Wii or Real

The littles are Wii bowling champs. Today they got to experience real bowling. Unfortunately I have no photographic evidence of their exploits in the bowling alley. We passed Clone and Swan on the road and when the littles found out they were going to bowl, they begged to go see what "real bowling" is like so I turned the car around and drove to the bowling alley to join them.

Little would be very proud to tell you she got a higher score than both Swan and Clone. She'd also be very proud to tell you she got 2 spares. Littlest would be very proud to tell you she got a strike and a spare.

What they probably won't tell you (more because they don't quite get it than actually withholding information) but Clone and Swan would be very quick to tell you is that they had bumpers. Clone and Swan did not.

Merry Christmas teens

So just what do mature young people buy with the money they receive as Christmas gifts?

Buy Nerf guns and have an all out all day Nerf war of course!!
(and of course, they never ever shoot their unarmed parents or younger siblings with them either.)

I never realized

I have always loved babies. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to grow up and be a mommy and have lots of babies. To be honest, I never thought of actually having children, just babies. Didn't dawn on me as a child, that my babies would grow up and be children and then, gasp, adults, but that is exactly what happened.

Clone is home from college for Christmas. For all practical purposes, he is an adult. In a few short months, I won't even be able to classify him as a teen anymore! (Good thing I am not one of those women who stays perpetually 29. I'd have some serious explaining to do!)

I am enjoying the change in our relationship. I enjoy watching his independence and as he navigates new situations. I enjoy discussing things with him and hearing his perspective on things. I feel like iron really does sharpen iron and in our case, my son is also sharpening me, and I even enjoy that too.

The Lord Jesus received is holiness begun; the Lord Jesus cherished is holiness advancing; the Lord Jesus counted upon as never absent would be holiness complete.

~Henry Law, Christ is All: The Gospel of thePentateuch

Sigh, back to square one

About a month ago, MWC and I decided to hire a housekeeper to come in every other week to help me out and free me up some to focus on school work and play more with the kids. So I asked around and hired someone. Unfortunately she did not work out for me and as of this week, I have to find someone else. It does not help that I had the BEST ever cleaning crew at our last house when MWC was deployed. They cleaned things I didn't even know needed to be cleaned! Too bad a 3000 mile commute is unreasonable for a cleaning crew. My hope is to find someone who cleans better than me. If I'm paying for a service, I want them to do a job better than me. Fortunately, or unfortunately, that is not a super high standard in the cleaning arena.

The joys of having an ultra talented Mama

My mom loves to knit and we have no shortage of hand knit items around here. We cherish them all.

This year we had quite the bounty under our tree: 2 sweaters, legwarmers, fingerless gloves and a scarf.

Here are the sweaters with the recipients and the master knitter:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

~Luke 2:10-14

Tradition is still in tact around here

As you can see in my earlier post, the pecan pie has been made, thus fulfilling that part of tradition.

It is with pleasure that I also share that the paint brushes were located and the sugar cookies were "complete" with paint, thus saving that tradition as well.

Swan saves the most important part of Christmas dinner

It is Christmas Eve and here I sit on the sofa on a hot pad. I have taken Motrin and I still can't move without pain. Of all days to get a back spasm.

Thankfully I am not a procrastinator and 99% of what needs to be done is done. Tomorrow's dinner is all that is left for me to do. My children have willingly taken over the tasks needed to be done for that.

To MWC's great relief, Swan has made the all important pecan pie. It is not Christmas dinner to him without it. (And I only make it twice a year so this is it until next Thanksgiving!)

Swan, thank you!! ~ and you get an A+ on your home ec grade for pie.

Tradition!!

Its amazing how important tradition can be to kids. We may celebrate Christmas in a different place every few years but some things are NOT allowed to change.

Failure to provide the following things is almost certain to stop Christmas entirely!

1. Sugar cookies - rolled out and cut. With the little girls, painting them has become part of the ritual. This year we are in danger because the paint brushes are AWOL. Hopefully they will show up or else Christmas can happen with the partial tradition credit provided by just the cookies.

