Spilled Laughter

Book Review: The Prophecy Answer Book

2011-07-23T08:47:00.004-05:00

The Prophecy Answer Book deals with Biblical prophecy concerning End Times. While I know the Bible is true, and full of prophecy on the subject, I have always been so busy dealing with the here and now that I haven't spent much time studying End Times Prophecy. This book is designed for just such a reader, someone who already believes the Bible to be true, and knows these prophecies are there, but has never really studied them. It is almost like a Frequently Asked Questions book for End Times Prophecy.

The Prophecy Answer book is a handy reference tool by Dr. David Jeremiah. Dr. Jeremiah is well-known for his sound theology, and is a trusted source of information on this topic. In the book, Dr. Jeremiah addresses common questions regarding Biblical prophecy, in a question-and-answer format. The book is divided into seven sections, to make it easier to find the answer to your specific question: Current Events, The Rapture, The Tribulation, The Antichrist, The Second Coming, The Millennium, and The New Heaven and the New Earth.

This book is not a page-turner, but it's not designed to be one. If you are looking for solid, Biblical answers to questions about prophecy, this book is a great tool. This would also make an excellent gift book for friends who are interested in Biblical prophecy.

I received this book from www.booksneeze.com, and am glad to have it in my library!

Mom Heart registration discount

2010-12-28T11:02:00.002-06:00

Only three more days to receive the Early Bird Discount! Register by December 31 for $20 off regular registration rates.

Take the time to nourish your mom heart! You will be blessed and rejuvenated!

My Mom Heart Matters!

2010-12-07T00:37:00.004-06:00

When I first read Clay & Sally Clarkson's books in 2001, I felt the Lord speaking directly to my soul, "Here is a road map for how to raise children who thirst for me." Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this time of renewing! Sally Clarkson will encourage you, and she will show you how to inspire your children. This conference will change the way you see your children, and help you to be the mom the Lord has created you to be. Join me at the Dallas conference, February 18-19, 2011! Register before December 31 for only $79! (This is a fantastic Christmas present....hint...hint...hint!)

Sometimes And Maybe

2010-05-14T16:28:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, if you listen,
then sometimes you will hear
the sometimes birds that sing their song,
sometimes, into your ear.

And maybe, if you look,
then maybe you will see
the maybe flies that float around
so very merrily.

~~by Ranguvar

The Shadow

2010-05-10T14:07:00.005-05:00

The Shadow
by Ranguvar, formerly known as Padme

The sun is bright, the sky is light.
So why does it feel like night?
It is the middle of the day
So why does this spot look so gray?
Over there, everything is warm and jeweled;
Over here, everything is dark and cool.

I will never understand
How day and night work hand in hand.
And if, I think, I even tried
To know how they work side by side
My brain would burst!
It's so complex!
Oh, great, now I am quite perplexed!

These works that I can't figure out,
Why, they just make me want to shout!
I guess that I will end my rhyme
As the little child, confused with time.

By The Brook in the Meadow

2010-04-13T11:50:00.006-05:00

By the brook in the meadow
There's a marble path

That leads to a gate

That never hath

Opened its bars

Of jewels and gems

To show the world

The special Cerlems.

The world of Cerlem

Is an interesting one

Where day's light is moon

And night brings the sun.

Where giants so small

Play with elves that are tall

And the roofs are the roots

And heads rest in boots.

There are clouds in the river

And grass in the sky.

The birds walk on land

And puppy dogs fly.

And if all of the tales

That I say are true,

Then the one of Cerlem

Must be, too.

~~a poem by Padme, hereafter referred to as Ranguvar

Pecos Bill

2010-04-05T11:29:00.002-05:00

Pecos Bill

By Angel

March 2010

Bill was the youngest of twelve children. Every one of them wore a bright star on their right hand. Then Mom and Pop decided to move. On the way, Bill fell out of the wagon. By the time his family noticed he fell out, it was too dark to find him.

But a coyote found him. Her name was Grandy. She taught Bill how to howl at the moon. Soon Bill was as talented as the rest of the pack and he could talk to all animals.

One day, a cowboy came riding on his horse. The cowboy’s name was Chuck.

Chuck said, “Baby.”

Bill repeated, “Baby.”

Bill founded out Chuck was his brother. So, Bill went with him. Then he was a cowboy and his brother said, “You need a horse.” So Bill caught one, and he named it Lightning.

Then he saw a girl. He asked her to marry him. She agreed to marry him if she could ride Lightning. She did ride Lightning. She was bucked off Lightning’s back. Bill was sad. He taught the other cowboys his tricks. The End.

The Cat Book

2010-03-23T13:24:00.004-05:00

Cats are amazing animals. Cats come in all sizes and colors, and spots and stripes. Cats are pets and cats can be wild, too. By wild, I mean leopards and cheetahs. And cats can be tame. Tame cats love to play. Some tame cats do not like to play. Some cats are lazy.
The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world. It is God who made the cheetah. And more are made every year. How many kinds of cats are there in the world? Not two in the world, there are about thirty-two kinds of cats that live in houses.
--by Wendy

Happy President's Day!

2010-02-15T09:54:00.002-06:00

We will be reviewing the White House website about the Presidents and doing some of the President's Day activities here. And, of course, reviewing the order of the Presidents in the Animaniacs video:

Lyrics | Animaniacs - The Presidents lyrics

Happy Superbowl!

2010-02-07T20:44:00.002-06:00

In Effort to Praise You

2009-12-29T22:17:00.002-06:00

I wish I could crash like the waves
Or turn like the autumn leaves
In effort to praise You.

I wish I could smell like the forest,
The fragrance lifting a mighty chorus
In effort to praise You.
In effort to praise You.

But I’m such a limited creature,
And my word can only paint so many pictures.
But somewhere I think I read that I am
Treasured over all creation,
So I know that I must try.

I wish I could roll like the thunder,
To leave the earth below in wonder
In effort to praise You.

I wish I could fall like the summer rain
And every drop would sing Your name
In effort to praise You.
In effort to praise You.

But I’m such a limited creature,
And my word can only paint so many pictures.
But somewhere I think I read that I am
Treasured over all creation,
So I know that I must try.

Gloria! Glory in the highest!
Forever I will hide myself in Thee.

Every breath I breathe,
Every moment in my history
Is an effort to praise You.
An effort to praise You

Gloria! Glory in the highest!
Forever I will hide myself in Thee,

Oh, Gloria
Glory in excelsis deo

Gloria, gloria, gloria
Gloria, gloria, gloria
Send "Gloria" Ringtone to Cell
In Effort to Praise You
by Watermark

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T23:32:00.004-05:00

We had such a fun time tonight at our local Family Festival. The girls looked awful cute (below) as a Rock Star, Genie, Ballerina Pig (being a Plain Pig just wasn't cute enough for her), Jedi Knight and Jewel Thief!

With Sparky the Fire Dog at the Festival.

They love anyone dressed as a giant animal. Weird.

Diego was a bit insulted by the pink leopard cami and pink tutu, but he knows he looks cute.

Little Beau, the Ladybug

OK this is not from Halloween. Padme took this picture of Mema and Poppie with the new camera they bought her for her birthday. :)

