Journey to the Center of My Life

Five Kids in the Woods

2012-01-20T11:06:00.002-06:00

My kids have "claimed" this little spot of creek near our house.

Home Organization

2010-09-06T15:49:00.010-05:00

First off: Meal Planning

Does anyone actually like meal planning? I don't! But my days go much smoother when I do, so I try to do it. I bought a pad with these sheets at our local grocery store. It cost me about $2 and it has magnets on the back so I can stick it on the fridge. I write out breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday, though sometimes we switch things up if it works better to do so. Here's a picture of this week:

Second: Kids' Chores

I feel like I am always telling my kids to do something. I finally made this chart to see if I could get them doing some of these things without having to tell them. Today was our first day and I woke up to hear Jordan unloading the dishwasher. Yay! No complaining! I am hoping that by seeing everything on a chart they will whine less.

Third: Homeschool planning

Here's our daily schedule. Do we follow it daily? No! But it's a place to start and something to strive for.

Here's what we actually do for school. No matter what my teacher's book says or my daily sheet looks like, what actually gets done is written down in my notebook. I can look back and see what was done on what days. As you can see, it's absolutely nothing fancy. It's a 10 cent spiral notebook that probably only I can read. ;)

So those are my organizational secrets. I'll admit, it's nothing that's going to make me wealthy, but it does keep me a little more sane than not. I do my cleaning and laundry on the weekends. I shop on the weekends too. I'd rather do it during the week but with homeschooling and activities, it's hard to get to it then. I think I might try to do some grocery shopping when my girls are in gymnastics on Wednesdays. Their gym is right next to a grocery store.

No Excuses

2010-05-02T12:37:00.002-05:00

Sunday, May 2, 2010 - Legacy Church, Round Rock, TX

No Excuses. Do I make excuses? Are there areas that I need to work on and time and again do I make excuses for why I don't. The simple answer is yes. Do I study my Bible regularly? No. I don't. Why not? I don't even have a good excuse for this. I have the time. I have the materials. I just haven't wanted to. I have chosen to spend my free time entertaining myself. Let's face it, reading the Bible isn't entertaining. It's work. It's listening to God's message and then applying it to your life. It's examining yourself to see where you are coming up short. It's marveling at the wonder and majesty of the living God. It's not easy like turning on the television and letting a program do your thinking for you. Unless the movie is an especially good one, I doubt you will be challenged spiritually by watching tv.

What else do I make excuses for? What should I be doing but I don't? I don't pray nearly often enough. I don't pray regularly for my husband and children. I have even gotten out of that wonderful habit of sending up hourly prayers as I go about my daily business. "God, help my children behave. God, thank you for the sunshine. God, please keep us safe on the freeway." These used to be part of my life, but lately, not so much.

Why? I don't know. I know I need to work on being in His presence daily, hourly, every second. It comes naturally when the Lord is present in your thoughts all day. When His Holy Spirit prompts you each minute. This prompting only comes through the strength of your connection with Him. We connect through Worship, the Word, and prayer. I need to strive to make those three things the center focus of my day. Everything else should fall into place.

Spring Garden

2010-04-21T22:45:00.003-05:00

A baby pear appears on our tree.

A bright red cherry tomato. Lacy picked it tonight and I split it with her. Yum, can't wait until there's enough to really eat.

The garden as of today, April 21.

The garden when planted, late February.

The Faces of Me

2009-12-28T23:07:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T13:37:00.002-06:00

Whole Wheat Bread

2009-09-25T21:55:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:

5 cups water

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tbs salt

10ish cups freshly milled whole wheat flour

1 cup brown sugar (or honey)

2 tbs 1 tsp yeast

3 tbs gluten

a few cups more flour to add while kneading

Method:

Add all ingredients, in order, (except the extra flour) in a heavy-duty mixer with dough hooks. Turn on low and begin mixing. Once mixed, add the extra flour gradually, increasing the speed as needed. Add flour until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. Knead on high speed for 8 minutes.

Grease a bowl with cooking spray. Turn the kneaded dough into the bowl and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch down the dough. Divide into three loaves. Shape the loaves and place in oiled bread bans. You can score the tops with a knife for effect and to keep the bread from splitting.

Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. I turn mine around after about 20 minutes so they get evenly browned.

Let rest in pans for 5 minutes. Turn out and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!!!

Snail Watching on a Rainy Day

2009-09-25T21:46:00.002-05:00

We've been enjoying some seasonal rainy weather for the last month or so. One fun rainy afternoon was spent hanging out in the garage watching the snails emerge. They covered our driveway. We watched them for a while, then fed them lettuce, and then made a habitat for them out of an old jar. We let them go a few days later.

A Saturday with Grandpa

2009-09-25T21:41:00.002-05:00

Grandpa asked them to draw squiggles and then he turned their squiggles into drawings. The kids got to color them. They drew for hours!

His latest favorite book.

2009-09-25T21:40:00.000-05:00

She's not a little girl any longer.

2009-09-20T20:44:00.002-05:00

My oldest has passed the threshold from little girl to young lady. She's not grown up yet by any means, but she's no longer that innocent little child. We've talked about her body and how it's changing. I think I am going to have to take her shopping for bras. She takes her own medicine. She makes breakfast and lunch for the whole family. She's begun bathing daily with no prompting from me. She's got curves where a year ago she was a stick. We've had discussions about boys, dating, sex, responsibility, working, budgeting, jobs. It's going to go by so fast, isn't it? I am not too scared. I am even a little excited. But I have no idea what I am doing!

