers on there. That seemed to satisfy her and as we both calmed down, I apologized for freaking out.

As much as we want to take good care of the things that we have, they are just things after all. We can't take 'em with us. Even a Steinway. And it wasn't as if she was flagrantly treating the piano poorly. In fact, she was thinking and acting kindly toward her sister, taking a gentle leadership role to teach her...pouring good things into their relationship...which is something worth far more than any instrument. That instrument could be gone in the blink of an eye by theft or fire (well...not in the blink of an eye by theft I guess, it is HEAVY...so perhaps we could say "over the course of an afternoon when no one is home and the neighbors are completely unaware of what is going on"...but you get my drift), but the relationship between two sisters, as well as the one between a mother and her daughter have eternal value.

That is where I want my focus to be. On the relationship. Not the stuff.

So everyone (and by everyone, I mean my mom) can breathe easier, I will tell you that the stickers came off quickly and easily.

Crisis averted.

PS: Name this movie quote: "But that's a priceless Steinway!" "Not anymore."

Annual Interviews

2012-01-07T21:46:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh! I just did our 1st Annual Interviews with the kids (actually--I think I did one a few years ago just with Naomi, but this year I did it with all six kiddos). It was hilarious and SO CUTE. I totally wish I had videotaped them too in addition to writing them down. Next year I will. I put pictures of them below. The questions may be particularly hard to read, but here is the link to the website where I got them. The kids also drew a self-portrait up in the corner. These are just priceless! I wish I had started years ago!

Quotes

2011-12-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Our Oldest Boy is quite a character. He is the most inquisitive person I know...I'm glad he is curious, but I do think his unending questions are a defense mechanism to avoid talking about the more serious things that are going on in his life. But that's not what this post is about...it is about the astonishing things that come out of his mouth. Here is a brief smattering...

(at dinner) "How many people here wish dogs had hands? Because I sure do!"
(at church, when the pastor asked everyone to consider what they might ask of God) "I would ask that my feet would be 3 sizes too big for these shoes!"
(in the car) "I wish I was made of P-URE crystal!"
(at dinner) "Raise your hand if you wish you were cold-blooded!"

Allowing gun play or not allowing gun play...that is the question

2011-12-13T13:01:00.000-05:00

I keep coming back to this question lately in parenting. It's all new to me with boys now, of course. My girls never wanted to play with guns, or even really thought about them at all. But now they are front and center...frequently.

I have nothing against guns per se, and had I the pleasure of raising these boys from birth, it might be a different story. Unfortunately, the situation I find myself in is that their only real experience with guns is shooting things with a BB gun and playing "Call of Duty." I know. Rated M for Mature for a reason. Trust me, that is not happening in our house.

I know that boys have the inborn desire to conquer and to compete, but I just want it to come about in the right attitude--that of heroism and rescue and protection...not aggression, violence and anger. How do I make that happen? I've wrestled with the idea of getting the boys little green army men to play with for Christmas...and decided against it. I'm feeling more drawn to cowboy-themed play as well as knights...if there must be fighting and duels, at least those seem a little more civilized to me for some reason or another. I don't want to girlify my boys, but I do want them to have an accurate understanding of guns and how/why they should be used.

My husband is not a hunter, and he was never in the military, and we do not own a gun. Some good friends of mine have suggested getting someone who was (or is) in the military to talk with the boys about it (particularly Oldest Boy--who seems the most obsessed). He seems convinced that it's all about blowing people up and stabbing them and if you go into the army you will definitely die. I've tried to tell him that most people in the military do NOT die, and in fact, I know several personally who were or are in the military who are still very much alive, and also that the military's main goal is to protect people, and that they try to work things out with words first. (I hope that last part is true.) I don't think he believes me. I also may have a hunter discuss guns and gun safety with him. We'll see.

The boys have a hearing coming up, and things may be exactly the same, or they may change...I think I'll put off gun-training for awhile to see what happens at the hearing and then go from there.

I'd love any thoughts you might like to share on gun-play for young boys.

DIY Christmas

2011-12-06T14:03:00.000-05:00

I am getting SO SO SO excited about a DIY Christmas!

