A New 'Do

I decided to try something a little different with Kiana's hair last weekend.
On the one hand, I love it because you can see how absolutely adorable it is here as she poses with her little friend who is giving her a present.
On the other hand, I am having a hard time keeping those braids back out of her face, as you can see above. The picture I attempted to copy showed those braids beautifully swooped to the side in some sweet little bangs, but they keep falling down. I may have to touch this style up and braid them right into the cornrows that go back on the sides.As you can see, the back is made up of several box braids with the ends free of adornment to prevent breakage. Then I cornrowed the sides back and gathered their ends into a half-ponytail. The front triangle is cornrowed from the part down to the forehead, with the ends of the cornrows swooped to the side (theoretically).
It really is an adorable style and will be kind to her hair. Once I figure out how to keep those bangs where they're supposed to be, it will be a good protective style to last several weeks (possibly even through moving--dare I hope for that?!)

Life-Changing Adventures

I've been enjoying a delightful "escape" series by Lauraine Snelling this month, The Red River series and the subsequent series "Return to Red River." My reading list is almost embarrassing for the month of December with so many Snelling titles on it!
But it's been a good series for me in this season. It's a light, fiction series about two brothers and their families who immigrate from Norway to America in the 1850s. As their life unfolded, I read the many trials and difficulties they faced--but more importantly, the faith with which they faced them. Sometimes they accepted their circumstances with quiet faith, other times they railed against them with bitter anger, but eventually they learned and grew through the hard times. And isn't that what this life is really about?

I read about families who were physically torn apart by their immigration--parents, brothers and sisters never to see one another again. As our families are learning to deal with our 12-hour move (as yes, we are accepting the job offer in Colorado to begin February first), I am reminded at how much easier it is for us in this time period nearly two centuries later. In addition to the ability to travel by plane or car, we have the internet and telephone to maintain our close relationships. Contrast that with their slow mail service which could take three months for a handwritten letter, and I'm counting my blessings!

I recommend this light series any time you want to read something quick and easy that just "takes you away" (such as if your husband is traveling with work and you can't seem to go to bed without him or you have strep throat!) but at the same time will undergird your faith with examples of people's perseverance and faithfulness. All the books are sprinkled with great little nuggets like the one below:

"She had saved so many things to ponder in her heart, to take out and delight in again so many years later, to take out and study, hoping each time to understand, and with understanding, accept. Or is it the other way around? Acceptance first and then understanding, and sometimes still not understanding but rejoicing in the gifts God gives?" (140, Believing the Dream)

It appears she has yet another series for the next generation of this family--dare I begin it?

Decisions, Decisions

We're considering a job offer in Colorado.
It's very beautiful there and the job is an outstanding opportunity for my husband. On the other hand, it's at least a twelve hour drive from our families.
We have just a couple more days to make a final decision.
I've started packing (some of these excess books, of course, ha!) and we are praying continuously.
One thing about it, we know they have at least one delicious restaurant we could take family and friends to should they come and visit.
I didn't use my flash, but this chicken topped with ham and swiss cheese, then asparagus spears and Bearnaise sauce was *almost* as delicious as the house potato which was absolutely a party in my mouth! :)
Leave me a comment if you wanna join us in praying for wisdom and discernment?

Fall Reading Wrap Up

As the end of 2011 approaches, it's time to confess how I did with the Fall Into Reading challenge. I set a goal of 15 specific books to read and completed only seven of them--that's less than 50%! On the other hand, I read 24 books during this time, I just have a little bit of a problem staying focused with my reading! Oh, and I joined a "read through your Bible chronologically in 180 day challenge" after I started the Fall challenge and made it through Genesis, Job, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and part of Deuteronomy before I "fell off the cart" (but I hope to catch up. . .maybe. . .).

• Purely Woman by the Wilson sisters This was really thought-provoking and interesting and is linked to thoughts prompted by one particularly meaningful section.

• Encouraging Words for a Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George Very nice little book which I enjoyed in small bites

• The Rules of Management by Richard Templar A surprisingly interesting book about being an effective manager. I started reading it thinking to recommend it to my husband and thought it was good enough I ended up finishing it. He read it, found it more than worthwhile, and is looking forward to applying some of its principles in a new position soon.