Freedom

2009-10-29T09:45:00.004-05:00

"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again."

~~~Ronald Reagan Gubernatorial Inaugural Address, January 5, 1967

Pumpkin Decorating

2009-10-16T10:30:00.002-05:00

This is Daddy's AWESOME American Flag / Bald Eagle pumpkin! I told you he could do anything! :)

Happy Birthday Padme!

2009-10-14T08:24:00.003-05:00

Padme is ELEVEN today!!! Happy birthday to my precious eldest daughter! You are so beautiful, inside and out. I love to watch the Lord grow you and mold you into the beautiful woman He created you to be. Thank you for working hard in all that you do. I love you!

Birthday Party

Date with Daddy - Chili's and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs!

Gymnastics Meet - Sulphur Springs - Birthday Weekeend! :)

Dallas Zoo Pictures

2009-10-01T00:04:00.002-05:00

Wendy's 10th Birthday

2009-09-30T23:52:00.002-05:00

You have come so far since you have joined our family! We are so thankful you are here with us, you are such a wonderful part of our lives! Thank you for always caring about others, don't lose that sweet spirit! Happy birthday, Wendy!

Baloo's 16th Birthday

2009-09-30T23:50:00.003-05:00

Thank you for all that you do. Happy Birthday, Baloo. May the Lord continue to grow you and guide you into the man of God you are quickly becoming. I love you.

Lil Yoda's 9th Birthday

2009-09-30T23:48:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to my Special Girl! You are such a ray of sunshine in our home, and I am so thankful the Lord gave you to me!

Easter Pageant

2009-09-30T23:45:00.001-05:00

That's My King!

2009-04-12T00:20:00.001-05:00

Do you know Him?

Happy Easter!

Father's Love Letter

2009-04-12T00:15:00.001-05:00

Father's Love Letter

My Child ~
You may not know me, but I know everything about you ~ Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up ~ Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways ~ Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered ~ Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image ~ Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being ~ Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring ~ Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived ~ Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation ~ Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book ~ Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live ~ Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made ~ Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb ~ Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born ~ Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me ~ John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love ~ 1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you ~ 1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father ~ 1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could ~ Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father ~ Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand ~ James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs ~ Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope ~ Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love ~ Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore ~ Psalm 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you ~ Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession ~ Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul ~ Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things ~ Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me ~ Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart ~ Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires ~ Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine ~ Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you ~ Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart ~ Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes ~ Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth ~ Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus ~ John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed ~ John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being ~ Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you ~ Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you ~ 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love ~ Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me ~ 1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again ~ Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen ~ Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father ~ Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is ~ Will you be my child? ~ John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you ~ Luke 15:11-32
Love, Your Dad, Almighty God

If your computer is having trouble with the video, click here for a "sound-only" version (no video)
A Father's Love Letter is owned and copyrighted by Barry Adams.
Copyright 2001 by FathersLoveLetter
All rights reserved. No Reprint Without Permission
Narration: Roy Lamont
Music: Robert Critchley

The Old Rugged Cross

2009-04-11T01:16:00.002-05:00

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
- Refrain:
  So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
  Till my trophies at last I lay down;
  I will cling to the old rugged cross,
  And exchange it some day for a crown.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

---George Bennard

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

2009-04-11T00:48:00.002-05:00

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

---Isaac Watts

Oh, the Wonderful Cross!

Oh, the Wonderful Cross

bids me come and die,

and find that I may truly live.

Oh, the Wonderful Cross!

All who gather here

by grace draw near and bless Your Name!

---Chris Tomlin

New glasses!

2009-04-06T21:37:00.002-05:00

Wendy recently got new glasses! Doesn't she look so grown-up?

Isn't she lovely... isn't she wonderful? :0)

End of Semester for Co-op!

2009-03-31T23:34:00.004-05:00

Co-op is over until September! Woo and Woo and Woo and Hooooo!!! We LOVE our co-op and have so many sweet friends there, but we will enjoy having our Fridays off for a few months! We will continue doing our Home-Schoolwork, but our co-op classes are finished until fall!!

Here are a few of the projects the girls made this semester:

From Mad About Mosaics:

From Early Explorers - Christopher Columbus painting and project:

Also from Early Explorers, Cibola - the Lost City of Gold:
From Modern Art Masterpieces:

From Adventures Down Under, echidnas, didgeridoo and boomerang
I will post separately some videos of the End of Semester Program.

What a great semester we had! We're glad for the break!

On our way to LSU!

2009-03-02T23:20:00.003-06:00

Padme competes in a gymnastics meet at LSU this weekend. We are making the trip together, with Mema. We are excited to have some Special Time with each other! Pictures and videos to come soon!

Happy Birthday, Angel!

2009-03-02T23:17:00.007-06:00

Angel turned eight yesterday! I didn't get the chance to post because we had a BIG PARTY after church. What do you do when your Sweet Child wants a swim party for her birthday in March? Why, go to an indoor aquatic center, of course! This one is complete with indoor splash playground, waterslides, lazy river and whirlpool! Many of Angel's friends came to help her celebrate her special day!

Angel is a sweet girl with a big heart. She loves to have fun, and is always In The Moment! She is not easily ruffled and has such a sweet spirit and tender heart. Everyone wants to be her friend because she's a lot of fun to be around! She is always laughing and smiling, and she makes others want to do the same!

Angel's favorite activity is to ride her bike! She is a great bike rider! She is fearless in every way, very adventurous and not afraid to try Something New. She loves to play outside and would much rather be outside than in. Angel doesn't get attached much to Things, but will play with toys if her sisters are playing with her. She likes the company of others, and knows how to be a good friend. She is very easy-going and easy to please, especially in the Food Department! Angel LOVES to eat and isn't afraid to try new foods. We pretty much expect her to love every meal. We are very blessed to have our little Angel in our family!

Happy Birthday, Dora!

2009-02-25T00:22:00.008-06:00

Today my sweet Dora is SEVEN! What do you do when your baby turns seven? Don't answer that...

Dora had a FABULOUS Princess Party. Everyone wore their Princess Gowns and came prepared to get the Full Princess Beauty Treatment! Dora's sisters planned and set up the whole thing, complete with nail station, hair station and make-up station! The Queen-to-Be helped pamper the guests as well!

The Finished Products - Beeeeautiful!! Thanks, Sweet Sisters!

Here the girls are working on their Party Favors. Rather than a bag of junk, I bought these cute Door Hangers at Hobby Lobby, and pre-painted the girls' names on them. They decorated them with jewels and wooden Princess crowns. They turned out so cute!

Here are a few of the finished Door Hangers. Aren't they so precious?

Aah, the Barbie cake. The ultimate Princess Confection.I also bought these plastic champagne flutes at Hobby Lobby, in the Wedding department. They really added a Fancy Schmancy touch to the party, and the girls LOVED them!

Just in case you ever wondered what a half-eaten Barbie cake looks like. And, yes, her legs are wrapped in Saran Wrap.

MY SWEET DORA.....

Dora is a precious little girl, teetering just on the edge of Little Girl and Big Girl. She still says things like, "Valentime" that you just hate to correct, knowing it won't last much longer. She loves to dress up, and she loves to spin. Much like the rest of us, she sings all the time. I love to hear the songs that come from the Joyful Heart of a Child.

Dora loves her big sisters and brother, and looks up to them so much. She sometimes has a hard time being the youngest, as she wants to do great things! Very driven and dedicated, Dora will one day change the world for Christ. She told me at dinner tonight, "I love this dinner, Mama, but I love Jesus more than anything else!" She is learning to love her God with all her heart, soul, mind and strength.

Dora is a gift, a blessing, to our family. We thank the Lord for the gift of training her to follow Him! Happy Birthday, Dora Bear!

Superbowl Commercial

2009-01-31T17:06:00.002-06:00

NBC rejected this commercial from its Superbowl lineup. I think it's fantastic.

Happy Australia Day!

2009-01-26T13:55:00.003-06:00

Happy Australia Day!

"Australia Day, also known as Anniversary Day and Foundation Day[1], is the official national day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, the day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the unfurling of the British flag at Sydney Cove and the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia.[2]" (from Wikipedia)

We aren't Australian, but I am co-teaching a class about Australia this semester, so we are rather immersed in Australia right now. My kids were excited to learn that today was a holiday, and attempted in vain to get out of doing schoolwork for the day. :0)

The picture above is Sydney Harbour. You may recognize the Sydney Opera House, the funny looking building right on the water. It's really an amazing piece of architecture!

You Disney-ites will recognize this harbour from Finding Nemo. You know, they spend most of the movie looking for "P52 Wallaby Way, Sydney." When they get to Sydney, it is in this harbour.

Co-op Starts Tomorrow!

2009-01-15T23:09:00.003-06:00

We are so excited! I am teaching Adventures Down Under, a class about Australia, to 1st -3rd graders and then to 4th-6th graders. I am also helping with a gymnastics class and preschool. Here's a list of what the kids are taking:

Baloo:
Auto Maintenance, Flag Football, Dance (Prom Prep), Web Design, Literature: The Hobbit

Padme:
Dance, Mosaics, Mary Englebreit crafts, Performance Ensemble (choir), Volleyball
*Note: She was supposed to take a science - how did I miss that? I generally require the kids to take a P.E. and a science each semester. She is doing Creation Science at home, though, so I guess it's okay. Can you tell this is my artsy kid?

Wendy:
Mosaics, Early Explorers, Schoolyard Games, Lego Creations, Adventures Down Under
*Note: Adventures Down Under counts as a science in my book. I'm teaching it. We're doing lots of science-y stuff.

Lil Yoda:
Mosaics, Dance, Body & Bones, Circus Fitness, Nature Journaling

Angel:
Cartwheels & More, Dance, Modern Works of Art, Lego Creations, March into Spring

Dora:
Cartwheels & More, Dance, Schoolyard Games, Lego Creations, Adventures Down Under

It's going to be a great semester!

Soup's On!

2009-01-09T01:04:00.003-06:00

