Daybook Entry, March 2014

Outside my window... it is cold today. But no snow. 

I am thinking... that I'll never stop missing the snow. No matter that all our friends and family back in Cincinnati are so exhausted of it they could die. I'll never stop missing the snow.

I am thankful... that we did get just a little snow a few weeks ago. Five inches ... maybe? Enough to shut down the entire state of South Carolina, anyway.

In the kitchen... I don't cook anymore. I'm teasing. Really, though ... I haven't cooked but a few meals since Miss Miriam was born. She takes up a lot ... A Lot ... of my time. It's nice having the girls around to help. And I'm very happy that one of Brian's passions is cooking.

I am wearing... gray yoga pants and a cream and light blue sweater.

I am creating... I got my weekly planner back out this morning. The last nine weeks are blank. See? Miriam takes ALL my time. So much that I can't even schedule the rest of it.

I am going... leaving here shortly to take Kylie to music lessons. I tell her every Tuesday how inconvenient it is to have to leave in the middle of naptime to take her to class. She tells me every Tuesday that I tell her every Tuesday. We are switching the time for music lessons after this semester.

I am wondering... if I'll get this Daybook Entry finished before I have to inconveniently leave for Kylie's music lessons in just a few minutes (?)

I am reading... Today is my last day of reading through the entire book of Psalms and Proverbs in one month. Until I realized it was the end of February ... which doesn't have enough days in it to read through the entire books. I just finished Phyllis Tickle's book for winter, waiting on UPS to deliver her spring book. I'm about to finish a Saint Patrick's Day book I bought for the older boys ... it's not at all what I expected ... I may not even have them read it.

*** PAUSE *** to take Kylie to music lessons. (Tuesday 1;45PM)

***RESUME*** (Wednesday 1:10PM)

I am hoping... that the fever that started in Zach late yesterday afternoon really is his tooth trying to come in, and not a nasty virus he's picked up from Who Knows Where -- since the child hasn't left the house in weeks ... ...

I am looking forward to... 5:00 PM when Brian will get home. Being a stay-at-home/homeschooling mom of nine kids makes having my husband arriving home from work seem like Christmas. The kids are always happy to see him, and I'm elated. Someone to talk to. Someone to help. Someone here. It's like a huge weight is lifted off my shoulders every time he walks back through the door.

I am learning... that I always forget how long it takes to get back to normal when a new baby arrives. I overestimate what our family is realistically capable of doing every single time. Miriam will be six weeks old on Friday ... and things still seem out of whack.

Around the house... I'm trying very hard to let some things go. We don't have to pick up the toys five times a day. Twice is good. I don't need all the laundry done every day. Three loads is good. I have stopped cooking breakfast on school days ... it would take me forty-five minutes to prepare the meal, and Kylie at least another half an hour to clean it up. We've embraced cereal and juice. It's nice. I also stopped having Kylie cook lunch. It cut her school time short, and it took Korinne too long to clean up. We're enjoying sandwiches and chips now (on paper plates if we have them). 

I am pondering... what is the difference between thinking and pondering? I'll have to look that up. Maybe "thinking" is something that has just been on my mind for a bit ... ... and "pondering" is something that has been on my mind for a while (which is longer than a bit).

A favorite quote for today... "May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn't live a day without you. Cheers!" -- from the movie Leap Year ... which I will be watching just *a few* times with my girls this month!

One of my favorite things... having teenage girls that I can do things like watch good movies with. We do love Leap Year. And Pearl Harbor. And Letters to Juliet. And You've Got Mail. And Enchanted. And Leap Year. 

A few plans for the rest of the week:  Korinne had a cardiology appointment this morning (all good news). She has ballet this evening. Kylie has youth praise band rehearsal before church this evening, so Brian and the boys will have to leave early for church too. Miriam, Zach, and I will stay home. 

(Pictures are peeks into my yesterday... )

Sketch Tuesday Letter L

L oki -- by Benjamin, age 5

L ightning McQueen -- by Wesley, age 6

L ynx -- by TJ, age 9

L och Ness Monster -- by Connor, age 11

***********

We actually missed the deadline for emailing our sketches in for Sketch Tuesday ... but I wanted to share them anyway. I hope to remember in time next week so that they can be included in the LEGO slide show.

Happy Sketching on Tuesday!

Where Is the Green Sheep?

 


by Mem Fox, "read" to you by Judah Bailey

Captain America Rides a Bike

Hope your Sunday was relaxing too!

(S)aturdays are for ...

Going (S)hooting with your dad, (S)miling at your momma, (S)tealing from your birdie friends, ... and homemade funnel cakes.

Happy (S)aturday!

Welcome, March!

{ this moment }

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{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama.

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Giving Up - Hoping

... my Faith is very weak. And when it comes to trusting God with my children, it's at it's weakest. I'm one of the guilty Christians who holds my family higher than I should. I'm aware, and I struggle.



