A Thousand Words

Checking In

2012-01-15T12:43:00.000-08:00

Outside my window...I'm so thankful for the sun streaming in the windows. The weather has been very pleasant, not too cold, no rain. On the other hand, I do wish it would snow! Just for a week.

I am thankful for... slippers. I was just murmuring this....little things like slippers really make my day.

I'm also thankful to be a stay-at-home-kinda mom, and that God always gives me wisdom. Those are very big things. And I'm very thankful!

From the learning rooms... Back in full swing, enjoying our school days and I've stepped things up a bit without any kick-back.

From the kitchen...our dishwasher is broken. I am spending much, much more time in the kitchen these days! It's been interesting though, to see that when I slow down to work the boys may end up helping me which leads to pleasant conversation, or I might have a sweet boy come read to me. I am enjoying the time, but looking forward to getting a dishwasher in February!

I am wearing...slippers. Jeans, a sweatshirt and a pony tail.

I am creating...this is such a silly question for me. I'm not so creative/crafty. But I'm creating a lesson plan for the week and order in the home and that's enough for me. :) No knitting, as of late.

I am going...to vacuum my whole house today. Okay, not the basement. But the other 2 floors. I do love clean floors, if only for a minute.

I am reading... nothing! Can you believe it?

I am hoping...to recover from this cold quickly, for a date with my husband soon, for snow.

I am hearing...my dryer (thanks for all your hard work, Mr. Dryer!)

Around the house...laundry, paper piles, sunshine, football, boys on trampoline, and pink toys.

This explains my January absence. I've been babysitting in January, a sweet 14 month old girlie. It's been really lovely and I've rarely a minute to even read YOUR blogs. When she's here I'm busy with her and the boys' school...when she's gone I'm catching up on the rest.

One of my favorite things...a little sweet after lunch, losing pounds, Sleepy Sundays

A few plans (or just one!!) for the rest of the week: the little pink girlie, school, all the usual.

Here is picture thought I am sharing: School Hours. Joe and I work one-on-one for a little keyword outline.

A New Year

2012-01-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not much of a resolution kind of girl. I am consistently inconsistant. I crave change within my routines, I try things and then trail off, this is just who I am.

my morning view, from my bed

That being said, I do love to look at the New Year and wonder what joy and change it will bring. And I do, along with a great number of people, like to think that I can do some things to make this year a little better than the last.

Heaven forbid we ever give up changing things for the better!!

So rather than some proclamation of amazing feat (I will Love every person I ever see, I will never get angry, I will run a marathon-ha!, or I will never eat a slice of pie in 2012) I have worked on a simple list.

I intend to print this list out (oh, the never ending trials of my printer!!) and hang it where I'll glance over it from time to time. A reminder of things I want to do, habits I want to cultivate.

2012

1. Put the laundry away. (Piles make me cry)

2. Speak less, listen more

3. Everything in it's place, a place for everything

4. Participate in a monthly photo challenge, continue my own photography studies

5. Eat more grapefruit. I just love it

6. Participate in regular Nature Studies (they make me smile)

7. Read more

8. anxious= pray*

9. Read to the boys more often (snuggle up!)

10. Look in their eyes. Whoever.

11. Hang out with my husband more

12. Move my body, I feel better for it

13. Destroy household piles. Demolish. Black Hole. *

14. Talk about Jesus more often
15. Drink more water

Seems pretty reasonable, right? I think so. Some of these are more challenging than others (oh, the laundry piles) but I think they're practical and will ALL enrich my life more. My 38th is a bit of a sobering year, not because I fear growing old, but I fear being old and not growing.

Here's to a new year. Here's to a time to reflect and wonder at what this year will be, to intend for it to be good and for myself to be sweeter. I hope you're all having a lovely first few days and have hopes for a wonderful 2012!

* more to come on these...

Winter Color: Lost & Found

2011-12-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

We headed out on this December day in search of color. I love a mission, and the boys just love to get down to the river, turn rocks over, search for treasure.

I was astonished as I came over the levy to see this: an American White Pelican cruising through the river. He was moving very quickly across, and stayed long enough for me to take some great photos. I didn't have any idea we'd see pelican here.

We couldn't even see his black wings until he took off.

Look at how his feathers nearly touch the surface of the water as he flies. He flew back upstream where I saw in the distance a few of his friends. Absolutely majestic. It was such a treat for us!

The temperatures weren't awful, but time to zip up!

Found: treasure!

Found: a curiosity and longing for adventure

Lost: the days of golden-brilliant Autumn

Found: the color, the art of Winter

The nakedness of Winter trees shines a spotlight on the lingering seedpods.

Lost: boredom of a Winter afternoon
Found: smiles all around

Oh, how we love our Outdoor Hour!

Preparation for Winter

2011-12-20T22:57:00.000-08:00

Linking up with Barb over at the Outdoor Hour....

The boys and I have been getting a kick out of the animal life around our yard. Squirrely Nutkin digging for seeds in the Hubbard Squash we left for him. It's on the deck just outside our school room, we get a great view!

They've emptied all the sunflower heads I dried for them from the Sunflower house.

This pretty little bird was a flash of color. I'll try to get a close up next time. Haven't identified him, yet.

It's the seeds that make Nutkin so very ready for Winter fat.

Mourning Doves come to find seed.

On another day the quail came in droves to scratch like little hens in the frost. We counted at least 20 quail. So sweet!

Juneau sits at the window and watches...wishing....

Cuteness!

Advent Calendar Activities

2011-12-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

This year the boys and I have tried out something new. We have a big, beautiful Advent calendar with doors and "rooms" big enough for 3 pieces of candy. In the past, I've loaded it up. This year, I tried something new. I've loaded the calendar with ideas of fun things to do during the day.

The kids are happy with the new arrangement, and have been very gracious on a busy day if we haven't gotten to the activity. So far we've done 10 off 12 days. Not too bad for me....I struggle with being consistant.

These are the activities in our box:

Dec 1- Work together on the FamilyChristmas Letter for the Christmas Card

Dec 2- Family Air HockeyChampionships

Dec 3- Make some Family Movies

Dec 4- Curl up with a snack afterdinner & Mr. Grinch

Dec 5- Build our Own Gingerbread Houses

Dec 6- bake sugar cookies

Dec 7-invite friends to decoratesugar cookies

Dec 8- It’s a Charlie BrownChristmas!

Dec9- Feed the birds! Pineconebird feeders. Make Weather Observations

Dec 10- String popcorn andcranberries: garland for the tree

Dec11- Fetch a Christmas Tree& Decorate

Dec12- Start some Paperwhites andplace bets on when they’ll bloom….experiment with them? Google it!

Dec13- Create Thank You Cards forChristmas using Pine Needle branches and paint

Dec 14- Have Lunch with Dad @ Work& Take a trip to the Post Office

Dec15- Create papersnowflakes….with glitter & hang!

Dec16- Sleep under the Christmastree tonight!

Dec17- Create Crystal Snowflakeswith Borax for ornaments

Dec 18- Go for a Winter Walk andNotebook it!

Dec19- Gift Wrapping Party!

Dec 20- Popcorn and treats towatch the Polar Express

Dec 21- Split a noodle for MarbleRaces

Dec22- Make Sopapilla Cheesecakes(Pinterest)

Dec23- Feed the Birds Again!

Dec 24- We Wish You a MerryChristmas!!

Shouldn't I Say Something?

2011-12-10T13:30:00.001-08:00

Outside my window...the boys and I are getting a kick out of the Squirrels. Nutkins are all over the yard, packing gourds up the tree, shelling sunflower seeds right on the deck. I will post more on this soon.

Oh, and our world has been set in crystal for days. Freezing fog, so thick it looks like snow in places. It just does wonders for the mostly bare trees lifting their long arms up to the sky...in white! Amazing!

I am thankful for... all the time in the world. There are so many days when I just feel the rush, rush of getting things done. But today I'm remembering that I have enough of everything I need in Christ. Even enough time. Gifts, vacuuming, parties, post office, bathrooms....they'll all get done.

From the learning rooms... We've taken it easy for the last weeks. Lots of reading (raced through Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and writing...working on the Christmas card (see above) and today we cleared off the school table (SO THANKFUL FOR A SCHOOL TABLE!) and brought out the puzzles! Love this activity!!

Going to continue with Prince Caspian and our Advent reading.

From the kitchen...We have been busy!! Let me digress a moment and tell you about our Advent Calendar. This year, rather than stuffing it with candy I planned and typed out 25 activites for each day of December. This week, within our calendar we assembled gingerbread houses, (Monday) baked sugar cookies, (Tuesday) and decorated said sugar cookies with our little neighbor friends (Wednesday). Thursday was a day for watching "Charlie Brown's Christmas."

I made both Tuna Noodle Casserole & Taco Soup this week and they both went over quite well. Success!

I am wearing...jammies. It's 9:30 Tuesday morning and Christmas break!

I am creating...a plan for the day. Kicking procrastination in the b-u-t-t day.

I am going...to work on Christmas Cards today. Maybe I'll even ship off a gift or two!

I am reading...Prince Caspian to the boys.

I am hoping...to see new birdies in my yard this morning. Watching, waiting....

I am hearing...that the natives are getting restless

Around the house...gifts are getting wrapped, my bedroom is a lovely shade of green & has old wooden floors exposed. Laundry, vacuuming, downstairs bath are on my list today

One of my favorite things...kitten sleeping on me keeping me warm, watching for birdies, a whole day ahead of me.

A few plans (or just one!!) for the rest of the week: All I can think of is our Annual Jammie-Bedtime-Surprise. It's scheduled for Friday, little do those boys know.

This is how it goes: sometime after dinner my husband and I sneak around and turn the clocks an hour ahead. Well, we have done this in the past, it might not be necessary this year. Anyhow, at "bedtime" we send the boys off to get ready for bed. We tuck them in, all as usual. THEN, I creep downstairs and fix up some yummy snacks. Ralph heads out to heat up the car.

The next part is so fun. Sometimes we take bells, sometimes we just hoot and hollar as we go running upstairs and pull the boys out of bed, wrap warm blankets around them and drag them out to the car. The boys LOVE this part. (Can you imagine??)

We grab the snacks and drive around town to see all the best light displays in town. We listen to Christmas music and reminisce Christmas' past. It's lovely, just lovely. This is, maybe, my favorite part of Christmas ever!

I can hardly wait!!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Fairy Seeds

2011-11-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex...it takes a touch of genius- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.

-Albert Einstein

Back to the river for another peek at those fairy seed pods we found yesterday.

I had seen some when I was running earlier in the day. I noticed that they were not at all thistle plants. In fact these plants were at least 4 feet tall and had large leaves with seed pods at the top. The boys and I found more at the riverside quickly, I took lots of photos and gathered some of the silky seed feathers in the pods to take home and identify them.

Milkweed! Showy Milkweed, to be exact! I'm thrilled. This is a pefect excuse to begin my butterfly garden. Milkweed is the egg-laying plant for a Monarch. I will dry out my seed and then cool them before I plant in the spring. I'll have to work on the location of my butterfly garden. Oh, yay!

I believe these are seed pods from an Acacia tree. Anyone know?

Really, aren't they dreamy?

Who dares to teach must never cease to learn. -John Cotton Dana

Linking up to Handbook of Nature Study.

Accidental River Hike (Beware, if you've a timid stomach)

2011-11-27T09:28:00.001-08:00

It all started with a sunshiney day and a need to take our doggy for a walk. We have enclosed baseball fields just 3 blocks away, I freqently take Juneau down to get a good romp in. He has been jumping our fence in the backyard. Our neighbors have been gracious in returning him but I'm afraid he's going to get into trouble very soon, so for now he's on a run and in need of outings.

So I invited Nate for a little walk. Feeling inspired, after reading Barb's "Weather- Find Out for Yourself"," I grabbed my nature loving-est boy and my camera.

I frequently feel overwhelmed by nature study...another thing on my list to check off. I know so very little about nature! But this isn't how it should be! I should be enjoying this with my kids, not feeling the dread of another task. Therefore, I was really encouraged yesterday reading Barb's blog post that nature studies begin with getting outside and looking. Just pointing to and talking about the squirrel dray in the tree (photo above) is where it begins.

A dray is a squirrel nest. You can see that a dray differs from a bird nest, it's fully enclosed rather than having the top open, and it has a lot of leaves also, not just twigs and small cozy nest-makings.

Nate and I counted 5 drays on our walk to the fields. Counting is good.

