I've been wanting so badly to write about our Extreme Homeschool Room Makeover and our Renewal Ceremony for our ten year anniversary. Seems like things have been so busy, I just haven't had a spare moment. I should be in bed right now, but my mind is full...of other thoughts.
A former co-worker died today. I didn't know her for very long, but she seemed like such nice person. She had two children that she loved very much; that was easy to see. She was very kind to a lady (who she used to work with) who had a degenerative disease. She had little, but shared what she could. She was thankful for what she had and what she was given.
My husband asked me if she knew the Lord. I could only answer with something like, " I think so, maybe." We talked about God one day at work. I believe she told me she went to church growing up, but not recently.
I think the day we spoke about God and religion was the same day I remember a couple of older ladies came into the store one day that we were working. They were such sweet old ladies, full of smiles, with bright eyes. They asked if we'd make our reservations for when this life is through (or something to that effect). I knew what they meant right away. I smiled and nodded. The ladies I work with looked sort of funny, not sure how to answer. The older ladies went on to explain a bit about Jesus and heaven. The ladies I work with responded with a "Oh, yes, we know about that"-type answer...not really assuring, a little vague.
So, I don't know for sure if she knew our Lord and Savior. I wonder now if there was something else God wanted me to say to her, but I didn't listen to His urging. I wonder if I missed an important opportunity to witness to her. I won't get another one. I often think that I witness by my actions, what I say and do, how I treat others. I know that sometimes people need more. They need to hear the old story, the truth of salvation, hope, life everlasting. I pray for her poor children, left motherless.
I have known many people die before, but most of them I was assured that I would see them again in heaven. Their lives were a witness to me. This death is such a reminder to make every moment matter, to savor every precious minute with my loved ones, and to witness without fear.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Real Love
I was going to title this "For Love of Puke," but suddenly decided that just wasn't quite right. Although I still thinks it's quite an attention getter! My poor daughter picked up the Puke Bug from one of her sweet cousins when we babysat them last Thursday. She is such a big helper, and both girls adore her. Grandma Pearl always used to say "Count back three days from when you got sick, then you'll know where you got it from." We didn't go anywhere that day, and the littlest one was sick exactly a week before. I'm getting slightly off subject, but puke reminds me of so many things. I know it sounds disgusting, but bear with me.
One of the things Ellie's getting sick reminded me of is that young children are carriers for longer than adults. If I remember right, when Ellie was about a year old, she got the Puke Bug from her little friend. Her friend's mom had clorox bleached everything before we came over, and we waited a week after she was sick. Sadly, I read shortly after the incident that little ones can carry the bug to others for up to TEN days after they're sick! I remember my poor baby girl truly sick for the very first time. She would not let go of me. She would cling to me and throw up all over my shirt. I finally gave up and covered the front of myself with towels, so I could just change them when she threw up. That little friend "blessed" Ellie with all of her first illnesses.
Puke brings me back to my title "Real Love". When I was a kid in school, I couldn't stand to be around puke, or someone vomiting. I would always feel that I had to cover my nose and get away from the smell, or I would be throwing up next. I also remember when I did get sick at home, how my mother would hold my hair back as I leaned over the toilet. I can't even put into words how comforting Momma holding my hair back was. I felt truly loved and cared for. That was all she could really do for me, but that was more than enough.
Another incidence of vomiting made me realize how much I loved my now husband and know that we could survive anything together. The time was about a year and a half before we got married. We were traveling across the state to attend the wedding of one of his college friends. The friend and his wife would become our friends, but at this point they were more his friends. Anyway, we stopped on the way to get a snack in a drive through, fried mushrooms, mmm...uck! We should have realized the moment we bit into them that something was wrong. They were hot on the outside and cold on the inside. We ate them anyway. On the way back home, we stopped for ice cream cones. Maybe an hour later, or less, I threw up all over my winter coat. I tossed my cookies on the side of the road, then had to hit a restroom on the way. We made it back to his college apartment (he shared it with his sister and her friends), which was half way home. He took my coat to the laundrymat, while I had everything in me coming out both ends. Yes, you guessed it, food poisoning.
