Rhubarb Punch recipe with a long commentary on rhubarb pie.

       I just slid my first strawberry rhubarb pie into the oven. Ohh what I will do to bribe my husband into bringing me home an iced soy decaf caramel macchiato....err, I mean how much I love my hubby!   And he will be thrilled to know that there is not an ounce of coconut oil in my homemade pie crust.  The last pie I made I attempted to make "healthier" with a coconut oil crust.  He was wise enough at the time to not tell me he doesn't really like the taste of coconut but I'm sure his disappointment was bitter as I do not make pies very often.  He has a high affinity for them and alas so do I with very little self control so my only defense is to avoid making them all together.  Ergo this crust is full of crisco and oh so tasty!  And I know my friend Virginia is shuddering right now.  If you want a healthy pie recipe you will have to read her healthy whole food blog here...but first you will have to ask her to post one.  (V, I'd be happy to come and sample if you want to try out some recipes.  I know, I know, I'm such a servant).

Anyways this post isn't really about pies at all and it definitely isn't about eating healthy. That pie which is making the house smell amazing right now reminded me that I wanted to post my MIL's recipe for rhubarb punch!  I'll give you the original recipe which is intended to be made in bulk and then canned.  We cut it way back for everyday consumption and much to my surprise hubby even halfed the sugar without my asking after making an initial super sweet batch. He exclaimed, "Now I know why I loved this stuff so much as a kid, it is loaded with sugar!"  So bring on the sugar and do something with that rhubarb that is overtaking your garden...
Rhubarb Punch - by, Helga
18 cups rhubarb (cut into 1/2 " pieces)
6 quarts water
4 1/2 c. sugar (see what I mean! Hello dentist, just take all my money!)
1  6 oz package of strawberry jello

Boil rhubarb for 15min. until soft.  Strain through cheese cloth as for jelly.  Add sugar, jello and bring to full boil.  You can freeze it or can it.  Pour into sterilized jars and seal.  Process for 10 min.

When serving mix with ginger ale or 7up if desired.

Three Things

We recently returned from spending a week in the Dells to help launch the summer training program for Navs.  We won’t be living there all summer again but wanted to help the staff there get settled in and ready to go.  At first I wasn’t sure if 3 boys added into the mix would add more or take away from what we wanted to accomplish, but in the end we were all glad that we went as a family. 

Our boys had a great time playing with the other Nav kiddos and I enjoyed showing the staff moms around town.  We stopped at all the important places: parks, swimming pool, library and of course the Starbucks drive thru.  Hubby spent his time introducing the director of the STP to some of the local pastors and employers they will be working with this summer and helping train the team leaders.

For those of you who read this blog last summer you will remember that we lived in a little house in the woods during our stay in the Dells.  I learned that living in an older home in the woods = mice.  Between us  and the family living below us I think we caught a whole forest full of them in the 2 months we shared residence.  It wasn’t the nicest place in the world to live but certainly not the worst either.  So when we pulled up to the house where the staff are living this summer I had to take a deep breath and swallow hard.  It is a BEAUTIFUL two story townhouse on the lake…not a rodent in site. 

Let me say first off that I am grateful that they get to live in a beautiful home all summer!  And I recognize they will have their own set of burdens and responsibilities to trust Jesus with.  Yet I admit I had to force myself a little bit to praise God for their blessing and not grumble in comparison. 

God asked me one morning while we enjoyed sharing in their accommodations, “Do I love you any less, Sherry, for giving you that house in the woods and them this townhouse on the lake?”  I had to answer, “No, of course not!”  And then He asked me to give Him Three things.  (“Three things” is a little game we play with the boys whenever we hear one of them complaining that the other got something they didn’t – they have to stop right then and there and give us three things they do have that they are thankful for.)

 God is funny sometimes…using my own parenting techniques on me is pretty humbling.  It wasn’t hard to rattle off more than three because He has blessed and continues to bless us so abundantly.  It is only when I stop to compare myself with others that I lose some of the joy of all He has given me, starting with His Love and salvation.  One of these days I’ll learn not to compare…until then I guess I’ll be coming up with my own list of “three things” on a daily basis!