We noted the cirrus clouds overhead. I'm still learning the cloud types. Cirrus clouds are high and whispy. This is a great chart of cloud types.

When we left the ball fields we decided to meander home along the river. I love this fence on a neighboring house....each large post is topped with a charming birdhouse:

And then, we found ourselves at the river. Our neighborhood is protected from the riverside by a 30ish foot levy. The riverside of the levy provides a wooded area that offers much wildlife, and lots of native trees and plants.

I stumbled on this little poof of beauty. I was completely enamored! What could it be? I wondered if it was a thistle?

According to Eli today, the silkiness is matched only by our sweet little kitten. I held a handful blew, and wished that I knew the name of this precious fairy plant. (More on that!)

Why walk on the paved levy trail when you can walk riverside? Happy boy, happy doggy.

If there are rocks...they'll get turned over!

...and then, the boy's discovery. Salmon. We are on the Columbia River, the salmon swim up each year to spawn and then die. It's very common for us to find them on the shores. It's kind of sad, but we talk a lot about the life cycle of Salmon. It's fascinating how far they come to perform their instinctive mating and egg laying, where they came from. For these salmon, this was about a 330 mile swim.

I took this photo with my foot in for scale. It measured about 4.5 of my foot. About 40 inches.

Nate counted 7 salmon and couldn't wait to get back to the house to tell of his discoveries.

We also found some tracks. :) Seagulls, or duck? There are a lot of ducks around right now. We'll have to sneak down and get some photos of those soon too!

I'm realizing the best way for this family to study nature is just to step out the door and open our eyes, ask questions. I have so very much to learn but finding little things here and there make me ask questions. I look it up, then I can share the information and inspiration with my boys. I am convinced that our (adults') enthusiasm and interest will draw our kiddos in more than any text book or assignment would.

Autumn River Walk and the Nine Year Old; Grand and Small

2011-11-27T08:59:00.001-08:00

I find it more and more difficult to get out and about these days, but I'm never ever sorry once we do it. Grab my camera, some hot tea, our nature sketch books and three boys and we're off! This is the record of an early-November hike.

One usually looks for a place to sit as soon as he can to sketch something....anything.

Maybe even his tree climbing, grinning from ear to ear brother.

Can you see it? The little boy in the tree? The photo needs to be rotated but I'm unable to do it now. But that little boy, sprawled out at the tip top of the tree....there he is!

Or do a little texture-shading.

And then a little about a boy....

What is a Boy?

author unknown

He's an imp and an angel,

a dreamer, a tease

An explorer of meadows, and a climber of trees.

A runner of errands, and a

doer of chores.

Who tears up his best trousers, and

tracks up your floors.

He's a solemn young man with

some mud on his feet,

and a daredevil riding his

bike down the street.

A bundle of question, who

wants to know "why,"

The world goes around and

the stars fill the sky.

But adventurous, timid, excited

or quiet,

There's nothing so new that he

won't care to try it.

Anc just when your temper and

patience wear think,

He'll look up at you with an

innocent grin,

And your heart melts again with

your real pride and joy,

in that mischievous, wonderful treasure-- your boy!!

This here silly boy turned 10 years old yesterday. We celebrated with our traditional walk to the local donut shoppe for a breakfast treat. Then for dinner I made his favorite crockpot roast-hoagie-sandwiches and ice cream pie for dessert. We had a lovely day, celebrating the turn of the year.

I think these photos capture, in essence, what the 10th year have been for us. Ever changing, swinging about, happy then grumpy, excited then sleepy. I'm looking forward to spending the next year with this growing boy.

It's good to see, sometimes, how small you are...

And how much smaller others are.

We spotted Mr. Great Blue Heron from this little rocky point.

Eli tried sneaking as close as he could, but Mr. Great Blue flew away. What a sight! Majestic and regal.

Here's to slowing down to take a walk. Drawing what you see, seeing what you miss when life is busy. Feeli small, being too silly and laughing at yourself. Taking a minute to hold something teensy and see the intricate detail our God painted & etched on something so, so small...

I'll be linking up to The Handbook of Nature Study.

Thankful

2011-11-26T20:06:00.001-08:00

Thankful for collections. Collections of blue and green.

Collections of sunlight in November morning windows, collections of favorite things.

Of yummy things....

Of favorite collected things and words that lift.

Collections of sticks and stones, shells and seed pods.

All in a row.

A little cluster of animals that want to go out....

...and dinosaurs waiting for their turn to get in (the bathtub).

Blues, blacks, grey and a smidge of pink too.

So thankful for papers to grade. Papers= hours and hours with my boys!

Almost always thankful for little bitty papers that have been cut and collected on the table and on the carpet below. Very grateful that these boys can clean it up!

And grateful, too for this little stinker-queenie-kitty.

November Walk

2011-11-26T14:30:00.001-08:00

The snow is gone now, but it was such a treat to have a sprinkling for a few days. Nate and I meandered over to the river for a walk to enjoy the snowy evening. He was on roller skates, I got to walk briskly to keep up with him.

The neighbors Japanese Maple still has it's red leaves. When they drop, it leaves the naked tree standing stark, colorless, in rest.

The riverside Sycamores have lost their covering. The seed pods remain, ornaments for December to contrast against the grey blue waters. Ours Sycamores are holding some leaves yet. They are the last to go. Our squirrely's are fat, racing up and down the Sycamore trunks stashing the last of my sunflower seeds and munching on frozen gourds.

Nate still skates; Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall.

The City was covered in grey this day. Dreary for me, not my favorite. Since then, things have cleared up. I'm hoping for a clear-sky winter.

I am still keeping my Thankful Journal. Today I marked my 1,234th entry.

For today:
1234. A 10-year-old, on his birthday who can hardly contain himself.
1235. a long holiday weekend, not much to do
1236. coffee drip
1237. a heated home
1238. christmas decor, all joy to these boys!
1239. friends to share Thanksgiving with

Making the Sycamore House Ours

2011-11-20T19:56:00.001-08:00

I know, I know. You were wondering what I did all weekend, right? What my husband was up to? Well, if you know us, you know that we weren't sitting on our laurels. We have an old, sweet house that must be bent into the shape that we like it. That's what we do around here.

Ralph at the top of the "old" staircase.

So here is one photo. But wait a minute! Resist the urge to scroll down so I can tell you a little about this house and it's history.

Our home was built in 1944. It was one of many that were built in our little town when folks were hired to build what they thought was a factory, rumor has it, a toilet paper factory. Anyhow, this "factory" was actually the first Nuclear Plant.

The house we live in is labeled an "A" house. There are many houses that are identical in our little town, many A's, B's...and all the way to Z.

Below is a picture and description:

A	1943-1945 \| 408 built \| 3br, 1 bath duplex 1087 sq feet (each) \| Neocolonial (loosely)
	The A-house is a two story duplex with basement. Typical examples have wood clapboard siding horizontally on the top floor and shingles on the bottom floor. Interior floors are softwood fir with linoleum in the kitchen and bathroom.

Our house was a duplex. When we moved in, it had already been remodeled and converted to a single family home. Yeah! And now, we are working (husband is demo crew, reconstruction, detail work and I am clean up & cheering crew. I make a yummy dinner too, at the end of the day.

I digress. When we moved in, our house had just one stairway going up stairs. My hubby recently realized that the other stairwell was still there all along. Several of the stairs were taken out to build a coat closet. But Ralph and I decided that we'd really love to have a wide, open staircase. So this weekend, he pulled it all out.

Standing at the top of the stairs, the new-old stairs revealed.

The boy part of the clean up crew and I tossed wood and junk out the front door. See the cute house across the street? That's an "F" house. :)

One of the best parts of the newly opened stairwell: Light. We get so much light from those windows at the top of the stairs. Light!

Taking out the entire wall!! Light!! Oh, and dry wall dust. Humpf!

Oh, my goodness, I can hardly stand it! So much light! So airy! I'm spoiled, I am.

And this is what I see tonight standing in the Living Room. The slide was my idea. It's been sitting in the yard waiting for a tree house but for a few days it will camp here, much to the boys' delight. Ralph's friend came over for a few hours today and they (literally) threw up some handrails and safety rails at the top of the stairs while we wait for the next step. A lot of progress this weekend!

From the Living Room, looking into the Family Room. The wall that divides the two will all come out eventually, the carpet removed. That's all I can say for sure. Much construction to come. But these things must be done in phases. I am content with a little change at a time and much time to clean up all the drywall dust.

Life in Pictures~isn't it fun, Hil?

2011-11-14T20:26:00.001-08:00

Outside my Window:

Squirrel Nutkin loves my gourds. I love their entertaining antics.

Capturing Autumn

(See that Orange Handled Garden Knife in the background? That was birthday gift from my sweet sister. I must tell you that I think every one should have a garden knife, it rocks. The orange handle? Important! Thank you Hazel!)

Time to jump in leaf piles

Taking Time to feel the leaves...

Time to jump in leaf pilesTaking Time to feel the leaves...

And finding what every one of us looking for....

buried treasure!

A garden to dig holes in

I'm creating:

Lists of a few things to do. A birthday party, a thanksgiving dinner? Christmas Gifts, a few last school photo discs.

I am hoping: again, for a peaceful, simple holiday season. I'll tell you about my plans for simplifying soon.

From the Learning Rooms:

My heart is learning to love. To love a little boy on another continent. We are learning to think beyond our four walls and our prosperity.

My heart is stretched all day.

When my boys have fever I wonder if Ishimwe has medicine when he is sick.

When we dig holes to play in I wonder if he ever dug a hole for play.

We pray for Ishimwe in his worn torn Africa daily.

Through Compassion, we're learning to love beyond ourselves.

It's so much more that a little cash sent each month.

I am hearing:

clock tick,
feet shuffle upstairs,
my pillow calls...

I am thankful for:

Time. My sweet folks have taken my two littlest home with them for a few days. It leaves Joe with us to spend some sweet, quiet hours. Today we went for a long walk to a downtown museum, then stopped in a soup shop for a bite. School was quick and playful. I'm loving these quiet hours.

I'm reading:

Les Miserable. Well, I've begun. I don't think I'll get through it before the book is due, but I've begun.
And I'm reading to the boys, afore mentioned books. And The Bible, Mark just now. And Discovering Jesus. Good read.

I'm wearing:

The blue fleece in the photo above, jeans, slippers.

On the porch:

(the faces were eaten off these jack-o-lanterns not long after they were carved. Squirrely~)

Get it? Pumpkin "Pi?" That's Joe's pumpkin.

I am going to:

Enjoy this time I have with my sweet oldest boy. And I am going to miss the two others, very much, very soon.

One of my favorite things:

Tradition. Every year we go to the pumpkin patch, and I love it.

Our three monkeys at the Pumpkin Patch

the big monkeys

my boys

Around the House:

Nika. EVERYWHERE. In 3 seconds flat. What a racing princess. This is HER chair.
Oh, and I need to choose a color for my nearly finished bedroom. I'm wondering about a dark color. Any input? Thoughts? We do have 4 windows, on three sides of the house.

Links for Homeschool (updated Nov 2011)

2011-11-10T00:30:00.000-08:00

ART:
Sketchy Tuesday
Comic Templates
Lego Quest Kids :Weekly Lego Challenges

LITERATURE & WRITING:
Books Should Be Free (free audio book downloads)
Free Phonics Worksheets
Wacky Web Tales (similar to Madlibs)
Spelling City
Simply Charlotte Mason

Storyline Online (Free Audio Books)

Story Nory (More free Audio Books)

SCIENCE:
Magic School Bus Movies (free)
The Outdoor Hour (weekly natural science assignments)

Science Projects for Kids (Janice VanCleeve's great website)

SUPPORT FOR THE HOMESCHOOLING MAMA:
Heart of the Matter Online
The Lost Tools of Learning by Dorothy Sayers
Echo in Celebration: A Call to Home Education by Leigh Bortins
DonnaYoung.org (everything from calendars to worksheets)
Homeschooling Without Being Overwhelmed: Part One, Part Two, Part Three
The Futility of Comparisons
Masterly Inactivity (Free ebook)
Education Is (free ebook)

LEGOS:
The Legomen Project (a place to view & trade your lego men with some other cool kiddos)
LEGO Bricks & More (a new design to build each month)
Lego Quest Kids :Weekly Lego Challenges

MISC:
Field Trip Logs & Brainstorming

C.S. Lewis

The Mother of All Link Pages for Kids/ Education

Book Lists:
Books Categorized by Geography
Ambleside Online (great reading recommendations)

Geography:
States & Capitols game

Scripture & Bible:
Seeds Family Worship

Ill-Equipped

2011-10-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

I want to tell you that it's not just in the teaching my children that I've learned. I should say that I've seen it in all areas of my life; decision making, marriage, grieving, parenting, forgiveness, friendship, leadership. Above all of those areas though, I see it more than ever now in my job.