Labor Day - just another day around here

2009-09-07T22:03:00.002-05:00

My week started great. We got a head start on Sunday night with reading and a math test. You should have seen my kids faces when I insisted they take that test on a Sunday night! They were not happy.

I wrote out lists for them Sunday night, and they woke up and started them first thing. They did math, reading, bible, piano, typing, and handwriting.

Then we did some Spanish and Science. They went on a scavenger hunt to find things that are alive. They had checklists with the 6 questions to ask if something is alive. Do you know those 6 questions?

Then daddy started playing a WW2 game and we were all sucked in. Our lesson in art was on landscapes, so I had them draw a Japanese island landscape as inspired by the video game. I gave them their spelling test while they watched too.

Then we went to the pool, and we never got around to any more school until this evening. I am happy to say that I read everything on my list. Our history reading happened to be about Japan. I did not plan that.

It was a good day.

Fun with Friends

2009-08-27T13:04:00.002-05:00

Homemade Deodorant

2009-08-25T08:29:00.002-05:00

Here's the Recipe for smell-free pits.

5-6 tablespoons coconut oil

1/4 cup baking soda

1/4 cup cornstarch

Mix and store in a plastic container. Apply by rubbing in with fingers.

This is not an anti-perspirant. BUT you really should sweat to release toxins from your body.

Washing the Car

2009-08-24T10:20:00.000-05:00

Aren't kids great?

Working Windmills

2009-08-23T22:51:00.002-05:00

The windmills the kids made actually lift up a paperclip. I don't think you can see it in the pictures. This experiment is from Sonlight Science 2.

Future All-Star?

2009-08-16T17:39:00.001-05:00

Mayborn Children's Museum

2009-08-15T12:29:00.000-05:00

Leonardo da Vinci at the Mayborn Children's Museum

2009-08-15T11:19:00.004-05:00

Congrats to my successful husband!

2009-08-13T22:26:00.005-05:00

Honey, congratulations on making it through the last 18 months.

The long and stressful application process. The physically demanding academy. The sometimes monotonous probabtion period.

It was a priveledge to see you grow and change into the man you are today. You have worked so hard to make your dream come true.

Today, you are an Austin firefighter.

Wow. You rock!

Blog Hop week 2: School Room

2009-08-11T17:15:00.004-05:00

Here's a wide view of our room.

The cabinet and shelves on the left hold all of our liberal arts materials: history, geography, language arts, foreign language, art, and music. The cabinet and shelves on the right hold our math and science materials. The small bookshelf in the middle holds our cd player, readers, the waiting Sonlight Core 3, and Landmark history books.

This hallway wall leading to the kitchen displays artwork. The white bookshelf holds our children's readers, mostly chapter books.

Our lovely IKEA bookshelf has everything else. LOL. Let's see the top rows have mommy stuff, IGs, Bibles, and other reading materials. The next row has Core 2 books, puzzles, Bible and character materials, and diapers. The third row has 1 cubby for each child with the last cubby holding paper and art materials. The fourth row hold Sonlight Cores 1, K, PK 4/5, and PK 3/4 with paper in the last cubby. And the bottom row holds all the kids history, science, and math books that aren't part of any curriculum. Just stuff I've picked up here and there.

We do most of our work at this table. The cabinet in the corner holds mostly craft supplies. Our sewing stuff is on the top.

Summer Peaches

2009-08-11T16:57:00.002-05:00

Screaming Two Year Old

2009-08-07T12:20:00.004-05:00

Lest anyone think from my blog posts that we're living in perfect harmony over here.....

My 2 year old has screamed for over an hour this morning. He cried for 22 minutes because I wouldn't let him take his cereal upstairs so he could watch Super Why.

I am ready to lock myself in my bedroom and read until Justin gets home.

Isn't he cute? This was after he acquired a piece of cheese. See how deceiving pictures can be?

Eating My Words

2009-08-06T21:17:00.005-05:00

Does anyone remember these words I wrote mere days ago?

Singapore Math is our math of choice for the third year running!! Imagine that! I know I'm not the only one to do the math shuffle! I am happy to say that we're feeling rather settled in math. My oldest will be usingEverything's Coming Up Fractionsand/or Key to Fractions to help her understand, you guessed it, fractions!

Well, guess what? I am changing math curriculums! I know, I am an idiot. Actually I won't really be changing so much as going back to what we used before. Math-U-See (MUS). And we'll probably return to Singapore next year. I like both programs so much, and sometimes one program makes more sense for our family to use at certain times.

So for those of you who are curious...Lacy will do MUS Delta, and Jordan will do MUS Gamma. They will still work on their Challenging Word Problems boooks from Singapore Math. They have discontinued this series, and I highly recommend you get your hands on a set before they become impossible to find. They are great word problem books!

We'll likely still do the fraction books as well for Lacy.

Happy 8th Birthday Jordan!!!

2009-08-06T15:08:00.002-05:00

Eight pancakes for breakfast! Yum! I can't believe he's 8. When we brought him home from the hospital, I thought he was so perfect. He slept in his little bassinet like a champ. He would sit and look at his baby gym for up to 45 minutes at a time so mommy could do other things. He slept at night in the swing because he didn't like the crib.

Now when I tuck him in bed, he gives me three kinds of kisses -- fish kisses, eskimo kisses, and butterfly kisses -- and one monster hug. He talks constantly, telling me all the funny stories he's read, heard, or seen. You have to tell him to do one thing at a time or he'll get sidetracked. He can play legos for hours. He loves to play tennis, shoot his bow and arrows, ride his bike, play basketball, and play video games.

He's active, smart, fun, and kind. I love him so much. Happy Birthday Jordan!