Would you do me a sweet favor?  Would you take a moment right now to pray for the 7 staff and 3 kids who are “manning” the Dells STP this summer?  And would you also pray for the nearly 40 students who are participating?  And lastly for many of the international workers that our student friends are laboring and living beside in hopes of sharing about Jesus’ love with them?  Thanks!

It Depends on the Day!

Thing 1 and one of his MANY lego creations. 

I finally got around to that Easter craft I mentioned in an earlier post.  We made Yarn Balls with glue, yarn and a balloon. The yarn represented the strips of linen they wrapped around Christ's body, the glue was the spices they dipped them in and in the end after it dries you pop the balloon and you have your "empty tomb"!

Nine times out of ten while chatting with a friend they ask me how homeschooling is going.  I appreciate that my friends and family care enough to ask and offer their support.  But I often have to stop and think before I can answer because I don’t take time to think about it too much, I just do it.  It is like answering about anything else in life, “How is mothering going?”  “How is ministry going?” or “How is LIFE going?”  It is almost too big to sum up without some time to think and process.
 

What I do know is that homeschooling has finally morphed itself into my daily life (for the most part) that it doesn’t feel so much like an add-on to my day.  It is simply an extension of my mothering, ministering to and loving my family.  I think it is like having a kid – after one you imagine how you will ever do it with two.  And then Thing 2 comes along and somehow you figure it out.  Now Thing 3 is a whole ‘nother story but I won’t go there today…

So my fallback response to the question is, “It depends on the day!”  The days that everyone is rested and in a learning (or teaching, ahem) mood – we do great!  The days that we are not, we do not-so-great.  Not that those days are terrible, it is just isn’t the day you would read about in a “Why I homeschool” post.  Those are the days we cover the basic subjects and then call it good for the day.  We might spend more time snuggled in bed reading books than we do practicing a new math concept on a “bad” day.  And if I’m having a realllly bad day it might end with me going for a walk ALL BY MYSELF once hubby gets home, which is great therapy living out here in the country. 

The good days (in my book) include learning something new and/or practicing the basics academically, spiritually and socially.  They end without a headache on my end or a lot of nagging directed to my charges.  They find me glancing over to see my kids voluntarily paging through library books or showing me their latest engineering lego accomplishment. The good days have lots of snuggles and smiles and “lightbulb” moments when they get it.  So far we have had more good days than bad, so we will be finishing out the year without re-enrollment in public education.  Next year is still up in the air – we are praying  (and analyzing) about what will be best for all of us.  We would love your prayers support for wisdom in this area as well!  Thanks!

Inspiration and Genetics in Decorating

Some of you have asked to see the cross stitch that inspired my paint colors.  My MIL made this years ago and I always admired it.  When they moved out of the old farm house she let me have it.  

I look at my kitchen and think, "I'm turning into my mother."  Why? Because she has ALWAYS loved orange and this is my new favorite color.  Though I'm sure she would say this isn't really orange since we never see eye to eye on these things...so maybe I'm not turning into her after all!  

That bench (also from my MIL) is Thing 2's favorite place to curl up and do his school work.  In fact he is there right now and the room doesn't look nearly this neat!

.

A Gentle Slope

I recently studied how to have a gentle and quiet spirit with my freshman and sophomore friends on campus.  It was a chapter in a great Bible study by Cynthia Heald called, Becoming a Woman of Excellence.

Looking up the definition of "gentle" captured my attention, it means: a gradual slope.  When I think about mothering gentleness is something I desire to have but don't often execute very well.  This word picture  inspired me to think about how I want to lead them through the day and eventually toward maturity. To do this I need to make sure the slope is steep enough to get them to independence in 18 years, but gradual enough that they don't quit out of exaustion.  Or worse exasperation.