I have always had a disinclination towards soup. I don't know what it is, really. Maybe because I live in an area with many January days, like today, with temperatures in the seventies. We do have cold weather here in North Texas, but the few below-freezing days we have, like Monday of this week, are often followed by a 40 degree swing the next day, like Tuesday of this week, resulting in a sunny 70ish afternoon. Since the cold weather doesn't usually last long, we never really ate much soup growing up. It just wasn't needed. I know many find it warm and comforting, but I just don't get it.

That said, I have designated Tuesday and Thursday nights as Soup Nights, for two main reasons. First, we don't get home on those nights until around 8:00 and I grew weary of packing "dinners" to eat at the gymnastics facility where we spend Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Packing food for seven people, twice a week, isn't as fun as it sounds and rarely measures up to my nutrition standards. Second, soup feeds a lot of people for a small price. We have a lot of people. And we like small prices. So I decided to like soup. And, after much concerted mental effort, I have succeeded.

One problem. I have spent the past Three Decades Plus, disliking soup. It seems to be pretty easy to make a decent soup. I like that part - lots of room for error. However, I'd like to make some really great soups

So . . . please post your recipe for your favorite, really great, soup! I'm open to creative ideas as well as Old Favorites. But, remember, it must be really great. You get extra points if it's really, really great. Let's get those ideas flowing, Tuesday's only four days away!

Prestonwood Choir Personalities

2008-12-23T21:42:00.005-06:00

Christmas Carols

2008-12-21T22:28:00.003-06:00

Dora's versions:

"Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.
Round your vermin, mother and child.
Holy infany, tender and mild.
Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace."

"O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphal..."

(OK, triumphal could be a word. But it's not.)

Man, I love this kid!

Gingerbread Party!

2008-12-16T22:44:00.006-06:00

We recently attended one of our favorite Christmas traditions, our dear friends' annual Gingerbread Party! We are so grateful to our sweet friends for hosting about 100 people every year for a big Gingerbread House competition.

The kids each make their own Gingerbread houses from graham crackers and icing. Each family brings a bag or two of candy, and helps clean up the ensuing mess. We have so much fun watching the kids (teenagers included) use their creativity.

Below are pictures of our houses. The pictures were taken on my cell phone, thus the poor quality.

Erin really loves candy. She took this home with her, she didn't actually eat it.

Angel ate hers, though:

Those of you who know her aren't at all surprised.

Balance

2008-12-09T23:33:00.002-06:00

"Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because He shows us both God and our own wretchedness." - Blaise Pascal

Note: I saw this quote on a friend's blog, and posted it here so I can find it later. Thanks, Queen!

Nastia and Carly!

2008-12-04T21:04:00.001-06:00

This is a picture of my girls, along with our sweet friends Hannah and Erin, in Beijing this summer. We had such a great time at the Olympics!

Okay, that's not true. But we did get autographs from Nastia Liukin and Carly Patterson yesterday afternoon. Nastia and Carly train at a gym near us, and they were signing autographs in exchange for unwrapped toys. We got to support a toy drive for local kids, and get some cool autographs! Now I just have to figure out what to do with 10 autographed pictures of gymnasts...

Christmas Break!!!

2008-12-01T22:53:00.003-06:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Okay it's not really a secret, but here it is: we don't do "normal school" between Thanksgiving and New Year's. (gasp!)

Instead, we take a break from our regular schoolwork and focus on the birth of Christ for a few weeks. Here are some Christmas links I enjoy: a great Jesse Tree site, another Jesse Tree site with the ornaments, a Christmas unit study, a great Christmas resource list, and some readings for the Twelve Days of Christmas between Dec 24 and the Epiphany (arrival of the wise men).

For math, we will be working on our math facts. Our new girls really need to work on number concepts, and don't have any facts memorized. For the older girls, they are learning new concepts and can certainly brush up on their facts, as well! Baloo will finish up his math book and get ready to move to Alg. II in January.

We will take a break from science & history, but will replace them with more Bible time (which really is history), artists & composers, hymns and Christmas music. There will still be lots of learning taking place, but it will be focused, as much as possible, on the birth of Christ.

We will also be spending lots of time with friends & family, so please stop on by!

Not very reassuring

2008-11-29T01:00:00.003-06:00

Recent conversation between Dora (6 years old) and Jubilee:

Dora: Oh, Mama! I just love you so much!

Jubilee: I love you, too, Baby!

Dora: And I'll always love you!

Jubilee: And I'll always, love you!

Dora: And I'll always obey you!

Jubilee: Always?

Dora: Always and always!

Jubilee: Awesome!

Dora: Except ... sometimes ... I won't ...

(We looked at each other, and burst into laughter. At least she's honest!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T10:28:00.003-06:00

"Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth, their proper element." ~~William Bradford

I am thankful this year for the Lord's provision and protection. I am thankful for His many blessings, including a wonderful husband that I don't deserve and six beautiful children who love Him. I am thankful for our new home. I am thankful for the love that we have in our family. I am thankful most of all for His love that covers all of my sins, and yours as well.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you are able to enjoy some precious time with your family and friends.

Exam Thoughts

2008-11-22T23:46:00.005-06:00

We are gearing up for exams this coming week. Preparing for exams always helps me to regain focus. I have been writing exam questions all week. Next week, I will take each child, one at a time, and we will sit on my bed and they will answer exam questions while I type out their answers. The purpose of the exam, of course, is to celebrate all that the children have learned this semester. Our exams consist only of open-ended questions. Some of our books - math, for instance- have pre-written questions, so we will use those questions for those subjects. Normally we do exams after week 12, but this year I started a bit early so we are doing exams after week 15 so we can use Thanksgiving Week as exam week.

Preparing for exams always makes me sit back and think about the past term. I am writing my thoughts here, more for me than for you. But you are welcome to read them.

As I look back across the past 15 weeks, I am excited about the level of independence the younger children have developed this term. I am working part-time in the mornings, and the girls come with me and do their work while I teach Mother's Day Out. This means that they have been doing their written work on their own with very little instruction, a very big step in the right direction. The ability to work independently is a highly desirable trait!

Thoughts on education, aka Why Am I Doing This?:

1. I want my children to learn to think. I do not want to cut information into bite-sized chunks so their education can be easier and more palatable. I do not water-down the material or give it to them in bits-and-pieces. I give them difficult material, books that make them think about life and the world and the Lord who created it all. I want them to wonder, to explore, to ponder and, yes, to THINK!!! I want the children to be able to take hold of their own educations, to fight for them and work for them. I want them to wrestle with their thoughts until they reach clarity. I do not want to spoon-feed their thoughts to them.

This new method of learning/education was very difficult for my new girls at first. They, honestly, were not accustomed to forming their own thoughts with regard to schoolwork. They wanted me to tell them what everything meant, what their projects should look like, etc. Developing independent thought has been a huge step for them. And it has been so much fun to watch! They are learning so much, and so excited about it! I have been very pleased with all of the children's progress this semester. I am excited to see their exam responses.

2. I do not believe each child should be educated in the same manner, either. Each child is an individual, and what works for one, may not work for another. What interests one, may not interest another. Where one struggles, another will thrive, and vice versa. We do not believe in playing the "it's not fair" game, and sometimes intentionally make things "unfair" because we do not believe that what goes to one should automatically go to every other as well. The same goes for education. Each child is a masterpiece, uniquely created by God and given especially to us to raise and love and train to love and fear Him. We do not take that responsibility lightly. We are responsible to the Lord for these children.

3. I do not believe children were made to sit in desks all day. This is why so many of them must be drugged in order to do so. My new girls were 3 of the drugged ones. I have taken them off of said drugs, and they are THRIVING!!! Because they come to Mother's Day Out at the gymnastics center with me, they spend 2 hours of hard play/workout every single day! I believe children need to work out their bodies just as much as their minds. Growing bodies need to move! They need to run and jump and climb and fall. They need to skip and hop and roll and dance. The physical development of my new girls in the past six months has been absolutely amazing.

Reflections on this term:

1. I would like to schedule a Bible time with each of the kids individually. I need to work that in next semester. We did this before we got the new girls, but I haven't yet figured out how to do it with six.

2. We really let our fine arts slip this semester. This was intentional, as I was easing the new girls into homeschooling and easing myself into homeschooling six kids. I let the things slide that I felt comfortable letting slide. We will work on Christmas music in December, then start up our full fine arts schedule again in January. This includes Artist Study, Composer Study, Hymns, Folk Songs and Foreign Language Songs for next term. I will also try to start up Piano Lessons again. I can teach the younger ones myself but would like to get the olders back into lessons outside the home. I would also like to get Baloo back into guitar lessons.

3. It's not just the songs, I have let all of Foreign Language fall by the wayside with the girls. Baloo is taking High School Spanish outside our home, so that's taken care of. The girls sometimes go to Spanish at the gym, where we offer it as part of our Afterschool Program. But we are not usually there on those afternoons. I either need to make a point to be there or I need to get back into doing Foreign Language at home. Or both. We usually do French and Latin, too.

4. Memory Work. The older kids have done a good job keeping up with this, with very little intervention from me. I have only recently gotten the new girls started on this. I need to be sure to schedule specific memory work next term. I have found that the differences in ability and training makes it impossible to memorize the same things all together. I need to think more about how I want this to look next term.

5. I need to be better about getting our scheduled readings done. We did not get as far in our readings as I would have liked. The children have done well reading the books they read on their own, but the ones we read together have not been read on schedule. We really fell behind early in the semester, but have gotten better in recent weeks as we got into our groove. (Translate: "... as I figured out how to homeschool six kids at once.") I think we will be able to stay on target next term. I have discovered that I really need to schedule these times, something I really don't like doing. I like to have a "to-do" list, but not a schedule that tells me I have to do this thing at this time. Too stressful. The Rebel in me immediately thinks,

"Says who?"

"Oh yeah, me..."

6. Math Facts - Severely lacking in the new girls. I am going to pause our regular math studies, and work on memorizing math facts instead, at their appropriate levels. Normally we do not stress about memorizing facts, they tend to do it on their own when they recognize the inconvenience of not knowing them. But, because the new girls are a bit older, I don't have time to wait for them to figure this out so we just need to work on them. I also need to work with the new girls on conceptualizing the numbers - they don't seem to understand what a number really is, as it relates to objects. I need to talk to my mom and do some research as to how to make this more concrete for them. We use manipulatives every day, but it's just not clicking yet. For December, we will work on these things. Maybe we will do a page of review each week, as well...