Money is a little tight this Christmas...partly due to a few large car repair bills we've just had. But also, as you know from my last post on gifts, that we are re-thinking gifts and gift-giving this year. I do want my kids to give each other gifts, as well as the adults in our family, so where does that leave us? With a DIY Christmas. Thanks to my new best friend Pinterest and my long-standing good friend Google, I am finding all sorts of good ideas! In fact, I'm having to reign in myself from going crazy with wanting to make gifts now for everyone!

This website I stumbled upon: http://blogs.babble.com/the-new-home-ec/2011/11/09/25-diy-gifts-for-little-dudes/ has some GREAT ideas for gifts for boys. I'm trying to find things that the girls can help me make for the boys and vice versa. I think it is SO much easier to come up with things for girls, don't you? There are about a bajillion websites out there with how to make cute headbands, jewelry, princess skirts, felt food, and all sorts of things. Boys are more difficult. Men are the most difficult. I did find this website as well as this one that had some pretty good ideas for men.

Anyway, it should be fun making the stuff...I'll have to post later (no promises) to show what we made. It will be nice time for me to spend with the kids making things for others, and it will be fun for them to give gifts that they actually made!

Bang

2011-12-05T20:37:00.000-05:00

Okay, I think I've decided that I do like my bangs after all, so I am going to share a picture with you. :)

Sometimes things get you thinking....

2011-11-21T23:40:00.001-05:00

Little guy's first day at the new Head Start went well! It is definitely a relief for me. :) I can't believe this week is Thanksgiving! Crazy.

I bought my first Christmas present today--heelys for the two older boys. I know...what am I thinking?! Well, I'm thinking that last year I let the girls ride their scooters and use roller skates inside but there is NO WAY that is happening this year...but I might be able to handle heelys. At least they can stop more easily...and I can always confiscate the wheels and then they still have a nice pair of sneakers. :)

So what about Christmas presents this year?

This picture has nothing to do with this entry...just a cute pic from the fall. :)

I saw this today and it got me thinking. I've wanted to do something like this for awhile...have some sort of direction for gift-giving, but I haven't really committed to anything yet. (Check out this and this for some more insightful thoughts about gifts for your kids...)

Why think about it?

Practically and Educationally...
I already try to stay away from things that are plastic (that's a tough one to avoid, I think) and ESPECIALLY things that require batteries. I think batteries are a pretty good way to separate the worst toys from those that are better. Of course there are exceptions (we have really liked our tag readers and our vtech cameras), but in general--you've probably heard the saying "the more the toy does, the less the child does" and I definitely agree with that. Also- these are the gifts that just keep on taking...you have to keep replacing those batteries. Ugh.

If our children are going to play with things- we, as their parents have a responsibility not only to keep the wrong kind of play things out of their hands, but to put the right ones in their hands. Those that, as they play with them, will help them to connect synapses in their brain, expand their imagination and creativity, and help them practice working out life.

My children see very few commercials--something I am extremely thankful for. I can still remember Naomi being about 20 months old and seeing a string of commercials...after each commercial she said "I want a (fill in the blank...whatever the commercial was for." And it wasn't even kids stuff...one was for a Honeybaked Ham Turkey (it was Thanksgiving time) and she said "I wish I had a turkey like that!" That whole scenario made a big impact on me and really opened my eyes to how even tiny children can be massively affected by marketing. When giving gifts- this situation is actually really helpful because my kids don't always really know what they "want." They aren't aware of all the things that are out there. Of course, if they look through a catalog or go to a store with me, they can come up with lots of ideas, but it actually gives me a lot of freedom to choose gifts for them that I believe to be good choices.

The essence of a gift...
When you think back to your childhood...what gifts do you even remember getting? What are the ones that you used, and used and used? What are the ones that you (or your parents) have saved for your own children?

There are very few Christmas gifts that I really remember from my childhood. I remember The Heart Family (Barbies) and a pair of black jeans (I think that one is just a fluke). I remember my 10-speed bicycle. From my teen years- I remember the gold necklace from my father, my Aiwa stereo, and my Nikon camera. I think that's all I really remember! Kind of crazy...and the interesting thing is-- the Heart Family is alive and well at my parents house, and the my girls play with them when we're there (as a mom- I'm not such a big fan of Barbies anymore, so we don't have any at our house) the 10-speed is in our garage, and the Aiwa stereo is on top of my refrigerator (CD player doesn't work anymore, but now I play my iPhone through it!). I'm sure the black jeans were given to the Salvation Army years ago, I had the Nikon camera until Jon and I got a digital camera, and I had the necklace until just a few years ago.