I am ill-equipped.

adjective

badly or inadequately equipped

This is a real downside, being that one of the goals of my life is to prove myself. To make it evident to others watching me that I CAN do this thing, be it motherhood, marriage, or getting through the grocery store with three medium sized boys and a smile on my face. I want to show everyone that it can be done graciously, in doing so, prove myself good. Or equipped. Or something like arrived.

Before you go saying that I shouldn't be hard on myself, or that "I'd never have the patience to homeschool," let me just say that I'm just being truthful to myself and that homeschooling only proves that I don't have the patience.

I love this job of homeschooling. And yet nearly every week you'll find me hiding in the bathroom with tears in my eyes whispering (or yelling) to God that I just don't know what I'm doing, I just don't know how to be consistant or patient or wise enough. This job brings me to my knees on a regular basis.

And in a way I know this is a good thing.

Maybe I'm kind of starting to get over me, thinking that life is about getting Amanda happy.

Now I'm clearly aware of my lack. Of my need for something that goes beyond me. I know just how much I need God, and am daily amazed at the price He paid;

He sent His only Son
to show us how to live
He sent His only Son
to give His life in a sacrifice that would replace the sacrifice no one man could ever pay.

You see, before Christ died, God asked for a sacrifice for every sin a man committed. The slaughter, then burnt offering of an animal that would cover the sin of man. But we sin daily now, don't we, and how, ever could an animal cover the daily sin of man?

So God made a covenant with Himself, he knew man could not keep a covenant.

He sent His only Son
to give his life in a sacrifice for me.

Me, full of holes. Needing grace and covering everyday for my sins, all because He loves me. All because He made me and He knew I was ill-equipped.

And as I believe in Him, I am forgiven and filled. Filled with the light of God, the truth.

2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show us that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

This is so much more than religion people.

This is me; a cracked pot of sorts. A woman who can't get it together and yells at my kids, who forgets to make dinner and has terrible quiet thoughts. The woman who thinks about myself more often than not, then justifies it. The woman who talks first and thinks later. A woman who has been abused, dumped & divorced, lied to, yelled at, betrayed, left behind, disowned and just hurt. Remember, the woman hiding in the bathroom, crying?

And this is me, still the same girl with the same issues, but full of something that is all love, grace, forgiveness. The girl who has been healed of those hurts, who can learn to control my tongue, and can learn to forgive others and myself when I screw up because God loved me enough to forgive me, to pay a huge price so that I could live a free life, holes and all.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Each time [God] said,

“My grace is all you need. My power works

best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast

about my weaknesses, so that the power of

Christ can work through me. That’s why I take

pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults,

hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I

suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I

am strong.

The beautiful part is that because God is in me it's okay to be inadequate. I don't have to be perfect or together. I can be a relaxed homeschooler because I can see this life is fluid and when life is in motion it's not neat ; not all together.

I am learning to be okay with proving to everyone that homeschooling makes life messier and busier, it stretches a woman in a way she's never been pulled. It's work and it's lovely and for all the 2,293 reasons I've listed in previous posts it's in every.way.worthwhile. Homeschooling =my boys get to see an all day example of what a mess I am and what a good God we love because He loves me anyhow.

I'm certain that if any of us stop & think for very long we'll be aware of our inadequacies. True, so many of you aren't on this mission I've been to prove to the world, or yourself, that I'm NOT inadequate. But we still need more, we need God to fill in the holes and be what we aren't. Mostly, to cover the sin and awful parts of our lives so we can live freely.

I can freely say I'm a mess. I don't fall apart because Christ holds all things together.

If you tell me that you don't have the patience to homeschool I promise you'll be met with knowing eyes~ I know you don't. I don't either. If you want to ask me about being a filled up mess, please do. I don't have what it takes to get through a lot in this life. (Teaching my boys day in and day out just highlights the fact) I'm ill equipped. God knows it, too. But He has way with me. He's making me beautiful.

All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way
I wonder if my life
could really
change at all

All this earth
could all that is lost
ever be found
could a garden come up from this
ground at all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things

Out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

All around

Hope is springing up

from this old ground

out of chaos life is being

found in you

You make beautiful things

Out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new

You are making me new

Building Challenge...

2011-10-29T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hop on over to our new Builders Blog! There are challenges for kiddos (and creative folks) to take part in....

Lookee here...

a few of my favorite things...

2011-10-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Outside my window...leaves are hemming us in. Sycamores, broad and beautiful. Our porch is covered in pumpkin and gourd. I love, love Autumn!

I am thankful for... my camera. It's fine!! A weeks' long rest in a bath of rice brought it back to life and I'm thrilled, so, so thankful!

From the learning rooms... Lots of learning games as of late. Lots of the three r's.

Tutoring (known as teaching to the non-CC world) is going well. I feel that after a year's experience I'm really getting in my groove and it's less work and more fun. I'm delighted to get to know each of the 8 kiddos in the class and love watching them learn and grow.

From the kitchen...just finished two big batches of Green Chili Chicken. My family, ALL of my family had 2nds. Now, this is a moment in time to behold. EVERYONE ate what I cooked for dinner. We have a finicky boy who usually just eats veggies and fruit and bread for dinner. But he ate tonight! Horray! The other batch is in the freezer. More goodness for a rainy-too-tired-to-cook day!

I am wearing...favorite jeans and Ralphie's sweatshirt. Comfy! Again.

I am creating...a lesson plan for next week (right after this).

I am going...to the Pumpkin Patch with my four boys on Friday. :)

I am reading...The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe to the boys. Caught in the Rebel Camp with Joey. The Glass Castle on my own, Experiencing Jesus and Fearless. And how to teach tin whistle for this dummy in Classical Music for Dummies.

I am hoping...that someone I'm thinking of is doing okay.

I am hearing...the hum of the heater, clock ticking, quiet. We hit freezing last night for the first time.

Around the house...purged in the living room and shined it up last week. This week I'm on to the laundry room. Purge, clean, organize and decorate just a bit. Little by little...

One of my favorite things...a few minutes of quiet. Non-hormone days. A good night's sleep. Hanging out in my jammies on a Saturday morning. A good book. My cute husband coming home from work. A good nap. The holidays. A good, hard run. A cute princess kitten. Autumn. (Ok, a few of my favorite things....)

A few plans for the rest of the week: pumpkin patch, book sale, dog-sitting, karate.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

This boy is happy to read...

Really, it's not so bad....

2011-10-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I really wish I had my camera. We were at a BBQ at a friends' house and I glanced at a white board.

The 'to do' list written for their daughter read:

clean your room

apply to colleges

apply for scholarships

I immediately thought, "Ok, life isn't so bad. First, I'm not the girl that has to fill out all those applications AND clean my room. AND I'm not the parent that has to be sure those unsurmountable tasks get done.

2011-10-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Overheard: Eli says: Nate, why don't you tell about the house when we lived in Virginia?
Nate says: EeeeLi! I don't remember that!
Joey says: Back then, Nate was just a speck!

...a speck, indeed

2011-10-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

For Today...

Outside my window...the red and golden leaves crackle-giggled at us today as our bike tires rolled over them. We called out the signs of Autumn as we saw them, breathed in the smoky air and enjoyed a day of sunshine. The world is quieting down and I'm still Autumn's biggest fan.

I am thankful for... a new win-win!

You see, I homeschool. Therefore, we live in our house all day, using potties, making dishes, laundry and dirty floors. I am always in a pinch to keep up. The boys are taking on more chores all the time and doing really well with their zones. But I still fight for the right time to get an hour of housework done after school (tired) and before dinner or running around. I love doing housework in the morning.

And, if you've been reading my blog for long at all you'll know how much I detest the monster that lives in my basement. That glowing monster sings stupid songs and beckons to them all throughout the school hour...."Come and play my stupid little games! You might get more points or better yet, to the next level." I simply cannot permit my sweet students to be rushed by their desire to wallow down to the dark, gloomy basement to be entranced by that machine....

Anyhow, I have discovered a sweetest compromise. As long as my boys are esteeming each other over that machine called the Wii, I have been permitting them, after their chores, to play games for a a bit in the morning. They are up early, so why not? THEN (this is the beautiful part) I can run around like a crazy lady for a 1/2 an hour and get an amazing amount of housework done.

It's working, for a few weeks now (who knows about next week) and I'm loving it. I'm also able to stretch our "fun" part of school out a little longer b/c the machine has been silenced and so has the laundry.

I'm so thankful for tricks and seasons.

From the learning rooms... Lewis and Clark, digestive anatomy and diagramming sentences of course ( I love diagramming!) Also a fun new math game I contrived.

Math Crossword

On a White Board I create a grid and one by one I line up numbers so that three numbers in a row usually create some sort of equation (3, then 5, then 8= 3+5=8) I fill in the entire grid coming up with as many appropriate problems that I can. For my boys I'm doing only addition and subtraction. My oldest math whiz will study the grid until he finds a problem using his math.

Then the kids take turns showing me a math problem and they get a 'point' for each answer (points mean nothing) until the board is exhausted. A very fun way to practice math facts together and it's working for us all. :)

From the kitchen...leftover Lasagne for dinner, but I just finished making these for Ralph for take-to-work breakfast. He will be happy when he gets home. :) Oh, and my kitchen is clean. This is a new trend.

I am wearing...slippers. And yoga-comfy pants and my glasses. Comfy.

I am creating...a little order around the house and soon, a Christmas gift project. This year is a make-gift-year for the most part. Lean is good, isn't it?

I am going...to iron. In 10 minutes. Oh, and apple picking. Soon.

I am reading...Amos Fortune: Free Man by Elizabeth Yates. I love it.

I am hoping...that my camera survives. I may have killed it. *BIG sigh.* I accidently left it outside after a wonderful late night fire we had in the back yard. I took so many great s'more photos...and then was so worried about getting the fire banked I left my camera out.

It's in a tub of rice, I'll update you when I know...

I am hearing...rhythmic thumping of Mr. J on the chair while he reads, and Eli playing with Nika, the spicy, sneaky, scratchy kitten.

Around the house...I'm still purging, still organizing after our move. I know it's been a year, but these things take time. I like this house. No, I love it.

One of my favorite things...clean sheets. Tonight is clean sheet night.

A few plans for the rest of the week: karate, soccer, Awana, CC, school, Nika to the dr., BBQ, and hubby's game night here.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Mr. N and his 72 lb pumpkin!

Autumn Wind

2011-10-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's the wind that pushed through the trees all night overhead. The comforting whistling that sang to me while I lay tucked in.

Maybe it's the number 6 that he has behind his name. Maybe it's that my littlest boy, who is not so little, lost his first tooth and does not at all resmble the little one who toddled after me for so many years.

Maybe it's the sense of urgency that's waning. Everyone runs around trying to get the last of that good summer fun in. Finally, thankfully our world is slowing a bit. Enough time to watch the leaves turn and fall, fall, sway to the ground. I know it will soon be a flood of leaves.

Enough time to sit and read another chapter, to get my mind out of the crazy-making, to slow down and count some things in the hours to be so, so thankful for.

Or perhaps it's in that all too familiar beckoning I hear whispered at me…Abba. My Father, He whispers at me to know Him more. To know the meaning of the Cross and death and new life. To taste redemption and freedom.

Freedom.

I am grateful that God hasn't forgotten me. I am grateful that He's relentlessly committed to seeing me become all that He made me to be.

"being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on unto completion until the day of Christ Jesus…" Phil 1:6

and His promise is that He's not done with me and the seasons roll around again and I'm thinking of Christmas and a new Calendar but He is thinking about the good work He started in me and wills or permits my circumstance to get me there.

I'm slow to learn.

But God is patient. And I'm worried about time flying by too fast and how I'm going to get all this done, or even what on earth my blog is for…but God is committed to me and waits for me when I meet with Him in the early mornings or long afternoons on my knees with my heart in my hands.

And He is the healer. He soothes the soul, my God, He soothes. He whispers promises to me and presses me on beyond myself, alone I cannot be who I want to be. To do…Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self control. I fail ridiculously without Him.

