{Knowing You}

I realized just recently that sometimes we learn the most about people when we really aren't expecting it. Like the meeting I attended not too long ago, which was designed for "fun", ended up revealing so much about peoples' thoughts and inner-workings. With that said, here is my first batch, in a series, of questions, designed to get to know you. Not like Coke vs. Pepsi question I mentioned previously (but we all know anyways that Pepsi is much better~LOL)! I will just post them as they come to me. I look forward to your responses.

1. The Bible exhorts us to, "..speak the truth in love..". Do you tend to be more on the truth-side, the love-side, or are you a nice blend of both?

2. Are there friends you go to for certain things depending on what you need or are most of your friends the all-purpose type? For example, would you call one friend if you wanted to go out & have fun, another if you needed great (spiritual or otherwise) advice, or another if you needed to cry on her shoulder.

I will also respond to these questions in the comments section. Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Still Breathing

Yes, I am still alive. Taking it one day at a time. I have been so BUSY lately. Just trying to juggle too many balls in the air at one time. Plus with homeschooling now, I feel like that added a watermelon to my other smallish juggling balls. I am trying to finish a HUGE scrapbook-for-hire project and only have 1 page left to go, plus some touch up work. I started knitting a sweater for Sienna that is near completion. I started knitting a super fun looking hat for Tatiana. This last weekend I went to Jacob's homecoming football game and then to Buffalo Wild Wings, since it was my 10th high school reunion. So much fun! I realized I think I am too old to be staying up til 2:30 am. Then again, in a way, I'm too young not too. Here is a picture of my best buddy Michelle & I (can you believe we have actually been friends for UM....12 years??!!):


These are the pictures of the kiddos that I brought with me to show my friends:



This coming weekend my dear old friend Justine is driving up from North Carolina to visit for a couple days, as she has 3 weeks of army leave. I am so excited I am just beside myself. I haven't seen her since Tatiana was about 1 year old. That means I am planning weekend food/activities & trying to clean house (well, haven't started that part yet, but I will). In the midst of all this, I have been working on my part-part-part-time job of surveying housing developments, which needs to be completed by Friday (when I will have to drive out to Schaumburg~YUK!~to return my materials). Sometimes I feel like I am streeeeeeeeeeeetching so thin with so many things on my plate. Which leads my to a parenting related thought: does anyone out there use a family schedule? You know, like a Supernanny-type routine where the whole day is planned out? If you do, please tell me how you like/dislike it. Maybe it would work for me. Maybe I would feel like there was a definite time for things like cleaning, playing & working. Otherwise just let me know that you are still alive too OR what you do to keep yourself from going insane when your plate is ready to spill over. God Bless!

P.S. I just have to share this picture that I took today. Sienna got to join us for some school time, since she was being so well-behaved before her nap time. I *so* love the girls and I living life TOGETHER ;-)

Survey Says....

I used to love watching Family Feud (and lots of other game shows for that matter). I think the part I liked the most was seeing whether or not I seemed smarter than the contestants. Of course from the comfort of my own living room without thousands of dollars at stake, I probably had an advantage. I distinctly remember the way Ray Combs would say, "We surveyed 100 people with the top 5 answers on the board....." I guess surveys were popular even back then. It seems like the 21st century version would be internet surveys. They are everywhere: myspace, forums, and most of all...my inbox. I sometimes wonder what the point of them all are. Mostly they are useless information. Do I ever remember which of my friends like vanilla and which ones like chocolate? Or the jobs they have had? Or whether they drink coke or pepsi? Does it really matter what they were wearing when they took the survey? I wish someone would come with a survey and title it, "The Only Survey You'll Ever Need" filled with the most crucial of questions. Then I can send it to all my friends and keep a copy of all their responses. I doubt many would answer (maybe save for my really, really close friends) because the reason most people participate in surveys is for FUN. It would have questions like the date of their birthday (so I don't forget), their love language (so when I want to do something nice I know what type of "thing" to do), their favorite meal and dessert (so when they come over I know what to cook), maybe things like their greatest strength/weakness, what they tend to cry about (why does everyone cry so much anyways?? I can't even remember the last time I cried...), maybe things that they find aggravating (so I can try not to do it), and probably the things they find most important in life & what they have the strongest convictions about. I think that REALLY tells the most about people, don't ya think? Anyways, the reasons I usually participate in surveys is either because a) I am in the mood or b) my "friend" wants me to send one back to her with my responses. So hear is a freebie for ya'll (reason "a"):

3 Weird Things/Habits about Me

1. I like to eat raw flavored oatmeal. Only Quaker Cinnamon 'n Spice. I usually eat about 2 bags at a time. I started out just using less and less water because I really like the spicy flavored powder. Eventually I got to the point where I wasn't using any water at all.

2. I was born with one crossed eye. It couldn't move at all, it was just always pointing in. I had surgery for that, but now it tends to overcorrect itself so it may not look like I am looking at you, when I really am. I am kinda sensitive about it and it is so frustrating to hear store clerks/strangers/people-who-don't-know-about-it asking, "Are you talking to me?" It happens especially when I am tired too. This also means that I DON'T have BInocular vision. Most people's eyes work together, mine work separately from each other. Like when you go to the DMV and you look in their little vision test machine and they ask you if the dot is inside or outside of the box, I can't tell. One eye sees the dot, one eye sees the box. So far, I've guessed correctly.