• Invitation to the Jesus Life by Jan Johnson linked to my thoughts about how much she stepped on my toes (in a good way!). Would love to revisit this one with a friend.

• Night by Elie Wiesel linked to my thoughts--such a horrifying account of this period of history.

• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver linked to my thoughts. I very much enjoyed this book, both as an interesting read and as a challenging message.

• Uncompromising by Hannah Farver linked to my thoughts sharing how very much I loved this book, especially sharing it with my teenagers. I highly recommend this one to all teens and parents of teens.

• The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens by Debra Bell I read a little over half of this book and then started back at the beginning. There is seriously so much great stuff in it, I don't expect to call it "completed" until the end of next summer.

• Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas I'm ashamed to say I didn't even open this one again--I'm stuck at halfway through and just need to pick it up and finish it. It truly is outstanding, I just have too many books vying for my attention.

• Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst just didn't feel like being convicted :)

• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins got overwhelmed and it looked really long

• The Best of AW Tozer by Warren Wiersbe oooh, still want to read this one, moved it to my 2012 list!

• The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier still excited to read this one too! adding to 2012. .

• Inside Transracial Adoption by Gail Steinberg nyeh, still not motivated to read this one

• The Revolution by Ron Paul hmm, never quite managed to pick this one up

Other books I've read during this time:

• Unbroken--outstanding book. I saw this on many of the "Fall Reading Challenge" lists and just had to see what all the fuss was about. It's well-deserving of all the hype, let me assure you. If you haven't read it yet, add it to your 2012 list right away. (Oh, and I borrowed it from the library, you may recall, and looked forward to having a copy in the house as soon as possible. Guess how I snuck it in? tee, hee I got a copy for my son which he will be unwrapping soon--oh, he's going to love it, I just know it!)
• Mudbound--recommended by a friend and I enjoyed it very much.
• The End of Boys--disturbing book, not recommended, but thought-provoking all the same
• Kisses From Katie--profound, convicting, inspiring. My husband was very moved by this book, and Briana is nearly finished with it. Highly recommended
• Letters From Rifka --Very good young adult historical novel
• Words by Heart --an excellent young adult historical novel, many lessons and gripping story
• So Long Insecurity --interesting survey by Beth Moore of this subject, rather enlightening
• Know What You Believe: Connecting Faith and Truth by Paul Little--great read, especially as I discussed it with my teens
• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie--so much fun, recommended by Destry
• Red River series (Christian fiction) by Lauraine Snelling I very much enjoyed these light reads in December and they were especially comforting during this season of my life
• Shield: A Framework of Self-Care for Foster and Adoptive Families--delightful little ebook relevant to foster and adoptive families and those who support loved ones in this walk

I've read some great books this fall, and am very glad to look back over them and ponder how I've learned and been challenged and simply had fun. Thanks to Katrina for sponsoring the Fall Reading challenge--I've thoroughly enjoyed it! It was good to meet fellow book-lovers and get some tips as to what I might enjoy reading. Now I'm looking forward to Carrie's Book Club 2012. As the saying goes,

So many books, so little time!

Simply Ingenious

When Destry closed the cover on Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, he walked over to me, handed me the book, and pronounced it "simply ingenious." I was intrigued.

I have long been a fan of a good mystery (what am I saying? I am a fan of *books*!), but had only read one Agatha Christie book. This title was on a college preparation reading list and our librarian ordered it for Briana to read. Somehow, Destry got to it first and told me I had to read it.

Can I just share how fun it is to read a book my son has recommended? Now that, my friend, is a reward for all these years of parenting! chuckle He hovered over my shoulder and repeatedly interrupted me to ask "NOW who has died?"There's really nothing to say about this book. No earth-shattering insight, no challenge to my thoughts or spiritual walk. It was just fun. It took me about an hour and a half to read and was a nice little escape from my sore throat and congested chest.

And no, I didn't figure out whodunit.

Book Club 2012

Woo-Hoo! I'm getting so excited for 2012! I'm expecting lots of great things from next year, and being asked to participate in Carrie's book club was just the icing on the cake. I think I'm especially excited because my 2011 book club rather fell apart and only 2-3 of us are still reading and the discussion has trickled to a few sentences, so I'm hoping this group of readers will have more stamina.