So these are the thoughts my heart ponders in Autumn. I see the garden fade and the pumpkin swells with orange and delight. I wonder about the new season of my life, and am hopeful for all the good God has in store.

Do you build?? Have Builders?

2011-10-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Introducing a new challenge blog!

Hop over to the Building Block Blog to check it out.

Dear Susie, a cake for You.

2011-09-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Susie, You asked how I made the birthday cake. Well I'm finally getting back to you. This is how we made the cake.

(By the way, do you have any idea how much I miss you all and how much we'd love to see you again? What wonderful memories of walks and teaching and babies and potty training I have with you? Oh, I miss you friend! Five years is too long.)

So, I used to boxes of white cake mix. Mixed them up as directed and divided the batter into 6 small bowls. Each bowl got a color and the boys and I added color and mixed until we were content with the color. That's really what this is all about, right?

Next, I dumped bits of color into my cake rounds. No method, mostly madness.

Even dirty dishes can be nice.

I made 4 rounds. Each of them got a layer of icing around and atop. (That's a Preposition, you know.) After I got them all stacked up I iced the whole thing again very lightly. Then, very important, I put the lightly iced cake in the fridge overnight. This gave a perfect surface for me to ice the next day, the cake really looked pretty smooth.

I knew I had done well when my boys kept brining the kids into the house for a peek at the cake. And that was before they saw the inside. How fun was this for me? Way too much fun!

The ENTIRE slice. No one got a giant slice. I portioned them out, everyone was very happy to get their own colorful piece.

Yes, I'm ridiculously impressed with my cake baking skills. You have to understand this has been an area of defeat for me so long, I'm thrilled to have done well at last.

So there you go, Susie. Thanks for asking, and all your sweet comments across the miles. I miss you all over there so much! xoxo!

S'gusting

2011-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

Snot-dogs. That's what Eli calls them. It was a fun little thing to do with the boys on a quiet afternoon. Gross, if you ask me. But I didn't eat them, and they DID. They loved them.

Pinterest Trick #2

Pinterest….dusting the cobwebs off my craftiness

2011-09-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

See! Pinterest has lots and lots of good things to offer!

I have promised myself, also that I will do some of the great projects that I find on Pinterest.

Project #3: Noodle-Bead-Dying Project

Our neighbor was having a birthday…a sweet 5 year old who requested only homemade gifts. Perfect!

Another beautiful thing is that you don't need my instructions because already wrote them out for you over at "Intrepid Murmurings"

I can tell you not to let the pasta dry on newspaper without a liner underneath. I am still very, very sad that the alcohol soaked through the newspaper and ate through the paint on our kitchen table. It needed refinishing anyhow, but how sad….

The gift was well recieved and we had a lot of fun making it. The cost:

Pasta: $3.00

Food Coloring: $0 (but I used all remaining supplies at home so I'll have to shop)

Alcohol: $1.50

Fishing Tackle Box: Free from the Warehouse (my hubbies shop)

Elastic String: free from our craft box

Oh! And if you'd like an invitation to Pinterest, just leave me a comment and I'll send you one. BUT, be warned. Pinterest will steal your little quiet moments away quickly!

River

2011-09-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

The boys and I got up early this weekend. Saturday morning I heard the littlest stirring when I got up before the sun showed itself. I crept into his room and took his hand, whispered him downstairs to tennies and a sweatshirt. We grabbed the doggy and silently walked to the river side.

We met with the peeking sun. We greeted the new day with our all-night hair and awe of the sameness that comes over everyday whether we notice, or not.

We giggled as we watched a river otter paddle around in circles. Fish jumped here and there and then here again. It was dreamy, a morning-date for our busy lives.

It's one thing I'm noticing about being so, so busy in this season. I am enjoying all the retreats that I get from work.

So I snagged the middlest this morning when I got up again. He was fast asleep but had begged to be woken. As we crept out of the sleeping house we saw a nose pushed against the screen of my biggest boys room. He was invited, and gladly accepted.

We walked the same path, we're wearing ruts in that pavement.

We watched fishermen skilled and silent.

Joe measured his hand against the print in cement stairs fashioned just for us, I'm certain.

We gazed. What else is there to do. Nate crept around, ever the explorer. Joe snuggled up next to me and we talked, laughed, smiled away the hour.

The scent, the sights, the sounds of Autumn were carefully observed & discussed.

I will not miss THIS day, this hour. I was thrilled at this unplanned, unexpected weekend of dates with my boys. Quiet hours before the song of things to do got to any of us.

I will not rush the quiet hours.

….and I don't want to miss the beauty of the world around, changing just a bit faster than my sweet boys.

Weekends are for...

2011-09-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Playing, Moving,

Posing, Almost Smiling,

Praying, Coaching, Leading, Learning,

Pursuiting,

Getting in the Middle of things,

Waiting, Seeing Others,

Chasing Opportunity,

and sitting on the bench,

pep talks, encouragement and being encouraged with words

leisurely reading,

counting freckles, and wondering at God's gifts,

being the star, (look for the cute guy in glasses)

boundaries,

silliness.

And weekends are for science all around you. Putting roots down in new places,

using all five senses,

marveling at what started so small,

and just hanging out in beauty.

Getting in our Groove

2011-09-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

We are back to school! Three weeks in and every day is a little simpler. I'd have to say that this year has been the simplest to start up, by far. I think it has everything to do with the ages of the boys, our experience and comfort level of getting started up again. We sucked every ounce of juice out of the end of summer, not speaking of or thinking too much about school.

Then, when the day came, we snuck up to a full schedule. Our first days were just morning routine, Bible & Math. Slowly I added in our memory work, Science curriculum (We're doing Apologia's Anatomy & Physiology) and History.

Easing into the school year allows the boys to have time to adjust to the schedule change (getting dressed before lunch) and getting down to stretching our brains in new ways. It also gives me time to tweak things one at a time. I found both Nate and Eli needed to jump forward in their new math books (so much review in front) thus, I can iron things out as I learn what is wrinkled.

And this year we're studying America....her History, her Geography. The photos above are our crude sketches of the East Coast. We played a fun game of driving from state capitol to state capitol. :)

And then there is soccer. Nate and Eli are on the same team...the team with the best coach: their dad. He is LOVING coaching and the boys love the game. I love that Upwards asks only one practice a week, and a game on Saturdays. Joe is playing too, on a different team.

And then Karate, our beloved Dojo with the best Sensei's ever. Eli traded his white belt in a few weeks ago for his Little Dragons class. Nate and Joe tested and traded their white belts in last Saturday. I am so impressed to watch how controlled they are, how quick and attentive in this class.

And then there are Sundays.

Sundays for turning over rocks and lying on a beach blanket, pushing a boy on the swings and going out for a lazy pizza dinner.

Life is busy, and all this busy is good. I am so thankful!

Spiders and a Princess Kitten

2011-09-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

The boys and I walked to the river for our Outdoor Hour in school last week.

The first thing Joe found was a baseball, much to the envy of a little brother.

I found this. Spiders, spiders everywhere.

There were so many, all the same species, we all got a great look at them. Too many for me, if you please.

Her name is Miss Garden Spider, as far as my research takes me. If you know better than I, please let me know.

And then there are the infamous Eastern Spider Monkeys. This species eats more than your average monkey. He also loves to play with real toys and tease and giggle in monkey form.

We also caught a glimpse of the rare Rock Perching Red Head. Known for it's ability to scramble, build and make you smile, we decided to bring this one home.

Joe spotted an empty egg sac of some form.

We also found a bucket of food someone had dumped. I know, I know...a bucket? But it was! Beautiful specimen it was full of maggots. We read about maggots in science this week so it was a wonderful glimpse and discussion on "not" spontaneous generation. At any rate, I didn't feel the need to take any photos. You're welcome.

When we got home Princess Kitty-Nika was ready for her lunch. She is doing quite well. I wish I had a scale to weigh her on, but I'm certain she is growing and trust she's thriving at the rate she chases little boy feet with her sharp claws & teeth. Then she gets sent to her room for awhile so we can have some floor-peace. :)

Nika

2011-09-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

At best guess I'd say she's about 6 weeks now, we got her at about 4 week.

She is a normal, playful, handfull of a kitten. And she has our hearts.

Is she so cute??

She looks a bit like a cross eyed stumbling kitten here, that's probably accurate. Her eyes are fine and now she scampers across the room like a clunky kind of lightning. She's making friends with the doggy (slowly) and she still loves her milk from a medicine dropper, at least twice daily. She's weaning though!

2011-09-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

Singing to the Birthday Boy. My youngest turned 6! I'm so enjoying the young man he's becoming, a treasure and a joy. Self described Sanguine-Phlegmatic. :) Really. He's right.

The Cake....YES!! I made it!

The Birthday Boy is Six!

Opening Gifts

Serving Up Some Cake

Big Watermelon, Little, Cute Girl

The Party was wonderfully exhausting (He always chooses the funniest places to fall asleep)

This is the Birthday Train. It was my dad's when he was young, it's a treasure now!

2011-09-11T15:30:00.000-07:00

What I Did This Week: This week was a culmination of so many weeks' work, the beginning of the school year. We took Labor Day and started Tuesday. The week went well! On Wednesday we had our first day of Classical Conversations. My class, the Apprentices, was a lovely mix of 8 boys and girls. Two of them were mine. :) The class went beautifully and afterward I cried a little, so very thankful to be in this journey with like-minded mama's, to have the blessing of this academic leap I'm able to take for the boys because of Classical Conversations. That's not all....

We also had our first week of Awana, Karate, Soccer (the boys' dad is coaching), 2 soccer games, a small group from church that meets here, AND a birthday party.

This season is going to be relentless, but I'm buckling down with my sights set on doing it graciously and coming out with a smile. Things will slow down soon, I hope.

Oh, and I Ran....once.

A Book To Share? My Bible study group has finished "Fit for the Master's Use" by F. B. Meyer and Calvary Chapel Publishing. If you happen upon this book, snatch it up without a second thought. It's out of print, and a treasure on pages. We have taken months to read the teeny book and I have devoured the words and taken weeks to digest it all.

Looking forward to: getting in our school day groove. We're still settling in, of course. I look forward to a little more ease in our days, the ease of familiarity.

Outside: It's summer! In September we finally have our summer heat. I'm grateful, the tomatoes are ripening and we've had more time for river play. We headed out for our Nature Study this week and all came back sneezing. I'm looking forward to Autumn.

The sunflower house is collapsing, the gourds are plentiful, the corn is done. I'm still enjoying the yard and keeping an eye on the pumpkins.

What's new? Her name is Mika. She is a wee little kitten who still likes her breakfast from a medicine dropper. We took her in 10 days ago and she's quickly become a happy part of the family. Photos to come.

Guilty Pleasures: Blogging. I am sitting here with eggs in my lap. No kidding. My 9 year old made a chocolate pie from scratch that calls for meringue. I haven't done it before, I tried once but I'm going to try again.

At any rate, I'm finally spending a little time here at the blog, and a little time on my new Pinterest account. Keeping in mind all the while that "much dreaming and many words are meaningless" Ecc. 5:7. So that means for every 25 great DIY projects I see online I should do at least one. That's what I figure.

So I'm off with my eggs....

Do you see the red heart? This is what I do while the boys play at the beach....find love on the rocks.

Final Seattle Photos

2011-08-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

Seattle Photo Overload

2011-08-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

Posers (See the Pac. Market sign in the distance?)

This photo cracks me up. Mr. Cool & little bro diving in to make bunny ears.

We followed the gentleman in the background for a few blocks & I kept snickering at how his shirt matched Nate's. Then when we stopped at a corner to wait for the light I snapped this. Nate had no idea, I got a kick out of it.

Pike's Place Market...the most festive location. Been there?

And we went to the Aquarium to be strangled by Octopi....

...and swallowed by Jellies.

...did you know my boys love chess? We sat and watched this downtown game for at least 30 minutes. Did you know I don't know how to play chess?

At the Pac. Science Center/ Space Needle grounds.

Yes, this is a real photo. No cropping and pasting here.

From the Needle we found this maze for the boys to run.

And we walked around a corner and found this....at about 7 p. I was not sure about letting the boys go in so late but we did and they had a blast.

That would be a teeny Eli.

Hey! A photo of me!! How do you like that?

Never fear, I have more photos to come....

Seattle Part 1 (Warning, Photo Max)

2011-08-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

If you asked me about our weekend ventures the first thing I'd tell you is that I'm not a city girl. That being said, we had some wonderful adventures. I only took photos of the good parts, and I'd love to share. :)

Ralph at the Sound.