Over the last month, we've learned that Korinne has a condition called Vasovagal Syncope. She is fine. Not fine in the way your child is. But fine. Ballet has been a bit of a battle for me, though. Should she continue? Is it safe? And she should. And it is. But I still worry (though I know I shouldn't).


As we drove to her class this afternoon, she sat in the passenger seat taping her toes. I listened to the sound of the masking tape ripping, ripping ... then the music caught my attention. A song about trusting God. And I got a lump in my throat. And gave her up. Peacefully. Surprisingly.


As she got out of the van at school, Hillsong United came on singing "Oceans" ... which we both love. 

I smiled and said -- "I get to listen on the way home." She laughed and said something about it always coming on when she's getting out of the car.

Then I reminded her, "You know I spoke to Miss Lona (her ballet principal) today." ... 

"Yes, Mom. You told me. Twice," she says, smiling as her lip gloss and eyeshadow sparkle in the sunshine. She knows I worry.

"Be careful," I say. 

"I will. I love you," is what I hear as she shuts the door and walks away with her slightly-strawberry-blonde hair in a neat bun, wearing her hot pink hoodie with both hands shoved in her pockets, her ribbons and flowers Vera Bradley bag carrying her beloved pointe shoes slung over her shoulder, and her purple sneakers on ...


I watched until she got inside the door, and then drove away listening to Our Song, turned up way too loud. Hoping my Faith would indeed be made stronger.

{ this moment }

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{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama.

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Moments With A Not-So-Humble Homeschool Mom

Science, not History ... an experiment to find out Kylie's blood type. Hysterical.

As I'm reading the boys' History chapter on Alexander and his horse, Bucephalus, aloud during lunch ... they interrupt me to finish the story (correctly).

As I close our book, I smile and ask -- "Where did you learn that story?" (fully expecting for them to say they read it in one of the Great Books on our shelf ...)

They answer, in unison, "Phineas and Ferb!"

{ this moment }

. . . . . . . . .

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama.

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Happy St Valentine's Day

from Baby Elton John

Our Snow Fairy

I could stand at my dining rooms windows and watch the snow in the moonlight all night. ... *if* I didn't already have something even more amazing to do all night.

Ten Books That Have Stayed With Me

A Nest For Celeste by Henry Cole

1. There Are Rocks In My Socks Said The Ox To the Fox by Patricia Thomas -- childhood, my mom read this book to me. Repeatedly. In Bird Voice. (my dad didn't read me a book. He told me a story. It included sunshine, blue skies, wind, horses, me, and my brother and sister. I will write it down some day.)

2. Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson -- 4th Grade, I clung to every word of this book as Mrs. Sullivan read it. Brian doesn't even remember. (?!)

3. I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier -- 10th Grade, I was heartbroken at the end of this book and couldn't believe my English teacher didn't want to talk about it ...

4. Heartbeat by Danielle Steele -- probably when I was 16-17ish years old, I can only vaguely remember the storyline but I remember reading it poolside at my grandparents condo and feeling so grown up holding it in my hands. It's the only DS novel I've read, it's not something I'd ever pick up now, nor something I'd allow my own 16/17 year old daughter to read. But it's "stayed with me" nonetheless.

5. Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott -- 1998-99, I checked this out from the Library at Ft Bragg when we lived there. Took me a long time to read it (months). It made me think about my lack of faith, looking back ... it was probably what started the ball rolling, leading me to pick up:

6. the first book in the Left Behind series -- 2001, leading me to pick up:

7. The Bible -- which took me years (like 3!) to read through.

8. Sleepy Bears by Mem Fox -- 2003, Kylie checked this out from her school library in Kindergarten. I read it to her, Korinne, and Connor so many times ... I remember thinking, "I want a bunch of babies to read stories to in bed." Seriously.

9. Star Of Light by Patricia St John -- 2008, the girls and I read this in their room at our first house in Jonesboro. We cried. And read. And cried.

10. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher & The Year Of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill -- 2010-11, these 2 books helped me see what kind of education I wanted to give my kids. I read them over and over again.

Miriam

In my arms. All day. Be jealous.

Judah-ism

"Awww, Momma ... she worked so hard to get that bless you out." -- Judah (as Miriam let out the tiniest, little sneeze)

Heaven

... here on earth.

First Outing

:: saw Dr Lisa. Baby Sissy's collar bone is healing well, no heart murmur, she's weighing in at 9 lbs 13 oz! ::

Band of Brothers

photo by Brian

I know some boys that are going to miss their dad when he has to go back to work Monday!

{ this moment }

. . . . . . . . .

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by SouleMama.

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A Letter From Judah

Dear Sissy KyKy~

Thank you for leaving your bedroom door unlocked and your black nail polish on your bedside chair. I had fun painting Zach!

Love, Judah

PS: Mom said thanks a lot too.


*This picture was taken when I was still in the hospital with Miriam ... he told Kylie he looked as cute as a bunny.

Baby Sissy Snuggles

... he had a question about his school work. But who can resist? So sweet.