Spring Break

I've been doing more reading lately, largely due to my stopping Facebook and TV.  It's amazing how much time I have to do Bible reading and read enriching books.  I met a guy the other day at the paint counter at Home Depot that spoke 5 languages including sign language.  It inspired me to start learning languages again.  I have wanted to speak Spanish for a long time and now I'm going to work on this goal.  We can all have goals. Here are some of the books I've read recently.

Hillbilly Elegy was a recommendation from a friend and I finished it in two days.  I thought it was very interesting, but it did have some language in it.  

This one was one I picked up very quickly at a library visit.  I loved it.  It was a very light read and you really get a sense that you have spent some time with Betty White when you read her words.  She is such an interesting and inspiring person.  I find her spark for life amazing.  It's probably what has kept her young all the years.

I just finished this book.  It is not light reading and I had to set it down sometimes and think things out, I thought it was great.  It really inspired me to want the Holy Spirit to be evident in my life on a daily basis and to seek out His work and join in.  I really like Francis Chan.  I feel like I could be his friend and have great conversations.

Gwen asked me if she could have my fuzzy pink robe.  It's about 20 times too big for her but she loves it.  I thought it was so cute how she woke up and wore it yesterday.  It suits her.  She's into fuzzy, pink, luxurious things.  

Romy helped me make muffins last night.  She loves cooking.  The other two kids have no interest really, but Romy loves it.

How could I say no to this face asking if she can help me???

This morning Gwen made some toast for me as a thank you for the hard work I'm putting into painting her room.  I thought it was so sweet and reminded me that everyone likes to be thanked.

Romy got a paint roller and put a ball on top and made it into a microphone.  Kids are surprising and fun and wonderful if you stop to notice them.  No wonder Jesus wanted them around.  She came out into the hallway and said "mom" and I turned around and she sang into her "microphone"- "Hallelujah".

We went to the library for their celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

A Blast From the Past

I went to the library today and I saw a name on a CD that caught my attention.  It said the name "Nicholas Gunn".  I rented the CD, but then I looked online and was pleasantly surprised that someone put the whole cassette tape I owned in the early 90's on youtube.  I loved this cassette.  It made me happy and you know what?  Still does.  It's beautiful!  Enjoy!

Thoughts

I'm going through the Purpose Driven Life devotional for Lent and I came across this verse I really liked.  I shared it with my mom's group co-coordinator and we think we may use it as a theme for next year.  I liked the coupling of strong and gentle.  

Zeke drew an elephant.  I'm not sure being an artist is his calling.

It's Spring Break here, and while others are traveling and doing wonderful projects with their children, it took us half the day for cleaning up of rooms and getting dressed.  The older two did very well.  It is Romy that I will tell her to clean up the toys in her room and she sits down and plays.  She then gets a consequence (time out) which... you guessed it... takes time.  Then I sit in her room and make her clean it up and finish getting ready.  I had this wonderful idea that while we are having spring break that every morning we would sing a worship song together.  By the end of the worship song today all three of mine were in their rooms, which again, takes time.  I'm feeling like I'm not really accomplishing much, but that's motherhood.  One step forward, then 20 minutes standing still correcting and teaching, and then one step forward and sometimes backward.  It's nuts.

Actually, during this week we are painting the kids rooms and sprucing them up.  Maybe we will get to the zoo one day and maybe Legoland the next.

Lent

This year Ben and I are doing Lent.  Meaning, we have decided to take a break from some things.  We made a commitment to take a break from TV and from Facebook during the 40 days of Lent.  I also have been going through the Purpose Driven Life book which is a 40 day devotional.  It has felt good.
Although on Sundays we can "feast day" it and watch a little TV, I have found that after a week of doing this that I don't really want to watch it.  By then I'm into some book or doing some other task.
I'm finding that I get tired sooner in the night and going to bed around 9pm.  That's not usually my norm, so this Lenten exercise has given me time back to go to bed early, sit and talk with Ben undistracted, focus my attention on the kids when they come home.  I do still get distracted in prayer and Bible reading, so maybe I could come up with some strategies for combating that.  This life is short and I don't want to waste it on wondering what everyone else is doing.  The thing that always shocks me about taking a break from social media is how rarely I am contacted by others.  I mean, besides my family and my neighbor, it is rare.

These beautiful eggs were gifted to me by someone at church who has chickens.  They are almost too beautiful to eat... almost.

I caught them getting along and digging together.  It's so nice when a parent can see the love between siblings.  I want that so much.

 

Marching In

I can barely believe it is March.  So much life has flown by in everyday moments, preparing meals, sleeping, showering, planning, working, homework, encouragement, discipline, tears, laughs, you name it.  One thing that recently happened is that I told Gwen about the "birds and bees".  I wasn't really planning on having that conversation that night, but we were just casually talking about the boy that Gwen "loves" and then she mentioned that some girls in her class had kissed a boy.  I asked her if she was planning on kissing a boy and she said "yes" with a smile.  The thing about that conversation that struck me is the look on her face.  When she really "got it" and asked about several couples including daddy and I.  The innocence she had before and the knowledge she now has and the look of shock on her face was something I'll always remember.  I found out about sex in third grade too- from a fellow classmate.  I am very grateful that I was the one to begin to tell her about that subject and tell her that God invented it to be a pure and loving act. 

At the preschool I teach at they have these plastic meatballs.  They make me laugh. 

I'm very ready for spring and growing things.  I made this wreath recently.  I added some daffodils to it the other day.

I saw this on Gwen's homework... very telling don't you think?

I took the kids to the zoo on a day off of school.  I love looking at the orangutans.

This is a golden pheasant.  It is absolutely beautiful!

My mom's group did a service project where we put bags of food together to give to a local ministry partner that helps the needy.

Romy had her first visit to the dentist yesterday.  She was feeling very important and loved the balloon and prize she got.

Zeke.  He is such a funny little guy.  He has recently been dressing up just for laughs.  He jumps on the trampoline like this, and takes out the recycling like this.  I just let him because soon it won't be like that. 

 

February Times

This year, these weeks, they are flying.  Some days though, moments stand still and I stop and appreciate them.  That's partly why I do this blog- to remember the good moments and learn from the bad. 

Here's Romy and her friend Claire playing princesses. 

Zeke is working hard on his sight words as he is still inching along with reading progress.

This cat... Max.  He is enjoying his life here I think.  I am ready for his claws to be out.  He climbs curtains and bats me as I come down the stairs in the morning.  I try to remember that he's still young and frisky and he doesn't get out much. (or at all) Here's Romy tending to him.  He gets "tended" often.

Romy playing.

I am working twice a week at a preschool and there is a child in my class that looks quite a bit like Romy.  Here they are together.  They could be sisters I think.

Grandma Georgie was in the hospital after having a knee replacement and having back pain.  We went to visit her.

Ben is the children's story teller at the new church plant we are a part of.  It's a big responsibility, but he's doing really well.

Claire and Romy again... silly

A friend came to visit and two of her children came along with her.  We went to Aldi one night and they went behind shelves- see their little eyes?

We also went to Ikea- and here are mine enjoying the floor.

Max is so spoiled.  Here he is napping in clothes.

Romy and Larkin

Whit, Romy and Larkin.  It was so nice having them... and no, there isn't a fire in the background.  That's the sunlight.

Napping again- sometimes I wish I was a cat.

Beki had a birthday and I was happy for the challenge to make a from scratch cake.  This one was delicious.

My mom's group learning about conscious discipline.

Gwen made her Valentine's box herself.  I think kids need to do those things-and not parents!