Hubby's Serious Injury = No Blogging

Hubby was injured very seriously on September 29. He broke his leg severely under his knee cap. There were two breaks -- one on each side of the tibia -- and lots of crushed bone directly under the knee. This ordeal has involved surgery to implant 2 large plates into the knee with 13! screws, a life-threatening blood clot, and 9 days in the hospital. It's also taken lots of recovery time at home and he has been ordered to be non-weight bearing until the end of December. All this has meant lots and lots of prayer for me and many extra responsibilities that my terrific husband, who is my true partner in every way, normally takes care of. As you might know or remember, hubby is also job-searching. So, this time has been a serious trust-building one for our family. God is teaching us so much about His absolute sufficiency in all circumstances. He is also reminding us that each day with loved ones is a blessing. Please pray for our family to keep looking up to Him as we continue in this trial. And, hopefully, I can begin to blog more regularly soon.

Green Hour Challenge - Week Two - Describing

We took Green Hour Challenge number 2 this week. We had a lovely day with a bit of sunshine and warmer weather today, so we headed out into our yard. I pre-read the assigned pages from the Handbook of Nature Study, and therefore learned about the importance of preparing the children what to look for, etc. I simply told them that we were going to take a nature walk, and that we would be listening, looking, and touching things. I tried to model curiosity and a posture of listening/observing.

I was amazed at the things we were able to see in our very own backyard, which is mostly used for swinging, sliding, and bird feeding! We found evidence of bunnies (you know the little brown kind!) in two places in the yard, and because it was Saturday and daddy was with us, he pointed out the places in the yard that he has noticed bunnies hiding.

We visited a grouping of bushes near the back of the yard where birds seem to gather. There were clusters of small red berries on that bush. We discussed that perhaps the birds like the bush for the berries. Then we took note of the area around the feeder. The birds had been quite messy with the seed and there was much on the ground. We were delighted to see the branches on the tree turning a scarlet red color on the ends!

So, here are the observations that each family member made
DD3 heard birds, saw three birds, and felt soft, little berries.
DD5 heard tweeting, saw spotted leaves and felt nice soft "hay" (aka dead grass!).
DS6 heard chirping, saw red berries, and felt dry, hard grass
Daddy heard hooting, saw a flying kite, and felt a smooth and rough tree.
Mommy heard barking, saw red branch tips, and felt cool, gentle wind.

All in all a wonderful challenge full of fun and lots of noticing in our very own backyard! We have decided to start with a family nature journal with a weekly entry.

Green Hour Challenge - Week One - Ice!

*****We are participating the the Green Hour Challenges being posted by Harmony Art Mom here. These can be for homeschoolers or just folks who want to instill a love and knowledge of nature in their children. I encourage you to participate as well.*****

We ventured out into the snow on Wednesday this week for our Green Hour Challenge. I am not known around this house as being the adventurous snow-mom, so I was quite proud of myself, truth be told. Now, when it's fall, spring, or summer, I would rather be outside, but in the winter I tend to hibernate. But, snow it did and remembering Barb's words, "even if it is really cold and yucky", we put on our boots, buttoned up our coats, and headed out!

The children enjoyed walking in the snow and really noticed the ice and icicles that were covering things as we walked. My middle daughter in particular was enamored by the diamond-like qualities of the ice. Since I just have one officially school-aged person, we mostly spent time observing and chatting, and watching our breath vaporize. ;) I will note that the Water Forms chapter of the Handbook of Nature Study has a small bit about ice and a very simple experiment about placing a jar of water outside in the cold to observe what happens. Maybe we'll try this next week.

Here are some of the quotes that struck me (for future encouragement) in reading the Handbook of Nature Study for this week's assignment:

"Nature study gives the child practical and helpful knowledge."

"Nature study cultivates the child's imagination...cultivat(ing) in him a perception and regard for what is true and the power to express it."

"But more than all, nature study gives the child a sense of companionship with life out-of-doors and an abiding love of nature."

"Out in this, God's beautiful world, there is everything waiting to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care."

"In nature study, any teacher can with honor say, "I do not know"; for perhaps the question is as yet unanswered by the great scientists. But she should not let the lack of knowledge be a wet blanket thrown over her pupils' interest. She should say frankly, "I do not know; let us see if we cannot together find out this mysterious thing."

"But they (the students) never lost confidence in me or in my knowledge; they simply gained respect for the vastness of the unknown."