Plain Old Fashioned Coloring!!

2009-08-05T16:44:00.003-05:00

I let the kids have markers today. The good Crayola, non-washable kind. I printed out some coloring pages from the computer. It's amazing how much my kids like to color. I like them to create their own pictures, but sometimes it's okay to just color.

The gang at work.

Here's Emma working on her first picture. She gets frustrated sometimes when she sees how well her older siblings can color, but for a 4 year old, she's amazing!

She's proud for the picture, but a minute later she crumpled it up because she messed up the girl's face.

Joanna's Pegasus

Ethan was not allowed to touch the non-washable markers. He's using block crayons and colored pencils.

Art 101

2009-08-04T21:44:00.007-05:00

Artistic Pursuits K-3 is a great introduction to the arts. This week's lesson was called "Artists Communicate." The kids were required to use their whole bodies to show feelings and actions. We had so much fun acting things out! Then we did a little picture study, Charlotte Mason style. Finally we attempted to draw our own pictures, concentrating on communicating with our viewers through facial expressions and body positions.

Jordan has depicted a man digging and several faces with unpleasant expressions.

Joanna drew several faces showing tired, angry, and surprised. She also drew a boy falling off a bike and a girl crying with her hands.

Emma's made an angry face and a sad face, and then drew a full body picture of a happy person.

Lacy did several full body position sketches. Mowing, praying, falling off a bike, and I believe, vomiting, are illustrated for your viewing pleasure.

2009-2010 Curriculum Choices!!

2009-08-03T17:09:00.015-05:00

The day will begin with Family Worship. We'll read a selection or sing a song using Hymns for a Kid's Heart. We'll read or recite a psalm. Then we'll all pray together.

Later in the day we'll use Sonlight's Core 3 Bible program to do a more systematic study. The older kids, ages 10 and 8, will keep a prayer journal and read the Bible on their own.

In the evening, I will read Egermeier's Bible Storybook to all.

American History will be studied this year, Sonlight-style! Look at all those books! We'll be marking events in our Book of Time and taking note of locations on our maps and globe.

We will be using Sonlight Core 3 for History, Literature, and Readers. My younger learners, ages 6 and 4, will be using Sonlight PreK 4/5.

Singapore Math is our math of choice for the third year running!! Imagine that! I know I'm not the only one to do the math shuffle! I am happy to say that we're feeling rather settled in math. My oldest will be using Everything's Coming Up Fractions and/or Key to Fractions to help her understand, you guessed it, fractions!

My 6 year old will also be using Miquon's Orange book along with her Singapore Math level 1A.

We're taking a whole new direction in science this year. God's Design for Life is our curriculum of choice, the Chemistry series. Ages 10, 8, and 6 will participate. We've always done Sonlight for science, so this should be a nice change of pace and focus.

Language Arts - nothing fancy here! The oldest two will both be using Sonlight Language Arts 3 (old version) with Sequential Spelling and Grammar Songs.

All three school age children will work in their own level of Handwriting Without Tears. Explode the Code books 1/2 and 5/6 will be completed by the 6 and 8 year olds. Hopefully...

Artistic Pursuits is our art curriculum of choice.We love the fun, simple lessons. I am hoping to get through two K-3 books this year. Or possibly get the next level for my oldest.

And finally, Spanish! We're going to try La Clase Divertida Level 1 for my ages 10, 8, 6, and 4. We've never studies Spanish beyond watching Dora the Explorer videos. so this should be interesting. I think the kids will love it!

The kids really want to study Latin, and I am itching to buy Latin for Children, but I think I may be overambitious thinking I can do it in addition to Spanish this year. We have Prima Latina, but we don't care too much for it.

So that's us this year. Now I MUST remember to revisit this thread next April and see if we're still on track!

Watercolor

2009-08-02T21:03:00.001-05:00

There is something so soothing about watercolors. The way the paint flows and the colors blur. I love it!

Early Birthday

2009-08-01T09:28:00.004-05:00

Jordan's birthday is next Thursday, but Nana was here a week early and took him shopping. Here are his picks:

Foosball. No boy is complete without one!

A desk chair exactly like his sister got last month.

I think he just wants to twirl around and go up and down.

What's that on Joanna's hand? A remote control fuzzy tarantula, of course!

Shhh! Don't tell Daddy! When he comes home today, we're going to try and scare him with it!

Batman Explores the Blanket Mountain

2009-07-31T17:19:00.003-05:00

Ethan is blanket obsessed lately. He's always wrapped in one or playing with one in some way.

Ethan's imaginative powers are quite developed for a 2 year old. Here the small Batman is exploring the blanket mountain. A much larger Batman figure is hidden inside the mountain, or maybe it's the batcave?

The Ripple

2009-07-27T19:41:00.005-05:00

Even though I am a beginner crocheter, this beautiful ripple pattern with bright, happy colors, makes me feel like an expert!

Here's my boy working on his own little project. We're hoping to turn out a little bag for him to put all those boy treasures in.

I wanted to add a bit more to this post. Most people who've known me for awhile will probably be a little surprised to see a crochet project on my blog. I've never been a crafty type. However, I have been increasingly drawn to creative areas. I am wondering if I will have to wait until Christmas to by myself my first sewing machine. I dream of wandering the aisles of craft stores. I am reading craft blogs like crazy. Why?

I think I know why. For the last ten years all my creative energies have been focused on having babies. Not that I take credit for "creating" them. That was in the Lord's hands. But I have focused on the best things to eat, the best way to birth, how to diaper, feed, bathe, hold, nurse, and dress a baby. How to potty train, teach, and enjoy toddlers and preschoolers. What home school methods appeal to me and how to purchase curriculum to match my taste and my kids' learning styles. So much to learn!

