The little children He has given us

   I have been observing Javi mature a little more each day.  He is learning to work hard without complaint.  He is learning that not all tasks are fun, but you have to do them anyway, and with the right attitude.  I remind him that the tasks that he has are God-given and he should do them as unto the Lord.  I remind myself of the same thing.  It's so easy to forget isn't it?  Javi is learning not to rush through his work to get on to the next thing.  Sometimes, he would work through the front page of his lesson and push his seat away from the table with a resounding "I'm done!"  He was so anxious to just be done with it.  Now, he is doing better at taking the necessary time to do it right and to do it well.  This has come through having my patience tried as well as his.  :)  I am still so thrilled about Javi learning to read!  It's the most amazing feeling of accomplishment when you've worked so hard to teach someone and they are now getting it!  I keep telling him how excited I am for him, that soon he'll be able to read his Bible all on his own.  How wonderful is that?!

   I had planned to surprise Brienne with a sparkly scarf of her favorite color for her recent birthday.  But attempting to finish it after she went to bed this past week, posed a challenge for me.  I was basically crocheting myself to sleep!  It was a last minute idea, so I didn't really give myself enough days to accomplish it.  I did recall that I had finished up a scarf in one night once, so it was with that hope that I began this one.  Anyway, her "surprise" is no longer a secret, but I have discovered a time when I can work on it.  Sometimes when I am sitting at the table and working through a lesson with Javi, I find that I am sitting and waiting while he reads , writes or colors something.  I am able to fill in the spaces where I would otherwise be waiting for him to get to the next step, and crochet.  I love it!  It's so easy to pause when I need to and then get back to it.  And Javi still feels like he has my attention, because all I need to do is look up from my work to give him guidance when he needs it. 

Clara loves going over her "Truth book" each morning.  She gets so happy about '

quoting the Bible verses and catechisms.  She has this cute little chuckle after she

says each one.  There is just something so sweet about her precious little voice

saying "God's Word is true, because God tells only da twoof."  

We hope you never forget it sweetheart!

Would you whisper a prayer for these two?

Pray that they trust in Christ as their Lord and Savior very soon.

Pray that they would serve him wholeheartedly all the days of their lives.

As their parents, we recognize that we cannot control their hearts and

the choices they make, all we can do is continue pointing them to Christ.

...Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not 

hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."

Matthew 19:14

What could be more important than this?

   Amera and I have begun a new Bible study on the book of Colossians.  It has been very thought provoking so far and some of the questions have really encouraged me to dig deep and really think about things.  For example: 

   If you were arrested and put on trial for being a Christian, what would be the strongest evidence that you are "guilty as charged?"  

   I have to admit that question really made me think.  For the Colossians, their faith in God brought forth much fruit in their lives.  And their love for one another was evident.  Do you ever question what someone would say if they were writing about you in a letter?  

   Another question that came up in my studies this morning was this:  The Colossians learned or heard the gospel from Epaphras.  Who taught it to you?  With whom are you sharing the gospel?   I know I've blogged before about sharing the precious gospel of Christ with my children.  But let me tell you, I felt rebuke this morning.  Why?  Because I know I haven't been as faithful in this as I could have been in the past few weeks.  It was a bit of a wake up call for me.  There has been a lot going on individually and the kids have been plugging away with Kids 4 Truth memory work and such things.  Jav has been taking time to teach our family when he has the opportunity, but I must be sharing the gospel with my children continually.  

   It was with this burden on my heart, that after my children finished eating their breakfast, I pulled out this picture Bible we have and picked up right where we left off before.  It was bookmarked.  The picture gives us a glimpse into the setting.  The account has been typed for me in story form.  I told my children the precious truth of Jesus, who has power sufficient to raise this young girl from death itself.  My heart soared as I told them the story.  Three questions are conveniently placed for me at the end of the account.  Three questions to ask my children to see what they have understood and hopefully to solidify it in their minds.  

   My husband came out to the breakfast table at this point with his cup of coffee.  I decided to include him and asked him the third question.  What will Jesus do some day for all who have trusted Jesus?  He smiled and gladly accepted the opportunity to share the gospel through his answer.  You know, I can think of no better way to start the day.  How could I go nearly three weeks without it?  Nothing should ever be more important to me.  The house work and the school work can wait, can't they?

