Dropping you a line...

A fun little card that I wish I had thought up the idea for. For the moment I can’t tell you who did, either because the book is back at the library. I will add the info when I find out again.

Edited to add: The inspiration for this card came for the book Stamped and Beaded Cards.

Of course I couldn’t just follow directions and do it their way. I added dry and heat embossing (the dry embossing was using Fiskar’s texture plates) and some patterned paper with the “Just dropping you a line” that looks like a fish hook and fishing line.

The fun part of course was the window. The liquid is in a tiny jewelry baggie filled with hand sanitizer and some glitter, although I know the book suggested hair gel. The problem with that was the only hair gel in the house was yellow and well, umm...no, I just couldn’t do that. I will just leave that thought alone.

A word of caution, use whatever liquid you put in there sparingly because it expands when warm. If there are air bubbles, which there should be a few in there for effect, they will expand also. I know being a homeschool mom and all I should be able to report the scientific reason why. I promise we will get to that experiment soon. I will report on it when we get it done, really. Tiny seed beads can be used instead or in addition to the glitter and I am going to see what liquid soap looks like in the window.

Leave me a comment for more specific instructions.

Duckling

I have a paper addiction. There, I’ve said it. (Actually I have a collection of hobbies, but paper has been in the forefront lately.)

My compulsion most often manifests in card making. I started a set of “quilt block” cards a while back. I need to work on adding stitching. But this was one of my favorites.

The idea for quilt cards was inspired by Bridget Hoff's book Paper Quilting. The design by Vanessa-Ann.

The Road to Reading with Roo and Boo

Homeschoolers first hurdle seems to be the reading one. The measure which many of our family and friends judge our success on is whether or not little Johnny is reading. And even when the opinions of homeschool are positive there is a general belief by the friends and family that the child will be reading earlier than their public and private school counterparts.

Most homeschoolers, although not all, know that blanket stereotype is a fallacy. Especially ones with independent streaks, free-thinkers and stubborn types. I had one of each, one child read relatively early, although not precociously so. The other…well…said he couldn’t/wouldn’t read. Until recently.

Roo was reading very early, 4ish and I enjoyed working with him so much. He is a real people pleaser and still is today, even though he is getting a bit ummm…confident. He enjoyed being read to and we would sit as long as my voice could hold out. But then he stalled out at about 7.

Looking back now, I see he was busy learning other things. His math skills bloomed early also, and at about 6 he decided to focus on that. Now at early 9 he has his nose in a book all the time. If he wants to know how something works he gets a book from the library and finds out. He has gotten back into fiction again too. We’ve also resumed read alouds together. A joy to his book-freak, library-loving, bookstore venturing mommy’s heart.

Boo…well, Boo made me feel like hitting my head on a wall. He repeatedly told me he wanted to "just be a little boy." Peter Pan could not have been more stubborn. He was very insistent he didn't want to read. Did not want me to read to him (for a book junkie like me that was devastating) and just wanted to play. He didn't want to do math either. He MOST DEFINITELY did not want to do what his older sibling was doing. Most people will say their #2s WANT to do what big brother/sister is doing. No way, not my little guy.

So with some fear (okay, a lot of fear) I just let it go for a while. I will admit to having a suspicion I was being duped. But I really felt like life was a battle and I felt I was losing the heart of my dear sweet boy.

I wrote this about him over a year ago: “Boo and I have struggled lately. He is very content being a child. He is in stubborn and silly mode. He is also working on communicating without talking. Since telepathy is not my thing, Boo has been pointing a lot, making his own sign language and “squeaking.” I think what is really going on is he wants to see how fast he can make me lose it.

There has been a lot of backing off on my part. There has been a lot of figuring out whether something is important to me now because it really is something Boo needs to know or if I am worried if he doesn’t seem to know it people will think I am an awful teacher. Ouch. I said it.