Some days my expectations are way too steep and I need to readjust the slope, i.e., only focusing on one character trait to improve or snipping out extra activities if we are too busy. Other days the slope isn't steep enough and they get away with way too much (misbehavior, coddling, etc) because I am too lazy or distracted to discipline like I know I should.  Mothering is figuring out just the right slope for each temperament and adjusting for life's factors (illness, fatigue, etc.).  The slope is always shifting but the end goal remains the same.

God's example of leadership in Isaiah 40:11 encourages my heart, "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."  I know that as I am leading my children if I follow His Lead, He will adjust the slope for me making it gradual enough for me to walk and reach the end of my day with my children, and my sanity, in tact.    

I am Barrabas

First off – sorry for the long silence.  We just returned from two weeks of travel with little time to write in there.  Before that we repainted our kitchen, living room and dining room.  Throw in two birthday boys and Easter and well, you know now why you haven’t heard from me.  I’ll post pics of the paint and bday celebrations soon.  For now – here is a “confession” and then my thoughts on Easter.

It seems like every Easter sneaks up on me.  I’m so busy just doing life I often stare it straight in the face Easter morning like a guest I knew was going to arrive but never took the time to prepare for.  I printed out devotions to do with the boys and never got to it.  I even planned a craft reflecting the death and resurrection and it is still on my “to-do” homeschool pile. (I think I will still do it bc the significance of the resurrection is something I want to be teaching EVERY day anyways).  So now that you know how imperfect my pursuit of Christ is I'll share with you where my mind went as I re-read the Easter story. 

I am Barabbas in this story.  My guilt is certain, my punishment deserved, and my fate of certain death before me.  And in some miracle that I wasn’t even looking for I escaped certain death in the final hour, released from prison to live again.  My life exchanged for Jesus’. Barabbas was the first captive to be set free – maybe not from the spiritual death – but a physical example for all of what Jesus was about to accomplish spiritually. 

I wonder what Barabbas thought of it all and if he took advantage of his second chance.  Did he live a better life?  Did he seek to know his Rescuer?  Did he allow his life to be transformed, forever marked by the day he was released from prison?  Or did he continue on his criminal path?

When I encountered Jesus my physical death was not imminent like Barabbas’ but my life in the next was just as fated.  Do I appreciate all that Christ has done for me, exchanging His life for mine?  Do I allow the rest of my days to be transformed by the day I was rescued from continual separation from the One Who Created me?  My rescue – as unjust as it was, but freely given – is secure.  I am Barabbas and I am released.  How now will I live?  Will I remain chained to my sins or walk in the freedom and grace He purchased for me?

Q & A with Author, Speaker and Book Mentor Mary DeMuth

Thank you so much Mary for taking the time to answer the following questions!  


Q - Mary, who would be the most impactful person in your writing and why? 


M- Most impactful is definitely Sandra Glahn, a professor at Dallas seminary. She mentored me when my career didn’t exist, helped me write my first query, and cheerleaded me through the tumultuous publication journey. She’ been a huge blessing to me, and continues to be a close friend. 

Q - Where would you say your greatest writing comes from?


M- My greatest writing comes from angst and pain, particularly after I’ve processed it and digested it. (And God’s healed me).


 Q - What gets you past writers block?


M -Writers block vanishes when I make myself sit down and write 1000 words. It’s a discipline.


To learn more from Mary, be inspired in your writing, parenting or finding hope and healing visit her Live Uncaged website at: http://www.marydemuth.com/  Take a moment now to pop on over, I promise you will be blessed by her ministry through words!  And if you sign up for her free monthly ezine you will receive her Live Uncaged eBook for free!  

A Mommy's Screwtape Letters

(based on C.S. Lewis’ classic, Screwtape Letters)

                Satan to his nephew Wormwood: “Remember when you are assigned to a Mom, your mission is on two fronts.  If you can defeat her, you will successfully defeat her children.  To wear her down you must be on continual attack.  We cannot actually touch any of God’s children but we can use our powers of suggestion and give every opportunity for temptation.  The ultimate goal is to keep her busy nagging, cleaning, yelling and bemoaning so she won’t even think about taking time to read her Bible and pray.  That is the worst possible thing that can happen. 