But now my baby days are behind me. I've figured out (for the moment) what kind of schooling I want to do with my kids. And all those questions of child-rearing are answered and the process is automatic. So what's wrong with me? I think I am bored.

Yes, laugh. How I could I be bored? The homeschooling mom of 5 kids? My creative self is bored. Maybe that's a better way to put it. I need an outlet. I need something new to figure out. Something to put my brain to and conquer. Why not sewing and crocheting? At least I can do it from the comfort of my bed while telling the kids to go make their own sandwiches for lunch. (Should I say that?) I am sure it will be something else eventually. There are so many things I want to learn to do. Would you care to share with me what you would like to learn? I'd love to hear it.

Real Life Crafting ;)

2009-07-23T11:31:00.003-05:00

I've been reading some neat homeschooling blogs lately. Lots of cool projects and crafts that inspired me to do some of those things with my kids. Only it looks a bit different at my house. Messier, less interesting, more real. LOL.

Here they are making various things. I think they are trying to make boats to float in the "river" we made. Notice the variety of materials on the table. Earlier they were cutting and taping crowns.

Here's our river. Much less workable than the one I saw online here. I suppose it would have worked better on the patio. The grass is too uneven.

Back at it

2009-07-15T08:58:00.003-05:00

We started back with our homeschooling routine this week. We've been off since mid-May. With birthdays and moving and traveling and guests, we've been quite busy! Now I have our school area pretty well set up. It still needs some work, but what I need is available. The kids have started back with math (why does math leak out of their heads so fast!), science, writing (I was very impressed with Jordan's spelling and Lacy's willingness), and literature.

This is where we "do school":

Two weeks ago we started family Bible reading, character reading, and missionary reading in the evenings. We do our reading in this room. The kids color on the floor while I read on the futon. Sometimes, if I am lucky, one of my kiddos will forgo the coloring and snuggle with me.

Water Fun

2009-04-23T14:36:00.003-05:00

Swim Lessons at the YMCA

2009-04-23T14:14:00.003-05:00

This is the warm water therapy pool. It's only used for classes. Emma and Joanna have their lessons here. Joanna's class sometimes goes to the big pool as well.

Emma is standing out of the pool, hesitating to get in. Her teacher, Ms. Jodelle, the woman in the yellow shirt, is very friendly and helpful. She's got three little girls in her class and she's mostly just getting them used to the water.

Joanna is in the corner of the pool with the other class. Her teacher, Mr. Andrew, left for boot camp last week. We were sorry to see him go. He had wonderful enthusiasm! Joanna has done so well that she's skipping the next class level.

This pool is called the family fun pool. Ethan likes to play here.

This is the other end of the Family Fun Pool. It has a lazy river, a whirlpool, and a slide.

Here's the lap pool. Lacy and Jordan are in class here. You can see Lacy on the kick board by the red lane divider, and Jordan has on dark goggles and his head is near the lifeguard's knee. They are both in the same level, but Lacy will be advancing to the next level this Saturday.

A Life on Truth

2009-04-05T15:31:00.003-05:00

Our Sunday School lesson today was on Truth. If we build our life upon truth, we won't get washed away by the storms of life. That's the lesson in a nutshell. But how do we build our life upon truth? That's where it gets tricky.

God's word is truth. God revealed his word through the prophets and in Jesus Christ his son. He reveals his word to us personally through the Holy Spirit. So how do I access the truth? Well, seems I must read my Bible to have access to His Word. I suppose knowing the original languages are the most accurate of the truth, but since I'm not learning Greek and Hebrew anytime soon I'll have to content myself with an English version that may well be slightly skewed. But I trust that in essentials, God has preserved his message for me.

Now that I've decided to read a Bible I can understand, the next step would be to actually read it. Every day preferably. Is there anything that you do without fail every single day? I wake up every day. I brush my teeth at least once. I eat something. I speak to someone. I probably yell every day. Or at least raise my voice. But read the Bible? I don't do this every day. Some things I do every day are automatic, like blinking and breathing. Some have become a habit, like brushing my teeth. Bible reading falls into the habit category.

Good habits are never easy to start. Habits are easier to start when they happen the same time every day. So I am thinking I will start reading my Bible after lunch every day while my kids go to their rooms to read quietly. I should probably force myself to keep my computer off until this has happened. Sometimes I think I should sell my computer. It sucks way too much of my life.

I am writing about living on Truth. I can't only get my truth from the Bible. The Holy Spirit also speaks truth to my heart. How do I hear that? Sounds so mystical. I am not a mystical person. I am actually pretty practical and down to earth. The whole spirit realm, while I believe in it, is very far from my practical reality. The only way I know to hear the Spirit speaking to my spirit is through prayer. Not that the Spirit speaks every time I pray. But the more I pray, the more in tune I am to the Spirit's leading. So when my prayer life falls to pieces, it's like watching an old tv with rabbit ears trying desperately to discern something through white snow. It's difficult and easy to misinterpret.

So my challenge to myself is to start a quiet time. It's something I've tried before. I do good for a while and then slip back into my old ways. This time I'd like to succeed in creating a true habit. You know how icky your mouth feels when you don't brush? It drives you to the bathroom to pick up your toothbrush no matter what else is going on. I want that same icky feeling to accompany not having a quiet time with God. I want to be driven to do it because it makes me feel clean and fresh and holy. I want the absence of it to make me miserable.

2009-02-19T14:11:00.001-06:00

This is my cool new IKEA bookshelf. It hold all my current homeschool stuff as well as some art supplies, coloring apparatus, toys, manipulatives, pencil sharpener, and more! I love it!