2. Dinner must include ham, mashed potatoes, pretzel salad and pecan pie. Other side dishes are changeable. Swan saved us all when she went and picked up the corn syrup for the pecan pie. It was a close one!

3. Blueberry buckle/Caramel French toast for breakfast. I made blueberry buckle, one, yes just one, Christmas and my children declared it a tradition. Only problem is it has to be made that morning so I tempted fate and seem to have successfully switched us to Caramel French toast as our new tradition.

4. And the most challenging tradition of all - new ornaments for the kids, made by me, every year. We have tempted fate a few times but we have discovered thankfully that ornaments in progress do count even if they do not get onto the tree until the following Christmas. (in fact getting on the tree the actual year they are made for is almost breaking with tradition!)

House Beautiful 2009 comes to a close

After 15 years of renting, to actually own our own home has been a lot of fun. We bought a beautifully, meticulously kept home and while it is no longer meticulously kept, it is even more beautiful imho. :) We have been gradually changing all our neutral white/ivory rooms to colors that make us happy.

The final project of 2009 was our basement (with a new carpet in the den thrown in.) The teens and some friends graciously painted the basement for me on Monday. What an adventure but I am happy with the results. My sterile white walls are now a warmer raffia cream color and the light colored worn out berber is now a brownish frieze. I am very happy with it.

I am thrilled with my den though. The white, yes white, berber that adorned the floor of the most walked on, and spilled on, carpet in my house, is now a beautiful frieze in darker colors. I am looking forward to many hours in that den now free of the stress of seeing a carpet which needs to be cleaned!

Now I'm hoping the fact that the house is not as meticulously kept as its previous owners won't be as obvious. :)

Why do we make holiness out to be some austere obligation or burden to be borne, when the fact is that to be holy is to be clean, to be free from the weight and burden of sin? Why would we cling to our sin any more than a leper would refuse to part with his oozing sores, given the opportunity to be cleansed from his leprosy?

Nancy Leigh DeMoss
Holiness: The Heart God Purifies

Its snowing! Its snowing! Its snowing!

Snowfall as of this morning.No snowfall is complete without....
sledding,an all out snowball war, and...

hot chocolate with whipped cream waiting inside.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Just Wait Until They are Teens!

If I had a dollar for every time I heard, "just wait until they are teens!" when my kids were younger, I would have enough money to buy all these teens their own cars AND pay for the gas to keep up with their social lives.

You know what? Those people were wrong! Having teens in the house is not the torture it is made out to be by well meaning? friends who don't want you to think they will be sweet and little forever.

Can it be difficult? You betcha. Is there conflict? Most definitely. Is it challenging? Abolutely, without a doubt!

But what they don't let you know when they say "just wait until they are teens!" is all the good stuff.

Watching your teens become their own person. Watching them own their own faith. Watching them develop their own opinions and work through things. Watching them interact and laugh with their friends. Watching them have nerf gun/ping pong ball wars in your basement that's torn up in preparation for painting. Watching them work together to paint that basement for you. Watching them play with the little sisters who idolize them. Watching them comfort those little sisters when they fall down. Watching them fix the door that YOU broke. Watching them develop a great talent and use that talent for God's glory.

Yep, there are days I feel like pulling my hair out. There are days I wish my house was quiet...and neat. But in the end, I have to admit, having teens is an adventure and I never thought I'd actually enjoy it as much as I do.

I am not even close to being a perfect mother as my teens can most certainly tell you, but I do hope they know how much I love them and how glad I am that they are mine. (even the extras I have on a regular basis. They know who they are. ;) )

Marriage requires a radical commitment to love our spouses as they are, while longing for them to become what they are not yet. Every marriage moves either towards enhancing one another's glory or towards degrading each other.
~Dan Allender and Tremper Longman III

If you treat a man as he is, he will stay as he is. But if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become the bigger and better man.
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

*both quotes taken from Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

Proof positive

that I am nuts.

Its been a long standing joke that MWC, who was in finance when we married, opted to become a MWC because he realized quickly that it would be more cost effective to pay for his own degree than pay for the professional help his nutty wife was obviously going to need .

