Unexpected guest

Well yesterday about 2:20 someone calls on the phone. They asked if 2 men could escort my new servant, Ms Elite to our house a day earlier! "what time are you thinking?" I asked. I was told, within the hour. COME OVER? NOW? I thought. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU FOR 9 MONTHS, OF COURSE YOU CAN COME OVER NOW- 1 DAY early. After all of this I realized isn't it funny how my dishwasher episode was like a pregnancy. I have been needing one since August. I have been hand washing dishes or leaving them to fester since then. And then finally we have a due date May 29 and the lovely little lady comes a day earlier. But interestingly (is that even a word?) Labor and Delivery were very quiet. The guys who delivered her were very quiet. There was no grunting or yelling or directing when they carried the new dishwasher in or took the old one out. It was the most quiet Labor and Delivery I have attended. Unlike a real baby, My cute little Kenmore Elite is soooooooooooooooooo quiet. My only disappointment is that there is no Fog Horn that bellows "The dishes are now clean, please unload me. The dishes are now clean, please unload me". So my Eeyore kind of Day ended with my long awaited dishwasher to wash at least some of my troubles away.

About today? I figured since it was so hot yesterday and that since I didn't have to wait for the Install guys that I would go donate some books and take the kids to the Y- all day. And what do you know. The wind is blowing and It looks as though its about 6 in the evening and it is raining. Since all of the kiderinos stayed up late last night (disaster), tiredness coupled with the darkness of bedrooms has successfully tricked their little bodies into thinking its still night time. And the usually congested halls that ramble with melodic tunes of laughter, teasing, fighting, playing, banging on pots and pans or instruments, is only filled with the sweet undertones of the rain and the wind accompanied by the clacking of my wonderful little keyboard.

No this is not my minivan! Some homeschoolers do have less than 20 kids. But I can not end today's saga without giving props to Big D. Who took me to drop my car off to a mechanic 1/2 hour a way but not without dropping off Cookie to a friends office because we would not be able to fit all 4 kids in the back of Big D's car after my Minivan (which Rocco calls "The New York Bus", was dropped off. After dropping off the van, we picked up Cookie, and of course there was no room for Big D so, he walked home - in the sun. Then later in the day he co supervised the install and then went to go pick up the van with a neighbor and then after picking it up so graciously picked up a mattress that I ordered for Noahkeem and lugged it upstairs and then watched the kids as a snuck out to Walmart to get a couple things. I must say that the mechanic did a fabulous job. My van glided down the highway, I hardly had to drive it.

Does a goat have 4 stomachs or 4 chambers? I think its 4 chambers. But anyhow, this is a lambs that has been shorn. A couple weeks ago, we had a field trip and part of it was sponsored by the 4H. You know what mesmerizes me about these animals especially sheep? Is there eyes. This little guys eye is a little hard to see but when I look in his eyes, I wonder what is he/she thinking. Is it wondering, "why do I have this orange harness on my head?" or is it wondering, "where am I and how did I get here?" "BAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, BAaaaaaaaaaa".

Now that I got that out. It's time to post the summer schedule again. School will resume promptly in August. But we will have a summer of science. Planets and dinosaurs. Last year we did 3 different vacation Bible Schools, I don't know if we'll do that many this summer but, at least one. Rocco starts T-Ball right before his 5th birthday. The summer reading program at the library is always part of our summer curriculum if you want to call it that. I thought I would get a head start on Rocco's reading program and count that time toward his summer reading program goals.

SO, the hope- notice I didn't say plan is to go to the following places this summer:

• Aquarium
• Air & Space Museum
• The Planetarium
• Washington D.C.
• Florida
• Mexico

I hired Cookie as my office assistant. Filing, purging, and shredding, Maybe using the electrical pencil sharpener here or there. $3 a week! Is that too steep?

We have been saving TV time only for the week end on From Friday to Sunday and the rest of the week no TV. Its been going okay. Cookie really could care less because she likes reading so much. The boys periodically ask to watch during the week. Well back to cleaning up the kitchen. Tomorrow Ms Kenmore Elite will be here... I'm so excited.

Somebody call Animal Control!

The salamander was in my flower bed again! Obviously he likes us and I guess I haven't made it clear enough that I don't care for him. And like a little baby I'm scared to work in any of my flower beds because of this thing. He had the nerve to just be hanging out on the brick edging like he owned the place. I would love to smash it if I knew that blood would not go all over the place and if I wasn't so scared of it. When I saw it I said, " OH COOKIE, THE SALAMANDER!!!!!" and I jumped behind her. She is nearly 8 years old. Here I am a grown woman hiding behind an almost 8 year old. Nevertheless, I went out tonight and bought a trowel and one of those little hand held rakes for digging and planting. I imagine that Adam probably played with this thing in the garden of Eden. I'm so sure he was not scared of it.