                Use the forces around her against her.  Try whispering into her toddler’s ear, ‘Candy. Suckers. Chocolate.  Cookies.‘ and watch as he incessantly pesters her for sweets.  Repeat this every five minutes and by noon she will be yelling that he will never eat anything again. 

                After she lashes out in anger remind her of the Bible study application she made to practice patience.  Quote Ephesians 4:29 about not letting any unwholesome talk come out of her mouth and watch as she withers into herself.  But be on your guard, you cannot let her guilty conscience lead her to an act of repentance.  If she shows signs of remorse quickly distract her. Remind her how much she sacrifices as a stay-at-home mother of three.  Throw in a bit about how good her husband has it away at his job every day and you are well on your way to moving her from guilt to self-pity.  If you can keep her from apologizing in time your work will double its reward. That toddler will grow up to be self-righteous and unwilling to admit his mistakes, all at his mother’s hand.

                 Now switch tactics to any other offspring in her care.  Make sure they have plenty of ideas for play that involve every toy and craft item in the home.  When she goes downstairs to check on them you will know how well you did by the look of astonished anguish on her face. Any sense of accomplishment she felt while you were elsewhere is all forgotten now. Whisper that favorite lie that her how her work is never done and her kids will never learn to clean up after themselves.  This will cause her to speak harshly toward her children, barking out orders to clean up their mess.

                This is a critical moment in the battle that you cannot lose.  At all costs the children must not obey their parents, at least not right away.  If they learn to obey their parents they will someday learn to obey Him.  You have to distract them continually from actually doing what is requested of them.  The less they clean up the angrier she will grow and the more she will yell.  Eventually they will be coerced to obey her, but the more miserable you can make them all in the process the more ground you will have gained. 

                If by naptime she still persists in opening her Bible, make sure you cause some sort of disturbance to immediately wake the children.  At all costs she must not actually read Scripture or ask for any assistance from Him. The Bible is her greatest weapon and one that we cannot defeat.  If you lose the battle on this front then you will be reassigned in disgrace.

And the winner is...

With the assistance of my two-year old drawing the name the winner is- Lindsay!  Congratulations!  Please send me your email address and I'll pass on your info to Mary DeMuth.  I'll post Mary's answers to the questions in a future post.  Even if you didn't win, you will want to read this book!  You can order it on Amazon in paper back or eBook here.  Thanks again, Mary, for sharing your book with us!

Free eBook Giveaway!

Last week I posted about a book I recently finished The 11 Secrets of Getting Published, by Mary DeMuth.  Mary has generously offered to give away a free eBook copy of this book to one of you. All you need to do to win is to ask a question about writing or share a writing tip in the comments section.  I will blindly draw a winner from those who left a comment.  If you want to increase your chances, tweet about this post or share it on FB and you can enter a second comment (be sure to tag me in it if you can).  I will close the giveaway on Wed. night so get your comments in by then.  Mary has agreed to answer some of the questions that come in so this is your chance to pick the brain of a gifted writer and encourager!  Yipppeee, this is so exciting!  I will post the name of the winner on Thursday so be sure to check back and see if you won.

Not a writer? Win it as a nice gift for the aspiring writer in your life.  They will be blessed, I guarantee it!

Giving Way

Today is Thing 2’s 6th birthday.  I’m sad that we have to spend all day apart at a Peace Making seminar at our church.  Yet I know it is an important process for our church body and the timing is out of my hands. 

This morning my daily devotional took me to Ephesians 4 – not surprisingly a chapter on unity.  Paul is urging that church body to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  (v. 1 – 3). 

Lord, when I need to lay down my pride and “my right” to be angry, help me give way to Your Spirit of humility. When I need to lay down my power and “my right” to be heard, help me to give way to Your Gentle Spirit. When I need to lay down my opinions and “my right” to share them, help me to give way to Your Spirit and patiently listen to those around me.  And when I need to lay down “my right” to be respected, help me give way to Your Spirit of love that endures the trampling of “my rights”.  Lead me to the common ground of the cross where You laid down all Your Rights in order to Unite us in Peace.  