20+ years later, I'm still nutty.

Why else would I tackle a home improvement project involving painting the entire basement rec room and carpeting the rec room and upstairs den within 2 weeks of Christmas and while having a houseguest??

I.rest.my.case.

Royalty coming?

With all the fanfare and Welcome artwork piling up one might think royalty is expected at our house any day.

Not exactly royalty, but to the littles, it might as well be.

"Big, Big, Big Brother" Clone is coming home in a few days and as an added bonus bringing home his roommate who the littles also love.

Happy Days ahead!

Lord, I am willing
To receive what You give;
To lack what You withhold;
To relinquish what You take;
To suffer what You inflict;
To be what You require.

Author unknown

I raise artsy kids

One art major, one music major and I'm certain, that Littlest is heading to Drama major.

I sent her outside to play to enjoy our sunny, unseasonably warm weather. On her way out, I got a foot stomp and a declaration, "You're a mean mommy!" Oh the horrors of being made to play outside in the sunshine. Please don't call CPS!

Anyway she and Grandma played outside for quite some time and she can bouncing in in her characteristically exuberant way telling me about how much she "enjoyed" being out there.

So you had fun in the sunshine? I asked.

Her face fell her shoulders drooped and she immediately told me that "in fact" it was "actually miserable" out there and could she please come in now?

Drama Queen Littlest - look for her movies some day

The thermostat says winter is a coming....

And Ella is oh so happy. The woodstove is all warm and cozy again.Its a dog's life.

Head over heels crazy about big brother!

or perhaps it should be heels over head crazy about big brother??

"Sibling" Rivalry

MWC took off all of Thanksgiving week. Its a rare treat for all of us and we enjoyed having him around. Ella was happy too. She was a little jealous though when the littles were awake. She would sleep contentedly in her bed as MWC sat on the sofa having his devotions and sipping his coffee. Until that is, she heard the pitter patter of littles' feet and suddenly she was wide awake and by his side. Cuddle time with Little was too much for her to bear and she just had to get in on the action.

These are some of the rejects

Well the time as come for Swan's senior pictures. Being frugal, and having the ultimate family portrait from just last year on my wall, I did not see the need to hire a photographer or take her to a studio. So, she and I took my camera to the backyard on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and had a great time doing them ourselves.

Post Thanksgiving thanks

On Friday I head a loud thump. I chalked it up to wrestling boys. I was wrong. They were all outside. Instead that loud thump I heard was actually outside and was a tree coming down.

I am thankful no one was in that section of the yard and that that tree wasn't any taller! MWC and the boys were already splitting wood for firewood for our woodstove all weekend, so they just added it to the job!

I am deeply convinced that my best duties have fallen far short of the perfection of Thy law, and have been so mingled with sin in the performance, that I might justly be condemned for the most fervent prayer I ever made.

Archibald Alexander, 19th century theologian

Definitely one of those things

I'd NEVER thought I'd do.

When I gave birth to a beautiful, itty bitty baby girl 17 years ago, it never even crossed my mind that one day that baby girl would ask me to take her to a tattoo parlor for a piercing or that I would even agree to such a thing. But she did ask. And I did say yes.

Just another important lesson on motherhood: NEVER say NEVER.

Thanksgiving Surprise!

Hmm, the doorbell has rung. The girls weren't expecting anyone but ran to the door anyway. The door is opening and they look pretty excited about the surprise guest - who could it be?

It's Clone!!!!

Pure bliss!

If little is good, more must be better

according to the fashion sense of a 5 year old that is.

Littlest wore a beautiful classic dress to church Sunday. It had a poofy skirt and was lacy and had beads and she wore fancy textured tights. I decided to leave her hair simple with just 1 barrette in her bangs because she's growing them out. She was lovely and looked so classically little girl feminine.

However being 5 and being a very girlie girlie girl, classically little girl feminine wasn't in sync with her own style and fashion sense. She went to church with 4 barrettes, a headband and a bright orange pony tail holder in her hair.

Methinks the teen years might be a bit interesting with this one.