That said, there are days I know he is pulling a fast one on me. Nope, don’t want to do numbers. Nope, don’t want to do handwriting. Don’t want to be read to and don’t want to read. Then we play cards. Or we are at a store. Or I sneak one in. “What does that say?” Ooops! He can read. He can figure out not only what cards are in his hand, but how many to draw and then lay down a run. Stinker. “


So we took the unschooling/relaxed-eclectic approach with Boo. Roo got the benefit of this also and I think it served him well. Boo decided he would watch movies with the sub-titles on. He told me he was learning to read. I shook my head and let him. He still kept insisting he did not want to sit at the table with me, or on the couch or wherever if it involved a book.

Now at mid-6 I am sure I was being duped. We have stepped up the pace and expectations a little bit. Boo will still tell me he "can't" whatever I request. But amazingly "can." He can do quite a bit if he is in a good mood. So he is one of the later start children. He does things willingly only if he feels it will benefit him. And what makes something a benefit, I still don't know completely.

He discovered Charlie Brown. Guess what. Roo would read those to him for a while, I would read those to him for a while, then he was on his own. I am sorry, I know for a mommy wanting her boy to read, you’d think I would have read each one…but I just couldn’t.

Sooooooooo…Boo started reading them himself. Checking out volume after volume at the library. Sitting and reading. He and Roo received the complete Calvin and Hobbes for the holidays. I don’t know about the wisdom of sharing Calvin (an old favorite of mine) with my sons. But they will spend an easy hour reading to each other. So it’s got to have some good.

Patience is a virtue and mine has been tested. God gave me both sons to teach, but also to learn from. Roo has taught me about marching through the day to day with confidence. Boo has taught me to look upon odd alternatives as good learning opportunities. They both have taught me what a wonderful, patient Father I have.

Count it all joy.

Technorati tags: books, children, homeschool, parenting, reading

Prayer of St. Francis

by Sebastian Temple

1. Make me a channel of your peace
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.
Where there is injustice, your pardon, Lord,
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.

2. Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness only light,
And where there's sadness ever joy.

3. O Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved, as to love, with all my soul.

4. Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we're born to eternal life

When Even the Hot Flashes Don't Keep You Warm

There is nothing that shuts off my “mommy instincts” faster than the flu. My usual overprotective meddling self jumps ship and the me I remember BC (that would be before children) kicks in and all my body wants to do is hibernate in a dark room with covers over my head.

About halfway through Boo’s schoolwork yesterday it hit me and it hit hard.

Thankfully I have two great boys who are learning some degree of self-sufficiency, so I can compromise on my ugly pink recliner under a pile of blankets and they can check in and update me with the latest Jedi conquest, Transformer mutations and Bionicle mumbo-jumbo. Roo, after accomplishing much of his school work independently, spread out a role playing LOTR game on the floor and kept track of the alarm I set so I don’t really find my way to total la la land.

Amazingly it passed through quickly and I was functional again in the afternoon. Kind of achey and tired, but functional…

Just in time for Darling Cave Geek to alert me that he is unemployed…

Well that came out of the blue.

Strangely, there is a calm in my heart at the moment. I have felt we were in for some changes and Darling always tells me I am "weird" about my “feelings” so I am trying to wait and see what God has prepared for us…

As I started my Bible reading today I almost gasped to find this was part of it:

Psalm 23

The LORD, the Psalmist's Shepherd.

A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Because you say it LORD, I will believe it.

Waiting…

We Don't Do Princess Stories Often

Obviously this house has more testosterone than estrogen…Roo was working out homophones the other day for school and the sentence said something about a princess going to a _____.

After much scratching of head and begging for some insight, because the princess could have gone to the bank or the play also…he asked if I would accept either of those. Well…I suggested he walk through the possible word list one more time. Outloud. Finally he caught the word, but I have to wonder if he really, truly understands the concept of a ball from a party and dancing aspect. I would hazard a guess that he doesn’t. But that is okay, he is a little too young to be worried about being Prince Charming…yet.