Great Resource for New Writers

I just finished Mary DeMuth's "11 Secrets to Getting Published."   It is the next best thing to having an experienced author over for a cup of coffee and a great chat! Her personable style makes you feel like she is right there on your sofa telling you all you need to know to get started in your writing career. I especially liked the practical "how-to" advice that I could immediately apply and improve my writing. She is also a good enough friend to tell you the hard stuff you don't really want to hear but need to know to succeed. I highly recommend this book to all my "wanna-be-published" friends out there. You can get it on Amazon in Kindle or paperback here.

If You Give Your Two-year-old a Piece of Toast

If you decide to make yourself a piece of toast, your two-year-old will want one too. And if you give him a piece of toast he will ask you to put peanut butter on it. And if you put peanut butter on it he will want you to cut it into four triangles. When you sit down to eat your toast and drink your coffee he will realize he is thirsty. He will ask you for some of your coffee and juice. You will get him his own cup of juice and tell him your coffee is still too hot (whether or not it is bc you really don't want to share a single drop). He will nibble the toast up to the very edge of the apparently inedible crust getting peanut butter all over his chubby cheeks. You will sit down to finally drink your coffee and he will announce that he is all done. He will want you to get him a napkin. You will need to wipe his face for him. Then your five-year-old will decide he is hungry as well. After you get your middle child something to eat you will sit down again to enjoy your breakfast. Your two-year-old then climbs into your lap. He spots your toast and announces that he is still hungry. And chances are if he eats your peanut butter toast, he will want your coffee to go with it. It is way-too-cold to enjoy now anyways and so you let him.

Please Pray!

Tomorrow is the Collegiate Navigators National Day of Prayer.  Please take a moment to:

a.Watch this video.
b. Pray for students across the country to know Jesus' love for them.
c. Share this video with someone else who would also be willing to pray.

Thanks so much!  

New Family Pics

Brought to you by Jon Sprang, Blue Iris Photography.  Thanks Jon for some great pictures!  FYI -  if you live in/the area - the Sprang's are raising money for their international adoption - why not update your album and help give a little one a home?!

February Prayer Update

And now a word from hubby....

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your interest in and prayers for our ministry work.  We couldn't keep going without you.

First of all a praise-in our December newsletter we shared our financial need to finish the year and start this one in sound financial shape.  God is faithful, and our need was completely met!  Thanks to all of you who gave and prayed for this need.

Joshua Team
Every spring we do a six-week training time called Joshua team.  When God called Joshua to take over for Moses, He repeatedly told Joshua to be 'strong and courageous'.  The goal of the Joshua Team is to help students be strong in their walks with God and courageous in sharing their faith with others.  23 students are taking part this Spring, and last week they started spiritual pizza parties.  They invite their friends and neighbors for free pizza provided they bring a question about God, the Bible, or Christianity.  They went great and the students were all encouraged.  This week they will do it again, but at the end ask if anyone would want to continue but read through the Gospel of John and seeing what Jesus claimed about himself.

Please pray for the students doing the Joshua Team:  Taylor, Jonathan, David, Hannah, James, Erica, Amir, Danielle, Bethany, Brittany, Alyssa, Allyson, Kirstin, Josh, Layne, Emylee, Kyla, Keeley, Robert, Ben, Justin, Amour, and Evan.

Also, next week we will begin surveys on campus that lead into a gospel presentation.  Please pray for boldness and that we would proclaim the gospel clearly.

“REST-room” (what I secretly fantasize about while watching my kids play at the local museum)

"REST-room"

   A new exhibit at the Children's Museum in local Brookings, SD will open early next summer. Ecstatic moms can barely contain themselves. "It's just what this town needs!" says one local Brookings mother of three. Up until now the museum has kept the new exhibit upstairs hush-hush. And "Hush Hush" are just the right words to describe it. The new room is built for peace and quiet!