3. I like to crack my back. Maybe this is not so weird, but some people might think so. It just relieves a lot stress and I feel looser after I do it. When I was pregnant with T., I used to lean backwards over a chair so that the chair back would push on my vertebrae.

I was planning on listing 6 things, but I guess I'm not as weird as I thought. I'm sure these are things that you wouldn't readily forget, not like whether I prefer Coke or Pepsi.....

P.S. In case you were wondering, I'm a Pepsi girl. Coke just tastes too sweet to me. I usually drink Caffeine-free Diet. It has a nice crisp refreshing flavor.

Things I've Been Reading Lately

I came across this blog recently and loved her blog's purpose and the idea of dreaming a really BIG dream. That with the fact that she has six kids makes me all the more interested. I think from there I linked over to the blog at S.H.M.I.L.Y . This is the purpose as posted on the blog:

"S.H.M.I.L.Y. Time" (See How Much I Love You) focuses on our priority after God as wives, which is to bring glory to Him through being a wife. It doesn't matter what stage (or state) your marriage is in right now. Pray to the Lord to give you the strength, forgiveness, and love you need to be the wife He intends for you to be.

Seems like a really great place to get some new ideas for keeping the spark alive in your marriage.

This is another blog I've been checking into which I believe can be linked from the SHMILY blog.
Here is just a small snippit of what the blog is about:

A CLEAN HEART will not tell you that you deserve a break or that you deserve some praise for everything that you do. The reason is simply: we have been called to, and have the privilege of, being wives and homeschool moms... along with everything that entails. A CLEAN HEART will encourage and uplift, never belittle or begrudge the God-given task we have as women, wives, and mothers. (Please note: I am a wife and homeschool mother, so to those of you who are single or not homeschool moms, please take the information given here and use what you can to bless you as well! I'm glad that you're here!)

A CLEAN HEART Blog will also offer FREE printable schedules, organizers, and many other helpful forms to help you get control of and maintain your home and homeschool. More importantly, your HEART will not be forgotten along the way by offering devotions and printable prayer pages as well.

I am so excited to have found this site and can't wait to start checking it out a little more thoroughly. I think the printables will be useful for my home journal. They also have a group challenge which I think would be neat to do with some friends. (*hint*hint*)

I've also been lovin' this forum over at recipezaar. They also have other great cooking forums to check out if you're not into budget/freezer cooking.

I've been reading the book Saving Dinner: the Menus, Recips, and Shopping Lists to Bring Your Family Back to the Table, which I had checked out from the library. I'm going to purchase it from amazon though, since so many of the recipes are things my family would really use. She gives you a recipe a day for every week of the year. One recipe a week is a crock-pot meal. Many of these recipes could easily be frozen. *I already have Asian Honey Chicken in the freezer.*

I've been trying to focus more lately on my purpose in the home and making it a sanctuary for all who enter. I guess I've been on a cooking kick lately too. Let me know what you've been reading or if you've found any of my links to be interesting ;-)

What would you do....

...if you witnessed a mother back-hand her child across the face in a public place?? I was in Target yesterday and came across a family in the toy department. The three kids were in the 8-11 year old range and were arguing with the mother over purchasing a toy. Mom was yelling that she doesn't have $20 per child to spend and the family seemed to be agitated. I felt sorry for the mom at that particular moment. Later on in my trip, as I was approaching the checkout area, I could hear screaming and crying. The 10-ish year old daughter was extremely upset and was trying to explain to mom that mom didn't keep her word about something. At the exact moment I was walking by, mom back-hands daughter across the face. It wasn't with all her might or anything, but it probably stung. I was just bothered by that display. It seemed inappropriate. Period. I just kept on walking. Rick said I should've just hit the mom and ask her how it felt! LOL! I really don't know what I could've done. What would you do??

I also wonder when the law steps in. Hollie, if you read this, I wonder if Jeremy could shed some light on this. Do they ever get calls about a parent hitting a child in public? Would they even respond? Just wondering....

Let's play...

....a little game. I snagged this from Carrie's blog over at Handle Life with Care (she snagged it from her DH's blog). Anywho,

The idea is this: You express how much you prefer one thing to another (using the greater than sign >>>), and then add “it’s not even close.”

IBC Rootbeer>>>>>>>Dr. Pepper

a crisp fall day>>>>>>a sweltering hot & humid summer day

a clean house with well-behaved children>>>>>>>>>a messy house with children bouncing off the walls

a close-knit family>>>>>>>>a distant family

being comfortable in my own skin>>>>>>>>trying to "fit in" to what other people think I should be

leaving for vacation>>>>>>>coming home

being near the water>>>>>>being land-locked

a blissful uncomplicated pregnancy>>>>>>>>>unrelenting morning sickness

uplifting "real" people>>>>>>>>>>pessimistic hypocritical people

a few close friendships>>>>>>>>bunches of acquaintances

creating something with my hands>>>>>>>doing dishes with my hands (YUK!)

It's not even close!!

