A Goat and Two Chickens, Please! (a guest post by our daughter, Korinne)

As I look through the World Vision gift catalog, my heart breaks, and I get tears in my eyes. There are children with no food, or shelter, or clothes, or drinking water, and many other things. Hundreds of kids die every day from not having these things.

 

As I look through the catalog my parents encourage me to raise money to get something. I decided on a goat and 2 chickens.

 

Goat milk has protein which helps a child grow. They can sell extra milk,
yogurt and cheese for other things like medicine or clothes.


Two chickens provide eggs. Extra eggs can be sold for other needs. And soon
more chickens will hatch which means more eggs!

Please help me raise $100. I already have $3.72, so I only need to raise $96.28 more by December 17.

 

Thank you.

Love, Korinne

"for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave
Me drink..." - Matthew 25:3

continuing to pour

It has been one of those mornings. One where I find myself living out the verse of this place,

"...At the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like
water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him for the life of
your young children..." - Lamentations 2:19

 

I speak here often of how my life is beautiful. Of how my husband and children are tremendous blessings. Of how we strive to be deliberate. Consistent. In the moment. And it is all real, it's truly who we are. But this morning has been a reminder, to my slightly too comfortable soul, that living fully, consistently, and deliberately is not easy.

I had nothing left to do, but lift my hands toward Him. With lifted hands, and an overwhelmed heart, a heart full of the tasks He had laid before me, I poured.

When it takes the nine year old over an hour of precious time to do a simple copywork assignment. When the toddler rips through the pages of yet another overdue library book. When there are tiresome and tedious disciplinary issues that need constant, immediate attention. When children seem weary (didn't we just wake up?).

I may feel hopeless. But I'm not hopeless. Praise God.

When the chaos of the morning was finally fading, when the book work at the kitchen table was finished, once hungry tummies were full of peanutbutter and jelly, and we were dropping the oldest off at a sweet friend's house to help out... I smiled, for probably the first time in hours, at my daughter and said, "Enjoy your opportunity to serve." She smiled back, knowing everything was okay, and answered, "I will."

I'm grateful to know that I don't have to walk through these hectic mornings alone. I'm grateful that I can repent and be forgiven of negative feelings, harsh talk, and terrible mothering.

I'm so grateful that all I have to do is lift my hands, and He sees, and takes them.

my thoughts on picture study

As the weather gets cooler, and we're spending more time indoors, it's a little easier for this homeschooling momma to fit in some "extra" studies.

For the past few weeks, we have been enjoying the art of Grandma Moses. In October, we studied and narrated Halloween. As the month changed, we moved on to Joy Ride, for the second part of November, we are fittingly using Catching The Thanksgiving Turkey. Then, for the short month of December, we'll be enjoying Christmas At Home or So Long Til Next Year. ... Grandma has so many that I love, it's hard for me to choose. We may just stick with her work until March!

 

We are pretty simple in our approach (as with all our school subjects anymore). We google for a short, easy-to-read biography on the artist, and I read it aloud to the kids. We then look at the picture together, on the computer. The kids then narrate (tell me) what they see in the picture. I don't correct at all. I use our current picture as my desktop background, so they see it everyday. I've also been thinking of buying a few frames from the Dollar Store, to hang our artist's works in on the dining room wall, as we enjoy and study them for a few months.

We don't "copy" like we have in the past anymore. There is just too much creative, original, priceless-to-me artwork being made by little hands in our home everyday, that I don't feel assigning "Art" is necessary.

My goal is exposure. Appreciation. Of good art, that instills good feelings. That's all. (if the picture is sad, or inappropriate...we don't look. there is enough of that going on in real life. no thank you.)

 

We do own a few "Art" books here in our home, that have been well-used and loved. We've never 'scheduled' them into lesson plans, they are just on our shelves. My little artists pull them off when they're feeling creative:

The Usborne Book of ART ideas

(a current favorite of both Korinne and TJ)

Usborne Playtime I Can Draw People

Usborne Playtime I Can Draw Animals

Wesley's Bible coloring page is from our Gospel Light's Really Big Book of Bible Story Coloring Pages(I love this, because it's non-consumable...we've owned it for 4 years now. And because the drawing are very simple for little ones.)