Thomas is bigger than me, so my theory is that's why he took longer to get sick. That night, or early the next morning, the food poisoning hit him, too. Luckily one of this roommates was at the apartment. We sent her to the store for saltine crackers, chicken broth, and, I think, gatorade. I was not stuck in the bathroom non-stop by the time the poisoining hit him. So, we each took turns cleaning up each other's puke. I knew I must really love him, because I had never been able to clean up someone else's vomit before.
Which brings us back to my poor baby girl (no, she's not a baby anymore, she's eight, but she'll always be my baby), who is waiting upstairs for me to read to her. She was sick from 5 a.m. Sunday morning till nearly 5 p.m. Sunday evening. I felt bad because her hair is short and I just put barrettes in the front to hold her hair back for her. I rubbed her back, brought her water, wash rags, etc. when she asked for them. We have a method of filling the bedroom trash cans with layers of trash bags (aka Wal-Mart type bags) so that you don't have to run for the bathroom (my kids never make it!), and the puke can be easily removed and the trash can ready for the next time. Anyway, Ellie has been fine until this morning at 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.. She didn't have barrettes in anymore, and I managed to hold the front of her short hair back for her. I hope I gave her as much comfort as my Mommy used to give me.
One of the things Ellie's getting sick reminded me of is that young children are carriers for longer than adults. If I remember right, when Ellie was about a year old, she got the Puke Bug from her little friend. Her friend's mom had clorox bleached everything before we came over, and we waited a week after she was sick. Sadly, I read shortly after the incident that little ones can carry the bug to others for up to TEN days after they're sick! I remember my poor baby girl truly sick for the very first time. She would not let go of me. She would cling to me and throw up all over my shirt. I finally gave up and covered the front of myself with towels, so I could just change them when she threw up. That little friend "blessed" Ellie with all of her first illnesses.
Puke brings me back to my title "Real Love". When I was a kid in school, I couldn't stand to be around puke, or someone vomiting. I would always feel that I had to cover my nose and get away from the smell, or I would be throwing up next. I also remember when I did get sick at home, how my mother would hold my hair back as I leaned over the toilet. I can't even put into words how comforting Momma holding my hair back was. I felt truly loved and cared for. That was all she could really do for me, but that was more than enough.
Another incidence of vomiting made me realize how much I loved my now husband and know that we could survive anything together. The time was about a year and a half before we got married. We were traveling across the state to attend the wedding of one of his college friends. The friend and his wife would become our friends, but at this point they were more his friends. Anyway, we stopped on the way to get a snack in a drive through, fried mushrooms, mmm...uck! We should have realized the moment we bit into them that something was wrong. They were hot on the outside and cold on the inside. We ate them anyway. On the way back home, we stopped for ice cream cones. Maybe an hour later, or less, I threw up all over my winter coat. I tossed my cookies on the side of the road, then had to hit a restroom on the way. We made it back to his college apartment (he shared it with his sister and her friends), which was half way home. He took my coat to the laundrymat, while I had everything in me coming out both ends. Yes, you guessed it, food poisoning.
Thomas is bigger than me, so my theory is that's why he took longer to get sick. That night, or early the next morning, the food poisoning hit him, too. Luckily one of this roommates was at the apartment. We sent her to the store for saltine crackers, chicken broth, and, I think, gatorade. I was not stuck in the bathroom non-stop by the time the poisoining hit him. So, we each took turns cleaning up each other's puke. I knew I must really love him, because I had never been able to clean up someone else's vomit before.
Which brings us back to my poor baby girl (no, she's not a baby anymore, she's eight, but she'll always be my baby), who is waiting upstairs for me to read to her. She was sick from 5 a.m. Sunday morning till nearly 5 p.m. Sunday evening. I felt bad because her hair is short and I just put barrettes in the front to hold her hair back for her. I rubbed her back, brought her water, wash rags, etc. when she asked for them. We have a method of filling the bedroom trash cans with layers of trash bags (aka Wal-Mart type bags) so that you don't have to run for the bathroom (my kids never make it!), and the puke can be easily removed and the trash can ready for the next time. Anyway, Ellie has been fine until this morning at 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.. She didn't have barrettes in anymore, and I managed to hold the front of her short hair back for her. I hope I gave her as much comfort as my Mommy used to give me.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Tagged!