The Storm

It sounded like breaking glass. I awoke from a deep sleep to hear the noise of rain falling. As I looked toward the window, the flashes of lightening flickered through like a strobe light. OH, maybe something from this storm broke a window. I hopped out of bed and went to the living room. The lamp would not turn on. The power must be out. I peeked through the blinds into the backyard. I could make out the form of the fence through the lightening flashes. NOOOOO! I couldn't tell how much of the fence had been demolished, but I could see it laying in the grass. To my right I could see the patio umbrella laying in the glass as well. I checked the windows. None broken. I ran to wake up Rick. He was not in bed where I expected him to be. I fumbled in the dark for my phone and looked at the time. 4:45 am. I called Rick. He had left for work 20 minutes earlier. He told me where to find a flashlight and I went and checked the girls' windows. They were both sound asleep. I went back to bed, but lay there in fear. Through my prayers I could feel my heart thumping, the wind battering the house, the thunder and lightening crackling. I was making plans on how to get the girls and where we would hide in the basement should the tornado sirens sound. I finally fell in and out of a fitful rest. This is what I woke up to the following morning:

The wind snapped the pole that holds up the patio umbrella. Oh well. Maybe I can find one on clearance after summer's end.

This is the part of the fence closest to the house. The concrete is actually coming out of the ground due to the weight of the fence falling. You can see the top runner is almost snapped in half as well.

The middle of the fence. You can see what is left of each post sticking out of the ground.

The end of the left side of the fence where it meets the back section.

This is the A-frame portion of my several-hundred-pound wooden playset that was lifted up and moved over about 14". The hole on the right is where it used to sit.

I guess I can be thankful that it was only the left side of the fence and not the whole thing! I am also thankful that the kids and I were safe from harm. DH looks at the kids and I being safe as "something good" happening, whereas I saw it as something bad being avoided. Depends on your perspective I suppose. I realize now that the sound I thought of as glass breaking was mostly likely the sound of each post cracking off. I sickens me every time I look out the window to think of all the hours Rick spent out there in the sweltering heat to make a nice place for his family to enjoy and to have it all be undone in just a matter of minutes. I told God that I am aware of His power and did not need to be reminded. Why couldn't He "speak" to someone else? I guess somehow this is all part of his plan. I was without internet as well for 2 days because our tower was down. So I am back now!

A Special Note to all my Public Schooling Friends: I know many of your children will be starting their first year of kindergarten and this may be stirring up all kinds of emotions for you, as their mother. I am, and will continue, to be praying for your families and the changes that this will bring. Please drop me a line and let me know how you are handling this and if there is anything I can do. Love you girls!

P.S. The violent storm and its ensuing aftermath reminded me and gave me one small miniscule glimpse into what Hurricane Katrina survivors must have and continue to feel. As the one year anniversary of Katrina is in a few short days, please keep all those affected in your prayers.

{A word on.....}

...the Weekend:

I guess any day when you have to call 911 probably could be filed under the "exciting" category. Rick and I were on our way to a family wedding and I was on the phone with {M} when a car accident occurred in front of us. Of course, I was shaken & called 911. Never called 911 from a cell phone before & now feel reassured that it actually "works". No one was seriously injured but there were children one of the vehicles who were crying and very scared, which to me was upsetting. I have been having some trouble with migraine headaches and suffered another one on Saturday. I wasn't sure I was going to make it to this wedding (only made it in time for the reception) and kept changing my mind almost the whole way there. I am thinking I may need to get some medication for this or research some other sort of remedies. If you have ever had one, you know how debilitating they can be! (If you have any suggestions, could you please let me know?)

...Cooking:

I posted (jokingly) several posts ago wondering how to get 23 comments on cooking or knitting or household tips. Apparently I hit a culinary nerve. Can't we all just get along?? *grin* Moving on...I made this recipe today to go along with our dinner & was so easy and delicious. The crust wasn't as "crispy" as I thought it would be, but maybe it's not supposed to be. I also made a surf & turf stir-fry on Friday for a private dinner for Rick & I and it turned out to be quite tasty. Lots of ginger, fresh garlic, and green onions. YUM! My mom spent the night on Saturday to watch the girls (bless her heart!) and on Sunday morning was SO excited to tell me about this book she started reading that she found laying around my house. Yep, Frozen Assets. She said she copied down a bunch of recipes and can't wait to freeze some meals and went on and on about what a great idea she thinks this is. Oh, mom. If only my blog readers could hear you now, we would all laugh together.

...Backyard projects:

Our fence is almost complete! I realized today (while I was mowing the grass) how I really enjoy a little privacy. I am, for the most part, an extrovert. I, do, however need my own space and *love* being fenced in. The landscaping still needs much work, like digging out unwanted plants and moving others that are now misplaced due to the fence. Also, my "weed" garden along the back needs to be killed and the play area and raised garden beds built. Oh, I can't forget our much anticipated fire pit. Looking forward to that! And {A} will definitely be getting an invite for some bonfires and s'mores (you know who you are girlie!) Take a peek:

View from the deck

my flowerbed and a closer view of the pickets

I'm actually really proud of my flowers. I'm shocked I could actually manage to keep something alive. Not only that, but the flowers all the way at the bottom I planted as seeds. Amazing the beauty that God designed for us to enjoy. I never tire of looking at them. I *love* how they spill over onto the brick patio too.

...Homeschooling:

Our "official" start date is Monday, August 28th. I am excited and nervous. Aargh!

I've enjoyed hearing from so many of you recently. I am looking forward to more of our dialogues. God Bless!