'Tis the Season

2008-12-13T23:51:00.003-06:00

My children will be performing 3 songs tonight.

Jingle Bells in "Cat"

Deck the Halls (what are the words again?)

Jingle Bells in English

Notice how none of them can stand still longer than 1 minute.

Justin at the Austin Fire Academy

2008-11-13T16:11:00.001-06:00

Swift water rescue was part of their training.

Justin is relaxing with Team Leader Watson.

Paper towers

2008-11-12T14:58:00.004-06:00

We recently discovered the neatest blog called Think!

The author gives challenges, and then you submit your pictures and they will be posted with your solutions. Check it out! This week we built paper towers out of an old catalog. You can see my kids' pictures with their towers on Think!

Here are some extra pictures of the aftermath of our tower building. If you want to see the tower pics, go to the link above.

Zilker Park with Nana and Paw Paw Jim

2008-11-08T12:26:00.002-06:00

What a fun day! We rode the train and played at the awesome playground. At one point, we lost Joanna, and then it wasn't so fun anymore and we decided to go home.

Okay, here's the picture. Ouch.

2008-11-06T22:13:00.002-06:00

Suburban vs. Utility Pole

2008-10-20T18:35:00.002-05:00

What do you think the outcome would be? I should have taken a picture. The pole smoked my Suburban. Would you believe that I never even saw the pole? It was in the middle of a parking lot. Kind of a dumb place for a utility pole. I must have hit it going 25 mph. Did you know airbags are packed in a powder that smells hideous. My children were scared enough after the crash, but then the billowing smoke from the airbags sent the screaming for the doors. Poor babies. Several of them have seat belt marks. Otherwise we are all fine.

Now I am driving a nice mini-van that is costing me about $25 a day. Fun.

Literary Adventure

2008-10-13T10:05:00.004-05:00

Okay, so, I used to read. Tons. Mostly fiction, but once I became a parent I switched to non-fiction. (If I read fiction, I ignore everything and everyone until I finish the book.) But I haven't read anything new in ages. Oh sure, I've dug out my old copies of Pride and Prejudice and Little Women. In the last 6 months I think I've read the Ann of Green Gables series, most of Austen's novels, and Little Men. Last year I think I read the Harry Potter series at least 3 times, maybe more. I want to read something new. I have lots of books that I haven't read yet, both fiction and non-fiction. The fiction is mostly classics, but I have no desire to read them because they are full of anti-god or anti-social thinking. 19th century American lit is not exactly known for it's uplifting themes.

I went to the library Saturday and browsed the shelves. I had 20 minutes before they closed and it was very hard to pick out the 5 books that I did. A Beverly Lewis novel, a Thoene novel, a dairy-free cookbook, a history book about Alexander the Great, and What Your 4th Grader Needs to Know.

I'd like to start reading 1 book a week. I finished the Lewis novel, The Preacher's Daughter. It was okay. The story was good, but the writing was not that great. We need more modern Jane Austens. I flipped through the 4th grader book and was disappointed. It was less of a checklist and more of a lesson plan. Not what I was expecting. The cookbook looked good. I might find a gem or two in it to add to my repertoire.

I'd love some suggestions for good books. Any genre. Although I won't read fiction if it doesn't reflect Christian morality.

Organizational Tips

2008-09-20T18:39:00.002-05:00

First of all, I am not nearly as organized as I could be or should be. But someone asked me to share some tips, so here goes.

1. Throw or give away everything you are not using. Be brutal. Sentimentality is a huge hinderance to a well-organized home. Can't part with Little Sally's paper turkey at Thanksgiving? Give it to Grandma and let her deal with it. Unless you're like me, then just trash it.

2. Keep things in logical, not traditional, places. For example, at one time I kept my children's clothes about 10 feet away from the washer and dryer. I was blessed with a house that allowed me to bath them, cloth them, and put their clothes in the laundry hamper right next to the washer/dryer all in a space of a few feet. It meant that I kept my kids clothes in the spare bedroom/office rather than in their rooms upstairs. So what? Think out of the box.

3. Books - If you have kids and books, you know it can be a pain to teach them to put the books back on the shelf correctly. I put my kids books in plastic dishpans so they can flip through them. It's easier for the kids to put the books away and it's easier for them to see their choices.

4. Have a place for everything. If something doesn't have a place, find it a place or get rid of it.

That's the extent of my organizational expertise. Hope it helps you. If you have any tips of your own that may benefit my poorly run home, feel free to educate me.

Wall Street Blues

2008-09-20T18:27:00.002-05:00

Does anyone else just get totally nauseated looking at their 401K balance? Or is it just me? I am so glad I believe in God right now because I'd be totally worried about the financial situation if it wasn't for my belief that God will take care of me. And he will...retirement fund or not.

One Month Down....

2008-09-17T14:53:00.002-05:00

Five more to go. Life as a fire-fighter cadet's wife is not easy. Especially since I do the bills. They pay these guys NOTHING. I had to just close Microsoft Money. There's just no way I can balance the budget. It's been a long time since my bugdet looked like this:

EXPENSES > INCOME

Sigh. I don't want to steal from the house fund. I really don't. At least we haven't had to run the A/C in two days. It's been so nice outside. Praise God for blessing us with cool weather.

I should quit complaining. It could be much, much worse. We could have NO money at all. It's a luxury to be able to choose between going without something and using money in savings to get it. I just need to quit doing the bills. If I don't look at the balance sheets, I can't get bummed, right?