Katie Meets The Impressionists

(part of a series of Picture Books that introduces young children to great artists and their works. I hope to be able to purchase more in the series soon)

***More thoughts on Picture Study***

daybook, november 1st

living seasonally…

I don't know how, but it seems our little corner of the world knew it was November today. The sun was beautifully shining, but there was a very cool breeze in the air, and I had to wear my beloved purple sweater outside this afternoon. The boys played baseball and dirt guns, while the girls read Shakespeare on blankets, and I sat in my chair watching the pecan tree leaves twirl to the ground. I really do love November.

giving thanks…

My mom spent the last 24 hours in the hospital. She is home now, and I'm grateful for her diagnosis, although I know it won't be easy. But my little prayer warrior, Wesley, prayed for her (and her exercise routine) this evening during family worship.

 

thinking deeply…

 

It's so hard when emergencies come up, being military ... far away from loved ones in need, and being able to lend a hand. Living where God has placed me is hard sometimes. But right all the time.

turning pages…

 

1 Peter ... our entire family is using The GOAL Study, and working our way through together.

Passionate Housewives ... I do believe that Carissa is joining me in re-reading this favorite. Scripture really does portray homemaking as beautiful, and I need to be reminded.

one thousand gifts ... (maybe) I've read the first three chapters last spring, and they were too much for me. But I keep being drawn to it.

 

establishing rhythm…

 

We are struggling to find a balance for school right now. So many ages and stages and books to teach and choose. Everything has felt stale and generic. We're making so many changes in focus, curriculum, routine ... but it's slow changes.

I do, however, love to see TJ enjoying and learning Math and hearing him read to me out of his Pathway Reader. He laughs. Out loud. At dressed up kitty-dolls. And he frowns. Out loud. When big brother is mean to little sister. (this part is not stale homeschooling, it is my heart, homeschooling)

cultivating simplicity…

As I googled for simple Christmas (my Christmas Wish this winter), I stumbled upon this little post, ...

"I was just reading about the Ingalls family Christmas celebration. Each child got a peppermint stick and a new pair of mittens and a very large, special supper. That was all. The simplicity of their Christmas celebration was in stark contrast to the pile of goodies under our tree and the onslaught of decadent food that starts in November and lasts all the way till January when we vow to abstain for ever after!"

 

creating beauty…

Korinne is finishing her first knitted scarf as I type. She's used every last bit of yarn that Miss Victoria (the knitting librarian that is going to Paris in spring) gave her. She sits on the couch some evenings, perfectly content, and knitting. It makes me smile.

I reminded myself this afternoon, that it's time to put away the pumpkin moonshine jars, tart warmer, and tea light holder ... and get out my little pilgrims and turkeys. We will be decorating for Christmas in just a few weeks too. Early. The weekend before Thanksgiving. Because we are, indeed, going Over The River and Through The Woods this year.

nurturing hearts…

 

As much as I'm trying to place the proper meaning in the kids of Christmas, I feel like Thanksgiving easily gets overlooked. The focus still tends to be visiting, food, and turkeys here. When I need to be filling little hearts full of real, true, grateful thanksgiving. We have so much. And too often, it goes unnoticed.

"They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness. " - Psalm 145:7 NKJV

nurturing minds…

A hard decision to make ... but we have shelved our English books. Complicated no longer works in our simple home. I was ready to do a cheer for Brian after watching this. We will take a long break first though. We have holidays to celebrate, and a new baby to welcome to the world. Then ... we will worry about Grammar.

nurturing senses…

We made s'mores Saturday evening. Over a smoking fire. Outside. In fall. It was delicious. They were delicious. ... My dad enjoyed one for the first time with us. Wesley and Benjamin thoroughly enjoyed theirs too!

nurturing hands…

Lotion makes it's return in our routine. After washing dishes, after bathing babies. Judah actually sighed as I massaged his chubby legs.

nurturing bodies…

I realize I'm so tired, just about the time to start dinner every night. I prepared the kitchen, but sat in the kitchen chair, as Brian prepared the meal. Cheeseburger skillet. With all the fixin's. Oh, and French Fries. Really. Good. French Fries.

tending the earth...

If we keep a few of our pumpkin seeds ... how do we store them until spring? Buying pumpkins for eight children is expensive!