7. We will take some time to study Christmas in December. I'm not sure how much the new girls understand about Christmas and its symbols, and I doubt they know any of the Christmas songs that are so dear to our family. Now that co-op is over, we have a lot more free time and can work on some of these things, as well as catch up on the readings in which we are behind. Then we will start up full swing again in January.

8. Scrapbooking. Most of the children really want to get into scrapbooking. I told them we may be able to do this after Thanksgiving. I have everything I need, I just need to print out the pictures I want. The new girls have never had photo albums of themselves, not even baby books, so this is very important to them. And Lil Yoda's scrapbook is pretty sparse, so it is important to her as well. I need to find a way to make this happen, I think it will be fun to do together.

I'm sure I will have more thoughts on this as we go forward. For now, let me just say...

I love homeschooling.

Adoption: Kids' Perspectives

2008-11-21T22:43:00.002-06:00

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!

Man, I love these kids!

Adoption Shower Pics

2008-11-21T22:37:00.002-06:00

These are some of my dear friends, who hosted an Adoption Shower for our family recently. The kids all had so much fun, we had an inflatable obstacle course and an inflatable bounce house for them, so the parents could enjoy their time together! This was a very special day for our family. Thank you, sweet friends!

Deflating the bounce house

Foosball & Air Hockey Champions

Thanks again, friends, for a wonderful memory!!!

It's Official!!!

2008-11-20T22:08:00.006-06:00

Today, we went to court and finalized our adoption of Wendy, Angel and Dora!!! Yay!!! By Texas law, we had to wait six months from the date the girls came home. It seems like we've waited forever!!! We had a great time, and the judge was very nice and commented about how lucky we all were and how beautiful & sweet the kids all are. I pray the kids will all be able to cement this day into their memories.

Mema and Poppie met us for the special day, and they brought roses for everyone! Then, after the hearing was finished (which was about 20 minutes after we entered the courtroom, even though we were fourth on the list), they treated us to breakfast at a local restaurant! Thanks, Mema and Poppie, for making our special day even better!

A special "Thank you" to my sweet friend Janet, who brought cupcakes to the gymnastics gym today, so all of our friends could celebrate with us! Thank you, Sweet Friend!

The pictures below were taken before the hearing - you can tell they are excited but a bit nervous and sleepy! I had to wake them up at 6 to get to court on time. If you know us, then you know this is absolutely unheard of. But, we got to watch a beautiful sunrise as we drove to the courthouse!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you are good, and your love endures forever! (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Thank you that you set the lonely in families. (Psalm 68:6)

Thank you that you bind up, and heal, the broken-hearted. (Isaiah 61:1, Psalm 147:3)

Thank you for giving us children as a heritage and a reward. (Psalm 127:3)

Thank you that you are able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)

I leave you with our family Bible passage. This is our continuous prayer for our children. And today it is also my prayer for you.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Padme is Ten!

2008-11-07T00:27:00.007-06:00

I can't believe my eldest daughter is already ten!!! How quickly the time has flown by! For years, we longed for a daughter, and the Lord blessed us with our sweet Padme, an answer to our prayers!

Padme decided to hold off her birthday party for the opening of High School Musical 3: Senior Year. We took several of her friends to a park next to the movie theater for cake and ice cream, then we watched the movie together. It was a beautiful day and the kids loved the movie! We had such a great time with all of her sweet friends - they helped to make her celebration special!

Padme is really growing up. She is a confident, strong young lady who loves the Lord and works hard at all she does. Naturally outgoing and vivacious, she is one of those people that everyone loves, which is why her birthday parties always have so many guests! She is very social and usually invites everyone she's seen in the last year. We have had such fun watching Padme grow up, she is intelligent, joyful and so fun to be with! She is truly beautiful, gorgeous inside and out. Sorry for the late posting, but we wish you a very Happy (late) birthday, sweet Padme. We love you!

Halloween photos

2008-11-06T22:56:00.005-06:00

Starring (from left to right): Our sweet friend KMe as a medieval princess; Padme as a genie; Angel as a china doll; Wendy as a cat; Dora as a ballet princess; and Lil Yoda as a rock star guitarist. We had a fabulous time trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Our 3 adoptees had never done anything like this, and Dora just kept saying, "Mama! This is the best night EVER!"

I only let my kids keep 30 pieces of candy, so we have lots of fun after trick-or-treating, going through what we do & don't like, and trading and, eventually, discarding. I have found that, if I let them keep all of their candy from every holiday, then we have candy constantly in the house. We look at candy as a "sometimes food," so they are excited about the 30 pieces they get to keep! Baloo stayed home & handed out candy to our millions of trick-or-treaters, and we got to hand some out, too, when we got back home. The kids really enjoyed oohing and aahing over all the kids' cute costumes!

The voice of a little angel

2008-11-05T23:20:00.002-06:00

I am blessed

2008-11-03T22:52:00.001-06:00

By the best friends in the world. Thank you, my sweet friends, for last night's party. It was such a blessing to our family, as you are a blessing to me. I thank the Lord for bringing you into my life!

Wedding Pictures, Part 2

2008-11-01T18:38:00.006-05:00

These are from the reception.

Aren't the cakes just gorgeous?

Everyone got to take turns in the limo. This kept the kids busy during the reception, and they loved it!

Padme caught the bouquet. This is not a surprise, considering that this child has had her wedding planned since she was three. As you can see in the picture, she is slightly excited.

Lil Yoda is showing us that she caught a petal. As you can see, she changed clothes about a minute after she walked out the doors of the worship center.

Y..M..C..A..

Proof that white men really can't dance. See the thumbs?

Everyone wanted to dance with the Bride Princess!

Aunt Aubrey loves her nieces and nephew!

Dancin' with my girls!

I have no idea what this is. I'm sure it looked cool in motion.

Baloo & Mema

Baloo makes friends easily. Especially pretty friends. He's no dummy.

The love of my life.

Wedding Pictures

2008-11-01T18:10:00.010-05:00

We recently enjoyed the marriages of two dear family members. King Louie's sister, Aubrey, and my cousin, Kelly, were both married in recent weeks, and we are so excited for them both!

In his sister's wedding, the King gave his sister away, which was a very special moment for them both. Baloo played "Here Comes the Bride" on the electric guitar, which was awesome! He downloaded a version by Queen, written for 10 guitar parts. He smushed them into one, as best he could, and this was the song The King and Aubrey walked in to. This is a picture from the rehearsal.

All five of the girls were flower girls in the wedding. It was so precious! My mom made them matching dresses, and they were just beautiful! Thank you, Mema!Here are a few pictures from the wedding.

Getting everyone to look at the camera and smile, simultaneously, is a near-impossible feat. I though this turned out fairly well.

Flower girls! Now, the church did not want them to throw petals, even these fake ones. About 2 seconds after this picture was snapped, the wedding coordinator in the back, wearing the white shirt, will have a conniption when she looks up and sees the petals on the floor. :0) They were silk petals, lady! Chill out!

Baloo with Hunter, one of King Louie's younger brothers. Aren't they handsome?

This is Aubrey with her and King Louie's mom, Grammaw Leicel. I love this picture! My five little girls, running off to a wedding. So precious. And in the blink of an eye, they will each run off to their own...

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

2008-11-01T17:06:00.006-05:00

This is a poem Padme just finished memorizing. She selected it herself.

The tide rises, the tide falls,

The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;

Along the sea-sands damp and brown

The traveler hastens toward the town,

And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Darkness settles on roofs and walls,

But the sea, the sea in darkness calls;

The little waves, with their soft, white hands

Efface the footprints in the sands,

And the tide rises, the tide falls.

The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls

Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;

The day returns, but nevermore

Returns the traveler to the shore.

And the tide rises, the tide falls.

----Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

So who, do you suppose, is the traveler? And where is he going? Why does he never return to the shore?

Pretty, Pretty Princess

2008-10-25T12:27:00.003-05:00

Whoever invented this game is a genius. A game in which little girls win jewelry and the winner is crowned the Pretty, Pretty Princess? Absolute genius.

Dora has all the jewelry because she was the only one playing.

She won, which is the way she likes it. :0) Don't let the "cute" fool you; this kid really plays to win, which can be tough when there are 7 older people in the house!

Three Sites I Enjoy

2008-10-17T22:05:00.003-05:00

Two I just found today, through friends. The other I have been following for some time. I hope you enjoy them.

http://www.sizzlebop.com/index.htm

http://frugal-fabulous.blogspot.com/

http://www.celebratecalm.com/
Join his email list, it will change your life!

Twins!

2008-10-06T22:07:00.009-05:00

Introducing our newest additions! Please welcome...

Abraham Delacey Giuseppe Casey Thomas O'Malley (Tommy, on the left) and Jenny-any-dots (Jenny, on the right)

When we moved, we decided Jackie (Juju) should be an outside cat. She was not too keen on the idea, so we decided to bring her some friends. A friend was trying desperately to get rid of 8 kittens, so we took 2 off her hands, hoping to fill JuJu's social void. At first, it did not work very well.....

However she soon warmed to the idea of new little friends. She has actually become much more affectionate since she's been outside, and since she adopted our sweet little kittens. The other pets seem to enjoy the kittens, too. Diego, especially, likes to play with them.

I especially like this picture. It really shows the family resemblance, doncha think?

We have moved

2008-10-06T21:49:00.004-05:00

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. We moved to a nearby city and have been crazy busy!

We were completely exhausted from all of the packing, moving and unpacking...
...but we're finally finished! We love our new home, it's nearer to our activities, and we were able to put all five girls in one bedroom! Yay! I really wanted this, hoping it would help them really bond tightly. So far, so good. The girls are already growing closer. We have an empty bedroom that we use as a playroom, so their room just has 2 bunk beds, a twin bed and two dressers. And it's not even crowded in there! Thank you, Jesus!

I have uploaded lots of pictures onto this computer and will try to post more frequently. I will post some pictures of what we have been doing the past few weeks.

Updated Happenings

2008-09-07T23:46:00.004-05:00

We had our first week of co-op on Friday! We all had a great time! The kids so enjoyed getting to see all of their friends again. Our newly adopted kiddos did very well, I was a little nervous about how they would respond to all of the classes, but they actually did great! Three of their five classes were taught by me or their grandma, so they felt pretty comfortable. Plus they see me after each class, and we all eat lunch together. We are very excited about this semester, and everyone loved their classes! Yay!