Not every gift we give our kids has to be deep and meaningful and something that they'll still have as adults- but I think if we make intentional, conscious choices, we won't end up wasting our money and our gift-giving opportunities on just stuff. Stuff that just takes up room, gets broken or lost, and of course, requires batteries.
(Disclaimer: I think my parents did a good job with this--my recollection of gifts was not to put down their gift choices.)

I love the idea of experience gifts. A vacation...a season pass to the zoo...tickets to something special. This year my in-laws are taking all of us to see a show at Sight and Sound theater. I am SO excited about this--it's something I've wanted to do for years, and I think it is a fabulous gift! My sisters-in-law and I just recently decided that instead of exchanging gifts for our kids this year, we are going to spend a day at a bounce-house place or something like that instead. Those are the gifts that they will remember the most! And they are building relationships along the way. My own parents made every effort to have us travel a lot when we were growing up--often that was part of our Christmas or birthday gifts--and those are certainly experiences that will last a lifetime.

Don't get me wrong- I'm not opposed to gifts. God is a gift-giver, so giving gifts puts me in good company! I just think we need to actually consider what we are doing and saying by the gifts we give--which leads me to the next point..

And then there is the moral and ethical impact of buying gifts.
Plastic. I'm thankful for the invention of plastic, but when it comes to toys, thumbs down. I'm so drawn to toys made of natural materials...wool, wood, linen, silk. Things that won't be in a landfill for the next ten thousand years. It is all SO expensive, though...and where can you find a wooden bathtub for your American Girl doll? (I should check that out before I write it...I be there are some on etsy.com) I have to remind myself to take baby steps.

As Jon and I have become and are becoming more aware of injustice in the world and our own irresponsibility as a nation, we have started sharing some of that with the kids. Jon recently had some discussions with the kids about child slave labor in other countries, and it has definitely had an impact. Naomi has started asking if things are made in China, and if they were made by child slaves. I don't want to freak her out, but I also want her to grow up aware of the world around her, and be someone who fights against injustice and pleads the case of the poor and needy, the orphan and the widow. I don't think we have the luxury to let our children grow up ignorant and self-centered as is typical of most people in our country. I dropped off all the Operation Christmas Child boxes from our church today (I was THRILLED that we had 58 this year!) and was able to even have a chat about needy children with Phoebe and Esther. It's hard for them to imagine not having toys...or not having food. Phoebe was especially struck about the thought of kids not having food...and not being able to just go to the store and buy food. She started thinking of how we could put food in the shoeboxes. :) We may go back and try to revisit that idea and look through the Operation Christmas Child catalog for other ways to give.

Ultimately we vote every day, with every dollar that we spend. What are we voting for?

