Valentine party

It was a busy, fast-paced party and the thought never crossed my mind to grab the camera until after the party was over! Maybe my friends will send me some of their pictures! But here are a few of the house before we began:

The kids painted shirts using stencils and bubble wrap. The stencil options were hearts or a peace sign. I love the way the peace shirts turned out. I got this idea from Family Fun magazine several years ago and have been looking for the opportunity to use it! (In the magazine they used the bottom of a shoe to made wavy tread paint prints instead of circley bubble print like we did.) We also made Valentine cards and collected money for a gift card for Edie's family. And the kids ate goodies, exchanged Valentines, and played together (their favorite part, I think). I love hosting this group in our home. The Moms are so dear to me and the children are kind and well-mannered. They bless me. I think the day was a success!

The pendulum swings

I was just telling my friend the other day that January was a really lonely month for me. There was a lot of ice and cold and not a whole lot on our calendar. And there were painful, long, hard trials for our family that felt so heavy. The days were sort of dreary and slow for me. With all of our time stuck at home, I felt no motivation to even open a book. In fact, the only book that I have read consistently is the Bible. And I have 5 good books collecting dust on my bedside table. Maybe this month!?

But February has already proved to be something else. People are healing, my husband is not traveling, prayers are being answered in ways that we have longed for, and the days are sunnier. I look at the calendar this month and it makes me dizzy. It is amazing how fast things can change!

Last weekend was loads of fun. The children each had a friend over for playing and a night out at the nearby pizza/arcade. And Saturday I spent the entire day sanding and repainting a hutch for the farmhouse kitchen, while the kids played baseball/rode bikes at the park with Andy. And then just because we are really strange, they decided it was a good day to dissect a frog. I am so glad I missed out. That is not my cup of tea. At all.

After church and lunch on Sunday we went to a fabulous Super Bowl Party (or as Lydie says, a Fish Bowl party). It was great fun. So much fun, in fact, that I forgot to get my camera out of my purse. And here we are already to Tuesday. The weather is cold, but sunny, so between activities the kids are enjoying being reunited with the trampoline. (January was a lonely month for it, too.) Tomorrow we host a 22 little ones at our house for a Valentine party, so I'm off to cut brownie hearts and sprinkle sugar cookies. Maybe one day I will learn to enjoy being quiet and alone more. But right now, like it or not, I adore a full calendar!

" I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing."

~Agatha Christie

Homeschool highlights for November-January

I really wanted to post highlights each month this school year on my blog. But after September, and October I forgot. So here are some highlights from the last few months:

Science projects (Invertebrates)

Bug models::ant farm::butterfly garden::mollusks::clay animals::tadpole

Art projects

Squanto drawing::Giant Swallowtail butterfly drawing::picture study of Dancers in Pink by Degas::Study of the life and music of Felix Mendellsohn:: colored paper snowflakes::Nativity silhouettes::turkey salt dough ornaments::Incan art with pastels::marshmallow/toothpick snowflakes

Field trips/parties

Trip to the art museum for the Dali exhibit::Cookie decorating party with our homeschool group::Thanksgiving party/Operation Christmas Child projects::Natural history museum trip::trip to see the Nutcracker::New Years Eve party::Family/Social Christmas parties::Gingerbread building contest

And the biggest theme of this winter has been laboriously learning upper level math. My sweet 4rth grader has really been stretched. Long division and multiplication have been a challenge. After almost every lesson (which takes 1-2 hours to complete) we talk about his character and what a great man he will be if he learns to work hard and push through something that is difficult for him. I have reminded him gently that Moms and Dads must do this every day to lead their families well. He told a friend of mine the other day, "Mrs. H. I do not like charcter. But it likes me and always finds a way to get to me." So for that reason, I am very thankful for math!

These past few months we have learned a lot. There have been many things going on that have competed with my time and attention. But we have been able to keep up with our school work and have had time for many enrichment activities. Looking forward to this exciting month of February! We have a lot of fun activities on our calendar!! (And SPRING is getting closer! YES!)

FUN!

Yesterday after school and piano, the kids and I went here for free play:We were the only ones there, so we acted a fool. I have slide burns on both elbows. When the boys were dripping with sweat I let them take their shirts off. We were after all, the only ones there. But the manager came in and asked them to put them back on. I couldn't even play dumb like I didn't notice. It was pretty obvious.