I chose the great Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyon because I haven't read it for almost twenty years. I read a condensed version to my older kiddos a few years back, and we have a beautiful picture book version (which I should review because it's an absolute delight), but it's time to revisit the original edition. We'll be reading this book in March and I'm looking forward to discussing it with my teenagers and all of the other lovely members of Carrie's book club. Considering all the Lord has done in my life since my last reading, I'm sure the book will have an even greater impact on me this time.

I'm also anticipating the other book selections. I ordered the January selection, Beyond Opinion by Ravi Zacharias and am expecting it any day. The only book of his I've read is his autobiography, From East to West, which was fascinating. I'm also curious about the February book, which looks to be about a Des Moines, IA family who abruptly moves to Croatia in order to learn about the woman's family history and appears to discover one another and the important things of life in the prospect. I haven't looked closely at the selections beyond March, but at a glance I'd say I'll be revisiting some great friends and meeting new ones next year. You're welcome to read along (and chat with us, please)!

January - Beyond Opinion, by Ravi Zacharias. Selected by Sky.

February - Running Away to Home, by Jennifer Wilson. Selected by *Carrie* at With All That I've Been Given.

March - The Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan. Selected by Shonya at Learning How Much I Don't Know.

April - Any title by P.G. Wodehouse of your choosing (selected by Tim at Diary of an Autodidact) Just choose one. Especially if you've never read Wodehouse before. (Happy to make suggestions if you need some.)

May - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain. Selected by Amy at Hope is in the Word.

June - A Girl of the Limberlost, by Gene Stratton Porter. Selected by Stephanie at Simple Things.

July - Any book in the Chronicles of Narnia series (as part of the Chronicles of Narnia Reading Challenge hosted annually at Reading to Know) (Again, just choose one. And make the most of it!)

August - The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente. Selected by Bluerose at Bluerose's Heart.

September - Professionalizing Motherhood, by Jill Savage. Selected by Stephanie at Stephanie's Mommy Brain.

October - Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Selected by Barbara H. at Stray Thoughts.

November - Jewel of Persia, by Roseanna White. Selected by Annette at Live, Learn, Love.

December - A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Selected by Carrie

How Are YOU Doing?

Head--pounding
Eyes--burning
Nose--surprisingly dry (tmi??)
Throat--Raw
Chest--Tight with stabbing pains when I cough
Body--Achy

Otherwise fine, thanks for asking.

'Tis the season

Things a Person Doesn't Really Need

This time of year can frustrate me.

Going to stores grates on my nerves. They are divided into sections: Gifts under $10. Gifts under $20. Gifts under $50.

Because we all know of the *obligation* to buy a gift. Any gift, it doesn't matter what it is--as long as it's within the designated parameters (that is, price range). It's not about the joy of giving. It's not about finding the perfect expression of your love for someone. It's not about buying something for someone because it just "screams their name." It's not about filling a need for another.

And as I look at the ludicrous items littering the aisles, it's as if the manufacturers are just dreaming up ridiculous, unnecessary items to meet the need our materialistic society has to get more "stuff" or have the "latest, greatest thing".


Meanwhile, graphics like this simply make my heart hurt.

In case you missed this great quote from The Poisonwood Bible:

When I go with them to the grocery, they are boggled and frightened and secretly scornful, I think. Of course they are. I remember how it was at first: dazzling warehouses buzzing with light, where entire shelves boast nothing but hair spray, tooth-whitening cream, and foot powders. It is as if our (shallow, selfish sister) had been left suddenly in charge of everything.

'What is that, Auntie? And that?" (the child) asks: a pink jar of cream for removing hair, a can of fragrance to spray on the carpet, stacks of lidded containers the same size as the jars we throw away each day.

'They're things a person doesn't really need.'

'But, Auntie, how can there be so many kinds of things a person doesn't really need?'

I can think of no honorable answer. Why must some of us deliberate between brands of toothpaste, while others deliberate between damp dirt and bone dust to quiet the fire of an empty stomach lining? There is nothing about the United States I can really explain to this child of another world (441).