My OAMC Attempt

For those of you who've never heard the term (I hadn't until just recently), OAMC stands for once-a-month-cooking. I'd read about the concept somewhere in the blogosphere and so decided to check out this book from the library. Hmmm. I read the first few sections and was convinced to give it a try. Don't get me wrong, I *love* cooking, really. {Wasn't my last post about cooking too??} But sometimes I get bored/tired/confused regarding our daily dinner meal. We pretty much eat dinner together as a family every evening, unless one of us has a prior committment or we are out for a special event. I was super skeptical that this method would actually be cheaper (so was DH). I had tried shopping at Sam's Club a few months back and it did NOT help my grocery budget. Using the Frozen Assets book as my guide, I picked about 10 recipes and included one of my personal recipes to make and freeze. I shopped mostly at Aldi and went to Woodman's for the rest (or for the items I knew to be cheaper). Here was the menu I planned:

• Chicken & Broccoli (4)
• Baked Ziti (4)
• Lazy Lasagna (2)
• Beef Bourgignon (3)
• Chicken Cacciatore (4)
• All-Purpose Ground Meat Mix for Taco Salads (3) and Sloppy Joes (3)
• Pizza Blanks (2) ~ I also made (4) medium sized ones for the kids & I for lunches
• Egg McMuffin Sandwiches (18) ~ for DH's breakfast
• Calzones (12) ~ for the kids & I for lunch, quick dinner, or DH snack

This adds up to 25 dinners, plus 18 breakfast sandwiches and 12-16 lunches. The total grocery bill was...{are you ready for this?}....$114. I still can't really believe it myself. I'm thinking I might be able to cut $60-$100 off of my already small grocery bill!! I will have to see how the rest of the month goes. All I will need to add to these meals is some side dishes, a fresh garden salad or noodles to go with it. Maybe even dessert! I spent about 3 days cooking on & off since I didn't have a babysitter for the kids. I definitely think I may do some mini-sessions throughout the month instead of one HUGE session. DH & I had the Lazy Lasagna over the weekend and he couldn't stop saying how good it was. He kept asking if there was any left. I am so happy that DH will be able to have a hot breakfast too, whenever he wants one. I'm caring for him every morning even while I'm still sleeping by having these in the freezer! I love it!

Calzones fresh from the oven. Can you smell 'em?? YUM!

Pizza crust for family meals

Egg McMuffin sandwiches for Rick

Taco Salad I made with for lunch with the All-Purpose Ground Meat Mix

The other advantage to this method was my grocery experience today. Since I already have all these "assets" in my freezer I was able to be in & out of the grocery store in only 30 minutes since I didn't need that many groceries. I spent half of what I usually would, so combined with what I bought in addition to my OAMC groceries last week, I'm about even for the month. I also have the energy to try several new recipes, since dinner is already "made". I recently pre-ordered this book from Amazon and can't wait til it arrives. More recipes!! If you have tried this method or want to know more, please comment. Oh, and I added an email me! link to the sidebar so now you can contact me privately too ;-)

Kitchen Mishap & Thoughts on Cooking

I had a kitchen mishap today. Actually, it wasn't quite an "accident" as I should've been paying more attention to the task at hand. I was in the early stages of making Beef Bourgignon and was ready to fry my stew meat in bacon grease (YUM! Sorry if you're a vegetarian!) & had even made a special trip to the grocery store this morning to get the bacon. It adds so much more depth of flavor! Anyway, as I was attempting to gingerly slide the stew meat from the package into the smoking hot bacon fat, the meat just decided to belly-flop head first into the pan showering my hand and a spatter on my face with grease. I haven't felt that much pain since Sienna was born! YOW! I decided I better go to the doctor (not before I finished aforementioned frying process with two more meat packages) and get my hand looked at. Thankfully I squinted my eye closed when it happened so I only got a small red mark above my eyebrow; my right hand, though, was not as lucky. I am all bandaged up now, so will have a slight disadvantage while trying to complete my household duties (oh, and trying to assemble everything for my big Cousin/Cousin garage sale on Friday & Saturday). I started thinking that although I've had several kitchen "accidents", mostly burns, I am likely to have more mishaps since I spend soooo much time in the kitchen. {I also think the reason I haven't had any really serious knife incidents is because my knives are such an extension of my body. Like a longer arm really. It would be like seriously scratching yourself ~ how often do you do that??} I really wonder how much the average person spends cooking/baking in a typical month & I'm also so curious as to how much time I spend compared to the masses?? Maybe for fun I will keep track of this at some point!

Lately I have grown really weary of cooking. I have been just sooo tired of having to cook dinner every single night (which is why I am trying the Once a Month Cooking method). Which makes me wonder....what if I really did not have a passion for cooking to begin with?? What do people cook who really DISLIKE cooking?? How awful it would be to have to do something on a daily basis (quite necessary for living) that you so disliked!! Maybe they order out a lot or make a lot of boxed items like hamburger helper or macaroni & cheese. Maybe I am tired of cooking because I hardly use any prepared/processed ingredients. I really do wonder how the proverbial "other half" cooks.....

{Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum}

There's been a lot of talk about what everyone will be using for their curriculum this fall, so I thought I'd chime in! I am thankful for Cathy Duffy's "100 Top Picks for Homeschooling" as it really aided in my decision making. Here goes:

Daily Devotional: We have about 3 different child devotionals, including the Little Girls' Bible for Fathers & Daughters, the Little Girls' Bible for Mothers & Daughters, and My Utmost for His Highest for Kids. I will just be picking one of those to read each day.

Copywork: One short sentence from our daily devotional or a verse based around our science curriculum.

Literature: We will be doing Five in a Row! I have heard many great things about this curriculum. Since we are all book worms, I think it will be a good fit for our family. I have already begun reading some of the books just to see what this experience will be like. I will pick one or two activities to do per day.

Phonics: Phonics Pathways ~ I actually was considering holding off on the phonics as I thought this might be too much for dear daughter, but she seems desperate to read. Her favorite materials are store or public building signs, LOL! So, we are going forward with PP. She already can recognize all the upper/lower case letters and their sounds, can pronounce short vowel sounds, and read three/four letter words. I am going to start at the beginning of the book & reevaluate after a week or two to perhaps move on to Tati's level.

Science/Art: We will doing each of these 2 days per week. Our art activity will mostly come from FIAR with some thematic crafts as well. I love crafts!! For science, I found a curriculum called Made by God. They are faith-based books with between 13-18 lessons each. They seem great. I love their incorporation of Scripture & use of Bible stories.

Math: Singapore. Tatiana has already done a couple of pages so far since she is so excited to begin.

Of course there's also some other fun activites I purchased, such as puzzles, pattern blocks, tangrams, & lots of craft stuff. I am only planning on "formally" schooling, with the 5th day being Tatiana's choice of books & activities. If you have used any of these curricula or have any caveats or are interested in finding out more, please let me know! Happy hsing!

10 Party Tips I Couldn't Do Without

In light of our DD's 5th birthday bash over the weekend, I thought I'd share some of tips most crucial to my partying. These really are mostly meant for the large gatherings, not for, let's say, a small dinner party.

#1: Make lists.

I think this significantly contributes to a well put together party and ultimately reduces the stress of forgetting anything. I make lists for everything, starting with theme ideas/date/time/place, to list of invitees, to the menu, grocery lists, and to-do lists for the days leading up to the big event.

#2: Choose time of day carefully.

Depending on your budget, you may or may not wish to serve an entire meal. If you will not be serving lunch or dinner, be sure to plan your event with this in mind. Also, when planning my daughter's party, I knew the backyard would be the main scene for the childrens' activities which is why I chose a later time of day (4 pm). This way the shade would be beginning to cover the back and it would not be during the hottest part of the day.

#3: Serve a make-ahead menu.

When planning what to serve, I try to keep in mind how many dishes will need last minute preparations. (I keep this in mind for small dinner parties & holiday gatherings as well.) Serve as many dishes that can be made ahead as possible to reduce the stress level of your entertaining. (Crockpots & prepping/reheating are good options as well!)

#4: Ask others for contributions.

Not only would these items be one less thing to worry about, but one less thing to purchase as well (great for the tight budget!). For this most recent bash, not only did my dear mother purchase plates, but also cases of pop & water. Not only that, but she brought a tub of water balloons and a large fresh fruit salad. Bless her heart! My mother-in-law provided the CareBear pinata filled with candies and my grandma brought folding chairs and bags of chips.

#5: Have someone watch the little ones before the party.

My mom (there's that wonderful word again) watch my little one overnight the evening before the party & then brought her to the party. This was wonderful! I cleaned, cleaned, decorated, and spent some one-on-one time with the birthday girl without my toddler underfoot. This is a highly recommended strategy for BIG parties where a lot of work is involved.

#6: Make sure the bathrooms have extra toilet paper.

This is one small, but important detail that I think many people tend to overlook.

#7: Set the mood. Nothing like arriving at a party to find a quiet house.

This happened to me once. I wondered if I had the day or time wrong. Play some music, add some festive decorations & be prepared to greet your guests as they arrive.

#8: Eat before the guests arrive.

I have my husband to thank for this suggestion. It seems like the role of hostess is often a tireless one & I frequently find myself with little time to fix a plate and enjoy the meal.

#9: Save what you can.

In an effort to be frugal I try to reuse whatever I can, including party decorations. I've had the same girly "Happy Birthday" banner since Tatiana had her first birthday party & I just used it as she turned 5. I also save confetti for sprinkling around the tables, gift bags & tablecloths (even the plastic ones can be wiped off & refolded).

#10: Try to relax & enjoy.

After all, it is a party. Sure everything won't be perfect (hard for this first-born, type A, perfectionist to accept at times), but really, who will notice?

On the {lighter} side...

For the last few

DaYs

I have been wondering........

what do I have to do

tO gEt 22 CoMmEnTs

on a post about

knitting or household tips or recipes??