The newest game at our house

isn't a card game or a board game or a sports game or a video game but the girls sure got a kick out of playing it. I hope we have lots of repeats.

Its called The Trick Daddy Game. The rules are simple: If Daddy can't figure out what you ate or wore or played with while he was out of the house, you win. We played our first round of it when he got back from a weekend retreat with the teens. He found one small corner of a candy wrapper but other than that, he was totally in the dark about anything else and so the girls won!

Girls 1 Daddy 0

Personally, I'm cheering for the Girls!

More on the differences of ages and stages

It is a universal belief that most teens believe their parents know little or nothing compared to themselves. I know from my own observations that teens want to be independent more than anything and this push for independence often does parade as know-it-all-ness as they take risks and want to spread their wings. My own teens are no different and there are times, their actions scream "Mom you know nothing!"

My eldest has always been advanced for his years. A bright child, he has grown into a bright young man. He's still technically a "teen" and yet he recently was able to acknowledge to me that he guessed I knew what I was doing raising him and that perhaps I did really know a thing or two.

Contrast that to littles who are certain Mommy must know everything. Why else would they ask such questions?

Mommy, who is the youngest person in God's family?

Hmm, I guess it would have to be a baby somewhere.

What's his name, Mommy?

Stewardship of Pain

Problems with my knees, back and varicose veins mean that pain is a part of my life. Sometimes its worse than others. Sometimes I'm better at dealing with it than others. This week was one of my "worse" weeks.

God's timing never ceases to amaze me. After a particularly bad Thursday, I awoke Friday morning with pain present before I ever got out of bed. Not a promising prospect for the day when your legs are aching terribly before you've even put any weight on them. I forced myself to get up and do some Wii fit anyway. Then I went upstairs to have my morning coffee and devotions. And that is where I learned of The Stewardship of Pain.

I am reading The Joy of Fearing God by Jerry Bridges and this morning's chapter was about glorifying God in all we do. We are to be good stewards of EVERYTHING God gives us and to use them for His glory. I confess I'd never considered pain as a resource from the Lord for which I'm responsible to be a good steward.

How can I be a good steward of pain?
1. Trust Him that it is for my good and His glory even though I don't like it or understand.
2. Rely on His sustaining grace and "rejoice in my weakness so that Christ's power can rest on me"
3. Testify to others of that sustaining grace.
4. Look for and use opportunities to minister to others that come about because of my pain.

So now I have a new look on the pain in my life and am both convicted and encouraged.

Out of the mouths of babes

Littlest was talking quite excitedly to Mom-mom on the phone today. Full of her usual exuberance and confidence she announced, "I have a very important job on Thanksgiving. I'll probably be too busy to stop and talk."

You see yesterday she peeled the sweet potato for the pea soup and did such a fantastic job I told her she was in charge of the mashed potatoes for this year's Thanksgiving dinner. Last night we went to Walmart and bought some new peelers so we all have our own now.

Oh, if only the rest of us thought peeling potatoes was so important and exciting!

PMSing

Well today I am PMSing and totally thrilled about it. Why?

Because in this case PMSing means Pre-Maid Straightening (a term my neighbor shared with me).

Woohooo!!!

The delight of littles

Driving to church tonight we passed our first building that has up its Christmas lights. Listening to the wonder and joy in Littlest's voice as we passed it warmed my heart. She took such delight in it and was excitedly getting all of our attention so we could enjoy its beauty too.

Ahh, the delight of littles.

She's got a style all her own!

And yes, I did take her out like this - she left the glasses in the car - of her own choosing. Honest!

In all our affairs of life and our interactions with other people we should always be conscious of His all-pervasive presence, His all-seeing eye and all-hearing ear. This is where integrity actually begins--living all of life in the conscious awareness of God's constant presence.

Jerry Bridges in The Joy of Fearing God

A beautiful place

I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in Mystic, CT with some dear friends. Not only was the company superb, but I can't think of many prettier places I've been in my life.

We spent Saturday at Mystic Seaport. The sky was amazingly blue that day and the scenery was gorgeous. Here are just a few of my pictures.