Just Hate it When That Happens

You know, when you are reading a book to help someone else. You hear about a book, you read a review of a book, and think "My daughter needs to read that book. I'll read it so I can pass it to her and it will really help her." Then you start reading it and realize it was written SPECIFICALLY FOR AND TO YOU.

Ugh, hate it when that happens!

This book is called Grace for the Good Girl and was written by Emily Freeman. The title is misleading--it makes me think it's for, you know, GIRLS--as in teenagers. That was my first mistake.

The second mistake was thinking it would be good for my daughter rather than thinking about myself. You see, Briana IS a "good girl." She tries very hard (ah, the subtitle of the book is "letting go of the try-hard life"--see why I thought she would benefit from reading it?!) to do what is right, to be sweet and serving. She frets about not being good enough and focusing on what she does wrong and wondering how God could possibly love her when she knows how bad she is inside. And then she tries harder. And you know, she succeeds very well on the outside. But as an adult, I know no one is perfect, no matter how much they may try to put that image out there. And as her mother, I get concerned about her being too hard on herself or trying so hard to be someone "good" that she loses track of who she is. So I was tickled when a friend offered to let me read it.

I'm less than halfway through the book, and I'm writing about it. That's how much it's affecting me.
I also just hate it, by the way, when I get all excited that a friend loans me a book and I'll save money by not having to buy it in order to read it and then it's sooooo good I just HAVE to have my own copy and end up spending money on it anyway. sigh Yes, it is absolutely littered with those little post-it note flags (I singlehandedly keep 3M in business, don't ya know!)

What are those flags marking? The words which were directed to me. Some of the words are true still, and others resonate with my past as I reflect on issues the Lord has brought me through.

• "I taught people around me that I had no needs and then was secretly angry with them for believing me" (13).
• "Perhaps you grew up in the church with a good reputation and a perfect attendance at Bible school. You never experienced a period of rebellion. You are the first to volunteer, graduated top of your class, and are constantly the dependable friend for others to lean on" (20).
• "Like Lucy you believe lies: I have worth because I perform well. You can not trust anyone but yourself. No one will take care of you. Rather than collapse in despair or self-pity, she chose instead to craft a mask of strength and responsibility. 'I can handle this,' she told herself. And she did. That solidifies another lie: The only person I can ever depend on is me. She had figured out how to make life work without anyone else. The only problem in the midst of all that success was that she was not free. Behind her masks of strength, responsibility, and good performance, she was a tangled mess. And she was all alone" (34).
• "Hiding behind that good-looking mask, her arms are folded too tightly to give and receive grace, or to fall into an embrace from a God who sees beyond her good reputation" (45).
• "I fight these masks but I can't seem to remove them. I want someone to care, I want someone to call me and ask how I am, but what will be my answer, I'm not sure. I feel like I'm whining if I tell the truth, but I need someone to be my support" (50).

The irony--and the beauty--is in the fact that I read most of this *today*, on a day when I met a breaking point. The weak point was the juncture of single parenting, hormones, trying to purchase airline tickets (this task defeats me every single time!) for hubby's interview next week, trying to figure out logistics of this in-between time of my life, and reaching out to ask for help only to be forced into the role of the "strong comforter pointing to the Lord" when that's actually what I needed from someone else. Oh, but the Lord is so faithful, He provided the most beautiful, perfect, peace-inducing solution--far superior to the "best laid plans of mice and. . .women"--and then led me during the quiet time of napping children to this book. His sense of humor makes me laugh.

I'm looking forward to reading the next third of this insightful little book.

Why Do We Do the Things We Do?

My hubby is still working for a contractor, although he is traveling out of state now rather than working locally. He drove some of the equipment to the new job site as he headed out of town last week, so our yard saw the "cool, big trucks" of a lineman's profession for the first time in a long time. All the kiddos had to get lots of hugs and kisses as Daddy headed out, so I snapped a picture of him with his littlest man. (And can I just note that some women are more attracted to the office-worker-attire-wearing-guy, but I am appreciating my man once again strutting his stuff in jeans and lineman boots!)
Whoops, I wandered from my point already!

My POINT is that my husband is gone for a couple weeks and I am learning that there are some aspects to daily life that I apparently do just for Alan. Because I'm not doing them consistently while he's gone.