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart

and with all your might.  And these words that I command

you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them

diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when

you sit in your house,

and when you walk by the way, 

and when you lie down, 

and when you rise.  Deuteronomy 6: 5-7

   

The unusual-ness of it all

   The week has only just begun and I am already adjusting to the unusual-ness of it all.  My husband is working on first shift rather than second.  Normally he's here in the morning and afternoon, today we awaited his arrival at dinner time.  After dinner, we sat together watching the kids play, and laughing at Manny play with his brother.  Both of us have concluded that we could really get used to this!  Jav was really tired though, and went to bed quite early.  Now that is unusual!  But it's understandable, he was low on sleep and had gotten up very early this morning for a men's breakfast.  Add to that a long day of work and it's no wonder he was tired!  

   Just when I was contemplating having this be the week that we would get back on track with our walking/Javier jogging, another monkey wrench gets thrown in the works.  How easy it is to get out of a habit of doing something!  Especially when it never seems to fit into your schedule.  Every week we plan to get back into it and something or other comes up.  I thought I might take a walk with the kids today in between drizzle spells, but I remembered that the road in front of our house was completely dug up last week.  It's rocky and dirty and we are really wondering when they plan to repave it.  It just wouldn't make for a pleasant introduction to our stroll. :( 

   Amera had a rather unusual day.  She spent most of it sleeping off a terrible sinus headache.  Of course the day went quite differently without the help that we are accustomed to having from her.  We had to do four loads of laundry today and I only got two of them in.  We have some catching up to do tomorrow to say the least!  She seemed to be feeling better at dinner time, almost back to her usual self.  But it wasn't long before she returned to bed to rest some more.  I sure hope she's feeling better in the morning.

   This weekend my husband and I planned to make this coming week different in more ways than one.  I held a little "meeting" with my kiddos to discuss the plan for the coming week.  Instead of turning on the Wii to play a video game, the plan is to think of something else to do with that time.  We are taking the week off.  I encouraged them to think of things they might like to do.  This is not hard for my older kids who really don't use it much at all anyway.  It's the younger ones I am struggling with.  Sometimes we just spend time laughing and talking, not necessarily doing some involved activity.  But in those times that they just don't know what to do next, I want them to think and pray about it.  I have been giving out a whole lot of correction when my children come to me complaining in whiny tones that they don't know what to do.  And the phrase "I'm bored" has been forbidden in this house.  There is always something you could be doing, you just don't know what it is yet.  I'm teaching them that it's ok to come to me and ask for suggestions, but do not come whining and complaining because you don't know what to do.  

   I am not completely taking these games away, I just need time to think about how to help make them less of a big deal to my kids.  Even today, Javi said "Mom, I'm just thinking about it too much, I think we should just get rid of it."  He actually seems bothered by that. I'm not so sure he really wants me to get rid of it, but I'm glad he's realizing that he thinks about it too much.  I wonder what the coming week has in store for us...

   Well, amongst other things...Brienne and I will be be visiting  her orthodontist to discuss future braces.  I'm sure I'm not alone in the parenting world, when I think "Oh boy, how will we afford braces?!"  Well...all I can do is rest in the assurance that God knows her needs and he will meet them.

    Monday morning I will be spending a few hours at the doctors office doing the "extended" glucose test.  I was encouraged to bring a good book to read during this rather lengthy appointment.  Somehow I am dreading it less now.  I can simply relax and read or crochet for three whole hours!  Hey, that's not so bad, is it?

   

   

   

   

The joys of discovery

Here comes the birthday girl!!

   Since "Park Day" with our home school group just so happened to coincide with the weekend we planned to celebrate Brienne's birthday, we decided to just bring our cupcakes along and have some fun at the park!

   I heard the rain coming down hard at 6am that morning.  I wondered how things would turn out.  The morning was spent cleaning and preparing in my mind for what plan B might be.  Thankfully, Plan A worked out in the end.  It was such a beautiful day at the park.

   It turned out to be hotter than we had expected.  Some of us were dressed for it, some not.  Thankfully, there was a cool breeze to cool us off in the shade.  South Carolina weather is often full of surprises.  Just when I think it's going to be chilly, it gets super hot all over again.  Why haven't I learned my lesson yet?  Short sleeves with sweaters we could remove would have made for a much cooler afternoon.  Sometimes this momma is either over or under prepared.  I much prefer a happy balance.  Oh well, lesson learned.  :)

   Amera took a bunch of pictures!  Her and I have plans to go out together sometime and find beautiful and interesting things to take pictures of.  We call it an "image hunt".  We both enjoy seeing what my little point and shoot Canon is made of!  Trying out all of its functions and getting shots from different angles carries with it the joy of discovery.  