Today we honor the men and women who serve our country. I am reminded that not all who serve are active duty and my heart hurts for my "sisters" who have also served.


All Honor to Her
He offered himself for the land he loved,
But what shall we say for her ?
He gave to his country a soldier's life;
'Twas dearer by far to the soldier's wife.
All honor today to her !

He went to the war while his blood was hot,
But what shall we say of her ?
He saw himself through the battle's flame
A hero's reward on the scroll of fame;
What honor is due to her ?
He offered himself, but his wife did more,
All honor today to her !

For dearer than life was the gift she gave
In giving the life she would die to save;
What honor is due to her?
He gave up his life at his country's call,
But what shall we say of her ?
He offered himself as a sacrifice,
But she is the one who pays the price.
All honor we owe to her.

Veterans Day

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.
~Elmer Davis

Cider Time

On Saturday, I visited a cider mill in beautiful Mystic CT . It was very interesting to learn how they made cider. This particular mill operated in an old-fashioned way and was powered by steam.

The apples were all piled in the back of a truck and were dumped into a chute which went through this little building. I assume that in this building was machinery that pulverized the apples.

Pulverized apples came through this tunnel inside of the mill. The workers spread them out on the cheese cloth like material with wooden paddles. The material was folded up around the apples into a large square and the whole thing was then placed into the press

The press squeezed the juices out and they poured down into the vat beneath the press.

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span,enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, or what man shows him his counsel? Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.

Isaiah 40:17

Friends

My father always used to say that when you die, if you've got five real friends, then you've had a great life.
Lee Iacocca

By this definition, I have had a great life. I have way more than five real friends and as this post is published, I'm spending the weekend gorging on chocolate, staying up too late, drinking excellent coffee, and laughing my head off with 4 of them!

Like Father Like Son

Gotta love a man in uniform and I'm doubly blessed with two!

Congratulations

Civil Air Patrol Cadet Staff Sergeant Frog

A modern day girl

Less than 24 hours after my girlie girl princess donned her purple gown, she showed just what a versatile modern day gal she can be and reverted to a swashbuckling pirate for a birthday party.

My girlie girls

Anyone even remotely surprised at the costumes the girls chose for the fall festival Saturday night? And never underestimate the benefits of having a teen sister who can do the best makeup and hair-dos ever!

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.

Cotton Candy Cuties

My girls are addicted to cotton candy. They do not get it often but when its around, they have a 6th sense and can find it. In fact, before going to Disney, they were each given $25 for their birthdays. When I told them they could buy souvenirs with it, they both piped up they just wanted cotton candy and our cotton candy quest began the minute we checked in at our hotel. Last weekend, my mother took them to the grocery store. Who would expect to find it there? Little's radar went into full cotton candy detection mode and of course came home with a bucket of it. Today they finished up the last of it - but not without first accessorizing with it.

so much for my Halloween treat

I bought a 6 pack of Reese's pumpkins. They are our absolute favorite Halloween candy around here. There are 6 of us at home now (shh don't tell those still at home, I mailed an entire 6 pack each to Clone and his roommate at college!) so I figured we would not open the package until we were all home together to enjoy them together. My purpose in doing so was two-fold - a family treat to be enjoyed together - and to ensure I didn't eat all 6 of them myself, one at a time of course, until I had to go buy a 2nd package.

My plan was a good one but it does require that all 6 of us be at home and awake at the same time - an occurence that has not happened in at least a week and will not happen again for several more days. So alas, I caved and allowed Frog to eat his before he heads out for his conference this weekend. Now there are just 5 left. the whole 6-some thing is blown now. Hmm, think I can finish off the pack without detection???

War on Clutter

I concede defeat. Now that I'm back in full swing homeschooling younger students, clutter is overtaking my home again in spite of my best efforts. I feel frazzled, frustrated and downright grumpy about it at times.

So I've come up with a game plan:
1. tackle a pile of papers daily and continue to drop junk mail in the recyclables without it ever entering the house - mission accomplished today.
2. confiscate any dc's toys not picked up and hold them in jail for a set period of time.
3. Signed up for flylady again.
4. Call purple heart and set up an pick up time to take what I've already gotten bagged/boxed up and try to double that pile before they get here.

that's enough for now. As flylady says: BabySteps!