• For example, I am cooking differently. When he is home, we have a big meal nearly every night. Meat, potatoes and gravy kinds of big meals. Aside from my purposeful efforts these last three meals of chicken fajitas, pork chops and hominy, and hot beef sandwiches, we've been eating a lot of chicken bites, hot dogs, sandwiches, and frozen pizza.

• Then there's making the bed. I personally see no point in making the bed--a person just climbs back in there and messes it all up again the next night anyway, and what guest is going to be in my bedroom to see it messed up? But I have made it every morning for 19 years of marriage. Until this last week--while my husband is gone.

• Speaking of going to bed, I'm not doing that very well either. I just hate climbing in to that cold, lonely bed. What am I supposed to do about my cold feet if I can't tuck them between his always-warm calves to warm them up?? (don't mention socks, I abhor sleeping in socks!) So I keep staying up--too late. Yawn. He rarely stays up past 10:30 pm. I can't seem to make it to bed before midnight without him.

• Normally, when Alan is coming home in the evening, I feel like I spend all day picking up, but we have designated pick up times to keep the house under control. Everyone pitches in for a pick up before lunch and again around 4 pm before Daddy gets home. Then I like things picked up in the evening as everyone is going to bed, or at least before *I* go to bed. Two nights ago I looked at the living room strewn with dolls, vehicles, books, tractors, animals, stacking cups, blankets and A TENT right in the middle of it all. . .and I just shrugged my shoulders as I headed to the couch with a book. Once the midnight hour had sufficiently passed, I again surveyed the living room, decided Tornado Teddy would just dump everything out again first thing in the morning anyway and went to bed!

I have been taking a shower every day, however. Well, except for that one day--I was going to be home all day and I just didn't see the point.

Hurry home, Honey, I need some motivation!

Tornado Teddy

I've mentioned before that Alan's nickname for Tyrell is "Teddy". Well, Briana has refined that nickname (quite appropriately) to "Tornado Teddy."
Should an insurance adjuster come to inspect my house on any given day, I'm pretty sure we could file for some sort of payment under a "natural disaster" clause.

He gets into the shelf of Kindergarten and preschool stuff, pulling out books, laceups, Thomas trains and dot-to-dot books.
He pulls books off the shelves and videos out of the cupboards.
Yes, this is him realizing he is busted. What is his response? "Uh-oh"
I never have a hand towel on my oven door anymore. If I hang one up, he pulls it down, carries it approximately seven steps and drops it.
Evidence: blocks, books, hats, stacking cups, tractors, toy animals. Verdict: Tornado Teddy has been here.
Believe it or not, the kitchen floor had been clear just five minutes before this picture was taken. Now littering the floor: Kiana's pjs (clean, out of her drawer!), Easton's Bible, a book, and a grill fork (with tongs still covered, fortunately!). And yes, that's an EMPTY egg carton in his hands.

In case you didn't notice, this is all in one day--same shirt there.
I'm exhausted! I might be getting too old for this! :)

Tyrell's First Cornrows

I think I'm falling in love with my little man all over again! With a LOT of help from older brother and sister, I managed to get his hair confined to five cornrows.
As his curls are getting longer and thicker, it has been taking more time to detangle and he likes it less and less. This winter weather is also really hard on his hair, making it hard to keep moisturized and thus from suffering breakage, so I thought some corn rows might solve several of those issues.
He has a spot there right in the middle of the back of his head which is literally two inches shorter than the rest of his hair. This was quite challenging to get braided, and it's not staying in very well (thank you car seat!), but I'm hoping by braiding it to help that spot grow back in.

Destry read Tyrell a pile of books while Briana fed him snacks and I braided just as fast as my fingers would fly. chuckle It was pretty interesting.
But to see those eyes emphasized and their sparkle shining--well, that's definitely worth it!

Learning to Pray

I was excited to receive a copy of The Barber Who Wanted to Pray by R.C. Sproul in exchange for my review. The artwork alone, painted by T. Lively Fluharty, makes the book worth reading. My children are drawn to the cover, choosing the book again and again.
My impressions of the book, however, are mixed. The story is not very appealing to the children. Rarely do they lose interest in a book--they will sit for a full hour listening to us read. But they get distracted and wiggly when we read this book. Easton generally pulls out another book to look at once we're about halfway through the book. I think the tone is a little too "preachy" for children.