Oh yeah, and they got in trouble for taking their socks off, too. Oh well. Then I took a wrong turn and it took us 1 hour and 45 minutes to get home. No lie. In 5 o'clock traffic, on the interstates of Atlanta, and it was sleeting with rain and snow mix. That was a challenge. But we made it home just in time for Wipeout. And I didn't have to cook (drive thru). AND we really had fun. And despite the long commute home, the kids are already asking when we can go back! I think I have decided that February is going to be chocked full of field trips. We really needed the fun!

Farmhouse kitchen renovation

Our little farmhouse has been waiting for us for a while now. We are taking a leap of faith (that our house will sell soon), and beginning renovations. Actually, my Dad already renovated parts of the house. The house is livable now. But we are making some changes that will make it feel like our home.

Starting in the kitchen...
Here is my wish list:

• shabby chic table and chairs (white) with modern fabric on seats
• brushed bronze hardware
• vintage-style lighting
• open shelves (white)
• light gray walls
• hutch for pantry
• stainless steel appliances
• dark wood on floors

Here are a few inspiration kitchens:

1. chameleon-interiors.blogspot.com

2. homedesignfind.com

3. marthastewart.com

4. better homes and gardens website

The first thing I did was pick out the paint color for the walls which is a light grey. And I picked out fabric color for chairs/curtains. It is a fun yellow and white geometric pattern. Then we got stainless steel appliances.

Last week the carpenter ripped out one section of cabinets. Now our "U" shaped kitchen is an "L". All the cabinets and appliances line the wall now. So, we bought the free-standing island below. The picture is terrible. It's about 6 feet long. The wood is a rich rosewood and the top is white marble. We got it at an amazing price from Nadeau furniture store.

For the light fixtures we will have a few can lights over the counter tops and I plan to buy some chunky lamps from Home Goods. Also, I just ordered the fixtures below from Home Depot.

Andy calls the current hardware on the cabinets and drawers "pirate style". They really are interesting. Although I dread the amount of putty, sanding, and drilling it will require, we will replace the old handles with bronze library pulls. (And while we are at it, we have got to paint the inside of the drawers and cabinets.) The floor is currently linoleum. We are replacing it with this laminate flooring from Home Depot (hardwood=too pricey):

And the finale will be adding colorful accessories on the shelves and wall like these. Although I love the shabby chic, all-white kitchens...I have to have bright punches of color!So far, the "U" cabinets have been ripped out, the shelves are almost done, the dishwasher and microwave have been installed, the can lights have been added, and the floors have been leveled. If you have a big imagination you might be able to envision it all. Here is the current look (note the pirate hardware on the cabinets):Our new stove/oven will be under the microwave. That fan (above) will go bye-bye. And the other one (below) will be replaced with the chandelier. See that long wall on the left below? We will have a big hutch that will be used as a pantry. No walk in pantry in a 1950s farmhouse!That big grey stripe on the floor is where the cabinets used to come across the floor. They were floor to ceiling. The kitchen area was TINY and the eat-in are HUGE. Now it is all open. That leveling cement is all over the floor because one of the floor joists was not even and the floor had a ripple like a wave. The carpenter fixed it for us and soon it will be covered and forgotten! You can't tell from these photos, but there are 4 doorways from this kitchen! The only window is the glass door to the right of the frig. The house has been added-on in the back and therefore all the windows became walls for back rooms. The lack of natural light will be a challenge! But other than that problem, everything is going to be lovely when we are done.

Like I said, you have be a visionary to see what it will look like when we are through! We've got a long way to go! But I am so excited. Who knew that we would move to an old farmhouse and I would get to design my dream kitchen??

This month:

• Carpenter will install light fixtures
• Carpenter will install flooring
• The entire house will be re-wired
• Carpenter will install stove/oven range
• Carpenter will move island into kitchen
• I will pick up hutch found at local antique market and paint it (light or turquoise blue)
• I will paint and recover our dining room chairs (white)
• Painter will paint the walls (gray) and the shelving (white)

Next month:

• Kids' bedrooms to be painted and new lighting installed
• Master bedroom painted and new lighting installed
• Renovate bathroom

More updates to come!