To top things off, it seems as though our hermit crab has bit the dust but, the kids haven't noticed yet. I'm done with hermit crabs! We had 4 die over the last year. Everybody is just gonna have to be content having dust bunnies. At least I manage to keep them alive.

Yankee Doodle

Wednesday nights get crazy around here. Rocco and Cookie have youth group and don't end up going to bed until about 9:30. Well last night after everyone was in bed Noahkeem was crying and I came in his room "up" "I want to get out of my crib". So I picked him up brought him to my room and did a couple things then brought him back to his room. I told him I would leave his night light on a but, yet he still said he was scared of the dark. I turned on the "big light" on his shelf and he said that the light helps him to sleep. So, I left out of the room and he and Rocco seemed fine. a few minutes later, I heard some talking and I assumed that Noahkeem was still scared but, I did not go back into the room. I put my ear to the door and the talking stopped. All of a sudden, I heard the sweetest little 4 1/2 year old rendition of Yankee Doodle. Rocco was singing to Noahkeem : ) . "Yankee Doodle went to town riding on a pone eee. Stuck a feather in his hat and called it Macarone eeee". Apparently he was so tired he couldn't remember the next line. So he paused and then sang it again. Then paused again and sang it again. My heart melted. He was trying to help his little bro get to sleep by singing to him. Will he still do this when they are teenagers?

He came out again!

Rocco called me out to the deck today and it was that salamander again! Rocco had a long stick in his hand and I told him not to hit him with it but then it scurried into the bushes. He ran into the same bed that I was going to plant the irises in. Then he ran under the house. All I could think was that this thing was probably under my house laying eggs and when they hatch we are going to have more salamanders in my yard than I care to deal with.

Later on today, Noahkeem told me to follow him to the play room and he took me to the hermit crab tank and what do you know? The hermit crab came out of his shell again! He has been switching back and forth between two shells, the one he's wearing in this picture and the one he came home in. There is only 2 things I want in life: Salamanders who stay in their natural habitat (Not in my yard) and hermit crab who will not play musical shells.

I DONT LIKE ANYTHING THAT MOVES FASTER THAN I DO!

This salamander ran across my porch today twice while I was sitting on the bench swing. I was completely grossed out because it was thick, long, ugly and fast. Last week the same one walked in to Big D's office as if he owned the place and by some miracle of second thoughts, he turned around and went back out the door. I don't know much about these things and don't care to. It just makes me feel like not gardening in fear that he will creep up on my back or run across my hands while I'm digging in the soil. There are some irises in the front that I was going to uproot and replant in the bed around the deck but now, I don't even want to get down on my hands and knees in any body's garden.

My own convention

This picture to the left is from the state fair last year. This is how God holds me. His hand is around me to secure me and beneath me just in case I begin to feel that the rug has been pulled from underneath me. He is my foundation.

Well yesterday as I was cleaning organizing decluttering and all that good stuff. I popped in a tape by.... I don't remember her name but, I know it was from 1990. The seminar was entitled, Designing your own curriculum. Well let me tell you, it was chock full of info that I needed and some ideas that were helpful too. The day before that I was listening to a tape from Dr. Tony Evans, The Victorious Christian Life, "Victory in your Family Life"http://tonyevans.org It was as if he was in the house speaking directly to me.

So yesterday evening I felt that I should lay down and listen to the curriculum tape some more and I did. And I just rested. I really felt like the Lord was there with me. And I realized, this is my convention. I got some incredible insights to learning styles and examples of curriculum that would accommodated those learning styles, Practical teaching on heart issues in family relationships and once again I have the same feeling that I did last year, "It's okay if I do not go the convention". I felt peace. In the midst of all this I was reading some homeschool material and the Mary and Martha story came up-again. God reminded me that so many scurry around obsessed to the point of worry about what curriculum to use for next year. But one thing is needful: That we teach our babies how to sit at His feet. Curriculum is necessary but, learning how to soak in His presence is needful. This is something our children will need long after our homeschool journey ends. They need to know how to lay down at his feet, in repentance, in worship in supplication and in adoration. I need to listen closely and find out how he wants my homeschool to look, and that changes season to season. In the meantime, I'll keep my wish list and let Him guide me.

In the mean time I realized that a graduation we were invited to takes place on that Saturday as does the Indian Festival and Karate. And a graduation party on Sunday. But as I sit here at my notebook and magazine cluttered desk, I see that the conference starts on Thursday which means I could probably go on Friday. Just to shop of course. So either way if I go, great. If I don't, I'll be okay with that too. There is another conference that comes to town in August and that one is 15 minutes away-that is the one I usually go to. Nevertheless I am trying to follow peace.

