Schedule and Chores Update

So, when I started this "Homeschool Mom's Bootcamp" I'm pretty sure I mentioned that I tend to start something all gung-ho and then fall off the wagon.

Can I claim I fell off the wagon this time just to prove that point?

Really I did complete my daily schedule and it's WONderful!  It's changed our days completely as we all know what we're supposed to be doing and when.  Even the youngest two have a better routine to their days and are enjoying their times of designated play.

But the chore packs are a completely different story.  I haven't even started them and I'm completely out of the mood.

I wistfully review the list of changes I wanted to make when I first read 21 Days to a More Disciplined life: 

• MOTH schedule
• finish Tyrell's adoption book
• decorate the house
• lose weight
• stop chewing my fingernails
• develop a chore system
• organize a homeschool yearbook
• update my household management book
• start a freezer cooking system

Nah.  That wagon simply looks too high for me to jump back on it.  Maybe I'll have another flash of energy next year.  At least I got my MOTH schedule finished, right?

Jewel of Persia

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading Jewel of Persia by Roseanna White, which was the November selection for Carrie's book club.  I'm not generally a fan of fictionalized Bible stories, but this story was less about Esther and more about the historical time period and the fictional Kasia.  I have to admit I was impressed by the historical information she incorporated into the story.

In a nutshell, it's a love story about a fictional Jewish girl who becomes one of King Xerxes's wives as he is seeking to expand the kingdom.  There are undercurrents of conflict due to the false god the Persians serve and the One True God of the Jews.  As the spiritual battle comes to a head, Esther is chosen to be the queen and bravely appeals to the king to allow her people to defend themselves against Hamen's edict.

I enjoyed White's writing as I was sucked into the plot and made to care about the characters.  She did a good job presenting Xerxes as a well-rounded character who struggled between his personal feelings as a man and his duties and power as king.  There were also sub-plots going on as the former queen and Hamen conspired against the Jews and a Jewish man struggled simultaneously with his vocational calling, his desires, and submission to the Lord.

White illustrated many spiritual concepts including forgiveness, repentance, submission, trust in the Lord's deliverance, remaining faithful in difficult times and even under persecution, the power of prayer, and sacrificial love.  I mention these themes because two of my biggest complaints against so-called Christian fiction are 1) the poor writing and 2) the wimpy spiritual themes.  Often they stamp a "christian" label on it just because the characters go to church or something similar rather than truly addressing spiritual concepts.  Many books not labeled as "christian fiction", especially classics, do a better job illustrating redeeming themes than our modern christian fiction genre.  (stepping off soapbox)

While I probably shouldn't get hung up on it since it's really not the point of the book, I can't help dwelling on the idea of sharing my husband with other wives.  While White doesn't go into inappropriate detail on Xerxes's marital (and extramarital!) relations, she nevertheless paints a vivid picture of life in a harem.  I will just say right here that I am far too possessive, jealous, insecure, selfish, and whatever other words you would like to use to calmly and lovingly accept the necessity of my husband paying attention to his other wives and providing them with children.

Overall, I enjoyed this read and am glad Annette chose it.  I liked it well enough I am seriously considering adding another Roseanna White title (perhaps A Stray Drop of Blood) to my incredibly long list of books I would like to read some day.

We Love Because He First Loved Us

I've been doing this really great study from Deuteronomy that is encouraging and convicting and inspiring all at the same time.  I've especially enjoyed how much the Lord addressed love, both His for His people and their commanded love of Him, throughout the Law.

I would have never made the connection that the teacher, Beth Moore, made between I John 4:19 and two well-known passages from Deuteronomy, but I've been pondering this connection for several days.

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 we are commanded to love God and to teach our children to love Him.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

As Beth said, "the loving drives the living" making God the center of every thing.  Sobering to me was the point that we "can't impress upon our children what we don't have."  I must love Him first before I will be able to effectively point my children to Him.

We love. . .
because as Deuteronomy 7:6-9 explains, He first loved us.

6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,

According to the study, there are three different Hebrew words in the above passage that are translated into the English word 'love'.  What I got from the word study is that God loves us with a love that is steadfast, faithful and loyal and also with a love that has an emphasis on emotion and delights in us (as a parent delights in a child).  Sometimes we get hung up on one or the other, but God has both.

Some people err on the side of loving God in the sense of faithfulness--duty and obedience--over emotional connection and adoration of Him.  Still other times, we are tempted to be all touchy-feely about the Lord and think our extreme emotions replace the need for obedience.  As in so many other areas, it seems to me the pendulum is intended to hang in the middle and incorporate both rather than swinging from one side to the other.  God's example is certainly the one to emulate.