Hmmm...I might come here alone sometime...with a Bible and a notebook.  Lovely place.

..........................................................................

Meanwhile...back on the home front...

   A little family celebration was the order of the day today.  We thank God for the 8 years of life that he has given to Brienne.  We couldn't imagine our lives without the joy and excitement  that she brings.  Each day is a gift that I try not to take for granted.

   Speaking of gifts...this tree house has been a blessing!  What fun! The kids enjoyed spending most of the afternoon discovering all of its functions, from a very cool elevator to a spinning hamster wheel.  A nice little place for all of their little animal friends to play.  Even Manny was reluctant to go down for his nap this afternoon.  He didn't want to miss out on it all.  But as you and I know, two year olds must have their naps or there will be consequences!  :)

Birthdays are such happy things!

   

A little girl with big plans

   It's possible that my approach to "K-4" is a bit more casual than some, since I do not follow a strict curriculum at this age.  It's a very relaxed approach.  I bought this workbook for Clara at Walmart and she LOVES it!  She doesn't do it every day though.  She enjoys coloring and cut and paste.  She's often asking "Can someone help me?" when she needs help to follow the instructions on the page.  Of course we rarely have a shortage of helpers.  Her big sisters love to be a part of Clara's learning new things and applying all of the things she has already absorbed at the age of four.  She learns so much just by watching her brother and sisters.  On a few occasions, Clara would surprisingly supply the answer to a question that I was asking one of her siblings.  It's funny, because we didn't even realize she was listening!

   

Little Manny wants to color too!

   Manny enjoys sitting at the table with us.  There have been times when all he wants to do is sit on my lap and be a part of things.  It's sweet when he happily colors in his chair while I teach and the kids do their work.  But he is not always so easy going.  In homeschooling, you definitely have to learn to deal with your share of distractions and interruptions.  But you work through it and you get better and better as time goes on.  Growing and learning together is what family life is all about.

Kind of hard to talk when you've got a mouthful of apple!

These clips were taken last week, when Clara was sick and almost losing her voice.

Wow!  This little girl has some big plans!
Could it be she was getting a little "cabin fever" last week?
I'm already looking at my calendar to plan a McDonald's date.
As for the haircut...well...maybe someday...in the distant future!  :)

Clean and cute

   Manny loves bath time!  I love it too.  He cracks me up in the bathtub.  He actually enjoys pouring water over his head and letting it run down his face.  He gets so excited about it.  He likes to rub shampoo into his brother's hair, which is really cute.  I think the cutest thing of all is the sight of this little man in his robe.  I think I got it at a thrift store years ago, and I remember when Javi used to wear it.  Of course the site of him wearing it emits giggles from everyone in the house because he is such a cute little man!  Don't you just love a freshly bathed little one?  One of the many delights of motherhood!  :)

  

A desire for more

   "Mommy these are for you."  Can there be anything sweeter?  Every treasure given gets placed on the window sill in our kitchen.  A perfect place to display things...for as long as they will last.  I have received seeds, strange purple berry clusters from some tree in our backyard, and of course those yellow "flowers" that I don't bother mentioning are actually weeds.  They think they are beautiful flowers to pick for mommy.  They'll find out about the weed thing later. ;)

   We may have been sick at the start of this week, but not so sick that we couldn't keep up with our schoolwork.  Much can be accomplished, even when under a warm and fuzzy blanket.  Everyone found their own cozy spot and settled in with their books.

   This past week has held such a wide array of emotions and thoughts, concerns and resolutions, and wonderful joys of just being a wife and a mother.  I have so many hopes for our family and for our children as individuals.  Sometimes I worry that I'm not doing enough, then I reason that I'm doing what I can, then I conclude that there is so much more I need to do.  Lately I feel a need for change in some areas of our life.

    For example, I'm thinking of minimizing the time spent on Wii (video games) even more.  We really do try to be disciplined with our use of it, but we are finding that it tends to be the default lately and a half hour per kid really adds up!  "My schoolwork is done-so can I play on the Wii?"  Sometimes it's a good fit sometimes not.  Sometimes a blessing, other times a curse.  I have already experienced in my life how out of hand something like that can get.  I don't want that.  I don't want it to be a prominent feature in our home either.  