How I teach creative writing

My methods for teaching creative writing are a priority to me because my oldest son wants to be a writer. Although this part of my children's education has always remained important to me, I have not given it my best attention lately. I had become disorganized and didn't have a routine. So when my best friend was preparing to teach a creative writing unit to her son's second grade class, I became inspired to be more consistent. Here is what I am now doing for my 4rth and 2nd grader.

4rth grade son:Each Monday he gets a writing assignment that is due on Friday. He writes a lot, so each week I observe his techniques and pick something on which to focus for the following week. Last week he needed to concentrate on his stories having rising action, a climax, and then falling action. I noticed his writing was beginning to become chaotic because he was including too many climactic moments. I made a simple chart about how stories progress (rising, climax, falling) and I gave him the topic of "a snowman" to write about for the week. After a short lesson, I gave him five days to complete a story. I didn't look at his story until it was complete on Friday.

Here was his exact story:

Carrot the Snowman

Once upon a time, there was a house in the middle of a field of wheat. It was the house of a family that lived on a farm. One day, it snowed. In fact, it snowed so hard that they had enough to build a snowman. They named him Carrot, and then went inside for hot cocoa. That very night, a comet fell down out of outer space and hit him on his whole body. He had now come to life, and was wondering what he is. "Maybe I'm a very white man", he said. "With a carrot nose and button eyes."

So he decided to leave his family and figure out what he was. He journeyed through the city next to the countryside. Meanwhile, the police spotted him. "Officer 415, we've got a walking snowman on the premises." They got their guns and got in their cars. Meanwhile, people started gasping and pointing at Carrot. He was confused. Then, all of a sudden, police cars pulled up, their sirens blazing. "Put up your hands....er, sticks...in the air, snowman!" "I am a snowman???", said Carrot. "Yeah, duh", said a girl from the crowd. "Ooh, so that's what I am!" Then a police officer got so scared he shot a bullet straight into Carrot's heart. "Uhhh, oooowwww!" Suddenly, he drew his last breath, and fell down dead. And that is the tragic story of Carrot.

There are some really great things Jackson did in his writing. He used plenty of descriptive words, he used "ly" words, he combined narrative and dialogue, and he used the rising action-climax-falling action model in both paragraphs. Even though the ending was a bit disturbing (but so very boyish), I loved what he wrote!

This week we focused on what makes a good paragraph. We talked about topic sentences and how to support them, indenting the first sentence, and developing a main idea. His assignment this week is to compose a different paragraph each day on a given topic, with these parameters in mind. Other topics that will we will cover this year: time order words, vivid verbs, precise nouns, using all of his senses in descriptions, developing the setting, etc. I am using this book as a guide for my assignments, along with the Institute for Excellence in Writing curriculum:
2nd grade son (reluctant writer): My goals for my second grader are to enjoy writing, to be able to have a smooth beginning, middle, and end to the story, to use more descriptive language, and to become more adept at expressing his thoughts into words. His assignments are simple and concise.

Assignment from last week: Practice using details. We took at the topic of a snowman and he had to answer five questions. He wrote a little each day. Then he combined the answers to create a story with an illustration and turned it in on Friday. I introduced the idea of personification to him. Here were his simple questions:

What is his name?

Where does he live?

What does he do?

What does he look like?

What is his favorite color?

His story: My snowman's name is Snowy. My snowman lives in a snow house. My snowman goes sledding down a hill and goes shopping for food and cleans his house. My snowman has a hat, a scarf, a sweater, and a smile. His favorite color is light blue.

Even though there is no plot, I was proud of his descriptions. He did the assignment without frustration. As usual, he spelled every word correctly and remembered to capitalize and punctuate. He understands the mechanics of grammar very well. We just need to work on his creativity and ability to express himself well.

This week his assignment is to make an acrostic with the word WINTER. Each line must have a complete sentence, cursive writing, and punctuation marks. Then he has space at the bottom for an illustration. I divided the assignment by days for him:

M- W, I
T- N, T
W- E, R
Th- Illustrate
Fr- Color and turn in

So far, he has:
W- Winter is when snow comes.
I- I love sledding in winter.