Response to Random Thoughts on Homeschooling

Dear Blog,

I hope you "anonymous" (and not so anonymous) readers are still out there so you can read this post. I was very saddened to read your comments, my entire spirit was grieved actually, not because I regret making that post, but because it was not received as intended. If you really know me at all, you would know that I would not personally attack anyone or maliciously hurt anyone intentionally. A few of the readers realized this and they don’t even really know me!! And if you are someone I know in “real” life and you still interpreted my post in such a malicious way, then you must not know me all that well. I love and pray for all my friends (and strangers) and really care for people. I would NOT choose not to love or not like someone based solely on one of their life decisions. I care for all sorts of people in my life: Christians & non-Christians, single moms, divorcees, home and public schoolers alike.
With that said, I would like to restate that my post was in response to articles on anti-homeschooling sentiment which I mentioned. I was basically trying to process through reasons why a Christian might not choose to homeschool. I did say that there may be reasons other than the main ones I listed. I did NOT say that these are the ONLY reasons why a Christian would not choose to homeschool. And although your comments were quite expressive to say the least, they really did not give any concrete reasons as to why you are not choosing to homeschool (!), other than some references to using your children as God's light and public school being the "best option" for your family. I really want to understand other positions on this issue. *Please hear my sincerity here.* Unfortunately since no one has concretely explained why public school is the "best option" for them, I am no further along in my journey of understanding than I was before I posted.
In direct response to some of your comments:

• Yes, Jesus did learn at the temple, but He was closer to the age of 12, not 5 years old. Also, the temple was run by God-believing people, unlike our current public school system.

“And when He was twelve years old....Now it was after three days they found Him in the temple sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions.” –Luke 2:42-47

• Yes, I was a Christian for a short time in public school, as I began believing in my early high school years. And no, it was not easy. There are things I regret doing to this day. I also know many public schooled Christians who made regretful decisions during their schooling years as well. (This is not to say that a homeschooled child wouldn't make poor choices as well. You just asked me if it was easy.) I am thankful that during some of my early elementary years I went to a small private school. And unfortunately for children today, the public school experience is not like it was 20 years ago. God is only being removed further and further from the school system and being replaced with non-God honoring agendas. Perhaps you are not fully aware of what is going on in the public school system today, which might be another reason why you would choose public school. It could be that you don’t see any harm in sending your children there (for the last 5 years I have been thinking this very thought!!!!). I know maybe you are remembering your own school experience and thinking it wasn't so bad. There is so much information on the current state of public schools. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Here is just some quick information:

1. Parents' rights stop once children enter public school doors
2. Homosexual agenda in textbooks for grades K-12
3. Humanistic Views in public schools
4. Unnatural age division
5. Failing Public School System
6. Pledge ruled unconstitutional

I think one commenter stated that she wouldn’t go to a church that did not hold the same beliefs as she did, so why would she send her child to a school that did not teach the same things she believed as well? I am still wondering the same thing myself.

• I do believe that the public schools need Christians and God's light, but in the form of Christian ADULTS, not children. Yes, Jesus spent time with tax collectors and prostitutes as an ADULT.

“Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age…” Luke 3:23

Before someone can be a light and witness to others, they must first be firm in their own foundation regarding what they believe. A child aged 5,6,7,8 will not be prepared to do so (at least none I have ever met). The purpose for homeschooling (especially if only in the early years) is for protection. I'm sure as a loving Christian parent you most likely do not allow your children to watch R-rated movies or play violent video games. Why? Because you are trying to protect their tender hearts and minds until they are fully able to handle what is being thrown at them. Wouldn’t it be the same with public schooling?

• For those "choosing" the path for your children to be witnesses, could you please point me to some Biblical references for this? (I am NOT being sarcastic here, I am honestly looking for answers.) I don't think this is something you can choose for someone else, but rather each individual must choose this for themselves. Maybe at some point, our children would choose public school for the purpose of witnessing to others, which we would discuss at that time. There are not, however, any instances that I am aware of in God's word where children are being used as missionaries.

• I NEVER insinuated that someone would be SINNING by sending their kids to public school. I don't even think this is the case.

• A short note on the issue of shelter: Isn’t the idea of parenting to SHELTER our kids? Don’t we want to protect them as much as possible from being exposed to things that may harm them? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about IGNORANCE here. I am not saying that I (we) should keep our kids in a cultural bubble (I think someone used the term “sterile” environment), unaware of what is lurking in the outside world. Sure they will know about the evils of the world, but do you have to experience something firsthand to know that it is an evil?

• Yes, this is a public blog & we are all entitled to our own opinions. And after all, aren’t we all judgmental to some degree? Don’t we all take what someone else says and filter it through what we currently believe be true? I honestly didn’t realize that my post would be as inflammatory as it seems to be. I didn’t outright call anyone names or use any all-encompassing statements like, “All parents who send their children to public school are selfish.” By the way, the selfish sentiment is not just something I cooked up in my head. It is something that I’ve heard other moms say as to why they could never homeschool, as in, “I just don’t think I could handle having all my children home all day!!”

I don’t know if I said it before, but I will say it again, I was **NEVER** planning on homeschooling my kids!!! You can ask my husband (if you know him). He was always in favor of homeschooling & I always was from the line of thinking, “What could be so bad about public school? I went to public schools and I turned out okay.” It wasn’t like I’ve been planning on homeschooling for the last 5 years, since Tatiana was born. Honest. For the last 5 years, I have been in the same place where (it seems like) most of you are now, where I would just send the girls to public school while teaching them as much about God and infusing our home life with Christ's likeness as much as I could. I know some of you mentioned having prayed about your decision and I would assume that you have searched the Scriptures as I have. In case you were wondering, here are the verses in God’s Word that I can not get to fit in with the idea of public schooling (my fault for not having included them in my original post):

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” –Proverbs 9:10 I am taking this to mean that really all learning should begin with the fear of the Lord. We all could probably agree that in a public school setting, the Lord would be the last person that an education would begin with.