   A state-of-the-art soundproof napping room will provide local moms a much needed respite. The exhibit offers fifteen minutes of silence for over stimulated moms while museum staff watches their children. This wonderful exhibit is only open to members and the daily time slots are filled on a first come, first serve basis. 

    When you enter the room your body immediately begins to relax as you inhale soft lavender scents. The screaming, wet chaos of the water room disappears into the background as you levitate into the cozy, dry silence. Five comfy private bedrooms, low lighting and fresh linens all make moms want to jump up and down and scream "Yippee!" But no screaming is aloud anywhere near this room, even with the sound proof walls. You can, however, sigh as loud as you want as you slip into the silk pajamas provided for an extra cost.

   Finally children will no longer have to beg their moms to take them to the museum; moms will beg them to go! Projected membership sales have already tripled with the recent announcement of the "REST-room" and the museum board is more than thrilled with this expected outcome. Moms can be sneaky about their naps too –only telling their children (or hubbies) they need to go to the "restroom." 

    When asked what prompted the museum to offer this new exhibit the staff were reluctant to divulge. After some super-sleuthing I found out that more than once a mom has been found curled up in the teepee and/or the sod house catching a few zzzz's. "We saw there was a need and it would benefit the museum and the community," said one staff member. No matter why or how, this mom is thrilled and can't wait to go to the "REST-room" by herself – which is exactly how she longs to go!

"So how is home school going?"

I get this question a lot.  It is like anything else - we have our really good days and our not as great days.  For the most part thus far the pros have far outweighed the cons.  We enjoy taking advantage of a flexible schedule (taking a morning off when we are up late with student friends), doing things that we can't normally do (sledding on Wed. morning with friends...err..PE on Wed. morning), and using everyday things at home to make learning fun and interesting (counting out change with REAL money, the boys get to keep a penny if they do a good job).  Here are some pics of what we have been up to and our first field trip with our local home school group to a Living History Fair.

Making Patterns is Fun!

What could get the full attention of so many boys?

The History of the colt revolver of course!

The pirate presentation was Thing 2s favorite!

Back in the Saddle Again - Post Sabbatical

We were super excited to have students back in our home.  This is our first Oaks (leadership team) mtg about a week ago.

Some of our awesome guy leaders!

Thing 3 liked coming out to say "goodnight"

Amazing women leaders!

What does a giant roaster of chili at the Grafs mean?  Sledfest...err, due to technical error we were forced to host...SLUSHFEST 2012!

Hangin Out at Slushfest 2012

"I want YOU to play Don't Break the Ice!"

He was rather convincing.

Thing 1 is old enough now to play Carcazan with the big boys!  Very exciting!

Woman vs. Child: A Parody of “Man vs. Wild”

(Based on the show with Bear Grylls in which he strands himself in remote locations to demonstrate localized survival techniques. To be read with a British accent.)
This article depicts real life experiences. The views and experiences are real, but should not be attempted to be duplicated. When necessary Sher receives support from her Heavenly Father for emergency supplies of patience and grace. Only if circumstances become life threatening will she receive intervention from her husband, as required by health and safety regulations. On some occasions, situations are presented to Sher so he can demonstrate survival techniques. Professional advice should always be sought before entering any dangerous environment.

It is 8 degrees below zero and Sher Grafylls has been dropped via Providence into a populated but wild part of the American plains. She has minimal supplies and must get through her day despite the freezing temps and wiley man-cubs that are in her care. At the moment Sher is attempting to bundle up all three man-cubs with what she has on hand, finish making her bread, warm up the van and get out the door within a ten minute window. But circumstances are working against her, as well as nature. Luckily her husband has opened the garage door that would normally be frozen shut under these bitter temps. He has also plugged in her van – what a man!