Jackson will probably have assignments involving poetry, creating comics, and different types of letters. And with Joshua I will probably continue to keep it simple. I saw in the second grade classroom at my friend's school that they were learning about cinquain poetry. Maybe we will use that idea for an assignment. If he continues to enjoy writing, capitalizes and punctuates well, and learns to develop a smooth plot I will be happy!

So, that's how my boys are learning to write. Teachers/Moms out there, how do you teach your children??

Good stuff

To anyone who read the last two posts (that I had the good sense to quickly go back and delete), please forgive me for my crazy, angry, rantings. Some time between Sunday and Thursday I lost any manner of grace, compassion, and understanding. The Lord is gracious. But I still feel awful about a week spent in such a mess.

I am continuing to learn the difference between JOY and HAPPINESS. What I have learned this week is that happiness and suffering do not coexist. But, joy and peace can be the companion of suffering.

A few bright spots from our week:

My son's amazing linguistic ability (He aced the Latin quiz below that left me scratching my head)

My lefty-son's drawing project, slowly drawn with patience and detail

Beginning to read-aloud the Little House series from my childhood set (Notice price tag: K-mart, $1.77)

Winter candles glowing at the dinner table

Little signs of Valentine's day around the house

My bright, yellow reminder

Ice cream and shopping at IKEA today

Ready for a new week. I have my eyes and heart ready to search for beauty and joy among each day! Meditating on these words, as suggested by my husband:

Lamentations 3:22-24

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait on Him."

Sweet times

Isn't it the simple joys that make a day sweet? Today, just a few lovely moments to cherish:

Lydie at preschool ready for pajama/pancake day with her friend Elise (Lydie is on left with pigtails). If my Grandmother could have seen this picture she would have proclaimed Lydie "the prettiest baby she ever saw" and I think Nana would have called her "Miss Priss". And I would have to agree with both descriptions.Chocolate chip banana bread from Grace's recipe (Thanks, Grace!)

The boy's clay crustacean masterpieces from science lesson today. Below is Mr. Crab.

A gift that my friends and I made for our friend/mentor Molly for her 50th birthday. 50-word-collage of "Molly adjectives". Her life has inspired my life deeply over the last five years.

My Dad's declaration that he is going to hire an electrician to replace all of the wiring at our farmhouse. With his offer, he alleviated a secret fear that I had not shared with anyone else. What a blessing and a relief!

And last, and most importantly, my husband's late arrival home from work. Why is this lovely? Because he spent one hour explaining the Christian faith to our good friend from Turkey. This man has never heard of grace or the free gift of salvation. What a priveledge it is to be an instrument for Jesus.

"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well."

~Diane Ackerman

Have a lovely weekend!

Getting ready

We are preparing to put our house back on the market this weekend. We have taken a 2 month sabbatical to regroup and get an agent. We have invested a decent amount of money in landscaping, carpet cleaning, and upgrades in the kitchen. I hope it will make a difference! Isn't it a shame that we get our houses just to their full potential and then move? I feel like I can say this without bragging because at this point I look at my house as a potential buyer's and not my own. So...I love my kitchen more than ever.
The granite counter tops are really nice. And the sink is huge. I love a big sink. Why is there always a divider in the middle? I can put a casserole dish and my colander in the sink side-by-side with room to spare. Love that. Normally if I need to soak a casserole in soap overnight, I have to fill it up and put it on the stove top. Not practical! And what about these new faucets? Ours is fun. It's like a little shower. With all this fanciness, the most breathtaking thing in the kitchen (in my opinion) is still the vase of flowers. Oh well.

And a few more lovelies that I have picked up over the last few weeks for the kitchen:
I have quirky decorating taste. I mix all kinds of colors and shapes together in a somewhat random order. In fact, our entire house is a little quirky and unique. But, I hope her simple charm will rope some sweet family into wanting to live here!!

January Reflections 4: Staying in the clear

Prompt:

What is one financial goal you have for yourself this year?

When our house sells, we will be moving into a completely different life. By that I am not referring to the farm/rural/new area that we will be discovering. But I am referring to a debt-free life. And debt-free in the very best of ways: mortgage-free. I can not put into words what an enormous gift we are being given to own a house completely. We have never had a paid-off house before, and I assumed we would be debtor to a mortgage company until we got to retirement age.

