We said yes

Today is our first morning of using our Charlotte Mason style curriculum.  We are stepping out in faith and saying yes to the direction that the Holy Spirit has been leading us.  Today I'll give you a glimpse of how the day has gone.

For starters, I woke up when the baby woke up, at 9am.  The boys wake up earlier and eat breakfast, get ready, and play.   

I fed the baby, showered, dressed and we were all at the school table by 10am.  We gathered around the kitchen table.   My spot at the table is always the same.  The child I am working with one on one gets to sit in the chair right beside me (to my right).  This leads me to my first point of discussion. 

What to do with the children who are not working one on one with mom?

I let them read, color or do a math lesson.

Since there is only one of me and three of them, having books and art ready is what we are using to fill in the gaps of time so that we don't have wasted time.

My oldest son asked me if he could do his reading in the backyard.  My response was ABSOLUTELY!

I had each of the boys narrate (say back to me in their own words) what they read.  This is a simple exercise that helps them process and grow in communication.

The things that require mom are the reading lessons, handwriting lessons and some of the math lessons.  These are the disciplined studies that we do first thing in the morning.  The boys gave me a good hour of focus and now they are all three standing on the fence visiting with the neighbor (and I am taking a coffee and writing break while the baby finishes her nap and the boys are outside).

Here is what our lesson plans look like for this week.

Week 1
The Children's Bible (daily readings): Creation, Eden, Fall, Cain
Child's History of the World ch 1 Creation
Leif the Lucky by D'Aulaire –Take 2 wks to complete
Aesop: The Wolf and the Kid
Tortoise and the Ducks
Just So Stories: Whale
Child's Garden of Verses: a poem every day
Paddle to the Sea: ch. 1,2
Among the People- rd 2 chapters of your choice
James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Moses the Kitten

I cannot tell you how freeing looking at this list is to me.  There is nothing overwhelming to me as the teacher who also happens to be a mother with a lot of responsibilities to carry out in any given day.  It is simply a list of stories that I am going to read aloud with my children.  From these readings, I will choose a sentence or paragraph to have my children copy.  This is called copywork and it is the model I am using to teach my children the language arts that they need to learn.

From this simple model, they will not only be exposed to good thoughts, but they will be copying some of the best literature available.  No fancy workbooks were required for this.  No fancy lesson plans.  Just reading together with mom on the couch and then narrating back to me what we read and finishing up with copywork.  And we'll add in math...

I will admit...we are saying yes to this direction and leading, but there is a big part of me that is thinking, "If this is all a big flop at least we are working through it during the summer months so nothing will be wasted."  I hate that my faith is that wobbly, but I am just being honest.

The verse that has been in my heart the past couple weeks is one of my favorites. 

Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.

This is what I have felt from the moment we ordered our books for the upcoming year.

Freedom.

Freedom, joy, peace and excitement!  Which, I might add, has been my response EVERY SINGLE TIME God has led us in a new direction on our journey and we have been willing to follow and say yes! 

Sick Baby

My red head is under the weather.  Poor little guy.  I've been freshening up his couch bed and keeping his glass filled with crushed ice and a drink.  His little fever keeps spiking pretty high and he looks pitiful.  This is part of my daytime job that I love-taking care of these little guys (and gal!).

When we were growing up my mother always took such good care of us, especially when we were sick.  In high school my sister and I both got our wisdom teeth out on the same day.  She got us little bells to ring when we needed something and made us fun treats like Jell-O pudding in wine glasses topped with Cool Whip.

This morning our sick little fella looked at his daddy and me with big old tears running down those cheeks.  "I've been praying for God to heal me for three whole days and I am still sick...can we gather the family around me to pray for me?" 

What a tender heart.

We laid our hands on that little warm body and prayed over him to feel better.

It has been a sweet day of reading and watching Redbox movies.  His brother went to the store to get his medicine with dad, and they came home with three Redbox movies.  Add that to the two I checked out at the library last night and I have some happy campers.

Monster's Inc. 2
Planes
Turbo
Mary Poppins
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I've got the double batch of strawberry Jell-O setting up in the fridge.  The boys don't know and boy are they going to be excited when they see it.  My favorite thing about making Jell-O is getting a big old spoon and getting a taste of the warm liquid before it sets.  So good.  And good for you?  What, it's strawberry!

Great Fruit!

I've been working on gently putting the baby on a schedule.  We were both ready for the structure and predictability.