We also moved last week. We only moved 25 minutes away, but we are much closer to our regular activities. The kids are loving the new house, and one of our bedrooms is big enough for all 5 girls to bunk together! I am very excited about this, as I have always wanted a "girls' room" and a "boys' room." With five girls and only one boy, this was not possible in our old house. Already I have seen the girls grow closer, in just a week, by bunking together. Thank you, Lord, for answering even our small prayers. We now have a "playroom" which is nice because they don't have to have all of their toys put away perfectly, all the time. The house isn't "custom" like our old one, nowhere near as "nice," but it is perfect for our needs and we are all loving it. We only had 3 weeks to move, so we feel very blessed that the Lord brought us such a great house so quickly!

During this same time frame, we also attempted to breed our little chihuahua with a friend's dog - we'll know in a few weeks whether it worked.

We kicked our cat out when we moved, she did not take very well to being an outside cat. So, we got 2 kittens from a friend, to keep her company. I have warned the girls that they may not make it to adulthood, what with the coyotes & hawks out here in the country. So far, so good, though. I think all little kids need to take care of a baby animal, so we really got these for the benefit of the new girls, as all the other kids have been through this already. Outside cats are really very easy, and the girls have spent every possible moment outside playing with those kitties! Once I find my camera (haven't seen it since the move) I will post pictures of our new little sweeties.

As you can see, we have been very busy! I will try to update more frequently. We are getting into a routine with all of our activities, so hopefully I will be able to do so.

Fall Co-op Schedule

2008-08-24T22:04:00.002-05:00

We registered for our fall co-op on Saturday! We were able to get many of the classes we wanted, and we are very excited to start next week! Below are the classes the kids have chosen:

Baloo: Physics, Liberty or Death, Chess, & Whose Line Is It Anyway
Because Physics is an extra-long class, he only gets 4 classes. He is taking Spanish I at another co-op, and all the rest of his credit classes will be taken at home.

Padme: Dance, Watercolor Painting, French & Italian Foods, Cheers & Cartwheels, Made by Hand (a crafts class that looks really great)

Lil Yoda: Adventures in Africa (Grandma Lori's class), Dance, Sewing, Cheers & Cartwheels, Body & Bones

Because this is Wendy, Angel & Dora's first semester at co-op and because they tend to be shy in new situations, I decided to put them in classes all together. Next semester I will probably give them a little more free rein in choosing their classes. They are taking:

Adventures in Africa (with Lil Yoda, taught by Grandma Lori), On the Ball (P.E.), Acting Out (taught by me), Math Games & Tricks (also taught by me) and Lego Creations.

This should be a fun semester at co-op! I am only teaching 2 classes, both 1st-3rd grade level. I normally like to teach high school, but wanted to back off some this semester so I can spend more time with my new family. The other 3 classes periods I will be assisting in preschool.

Locks of Love, Take Two

2008-08-17T22:31:00.004-05:00

Wendy, Angel and Dora decided they wanted to cut their hair, and donate it to Locks of Love as Padme and Lil Yoda did last summer. Actually, Wendy wanted to get her hair cut first, in honor of her ninth birthday. She thought short hair would make her look older (she was right, don't you think?). When Angel & Dora saw how quickly she was able to brush her hair in the mornings (10 seconds, max), they begged to cut their hair as well! I think they all turned out pretty cute!

Angel donated 14 inches! She also cut bangs, which has been great because she had all of these "baby hairs" that were just long enough that they were constantly in her mouth!

Doesn't she look so cute with bangs?

Dora donated 11 inches! She was not even scheduled for a haircut, but our sweet hairdresser had an open time slot after Angel's, and Dora begged and begged to have hers cut as well!

Doesn't she just look adorable?

Wendy cut 14 inches, too! Of course you have seen her haircut already, in her birthday post. We think she looks so beautiful and grown up, and she really can have her hair fixed in 10 seconds! This is a great hairstyle - it just won't mess up! Good choice, Wendy!

Our Summer in Review

2008-08-16T23:28:00.004-05:00

Following is a list of our summer activities, in case anyone ever claims our kids never get out of the house:

Vacation Bible School
A week at Mema & Poppie's
Gymnastics - lots of it! (camp & classes)
Dallas Zoo
Sandy Lake Park
Dallas Arboretum
High School Musical on Tour
Hawaiian Falls
Medieval Times
The Reptile Guy (He brought about 30 reptiles, amphibians, insects & spiders for us to see & touch!)
Group Dynamix - team building & lots of games!
High Touch High Tech science class
Bowling
Bounce Houses galore, including jousting, huge slides & rock climbing!
Laser tag
Arcades

We went to the movies every week, and sometimes shopped at the mall while we were there!
Swimming at least twice/week
Swimming at local water park with water slides, lazy river, etc.
Plus the usual playing or sleeping over at friends' houses, etc. Our boat wasn't working this summer, so that was a bummer, but we still got to play down at the lake in our backyard!

We had lots of friends and family visit us as well!

We really had an awesome summer! We have now finished our 2nd week of school, and are glad we have such fantastic memories of our first summer with our new girls! Next summer looks to be even better!

Term 1, Week 1 Review

2008-08-10T16:55:00.005-05:00

WOO-HOO!!!!! We have completed our first week of the new school year! I am pleased to report that, by the grace of God and with His help, I can, in fact, homeschool six children! Yay!!! The children did very well, overall. For the most part, I think I selected the correct levels for the new children, which is a big relief. The children are all enjoying their schoolwork, and I think this will be a very successful year! We are certainly off to a great start.

I have added to the margin a list of the books that the kids are reading. We use the Ambleside Online curriculum. Baloo is beginning Year 11, Padme and Lil Yoda are beginning Year 4, and Wendy, Angel and Dora are beginning Year 1. These do not necessarily correlate to grade levels, but do correspond to reading ability. I use the online curriculum as a guideline, then make additions, substitutions and adjustments as needed, based on the children's abilities as well as book availability. Because we have an extensive library, I will sometimes substitute an equivalent book we already own, rather than purchasing the new book listed in the curriculum.

The books listed in the margin include history, science, literature, geography, good citizenship and church history. In addition to these, the children do work each week in the following books:

Baloo:

Easy Grammar Plus

Current Events

Famous Speeches

Famous Essays and Short Stories

Building Thinking Skills

Copywork

Padme:

The Language Mechanic (Grammar)

Copywork

Phonetics Zoo, Level B (Phonics & Spelling)

Building Thinking Skills Level 2

Math U See, Epsilon

Wendy:

Explode the Code Book 3 (Phonics & Spelling)

Jump-Start 2nd Grade Grammar

My D’Nealian Handwriting Word Book, Grades K-1
Building Thinking Skills, Primary (Grades K-1)

Math U See, Beta

Lil Yoda:

Daily Grams for 2nd & 3rd Grade (Grammar)

A Reason for Handwriting, Book D

Phonetics Zoo, Level A (Phonics & Spelling)

Logic Countdown

Math U See, Delta

Angel:

Explode the Code, Book 2 (Phonics & Spelling)

Learning Horizons 2nd Grade Language

Modern Manuscript Handwriting Practice, Grades 1-2
Hands-On Thinking Skills, Grades K-1

Math U See, Beta

Dora:

Explode the Code, Book 1 (Phonics & Spelling)

Instructional Fair Grammar, Grades 1-2

Capital & Lowercase Letters, PK-1
Hands-On Thinking Skills, Grades K-1

Math U See, Alpha

In addition, we do group studies together. This 12-week term we are studying:

Artist Sandro Botticelli

Composer Johann Sebastian Bach

Hymns: A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Now Thank We All Our God
The Lord’s My Shepherd

Folk Songs: Camptown Races

Bill Grogan's Goat

The Crawdad Song

English From the Roots Up (Greek & Latin roots)

Lyric Language Italian, Spanish & French

Baloo works part-time and is a second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. The girls all participate in gymnastics classes each week. In addition, Lil Yoda will soon begin Tae Kwon Do lessons and the new girls will begin ballet & tap. Padme wants to begin competitive horseback riding, but we are still looking into that. I hope to get all the kids back into piano lessons very soon, and Baloo would like to take guitar lessons again, as well. All of these things cost money, so we are waiting on the Lord's provision for these "extras". Right now we are spending our time getting to know one another better!

We will begin our Friday co-op classes in a few weeks. Registration isn't for two more weeks, so we don't yet know which classes the kids will be able to get into. Baloo is pre-registered for Physics but that's all we know for certain, yet. He will also take Spanish classes from a Spanish tutor, beginning in September.

Happy 9th Birthday, Wendy!

2008-07-28T23:41:00.006-05:00

Our 2nd eldest daughter turns 9 today! Happy Birthday, Wendy! You have blessed our family so much in the short time you've lived here. We look forward to celebrating all of your birthdays with you!

We had lunch with Mema and Poppie today. They gave her a purse with money in it! They are such wonderful grandparents to all of our little sweeties!

Wendy & Daddy had a special date today. Daddy bought her this outfit, and she even got her ears pierced! This was a huge surprise to Mommy! As you can see, she also cut her hair recently for Locks of Love, but I'll save that for a different post.

They had a wonderful birthday date, shopping, going to a movie and eating out together. Wendy spent her birthday money at Build-a-Bear (she bought the pink cat above). She also bought a Disney princess play set at the Disney Store, and a toucan Webkinz she named Taco.

Wendy is a blessing in so many ways. We thank the Lord for bringing her into our lives, we just wish we had been there for her first 8 birthdays! It is hard to believe this confident young lady with the pierced ears and grown-up haircut is the same shy, withdrawn little girl who came into our home just 2 months ago. We are so proud of your progress, Wendy. You are maturing and growing up so very quickly.

Happy Birthday, Wendy. We love you!

Our Family

2008-07-24T00:26:00.004-05:00

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Belated Adoption Update

2008-07-16T19:07:00.004-05:00

I'm so sorry it has taken so long for me to update. As it turns out, going from 3 kids to 6 is a bit more work than you might think! We are finally getting the hang of the whole 6 kids thing, and I can finally stop to breathe, I mean, post an update!

Short version: Adoption is extremely difficult but it is such a blessing already!

Long version: We have spent the last several weeks getting to know each other. The first couple of weeks, especially, were very difficult. The new kids were adjusting to a new family & new rules, and testing the boundaries. The old kids were adjusting to their space being constantly invaded and learning that their expectations about adoption just didn't match the reality. They did not anticipate the developmental delays of their newly adopted siblings, and were often shocked, disgusted and annoyed with the misbehavior/immaturity of their new sisters.

After a few weeks, however, we got to know each other better. The girls found things they could all enjoy playing together. They became used to each other. The new girls became more comfortable and no longer shut down or went into crying/screaming fits. The old girls' annoyance is certainly not gone completely, but they are able to enjoy their new sisters, rather than just put up with them. They don't seem to feel resentment towards the new girls, just annoyance that they won't hurry and Grow Up So We Can All Be Real Sisters. They are impatient for the fun part, the wonderful sisterly bonding, to start. And, truly, it has begun, it just isn't progressing as quickly as Padme & Lil Yoda wished & expected. The Lord is teaching us many things through this experience, chief among them Patience.

I believe that the new girls' shutting down and crying/screaming fits stopped largely because we got to know them better. Because they are developmentally delayed, we really have to treat them like they are 3, 4 & 5 instead of 6, 7 & 9. They have never been taught to communicate effectively. Like toddlers, they would cry or throw fits instead of speak. As we have gotten to know them better, we parent them better. We are able to anticipate what they want or need or what they are trying to express, and teach them to express themselves effectively. We have been working very hard on improving communication skills and have seen great progress. Now that they are able to express themselves verbally, they do not need to shut down, cry or scream.