My Day

2011-11-17T16:27:00.000-05:00

7:42 I leave the house with youngest 3 kids in tow to take Phoebe to preschool. As we're outside, we see a cat that has been prowling around and we found out belongs to one of Jon's students. We stick the cat in the garage.
8:09 I arrive back home and I call the owners of the cat to tell them we have him in our garage and they can come get him.
8:10 I listen to a phone message that says Phoebe has a field trip today but no permission slip. I call back- thankfully I can give permission over the phone. I deal with a slight amount of guilt over this and that I am not going with her to watch pizza being made.
8:13 I look at the clock think I have just enough time to cut myself the bangs I've been hankering for before I have to take W--how about if I call him "Little Guy" from now on-- to the Head Start bus. As I go to get the scissors and Esther is headed into the bathroom (so she won't have an accident while we wait for the bus) I hear someone screaming bloody murder. I hustle toward the sound to find that Esther has shut the bathroom door in Little Guy's face, closing his fingers in the hinge-side of the door. Quickly, I open the door, run his fingers under cold water and then put an ice pack on. He's crying and crying, and I cuddle with him. No blood- just dents and swelling. Now here is one of those times when the "just treat them like your own kids" recommendation doesn't work. If this were one of my daughters, I would have kept an eye on their fingers, their use of them, and their general demeanor. But- with foster kids, any questionable type of injury you typically have to take them to the doctor right away.
8:20 Esther is jealous of the attention Little Guy is getting and starts throwing a fit because I won't stop taking care of him and paint her fingernails
8:21 I called our case aid and case worker to report the injury- it was recommended to me that I take him in.
8:23 I call the doctor and got an appointment at 9:45. This day is not turning out the way I planned. I remember to hold my plans with an open palm...I have the time to do what He has planned for me to do today...take a deep breath...
8:25 I call my friend to see if I could bring Esther to her house during the appointment. (She says yes).
8:28 I call Head Start to say explain the situation and tell them that assuming he's okay, I'll be bringing him late.
8:45 As I'm trying to get ready and get out the door, the phone rings. I answer the phone (why?? Oh the tyranny of the urgent) and hide in the bathroom so I can hear...Little Guy is crying because of his injury, Esther is crying about nail polish...it is Human Services with some information about some respite care for the boys after Thanksgiving. So I don't have to enter the cry zone, I use my eyeliner pencil and the back of a magazine to write down the info. I am thankful to find something to write with, and I am thankful for the respite care so Jon and I can have a few days to ourselves...who knows when that will happen again!
9:08 I drop of Esther
9:45 We arrive at the doctor's office- thankfully they say that it is not broken and we don't even need an x-ray, but it will probably get bruised and look worse before it looks better. His use of those fingers has improved just in the ride over.
10:45 Drop off Little Guy for his last day at his current Head Start (he starts at the new location on Monday)
11:30 Pick up Phoebe from preschool
11:45 Pick up Esther from my friends' house...stay and chat awhile...I end up paying her $20 for her dry sink which we load up into my van.
12:45 Arrive back home...hear on the phone messages that the cat owners came and got him and are thrilled to have him back. :)
1:10 I rush my girls through eating lunch (ummmm...cereal) and down for a quick nap
2:00 Wake the girls up to go get Little Guy from the Head Start bus. He was fast asleep and drooling. :) I'm very glad we're switching times for Head Start...he'll be able to have a proper nap at home each day.
2:45 Arrive back home with all 3 littles. Whew.
3:00 I stand in front of the bathroom mirror, holding my hair-cutting scissors and debating whether or not I should chop myself some bangs. I haven't had a real haircut since May. I'm bored with my hair and I don't see a trip to the salon in my immediate future. Snip, snip, snip. Hmmm...they are shorter than I thought they would be. Note to self: It is not a good idea to give yourself bangs. Oh, well. It's only hair. It will grow--and this is not the worst mistake I ever made with my hair.

Oh yeah...the breakfast dishes. Well, I think I'll sit down and write a blog entry instead.

Jumping back in...and rambling

2011-11-16T07:43:00.000-05:00

I want to start writing here more frequently, I really do. But it's finding the time, of course. I thought I was busy BEFORE we got 3 boys...! Adding 3 children into our mix has definitely added more than 3x the busyness I had before, but it's all starting to fall into place now--a new normal. We just got our youngest little guy transferred to a different Head Start facility that has hours closer to that of Phoebe's preschool, so I won't have to do quite as much running back and forth during the day to pick people up and drop people off. All the littles will be able to have a proper nap in the afternoon, and I will have slightly larger chunks of time during the day in which to accomplish things....I would love it if one of those things could be blogging! I like to be able to keep a record of what is going on with us--of course, I have to be careful with privacy policies and everything for the boys, so I can't always share everything, but I also like to be able to keep friends and family abreast of what is going on. And writing is cathartic for me.

Soo- hopefully I will be able to do that soon. I am currently out of town for 24 hours for a meeting regarding Children's Ministry for the Vineyard in our region. It is nice to stay in a clean, quiet hotel room...but I still woke up early, even without a nagging alarm saying I had six kids to get ready and out the door by 7:30. Jon is holding down the fort by himself today, so you can pray for him if you think of it! It's one thing to do it on a weekend...it's another to do it on a normal school day!

On the drive up here I was able to listen to several episodes of "This American Life," which I quite enjoyed. Not something I get to do often. :) I told my mom recently that I will have to stop buying books and only buy recorded books...because I can't sit and read...but I can "read" while I clean the kitchen, and that may be the best I can do right now! :) I did just order and put on my iPhone "Bringing Up Girls" by Dr. Dobson, and it seems good so far. I also ordered "Bringing Up Boys," but found that it was abridged, so I want to return it and see if I can find the unabridged version. Why do they abridge books? I don't understand that.