I rarely enjoy all those forwarded e-mails, but I liked this one:


This is very timeless and poignant...

1. Life isn't fair, but God is still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile!
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14 If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
17. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
18. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
19. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
20. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
21. What other people think of you is none of your business.
22. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
23. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
24. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
25. Believe in miracles.
26. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
27. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
28. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
29. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
30. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
31. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
32. If you don't ask, you don't get.
33. Yield.
34. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

On Thick Ice

Dear Ms. Hummer Driver,

I don’t care that you think you own the road. It matters not to me that you are assured you can climb a mountain in that vehicle. The back of my car belongs to me and I did not invite you to sit in the backseat. For future reference, I do not drive 70mph in a zone posted for 35mph. Never. Ever. Especially when it is icy. Yes, yes, I remember you have a Hummer. I don’t. I don’t care that you do. You cannot make me go faster by nudging me along.

And by the way—the Hawaiian good luck sign doesn’t make me go faster or feel worse.

Have a lovely day.

~Me~

P.S. I say prayers that people like you don’t hurt people. Yes, I know you are safe because you have a Hummer. I was praying for the other people out there.




For thought: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

The weekend was supposed to be a weekend alone for my Darling Cave Geek and me. We had his company party to go to one night and a date planned the other. Roo and Boo were off to Grandma and Grandpa’s where cool Auntie and exuberant cousins also live. I was really looking forward to Darling Cave Geek and I having the first time alone for more than three years, but was still dreading how much I would miss the boy-barians.

Well the weather stepped up and we are under a coating of ice. No solo weekend, no quiet dinner for two. But my sweeties are under the same roof and there are no worries about how they will behave or what they would be doing without our guidance. Thankfully Darling and I are in agreement on how to raise the boys. And he's not too disappointed, either.

Family weekend together…food in the pantry, no one visiting…children pounding through the house like a herd of turtles…priceless.

Yes, I am overprotective, just for the record.

The Flip-Side

Organizing my family

Or...

Why do only grown-ups get to decide what to do with their possessions/gifts?

Forums and on-line discussions tout the joys of streamlining our lives and the health and joy that this will bring. A dear, dear friend desires a more Spartan way of living. This person would be very thrilled if my pack-rat tendencies were exchanged for California Closets and Clean Sweep. I wouldn’t advise her holding her breath. In this season of decluttering and organizing, I pause to wonder…why do people give children gifts and then tell them they must get rid of them? Why doesn’t the child get to decide when their possessions leave the house—or do they really not belong to the child? Do children not have rights of ownership? Is mine, mine and my sons’ mine because they dwell in our home. Isn’t it their home too?

Disclaimer: I love my parents and feel they gave me a pretty good life and a lot of opportunities. We have a good relationship, so don’t take too much to heart over, or read too much into the meanderings of my rant.

I guess this has dragged around in my mind/heart for near forty years. When I was little, very little, I threatened to run away. Foolish? Yes. My mother told me I needed to wait to tell my Dad “Goodbye.” He didn’t to my recollection, tell me I would be missed, or to be careful. He told me instead to take a suitcase and I could only take what was “mine.” That is only what was purchased with my money. Well of course I had no money, therefore, I had nothing. Now I know I didn’t run away. I realize this taught me that my parents provided for my needs and I was never lacking material things. But somewhere in there the message I got was, if you don’t pay for it, it is not yours. Even if we gave it to you, even if Grandma gave it to you. We decide because we are grown-ups.

I am going to go ahead and say it…Thankfully God doesn’t do this to us. His gift to us is ours and we can do with it what we want. And that was one of those things “I will never do to my children.” You know the laundry list…”When I have children…I will never do____”

Last year on a forum I frequented, I made the audacious claim that my oldest son did not want me to give/throw/sell certain items he may have outgrown. I was most interested in selling his things for him on E-bay and would have willingly given him the money to do with as he wanted. I was informed with some condescension that Roo was a child and he would get over it, take a picture and pitch the items, and mostly that I needed to exercise a little authority and my life would be better through simplified living and better behaved children.

