Kristen Blog

Stellar Day Wednesday 1/12/2011          Whoa! We had a stellar day today. . .well, minus the tyrant one-year-old who was storming around the house like a little Napoleon. I think he's still cranky from his recent ear infections, or maybe it's his teeth. (Please, God, tell me that it NOT just his new personality!) He spent his day all dictator-like, bossing and screaming and tearing things up. "Will somebody please distract the baby?!" Oh, wait...there's only one of me. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MANAGE ALL OF THIS?! At times I was ready to tear my hair out, but then I would think of something to distract him. A little play dough here, the Wiggles there...we managed to get through the day. (At least he enjoyed getting out of the house this evening, and he was extremely happy in his bath!) As for the homeschool part of our day, I took the time to feed the kids breakfast (it's a novel concept). Then, I took the time to pla...

Baby D's Memorial I am so moved...I am SO MOVED. I spent 2 1/2 hours yesterday evening at the most moving memorial I have ever attended. Our church group is genuine, loving and naturally very close-knit...though our numbers have rapidly increased in the last few years. The large sanctuary was filled with one large family, mourning with a precious young couple and the loss of one of OUR babies. Yet, we dedicated him back to his Rightful Owner. We sang worship songs...starting with our contemporary rendition of "It is Well..." (That's where I FIRST lost it. The old hymns always get me.) We prayed. We heard a message from our beloved pastor. Baby D's daddy, a singer on the worship team, even mustered the faith and courage to get up and sing with the worship team. (And...that is when I REALLY lost it. I had been longing all week to take away this pain from them, and I kept thinking, "I just wish I could see A up on the sta...

Visiting Great-Grandma Carlene Tuesday January 4, 2011 Whew! We were gone from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. today. I guess it's a normal workday for some, but I'm not used to going for that long...especially not toting around 3 kids. Actually, the kids went to Grandma Clock's house for the morning, while The Hub and I had the privilege of volunteering for a "Safe at Home" program for the elderly. We learned to install grab bars and a handrail (in 30 degree temperatures!). Certainly not our typical homeschool day. It was such a meaningful experience. I really enjoyed spending time with this elderly woman, and she was so appreciative of the service and the company. And...Your Little Homie got to drill a hole in concrete! Can you believe I did that?!            Afterwards, we decided to travel up and see my grandma, whom we missed seeing on Christmas Eve (with the whole illness fiasco). I always wish I had more time...

What A Christmas!   In case you haven't noticed, I've had a rough stretch in the last month or so. For starters, at least one person in The Fam has been sick since mid-November. From croup to bronchitis to sinusitis...our immunities have been severely attacked this winter! This, along with other irritating and upsetting circumstances (a horrible computer virus, a HEATED mis-understanding with my dear friend's husband, etc.) has left me DESPERATELY on the edge of "The Cliffs of Insanity." (It's inconceivable, I know.) Well, one week before Christmas, the s*!& REALLY hit the fan...(Is that appropriate?...I think, in this case friends, it really is. I'm honest... not perfect, just honest.) Anyway, one week before Christmas, I, THE Mary Poppins of Law-Abiding and Tightwad Extraordinaire, received a $175 ticket (SORRY, AFRICA!!!!) for running a red light. I looked that cop (the same man who had come to my d...

Computer Miracle! What a day! What a day! We were running late this morning. Decided to shovel out my parent's drive, since my dad had to stay at a hotel near his work last night. We didn't get much homeschool done early on...ended up stressing to try to fit it in. I was rushing to try to get in a last minute credit with Nature Girl, when The Hub called me up (with intensity). Little Man had finally spilled water on the laptop. We thought all was lost, but I decided to keep the faith. Really...it's minor in the scheme of life. I prayed out loud. I confessed that God would take care of it one way or another, and we would adapt and focus on Him. Of course, I was bombarded with doubts, "What about our bills? What about my website? I can't really afford a new computer..." But I refused to submit to them. I refused to worry. "Ah well, I'm disappointed. Oh, yes, that WILL be a pain, but God will take care of us. I...

Homeschool Break No homeschool today. Nature Girl went to a dear friend's house. This little girl was homeschooled by her grandmother (a 20-plus year veteran teacher) last year. She had recently been diagnosed with Krohn's disease, and they pulled her out of public school for the year. I met them at the public library, and the grandmother later arranged a play date. After spending some time together, she eventually asked to homeschool the girls together once a week. It was hard for me to release that responsibility, but Little Man was a newborn. I could use all the help I could get. It was such a great experience for all of us, and the girls are still very close. This year, Nature Girl's friend is back in public school, so they don't get to see each other as often. They both treasure the times they do get to spend together. NG's absence left behind quite a trio: The Artist, Little Man and I. After we dropped her off, we shopped at a local antique m...

There are those days, as a homeschool mom, when I think to myself, "Aha! This is why people send their kids to school." We were under a bit of a mutiny around here. I was completely overwhelmed. The girls were complaining about E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G I asked them to do. They were sluggish, and (may I say it?) quite LAZY. Dillon was interrupting every 5 minutes (no, I am NOT exagerrating) beg/whining me to fix his Mario problems on the Wii, and I was single-handedly trying to manage all of this on top of ridiculously huge projects (like canning and baking and harvesting foods)! Thank God, Matt had some time off to step in and establish order. I asked him to take over and lead us for a few days. You know, it can be hard to submit to authority and rely on someone else, but this time it felt so freeing! He has such a unique perspective from mine. He doesn't put up with bologna from the kids, and he doesn't try to save the planet one le...