Because He loves us and gave His Son in order to reconcile us to Him, we have the privilege of loving Him.  He loved us while we were yet sinners, not because we are so amazing or righteous or easy to love.  I'm prompted to not only love because He first loved me, but also to love as He first loved me.

What's On Your Nightstand?

I like the idea of rounding up the books I'm reading or want to read soon just to organize them in my own brain before I'm reading ten books at once and never manage to finish one, so I'm participating in Jennifer's fun "What's On Your Nightstand" post.

 I've been reading several books lately and I hope to finish all of them in the next week or two so I can get to some other books on my list.

• True Community:  The Biblical Practice of Koinonia by Jerry Bridges is very good.  According to my Kindle, I'm 35% of the way through it.  I'm reading it in small bites because I have to pause and chew on his words.  My favorite so far has been his perspective on four different ways we walk with the Lord.  Some people spend their entire lives in one of these camps, while for other people, they seem to tell the story of growth as we move through them like stages.

1.  I am going to do what's right for the Lord.  (on my own, in my own strength)
2.  I can't do anything myself so I'm going to "let go and let God". (I have no responsibility whatsoever)
3.  I'll do what I can and then I'll rely on God to pick up the difference. (my own strength until it runs out, then trust in God).
4.  God is empowering me every step of the way to accomplish His will in me and through me.

• The Kid Book by Vicki Barnes--This is on my Fall Reading Challenge and I'm enjoying it.  Surprisingly easy read (so don't ask me why it isn't finished, sigh).

• Age of Opportunity by Paul David Tripp--also on my Fall Reading Challenge.  An outstanding book.  Once I finish it, I would like to go back and read it again with my husband and apply to our parenting, especially of our teens.

• 7:  An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker.  I was intrigued by this idea when it was offered at a special price for my Kindle.  I just couldn't resist it.  "Jen and her family took seven months, identified seven areas of excess, and made seven simple choices to fight back against the modern-day diseases of greed, materialism, and overindulgence in the areas of  Food. Clothes. Spending. Media. Possessions. Waste. Stress."

• Raising Godly Tomatoes by L. Elizabeth Krueger is likely my very favorite parenting book.  I recently had two women from church asking me questions like "how do I get my child to submit to me?" and I recommended this book to them both and shared a few ideas of advice for their specific situations.  The next day one of them sent me this email:

 Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me!  I look up to you as a (slightly) older sister in Christ, who seems to have it all together -- a goal I'm striving for in my life.  :)  You and Alan are doing a magnificent job, and are an inspiration to me.  You give me hope!

Yikes!  After laughing at the notion of having it all together (any of us really--me for sure!) I decided I should read (AND APPLY) some of the wisdom shared in this book.  I'm only in the third chapter and feeling strong prodding to raise the standards around here.

Next we have a couple books I've recently received that I'm anxious to break into but I'm telling myself I have to finish at least two of the above-mentioned books before I start another one.

• The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies

• Unglued:  Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions by Lysa TerKeurst

Finally, we'll visit the last three books on my Fall Reading Challenge.

• The Age of Revolution by Winston Churchill--I started it some time ago but haven't picked it up in over a month.  I think I need to start it over.

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie--I haven't started it.

• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens--the December selection for Carrie's book club which I have not yet started.

Yes, I am fully aware that five of the books "on my nightstand" are not on my list for the Fall Reading Challenge.  As is my custom, I have once again been quite distracted from my initial goals.  I'm appreciating this chance to regroup and refocus my reading for the month of December.

Musical Memories

These are moments to treasure.

I was blessed to take my four oldest children to the Broadway musical, Beauty and the Beast over our wonderful Thanksgiving break.  I wasn't able to take pictures of them with my camera during the show, but I have mental pictures of their sweet, entranced faces stored away in my heart.

I especially enjoyed watching (and listening to!) Easton and Kiana, for whom it was their first Broadway musical.  Kiana was literally on the edge of her seat, glued to the show, sucked into the story and the characters.  Once she asked when Belle was going to wear her yellow dress, and during the intermission she commented on Gaston's belt being like Briana's.  I'm also treasuring memories of watching her fold her left arm into a handle and hold her right arm up as a spout so she could be a teapot like Mrs Potts.  Then there was the time she mimicked the candlestick by rising from her seat and swaying her little hips in rhythm to his sing song chant "it's time to break the ice".  Darling!

Easton, on the other hand, kept whispering questions and comment to me throughout the show. "How do they do that?!" "Is the house just a piece of wood?" "How are they making Chip like that? Is there a person's legs under there?" "It looks so real!" "Did you know the instruments are down under the stage?"

He was analyzing the entire show, trying to figure out how they did everything.  It was too precious for words.  I can just see them both being part of a production some day.  Kiana would be on stage, or perhaps in charge of costumes.  Easton would be the behind the scenes, designing sets and making sure all those special effects took place without a hitch.