We haven't seen the ocean for a whole year!

From the Wharf....the Space Needle was the favorite thing for the boys.

Good food, no this meal was GREAT. Of course we had just walked about 4 miles, and I was starved. The best chicken-pesto-tomato sandwich EVER.

Then we found the monorail. The boys were thrilled to ride, we were thrilled not to walk more!

From the Space Needle

Can you find all three boys?

I brought this homely little creature home with us.

Pacific Science Center...mirrors that made us laugh a long time.

The Butterfly Room.

Excuse me...The Butterfly/ Exotic Flower Room

The Cocoon Room, I got to watch a monarch emerge!

The boys LOVED this set and begged to go back again and again.

The Aquarium, tide pools without the ocean. More pics to come. :)

The Week in Brief

2011-08-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I woke up s.i.c.k. Lucky for me, it only stayed for a day. But, when I finally scraped myself out of bed, this is the sweet note that was waiting for me, from my sweet husband.

Nate has been happily hammering for most of the week. The chair, above, is complete now, with about 200 nails in it. I don't know if you want to sit in this chair, it's a little, um, prickly. But, my Nate is happy with a hammer in hand and it seems like a natural project for a boy, don't you think. Send your scrap wood our way.

I think this taping job in Eli's room took me all day Saturday. It was a job! I was regretting committing myself to two stripes. I usually had company though, a sweet boy of some size on the top bunk of the bed visiting me.

1. Paint the entire room with the base color

2. Add a coat, or 2 for yellow. What is that?

3. After the base cures a day or two, measure twice & tape the walls to border the stripe.

4. Paint along the inside stripe with the base coat color to seal the tape, so the contrasting color doesn't seep under the tape.

5. Let that color cure.

6. Paint the final stripe color & Let it dry.

7. Carefully pull off the tape, put all the furniture and stand back and enjoy your work.

Yes, I finished the room and the colors are lovely & bright. Maybe a little brighter than I expected, but I'm sticking with it for now. This large-ish bedroom has only one little window (the other wall has a chimney inside) so it needed the light.

I'll post a pic...sometime, of the finished room. Eli loves it & it's done. That's all that matters.

Last swim for the summer....the pool is drained. Right after Eli's discovery of mosquito larvae. We'll be keeping these for observation for awhile. Don't worry, they will never make it out into the world.

Squirrel prances over our backyard, taunting doggy and hunting Walnuts.

And now I'm off to pack my bags for Seattle. We're heading over there for all the fun touristy stuff my family has never done there. Truthfully, it's been about 20 years for me, too. Of course, you'll see pics.

In the car:

doggy going to a doggy-friend house
clothes, sweatshirts included
camera
books & magazines for kiddos (a novel for me...no school!)
book on tape (Adventures in Oddyssey)
snacks, breakfasts & lunches
maps
a grand sense of adventure...Space Needle or Bust.

Hunt out yourself some beauty this weekend, ok?

Gourd-eous

2011-08-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

I've never fancied fancy-sparkly-diamonds. I've no desire for jewels carved to catch light and eyes alike.

But, oh, I wish I had a place to display every single one of my favorite stones & river glass. My collection grows, and perhaps one of these days I'll build with it a rock pathway in my little flower garden. Or Could I figure out some artistic way to display?

I do love a good stone. The great news is that they're free.

Just ask the crazy lady running with her black doggy on the river trail carrying a large stone meant to border the flower garden.

Our veggie garden is pressing it's borders. The ornamental gourds are thrilling. They're amazing. I have little squat white pumpkins, round green & white speckled on top, yellow on bottom and another I haven't yet identified. Oh, and some plain old green gourd. We are going to have us a fabulous display this fall. I can see no reason not to put them everywhere....we will have enough.

My little teepee is growing. I think I'll reconstruct next spring, but I'm pleased that my honeysuckle is blooming and the morning glories are bringing their glory, too.

The sunflowers are the star of the show. Every day we walk into the sunflower house and see new flowers, new growth. I am so grateful for the house, I already have new ideas in mind for next summer.

I can't encourage you all enough to try out one of these little projects I found in Sharon Love Joy's book "Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots." You could find it at the library, I'm sure. She also writes one on Sunflower houses. She has wonderful input on what to grow in your garden. I'm making my list of "wants" for next year already.

Our time outside in the yard is a treasure. Right in front of our eyes the season is leaning, waning. Today Eli and I watched as a stealthy squirrel clenching a walnut in his jaws scrambled down the tree just feet away from us. He wasn't worried about us, just watching out for the sleeping dog nearby. He found a perfect spot, expertly dug a hole in the ground, dropped the nut in and carefully buried and patted the ground to be sure his stores were safe. It was a delight, to be sure.

I see the change of the sunlight on the house, lighting walls it hasn't touched in a year. I love the changes of the sunlight.

It's occurred to me that the boys and I spent much more time at the river in the fall, winter and spring months. Our yard has been a haven from the heat and crowds over summer.

We have plenty right here at home. Plenty to keep our eyes, ears and hands busy.

The fragrance of honeysuckle & sweet grass, the taste of plump tomatoes and corn just picked and stripped & steamed. The greens, golds, pinks, purple, lavender, sky blue and ahhh....

I don't need any fancy jewels.

Weekends are for….

2011-08-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Creating things

(Stool built for my 36 year old bear by Nate)

Taking a break for a treat

(Ice Cream trucks stop for us once every summer)

lauging together

& enjoying the beauty of the harvest.

Does it get any better than this?

2011-08-13T09:25:00.001-07:00

Nate and I were waiting in the doctor office today. While waiting we played "I Spy."

He said "I spy with my little eye...something beautiful."

He was talking about ME. *swoon*

...have I mentioned that Nate offers me back rubs about 4 times a day? Oh.my.gosh, this kid is a sweetie!!

___________

Tonight the boys were able to go to a game night at their Karate dojo. They had a wonderful time (Ralph and I got a little date night too!) and I heard all about it when I picked them up.

When we got in the car, Nate said it was "the best night of his life." Then I heard Joey in the back seat:

"Nate, you say this is the best night of your life. But one day you're going to get married, and then you'll say "This is the best night of my life." Then one day you'll have a baby, then you'll say "this is the best night of my life." Then one day, you'll have a grand baby, you'll say "This is the best night of my life." Then one day you'll meet God. You'll say "this is the best night of my life!"

I think it's good to have lots of bests....

Where We Work

2011-08-11T15:42:00.001-07:00

I've been trying really hard to come up with a name for our school space. The truth is, around my house "school" is kind of a nasty word....I would love to call this room something different than the school room. My sister had the sweetest idea; "Room of Deep Thoughts and Great Learning." As much as I love this, I know we'd never say it all. But I might just make a sign stating such.

At any rate, this is the week when all the lovely homeschooling mamas have been sharing their space with the rest of us, so I thought I'd jump in on the game, in spite of the fact that the room is a mess of transition & planning just now.

There's an idea! "Mess of Transition & Planning Room!" Oh, that's just about me, not the boys....

This is it. Complete with boy on the floor looking at a book. For summer I've pushed the table up to the wall, in a few weeks I'll be pulling it out again to seat 4.

Around the corner...this is the hub. Their books, my books, CC books, you name it.

Round the OTHER corner is my getaway. I know, it's not so big, but it works perfectly to keep all my things that no one should be touching or moving or misplacing...and my mom book. (More on that, remember)

Little might you know, it's actually part of the laundry room. These old houses have funny things like that and I think it's perfectly charming to hide out in my laundry room.

Wonderful, wonderful window to look out year round. This makes this room my favorite of the house. I'm working on making this side yard our bird-feeding-watching place. Outdoors-in!

So there is your little tour! Come on over and I'll show you the rest of the place. :)

So grateful to have a space to spread for our school....

~Amanda

Try to love the Questions

2011-08-11T13:36:00.001-07:00

This is the quote posted in our little library. And I've given it much thought. I do grow weary of the questions. Whether it's because I get tired of thinking; "Mom, do you think that there would have to be another dimension to travel through time?" or I get weary of being needed: "Mom, can you help me get this dog poop off my shoe?" or if I just don't know what, exactly to answer: "Mom, what if we had a house fire, and you and dad didn't make it? What would happen to us?"

The last question was asked, at bedtime WITH the little brother in ear shot....that was a long evening.

But the truth is, these little minds are brewing. They're learning constantly, and they're hungry for more information. Facts, answers, opinions, assurances.

...and I'm thinking I get to light a fire right at this very moment.

The lighting of a fire, inspiring these minds to think on. To question more. How else does one begin to think but in asking questions?

So I'm figuring out how to stop being weary, but to respond with words that provoke more thought. To take the time to look up a word, and then discuss how it's used. To reflect on how the world views issues, what God says about these same things. I'm trying to remember not to stop the questioning. In fact, how do I breed the questions? Discussions. Research. Look my little boys in the eyes and ask them another question.

And then sometimes, I just can't do another question. This makes me think I need to start a book, or a box for questions. Hmmm.... a new idea for our learning home.

Just thinking...

"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing." ~ Albert Einstein

Brain-in-a-book (what a relief!)

2011-08-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

One of the things on my list for today, believe it or not, is to write a little bit for this blog.

I've been bustling around this week working on getting the school room tidied up for the upcoming school year. I also finally figured out how to get some planning done, turns out I really just needed a format.

I found it!

I tried so many ideas for planning my "soft" schedule (meaning it's not rigid) and at last I came up with this binder:

I am all about the binder this year. Each boy has one that will hold any notebooking pages or loose paper for each subject; Language Arts, Geography, History, Art, Latin, Science...you get the idea. I'm going to add a section for them to track all the books they've read. What a good feeling to look back over the titles you've worked through! They also have a tab for tests and scores. Keeping the important things!

I have several binders for myself; one for tutoring the Apprentice Class (this is a seperate lesson plan), one for important papers (all the love notes I get from the boys and can't bear to part with), one for my household paperwork, and one for school at home.

This school-at-home notebook is the one that calms my storming brain. (The window and the birdies beyond help too)

I have three sections in this notebook:

Calendar (to mark what days we do school, holidays to remember)
Weekly Lesson Plans
Curriculum we use, books we read

The weekly lesson plan was the biggest for me. I need a calendar where I can loosely write down what we're studying with Classical Conversations so I can coordinate our home studies. I need a place to set goals with Math and reading. I need a calendar in which I can write up three separate plans for math, language arts and reading, AND coordinate our plans for history, science, latin, geography and reading. I needed a place to loosely list ideas for nature studies so that I can choose it, or not, depending what we stumble upon outside.

I'm really pleased with how it's all falling into place....which was the big problem. I couldn't think clearly for days because I had all these ideas bouncing around in my head, no where for them to fall.

At any rate, sometime I'll photo the school room but for now it's just cleaned out. Phew!

Going to spend the remainder of the week playing and filling out pages in my new favorite book. Next week pressing on to wrap up around-the-house-projects (namely a half-painted bedroom) and the following work I'll plan for tutoring.

Did I tell you what a relief it is to cruise through all my favorite homeschooling-family blogs & see that I'm not the only one who is rearranging almost everything right now? Truth is I'd love to paint the school room before class starts too, but let's not be silly now! It really does help to see all the photos of everyone else's chaos....this is our busy time of year, isn't it?

Have a wonderful day, and soon I'll post some photos of the mess....just have to zoom out. ;)

I Need a New Calendar

2011-08-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

*Let me preface this blog by saying that it's mostly a rambling of my thought process happening online for you all to see. Feel free to skip this and click over to the next blog if you don't really care about my brain-crazy.

I was just looking through a sweet friends blog and her August Calendar Crazies, and it really got me thinking.

I think I know what my problem is. (Good luck with that, right?)

I need a new calendar. You see, every year this time I sit down and create a schedule for school. Just like a school teacher would. Start school at 8:00 a.m., Bible, an hour of Math, History, blah, blah, blah.

But this is not school. Ours isn't a classroom and I'm not a school teacher. I'm a spontaneous schedule-bucking kind of mom who is led by part "Ought-to-do" part intuition (this stuff is making my kids & I crazy today, we're going for a hike). I am not going to build a schedule and stick to it unless it's a loosey-goosey suggestion schedule.

Now mind you, I ought to do Math, Language Arts, Bible every school day and I do. But the rest, I'd like to be notebooking, building a Timeline book, memorizing our CC grammar, reading aloud a lot and exploring some of the major interests of ours. For me, that would be History. For the boys, Science.

