A Christmas to Remember

So, was it everything you planned it to be? No, well that's ok. You get another chance next year! This was one of the best Christmas' we have had yet. Awesome gifts, you say? No, not really. Although I did get the dough mixer I have been drooling over for 4 years. It was so much more about just enjoying each other, and the time together. Everyone does it differently. We are not a sports family, we are a movie family. So we watched about 3 movies, ate lots of sausage balls and chocolate and popcorn from my new air popper. And just enjoyed the peace. As we head into another awesome year of our Lord, that is my fervent wish for you. To enjoy the peaceful moments. Cherish those quick minutes of sweetness, and be ok that they are few and far between. I am going to continue to work on being a better me, but I am also going to work very hard at being content with who I am. Cause God don't make no junk!! So bring it on, 2011!

Blessings

If you're not ready for Christmas, you still have a couple of days left. This year has been more hectic than ever. I know that my plan for next year will be to....have a plan! You are much more able to appreciate your blessings that way. I have many blessings to be thankful for this year. Even though this will be the first Christmas without my dad and my father-in-law. Each year, someone you know receives hard news, or a loss right at the holidays. You can easily rant and rave about the unfairness of it. But I think we are really meant to search harder for our God and His mighty power. It is hard to think that people who believe in different ideas, or don't believe in anything at all, get to celebrate or twist the Christmas season to suit their needs. But then I try to look at it from God's perspective, and realize that He has a plan for each and every one of us. It doesn't matter if I understand or not, just that I believe. And that is the best blessing of all.

So, to you all, I wish God's blessings and peace.

Kids and Christmas

Ok, are your kids over the top excited? It's a good thing. Have they lost all focus on seat work? It's a good thing. Are you wondering about how to imprint the meaning of Christmas on them? Be calm. Christmas is about many things, not just Jesus' birthday. That is the reason for the season, but not the end of it. Christmas is about family, compassion, joy, hope, and reaching out to others. So when you take your daughter to buy her gift for her brother, you are teaching her to think of others. When you take your children to see a Christmas tree lighting, you are teaching them about the simple joy of lights. When you pile up on the couch to watch It's a Wonderful Life, you are teaching them about spending time with people you love. When you pack up a box for Operation Christmas Child, you are teaching them about mercy and grace. God knows our hearts, and He knows all the ways to reach us, and teach us. Be well blessed this season, and embrace all the aspects of the holidays, even the frustrations of Christmas traffic!

Halloween and Values

Ok, so I spent a very disturbed weekend. I have never liked Halloween, for obvious connotations. I have allowed myself to be pressured into letting my kids "dress up" for "Fall Festivals" in the past. This year, my heart was convicted that this is just wrong for Christians to support this holiday. I'm sure if I had anyone reading this, I'd probably get a ton of comments. But since this is just me venting, I think I will. It really doesn't matter if you only do it for the "fun" parts. It is still a victory for Satan. Period. Every time we fool ourselves, it is a victory for him. I just laid it all out there for my kids, and told them that basically it's just a form of begging. You are putting on an outfit, and begging strangers to give you candy. Uh, hello, don't we teach our kids not to take candy from strangers?? So, I know God convicted my heart this year, now it's up to me to stand up for it.

Down Time

So, I had some wonderful ladies over last night for some homeschool down time. I make jewelry for my hobby and release of pressure. I asked the ladies who came what they did, and no one had anything. I was so shocked. I really love my kids, and totally know that God called me to this journey, but I just can't imagine working as hard as I do with homeschooling, and not having a "release". I always think of a description I read in a book years ago about marriage relationships. It talked about how if you do loving things, you "fill your spouses' cup up" and obviously, hurtful things "empties it". When I spend my day working with my children, not only on book education, but on life education, it empties my cup. Beading and Bible studies, and long talks with friends fills my cup back up.

So let me know if you have any "release" things that you do. In the meantime, have a wonderful Monday!

Science and other things

Ok, I will be the first to admit, I am not of a scientific mindset at all. My oldest is in 6th grade, and is using Apologia General Science. The project for next week is to use air resistance to keep an egg from cracking upon being dropped from a height. So thankful my husband is a "do-it-yourself" guy. He quickly came up with a "helicopter" format, and off they went. I am really gearing his schoolwork towards math and science, and it will totally be a God driven thing!

So, I finished a piece of beadwork for a challenge, and I am really pleased with the look of it. All three kids sat down and learned peyote stitch. Am I thinking my boys will be bead artists? No, but it is just one more way to stretch their creativity and thinking process. Plus, beadweaving REALLY expands your patience level!

Today is my "free" day, so I'm off to do a little beading, before the rest of my family catches up to me.

Blessings, Shirley

Sixth Grade! Yikes!

Ok, so I'm not really a "blogger". Can't remember now why I created the account, and haven't done much on it, but after reading hundreds of blogs, I realize that maybe my words and thoughts can touch someone who needs to hear them. So, I'm going to try to get better at this, and then maybe post on a more regular basis.

We have entered into the world of middle school this year. My son is in sixth grade, and wow! am I glad that God is in control of this home!! After feeling like a failure at the end of last year, I admitted to myself that he and I both needed some accountability. We are participating in a university model school this year, where he attends classes one day a week, and we do the other four at home. The curriculum was developed from Mystery of History. He is also taking Latina Christiana, Apologia science, IEW, and keyboarding. At home we are taking care of Math, Language Arts, and Bible thru AWANA. Seriously heavy schedule, but he really is stepping up and handling it well. My other two are listening in with our Mystery of History reading, and the science, even though it is 7th grade science! Oh well, by the time they get to 7th, they'll have it down pat! My 3rd grader is reluctantly being dragged into the world of being responsible for his own work, rather than mom reading everything to him and writing his problems like we did last year. Hah! Such a wake up call for him. My sweet little 5th grader is glad she isn't doing as much as her brother. She has such a willing heart, but doesn't want to ask for help.

Ok, enough for now. Promise I'll get better at posting!

Stressed Out

Well, if your 11 year old tells you it's time for you to schedule your spa treatment, can you take that as verification that you are stressed out?

Just discovered that my test materials have not been ordered, and have to pay an extra $30 for rush shipping. Now, I'm really not trying to blame anyone, but I also don't feel like I should be the one paying for it either. So I don't run into this same situation next year, I am going to my calendar now and put a reminder on it for next year! ARGH!

Next subject is messy housekeeper. I readily and fully admit to being a mediocre housekeeper. Having said that, I am also pretty anal about my keys. So, imagine my frustration, as I get ready to walk out of the house, and my husband has misplaced my keys. Not intentionally. But the result is the same...I have no keys, no way of driving.

Ok, so far, pretty sucky day, right? Well, my attitude is the only thing I can change. So I am making the decision to FIDO...Forget It and Drive On.