So, I got "tagged" on my friend Sara's Blog. She was the first one to encourage me to write a blog. So, this is for you, Sara!
These are the instructions:
1. Open the 4th picture folder on your computer
2. Open the 4th picture and post it on your blog
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same!
Forgive me, I'm not going to tag anyone else. Also, forgive me, I used the technical fourth picture from the fourth folder, not the actual. The actual picture was cool, from our trip to Virginia/Washington D.C., but it was accidentally downloaded into that folder. I ran out of room on my memory card during our trip and switched over to the camera's memory. I thought I had deleted all those pictures, but they popped up when I downloaded these.
So, this is our chrysalis! The kids found a caterpillar last summer. The whole summer reading program last year was about bugs. We had just learned about how you could "grow" your own butterfly, so we did! The pictures of the actual butterfly are stuck on my cell phone (I will get them off...someday!).
Our caterpillar lived in Ellie's turtle tank (which has yet to be used for a turtle, but that was the purpose behind the tank). We filled the tank with branches and grass and leaves. It was a very short time (a day or two) before the caterpillar had formed a chrysalis. While we waited, he lived on our coffee table in the living room.
One day Wyatt came hollering; he was SO excited! The caterpillar had turned into a butterfly! We took the tank outside. The butterfly (I think it's name was Jamie, because it could be a girl or boy's name) dried it's wings and left us that afternoon. We later found out he was a rare butterfly to our area, which made our butterfly all the more exciting.
I had left my camera in my Hubby's car (which was at his work right then), so I had to take pics of the butterfly with my camera...(no other camera to use at that time). I've tried time and again to send the pictures to the Kodak picture maker, but with no luck. One of these days I got to turn on the e-mail option on my phone and e-mail myself all the pictures in there.
This is one of my favorite homeschool science projects. If we find another butterfly caterpillar, I'm sure we will do this again.
These are the instructions:
1. Open the 4th picture folder on your computer
2. Open the 4th picture and post it on your blog
3. Explain the picture
4. Tag 4 people to do the same!
Forgive me, I'm not going to tag anyone else. Also, forgive me, I used the technical fourth picture from the fourth folder, not the actual. The actual picture was cool, from our trip to Virginia/Washington D.C., but it was accidentally downloaded into that folder. I ran out of room on my memory card during our trip and switched over to the camera's memory. I thought I had deleted all those pictures, but they popped up when I downloaded these.
So, this is our chrysalis! The kids found a caterpillar last summer. The whole summer reading program last year was about bugs. We had just learned about how you could "grow" your own butterfly, so we did! The pictures of the actual butterfly are stuck on my cell phone (I will get them off...someday!).
Our caterpillar lived in Ellie's turtle tank (which has yet to be used for a turtle, but that was the purpose behind the tank). We filled the tank with branches and grass and leaves. It was a very short time (a day or two) before the caterpillar had formed a chrysalis. While we waited, he lived on our coffee table in the living room.
One day Wyatt came hollering; he was SO excited! The caterpillar had turned into a butterfly! We took the tank outside. The butterfly (I think it's name was Jamie, because it could be a girl or boy's name) dried it's wings and left us that afternoon. We later found out he was a rare butterfly to our area, which made our butterfly all the more exciting.
I had left my camera in my Hubby's car (which was at his work right then), so I had to take pics of the butterfly with my camera...(no other camera to use at that time). I've tried time and again to send the pictures to the Kodak picture maker, but with no luck. One of these days I got to turn on the e-mail option on my phone and e-mail myself all the pictures in there.