Its Convention Time

Every year in June there is a convention in our states capital where tons- and I mean tons of people come out to attend seminars and the used curriculum sale. People come out to get refreshed and others come out to stay encouraged. People (Home schooling Moms) Plan this weekend getaway months in advance-at least 6 months).

This year, like last year, I was planning to go. In years past I either did not feel like it or I was pregnant. So this year at the last minute, I decided to go. I made my list of all the vendors I wanted to check out and a list of books and materials I wanted to purchase. Today would be the last day to preregister and get any discount to get in.

My dilemma is is that #1 who will watch all 4 of my children willingly? #2 Who will willingly take Cookie to Karate while entertaining the others? #3 Who will take them to the Native American Festival held that day? Or to the Pool or Beach? And why is it that everyone that doesn't have 4 kids think that its so terribly hard to juggle 4? Why is it that some who do think the same?

I some times get into "Boo Hoo" mode and talk about how I have no supportive family around to help me out with my kids. But are they really obligated to do so if they lived close by? When I had 1 and lived near family I could count on 1 hand the number of times I "got help". I can only hope that when my children are adults with children of their own that I would be in the right frame of mind and in good health and have the financial ability to bless them by giving them a break and watching their children. I pray that if they needed a getaway and yes I did say need that I would not be so busy being busy that I would spend time with my grandchildren and be there -no matter where they are.

I don't believe that anyone who has never home schooled or stayed at home with their children and had very demanding age groups vying for your attention knows the necessity of balance in a moms life. You need balance. Time to go to the ob/gyn- alone, Time to drink a cup of coffee alone, Time to think about your next move, organize your schedule, be able to make curriculum decisions alone. Did I mention going on a walk- alone. To think and to hear what God has to say to you. To even smell the fresh air and feel the fresh air in your lungs refreshes a mother. But, everything around a mom- at least this one right now says work, work, work, do, do, do. Breaks are for those who are doing something with their life. Not wiping butts, putting band-aids on sores, cleaning spills for the 5th time, keeping little ones safe, being a referee, cooking 3 meals a day, cleaning up the dishes, wiping up pee off the floor, nursing little ones, teaching lessons, finding lost shoes, paying bills, giving baths, detangling hair, washing clothes, folding clothes, putting clothes away-the list goes on.

Yes this is the choice I made to have 4 children and I guess for their sake, so that I can be the best momma for them is to find and create a support network so that I may get away for times of refreshment so that I can give my best to my children. When I am not refreshed no one gets my best not even me.

May 12, 2008

You know all kids are home schooled. Even if they go to public school, they are still home schooled. I just figured I'd through that in there just in case anyone says to you, "Homeschool....Oh, I could never do that".

Several things I learned in 7 years & 10 months of Motherhood.

1. You know more than you give yourself credit for.
2. Parent Magazines and secular advise is almost always a waste of time.
3. Having tons of kids does not make you more holy.
4. Sometimes its okay to have cereal for dinner.
5. It takes at least a year to get back to prepregnancy size.
6. You have to loose a little more weight to fit into those prepregnancy clothes even if you have lost your prepregnancy weight.
7. Stay far away from people who have 1 child and complain about that one.
8. Chocolate is full of calcium a woman needs for strong bones and teeth.
9. Reality TV is overrated.
10. Moms need at least 3 bubble baths a week to maintain a certain level of sanity and femininity.
11. Its okay to get dressed at 2 in the afternoon.
12. Kids will always make noise even when you don't want them to.
13. Your minivan will inevitably turn into a purse on wheels.
14. Diet should not be in your vocabulary if you are nursing.
15. Breastfeeding burns 500 calories a day!

I'm sure there are more things I have learned but, since Dolly got up at three this morning and I got up with her and stayed up and took cat naps until 6 something I can't remember it all let alone type it all.

Happy Mother's Day

Well , its been 2 months since my last blog and a lot has happened.

• Dolly started walking March 23 and has been all over the place since then
• Decided on curriculum for kindergarten for Rocco
• I had another birthday on March 30
• My dear hubby has hired a permanent servant to wash all dishes. Soon to arrive by May 24, Her name is Ms. Kenmore Elite. I can't wait to meet her.

I'm sure other eventful things have happened but, Dolly just woke up from napping and I have to feed her.

My Mothers Day Thankful List

1. My hubby and Cookie, who was my first child who made it possible for me to be called Mom in the first place.
2. Flowers.
3. Second Chances.
4. Jetted tubs.
5. A house on the lake.
6. Tall Decaf Cafe Mochas
7. And a God who is not mad at me but, mad about me.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there. Every day is your Day!