Finally, a break

2008-09-15T22:29:00.002-05:00

Justin is getting a bit of a break this week. He's off Wednesday and Friday. Yipee! We might see about going to the Dinoland Exhibit at Zilker Park. We were supposed to go last Friday, but Ike got it cancelled. We went to Zilker Park today and played on the playscape after Cub Scouts. We walked down by the water and Joanna slipped on the rocks and fell in. Not fun. But she whined about it much less than I expected. Ethan had the most fun, I think. He kicked and screamed in my arms all the way to the car. I wish I had pics to share, but alas, no camera.

Good Night, Sleep Tight

2008-09-08T21:15:00.001-05:00

Park Day Pictures

2008-09-05T16:32:00.002-05:00

We spent the morning having a "Park Day" with fellow homeschoolers in Hutto.

Here's Jordan on the jungle gym.

Joanna, wearing a frilly dress purchased yesterday at Goodwill for $4, collecting seeds.
Emma displaying the seed pod, now empty after Joanna's purge.
Lacy's mugging for the camera waiting for some other girls her age to arrive. One did eventually.
Jordan sharing grapes with Emmalise. His food detection radar was on high alert.

Unbelievable!

2008-09-03T13:08:00.002-05:00

Our real estate agent just called and our buyers are closing today. They are preparing to have their utilies on Friday. We are going to be getting our closing papers FedEx-ed tomorrow. Then we sign and notarize and it's done. This has been insanely fast. Like less than 30 days. We are making $5K more than we anticipated on the sale of our house. I don't see how anyone could doubt that God wanted us to be here in Austin.

Keepers of the Home

2008-09-02T16:41:00.002-05:00

Keepers of the Home is a great program for Christian girls with emphasis on crafts, nature, recreations, and home-making skills. It's sort of the Christian alternative to Girl Scouts. Lacy and Joanna went today and made their own personal bags to carry their keepers books and materials in. Then Lacy made a prayer journal and worked on memorizing scripture, while Joanna colored as neatly as she could in a new coloring book.

Joanna's comment: "Mommy, I don't think I want to go to Keeper's again because everybody was talking all at once instead of one at a time and it was too loud!"

Lacy's comment: "Mom, I can't believe that the one person I met was born in the same month of the same year and her favorite animal is horses, just like me!"

Mommy's comment: "When I figure out all the exits for these silly freeways, I'll be much happier, and possibly even on time."

Please Comment!

2008-08-29T15:24:00.001-05:00

The more comments I get, the more incentive I will have to keep this blog updated with news and pictures. So please comment every time you visit if possible. You can just say Hi! Thanks!

Another blessing!!

2008-08-28T22:17:00.003-05:00

God is showering them upon me this month! All glory, honor, and praise go to my Lord Jesus and Him alone. He is awesome, mighty, and just so GOOD to me.

Sunday, we went to church at the closest Baptist church to us. Justin and I picked a Sunday School class to go to that seemed to fit us according their descriptions. In this Sunday School class, I met three other homeschoolers. They had children that matched the ages/genders of my children. Two of them offered me their phone numbers without my asking. I talked to both of them on the phone this week, and they told me they are trying to start a homeschool group around Hutto. They have about 10 moms interested. They met tonight, and I was able to join them. Get this.....out of the 7 moms there, only 1 didn't use Sonlight (that's the name of the curriculum I use for those of you who aren't in the know). Three are using Core 2 (that's the level) just like me. They are all Christians, and they were extremely nice and friendly.

Anyway, it seemed almost too good to be true to find a small group of homeschoolers that were still new enough to each other that I wasn't this totally new person trying to fit into a group of old friends. Only 1 person there was known to everyone before the meeting. I am excited about the possibilities. The beautiful mommy running it this year is super-organized and wants to plan seasonal parties, 1 field trip per month, a weekly park day and 1 mom's meeting per month. She lives a block over from me.

I am just over-awed with the way God is taking of every minute detail of my life. Ordering things so I won't be lonely and my children will find friends with common interests. The only thing lacking is trees. There are no trees here. It's worse than Corpus. The Bible says the Lord can move mountains, so I think He could probably put some mature trees up in my backyard. I think I will start praying for that. It would definitely be a miracle and a witness to His divine power.

The rest of the pictures from the Waterpark

2008-08-28T15:30:00.001-05:00

ENJOY!

Jedi Wars

2008-08-26T15:44:00.001-05:00

The Tower

2008-08-26T15:38:00.003-05:00

This is the 9 story tower that Justin has to climb at the academy. They carry hose while they climb. Ouch!

Update on our old house

2008-08-26T09:59:00.003-05:00

We put our house on the market back in July before we even knew we were moving to Austin. Once we knew for sure that we were leaving, we dropped the price, and we had tons of showings. The people that made an offer needed financial assistance from the Ameridream program to be able to buy the house. That basically means that we pay their closing costs and down payment. The amounts we are paying are reflected in the higher sales price we asked for. So we are actually making just as much off the sale. We signed the contract last week with a closing date on or before Sept. 25.

Our agent called today and said that these people want to close as soon as possible. They are not even doing any inspections! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am. If we can close before Sept. 16, I won't even have to make another mortgage payment. God is so good to us! I can't believe the house is going to sell so fast. Other houses in the area are taking 6 months to sell.

Keep us in your prayers! Hopefully everything goes very smoothly.

RockNRiver Waterpark!

2008-08-24T20:22:00.003-05:00

The zero entry pool was the perfect place to hang out and watch the kids.
Lacy loved the green slide because it was fast. Poor Jordan was about an inch too short to ride. Mom and Dad tried the slides too. Sorry, no pictures. ;)
Joanna loved tubing in the lazy river.
Ethan liked the river as well.
Jordan spent almost the whole time in the lazy river. He didn't ride in tubes, he just bounced along.