We significantly underestimated the significance of the fact that we really don't know these children. This makes parenting very difficult. We have been with, or at least near, our bio children almost every second of their lives. We know nearly every experience they have ever had. Except with the teenager. He is old enough to have private places where even Mom & Dad don't belong. We understand the way God made them and what makes them tick. We know what motivates them, what frustrates them, what brings them the most joy and what they fear. Adopting children is like starting a book at chapters 6, 7 & 8. We have missed so much critical information, and we don't really even know what we missed. The beginning of a good book will set the stage for the story to come, introduce the characters and make you fall in love with them. By the time we even found the book, the first few chapters had been ripped out and thrown away, leaving us with a very complicated story but no background or introductory information.

Without a basic knowledge of these kids, it is very difficult to know the way they each should go. So how can we train them in that way? We must lean very heavily on the Lord to guide us as we train these children. He created them, He knows their inmost beings, He knows what way they should go and the most effective way to train them. We did not anticipate the magnitude of the impact made by the simple fact that we have missed so many years of our new children's lives. It sometimes makes me want to cry, thinking of all that we have missed, how many years of their lives could have been better with us, how many things we could have protected them from. But the Lord knows what He is doing, and He loves my children even more than I do...

As they have grown more comfortable in their new family, their obedience also has improved. We rarely have disobedience problems now, whereas we had issues all day long for the first few weeks. Our primary concern, though, is that we get not just outward obedience but their hearts as well. Deep down, we know the fear of disruption (fancy adoption lingo for sending the kids back) is possible. They know the system very well, and I know in the back of their little minds they are counting down the days until the Six Months' probation period is up, and the adoption is Finally Finalized. Until then, I don't think they'll allow themselves to truly let down their safeguards.

One issue we did not anticipate is that the new girls did not respect or, really, love each other. Therefore, getting new sisters was not something they necessarily looked forward to! The old girls, however, love each other dearly and expected to gain 3 more sisters who felt the same. Because the new girls were so needy, they just viewed their sisters as competition - someone who might get the attention they so desperately needed themselves.

In the past few weeks, we have been teaching the girls that Sisters Are Treasures. This has helped immensely, as the girls are learning to love & respect their sisters. This has helped my old girls as well who, because of the way their new sisters initially behaved & treated them, did not see them as treasures either.

The new girls are jealous of the relationship the old girls have with each other. I think it's a good jealousy, though. In that relationship, they see what they really want. Hopefully, in time, they will all be very close. I have been told this will take a couple of years, and that's okay. As long as I continue to see regular progress, I am happy.

In summary, our life is loud, complicated, funny, confusing, silly, frustrating, exhilirating, exhausting, and sometimes we don't know which way is up. Our house is filled to the brim with love, laughter and hairbrushes. We praise the Lord every day for this blessing called Adoption. How did we ever live without these girls? Thank you, thank you, Lord Jesus.

2008-07-15T11:26:00.003-05:00

Check out this new band headlining for Miley Cirus called EVERLIFE. I heard an interview on 700 club and was an instant fan, bought the album on iTunes. The oldest was telling the story of her first kiss, which was at her wedding. I was inspired.

Its 3 sisters who started playing music when they were about 12 in their basement. They were home schooled by the way.

Happy 8th Birthday Lil Yoda

2008-06-07T13:04:00.004-05:00

View the High Quality version at spilledlaughter.com.

This is the day we celebrate Lil Yoda's birth. We rejoice that the Lord chose to bless us with her! She is truly a blessing to all who know her. She loves the Lord and deeply desires to follow His leading in her life. She is kind-hearted and sensitive, always willing to give all she has to help a friend. We know the Lord has many wonderful plans for our little ray of sunshine, and we are thankful for the privilege of watching her grow.

Lil Yoda celebrated with her family and friends today. She had a puppy-themed sleepover party. She always wants to have a pinata, but this year we couldn't find a puppy- themed one so we settled on a big 8.

Her Daddy made the video above, as a special surprise for the party. He's such a great dad! Lil Yoda got to spend the entire day with her Daddy, a full-day date of movies, dinner and a fabulous trip to the mall. She loves her dates with Mommy & Daddy!

Happy Birthday, Lil Yoda! We love you so very much!

Fudgepops everywhere beware!

2008-06-07T11:17:00.002-05:00

The Best Thing About Having Lots of Sisters Is...

2008-05-30T11:32:00.003-05:00

it's like a slumber party, every day!

~~Padme

Killer Wheels

2008-05-26T22:39:00.003-05:00

Pictionary. It seems like a fairly simple game. You read the card, pick something to draw, and your team guesses what you drew. Easy, right? Not so at our house tonight. Our new daughters have little to no exposure to family games, or family time at all, for that matter. There is definitely a learning curve involved!

To be fair, it's often difficult to tell what the younger kids are drawing. That's why we make sure an adult is on each team, to help with the guessing when the drawings are difficult to decipher. And, sometimes, those who haven't yet developed good reading skills need help reading the card. Fine. No big deal.

So we played Pictionary tonight. Padme went first - she drew a globe and Greenland. No problem. Then Lil Yoda went - she drew a fairly decent looking washing machine, but ran out of time so we never guessed it.

On Angel's turn, she first asked if she could just draw the design that was on the back of the card. At that point I told Baloo, "I thought you guys explained this game to the new kids!" He returned, "We thought we did!"

We explained that, no, she must read the card, then draw one of the objects listed on the card. She drew a lovely sailboat, all the while saying, "It's an object! It's an object!" We guessed it and applauded her. Then, she returned her card to Daddy, who pointed out that sailboat was not, in fact, on her card and she couldn't just randomly pick something to draw. Pretty funny, but probably a common mistake.

When Dora's turn came up, she asked Baloo to help her read the card. She decided what to draw and began. She drew a circle, then scribbled all around it and over it. "I'm done!" she announced, then turned around, expecting us to know immediately what she had drawn. We had no clue. We convinced her to draw it a different way. This time, she drew a circle, and cut it into pie slices. Again, the scribble all around it. We gave up. She wouldn't let us give up, and kept scribbling around it. Finally, she looked at us like we were idiots and said, "Killer Wheel! See the wheel and the fire all around it?"

What?

Baloo, at this point, was rofl, and informed us that the card actually read, "Killer Whale."

Mema and Poppie's House

2008-05-26T12:16:00.007-05:00

I have received questions about the Adoption Announcement picture. We are on the porch swing at Mema and Poppie's house. We went to their house for Mother's Day, our first weekend with our new girls. Here are a few more pictures from that day.

Baloo, 14 11/12.

Padme, 9 1/2.

Wendy, 8 3/4.

Lil Yoda, 7 11/12.

Angel, 7.

Dora, 6.

Poppa, Mema and the kids. Ages omitted.

Padme's First French Braid

2008-05-26T12:10:00.003-05:00

I was again reminded that older children really are wonderful to have around. With three new long-haired beauties arriving in our home, I quickly recruited Padme to help me with hair-fixing! With her help, we were able to make it to church on time, complete with cute pig-tails and braids!

Last week I taught Padme to french braid. French braiding is not a difficult concept, but requires quite a bit of dexterity. Your fingers must be strong, and must be able to do different things all at once. Here are some pictures of her first french braid. I think she did a fabulous job! She's going to be such a great Mommy someday!

Fun with our new sisters

2008-05-26T11:50:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures from our first few days with our new sisters. The kids are all learning to get along well. It took them a few days to get to know each other well enough to find things they could all enjoy playing together, and now they really have fun with each other. The new girls are extremely smart, but developmentally delayed, so Padme and Lil Yoda had to adjust their expectations a bit. Now that we all understand each other better, we are able to play pretty well.

Manicures and pedicures with The Queen-to-Be and Grandma Lori. Papa Sparky, Grandma Lori, The Queen-to-Be, The Wacky Prince and The Chef came over to meet the girls, and to celebrate The Queen-to-Be and The Wacky Prince's birthdays last month. We had a great day, grilling out, playing outside, playing video games and painting nails.
We don't know what Lil Yoda was doing with her tongue. And I'm pretty sure that's her own foot. Wendy is just smilin' and looking' cute!

Aren't Big Sisters great? Padme is painting little flowers on Dora's nails.
That's Grandma Lori, the one that doesn't look like a grandma. :)
Dora wanted me to take a picture of her two Barbie heads. They really didn't bring much stuff, but she loves these Barbie heads!

We love to make our own pizzas! Everyone gets to make their own, just as they like it. The new girls don't have any experience at all in the kitchen, so they get very excited when they get to cook! Notice the jar near Padme, she likes alfredo on her pizza.
Daddy is the best dough pounder. Angel was covered head-to-foot in flour by the time we finished! We have learned it's best for her to bathe after meals, rather than before!
Dora has a natural pounding instinct. She is very determined and wants to be self-sufficient. She would not accept anyone's help. Even though it took her longer, she got it done! We love her hard-working, never-give-up spirit!

Fun with Friends

2008-05-26T11:11:00.006-05:00

In the summers, we enjoy playing with our neighbors. The weather has been warming up quickly here, and Mr. Dave and Mrs. Shelly invited us to bring our new sisters over to swim. They can't yet swim well, so we kept them safe with life jackets. Mrs. Shelly said we can give them swimming lessons in their pool this week. I think they will learn quickly.

Here, Wendy is riding a Sea-Doo water rocket toy. She is able to control its speed, and had so much fun with this! We were very proud of her & Dora for trying it.

Mr. Dave's pool doesn't have a slide, so Lil Yoda and our neighbor created their own!

Dads are way more fun in the pool than moms. Daddy played Mr. Flipper for about an hour.

Dora, chillin' with her books and grape soda. Ain't she cute?

The Daddy Ride again. :)
And again. We don't know why he has a bad back...
Dora & Angel, floating on their backs. Nevermind that they are lying on a step. They also impressed us by putting their faces underwater. Angel is especially good at holding her breath underwater.

Here, we are playing at "our lake." This huge float was a house-warming gift from a friend. Half of it is a deck, and half has a net that the kids can sit in (or cannonball into), so that they are in the water but still safe in the tube. And, we discovered, it can comfortably hold at least 8 kids and one adult.

I told Padme she looks as though she is stranded in a flood, except that this water is ankle deep.

Adoption Announcement

2008-05-14T22:58:00.007-05:00

We would like to introduce you all to our new sisters! However they are, as yet, nameless. Well, they do have names, but I forgot to have them create cybernames. So, you will have to be happy with their ages & descriptions for now.