This is one of my favorite homeschool science projects. If we find another butterfly caterpillar, I'm sure we will do this again.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Spring Break
We homeschool year round. Some people think that means we don't ever get a break. Really we do. The great thing about homeschooling year round is that we can take breaks whenever we need to, or just because we want to. Another great thing about homeschooling year round is that we're never really out of our groove. Not that we don't get out of our groove sometimes when we're in the midst of homeschooling, but it's much easier to get back into to the groove either way.
Right now we're taking a mini-vacation of sorts. What that means for yesterday and today is that I'm not really concerned with how much school we get done (we do seem to get a little done no matter what...the day we go without some kind of learning would be a strange one indeed!), but right now I'm more concerned with cleaning and organizing. The basement is in pretty bad shape right now. I actually took pictures so I could have before and after. I should have taken pictures yesterday, because my Dad came down and helped me drain the waterbed in our basement and hauled off the old couch and chair that was in the basement (they were my parents when they first got married...oh, yeah, they were 70's orange and green, ba-by!). Before I took pictures today, I did a lot of picking up, throwing away, and sweeping.
My Dad also brought me a lovely gift from my husband. My dear Hubby bought me those cool library shelves with glass fronts that lift up and slide in. They are from his work, so they are metal, but I don't care. I actually like it, because metal is much harder to damage, at least in my mind. I am thrilled to pieces! Since I was a little girl, I've wanted my own library. I thought at one point I might become a librarian. I just love books that much. The librarian dream kind of died out, but not the "my own library" dream. I already have a truck load of books, so I just needed the proper shelves to store them on. I will post pictures when that project is complete.
So, while I clean and organize and throw things away, the kids are having all sorts of fun. I'll get them in on the cleaning and organizing eventually. I check on them often (especially when they get quiet). They love to put on swimsuits and turn the bathroom into their own personal water park (they call it a steam room, because they get the water hot and the mirror steams up). If I was fast enough thinking earlier, I would've got a great picture when I checked in on them. I'm okay with "steam room", as long as they clean up afterwards, and there is no water leaking into the basement before they clean up (yes, that has happened). They also get to watch videos when there'd usually be no-TV-time.
Next I need to do some measuring and figuring, because the kids and I really like the idea of moving our bedrooms downstairs and the classroom, playroom, and office area upstairs. I have to have detailed plans to present to the husband. I am dying for my Mom to have chance to come down and lend me her eye. She's so good at re-designing with things you already have.
Since I titled this Spring Break, I can't help but add what I just thought of about traditional Spring Break from my own public school and college. I never understood why we'd have Spring Break at the coldest point of Spring! We'd be off school and want to go swimming and all that sort of stuff, but the weather was too stinking cold. The only great thing about Spring Break for me was when my cousin and I would take turns spending a couple of nights at each other's houses that week. We wrote the most fun stories together, enjoyed the same books, and just had a great time. I got to talk to that dear cousin today (while I was sorting laundry) and I'll get to see her on Sunday at our Uncle's Wedding Shower! Yea, for grown-up Spring Breaks!
Right now we're taking a mini-vacation of sorts. What that means for yesterday and today is that I'm not really concerned with how much school we get done (we do seem to get a little done no matter what...the day we go without some kind of learning would be a strange one indeed!), but right now I'm more concerned with cleaning and organizing. The basement is in pretty bad shape right now. I actually took pictures so I could have before and after. I should have taken pictures yesterday, because my Dad came down and helped me drain the waterbed in our basement and hauled off the old couch and chair that was in the basement (they were my parents when they first got married...oh, yeah, they were 70's orange and green, ba-by!). Before I took pictures today, I did a lot of picking up, throwing away, and sweeping.
My Dad also brought me a lovely gift from my husband. My dear Hubby bought me those cool library shelves with glass fronts that lift up and slide in. They are from his work, so they are metal, but I don't care. I actually like it, because metal is much harder to damage, at least in my mind. I am thrilled to pieces! Since I was a little girl, I've wanted my own library. I thought at one point I might become a librarian. I just love books that much. The librarian dream kind of died out, but not the "my own library" dream. I already have a truck load of books, so I just needed the proper shelves to store them on. I will post pictures when that project is complete.