Can I be an eclectic Classical, Charlotte Mason heart-lead schooling mama? I think so, friends.

I'm thinking a lot as I plan this year not just about the "what" but the "why." Isn't this the real question that matters? Why do I homeschool?

Individualized education, Bible-based World view, family relationships....and maybe the thing on the front of my mind; a love of learning. My goal is to help my boys love to learn. To love it, and to know how to learn anything they want to learn. I want learning to be rewarding and even fun.

How do I put that in my calendar? This is the very reason my calendar won't work.

So I need a new calendar, a calendar of suggestions, maybe. A place to be reminded where I'm going with this whole educating thing, why I'm doing it. A calendar that lets me change the schedule every few weeks if necessary. Anyone have a calendar like that?

Just for Today

2011-08-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've been sitting at my desk in the morning sunshine, in my jammies reading about organizing for a bit now. Right after I got all caught up on my bloggy reading. I know, I know, I don't leave too many comments...

Hilary! You can do this run! Not only that, but you're really encouraging me to get back on board, I ran last week but I'm feeling more motivated after reading your goals.

Lynn, I think those brooches are so sweet of your Grandmother, & though she may not have wanted to be on a broach, I know she loves being remembered.

And Connie, I found IHeart Organizing on your blog and now I'm thinking more on organizing.

But now it's time to turn to the day's events...a little Lego party my boys will be attending, Karate, Bible Study...but not before I finish off tidying the remnants of our weekend camping trip and clean a poster-paint splattered sink in the downstairs bath. Oh, and I'll get out of my jammies before I water my blues and flowers...did I tell you I bought a Mock Orange? My mama was looking all over (her) town for one that would do well in the High Desert and I found just the right variety..one for me, one for her. I tucked it back near the blueberries (which produce a nice handful each day now) and they all are so thirsty these days.

I'm watching my Honeysuckle too, there are flowers ready to bloom and I cannot wait to sniff their honey-scent. Things are finally taking off here, our heat has been late in coming.

This is what I love about gardening. Every single day there is new discovery, & I have some boys that go out everyday to see what is new. Joe told me the other day that he "admired my garden" and those were the sweetest words a garden-loving-mama could hear.

Eli's sixth birthday is around the corner, 29 days, he told me this morning. But who is counting?

For his birthday I put together a photo book, pictures of his first 3 years. What a lovely job for me to do, I do love babies so it's fun to look through photos. In this digital age I rarely get photos printed anymore so I wanted to make him his own baby book. My plan is to make them for all the boys for all of the years.

Last night Nate and I wandered over to the craft store and picked up materials to make this little house for Eli's birthday gift. The rest of the family will get to pull some late nights working on this gift for Eil's little playmobile people. I'll be sure to post pics as we go. I think this house will be right up his alley.

The other thing I'll do is to order him a subscription to a magazine. The boys have been taught to politely wait (not attack) our mail carrier every day. They LOVE getting mail. They LOVE getting their own magazines. So that is on the list for all the boys this year. Any favorite kid-magazine ideas?

I'm into heartfelt or consumable gifts, there are tubs of toys in the basement waiting to go to the local thrift store. I'm tired of buying and recycling toys. Ralph says that *boughten toys are out here. I think he's right.

So this is what I'm up to today. Order, gifting, driving and resting.

Did I tell you that yesterday I flopped on the couch to rest a few minutes? I felt the knowing hands of my sweet Nate rubbing my tired muscles in my back. He rubbed my back until I fell asleep! What a love. After an awful-weekends'-sleep...more on that in the next post.

What are you doing today?

*boughten is a word we read a lot in the Little House books, referring to anything that is store-bought as opposed to home made

Our Sunflower House

2011-07-31T18:59:00.000-07:00

I've been excited to share this little hide-a-way with everyone who walks in the door. After reading through Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon LoveJoy, I knew I needed to grow this little place to play in our yard.

Thankfully, I got the seeds in in time, and we have flowers! This is a shot looking in the doorway. Morning Glories are planted with the Sunflowers to climb up, up and maybe even cross to other flowers, creating a roof.

But do you need a roof on a playhouse that stands 12 feet in the air? My heart swelled with kid-joy (I still have it sometimes) today as I watched Nate walk out there after our camping trip weekend to inspect growth. He wasn't even 1/3 as tall as these flowers. He looked so, so small!

When I planted I used a variety of heights, colors, types of Sunflowers. I cannot tell you that I know the types, only that I adore each of them, and they smile out at the neighbors every day.

The Reds have been earliest to bloom, quickest to loose their petals.

A few down low make for great inspection for little eyes and fingers. Yes, you may pick.

Another beautiful thing, the bees! We can see them, hear them, watch them collect, but they really stay up high, allowing the kids to feel safe from them. Another interesting thing...it could just be me, but it seems that since we have honey bees the yellow jackets have disappeared. I'd prefer to have bees anyday!

Contended Heart

2011-07-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

The boys and I will spend our day first tidying up around home, grocery shopping & then doing our final pack for a weekend camping trip. Things around here are humming along, summertime is at it's peak and we're fully enjoying it.

On Bicycles:

We're down to one car this summer, and for a season. So far, I love it. It's been the perfect reason NOT to be lazy and drive to the library (a mile) or wherever we like. We are blessed to live in the middle of town...we can easily bike to the grocery, library, pool, Farmer's Market, parks, Karate. The boys have learned so much through biking about traffic, looking ahead, road signs and caution. Now that we've been out a lot my goal is to speak as little as possible when we ride. The "leader" gets to navigate, look for signs, make all decisions that I can see are good options. Of course we have the occasional "STOP!" from mom in the back but usually the boys do an excellent job, including my soon-to-be-six-year-old, which has impressed my socks off. THIS is summer school. Traffic School. Navigation School

On Growing Up:

I was not really prepared for this sweeet corn-schucking-boy to get all his curls chopped off. But he was. I guess I thought since he is seven and he does have opinions I should let him. It is his hair...and he was tired of hearing how "beautiful" and "wonderful" his curls were (no wonder!) So I took him to the barber across the way and they cut it off while he was still wearing his roller skates. I think he's still a cutie little boy, and he looks a little grown up now. Think?
This is our sunflower house, from standing in the doorway. It's a lovely place, Morning Glories winding up and Sunflowers smiling out at all the neighbors. It's a fine place to hide out.

Harvest

On Houses...

We sold ours!! No, not this one. Not our new house, but the old one. A year ago today we moved to this new town of ours, and for all that time our little Redmond, Oregon house has been empty, sitting, waiting for a new family to occupy it. Wednesday was the day all the papers were signed it was recorded that we no longer have two houses, two mortgages, our feet in two little towns on the West Coast. You can only imagine the enormity of this weight lifted for us. It's been an emotional week for us, a longest year for us. I'm so glad to be just HERE.

We picked them, I pitted them, I pied them and they're gone.

On Cherries:

The boys and I picked 35 lbs. I pitted them all. I froze a lot of them and they are ama.zing. on yogurt, ice cream, you name it. Of course they're good in pie, too.

Come on by, I'll make us a glass of iced tea...

Artichokes

Reminiscing:

I spend a lot of time lately thinking about our move. A year ago today. I was letting go of a home, a known life, friendships, living close to family. Big losses. The little losses were hard; leaving my garden nearly ready to harvest. The unknowns were harder; would we be able to find a home where we could have our dog? Our boat? What would this new town be like? Would we find a church (of course, but always a long process) and friends? Could I really start over all again?

Sweet favorites in my garden, nevermind the weeds

On Garden-of-the-Heart:

While I don't miss the process, not a bit, I see the value in these hard things. A year later, most of those unknowns are resolved. Sure it's easy to see in the rearview mirror, easy to see why this all was growing me, but even in the process I felt myself hurled into trusting my Only Hope, because God is the sure known factor in our lives. Over and over again I was reminded that nothing is sure. (Shouldn't I know this yet?) History....tossed through a nasty abandoment & divorce, miscarriages, and too many moves...shouldn't I know this?

God is my only, only sure thing.

And in these days, in this country, we really have very little to want for. I can say that I'm grateful for the opportunities to see my true need. It is a good thing to want. It is a good think to see our need. What do we turn to, what do we turn into when pressed?

...and again I'm seeing the process. The harvest that comes from letting a seed die and be planted, watered, nurtured through the sunlight of our Creator. And grow. Bloom, create fruit as we are intended.
So now I'll say it out loud.

I'm okay with it all. I'm okay with loss, and letting things go, moving forward and being pitched further into faith and learning what it means to be content in all circumstances. I pray for humility. I pray that it won't take gigantic losses to send me back to a God who loves me so much. If I am to loose all, I will cry and grieve, I will probably fight. But it's okay, I'm just fighting my silly old self and He's going to win that one again and again so that God will show up as the One who pulls me through and out of this, and holds me through it.

Can you see it? Can you see that I should have melted down a long time ago? I should be a wreck, a monster? It's true. But for God's grace alone, I am resting. I can stand back and see the good that comes out of what was intended for bad.

I pray you'll see a glimmer of light in me through the cracked soul I am. The light that is Him. I pray you'll wonder about Him more, and the peace He gives in every circumstance. I pray you'll believe and get a seed of eternity in your heart that will grow into a joy that can't be struck down by a thing.

Philippians 4:11-13

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulty.

Getting my freak off

2011-07-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

If you could only see how many "drafts" I've started of blog posts. I'm really in a writers slump. Not so much because I don't know what to say but that I don't know how to say it.

So I'll ramble at you. Frivolous stuff, nothing deep.

There are precisely 6 full weeks left of summer and I'm doing the freak out. Don't know what I'm talking about?

Did you ever have someone offer to watch your kids? You have 2.5 hours to do absolutely nothing or absolutely everything and you were so, so very excited; thrilled to have the free time for just you and get so much done you were wanting to do for the last five years and then you drop the kids off and ......? What on earth do I do? Where do I start? Why would I work for my precious 2.5 hours when I only get 2.5 hours a year alone and oh help!! Now I only have 2. 15 hours!!

THIS is the panic I feel right now. I only have six weeks to get my house painted, organized top-to-bottom, my children growing and behaving beautifully, oh! and of course had a full summer of play time and fun, school planned, tutor lessons planned, and good grief! I only have six weeks left!

So starting right now, at this very moment, I'm going to stop the freak out.

Stop.

Right now I'm resolving to continue enjoying my summer while fulfilling a few simple goals that will help me to ease into the school year.

I cannot paint the whole house. But I can finish Eli's room. I started with a smudge of too-orange-yellow. I'll go get the color fixed and paint his room up next week. I can do that.

And I will go pick blueberries. I'll take my kiddos and we'll fill our buckets if only once and we will have picked berries to freeze and dry.

I will work on my lesson plans a chunk at a time. I'll get done what I can and aim to have 12 weeks finished before school starts.

I will keep my toes polished pretty-the-way I like 'em, and take my time doing it.

I'll keep my garden up and the weeds down.

I'll begin to sort through the basement. This is a big one. Where will I store the toys that aren't being played with that I just can't sell ?(Thomas & such) I will grow my goodwill pile and keep driving over there b/c I'm not having a garage sale. No.

And I'll see my friends, take a surprise-for-my-husband's-birthday trip. I'll chat on the phone with my sisters and friends and I'll breathe while I do it all because the world won't fall down if I don't get it done.

Yes, I'm a little neurotic. But I would love to be a bit more settled at the end of this summer in this new-to-us house than I was at the start.

Whew!

Blogging is therapeutic. Know it? Reading your blogs is therapy for me too. Thanks, friends.

Funny Week

2011-07-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

My husband is gutting & fileting a fish...

Eli: we're eating that for dinner?

Dad: Yup.

Eli: Can we just have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

Dad: I think you might like the fish.

Eli: But I never eat fish.

Dad: You like fish and chips, right?

Eli: That's made out of fish??

*******

The Boys & I were riding our bikes home from Karate...

Joey looking at a truck (having recently read about biodiesel):

Joey: V8? Does that mean it uses Tomato Juice for fuel?

Trying again....Nate's Bedroom

2011-07-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

scroll down for another little post....

Thing-Finder

2011-07-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

"What are we going to do now?" asked Tommy.

"I don't know what you are going to do," said Pippi, "but I know I can't lie around and be lazy. I am a Thing-finder, and when you're a Thing-finder you don't have a minute to spare."

"What did you say you are?" asked Annika.

"A Thing-finder."