We have been praying and waiting for these children for ever so long. We always knew our family was not yet complete. We know the Lord set aside these precious souls just for us, and we couldn't be more thrilled!

I have not yet blogged about the girls, because I wanted to wait until I had met them. We started this process in February of 07, went to training in June 07, did our homestudy in November 07 and were approved in Jan 08. Within just a few weeks, we were asked to adopt three precious little girls! The Lord orchestrated everything in His perfect timing, and we have seen His hand throughout this process. We are stepping out in faith by adding three at once, but we know the Lord will equip us for what He asks of us!

This weekend, we finally got to meet our new daughters, and they stayed the weekend with us! Now we want to share them with you!

Our new 8yo dd (far right in the picture) is intelligent, friendly and quiet. We were unable to produce a quiet child through biological means, but have always envied those who could. So, we adopted one. She is a thinker, and living life at a slower pace allows her to really notices things that most people would overlook. She is on the A/B Honor Roll at school, and wants us to know she gets 100s on all her math and spelling tests! She loves to help people, especially her new Mama!

The second dd is 7 yo (far left in the picture), and is a bundle of energy. This daughter reminds me of Lil Yoda, in that she keeps us all in stitches. There will never be a dull moment with these two together under the same roof! This daughter jokes and laughs and has an infectious smile. She is easygoing and easy to please, and she loves to eat as much as Lil Yoda! She and her sisters enjoyed helping cook dinner, while they were here this weekend. She told me she put extra love in it for us!

Our new youngest daughter is 6yo (second from the right in the picture). She is a little charmer, and will steal your heart the moment you meet her. She is very smart and has a heart that wants to please. She also likes to help her Mama with things around the house. She showed me her school folder, and she got a smiley face every day this month for good behavior! I may need to start a smiley face chart at home! This one is my little tomato (thanks, Ginger!) and I look forward to having her by my side for the next few weeks!

I know this is getting long, and I will have the rest of their lives to write about them, so I'll wrap this up now. We will have them again this weekend, and then they come home for good the following weekend! Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of children! What a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2008-05-08T09:24:00.003-05:00

Mother Auma has tagged me for a meme. I am to list three of my favorite things. I don't think this question is fair, I'll have you know, because she was able to list her three children and I am soon to have six. But that's another story...

Those of you who know me, know I am rather flighty. Favorites are always difficult for me to choose, because I love so many things! (And I tend toward the dramatic).

That said, my three favorite things, today, are:

1. My favorite color is blue. Not just any blue, mind you, but the clear, deep cerulean that we sometimes see in the sky.

2. My favorite animal is the horse. They are beautiful, strong and majestic. Also I like that they are intelligent. Stupid animals annoy me.

3. My favorite time of day is the morning. Prior to moving to the lake, I didn't care for mornings and usually slept through them. Here, though, I love to listen to the birds sing. I love the coolness and freshness of the morning, and the sense of renewal that the whole world seems to exude. I never before noticed the way mornings are so full of life.

Thanks, Mother Auma, for the tag. Tell Triss it was a great idea, and I love her Avatar. It is very...her!

I tag Ginger, The Sparks Circus and Karen at The Herd! What are your three favorites?

Raising the Cross

2008-05-04T22:52:00.003-05:00

We raised the cross of Christ over our new church building today. It was a moving and beautiful experience.

We prayed over this new facility, that as we lift Christ up to this community, He will draw others to Himself. We prayed for those who will walk through these doors, that each would experience a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Then we held hands and sang Oh, The Wonderful Cross and The Old Rugged Cross. It was a moment to be remembered.

Bald Eagle Cam

2008-05-03T22:04:00.004-05:00

As if last year's Elephant Cam weren't cool enough, you can now watch streaming video of a Bald Eagle's Nest, complete with chicks! (...eaglets? chicks sounds too common, not regal enough.) However, I am extremely bummed that I missed their hatching.

Do you know what color are Bald Eagle chicks? Neither did I. Check it out!

Incidentally, the latest and greatest in Elephant Cam technology involves attaching cameras to elephants' trunks. Apparently elephants are very skilled filmmakers, as they recently captured some superb footage of tiger cubs. I feel sorry for the tigers, though. With all the Elephant Papparazzi around, they never get a moment's peace.

More Lake Birds

2008-04-29T21:57:00.004-05:00

Besides the pelicans and bald eagle, we get to see lots of other birds here at the lake. Below are a few pictures of birds we have seen here recently.

Great Egrets:

Roadrunner (this little guy hopped up on our office windowsill!):

Eastern Bluebird (one of our favorites!):

And last, and certainly least, the Turkey Vulture:

We awaken each morning to the sound of many different songbirds, mainly various sparrows, American Robins, Carolina Wrens, Dark-Eyed Juncos, and lots of others. We also have an assortment of ducks and woodpeckers, as well as owls, Rock and Mourning Doves, Bluejays, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Red-Tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers and an occasional Great Blue Heron or Cooper's Hawk. What a beautiful place to live! We are so blessed to be here.

Sorry the pictures aren't very close-up. Those birds keep spying me, and flying away from me! Perhaps I need a better camera...

Wordless Wednesday

2008-04-09T11:41:00.001-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-03-26T00:12:00.001-05:00

...because there are no words.

The Pelicans Are Back!

2008-03-24T21:42:00.003-05:00

There were only 15 or 20 today. In the next few days we should have close to 200 pelicans fly in. They will stay only a day or two, then move on to the Texas coast. A flock that size is hard to miss - the huge white spot on the lake immediately draws your attention! I will try get a picture of the big flock. Last year I forgot my camera in the house. They are fun to watch, and not easily scared so they will let you get fairly close.

I couldn't get close enough to identify these black ducks. They appear all black, but it was difficult to tell. They seem to migrate with the pelicans.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T20:43:00.004-05:00

We hope you find the time today, amid bunnies and candy eggs, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the true reason for Easter. He is the reason for our spilled laughter!

The Toothless Wonder

2008-03-22T20:36:00.003-05:00

Lil Yoda lost 2 teeth in 3 days! The snout beside her belongs to Oompy, her Tooth Buddy. He's a Webkinz hippo, in case you can't tell. He was a first-rate Tooth Buddy, and very brave throughout the Tooth Pulling Incidents. We are very proud of Oompy, because hippos aren't normally brave, you know. And we're proud of Lil Yoda, too! Congratulations, Squishy Bear! We love that lithp!

24 Hours Later...

2008-03-22T20:31:00.004-05:00

We had one lonely snow pile. And it was near 60 degrees outside.

Ain't Texas grand? Snow or not, you really can't ever pack your shorts away.

**Note: I realize I am posting this late, but these pictures really were taken the day after the snow pictures!

Nature Pictures - Snow at the Lake

2008-03-07T00:09:00.004-06:00

This is my favorite tree on our land. It was even more awesome blanketed in snow.

Can you see the snow on the shore across the lake?

The temperature here was in the 70s this weekend, and the trees started to bud. It was 80 degrees on Monday, and the Bradford pears started flowering. It's so strange to see the flowers covered with snow....And every thing in time and under heaven finally falls asleep.
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation shivers underneath.
Still, I notice You when branches crack
And in my breath on frosted glass.
Even now, in death, You open doors for life to enter.
You are Winter...

And every thing that's new has bravely surfaced, teaching us to breathe.
And what was frozen through is newly purposed, turning all things green.
So it is with You, and how You make me new
With every season's change.
And so it will be, as You are recreating me...
Summer...Autumn...Winter...Spring.

---Every Season by Nicole Nordemann

Thank you, Lord, for recreating me. Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of Winter and the promise of Spring.

A Beautiful, Snowy Day!

2008-03-06T23:28:00.013-06:00

North Texas today received its annual dusting of snow.

Except, this year, we got several inches of snow!! We can barely contain our excitement!

The snow began just after noon today. Certain we would not even get enough snow to cover the grass, I sent the girls out to enjoy what little there was.

But, lo and behold, an hour and a half later it was still snowing!

After another hour - still snowing! I was in shock by this point.

By this time, we couldn't even see the lake anymore - it's that misty place just beyond the trees.

We discovered that a couple of hours in the snow makes children cold and exhausted. We all cuddled up with some hot chocolate and watched Zathura with Daddy...in the middle of the day! What a treat!

We went next door to play with our neighbors as soon as they got home from school. (They were released early because of the snow. We do that around here.)

After more hot chocolate & warming up, we all came to our house to try the sleds on our long, steep driveway. In case you're wondering why we have sleds, we don't. Our neighbors do, because they're Yankees. And anyway, 2 of the sleds are really pool floats...

Nope, too powdery. The sled just sank into the snow. It worked great with Mr. Dave pulling it, though!

We had a wonderful day playing in the snow together, and more is expected tomorrow. What a blessing! Our Friday co-op has been canceled, no one is working and we are declaring a Snow Day from school! Yea!!!

I was going to include some nature pictures I took today, but I'll post them separately as this is getting quite long!

Rock Star

2008-02-26T22:02:00.001-06:00

Oh, and my Rock Star Name is

Your Rockstar Name Is...

Fifi Stardust

What's Your Rockstar Name?

So, when you see that on an album cover, you'll know it's me.

Now I Know Why We're Friends

2008-02-26T21:55:00.004-06:00

Mother Auma at CM, Children and Lots of Grace, posted this Punctuation Mark Quiz. Now I know why we're friends. She is a Question Mark (makes sense to me) and I am a Comma. I'm pretty bummed, though, because I really, really wanted to be an EXCLAMATION POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic.

You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything.

You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests.

You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time.

Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to.

(But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.)

You excel in: Inspiring people

You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

This certainly does sound like me, but I really did expect to be an Exclamation Point. I'm somewhat offended. If any of you are Exclamation Points, let me know how I can beat the test, I mean, do better next time.

Galileo

2008-02-21T12:49:00.004-06:00

We recently finished reading Along Came Galileo by Jeanne Bendick, the same author who wrote Archimedes and the Door of Science. Both are excellent, well-written books designed to introduce children to these men's lives and ideas.

The girls also talked about Galileo in their science class at our co-op. Below are pictures of the projects they completed. Some of the gumdrops didn't survive the journey home, but you get the picture. ;-)

Disturb Me

2008-02-03T15:32:00.000-06:00

Disturb Me

Disturb me Lord to see the plight of millions,
Homeless, starving and fighting for life each day.
Disturb me Lord when I complain about my lack
When I have no idea what lack really is!

Lord, disturb me, so that I can see past myself
And venture forth being Your hands and feet.
Help me to dream big dreams only You can bring to pass.

Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst for the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity,
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future in strength, courage, hope and love.