I am feeling so excited about it.  We waited until she was about 6 weeks old to start moving this direction.  These last weeks have been filled with lots of longer naps, concentrating on full feedings, and just going with the flow.  That said, it feels so amazing to be on our way toward predictability.

I decided I wanted the first feeding of the day to start at 8am.  Then I penciled down times in two and a half hour increments for the rest of the feedings.  It helps me keep a good eye on her to watch for her sleepy signals.  Newborns sleep a ton, and I always get sad when I see her starting to yawn when it feels like she just woke up.

Part of getting on a schedule is establishing some routines so that she will learn to expect what is coming next.  It has also involved helping her learn to get to sleep in her own bed.  We have really enjoyed her falling asleep in our arms and on our chests.  We'll still do that sometimes (like last night when she fell asleep in my arms and I couldn't put her down because she was so cuddly and sweet!), but for the most part it was important for us that she be able to sleep without us having to hold her the whole time.

I'm going to hop off here and read for a bit before she wakes up...but I just wanted to share how excited I am about our new set of train tracks.  She has been sleeping for 55 minutes and I was able to shower, put on make-up and get dressed with enough time left over to read.

Last night I was even able to cook dinner.  Have you heard of that?  Granted, it wasn't a great dinner because I was out of a key seasoning packet and had to make my own which was a little lack luster, but still, we sat at the table and ate food that didn't require milk and a spoon or two slices of bread.

Testing 101

Today our son took his first standardized test.  He was super nervous and so was I.  I'm really glad our state requires this testing because it gives us a guideline to see how we're doing.   I stayed home with the little kids and Shane took him to the test.

 

I was dying at the texts that were flying back and forth between us.  A lot of real life denim jumpers were spotted on the runway today.  It made me think I may need to get a shorter one for spring/summer. 

 

The only one I have is long and that can get a little warm with the humidity.  He was the only Dad at the testing site and I encouraged him to avert the eyes lest he fall into an essential oil conversation and not be able to get his work done. The room was loud with ladies discussing different curriculums.  There was even a knitting table.

Meanwhile I was home and you'll never believe it but the house was quiet for about an hour.  The two middle boys quietly colored at the kitchen table for an hour while I held a sleeping baby and drank coffee.  I was gonna read my Bible during that time but I couldn't quit looking at little squishy cheeks.  I decided a sleeping baby is every bit as worshipful as a sunset on a Florida beach.  It was a sweet time of prayer.

We ordered this book from Amazon.  It was a fantastic resource to get our son familiar with test taking.

Today was a hard one for me.  It is hard to see your child anxious about the unknown.  I wanted to rescue him and just test him at home, but I knew he needed to go to the testing site for this experience.  I'm pretty sure Shane will be giving our kids the test next year.  All the homemade granola recipes overwhelmed him.

On second thought, I may just get a pair of knitting needles and call it a field trip for Mama when I take them next year.

Please don't judge me but we loaded up the bus and celebrated completed testing over a lunch at McDonald's.

Full Swing

It was 1:30 this afternoon when I was finally able to grab a slice of cold pizza and eat. 

Life is in full swing today and I've been running since my feet hit the floor.

We have a puny newborn that has been getting extra TLC.  Saturday she and I went shopping.  We had been in an accessorizing emergency because she did not have any casual wear bows.  We got that huge problem fixed, thank heavens.

When we got home from shopping the pizza was ready and Shane said he wanted to hold her so I could eat a hot dinner.  She was crying, so I went and grabbed a 2oz bottle of formula we had been given at the hospital when she was born and we gave it to her.

A little over an hour later she started getting very sick.  She got sick about 6 times in a row and then got very sleepy.  The next morning she woke up with a fever and dry diaper.  She wasn't eating or using the bathroom so we ended up at the ER.  They concluded she had a bad reaction to the formula.  She is still running a low grade fever so she has been nestled in my arms all day.  The Moby wrap has been the best thing that ever happened to me.  After her bath I put her in a little white onesie and nestled her into the wrap.  She is sleeping so snugly next to me and that fuzzy little head is easily accessible for me to keep kissing.

My oldest son has standardized testing this week so we are doing practice tests to get him familiar with the format.

We've also had some opportunities for heart training today.  I've said it before, but the Child Training Bible is something every parent should have.  It takes time to sit with a child and talk through wrong behavior but it is so worth it.