This past weekend we celebrated Phoebe's 5th birthday with my family, and will have another celebration this coming weekend with Jon's family. Hard to believe she's 5 already! I'll try to share some pics in another post. My sister Mary was here and she showed me how to knit (again) and I started a project (again). Finishing them seems to be my trouble, but this one is just a scarf, so hopefully I can follow through. I am using this absolutely gorgeous hand-spun yarn I got at the Mother Earth News Fair back in September. So maybe I'll have a new scarf before it gets warm again!

Well, I better get out of this cozy hotel bed and into the shower to get ready for the day! So long for now.

Friday

2011-11-03T20:53:00.000-04:00

This is a post that I wrote (and didn't publish) back on September 2 I'm thankful that I can say that it has gotten better...but this is the reality of how I felt that day.

"I'm not doing too well."

That's what I said to my husband at lunch today as I called, sobbing. Another appointment this morning...this one in my home...with the people from Head Start, here to register W. She started at 8:30, (as we had scheduled) and I had the three little ones here. I discovered that two more people were coming, too, and everyone was here until almost 11:00. I had NO idea it was going to be that long. The kids were busy getting into mischief without me available to watch over them as much and Phoebe ended up biting W while they were here, so I had to deal with that in addition to trying to seem like I had it together so they didn't think I was a terrible mom/foster mom. More scheduling things...more appointments...more phone calls to make. No, I'm not allowed to bring the girls with me when I have to go spend the morning at Head Start...so now I have to plan for (and pay) a sitter.

Bio parents have rights too. They had to be asked if the boys can play soccer...and now want to come to their practices and games- but I don't want to baby-sit them. Judy is trying to work it out.

What have I gotten us into? I'm overwhelmed.

My house is a mess. I have laundry piled up. The girls (myself included) are emotional- acting out in ways they haven't for a long time. I'm irritated, tired, frustrated, lonely. You name it.

The Package

2011-09-05T11:01:00.000-04:00

A large package arrives in the mail.

It is addressed to my husband. I think nothing of it because he often gets large packages in the mail--usually band equipment, so I set it on his desk.

He arrives home later and the following conversation ensues:

J: "What's this?"
C: "I don't know. It came in the mail today. I thought you would know what it was."

We both stare at the package.

J: "Do you think it's a bomb? Am I bomb-worthy?"

I chuckle, but this new angle is something I didn't consider. Of course, that's ridiculous, but still... We stare at the package again. There is a clear return address and name in the corner...someone we've never heard of.

Somewhat (though not trying to appear so) cautiously, we open the box.

J: "It's a sleeping bag!?"
C: "A sleeping bag?" Then the lightbulb goes on. "Oh! I know what that is! It's a birthday gift for one of the boys--mom bought it on ebay! She must have sent it directly here."

We laugh, and move on with our day. Crisis averted.

Welcome to the Jungle!

2011-08-25T18:47:00.000-04:00

I picked this gorgeous picture of Lake Michigan from our trip this summer because of the incredible calm and peace I felt as I took it.

I have dreaded these past two weeks.

As I mentioned in a previous post, we now have 3 foster boys, M is 8, G is 6 and W is 3. So we now have stairstep kids: 8, 7, 6, 4 (soon to be 5), 3, and 2 (soon to be 3). It's almost like having 3 sets of twins...or at least what I imagine that would be like.

We got them in the beginning of August, and we knew they were coming. We had had them for shorter periods of time in July so we could all get used to each other and transition from their previous foster home to ours.

Once again we are back in the fostering swing, except this time it's 3 kids instead of one...doctors appointments, therapy sessions, visits, phone calls and the army of people who are somehow connected with their case. It is dizzying.

On a very practical note- I am extremely thankful for my iphone, which helps me keep all this information (minus the paperwork) in one neat little package that I always have with me!

So why have I been dreading these past two weeks? I'll tell you. My husband went back to work (he is a teacher). Last week he had band camp 9-4 each day. This week he has had inservice 8-3:30 and then band camp from 6-8:30. And the kids don't go back to school till Monday. That's right...I've been home all day with all 6 kids, and putting everyone to bed each night this week all.by.my.self. And you know how I feel about bedtime.

I've adopted an "embrace the pain" philosophy...I wanted to make this time happen rather than letting it happen to me. I've tried to plan the days- more structured time works better for everyone-- as well as planning "outings" on some of the days...just to get us out of the house.