"What's that?" asked Tommy.

"Somebody who hunts for things, naturally. What else could it be?" said Pippi as she swept all the flour left on the floor into a little pile.

"The whole world is full of things and somebody has to look for them. And that's just what a Thing-finder does," she finished.

Pippi Longstocking

Chapter 2: Pippi Is a Thing-Finder and Gets into a Fight

***********

Let me begin by saying that it's really a delight to read something silly to your children. I love to read good stories with wonderful characters, and I love to read a good book that makes my boys giggle, wonder & imagine.

Back to Thing-finders...my five-year-old has got a knack for finding a most wonderful thing: money. Nearly every time we come home from an outing, he puts his hand in his pocket & says "Mama! Guess what I found?!"

"Fifty-seven cents!!"

I'm no longer surprised, but sometimes it's perplexing for his brothers. They can't seem to believe Eli's luck. But I've explained to them this; Eli finds the money because he's looking for the money.

It brings me back to wondering about joy, gratefulness, misery.

I have been kind of pushing through my summer with a sort of duty, things to do, people to see, places to go. In all that mash I've kind of lost my eye for beauty. Not finding so much joy. Forgetting thankfulness.

In the Spring I started my thankful list, I got really good at finding things. Things to appreciate, (washing machines) things to enjoy, (little boy laughter) things to remember, (the way he holds my hand from the car to the store) things to laugh at, (the silly face I've seen a million times). But I've gotten out of the habit of looking. Looking for joy... but when I am Thing-finding, joy-finding....I find it. Always, I find something to enjoy.

What is it? What happens when we grow up that we get all serious and too busy to live. To breathe the moments in and out and look and really see a person?

Regardless, I guess all I can do is to fight my own little tide of gloom. Start again, numbering my blessings, joys and silver-linings. I'll pick up the pen and start again counting my joy:

835. a whole, entire day to be at home; make order and rest

836. kind teachers that invest in my boys

837. a fisherman-husband who loves to visit with me, everyday.

838. long-distance phone calls on the couch, smiling at dust bunnies without a care

829. the rustle of wind through the trees

830. a lunch date at the kitchen table with my Nate, playing staring games and giggling together.

What thing will you find today?

Teeny Tour

2011-07-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

I've been excited to share with you the finished product....My puppy-loving boy chose this quilt and the wall colors to match. I love the color choices and I think the room turned out pretty cute. What do you think?

This room, Nate's room, might just be my favorite bedroom of the house. I hope to rectify that once my bedroom is out of construction, but for now I just love these windows that look out at the sycamores, Woodpeckers and other flitting entertainment. I liked this room so much even the first time we looked at the house.

I started with the Green, and added the huge Brown stripe. Nate wanted just more stripe and I wanted the contrast of a darker brown. My girlfriend suggested I just add a darker stripe and I LOVE it.

Makes me think on Joe's room...maybe it needs another stripe? But for now, it'll wait. :)

Eli chose this duvet cover with a little prodding. In truth, he really wanted a dinosaur quilt. I hesitated because as much as he loves dinosaurs he gets bad dreams about them. I thought maybe we should do something more....restful for on the bed. So he chose the alligator (still a reptile) pulling the moone in a wagon. I love it. I picked up matching paper sconces (Ikea) and wall hooks and am planning to paint his room next. Yellowy orange or orangy-yellow. Boy yellow. Do they make that color?

But today all that paint will wait. I pitted my last of #35 of cherries yesterday. I made raspberry-cherry freezer jam and served it on toast this a.m. All the work was worthwhile when Eli said "This is the best jelly in the world, Mama!" He picked those very cherries. :) Summer fun!

Today we are taking the boys to the movie theatre....an annual treat. They've been so looking forward to seeing Cars 2, so today we go. I'm also planning on poking around in the garden and finally planting some plants I keep watering to keep alive in plastic containers. I haven't put pumpkins in yet so I'm hoping they'll give us fruit in time. I'd better just do it today.

Sunday is our Sabbath, I try to rest as much as I can doing things that I enjoy and are restful. Cars 2, maybe I'll take a nap? Maybe I'll see if hubby wants to go without me?

What are you doing today? Do you take Sabbath? A day of rest?

Keeping My Head and other treasure

2011-07-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

My lovely, creative-parenting sister wrote an article about how she plans to keep things cool at her place this summer. Go ahead, peek at her ideas, I'll wait. You won't be sorry. (Then you can cruise through some of our family camping photos)

Back? Let me just say that I'm so blessed to have such a great resource in my sister. She has been working with kiddos for many years & she is the girl I call when I'm stuck on a kid-conundrum. Her input has shaped my parenting in beautiful ways. If you're not already, you should be a little jealous of this sweet sister I have. If you're curious, leave a comment on her blog, she loves to share her parenting ideas. Little sister plug.

Keeping Cool: We've set up the pool, I'm setting up more camping dates, and reserving my mornings and evenings for gardening, or bluntly put, weeding. I'm making up fruit smoothies and freezing them into popsicle molds for the sweetest treats.

I've been a mom for nearly 10 years. I'm a slow learner, I guess, but I feel that I'm finally beginning to get this summer-ing thing down. I have discovered some treasures, some anchors that help keep me sane in and out of the school year.

Routine, simple or complex is necessary when we're lounging around the summer house. I'm a type S person (S for Spontaneous), so I like to keep a very, very loose schedule. But I have a little checklist for the days of summer (that we're around home) to help keep me grounded. It looks like this:

Bible

What’s for dinner?

Where’s your laundry?

Bible and Memorize with Kids

Teeth

Eat

Play/Project

Eat

Read

What’s for dinner?

Where’s your laundry

Rest

Dinner

Play

Read

Bedtimes

Teeth

Chillin’ with My Hubby

Notice I'm reminding myself to do key things...laundry and dinner? That's because I'll seriously forget otherwise. No joke. Dinner? What dinner?? (Keeping Cool: Today I've got the crock pot going on the deck to keep the hot outside).

Treasure for me: simple, relaxed, routine.

By having a bit of an outline for the days *I remember to do the things that are important to get done, even in the sloppy summertime. *Also, the boys have light structure rather than sitting around all day wondering what to do. *Maybe my favorite part is that I still get some good face time (Bible Study, reading aloud) with them. Honestly, if I don't stop and see my kids, they could run around and play all day without any interaction.

That is just too, too sad.

You'll notice the "tooth brushing note," this reminds me that I'm working with the boys on good cleaning habits. They've been slacking some, and I just have to stay on top of things with my big boys. I wrote it down so I won't forget.

I love summer as much as the next mama, I love the sunshine, the way it glorifies everything it falls on, the chaos and laziness of it all. But I'm rattled by too much sloppiness so this works for me.

A little order in chaos, beauty in summertime.

Goodbye Social Networking

2011-06-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

That being said, I find that my blog here is a fine way to network with other like-minded mamas and folks out there.

I signed off of my Facebook account about three weeks ago. I cannot really tell you why except that I felt that for the time spent I got little out of it. I was reading about what others are doing in their days while over-thinking any comments I left lest they be mistaken for insults or criticisms. So I'm back to the old fashioned methods of communication; email and texting, telephone and dare-I-say drop in guests. THESE are my favorite. Would you like to drop in unannounced? Please do!!

After three weeks of no facebook I'm missing nothing but a pebblekeeping friend's wonderful links, and I'm still able to catch up with her over at her blog. Maybe I'll actually start leaving comments again!

Maybe I'll start regular blogging again.

I have to admit I feel that I've been going through a bit of a blogging transformation. I do love to share what we've been doing, but for some time I felt like I was trying to "show" others what we were doing (does that make sense) rather than just sharing. So I'm trying to get back to the journalistic/photosharing/authentic Amanda-ish-ness that I want my blog to be.

So here's to new seasons. I love a new start.

Now I'm off, back to try and wrap up Middlest's last stripe in his bedroom. I've painted it a mossy green with a wide, low brown stripe. I wasn't thrilled with the brown, so I'm dropping a darker brown smallish stripe right on top to add the contrast I was looking for. Next is the Littlest's room (his is a big bedroom) that will be a yellowy-orange or an orangy yellow, we'll see.

That, and I keep wandering into the nurseries when I'm out and about. I bought teeny fuschias to go in our full shade window boxes. I have 5 to plant. I have two basil, two lavendar, two peppers and two perennials to plant. I suppose I'll have to take you on a photo tour one of these days.

I stopped into the fishy shoppe across the way and bought up some Sole for dinner. I have never prepared Sole, do you have any favorite methods?

Have a lovely day, and don't find me on facebook or any of those other silly places. Instead, pack up a book and I'll fix you tea, you can walk my teeny garden with me.
Amanda

More Cali Photos

2011-06-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

Staying at My In Laws is just like this....quiet, peaceful, beautiful and restful.

Oh, and there are games...

and yummy food,

Pretty Pooch,

the best part;

family time

flying tricks,

and treats!!

A Little Northern Cali County Fair

2011-06-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

Do you want to go to the fair, but NOT have tummy trouble for a week afterward from a greasy-delicious corn dog & spinny dizzy rides?

Have a seat with my littlest and his sweet cousin! We're going to the fair.

Biggest and his daddy. Don't they look-alike?

Middlest and I...don't we look alike? :)

Checking out the chickens

My three sons & the best-dad-on-the-planet.

Some BIG pig. I kept wondering how they "made" her go anywhere...?

Pure joy. I went on this ride b/c my littlest wanted to go, I couldn't bear the thought of letting him go alone. It was insane, my friends, to go on that ride at my 36 years and weak stomach. My stomach lurches just thinking of it.

Flaming hair

Cute cousins.

This is when I hadn't gone on any rides yet....I almost wet my pants laughing at my sweet-sister--in-law on this ride. Her face cracked me up. But then I went on a spinny ride, and I was so sorry I ever laughed. I felt sick for 6 days. SIX. The plane ride home sent me reeling again.

Littlest, with an ice cream cone & a monkey on his back.

Now, don't you feel that you've had a full experience going to the fair? And it's only June....

A week in Cali

2011-06-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Boys 'n Dads and the Big Guns

...and a walk in my Mom P's lovely garden, a little more on the soft side;

Reflections

2011-06-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

God Be Ivy

2011-06-23T14:07:00.000-07:00

I've been peeking in on all of your blogs, friends. I haven't forgotten you, in spite of the quiet over here.

We returned last night from a trip to see family, a lovely week of swimming, laughing, yummy food, cousins, grandparents and fun. Today I'm doing laundry so I can quickly pack it up again to head South and camp on the brimming river with more grandparents, cousins, food, laughter and fishing for the boys.

In the meantime, I'm reading some really great books. My heart and mind are chewing on things constantly. Maybe I'll get an opportunity to share all of it somehow one of these days. But for today this is what is on my mind as I water the garden;

God be Ivy.

God, won't you?

Will you be that thing in my life that invades? That pops up wherever it can, smothers every piece of me? Grow in my heart at a speed I cannot comprehend, take over it all.

My Week in 50 words or less (46, to be exact)

2011-06-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Shirts vs. Skins reff'd by the happy hound.

Naptime all curled up around the chair.

A lady(boy) bug in the garden

Ladybugs are good for the garden, they play in the water.

Grateful my laundry chute has a door, it can just stack right up.

Rambling Fool

2011-06-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Please enjoy the photos of our Day #4 of Funschool a couple of weeks back, whilst I ramble on.

Seven days. That was the answer to the question this morning, seven more days of school before summer break. The joyous refrain lasted until I let the cat out of the bag....we are going to do backward weekends in July and August...we'll do a little school two days a week this summer. That's the plan.

Of course the boys balked at it, but we have a bit to go in order to finish off their math books, and truthfully I don't want to have to start all over again in September. So we talked of all the fun to be had over the summer, and that we'd stop here and there to study a little. Little do they know I'm hoping to get so much good reading in this summer too. We're still working through our Little House series, it's taken us nearly a year to get through so I'd like to wrap it up. Meantime I can't help but read other books...We're reading Mr. Popper's Penguins & Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (a favorite, again) also to fill in the gaps.