I looked in the mirror and noticed the huge bags and circles under my eyes.  I am worn out.  My heart is full but my body is tired.  Life is in a transition time right now and it is showing on my face.

My Bible is opened to Isaiah 41 today and every time I get a chance to sit with the baby I am reading truths from the pages. 

Today is definitely one of the full kinds of days.  At the recommendation of a friend I am using my crock-pot as much as possible these days.  Our French dip sandwich fixin's are cooking away and smelling oh so good.

If you know me...

If you know me then you know how pumped I am about today.

True, it is Thursday and Thursdays are extra exciting because they are like our Fridays at our house.  That was weird, I just used a big amount of are/our combo's in the last sentence.

Today is more exciting than that though.

We have weather heading our way.  I get so giddy on the inside about severe weather.  I am thinking this is not a normal response.  I don't know what it is, but I get excited about big weather events.  They make me wish I had cable so I could get lost in The Weather Channel. 

I like when the meteorologists are getting wound up and taking over the TV stations.  I like texting my sister to joke about how long they've been in the storm shelter.

This is not normal, I know. 

I have been anticipating this weather day all week and looking forward to seeing what is going to happen.

Right now the skies are getting dark.  The air is humid and the wind is blowing.  If feels great outside.  I've been on the patio drinking my coffee and enjoying how the air feels.

Every cotton picking lamp in the house is on {Shane, I hope you are not reading this right now because if you are I just gave you a heart attack}.

My Orange Vanilla Trapp is burning and the skies are starting to rumble.

We are all in pj's.  Technically that is not true.  The boys are playing in the yard while they can.  But I am in my pj's and that is what really matters. 

This morning I've been doing research on curriculum for next year.  That is another thing I love besides severe weather-researching stuff!  We are praying about what to do for school next year.  Right now, Shane's vote is to join a co-op.  My heart is divided on the issue, but I think I love the idea of fellowship with other families!  We have three options.  Join the co-op, My Father's World or Heart of Dakota.  I am very ready and looking forward to a fresh start to a school year.

This year had a lot of twists and turns I had not planned on.  Namely, having a baby!  It has been beyond wonderful and it has also challenged me to unclench my fists and walk with God into the different direction He had planned for us.  Nothing about our days has been predictable.  Earlier this week I was having a very hard time surrendering control.  I am ready to get us on track and have structure to our days so that I can feel productive.  I've surrendered that desire to God and am choosing to walk in the path He has for our days.  He is saying slow down sister!  We're going to keep taking it slower than you'd like and it is going to be OK.  He is saying you are not going to get it all done sister and it's going to be OK.  I am at great peace with this.

I am pretty sure that by the grace of God I will not look back on this slower season with regret.  Letting go has been a battle some days, but for the most part I've been able to embrace this slower season and let go of my expectations.

Yesterday I read something in Colossians 2 about walking with Jesus.  This year I have seen that walking with Jesus has proved to be a slower pace.  We have gone in different directions than I would have planned and the scenery has been absolutely great.  I've resisted some days, but for the most part I've been able to go with the flow and there has been blessing in that place.

My prayer right now is two fold.  One-that we don't get blown away today and Two-that I would increasingly be able to walk in the paths chosen for our days.

Tarred

Tarred is southern for I can barely keep my eyes open.

All day I have been asking myself the same question. 

"How the heck am I supposed to be getting it all done?!"  Maybe not even getting it "all" done, but just getting anything at all done.

Today has been kicking my tail.  Tale?  Phtail with a silent ph?

I'm tarred.  I feel impatient.  The kids are extra loud.  I've heard my name (Mama) called a gazillion times.  Every time I sit down to attempt a lesson an interruption comes.  I did sign up for this, no?

We've been inching our way through the day, one interruption at a time.  I keep reminding myself to be kind, smile, and respond with a gentle tone, even though on the inside I'd maybe like to be sitting at Panera all by myself with a book and something good to drink.  Since that wasn't really a viable option for today, I did enjoy my bowl of Fruit Loops on the patio this morning by myself.

And we just ate cake together.  And right now I'm taking a blogging break.  And later this afternoon I'm taking a nap.

It's good to be good to yourself, especially on the hard days.

I also just got the most encouraging text from a dear friend.

"Hey girl! Take it easy with school and adjusting to baby.  You don't have to do it all.  XOXOXO"

Ahhhh.  Can I get an Amen for friends with perspective whose words are wrapped in grace?!