“He who walks with the wise becomes wiser still but the companion of fools suffers harm.” –Proverbs 13:20 I am talking "walking" here to mean "spending a significant amount of time with". There are many Scriptures regarding fools, spending time with fools, and what happens when you surround yourself with corrupt people.

“He who is not with Me is against me and He who does not gather with Me scatters.” –Luke 11:23 Public schools definitely are not silent about whether they are for or against God.

“…but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea.” –Matthew 18:6 When I read this, I can not help but think that being in an environment that is so anti-God for so many hours of the day would cause a child to stumble. Maybe I am interpreting this verse incorrectly?

If you thought I was being judgmental, maybe you could review some of the comments and think about how it might feel on my side of the computer screen. Instead of flogging me for my point of view, could you help me to understand yours? Instead of using a vague term like "best option", could you lay out what factors make it {public school} the best option? Academically? Character development-wise? Spiritually? I am not so much saying to defend your choice as much as I am saying that if you disagree with something I said, perhaps you could enlighten me regarding another point of view. Give me some links or articles or information to read. Neither my heart or my mind are set in stone. If I am wrong, I am willing to admit it. I did say that I was feeling judgmental and "was working to overcome it". Adding harsh comments only has served to stir up more wrath. I would love for those that read my blog to enter into more of a dialogue with me. I welcome different opinions, but I do think we should be respectful as much as possible & I am deeply sorry if anyone felt disrespected in the first place. Maybe it would’ve been better to ask for clarification or ask questions about my position, instead of painting me out to be/think something that I am not. I will unfortunately have to moderate the comments (which I really do NOT want to do), if readers can NOT continue in a more conversational (as opposed to combative) manner. You could always start your own blog and post your own views, which I would love to read ;-)
Again, I sincerely apologize for anyone feeling personally attacked by the previous post. I NEVER intended to condemn or put down anyone. I really am motivated by love for children, a desire to understand people, and to uncover the truth. I am humbly asking for your forgiveness......

Love,
Beck

Let there be pickets!

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither, apparently, was my fence. But finally, today, the first picket was screwed into place, followed by about 30 more. It is amazing to see it finally take shape. Rick's deadline is Saturday for fence completion, which, even he does not finish by then it will not be for lack of trying. So much of our free time has been spent in the yard. I can not wait to just be able and sit back and enjoy the scenery. No more icky weed garden. No more looking out the back at unsaid neighbor's unsightly fence. No more worrying about kiddos wandering into another person's yard. It will be so nice once we get the swingset in place & make a small firepit to enjoy on those brisk fall evenings. Can't wait to enjoy the smell of campfire in my OWN backyard. NICE. Maybe some of you faithful readers can join us sometime for some s'mores roasted over an open fire. I know that day is lurking out there somewhere in the future. As a famous Roman once said, "Brick by brick, my dear citizens, brick by brick."

Random Thoughts on Homeschooling

Dear Blog,

I've really enjoyed reading the blog over at the Homeschool Cafe. So much good stuff there. If you scroll down to the "Announcements" post on July 20th there are links to articles on anti-homeschool sentiment and why people have it. The one reason that I came away with about why more Christians don't homeschool is: FEAR. I *loved* the quote, "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't." In other words, most Christians probably would agree that public school is not the best source of education/character development that they could offer, but it is the one that they know and are familiar with and is widely accepted. This "evil" is much better than fearing the unknown entity called homeschooling. I would also have to agree that fear of failure plays into a Christian's mind as why NOT to homeschool. Fail how? You've already taught your child SO much. I would rather fail according to the world's standards and be right in the eyes of God than succeed according to the world, but fail God with the children He has entrusted to me. If you're reading some judgmentalism here, you're probably correct. I am trying to overcome my anti-"Christians who send their kids to public school" sentiment, but it is proving difficult. Another reason why I think Christians don't choose homeschooling is just down-right selfishness. They've been looking forward to some alone time for years. Their child turning 5 means they (the parent) are right around the corner from "sending them off". But who taught us to think that way? Why would we have children if we weren't planning on raising them ourselves? I'm sure there are some other reasons, but I think these are the main few. Others are just extensions of fear & selfishness. And honestly, I still experience a lot of these feelings and we haven't even "officially" begun homeschooling yet. I AM afraid of failing. I AM afraid of what other people will think. I AM afraid that some of my friends will think I'm weird. I AM feeling selfish, like "will I ever have a clean house with kids always at home?" But God keeps reminding me that there are more important things at stake here than a clean house and what other people will say. God has not called us, Christians, to a life of ease, but of holiness. He has not called us to be like the world (public school), which means that we will have to be different. It will be a mark of our faith when we make choices that others raise their eyebrows at. I am praying for those moms that are dear to my heart to choose their children over their fear. And I will continue to pray. Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now.............

love,
me

How-to Reupholster an Ottoman

Glider Rocker Ottoman "before" (I had already reupholstered it once with a *cheap* thin fabric).................
This is fairly simple project for the beginning craftswoman. You can also omit the skirt if it seems too intimidating. This is a super way to dress up your nursery/child's room for not a lot of money. I believe this entire project cost me about $10-12, which bought me lots of impact.