Blessings in Disguise

MWC and I celebrated 23 years of marriage in May. We had planned a weekend getaway to celebrate. However, the demands of the military brought those plans to a screeching halt. We decided to reschedule it and then had childcare conflicts so it got delayed again. We finally got away this weekend and saw first hand that God's ways our not our ways and there can be incredible blessings in what looks like an unfortunate circumstance from our point of view. Because of all the rescheduling, we ended up in Western MD during the peak of the fall colors that even the rain and clouds could not hide. On our last day the sun did shine and we were treated to a gorgeous ride home. Our man-made base - situated perfectly to enjoy our surroundings.

The view from our room

This is just a small sample of the colors we saw over the weekend.

that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. Romans 1:12

engraved in our wedding bands. Happy Belated Anniversary MWC. Better celebrating late than never! I love you!

Who knew?

well besides my friend in CT who seems to know everything.... running your hands under water while rubbing them with a stainless steel spoon removes the garlic smell completely - even after pressing 18 cloves of garlic to put into virus killing soup.

Volleyball: A Family Affair

Swan's volleyball season came to a close last week with 2 very exciting matches. It is sad to see it come to an end. Going to games was a fun family affair. Our Little Benchwarmer
Our Linesman

Team Captain and Ace Server

Oh the differences in ages and stages

Teen: Bye Mom! Bye Dad! We'll be back at such and such.
Little: Can we do something special and have a picnic in the backyard?

Teen: I think living in Switzerland, Australia or any other country in the world would be so cool.
Little: I am never going to move away or I'm going to live next door to you.

Teen: Why do I have to come out of my room? I like my space and privacy.
Little: Mommy, I just want to be where you are.

Teen: Dad do you have to go to that activity with us?
Little: I'm going to marry Daddy when I grow up.

Teen: No, Little, you can't have that candy now.
Little: when I grow up, I'm going to let my kids have all the candy they want whenever they want it.

and the rare, sweet similar words:
Teen: Mom, thanks for raising me the way you did.
Little: You're the best mommy in the whole world.

*all the quotes referenced above are actual statements or combinations of statements made in our household. They may not be exact b/c, well I'm a middle aged mom whose quickly losing brain cells and memory, but their meanings and intentions have remained intact.

Susie Homemaker Swan

Ha! One has to be home to be a homemaker. Nonetheless, Swan is learning to cook and she has a flair for presentation. Homemade buttermilk pancakes with her very own creation (well hers and her faithful sidekick's) of homemade berry sauce.

Homeschooling is a never ending learning experience

I'm sure I've learned this important lesson sometime earlier in my journey but I must have forgotten or else I never would have attempted it yesterday:

Schooling after 4pm even if everything is not done and you had to go out for a doctor's appointment is a lost cause. Do not attempt it. Kiddie brain cells are pretty shot and mommy's patience is even shotter.

A Balancing Act

Years ago we read that parenting children is like a funnel. In the early years, the wide end is around your children protecting them and giving them lots of boundaries and structure as you teach and train them. Your influence over them is great. As they grow though those boundaries get narrower and narrower as a funnel does. Your influence and protection needs to decrease. Our teens may or may not agree and think our funnel is still too wide, but it has been that philosophy that MWC and I have tried to keep in mind as we raise our children.

Raising teens while raising littles though gives me two oppositional funnels, resulting in an hourglass figure (if only my body had one!) and I'm trying to stay in the middle! Lessening that control over teens while still maintaining it over little ones is quite a juggling act for me who likes to have things orderly and under control.

Perhaps one day I'll get the balance right and then again, in just a few short years, my older chicks will have flown away to their own nests and I'll be back to just one directional funnel, missing my hourglass.

In the meantime though, I just hope my children know how much I love them and I'm doing my best to prepare them to fly away from my nest and soar on their own.