So, while I clean and organize and throw things away, the kids are having all sorts of fun. I'll get them in on the cleaning and organizing eventually. I check on them often (especially when they get quiet). They love to put on swimsuits and turn the bathroom into their own personal water park (they call it a steam room, because they get the water hot and the mirror steams up). If I was fast enough thinking earlier, I would've got a great picture when I checked in on them. I'm okay with "steam room", as long as they clean up afterwards, and there is no water leaking into the basement before they clean up (yes, that has happened). They also get to watch videos when there'd usually be no-TV-time.
Next I need to do some measuring and figuring, because the kids and I really like the idea of moving our bedrooms downstairs and the classroom, playroom, and office area upstairs. I have to have detailed plans to present to the husband. I am dying for my Mom to have chance to come down and lend me her eye. She's so good at re-designing with things you already have.
Since I titled this Spring Break, I can't help but add what I just thought of about traditional Spring Break from my own public school and college. I never understood why we'd have Spring Break at the coldest point of Spring! We'd be off school and want to go swimming and all that sort of stuff, but the weather was too stinking cold. The only great thing about Spring Break for me was when my cousin and I would take turns spending a couple of nights at each other's houses that week. We wrote the most fun stories together, enjoyed the same books, and just had a great time. I got to talk to that dear cousin today (while I was sorting laundry) and I'll get to see her on Sunday at our Uncle's Wedding Shower! Yea, for grown-up Spring Breaks!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Mother's Day
I know Mother's Day was yesterday, but I decided to write a bit about it anyway. My Hubby and kids made big plans for me. When Thomas got home from his tennis tournament on Saturday, he took the kids and I shopping, so he could buy me a new pair of blue jeans (my one request).
On Saturday night, they made me a strawberry cake (with a little bit of help from me). My six year old son decorated it all by himself, while Ellie and I were getting ready for bed. I had already put together the bag and tip for adding icing decoration. Wyatt spread white frosting on the cake, then put strawberry frosting in the bag and added a heart on top and the intials W and M. Ellie then got to add an E and a T, to complete the family initials.
On Saturday night, they made me a strawberry cake (with a little bit of help from me). My six year old son decorated it all by himself, while Ellie and I were getting ready for bed. I had already put together the bag and tip for adding icing decoration. Wyatt spread white frosting on the cake, then put strawberry frosting in the bag and added a heart on top and the intials W and M. Ellie then got to add an E and a T, to complete the family initials.
While we were eating cake, the kids gave speeches. Ellie's was all about how she wanted to love, honor and respect me; she even quoted in the Bible about "Honor your father and mother...". Wyatt's was all about how he wanted to decorated the cake, by himself, with the heart on it, because he loves me so much. That was priceless.
After cake, they took turns giving me five dollar bills until I had forty-five dollars. Then I got to go downstairs and order the book: Beauty by God, by Shelly Ballestero. I got to listen to her talk at the A Woman Inspired online womens conference, and I've been thinking about her book ever since.
That was not the end though! Sunday, I had to work at my part-time job. When I got home, they had all made me cards, gave me Dove chocolate, and took me to my Mom's house. Our whole little extended family was there: Mom, Dad, my brother, my sister, her hubby, and her two little girls. We even got to see one of my aunts and uncles for a few minutes. I also got fireworks shot off for me. They were just bottle rockets, but that was all part of their big plan for my Special Mother's Day.
Thomas asked me later if they out did their selves this Mother's Day. I told them, "No, it was wonderful." I don't remember a better Mother's Day.
P.S.: I used the rest of my money to buy four fruit roll up trays for my dehydrator and a Pollyanna book (I love the Disney movie, but I've never actually read the book!).
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Chuck Black and The Knights of Arrethtrae
I was really excited to pick up the next book in The Knights of Arrethtrae Series by Chuck Black on Friday of the Homeschool Conference. I won the first book, Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione, from The Heart of the Matter. My kids loved the book, especially Ellie. Wyatt listened in on most of the book, he wasn't interested at first, but then wouldn't let us read the book without him!