Summer time is lovely, a break is fantastic for lounging and getting much neglected work & wanderings done. However, I've been doing this long enough to know that it's a shame to mess up a summer with too much nothingness...I'm hoping two days will add enough contrast that we'll fully enjoy the summer. Other things on our list for the summer:

learning to carve soap figures

weeding the garden, harvesting one day

watching our silk worms turn to spin and cocoon, then be born again

camp

a big ol' summer party the boys are planning

assigned reading (we haven't done much of this before)

more house painting (I'm 98% done with Joe's room)

library trips

bike rides

lots of ice cream and river trips

...and then this morning I was reminded that really, we only have today. This is all I can plan for. This brings me down out of my cloud of intentions to stop and pick up the pieces of our harried last weeks. I spent the last two days proctoring tests for 2nd graders (good fun) and so today is a day for getting back to normal, catching up laundry (so thankful for a loooong laundry chute) and getting Nate to the doctor.

Nate sped across our deck barefoot on Tuesday. He landed two huge splinters in his foot. I took him into urgent care Tuesday evening, they took out one splinter but the other is so deep and is quickly reddening and swelling. I'm certain there is another large chunk of wood in there, gone straight in. We've been soaking and soaking but to no avail. Poor, poor little foot, little boy.

So off to another rainy, but hope-filled day. A day for normal and goodness. A day for capturing the little joys and counting God's faithfulnesses.

What are you planning this summer?

of anchors and encouragement; somethings

2011-05-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

Something Blue: I'm nearly finished painting Joe's room. He has not moved in yet, but the poster of Neil Armstrong already shouts that the room belongs to him.

The boys and I returned from a long, long journey Friday evening. I was exhausted, but not overwhelmed. I was so thankful to come home on a Friday with three days ahead of me to get rest, process laundry and chat with my husband, whom I missed horribly.

Our trip was long and lovely, stretching and straining, fun and adventurous. I had an overwhelming sense of thankfulness of everything "home" when we arrived.

All of these things, they are my anchors, they encourage me to press on towards a life of beauty and joy of cultivating home.

And I'm sharing on a little meme over at A Mother's Journal, what is encouraging to me today. It's just what I want to tell you about.

Something Old: I'm getting a lot of use out of these sweet little garden shoes these days. They make me happy just looking at them.

Something New: at our Classical Conversations practicum I purchased a new stack of books. I've put them in their own little pile so that I can work my way through. Last night I picked up Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea"... I like it already.

Something crafted; I've been dreaming on this TeePee along time now. Our trees have allowed me to collect branches all winter and now the building begins. Crafting + Gardening = Happy Me.

And something borrowed: Another longtime dream, my little sunflower house! And the Sunflowers are popping up happy to be growing, I'll be looking for straw to put on the floor of the house and I hope this house draws in boys and birdies alike.

Funschool Day 2 Part B

2011-05-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

Builders Building....did you ever see such a wonderful platform on which to build a great track? This is in our basement, and the space serves us well. The boys use it for lego toy displays, sitting on and coloring or as of today, building a long track. We are just spoiled here.

"I know Mom! I've got a great idea. I'll build a little town right around the track. I'll get the Lincoln Logs!" This building was invented by little boys, indeed.

Concentrated architect working on the outer track.

The trains are all set and staged, lego men strategically posed in there too. Gotta love mixed medium.

Not too old to play with (or maybe just stage) these "old" tracks. Trains were the passion of this boy for no less than 4 years. Good memories for me.

( I cannot wait to pain the basement a bright cheery color. Looking for a color that will brighten without much daylight...any suggestions, Please?)

FunSchool Day 2

2011-05-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Our Tuesday Funschool was a field trip out to Ice Harbor Dam Visitor Center. It was really a great trip, but I wasn't permitted to take a camera inside so these are the only photos I have to share. In the visitor center we were able to read about the Salmon life cycle, watch some films and see some salmon headed toward the ladders. We didn't see any fish on the ladders so we'll go back this summer or fall when they're thicker. Fun trip!

Going to the Green

2011-05-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

This week is funschool all the way. Monday consisted of an exploratory hike, into new territory for us.

Pill millipedes (sow bugs) were EVERYWHERE, this quickly became the topic of all conversations and studies. We wondered at why there were so many on the trail, what they eat, were they arthropods?

And treasure...

The West part of town

Chilly Joe.

A log, covered in pill bugs.

Joey lovingly nicknamed the sow bugs "A.T.A's," All Terrain Arthropods. (At home we learned they are Isopods.

Pill bugs and soft gun pellets....always a treasure.

Joey's pet A.T.A.

A white-tailed deer, not too shy.

Eli brought home a cash of bugs.

A homemade terrarium for our bug friends, complete with lots of decomposing leaves, new leaves and lots of moisture. Just the right habitat for pill millepedes.

Sketch Something near the Ocean....

2011-05-18T11:33:00.000-07:00

A day for this Mama to remember...

2011-05-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

A day for this mama to remember just how blessed I am to have my brood about me, altogether now (I sometimes forget they'll someday fly away *sigh*)
A day to see the sweetness in these ones.
A day to see them through all the busyness.

A day for finding beauty, (everyday!)

for seeing how intricately we are all made,

a day for treasure hunts.

Receiving wildflowers from a grinning 7-year-old makes my heart surge.

Watching these little feet explore makes me think I'm doing something right, just maybe.

Getting sweet messages from my 9-year-old and kisses from a kid who adores me...could he know how much this means to me?

Can your heart break, being so very full? Could it burst? What on earth do I do with all of this love?

And the sweet man who made it all happen....boys yes, and a sweet, sweet Mother's day.

Sunflower House

2011-05-17T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've been thrilled, of course, to get my hands dirty and prepare for this years' garden. We got the sod in our yard, and this freed me up to work in my little garden spot. A big part of my garden this year is situating things in a kid-friendly "come on out to the yard" inviting way. So I've planned a few things to get my boys outside this year.

Have you ever been to a house whose yard draws you outside? You just can't stand to sit in, because the flowers, trees and birdies call to you? This is my goal...to get that kind of yard. I have a long, long way to go.

My first plan is to let my house be uncomfy. Yes, you heard me right. I'm going to turn the air conditioning off and make this house as hot-sweaty as I can to get those kiddos outside. And then the rest....

The boys and I have planted a Sunflower House. The idea is to plan Sunflowers in a shape which encloses so the kiddos can play underneath them and sweet morning glories overhead. The boys and I have planted and now we wait.

Updates coming....

Bird song, boy song

2011-05-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

I pulled out a notebook and posed a question to my class: "Now that classes are done for the school year in Classical Conversations, what direction would you like to see our school go? What do you want to do more of?"

"Where we go outside and look at birds, leaves, bugs," says The littlest.

"Science!!" says the biggest.

"More nature studies!!" says the middlest.

And so we go. We pull out our nature notebooks, grab a snack. I pop over to our Nature Study Hour blog and look to see what our challenge is. I sneak my camera into the pack and quietly we go, down, down to the river. The boys have discovered a woodsie area about 1/3 mile from here. Woods, trail, Lamb's Ear, and trees with teeny bloom leaves singing out, "it's spring, spring is here."

And my heart soars & I'm certain that this is the best quiet worship that I can bring to my God, instructing my boys in the adoration of His Creation.

To stop.

To see, to really see all that His hands have made. The order to it, the chaos of it, the beauty in the fungus beast.

The joy in the crook of a tree.

We could stay all day. It just so happens that in my haste to run into the quiet I left my keys in the house, all locked away. We might just get to stay all day.

What is math, anyway, without birds to count? What is spelling if you don't learn what lichen IS to want to spell it? What are little boys without a tree to climb?

I can see that this new little forest of ours will be a lovely little refuge. We went down to listen for sweet little birds. The few we saw were quiet but we did get variety; American Goldfinch, Seagull, Mallard, Sparrow.

The Seagulls, they've been so very present. For months at night we hear them cry out all night. My youngest tells me it wakes him at times. I've been told they nest on an island just North of here, how I'd love to explore that!

On the way home we plodded looking, listening still. We came to a house with a huge tree (or should I say stand of trees together) that was a happy home to so many birds we couldn't sort out the songs. Our neighbor came out, pleased to see us listening. He told us the names of the birds he sees there. He strengthened my resolve to draw in more birds, in spite of our noisy yard.

I'm so grateful for this yard, these trees, the birds that seemingly sing for us to listen to. It is a good thing, to quiet oneself and listen.

After all, ears are to listen.

A little inspiration

2011-05-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've been a little blog-a-phobic lately. So much going on in this heart and mind lately here I just haven't know what to say, where to start. And then....if you're like me, you know you get these blog posts written up in your head and then *poof* the moment is gone, words are gone and I have almost nothing to say.

But I just read a fun little post by my sweet sister, and I'm feeling normal after reading about her normal life. So I'll follow her lead and write about our weekend. No better place to start.

As you've seen in photos previous, my hard-working husband upset our yard. The whole, entire yard was tilled, trenched, and strategically mapped out with irrigation. The work was exhausting for him and stretched out longer than he thought it would take. But he made it his goal to get the sod down this weekend. You have no idea how wonderful this is for the woman who sweeps and dusts the yard-dust out of the house daily.

At any rate, that set the pace for the weekend. Husband worked long hours all week to take Friday off, he & a friend put the sod down Friday while I tottered off to a library book-sale and scored not-enough children's books for a quarter each. By Friday night, we had a yard again and I was happily staring out at a field (ok, not THAT big) of green.

And then Saturday I tended my little veggie/herb garden. I put in some new plants and worked in the front yard while boys of all sizes cruised up and down the block on bicycles. I knit, working on this cute little bag that is my first knitting project. I conquered a few tricks of the project this weekend, what a great feeling!

These pretty flowers have faded off and are giving way to iris-blooms-in-waiting. But I linger around the photos, oh, what glory flowers bring.

We are going to a new church, we've gone 3 times now and I think this may be our new church home. We go to a Saturday night service and LOVE the lazy Sunday morning that kicks off a day of rest. Big breakfast, linger on the deck in the sunshine because there are birdies to be watched and listened to. Read awhile, think on what I read. Sit on the porch & watch blobs of boys on bicycles up and down, up and down. Visit with neighbors and work on knitting project.

We have a sweet little girlie down the street, fresh out of Ethiopia. I am astonished at how in 8 months she has grown heart and soul into a chattery, sweet girl who delights in us so. She watches all day for our youngest to come and play. She loved my knitting, too. Perhaps she'll be my #2 project recipient?

Today we're back to school. The sunshine has been hidden by the clouds and the day holds new challenge and joy. I am full though, full from a weekend of resting in God's big graces in my life. I'm so very, very thankful for so much...

555. fresh strawberries

556. notebooks

561. artichokes- cozy!

563. stories, large and small

564. routine

565. 8 months in our home

566. order

569. freckled boy giving me back rubs

575. Christ on a tree

Nate says...

2011-04-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

...It's 7:30 a.m. Nate is happy and chipper this morning. He keeps talking about how cute Eli is.

Then, a few minutes ago Eli came in: "Nathan said my cute is starting to get annoying."

A Thousand Words

Checking In

A New Year

Winter Color: Lost & Found

Preparation for Winter

Advent Calendar Activities

Shouldn't I Say Something?

Fairy Seeds

Accidental River Hike (Beware, if you've a timid stomach)

Autumn River Walk and the Nine Year Old; Grand and Small

Thankful

November Walk

Making the Sycamore House Ours

Life in Pictures~isn't it fun, Hil?

Links for Homeschool (updated Nov 2011)

Ill-Equipped

ill-e·quipped

Building Challenge...

a few of my favorite things...

Really, it's not so bad....

Autumn Wind

Do you build?? Have Builders?

Dear Susie, a cake for You.

S'gusting

Pinterest….dusting the cobwebs off my craftiness

River

Weekends are for...

Getting in our Groove

Spiders and a Princess Kitten

Nika

Final Seattle Photos

Seattle Photo Overload

Seattle Part 1 (Warning, Photo Max)

The Week in Brief

Gourd-eous

Weekends are for….

Does it get any better than this?

Where We Work

Try to love the Questions

Brain-in-a-book (what a relief!)

I Need a New Calendar

Just for Today

Our Sunflower House

Contended Heart

Getting my freak off

Funny Week

Trying again....Nate's Bedroom

Thing-Finder

Teeny Tour

Keeping My Head and other treasure

Goodbye Social Networking

More Cali Photos

A Little Northern Cali County Fair

A week in Cali

Reflections

God Be Ivy

My Week in 50 words or less (46, to be exact)

Rambling Fool

of anchors and encouragement; somethings

Funschool Day 2 Part B

FunSchool Day 2

Going to the Green

Sketch Something near the Ocean....

A day for this Mama to remember...

Sunflower House

Bird song, boy song

A little inspiration

Nate says...