~~~Sir Francis Drake

Bald Eagles

2008-02-03T14:13:00.000-06:00

It seems we have new residents here at our home on the lake.

We have grown accustomed to large birds of prey in the trees and skies all around us, primarily red-tailed hawks and northern harriers. And a lot of turkey vultures.

This week King Louie noticed 2 large birds flying overhead. They were dark, with white heads & tails. We decided they must be bald eagles, because, what other bird has a 6-7 foot wingspan and a white head and tail? Still, they were too high for us to tell for certain and our brains were hesitant to believe we were actually seeing bald eagles here at our home! Neither of us had ever seen a bald eagle in the wild, and we've lived in Texas all our lives.

This weekend we saw one come back. He skimmed the lake with his talons, grabbed a fish and alighted (Can a bird that big alight? Perhaps that's the wrong word...) in a tree between our house and the lake. Determined to get solid evidence, I cautiously approached him with my camera. I took quite a few pictures. He wasn't afraid of me at all, and let me get about 30 yards away before he flew off. This may be because he was trying to finish his dinner! You can see his lovely fish in his right talon, against the tree.

It is easy to see why our nation has selected the bald eagle as its national bird. They are truly awesome creatures to see, especially in flight. This bird is wonderfully majestic; proud and strong; and extremely powerful. It is unfortunate they are no longer abundant in our land.

I hope you are able to see one for yourself one day, in "real life." They are incredible!

P.S. I do apologize for the mulitple postings here, and the terrible formatting around the pictures. I tried several times, but cannot for the life of me get the text to format properly around the pictures. You'll just have to wing it. (pun intended)

First Day of Co-op!

2008-01-19T21:26:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was our first day back at co-op. Our co-op only meets once/week, and only runs 10 weeks in the spring, and 10 weeks in the fall, so we get very excited when it's time to start back up! I get to teach a Shakespeare class to 1st-3rd graders (very fun!) and high school Economics and Humanities, which I co-teach with 2 friends. I also help out in a Cake Decorating class. It is such a blast!

Baloo is taking the 2nd semester of Apologia Chemistry and the 2nd semester of my Humanities class, plus Billiards and Mythbusters.

Padme and Lil Yoda are both taking the second semesters of Extreme Weather and Traveling the American Road, both taught by Grandma Lori, and they are both taking Renaissance Relived, a history/crafts class. In addition, Padme is taking Real Science for Kids (Physics) and Thinking Things (Logic games). Lil Yoda is taking Bird's Eye View (World Geography) and Lego Creations.

They had a great day yesterday, but we were all worn out! We have to wake up extremely early to make it to Opening Assembly by 8:40!!! Thankfully I had dinner in the crockpot so the house smelled yummy when we walked in. The smell alone was soothing! Overall, a very wonderful day. We love our co-op!

Preventative Measures

2008-01-16T23:27:00.000-06:00

Each week, the children have zones of the house for which they are responsible. This week, Padme's zone is the kitchen. This is generally considered the most difficult zone, so Padme instituted some preventative measures. When we entered the kitchen this morning, we were met with this sign:

Dancin' with Daddy!

2008-01-15T21:53:00.001-06:00

Bone Scones

2008-01-11T09:23:00.000-06:00

Yesterday the girls & I made Crispy Bone Scones from a recipe Lil Yoda got off of the Webkinz website. Turns out they were just bone-shaped shortbread cookies, but they were actually good. We had a lot of fun, anyway!

It's pretty difficult to shape a cookie into a bone. Just in case you ever need to know.

Penguins like it cold

2008-01-09T22:56:00.001-06:00

It has been very cold in Texas tonight. When we left church this evening it was a frigid 53 degrees. Okay so it's not that cold, but we enjoyed mid-70 degree days last week, and low sixties this week. Amazing how a drop of just a few degrees can seem so much colder!

As we left church, we stopped to get gas. Lil Yoda wanted to help Daddy pump the gas.

I remember helping my Daddy pump the gas. I loved that! Sometimes I'd even get to run inside and pay the cashier! What a treat that was! :) Man, my parents were good. But I digress...

So Lil Yoda and Daddy are pumping gas in the aforementioned Freezing Winter Weather. Daddy is wearing a nice, warm leather jacket. Lil Yoda is holding a penguin Webkinz and freezing. As her Daddy is a gentleman, he offered this Sweet Young Thing his coat.

Lil Yoda quickly accepted the jacket, put it on and said to her Daddy, "Here, Daddy. You hold Waddles. He likes the cold!"

Daddies, you understand, do not. But they really like their little girls.

Goals

2008-01-04T22:52:00.000-06:00

Goals for 2008? I'm not good with goals. Mainly because I tend to get bored and move on.

Hmmm.......let's see.......

“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

That's my starting point. Let me know when you think I have mastered the above list.

Then I'll move on.

The Pigzal

2008-01-04T20:13:00.001-06:00

There once was a Pigzal,
part pig and part weasal.
He slept all day
and his name was Diesel.

He had a sniff,
he had to blow.
He blew so hard,
he blew up snow.

The snow was pink,
and his hair was, too.
And, if you ask me,
he smelt like goo.

The goo was green
and so was the cat.
And, I'm sorry to say,
she was stuck to his back.

----by Padme

Christmas Eve Eve service

2007-12-23T20:22:00.000-06:00

One of our pastors spoke today about the meaning of Christmas (okay this was no surprise since it's Christmas Eve-Eve). Instead of the traditional Birth of Christ passage from Luke 2, Dr. David McKinley taught from Hebrews 12:1-2. (This was the 2nd in a 3 part series):

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NIV)

I have read this passage many times, yet today I gleaned new truths from it. Have you ever been caught in tangly weeds? We get them down by the lake in the summer, long vines with thorns on them. If you accidentally walk through them, you're stuck! Escaping requires precision and patience, or you end up quite scratched and frustrated!

Do I really throw off the things that hinder, and/or the sin that so easily entangles? Sometimes, honestly, it is easier to just remain entangled. Even when I do escape it, I don't know that I really throw it off. Sometimes it's more like I sneak away when I think it's not looking. Actually throwing something off, especially if it's tangled and thorny, implies a violent action. And sometimes I just don't want to put in the effort. But I need to be leaning on Christ, and allowing his Holy Spirit inside of me to do the work. I guess I just...lose focus.

Also, I was reminded that the only race I have to worry about is the one that is marked out for me. And I am to run it with perserverance. Endurance. Excellence. I think I am really missing the mark here... I have always been like Aesop's hare of Tortoise infamy, I run quickly ahead, then lie on the side of the road and take a nap. That's not how a race is run. Every runner knows you are supposed to establish a steady rhythm, a pace, and stick to it. I am praying for a steady pace.

Dr. McKinley taught at length about what it means that Jesus is the author (originator, founder) and perfecter (finisher) of our faith. Our faith comes from Christ - it originates with him. But also it is he who completes our faith. Without Christ, our faith is imperfect, unfinished. Through Christ we are complete. The Greek word used in the text for "perfecter" is totelestai meaning paid in full. This was a common term used in the marketplace when a transaction of goods occurred. Through Christ, our sins are paid in full, because "for the joy set before him [he] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." In fact, the same word, totelestai, is what Christ said when he died. It is often translated, "It is finished" but it could also be translated, "Paid in full."

I pray you realize, this Christmas, that Christ has stamped "Paid in full" on your life, washing away your sins and opening up the gates of heaven for you. All you need do is accept this free gift of salvation, turn from your sins and follow Him. Your life will never be the same.

Because Christ has paid it all,
1. I have nothing to complain about this Christmas. (Nothing - I really messed up here!)
2. I need not compare myself with those around me.
3. I cannot improve upon what Christ has done for me.

Dr. McKinley closed with this "Christmas song," which isn't a Christmas carol at all, but a familiar hymn, "Jesus Paid It All":

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim,
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

And now complete in Him
My robe His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

Clay Christmas Ornaments

2007-12-17T15:31:00.000-06:00

I recently received the below recipe for Clay Christmas Ornaments from a friend in our homeschool group, and decided we would make them today. Here is the conversation that followed:

ME: Guess what, girls! We are going to use the oven to make some special Christmas decorations today!

LIL YODA: Ooh! Mommy! We should make the Decoration of Independence!

...We haven't actually reached that point in history, we have only gotten as far as Captain John Smith, so I let it slide. She must have learned the term from watching National Treasure the other night. ;)

We had a lot of fun making these ornaments. This recipe made about 10 ornaments. I must warn you that this is a very long, all day sort of project. After prepping the "batter" we spent about 1 1/2 hours shaping the ornaments, then baked them, cooled them, and spent another hour, at least, painting them. Then they had to dry. Then the varnish and more drying time. Then we flipped them, varnished the back, and waited again. We started about 10 this morning and finished about 6 this evening. (OK we played a lot in between but you get the picture! The point is that this project took over my kitchen for the whole day - just thought I'd warn you.) The results were definitely worth it though!

Here's the recipe, from http://www.teachartathome.com/ :

Christmas Clay Ornaments

Supplies:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

water

tempera paints, various colors

paintbrush

clear nail polish, polyurethane or liquid floorwax for glazing

yarn or ribbon

1. Mix together the flour, salt and enough water to make a smooth, soft dough that is not sticky. (If it is sticky, add a little bit more flour).

2. You can either add tempera paints to the clay to create various colors or wait until after the ornaments are hard to paint them. (Creating colored clay is better for younger children who can't paint well).

3. Be sure to create a hole as your last step using a small paintbrush handle.

4. Bake ornaments on a baking sheet that has been dusted with flour for 30 minutes at 300 degrees, or until hard but not heavily browned.

5. If you used white dough only, paint with tempera paints when cooled.

6. When the paint is dry, brush with one of the following glazing mediums to make it shiny: clear nail polish, polyurethane varnish or liquid floor wax. (This step works well wiht the colored dough, but it may cause paints to run if painted after baked. That is only the case, however, if the glazing medium is put on too heavily or brushed a lot). Allow to dry thoroughly. Turn over and glaze the back too. Allow to dry.

7. String with a loop of yarn or ribbon for hanging.