Whew! We made it!

2008-08-21T20:38:00.005-05:00

We are now residents of Hutto, TX, the fastest growing city in America - according to the secretary at the insurance agency! It's northeast of Austin, almost directly east of Round Rock and north of Pflugerville. Our small town has a Home Depot and a Lowe's but no grocery store! Very odd. I am minutes from Starbucks, Walmart, HEB Plus, and loads of other shopping. It's nice and clean here, but very bland. Everything looks the same.

Last week we ended up sleeping in CC Thursday night and traveling up to Austin Friday morning. We went to Justin's uniform fitting, then the property management company to sign our lease and collect our keys. We got to our new home at about 4:30pm Friday. Everything went so smoothly that I found myself wondering why I had worried myself sick all week. We ate some dinner (we had skipped lunch), unloaded a few things, took showers, and raced to the AFD family night orientation. It wasn't very family friendly. Justin found out a little bit of what to expect the following Monday, and the family members had a chance to ask questions. The kids were restless and bored. We did get to tour the facility. We saw the weight room, the tower, the obstacle course, and the fire trucks. They are doing EMT training for the first 6 weeks and won't get to the firefighter training until October.

The academy itself is hard work. He's got four days under his belt and I heard him say it was officially harder than boot camp. He's not the worst in the class nor the best. Physically, it's very demanding. The schoolwork will start in earnest next week. I am thankful that Justin has already done the EMT training, so this will hopefully just be a refresher for him. He's going to do great. If he's the class valedictorian, he gets his pick of station.

I went to a homeschool meeting on Monday night. The people were nice and they had alot of things going on. They have a Keepers club for Lacy, but no cub scouts for Jordan. I will have to keep looking for a pack for him.

The kids and I went to Hutto Baptist Church on Wednesday morning to ask about their services and look around. I think we will go on Sunday and check it out. It reminds me of Annaville about 5 years ago. They don't have AWANAS though, so I will have to keep looking for a club. I wish I had a little more time to unpack and get my bearing before having to venture out, but everything starts the last week of August. I am very thankful we homeschool and I don't have to mess with school registration and supplies and all that.

Well, that's all I am going to say right now. If you think of something else I need to post, leave me a comment and I'll get to it. I hope to get some pictures up soon.

One last thing - A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped us move!!!!

Brett and Kara Bennett - Kara watched Ethan while Brett did some majorly heavy lifting

Fawn Colburn - she watched all the rest of our kids

Matthew Gibson - Also did some majorly heavy lifting

Jim Curran - I think he packed half of my house for me!

my MOM - She packed the other half as well as helped UNpack it when we got here. She made us a nice meal before she left. She also got us boxes and tape and drove Justin's car up for us.

Justin's MOM - She took care of dinner for us the week before we moved while we were busy packing. She watched our kids, let us sleep at her house the night we moved, came up to the Family night orientation and ended up watching the kids outside so I could listen. She helped us unpack. She unpacked most of my kitchen, and did an excellent job of putting stuff away. I've hardly moved anything.

Stephanie and Anthony - They drove here Saturday and helped us unload and unpack everything.

Kathy Daly - the real estate agent who put up with Ethan's screams as we looked for a house and later our panicky calls as we waited for approval

I hope I am not forgetting anyone! We could not have moved so soon if it wasn't for everyone's help! Thank you so much! Y'all are the best!

Shutting down the computer

2008-08-14T13:37:00.002-05:00

I'm about to load it in the truck. We have the whole house almost packed, and we still do not have confirmation for our rental. The plan is to go up tonight, stay in a hotel, then camp out at the property management company until they give us the keys. I am relying totally on faith in God that everything will work out. The Lord will take care of us, and he will provide us with shelter. Pray for us as we journey north.

A good development

2008-08-12T17:23:00.002-05:00

Justin called the Fire Department today to see if his uniform fitting could be postponed until Friday so that he wouldn't have to make a separate trip on Wednesday. The lady was very understanding and told him to plan for Friday and she would call him later and let him know what time. So PRAISE GOD he doesn't have to go out of town tomorrow! We'll be here packing if anyone wants to help!

The Wait is Agonizing!

2008-08-12T11:25:00.003-05:00

We are still waiting to hear about the house in Hutto. If we don't get it we have several other possibilities. Hopefully, we'll know by noon whether they will consider us or not.

A couple came and looked at our house last night. This morning they are trying to obtain financing and make us an offer. This is exciting! Also, someone else is coming tomorrow morning at 10:00am to look.

Justin is almost finished with our garage apartment. The walls are painted, the bathroom sink, shower and toilet are all installed, and the kitchen cabinet is in place. He needs to finish installing the baseboards and put in the kitchen sink. Then I guess we'll clean the floor and hang the curtains. It should look pretty cute. We still need to paint one of the upstairs bedrooms. It's halfway done.

Yesterday we had our upstairs shower leaking through our kitchen ceiling. The plumbers repaired the leak yesterday, but we still need to fix the drywall where they had to cut through.

I've been packing and the kids have been watching WAY too much tv in the meantime. I can't wait for this to all be over.

Moving to Austin

2008-08-10T19:25:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, we are moving to Austin since Justin has been accepted into Fire Cadet Academy 111 with the Austin Fire Department. We are looking ahead to many changes for our family. Moving is going to be the first major challenge. We haven't moved in 7 years. We've had 4 children since then. We have too much STUFF! It's amazing what you can accumulate.