So lately I have been thinking about the responsibility we have to stay out of debt. I want to embrace the concept that "with great priveledge comes great responsibility". How foolish it would be to take such a gift and use it as a springboard into mindless spending. I don't want this conviction to develop into a burden or an obsession. A gift is a gift and should be enjoyed. Nevertheless, I want to be a good steward where I can.

I find that frugal living is a teeter-totter for me. It can quickly become too time consuming, a little obsessive, and eventually an idol that does more harm than good. For example, coupon cutting can quickly take up more time than I have to give. And the coupons usually lead to the necessity to shop 4 or 5 different stores a week. It does NOT work for my schedule and commitments. So I compromised, when I have time/need to save I just shop at Aldi. No coupons, just amazing prices. For me, discernment is key. Sometimes saving money doesn't pay if it is not the use of time that the Lord desires for me that particular day. (For example, sometimes loving someone-whether my children, a relative, or friend-is much more pressing than the saved $30.)

I was thrilled to find a way to save a fairly significant amount of money with very little time investment. I am so NOT a granola girl, so don't be impressed. I stumbled on this little recipe and just gave it a try. It's homemade laundry detergent. I did the math and figured that I wash around 8 loads a week, including linens. For a family that washes 8 loads a week, the savings is over $1000 a year! Can you believe that amount? The breakdown in cost, along with the recipe, can be found on this guy's blog. The detergent only required three ingredients that I easily found at Kroger. And making the detergent took 5 minutes for at least a month's supply. I washed my first load, and the clothes came out clean and fresh. On the topic of laundry, I learned another helpful tip recently. If your towels or laundry have soured, throw in a cup of vinegar and it takes the smell away!

I am going to try his homemade dishwasher detergent, too. But the homemade deodorant is absolutely out of the question. That's where I draw the line. I had a ballet instructor once who made her own deodorant. NOT a pleasant memory. If anyone else has suggestions for easy, quick, money-saving tips, let me know!

Thank you, Mr. Spurgeon

This morning was very difficult for us. We have been struggling with someone in our extended family, trying to hold hands, say strong words, and even stay away, if needed, through her tumultuous battle with addiction. It can be a dark process. It seems immature and heartless to hold someone accountable for what they say and do when they are not using their full mental capacities. So you ask God to wash the hurt away, and He does, He heals and gives compassion. He makes each day new and fresh, and above all- hopeful. And he takes away anger in a miraculous way.

But you can not undo what's been done. And once moments are wasted (or worse, used poorly) they are gone, not to be retrieved. And it hurts. But by God's grace, love covers over a multitude of sins. It is impossible to taste richly of God's grace and not extend it to those in need. We are all beggars of grace. And for those we are called to be in a relationship with for life and love unconditionally, we turn the other cheek and hold their hand again and move forward, even if with one eye closed and body braced for another emotional blow. I think maybe a step was made today that could really begin to bring healing to our loved one, and us. Praise God.

This morning, after a restless night of fighting the demons that come with this type of relationship, I woke up with a real temptation to not leave the bed. I was whipped. In fact, I spent a significant amount of time fully dressed, under the covers unable to move. No matter what you do to help someone, it never feels like enough. You want so much. And I prayed with a heart that felt like it was ripping out of my chest that this sin pattern would not spread down generational lines. Sometimes prayers for one's children lead to groans and pleadings beyond words. Please, please Lord Jesus. Have mercy! There is nothing I want more in this life than to finish the race well, for God's glory, and to have my husband and children do the same.

My husband and I were so pleased and thankful for the Lord's encouragement later this morning. I believe these words read in Andy's devotion this morning with my whole heart:

"Christ is not alone "mighty to save" those who repent, but he is able to make men repent. He will carry those to heaven who believe; but he is, moreover, mighty to give men new hearts and work faith in them...The life of the believer is a series of miracles wrought by "the Mighty God". The bush burns, but it is not consumed. He is mighty to keep his people holy after he has made them so, and to preserve them in his fear and love until he consummates their spiritual existence in heaven." Charles Spurgeon