"If nature study is made a drill, its pedagogic value is lost. When it is properly taught, the child is unconscious of the mental effort or that he is suffering the act of teaching. As soon as nature study becomes a task, it should be dropped. But how could it ever be a task to see that the sky is blue or the dandelion golden or to listen to the oriole in the elm!"

Thanks, Barb for the challenge. We're looking forward to Challenge #2!

The Armchair Traveler Reading Challenge

There is a great travel reading challenge going on over at "A Life in Books". I'm joining up. Here are the books I've chosen and the alternates in case I change my mind or can't find the ones listed. I am definitely an "it's my perogative to change my mind" kind of girl, so alternates will probably be utilized. ;)

My Top Six:
Sarum by Edward Rutherford (England)
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hoesseini (Afghanistan)
Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson (England)
Three Weeks With My Brother by Micah and Nicholas Sparks (3 week world trip)
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austin (Bath, England)
Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (South Africa)

Alternates:
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle (France)
Glastonbury Tor by Leanne Hardy (England)
I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson (U.S.)
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Somalia and Netherlands)

The rules for the challenge and the Mr. Linky list are above if you're interested. Let me know if you decide to join up as well.

The Need for Understanding

Apr. 27, 2006
The Need for Understanding


I long for understanding. I want my husband to know exactly how it feels to listen to two preschoolers argue at decibel levels that would challenge a B-52 bomber, while at the same time making dinner as a screaming toddler clings to you as if you're the hook to her loop! I want my friends to understand my ridiculously crazy schedule and still be my friend even though I can't call or regularly attend girls nights out. I want my younger girlfriends who have a perfect family of four, with children spaced perfectly 3 years apart, to understand what my life is like with a 4,3, and 1 year old, with a mom who is 36 years old, and not the lovely and high-energy 29!





What I've learned in this journey of life, especially after becoming a mother is this: my exact life will never be fully understood by another human being. Never. I shared this with my friend Kelly once as she lamented the fact that her husband was in charge of their new baby all day, and had decided to do the "I'll take him to see grandma" thing that seems so popular with my husband and those of my friends as well. "I just want him to understand what I go through every day. What my life at home with a cranky and discontent baby is really like."



"Dream on, sister," I told her.



No really, I said, "Sweet girl, he'll never understand."



You know how I learned this? From experience. No matter how martyr-like my attitude, no matter how many anecdotes, complaints, or words I use to describe my day to him, my sweet husband who goes off to work everyday will never understand the life of a stay at home, homeschooling, ministry-leading mom. Nor will any of my friends, my children, my mentor, or my own mother for that matter.



I used to get angry about this. I would lament loudly to God in my prayers about this need I had for understanding. My journal during my first few years of motherhood reads like a veritable martyr-manual. "Woe is me. Will this baby ever stop crying. Does anyone, ahem, UNDERSTAND, how hard this is?"



One of my more thoughtful friends, Jen, pointed out to me one day in her very gentle way, that my need for understanding had the potential to be an idol. Potential schmotential, it clearly already was an idol, because an idol is just an exalted thought in your mind. Clearly for me the need for understanding had become more important in some ways than God and what He had to speak to me during these difficult times.



To summarize my learning to this point then, I had become aware that no human being could fully understand my exact life. I had become aware that my need for understanding had become so important in my mind that it had indeed eclipsed my relationship with God. Fast forward two years...



I mentioned in a previous post that I had been meditating on Mark 1 and had come to the point in verse 45 where it says they (the crowds) came at Jesus from every direction. Even in the deserted places. Boom. There it was. Understanding. Finally, someOne who who understood what it was to be pulled in every direction.



Once again, Jesus met me right at the point of my need. Came into my life personally as a God who understands. And knowing that has made me more passionate about Him than ever. He truly is a God who meets all my needs. He is a jealous God, a God who will only allow Himself to truly fill those empty places. In Him, I have all that I need, and indeed He understands.

Mark 1 and 2

In preparing for an upcoming Bible study, I have been spending time in Mark this afternoon. I was meditating on the first verse of Mark 2.



"And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house."



I pondered that verse for a while. Then, to gain contextual information, I went back to the previous two verses and read:



"and (Jesus)said to him (the cleansed leper), 'see that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.' However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could not longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction."