Justin, Ethan, and I went this weekend to Austin to look at rental houses. We've applied for one ($70 non-refundable app fee-OUCH!) in Hutto, Tx which is about 15 minutes east of Round Rock. It's a nice area. The house was built in '02 and has no trees. Justin is happy because it's newer and has a big bathtub. I like the location and the price, but I am not too thrilled about the lack of trees. Hopefully we'll only have to rent for a year or two.

This week is going to be busy. Justin has to be in Austin on Wed. for a uniform fitting at 11am. On Friday night the Fire Dept is having a social event for the cadets and their families. This is optional, but we'd all like to go. Then on Saturday, Justin must attend orientation from 8-1pm. And we won't know if we've been approved for the house in Hutto until Tues. or Wed. We're hoping to move Friday. It's sure going to be a crazy week!

If we don't get the house (and we might not if they don't want to rent to a family with 5 kids), I don't know what will happen. Justin will have to go to Austin alone, possibly staying with members of the AFD who have offered to rent out rooms to the cadets.

On the bright side, we had a couple come and look at our house today. The woman came first and brought her husband back later in the afternoon. They loved the house. They said they would be in contact with an agent this week. Please keep us in your prayers. Selling this house quickly would be a huge blessing. It would give us financial peace. Justin salary will be dramatically lower over the next few months and paying for our house in Corpus on top of our bills in Austin is going to be rough. Praise God that aside from the house, Justin is debt-free. Our financial situation 3 years ago wouldn't have allowed him to take this job in Austin.

Okay, that's all for now. I will try to keep everyone updated daily this week, as I know things will be progressing quickly. Love to everyone! Keep us in your prayers!

Joanna Turns Five!

2008-06-14T15:22:00.003-05:00

These are the pictures from Joanna's birthday party on Monday, June 9, 2008. She invited 4 of her closest friends to swim and play and have cake.

NEW FAMILY PICTURES!

2008-06-05T15:26:00.001-05:00

Happy 31st Birthday to Me!

2008-05-31T17:21:00.010-05:00

I just had the best birthday! First Justin had a mother's necklace made for me with the birthstones of all my children.

Then, he and the kids baked me my very own birthday cake. They frosted it together while keeping me out of the kitchen. They did an awesome job!

They are all singing Happy Birthday to me. Didn't they do a great job on the cake?

I enjoyed their efforts immensely!

Justin's taking me out to eat tonight.

Recent Events

2008-05-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

Lacy and her daddy went to a Father-Daughter banquet this month. Lacy was glowing in her new dress as she walked on the arm of her daddy. What a special night for them! With five children sometimes Justin and I have a hard time giving them one-on-one attention. They each have special abilities and interests that make them precious to us. Lacy loves people. She loves being the center of attention. She loves to talk. Having one parent's focus totally on her for a day or evening makes so much difference in her general mood and outlook. I need to remember to give her some one-on-one time when she's getting cranky or difficult.

The cousins! Here's a picture of all the Slusher cousins. We got everyone but Ethan! Aren't they cute? I don't know how Grammy's couch will hold them all when they are teenagers!

Jordan's smiling at his Cub Scout ceremony, and for good reason! He's just crossed over from a Tiger Cub to a Wolf Cub! Way to go! He was so excited to get his yellow neckerchief and wolf slide as well as new book and hat. We even got him some new socks! He's all set for a new year of Cub Scouts!

Father Daughter Dinner

2008-05-17T18:30:00.000-05:00

They left for the Father-Daughter Dinner tonight. I know Justin must be exhausted, but he wanted to go. I volunteered to take her instead, but he was clear that it was a Father-Daughter dinner. Lacy looked snazzy in a new swishy magenta dress. She insisted on wearing a sweater with it because it was backless! I didn't realize it would be so revealing at the store. It amazes me that they even sell clothing like that for 8 year olds.

I'll try to post a picture of them. A professional photographer is supposed to be there to take pictures, kind of like at a prom. I do hope Justin tries to have fun. Or at least fakes it. ;)

Busy Weekend

2008-05-17T08:25:00.000-05:00

Our weekend is SO full. Friday night Jordan crossed over from Tiger Cubs to Wolf Cubs! Justin brought him home and he was yelling, "I'm a Wolf! I'm a Wolf!" He was so excited to show off his new yellow neckerchief.

Now today we were invited to THREE parties! Yow! I don't think we are attending any of them though. The Terilli's are visiting from Houston and Lacy and Daddy have a Father-Daughter Banquet to attend this evening. I hope Justin is up to going. He's been so tired from working non-stop. (no days off in about 2 weeks!)

Sunday, Lacy has her second piano recital. I think she's going to do beautifully. Then AWANA awards night is in the evening, but again, I don't know if we can do it.

Something about being at home and having my family and house in "order" is soothing and peaceful for me. I can't stand being on-the-go constantly! Now, some of you reading this might think, "what's the big deal?" Well, this is me. I know my limitations! I'm already longing for Monday when we can stay at home all day. I suppose this makes me a homebody. I can live with that.

A Late Friday evening

2008-05-16T22:26:00.000-05:00

Today was another day when I was reminded that I am slowly losing my intellect. I used to pride myself on my vigorous mind. Pride goes before the.....what's that word? Ah yes, my fall from pride today went like this:

a phone call to my mother

me: Hi mom! How's your day going? Hey, I was just wondering when Jim (my step-dad) and Blair (my step-sister) are supposed to get here today?

mom: What? You thought they were coming today? They are coming next Friday!

me: uhhh

So my kids are all excited to see Aunt Blair, and their aging mother has the day wrong. DOH!