Well…I never brought that topic up again there. I allowed Roo to keep the items, stored in a tote in the garage and we haven’t ended up in Juvenile Hall yet. To hear them tell it we were on our way to the road of destruction.

I will agree if your child is four and Cousin Eddie gives him movies of Jason and Freddie, perhaps you should invoke your parental rights and not allow the gift to give more than your family needs. I get that, I really do. And if Nana gives five year-old Janie Bratz dolls and they do not fit you’re your family’s choices and beliefs, and you told Nana this two hundred times before the holidays…well I won’t think that is awful if they got “lost”. Dangerous, broken, immoral, totally age inappropriate things,—I do understand, but these aren’t the things I am addressing. And I understand the concept of space, or rather the lack of space. And having moved with my Darling Cave Geek thirteen times in fourteen years, I know that this old wreck of a body can only carry a certain number of boxes.

But at some point it started to bother me that my children were not allowed to own what was given them or what they purchased with their money. Perhaps it was when I took stock of what I was still dragging around and keeping in storage that it became clear to me that I couldn’t say the boys had to get rid of the Little People yet. We drag them out a couple times a year still, and after we make a huge zoo in the living room they get to be the visitors. Thomas and all his friends make up the train that goes around along with the GeoTrax. And, well…when Boo outgrows the zoo animals and dinos, man…I am going to keep them. I have some cool art ideas.

Perhaps I will start by “modeling” the organization and streamlining of collections. Last year I did give/throw/sell a lot of my stuff. And, yes, it still multiplies. But I am to the point where I think I will allow the boys equitable storage in the limited amount we have. I think I will work on me before I try to change them. Permissive? Maybe. But as they grow emotionally and spiritually, I think they will learn the joys of giving on their own. I can force them to give, but don’t see how it will change their heart. But if I demonstrate it…? Maybe. As they become wise in handling their money, I think they will learn to let go of some things in favor of the things they really want. But if I make them do it now…well…I don’t see the value. If I teach the values and live them, there might be more chance.

We are blessed beyond measure with abundance and the cares and trappings of the world to often get in the way of the One who gives us true joy. I know Yeshua told the rich young ruler to sell all he owned. But He didn’t pound him over the head with it and he didn’t tell him to go home and organize all his buddies and make them sell all they owned too. We will be working on this, but thankfully with the grace that we have been given and the realization that it is not a salvation issue.

I sound cranky, don’t I? And still with thanksgiving for our bounty and prayers we will be kind and wise…still searching for the joy.



Deep pondering for today:
Did you know that if you crave chocolate and eat about eight or nine olives….……… you still crave chocolate???? Who’da thunkit??

‘Tis the season

For organization, I hear.

It’s not happening much around this house. The tree is still up. The books are still piled. The year plan hasn’t made it from my brain to the calendar. Hmmmm…

I guess I talk about organization a lot in real life. One friend, seemed concerned that I was an organization junkie, and told me that too much organization can be a problem, i.e. when you are more concerned about the system v. the children.

Well too much organization could be a problem, but you have to start with some to ever get to too much. I just talk about it a lot.

Holidays, Nutcracker and getting sick all would have set anyone back, but if there had been a good system in place it would have been easier to crawl out. I am trying to keep plodding through. Sitting down and throwing my hands in the air in desperation and then losing myself in a book is probably not the way to go. So we press on.

Today’s joy—finding 3 packs of turkey sausage in the freezer. Roo doing his school work so willingly and well. Boo’s smoochy snuggles. Darling being home when his mom called.

Grace is what God gives us when we don’t deserve and mercy is when God doesn’t give us what we do deserve. –anonymous