February 14th
For Valentines Day 2011 we’ve been visited by chicken pox! Currently, just c has them and I must say they appear to be a mild case. We have two more kids to go…but so far they have been a breeze! Ha. We’ll see what the future holds, I may regret saying that! The hardest part is being “banned” from public and friends. I think we’ll stay in for the next two weeks just to be safe since the incubation period is soooo long. But the chicken pox didn’t spoil our Valentines Day. The kids made cards for each other and for Daddy. Poor Daddy isn’t feeling well himself so he didn’t organize the kids into card making for Mommy. The highlight of the day for the kids was Mommy making a rare, and I mean rare, batch of...
Read More100 Days of School
Our hundredth day of school started off with a sighting of a pileated woodpecker! We were eating some homemade pancakes when e spotted out the window “a bird with red…on the head!” He was quite excited, I actually thought it was one of our cardinals we see often. However we looked out the window of the sunroom and saw the woodpeckers (there were two!) about 20 feet from our house. We opened the door a crack to listen as they drilled into a dead stump. What a great start to the day! So we quickly transitioned into science class and drew some pictures after learning a few facts. We made some special “100 Days of School” crowns to wear as well. The kids just love it when I bring out glitter! What is it with kids and glitter? Most Moms...
Read MoreHomeschooling with Little People
Today my Sis-in-law had a little discussion on facebook (where all good discussions are, right? ) about what to do with the little ones while schooling the older ones. I shared earlier about how I use workboxes with the kids, and as an update, things are still going great! Little h is around 2-3 years old and I have compiled a google doc with a list of activities that I can go to when I need something fresh. I’d love to share it with you! I cannot take credit for all this. I got the bulk of my ideas from a Tapestry of Grace Loose Threads chat group. It was listed in the files there. I’ve added and subtracted from it as I come across new ideas. Let me just add some thoughts on what works for me. I totally realize every child is different, but this is...
Read MoreWe’ve Got Snow!!!
We woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland yesterday! I heard reports of snow from the weather man but didn’t put any stock into what he said…and then was shocked to see a good solid 8-10 inches! It is certainly the most snow I have seen in seven and a half years here in the Upstate of South Carolina. I have loved looking out the window and seeing the snow covered trees for the last two days. The birds have been swarming our feeder and I’ve refilled it twice this week! We see cardinals, chick-a-dees in abundance, titmouse, and gold finches most often. There are several brown birds that stay on the ground below the feeder that I haven’t identified yet. The boys, notice I say, “the boys” have been outdoors sledding with the...
Read MoreJessica-Update
Please continue to pray for Jessica! Here is a blog her family has set up for her! It has been just over a month now since Jessica went to the hospital… From December 7th: For the last three weeks my heart has been gripped by Jessica’s story. A young wife, with a young son of two years and currently carrying her second. The week of Thanksgiving she went into the hospital with breathing issues. Tests revealed cancer wrapped around her throat. Due to her situation they felt they would be able to take action immediatly with treatments. However, one more test revealed the dreadful truth that the cancer was not contained in her throat, but filled her body and organs. My heart was ripped in two for this beautiful mother, her husband, her young son, her...
Read MoreGrace in Those I Serve…
“Only the humble can identify evidences of grace in ones who are in need of ‘adjustment’ ” (CJ Mahaney). The Lord used these words to truely humble my heart, to bring me to my knees as I thought of my service to my children. How often do I look for evidences of God’s grace in the lives of my little ones? It is so easy for me to look past the beam in my eye and to only see the areas of weakness in my children’s behavior and actions. To forget that I have the Spirit in me who helps and aids me on this slow crawl to sanctification…and to expect these little ones ,who as of yet, have not His presence within them, guiding them, chastening them. So I was rebuked, stopped dead in my tracks. Recently a friend and I giggled in an...
Read MoreCob Oven Cultivating Community
The 36-Hour Dinner Party article from the New York Times sat on the computer screen for several days. I knew what was in our future. These are the sort of things dear j loves to experiement with; I am (generally) happy to follow along. This little experienent has consumed much of the weeks in the months of October and November and I am sure we are wiser for it. The site was chosen, a friends house…although I am sure our backyard will soon be graced with a similiar beehive shaped fire breathing oven. The first test oven was built mainly without our assistance, but we were able to eat much from that first little cob. Cookies, breads, venison, pizzas and the most delicious plum crisp my mouth has ever savored. I know something magical happened to that crisp as...
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