The story, such as it is, begins with a father spending devotional time with his children. I like that example of fathers reading the Bible to the children as a common occurrence. Then one of the little girls asks "Daddy, your prayers are beautiful. Sometimes I want to cry for joy when I listen to your prayers. But my prayers seem so simple and weak. I'm almost embarrassed and ashamed to pray out loud. Daddy, can you teach me how to pray in a way that will make Jesus happy and will make me feel more comfortable?"

The parable of the publican and the Pharisee comes to mind. Indeed, in my experience as a mother, I have many times wondered if our Heavenly Father hears my children's prayers from their simple, trusting sincerity more readily than He hears the "eloquent, pontificating prayers" of some of us adults. While I frequently "pray Scripture", especially phrases from the Psalms or pleas for "wisdom from above that is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" or to be "clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience", I hesitate at reducing this avenue we have of approaching God to such formulaic measures.

Back to the book, the daddy tells his children a story of Martin Luther writing a short book in answer to a barber's request for advice on how to pray. Luther said that if one would pray while reflecting on the Ten Commandments, the "Lord's Prayer" and the Apostles' Creed, he would "never run out of things to pray about." (As an aside, I personally have found age and maturity--indeed, life-- to provide ample material for prayer. I sometimes get overwhelmed at all the things I need to pray about! What do I *not* need to pray about?!)

I think this book is nice to have on hand when studying the reformation time period of history. It's an interesting way to introduce children to Martin Luther, and it does broach the subject of prayer in a way that opens conversations with the children regarding the purpose of prayer and how to pray. As I mentioned earlier, I also liked the God-centered example of the daddy leading the family in the study of Scripture. Too few books written for our children today present such a family as the norm.

Any Connection to Adoption?

Six years after beginning our adoption journeys, I have discovered a wonderful little resource for adoptive parents, potential adoptive parents, foster parents, and anyone who wants to support their friends or relatives who are traveling (or especially beginning) an adoption journey.
The premise of this ebook is a familiar one--you must take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of others. I've been reading Sharla Kostelyk's blog, The Chaos and the Clutter, for only a short time but have discovered in her a kindred spirit (except that she loves washing dishes--I can't relate to THAT! chuckle). The warm, conversational tone of her blog comes through in her book. Reading it is like sitting down for a good chat with a friend who has been there--indeed, is yet in the trenches beside you.

My favorite part of Shield: A Framework of Self-Care for Foster and Adoptive Families is the chapter on building a support network. In many ways, I had a great support group, but there are certain things people just don't know if they haven't had prior connections to adoption. If I were adopting now for the first time, I think I would buy a few copies of this to pass out to close friends and family! :)

As Sharla says, "It is important to prepare them for what lies ahead and to let them know what you will need from them. Do not assume that just because you have been there to support them in the past, they will be there to support you. Also, don't assume that they will know how to support you without being asked."

I remember explaining to close friends and family that our children wouldn't have had the experience of knowing my sounds and smells from their time in the womb, so I would be spending a lot of time with them at home, holding them, being the one to feed and change them, so they would know ME as their mama. It felt a little uncomfortable to both say and follow through on that, although people accepted it graciously, but how nice it would have been to have a little booklet to hand them which says "if you want to be the only one who is able to hold your child, people will be much more prepared and less likely to be offended if it has been explained to them ahead of time." (for more FANTASTIC information on attachment, check out this series my dear friend Kat is sharing as she prepares to bring home her daughter Jael--and pray for little Jael's attachment while you're at it).

Sharla's book has a lot of common sense advice which is easy to implement, yet it's also necessary to remind us that if we are running on empty, we have nothing with which to serve others. I appreciated her simple, practical steps to fall back on during a challenging time. This book is easy and compact and useful in passing on tips to successfully build a shield of self-care in the preparation for and process of adoption.

Math's Sanctifying Properties

When I first started homeschooling more than ten years ago, I heard that math is frequently the weakest area in home educated students. Oh, my shameful pride! I thought that wouldn't be the weak area in our program (I was sure it would be science).

You see, math was pretty easy for me. I actually liked it. But being a good student of math is not the same as being a good TEACHER of math.