I've also (and most importantly) been getting up earlier to seek the Lord each day (as I should be all the time!) and ask Him for help.

Isn't it funny how we pray and then we're surprised when it happens?

So honestly, this time has been way better than I anticipated...fun even (at times). :)

Tonight I'm dragging a little...and so I have escaped to the computer for a moment of solitude and writing therapy while the kids are roller skating in the hall, among other things. 'Cause it's 6:33pm, and bedtime is looming. I'll have to be "on" once again in just a few minutes...or as soon as I hear screaming.

This fostering has been emotionally draining, and I'm sure this is just the start. I told DH that I have been more emotional in the last month than I have in the last 10 years, and I think that's pretty accurate...but that's a whole other story.

I won't lie- I'm looking forward to school starting on Monday. I'll have 3 off to school full day, 1 to preschool 2 half-days a week, 1 in Head Start (which doesn't start till Sept 13), and 1 still home with me full time. I don't think our schedule will be more relaxed...but at least it will be a schedule. I don't do well with unstructured time. Well, I enjoy it-- but I don't accomplish much. This is something at which I would like to get better. I'm always ready for the structure that a new school year brings after the summer.

Did I mention that in the short time the boys have been with us we've had to take all 6 kids in for 4 sets of rabies shots? No? Well that story is soon to come...

Wisconsin 2011

2011-08-24T09:07:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful time, as usual, in Wisconsin this year!

We got to spend some wonderful time with my older brother, Glenn, who we don't see often.

After we went on a tour of the wildlife refuge center, the girls created their own! (I'm not sure what Naomi's gangsta pose it all about!)

Grandpa took each of the girls fishing...and each one got a big bass! We had them for dinner! :)

We had fun horseback (or ponyback in this case) riding! I couldn't take a picture of Essie on hers because I spent all the time keeping him in line! He was a little wild...and my mom got a kick out of watching me try to control him...while trying to keep Essie on the pony as well!

The kids are getting big enough (hooray!) that the adults are able to sit and watch them play at the lake beach, but still enjoy some relaxing time! :)

Dr. Brynn is taking care of her grandma (my aunt Barb) at the Children's Museum!

My cousin, his wife and their son going fishing at the Children's Museum.

Essie seemed like such a real, efficient, pioneer mama at the cabin in the Children's Museum!

The best picture (of MANY taken) of the 7 second cousins.

Matching shorts! And they didn't even plan it...:)

Our "everyone" (except me and my grandparents) picture at Paul Bunyan's on the last day.

Monday

2011-08-15T07:52:00.000-04:00

Ephesians 6:10-17

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish al the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I just listened last evening to a Focus on the Family radio broadcast by Ken Davis, the well-known Christian comedian. It was funny, but also poignant. He discussed the nature of sheep and their need for a shepherd.

When the lion comes to steal, kill and destroy, the sheep cannot fight for themselves, they MUST run to the shepherd.

Often, we underestimate the power of the enemy. I don't want to give him glory in anyway, but the Word of God is clear about Satan's intentions and about his craftiness. We need to be on the alert. We need to be ready to run to our Shepherd. Those who lag behind will be easily picked off.

We now have 3 foster boys. If you're counting, that means we have six kids total. This is definitely what I want...but it is hard.

I need a Shepherd. We all do.

Climbing Tree

2011-06-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Last time my parents were here, we asked my dad to clean up the low-hanging branches on some of our trees with his chainsaw. After he had done this, we realized that one tree (which turned out to be a cherry tree...that may or may not end up giving us some cherries in a year, now that it's been pruned!) looked like it had the potential to be a great climbing tree for our girls. So my dad proceeded to clear out all the little, cluttery branches on the inside of the tree that might get in the way of climbing (or poke an eye out!) and we ended up with a beautiful climbing tree! The girls (especially Naomi, who can now climb up and down with no assistance) have had a blast climbing up and down! My mom told my girls that when she was pregnant with me, someone asked her why she wanted to have kids, and she answered "So I have someone to climb trees with!" :) Such an awesome, authentic, childhood play experience! I love it! Thanks Dad!

Rainy Day in June

2011-06-22T00:01:00.002-04:00

What do you know, there really is a treasure chest at the end of the rainbow! This was probably the brightest, longest-lasting rainbow I have ever witnessed. It was even a double for awhile.