"I LOVE THIS! Even if this is not how you would build/decorate your home, you have to appreciate his view on life! His view of teaching others skills, especially to the working poor"...
Check this out! Love it!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
EEEEEEk!!!!!!!
Jonathan and Ryan drew these creatures and cut them out. Ryan said "Mom, you are really going to be grossed out when you see this."
I have to admit, my first reaction was a chuckle. I think they were disappointed that I didn't scream and gag. Jonathan drew the one on the left; Ryan drew the one on the right.
I have to admit, my first reaction was a chuckle. I think they were disappointed that I didn't scream and gag. Jonathan drew the one on the left; Ryan drew the one on the right.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The chief thing
“To bring the human race, family by family, child by child, out of the savage and inhuman desolation where He is not, into the light and warmth and comfort of the presence of God, is no doubt, the chief thing we have to do in the world.”
From A Charlotte Mason Companion
From A Charlotte Mason Companion
Friday, November 13, 2009
We've moved!
We are now happy home owners. We moved in last month (this explains my lack of blogging!) The picture below is an aerial of our home and property.
Our boys can run like crazy now, and hopefully next spring I may have a more interesting mini-farm type blog posts. For now though my camera lense is broken. Maybe I can get it fixed soon!
This is an aerial photo that the previous owners gave us. Click for a close-up.
Our boys can run like crazy now, and hopefully next spring I may have a more interesting mini-farm type blog posts. For now though my camera lense is broken. Maybe I can get it fixed soon!
This is an aerial photo that the previous owners gave us. Click for a close-up.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Excuse this house
I saw this at A Full Heart .........
I need a framed copy for my wall!
Sometimes we women get caught up in the frenzy of life when we need to be cherishing our children. I struggle with wanting to get things done when I need to be slowing down and spending time with my fellas. I know there has to be balance and things need to get done, but what really matters?
Excuse this house
I need a framed copy for my wall!
Sometimes we women get caught up in the frenzy of life when we need to be cherishing our children. I struggle with wanting to get things done when I need to be slowing down and spending time with my fellas. I know there has to be balance and things need to get done, but what really matters?
Excuse this house
Some houses try to hide the fact that children shelter there,
Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows
Little smudges on the doors.
I should apologize I guess for toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children
And we played and laughed and read.
And if the doorbell doesn't shine,
Their eyes will shine instead.
For when at times I'm forced to choose
The one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife,
But first I'll be a mother.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Wet Oatmeal Kisses
I heard this poem today. It made me cry....
Then I wiped my tears and realized that I don't have to cry.
You know why? Because one of my goals for parenting is to be able to let go one day without guilt, but with happy memories.
And then I made my list:
A young mother writes: "I know you've written before about the empty-nest syndrome -- that lonely period after the children are grown and gone. Right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and muddy boots. The baby is teething; the boys are fighting. My husband just called and said to eat without him, and I fell off my diet. Lay it on me again, will you.''
OK. One of these days you'll explode and shout to the kids, "Why don't you grow up and act your age?"
......and they will.
OR:
"You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do. And don't slam the door!"
......and they don't.
You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way.''
.......and it will.
You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company.''
.....and you'll eat it alone.
You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do your hear?''
.....and you'll have it.
No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.
No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms.
No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps.
No more clothespins under the sofa.
No more playpens to arrange a room around.
No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent
No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms.
No more iron-on-patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.
Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it.
No baby sitter for New Year's Eve.
Washing only once a week.
Seeing a steak that isn't ground.
Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap.
No PTA meetings.
No car pools.
No blaring radios.
No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night.
Having your own roll of Scotch tape.
No more dandelion bouquets.
Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste.
No more sloppy oatmeal kisses.
No more tooth fairy.
No giggles in the dark.
No knees to heal, no responsibility.
Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?'' and the silence echoing,
"I did."
by Erma Bombeck
Then I wiped my tears and realized that I don't have to cry.
You know why? Because one of my goals for parenting is to be able to let go one day without guilt, but with happy memories.
And then I made my list:
- Cherish every moment with your little people!
- Hug and hold them all the time and tell them you love them a thousand times (or more) a day
- Slow down the pace and speak softly even when you are feeling impatient.
- Tie your heart-strings to theirs so that they will want to come and be near you when you are old
- Last but not least, Remember they are BLESSINGS and treat them like they really are because you know it and believe it. Tell them!
Wet Oatmeal Kisses
A young mother writes: "I know you've written before about the empty-nest syndrome -- that lonely period after the children are grown and gone. Right now, I'm up to my eyeballs in laundry and muddy boots. The baby is teething; the boys are fighting. My husband just called and said to eat without him, and I fell off my diet. Lay it on me again, will you.''
OK. One of these days you'll explode and shout to the kids, "Why don't you grow up and act your age?"
......and they will.
OR:
"You guys get outside and find yourselves something to do. And don't slam the door!"
......and they don't.
You'll straighten up the boys' bedroom neat and tidy -- bumper stickers discarded, bedspread tucked and smooth, toys displayed on the shelves. Hangers in the closet. Animals caged. And you'll say out loud, "Now I want it to stay this way.''
.......and it will.
You'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death and a cake with no finger traces in the icing, and you'll say, "Now, there's a meal for company.''
.....and you'll eat it alone.
You'll say: "I want complete privacy on the phone. No dancing around. No demolition crews. Silence! Do your hear?''