As for man, his days are like grass;he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,and his righteousness to children's children,
to those who keep his covenantand remember to do his commandments.19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, O you his angels,you mighty ones who do his word,obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works,in all places of his dominion.Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Psalm 103:15ff

I love you pink - the rest of the story

I posted before our Disney trip that MWC and Frog would be painting the littles room while we were gone. They devoted an entire Saturday to the project (and some Friday night too).

While in Disney, I got a phone call informing me that no one at home liked the pink room. Swan declared it too light, MWC never liked the idea of a pink room in the first place, and I don't remember Frog's reason. It left me a little unsettled wondering what had I done?? Thankfully we were having such a wonderful time, I didn't have much time to have unsettled thoughts. Then upon our return home, any doubts were laid to rest. The littles love it and in my own humble opinion, I chose just the right shade of pink - in color and in name!
It is the perfect girly-girly pink for the girly-girly room that belongs to my girly-girly girls.

Humble Pie

Today's post is for my children. I think they read my blog - someone's got to make sure that I'm not revealing too many embarrassing stories about them, like the first time Swan made pancakes and........ oops, better not go there.

Anyway, like most teens and children I'm sure, mine do not always do their chores thoroughly or up to my standards. Lately it seems as if they never do and lately I've been extra grumpy about it.

Well the Lord has a way of humbling a grumpy mom sometimes and reminding her that all have sinned and no one is perfect so that perhaps she will have a little more compassion, and a little less grumbling, in the training of her children to do their chores well and to meet the standards.

I submit to you the evidence: Day One, Frog forgot to turn on the dishwasher after dinner so I had dirty dishes the next morning. Day Two, Swan did the same thing. I of course railed against them.

Day Three and Day Four, I did the dishes.

Guess who forgot to turn on the dishwasher?

True confessions

I live under the delusion that anyone who knows me doesn't know this about me so work with me here and at least gasp a little when you read my next sentence...

I am a perfectionist. I want to be the perfect wife, perfect mother, perfect daughter, perfect homemaker, perfect homeschooler, and on and on it goes.

So why am I finally bursting my own bubble of delusion to let you in on this little "secret?" Is it cathartic confession of the blatantly obvious I'm trying to hide? Is it because I needed something to blog about? Or is it because I'm reading a really good book by another perfectionist woman who wants to be a perfect mother as well and yet has learned to surrender her life to the Lord instead of trying to shape it all herself.

If you guessed all of the above, you are probably right.

Blue Like Play Dough: The Shape of Motherhood in the Grip of God by Tricia Goyer is one of the best books I have read in a long time. She is transparent, funny, and encouraging. She is also someone I, and probably, every other mother, can relate to.

From the back cover, "Sure, her life is messy and beset by doubts. But God keeps showing up in the most unlikely places - in a bowl of carrot soup, the umpteenth reading of Goodnight Moon, a woe-is-me teen drama or play dough in the hands of a child."

The chapters are short, perfect for a busy mother, but jam packed with pearls of wisdom, adorned with stories of motherhood that touch the heart and make you laugh, or cry.

In case you haven't guessed, I highly recommend it.

Prettier than princesses

Little is sporting the Daisy Love look and Littlest has on her Tinkerbell face. It coordinated well with the green fairy dust Tinkerbell sprinkled on her that day and that is STILL in her hair! At least her face cleaned up nicely.

18 years ago today

I got a sister.

I grew up with just one brother. We of course fought a lot as kids but in the end, I have to admit he is a great brother who I love a lot. (just so he remembers Mom and Dad still love me best! lol!)

18 years ago he married his wife and now I have a sister who I think is pretty great too.

Happy Anniversary D & L! Love ya!

The Lord works righteousnessand justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:6-14

Tea party

My angelically cute littles laughing their heads off. Innocent fun or is their mischief hidden here? The world may never know for sure but the photographer taking this shot was a middle aged mommy who had just eaten lunch about 30 minutes before and who doesn't like spinning rides. I will let you decide which is making them laugh more - that fact or the ride itself.

A take charge kinda gal

Littlest takes over the guide map on our bus ride into the Magic Kingdom. Guess she wanted to be sure we didn't goof and make her miss a single thing.