   I'm just considering the possibilities of all that we would have more time for if we didn't use our time on it.  More talking and laughing together, more playing and doing, learning and accomplishing, and experiencing real adventures.  I'm not saying that video games are always bad, I'm just thinking about how precious and valuable our time is.  Sometimes that time feels wasted when it is spent on video games.  On a positive note, sometimes we have fun together as a family by playing with each other.  Even now, just as I am typing this, Javi's sisters are clapping and cheering him on as he plays.  It's tough for me, sometimes I feel it contributes, sometimes it takes away.  

   Our Wii use is not the only thing I'm evaluating.  I'm also evaluating when it's best for me to have the computer on and when it's best to just turn it off and put it away.  I'll be honest with you, it beckons me.  "Research that topic...get some writing accomplished...read that article...check email...check Facebook..."  Even though these things are not a waste of time for me, I am learning when and when not to use my time for these things.  I have just got to give more to these precious kiddos who quite honestly cannot seem to get enough of their momma lately (in a good sense).  I'm really just striving to put first things first.  Sometimes refraining, even from something good, is best.  Especially when it comes to my family and them knowing that they come first.  I do think it's important for mommies to have time for their personal pursuits, all I'm saying is I need to be more disciplined about when that time should be.

   The other day I had to leave for about thirty minutes to get a few groceries.  On the way out Joelle followed me out the door and said "Bye mommy, we'll miss you."  I had to smile.  My kids enjoy being with me, what a blessing!  I mean seriously!  This is something I definitely want to nurture in them.  A couple of days ago, after dinner, Javi came up to me and gave me the sweetest little hug and kiss and said "I love being with you mommy"  then he smiled and said "I don't want you to ever leave the house."  I laughed out loud.  I think he knew I would.  He enjoys making me laugh...just like his daddy.

   Sometimes I do feel drained and I need to recharge my batteries.  The kids are accustomed to mommy going out from time to time.  Like Tuesday morning...I gave instructions and answered questions up until the time I walked out the door for Titus Two Time at church.  I had to leave right around the time that Jav was waking up (8:30am) and as I walked out the door I quickly gave my final instructions.  I actually had to stop one of my children mid sentence and say "Talk to dad, I have to go!"  I couldn't be late!  Thankfully I made it on time.  The time I spent with other women was sweet and refreshing as we discussed how we can better apply the teaching in Titus chapter two of older women teaching younger women.  It was a blessing.  But I still get excited about coming back home to be with my loved ones.  Home is definitely where my heart is.  

   

Certainly unique

   Still in the "recovery phase" of being sick.  The kiddos take a break from school work to watch a DVD about bats.  Manny was very interested in the topic.

He absolutely loves animals of all kinds and gets very excited about them!

   We have an art afternoon once a week this year.  We pull out paints and other things to get creative with.  I really enjoyed it this week.  Especially since I painted right along with the kids.  I asked Javi to think of something he'd like to see me paint.  He requested a knight.  We put on some classical music and painted the afternoon away.  It was glorious.

  

   Oh, believe me I've probably noticed all of its flaws, but hey, at least I had fun doing it.  And it just so happens that my kids really like it and it has a prominent place on our refrigerator!  :)  I think my knight is looking a little on the plump side don't ya think?  It was really sweet how Amera kept saying encouraging things to me.  Like "I like your horses' smile" and after Clara commented "I like your knight mom!" Amera said "Part of being a good artist is when other people can recognize what you've painted."  My painting kind of makes me laugh.  Amera's artwork, however, has me in awe of the gift she has been given.  She just keeps getting better and better.  She sketches and then paints, so she has not painted this yet but check out this sketch.

   Cultivated through lots and lots of practice...as she keeps reminding me.  But still, she certainly has a knack for it.  I can't seem to translate the image I see in my head to the paper.  Oh well, we all have our unique gifts don't we?

Under the big blue sky

   The golden sunlight streaming down upon us was a welcome break from the couch and blankets of our living room on Saturday.  Being out there put everyone in a cheerful mood.  The weather was just about perfect and the freshly mowed grass was just too inviting to resist.  Bare feet ran around it in circles, little ones giggled and squealed as loud as they wanted to, as they chased each other around the yard.  Someone decided to lay down and roll down the hill and others joined in the fun.  Pure delight and pure joy.

Such sweet blessings from God, my heart overflows.