I reflected on the phrase "it was heard" from Mark 2:1. People were talking about Him, dying to get to Him, clamoring for Him to meet their very real needs. What was Jesus' reaction? I wondered how he felt having come back from the deserted places mentioned in chapter 1 v. 45. Was He like me after I've gotten back from a short respite? Longing to go back to where people don't clamor for me, no one needs their shoes tied, or their nose wiped? Was He longing to go back to the deserted places where the needs were not so great?



Then, I noticed it...the last part of the last verse in chapter 1..."and they came to Him from every direction." Even in the deserted places, people came to Jesus from every direction. I feel like that sometimes. People need me. My husband needs me, my children need me, my friends need me, and my ministry team needs me. Sometimes it feels like they come at me from every direction. The needs are endless.



But what I drew comfort from here is that even in the deserted places, Jesus was found. I am comforted by the fact that He knew that feeling of clamoring, even in the deserted places. I'm comforted to know that Jesus sees my longing to go with Him to the deserted places, yet sometimes my children, or others, won't cooperate. I love that He understands, that He knows how I feel.



It's hard to get away to the deserted places when you're a mom and a wife and a ministry leader. But that won't stop me from trying. Being in the deserted places with Jesus is worth it.

Overwhelmed

Yep! Recently, due to my ridiculous inability to say "No", I have been completely overwhelmed by family responsibilities, homekeeping, homeschooling, and church responsibilities. Top that list with a pretty sick baby for three days and it appears that I've been in a constant state of "spiritual ADD", as my mentor calls it. My brain is on overload and my thoughts flit from one to another with no rhyme or reason.



So this morning, I tried something that I hadn't done for a while in my quiet time. I asked God what He'd have me to do today. Im pretty embarrassed that I have to admit not asking Him everyday, but that's the truth.



What always astounds me when I take the time to ask this question is this: His ideas for me are so much simpler than mine! His yoke is truly easy and light. Three things instantly came to mind as I thought about and asked the Lord about my day. Three things! My list has been at least a thousand things long lately, but this morning the three most important came to the top first.



The first thing was school. With a sick baby this week, anything school-related has been necessarily pushed to the back burner. Now keep in mind, I have preschoolers, so we are very laid back about our school time. But I really enjoyed getting to sit with them. We did Handwriting Without Tears. My DD1 worked on her name. DS1 worked on letters A through H. DD1 and I also worked on colors, while DS1 worked on math with the Learning Pallette I ordered from my friend, Cindy, who is an Usborne consultant. Both children also did Bible and journal time(see previous post) and various other crafty things.



The second thing on my to-do list for the day is a cheesecake that my husband has been asking for. It's his grandma's recipe and it's delicious. Surely, I can get this done for my wonderful man today. Here's the recipe in case you're interested:



Mamaw Noel's Fluffy Cheesecake

1 C hot water

1 small box lemon jello

3 ice cubes

2 C graham cracker crumbs

1 stick of butter

1 T powdered sugar

1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

1 C sugar

2 t vanilla

1 can chilled milnot



Mix together hot water and lemon jellow. Add 3 ice cubes. Put it in the fridge and let it set until syrupy.



Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter and powdered sugar. Press into 9x13 pan, saving a small amount for a sprinkled topping.



Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla well.



Cream milnot, like whipping cream, until peaks form. (You may need to chill your beaters first.)



Add jello mixture to creamed milnot and cream cheese mixture.



Pour over crust.



Top with remaining crumbs and refrigerate until cool.



Yummy! The reason my honey loves this recipe so much is that he used to request it from his grandma instead of birthday cake. In making this for him today, I hope to remind him of how important he is to me and how I thought of him throughout the busy day of school, housekeeping, etc. I want him to know is my top priority next to God. He is an "acts of service" guy, so hopefully, this will speak love to him.



The third thing I felt God asking me to spend some time on today was goal setting. I have set goals in January, but need to revisit them to see where I am. I am also interested in honing in on a few and adding a few more. I recently saw a post on Jennie von Eggers Creative Homeschooling blog at http://homeschoolblogger.com/CreativeHomeschooling/102939/ that I may try with my goals.



That said, I am going to try to go to God with that same question everyday. "Lord, what would You have me do today?" It's seeming to make all the difference.

Question -- What Do You Do About Tattletales

Yikes! It's tattletale city around here. Everytime hubby and I turn around, we're being told some new offense by the offended sibling. Well, not by the baby, she just grunts and waves "hi".



How do you teach kids not to tattle? We sure could use the advice of experienced preschool parents out there. Comments appreciated.