This week, math has been demonstrating its sanctifying properties in *my* heart. It is teaching me patience, humility, and attempting to teach me self-control (we won't talk about the torn magazine cover).

I actually think factoring polynomials is fun. It's a fun challenge: Solve 21w(squared, don't know how to make that) - 41w + 10 = 0. So you list the factors of 21 (21 and 1, 7 and 3) along with the factors of 10 (1 and 10, 2 and 5) and you determine which combination will give you a -41 in the middle. There's something crazy in the way my brain works--I just see it.

(It's rather like the bizarre way my brain works when I play Bunco with friends. Bunco, you may already know, is a totally mindless and mind-numbing game in which you roll three dice and try to get a certain number. The first round you and your partner try to get more ones than the other pair, the second round you try to get more twos, etc. It's really about getting together with friends, eating yummy food, and leaving the kiddos home with daddy for a night. But sometimes I roll the dice and I see that even though we're on round five and I got a two, a three and a one--so my turn should be over--well, I could add the two and three and multiply by one and THAT would be a five! Or I could multiply the two and three and subtract one and THAT would be a five! And one of these days I am going to find someone to play it with me this way just once. If you get the number by manipulating the numbers on the dice you roll and use all three dice, now THAT should be a Bunco and worth 21 points. But I digress. . .)

I wonder now if it's about the way my brain works, or if I just had better teachers than my son has had. Because he doesn't see it. (and in case you missed it, *I* am his teacher. sigh)

Now, admittedly he used to be very good at math. I actually think this is part of his problem. Math has always been easy for him and he has never had to work at it. And I've let him be lazy. I always thought it was dumb to have to show all my work when I did half of it in my head anyway, so I didn't make him show all those steps. Now he needs to work at it, and he needs to show his steps and he doesn't want to do either. Yes, math has sanctifying properties for both of us.

He started Algebra in Math U See last year and got through lesson 21 of 35. It was a struggle, but he got a low B. I wanted him to have a strong foundation in Algebra and regretted letting him take it at the age of 13, so I decided this year he would do Algebra in a different curriculum and we chose the Life of Fred. Ironically, we started factoring polynomials this week, which was lesson 21 of MUS. And we're butting heads again.

I'm glad it's Friday and we don't have to do math again for a couple days. But what should we do as we approach a "second semester"? Should we go back to MUS and finish *that* curriculum, starting back with factoring polynomials (because MUS actually does a better job explaining why you do what you do and has video instruction)?? Or should we continue on with Life of Fred?

Or maybe I should order Saxon and a Dive cd. . .or Teaching Textbooks. . .or hire a tutor. . .

Filling the Freezer

Last weekend we completed our annual chicken butchering, uh, festivities. It's not the most fun a person ever has, but we sure enjoy eating the chicken so that makes it worth it. (Sorry Jenn, I know you never enjoy this routine, but here it is anyway. )
Destry was the official killer this year. First he caught the chickens, two at a time, then he took them to the "killing station" where he stuffed them down into a couple empty oil jugs which were nailed upside-down on the side of the chicken house. He pushed the chicken's head through the bottom opening and slit its throat, which killed it and allowed it to bleed out. An advantage we've found to this method (rather than wringing the neck or chopping the head off) is that the jug holds the chicken still which reduces bruising and wings breaking. It also seems to get all the blood out better.Then Destry carried the chickens to the "processing station" by our back porch where he dipped the chickens in scalding water for about 30 seconds and then put them in the infamous chicken plucker that Alan built several years ago.
After the chickens were plucked, Alan took the chickens to the "gutting table" where he removed their guts and cut off their heads and feet. We didn't keep the gizzards this year, so no one had to clean them out (the most disgusting job, in my opinion). Then the chickens went to the vat of ice cold water to get nice and cold because I can't stand cutting up a warm chicken. bleck
The final steps took place inside. Destry even got in on some of the fun of bagging the chickens. I had to be obnoxious to get him to smile--you can just guess what it took to make him grin like this.
Yay for a freezer full of meat! It seems a little silly to have fifty chickens in the freezer when we expect to be moving soon, but it sure is yummy and I guess I could give chicken as a thank you gift to anyone who wants to help me pack! :)