I don't believe I realized at the time that Chuck Black's original series, The Kingdom Series, was written as an allegory to the Bible, with not magic, mysticism, or wizardry and the Knights of Arrethtrae belong to the same world and kingdom of the Kingdom Series books! I love the fact that there is no magic, etc.! Now I want to read that whole series!
The stories are all set in the days of knights, ladies, and castles. My dear daughter thought those days were all made up, imaginary, but she was thrilled and delighted to find out that knights, ladies, and castles all existed in history...even if these stories are made up. Oh, and how wonderful an imagination God has given to Chuck Black. We are transported to the Kingdom of Arrathtrae when reading these books. I have the worst time putting them down. Sometimes I sneak and read pages ahead without the children.
Ellie wanted to read the book the night I brought it home, but we had to wait a couple of days before starting it. We had another book we needed to finish first. I think we took maybe a week to make it all the way through the new book, Sir Bentley and the Battle of Holbrook Court.
So, my big surprise was that author, Chuck Black, his wife, and two of their kids were there at the conference! I didn't spot them until Saturday. I'm betting their booth was completely surrounded on Friday when I passed by. They allowed us to take their picture, and a picture of their cool booth, complete with a knights armor and chain mail! I wish I would've had my books for him to autograph!
We got to hear about one of his daughter's music (Emily was not with them in Kansas City), which is featured on the audio books, which are complete audio dramas! Hmm...Christmas presents to myself? I would let the kids listen, too. Miss Emily Black has a cd of her music (separate from the soundtrack to the audio books); the music from the audio books can be purchased on a sound track.
If you haven't discovered Chuck Black for yourself, check out his website! Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart came out May 1st. That's next on my list to buy.
My New Friend...Nancy Bjorkman
I was so thrilled to learn that Nancy Bjorkman was going to be at the Homeschool Conference again this year. She was listed under her store, Heppner's Legacy, instead of her name. If my friend Colleen had not been researching to try and get her to speak at the local Mini-conference next year, we would not have even realized that she was speaking!
That would've been a tragedy! I was marking all the workshops on Math, because that has been my greatest challenge with Ellie this year. I want her to think Math is fun again... at last check, she hated Math. I was not going planning on going the the Heppner's Legacy one because there was another workshop at the same time that Colleen and I were planning to go to. When we realized that was Nancy though, we changed our plans.
We sat in the front row. We were incredulous that some of the helpers did not realize this was Nancy Bjorkman, and this was her classroom! We volunteered to help with anything she needed help with. We were huge fans! She doesn't like being put on a pedestal though, so we were promoted? to friends!
We took pictures with our new friend.
She has opened up a whole new world of Math to me. I still need to do some laminating and organizing of the games I bought. I need to put my baggy of dice in my purse. I already gave my children the cool dice in their favorite colors (green and orange). I am even excited about Math, which is a big deal, since I was never a big fan of Math myself. You can purchase Nancy's Math Game's Galore! on her store's website.
Thanks again, Nancy!
That would've been a tragedy! I was marking all the workshops on Math, because that has been my greatest challenge with Ellie this year. I want her to think Math is fun again... at last check, she hated Math. I was not going planning on going the the Heppner's Legacy one because there was another workshop at the same time that Colleen and I were planning to go to. When we realized that was Nancy though, we changed our plans.
We sat in the front row. We were incredulous that some of the helpers did not realize this was Nancy Bjorkman, and this was her classroom! We volunteered to help with anything she needed help with. We were huge fans! She doesn't like being put on a pedestal though, so we were promoted? to friends!
We took pictures with our new friend.
She has opened up a whole new world of Math to me. I still need to do some laminating and organizing of the games I bought. I need to put my baggy of dice in my purse. I already gave my children the cool dice in their favorite colors (green and orange). I am even excited about Math, which is a big deal, since I was never a big fan of Math myself. You can purchase Nancy's Math Game's Galore! on her store's website.
Thanks again, Nancy!
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