Whatever they do, I hope this was just the first of many opportunities for them to enjoy the thrill of live theater. 

Here To Serve

It's been a busy week and I'm carving the rest of this week out for family and friends, but I'm going to quickly write one post just to share a few things with you that you won't want to miss.

• FOR THOSE WHO WANT A MEANINGFUL MOVIE TO WATCH:

I really feel like going on and on about Temple Grandin which our family recently watched.  It brought tears to my eyes more than once and was very encouraging and inspirational.  It made us consider how beautifully God makes each of us--different, but not less.  It's a powerful lesson in how to treat others, even those you might not understand.  It's a beautiful example of love, perseverance, and courage triumphing in the end.

I'll stop now, but you really should watch this movie as you're enjoying this holiday weekend.

• FOR THOSE WHO WANT BLACK HAIR CARE PRODUCTS AT A SLIGHTLY LOWER RATE:

Check out this amazing collection of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals!  If you have no idea where to start, I would suggest Blended Beauty and Bee Mine as my two favorite brands and they are both having sales.

• FOR THOSE WHO HOMESCHOOL AND/OR WANT TO DO SOMETHING FUN WITH YOUR KIDDOS:

(from http://www.freehomeschooldeals.com/)

 Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Lapbook

with Teacher’s Guide included!

This lapbook is valued at $15.99, currently on-sale for a limited time for $5.00, and yours FREE for a limited time.

Use coupon code: freehomeschooldeals8 at checkout on Currclick from 11/21-11/23/12

Your total for the  Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Lapbook will read $0.00 after using the above coupon code at checkout. You will not need to enter any credit card information.

ENJOY AND HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY!

Fun With Daddy: Weekly Wrap Up

Alan's job blesses him with several days of vacation time so he has been spending a little extra time at home.  The little ones have lots of fun with Daddy.  He just plays differently than Mommy does.

For example, he came up with the bright idea to build a play course for Easton's hamster.  I don't even know how long they spent designing and building this mess of blocks and cardboard tubes and then allowing the hamster (Fluffy, aka Chum and also "Hamstey") to make his way through it.  I do know, however, that the poor hamster slept really hard when he was placed back in his cage!

I thought Easton's play-by-play account of the obstacles was pretty cute!

 Alan was also the origin of this great new game--rolling pin bowling.  All you need is several empty milk jugs, an old rolling pin, and a creative daddy.  They spent a good half hour with this game and followed it with milk jug soccer.  I'm sure grateful for our nice large basement area for crazy play like this!

 Easton also had a friend over who shares his love for Legos.  They spent a couple focused hours building an alligator.  I was impressed with their diligence and attention span.

Even more than they enjoy playing with Daddy, the little ones are especially fond of working with Daddy.

 Here they are getting a pen ready for. . .

 three little pigs!  The little ones already have the piglets named:  Toot, Puddle, and Snuggle.  (All names of pigs from picture books in case you haven't figured that out.)

 We will be getting them tomorrow and the kids can hardly wait.  They're already claiming rights to feed them and Daddy is teaching them how to make sure the door is secured by shutting BOTH latches.

I thought it was really cute the way Tyrell pulled (and Daddy pushed) when there was only one brick in the wagon.

But once it was loaded, Tyrell "helped" Daddy by giving him a little push.

I'm not sure how much help the kids were with the skinning, stretching and drying of coon hides, but I snapped this shot as he was moving them anyway.  Trapping season is his favorite season of the year!

 What was really entertaining was the day Daddy helped with the fun craft idea we got from Aunt Marcy.

 The kids had a great time,

 and coloring with permanent markers was a rare treat,

 but there might have been a limit to the patience quotient.

 Their pictures were cute, but not quite as cute as Marcy's.  I think we'll have to try this one again!

 As for the big kids, school continues clipping right along.  It's just not terribly interesting to write about their experiences in algebra 2 and geometry, chemistry, or driver's ed (although I perhaps should write a post compiling all their fun stories from that last one!).  We're studying the age of revolutions in history, The Scarlet Letter in literature, and currently learning about opera in their music appreciation class.  Fascinating stuff, but I don't get a lot of pictures.

Briana, 4H Treasurer

We did, however, have our first 4H meeting after the installation of new officers.  The president was on vacation with her family, but pictured you'll see Briana, the treasurer, on the right with her friends Amanda and Amber who are the secretary and vice-president.  Being treasurer is providing her with a great opportunity for leadership and service as well as some money managing life skills.

Briana also gave a presentation to her club this week in which she reviewed the delightful book, Do Hard Things by Alex and Bret Harris.  She did a great job and is proving to be a "chip off the old block" with her gift of gab in public speaking.

It's been another incredibly busy week and I, for one, am THANKFUL that next week will be a short school week!