I've Got This!

All week, we've watched the same 10 episodes of He-Man over and over. Ugh...so done. But the kids have been insistent. "Daddy, when can we sit in your lap and watch He-Man?" It occurred to me almost instantly, these little children of mine are programmed to cram everything into a few days on the weekend. They fight for their daddy time, fight for meaningful time spent with us. I think it will be several weeks before they realize that we'll no longer adhere to that routine. That we're free to love on each other at 10am for example. That we can spend more time together laughing at the E*Trade baby, more time fighting over who is going to pick up that giant fuzzy bug in the kitchen floor. These are the things that I can understand as an adult to be the best times of our lives. My kids don't get it right now. They miss their class-mates and still talk about school as if they're on an extended break. I knew it would be something we'd have to work through, and I'm just so thankful that because they're so little, they have had a positive experience with school. I'm also extremely thankful that even though they miss their friends, they're excited and happy to be at home with me!

On another topic, I have been a cleaning machine! It feels so good to be a keeper at home. I have been on such a crazy schedule for so long with everything and everybody else demanding all of my time, that this last week has been amazingly productive. Inside the walls of our home, I have changed a bathroom faucet, re-organized our pantry, cleaned our kitchen top to bottom, painted the room we're now going to use as our school room, written out our favorite 21 meals, Bug helped with this task:) and so many more small things that I've just had to set aside for so long! I'm loving the idea of making a kitchen binder to hold our favorite recipes, meal planning stuff...anything to do with the kitchen. OOOH! Another thing I did that I'm extremely proud of, I made a cleaning kit. The beautiful thing about this is that I used some pretty kid-friendly items so that the Bug and my Sweet Boy can help me out. They LOVE to help me wipe and dust and vacuum (but cry while cleaning their rooms?!). I got a TON of terrific ideas about keeping my home from Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. It's funny that I know what to do and how to clean, but love to read about how other people do things. I find it inspiring for some reason. Okay, that's enough I think to sum up this last week. Except, I have to say, my husband's birthday came and went and he now shares his birthday with the horrible Haiti earthquake:( My heart has been hurting for that place. I feel...well, probably the same as you all feel. Sick. Helpless. I feel like prayer, although necessary and powerful, just somehow isn't enough. And who am I to say that?? God is sovereign over all. He knew this day was coming long before we did. And I have to trust that whatever happens from here on out, things will work out according to His perfect will and plan. And I must also say, I just love Dr. Charles Stanley. I absolutely do NOT know what I would do without his ministry. I loooove www.intouch.org and use it daily for precious time spent with Jesus. I am encouraging you all to go there and explore if you haven't. I think it will be a blessing to you.


I need some feedback: I'm looking for computer software for the kids, learning games, etc...any ideas or specific things you use or have wanted to try??

Please be praying for the quick recovery and healing for the families affected by today's earthquake!! Such a tragic day for Haiti.

Keeper of the Home : Time to Get Organized!

I sooo just got myself in trouble starting this blog! I have seen many blogs, in fact, it was just about a week ago that I read my first blog on purpose. So, I guess it's safe to say I'm obsessed with blogging right now, and naturally, my next step into the blogging world would be this one. Wanna know how the sickness began? Read on.

My husband and I have been praying for a year about the decision whether or not to homeschool our 2 kids. We actually started out (half-heartedly) homeschooling our little girl, who I'll call Bug, in Kindergarten. It proved itself to be difficult, and at the time I was distracted by anti-depressant induced health issues, and was also faced with the reality of needing to go back to work to help out with finances. So, needless to say, I gave up. Quickly. In the meantime, I reluctantly dragged my baby into public school (the "best" of what this town has to offer-in our neighborhood, mind you). She was scared to death having never been away from her mother (no pre-school experience) and I HATED to leave her at a school all day. For I had never experienced this separation from my baby. It was a drastic change and a horrible feeling I won't soon forget. My sweet son, who was just 3 at the time, was safe with family while I went to work, so leaving him wasn't nearly as gut-wrenching.

So, Bug went to school. I went to work. My dear husband, went to work. My sweet son went to Grami's. Then I quit work, and started up a restaurant with my parents. NO SMALL TASK. Sweet Son started Pre-school at the local Charter school, while Bug attended 1st grade at the same school. Fortunately, during this time, the kids were chosen at random to attend the charter school together. They were now in a safe, loving environment that I felt better about leaving them in all day. So, the restaurant was busy growing, my family was busy growing, and I was just busy busy.
STOP THE INSANITY!!

And this brings us to where I am now...my daughter is in 2nd grade, my son a kindergartner. They are both doing very well at the local charter school. Excellent grades, wonderful teachers, superb principal and staff. And might I add, it takes years to get into this school. There's literally a waiting list that you sign them up for at BIRTH and hope they get in for Kindergarten or 1st grade. It's CRAZY! But it's an excellent school, so I understand why. Yet, I still feel the tug on my heart-strings (namely, the Holy Spirit) to bring my babies home with me. Did I mention I'm not working at the restaurant now? I feel comfortable, like I said, with the school and everthing about it. Except something is missing from my kids' daily lives. Enough Family. Ample Bible teaching. A 24/7 Christian worldview which they cannot have at their age without constant guidance! These are just a few things in number, but they are HUGE in my personhood. These three things are EVERYTHING in my life. The legacy I wish to leave these children is solely the knowledge that Jesus Christ is real and available to them and to everyone. I want my kids to know Jesus. I want my grandkids to know Jesus.

You get the point, so this is it. On January, 14, 2010, we will remove our 2 children from the charter school that we love, so that we may obey our God and pursue our rightful responsibility in training up our children in the way that they should go. It is with extremely great humility that I take on this task, knowing full well that I am NOT a teacher, that it's NOT all gonna be cupcakes and merry-go-rounds, and that we will have our struggles. Heck we may even fail, but I'll know in my gut that I obeyed God Almighty in this. So, therefore I'll leave any and all consequences of my obedience to Him.

So, to answer that first question...I was researching curriculum and stumbled upon some of the most amazing homeschooling/homemaking blogs. Some of them are chock-full of info, tips, and resources for all things related to the subject(s). From there, a new sickness was born, a research bug has bitten me. I'll share more of what I find over time through links on this blog. Yay me! I'm officially a blogger, and soon to be very happy mom with her children at home under foot and in training:)

On My Face