.....and you'll have it.
No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti.
No more bedspreads to protect the sofa from damp bottoms.
No more gates to stumble over at the top of the basement steps.
No more clothespins under the sofa.
No more playpens to arrange a room around.
No more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent
No more sand on the sheets or Popeye movies in the bathrooms.
No more iron-on-patches, wet, knotted shoestrings, tight boots, or rubber bands for ponytails.
Imagine. A lipstick with a point on it.
No baby sitter for New Year's Eve.
Washing only once a week.
Seeing a steak that isn't ground.
Having your teeth cleaned without a baby on your lap.
No PTA meetings.
No car pools.
No blaring radios.
No one washing her hair at 11 o'clock at night.
Having your own roll of Scotch tape.
No more dandelion bouquets.
Think about it. No more Christmas presents out of toothpicks and library paste.
No more sloppy oatmeal kisses.
No more tooth fairy.
No giggles in the dark.
No knees to heal, no responsibility.
Only a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?'' and the silence echoing,
"I did."
by Erma Bombeck
Monday, August 24, 2009
Fishing
Saturday we took the boys to the lake for some fishing. The weather was so nice! It was only 71 degrees when we left the house, and it stayed that way all day. It was very windy, but we still brought home a couple of fish for Michael to clean. (The fish kept stealing my bait!)
Ryan caught a blue-gill, Michael caught a nice 16 inch bass, Justin and Jonathan found lots of shells, and I caught some great moments on camera.
We met some elderly people there who gave the boys an old turtle shell. Jonathan decided it needed some color when we got home.
Ryan caught a blue-gill, Michael caught a nice 16 inch bass, Justin and Jonathan found lots of shells, and I caught some great moments on camera.
Justin enjoyed finding shells
We met some elderly people there who gave the boys an old turtle shell. Jonathan decided it needed some color when we got home.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Weekend fun
Mom & Tim came up this weekend for a visit. We had a great time visiting, grilling out, shopping, and going to Spencer County, Indiana. The pictures below were from our trip to Spencer County.
Our first stop was Santa Claus, Indiana.
At the museum in Santa Claus
A nearby park where we had a picnic
Santa's Candy Castle for ornaments and candy
At the Lincoln Boyhood memorial (limestone carvings on the outside of the building) 
There were several cabin & home displays from that time era
We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The weather sat around 73-75 degrees most of the day!
Nancy Hanks Lincoln's grave (Abraham Lincoln's mother) go here for a better picture of it and a little history lesson :-)
This was actually a working farm at the Lincoln Boyhood memorial. We really enjoyed this part!
I felt pretty puny because of a bad cold, but I still had a good time. I was so glad that Michael was able to take the day off work to go with us.
Jonathan playing with a huge beetle the farmer found in the crops (I think he wanted to keep it)
We went out for ice cream and those of the male gender always seem to gravitate toward video games (what's up with that? :-D)
Because we didn't have enough time to visit all of the Lincoln stuff, I am ready to go back. History is my favorite subject!
Tim jokingly said "next time we will go fishing while you women go visit dead people's old houses".
Our first stop was Santa Claus, Indiana.
At the museum in Santa Claus
A nearby park where we had a picnic
Santa's Candy Castle for ornaments and candy
At the Lincoln Boyhood memorial (limestone carvings on the outside of the building) 
There were several cabin & home displays from that time era
We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The weather sat around 73-75 degrees most of the day!
Nancy Hanks Lincoln's grave (Abraham Lincoln's mother) go here for a better picture of it and a little history lesson :-)
This was actually a working farm at the Lincoln Boyhood memorial. We really enjoyed this part!
I felt pretty puny because of a bad cold, but I still had a good time. I was so glad that Michael was able to take the day off work to go with us.
Jonathan playing with a huge beetle the farmer found in the crops (I think he wanted to keep it)
We went out for ice cream and those of the male gender always seem to gravitate toward video games (what's up with that? :-D)
Because we didn't have enough time to visit all of the Lincoln stuff, I am ready to go back. History is my favorite subject!
Tim jokingly said "next time we will go fishing while you women go visit dead people's old houses".
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Black Raspberry Pickin'
The black raspberries (not to be confused with regular blackberries) are ripe, so we decided to go pick some for ourselves at our favorite place.
After we had walked for quite a ways away from the van, we had to go back and get the jug of water. Ryan and I went back to get it. I took some pictures of him along the way.
The boys had a pet turtle. His name was "Rocky", but he got away yesterday. They enjoyed him for almost a week. Much to the dismay of the boys (but very fortunate for Rocky!), he made his break last night. Bless his little turtle heart, he had been trying all week to get away.
I like the way the trees "frame" this field.
At the creek.......
VERY slippery!
Look behind Justin (who is bending over).. You can see "Rocky" trying to get away. He was almost successful when he got under a large rock, but Michael was able to get him out. Poor thing, he almost succeeded.
I love these flowers... so do the butterflies & bees. There were so many of the butterflies on the plant, I could not count them all!
Further downstream ... catching tadpoles
This is what is on the hill above where they were catching tadpoles. As I am sure I have mentioned before, the entire roadway is an old railroad bed. This is the overgrown trussle. I saw a vibrantly colored hummingbird getting nectar from the orange flowers, but it flew away before I could snap a picture.
The wading turned into swimming.
There was a total of six cups of raspberries. I made a giant cobbler... Click here to see the recipe
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