After ensuring her cubs to remain inside she exits the house to start the van. Upon returning she instructs her man-cubs to all cooperate in exiting the house and entering the van. This is a dicey situation as they are known to fight and fool around in general instead of getting their seat belts fastened. Still she bravely sends them out while kneading down her dough to put into the pans – food that the man-cubs will need later to survive. A few minutes pass and she hears screaming from outside, her middle charge re-enters the house wailing. He explains the tussle between him and his brother and the resulting injury to his knee. She is running out of time and patience, she must get her eldest cub to his art lesson with less than 5 minutes to spare. Clear thinking and quick action are needed to ensure success.
Upon careful examination of the injury and some basic first aid, she bravely wills away the nausea produced by removing gravel from his bloody knee. She uses what is commonly observed in caring for such wiley creatures – her angry mom voice – to recall the offending brother into the house for a cross-examination. Patiently she leads them through apologies, trying but not entirely successfully to hold back her "I told you" so's. Arrangements are made to appease each other. Rules for entering the van are reassessed together as a group. They are once again sent out.
Upon completion of her last minute chores she heads out into the bitter cold and successfully makes it to the van. There she learns that while waiting on the two oldest man-cubs the youngest has taken this opportunity to poop in his Batman underwear. This is an emergency like none other. She breathes out her frustration, laughs at the irony of their current memory verse (the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience….ya-da, ya-da), looks at the clock – art class is beginning now. Upon discussing the situation with her charges and assessing the disappointment in her oldest cub's eyes at missing class entirely, she makes a last minute attempt to rescue the mission. After a quick clean up and review with the youngest once again of where we do and do not poop, they are back in the van and off to art class.
When they arrive at their first destination she has to decide if she wants to drag them all out in the cold or leave the youngest two restrained…errr…safely seat belted in…the van. Using the resources around her are key to survival in this bitter environment. She employs the two key method to avoid further delays – locking the children in the van with it running and the distract-a-tron (video) playing. She is back within 60 seconds and then must decide if they will go to the local grocery store with their 25 mins to kill or to the library. One cub votes grocery, the other the library. What's a mom to do? Eventually she chooses neither remembering another errand they need to run. Luckily the newspaper doesn't charge for their remnant rolls (which she will use later as art paper) bc upon arriving their she realizes she has her purse but no wallet. This actually comes in handy when they visit the library after all and her toddler asks to get Elmo Fire Station for the zillionth time. Rescued from having to watch it again, alas she has no wallet and no library card.
Later in the day they all arrive safely home including her husband close behind. Everyone is in tack and will be fed…eventually. Ongoing survival is dependent upon regular refreshment for this mom. So after filing a brief report with hubby she gathers her things and happily heads off to her lunch appointment. Her weekly half-day-out couldn't have come at a better time. At the last minute she remembers an important step she missed – she quickly brushes her teeth before leaving the house! Her husband once again is her hero and is left at home to manage the man-cubs… and hopefully remember to take the bread out of the oven before it burns.

Why We Chose Home School – For real this time, I promise!

