Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Wonderful Wednesday

I am having one of those weeks where I keep cleaning every day, having the children do their chores, yet again each day looking around and thinking, "Hey who trashed my house?!" Well tomorrow we are having company so this should give us more incentive to tidy and keep things tidy!!

I am also trying to pull our school schedule back together. Once and awhile it just goes all haywire. We have been doing all the work we need to do but I have not gotten in that "one on one" time that is so important. I was sticking to 2 strict hours with each child but right now I am looking at what needs to be done each day and how much each child needs of me and scheduling it that way. In the past we have stuck closely to certain hours for school, but I have recently given the children a "heads up" that a certain amount must be done and if that means a bit of work in the evening or on Saturday, than so be it! Thankfully they have fallen in line contentedly understanding that this is all so we can be done by the end of May.

Here is what cracks me up, lately when Christian and Rachel are done with school guess what they choose to do? They play school! Oh my goodness, my brain is ready to explode at the end of the school day, but they are playing school! Of course, in their play they are the teachers and not the students so maybe there is some psychological need to wield the sword of education rather than be on the side of the *wielded* (did I just make up a word?). ;)

I really love this time of year in many ways. They are sick of their few TV shows and the weather isn't always good, so it is a time to be creative. They think more, dream more, imagine more, pursue the arts more. Yes, there are advantages to the "depths of winter!" Perhaps all this creativity is the culprit in the undoing of our clean home. If so then I guess it is worth it!! :)

"The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him." Nahum 1:7

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

"The Journeyman"~What a great book!!

I am reading "The Journeyman" by Elizabeth Yates to my younger children (Though Tyler has now joined us! He could overhear me reading and got hooked!). This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend. It is a coming of age story about a young boy named Jared. Jared has not known much love in his life nor acceptance for his gifts. Everything changes when he becomes an apprentice for a travelling artist. It is with this man that he learns that God has a use for his gifts and he learns to trust God with his future and whatever it brings.

This passage says it all for me:

"It was a night for the stars to bless with light-for Eliza, who through the travail of her body had given a child to the world, and for Jared, who through the travail of his soul was giving a man to the world.

A new life was opening before him, a life without Jennet. At first it seemed huge and bare and lonely, for he had lived with the thought of her for as long as he could remember. But now Jared knew that never again would he feel the whistling wind of fear; never again would he shiver before it. This very night he had reminded Eliza of God's faithfulness; he could trust Him for the years that lay ahead."

This is the lesson I hope I can fully teach my children. Leave room for the will of God. Trust Him to do what is best, even if it is not what you thought. Trust Him for and through your future. I think I was in my 30's before I really began to understand how to trust the Lord fully for my today and tomorrows and not to be given to fear of them. I am sure it is a lesson I keep learning in a deeper way as I walk through life. I hope my children can start the learning of this earlier!

Monday, January 29, 2007

Marvelous Monday

Today is one of those wonderful days when I get to stay home alllll day! I love that. We got quite a bit of school work done, as well as some tidying and dusting. Here is how our day went:

7:30-8 a.m. Getting ready for the day.
8 a.m.-11 a.m. School time.
11 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Lunch time and free time.
1:00 p.m. Tyler back to school and the youngers doing chores.
2:30 p.m. Tyler's chores.
3:00 p.m. Free time.
5:00 p.m. Supper.

Now it is about 6 and Robin has taken the children to the indoor pool down the street. This has become a Monday night tradition for them. They love it and I take the time to take a breather and relax a little. Monday is a perfect day for a few minutes to myself! I still need to pay some bills and I will have a little fun later figuring out this blog!

Have a wonderful day!

"Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him." Psalm 33:1

What's Up?

January is a busy month for me. Not only am I plotting out the rest of our school year and working very hard to have us done by the end of May, but I am also planning our curriculum purchase for the next school year. So there is little time for much else including taking pictures! But here are a few I managed!


Rachel loves art of all kinds. Her current medium is play doh. Here you will see her version of Veggie Tales' "Larry Boy."



We actually had a decent snow fall this month, YAY Maine! The children decided to shovel the driveway for Robin during their school breaks. Though Tyler was not outside when this picture was taken he helped too!


Here is our pup, Dash. He loves it when we are all together at home. Here he is, laying on the back of the loveseat waiting for Robin to return home! From his perch he can see out the window of our door.

Wandering Thoughts

“Gather my thoughts, good Lord, they fitful roam,
Like children bent on foolish wandering,
Or vanity of fruitless wayfaring;
O call them home.

See them, they drift like the wind-scattered foam;
Like wild sea-birds, they hither, thither, fly,
And some sink low, and others soar too high.
O call them home.

My silence speaketh to Thee, but I roam
With my poor silly thoughts, I know not where;
That undistracted I may go to prayer
O call them home.”

by: Amy Carmichael

This blog represents a gathering of my thoughts, memories, and the *stuff* I call *my day*. I pray it will be redeemable and in focus with my Savior. I hope to bring encouragement to those who visit, perhaps a challenge and to exhort myself to stay close to the Lord.