Supplies Needed:

• Staple gun
  
• 24" decorator's fabric for top of ottoman (something on the heavier side, not a flimsy cotton)
  
• 1 yd. contrasting fabric for skirt
• sewing machine

Select portion of fabric to use for the top of ottoman. Cut away the extra width. I ironed out any wrinkles in my fabric. Place fabric on top of ottoman. Turn over ottoman and fabric together. Starting on one long side, gently pull fabric in the middle of that side and staple. Move to opposite side, pull fabric taught and staple in the middle. Continue in the same fashion for the short sides. Continue stapling around the sides, saving the corners for last. I try to neatly fold up the corners and staple. However you choose to do the corners, just be consistent. Measure from the bottom of the ottoman to the floor to determine the length of your skirt (will come up from the floor when you hem it). Cut your 1 yd. of fabric into 3-1 yd. long strips; the height of these strips will be the length of the skirt. Sew the three strips together into one really long strip. Hem the skirt using about 1/4" folded over twice (if you are a novice sewer, it will help if you iron the hem first, using a measuring tape as you go along to make a neat even hem). Hem both edges of the long strip. With the ottoman still turned over, begin at one corner with both edges of the skirt meeting here and staple. Gather the skirt as you go along, stapling the gathers to the bottom of the ottoman. You may want to find the middle of the skirt first and staple that to the diagonal corner from the edges you started with so you can better judge how much gathering you will need to do. I did have to pull out some of the staples and redistribute the gathers where they were uneven. Here is the after.....
I also made a cute coordinating pillow with a discontinued fabric swatch that I purchased for $1.99. I hot-glued on some furry boa trim that I had in my scrapbook stash.....

If you have any questions about this project, leave me a comment.

Adventures in Knitting: Introduction

I guess if you are one of my mom's group friends, you will probably disown me now. I'm sure you guys are way too cool to take up a hobby like this. Yup, knitting. I don't know where I got this idea from. I've been doing a LOT of home projects lately. I have sewn Tatiana three sundresses, reupholstered an ottoman, sewn pillowcases among other things. I guess the textile bug just came up and bit me & I thought, "I should try to learn how to knit". I didn't think I could actually do it. I checked out two books from the library, picked up some yarn and needles from the local WM and I was ready to learn. It seemed like trying to learn a foreign language! I found an awesome website {knittinghelp} that has lots of how-to videos. I just watched the knitting one about 20 times. I kept pausing, rewinding, playing, all the while having the needles in my hands, until I could get my hands to do what the video was showing. I practiced for the whole night, staying up until midnight. I figured I was ready for my first simple project. I picked a garter stitch (all knit stitches) baby hat from the book "Knitting for Baby". It took me about three days to complete. I even made my own pom-pon! There are several holes in it, due to dropped stitches, and I ended up with more stitches than when I originally cast-on, but I am trying to release my perfectionistic tendencies {this is almost as hard as learning to knit itself!}. Here is the finished project:

It fits Sienna perfectly. If you're interested in learning how to knit, I'd love to be your knitting buddy. More projects to follow!

BBLT Sandwich

Basil Bacon Lettuce Tomato Sandwich

***CAUTION***
This sandwich is very addictive. As the queen of variety, you know when I eat the SAME thing for lunch and dinner that it must be one serious recipe. Umm, and I do have to confess that not only did I eat this sandwich yesterday for lunch AND dinner, I ate it again for lunch today too. As Tatiana's favorite Wonderpets would say, "This..is...SERIOUS!!"

• 2 slices of your favorite bread (I've been using 100% WW, but I bet a nice sourdough or white country bread would be superb
• Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise (been tested by Cook's Illustrated magazine and found to be superior in taste tests, but go on ahead and use your favorite)
• 3 slices turkey bacon (or regular bacon, more sinful, but yummy)
• vine ripened or other flavorful tomato, sliced
  
• about 6 medium sized fresh basil leaves
• green-leaf lettuce
• kosher salt

Toast bread to your liking. Cook bacon until crispy. Spread both sides of bread with mayonnaise. Layer on lettuce, bacon, basil, and tomato, salting the lettuce and tomato. Yup, it's that easy. Eat, letting the tomato juices drip all over your chin.

Signs, signs, everywhere signs

I really am amazed at the ability of babies to learn sign language. It is great for their communication development. I started signing to Sienna when she was about 6 months old. I thought it would be a great way to help us understand each other before she could actually talk. I picked "milk" and "more" and just kept signing them over and over. By 9 months, she could sign milk and it wasn't too long after that that she could sign more. WOW. You really find it hard to believe until your child is actually doing it. Now besides milk & more, she can also sign (like diaper or clothes), change, apple, play, dog (one of her favorites), open, and today for the first time she signed grapes. I think she also tried signing cracker the other day too. I also sign cookie, cat, & drink for her which she has yet to do & also have started signing water. If you add to that waving bye-bye and shaking her pointed finger for NO, that comes to about 10 signs! I need to start signing some more outdoor signs, which I think she might pick up fairly quickly. There is a link in the sidebar if you're interested in learning more about signing for babies. Oh, and I how could I forget the most crucial sign in her entire repetoire.......EAT!