Home schooling was never really on my radar before last August. I started thinking about it as a possibility for our family honestly for no particular reason, probably a combination of them. The thought of Thing 1 being gone all day again did make me a little sad. And then he and Thing 2 would have their 20^th brother-brawl of the day and I would start counting down the days for school to start! Fast forward a bit and home schooling remained on my mind, in fact I couldn't seem to get away from it. It seemed to be popping up everywhere I looked. I decided to pay more attention to this random thought floating around and start praying about it.
I picked up a few books from the library and liked what I read. The flexible schedule seemed like a great fit for our random ministry hours. I also loved the idea of my boys having more time together and becoming better friends. And the opportunity to integrate our faith into everyday learning appealed to me. At this point I thought I'd better mention the idea to hubby who had already raised his eyebrows at my nighttime reading selection. He calmly told me he would pray about it and hid very well his true feelings that I was completely nuts. Fast forward a couple more months whilst I kept my mouth shut on the subject to him(hubby) and open to Him(God) about as much as I could stand. Meanwhile God changed hubby's heart on the idea as well – not a complete turnaround like mine – he wasn't super-de-dupery excited to start it – but the flexibility it would allow our family interested him enough to give it a try. And that is what we are doing – giving it a try.
As it turns out Thing 1's classroom wasn't the ideal situation – which I observed a few hours a week as I volunteered in it. His teacher is amazing and the principal supportive, there are just too many VERY troubled kids thrown into one class. Even with an Aide in the class the environment was often very difficult to teach in and sometimes unsafe. This did not really affect our decision to home school as much as it affirmed it.
Once we made the decision to give it a try everything fell into place pretty smoothly, just the way I like it. His teacher helped me get me textbooks and showed me tons of helpful websites. She has tirelessly answered my endless questions and even agreed to copy me weekly spelling lists. What a gem! The principal agreed to let him come back once a week for Art class, lunch and recess. The Christian home school group I joined offers Art and Science twice a month for both the boys as well as field trips. Our schedule is filling up quickly!
I definitely have had my moments of panic at the thought of being solely responsible for their education. Yet somehow "mysteriously" I happen upon an encouraging verse or devotional in my daily reading on the exact days that I need an extra Word of encouragement. God is so good and gracious to hold my hand in this transition. Trust me I need a lot of hand-holding to make big life changes and hubby needs to actually get his work done so he can't always be the one to do it!
So why are we home schooling – I don't know if I can tell you exactly why. Perhaps it is God's leading – I'm hesitant to say anything for sure and for certain is God's will. I do know that it isn't outside of His will for us right now though and that is reason enough for me to follow that little persistent nudge. I can tell you what I love and don't love about home schooling…but since it is getting close to dinner time I'd better save that for later!

A Dozen Reasons why I chose Home School - NOT

Okay – I've received quite a few requests regarding the "why" we chose to home school this semester. Since I'm feeling a little bit sassy today here are not the reasons
we opted to home school.  
    1. I know more than the teachers who actually have a degree in education.
    2. Public schools are evil.
    3. If you are really a Christian you will home school your child(ren).
    4. I like spending every second of every day with these amazing, wonderful, brilliant little bundles of joy that I call my children.
    5. My kids are so extra super smart that they need an extra challenge that public school just can't provide.
6. Unlike most mom's who have told me "they just couldn't home school" (and I admit I have said in the past to other h.s. moms) I know that I am far better equipped with super home school      teaching abilities – my secret is in my new multivitamin.
7. I don't ever really need a break from my kids because they are so well behaved and never wear me out.
8. I love it when people stare at me blankly with that "why would you ever want to do that?" look in their eyes after I tell them I home school.
9. I want my kids to never interact with other children so I'm keeping them under lock-and-key.
10. I'm not ready to detach from them.
11. I just can't keep up on the household chores so I decided to make them do them all day and call it "real life skills"….actually…hmm…that is a pretty good idea!
12. There is nothing else I can think of to do with my time.

Now that we have that cleared up - I'll post on the reasons we DID choose h.s. soon.

First Day of Home School

Well, technically today was our second day, but since all we did yesterday was Bible and library I'm not counting that as a full day.  All in all I'm not ready to re-enroll them in public school yet, so I'd say so-far-so-good.  I'm taking this experiment one day at a time though. 
I admit I lay in bed this morning not wanting to get up and face the day - maybe it was because hubby is out of town - maybe it was the fear of our first "full" day of home school.  Either way, I got up, got a cup of coffee, some encouragement from Upstairs and got over my lazy mood.  After that and a second cup of coffee things went pretty well  (have I mentioned yet how much I LOVE our new Keurig? Seriously, how did I ever parent before this wonderful machine entered my life?!).  And the beautiful weather (if you consider sunny skies, no snow and upper 30s beautiful) made recess a lot more fun!

Here are a few pics of our first day:

                                             

Camo Verse Packs makes scripture memory fun!                                    Thing 3 needs to learn to read first though, maybe we will save that for tomorrow!

Sorting out all the critters in our house into animal groups.                             This took longer than I expected, they have A LOT of stuffed animals!

                                          

My favorite part of home schooling - reading books on the couch with my Things  (Hubby took this pic a couple days ago so it wasn't tech. "school" but I'm finding real life and home school are pretty interchangeable!).